How to make Real Dairy Chocolate Ice Cream

 Having never made ice cream before we though we give it a try. This is made with just milk, whipping cream, dark brown soft sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and a dark chocolate bar which has to be at least 70% cocoa content, or more.( Dark chocolate of this type is very good for you on it's own and can help reduce blood pressure by the way.) You also need an egg separator to easily separate the egg yolk from the white. If you want one you can get one here This is a three stage process, where you chill it twice for an hour after adding various ingredients, and then the third time it goes into the freezer, is the last time until it is ready to eat. This really was delicious and well worth the effort! 

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How to make Easy Courgette Fritters

This is one of the simplest recipes you can make. Just egg, courgette, onion, and plain flour, and teamed with a sweet chilli dip these are delicious. I am not a courgette fan but made like this these are really tasty. You can make fritters out of anything, but you need a dip to go with them. You could try potato and onion, or apple and onion. Courgettes can grow up to a metre in length but are harvested while young. Packed with vitamin A and C and many other nutrients, although courgette is classed as a vegetable botanically it is a fruit, and this vegetable is also known as Zucchini, in other parts of the world. 

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How to make a Spinach Pie with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Feta Cheese

 Spinach and feta pie is a traditional Greek style dish. The feta cheese being made with sheep's milk or sheep and goat's milk combined. This is a simple pie containing just spinach, feta, sun dried tomatoes in oil, eggs and filo pastry - which is wafer thin sheets of pastry that break up easily when baked. Spinach is full of nitrates which make the blood flow easier. Its also contains Vitamin A, minerals and anti-oxidants. Sun dried tomatoes contain amongst other things lycopene, which is another powerful anti-oxidant good for eyes, heart health, sunburn, cell damage - you name it! We usually serve a portion of this on a salad, or with mash, new potatoes or chips and any other veg. If you have never tried filo pastry before, it literally melts in the mouth. 

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How to make Parsnip Soup (Vegan friendly)

 Parsnips on their own are quite a sweet flavoured vegetable when cooked. They aren't my favourite root vegetable but mum likes them! Here we added celery, carrot, potato, onion and Oxo vegetable stock to balance out the flavours. If you like parsnips this recipe is for you. If you have lots left over from Christmas dinner this is for you. Parsnips are packed with Vitamin C, and folic acid, which is a B vitamin and is mainly responsible for human growth and development, so its good for mums to be too. Parsnips are in season over winter so are at their best flavours and prices too. Serve with crusty bread as per!!

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How to make Oven Roast Vegetables with Basil, Garlic and Olive Oil (Vegan friendly)

 To make the best roast vegetables you need plenty of garlic to balance out the flavours, and a good addition of ground black pepper. Here we have used five good sized cloves of garlic crushed. Always use red onion for the sweeter taste, aubergine which is traditionally bitter to taste, roasts really well with the olive oil too and makes it taste delicious. Courgette tastes good this way, and so do all the coloured bell peppers. Topped with the torn Basil leaves at the end tastes just divine.  I would stick with this veg combination, don't use sweet potato or anything else here.  We usually serve this with either pasta or mash, chips, new potatoes, or even just on its own as a larger portion. There is never any left over!! Healthwise garlic is anti-bacterial, anti-septic, anti-viral, a blood thinner and good for skin complaints, phew. Coupled with the other vegetables makes for a really tasty and super healthy meal.

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How to make Sultana Scones

 If you have never done any baking before this recipe is for you. It's really easy and tastes good too. With plain flour, sultanas, butter, baking powder, pinch of salt and semi skimmed milk. Just over 20 mins baking time and they are ready. These taste so good warm too, when they are still cooling down and the butter just melts into them then, when you butter them. You can put jam on them as well if you have a sweet tooth! Or you could stick some thick cream and jam into them for "Tea and Scones!!" Always store them in an airtight container afterwards to keep them fresh and moist.

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How to make Lemony Lentil Soup (Vegan friendly)

 Here is a simple red lentil soup with lemon and this is a really tasty soup! Easy to make too - with just red lentils, celery, onion, oxo vegetable stock, carrots and half a lemon. This is another thick Winter soup perfect to serve in a cup too. Red lentils are high in protein and fibre to keep you regular! Carrots are  good for the eyes with it's Vitamin A, and Celery is anti-inflammatory for arthritic conditions, and also flushes out toxins, and is good for digestion. Thick soups like this keep you feeling fuller  for longer too. Grab the crusty rolls...

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