SP learned to bake and cook by watching her mother. Now she loves to cook and bake quick and easy recipes that don't take long to make.

This is a soup I make quite frequently as it is pretty easy to assemble and only takes about an hour to make. It requires just a few ingredients and that take only about 10 to 15 minutes to prepare.

Everything is also cooked in the one saucepan as well. The main ingredient is carrots. I do add cabbage, as well, but if you don't like cabbage then you can just leave it out or add extra carrot and/or pepper.

I like this soup slightly thick, but if you prefer it to be a bit thinner then just add additional water till you get it to the consistency you like.

Cook Time

Equipment

• Chopping board
• Knife
• Measuring cups
• Vegetable peeler
• Measuring jug
• Hand blender

Ingredients

• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 700 mL boiling water, divided
• 1 medium white onion
• 4 cups organic carrots
• 1 red pepper
• 2 cups cabbage (optional)
• 1 tablespoon oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Dissolve the vegetable stock cube in a measuring jug with 500 mL of boiling water. Set aside and let the stock cube soften. Once the vegetables are prepared you can use a spoon to stir the stock to dissolve the rest of the stock cube.
2. To prepare your carrots you need to rinse them in some water to remove any debris and dirt. Next you can either scrub the outside of the carrots with a brush specifically used for cleaning vegetables to help you remove any loose skin from the outside of the carrots. Then you need to chop the carrots up into small cube for the soup. If you prefer to remove the outside skin part of the carrots you can use a vegetable peeler to remove the top layer of the skin off the carrot and then chop them up into cube as mentioned above.
3. Next you need to wash your red pepper and then slice it in half. Remove the seeds from the inside of the pepper and then chop up each half of the pepper into four strips. Then chop up the pepper into small cube-size pieces.
4. To prepare your onion you need to remove the outer brown skin covering it and then slice it into four quarters. Chop the white onion up into small cube side pieces also similar in size to the carrots and the red pepper.
5. The next step is to prepare you cabbage. You need to wash the cabbage leaves and roughly chop then up into small size strips. You need about 2 cups of cabbage.
6. Sauté your onion and red pepper in a saucepan for about 10 minutes until they are soft but not brown. Next add your cups of carrots into the saucepan with the 500 mL of vegetable stock. You can add another 200 mL of boiling water to the saucepan with the 500 mL.
7. Let the vegetables simmer in the stock for about 30 minutes. Then add your cabbage to the vegetable and stock and cook for another 10 minutes till the vegetable are soften and the cabbage is cooked. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Set your soup aside to cool down for a bit and then using a hand blender or a blender either pulse your soup a few times until you get it to a consistency you like. You can either serve it with some chunky bits of vegetables still remaining in it, or if you like it smooth, then pulse it until it reaches a smooth consistency.

You can also add barley or red lentils to this soup. If you do so, add an extra 100 to 200 ml of water to the soup as the grains will absorb liquid as they cook.

Barley and Red Lentils: Optional Additions

• If you like to add other ingredients to the soup you can. I have added barley and red lentils.
• Since both of these will absorb water as they cook you will need to add additional water to the soup—otherwise your soup will end up like a thick paste.
• It will still taste nice but if you prefer a soup that is similar to the consistency of gravy and not thick, then you will need to eye it and add around 100 to 200 mL of additional water to the soup until it reaches a consistency that you like.

Taste and Flavor

Even with the amount of carrots in this recipe as well as the cabbage you might be surprised to find that the red pepper is the more dominant flavor in this recipe. So again if you don't like red pepper then leave it out and instead add another two carrots.

You will still taste carrots but it just seems that the longer this is stored in the fridge then the stronger the taste of the pepper is.

Also since there is cabbage in this recipe you might be worried about the taste or smell. If you store it in an airtight container then you won't get that cabbage smell. But it will permeate the air when you open the container but the recipe does not have any taste of cabbage in it. So if you hate cabbage then you can leave it out.

How to Store the Soup

Once the soup is cooked and it has cooled down, you can freeze it or store it in a container in the fridge

I usually use this within one week as I take it to work for my lunch in a thermos.

How to Reheat

• Saucepan: I pour the soup into a saucepan and also add about 50 mL of water to it. I put it on a medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes. I also stir it occasionally to ensure it doesn't stick to the saucepan.
• Microwave: You can reheat this in the microwave for about 10 minutes on the highest heat setting. Initially I would set it for 5 minutes and then stir it and then put in in for the remaining 5 minutes. Since each model of microwaves is different, I would set it for 5 minutes, then take it out and stir it. Check to see how hot is is and then return it to the microwave till it is fully hot throughout. Again you might have to adjust this time for different microwaves as it will have different settings to the one I use.

Overcooked cabbage releases hydrogen sulfide. To avoid this cabbage smell you need to reduce the time it takes to cook your cabbage. So chop up your cabbage into smaller strips to reduce the cooking time.

