Tuna and Mushroom Pasta Melt

2 tbs oil
1 onion, chopped
350g (12oz) mushrooms, sliced
1 packet Schwartz Tune and Mushroom Pasta Melt Mix
350ml (12fl oz) milk
2 x 185g tins tuna, drained
175g (6oz) pasta, cooked and drained
Grated Cheddar cheese, to taste


- Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.

- Blend the packet contents with the milk and add to the pan. Bring to the boil stirring. Cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the tuna and cooked pasta and heat through.
- Transfer to a heatproof dish, top with the cheese and place under a pre-heated grill until golden.

BBQ Chicken and Corn Rice

Based on BBC Good Food Recipe

4 chicken leg portions, cut into thighs and drumsticks, skin removed (I use boneless thigh joints)
2 onions, 1 chopped, 1 cut into wedges
1 red and 1 green pepper , de-seeded and thickly sliced
2tbsp olive oil
200ml bottled barbecue sauce
2tsp thyme leaves
250g long grain rice, rinsed
600ml chicken stock
340g can sweetcorn, rinsed and drained
½ red chilli , finely chopped (optional)


- Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Slash each piece of chicken 2-3 times. Put the chicken, onion wedges and peppers in a roasting tin or ovenproof pan, then toss with 1 tbsp oil and the barbecue sauce. Roast for 40 mins, turning halfway, until sticky and tender. Add a splash of water if the sauce dries up a little at the edges.

- Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a medium pan, then soften the chopped onion for 5 mins. Stir in the thyme, rice, stock and seasoning. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 12 mins. Turn off the heat, tip in the corn, add chilli if using, put the lid back on and let the rice steam for 10 mins more. Fluff up the rice, then serve with the chicken, vegetables and pan juices.

Thai Veg Curry

Based on Schwartz Recipe - tbh I change this whenever we have it depending on what I want/have got etc and I never measure out for it. Its a good base recipe though.

1 Onion
1tbs Thai 7 Spice
350g cauliflower florets
1 Courgette, sliced
1 Red Pepper, sliced
450ml (3/4 pint) vegetable stock
75g creamed coconut (or tin of coconut milk and less stock)
2tbs tomato puree
coriander (I usually don't bother)

-Heat oil in frying pan and fry the onion for 3-4 minutes. Add the Thai 7 Spice and fry for further minute.
- Add the cauliflower and fry for 3-4 minutes
- Add the courgette and pepper and fry for further 2 minutes.
-Stir in the stock, coconut and tomato puree and bring to the boil
-Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the cauliflower is tender.
- Stir through the coriander before serving (if using)

Offee Pie

Courtesy of Amy-Jayne.

-Crush biscuits (I used about 250g digestives, could be Hobnobs etc)
-Melt 60g unsalted butter and mix
-Press into a bowl (or cheesecake tin if you have one)
-Add a can of carnation caramel on top that (and a layer of bananas if you are using them)
-Whisk 350ml double cream with a table spoon of icing sugar till thick and spreadable (I used a bit more icing sugar because my cream just wouldn't thicken enough!)
-Spoon onto caramel then dust with cocoa powder
-Leave in fridge to chill for a bit

Baking Day

Have felt awful last two days with headache caused by a random upper back pain so as today I'm feeling slightly better I really wanted to get in the kitchen.

Am making bread to go with our Tuna and Mushroom Pasta Melt later and have just had my first attempt at the famous 'Offee Pie'. Recipe to follow.




Tuna and mushroom pasta melt




Bread




Offee pie. Not clever enough to remember to take the pic before we ate some.