How to be a woman in 10 recipes Rosie Lythgoe-Cheetham
Contents 1. Super soup 2. Break-Up Brownies 3. PMS Pasta 4. Morning After Munchies 5. Last Minute Birthday Cake 6. Wow the In-laws Wellington 7. Amazing Aphrodisiacs 8. Romantic Risotto 9. Overdraft Omelette 10. Sleepy stew
Girl Talk Break-ups, fat days, PMS and a picky mother-in-law are just a handful of the culinary hard days and holidays sent to try the female species, often when we least expect them. Instead of running away, burying your head beneath the duvet and calling for Chinese takeaway on speed-dial as natural instinct might suggest, try to be friends with your kitchen. Developed over the years by a greedy girl eager to eat her way out of trouble, the quick, easy and delicious simple recipes featured in this booklet are perfectly tailored to life’s ups and downs - keep it close; you never know when you might need it. So find romance with roasting, solace in stirring and poise with pastry. Before you know it, your kitchen will be your very best partner in crime.
Rosie x
Super Soup Whether you’ve been out on the razz a few too many times this month, have overindulged lately or are just getting over a nasty cold, this fresh, clean-tasting and healthy vegetable broth is perfect for detoxing and guaranteed to make you feel brand new. Only a dribble of olive oil is used to keep things low calorie and the kick of dried chilli and fresh garlic gets the metabolism moving. Don’t feel constrained by the recipe – just about any vegetable works in this soup, so add whatever you have lying about the fridge.
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Makes enough for four generous servings A drizzle of olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 celery stick, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 600ml vegetable stock 1 large carrot, finely chopped 1 potato, diced 1-2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 spring cabbage or similar, shredded 50g frozen petit pois sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan and add the onion, celery and garlic. Fry gently until the onions just begin to turn translucent, being careful not to let the mixture colour. Add the vegetable stock, carrot, potato and chilli and gently simmer on a low heat with a lid on for around 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the lid, toss in the remaining vegetables and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked through but still retains a little bite. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve piping hot.
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Break-Up Brownies Even if you’re doing the breaking-up, the end of a relationship is never fun. Obviously chocolate is an essential in a time of such crisis, but why not go one better than a bar of Cadbury’s finest hurriedly picked up from the corner shop and whip up an irresistible batch of gooey, double-chocolate brownies? Follow this incredibly simple and rather fun recipe to share with gal pals, throw on a silly rom-com and rediscover the many, many joys of single life! Makes one large tray of brownies 200g unsalted butter 200g dark chocolate 3 eggs 1tbsp vanilla extract 250g caster sugar 100g plain flour 100g chopped hazelnuts (optional) 50g white chocolate chips 50g milk chocolate chips Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Line a large, deep cake tin or roasting dish with tin foil and grease well. In a large heatproof bowl or jug, carefully melt the chocolate and butter together by heating in the microwave on a medium setting for 20 second bursts until the mixture is smooth and runny. Set aside to cool slightly. 3
Gently beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla in a separate bowl. Into another bowl, sift the flour. Beat the egg mixture into the slightly cooled chocolate and butter. Next, add the nuts if desired, chocolate chips and lastly the flour. Beat until smooth and well combined and pour into the prepared tin.
Bake for around 25 minutes in the centre of the oven, checking after 20. The brownies will be done when the top has formed a speckled crust, but the middle still holds a definite wobble – remember that they’ll continue to cook a little as they cool. Eat whilst still warm - and definitely don’t share them with boys. 4
PMS Pasta When it’s that time of the month, often chocolate, crisps and endless cups of tea are all that appeals. However, a tasty and healthy satisfying meal like this recipe for macaroni cheese with salmon and spinach is what your body really needs during your period and will have you feeling human again in no time at all. Slow-release energy in wholemeal pasta regulates blood sugar and spinach helps to replace lost iron for a natural energy boost, whilst salmon provides much-needed protein and omega 3 fatty acids.
