spicy peanut butter noodles with broccoli and pickled mustard

This is a 'store cupboard special' recipe. Chances are you'll have all, if not most of these ingredients in your kitchen already and if not you can improvise. These noodles are quick and easy too. (I have been known to knock up a bowl after a night out on more than one occasion!) Once you understand the basic idea of this simple dish you can alter the flavours based on your own tastes or what you have in. The foundation of the sauce is peanut butter made into a sauce with hot water. You could even make this super healthy by blending roasted, unsalted peanuts with water and various seasonings.


Ingredients (2 greedy people)
200g egg noodles
1 head of broccoli or other veg of your choice, cut into bite sized pieces, stem and all
The sauce
3 heaped tbsp (crunchy) peanut butter
3 tbsp sriracha chilli sauce/chilli ketchup or similar. (You can add more or less of this to taste)
1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
1/2 tsp sesame oil (optional)
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tsp soy sauce
250ml (just) boiled water

To serve any selection from:
Finely sliced onion/spring onion
lime wedges
pickled mustard
radish slices
fresh coriander, mint and/or chives

1. In a pan of boiling water cook the broccoli for 5 minutes then scoop out with a slotted spoon and set to one side.
2. In the same pan cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet.
3. Meanwhile, get on with preparing the sauce. Mix together all the ingredients apart from the water. Taste and adjust the chilli seasoning to your taste. Next add the water little by little until you achieve the consistency of pouring cream. 
4. Once the noodles are cooked, drain then place in a large mixing bowl, then stir through the broccoli and peanut butter sauce. Serve with the lime wedges, onion and pickled mustard or whatever you've got. 

chocolate, peanut butter and salted caramel no-bake cake

This decadent treat uses so many awesome ingredients it is well worth giving a go. I was inspired by this recipe from The Stone Soup. It's ridiculously easy but versatile. You could serve this for a mid-afternoon sugar hit with your tea or coffee or go fancy and serve it with a little extra cream and/or fruit for dessert at a dinner party. The great thing about this recipe is that there are so many possible variations. Try different biscuits or chocolate, perhaps some homemade almond butter...just have a go with what you fancy.

Ingredients serves 8-10

200g whipping cream
400g milk chocolate (I used Marabou)
200g biscuits (I used rich tea fingers)
approx 75g crunchy peanut butter

approx 75g tinned caramel/dulche de leche or similar

Sea salt (optional)

1. Bring cream to the boil in a small saucepan then remove from the heat.

2. Break the chocolate into small pieces then add to the hot cream. Stand for around 5 minutes or so until it has all melted together. Stir it together to ensure it is well combined and smooth.

3. While the chocolate is melting into the cream, line a loaf tin with baking paper.

4. Once the chocolate and cream mixture is all combined pour about a third of it into the bottom of the loaf tin.

5. Next add a layer of the biscuits across the chocolate mixture.

6. Using a teaspoon alternate dollops of the peanut butter and caramel until you have completely covered the biscuits. Sprinkle with the sea salt if using.

7. Add another layer of the biscuits then pour over the remainder of the chocolate mixture. 

8. Place your the tin into the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight. If you want to speed things up a bit place in the freezer for a little while.

9. Once it has completely set, carefully remove from the tin, peel back the paper and serve. It will be easier to slice if you dip your knife in hot water first.

banana and chocolate peanut butter cupcakes

Peanut butter, chocolate and bananas are three of my favourite things and when you put them all together in any combination they're great. Apparently Elvis didn’t mind that mix either. This recipe is an attempt at a healthyish cupcake/muffin and depending on how indulgent you are at breakfast time it could be a delicious start to any day. The muffin recipe is based on Felicity Cloake's 'Perfect Banana Bread' initially but quickly deviates.

If you make 24 cupcakes I've worked out that they will have approximately 143 calories each and 7.1g fat.

Ingredients
350g ripe bananas (peeled weight)
160g self raising flour
20g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
160g sugar (ideally light, soft brown, but I only had caster sugar this time)
2 eggs, beaten
4 tbsp vegetable oil

approx. 150g peanut butter

1. Makes approx 24 cupcakes or 12 muffins.
2. Preheat the oven to 170C and place muffin or cupcake liners in your tray.
3. Put the peeled bananas into a bowl and mash until smooth.
4. Put the sugar, eggs and oil in a large bowl and use an electric mixer to whisk them until pale and slightly increased in volume. Fold in the bananas and the dry ingredients until thoroughly mixed together.
5. Spoon into your muffin/cupcake cases until 1/3 full then place 1tsp of peanut butter on top of the mix. Then you will need to add more of the banana cake mixture so that each case is 2/3 full.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Try and be patient and leave the cupcakes in the tray for a few minutes before turning out on to a rack to cool completely.