Recipes Archives - Page 3 of 4

Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe

This vegan chocolate cake recipe is one to keep. I came across the idea when I realised there were many more people that I know who are either vegan or who are removing some areas of food from their diet. There are so many ways in which we can tweak our favourite recipes to meet our own requirements.

With my vegan chocolate cake it does not contain any eggs or butter. The standard sugar has been replaced with Natvia sweetener – Natvia is made from the stevia plant and is completely natural – and the oil is vegetable oil.

This is a cake that is so versatile. It’s perfect with a hot coffee, if you fancy a summer party then adding fresh fruit will put the sunshine feeling into the day, or if it’s luxury you are after then vegan hazelnut frosting is something that will top this off a treat!

See how easy it is to make….

5 from 1 vote

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

1 hr

This No Egg, No Butter, Vegan Chocolate Cake is delicious! Try it out with fresh fruit or a hot steaming coffee. You can upgrade this to the best wedding cake with vegan frosting, it's so versatile.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Worldwide

Servings: 12

Author: mainy - myrealfairy

Ingredients

1 lb Plain Flour
12 oz Natvia Natural Sweetener
3 oz Cocoa Powder
3 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
8 fl oz fl oz Vegetable Oil
1 pint Water
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Cider vinegar

Instructions

Measure out your dry ingredients and mix these together in a large bowl.
Add your wet ingredients and blend these in making a smooth paste.
Line an 8 inch (22cm) loose bottomed cake tin with parchment.
Carefully pour into the tin.
Bake in a pre-heated oven for 45 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Insert a clean toothpick into the centre of the cake to see if it is baked. If the toothpick comes out clean then it’s done!

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I was given one pack of Natvia Sweetener to try. It works and tastes great in this cake!

Paleo Cassava Banana Pancakes

Today I have a lovely treat in store for you all, who can resist a healthy, filling and nutritious breakfast? Not me! Here you will see with the help of my lovely guest blogger how you can make super easy Paleo Cassava Banana Pancakes and pick up a few tips on the Paleo way of cooking too.

Rachel Peterson is a Paleo blogger and self-professed Twitter fanatic from the US. She enjoys cooking, Zumba, and giving out nutrition advice to friends, family, and pretty much anyone who will listen! Her blog can be found at: www.austinpaleogrrl.blogspot.com

It’s over to you Rachel…

These pancakes are the perfect breakfast (or dinner!) food, and their light and fluffy texture can easily be achieved using what may be considered somewhat unconventional ingredients.

I am a Paleo blogger from Austin, Texas USA. This banana pancake recipe was born through trial and error. It took me three tries to get it just right! You don’t have to follow a Paleo diet to enjoy them, and the type of flour used (cassava – also known as yuca root) works just as well (if not better) than conventional wheat or white flour and is much healthier. Plus, cassava flour has some calcium and potassium in it.

Being Paleo, I don’t eat any grains (especially gluten), so I had to find an alternative flour so that I could still enjoy my favorite breakfast! I personally use Otto’s Cassava Flour, as I think it has the best texture and taste. It can be purchased on Amazon or in some health food stores. These pancakes are delicious served up with sliced bananas and pure maple syrup or with any other ingredients you can dream up. The possibilities are endless!

This recipe yields 6 small pancakes

Ingredients

5 US Tablespoons cassava flour

1 US Tablespoon organic honey

½ US Teaspoon baking soda

1 pureed banana

2 free range or pastured eggs

Coconut oil for cooking

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, honey, baking soda and eggs.

In a blender, combine one whole ripe banana with a small bit of water and blend until smooth

Add blended banana into your batter mixture and whisk until smooth

Next, heat a small skillet on stove top to medium heat and add in a small amount of coconut oil. I recommend coconut oil, because it melts quickly and has a medium smoke point (350° F or 171º C).

When your skillet is warmed up enough, scoop ¼ US cup of pancake batter and pour it onto the skillet, tilting the pan up and down just a bit so that the batter spreads out into an even circle.

Some bubbles will begin to form in the batter, and these pancakes will brown quite quickly, so be sure to check them often with your spatula. When browned to your liking, flip the pancake onto its other side and cook for another 30-45 seconds

Repeat with the rest of the batter, and serve warm with your favorite toppings!