© 2020 Sp Greaney

Comments

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on December 28, 2020:

@Chitrangada Sharan, thank you. It's much more convenient to make batches to last a few days.

@Andrienne Farricelli, it's good to try out different things. Peppers are so versatile too. I think you can practically add them to any dish.

Adrienne Farricelli on December 27, 2020:

I have tried many types of soup, but this is a new one. I always seem to have some peppers hanging my fridge around with no particular use. I can see now how I can use them. Thanks for sharing.

Chitrangada Sharan from New Delhi, India on December 27, 2020:

This sounds delicious and nutritious. It’s good that it can be stored for a few days, and then can be used again after reheating.

Thank you for sharing the detailed instructions and helpful pictures.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on December 27, 2020:

@Peggy W, thank you. Yes it's very tasty and also filing.

@Coffequeen, yes. It is always nicer to make your own homemade soups.

Louise Powles from Norfolk, England on December 26, 2020:

That looks lovely. I think I'd enjoy this!

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on December 26, 2020:

Your soup recipe sounds delicious and also nutritious. I love making homemade soups like this. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on December 26, 2020:

@ Cheryl E Preson, it is. It is very filling too.

@ emge, yes. It is one of those soups you can put together at the last minute.

Cheryl E Preston from Roanoke on December 26, 2020:

This sounds so delicioous. I hope you enjoyed it.

MG Singh emge from Singapore on December 26, 2020:

That's a nice dish and am sure will be tasty. Will ask my friend to try one day.

S.P. Greaney loves trying new drink recipes and DIY drink kits.

DIY Gin Kit

I’ve seen a few gin kits advertised online and I wanted to see if they were any good at turning vodka into gin. Each one says that you only need to add vodka. You don't even need to use a branded vodka.

I purchased this one on Amazon, and it was priced at the lower price range coming in at under £10. The kit contained an instruction book, a mixture of botanicals, juniper berries, a pipette and a cotton filter.

Items Needed

• 1 bottle (or container with lid)
• 1 teaspoon
• 1 tablespoon
• 1 measuring jug
• 700ml vodka (any brand)
• 1 DIY gin kit
• 1 elastic band

Step 1: Prepare the Bottle

1. You need to wash your bottle or your container thoroughly in hot soapy water.
2. Next you need to sterilize the bottle or the container using whichever sterilizing method you like. You can do a hot wash in the dishwasher, place your clean wet container in the oven for 15 minutes or place it in a saucepan of boiling water for 15 minutes.

Note: It doesn’t suggest sterilizing your container in the instruction booklet but if you want to ensure that your container is thoroughly clean, then this is a good idea.

Step 2: Make Your Gin

I decided to make two versions of the gins.

• Version 1: For the first one I used 500 ml of vodka and I followed the directions exactly as they suggested in the booklet but I reduced the measurement of the ingredients.
• Version 2: For the remaining 200 ml of gin I decided to expand the fermenting time of the juniper berries and the botanicals to see if it would turn out any different.

The juniper berries do not change the color of the vodka. However when you add the botanicals to the vodka mix they do change the color of the vodka within a day.

Version 1 (7-Day Ferment)

This is what I did with the first 500 ml of vodka.

1. Add 2 tablespoons of juniper berries to the 500 ml of vodka and let them sit in it for 3 days.
2. On the fourth day add 2 teaspoons of the botanicals to the vodka and the juniper berries mix and let all of the ingredients sit together for another 3 days.
3. On the seventh day, your gin is ready to be filtered.

Total time: This version of gin takes 7 days to make.

Version 2 (12-Day Ferment)

This is what I did with the remaining 200 ml of vodka.

1. Add the remaining juniper berries which should come to about 1 teaspoon to the 200ml of vodka and let them sit in the vodka for 6 days.
2. On day 7 add the remaining 1 teaspoon of botanicals to the vodka and the juniper berries mix and let them sit for an additional 6 days.

Total time: This version of gin takes a whole 12 days to make.

The booklet does not tell you exactly what type of herbs and flowers are in the botanicals sachet. It's hard to know what is causing the vodka to change color.

How to Filter Your Homemade Gin

When the gin is ready to be filtered, you use the cotton filter included in the kit to strain the vodka that is now considered gin. I rinsed the filter under water first before using it.

1. Secure the cotton filter to the measuring jug with an elastic band.
2. Slowly pour the vodka onto the mesh.
3. As you pour the vodka now considered gin through the filter, the juniper berries and the botanicals will fall out onto the top of the filter.
4. Once all of the liquid has been poured into the measuring jug, you can dump the juniper berries and the botanicals.
5. This is the first filter. Let the gin sit for 24 hours and then give it a second filter. Follow the same approach as above.
6. You pour the gin back into your bottle and you let it sit for a further day or two. Now your gin is read to be served with ice, lemonade or tonic water and you can garnish your drink with some cucumber slices.

