Dreamlike shortbread

Ingredients
130g/4½oz butter, softened

60g/2½oz caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

130g/4½oz plain flour

60g/2½oz rice flour

pinch salt

Preparation method
1.Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Add the plain flour, rice flour and salt, and stir well until the mixture is smooth and uniform. (I find it easiest to keep pressing the mixture against the side of the bowl to mix it.)

2.Bring the mixture together and press into a 20cm/8in loose-bottomed cake tin, smoothing it with the back of a spoon. Crimp the edges by pressing with the tips of two fingers, then score into eight pieces with a knife and prick each triangle three times with a fork. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.

3.Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3.

4.Remove the shortbread from the fridge and bake in the oven for 30–35 minutes, or until pale golden-brown.

5.Remove the shortbread from the oven and sprinkle over some caster sugar. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before removing it from the tin and cooling on a wire rack.

Lorraine Pascale's Chocolate digestive cheesecake

I so want to try this!

This no-bake cheesecake is a stunner and wonderfully rich recipe, so it will serve a good crowd for dessert.

Ingredients
1 x 400g/14oz packet chocolate digestives, crushed to fine crumbs

75g/3oz butter, melted and cooled slightly

800g/1lb 12oz cream cheese

icing sugar, to taste

400g/14oz milk chocolate (35% cocoa solids), or you can use a mixture of 300g/10½oz milk chocolate and 100g/3½oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

1 tsp vegetable oil

100g/3½oz white chocolate

Preparation method
1.Mix the crushed biscuits and butter together in a bowl with the back of a wooden spoon until well combined.

2.Spoon the mixture into a 23cm/9in springform tin and press down very hard all the way around the base until flat and even.

3.Mix the cream cheese and icing sugar together in a bowl.

4.Meanwhile melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.

5.Pour a quarter of the chocolate into a jug, stir in the oil, then set aside and keep warm. (The chocolate can also be reheated in the microwave for 20 seconds if it cools down.)

6.Place a large dollop of the cream cheese mixture into the bowl of remaining chocolate and stir until well combined. Keep adding the mixture, one dollop at a time, and mixing it vigorously until the chocolate mixture becomes smooth and silky and you have added all of the cream cheese.

7.Pour the mixture onto the biscuit base and use the back of a large spoon to smooth the top, pressing down so that no gaps remain. Chill the cheesecake in the fridge for 20 minutes, or until the chocolate top begins to firm. The cheesecake can also be placed into the freezer for 10 minutes to set.

8.Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and make sure the jug of milk chocolate is nice and runny.

9.Remove the cheesecake from the fridge and pour the milk chocolate on top, spreading it out as you go until the top is completely covered. (For a smooth finish, pick up the cheesecake and tilt it back and forth, letting the chocolate run over and cover the cream cheese filling.)

10.Drizzle white chocolate lines across the top about 2cm/¾in apart. The neatest way to do this is by putting the chocolate into a piping bag fitted with a very small nozzle.

11.Place the cheesecake so the lines are running towards you, then take a cocktail stick and drag it from left to right, making lines from left to right 2cm/¾in apart to form a grid. Drag the cocktail stick once again from right to left between the toothpick lines that you have just made. You will need to do this quite quickly so the chocolate lines are still runny. Leave the cheesecake in a cool place to set for about two hours.

12.Run a sharp knife around the inside of the tin and carefully remove the cake. Serve in wedges with a drizzle of single cream.

Over 2 hours
preparation time

No cooking required
cooking time

Serves 10

Oeufs En Cocotte à La Suisse

Ingredients:

8 eggs 240 ml double cream
125 g gruyere cheese,
finely grated nutmeg,
ground pepper,

Directions:

1 Pre-heat the oven to 190° C (375° F - gas 5)

2 Grease 4 ramekins well and place in a baking dish or roasting tin, to which sufficient hot water has been added to come up half way up the sides of the ramekins.

3 Carefully crack 2 eggs into each ramekin. Combine the cream & cheese; divide among the ramekins. Sprinkle a pinch each of nutmeg & pepper onto each serving.

