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Recipes

Apricot & Pineapple Cake
Tropical fruit compote on an Amoretti base
Irish Tea Cake with bananas & raisins
Apricot, endive & peanut salad
Pineapple & Seafood Curry
Tagine of Lamb with mango, apricot and almonds
Mango and Apricot Persian Wedding Rice
Sun dried Tomato Pesto
Goat's cheese & sun dried tomato toast

Apricot & Pineapple Cake


Traditionally an alternative light Christmas cake, that can be made with or without marzipan and enjoyed at any time of the year!

  • 250g plain flour
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 250g unsalted butter
  • 225g caster sugar
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 100g ground almonds
  • 4 tbsp Cointreau (Optional)
  • 175g stem ginger
  • Finely grated rind of 2 lemons
  • 175g blanched almonds, chopped
  • 175g sun dried pineapple, chopped
  • 100g sun dried apricots, chopped

Heat the oven to 160degrees C, gas mark 3. Sieve together flour and cinnamon. Cream the butter and sugar together and gradually beat in the eggs until the mixture is fluffy bit stiff. Stir in all the ingredients.
Turn into a greased 20cm square baking tin, double lined with greaseproof paper. Wrap the tin in thick brown paper and tie with string. Bake for approximately 2-2 hours. Test with a skewer after 1 ½ hours. Enjoy when ready!

Tropical fruit compote on an Amoretti base


An elegant dish best served in glass bowls. Immense flavour, serves 8.

  • 150g Mango slices
  • 100g papaya or mango cut into 2cm pieces
  • 400ml orange juice
  • Juice of 1 freshly squeezed lime
  • 2 Earl Grey teabags
  • 2 tsp of clear honey
  • 1 packet of Amoretti biscuits
  • Tub of crme fraiche or Greek yoghurt

Pour the orange and lime juice into a pan. Add the teabags and bring to the boil. Regularly stir the mixture, remove from the heat and add in the fruit pieces. Let the ingredients work for 30 minutes. Remove the tea bags carefully and add the honey. Simmer again for a further 15 minutes and allow to cool overnight. Crunch the Amoretti biscuits to form a base, place the compote on top. Finish off with an elegant blob of crme Fraiche or yoghurt on top!

Irish Tea Cake with bananas & raisins


A low-fat and highly satisfying treat. Perfect for finishing off a country stroll, or just with midnight munchies! Serves 12.

  • 1 pint of strong fair trade tea
  • 200g of chewy banana chips
  • 125g cranberries or raisins
  • 200g of dates
  • 160g Demerara sugar
  • 125g chopped walnuts
  • 1 large egg, beaten into 2 tbsp of milk
  • 450g self raising flour

Soak the dried fruit for 1 ½ hours in well brewed tea. Line a roasting tin of approximately 28 x 23cm with baking paper and grease the paper with vegetable oil. Mash up the soaked fruit with a fork, then stir in the remainder of ingredients. Spread the mixture in the roasting tin. Back in the centre of a preheated oven at 170degrees C for an hour, until golden brown on top and springy to touch in the centre. Straight away turn onto a wire rack. As soon as it has cooled, serve in slices. Delicious with nice thickly spread butter!

Apricot, endive & peanut salad


A beautiful mixture of bitter, sweet and sour to tantalize your tastebuds!

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Grated rind and juice of 1 orange
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 large clove garlic, crushed with salt

Salad:

  • 2 endives
  • 125g sun dried apricots, roughly chopped
  • 225g roasted peanuts, unsalted

Break the endives into small pieces. Mix the dressing ingredients together to form a nice and rustic dressing. Add the dressing to the salad and fold well. Fold in the peanuts and apricots into the dressed salad, setting a few to the side to garnish!

Pineapple & Seafood Curry


A Sri Lankan dish, with complimenting flavours and a real hint of the Far East right in your home!

  • 1 red pepper
  • 100g sun dried pineapple
  • 900g of chunky white fish (e.g. Pollock, cod or whiting), deboned and chopped into 3cm pieces
  • 300g shell on prawns
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 red chillies with seeds (optional)
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 stem lemon grass, chopped
  • 1 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp crushed mustard seeds
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 300ml tinned coconut milk
  • ½ tsp fennel seeds

First soak your pineapple in 250ml of water for 15 minutes. Keep the juice that the pineapple has soaked in. then fry the finely chopped onion in the oil with the bay leaves and lemon grass. Add the chilli powder, fish & prawns. Cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk and 150ml of the pineapple soaking liquid. Sprinkle with fennel seeds, and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Garnish with finely chopped red peppers and serve with boiled rice!

