Peppermint Slices

One of the team at my Other Half's work requested these, and always up for a challenge, I decided to make this classically chocolate-y treat completely vegan and dairy-free. I also gave it a twist on the classic using a mint chocolate for the topping and dusting it with finely chopped fresh mint for an additional hit. For me, mint and chocolate has always been a match made in heaven.

Ingredients:
For the base:
2 cups plain flour
2 tbsp Cocoa powder
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut
250g butter - I used dairy free

For the filling:
4 tbsp milk - I used soy
40g butter - I used dairy free
5 cups icing sugar
1 tbsp peppermint essence

For the topping:
300g mint dark chocolate
180g butter - I used dairy free
handful mint leaves

Method:

Preheat your oven to 160C fan and line a large deep bottom baking tray with greaseproof paper. Place all the base ingredients other than the butter in a large bowl and mix together. Melt the butter over a medium heat and then stir into the other ingredients, coating everything thoroughly. The proportions will look totally off but with a little persistence it all comes together. Smooth over the base of the baking tray, I used my fingers then a small glass to smooth it all out. Bake for 15 minutes until firm to the touch then place to one side to cool.

Melt together the butter and milk for the filling then stir in the icing sugar and peppermint essence, adding more peppermint if you like it mintier. The should have a double cream like consistency; if its too thin, add a little more icing sugar until it thickly coats the back of a spoon. Pour over the top of the base and smooth with a spatula before popping in the freezer to set while you make the topping.

Melting again, this time melt the butter and chocolate together over a low heat, stirring regularly to prevent the chocolate separating. Finely chop the mint leaves and place to one side. Once the filling has set, pour over the melted chocolate and smooth to the edges. Top with the mint for extra pizzaz! Pop back in the freezer for 10 minutes until the chocolate is firm to the touch then remove from the tin and cut into squares. I placed mine back in the freezer for a little longer then take them out about 20 minutes before serving to return to room temperature, this prevents too much messiness.

When you make these, please tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife

Enjoy!

Bread and Butter Pudding

The weather here is cold and miserable again and calls for cuddly food which reminds us all of childhood. I had a loaf of slightly sad, not home-made, bread to use and couldn't resist a heartwarming bread and butter pudding. I love mine packed with spices and fruit, just as my mum makes. This recipe doesnt come with many measurements as it really depends on personal taste and how many layers you create.

Ingredients:
1 loaf sliced bread
Butter -  I used dairy-free
Cinnamon
Ginger
Mixed fruit
Brown sugar
500ml Milk - I used soy

Method:
Preheat your oven to 160C fan and butter a large oven proof dish. Butter each slice of bread on one side and carefully line the bottom and sides of the dish with bread butter side up, I like the crusts on the bread but if you don't then do remove them. Sprinkle the bread with the spices, sugar and mixed fruit then layer over a couple of slices of bread. Repeat the process until all but two of the slices of bread are used. Place these over the top, butter side down, and carefully push down to compact everything together. Pour the milk over the top until you can just see it between the pieces of bread. Top with a generous sprinkle of sugar and spices.

Bake for 20 minutes until the top is crispy and golden then let cool for a few minutes before serving. The pudding should be fragrant and have a crisp top with a soft centre.

My favourite way to use up old bread, this recipe never fails to make people smile. When you make this, please take a picture and tag me using #dairyofadefectivehousewife

ENJOY!

Potato and Cauliflower Curry with Homemade Naan

I wasn't planning on writing a blog post for this curry and naan recipe yet but I had taken a couple of pictures to send to my brother to tease him as he LOVES a good curry and decided to post one on a Facebook group, almost as a joke. The response was overwhelming with requests so here is the recipe! Please excuse the poor photos, these weren't exactly planned. This went down a treat with my other half who usually does qualify anything as food unless it has meat in, to the point he's requested it for a potluck dinner with his friends. PS... yes, I was eating my dinner in bed!

Ingredients:
For the Curry:
1 large head of cauliflower
Roughly the same quantity of potatoes
1 bag fresh spinach
1 bag mange tout peas
1 can coconut milk
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 tub cherry tomatoes
2 onions
5 tbsp mild tandoori curry powder
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tube lazy garlic (6 cloves)
1 tube lazy ginger (3 inch fresh)
1 tub lazy lemongrass (2 sticks fresh)
olive oil
salt and pepper
Boiling water
2 tbsp cornflour

For the Naan:
375g plain flour - plus flour for dusting
2 tsp yeast
1 tsp salt
250ml warm water
1 tbsp maple syrup

olive oil

Method: 
For the curry: 
Grab your largest pan and place it over a medium heat, coating the base with olive oil. Roughly dice the onions and saute in the oil until translucent. Add in the cumin, coriander and curry powder. Chop the potatoes into bite sized pieces and pop into the pan. Add the coconut milk and tinned tomatoes along with a can full of hot water. Half the tomatoes and add these in along with the cauliflower, broken into bite sized florets. Add in the ginger, garlic and lemongrass and leave to simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.

