Sweet Potato Muffins

I had some sweet potatoes that needed using up so, I totally winged this recipe and I'm amazed how they turned out! I've never had much luck with muffins recipes, but these turned out light, fluffy and delicious! They're accidentally vegan, if only because I didn't have any butter or eggs so I used vegetable oil and tofu! Tofu, in a cake you say? Madness! But they turned out great, you'd never know!

Makes 10

• 250 g sweet potato, finely grated
• 250 g self raising flour
• 2 tbsp rye flour (or wholemeal, optional)
• 120 ml vegetable oil
• 100 g tofu, mashed
• 50 g golden raisins or sultanas
• 170 g sugar
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp ground ginger

1. Mix everything up in a big bowl to a smooth consistency.
2. Preheat your oven to 190C.
3. Spoon into muffin cases (I use silicone ones, much easier). The mixture should come to the top of the casing so it bulges outward in the classic muffin-top shape.
4. Pop into the hot oven for 25-30 minutes.
5. Leave to cool, pop on the kettle, and enjoy!

Variations

For that extra bit of indulgence and style give them a cream cheese icing, like a carrot cake. They're quite delicious by themselves.

Orange zest would also be a good touch, I didn't have any! For a nutty crunch add a handful of chopped walnuts, pecans or sunflower seeds.

Bhindi Masala (Curried Okra)

It's been a while since I made anything Indian but in the supermarket I spotted frozen okra, and decided to experiment with something spicy to chase away the winter chill!

I've hardly every cooked okra, or bhindi as it's called in the Subcontinent. Bhindi Masala is a classic Punjabi dish that's flavoursome but without much heat. Apologies to purists but I added Quorn to give it texture and protein: leave it out if it offends you! I used frozen okra/bhindi which seems quite widely available and is simpler to deal with for novices like myself.

Either make the spice paste with dry spices, or substitute a mild curry paste like a Rogan Josh - it will say on the jar how much to use. Don't overcook okra as they can get a slimy if overdone.

• 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small thumb gingeer
• 2 tsp paprika or medium chilli powder
• 3 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 tsp ground coriander or whole seeds
• 300g frozen chopped okra/bhindi
• 4 Quorn fillets, defrosted (omit for a vegan version)

1. Put all the ingredients except the okra and Quorn in a blender with a splash of vegetable oil and whiz till a smooth paste.
2. Fry the Quorn fillets on both sides in a frying pan for a few minutes until browned. Remove and chop into chunks.
3. In the hot pan, fry the spice mixture for five minutes or so until the onions have lost their pungency. I recommend turning your extractor fan to maximum!
4. Add the frozen okra along with the chopped Quorn and stir in, making sure everything is well coated. Add about a cupful of water to make a thick sauce.
5. Cook for about ten minutes on a moderate heat until the okra cooks through and everything comes together, 
6. At the end, take off the heat and stir in a tablespoon of natural yoghurt. Serve on a plate with a spoon of yoghurt on top and a sprinkle of paprika for garnish.

Serve with rice and/or flatbreads - my next post will show you how simple it is to make quick flatbreads from scratch!

Lentil and Green Vegetable Wholewheat Lasagna

After gorging on unhealthy things over the festive season, now's the time to get healthy with low-fat, high fibre recipes. But they really don't have to be boring! This lasagna is filling and tasty.

Here I made my own wholewheat pasta (largely because I'd run out!). It's really easy to make and it's a good way to try making pasta for the first time because if you make a mess, it's all hidden by sauce so it doesn't matter! If not just use whatever dried lasagna you have available.

In winter, frozen spinach is far better for you, your wallet and for the environment.

• 1 head of spring greens, finely sliced and chopped
• 275g brown lentils, rinsed
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tsp vegetable stock powder
• 10 chunks defrosted frozen spinach
• 6 flat mushrooms (or equivalent button)
• 250 ml milk (skimmed or semi)
• 4 tbsp white flour
• Small chunk of cheddar cheese, grated
• Nutmeg

Lasagna with Spicy Red Cabbage

1. Start by boiling the lentils in plain water for about 20 minutes, until tender.
2. Meanwhile roast the mushrooms in a hot oven (180C) for 15-20 minutes.
3. Add oil to a large pan or wok and stir-fry the onion and cabbage for about five minutes, then add the spinach along with any juices from defrosting. Turn down to a low heat, cover and continue to cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
4. When the lentils are done, drain, and return to the pan along with the tin of tomatoes, garlic, stock powder and the chopped roast mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Make a fat free white sauce by mixing a bit of the milk in the flour to make a paste, while the rest of the milk heats in a pan. Stir in the flour paste and keep stirring til it cooks and thickens. 
6. Stir in the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper. It should be the thickness of custard, pourable but coats the back of a spoon.
7. Pour a little bit of the white sauce into the green vegetable mixture, enough to coat it all and make it stick together.
8. To construct the lasagna, take a large baking dish and fill the bottom with about half the green vegetable mix.
9. Top with a layer of lasagna, making sure to fill in any holes. If using dried pasta, dunking sheets in a bowl of boiling water first helps the construction and cooking.
10. Next add half the lentil mix, then cover with lasagna. Repeat with a layer of cabbage, lasagna, another layer of lentils and the top layer of pasta.
11. Pour the remaining white sauce over the top, sprinkle with a little bit of cheese and finish with a generous sprinkling of nutmeg and pepper.
12. Bake in a 180C oven for 30-40 minutes until the pasta is cooked and the top is brown. Dried pasta will take 40-45 minutes, fresh pasta 30ish minutes.
13. Leave a few minutes to settle before serving.

