hot cross pudding

This one i did pinch from jamie but i added stawberry jam yum yum ask the kids'and i made it cheaper then he did

you will need

hot cross buns 6 for 37 pence at asda or 40 pence at tesco

stawberry jam

custard from lidi or asda your choice or make your own

method

1. Try spreading the jam on halved hot cross buns and place in an ovenproof dish.
2. Pour over enough custard to almost cover the buns and allow the custard to soak into the buns for about 15 minutes.
3. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 180˚C, fan 170˚C, gas 4.
4. Finish by placing under a hot grill for 5 minutes until golden brown.

Lamb Chops with Fresh Mint and Roasted Jersey Royals

Ingredients

20g pack fresh mint, leaves only

2 tbsp sherry vinegar

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 tbsp olive oil

4 Lamb Chops, from the butchers of your choice

200g Jersey Royal new potatoes, scrubbed

200g small fresh beetroot, trimmed and scrubbed

200g baby carrots, trimmed and washed

Method
1.Preheat the oven to 190°C, gas mark 5. Chop half the mint and keep the remaining leaves whole. In a shallow dish, mix the chopped mint with the vinegar, half the garlic, and 2 tbsp of the olive oil, and season. Add the lamb chops, turning them to coat in the mixture. Cover and place in the fridge until you are ready to cook

2.Halve any larger potatoes and cut the beetroot into quarters. Put the potatoes, beetroot and carrots in a roasting tin and scatter over the rest of the garlic. Drizzle with the remaining oil and season. Roast for 38 minutes until tender.

3.Meanwhile, heat a large, non-stick frying pan until very hot. Remove the lamb chops from the marinade, brushing off any excess, and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side. Reserve the marinade.
4.

Serve the chops on top of the vegetables. Pour the reserved marinade into the frying pan and simmer briefly. Drizzle over the lamb and top with the remaining mint.

my tip

the lamb will benefit from being marinated for several hours in the fridge if time allows.

Preparation time :15 minutes

Cooking time :45 minutes

Total time :1hour

Bubble and Squeak

Ingredients

450g/1lb potatoes, unpeeled
salt and pepper
70g/2 1/2 oz butter
250g/8oz cabbage, shredded
3 tbsp water
3-4 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, chopped

DIRECTIONSCook the potatoes for 25 minutes in a pan of lightly salted boiling water, then drain, peel and dice.


Place them in a bowl with 55g/2oz of the butter and mash until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


Meanwhile, place the cabbage, water and remaining butter in a large heavy based saucepan and cover. Cook gently for 10 minutes, or until tender. Mix the cabbage and mashed potato together and season with more salt and pepper.


Heat half the oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the potato and cabbage mixture and press down with the back of a wooden spon to make a flat, even cake.


Cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes until golden brown on the underside and place on a large plate. Add the remaining oil and cook again on the other side for 10 minutes.


Transfer to a plate, cut into wedges and serve.

'Paella' Couscous Salad

INGREDIENTS


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound Spanish chorizo (spicy cured pork sausage; preferably hot), cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 cup finely chopped shallot
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 pound medium shrimp in shell, peeled and deveined
3/4 pound sea scallops, tough muscle removed from side of each if necessary, halved crosswise (quartered if large)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 (10 ounce) box couscous
1/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 large red bell pepper, finely diced
1 cup coarsely chopped drained pimiento-stuffed green olives
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne



HOW TO MAKE


1.Make salad: Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then saute chorizo and shallot, stirring, until chorizo is golden brown on edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute, stirring, 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl, scraping out skillet with a rubber spatula.


2.Bring broth and wine to a boil in a 2 1/2-quart saucepan and cook shrimp, covered, until just cooked through, about 45 seconds. Transfer shrimp with a slotted spoon to a small bowl. Bring liquid in saucepan back to a boil and cook scallops, covered, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer scallops with slotted spoon to bowl with shrimp and pour any liquid accumulated in bowl back into pan. Add lemon juice to seafood, then add salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine.