Notes About Filtering

1. This does slightly taste like gin when it is filtered especially if you add your ice cubes, your garnish and your tonic water or lemonade.
2. On day three when it came time to add the botanical to the 500ml vodka, I decided to smell and taste the vodka. The juniper berries definitely help to make the vodka taste and smell slightly of real gin. However, when I tasted it, it still had the punch of straight vodka.

How Did My Two Versions Compare?

Version 1 (7-Day Ferment)

• This version tasted a bit more like actual real gin compared to the 200ml version and that is probably because most of the ingredients went into this one.
• This also came way more darker compared to the 200ml version. Again this is probably because there were more botanicals added to this version.

Version 2 (12-Day Ferment)

• This does still taste like gin but it also still tastes a bit like vodka.
• This version and the 500ml version are both drinkable.
• Also this version didn't darken as much as the 500ml considering I left the juniper berries and botanicals in it for 7 days longer. That's probably because they were less in it.

Final Thoughts

• I think if you were to make gin from vodka at home you could buy the spices, herbs and juniper berries at a more affordable price in a shop or online.
• The homemade gin does taste very similar to real gin and I will drink it but I wouldn't use it to replace the real version of gin.
• When you smell this homemade gin after you have added the juniper berries, you can get the underlying smell of natural gin. So maybe if more juniper berries were added at stage one to the vodka it might taste a little bit more like real gin once it had finished fermenting.
• The color of the homemade gin is also slightly more yellow. Real gin is clear. I filtered the gin twice and it didn't impact the color. I let it rest for 3 days and it still remained the same color. However when I added some ice cubes and white lemonade it did slightly lighten the color.
• I think if you made it from scratch and added similar ingredients to that of a well known brand of gin, you could come up with a drinks recipe that you like.

Ingredients in Well Known Gin Brands

© 2020 Sp Greaney

Comments

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on December 06, 2020:

@Edwin Alcantara. I've only seen these around online and in shops this last year. I've seen other kits for win and cider too. So it must be a something that is getting promoted this year.

@Emge, I was surprised too. I think it would be a good gift for a gin lover. It's something you get a bit of fun out of doing.

@Brenda Arledge, it is and it does take patients. Yes, I agree with you about the juniper berries. I think if the kit had another bag of them it would have made all the difference. That why I tried it too to see if it was any good.

BRENDA ARLEDGE from Washington Court House on December 05, 2020:

Sounds like a lot of work and a couple of good weeks before the gin is ready to drink.

Even then it taste like vodka, so that woukd be disappointing after alll the process to make it.

I did see where the other one is better and maybe a few more berries would help.

Don't think I would try this one, but it is an excellent article.

MG Singh emge from Singapore on December 05, 2020:

Fascinating article. I never knew that gin could be prepared at home but I don't think I am going to try it.

Edwin Alcantara from California on December 05, 2020:

I never tried making my own gin at home before. Thanks for the info.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on December 05, 2020:

@Adrienne Farricelli, I only came across them in the last 6 months. It's a nice fun gift for gin lovers.

@ Pamela Oglesby, that's a good plan. It's the first time I attempted it and it was a fun project to do.

@ Chitrangada Sharan, thank you. Yes, it was so interesting to see the whole process take place and taste it as I went along.

@ Gabriel Wilson, thank you. It was a bit time consuming to do but it was a fun project.

Gabriel Wilson from Madeira, Portugal on December 05, 2020:

A lot of work has been put into this very interesting article. I enjoyed reading it and enjoyed learning too. Thank you Sangre.

Chitrangada Sharan from New Delhi, India on December 04, 2020:

Nice and well explained DIY, which should make it easier for people to do it themselves at home. Good presentation and well done. Thank you for sharing.

Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on December 04, 2020:

You certainly did explain this process very well. I never considered making any alcohol at home, but considering how much we are at home, it is not a bad idea, Sp.

Adrienne Farricelli on December 04, 2020:

This is so interesting! I didn't even know you could make gin at home.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on December 04, 2020:

@Thanks Liz Westwood. I wanted to try one of them for ages to see what all the fuss is about. It's a good kit.

Liz Westwood from UK on December 04, 2020:

I have sometimes wondered how this would turn out. You have done a thorough and well-documented trial.

SP learned to bake and cook by watching her mother. Now she loves to cook and bake quick and easy recipes that don't take long to make.

This brown bread recipe combines two different recipes that I've used in the past. I like to add rolled oats to nearly all of my recipes, especially if I am making bread.

When I am baking, I often experiment with adding new ingredients just to see how it turns out. I’ve been making this particular recipe for a while now, and it is probably one of my favorite things to make. You can eat it with soup or simply with butter and jam. Either way, it's delicious.

