Recipes & Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 250g courgettes, grated coarsely
• 175g butter, softened
• 175g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1tsp vanilla essence
• 100g ricotta
• 125g gluten free plain flour
• 85g polenta
• 2 and a half tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• juice of 1 lemon
• thyme sprigs
• 4tbsp of icing sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 fan, gas mark 4. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin. Put the courgettes onto a plate lined with kitchen paper then cover with more kitchen paper and top with a plate. Allow the paper to absorb all the excess liquid. Cream together the butter and sugar until pale looking. Gradually beat in the eggs followed by the vanilla and ricotta. Mix the dry ingredients together with a ¼ tsp salt and sift into the mix, fold in with care, now add the courgettes MOST of the lemon zest and a few leaves from the lemon thyme. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for an hour. To test readiness insert a skewer into the  centre of the cake if it comes out clean it is ready. Leave cake in tin to cool. Mix lemon juice, icing sugar and a few thyme leaves drizzle over the top. Leave to set. Slice and serve.

Ingredients:

• 250g puff pastry
• 4 beef tomatoes
• sliced widthways
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 1 large red onion
• sliced into rings
• 2 cloves garlic
• finely chopped
• 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
• 2tsps sugar salt and pepper
• 4-5 sprigs thyme

Method:

Pre heat the oven 190C, Gas mark 6. Roll out the pastry to fit the top of an ovenproof frying pan, (alternately use a sandwich cake tin) Heat the oil and soften the onion rings, not too brown! add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Remove the onions from the pan, stir in the vinegar, sugar and thyme, bubble until slightly reduced. Arrange the tomatoes and onions into the balsamic glaze. Season with salt and pepper. Top with the pastry and press down at the edges. Cook for 20 -25 minutes until golden brown on top, rest for 5 mins and then invert onto a serving plate.

Ingredients:

A 23cm, 9” ovenproof plate

Pastry:

• 175g plain flour
• 90g butter
• 1 rounded tbsp caster sugar
• pinch salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 4tbsps red jam
• 125g ground almonds
• 125g caster sugar
• 50g butter
• softened
• 3 medium eggs, beaten
• ¼ tsp almond essence

Method:

Pre heat the oven 180 fan, 200C, gas mark 6. Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and salt, add the yolk with 2 tbsp cold water mix together to form a dough. Knead gently, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins. Roll out pastry and fit to the base of the plate, mark up the edges with the prongs of a fork. Spread over the jam. Chill. Meanwhile beat the ground almonds, caster sugar, butter, eggs, and almond essence together in a bowl. Pour over the jam spread evenly. bake in the oven for 10 mins then reduce the temp by 100C and cook for a further 20 mins dust with icing sugar before serving.

Ingredients:

• 200g digestive biscuits,
• 135g butter or margarine,
• 200g dark mallow,
• 2-3tbsp golden syrup,
• 100g mini marshmallows,
• 100g of dried fruit.

Method:

Method: Grease and line an 18cm square tin. Crush biscuits in a freezer bag with a rolling pin. Heat the butter, syrup and chocolate in a pan until there are no lumps of chocolate visible. Leave to cool. Take the biscuits, marshmallows and dried fruit and stir into the chocolate mixture until everything is completely covered. Tip the mixture in to the prepared tin. Chill for 2 hours, dust on some icing sugar and cut into slices.