Tip: to keep the pancakes warm, put them on a plate and keep them covered in the microwave until you are finished using up all of the batter

Thank you Rachel for this yummy recipe. You can see more of what Rachel is up to on her Twitter and Facebook pages.

This is so good I’ve put it in a printable format below. Enjoy!

5 from 1 vote

Paleo Cassava Banana Pancakes

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

6 mins

Total Time

11 mins

Paleo Cassava Banana Pancakes. They’re the perfect breakfast (or dinner!) food, and their light and fluffy texture can easily be achieved using what may be considered somewhat unconventional ingredients.

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Worldwide

Servings: 6

Ingredients

5 US Tablespoons cassava flour
1 US Tablespoon organic honey
½ US Teaspoon baking soda
1 pureed banana
2 free range or pastured eggs
Coconut oil for cooking

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, honey, baking soda and eggs.
In a blender, combine one whole ripe banana with a small bit of water and blend until smooth
Add blended banana into your batter mixture and whisk until smooth
Next, heat a small skillet on stove top to medium heat and add in a small amount of coconut oil. I recommend coconut oil, because it melts quickly and has a medium smoke point (350° F or 171º C).
When your skillet is warmed up enough, scoop ¼ US cup of pancake batter and pour it onto the skillet, tilting the pan up and down just a bit so that the batter spreads out into an even circle.
Some bubbles will begin to form in the batter, and these pancakes will brown quite quickly, so be sure to check them often with your spatula. When browned to your liking, flip the pancake onto its other side and cook for another 30-45 seconds
Repeat with the rest of the batter, and serve warm with your favorite toppings!

Recipe Notes

Tip: to keep the pancakes warm, put them on a plate and keep them covered in the microwave until you are finished using up all of the batter.

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If you like the look of this then see what you think of my Easy Pickled Green Chillies

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Chocolate and Cherry Tiffin – Guest Post Recipe

Guest Posting for me today is Ruth, a 36 year old, mum of two from the West Midlands. Ruth’s a Lifestyle blogger, High school teacher and full time tea drinker.

Ruth blogs at www.craftwithcartwright.co.uk where she writes about recipes, reviews, parenting and crafts. Pop along when you’ve seen this yummy recipe and see her on her blog.

Chocolate and Cherry Tiffin Recipe.

Tiffin is a cold set hard pressed chocolate and biscuit combo. You’ll have to go far to find anything more deliciously chocolatey, sweet and crumbly. It is moreish beyond belief. In an attempt to make it slightly healthier I’ve added dried cherries, you could also try sultanas, cranberries or even figs. But be warned this is a calorific treat and should not be consumed in one sitting.

I also included in brackets how to make it gluten free, which is pretty simple with some ingredient substitutions.

You will need:

225g digestive biscuits, (gluten free version) crushed
100g dried cherries
100g butter
25g sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder (check gluten free)
4 tbsp golden syrup
225g plain chocolate (check gluten free, I use green and Blacks)

First crush the biscuits in a food processor or a sealed food bag with a rolling pin.
Then tip the crushed biscuits into a large mixing bowl and add the dried cherries.
Melt the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and golden syrup over a low heat in a heavy based saucepan.
Once melted, combine the butter mixture with the biscuits in the mixing bowl.
Press the mixture into an 8” square tin and leave to cool.
Once cool, melt the chocolate in a bowl sat over a saucepan of simmering water or in a microwave.
Then spread it over the top of the biscuit mixture whilst still in the tin.
When set, remove the tiffin from the tin and cut into squares using a sharp knife.

5 from 1 vote

Chocolate and Cherry Tiffin

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

5 mins

Total Time

15 mins

You’ll have to go far to find anything more deliciously chocolatey, sweet and crumbly. It is moreish beyond belief.

Course: Dessert

Servings: 12

Ingredients

225 g digestive biscuits gluten free version
100 g dried cherries
100 g butter
25 g sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder check for gluten free
4 tbsp golden syrup
225 g plain chocolate check for gluten free

Instructions

First crush the biscuits in a food processor or a sealed food bag with a rolling pin.
Then tip the crushed biscuits into a large mixing bowl and add the dried cherries.
Melt the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and golden syrup over a low heat in a heavy based saucepan.
Once melted, combine the butter mixture with the biscuits in the mixing bowl.
Press the mixture into an 8'' square tin and leave to cool.
Once cool, melt the chocolate in a bowl sat over a saucepan of simmering water or in a microwave.
Then spread it over the top of the biscuit mixture whilst still in the tin.
When set, remove the tiffin from the tin and cut into squares using a sharp knife.