3.Put couscous in a metal bowl. Reserve 1 3/4 cups cooking liquid in saucepan and discard remainder. Add saffron and bring liquid to a boil and pour over couscous. Let stand, covered tightly with plastic wrap, 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork and add to chorizo. Stir in peas, bell pepper, olives, and seafood and toss to combine.
4.Blend lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a blender until smooth and pour over seafood salad, tossing to combine well. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature to allow couscous to absorb dressing.


5.Stir in parsley and season salad with salt and pepper.


6.Make dressing: Salad can be made (without parsley) 2 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature and stir in parsley just before serving.


Yield: 6 servings

Chunky sausage & tomato pasta

Ingredients


1 tbsp olive oil
4 thick pork sausages , cut into bite-sized pieces
2 garlic cloves , crushed
200ml medium white wine
1 tbsp tomato purée
400g can chopped tomatoes
500g pack rigatoni or penne
handful basil leaves , torn,

parmesan , to serve




1.Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pan (preferably not non-stick) and add the sausages. Fry for about 8 mins until golden and cooked through. Tip in the garlic and fry for 1 min. Pour in the white wine and boil until it has reduced by half.


2.Stir in the tomato purée and tomatoes, and season to taste. Simmer for 15 mins until the sauce is rich and thick.


3.While the sauce cooks, boil the pasta according to pack instructions and drain. Stir in the basil if using, and cooked pasta into the sauce, then serve in bowls with grated or shaved parmesan.



Making it veggie or spicy
Use veggie sausages, such as Cauldron Vegetarian Lincolnshire sausages, available from supermarkets. Or to make it spicy, add a pinch of dried chilli or 1 chopped red chilli as you fry the sausages.


Serves 4
Preperation and cooking times
Prep 5 mins
Cook 20 mins

Barbecue chicken

cushy's finger-licking barbecued chicken pieces are drizzled with honey and marinated with garlic, ginger and fresh turmeric

Ingredients

1 x 1.5kg chicken
1 x 7.5 cm fresh Turmeric
1 x 10 cm fresh Ginger
4 cloves Garlic
1/2 red onion1 small red chilli
Fish Sauce, to taste
vegetable oil, for the marinade
Honey, to garnish

Method

1. Joint the chicken into 8 pieces with the skin on:

2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 breasts and 2 wings. 2. On each piece, make a couple of incisions on the flesh, right to the bone.

3. In a food processor, finely blend the turmeric, ginger, garlic, onion and chillies. Cover the chicken pieces with blended ingredients and pour over the oil and fish sauce. Leave the chicken to marinate in the fridge, overnight if possible.

4. When ready to cook, pre-heat a grill, brush the excess marinade from the chicken pieces and cook on both sides until tender and golden brown.

5. Arrange on a platter, drizzle lightly with honey and serve with a salad.

how to make macaroni cheese cushy's way

Macaroni Cheese Recipe. A cheesy pasta dish ideal for the kids! Did you know that Macaroni Cheese dates back to the 1800s, but it is still one of the tastiest today. Sample our Macaroni Cheese recipe.



what you need



500 grams of cooked macaroni
half to a pint of milk

a packet of cheese sauce
100 grams of cheese

mustard



what to do

put milk into a sauce pan and mix in the cheese sauce

add one to two tea spoons full of mustard

stir in

add pre cooked macaroni

stir in well

add cheese for added flavour

about 70 g parmesan

if needed

add two cloves of crushed garlic

mix in well and heat for a futher 10mins

or put into oven spinkle some grated cheese on top

How To Make Crispy Vegetable Spring Rolls

Crispy Vegetable Spring Rolls recipe. This quick recipe for spring rolls will show you how to make this authentic Asian appetiser at home. You'll no longer have to worry about them getting soggy while being delivered

You will need:
10 spring roll wrappers
½ red pepper , thinly sliced
1 carrot , grated
6 bamboo shoots , thinly sliced
some bean sprouts
¼ white cabbage , shredded
some rice noodles , soaked in water
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
some salt and pepper
1 ltr vegetable oil
1 egg , beaten
1 wok
1 wooden spoon
1 bowl
1 spoon
1 brush
1 tea towel
1 saucepan
1 slotted spoon
1 tray lined with paper towel
tongs

Step 2:
Prepare the vegetables
Begin by heating the wok. When hot, add some oil, the red peppers, carrots, bamboo shoots, cabbage and bean sprouts. Cook until the vegetables have slightly softened and their tastes have had a chance to intermingle.

