Golden potato-ham soup

Ingredients:
4 potatoes
2 celery
1 onion
1 stock cube
3 dl water (300 ml)
salt, pepper
2 tsp plain flour
350 ml of milk
200 gr grated cheese ( red cheddar)
200 gr ham

Method:
Peel and dice the potatoes. Wash and dice celery the same size as potatoes. Chop the onion. Put all of them in a pot with water and boil until potato is tender. In a separate bowl mix the flour and milk and add to the soup gradually , mixing the soup at the same time. Keep mixing 'til soup is nice and thick. Add in the diced ham and grated cheese.
Sit back and enjoy :)

*For Coeliacs substitute flour with cornflour, but then you can just add the milk to the soup. Mix the cornflour with a little bit of cold water and then mix in the soup.
** For a creamy soup substitute milk with single  cream.

Szechuan stir-fried prawns

ingredients:
200 gr prawns

1 egg white
pinch of salt
1 tbsp cornflour

Sauce: 
1 tsp chopped ginger
2 spring onions- chopped
1 garlic clove- diced
3-4 small red chillies- chopped
1 tbsp soy sauve
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2-3 tbsp vegetable stock
2-3 drops of sesame oil

Method:
peel the prawns and sprinkle with salt. Whisk the egg white until nice and fluffy. Then toss the prawns in cornflour and then in egg whites. Fry the prawns on a hot wok pan for 2 minutes and then drain them on a kitchen paper.Use the sesame oil for frying.
Heat up the wok again and add all the ingredients for the sauce, bring to the boil and stir until  smooth and well blended.
Add the prawns back to the pan and mix. Garnish however you like and enjoy.
 :)

Egg fried rice

Ingredients: 

350 ml water
pinch of salt
150 gr long grain rice
1 egg + 1 tbsp water
vegetable oil
2 spring onions
1/2 red pepper or any other colour pepper
50 gr frozen peas
100 gr bean sprouts
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 bacon slices

Method:  Cook the rice in the water and refresh ( rinse under running cold water). Mix the egg with the water and seasoning and cook like an omelette and roll together when ready. Then cut the roll into strips. Thinly slice the spring onions, red pepper and bacon. Stir-fry them , add frozen peas,bean sprouts and soy sauce. Then add the rice and last add the egg strips.

Enjoy :)

Banana Muffins

Absolutely lovely muffins. so fluffy. mmm..






you'll need: 200 gr butter
160 gr caster sugar
250 ml eggs
300 gr plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
125 ml milk
2-3 drops vanilla essence
4 bananas
Method: Cream the butter and sugar until white and sugar has been dissolved. Then slowly add the eggs. keep mixing.  Sieve together flour and baking powder and add to the mix.  mix together vanilla essence and milk and add to the mix aswell and mix everything together. Divide the mix between muffin moulds and bake at 175 C for 30-35 minutes.

Greek salad

You'll need:
1/2 head cos lettuce
1/4 cucumber
few tomatoes cut wedges
3 spring onion
red onion- cut into rings
olives
100 gr feta cheese
steamed asparagus
pan fried halloumi cheese
For the dressing:
45 ml white wine vinegar
150 ml olive oil
seasoning

Method: Shred the cos lettuce, cut tomatoes into wedges, slice the cucumber and red onion. Chop the spring onion and cut feta cheese into cubes.
For the dressing put the vinegar in the bowl, add seasoning and start whisking. Add oil gradually, whisking all the time. If you add all the oil at once the dressing will split.

Put all the salad items in the bowl, mix with the dressing and put in the serving dish. Garnish with asparagus and pan fried halloumi cheese.

Enjoy :)

Paella

You'll need: 
100 gr squid
200 gr mussels
200 gr different fish
3 pieces raw chicken
5 slices chorizo sausage
1 ltr stock
100 ml white wine
pinch of saffron / turmeric
50 gr onion
1 garlic clove
50 gr diced red peppers
50 gr green pepper- diced
60 ml olive oil
200 gr short grain rice
thyme and bayleaf
150 gr tomatoes or tomato concasse
Garnish: lemon wedges and chopped parsley

Method: First pin bone the fish and cut in the even sizes. Then cut the squid rings, clean mussels and clean prawns.
Sweat the chopped onion, peppers and garlic. Seal off the chicken on a same pan and add with chorizo. Cook until chicken is cooked. About 10 minutes. Add the rice and stock ( mix stock + saffron/turmeric). Then add everything else, except the squid. When rice and fish is cooked, add the squid. Cook another 5 minutes.
When you add squid too early it will become rubbery. When paella is cooked add the tomatoes and garnish with lemon wedges and chopped parsley.
Enjoy :)

Cazpacho soup

Nice cold soup that will cool you down on a hot day. Popular in Spain

You'll need: 
2 garlic cloves
100 gr bread-torn
100 ml olive oil
250 gr tomatoes-chopped
125 gr cucumber-chopped
100 gr green pepper-chopped
50 ml vinegar
1 tsp cumin seeds
ice
Garnish:
crutons- optional
50 gr diced onion
50 gr diced cucumber
50 gr diced green pepper
50 gr tomato concasse*
Method: Soak the torn bread with garlic, olive oil and tomatoes. Add the cucumber, green pepper, vinegar, cumin seeds and ice. Place in a food processor and liquidise until smooth.
Garnish with crutons, onion,tomatoes,cucumber and green pepper.

* tomato concasse is peeled,de-seeded and chopped tomato. Easiest way to peel tomato is to put them in the boiling water for 10-15 seconds and then cool them down in ice water. Before you put the tomatoes in the boiling water, make an X on top of the tomato and also remove the stem spot.

Soup is more flavoursome if you leave it soak over night and blitz it next day.

Enjoy :)