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As we prepare for Easter Weekend, no doubt you will be getting inspiration from the wonderful Mary Berry on the BBC, her special programme Mary Berry’s Easter Feast shows a wide range of recipes from different Christian traditions… And a feast we shall have! This Saturday I have set myself a task to make a Simnel Cake, news to me that marzipan is actually baked in the middle of the cake! Sounds yummy.. so baking day on Saturday here we come...... only thing I am missing is visitors to share it with! 
6. When the cake is cool, warm the apricot jam in a small saucepan. Brush the top of the cake with a little of the jam and roll out half of the remaining marzipan to fit the top of the cake. Press firmly on the top and crimp the edges to decorate. Mark a criss-cross pattern on the marzipan with a sharp knife. Form the remaining marzipan into 11 balls. 7. Brush the marzipan with beaten egg and arrange the marzipan balls around the edge of the cake. Brush the tops of the balls with beaten egg, too, and then place the cake under a hot grill to turn the marzipan golden-brown. 8.To crystallise the primroses, whisk the egg white in a bowl until frothy. Snip the long stalks off the primroses, then, using a paint brush, carefully paint the petals of each primrose with a little frothy egg white, then turn the flower over and paint the underside of the petals and the little stalk. 9. Cover the flowers in caster sugar until all the egg white is evenly coated, and leave to dry completely. You can either just lie them carefully on non-stick parchment, or, to help keep the flowers’ shape, you can stretch non-stick paper over a plastic box or bowl, securing it in place with string or a rubber band, and then pierce several holes in the paper using a skewer. Place the stems of the crystallised flowers through the holes, allowing the paper to hold and support the flowers in a more natural position as they dry and harden. You will need to make the crystallised flowers at least a day in advance. 10.Decorate the cake by arranging the crystallised primroses on top and tying a ribbon around the middle.
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 Of course this months chosen recipe wouldn’t be the right without featuring a delightfully romantic meal for two to share. We like to look for alternative dishes and to literally spice things up a bit our recipe of the month is an Asian steamed Sea bass.. Yum..Yum.. Picked from the trust worthy recipe of chef Jamie Oliver … (Just a small mention.........spotted him once across the road… very pleased with that!) To add the ingredients to your shopping list for Sunday’s romantic meal, see what you need below. You can also see the recipe here.
Image and recipe Copyright: Jamie Oliver
Image copyright: Miele Miele appliance information copyright: Miele After much Christmas indulgence its feels good to be kind on our bodies, anyone taking part in Veganary or having a dry january? Our chosen recipe of the month is from Honestly Healthy; their ethos is one that has always been of interest, eating healthy and focusing on alkaline foods. ( I.e. eating food with a higher Ph, encouraging better energy levels and digestion. Read more about Alkaline eating on the 70:30 lifestyle post) This recipe Millet Rainbow Salad, uses fresh ingredients and can be made in only 35 minutes! Ideal for a quick school night dinner.  Serves: 2 | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 25 minutes | Cooking Skills: Moderate
Ingredients 2 red bell peppers 1 tbsp sunflower oil 170g green beans 90g millet 60g frozen garden peas 150g frozen podded edamame ½ lemon & zest 1 tbsp olive oil Pink salt 10g parsley 10g dill 1 tsp brown rice vinegar 1tsp sesame seeds for garnish Method: Pre-heat oven 170 deg De-seed the peppers and cut into quarters and put onto a baking tray with sunflower oil and a pinch of pink salt. Cook for 25 minutes or until soft. Cook the millet in 3 times the amount of water for 20 minutes. Drain the water through a sieve and then wash through with cold water until the millet cools down. Leave to strain the cold water and put into a bowl. Bring a pan of water with 2 tbsp salt to the boil and drop the edamame beans and peas in for 1 minute – sieve out (do not throw the water out) bring to the boil again and then drop the green beans in for 2-3 minutes. Drain and run under cold water. (this way of cooking them makes them super green and nutritious) In a blender put half of the peas and edamame beans and half the parsley and dill with lemon juice, pinch salt, brown rice vinegar and olive oil. Blend until a chucky texture. Take out the blender and mix in the rest of the peas, edamame beans, dill and parsley. Assemble the salad by mixing the millet through the pea and edamame mixture and mix in the roasted red peppers and green beans. Serve with a sprinkle of sesame seeds over the top. Image and recipe credit: Honestly Healthy Food One of the delights I have tasted recently was one warming bowl of Celeriac soup, which was much needed after a brisk stroll though the Sydenham woodland! Courtesy of our local The Wood House pub, it was sooo yummy I decided to have a go at making it myself! 
 Simply blended to smooth liquid.… add a splash of plain yogurt and away you go! So very healthy, warming and Moorish ! To have a go at making it yourself find the recipe here!
 As the rain sets in this season some of us might be having summer holiday blues and craving the delights of something continental. A huge fan of Nigel Slater our Recipe of the month evokes those memories of Italian evenings; the ever popular and satisfying Spaghetti Bolognese will warm many bellies in the wintry evenings ahead! Click here for the recipe.  In this recipe you need to first use a roasting tin on the hob, the Miele gas hobs have a quick start function to get the gas going quickly and your pan sizzling nicely. The compact oven from Miele is ideal for roasting food and the flexi clip runners allow it to be easier to safely transfer hot pans in and out of the oven without getting burned. To find out more information click here
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