Jamie Olivers one cup pancakes

I saw Jamie do this on one of his TV programmes with his two daughters.  It looked so easy I thought I'd give it a try.  I love pancakes but here in the UK we usually cook the big flat ones.  They're scrummy too but I fancied a change and these smaller, thicker ones looked the part.  They really were very quick and easy to make and would be excellent to cook with children.  No measuring scales required, just an average sized mug!

So to make these pancakes you need the following things:

• One average sized mug
• 1 mug of milk
• 1 mug of self raising flour
• 1 egg
• A pinch of salt
• A knob of butter

First the batter needs to be made.  Quite simply all you need to do is put your egg, milk, flour and salt into a mixing bowl and whisk together until there are no lumps!

Next, put a pan on a medium heat and melt some butter into it.  Through doing this a few times I've found a non stick pan works the best if you have one but if you don't add some oil to your butter to stop the mix sticking to the pan.  Ladle your mix into the hot butter to create your pancakes.

Your pancakes are ready to turn over when you see little holes appearing on the top of the pancake.  Flip them over to cook the tops for a couple of minutes.

Serve as a stack of however you like topped with whatever you love to eat your pancakes with!  I eat mine with lemon juice and golden syrup.  Martin likes his with maple syrup.  If you want something more refreshing, why not add a handful of blueberries to your batter and top the cooked pancakes with some yoghurt or creme fraiche?

Bon appetit!

Ni

xxx

Jamie Oliver's British burgers with zero fat mayo alternative

I watched Jamie Oliver make these burgers on Jamie's 15 minute meals last week. They looked so simple and tasty I had to give them a go, so I did! They really are the easiest things in the world to make and cook and the actual burgers are really tasty and juicy. Far better than any homemade burgers I've made before. There's no egg or breadcrumbs to bind the burger together so they taste much lighter and the addition of the beer gives them that extra zing.  The zero fat mayo alternative is made from yoghurt and Worcester sauce, which sounds like an unusual combination but you'll be surprised!

For the burgers you'll need:

• Beef mince.  How much really depends on how many burgers you want to make.  If I make too many I freeze the ones I don't need to use for next time.
• Whole grain mustard
• A good glug of beer.
• Salt and pepper

For the sauce you'll need:

• Zero fat natural yoghurt
• Worcestershire sauce

1. First of all you need to make the burgers.  Put the mince in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Add a tablespoon of mustard and a splash of beer.  Using your hand, squash the mixture together to bind and mix the ingredients.  When you're happy with your mixture you can form your patties.  Divide the mince and roll into balls, then squash them flat to make your burgers.  How big you want your burgers depends on your personal preference so make them as big, small, thick or as thin as you like!

2. Heat some olive oil in a pan over a medium heat and start frying your burgers.  You'll be able to see the meat turning colour up the sides of the patty and you can use this as an indication as when to turn them over.  If your burgers are chunky just cut into the middle during cooking to make sure they're not pink on the inside.  When you're ready to turn your burgers over make sure you swirl them round the pan a bit to soak up all the lovely flavours that have escaped. It gives your burger a nice crispy outside too!

3. While the burgers are cooking you can make the sauce.  In a small bowl put two tablespoons of zero fat natural yoghurt and to this add some Worcestershire sauce.  However much you add is up to you, taste as you go to find the amount perfect for you.

4. Plate up! Get your favourite type of burger bun or pitta bread to put your burger in, or just go mad and eat it naked if you like, without any bun at all!  I personally enjoy my burgers in whole meal buns, with a slice of little gem lettuce, the yoghurt sauce and finished with a slice of juicy tomato.  I serve them with really chunky chips, perfect combination!

And thats it!  Such a quick and easy meal for all times of the day which I'm sure you'll enjoy.  

Bon Appetite :)

Ni

xxx

Key lime pie recipe.

Me and Bern are key lime pie lovers! So last night I thought I'd give it a go myself and found it actually really easy! I had a good look online for a recipe that wasn't too complicated. There are a lot of recipes that involve cooking the pie but I found one on the carnation website that doesn't involve cooking at all, only chilling in the fridge!

So you'll need:
A decent sized greased pie dish or baking tin
Juice and zest of 5 limes
250g digestives
150g butter, melted
300ml carton double cream
405g tin of light carnation condensed milk

First bash your digestives into smithereens with the end of a rolling pin. Use a food processor if you've got one it's probably a lot quicker! When the biscuits are all nice and crumbly stir in the melted butter. Next, press the biscuit into the base and up the sides of your tin and put it in the fridge.

In a big bowl whisk your double cream and light condensed milk together. It'll be a bit watery still at this point. Next, add the juice and zest of your lines and whisk again. The mixture will now thicken!

Take your biscuit base out the fridge and pour your cream mixture onto it and return to the fridge for a good few hours or overnight if you can.

Finally, dig in! Thanks Carnation you've made making this pie so much easier! I've finally tucked in now Scarlett's having a nap. If you look closely you can see her asleep in the background!

Take care

Ni
xxx