Baltic stuffed potatoes

Baltic stuffed potatoes
serves 6

3 large baking potatoes, washed and dried
20g butter
4 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
200g mixed wild mushrooms
100ml sour cream
3 tsp finely chopped fresh tarragon

Pierce the potatoes and bake for 1-1 1/2 hours until cooked at 180c/gas4. Cut in half and scoop out flesh. Season the potato shells.

Melt the butter and fry the shallots, garlic and mushrooms until soft. Mash the potato, add the vegetables, sour cream and tarragon. Season and mix well.

Stuff the mixture back into potato shells and bake for a further 15 -20 mins.

Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff
serves 4

25g butter
600g fillet of beef, cut into strips
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
400g wild mushrooms
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp dry mustard powder
200ml beef stock
125ml sour cream

Melt half the butter in a large non-stick frying pan and brown the meat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Season then transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Add the remaining butter to the pan and cook the mushrooms for 5 minutes. Return the beef and onion and sprinkle over the cornflour and mustard powder. Add the stock and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the sour cream and cook for a further 8 minutes. Serve hot with rice or boiled potatoes.

For an alternative recipe:
Beef Stroganoff

Chicken with Grapes and Apricots

Chicken with Grapes and Apricots
serves 6

1 large chicken, 1.8kg cut into 8
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 cinnamon stick
100g seedles grapes, halved
100g dried apricots

marinade
1 tbsp clear honey
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
100ml white wine

First mix together all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Rub the chicken all over in the marinade and cover and leave in the fridge overnight.

Drain and reserve the excess marinade. Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and brown all over. Add the remaining marinade and cinnamon stick and simmer for 40 minutes (the liquid should reduce by half).

Add the grapes and apricots, cover and simmer for a further 8 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and check the chicken is cooked through.

Other chicken recipes:
Paprika chicken
Moroccan chicken

Cherry and Pistachio Gratin

Cherry and Pistachio Gratin
serves 6

100g shelled pistachios, crushed
50g brioche breadcrumbs
50g light soft brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
150ml double cream
2 large eggs
2 tsp melted butter
500g cherries, washed and stoned

Place all the ingredients apart from the butter and cherries into a food processor. Pulse until combined.

Place a layer of cherries in the base of a lightly buttered 20cm squared baking tin. Spoon over the gratin mixture. Bake for 30 minutes at 200c/gas6 and serve warm with thick plain yogurt.


Or try this Cherry Pie

Smoked Salmon Potato Cakes with Garlic Cream

This recipe is from FEASTS by Silvena Rowe

Smoked Salmon Potato Cakes with Garlic Cream
serves 6

450g potatoes, peeled
300g smoked salmon, finely chopped
a small bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
4 spring onions, finely chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
150g fresh breadcrumbs
50g sesame seeds
5-6 tbsp olive oil

for the garlic cream
1 large garlic bulb, roasted
2 large egg yolks
juice of 1 large lemon
150ml olive oil
salt and pepper
small bunch of dill, finely chopped

To make the garlic cream, squeeze the garlic out of each clove of the bulb, into a food processor. Add the eggs and lemon juice. Add the olive oil gradually in a thin stream, with the motor running, until the mixture thickens. Season and add the dill. Chill until ready to use.

Cook the potatoes in boiling water until almost done. Cool and then grate them into a large bowl. Mix the smoked salmon, parsley, spring onions and egg into the potato. Season.

Shape into 12 small cakes. Mix the breadcrumbs with the sesame seeds and coat the cakes evenly in them.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan with a little oil. Saute the cakes until brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side. Serve hot with the garlic cream.

Or try thes fishcakes:
Salmon fish cakes with roasted peppers
Tuna and chive fishcakes
Low fat fishcakes

Brittany Butter Cookies

These little cookies are similar to shortbread, but they are richer in taste and texture.

Brittany Butter Cookies
makes 18-20

6 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 tbsp milk
250g plain flour
175g caster sugar
200g lightly salted butter, at room temperature and cut into small pieces

Mix 1 tbsp of the egg yolk with the milk and set aside for a glaze.

Sift the flour into a large bowl and make a well. Add the remaining egg yolks, sugar and butter, and using your fingertips work together until smooth and stickyish dough.

Flour your hands, pat out the dough to 8mm thick then cut out circles using a 7.5cm cutter. Place on a buttered baking sheet then brush with the egg glaze. Bake for 12 -15 minutes at 180c/gas 4 until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Crunchy Oat Cookies

Fruit and Nut Clusters

Fruit and Nut Clusters
makes 24

225g white chocolate
50g sunflower seeds
50g flaked almonds
50g sesame seeds
50g raisins
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth and glossy. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Spoon a heaped teaspoon of the mixture into paper cases and leave in a cool place to set.

