Category: Recipes

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Make your own – Hair Shine Treatment

I don’t know about you but the miserable winter we’ve been having has left my hair in a complete mess. Luckily, this super easy to make hair shine treatment is great for split ends, brittle hair or even just a bit of a pick me up on a girly night in.

Ingredients:

10g rosemary leaves

10g dried chamomile flowers

100ml fractionated coconut oil

This makes enough for one treatment for very long hair or several if you’re rocking a pixie cut! You’ll have to make it up a bit in advance – just pop all of the ingredients into a jar or bottle and leave to infuse (I only left it overnight but if you can manage a week then even better). When you’re ready to use it, strain through a sieve to get rid of the herbs and work the oil into your scalp and hair. Wrap your hair in clingfilm (or a hot towel if you’re feeling fancy) and leave for a minimum of 30 minutes. If your hair is particularly dry then it can be left in overnight, but be warned – this is not a good idea if your hair leans toward being greasy! Wash the oil out with shampoo; you might need to do this a couple of times to get all of the oil out. Voila! Enjoy your soft, shiny, revived hair. If you’d like to know more about why this works, check out this article about the benefits of coconut oil for your hair.

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Make your own – Bath Bombs

A great gift idea for all occasions (and our most popular blog post ever!), our bath bombs dissolve in a hot bath for silky smooth, fragrant bath water. Bonus – they’re exceedingly easy to make!

Ingredients:

Witch Hazel Water

Bicarbonate of Soda

Citric Acid

Essential Oil (we like lavender for an extra soothing bath, but anything you like will work!)

Dried herbs, petals, flowers or food colouring  (again, lavender flowers are it for us)

 

Moulds:

We’ve got the kind of house that always has kids running around, and of course that means kids toys everywhere – so we used a plastic ball pit ball, cut in half (ingenious, we know) as our mould. But you can use anything that has the shape you like – ice cube trays, cupcake tins, whatever you’ve got lying around.

Bath.Bomb.how.to.image

Directions:

  1. Combine equal amounts of citric acid and bicarbonate of soda.
  2. Add a few drops of the essential oil of your choice, plus any flowers or colouring you’re using & mix thoroughly.
  3. Sparingly add Witch Hazel Water (a few drops at a time) until the mixture is just damp enough to hold its shape when compressed. Go easy on adding the liquid- if you add too much the mixture will do all its fizzing in your bowl instead of your bath!
  4. Pack the mixture firmly into both halves of your mould, then push together to join. (If using an ice cube tray or similar, just make sure to compress the mixture into the mould so it doesn’t all fall apart when you take it out).
  5. Allow to set for at least 2 hours before removing from the mould.
  6. If your bomb falls apart when you remove it from your mould, it’s probably too dry- put the mixture back in a bowl and add a few more drops of Witch Hazel water.
  7. Package in some cellophane with ribbon as a gorgeous home made gift – or spoil yourself and get that bath running!
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Sri Lankan Coconut and Dark Rum Snowball Truffles

We know everyone’s probably sick of it by now but nevertheless this week’s recipe is Christmas themed. (At least it’s only once a year!) These deliciously tempting truffles are great for the run up to Christmas, on the day or even as a special gift. Without further ado, Sri Lankan coconut and dark rum snowball truffles…

Ingredients:

200g Sri Lankan coconut chocolate

100g clotted cream (being from Cornwall, we always recommend Rodda’s!)

1 – 2 tbsp dark rum

50 – 100g desiccated coconut

 

Method:

The great thing about these truffles is that there’s no need for tempering or any of that fancy shmancy stuff. Just microwave your chocolate for 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until it’s all melted. Then add in your clotted cream and rum, and stir until it makes a beautiful creamy mixture. Refrigerate until it’s set hard enough to handle – usually around an hour. Scoop up a teaspoon at a time and roll into balls (you might want to wear some gloves for this – it can get messy!). Once you’ve formed your truffles, pop them into a bowl of desiccated coconut and roll until they’re covered.

