How to make Rhubarb Crumble

 Rhubarb - this is another vegetable/fruit that you can buy a small shoot of in a pound store, plant it out in the back garden and off it goes.  Rhubarb has also been  used as a natural dye! We always make this crumble when our rhubarb is ready to pick. By adding the sugar bit by bit you can achieve just the right amount of sweetness, because rhubarb on it's own is very tart . Easy recipe this - just rhubarb, butter, plain flour and Demerara sugar, but it tastes divine. Rhubarb was first cultivated in the far east more than 2000 years ago. It was initially grown for medical purposes. Check out the amount of natural vitamins, minerals and anti- oxidants in it you can see why. If you have never had rhubarb this way you need to try it. Then just slap on some custard for a sweet treat! 

Here is the Recipe 

How to make Omelette with Cheese and Mushroom Filling

 An omelette is a simple affair, just whip up your eggs, add a little ground black pepper, bit of oil to the pan and off you go. On their own though they don't really have much taste, but you can fill them, or chop up finely a little mushrooms etc and add them to the egg mix before you cook it. They are always good with cheese and beans and make for a simple meal by adding some chips too! They are also good fried in a little olive oil which makes them light and fluffy. 

Here is the recipe

How to make Butternut Squash Soup (Vegan friendly)

 Butternut squash on it's own doesn't have much taste, so pairing it with the carrot and celery and stock brought out its flavour. Nutritionally Butternut squash is a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. The orange colour, beta carotene/ Vitamin A is good for eyesight. It's also classed as a superfood. This is also a tough vegetable to peel - so I use a potato peeler and then take out the seeds and inners. It is heavier than it looks too. Made like this gives it a rich, creamy taste. Any vegetable that is rigid like this is full of Potassium too so it's good for the heart! 

Here is the Recipe

How to make a Quick Spinach, Cherry Tomato and Mozzarella Salad - just drizzle on the olive oil!

 This is a really quick plate summer salad with just three ingredients - Spinach, cherry tomatoes and Mozzarella cheese.  Always use the freshest Spinach for added crunchiness. You can use baby plum tomatoes here, and you could add a few pitted olives - but don't overdo it, keep it simple. Always serve this with a slice of wholemeal bread. Spinach is from the beetroot family so it is full of nitrates for healthy blood flow. It was also Popeye's favourite food!

Here is the Recipe

How to make Red Lentil and Carrot Soup (Vegan friendly)

 Everybody needs a good thick Winter style soup and what better than this red lentil and carrot one. Surprisingly this is at the moment my most viewed soup! Made with just carrots, red lentils, oxo vegetable stock cubes, garlic, onion and sunflower oil, it is so easy to make too. It is a good soup to serve in a cup to warm your hands in winter as well. Just dip in the crusty rolls and off you go!  Carrots are full of vitamin A for your eyes, and lentils are a good iron source for the blood. So a good health tonic too. 

One of our viewers commented "just made half quantity because i live alone. i used red onion and it was just gorgeous :)" Thanks for that, so there is an idea too....

Here is the recipe

How to make Spicy Lentil Broth (Vegan friendly)

 I got this idea from a recipe in a book and just changed some of the quantities of the ingredients for a better taste. Although there looks to be a lot in this there isn't really and it will last for a few meals. You don't need to serve it with rice, you can do it in a side dish with a salad of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and red onion, a little grated fresh ginger and pitted olives. This way it tastes delicious too. It also smells amazing as it cooks. Lentils are low in calories and high in fibre for digestion. They are high in protein and a good source of iron too. Iron helps with tiredness by improving the oxygen in the blood. So if you are planning on running any marathons in the near future this is for you!

Here is the Recipe 

 

How to make home made Mint Sauce (Vegan friendly)

 You can't beat a home made mint sauce and this is easy. If you plant a sprig of mint in a garden it spreads itself out and comes up every year. Then all you need is a little granulated sugar, vinegar and hot water. This mint sauce tastes far superior to anything you can purchase in a jar and it's natural ingredients. It is delicious on baby new steamed potatoes. the mint oil from it is also good for stomach upsets and indigestion. The original polo mints in the green tube also contain peppermint oil - just so you know!! So it's a good idea to keep some handy. 

Here is the recipe