Sweetcorn Curry Recipe

My Dad used to make this sweetcorn curry recipe when we young and we all used to love it. It's a very good curry for vegetarians (substitute the chicken stock for veggie) and children love it too with all that lovely sweetcorn. For babies, I just leave the salt and chilli out. You can add them after you've served the baby portion. Serve with rice or naan.


Ingredients:
4 cobs of corn
3 tablespoons of oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
2 onions, finely chopped
3 green chillies
1 tablespoon of finely chopped ginger
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 can of sweetcorn
60g peanuts, ground
60g sesame seeds, ground
300ml milk
3 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped

HOW TO MAKE:
Boil the corn cobs until tender. Drain and reserve 300ml of the water. Quarter the cobs and leave until later.

Heat the oil in the pan and add the black mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When the seeds start to pop, add the onions and cook until soft. Now add the chillies and ginger and cooks for another couple of minutes. Making sure the pan isn't too hot, add the turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt. Dry fry for a few seconds, then add the tomatoes, stock (made with the reserved cooking liquor), corn cobs and tin of sweetcorn. Once it has reduced down, add the peanuts, sesame seeds and milk and cook on a low heat until there is a thick gravy. Finish with the fresh coriander just before serving.

If you like this recipe try Lentil Dhal with Chicken

Lentil Dhal with Chicken

I love a dhal. In fact, I don't think you can beat lentils. This Lentil Dhal with Chicken is a quick "does-everything" curry. My ideal dish at the moment is something that can just blip away on the stove. I want to bang all the ingredients in a pan and have a yummy dish at the end of it all - and this dish is very good for that.


I've simplified this dhal recipe and added chicken, although it is equally as nice without the meat. And if you've got a baby, check out my Baby Dhal with Chicken, which is easiest to make when making this grown-up dish!

Ingredients:
125g green lentils
125g red lentils
600ml water
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
1 onion, chopped
225g tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3cm root ginger, chopped or grated
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1 can coconut milk
3 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped
2 chicken breasts, sliced


HOW TO MAKE:
First of all, soak the lentils in the water. Now prepare the onion, tomatoes, ginger and garlic. Once you have them all chopped, heat two tablespoons of oil and add the black mustard seeds. When the seeds start to pop, add the onions, tomatoes, garlic and ginger. Fry for 5 minutes, then add the chilli, turmeric and cumin. Fry for 30 seconds, then add the lentils in their water and the coconut milk. Simmer for 20 minutes then add the chicken and in a separate pan, put your rice on to cook. When the rice has cooked, add coriander to the dhal, season to taste and serve. Sometimes, I find a squeeze of lemon just lifts the flavours of the dish.

If you like this recipe try Sweetcorn Curry

Baby Dhal with Chicken

I've just made this for my seven month-old and she seemed to love it! Although l would only make it for her when I'm making a big batch for the whole family. Follow this link for the grown-up recipe: Lentil Dhal with Chicken.


Ingredients:
1 tablespoon red & green lentils
3 tablespoons water
1 tomato
1 small carrot, finely chopped
Small sprinkle of ginger & garlic
1 teaspoon chopped onion
1 tablespoon coconut milk
1 teaspoon chicken
1 teaspoon basmati rice

HOW TO MAKE:
Take the lentils, water, carrots, tomato, onion, ginger, garlic, and coconut milk, and simmer in a small pan for 10 minutes. Now add chicken and and rice and cook until everything is tender. Keep a watch for it drying out. You may need to add more water or coconut milk, and it needs to be stirred to make sure it doesn't catch the bottom of the pan. Once cooked, whizz to desired consistancy.

Grantham Gingerbread Recipe

These aren't strictly gingerbreads as we know them - they are more like crunchy biscuits. But that's what they're called, so I'm gonna go with it! Either way, they are a real treat with a cuppa!