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Easy Granola Recipe

This Easy Granola Recipe can be made with or without the seeds and berries depending on your preference.

What you will need is:

3 cups of Porridge Oats

1 Tablespoon of honey or fruit syrup

A sprinkle of:

Dried Goji berries

Pumpkin seeds

Sunflower seeds

Jumbo flame raisins

Here’s what you need to do using the photos and some very easy steps…

Mix the honey or syrup into the oats in a large bowl so that they are covered.

Line a baking tray with parchment. Spread the oats in a thin layer. Bake on a medium heat for 10 minutes stirring once after 5 minutes. Make sure you keep an eye on them as they can go from bronze to burnt very quickly.

Mix in your choice of dried fruits and nuts and place back in the oven for 2 minutes. Take out of the oven and mix well.

Leave to cool before placing in an airtight container.

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5 from 1 vote

Easy Granola Recipe

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Total Time

17 mins

Course: Breakfast

Servings: 7

Author: www.myrealfairy.com

Ingredients

3 Cups Porridge Oats
1 Tbsp Honey or Fruit Syrup
Sprinkle Dried Goji Berries
Sprinkle Pumpkin Seeds
Sprinkle Jumbo Flame Raisins

Instructions

Mix the honey or syrup into the oats so that they are covered.
Line a baking tray with parchment.
Spread the oats in a thin layer. Bake on a medium heat for 10 minutes stirring once after 5 minutes. Make sure you keep an eye on them as they can go from bronze to burnt very quickly.
Mix in your choice of dried fruits and nuts and place back in the oven for 2 minutes.
Take out of the oven and mix well.
Leave to cool before placing in an airtight container.

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Easy Aubergine Bake Recipe

This Easy Aubergine Bake Recipe is not only super delicious but super easy to make. I find layering up bakes relaxing and what’s great is that you can get this ready in advance and then pop it in the oven when you are nearly ready to have your meal. It only takes 40 minutes in the oven.

What you will need is:

1 garlic clove

5 mushrooms

2 small or 1 large aubergine

1 ball of mozzarella cheese

8 pasta sheets

1 can tinned tomatoes or passata

A couple of sprigs of basil

Grated cheddar cheese

Crush the garlic clove and mix with the tinned tomatoes. Spread this as the first layer across your oven dish. Then place the pasta sheets, trying to close all the gaps as good as possible.

Tear the mozarella into chunks and place over the pasta sheets.

Place a layer of roughly 1cm thick slices of aubergine on top of the mozarella.

Next put another layer of the pasta and cover with the remaining tinned tomatoes. Spread evenly over the pasta.

Place the sliced mushrooms ontop of the tomatoes and cover with the second half of the mozzarella then sprinkle over the grated cheese. Season well with salt and pepper.

Cook in the middle of a pre heated oven on a medium heat for 40 minutes.

My top tip for this recipe is to get your ingredients prepared so that you can layer the dish together a bit easier. Crush the garlic, cut the mushrooms and aubergines and unwrap your mozzarella. Place all of these in individual bowls and then relax and enjoy building up this tasty bake.

I’d love to hear how yours turned out and if you have any variations you’d like to share.

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#guestpost week featuring Natalie from Hello Cuppies

I’m delighted to have Natalie guest posting today and joining in with the #guestpost week on my blog.

Natalie is a happy, and in her own words “late-twenties *cough* mid-30’s *cough*” 🙂 baker, blogger, veggie and Mum. Natalie established Hello Cuppies in 2012 and what started out as a baking and recipe blog has evolved into a lifestyle and personal blog sharing insights on the life of a Northern girl living down south. Natalie has been baking professionally since 2011 and picked up the caking bug after baking some cupcakes for a friend’s daughter. She is completely self taught and has developed her skills by experimenting, reading and testing recipes whilst creating lots of new flavours and combinations along the way. Natalie really dislikes over the top recipes and techniques so will try to keep things simple, but still as effective as possible.

