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  1. lesley

    Caramalised Onions

    This is the easiest way I've found to cook caramalised onions, & it works! I tried these out last week, used a batch of them & froze the rest for upcoming meals, especially BBQ's. My friend has a wedding anniversary in July with about 70 people invited, so this method will work perfectly, (it...
  2. lesley

    Marshmallow Chocolate Pear Pudding

    I wasn't sure how this would turn out, :unsure: I don't usually eat puddings. But we had family round for dinner & I had to come up with something!! They ate it all..."whew" I did a hot chocolate sauce to pour over the top. Serves 6 Prep Time 10 mins Cooking Time 30 mins Ingredients 1 kg...
  3. lesley

    Florentines

    I made these as part of a selection of desserts for my son's birthday on Sunday, along with Apple tart & chocolate pear cake, only to discover he doesn't like dark chocolate! Oh well, more for us hee hee Makes 15 cookies Prep Time 10 mins Cooking Time 15 mins Ingredients 50g/2oz Low fat...
  4. lesley

    Tuscan Cooking, Pasta e Ceci, Chickpea and Pasta Soup

    I made this because we'd eaten it in Florence & loved it. It's really a simple peasant dish from Tuscany but so healthy & as we are digging our way out of the snow this week I decided to do a batch & freeze it...although I could have just stuck it outside the back door!! It's nice with crusty...
  5. lesley

    Pappa al Pomodoro

    Happy New Year everyone! It's been a busy time for us over the last month, not just cooking, but looking after the elderly. This is one of the soups we serve up in December & January. Although it's really a summer soup, tomatoes are always available in the supermarkets. It's cheap & easy to...
  6. lesley

    Homemade Apple and Pear Chutney

    This is a really easy-to-make chutney, great for Christmas pressies as it only takes 4 weeks to mature. Makes 8 Assorted Jars Prep Time 30 mins Cooking Time 30 mins Ingredients 2730g Bramley apples 1357g Conference pears 3 Large onions, finely chopped 2 Large garlic...
  7. lesley

    Carabaccia, Sweet Onion soup from Tuscany

    One of my favourite pastimes is making soup & loads of it! Especially ones you can freeze. We first tried this one in Florence, it's wonderfully thick, & rich in onions, also slightly sweet, but not over the top. The Florentines slice their onions very thinly when they make Carabaccia , but I...
  8. lesley

    Ratatouille Terrine

    I made this at the weekend to go with cold roast chicken It tasted gorgeous, you could have it as a starter or as a buffet dish & it can be made a couple of days ahead. Serves 6-8 Appetizer/Side Prep Time 25 mins Ingredients * 3 Large bell peppers, red, orange and yellow, deseeded...
  9. lesley

    Rabbit & Bacon Pie

    This was our weekend meal with friends. I have to admit I was a bit hesitant about eating rabbit, (I dashed to the shops to buy a steak pie just in case) but my fears disappeared when I tasted it, it was awesome! Serves 4 Prep Time 20 mins Cooking Time 1 hr 40mins to 2hr 10 mins Ingredients...
  10. lesley

    Toad in the Hole

    This is ideal for a quick, tasty mid-week meal, you don't have to add the tomatoes & onions, I just wanted to use them up. You can use whatever left over meat you have as well. Serves 4 Prep Time 10 mins Cooking Time 30 mins Ingredients 3 Large free range eggs Semi skimmed/half...
  11. lesley

    Pasticcio

    When we visit Italy, this is one of the tastiest meals I've eaten. Usually served up in a small Trattoria, rather than the more expensive Ristorante. I make it with fresh pasta as the Italians do, but with a low fat sauce, it still turns out extremely yummy! You can either eat hot out the oven...
  12. lesley

    Prawn Cocktail with a kick!

    I love prawn cocktail, but was a bit fed up of the 70's retro version. We'd eaten out last week & I could definately taste something "extra" in my dish, it was horseradish sauce. After a few attempts I managed to recreate the dish without losing the delicate flavour of the prawns. Serves...
  13. lesley

    Blue Cheese Dressing

    I made this dressing for my friends barbeque at the weekend, I forgot she doesn't like blue cheese, but she ate it & pinched some more for Sunday! Serves 6-8 Prep Time 5 mins, plus 1 hour to chill in fridge Ingredients 500ml Low fat crème fraiche 120ml Semi skimmed milk 110g Stilton...
  14. lesley

    Agnello alla Pastora (Shepherds Lamb)

    Some of the tastiest meals we have come from simple peasant ideas, using the basic ingredients they would have had access to, this is just one of them. This dish comes from Basilicata which is a very mountainous region in Southern Italy, which makes it difficult for farming but the sheep, goats...
  15. lesley

    Stuffed Butternut Squash

    I forgot to get the meat out the freezer, so I made this instead, it was so good...the creamy Arborio rice mixed perfectly with the nutty flavours of the Squash, will definately make this again. Serves 2 Prep Time 10 mins Cooking Time 1 hour Ingredients 2 Butternut squash...
  16. lesley

    Roasted tomatoes dressed in garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar

    This is one of my favourite suppers, sliced tomatoes dressed in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic, served with hot French crusty bread to dip in, simple but delicious. Serves 4 Prep Time 5 mins Cooking Time 20 mins Ingredients 8 Large tomatoes, sliced 3 Medium garlic cloves...
  17. lesley

    Passion Fruit Pavlova with fresh fruit

    I made this for my daughter in law on her birthday...it's really easy & looks good on presentation :brows: Serves 4 Prep Time 10 mins Cooking Time 1 hour approx Ingredients for the meringue 4 Free range egg whites 250g/9oz Caster /superfine sugar 2 Tsp Corn flour, sieved Splash of...
  18. lesley

    Courgettes (Zucchini) with cheese & bacon

    I made these for our Aussie cousins last week, they ate the lot! lol Courgettes (Zucchini)with cheese & bacon Serves 4 Prep Time 10 mins Cooking Time 45 mins Ingredients 8 Small courgettes 1 medium onion, finely chopped 3 oz/85g Butter 1 ½ oz/40g dried...
  19. lesley

    Tomato and Pepper Brushetta

    My favourite Saturday lunch. Tomato and Pepper Brushetta Serves 2 Prep Time 10 mins Cooking Time 5 mins Ingredients 4 Large vine tomatoes, skins and seeds removed,(see cooks tips 1) and roughly chopped ½Yellow pepper ( Bell pepper) skin removed(see cooks...
  20. lesley

    Free range chicken in Parma ham with Mushrooms

    My hubby makes this..it's awsome & not fattening, I love the flavours mingled together, hope you like it :tiphat: Free range chicken in Parma ham with Mushrooms Serves 2 Prep Time 10mins Cooking Time 30 mins Ingredients 2 Free range chicken breasts 4 Rashers Parma ham...
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