To make wholewheat  lasagne:
275g strong wholewheat bread flour
3-4 eggs
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt

1. Mix the ingredients together to form a dough, then knead as you would bread, for about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. About 3 minutes in a mixer on medium speed. If it's too dry add a splash of water.
2. Cut the dough into four pieces and roll each piece out thinly until big enough to fill the dish.

Variations

Fat free

To make a fat-free version, use Nutritional Yeast instead of cheese. It's available in health food shops and makes a tasty cheese sauce without the calories. Alternatively, use fat free natural yoghurt instead of a white sauce.

Vegan

To make a vegan version, use soy yoghurt and nutritional yeast.

Carb Free & Wheatfree

Wheatfree pasta is available, but for a virtuous lasagna, instead of pasta try whole cabbage leaves with the stalks trimmed, blanched in boiling water for a few minutes. Layer them like pasta and top with yoghurt. Virtuous, but still good!

Spicy Red Cabbage with Dates

I made this spicy red cabbage for Christmas dinner, it's great served with anything rich and hearty like roast vegetables or a nut roast!

It actually improves if it's made in advance. Cook until slightly underdone, then reheat a day or so later and it'll be even better! Also freezes well, add a portion to any dinner to liven up a winter meal.

Not my picture but looks similar!

• 1 medium/large red cabbage
• 1 white or red onion, chopped
• 250 ml red wine (1 large glass)
• 1 apple, grated or finely chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon or 100 ml red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 10-12 dried dates, cut in half
• 1 Cinammon stick (or 2 tsp ground)
• 3 cloves
• 1 whole nutmeg, grated
• 1 tsp paprika or cayenne
• Knob of butter

1. Prepare the cabbage by first cutting it in half or quarters, lengthways. Cut out the white stalk, then slice finely.
2. In a large pan add a splash of oil and a generous knob of but, on a moderate heat.
3. Add the onion and stir for a few minutes til soft.
4. Add the cabbage and sauté on a moderate to high heat for five minutes until they're completely coated in the oil and butter and start to cook down a little.
5. Add the spices, dates, apple, lemon/vinegar, sugar and red wine.
6. Taste the liquid and season with salt as you like. Add more spices if you think it needs it!
7. Bring up to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, til the cabbage is tender but still has bite.

Variations

Many recipes use red onion but given that everything ends up red anyway, it doesn't really makes a difference. Leeks are a nice alternative to onion, slice them thinly and cook them gently at the start.

The dates here give an extra sweetness and richness but leave them out if you're not keen. Balsamic vinegar is also gorgeous in this recipe but is also very sweet, reduce the amount of sugar if using.

I've recently discovered the Turkish herb sumac, which gives a citric zing to so many Middle Eastern dishes. Adding a tablespoon of this gorgeous purple-red dried herb adds a nice edge to the dish.

If you have any cranberry sauce leftover from Christmas, adding a tablespoon or two will only help.

The zest and juice of an orange is also a good variation!

Mincemeat and Marzipan Festive Crown

Ah Christmas, how we love you - and how fat you make us. But in this case it was worth it! This recipe combines sweet zesty fruit with crisp pastry and crunchy nuts, far superior to stodgy stolen in my opinion!

This is my take on tv baker Paul Hollywood's Christmas Couronne, or crown (here for the recipe). It's a yeasted dough, rolled out flat and layered with orange marzipan and my home-made mincemeat, rolled up and then twisted into shape. Once baked I topped it with almonds, cherries and water icing with a hint of orange flower water. Delicious.

After icing

Five minutes later...

White Chocolate Mince Pie Croquembouche

I wanted to make an attractive and tasty centrepiece for my party so I set myself a change: the dreaded Croqembouche, a tower of profiteroles filled with a mincemeat cream, held together with crunchy caramel and drizzled with white chocolate.

It consists of several scary things I've never done before: choux pastry, caramel, creme patisserie, and using a piping bag! I've always been a bit terrified of all four but gave it a go!