Try these Apricot and Sunflower seed Cookies

Nutty Nougat

This recipe will make about 500g of nougat.

Nutty Nougat

225g granulated sugar
225g clear honey
1 large egg white
115g flaked almonds or chopped pistachio nuts, roasted

Line an 18cm square cake tin with rice paper. Gently heat the sugar and honey with 4 tbsp water in a heavy pan, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Boil the syrup without stirring until soft crack stage (151c/304F). Remove from heat and cool slightly. Whisk the egg white until stiff, then drizzle over the syrup whilst still whisking. Stir in the nuts. Pour into the tin and leave to cool completely. Cut into squares before it hardens.

Silken Tofu Dressing

Silken tofu makes a good base for a dairy-free dressing. Use any flavour variations you want.

Silken Tofu Dressing
makes 300ml

200-250g silken tofu
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 spring onion, finely chopped

Blend all the ingredients together in a processor until smooth. Season.

Click here for salad recipes where you could add this dressing

Raisin and Almond Flapjack

Use any kind of dried friut in this flapjack recipe

Raisin and Almond Flapjack
makes 12-16

250g vegetable margarine
50g soft brown sugar
125g clear honey or golden syrup
250g rolled oats
250g wholemeal flour
125g raisins
50g almonds, chopped

Melt together the margarine, sugar and honey. In a large bowl mix the oats, flour, raisins and almonds. Pour in the melted mixture and stir well. Spoon the mixture into a greased 18 x 28cm baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes at 180c/gas4.

Mark into 12-16 pieces and leave to cool in tray before cutting.

Or try these delicious flapjacks:
Cranberry and white chocolate flapjack
Banana flapjack

Carob or Chocolate Mousse

A dairy-free mousse, use either chocolate or carob.

Carob powder comes from seeds contained in large pods the size of a banana. Carob is naturally sweeter than cocoa powder, has no caffine and has a lower fat content. It can be substituted for cocoa powder.

Carob or Chocolate Mousse
serves 4

200-250g silken tofu
3 tbsp tahini
1 banana, roughly chopped
1-2 tbsp clear honey
25g carob or chocolate, grated

Blend together the silken tofu, tahini, banana and honey in a blender until smooth. Add the carob or chocolate and blend again for a few seconds. Spoon into 4 glasses and chill.


Frozen chocolate mousse
Lemon and chocolate mousse

All-in-one Banana Cake

Moist and dense, this all-in-one banana loaf is good served plain or buttered.

All-in-one Banana Cake
serves 10

125g pecan nuts
3 ripe bananas. chopped
125g butter, melted
125g brown sugar
3 eggs
250g self-raising flour
75g dried apricots slivered

Put half of the pecans into a food processor along with the remaining ingredients. Blitz together until well combined.

Spoon the mixture into a greased and lined 20cm round cake tin or a 1kg loaf tin and decorate with the remaining pecan nuts. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 160c/gas3.

Leave to cool in the tin.


More banana recipes
Banana and pecan muffins
Banana flapjack

Spiced Hazelnut and Quinoa Loaf

Serve this loaf with a spiced tomato sauce, or a cold yogurt dip.

Spiced Hazelnut and Quinoa Loaf
serves 4

2 tbsp sunflower oil, plus 1tsp for toasting quinoa
100g quinoa, rinsed
450ml boiling water
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/tsp turmeric
1cm piece of fresh root ginger, grated
150g hazelnuts, finely ground
150ml coconut milk

Heat the tsp of oil in a pan and gently toast the quinoa for 1 minute. Add the boiling water and bring to the boil, stirring a few times. Cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes, or until quite soft. Drain if necessary and set aside.

Meanwhile heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the onion. When soft add the seeds and spices and cook for 3 minutes. Then stir in the ground hazelnuts and cook for 2 minutes. Leave to cool.

Mix the cooked quinoa with the hazelnuts and stir in the coconut milk. Season to taste.

Spoon the mixture into a lined, greased 1.2 litre loaf tin. Cook for 30-35 minutes at 190c/gas5 until just firm to the touch.

Oyster Mushroom and Roast Almond Pate

This is a delicious rich pate. It is easy to spread and goes well with crisp crackers or bread, as well as raw vegetables.

Oyster Mushroom and Roast Almond Pate
serves 4

75g flaked almonds
50g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
300g oyster mushrooms

Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated oven, 200c/gas6 for 5 minutes until light brown. Set aside a few flakes for garnish.

Melt 25g butter in a pan and gently fry the onion and garlic until soft. Add the mushrooms and turn up the heat, then cook until soft and lightly browned. Leave to cool.

Place the almonds and mushroom mixture in a processor and blend until smooth, adding the remaining butter. Season well.

Serve with the remaining almonds flaked on top.