Vegan Falafel for Alys 

Ingredients

• 1 (19 ounce) can chick peas, rinsed and drained
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• chopped fresh coriander....I like lots but up to you
• fresh parsley chopped......I like a little but up to you
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup fine dry bread crumbs or you can use oats or Weetabix if you don't have any breadcrumbs
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 vegetable oil or ground nut oil for frying

Directions

1. Mash the chickpeas in a large bowl. Stir in the onion, garlic, cilantro, parsley cumin, turmeric, baking powder, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Or whizz everything together in a food processor. Shape the mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls; you should get 18 to 24. If the mixture does not hold together, add a little water or egg if you are not vegan.
2. Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Carefully drop the balls into the hot oil, and fry until brown. If you do not have a deep fryer, heat the oil in a heavy deep skillet over medium-high heat. You may need to adjust the heat slightly after the first couple of falafels, and be sure to turn frequently so they brown evenly.
3. Voila!

Baked Chicken Risotto

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 50g butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 chicken breast fillets, cut into 2cm cubes
• 2 cups (440g) arborio rice
• 1/4 cup (60ml) white wine
• 1.25L (5 cups) vegetable or chicken stock
• 1/2 cup (50g) grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
• 2 tbs chopped fresh basil, plus extra shredded 
• basil to garnish..optional
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves....optional
• Sunblush tomatoes

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C and place a 5-litre ovenproof dish in oven to heat.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes until it starts to colour, then add the rice and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add wine and stock and bring to the boil, then pour everything into the preheated dish. Cover tightly with a lid or foil and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and give everything a good stir, then cover again and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes. By this time all liquid should have been absorbed. If not, return to the oven uncovered for a further 5 minutes.
3. Remove and add the parmesan and basil, and season with salt and pepper. Divide the spinach among 4 plates and top with risotto. Sprinkle with extra parmesan and basil and a couple of sunblush tomatoes if you wish.

Chocolate Ganache Cake

• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs

For ganache filling and glaze

• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 20 ounces fine-quality chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped in a food processor or with a knife. I like to use a mix of milk and plain dark chocolate. 

Make cake layers:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 3 (7- or 8-inch, 2-inch-deep) round cake pans and line bottoms with rounds of wax or parchment paper. Butter paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.

Whisk together water, cocoa, and coffee until smooth, then whisk in milk and vanilla.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.

Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy, then add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and cocoa mixture in batches, beginning and ending with flour and mixing at low speed until just combined.

Divide batter among pans (about 2 1/3 cups per pan), smoothing tops. Bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes for 7-inch pans or 20 to 25 minutes for 8-inch. Cool in pans on a rack 30 minutes, then invert onto racks, remove paper, and cool completely.

Make ganache while cakes bake:
Bring cream to a simmer in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan and remove from heat. Whisk in chocolate until smooth. Transfer ganache to a bowl and chill, covered, stirring occasionally, until thickened but spreadable, about 4 hours. (If ganache becomes too thick, let stand at room temperature until slightly softened.)

Assemble cake:
Arrange 1 layer on a cake stand or plate and spread 2/3 cup ganache evenly over it. Top with another cake layer and 2/3 cup ganache, spreading evenly, then third cake layer. (Chill ganache if necessary to keep at a spreadable consistency.) Chill cake until ganache filling is firm, about 1 hour. Keep remaining ganache at a spreadable consistency, chilling when necessary.

Spread a thin layer of ganache over top and sides of cake to seal in crumbs, then chill 30 minutes. Spread remaining ganache evenly over top and sides of cake. I like to decorate this with 'Terry's Chocolate Orange Slices'.

Parmesan Chicken

Love this with boiled potatoes and caulifower cheese or a salad. It is also great cold. You can even do really small bite size pieces.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
• 1 crushed clove garlic
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs, fresh or bought
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ground black pepper
• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking tray.
2. In a bowl, blend the olive oil/butter and garlic. In a separate bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and pepper. Dip each chicken breast in the oil mixture, then in the bread crumb mixture. Arrange the coated chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish, and top with any remaining bread crumb mixture.
3. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken cooked and golden.

