OK .. why a recipes page you may ask?

Well, the 'Kids' keep asking me for "The recipe for Mum's crumble, yorkshires, victoria sponge etc", so I thought.."Hmm.. Why don't I put it on the website?"

So here goes.. enjoy:

• Leek and Potato soup
• Quick rice (in a microwave)
• Sausage pasta
• Yorkshire puddings
• Apple crumble
• Malt loaf
• Victoria sponge

Leek and Potato soup

Ingredients:
15g (1/2 oz) margarine
1 onion (chopped)
3 leeks (chopped)
2 potatoes (medium, cut into cubes)
2 vegetable OXOs dissolved in 1L (1 3/4 pints) of hot water
150ml (1/4 pint) milk

1. Melt marg in large heavy bottomed pan and saute the onion and leeks until soft. Keep stiring so that they do not brown (about 5-10 mins)
2. Add the potatoes and veg stock, bring back to the boil and then simmer for about 20 mins.
3. Place half the soup into a blender and blend until smooth. Return it to the pan, add the milk and reheat it prior to serving.

Quick rice

Fancy rice but can't be bothered to boil up a pan of water and cook then drain it?
Try the following quantities and stick it in the microwave for perfect rice and you shouldn't need to drain it.. just nice fluffy rice!
Boil up water in a kettle and add it and the rice to a microwave proof dish (I use a Pyrex bowl).
Cover with clingfilm, make a small hole in it to let the steam escape and stick it in the microwave.
Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy......

Rice	Boiling Water	Cook time*
4oz	0.5 pt	5mins
8oz	1 pt	10mins
12oz	1.5 pt	15mins
1lb	2 pt	20mins

* Based on a 700 watt microwave. Reduce times if using a more powerful microwave.

Sausage pasta

Ingredients: (for 4 servings)
1 onion, chopped
6 sausages
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
Half a mug of frozen peas
Half a mug of frozen sweetcorn
Some button mushrooms if you fancy them
1 Beef OXO
3 mugs of pasta
Grated cheese for topping
Bisto gravy powder

1. Fry onions in a heavy bottomed large pan.
2. Slice sausages into 1" chunks, add to the pan and fry for 5-10 mins or until they are evenly cooked.
3. Add the tin of tomatoes. Add water to the tin (half a tin), swill it around and add to pan. Crumble OXO into pan and stir in well.
4. Add mushrooms, peas and sweetcorn, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 mins.
5. With 10 mins left to go, boil up a large pan of water and add the pasta and boil for the remaining 10 mins.
6. Drain the pasta and mix in with the sausages etc.
7. If the mixture appears a little runny, mix 1 desert spoon of Bisto with a little cold water in a mug and add it to the pan, stiring all the time.
8. Bring back to the boil then serve immediately, adding a little grated cheese to the top of each serving.

Yorkshire puddings

Ingredients for one tray (12 Yorkshire puddings):
4oz Plain flour
2 eggs
1/4 pint water
1/4 pint milk

1. Heat the oven to 220C and put a little fat (white flora or beef fat) in each pudding tray. Heat tray and fat for at least 10 minutes.
2. Mix flour, eggs, water ands milk in a blender and let it rest.
3. Remove pudding tray from the oven and pour the mixture into each pudding tray.
4. Place straight back in the oven.
5. Cook at 220C for 10 minutes and then decrease temperature to 180C for a further 10 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and serve straight away.

Apple Crumble

Ingredients:
2-3 cooking apples
10oz plain flour
5oz margarine (Stork)
9oz sugar

1. Peel, core and dice the apples.
2. Mix flour, margarine and 5oz sugar until they resemble breadcrumbs.
3. Place apples and 4oz sugar in an oven proof dish and cover with the 'crumb' mix.
4. Place in the oven at 180C (350F) for 20 minutes or until the top looks golden.
5. Remove from the oven and serve. Nice with custard, cream, icecream or by itself!

Malt loaf

Ingredients for 1 loaf tin:
1 x mug of All Bran
1 x mug of sugar
1 x mug of sultanas
1 x mug of milk
1 x mug of self-raising flour

1. Mix All Bran, sugar, sultanas and milk in a large bowl, cover and leave for 2-3 hours or overnight.
2. Mix in the flour.
3. Grease or place a liner in a loaf tin and spoon in the mixture. (I've just bought a silicone loaf tin but have yet to use it... will let you know the outcome)
4. Place in the oven at 160C (320F) for between 45 and 60 minutes.. test by poking with a knife and seeing if it still comes out with wet mixture).
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Victoria Sponge

Ingredients:
100g (4oz) softened butter
100g (4oz) caster sugar
2 eggs
100g (4oz) sifted self-raising flour
25g (1oz) Cocoa power if you want a chocolate version!

1. Line two 18cm sandwich tins with greaseproof paper.
2. Mix butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in whole eggs (not with the shells, Graeme!!!), one at a time, adding a little flour with each.
4. Gently fold in the remaining flour and cocoa if required.
5. Transfer the mixture to the tins, smoothing the tops with a knife.
6. Bake at 180C / 350F for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and firm.
7. Leave in the tins for a few minute and then turn out on to a cooling rack. Strip off paper and leave to cool.
8. Depending on what type of cake you require, sandwich together with jam, jam and cream or melted chocolate.