Mini Chocolate Oaty Cakes

Burns Night

Burns Night is traditionally celebrated, in Scotland, on 25^th January each year. This night commemorates the birth of their famed poet Robert Burns. Burns wrote a wealth of poetry and lyrics, in his signature romantic style, which have long been enjoyed by the Scots.

In order to shows their love for The Bard, the Scots hold Burns suppers. These feasts include a wealth of Scottish fare such as haggis, whisky, oats and, of course, neeps and tatties.

I will be celebrating the Scotch poets work with some hearty oats, and have been experimenting with ways in which to incorporate these into a delicious snack. So if you don’t have time to sit down to a traditional Burns supper, simply bake up a batch of these oaty treats and embrace your inner Scot!!

Mini Chocolate Oaty Cakes (5)

This recipe conveniently makes 5 little cakes, one to keep you going through each day of the working week J I have added in chocolate and a hint of warming cinnamon to gently waken you, before the oats carry you through the rest of the day.

Ingredients                     

·         100g porridge oats

·         ½ teaspoon cocoa powder

·         ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         1 tablespoon honey

·         300-400ml milk (skimmed, full fat, soy- whatever you prefer)

Method

1.       Preheat the oven to 170°C, and line a bun tin.

2.       Add the oats, cocoa and cinnamon to a large bowl and mix together.

3.       Slowly pour in the milk, and mix, until you have a mixture that resembles porridge. You may need more or less milk dependent on how much liquid your oats absorb.

4.       Spoon the mixture into the bun cases.

5.       Bake for approx 15 minutes, until the cakes are firm to the touch.

6.       Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a baking sheet.

These cakes also freeze well, so you can make up a bigger batch and stock up so that you are never without the power of oats.

Roasted Carrots with Coriander

Vegetables are often overlooked when it comes to the Sunday roast, often only functioning as a supporting act rather than the main attraction. But this needn’t be the case; vegetables have so much to offer to this weekly feast and can easily be transformed into dishes that are thrifty, comforting and delicious.

Also the fact that this meal is a British tradition doesn’t mean that we should be confined to our own cuisine, I find the addition of Middle Eastern spices can really lift this meal and bring much needed warmth to a cold winter’s day.

So if your roast could do with a makeover, give this recipe a go and begin your celebration of roast vegetables.

Roasted Carrots with Coriander (4)

Ingredients

·         600g carrots

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         2 teaspoons ground coriander

·         Salt and pepper

Method

1.       Preheat the oven to 200°C

2.       Cut the tops off the carrots, and give them a good wash. I prefer to leave the skins on to maximise their flavour, though if this troubles you feel free to peel away.

3.       Cut the carrots into chunky batons and place of the baking tray.

4.       Add the olive oil, coriander, salt and pepper to the carrots and toss together until they all have a coating of the spiced oil.

5.       Bake the carrots in the oven for 25-35 minutes, until golden.

6.       Serve alongside you Sunday roast, or with other vegetable dishes.

These carrots also make a great alternative to chips- a great way to get children into vegetables.

January

Christmas and New Year have been and gone for another year, leaving many of us feeling slightly worse for wear after a month of feasting and culinary extravagance. I am sure that many people are now setting about the dreaded New Year diet in an effort to overcome the festive bulge, acquired from endless stream of mince pies, but fear not the winter brassicas are at hand to help us all through this time.

The brassica family consists of a multitude of hearty green vegetables including cabbage, broccoli, and (yes, you’ve guessed it) sprouts. Now, many of you will feel that it was enough of a struggle eating your way through the scattering of little green goblins that adorned you Christmas dinner plate but there is more to this vegetable than first meets the eye.

Sprouts are often very badly treated, boiled away for hours until they are left grey and shrivelled, but this doesn’t have to be the way. They are a wonderfully versatile green and can be used raw in coleslaws and winter salads, fried up with a handful of chestnuts or added to a creamy potato bake.

Personally I feel they work wonderfully in soup, and on a cold January night what could be nicer to return home to that a warm and yielding bowl of soup? So give the little guys another chance, after all sprouts aren’t just for Christmas!

Sprout Soup (4)

Ingredients

·         2 shallots

·         1 tablespoon olive oil

·         500g sprouts

·         1 litre vegetable stock

·         Salt and pepper

·         100g chestnuts (optional)

Method

1.       Finely chop the shallots, and fry in the olive oil over a low heat until golden.

2.       Trim the sprouts and add in to the pan along with the salt, pepper and stock.

3.       Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. At this stage you can add in the chestnuts, which will bring a wonderfully luxurious texture to the finished soup.

4.       Blend the soup to a smooth puree, adding more stock is required.

5.       Serve straight away with chunks of bread

This soup freezes well, so you can enjoy warming soup for supper throughout the winter months.