Grilled Salmon with Honey

Sounds really simple... well it is..

I use Salmon steaks, or large slices of fillet.. but it is best done with the skin on..

About 10 mins before you plan to cook it, put the salmon pieces in a plastic bowl and cover with a mixture of +honey and either soya sauce (light) or balsamic vinegar (use less of this). Coat the salmon in the mixture and leave to absorb the flavours.

When ready to grill, take the salmon pieces out of the now liquid mix (reserve the liquid for basting during the grilling process) and place on a grill tray. Grill on a medium to high setting adding the liquid to baste the fish as necessary. Turn only when the salmon is browned on each side (the honey helps the caramelizing process so this doesn't take long).

+(I use a version of honey in a bottle as I can drizzle it on, but by all means use a jar if that is what you have in the cupboard. Nb some honeys have a strong perfume such as heather honey... I use a plain one, however your tastes may differ.

Variations, Salmon can take many flavours and you can add some chilli to the mix, either chilli flakes or chopped chilli (the heat of which I leave to your discretion).

Serve with :

Mixed vegetable rice
New potatoes and vegetables

Lavender/Vanilla Sugar

This is a quick win solution, and relatively cheap. No need to buy the expensive stuff from the supermarket.

Have a clean, dry, kilner jar of a suitable size.

Use two/three vanilla pods – score down them to release the essence and put in the jar – now fill with castor sugar and leave. When you take out some castor sugar, just add more. About once every 2-3 months, empty it all out into a bowl, and mix up then put back in the jar to ensure that the sugar at the bottom gets used.

Lavender sugar is the same, except you want to use less rather than more as it is very perfumed. Just use 1 small to medium head of lavender or infuse for only a short time then remove the lavender as the longer you leave it in the stronger it gets. Or you do what I do which is to use ¼ of lavender sugar to ¾ of normal sugar in my recipes thus ensuring you don’t overdo the lavender taste.

Either can be used in cake or biscuit making, or if you use it to infuse icing sugar, to dust over completed cakes/biscuits.

If I can find some nice smelling roses, I might try this with rose petals…. Hmmmm

Healing Hand Cream

100g chopped Calendula officinalis flowerheads
150g emulsifying ointment
70ml glycerin
80ml water

Mix your chopped flowerheads, emulsifying ointment, glycerin and water. Stir well then simmer gently in a bain marie for 2 to 3 three hours. Add a few drops of lavender oil to preserve. Strain the mixture into sterilized glass jars. Label and date, and store in fridge for up to a year.

Applied externally this cream is said to help with many minor skin problems including nappy rash, cuts and grazes, chilblains and even insect bites.

Nb 100gm = approx 70 flower heads

This recipe came from the BBC Healing Garden Programme, no longer available on the Internet.

Fluffy Wholemeal Pancakes

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Chilling Time: 30 mins
Makes 12 pieces

The batter can be prepared the previous night and stored in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 50g wholemeal flour
• 50g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 15g butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 250 ml milk
• oil

Method
Sift together the flours, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Stir in the sugar. Make a well in the centre and add the beaten egg, vanilla extract and melted butter. Gradually stir in the milk and mix well to form a smooth batter. Cover the bowl and set aside for an hour or overnight in the fridge. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and gently shake the pan so that the oil coats the base. Drain excess oil. Pour batter in desired shapes or plain rounds. Cook on low heat for 1-2 minutes on each side till cooked and golden.

Serving suggestions
Serve with sliced bananas and strawberries, drizzled with maple syrup

Flapjacks

Flapjacks

100g or 4oz margarine
1 x 15 mls golden syrup
100g sugar
50 g oats
50g sr flour
75 g or crushed cornflakes

I put in linseed seeds & raisins to the mix, just add a little additional golden syrup & marg to compensate.

Melt Marg, syrup add Sugar then add to rest of ingredients, put in a greased baking tray then bake in oven mk 5 (190oC) for 20 mins. Cut into squares while still warm, but leave in tray to cool.

Cheesy Flapjacks

Preheat oven to 350 F, 180 C, gas mark 4. Lightly oil a 7 in (18cm) square cake tin. Melt 85 g butter/marg in a large pan. Remove from heat and stir in 115 g grated cheddar cheese, 1 large egg, eaten, 150 ml natural yoghurt, black pepper and 225 g porridge oats until well blended. Spoon into prepared tin and level the surface. Bake for 30 mins until golden brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool in tin. Cut into 9 squares.

I doubled the ingredients above for the cheesy flaps and used my roasting tin again. Also I cooked on a higher shelf (but not top) and for a bit longer as they were taking ages to brown. Also freezes well, actually tastes better from frozen than fresh.

Thanks to MG who provided me with this recipe.

Breakfast Bars

175 g butter or good quality marg
100 g soft light brown sugar
4 tablespoons clear honey or golden syrup or maple syrup
12 oz porridge oats
8 oz mixed dried fruit
4 oz mixed chopped nuts
3 tablespoons seeds (optional)
2 ripe bananas, mashed

Gas mark 5, grease and line baking tin (I used roasting tin)
In saucepan melt butter, sugar and honey gently. Simmer for 30 seconds.
Take away from heat and add all other ingredients, mixed well.
Pour into tin, press down. Bake on middle shelf for 30 - 35 mins or until golden brown. Cool in tin, then cut into squares. Freezes well.

Thanks to MG who provided me with this recipe