Ammis Kitchen

When dicing pepers, cut them in half and place them on a chopping board, shiny side downwards, to prevent the knife from slipping

Ingredients

1 Aubergine sliced

3 tbsp Olive oil

2 Garlic cloves crushed

3 Mixed peppers diced

8oz.Mushrooms sliced

2 Celery sticks sliced

1 Courgette diced

1/2tsp Chilli powder

1/2tsp Ground cumin

2 Tomatoes chopped

10 fl.oz Passata

2 tbsp Chopped fresh basil

8 Sheets of pre cooked Lasagne sheets

Salt & pepper

For the cheese sauce

2 tbsp Butter or margarine

1 tbsp Flour

10 fl.  oz Cheddar cheese grated

1 tsp Mustard

1  tbsp chopped basil

1 Egg beaten

Method

1.Place the aubergine slices in a colander, sprinkle with salt and leave for 20  minutes. Rinse under cold water, drain and keep to a side.

2.  Heat the oven to 180c 350F/gas mark 4. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the garlic and onion and saute for  2  minutes.  Add the peppers, mushrooms, celery and courgette and cook, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes.

3. Stir in the chilli powder and cumin and cook for 1 minute.  Mix in the tomatoes,  and basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4.For the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan.  Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.

5. Remove from the heat gradually stir in the stock and milk, return to the heat, then add half the cheese and all the mustard.  Boil, stirring, until thickened.  Stir in the basil. Remove from the heat and stir in the egg.

6. Place half the lasagne in a ovenproof dish.  Top with half the vegetables, aubergines.  Repeat and then spoon the cheese sauce on top.

7.  Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.

To produce a perfectly smooth meringue, whisk in the sugar a tablespoon at  a time.

When poaching eggs, break them into a cup first, then slide into the hot water.  If you prefer firmer yolks, poach for a little longer than the suggested time in the recipe.

Ingredients

4 Boiled  eggs

1 Large onion chopped

2 Wine tomatoes chopped

2 Green chillies cut into small pieces

3 Cloves of garlic chopped

1/2 Tsp turmeric powder

1 Tsp curry powder

1 Tsp mustard powder or cream

1 Small piece of cinnamon stick

1 Tin of coconut milk

5 tbsp sunflower oil

Curry leaves

Salt to taste

Method 

1. Shell the boiled eggs and shallow fry in hot oil until golden brown

2. Drain the oil

3. Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a saucepan fry onions until golden colour

4. Add chopped tomatoes, green chillies, curry leaves , garlic , curry powder & mustard. Allow to sizzle for couple of minutes.

5. Add coconut milk, cinnamon stick and salt to taste and keep stirring

6. Place the eggs carefully into the saucepan

7. With a spoon cover the eggs with the gravy

8. Allow the curry to simmer for 5 to ten minutes.

9. Add salt to taste and service hot with steamed basmati  rice.

Ingredients

350g. Basmati rice
2tbsp. Oilve oil
4 Chicken breast fillets . Cut into 1cm pieces
2 onions chopped
750ml. cold chicken stock
1 small cinnamon stick or 1tsp. ground cinnamon
100g.  sultanas
325g. frozen peas
50g. cleaned pistachio nuts
2tsp. fresh flat leaf parsley chopped

Method

1.  Put rice in a sieve and rinse under cold running water.  Leave to drain.

2.  Heat 1tbsp oil in  a pan and cook the onion untill soft.  Add the rice and stir to coat the grains.  Add the chicken and any juices, the stock and cinnamon, and heat untill simmering.  Cover the pan and simmer for 7 minutes.~

3. Remove the lid and add the sultanas and peas.  Cover again and cook for another 8-10 minutes.

4.  Stir in the nuts and parsley , leave in the pan with the heat turned off and the lid on for another 5 minutes .

Ingredients

1.3kg Rudolph, King Edward  or Maris Piper Potatoes
 5 tbsp goose  fat
Salt to taste

Method

1.  Pre heat the oven to 200c/ 180c fan/ Gas 6

2. Peel and cut the potatoes into large, even sized chunks.  Cook in a large pan of boiling water for six minutes.  Drain and return to the pan and put over a low heat to drive off excess water.  Shake the pan to rough up the outsides.  This will make the potatoes extra crispy when they are roasting.

3.  Put a large roasting tin in the oven with the goose fat to heat.  Add the potatoes to the heated fat, turning them to coat well.

3.  Roast for 40 minutes.

Ingredients

1/2 Medium size Iceberg lettuce trimmed and shredded
125ml. Mayonnaise
4tbsp. Tomato ketchup
1tsp. Lemon juice
1/2tsp. Tabasco Sauce
1tsp. Creamed Horseradish
500g. of King prawns defrosted
Paprika
A few lemon slices

Method

1.  Put a little shredded lettuce in the base of six glasses

2.  Mix together the mayonnaise, ketchup, lemon juice, Tabasco and creamed horseradish.

3.  arrange the prawns in the glasses and spoon over some sauce.  Dust with paprika and serve with a slice of lemon.

Ingredient

250g Marshmallows
1/2 tsp Vanilla
100g Butter
175g toasted rice cereal
oblong tin (7x11in)

Method

1.  Grease the oblong tin.  Place 200g of the marshmallows, with the butter and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan.

2.  Place over a medium heat and cook until the butter and marshmallows have melted.  Roughly chop the remaining marshmallows.

3.  Mix the toasted rice with the marshamllow mixture, then stir in the extra marshmallows.  Spoon the mixxture into the tray and press down with the back of a spoon.

4.  Allow to cool in the tray and ten cut into squares.

Ingredients

125g  Wholemeal self-raising flour
125g  White self-raising flour
250g Light brown sugar
250g Peeled and grated carrots
4 Free range eggs
200mls Sunflower oil
125g reduced fat Cream Cheese
1 Tsp Vanilla extract
5 Tbsp icing sugar
2 Tsp mixed spice
Butter for greasing the pan

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (35o/Gas4).  Lightly grease a 20cm (8in) square cake tin and then carefully line the base with baking  paper. 

2. Sift both types of flour into a bowl, adding any bran left in the sieve.  Stir in the mxied spice,sugar and carrots until they are thoroughtly combined. 

3.   Crack he eggs into a jug.  Use a fork to lightly beat them together.  Then pour the eggs into the bowl with the flour mixure. 

4.  Add the oil and then stir until all the ingredients are mixed together.  Pour the mixture into the tin and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. 

5.  Bake the cake for 50 minutes until it is risen and golden.  Remove it from the oven and leave gto cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning it out. 

6.   Carefully turn the cake out on to a cooling rack.  Put the cream cheese and icing into a bowl and beat together until smooth and creamy.

7.  Stir in the vanilla extract.  Put the icing in the fridge for 15minutes to harden slightly.  Spread the icing over the cake and smooth using a palette knife.