Tuna, Asparagus and Cannellini Bean Salad

Well hello March!

I am *so* behind with my blogging, it's crazy! It's not that I haven't wanted to, I've just had so little time. And as ever, when I have no time, the first thing that goes out the window is crafting :'(

We still need to eat though, and it's been salad week in the Bishop-Harrison household this week, with Sweet Potato and Feta, Roasted Mediteranean Salad, and this:

My Tuna, Asaparagus and Cannellini Bean Salad.

Another made up recipe:

1x Tin Tuna Chunks in Spring Water
1/2 Bunch Fresh Asparagus, boiled for 5 mins, and dunked in cold water until cool
1x 400g Can of Cannellini Beans, rinsed under cold water
50g Baby Spinach
1x Medium, cubed and boiled potato, left to go cold
Handful Petit Pois, cooked as the asparagus, above
Red Onion, finally sliced - as much as you like
2x Eggs, Hard-boiled.
3x Dessert Spoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 Dessert Spoons Balsamic Vinegar
Teaspoon Wholgrain Mustard

Cook your eggs, asparagus, petit pois and potato first (not in the same pan!) and leave to go cold.
Mix the cooked vegetables with the tuna, beans, spinach and onions.
In a seperate, small bowl or cup, mix the oil, vinegar and mustard, pour over the salad ingredients and mix again.
Finally, de-shell your eggs and slice/quarter and serve with your salad.
Add fresh, buttered crusty bread on the side and enjoy.

Serves 2 as a main, or 4 as a starter.

Recipe: Sweet Potato & Broccoli Vegetarian Lasagne

Another recipe!

A month ago, I decided I would eat a vegetarian main meal once a week. We don't eat huge amounts of meat anyway, but it does usually feature in our evening meals. In a bid to eat slightly healthier, and up our veggie intake, I've decided to go for some meat-free meals. Nine times out of ten, I won't follow a recipe. I might get an idea from one, and change it to suit what I like/what's in the cupboards, or I might make something up entirely. This is one of the latter!

It turned out to be very tasty indeed, and if Adam can't eat it and not moan that there's no chicken in it, it's a winner!

Sweet Potato & Broccoli Lasagne

Ingredients:

1 Large Sweet Potato
1/2 a Medium head of Broccoli
1 Large Leek
1 Medium Onion
A Handful of Frozen Peas
5 Sheets of Lasagne Pasta

400ml Semi Skimmed Milk
35g Butter
35g Plain Flour
45g Cheddar Cheese, grated
Extra Cheese to top (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to gas mark 4.

Thinly slice the onion and leek, and gently cook in a large saucepan with a dash of olive oil.
Seperate broccoli into very small florets. Add to pan. I also thinly sliced a chunk of the stalk and added this too.
Peel and dice the sweet potato in approx. 1.5cm cubes. Add to the pan.
Cook on a gentle heat for 5 minutes.
Add approx. 150ml of boiling water to the pan, cover and allow to cook for a further 10 minutes.
Check your vegetables at this point, and add the frozen peas.
Do not allow the pan to go completely dry. If your vegetables are still uncooked, add a little more water if needed. If they are cooked, remove the saucepan lid to allow any liquid to evaporate if still present. You're aiming for softly cooked vegetables with minimum liquid left in your pan. It took a further 5 minutes of cooking with the lid of for me to acheive this.

Meanwhile, make your white sauce. In a small pan, melt the butter over a low heat, and add the flour. Stir until you have a thick paste. Slowly add the milk, bit by bit, and stir continuously until the sauce thickens. Add the grated cheese, remove from the heat, and stir until the cheese is melted.

In a small, oven proof dish (I have a 10" square Pyrex dish) spread half your vegetable mixture over the bottom. Top with a layer of the lasagne pasta sheets. My dish uses two and a half sheets per layer. Add have your cheese sauce mixutre, and another layer of vegetables. Top with the second layer of pasta, and finally the rest of the cheese sauce. If you wish, top with extra grated cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes at Gas Mark 4.

Allow to cool slightly before serving with garlic bread.

Yum yum!

Recipe: Chocolate Rum and Raisin Cake

Well, we had our Mad Hatter's Birthday Tea Party over the weekend for my lovely other half, although, sadly no photos! Terrible, I know!

He requested a Rum and Raisin cake as his birthday cake, but I couldn't find a recipe I liked the sound of online. So, I took a gamble, made my own, and luckily, it turned out lovely. The only downside is I have no photo! Means I might have to make it again ;)

Ingredients:

Cake:
225g Self Raising Flour
50g Cocoa Powder
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
225g Caster Sugar
175g Butter or Spread
3 Large Eggs
100g Raisins
2 tbsp Dark Rum (Optional)

Filling:
300ml Double Cream
2 tsp Dark Rum (Optional)

Topping:
100g Plain Chocolate (or Milk Chocolate if you prefer)


Method:

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4

Grease 2x 8" cake tins, and line with grease proof paper.

Cream butter and sugar until the colour pales and you have a smooth, well combined mixture.
Beat in eggs and rum, if using.
Sift flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda into the bowl, and fold in until well combined, with a smooth, even colour.
Lightly stir in the raisins.

Pour into the two cake tins and bake for 35 mins.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Whip the cream with the rum until fully whipped, and use to sandwich the cakes together.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, allow to cool for 1 minute, then spoon over the top of the cake.

Cut yourself and your loved ones a large slice and enjoy!

If anyone does make this cake, I would be delighted if you shared a photo, and would be more than happy to link your blog/wesbite if I may use it!

Enjoy :)