This recipe is easy and one-pan, to ease a little of that Christmas Day cooking pressure!
A Dairy Diary recipe.
For more delicious recipes visit the Dairy Diary Recipe Collection.
Time 20 minutes
Calories per portion 159 Kcal
Fat per portion 7g of which saturated 2.1g
Serves 2
Frozen peas 250g (9oz)
Smoked streaky bacon 2 rashers, trimmed and cut into thin strips
Leek 1, trimmed, split lengthways and finely shredded
Chicken stock 300ml (½ pint) Frozen peas 250g (9oz)
Little Gem lettuce 1, trimmed and finely shredded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Put the bacon and leek in a medium-sized saucepan and dry fry for 5 minutes until the leeks have softened.
2 Pour over the chicken stock, bring to the boil and then add the peas. Cover and cook for 5 minutes until tender.
3 Remove the lid and stir in the lettuce for 1 minute until just wilted. Season to taste.
Traditionally this dish is served with the cooking liquid, but you can drain the peas if you prefer. Ladle into a warm serving dish and serve while warm.
Cook’s tip
For a vegetarian version, omit the bacon, and cook the leek in a tablespoon of vegetable oil, and use vegetable stock instead of chicken.
Recipe taken from Good Food Fast Dairy Cookbook
Makes 8 Time 3½ hours
348 calories per pudding 4g fat of which 0.9g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing
Soft, pitted Agen prunes 200g (7oz), roughly chopped
Lemon and orange 1 of each, grated zest and juice
White or dark rum 4 tbsp
Soft dark brown sugar 50g (2oz)
Eggs 3, beaten Ready-to-eat dried apricots 110g (4oz), roughly chopped
Raisins and sultanas 150g (5oz) each
Freshly prepared mango and pineapple flesh 110g (4oz) of each, cut into 1cm (½in) cubes
Maraschino cherries 110g (4oz), drained and quartered
Wholemeal breadcrumbs 200g (7oz)
Pineapple slices 4, cut into wedges to serve, optional
Holly sprigs to decorate, optional
1 Grease 8 x 200ml (7fl oz) pudding moulds with butter and base line with baking paper. Cut 8 larger rounds from baking paper and foil for covering.
2 Put all ingredients except pineapple slices into a large bowl. Mix well, spoon into moulds and smooth tops. Place larger paper rounds on top and cover securely with foil.
3 Steam puddings for 2 hours and then for 45 minutes to reheat. When ready to serve, turn puddings out, decorate with holly sprigs and serve with pineapple slices, if using.
Cook’s tip
Puddings can be prepared 6-8 weeks before Christmas and then reheated on the day.
Recipe taken from Dairy Diary
Perfect for Christmas puddings, mince pies, and baked and steamed fruit puddings!
Recipe taken from Dairy Book of Home Cookery.
Serves 4
Time 50 mins
Cals 334 per portion
Fat 24g of which 9.5g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing
Pumpkin 1.8kg (4lb), peeled and deseeded
Parmesan cheese 50g (2oz), grated
Fresh breadcrumbs 50g (2oz)
Pecan nuts 50g (2oz), roughly chopped
Chopped thyme leaves 2 tbsp
Butter 50g (2oz), melted
1 Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Cut pumpkin into 2.5cm (1in) thick wedges. Place in a lightly buttered ovenproof dish. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2 Mix together Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, pecans, thyme and seasoning in a bowl.
3 Sprinkle evenly over pumpkin. Then drizzle over melted butter.
4 Bake in oven for 30–40 minutes, until pumpkin is tender and topping is golden. Serve immediately.
Tip Rather than Parmesan cheese, crumble over some strong blue cheese.
Recipe taken from 2012 Dairy Diary.
I am no Fearne Cotton and I am not sure how many of the viewers will understand the Stoke Smurf dialect, but the books look good. See these televisual masterpieces soon on the website.
Apart from cringing at my virtual self, I have been busy visiting schools before this year’s application process begins. I have to say how impressed I am by the involvement the children have with the food they eat there.
At one school, they grow their own herbs and veg, raise their own chickens and even create their own school lunch menus – not bad for 5-11 year-olds!
In fact, my son has been nurturing seedlings and poultry from a tiny tot at his nursery. I hear time and time again how the ‘younger generation’ don’t know anything about food or cooking but I beg to differ.
All the children I know are intrigued with ‘fork to fork’ and love both growing and cooking. They may be fussier with the eating but the interest is there – it’s not just all about fast food.
So, let’s give our children a break – whatever their age – and applaud their culinary creativity. My three-year-old loved making these Cherry Cupcakes with me, but if your children are closer to 33 they will enjoy them too!
Recipe taken from 2012 Dairy Diary.
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