In this recipe, I added rolled oats, brown sugar and water. It did change the outcome of the recipe in the sense that it produced a softer and more flavorful bread.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups coarse wholemeal flour
• 1 cup plain all-purpose white flour
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup clarified butter
• 1 medium egg
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup soft brown sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup water

Equipment

• 1-pound loaf tin
• Mixing bowl
• Spatula
• Fork
• Wooden spoon
• Set of measuring cups
• Teaspoon
• Parchment paper
• Microwave bowl
• Wire rack
• Clean tea towel

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit). My oven is electric, so if you have a different type of oven it might take more or less time to bake.
2. This recipe involves two stages. Stage one: Add the coarse wholemeal flour, the all-purpose white flour, the rolled oats, the salt and the baking powder into a mixing bowl. Mix the ingredients together really well with a wooden spoon. Set this aside and prepare the butter.
3. To clarify your butter, you will need to pop it into the microwave. Place the butter into a microwave-safe bowl and place it into the microwave on a high heat for 10 to 20 seconds until it turns into a soft liquid. This could vary between microwaves, so set it for 10 seconds and then check it; if it hasn’t melted, then set it for another 10 seconds. If it still isn’t melted by that time, then set it for 5 more seconds until it is. Once it is done, set it aside to cool for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. The second stage involves the other ingredients. Place the brown sugar into another bowl and add in the egg. Mix with a fork. Add the clarified butter to the egg and sugar mixture and again mix with the fork.
5. Now add this mixture into the dry flour and oat mixture. Make sure that the sugar, egg and butter mixture is incorporated into the flour mixture really well.
6. Finally you need to add the two liquids, the milk and the water. You can add these together to the mixture or you can add them in separately and then mix everything in to each other with a wooden spoon.
7. Grease the inside of your loaf tin with butter and line the inside of your loaf tin with parchment paper. Once your loaf tin is ready, pour the mixture into the tin and bake it in the oven for 50 minutes. You can use a spatula to flatten the top of the bread if you like.
8. Check the bread after 40 minutes to see how it is progressing. You can do a quick test to see if it is done at this stage by inserting a wooden skewer into the centre of the bread to see if it is done. If it comes away with some mixture on it, then the bread needs to stay in the oven a little longer. Set the timer for an additional 10 minutes to finish it off and then do the skewer test again. Once the skewer comes away clean, the inside of the bread is baked. Again this could vary between ovens. After 40 minutes, keep an eye on it.
9. When the bread it baked, leave it in the tin for 10 minutes to cool. After that time remove it from the tin and turn it out onto a wire racks. Cover it with a clean tea towel and let it fully cool before cutting it.
10. Serve with soup or eat as an open sandwich. Alternatively, it is just as delicious to eat with just butter and jam.

Photo Guide

Can I Omit the Water or Milk?

If you don’t want to add the water or the cow’s milk, try to use an alternative type of liquid. I have always made it using these two liquids.

If you were going to use an alternative liquid I would try using oat milk.

This recipe has a very wet and runny consistency when it is prepared, so you are going to need some form of liquid for this recipe.

Add Additional Ingredients

You can also add either sultans or sunflower seeds to the recipe.

© 2020 Sp Greaney

Comments

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on September 01, 2020:

@Adrienne Farricelli. Yes, I think that is so much more healthier. I so want a bread machine. Making bread would be a weekly thing for me then.

Adrienne Farricelli on September 01, 2020:

I am always after recipes made of whole grains. Any bread that is without 100 percent refined flour, mixed flours in other words. I recently got a bread machine and will need to try this out. Thanks fr sharing!

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on August 31, 2020:

@Abby Slutsky, nope that's good advice. Sometimes you don't pick up on something that someone else could spot.

Abby Slutsky from America on August 31, 2020:

This looks delicious. I have one suggestion. I would make step one preheating the oven. Then step 2 would be discussing the stages and ending with making the clarified butter. Step 3 would logically go right into explaining how to make the clarified butter. I don't know if you will like that better, but I think it might be more fluid than having a step between the clarified butter.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on August 31, 2020:

@Liza, yes, it's always interesting to find new recipes on here. This bread is pretty simply to make and I like a recipe where you can add or remove ingredients.

Liza from USA on August 30, 2020:

I like trying something new, especially something that I have never made before. I love the process of making any bread. Your recipe seems easy to follow with great photos as a reference. Thank you for sharing!

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on August 30, 2020:

@ Liz Westwood, yes I think anything that takes you a while to prepare and bake puts you off. It's pretty healthy. I did have to add the brown sugar to it, as it just adds a little something extra.

Liz Westwood from UK on August 30, 2020:

Often I get put off bread recipes because of the preparation and time needed. This caught my eye because it seems quicker than most and also has healthier ingredients.