Choux pastry

I remember once watching tv cook Lorraine Pascal, who I otherwise love, talking about how choux was allegely "the easiest pastry"! Having done it now I suppose that's true: you don't have all that cutting and roll, but you do need a strong arm for mixing and constructing anything from it is very fiddly.

Choux involves boiling up milk, adding flour, then slowly stirring in eggs to a smooth paste. It's slightly hard work but quite easy. I recommend fellow amateur baker and Great British Bakeoff alumnus Ruth Clemens' choux recipe, it's easy to follow and gave exactly the quantity I wanted, which was about 70 smallish profiteroles. I made them a couple of days before.

Creme patisserie

"Creme pat" is basically egg custard with some added flour, There are so many creme patisserie recipes around it was hard to know which to use! I made mine slightly thicker than usual, then mixed with some leftover mincemeat which I'd blitzed to a paste.

Piping... I've never piped before and that was probably the worst part. Getting a creamy mixture into profiteroles without them bursting or being underfilled was a real pain. I guess it just takes practice!

Caramel

Caramel always scared me because I've seen horror stories of people burning it, burning themselves, and making a terrible mess of their surfaces! I followed some good advice from a trusty old book: use a sugar thermometer to raise the temperature to 154C rather than doing it by eye, and wear rubber gloves so you don't burn yourself!

Assembly

The caramel is used to weld the profiteroles together into a pile - the trick is using enough caramel so they stick together, but not too much so they're impossible for your guests to pick apart! As a rookie I used too much, particularly the ones at the bottom (when I was just starting), so they had to be chipped apart with a knife!

A great trick I saw on Youtube was making spun sugar using two forks. I have to say spun sugar really does look beautiful with its golden hairlike strands. Dip two forks into the caramel, stick them together by the profiterole pile then pull them apart, forming fine hairs you wrap around as decoration. I'll definitely use that trick again.

Finally I briefly zapped some white chocolate in the microwave, left it to melt, then drizzled it over the pile. Piping would've been prettier but after 70 profiteroles I was sick of piping by that point!

Festive party snacks

It's well into the party season and Merry Christmas to you all! I had my festive party at the weekend so thought I'd share a few snack ideas which are easy to make and should satisfy your guests! The centrepiece is a Croquembouche or profiterole pile - that's more tricky so I'll cover it in another episode!

Mince Pies

So many people say they don't like mince pies because they've only ever eaten those Mr Kipling-types with thick claggy pastry and mincemeat that tastes of nothing! A really good mince pie should have crisp pastry and a really rich flavoursome filling, oozing festive cheer.

I've already covered my mincemeat recipe, which is rich and zesty with citrus. And rum. I won't reinvent the wheel by giving you a pastry recipe, Paul Hollywood's sweet shortcrust pastry recipe is what I used and it's great. Some people like big deep-filled mince pies, but for parties I prefer smaller, bite-sized ones you can just pop into your mouth. I use tart tins, a dozen to a tray. With nice thin crispy pastry, Paul Hollywoods recipe makes several dozen.

Crostini

I covered crostini in my Summer party recipes. You can make these bits of crunchy toasted bread several days before, then top with anything you fancy: cream cheese, Stilton, roasted cherry tomatoes, roast vegetables: go wild. I topped mine with mushroom paté, with a grating of nutmeg just to keep it festive.

Palmiers

Palmiers look so pretty on a plate and people assume they're complicated with their pretty swirls, but actually they're really quick to make! If you're pushed for time buy sheets

of pre-rolled shortcrust or puff pastry.

This time I lightly blitzed a mixture of sundried tomatoes, olives, rosemary and goats cheese into a thick chunky paste, and spread it evenly over a rectangle of pastry. Take one side of the longest side and roll it up tightly, like a Swiss roll, until it reaches the middle. Turn and do the same the other side, so you have two rolls next to each other. Pop in the fridge for half an hour to firm up, cut into slices, pop them onto a backing tray and cook in a hot 200C hot oven for about twenty minutes until golden.

Dips

Dips are an essential part of any buffet, great with corn chips, crisps and sticks of carrot, celery and cucumber. Plain yoghurt is an exellent base for dips: I often mix it with fresh herbs, especially mint or dill, garlic, maybe lemon juice and a sprinkling of salt.

Tomato salsa is always a crowd pleaser but the stuff you buy often seems a bit funny to me and goes off quickly. I use half a tin of tomatoes, a handle of cherry tomatoes, a couple of spring onions, a few small fresh or dried chillis, a little bit of garlic, salt, possibly a splash of wine vinegar, and chop them all up together. Make it as chunky or smooth as you like.

Cucumber bites

These are really the easiest thing in the world. Top and tail a cucumber, slice it in half and use a teaspoon to scoop out the centre of each half. Fill the scooped core them with a topping: cream cheese, hummus, paté, anything you fancy, then chop into finger-width slices. Arrange on a plate and dust with black pepper, cayenne or herbs for that final touch. Simple!