Healthy tiramisu

Ingredients:
500 gm Quark
2 tbsp fruit sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp instant decaf coffee
1 tbsp tia maria or any good liquor
1 tbsp masala
16 sponge fingers
11/2 tbsps cocoa powder

Start by combining the quark, fruit sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl.
Mix the coffee with 150 ml water, the combine with the tia maria and masala.
Lay 2 sponge fingers in each dish, the soak with some of the liquid. Spread a layer of quark mixture over it. Repeat with the remaining sponge fingers, then add a final layer of quark mixture.
Finally, dust with the cocoa powder and serve.

Spinach madeleine

Ingredients:
50 gm butter
2 tbsp flour
1 onion finely chopped
1 garlic clove crushed
1/2 250 tub of mascarpone
500 gm frozen spinach thawed and liquid collected
140 gm grated cheddar
1 tbsp jalapeno peppers from a jar drained and chopped
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp paprika

Heat oven to 170 c fan. Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour. Cook for 2 mins. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 4 minutes or until soft. Add the mascarpone and slowly add the spinach liquid. Cook for 4 minutes until sauce thickens. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Transfer to a baking dish and bake for 40 minutes until golden.

Houmous

Ingredients:

2 cans of 400 gm chick-peas
2 fat garlic cloves roughly chopped
3 tbsp Greek yogurt
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
zest and juice of 2 lemons
20 gm pack of coriander washed and chopped

Put everything except the coriander into the food processor, and whiz into a fairly smooth mix. Then take it out into a bowl and add the coriander. Season to taste and drizzle olive oil if required.

Serve with carrots, celery and cucumber cut lengthwise.

Honey Yogurt Cheesecake

Ingredients:
150 gm amaretti or digestive biscuits
85 gm toasted flaked almonds
85 gm melted butter
250 ml greek yogurt
750 gm mascarpone
2 eggs
zest of 1 lemon
zest of 1 orange
250 ml honey (orange blossom preferred)

Heat oven to 150 c. Crush the biscuits and most of the almonds in a food processor with the butter. Press it uniformly in a dish (about 23 cm diameter). Bake for 10 min.s until crisp and well set.
Stir or mash together the yogurt and the mascarpone. Then whisk in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the lemon and orange zest and the honey. Spread uniformly over biscuit base. Cover with foil and cook for about 1 hour. After that, remove cover and cook for another 20 min.s or till it is evenly browned on top with a the middle just a bit wobbly. Scatter the rest of the almonds and let it be inside the over for about 10 min.s after you have turned the heat off.
Leave it to cool. Serve with fresh fruit.

Cinnamon swirls

Ingredients:
175 gm softened butter (not melted, just soft)
50 gm brown sugar
50 gm icing sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla extract
300 gm plain flour

Mix the butter, sugars, egg yolks and vanilla with a wooden spoon till creamy. Mix the flour gradually. Then roll out the dough to a 20 cm/30 cm rectangle on a piece of baking parchment. Mix the sugar with cinnamon. Sprinkle it over the rolled out dough uniformly. Roll the rolling pin over it so that the mixture is pressed into the dough. Then start rolling the dough from the narrow side with the help of the parchment. Once it is rolled, chill it for at least a half hour. Then take it out and cut 20 biscuits out of it. Pre-heat the oven to about 200 c. Bake the swirls for about 12 minutes or until golden.

Chick-pea and aubergine curry

Ingredients:
3 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
12 fresh curry leaves
2 white onions, finely chopped
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
400 ml can reduced fat coconut milk
6 tomatoes quartered
400 mg can chick-peas rinsed and drained

Cut aubergines into halves and then into long wedges. Heat a non stick pan and add 2 tbsp oil. Once the oil is hot, add the aubergine pieces. Cook the aubergine pieces until they are brown on both sides. They take them out and pour the remaining oil in the pan. Add the mustard seeds and the curry leaves. After the mustard seeds pop, add the onions. Add the curry powder and stir for about 30 seconds. Then add the coconut milk. Then add about 3/4th cup of water. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Then add the aubergines and chick peas. Cook until the aubergine is tender.

Serve with warm basmati rice or naan.

Top ten must-haves in your store cupboard

10. Basmati rice
Do I even need to explain this? Apart from being used in so many recipes, it keeps almost indefinitely. Make sure you keep plenty of it.
9. Beans (Kidney, chick-peas etc)
These also stay for a very long time. And you never know when you might need them for a salad.
8. Nuts (Pine nuts, cashew nuts, walnuts etc)
These always make a good snack. Also good as an impromptu garnish on many dishes.
7. Pulses
Crucial for many soups and curries. And you won't need to worry about the use-by date.
6. Dried and canned fruit
These can be used in many desserts and salads. Believe me, once you have them, you will find many uses.
5. Dried mushroom (Shiitake, Chinese, porcini etc)
Nothing beats fresh but the dried once will work well if you use them right.
4. Sauces (Soy, Chili etc)
Must-haves for stir-frys.
3. Flours (of all kinds)
Most of all would already have this. There is just no end to it's uses. Almost indispensable.
2. Seeds (Sesame, pumpkin etc)
These works as a great snack with dried fruits and are also extensively used in recipes.
1. Dried spices (Cardamon, Cinnamon etc)
You just can't say enough about these. They can make any dish special.

Broccoli with Asian dressing

Ingredients:
600 gm of broccoli broken into florets
For the dressing:
small piece of ginger grated
1 clove of garlic grated
1 fresh red chilli deseeded and chopped
1 tbsp sesame oil
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Juice of 1 lime

Steam or boil the broccoli for about 6-8 minutes. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing together and have a taste. See what seems right. There should be a balance between the heat of the chili, the saltiness of soy sauce and the sweetness of balsamic vinegar. Once you are satisfied with the dressing, pour it over the steamed broccoli and serve hot. This salad does not need any added salt.

 from Jamie's ministry of food