Here’s her great post, over to you Natalie…

Healthy Homemade Granola Bars

Mainy from myrealfairy was kind enough to have me on-board with writing a family friendly recipe to feature as a guest post on her blog. I’d also recently received a few emails and spotted some comments on my Instagram photos with regards to creating a recipe for something healthy, and for something with a little less sugar so I thought this was the ideal opportunity to share a healthy(ier) recipe.

I’m so used to baking cakes and biscuit type desserts that actually coming up with something reasonably healthy was difficult. I struggled, not gonna lie! I scratched my head, did a little bit of googling for inspiration but couldn’t really find anything that was healthier but still scrummy. It then dawned on me that I needed to stick with what I know – fruit and natural flavours – and to set myself a bigger challenge – NO ADDED SUGAR – none… nada…zilch!

So here you have it, these protein packed granola bars are healthy and yummy! They store well, last well and taste even better a day or so after they’ve been baked. Oh, and they are gluten free too. Actually, thinking about it, if you could find a honey substitute (maple syrup maybe?) they could easily be vegan – challenge for ya there!

INGREDIENTS

This recipe yields 16 to 20 granola bars and shouldn’t take you longer than 15/20 minutes to pull together.

65g pecan pieces & 65g almonds (loosely chopped or blitzed in a food processor)
45g pumpkin seeds
85g dried cranberries
130g of quick-cook oats (I used gluten free)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of ginger
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon orange zest
100g of smooth peanut butter (Whole Earths is my favourite)
175g of runny honey
5 tsp of vanilla extract

METHOD

Line a 8-inch tin with parchment paper (you could use a bigger tin if you didn’t want them so chunky)
Pour the oats into a large mixing bowl and then add both nuts, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, cinnamon, ginger, salt and orange zest. Mix to combine.
In a smaller bowl, mix together the peanut butter, honey and vanilla extract until all combined and smooth.
Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix them together until the two are evenly combined and no dry oats remain. This will be tough – if it’s too easy and too smooth add a few more oats.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and use your spoon to press down and make sure the mixture is even and packed together. I used my hands too as it was easier to tell if it was all compact.
Cover with cling-film and chill for 1 hour in the fridge.
Bake bars at 200 degrees (fan) for 30 minutes (conversions are here if you need them)
When cool lift out of the tin using the parchment paper edges and slice in to bar type shapes.

If you make these do let me know!

Thanks to Natalie for these yummy treats and for being part of our #guestpost series. You can read and find out more about Natalie and her work through her media sites below:-

Blog: http://hellocuppies.com

Orders: www.cuppiesncream.co.uk

Twitter: here

Facebook: here

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Easy Cranberry Sauce Recipe

This is a great easy cranberry sauce recipe as it is so quick to make. Also it has just 3 ingredients. It couldn’t be simpler to prepare, even at short notice as it only takes 15 minutes. Super tasty and looks great too. I love it with any of my christmas roasts and it can be used with your desserts too. I enjoy putting it with mince pies and cream.

What you will need is:

12oz cranberries

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of orange juice

Start by washing the cranberries in cold water and drain.

Place the orange juice and sugar in a large saucepan.

Stir together and bring to the boil.

When it’s reached boiling point turn down the heat to medium and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Add the cranberries and bring to a gentle simmer. You will hear and see them pop a little. Be careful of splashes so don’t get too close. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat.

Leave to cool until they reach room temperature.

Place in jars. It can be stored for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

It can also be frozen. If you want to do this then pop it into a freezer bag or appropriate plastic container and freeze when cool.

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Easy Pickled Onions

It’s coming up to Christmas and one of the things that we love in our house is pickled onions. They are just beautiful when served up with leftovers such as gammon ham and bubble and squeak on boxing day. They are also nice and easy to do and if you have a day spare a few weeks before christmas then you can get a some jars ready. You can take round as a pressie to friends when you are visiting, it’s nice to turn up with something a bit different.

I was lucky enough this year to have the help of my two boys and we had a great time sitting together peeling the onions.

Hope you enjoy the recipe and the joy of making them.

