Fruit & Nut Pilaf - MS Word document for downloading

I must remember this recipe after Christmas, as a way of using up the leftover meat. It’s a meal in itself. You can vary the dried fruits you use, according to the meat. Fruit and Nut Pilaf is delicious without meat, in which case, this quantity would probably serve 4. Don’t substitute oil for the butter. The butter is essential for the flavour, unless you are going to be very generous with the seasoning and/or herbs.

Serves 6
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes, if you need to cook the rice

This is turning out to be quite a week! No time for lunch again today and it was duty day as well, so I hadn’t managed a coffee at morning break! Both staff are back, I am delighted to say, so I thought things might be getting easier, but not just yet. A kind colleague clearly saw that I was “wilting” as I was going to my afternoon class and offered me some chocolate. Just what I needed! That and a bottle of water kept me going!

After school, another meeting, so I was late going to the supermarket and getting home. I definitely needed a quick to prepare meal this evening! I put the rice onto cook before I started to unpack the shopping. The apricots and sultanas soaked in boiling water for ten minutes, while the onion cooked. Lovely black grapes were on special offer in the supermarket again, so they made a lovely quick pudding.

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Teabread - MS Word document for downloading

This Teabread is so easy. It’s beautifully moist (very more-ish!) and great in lunch boxes. It can be eaten with or without butter. I definitely prefer it with butter!

Preparation time: 5 minutes the night before you want to make it and 5 minutes the next day.

Cooking time: one and three quarter hours

Tin size: either a 7″ round or a 2lb loaf tin: 9″ (22.5cm) x 5″(12.5cm) x 3″(7.5cm)

Some people seem to find cake making difficult. Provided you measure the ingredints accurately, use the correct oven temperature for the size of tin suggested and time the cooking carefully, you really can’t go wrong! I offer you two tin sizes with this recipe - the choice is yours! Personally, I think it looks more like a teabread in the loaf tin and more like a fruit cake in the round tin, but it really doesn’t matter which you use. Read more »

Chicken Curry - MS Word document for dowloading 

Serves 4 

You can make this as mild or as hot as you like. You can also use beef, lamb or pork if you prefer and adapt the cooking time accordingly.

I had expected to be home quite early tonight, in time to reheat this and make a Fresh Fruit Salad. As it was a really miserable morning, pouring with rain, I decided to put the curry in the oven, and set the automatic timer. I  had soaked the ingredients for a dried fruit salad overnight, so that it could cook at the same time as the curry and be ready for tomorrow, when I know I will be late home. I had this vision of being really relaxed, with  the cooking well under control!

It didn’t work out like that! An unexpected meeting meant that I was really late. How grateful I was for a little forward planning and a hot meal within minutes of getting home. We ate the dried fruit salad tonight, as well! By the way, read the label on the dried fruit salad packet. I was very surprised to see that the one I had been thinking of buying in one Health Food shop had sulphur in it as a preservative!

5 minutes pre-cooking preparation

1-2 hours to cook, depending on the size of chicken pieces used and the type of casserole dish. I usually use jumbo chicken legs and cook these in a covered Le Creuset casserole dish for two to two and a half hours on the bottom shelf of the oven, as I am cooking the Sunday roast. Store in the fridge, until ready to re heat. Allow one hour for this at 180C or Gas Mark 4. Read more »