Step 3:
Finish the filling
Add the noodles, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix well, take it off the heat and place into a bowl to let it cool.

Step 4:
Preheat the frying oil
Place the pan with the oil for frying over a medium-high heat.

Step 5:
Make the spring rolls
Place the spring roll wrapper in front of you, with one corner at the bottom so that it resembles a diamond. Brush the four edges of the wrapper with the beaten egg. Next, add the filling in the bottom part of the wrapper in a thin log shape, not touching the edges. Leave the bottom few centimetres clear. Lift the wrapper over the top and tuck it in under the filling.Fold over the left side, and then the right side and roll it up to form a tube. Brush a little more egg along the top part and seal the roll. Repeat until all the rolls are finished.

Step 6:
Fry the egg roll
Once the oil is hot, deep fry the spring rolls until lightly brown, which should take only a minute or two. Put them on the towelled tray to let them drain.

Step 7:
Serve
Serve your crispy spring rolls as you would any appetiser. They go wonderfully with a sweet and sour sauce and many other types of dip.

How To Make Homemade Fish Fingers

How To Make Homemade Fish Fingers

Homemade Fish Fingers Recipe. Traditional homemade fish fingers, perfect for the kids. Serve them with VideoJug's very own Chunky Chips recipe and a splash of lemon. Taste our Homemade Fish Fingers recipe.

You Will Need
400 g fillets of white fish, partially thawed
120 g breadcrumbs
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp grated lemon peel
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp garlic salt
150 ml double cream
1 egg
100 ml plain flour
100 ml vegetable oil
freshly ground pepper
salt
3 bowls
1 frying pan
1 slotted spoon
1 knife
1 plate or tray
1 fork
1 kitchen paper
1 spoon
1 cutting board

Step 1:
Prepare the fillets
Cut the cod fillets into strips and set aside.

Step 2:
Make the coating
Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl, and season with some pepper and salt. Add the parsely, parmesan cheese, garlic salt, lemon peel, paprika and thyme and mix them together thoroughly.

Step 3:
Beat the egg
In a separate bowl, pour in the egg and the cream. Beat them together with a fork.

Step 4:
Prepare the flour
Put the flour in a bowl ready to coat the fish.

Step 5:
Coat the fish
Lightly dust the fillets in the flour. Then dip them into the egg and cream and finally coat it with the breadcrumb mixture.

Step 6:
Fry the fingers
Now you have your fish fingers ready, take a frying pan and heat up the vegetable oil over a moderate heat. When hot place the fingers in the pan. Turn them over and cook until the fish flakes easily and the breadcrumbs are a golden brown.

Step 7:
Drain the fingers
Take them out with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper to drain off any excess oil.

Step 8:
Serve up
Place on plates and serve with lemon wedges and chips

shepards pie the cushy way

How To Make Shepherd's Pie

How To Make Shepherd's Pie

Cheesy Shepherds Pie with a trace of sautéed onions accompanied by garden peas. One of the most popular and traditional dishes originating from the UK. Try our Shepherd's Pie recipe

You Will Need
500 g potatoes for mashing
50 g grated cheddar cheese
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 sticks of celery, sliced
1 kg minced mutton (sheep)
30 ml beef broth or stock
1 tbsp flour combined with 1 tbsp of butter
150 g butter salt and pepper to season
100 ml milk
1 large skillet
1 large saucepan
1 baking dish 15cm deep
1 bowl
1 spatula or spoon
1 strainer
1 potato masher

Step 1:
Sauté the onions
Put some oil in a skillet and sauté the onions. When they are soft and starting to brown, remove them from the skillet using a slotted spoon and set to one side.

Step 2:
Prepare the carrots and celery
Sauté the carrots and celery until they start to brown.
Step 3:
Pre-heat the oven
Set the temperature of the oven at 220ºC.

Step 4:
Sauté the meat
Heat the oil with 50 grams of butter and add the meat, stirring it until it browns.

Step 5:
Add the vegetables
As it browns add the carrots and celery.

Step 6:
Add the stock
When the meat has browned add the stock and stir well.

