Rhubarb Muffins

Ingedients
250g Soft brown sugar
80ml Vegetable oil
1 Egg
3 Teaspoons vanilla extract
125g Natural greek yoghurt
125g Skimmed milk
130g Rhubarb, diced
350g Wholemeal flour
2 Teaspoons baking powder
1 Teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
3 Tablesoons Demerara sugar mixed with 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade. Place muffin cases into a muffin tin.
2. In a large bowl , mix the sugar, oil, egg, vanilla extract, milk and yoghurt. Then stir in the rhubarb.
3. Add the wholemeal flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Fold together quickly (so it does not rise too quickly) until just blended but still quite lumpy.
4. Spoon into the muffin cases and sprinkle liberally with the demerara sugar and vanilla mix.
5. Bake for 25 minutesuntil the sugar top is glistening and the muffins a delicate gold colour.

Baked Vanilla Nectarines

Ingredients
4 Ripe nectarines
30g Butter
5 Teaspoons demerara sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrades
2. Cut the nectarines in half and remove the stone. Arrange on a baking trays, cut side up.
3. Heat the butter with the demerara sugar and the vanilla extact, until smooth, stirring constantly.
4. Drizzle over the nectarines and bake for 25 minutes.
5. Serve with either ice cream, natural greek yoghurt or creme fraiche.

Summer Vegetable Risotto

Serves 4
Ingredients
100g Asparagus, trimmed
125g Frozen broad beans
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Onion, finely diced
350g Risotto rice
1 Litre hot vegetable stock
125g Dry white wine
0.5 Tablespoon lemon juice
Handful parsley, chopped

Method

1. Boil the asparagus and broad beans in water for 3 minutes. Drain and plunge into cold water, then drain again.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan and gently fry the onion until transparent
3. Stir in the risotto rice/and add a ladle of stock. Cook until absorbed, continuously stirring. Continue adding the stock a ladle at a time, stirring each ladle until absorbed, ensuring it doesn't stick to the bottom.
4. When you add the last ladle, also add the asparagus, beans, dry white wine and lemon juice. Simmer for a few minutes. Mix in the parsley and serve.

Mushroom Stroganoff

Serves 2-3
Ingredients
3 Tablespoons olive oil
450g Mushrooms (Button, Field, Shiitake), sliced
3 Spring onions, sliced
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
30ml Diet cola
1 Yellow pepper, diced
Cracked black pepper to taste
400ml Creme fraiche
1 Tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1.5 Teaspoons paprika
300g Wholegrain rice

Method

1. Heat the oil gently in a large frying pan and fry the mushrooms gently for 1-2 minutes
2. Add the spring onion, garlic, yellow pepper and cola and cook for another minute.
3. Stir in the creme fraiche and heat to just below boiling. Stir in the oregano, paprika and black pepper.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Stir in the rice and return to the medium boil, then cook for 25 minutes (or what it says on the pack).Then rinse in cold water and drain before serving with the stroganoff.

Easy Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
For the cake
400g Plain flour
400g Caster sugar
2 Teaspoons baking powder
1 Teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
80g Cocoa powder
175g Butter
2 Large eggs
4 Teaspoons vanilla extract
300ml Sour cream
For the icing
75g butter
175g Dark chocolate
300g Icing sugar
100ml Condensed milk
25ml Skimmed milk
2 Teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

1. Take everything out of the fridge so the ingredients can come to room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade. Line two 20cm sandwich tins with removeable bases, one 5cm pastry tin and place 10 cake cases in a cupcake tray.
3. Put all the cake ingredients into a large food processor and process until you have a smooth batter.
4. Divide the cake mix into the tins and cake cases, using a spatula and metal spoons, and bake until a thin skewer comes out clean, which should be about 35 minutes. Switch the cakes around halfway through to ensure even cooking.
5. Remove the cakes and turn out onto a wire rack.
6. To make the icing, melt  the butter and chocolate together in a pyrex bowl in the microwave.
7. While the butter and chocolate are cooling, sieve the icing sugar into another bowl.
8. Add the condensed milk and milk into the chocolate mix and whisk into the icing sugar.
9. Choose your cake stand or plate and put the first 20cm cake on the plate. Cover this with icing and place the other cake on top. Ice the bottom of the 5cm cake and place in the middle of the sandwich cake. With a hot palette knife and spoons, place the rest of the icing on the top of the cake and use the palette knife to make a smooth finish.