'Healthy' Brownies

This recipe has half the fat of a normal brownie recipe and therefore, I claim it to be healthy! Deliciously gooey and I completely recommend this recipe. Some of the ingredients may sound a bit out there, but once you taste these brownies, I can assure you, it will be your go-to brownie mixture!

MAKES 12 ~ PREP 25 MINS ~ COOK 30 MINS

- 85g/3oz dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, chopped into small pieces
- 85g/3oz plain flour
- 25g/1oz cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 100g/4oz golden caster sugar
- 50g/2oz light muscavado sugar
- 1/2 tsp coffee granules
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 100g/4oz mayonnaise (I used Hellmann's) 

1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees/fan 160C/gas 4
2) Pour some water into a pan and bring it to boil.
3) Put the chocolate in a bowl and place a over the pan of water and leave the chocolate to melt slowly for a few mins, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn. Take the pan off the heat and remove the bowl from the pan and let the chocolate to cool slightly.
4) Lightly grease some baking paper and line a 19cm square cake tin that is 5cm deep (The tin doesn't have to be exactly this size, just roughly)
5) Measure out and combine the flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda
6) Add coffee, vanilla and the buttermilk to the chocolate
7) Measure out and combine both sugars into the chocolate mixture using a wooden spoon (I have a silicon spatula which I use for everything, a lot less mess as well!)
8) Stir in 1 tbsp of warm water into the the chocolate mixture. 
9) Break and beat in the egg
10) Measure out the mayonnaise and gently stir into the chocolate mixture until smooth and glossy
11) Sift over the flour and cocoa mix with a spatula without overmixing
12) Pour the mixture into the tin and evenly spread it out
13) Bake for 30 mins and when a skewer is inserted into the middle, it should come out with just a few moist crumbs sticking to it. If cooked too long, the mix will dry out; not long enough and it can sink.
14) Leave in the tin until completely cold, then loosen the sides with a round-bladed knife (Or just use a spatula! If your mixture is good enough, it should easily come out of the tin!)   Turn out onto a board, peel off the lining paper and cut into 12 squares.

I couldn't find any buttermilk in the shops, and whenever I do need some, I'm never able to find any. I therefore had to resort to finding a recipe on the internet to make buttermilk, so here it is, to help you out!

- a cup of whole milk
- 1 tbsp of cream tartar or lemon juice to every cup of milk 

1) Add one tablespoon of cream of tartar for every cup of whole milk (if using lemon juice you'll need about the same)
2) Stir and allow to stand at room temperature for about 15 mins
3) Repeat stirring after 15mins when the milk has started to curdle significantly and then use in the mixture

Spiced prawn & coconut pilaf

This pilaf had a lovely vibrant colour and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I've never tried a pilaf before and expected the dish to be too dry, but it had a wonderful, light flavour. What I do recommend is that if you really want the dish to explode in your mouth, double up on all the spices and even add a small amount of lime juice, to really bring out the flavours, and yes, my kitchen does smell like a Morracan market, no bad thing! A new favourite.....?

for you to enjoy...

SERVES 4 ~ PREP 15 MINS ~ COOK 30 MINS
- 250g/9oz basmati rice, washed well 
- medium sized fresh root ginger - roughly chopped. 
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- I tsp cumin seeds
- 5 black peppercorns
- 1/2 a large cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- 3 cardomom pods
- 1 medium onion, finely sliced
- 1/2 tsp tumeric
- 1/4 tsp chilli powder
- 300g/10oz raw prawns
- handful of flaked unsweetened coconut (or just get a generous handful of dessicated coconut!)

1) Cook the rice according to the pack intructions, then set aside. Don't stir the rice to much as it will release the starch in the rice!
2) Put the ginger (peel it first!!!) garlic and tomatoes into a food processor, blend to make a paste, then set aside until you're ready to cook!
3) Chop up one medium onion. Use a really sharp knife to cut the onion thinly!
4) Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan and add the whole spices.
5) As the spices sizzle, add the onion , frying over medium heat for about 10 mins until soft and lightly golden brown!
6) Add the ground spices and the paste, then cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally until the sauce has slightly separated fromt the oil.
7) Add the prawns, then cook for a few minutes until cooked throug - the mixture should be quite dry and paste-like.
8) Stir the cooked rice into the pan to coast it well into the spices. Make sure the rice is heated through, then served with the scattered coconut!

Best served with some good old naan bread!!

Great food

Sat and enjoyed this fab meal the other night with friends. Well done.

Garden Herb Stuffed Chicken Chicken with New Potatoes and Asparagus

Really simple and utterly delicious! This dish could also be served with rice and mangetout, but I decided to go the more traditional route with some good old british new potatoes and asparagus! A real winner, the flavours were punchy and the chicken stayed succulent in the incinerator we like to call the aga!

have a go.....

SERVES 6 ~ PREP 15 MINS ~ COOK 40 MINS

- 6 skinless chicken breasts

- 150g mixed garden greens, such as spinach, chard, rocket, watercress - all coarsely chopped!

- 30g fresh tarragon - coarsely chopped!

- 2 garlic cloves - finely chopped!

- 350g cream cheese

- grated zest of 1 lemon

- salt and black pepper

- 200ml vegetable or chicken stock

1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees/gas mark 4.

2) Cut the chicken breast almost but not quite in half, slicing horizontally through their fattest part. Open the breasts out onto a few sheets of clingfilm, then bash them gently with a rolling pin. You want to flatten them to a thickness of about 2cm.

3) Put the greens, garlic,cream cheese, lemon zest, salt and pepper and 3/4 of the tarragon in a food processer or large bowl, and whizz until the mixture is smooth.

4) Spread the mixture evenly over the flattened chicken breast and using the clingfilm, roll them up. To stop the chicken breast from falling apart, use some wooden skewers to keep the chicken rolled, by sticking the skewers through both sides in a criss-cross pattern. Then pack the chicken into a baking tin thats deep enough for stock to be poured in.

5) Pour in enough of the stock to come about a quarter of the way up the chicken breasts.

6) Put in the middle of the oven for 30 mins or until the chicken is cooked completely through!

7) After the chicken has cooked, set it to one side and keep warm, add the remaining stock to the juices in the baking tin and simmer gently for 5 mins so the sauce reduces to at least half it's original volume.  

8) Pour the sauce over the chicken and then serve with potatoes, salad, asparagus, rice etc etc etc!!!!