Gooey Chocolate Cake

Gooey Chocolate Cake

Serves 6

Ingredients

40g x Cocoa Powder (sifted)
125g x Self Raising Flour (sifted)
175g x Soft Brown Sugar (sifted)
175ml x Skimmed Milk
60g x Low fat spread (melted)
300ml x Boiling Water
4 x Cookies (crumbled)
1 x Small Handfull of Chocolate Chips
1 x glug of Olive Oil

Recipe
1. Preheat the oven to 180C and glug a small amount of olive oil in a loaf tin. (coat)
2. Stir half the cocoa with 125g of the sugar and all of the four in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the melted low fat spread and milk, then stir in well. Add most of the chocolate chips and all of the cookies.
4. Scrape the entire mixture into the loaf tin.
5. Mix the rest of the cocoa and sugar with the boiling water in a measuring jug. Then pour the liquid over the mixture in the tin.
6. Drop the remaining chocolate chips over the top of the mixture and place on top of a baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes or until no mixture sticks to skewer, do not worry if the mixture overflows a little.
7. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes. It will have separated into a sponge with a chocolate sauce.
8. Serve with low fat ice cream.

Seared Scallops and Applewood Smoked Bacon with Creamy Pesto Spinach Tagliatelle

Seared Scallops and Applewood Smoked Bacon with Creamy Pesto Spinach Tagliatelle

Serves 2

Ingredients

10 X Scallops
4 x Applewood Smoked Bacon (sliced)
200g x fresh Tagliatelle
2-3 x Large Tablespoons of Cremé Fraiche
2 x Large Teaspoons of Pesto
150g x Oyster Mushrooms(sliced)
6 x Handfulls of Fresh Spinach (washed)
1 x small handfull of fresh basil (washed & chopped)
Lemon Juice
Salt& Pepper
Olive Oil

Recipe
1. Place the tagliatelle in a pan of boiling water with a pinch of salt and boil for 8-12 minutes or per the packet's instructions.
2. Glug a small amount of olive oil into a small frying pan on a medium to high heat and lightly fry the mushrooms for 30-60 seconds then place to one side.
3. Drain the pasta and place back into the pan off the heat with the spinach. Carefully stir in the spinach, then add the pesto and stir that in, add the cremé fraiche and carefully stir it in.
4. Glug a small amount of olive oil into a small frying pan and lightly fry the bacon on a medium to high heat. (cook to own taste) Then place to one side.
5. Place the pasta in the centre of the large bowl or plate.
6. Quickly re-heat the mushrooms and place on of the pasta followed by the bacon.
7. Heat a large flat frying pan on a medium to high heat and glug a small amount of olive oil in the pan, sear the scallops for 30 seconds then turn and sear the other side for 30 seconds. Then repeat for another 30 seconds on each side then place on top of the bacon.
8. Season with salt, pepper and a small amount of lemon juice and serve.

Green Olive and Pesto Brochette with Parma Ham, Oyster Mushrooms and Watercress

Green Olive and Pesto Brochette with Parma Ham, Oyster Mushrooms and Watercress

Serves 1

Ingredients

2 x Slices of Green Olive Bread
150g x Oyster Mushrooms (sliced)
1 x Slice of Parma Man
2 x Small Teaspoons of Petso
2 x Glugs of Olive Oil
1 x Big Handfull of Watercress
Pepper


Recipe
1. Glug some olive oil on a plate and dip the bread on both side on the plate.
2. Heat a small flat dry frying pan on a medium heat. Fry the bread on each side until golden then place on a plate.
3. Smear a small teaspoon of pesto over 1 side of each slice of bread.
4. Tear up a slice of Parma ham and roughly place it over the two slices of brochette, then place the watercress on top.
5. Glug a small amount of olive oil in the frying pan and quickly fry the mushrooms for 30-60 seconds and place the mushrooms over the brochette.
6. Season and serve.

Braised Rack of Lamb

Braised Rack of Lamb

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 x Rack of lamb (approx 6 ribs)
1 x Large Spring of Fresh Rosemary
Olive Oil
salt & pepper

For the jus;
1 x large glug of Red Wine
1/2 x litre of Lamb and Veg Stock
1 x Large Spring of Rosemary
1 x large tablespoon of Red Current Jelly
1/2 x an onion (finely chopped)


Recipe
1. Take the jus ingredients except for the onion and mix them together in a measuring jug.
2. Spread the chopped onion over the bottom of a trivet and place a rack on top.
3. Pour the jus over the onions.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 200c.
5. Glug some olive oil on a plate and lightly dip and swirl the fat side of the lamb in the oil to lightly coat the lamb.
6. Heat a griddle to a medium to high heat. Place the lamb on the griddle fat side down for 30-40 seconds then flip over and do the other side for 30 seconds, then sear each side for 10-20 seconds each.
7. Remove the lamb from the griddle and remove the griddle from the heat.
8. Place the lamb on the rack of the trivet (fat side up) and cover the trivet completely with lid or tin foil.
9. Place in the oven for 25 minutes then lift our and flip the lamb over and cover again.
10. Place back in the oven for a further 10 minutes, then again take the lamb out and remove the tin foil. Flip the lamb over again so it is fat side up and place the spring of rosemary on top.
11. Place back in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove and place on a plate cover with tin foil and leave to rest. (This is now rare cook further to ruin it, I mean to have it well done).
12. Pour the liquid from the trivet into a small sauce pan, place on a medium to high heat and reduce for ten minutes or until the jus will coat the back of a metal spoon.
13. Serve with roasted potatoes, carrots, parsnips, boiled green beans and yorkshire puddings.