SP learned to bake and cook by watching her mother. Now she loves to cook and bake quick and easy recipes that don't take long to make.

This coleslaw recipe is a super quick and very easy recipe to make. It basically contains all of the ingredients that you will find in prepacked coleslaw but it comes without a lot of the extra preservatives and flavourings that are found in some of the prepacked versions.

If you add the mayonnaise to the prepared vegetables then you need to eat the coleslaw that day. But if you leave the mayonnaise out and just assemble the vegetable for the coleslaw then you can keep this in an airtight container in the fridge for two to three days. Then just add some mayonnaise to the portion that you are serving at each meal.

I never buy coleslaw from the grocery store because I don’t like the mayonnaise that they use in the coleslaw. I also find that most brands have at least 10 to 15 ingredients in the prepacked coleslaw. Also if you are trying to find prepacked coleslaw in the winter season, for some reason, at least where I live, the stores don't seem to have a lot on the shelves—so it is usually gone very quickly.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 4 cups prepacked stir-fry white cabbage
• 1 medium onion
• 5 tablespoons Hellman’s mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 cups organic grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots)

Equipment

• Plastic bowl
• Wooden spoon
• Tablespoon
• Chopping board
• Knife
• Handheld grater

Instructions

1. Peel your three carrots and remove the top stalk and the ends of the carrots. Wash your carrots and dry them with a tea towel. If you have a food processor, you can use it to shred the carrots. Otherwise, use a handheld grater. Just pull the carrots down on the grater to get strips of shredded carrots. Since there are only three carrots, this shouldn’t take more than five minutes. Pour your shredded carrots into a bowl and set aside.
2. Next put your shredded white cabbage into a colander and rinse it under cold running water to remove any dirt and to give it a clean. Dry the cabbage with a tea towel and pour into the same bowl as the carrots.
3. Now you need to peel and roughly chop up the onion and add it into the same bowl as the cabbage and the carrot.
4. At this point I usually halve the coleslaw and put one half of it into an airtight container and pop it into the fridge.
5. For the other half that you are going to serve now, you need to add two to three level tablespoons of Hellman’s mayonnaise to the vegetables and mix everything really well. If you want to add more mayonnaise you can, I just like mine to have a light coating of it.

FAQs

Can I use non-organic carrots?

Yes, you can but if you have ever tried using organic vegetables in a dish then you will know that there is a nicer flavour from organic vegetables.

Can I use any brand of mayonnaise?

Yes, if you use another brand of mayonnaise in your household like Kraft or Heinz then you can use them. I just personally like Hellmann’s.

Where can I find prepacked white cabbage?

I usually find this over by the salad and stir-fry section of the grocery store. Some stores also sell fresh prepacked stir-fry mix that already has grated carrot, chopped onion and the cabbage done for you.

If you find this version in your grocery store, then buy this one and then all you need to do is add the mayonnaise.

Can I add other ingredients?

If you don’t like using white onion in your dish then you can use spring onion instead. Spring onion isn’t as strong as white onion and some people might prefer the flavour of this vegetable.

You can also add grated white cheddar cheese to this recipe. For the recipe above I would add four tablespoons of grated cheese. If you like it cheesier then you can add as much as you like. But four tablespoons usually works in this recipe. If you are adding cheese don’t add it to the vegetables that are in the airtight container. Only add the cheese to the vegetable when you are serving it before you add the mayonnaise.

Prepacked vs. Homemade Coleslaw

This is the list of ingredients that is usually found in prepacked coleslaw:

White Cabbage (45%), Mayonnaise (Rapeseed Oil, Water, Egg [Egg, Salt], Spirit Vinegar, Sugar, Lemon Juice, Salt, Mustard Powder, Dijon Mustard [Water, Mustard Seed, Spirit Vinegar, Salt, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid)], Stabiliser (Xanthan Gum)), Carrot (14%), Crème Fraîche (Milk), Double Cream (Milk), Onion, Chive.

This is the ingredients used in homemade coleslaw.

Carrots, Cabbage, Onion, Mayonnaise.

Conclusion

If you want to make a larger portion of this coleslaw just double the ingredients. But you might have to add or take out the amount of mayonnaise that you put in so always start with less and if you need to add more, then you can.

© 2020 Sp Greaney

Comments

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on August 17, 2020:

@Ebeth, thank you for commenting.

Ebeth on August 16, 2020:

Thank you for sharing the info.

More power

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on August 12, 2020:

@Adrienne Farricelli, Thank you. Yes, I totally agree with you there. There is a nicer flavor out of organic vegetables. The grocery stores here only stock a few choices, so our options are limited.

@Liza, I never though of adding apple cider vinegar. I must try that. I bet it adds something unique flavor wise too.