Chop the mange tout into bite sized pieces and add to the curry along with the spinach. Once these are lightly cooked, make up the cornflour according to the instructions on the packet and stir in to thicken the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste, I didn't feel it needed much.

If you can leave this overnight and reheat it, even better. The flavours mature overnight and give a depth which is delicious.

For the Naan:
Place the flour, salt and yeast in a bowl and mix together. In a jug, mix the water and maple syrup until the syrup has melted. Add to the flour mixture and bring together. Tip onto a floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes until the dough is smooth and springy.

Place in an oiled bowl and leave at room temperature to prove for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough into 6 pieces and roll each piece out to a rough oval around 1cm thick. Make sure to flour both your surface and rolling pin as the dough is quite sticky.

Place a frying pan over a high heat with a teaspoon of olive oil. Place one of the naans into the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes until large bubbles appear on the top then flip over. The cooked side should be crispy with darker patches. Fry for a further couple of minutes to crisp the other side. Repeat until all the naan are cooked, I place them in a tea towel to keep warm before serving.

I served this curry with the naan and some basmati rice but have also had it on its own as a quick lunch, especially if there's some left over.

When you make this, please take a picture and tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife

Enjoy!

Mushroom Pinwheels with Tomato Dip

These mushroom pinwheels came about when another recipe I was testing went wrong, and I'm very grateful it did as these are one of my new favourite snacks. Packed with garlic and herbs, the pinwheels are full of rich flavour while the tomato dip has just enough acidity to cut through the pastry. I used pre-rolled pastry from the shop for ease but if you are happy making your own puff pastry then that would be even better. This makes 10 rolls.

Ingredients:
500g chestnut mushrooms
6 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
2  handfuls fresh parsley
1 handful fresh basil
4 large tomatoes
1 roll puff pastry - I used jus-roll as its dairy-free
salt and pepper to taste.

Method:
Place a large frying pan over a high heat and pour in the olive oil and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Finely slice the mushrooms and add to the hot pan to fry, stirring well to coat in the oil and seasoning. Crush the garlic and finely chop 1 handful of the parsley and add to the mixture. Fry the mushrooms until all the liquid is gone and they start to caramelise. Set aside to cool.

Once cooled, preheat your oven to 200c fan and take your pastry out the fridge, leaving for around 15  minutes until soft and pliable. Unroll the pastry and carefully run your thumb over any cracks to seal. Spoon on the mushrooms evenly, leaving around an inch along one long side clear. Roll the pastry towards the clear section, tucking the mushrooms in with your fingers as you go then use the clear pastry to seal the rolls. Cut into 10 pieces and place on a baking sheet lined with grease-proof paper. Place in the oven to bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

While the rolls are baking, finely chop the tomatoes and place in a small pan over a high heat. Finely chop the remaining herbs and add in along with a dash of salt and leave to reduce and thicken, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes have thickened and it smells incredible.

 These pinwheels can happily be eaten hot or cold and would be ideal for lunchboxes.

When you make them, please take a picture and tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife

ENJOY!

Breakfast Pancakes

I keep seeing people putting amazing looking stacks of pancakes topped with all kinds of delights  up on Instagram so I decided to create my own. I have experimented with a few recipes and blended a couple together to create my perfect pancake. I was feeling tropical when I made this particular batch and topped them with fresh mango and passionfruit but they would be delicious with anything, chocolate spread and raspberries, maple syrup... the possibilities are endless. This recipe makes around 6 good sized pancakes and can easily be scaled up to feed a crowd.

Ingredients:
2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup water
1 cup milk - I used soy
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon

Method:
Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly to create a thick batter. Over a high heat, place a non stick frying pan and ensure its piping hot before adding any pancake batter. Using a half cup measure, spoon in a couple of dollops of mixture into the pan and cook for around 2 mins until bubbles start to appear through the batter. Flip the pancake over (it should be golden brown) and fry for a further 1 -2 minutes until golden brown and set.

Serve warm or cold with your favourite toppings.

When you try this, please take a picture and tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife.

ENJOY!