Step 7:
Thicken with butter/flour
Stir in the butter and flour mixture to thicken the stock. Cook for a further couple of minutes and set the pan to one side.

Step 8:
Cook the potatoes
Boil the potatoes in salted water until soft.

Step 9:
Make potato purée
When the potatoes are soft, drain out the water and mash them with half of the remaining butter and grated cheese. If it is too thick add a little milk. When it has reached a smooth consistency stir in a pinch of salt and pepper to season.

Step 10:
Add the onions
Stir in the sautéed onions

Step 11:
Prepare the dish for the oven
Transfer the meat into the baking dish. Spread it out to make an even layer. Spoon over the mashed potato and tease the surface with a fork to create some texture. To finish, brush on the last of the melted butter.

Step 12:
Bake the shepherds pie
Place the shepherds pie in the oven and back for half an hour.

cushy's tip

Check the shepherds pie from time to time to make sure the potato isn't burning
Serving suggestion
This is a complete meal in itself and you shouldn't need anything else but if you like it can be served with peas.External Links

How To Make Garlic Bread

Side Dishes:How To Make Garlic Bread

How To Make Garlic Bread
Garlic Bread Recipe. A very tasty accompaniment for soups or pasta dishes. All those garlic-lovers out there will find it impossible to resist! Experience our Garlic bread recipe.

Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Oven Temperature: 175
350° c - ° f175

Step 1:
You will need….
1 baguette
5 cloves of garlic
200 g butter
3 tbsp parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
1 bowl
1 garlic crusher
1 knife
1 bread knife
aluminium foil
1 chopping board
1 spoon

Step 2:
Preheat the oven
Set the temperature of the oven to 175ºC (325ºF/ gas mark 3.5).

Step 3:
Make the garlic butter
Spoon the butter into a small bowl. Place some of the garlic cloves into the crusher, squeeze the handle tightly down and scrape off the crushed garlic into the bowl. Continue this process until all the garlic has been crushed. Next, pour in the parsley, season with salt and pepper and stir well.

Step 4:
Slice and fill
Place the baguette onto the chopping board and cut across diagonally, into 2-3 cm slices, without cutting completely through the bread. Create a gap between the slices, add a dollop of the garlic butter, and smooth it down. Finally spread any remaining butter over the top of the baguette.

Step 5:
Wrap in foil
Unroll the aluminium foil and tear off a large enough piece to wrap the baguette. Place the garlic bread into the centre of the foil and wrap it up making sure that you seal the ends well.

Step 6:
Bake
Place the baguette into the centre of the oven and cook for ten minutes. Turn it over, cook for a further 10 minutes and remove it from the oven.

Step 7:
Serve
Once cooked, unwrap the baguette, cut through into slices and serve

british breakfeast made easy

British Food:How To Make A Traditional Full English Breakfast

How To Make A Traditional Full English Breakfast
Traditional Full English Breakfast Recipe. Gail and Jill, of the Blacksmith's Café in Hastings, guide us through the ritual of making the perfect fried breakfast. Savour our Traditional Full English Breakfast recipe.

Serves:1
Preparation Time:
5 minutes
Cooking Time:
15 minutes

Step 1:
You will need
2 sausages
100 g mushrooms
2 Rashers bacon
2 eggs
150 g baked beans
vegetable oil
ketchup or brown sauce
1 knife
1 chopping board
1 wooden stirring spoon
1 spatula
1 small saucepan
2 frying pans

Step 2:
Sausages
We start with our sausages. Quality is crucial here - go for ones with a high percentage of pork and natural ingredients.Place them in a frying pan with preheated vegetable oil.They'll take the longest to cook of all our ingredients, around 12 minutes, with regular turning required. They make a lovely, reassuring sizzle as they fry.

Step 3:
Mushrooms
Wash and slice the mushrooms. Add them to some preheated vegetable oil in a separate frying pan, then stir and toss them on a gentle heat for about 5 minutes.After that, consign them to a warm plate until the rest of the fry-up is finished, which won't be long now. Because things are really starting to hot up.

Step 4:
Bacon
Bacon next; when the sausages have been frying for 8 minutes, add the rashers to the same pan and turn them every minute or two.