Liza from USA on August 11, 2020:

I love coleslaw and I have made many times at home. My favorite coleslaw always started with raw cabbage, mayonnaise onion, carrot, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, salt, sugar, and pepper. Your recipe sounds easy to follow. Thanks for sharing!

Adrienne Farricelli on August 11, 2020:

It's nice to see an easy recipe for coleslaw needing only 4 ingredients. I like that you suggest to use organic carrots. I am a big proponent of organic foods and hope more and more farmers would start selling organic.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on August 10, 2020:

@ Abby Slutsky, thank you. Yes, mayonnaise always ends up getting watery so quickly, it's so annoying. Better to leave it out.

Abby Slutsky from America on August 09, 2020:

This looks delicious, healthy and easy; the perfect combination of a good recipe. I loved the idea of adding mayo just for the portion you are using.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on August 09, 2020:

@ Danny, thank you for commenting. Yes it's such a lovely dish.

Danny from India on August 09, 2020:

I loved the name of this dish. Amazing and well depicted.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on August 09, 2020:

@ Diana Carol Abrahamson, yes I feel the same way. I've tried others but always come back to Hellmans.

@Cheryl E Preston, yes, it's so much nicer.I prefer homemade as much as possible.

@Pamela Oglesby, I think we are all the same. Once you like one brand it's hard to switch to another.

@Chitrangada Sharan, thank you. It's great to know others make it too. Everyone I know just buys the prepacked one.

@ Liz Westwood, That happens with the prepacked ones too, you think it would not run. I wonder how the cafes and deli in shops get around that issue.

I think once you make it you have to use it within the time frame you mentioned anyway. I'm a bit lazy and want to do as less chopping as possible. :) Also it's hit and miss if I can actually find that cabbage in our local Tesco when I go in. They veg section is never restocked throughout the day.

Liz Westwood from UK on August 09, 2020:

This is a recipe that I use regularly. I have found that if stored in the fridge even with mayonnaise added, it will last a day or two. (At least none of us have got ill from eating it). But the mixture can go a little runny. I tend to buy a whole white cabbage and chop it myself too. Your tip about adding mayonnaise as needed is a good one. I might try it next time.

Chitrangada Sharan from New Delhi, India on August 09, 2020:

Very well done article, with wonderful pictures and helpful instructions.

I liked the way you have presented the whole article. I do make this coleslaw recipe, and you inspired me to make it again.

Thanks for sharing.

Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on August 08, 2020:

My husband is very picky about which mayonaise we use, so this recipe would work well for coleslaw. Thanks for sharing it, Sp.

Cheryl E Preston from Roanoke on August 08, 2020:

Sounds delicious.

Diana Carol Abrahamson from Somerset West on August 08, 2020:

I love coleslaw and how fresh it tastes.Hellmans mayonnaise is so delicious and creamy.Not fond of sour mayonaise.Thanks for sharing your recipe:)

SP learned to bake and cook by watching her mother. Now she loves to cook and bake quick and easy recipes that don't take long to make.

These cookies have been made many times in my house. It is a very simple recipe created around a basic scone recipe, minus the baking powder and the egg. The only extra thing that you will need is some ground ginger to add some spice. They are really quick to prepare; they require only six ingredients and they bake in just 12 to 15 minutes.

The cookies are very light and only have a hint of ginger in them. If you don't like things that have a very strong ginger flavor then you should like these, as there is only one teaspoon of ginger in the recipe

Since I haven't added baking powder, the cookies won't rise or spread. So whatever size the cookies are before they are baked, then this is the size that they will be when they are fully baked.

If you want large cookies, then just use two tablespoons instead of one.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup clarified butter
• 1/3 cup milk

Necessary Equipment

• Baking tray
• Parchment paper
• Wooden spoon
• Measuring spoons
• Mixing bowl
• 2 tablespoons

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit). Place a sheet of parchment paper onto your baking tray and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, add the ginger and flour. Stir them together with a wooden spoon. Add the sugar and the rolled oats to this mixture and mix all of these ingredients together.
3. Add the clarified butter to this mixture and stir everything together till all of the butter is incorporated into the mixture.
4. Add the milk and stir this into the mixture until everything comes together and forms a ball of dough.
5. Scoop out one tablespoon of the mixture with your tablespoon and lay this onto your baking tray. Once you have all your cookies on the baking tray, you need to flatten the top of them with the back of the tablespoon. You don't need to spend time on shaping the cookies to make them look pretty.
6. Place your baking tray into the oven for between 12 to 15 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned. At the 12-minute mark, just give them a quick check to make sure they are not done as the cooking time can vary between ovens. Stick a wooden skewer in the centre of the cookies to see if it comes away clean. If it does come away clean then take them out of the oven. If it doesn't, then give them another 3 minutes in the oven. I wouldn’t leave them in for any more than 15 minutes as they will burn.
7. Once the cookies are baked, take them out of the oven and set them aside to cool for 20 minutes. After that you can eat as many as you want.

