Caramel Apples & Salted Pecan crumb

If you are looking for a comforting warm hug of a pud on a snowy (March!!) weekend, this is a winner. Easy, Quick and deliciously sticky-sweet. Any tart green apple will do for this one, but Bramleys are brilliant.

Ingredients for 1

2 Medium Bramley Apples

3 tsp Lemon juice

A large knob of Butter

2 tsp of golden syrup

1 dessert spoon of golden castor sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon

4 or 5 Pecans

Pinch of Salt

Serve with Cream

Method

Peal, core and slice the apples into quarters and then each quarter into 3 or 4 equal chunks. Put the apples in a saucepan with the lemon juice, butter, syrup, sugar, vanilla & cinnamon. Stir to combine and cook over a medium heat for 5 mins, stirring occasionally. 

Crush the pecans in a pestle & mortar with a pinch of salt (or bash 'em in a sealed bag with a rolling pin). Spread out on a baking sheet and toast under a hot grill for 2-3 minutes. Keep your eye on them as they will burn quickly if you don't pay attention.

When the apples are done, they will be just starting to break down into a purée and the syrup should be thick and sticky.

Serve topped with the toasted nuts and lashings of cream.

Tomato & black bean soup with a poached egg & avocado toast

I have been on a bit of a soup mission for a while now. Buying lunch in the city is turning out to be seriously unaffordable, so a Thermus has been purchased and soup recipes perused. This particular soup pulls together some fairly standard store cupboard ingredients to create a hearty, gloriously smoky sumptuous soup. It really is dependant on how good the paprika you use is, so get the good stuff out. Served with a poached egg & avocado toasts turns it into a bit more of a lunchtime feast. Expect more soup recipes to come!

Ingredients for 2

1 Tin of tomatoes

1 Tin of black beans

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp good sweet paprika

A pinch of garlic flakes or garlic salt if you have some

1 medium free range egg

A little vinegar for poaching

2 chunky slices of Rye bread, toasted

Half an avocado

2 tsp lemon juice
2 spring onions

A little salt

Method

Put the beans, tomatoes, oregano & paprika in a saucepan and cook over a medium heat. Allow it to bubble for 10 mins stirring occasionally. To poach your egg put a pan of water over a high heat and when it's at a ferocious rolling boil, stir the water to create a whirlpool and crack the egg into the centre. Put a lid on the pan and remove from the heat. Allow to sit covered for 4 mins. In the meantime put you toast on & mash the avocado with the lemon and season to taste. Spread on your toast.

Remove the egg from the water with a slotted spoon and sit in top of a hefty bowl of the soup & garnish with sliced spring onions.

Apple porridge & baked raspberries

This breakfast beaut is a version of Cranachan - a traditional Scottish dessert, usually made from whipped cream, whisky, honey, and fresh raspberries, with toasted oatmeal soaked in whisky. I've never really been a fan of the desert but this sober, trimmed down, breakfast version is delish.

Ingredients for 2

Oats - half a cup

Apple juice (the good stuff)- just enough to cover the oats

Raspberries - 1 punnet

Honey - 1 or 2 teaspoons

Pecans - a few if ya fancy

Greek yoghurt - at least 4 heaped teaspoons plus extra to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 200oC. Put the raspberries in roasting dish and drizzle with the honey. The amount of honey will depend on your fruit so taste them. You can also use frozen fruit rather than fresh raspberries, although they will break down a little more when cooked. Chuck the pecans into the roasting dish (if using) and bake for 15 mins in the oven.

Meanwhile, Mix oats and apple juice and cook briefly in microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring in between, until the oats have expanded and soaked up the juice. (You can also do this in the stove-top if you are microwave-averse). 

When the raspberry time is up, remove the roasting dish from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

Mix the yoghurt with the cooked oats and transfer to the serving bowl/jar/cup. Add the raspberries and top with more yoghurt, the nuts and a couple if extra raspberries.