Ingredients:
100g butter
350g caster sugar
1 egg, beaten
250g self raising flour
1 level teaspoon ground ginger

HOW TO MAKE

Beat the butter and sugar until they are pale and creamy. Next, beat in the egg and then sift the flour and ginger into the mix. This should come to form a firm dough. Now roll out little balls of dough (the size of a walnut) and place on a greased baking tray, with enough room for them to spread. Bake in a preheated oven at 150ºC for 40-45 minutes until they are hollow.

Christmas Cake Recipe

I love a bit of Christmas Cake but does anyone actually eat it anymore? Most recipes nowadays seem to be for something light and fluffy. I'm not interested in a light and fluffy Christmas Cake, I want a dark, fruity, rich and gooey cake.

When I was heavily pregnant with my first son (I was due on December 28th), I decided it would be a great idea to make everyone a hamper for Christmas. So after making a lot of onion marmalade, fudge and chocolates, I thought it would be great to make individual Christmas Cakes for everyone. Whilst ignoring my swelling ankles and aching hips, I set about making nine Christmas Cakes. After icing them and making them look gorgeous, only four made it as presents. I ended up eating the rest. I don't know if it was the booze or it was the only thing keeping me regular! Maybe it was the energy I needed for the impending 82 hour labour. Merry Christmas!

You won't find any mixed peel in this recipe- purely because I don't like it. And you certainly won't find any glacé cherries either - never! You can omit the booze - but I'd always add more if I can. To speed up the cooking process, the fruit is lightly simmered with the all the wet ingredients. This makes the fruit all lovely and plump.

Ingredients

Dry Mix

200g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon fresh nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

100g ground almonds

Wet Mix

200g raisins

175g currants

175g sultanas

250g ready to eat prunes, chopped

100ml orange juice

50ml brandy

175g butter

200g light muscovado sugar

1 tablespoon black treacle

grated rind of 1 orange and 1 lemon

3 eggs

HOW TO MAKE

Preheat oven to 140ºC.

 

Put all the wet ingredients into a big pan and simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved and the fruit is looking lovely and plump. Leave to cool for 30 minutes.

While the wet mix is cooling, grease and double line a 20cm/8 inch round tin or 18cm/7 inch square tin with greaseproof baking parchment. 

Next, sieve the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl  and stir in the wet mix and eggs. Spoon into prepared tin and tap on work surface to get rid of any air bubbles. Place a square of double greaseproof baking parchment on top of the cake mixture with a hole the size of a fifty pence piece. Place on the bottom shelf of the oven and bake for a minimum of 2 hours. When the cake is ready, test with a skewer. Poke it into the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean - the cake is done. Leave to cool completely before icing.

 Music to listen to whilst making this: Frank Sinantra's Jingle Bells

 

Christmas Cranberry Chutney

For me, there's nothing more Christmassy than getting all the food ready. Decorations don't do it, wrapping presents dosen't do it, even snow doesn't it. Just stick me in the kitchen and let me go! Christmas has arrived early with this recipe, because I know I won't be able to leave it until the holidays. I love cranberries and this is a great chutney to add some life to your turkey and all those festive sandwiches and cold meat platters. I always make more than I need, because a jar of this Christmas Cranberry Chutney makes a great gift too - always handy to have in your cupboard!

 Ingredients:
600g cranberries
250ml red wine vinegar
1 orange, juice and zest
2 red onions
325g soft brown sugar
inch of fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt

HOW TO MAKE:
Slice the onions and cook in 3 dessert spoons of olive oil on a low heat for 15 minutes. Add two tablespoons of the sugar and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and slowly heat until the sugar has dissolved. Put the lid on the pan and simmer for 15 minutes until the cranberries have popped and they are nice and tender. Remove the lid and simmer for 40 minutes, making sure to stir so the mixture doesn't stick on the bottom of the pan. The chutney should have reduced and thickened. Decant into sterillized jars.

The chutney will last for 6 months. Once opened, store in the fridge for up to a month. The chutney is best left to mature for two weeks before eating (if you can leave it that long!).