Chocolate, orange and pistachio biscotti

These are the biscotti that Ed Burns made on the Comic Relief Great British Bake Off.  They are very moreish!

• 100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 100g shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
• 3 oranges, zest only
• 115g unsalted butter
• 125g caster sugar
• 2 large free range eggs at room temperature, beaten
• 275g plain flour
• good pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper or use a silicone baking mat on top.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

Put sugar and butter in a bowl and mix well (either in electric mixer or by hand) until light and fluffy.

Slowly beat in the eggs, until fully incorporated.  Add the orange zest and mix.

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into the bowl and mix well forming a soft dough (may be a little sticky).

Add the chocolate and the pistachio nuts and stir until just combined.

Divide the dough into 2 halves and put onto the baking sheet.  Form each half into a long log shape, approximately 25cm in length and 5-8cm wide.

Bake for 25mins.  Remove from oven and leave to cool for 10mins.

Slice up each piece of baked dough into 1-1.5cm slices, a bread knife is usually best as the dough is a little soft.  Gently tip the fragile slices over so they are cut side down on the sheet and bake for another 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and place to cool on a wire rack.  Make sure they are firm before removing them and putting in an airtight container.  

You can decorate them like in the picture by melting some more dark chocolate and drizzling it over.

Easy hotdog pasta

Picture to come :)

One of my favourite quick and easy meals to make during the week.

• 1 pack red dog chilli hotdogs (usually in tesco)
• 2 small onions or 1 large
• 1 packet mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika (add more if you really like it!)
• Small pinch chilli flakes (to taste)
• 1 glass red wine
• 1 jar tomato and chilli pasta sauce
• Your choice of pasta

Chop the onions (doesn't matter what size) and saute in a pan.  Once soft add the mushrooms and cook.

Open the hotdog packet and chop them into 1cm pieces, add to pan.

Sprinkle in smoked paprika and chilli flakes and make sure all is coated.

Add wine and tomato sauce, mix well and leave to simmer.

Cook pasta and add to pan of sauce, mix well and serve with parmesan cheese.

Stuffed mushrooms

Picture to come

I use these mushrooms as an easy starter, or a side dish to go with steak.  Even cook them on the barbeque in summer.

• A selection of large flat mushrooms (if really big 1 per person, if for a starter and smaller, 2 per person)
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 onions finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic chopped or put through a press
• 1 ring chorizo chopped into small pieces (at least quarters or smaller)
• Smoked paprika
• half glass white wine
• 1 pack boursin or other garlic cheese 
• grated cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Gently remove the stalks from the mushrooms to leave the caps in tact.

Melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave, take each mushroom cap and dip upside down in the butter (be careful not to burn your fingers) so that the mushroom looks like a bowl with the outside coated in butter.  Put the mushrooms upside down like this on a baking tray or dish with sides so that they can be filled.

Saute the onions with the garlic until soft.  Add the chorizo and continue to fry off.  Add the smoked paprika and ensure all is coated.

Put in the white wine and turn the heat up to full so it boils.

Add the boursin and keep stirring until it melts.  Put the heat on low and let it simmer for a little while until the sauce thickens a little.

Divide the mixture up between all the mushrooms so each one is filled.

Cover the baking dish with tinfoil and cook for 20 mins.  

Uncover and put a little grated cheese onto the top of each mushroom, put back into the oven for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.

(To cook on a barbeque, wrap the mushrooms in 4s in tinfoil parcels)

Lemon pepper crusted chicken breasts

• 4 chicken breasts with fillets removed
• 1 tub light philadelphia any flavour you like
• 1 tub natural breadcrumbs (ASDA do a really nice own brand one, or panko crumbs are good)
• 3 lemons (just the zest needed)
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Preheat oven at 200 degrees.

Put chicken breasts between 2 pieces of clingfilm and bash them with a rolling pin to flatten them a little (don't beat them to a pulp, but bash until the thickest part is no more than 1.5cm)

Using a piece of kitchen towel pat dry the top of each breast.  Spread Philadelphia across the top of each chicken breast so as much of the breast is coated as can be (you don't need this to be too thick, split the tub in 4).

In a bowl pour half the tub of breadcrumbs,  add the lemon zest and the pepper and mix well.

Take a chicken breast and gently place it Philadelphia side down into the breadcrumbs and push down to cost the whole top.  Place on a baking tray.

Do the same with the other 3 breasts.

Cook in oven for 30 minutes and serve with a salad or wedges and veg as above :)