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Serves 1
1 salmon fillet
75g wholemeal macaroni or similar
1 lemon
1 tbsp butter
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1tbsp plain flour 100ml milk 50g strong cheddar, grated 1tsp English mustard 100g spinach
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6 and put the pasta on to boil. For the cheese sauce, gently melt the butter in a small pan and whisk in the flour to make a paste. Next, slowly pour in the milk, whisking all the time to avoid lumps and cook until a smooth, silky sauce is formed – add a little extra milk if it seems too thick. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese, mustard and lastly the spinach. Season with salt and pepper to taste. When the pasta is cooked, drain and combine with the cheese sauce. Pour into a small buttered dish and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until bubbling and golden brown on top. For the salmon, lay a large square of tin foil over a baking tray and place the salmon in the centre. Cut the lemon into chunky slices and tuck in and around the fillet. Season with salt and pepper and loosely wrap the salmon, allowing room for the fish to steam effectively. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Serve with a tall glass of smoothie or a steaming cup of green tea for a satisfying and healthy lunch or evening meal. 6
Morning After Munchies We’ve all done it – waking up at 1pm fully clothed after seven tequila slammers, three Jagerbombs and a pint of Guinness with nothing but the mother of all hangovers to show for it. There are hundreds of weird and wonderful hangover cures out there, ranging from swallowing a raw egg whole to tucking a slice of lemon under the armpit. Try ’em if you like, but this deliciously greasy sandwich is 100% guaranteed to stop even the deadliest morning after munchies in their tracks. So, so much better than McDonalds.
Makes enough for one sandwich the size of your hangover (cook accordingly) 2 bacon rashers 2 sausages
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1 egg 100g cheddar cheese, grated 2 thick slices of bread, white or wholemeal butter for spreading (optional) ketchup or brown sauce (optional) sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Grill the sausages and bacon until cooked through and set aside. Place one of the slices of bread on a baking tray and cut a circle out of the centre with a glass or biscuit cutter. Carefully break the egg into the hole, season with a little salt and pepper and sprinkle over the grated cheese. Grill until the egg is cooked and the cheese is golden and bubbling. Now to construct your sandwich. Butter the remaining slice of bread if desired and add ketchup or brown sauce to taste. Pile in the bacon and sausages and top with the grilled egg-and-cheese bread slice.Serve with a pint of water and perhaps a couple of aspirin.
Last Minute Birthday Cake Whether it’s your mum, your sister, a friend, a flatmate or a next-door neighbour, even the super organised are caught out by birthdays once in a while. Thankfully, next to nothing is more thoughtful than this yummy homemade vanilla sponge cake that everyone will love – and best of all, nobody will have a clue that you made it in a flash the very morning of their special day! Makes one large cake
For the topping:
For the cake:
100g icing sugar
225g unsalted butter, softened
Food colouring (optional)
225g caster sugar
chocolate and sweets or fruit
2tsp vanilla extract
to decorate
4 eggs 225g self-raising flour 3–4 tbsp milk
For the filling: 150g unsalted butter, softened 300g icing sugar 1tsp vanilla extract 2tbsp milk
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Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy with an electric mixer if you have one. Next, add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each. Stir in the vanilla extract. Sift in the flour and beat until smooth and well combined. Add the milk gradually - you might not need it all - until the mixture thins a little, enough to drop softly from the spoon. Grease two 6” cake tins, preferably with loose bottoms, and distribute the batter between the two, smoothing their tops flat with a spatula or spoon. Bake in the centre of the oven for around 25 minutes, or until their tops are golden and risen and a skewer inserted into the centre of each cake comes out clean. It’s important not to open the oven for the first 15 minutes or so of baking, as the sudden whoosh of cold air is very likely to cause sinking. Take the cakes from the oven and allow to cool in their tins for 10 minutes. Next, remove them carefully and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Whilst the cakes are cooling, make the buttercream filling. Sift the icing sugar and beat together with the butter and vanilla extract until soft and fluffy, adding a little milk if the mixture seems stiff. For the topping, simply mix the remaining 100g of sifted icing sugar with a little water and food colouring if desired. Pastel colours generally look best, so go easy. Place one of the cooled cakes on a cake board or pretty plate and spread with the buttercream filling. Top with the second cake, pour over the topping and let your imagination run wild as you decorate with the birthday boy or girl’s favourite sweets, chocolate or fruits – you could even spell out their name in hundreds and thousands if you’re feeling especially artistic! 10