Lactose-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made some lactose-free cookies this weekend. I used 'Pure' which is a dairy-free sunflower spread, in place of butter.
I replaced milk chocolate chunks with dark chocolate chunks.



Ingredients:
- 185g 'Pure' (dairy-free sunflower spread)
- 110g caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 225g self-raising flour
- dark chocolate chunks
- dark chocolate coco powder

Cooking Method:
- Beat sunflower spread , sugar and egg in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Stir in sifted flour.
- Mix in chocolate chunks
- Add the coco powder to half the mixture
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 200C, gas mark 5.
- Roll rounded tablespoons of mixture into balls and place on greased oven trays. Bake in oven for 15 minutes, then cool in trays.

Turkish Potato Beef Casserole

I copied binnur's Turkish recipe but didn't have any lamb chunks, so replaced the lamb with mince beef. It's very similar to the English cottage pie.



Ingredients:
400g mince beef
5 tbsp diced tomato, in a can
1 cup hot water

3 tbsp sunflower oil
6 medium white potatoes, peeled, sliced
3 carrots, peeled, sliced
1 large onion, sliced

1 cup beef stock
5 tbsp crushed tomatoes, in a can
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or butter
salt & pepper
mixed herbs

Cooking Method:
Cook the minced beed in a little olive oil, add salt and pepper. (here I added a tin of peas as well).
Add 1 cup of hot water with diced tomatoes and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, lightly fry the potatoes with sunflower oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then put aside. Then fry the carrots and onions. Stir occasionally.

Spread the minced beef in a medium sized casserole dish



and arrange the fried vegetables on top.



Whisk the crushed tomatoes with the beef stock and pour in from the side of the dish. Drizzle the olive oil, sprikle salt, pepper and mixed herbs all over the top.



Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Bake for about 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Steak with Creamy Pepper Sauce

Chocolate Flapjacks

My sister Sophie and her fiance Lee visited us this weekend to celebrate Eid.
I made these dark chocolate (lactose free) flapjacks specially for Sophie ... she loved them ... and so did Lee :o)



Ingredients:
125g Pura (dairy free butter), melted
90g rolled oats
Dark chocolate chunks
45g coconut
10g chopped glace cherries
75g self-raising flour
110g caster sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon golden syrup

Method:
- Grease 23cm square slab cake pan, place strip of baking paper (grease-proof paper) to cover base and extend over 2 opposite sides.
- Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
- Press mixture into prepared pan- Bake in moderate oven (180c) for about 20 minutes or until golden.
- Cool in pan, refrigerate before cutting.
- ENJOY :o)

Home-made Chicken Curry

I own many cook books, but I still tend to make up my own recipe when I am cooking. I always pick up tips from cook books and copy what people do, then piece the tips together into a 'Hanan' recipe :o)
Here is my home-made chicken curry. Here's how I made it:



Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons of Madras curry powder
- 1 teaspoon on chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 1 teaspoon on tumeric
- 2 teaspoons of saffron
- 1 teaspoon of ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- salt
- olive oil and/or sunflower oil
- 4 chicken breasts, cubed
- peas
- carrots
- cherry tomatoes
- half pint of chicken stock
- flour
- mixed herbs
- rice

Cooking Method:
1- pour olive oil and/or sunflower oil into a big pan and heat
2- add all the spices into the pan and keep the heat on low
3- mix continuousley to make a curry paste
4- (ideally add onions, but I didn't have any)
5- add the cubed chicken breasts and mix with the spices
6- add salt
7- keep stirring on a medium heat, do not let it burn
8- add half a pint of chicken stock and stir
9- add some flour to thicken it
10- stir in the vegetables of your choice (I chose peas, carrots and tomatoes)
11- stir in the mixed herbs
12- slow cook on a low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
13- serve with cooked rice, salad and bread

mmmm ... all gone ........