Madeira Cake

James Martin’s simple steps for making Madiera cake, will have you whipping up a soft, buttery afternoon treat.

Ingredients
175g/6oz butter, at room temperature

175g/6oz caster sugar

3 free-range eggs

250g/9oz self-raising flour

2-3 tbsp milk

1 lemon, zest only

1-2 thin pieces of candied citron or lemon peel, to decorate

Preparation method

1.Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease an 18cm/7in round cake tin, line the base with greaseproof paper and grease the paper.

2.Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture well between each one and adding a tablespoon of the flour with the last egg to prevent the mixture curdling.

Technique: Creaming butter by hand .Watch technique
0:50 mins
3.Sift the flour and gently fold in, with enough milk to give a mixture that falls slowly from the spoon. Fold in the lemon zest.

Technique: Zesting citrus fruit .Watch technique
1:02 mins
4.Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and lightly level the top. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

5.Remove from the oven and set aside to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

6.To serve, decorate the cake with the candied peel.

Strawberry and white chocolate mousse cake

Ingredients:

175g digestive biscuits
75g /2½ oz butter , melted
400g white chocolate
400g strawberries
300g tub full-fat soft cheese
200ml double cream


Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin to fine crumbs, add the melted butter and mix well. Tip the mix into a 20cm lined, loose-bottomed cake tin, smooth with the back of a spoon and put in the fridge for 30 mins.

Melt 375g of the chocolate in a microwave or glass bowl set over a pan of simmering water, then allow to cool slightly.

Take out 6 nice-looking strawberries and set aside. Blitz the remaining strawberries in a food processor until smooth, then add them to a bowl with the soft cheese and cream. Beat until really smooth and thick, then stir in the melted white chocolate.

Pour on top of the biscuit base and smooth the top. Place in the fridge and chill overnight.

Halve the reserved strawberries and place on top of the cheesecake. Melt the remaining 25g chocolate and drizzle over the top, then keep chilled until ready to serve.


Frozen cheesecake

The texture of this cake is softer, lighter and more moussey than a cheesecake, so make sure it's well set in the fridge before cutting. It can also be frozen and served straight from the freezer as a frozen cheesecake on a hot day.

Nutrition:

PER SERVING737 kcalories, protein 8g, carbohydrate 47g, fat 59 g, saturated fat 35g, fibre 2g, sugar 35g, salt 0.89 g

Yet Another Potato Salad!

Ingredients

2 pounds clean, scrubbed new red potatoes
6 eggs
1 pound bacon
1 onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 cups mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste



Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and set in the refrigerator to cool.

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop.

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

Chop the cooled potatoes, leaving skin on. Add to a large bowl, along with the eggs, bacon, onion and celery. Add mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste. Chill for an hour before serving.

Potato Salad 2

Ingredients
4 pounds baking potatoes (8 large)
3 hard-cooked eggs, grated
1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper

Preparation
Cook potatoes in boiling water to cover 40 minutes or until tender; drain and cool. Peel potatoes, and cut into 1-inch cubes.

Stir together potato and egg.

Stir together mayonnaise and next 3 ingredients; gently stir into potato mixture. Serve immediately, or cover and chill, if desired.

Potato Salad

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup whole buttermilk
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise with olive oil
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 carrots, grated
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup sliced radishes
1/2 cup steamed, cut fresh green beans
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
1 garlic clove, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation
Bring potatoes and salted water to cover to a boil in a large saucepan; reduce heat, and simmer 7 to 10 minutes or until tender. Drain. Place potatoes in a large bowl; sprinkle with vinegar and oil, and toss gently. Cool completely (about 1 hour).

Whisk together buttermilk and next 3 ingredients. stir in carrots and next 6 ingredient; season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon buttermilk mixture over potato mixture; toss gently to coat. Cover and chill 1 to 24 hours before serving.

Vegetable Crêpes

ingredients

1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives, divided, plus more for garnish
3 tablespoons low-fat milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped zucchini
1 1/4 cups chopped green beans
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 1 large ear; see Tip)
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 9-inch “ready-to-use” crêpes (see Tip)


directions

Stir sour cream, 1/4 cup chives, milk, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, green beans and corn and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low; stir in ricotta, Monterey Jack, the remaining 1/4 cup chives, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook, stirring gently, until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

To roll crêpes, place one on a piece of parchment or wax paper (or leave it on the piece of plastic separating the crêpes in the package). Spoon one-fourth of the vegetable-cheese mixture (about 3/4 cup) down the center of the crêpe. Use the paper (or plastic) to help you gently roll the crêpe around the filling. Place the crêpe seam-side down on a dinner plate. Repeat with the remaining crêpes and filling. Serve each crêpe topped with 2 tablespoons of the reserved sauce and more chives, if desired.

Tips: To remove kernels, stand a cob on its stem end in a bowl and slice them off with a sharp, thin-bladed knife. “Ready-to-use” crêpes are fast and convenient. Look for them in the produce section of the market or near refrigerated tortillas.

Clark's Quiche

Ingredients
1/2 pound thick sliced bacon 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream salt and pepper to taste 2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, finely diced 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, finely diced 2 cups finely diced smoked ham 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded 8 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded 4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated 8 eggs 1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream 1 tablespoon dried parsley salt and pepper to taste



Directions
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside. Cook spinach according to package instructions. Allow to cool, then squeeze dry.

2) Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until soft and translucent. Stir in mushrooms, and cook for 2 minutes, or until soft. Stir in ham and cooked bacon. Remove from heat.

3) In a large bowl, combine spinach, sour cream, salt and pepper. Divide, and spread into pie crusts. Layer with bacon mixture. Mix together Monterey Jack, Cheddar and Parmesan, and sprinkle over pies. Whisk together eggs, half-and-half and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, and pour over pies.

4) Place pies on baking sheet, and bake on middle shelf in preheated oven for 40 minutes. The top will be puffed and golden brown. Remove from oven, and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.