Whether you choose to box them up as a gift or eat them straight away, these will knock your socks off! If you want to keep them for a later date, remember to keep them in the fridge – no one likes gone off cream… Enjoy!

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Recipe – Cherry and Lavender Tea Smoked Chicken

Making the same meals over and over again, no matter how delicious, can quickly turn cooking into a chore. I’m a big fan of keeping it interesting with something a little bit different, and our new tea range gave me the chance to do just that. This recipe is extremely easy and unbelievably delicious – with the added bonus of sounding impressive!

smoked.chicken

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

1 tbsp olive oil

1tbsp dried thyme

1 tbsp black pepper (crushed or ground)

1 tbsp smoked paprika

3 tbsp Demerara sugar (any brown sugar will work just as well)

½ tbsp salt

4 tbsp brown rice

15 tsp cherry and lavender tea

 

Method:

– Start by mixing in a bowl the olive oil, thyme, black pepper, paprika, salt and 1 tbsp of sugar. Stir thoroughly and then coat the chicken breasts in the mixture and leave to one side. This can be done the day before and left in the fridge overnight, but will work just as well done just before cooking.

– Double line a wok or large saucepan with foil. Mix together the brown rice, cherry and lavender tea and the remaining brown sugar and add to the bottom of the foil. Cover with another piece of scrunched up foil.

– Put the wok on a high heat, until the pan starts to visibly smoke. Immediately turn the pan down to the lowest possible heat setting, place the chicken on top of the scrunched foil and tightly cover the top of the wok with a lid or more tin foil.

– Leave the covered chicken cooking on a low setting for 30 mins, then check with a thermometer that it is hot all the way through, If not, leave cooking and check again every 5 minutes until cooked. Take off the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

I served this chicken on a bed of green leaves with a cherry salad dressing and potato and chorizo gratin on the side. But be adventurous – it will also make for a great summer salad with cherries, a gourmet sandwich for lunches or even with a Thai noodle salad!

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Recipe – Lavender Drizzle Cake

With summer finally looking like it might be on its way (fingers crossed!), it’s time to move away from the heavy, chocolate-based comfort foods and onto something a bit lighter. I’d like to say healthier but I have too much of a sweet tooth for that! This recipe is a basic Madeira cake base, always a summer favourite, but (as always) with our own special twist. The lavender glaze compliments the subtle lemon of the Madeira for a sweet, summery treat. Anyone who’s been following our recipe blog will have worked out by now that I adore Nigella Lawson, so of course it’s her Madeira cake recipe that I started with! I have adapted the cook times slightly so that I could make individual cakes, but if you want a traditional loaf cake then Nigella’s is the recipe to go with.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

240g butter or margarine

200g sugar (Nigella recommends caster sugar, but if you’re lazy like me then granulated works fine)

grated zest and juice of one lemon

3 eggs

300g flour

2 tsp baking powder

6 small ramekins or 1 loaf tin

For the glaze:

6 heaped tbsp. icing sugar

3 tbsp lavender syrup

cold water

 

Method:

– Line either your ramekins or loaf tin with baking parchment.

– Preheat the oven to gas mark 3/170C

– In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add in the lemon zest and mix well.

– Add the eggs one at a time. Adding a tablespoon of the flour with each egg will help it to mix in better without curdling.

– Mix in the rest of the flour, stirring gently so as not to lose the air from the mixture.

– Add the lemon juice and mix thoroughly.

– Put into your preheated oven and bake for roughly 45 minutes if in ramekins or 1 hour if in a loaf tin. I start checking the cakes about 20 minutes before this, to avoid burning. You’ll know they’re done when a cake tester comes out clean.

– Put your cakes to one side to cool whilst you get on with the lavender glaze.

– In a bowl, mix together the icing sugar and lavender syrup. I use a fork for this to avoid any sugary lumps.

– Once the icing has formed a paste, add the cold water a teaspoon at a time. Stop when you have a relatively thin, runny icing.

– Before your cakes have completely cooled, turn them out onto a wire rack. Once they are cold, cover in the lavender glaze and leave to harden.

This really is a super easy recipe (like everything I make) and guaranteed to impress!

