Hello Pesketeers, have you missed me? At the end of December last year, I decided to put my recipe book away for a bit to focus on other projects. I wasn't planning to be away for quite so long though, I can't believe it's now October! Where has the time gone? However, I return with … Continue reading Caramel Apple Muffins
This luxurious, four layer, mint chocolate cheesecake is the perfect dessert to serve as an alternative to Christmas Pudding on Christmas Day, or as a table centrepiece for a New Years Eve party. It's rich, chocolaty, and with a Viscount biscuit base and a mint coconut ice top, it's got a lovely hint of mint … Continue reading Mint Choc Cheesecake
Next up for Halloween - Meringues. Crisp on the outside, marshmallowy on the inside, light, sweet and impressive when served at a party. They're traditionally served with whipped cream and fresh fruit, but these cute little Meringue Ghosts are dipped in white chocolate and crushed pistachios. They're the perfect sweet treat to serve at a … Continue reading Meringue Ghosts
It's October, which means it's officially Spooky Season! So every week this month I'm going to be sharing some Spooktacular recipes and ideas. Whether you're planning a Halloween party or just want some creepy treats to snack on whilst watching horror films, I'll have something for you. But before we get onto the new stuff, … Continue reading This is Halloween, This is Halloween . . .
A few weeks ago, a friend of mine gave me a load of rhubarb. Her neighbour grows it in his garden, and they've had so much of it this year, they were giving it away to anyone who would take it. And well, I've never been one to turn down free produce! To tell you … Continue reading Rhubarb and Orange Crumble with a Pistachio Crumb
You'd never know these muffins were dairy free. The texture and rise is just like a normal muffin, and they taste delicious - zesty, sweet and full of blueberries. I've made them using coconut milk and oil, instead of butter, soured cream, milk or yoghurt, so they're completely dairy free. (They are, however, made using … Continue reading Dairy Free Blueberry and Lemon Muffins
OK, so I know what you're thinking, but jelly (or jello, for my friends on the other side of the pond) is definitely NOT just for kids; especially not this one! Made with fresh fruit, Pimms and prosecco, it's the perfect dessert to eat outside, in the sunshine, watching Wimbledon . Weather you're a tennis … Continue reading Wimbledon Jelly
You can't get through half-time at a football match without a pie and a pint. It's almost the law in Britain (or so my husband tells me). Like most of Britain, he's been glued to the Euro's. He's enjoyed the TV coverage, and loved seeing fans back in the stadiums, but watching it on TV … Continue reading Jackfruit Tikka Pies
This Grain Salad is refreshing, zesty, minty, and SO quick to make! It makes the perfect side to BBQ'd meat, fish and vegetables and can be made a few days in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge. Just serve it cold, with an extra drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on … Continue reading Grain Salad
I can't begin to describe how good these little fritters taste. Everyone who eats them, loves them, including those who aren't keen on courgette or feta cheese. There's something about the combination of herbs, spices and veg that just makes them incredibly moreish. And when dunked in Tzatziki, they're divine! These Courgette Fritters are incredibly … Continue reading Courgette Fritters
A salad bowl is a must at any BBQ or garden party. But in my experience, what happens, is all the lovely salad veg gets placed in a bowl and all the heavy items fall to the bottom and you're left with just lettuce on top. Or people peer into the bowl, see something they … Continue reading Salad and Fruit Platters
Coleslaw is a firm favourite in our house, and a staple dish at any BBQ, buffet or party. It goes with pretty much every savoury dish (even sausage and brown sauce sandwiches - try it!) and its so quick and easy to make yourself. Normally, coleslaw is made using white cabbage, but I've used red … Continue reading Pink Coleslaw
I love quiche, I think it's underrated. Served with a simple salad, a few chunky chips and a big scoop of coleslaw, it's the perfect lunch; and this particular one is really good. It's light, easy to make and tasty - packed with feta cheese, peppers, courgette and herbs, sat in a bed of homemade … Continue reading Feta, Courgette and Red Pepper Quiche
I love nachos, they make a great sharing starter for a dinner party, or a buffet item at a party, as they're really quick and easy to make, and can be altered easily to suit everyone's tastes. But they're usually served piled up in a heap with the toppings dolloped on top. This looks good, … Continue reading Oven Baked Nachos
Remember, remember the 5th of November. Gunpowder, treason and plot . . . Tomorrow is Bonfire Night in the UK. A night where we gather together to light bonfires, eat Treacle Toffee and watch firework displays. If you've never experienced Bonfire Night in Britain before, it's hard to describe the atmosphere. There's a buzz in … Continue reading Upside Down Spiced Plum Cake
My husband loves onion. Red, white, raw, cooked, it doesn't matter, he'll have it with almost any meal. So when I told him I was going to make beer battered onion rings he hovered around in the kitchen, stealing them off the pile as I was making them. I had to wait until he was … Continue reading Beer Battered Onion Rings
I'm not sure why cheese savoury is called cheese savoury, I've never seen a sweet cheese based sandwich filling, but that's what it's called. It just means a mixture of cheese, mayonnaise and salad veg. It's yummy in sandwiches and on jacket potatoes, but I'm going to show you how to use it to create … Continue reading Cheese Savoury Pinwheels