Watermelon, Feta and Olive Salad

• 1 small red onion
• 2 limes, or more, depending on juiciness
• 1.5 kg watermelon, ripe and sweet
• 250 g feta cheese
• 1 bunches flat leaf parsley, fresh
• 1 bunches mint, chopped
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 100 g pitted black olives
• 
  
• 1. Peel onion and cut into very fine half-moons and put in a small bowl to steep with the lime juice, to bring out the transparent pinkness in the onions and diminish their rasp. Two limes' worth should do it, but you can find the fruits disappointingly dried up and barren when you cut them in half, in which case add more.

2. Remove the rind and pips from the watermelon, and cut into approximately 4cm triangular chunks, if that makes sense (maths are not my strong point).

3. Cut the feta into similar sized pieces and put them both into a large, wide shallow bowl.

4. Tear off sprigs of parsley so that it is used like a salad leaf, rather than a garnish, and add to the bowl along with the chopped mint.

5. Tip the now glowingly puce onions, along with their pink juices over the salad in the bowl, add the oil and olives, then using your hands toss the salad very gently so that the feta and melon don't lose their shape. Add a good grinding of black pepper and taste to see whether the dressing needs more lime. 

Mozzarella Pasta Penne

Mozzarella Pasta Penne

This is the original recipe I used, probably 20 years ago! Adapted it a little over the years but thought this would be a good start for you to try and get it as you like it.

6 ounces dried penne pasta
14 ounces can chopped plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 ounces mozzarella cheese -- diced
4 ounces parmesan cheese -- grated
2 tablespoons basil, fresh -- chopped
salt
black pepper -- ground

Cook the pasta in boiling water until just tender.
Meanwhile heat the tomatoes and oil in a pan, breaking down the tomatoes gently
with a wooden spoon.
Add the mozzarella, half the parmesan, basil and seasoning to taste. Bring to
the boil and remove from heat.
Drain the pasta and place in 1 1/2 pint ovenproof dish.
Pour the sauce over the pasta and mix well. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan
and bake in preheated oven at 400'F (200'C) for 10 mins until the cheese is
golden.

Alys favourite meal.....which we rarely eat as soooooo fattening! In fact as Alys is now vegan I guess it will just be a distant memory.

Gnocchi Dolcelatte Crema....my daughters fave....serve with a green crispy salad with a fresh lemon dressing

2 x 1 lb packet of gnocchi 
Fresh rosemary if pos. 
2 ounces butter 
6 ounces Dolcelatte cheese 
¼ pint Double cream 
Ground black pepper 
In a deep frying pan, melt butter. Crumble in the dolcelatte and pour in the cream. Add the rosemary. Once the cheese starts to melt season with pepper (salt is not needed as the dolcelatte is salty enough). Meanwhile, cook the gnocchi in salty boiling water for about 1-2 minutes or until the gnocchi floats to the surface. Drain the gnocchi, add to the sauce and eat!

Pecan Pie

Made my first Pecan Pie over the Christmas holidays. Here is the recipe I used, which was adapted from the original because I didn't have certain items, and it was lovely. But, I discovered the most amazing thing afterwards. I froze it in slices in zip lock bags and found out that it is perfect to eat even when frozen!! Pastry and nuts are crispy and the filling is sticky as it does not freeze solidly.

Pecan Pie Recipe

Ingredients

• 1and a 1/4 cups light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon plain (all-purpose) flour
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 cups pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy, and stir in melted butter. Stir in the brown sugar and the flour; mix well. Last add the milk and nuts.
3. Pour into an unbaked 9-in pastry case. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until done......mine took less time but that's Dubai ovens for you!!!

Roast Potatoes

Roast Potatoes

Boil your potatoes till they are just starting to soften on the outside. I cut them into smaller pieces and give them as many sides as possible so they get crispier.About 10 mins.
Drain and then put a lid on the pan. Bash them around a little so they go a bit crumbly on the outside. Throw in plain (all purpose) flour and maybe some Maldon salt if you have some.Make sure potatoes are coated in flour.....doesn't have to be perfect.
Heat oven to 200 degrees - ish.Or more. 
Get a roasting pan and add a layer of oil....I like Ground Nut as this does not add any flavour.....but use whatever you wish. Put onto hob and heat till just smoking. Throw potatoes with flour and any extra floury bits into roasting pan. Let cook a few mins on top, turn potatoes over if you wish or to make it quicker drizzle tops of potatoes with oil.
Put into over. Turn them over after 15 mins or so. Cook till crispy and golden and crunchy. Maybe another 20 to 30 mins.
Enjoy!!!!

So, here you are Georgia. A blog just for you!
Recipes to follow.
Liz xx