Ginger is a spice and considered a rhizome and it grows its roots horizontally from its stems.

FAQs

What is the texture of these cookies like?

The texture of these cookies is very similar to that of plain scones. So if you like scones then you will love these.

Can I substitute another liquid for the milk?

If you don't want to use milk in this recipe then you can use water or another version of milk.

Also, you might have to adjust the amount of liquid that you do use. This is because different brands of flours will require different amounts of liquid. So if 1/3 of liquid isn't enough to form a dough with the brand of flour that you are using then I would gradually add a tablespoon at a time of liquid till the mixture forms a dough.

Can I add other ingredients?

If you want to add an additional ingredient to this recipe, I would stick to sultanas. Since the ginger is the flavor of these cookies, any other ingredient will overpower the flavor of the cookie.

Do I need to let the dough rest?

No, you do not need to let this rest for 30 minutes in the fridge before baking it. As soon as all the ingredients are mixed together, you measure out your cookies and place them on your baking tray and pop them into your preheated oven.

Can I make more than 11 cookies?

Yes, you can double the ingredient to make 22 instead of 11 cookies and if you want to make 33 cookies you can just triple the list of ingredients mentioned in the recipe above.

Is the flavor of ginger really strong in this recipe?

No, since this recipe only uses one teaspoon of ginger, you will only taste a hint of ginger.

This recipe is not like ginger cake or ginger biscuits. The cookies won't be hard either like they are with shop-bought ginger biscuits. They are very soft cookies and you will only get a mild hint of ginger from the cookie. The ginger in these cookies will not be to over powering.

Can I make the cookies bigger?

Yes, you can. If you do decide to make the cookies bigger then shape two tablespoons of the dough onto the palm of your hand and roll it into a ball. Place it on the baking tray and flatten it down with your hand. If you want more than six cookies then you would need to double the list of ingredients mentioned here.

© 2020 Sp Greaney

Comments

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on August 17, 2020:

@Rachel Alba, Yes I don't see any issue with using candied ginger. You would still have the flavor of ginger Just chop it up or grate it into the recipe. I never thought of using that myself. That's a good idea.

Yes, I see eggs in a lot of recipes too, I do leave them out sometimes even if the recipe calls for it. In those instances I just add maybe a 1/4 cup extra of liquid to the recipe instead. It will make the mixture a bit more liquidity, but I never really see any side effect of excluding it from the recipe. As long as the people eating it like it that is all that matters.

Rachel Alba on August 17, 2020:

Hi SP I recently bought candied ginger and I was thinking maybe I can use it chopped in some way into these cookies. I also noticed that there isn't an egg in the recipe which is great because my granddaughter is intolerant of eggs and it's so hard to find a cookie recipe with no eggs, so thank you for this recipe. I'm going to print it out and make it for her. Blessings to you.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on August 10, 2020:

@Adrienne Farricelli, thank you. I'm a big fan of recipes that can be made quickly. Plus most of these ingredients are usually in our cabinet anyway.

Adrienne Farricelli on August 09, 2020:

It's nice to find cookie recipes that don't need a whole lot of ingredients and that are easy to bake. Thanks for sharing it.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on August 05, 2020:

@JP Carlos, ,yes, I agree. I need to experiment more with some spices as I've never used it in cooking yet. .

JP Carlos from Quezon CIty, Phlippines on July 31, 2020:

This looks simple enough to make. I love ginger. I put it in almost everything that I cook. it's healthy and easy to store. The best recipes are those that are simple, tasty and healthy.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on July 28, 2020:

@Mary Norton, thanks. Yes they are delicious. Never any leftovers.

Mary Norton from Ontario, Canada on July 28, 2020:

Looks yummy and easy to do. I love ginger cookies.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on July 27, 2020:

@Abby Slutsky, I haven't tried that yet. They usually get eaten once they are baked. :)

Abby Slutsky from America on July 27, 2020:

These sounds easy and delicious. I hope to try them soon. I bet the dough probably freezes well too. Have you tried to freeze it?

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on July 26, 2020:

@Pamela Oglesby, that's great. Hope ye have nice time. Enjoy.

Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on July 26, 2020:

My granddaughter is visiting soon and I will make these cookies for her. Thank you for this recipe, Sp.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on July 26, 2020:

@Liz Westwood. Thanks. I bet they could be. I think we all could have family recipe that could be very similiar if compared.

Liz Westwood from UK on July 26, 2020:

These sound a little like biscuits my Mum used to make. I like the simplicity of the ingredients and the method.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on July 25, 2020:

@Liza, thanks, you to. They are really nice especially for anyone who love using ground ginger. Very quick to make too.