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Recipe – Chocolate, Orange and Raspberry Cookies

Everyone loves a biscuit (or 4!) but it can be a bit of a bore always having the same old selection to choose from. That’s why I’ve stopped trawling the shelves in the supermarket, hoping for something a bit different, and just started making my own! This recipe is great because they’re so quick to make and so delicious you won’t regret the effort. It’s an adaptation of a Nigella recipe (you might have read before how much I love her recipes!), retaining all of the rich chocolaty-ness but with our typical St Kitts twist.

biscuit

Ingredients:

125g dark chocolate

150g plain flour

30g cocoa powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

125g butter or margarine

75g Demerara sugar

50g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg (refrigerated)

100g orange chocolate (roughly chopped)

100g raspberry chocolate (roughly chopped)

 

Method:

– Preheat the oven to gas mark 3/170C

– Melt the chocolate either in the microwave or in a bain-marie

– In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

– Mix in the chocolate and vanilla extract, then add the egg and beat until well combined.

– Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder and mix thoroughly, until it is the consistency of cake batter.

– Mix in the roughly chopped orange and raspberry chocolates, making sure they are fairly evenly distributed through the mixture.

– Scoop out 12 equal sized mounds and place onto a lined baking sheet. Be sure to leave a good amount of space between each and do not flatten them – they will spread out in the oven.

– Bake for 16 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean (as if you were testing a cake – if you hit a chocolate chip then try again)

– Leave to cool slightly then transfer to a plate or cooling rack.

– Enjoy with a glass of milk or cup of tea!

The best bit is, you can substitute the orange chocolate and raspberry chocolate chips for any flavours you fancy, or even something other than chocolate – I might have a go with cardamom and cranberry next!

 

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Recipe – Gluten & Dairy Free Raspberry Chocolate Cake

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Raspberry Chocolate Cake

glutendairyfreecake

Whether you’re celebrating or commiserating, there’s always an excuse for cake! Unfortunately, those of us with special dietary needs can often be left out of the cake feast. That’s why we’ve adapted our original chocolate raspberry cake recipe to be gluten and dairy free – and still dense and delicious…

Ingredients:

300g margarine (Pure Sunflower spread works best for us)

300g gluten free plain flour (doves farm do a great one)

300g sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

200g soya yoghurt (Alpro plain works well)

2 tsp baking powder (gluten free)

¼ tsp xanthan gum (if you can’t get hold of this,I’ve left this out before and it’s been fine)

70g cocoa powder

6 tbsp almond or rice milk

 

For the topping:

2 tbsp raspberry jam

225g raspberry dark chocolate

125ml soya cream (again, Alprodo a fantastic one)

100g fresh raspberries

 

Method:

– Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas Mark 5

– Grease and line a spring form cake tin (roughly 20cm diameter)

– In a bowl, beat together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy

– Add the vanilla extract and yoghurt and whisk until well combined.

– Sieve in the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and xanthan gum, the fold the mixture.

– Add the milk and stir until the mixture is smooth.

– Transfer the mixture to the cake tin and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

– Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

– To make the ganache topping, melt the chocolate either in the microwave 10 seconds at a time, or in a bain marie on the stove.

– Once melted, add the soya cream and stir thoroughly, before putting to one side to cool. As it cools, it should harden to an easier to handle consistency.

– Spread the 2 tbsp of raspberry jam over the top of the cooled cake.

– Pipe or spread the ganache over the cake, top with the fresh raspberries and grate/curl some extra chocolate over for decoration.

 

I promise, you won’t even know it’s not the real thing!

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Recipe – Easter Nests

It’s a time-honoured tradition (in our house anyway), Easter is all about the chocolatey nests. A great way to spend an afternoon with the kids – and you get tasty treats out of it too!

