American Vanilla Cupcakes

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients
2 medium eggs
160g caster sugar
300g topped, tailed, peeled and finely grated courgette
180g white rice flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method
1) Pre-heat oven to 180 C / 350F/ gas mark 4. Arrange paper cases in muffin tray
2) Whisk eggs and sugar in a large bowl until pale and light – this should take about 5 mins and beaters should leave a trail across the mixture add the courgette
3) Sprinkle over half the flour, along with the baking powder and salt and whisk for 30 seconds. Add remaining flour and vanilla extract and whisk until combined.
4) Ladle the mixture into the cases so it comes 4/5 of the way up the cases. Place in the middle of the oven for approx. 30mins.

Turkey Burgers & Red Coleslaw

Preparation time = 15 minutes

Cooking time = 25 minutes

Ingredients
1 tbsp oil

1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot grated
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp chilli powder
100g British turkey mince
1 slice of bread - fresh white bread crumbs
1 Granary bread rolls
Mixed spinach , onion slices and tomato wedges to serve
Salt and black pepper

Method
Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the onion for a few minutes until softened. Transfer to a bowl, add the herbs and stir well.
Make bread crumbs by grating the slice of bread.
Add the minced turkey, breadcrumbs and seasoning. Mix well to form a soft mixture, an egg can be added to bind if required.
Divide into burger sized portions and chill until required.
Cook in frying pan / griddle pan if available for 25 minutes, turning occasionally.

Split the granary roll. Fill the roll with salad of your choice, e.g. spinach, tomato and onion slices and then the cooked burger. Serve immediately.
Tip
Once cooled any spare burgers can be placed in the refrigerator for consumption the next day or in the freezer for another day.

Red Coleslaw

1/4 red cabbage finely shredded

1 small red onion finely sliced
2 carrots grated
10 radish finely sliced or grated
(1 red apple - optional)
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp low fat fromage frais


Combine all the ingredients and serve on the side.

Melanzana parmigiana

Ok so this week has already turned out decidedly Italian but this is one of my favourites in our local Italian so I 'm giving it a go before the aubergines walk out of the fridge themselves.

Not too sure how this will fair with my favourite critics but hey ho, I'll be full and happy even if they are starving!

Ingredients

Olive oil

3 large aubergines (eggplant if you are that way inclined)

2 x 400g tins of tomatoes (or a jar of passata with basil (680g) if you're short on time)

2 cloves of garlic (or a good squirt of my new bast friend - garlic puree in a tube)

Handful of basil leaves (if not using passata)

2 mozzarella balls (sliced)

grated parmesan (or cheaper alternative)

Method

1) Preheat the oven 180C/160C fan assisted / Gas Mark 4. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan and cook the garlic for about 2 mins, add a pinch of cinnamon and the tomatoes and simmer until thickens - approx. 15 mins. Stir in the basil if using seperately.

2) Slice the aubergine length ways , about 1/2 cm thick and chargrill until cooked through (you can also do this in a non stick pan). (This is the most time consuming part of the recipe as you can only cook the slices in fairly small batches but is worthwhile in the end).
3) Layer the sauce mix, aubergine and mozzeralla slices in an oven proof dish, starting with the sauce. You should have enough for about 3 or 4 layers ending in a layer of sauce.

4) Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan and bake until bubling and golden (approx. 30-40 mins)

Serve with cristy bread and a salad.

Approximate Nutrition per serving (recipe serves 4)

Energy 416 kcal

Protein 18.5g

Carbohydrate 10.5g

Fat 33.7g of which saturates 11.7g

Fibre 5.5g

Salt 1.0g

Approximate price £4.10

Active fat

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Active fat

Not quite 'The Good Life'

but hey I'm no Felicity Kendal either....



Having grown up surrounded by fields and with a huge garden and a father who is the king of allotments, I have decided that the restrictions of city dwelling are not going to prevent the fruit of my loins from knowing where all these lovely nutritious fruit and veg. come from (and I am clinging to the hope that growing it may encourage some of it to pass their pursed lips).

We did make an enthusiastic start last year ,only to be quickly thworted by the resident slugs inviting all their mates over for a gourmet dinner.

So we made a new start last weekend by planting our freebie seeds (thanks BBC). Now all I have to hope is that my plant recognition is up to scratch because our youngest gardener was a little too enthusiastic with the seed scattering. So everything is indoors keeping warm and getting the best start.



I am under no illusion that this will replace our supermarket shop but even if we get the odd pea pod or salad leaf, then I can smile smuggly to myself before loading the children into the car and heading home to get grandad to show them how its really done...

SDC10616

SDC10616,
originally uploaded by littlehunts.

So what better ingredient in a Bunny cake than a bowl full of carrots!
But the test will be in sampling, will it get past the real critics, the party guests?

Every Bunny loves chocolate cake

So with the usual amount of fuss and panic, the party preparations began. Just as every year the same repetion was followed, drastically searching for a different party provider that can do entertainment, food and fun all for a reasonable price for the amount of 'best' friends on the list this year and take the pressure of us parents. As always the prices were just too much and to meet the ever growing guest list, it was just more straight forward to do it ourselves!! (But 10x as tiring but as i'm a secret control freak its the only way really!)

Ok so the request this year was for another bunny cake and to make it different I decided that this year it shoud be chocolate. Time to fill the chocolate bunny cake with carrots. 'What?' I hear you shriek, 'what kind of idiot puts carrots in chocolate cake?'
Well this one does and so does Harry Eastwood author of Red Velvet Chocolate Heartache.
(as reviewed in my previous blog)

the recipe can be found here Bunny cake recipe.

This recipe didn't rise as well as others I have used in this mould, however, the cake was light moist and tasty, not a hint of a carrot and although not completely fat free because of the chocolate chips is considerably lower in fat. I also like the fact that the recipe can be gluten free, if rice flour and ground almond are used, which is always a useful option to have.

No complaints were received from any of the party guests and I was quietly content knowing they were getting a few additional nutrients along with their chocolate cake.