Chicken and vegetable Dopiaza

Decided to add serving suggestions, cos I tend to make very big portions, so this feeds 6 large portions or 8 smaller portions :)

• 2 large onions chopped
• 1 leek chopped
• 4 peppers (some red, some other colours) chopped
• 1/2 butternut squash (cubed)
• 2 sweet potatoes (cubed)
• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (or just use 1 tbsp ginger and garlic)
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 1/2 tsp cardamon (out of the pods)
• 2 tsp tumeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 green chillies (chopped and deseeded)
• celery salt to taste
• 2 tins chopped tomatoes
• bunch of coriander leaves

Cook onions and leeks with the green chillies and the ginger-garlic paste until softened (about 4-5 minutes).  Add the peppers, squash and sweet potato.  Cook for another 5 minutes.

In a separate dry frying pan, slowly roast the coriander seeds, cumin, cloves and cardamon.  Roast until you can see the spices changing colour and can smell them.  Add the roasted spices to a pestle and mortar with the chilli flakes and grind them down into a powder.

Add the tumeric, garam masala, cinnamon to the vegetables and mix well to coat.  Then add the ground roasted spices and cook again until you can smell the spices.  Add the chopped chicken breasts and cook for 5 mins whilst stirring constantly.  Add the 2 tins of tomato and fill the tins with water and add 2 tins of water as well.  Mix well and cook for 30mins to 1hr.  Season using celery salt and pepper.  Just before serving chop the coriander leaves and mix through.

Serve with brown rice and poppadums

Sherry Trifle Cupcakes

• 1 or 2 tubs of raspberry jelly ready made
• 120g plain flour
• 140g caster sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 40g unsalted butter or margarine
• 120ml milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 punnet raspberries
• 50ml Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry
• 4 tbsp caster sugar
• 125g marscapone cheese
• 250g icing sugar
• 50g custard powder
• Hundreds and thousands

Preheat oven to 170 degrees.

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and butter in a bowl (can use an electric mixer for this) and beat until you get a sandy consistency.  Pour in half the milk and beat until just incorporated.

Beat egg with vanilla and rest of milk in a separate jug and slowly add into the mixture whilst beating, once all nicely mixed add the raspberries and just stir enough to combine them.

Spoon the mixture into 12 paper cases in a muffin tin until about 2/3 full and then put them in the oven for 20-25 minutes until they are light golden and the sponge bounces back.

Whilst cupcakes are baking, boil in a pan the sherry and 4 tbsp of caster sugar until dissolved and a syrup forms.  Leave to cool.

Once cupcakes are baked, take out of oven and cool on a rack.

When cool, using a teaspoon, scoop a circle of cake out of the middle of each cupcake to leave a small bowl shape.  Pour a spoonful of the sherry syrup over each cake, making sure to soak the inside of the bowl and the top of the cake.  Put a teaspoon of jelly into the bowl of each cake, do not overfill, the jelly should not be piled high above the cake.

To make the frosting mix together the icing sugar, custard powder and marscapone cheese in a bowl.  Beat the frosting for 5 mins at least to make it light and fluffy.  Pipe the icing onto the cupcakes so the jelly is hidden beneath it.  Finally sprinkle hundreds and thousands on the cakes to decorate.

Hibernation Macaroni Cheese

• 1 head cauliflower
• 250ml tub reduced fat creme fraiche
• 250ml double cream (you can substitute with semi skimmed milk to make it healthier, but it tends to split when cooking and goes watery, alternatively use Elmlea low)
• 300g grated cheddar cheese
• 5 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 2 tsp english mustard
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder (leave out if not overly keen on mustard)
• 1/4 nutmeg grated
• 1 clove garlic
• 1tsp onion granules (not salt)
• 500g packet macaroni
• 1 packet unsmoked bacon chopped
• 1 large or 2 medium onions chopped finely
• breadcrumbs
• salt and pepper to taste

WARNING, this is not a light snack ;)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

Cook the macaroni as instructed on the packet, drain and leave to cool.

Break up the cauliflower into small 1cm pieces and boil for 5 minutes in a pan of water, drain.

In a frying pan, saute the onions and bacon until all cooked.

In a large mixing bowl mix together the cream, creme fraiche, mustards and powder, nutmeg, garlic and onion granules.  Add the cheese, pasta, cauliflower, onion and bacon and mix until it is all combined.

Grease a large oven proof dish like a lasagne dish or casserole dish.  Pour the mixture into the dish and sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top.

Bake in oven for 30-40mins until bubbling and top golden brown.