Ingredients:

400g milk chocolate

5 shredded wheat, crushed

Roughly break up the chocolate and put it in a glass bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of boiling water and leave until all the chocolate is melted, stirring occasionally (this can be done in a microwave, just heat for 10 seconds at a time until the chocolate is melted). Stir in the crushed shredded wheat, making sure it’s all completely coated in the chocolate. On a lined baking sheet, arrange each large spoonful of the mixture into a nest shape and nestle a small chocolate egg, or a selection of mini eggs, into the ‘nest’. Then just leave them to set! If you can get a hold of them, arrange a little easter chick on the nest for decoration.

If you’re the adventurous kind, add some citrus peel to the mixture before shaping or stir in some tiny pieces of chopped marzipan for an extra burst of flavour. Or come up with your own variation – we’ve always wanted to try it with mini marshmallows…

This is a fun and achievable activity… here is a nest made by Poppy

made-by-poppy

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Recipe – Sweet potato, sausage and sage frittata

The sun is finally starting to come out (briefly but it’s something!) and that means it’s time to leave the stews and soups behind and bring out the summer meals. You don’t want to spend too much time cooking though, when you could be enjoying the sunshine, so this quick, simple Frittata recipe is the perfect meal choice. The sweet potato is a novel twist on a spring classic.

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, diced

6 sausages (spicy sausages work particularly well), sliced

1 onion, diced

1 sweet pepper, sliced

6 eggs, beaten

1 tsp sage, chopped

handful of baby spinach leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Method

– Boil a pan of water and add the sweet potato. Keep on the boil for roughly 8 minutes, until the sweet potato starts to feel tender. Then drain and keep to one side.

– In a heavy based frying pan, shallow fry the sliced sausage until cooked through, then remove onto a kitchen towel lined plate and keep to one side.

– Fry the onion and pepper in the left over oil from the sausage, until the onion is translucent.

– Add the sausage back to the frying pan, along with the sage, and fry until the peppers are soft. Then add the sweet potato and spinach, stir until thoroughly mixed.

– In a separate bowl, beat the eggs well and season with the salt and pepper.

– Turn the hob down to simmering temperature and pour the egg over the sausage and vegetable mix in the pan. Be sure that the egg is evenly spread throughout the pan.

– Leave to simmer for roughly 6 minutes, until the egg has cooked around the sides of the pan and begun to firm across the top.

– Take the frittata off the hob and grill until the egg is completely firm all the way through and the top is golden brown.

– Serve with salad or green beans and eat out in the sunshine!

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Recipe – Tikka Paste

January is over and February’s well on its way, but it still just isn’t quite spring. It’s this time of year that I find myself most in need of a pick me up, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. For me, diet is always a contributing factor to my mood, so my pick me ups come in the form of deliciously healthy meals. This week’s recipe comes after racking my brains (and rooting around the internet) for something to lift my mood and wake up my brain – something that I’ve discovered turmeric is great for! Also known as ‘Indian saffron’, turmeric is a staple spice in a lot of Indian cookery.  This easy recipe for a tikka paste not only contains this fantastic spice but is also extremely versatile.  It can be used for paneer or chicken skewers, as a standard curry paste, to spice up a soup or add some flavour to a rice salad.

Ingredients:

½ tsp ground turmeric

10 black peppercorns

6 cloves

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

½ tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp chilli powder

1 tbsp garlic paste/ minced garlic

1 tbsp ginger paste/ minced ginger

½ small onion

150g natural yoghurt

½ tbsp. tomato puree

1 tbsp gram flour

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Dry fry the peppercorns, cloves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and poppy seeds in a frying pan, stirring constantly just until you start to smell the spices. Remove them quickly to avoid burning and grind straight away. This can be done in a Vitamix or other blender for ease, or with a pestle and mortar if you’re more traditional!  Once ground to a fine powder, add in the chilli powder, ground cardamom, ground turmeric, garlic paste, ginger paste and onion. Blitz in a blender until a paste begins to form.  Stir in the yoghurt, tomato puree, gram flour and oil, until well combined. That’s all there is to it!

To make paneer or chicken skewers, use the paste to marinate the paneer/chicken before grilling. For a curry, use in place of shop bought curry paste and add coconut cream for a richer meal. For soups, use a small amount in place of stock. Or experiment and come up with your own uses – let us know what masterpieces you create!