Tagine of Lamb with mango, apricot and almonds


This dish will transport you to the busy markets of Morocco. This eastern influenced dish serves 6.

  • 1.25kg boned shoulder of lamb
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 ¼ tsp ground saffron
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 medium onion, grated or very finely chopped
  • 100g dried mango
  • 100g dried apricots
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 long strips of lemon zest
  • 2-3 tbsp of clear honey
  • 75g of almonds, blanched and halved

Soak the dried fruit in water. Cut the lamb into r4cm cubes, trimming off any gristle and excess fat. Melt 40g of the butter and mix wit with the oil, saffron, pepper, salt, cumin and cinnamon. Coat the lamb in the mixture. Tip into a wide frying pan or a shallow flameproof casserole and cook over a moderate heat for about 3 minutes to toast the spices. Add the onions and enough water to cover the ingredients. Bring to the boil, partially cover, then simmer gently for 1-2 hours or until the meat is tender.

Dry fry the sesame seeds and almonds in a small pan until lightly toasted and brown. Add the soaked fruit to the meat, along with the cinnamon stick, lemon zest and honey. Simmer uncovered for a further 30 minutes. Add the fruit soaking water if you are short of liquid. Scatter the nuts on top before serving, and enjoy this amazing Moroccan-inspired dish, fit for a king!

Mango and Apricot Persian Wedding Rice


This is known as Jewelled' rice, which is traditionally served at Persian weddings, combines fruits, nuts and spices. Serves 4-6.

  • 225g long-grain rice
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 shallot or small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 stick of cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp green cardamom pods
  • 2 kaffir lime leaves (or 2 strips of lime zest)
  • 450ml chicken or vegetable stock
  • 30g dried mango or apricot, diced into 2cm pieces
  • 50g tasted flaked almonds
  • 30g butter
  • A pinch of saffron

Soak saffron in 4 tsp of warm water. Wash the rice in a colander under running water. Warm the oil in a heavy-based, deep pan and fry the shallot until golden, for about 2 minutes. Crush cardamom pods and extract seeds. Add cinnamon, turmeric and cardamom seeds and fry for 2 minutes. Add lime leaves, rice, stock and dried fruit. Bring to boil and turn down to moderate heat and simmer for 15 minutes, covered with a lid. Meanwhile, toast almonds under a hot grill keeping careful eye that they do not burn. Cool on a cold plate. Melt butter in small pan and mix in saffron once butter is almost liquid.
After 15 minutes, lift the rice lid and check. If the grains are tender and there is virtually no liquid left at the bottom, stir it gently with a fork to fluff up, at the same time adding in the butter saffron. Serve with toasted almonds scattered on top.

Sun dried Tomato Pesto


A versatile condiment that is quick and easy to make. Perfect with pasta, rice or with baked potatoes.

  • 100g sun-dried tomatoes
  • 100g black pitted olives
  • 2 handfuls of chopped fresh
  • Parsley or basil
  • 50g pine nuts
  • 200ml olive oil
  • Salt & crushed garlic to taste

Soften tomatoes in warm water for 3 minutes to soften. Drain. Blend all ingredients In food blender, until well mixed. Serve on pasta for the authentic taste.
If stored in a sterile jar can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 weeks.

Goat's cheese & sun dried tomato toast


An alternative to traditional garlic bread which is a lovely starter/snack. Serves 4.

  • 100g soft goat's cheese
  • A little fresh thyme or basil, chopped
  • 25g sun-dried tomato pieces
  • 8 thin slices of baguette
  • Pepper and crushed garlic to taste

Put the goat's cheese in a small bowl and season with the pepper, fresh garlic and fresh herbs, then stir in strips of tomato. Toast the slices of baguette lightly on both sides, then pile the seasoned cheese on to them.
Just before serving, place under a hot grill for 1-2 minutes until the cheese starts to melt, then serve straight away.