When I was a student I worked weekends and evenings in a corner shop - stacking the shelves and serving on the tills. I loved it, the majority of the customers were pleasant and polite and I got on really well with the other staff, we would chat and laugh all shift. The late shifts … Continue reading Cheese and Poppy Seed Twists
Today is St. Georges Day - the Patron Saint of England, and as I'm English, I thought we could celebrate with a traditional English picnic on the lawn, complete with Salmon and Cress Sandwiches. St. George wasn't actually English, he was born in what is now Turkey, but he was a good soldier (legend has … Continue reading Salmon and Cress Sandwiches
I first made these tartlets to use up some left over ingredients - half a jar of this, a handful of that, things that were just sat in the fridge waiting to go off. But they were so tasty, I ended up buying all the ingredients again and making more. This recipe makes 6 tartlets, … Continue reading Goat’s Cheese Tartlets
I've made Garlic Mayo Dips for years, each time altering the recipe slightly; and this version is by far the best I've ever tasted. It's smooth, creamy and has a definite garlic kick but without being overbearing. It's also really quick and easy to make and needs only 5 ingredients. Serve this dip with a … Continue reading The Best Garlic Mayo Dip
I love Halloween, it's one of our oldest festivals and one of my favourites. Whether you choose to light a candle and remember loved ones who are no longer with us, eat your body weight in chocolate and scare yourself silly watching horror films or don your finest fancy dress costume, douse yourself in fake … Continue reading Shallow Grave Chocolate Orange Fudge Cake
A Bloody Mary is one of the most famous cocktails in the world. Traditionally consisting of tomato juice, vodka, Worcestershire sauce or Tabasco and served with a stick of celery, it's one of the easiest cocktails to make at home, and one that lends itself really well to becoming a delicious, easy to make sauce. … Continue reading Pan Fried Prawns in a Bloody Mary Sauce
Frangipane is the sweet filling you find in a Bakewell Tart. Its made from ground almonds, sugar and eggs and you can literally make it in less than 2 mins. I have made my own Bakewell Tarts using this frangipane recipe many times using short crust pastry, a spoon of cherry jam in the bottom … Continue reading Cherry and Apricot Frangipane Tarts
Ok, let's talk about pizza dough. I have tried almost every ready-made pizza dough out there - the frozen ones, the fresh ones, the already cooked ones, the roll out yourself ones - and none of them are as tasty as the the dough this recipe makes. It's from one of my favourite cookery books … Continue reading Homemade Fully Loaded Veggie Pizza
Put the lime in the coconut and spread rum icing all over the top . . . that's how the song goes right? This sweet, tangy cake recipe is so summery and yummy it'll keep you going back for more. It's a big hit at parties as it's something a bit different to the usual … Continue reading Lime and Coconut Cake
BBQs are great. I prep the food and decorate as I would for any party, but once the guests arrive my work is done. My husband takes over the cooking and I can put my feet up. Usually everything gets cooked from scratch on the BBQ, but I've found people get impatient waiting for each … Continue reading Teriyaki Salmon Skewers
It's my birthday! So of course, this post had to be about cake! Especially as the weather outside is awful. Even the cats have given up on dodging puddles and are sheltering inside. I don't bake a lot of sweet things as my husband doesn't have a sweet tooth and I end up stuck with … Continue reading Orange and Ginger Cupcakes with Orange Velvet Frosting
I love pizza. I've never been one for the 'American style' ones you get delivered from the likes of Domino's though. As a veggie I find there are rarely any interesting toppings that don't include meat, and supermarkets do lovely fresh and frozen pizzas now for a lot less than you can get a sub-standard … Continue reading Stuffed Dough Balls
Patatas Bravas is a Spanish tapas dish consisting of fried potatoes in a spicy tomato based sauce. Quite often in restaurants the sauce is served on top of the potatoes. This looks pretty, but you end up left with dry potatoes at the bottom of the bowl as everyone takes the ones with the delicious … Continue reading Patatas Bravas
Does anyone remember a TV program that was on in the mid 00's called Cook Yourself Thin? It created healthier versions of favourite dishes for people who were trying to loose weight. I really enjoyed it, and this recipe is from it. It's not 'healthy' as such, but it doesn't include any cream or sugars, … Continue reading No Cream Chocolate Truffles
The packet spice mixes you can buy at the supermarkets are great. They take all the guess work out of mixing your spices and they always have recipe suggestions on the back. However, I never feel like there's enough veg in these recipes. 1 tin of chopped tomatoes and 1 tin of kidney beans, like … Continue reading Meat Free Chilli Con Carne
These Tortilla Dippers are a great alternative to crisps or bread sticks at a party. They take literally minutes to prepare, look great on the table and are pretty darn tasty too. They also work out cheaper than buying packets of good quality crisps or bread sticks. They're really filling, I only manage 4 or … Continue reading Tortilla Dippers
Quiches (or flans depending on what part of the world you're from) are so versatile and easy to make. As long as you have the pastry case and the quantities of eggs to milk right you can put pretty much put anything you like into it. They can be served hot or cold, so are … Continue reading Cheese and Chutney Quiche
I first had broccoli in coleslaw at a friend's wedding a few years ago, and I'll be honest, I was dubious. Growing up in the North West of England in the 90's, broccoli was something that was boiled until it was mushy and then smothered in gravy. However, the catering staff had gone out of … Continue reading Kale And Broccoli Coleslaw
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