What you will need:

1kg small onions for pickling

Tablespoon of salt

800ml malt vinegar

Black peppercorns (optional)

Dried chilli flakes (optional)

Glass jars

Sieve/colander

Some little helpers (optional but lots of fun)

What you need to do is:

*top tip…. Your house and your clothes are going to smell of onions, think about what you are wearing and even consider putting on plastic gloves.

Ensure your jars are clean and sterile. I washed my thoroughly then popped in a preheated medium oven for 5 minutes then left to cool.

Now the next task is either pretty mundane or pretty therapeutic depending on how you view it. You have to peal each individual onion and gently slice off the base so that it still holds its shape but loses the tough root area.

Once they are all peeled, place in a colander and sprinkle the salt over them. Leave for 6hrs or overnight if possible. This will draw out excess water and give you crunchy pickled onions.

Rinse well in cold water and pat dry with kitchen roll.

Take your jars and pop the onions into the jars. You will need to push them about a little to get the maximum amount in and utilise the space well.

This is the time you can use some extra spices depending on your taste. I did one jar with a quarter teaspoon of dried chilli flakes to add some heat to the onions. Peppercorns are also a good addition.

When you have filled up all of your jars you can pour over the vinegar right to the top making sure they are all covered.

Put the lid on tight and you are then ready to label them.

Pop on the date, type of vinegar used and any little extra spices you’ve added to the mix.

Leave to mature for at least 4 weeks but best after 6. They should keep for up to a year unopened. Once opened store in the fridge and eat within 4 weeks. It’s home-made so times may vary slightly depending on your own preserving conditions. The main thing is…enjoy!

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Easy Toad in the Hole

We love an easy recipe and what I try to do is to make them as simple as possible while keeping the great taste of the dish.

All week I have been chatting with my boys and my OH to see what we shall make for Sunday dinner and we have decided on Toad in the Hole. It’s quite an English tradition so I am going to see what my OH thinks of it. My youngest son Little G has also made a vlog which you can watch and is also great if you want to get your little ones involved in cooking with one of their peers.

Here’s what you will need – Ingredients List:

6 sausages

6oz flour

2 eggs

4 fluid ounces of water

6 fluid ounces of milk

Half a teaspoon of mustard

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

And here’s how to make it:

Mix the eggs with the flour.

Add the water and stir in with a whisk lightly.

Add the milk and again stir in lightly being careful it doesn’t spill over the side of the bowl.

Add the mustard and whisk in.

Once it’s all mixed together into a smooth liquid then set aside for the mixture to rest.

Put the sausages in the ovenproof dish with the tablespoon of oil and cook for 20 minutes. They should let out a fair bit of oil which will join with the added oil.

One of the main points of this dish is that the oil should be really hot…if it’s not then the batter will not rise and lift out nicely.

Take the ovenproof dish out of the oven and pour over the batter and get it straight back in the oven for 30 minutes on gas mark 7.

When it’s risen and nicely browned then you’re ready to take out of the oven. We really love this meal served with onion gravy, mashed potatoes and peas. Brilliant for autumn and winter evenings.

Added tip – If you have any leftovers of the batter then it is delicious with a spoonful of clotted cream and jam for a sweet treat!

Hope you’ve enjoyed this. You can find some of my other Easy recipes on the links here:

Easy Lemon Curd

Easy Focaccia Bread

Easy Lemon Curd

Following on from the easy focaccia bread that I made last week, I have come up with something sweet for you to try today. This lemon curd is easy and can be used in lots of other recipes or just on its own spread on hot toast and butter.

So without further ado, here’s the 5 ingredients you will need:

200g caster sugar

The juice and grated zest of 4 lemons (wax free if possible)

1tbsp cornflower

130g butter

3 large eggs and the yolk of 1 more

In a medium sized saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest and melt them all together over a low heat. Stir as it melts.

When it’s all melted, stir in the cornflower. Beat the eggs together in a cup and take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the eggs. Then change to a hand whisk and gently whisk for about 10 minutes and you will feel it start to thicken up. When you feel this happen, keep whisking gently for another 5 minutes.

Take off the heat and let it cool a little (about 5 mins) then pour into a jam jars or other containers depending on how quickly you plan on using it.

It makes about enough for 3 good sized jam jars. That’s it, easy lemon curd!

Do you think you might give it a go or have you any tips to make it even better?