4 Bake for about 6 minutes until the mixture is just set.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/oeufs-en-cocotte-la-suisse-458303#ixzz1Pwgnqp58..

Weight Watchers Au Gratin Potatoes (low fat)

Ingredients:


1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 -2 tablespoon flour
2 cups nonfat milk
2 lbs potatoes, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded low-fat cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper


Directions:Prep Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 1 3/4 hrs

1 Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2 Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
3 Melt butter in a large frypan over medium heat; add in onion and cook stirring occasionally until onion begins to brown (about 5 minutes).
4 Stir in flour, then slowly add in milk.
5 Add in potatoes; stir to mix; bring to a boil.
6 Stir in 3/4 cup cheese, salt and black pepper.
7 Pour mixture into prepared baking dish then spread out.
8 Bake for 1 hour uncovered.
9 After 1 hour cooking time cover with foil and continue to bake another 20 minutes more.
10 Change oven to broil heat.
11 Sprinkle the remaining cheese over potatoes and broil 6-inches from heat until the cheese is golden (about 1-2 minutes).
12 Cool 5 minutes before serving.


Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/weight-watchers-au-gratin-potatoes-3-pts-low-fat-206594#ixzz1PwbSsemg..

Pork Steak

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil
4 pork steaks
salt and pepper
garlic powder
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced or 2 (4 1/2 ounce) cans sliced mushrooms
2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
1 3/4 cups water
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:Prep Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 2 hrs

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
3 Brown steaks on each side.
4 While browning, season steaks with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
5 Transfer steaks to a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
6 Sauté the onions and mushrooms in the same skillet.
7 Add water, Worcestershire sauce, dry soup mix, and mushroom soup; mix together until sauce forms.
8 Pour sauce over steaks.
9 Cover dish with aluminum foil.10 Bake in preheated oven for 90 minutes.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/pork-steak-42905#ixzz1PwKYuuic..

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:
6-8 Servings

2 cucumbers, very thinly sliced
1 red onion, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons vinegar or 2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons low-fat sour cream or 2 tablespoons yogurt
salt and pepper, to taste (I like a lot of pepper)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill

Directions:

1 Mix cucumbers and onions together.
2 Mix rest of ingredients together in a closed bowl and give a shake.
3 Add to cucumbers, chill till very cold & serve.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/cucumber-salad-51721#ixzz1PwfEuYK9..

Beetroot Salad

Ingredients:

1 (810 g) can baby beets, chilled
200 ml sour cream
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon chives, snipped


Directions:
Prep Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 5 mins

1 Drain, wash and drain the beetroot.
2 Cut each in half.
3 Mix the remaining ingredients together and mix through the beets gently and thouroughly.


Recipe from: http://share.food.com/community/JustJanS/style.esi?member_id=29196

Oooh, new blinds.

At long last!!!!!!!!!

Chicken, Lentil and vegetable hot pot

You will need
· 500g chicken thighs (A little stingy if you live with gannets like me)

· 1 tablespoon olive oil

· 1 garlic clove, crushed (I used two)

· 1 x pack casserole selection (I used a frozen diced pack)

· 2 carrots, peeled and chopped (Didn’t bother)

· 320g green lentils ( I used a tin)

· 500g tomato and herb sauce

· 1 chicken stock cube

Method

1. Skin 500g chicken thighs and fry in a flame-proof, non-stick casserole dish or pot with 1 tablespoon olive

2. oil until browned, then remove and set aside.

3. Lightly fry 1 clove garlic in the casserole dish. Peel the vegetables from the casserole selection pack and chop into small chunks, then add to the garlic. Add the extra 2 carrots,

4. Fry for 5 minutes.

5. Add 320g green lentils to the dish along with 500g tomato and herb sauce. Stir in 750ml chicken stock, made with 1 chicken stock cube.

6. Return the chicken to the dish. Cover and cook on a low heat for 30 minutes or until everything is tender and cooked through

7. I found that 30 minutes was fine, though left it on for longer by accident and the sauce was nice and thick.

Happy new year

Welcome 2011.

Thank you 2010, for a really bad back, my first dose of the flu and for the onset of a chest infection.