Banoffee Malt Loaf Pudding

Award winning recipe from consultant Jane McGovern. Move over sticky toffee pudding!

For the malt loaf:
225g My Secret Kitchen Beer Bread Mix: Original
200ml Coca Cola
250g mixed dried fruit
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
3 tbsp Ovaltine

For the banoffee:
4 bananas
2 tbsp My Secret Kitchen Maple Caramel Sauce
150ml double cream

To make the malt loaf:
Preheat the oven to 175ºC (Gas Mark 3). Add all the dry ingredients to a bowl, stir in the diet cola and combine thoroughly. Pour into a greased 2lb loaf tin. Bake for 25-35 minutes. When cool the bread can be sliced and frozen at this point.

To make the banoffee:
Cut the bananas into slices. Pour the Maple Caramel Sauce into a saucepan. Add the bananas and heat gently until bubbling. Turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly. Add the cream.

Pour a small amount of the caramel cream mixture into the bottom of the dish that you are using to cook your Banoffee Malt Loaf. Hold back the banana at this point. Place thin slices of the malt loaf on top of this mixture and spoon over the banana and caramel cream mixture. Add more slices of malt loaf and repeat.

If time permits leave the pudding to absorb the cream mixture before baking in a preheated oven 180ºC for approx 20 minutes until bubbling.

Serve with a good quality vanilla ice-cream and if you wish a drizzle of Maple Caramel Sauce!

Jumping Jack Sausage Bake

A quick and easy family meal.

Serves 4

6-8 good quality butcher’s sausages
1 tsp My Secret Kitchen Secret Spices: Wild Garlic
2 packs of cherry tomatoes (approx 500g)
1 tbsp of your favourite herbs (eg rosemary, thyme or oregano)
3 tbsp of My Secret Kitchen Secret Jumping Jack Chilli Jam
1 tbsp My Secret Kitchen Secret Oak Smoked Rapeseed Oil
1 tbsp My Secret Kitchen Secret Balsamic Reduction
My Secret Kitchen Lemon & Chipotle Spiced Sea Salt and black pepper to taste

Heat oven to 190^oC (Gas Mark 5).  

Place the tomatoes, herbs and garlic on a large baking tray or dish. Place sausages in a bowl and coat with Jumping Jack Chilli Jam, Oak Smoked Rapeseed Oil and Balsamic Reduction. Place the sausages and sauce on top of tomatoes,  then season.

Bake for about 40 minutes, turning or shaking once halfway through. (If you use quality sausages, you will find there is very little fat)

The sauce can be mopped up with a chunky slice of freshly baked Beer Bread or serve with mashed potato or pasta.

You can also add any additional vegetables you want to roast in the dish.

Chicken and Mushroom Tray Bake

A quick and simple one-pot supper solution.

Serves 6

6-8 chicken thighs
2 tbsp My Secret Kitchen Oak Smoked Rapeseed Oil
600g bag of ready prepared mixed roasting vegetables
1 tsp fresh thyme
3 tbsp My Secret Kitchen White Wine & Porcini Finishing Sauce
Chives to garnish

Preheat oven 190ºC (Gas Mark 5).

Place the chicken thighs in a large oven proof dish and rub with the Oak Smoked Rapeseed Oil. Add in the vegetables and scatter over the thyme and mix to combine. 

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the chicken is starting to brown.

Remove from the oven and drizzle over the White Wine & Porcini Finishing Sauce and cover with foil before returning to the oven for a further 10 minutes. 

Serve with a simple green salad.

Plaice stuffed with brown shrimp

Bring back family Friday fish day

Serves 6

For the brown shrimp stuffing:
50g fresh breadcrumbs
90g brown shrimps, ready to eat
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
¼ tsp My Secret Kitchen Secret Spices: Wild Garlic
Salt and pepper to season
3 tbsp My Secret Kitchen White Wine & Porcini Finishing Sauce

6 plaice fillets, skinned and cut in half lengthways
250 ml milk
3 tbsp My Secret Kitchen White Wine & Porcini Finishing Sauce
50g butter

Preheat oven 180ºC (Gas Mark 4). 

Mix together the breadcrumbs, brown shrimp, parsley, Secret Spices Wild Garlic and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over the White Wine & Porcini Finishing Sauce and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until needed. 

Butter an oven proof dish with 25g of the butter and put to one side.

Take each plaice fillet and spread with approximately 2 tsp of the brown shrimp stuffing. Roll up from the thin tail end first and place in the buttered dish. Continue for the remaining filets (if there is any stuffing left over, sprinkle over all the fillets). 

Mix together the milk with the White Wine & Porcini Finshing Sauce and pour around the fish. Top with knobs of the remaining 25g butter and place in the oven for 20 minutes. 

The stuffing works equally well with cod or haddock and flaky pastry to make a fish wellington.

Turkey Stroganoff with Flageolet Beans

Family friendly using lean turkey and flageolet beans

Serves 6

500g turkey breast filet, diced
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions, diced
25g butter
200g field mushrooms, sliced
100 ml brandy (or apple juice)
300 ml sour cream
3 tbsp My Secret Kitchen White Wine & Porcini Finishing Sauce
200g can flageolet beans, drained and rinsed

In a heavy based saucepan, brown the turkey in the oil until golden brown, remove and put to one side. Add the butter to the pan and fry the onions until softened and starting to caramelise. Add in the mushrooms and continue to cook for 2 minutes. 

Add the meat back to the pan and over a high heat, add the brandy. Cook until the brandy has reduced or light with a match to flambée. 

Add the sour cream and simmer gently for 20 minutes before adding the White Wine & Porcini Finishing Sauce and the flageolet beans. 

Serve with fluffy rice or rosti potatoes.