Step 5:
Baked beans
As soon as your bacon's under way, the baked beans go on the stove. They require a gentle heat and plenty of stirring.Now it's a total juggling act!

Step 6:
Eggs
While you keep an eye on all that sizzling and bubbling, replenish the other frying pan with oil and put it on a medium heat in readiness for the eggs.Keep turning the bacon and stirring the beans; then crack one egg... and two, into the empty frying pan. Transfer it to the hottest plate on the stove if necessary - keep stirring those beans! And we're nearly done.The final touch is to get your spatula and splash hot oil over the eggs until the yolks go opaque. This is a sure sign that they're cooked properly.And when they're done, the whole meal is done.

Step 7:
Serve
Add it all to the plate with the mushrooms on and get ready for the Full English experience.Try a little tomato ketchup or brown sauce for the finishing touch to the perfect fried breakfast

OH NO WHATS FOR LUNCH DAD QUICK LUNCH TIME

STUFF YOU NEED

150g wholegrain rice

1tbsp vegetable oil

125g/4oz frozen peas, thawed

200g tin tuna in brine drained

1 ripe tomato, deseeded and cut into thin wedges

1-2tbsp soy sauce A small handful roughly chopped parsley (optional)

HOW TO DO

1. Cook the rice according to packet instructions and then set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok and stir-fry the rice on a high heat for 1-2 mins.

3. Add the peas, tuna and tomato and stir-fry for a further 2 mins.

4. Stir in the soy sauce and parsley and heat through. Serve immediately.

Serves: 2 Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 15 mins

TO SERVE 4 JUST DOUBLE YOUR INGREDIENTS

BON APPETITE

steak dinner

STUFF YOU NEED

4 x 200g (7oz) fillet or 2 x 400g (14oz) sirloin steaks

250g (9oz) cherry tomatoes, halved

3 garlic cloves, sliced

2tbsp olive oil

1 ciabatta loaf, cut into two equal lengths and halved lengthways

50g (2oz) mixed salad leaves

THIS IS HOW

1.If you're using fillet steak, flatten a little with a rolling pin. Put the steak, tomatoes and garlic in a large bowl, drizzle with oil and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

2.Heat a griddle pan or large frying pan until searing hot. Put the steak in the griddle pan with the tomatoes and garlic, and cook over a medium high heat for 2-3 mins each side for medium or 3-4 mins each side for well done. Move the tomatoes around occasionally to make sure they get coloured all over.

3.Remove the steak, tomatoes and garlic from the pan and set to one side. Grill the ciabatta in the griddle pan.

4.Slice the steak. Put a slice of ciabatta on each plate and top with the steak, tomatoes and a handful of salad. Season and serve with chips and mayonnaise.
Top tip: Try mixing sun-dried tomato paste and wholegrain mustard into the mayo.

TOP TIP TESCO EVERYDAY LABEL STEAK VERY CHEEP

ENJOY YOUR STEAK I DID

Quick chicken chasseur cushy style

Chicken



Any part of the chicken can be used for this recipe

i buy the chicken bits from tesco £2.99 perfect frozen that is







Ingredients


4 chicken breast fillets cut into bite sized pieces or 8 chicken thighs
2 tablespoons of oil
1 large or 2 small onion chopped
3 garlic cloves chopped finely
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 glass white wine
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 chicken stock cube
250g button mushrooms
Fresh mixed herbs
Salt and pepper to flavour


Heat oven to 200ºC or gas number 6.


To Prepare



Heat oil in a deep based oven proof casserole dish. A cast iron dish is ideal. Brown the chicken thighs or lightly cook the breast fillets. When the chicken is lightly brown add the onions and garlic and cook slowly until the onions are clear. Add the can of tomatoes, the glass of white wine, the tomato paste and stock cube and heat through. Place the lid on and put into the preheated oven for one hour. Add the cleaned button mushrooms, the mixed herbs and replace into the oven for a further thirty minutes. Some people like a browned top to their chicken Chasseur in which case do not replace the lid of the casserole dish for the last thirty minutes of the cooking time. Season to taste and serve. Thicken with gravy if required.

or

just buy the packets and add water much quicker if you really want quick lunch





serve up with boiled pototes and mixed vegetables