Liza from USA on July 25, 2020:

I've made scones. However, I never made ginger cookies before. I love ginger. Therefore, these ginger cookies are going to be delicious to have with a cup of tea. Thank you for sharing a great recipe, Sp Greaney. Have a wonderful weekend!

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on July 25, 2020:

@Diana Carol Abrahamson, thanks for your comment. Yes, I do too. The simpler a recipe is the more often I will make it.

Diana Carol Abrahamson from Somerset West on July 25, 2020:

Thanks for sharing your simple ginger cookie recipe. Love easy bake treats and ginger spice, is one of my favourites too :)

I love to share advice and tips gleaned from my own experiences.

I have been making this simple no-bake cheesecake for many years now. I'm not sure how I ended up making it in this particular way. I've certainly made some amendments over the years to it but it has become a staple dessert in our household.

In this recipe, there is no pureed fruit, no whipping cream and no jam or juice. It is just jelly, biscuits, butter and cream cheese.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 1 (135 g) packet Chivers strawberry jelly
• 250 g McVities Digestive biscuits (around 18 biscuits)
• 200 g low-fat soft cream cheese
• 70 g clarified butter
• 200 ml boiling water
• 200 ml cold water

Conversions: Grams and ML to Cups

Equipment

• Microwave bowl
• Plastic bowl
• 1 lb loaf tin
• Cling film
• Measuring jug
• Teaspoon
• Whisk
• Spatula
• Fork

Instructions

1. First you need to grind up your biscuits. If you have a food processor, then use this. If you don't have one, break up your biscuits into pieces and place them into a freezer bag. Flatten the bag to remove the air inside it. Lay the bag down on a teatowel but don't tie the top of the bag just hold it closed with your hand. Cover the freezer bag with the other half of the tea towel and gently roll the rolling pin, back and forth over the freezer bag. Now pour your ground biscuits into a bowl and add the clarified butter.
2. Place your butter into a microwave bowl and pop it in the microwave for 15 seconds until it has melted. Once you hear it splashing, keep an eye on it because it only takes seconds for the butter to dissolve in the microwave. Now add the clarified butter to the biscuit mixture and mix it thoroughly with a spatula. The biscuits mixture should be fully covered with all the butter. If the biscuits look too dry, you might need to add another 10g of butter.
3. If you don’t have a 1 lb loaf tin, then any other type of tin will do. You can use a springform cake tin if you have one but depending on its size you might need to increase the recipe measurements. In this recipe I use a bread tin because I wanted a rectangle cheesecake that I could slice. Next line your loaf tin with a large sheet of cling film. Use two pieces of cling film if you need to but make sure that there are no gaps between the tin and the cling film.
4. Now pour the biscuit mixture into the loaf tin and use a fork to firmly press down on the biscuit mixture to compress it in together. Go around a few times with the fork to ensure that the biscuit mixture is pressed in nice and firm. A potato masher would also work well if you have one. Next place it in the fridge to set for an hour. To see if it is set, gently lift the cling film away from the sides, and if the biscuit is set it won't break up. If it doesn’t look like it has set yet, give another 30 minutes in the fridge. This is why it's important that you have used enough butter to set the biscuit.
5. Next cut the jelly up into nine squares and place it into a measuring jug and add 200 ml of boiling water. Stir the mixture really well until all the jelly squares have dissolved. Now add another 200 ml of cold water to this mixture and set it aside until you need it.
6. Put your cream cheese into a plastic bowl and give it a light whisk. Now pour the jelly mixture into the cream cheese. It's important that the jelly is fully cold and not hot when you finally add it to the cream cheese. It might look a bit weird at first but keep whisking and the jelly and the cream cheese will blend in together. Initially it might look like the jelly is separating from the cream cheese but it isn't.
7. Remove your tin with the biscuits from the fridge and pour your jelly mixture into it. Place your mixture into the fridge for at least 3 hours to ensure it is fully set throughout.
8. Once your cheesecake has fully set, take the tin out gently life the cheesecake out of the tin. Peel the cling film away from the sides of the cheesecake. You might need an additional set of hands to hold the sides of the cake tin while you lift it out. This is why the cheesecake needs to be fully set because if it wasn’t, then this is where it would be a disaster.
9. Remove the cheesecake from the tin and lay it on a plate. Next, peel the cling film away from the sides of the cheesecake. Now serve up your cheesecake with cream or fruit coulis. This cake should serve 6 people.

Melt Your Jelly in the Microwave

Put the jelly cubes into a microwave dish with 5 tablespoons of water. Place the dish in the microwave for 50 to 60 seconds until the jelly has melted.

Check the jelly at the 40 seconds mark to see if it has dissolved because each microwave can differ. Once the jelly is fully melted add the 400 ml of cold water to it.

Preparing the Biscuits Base

Mixing the Jelly With the Cream Cheese

FAQs

Can I use a different flavored jelly?

Yes, if you want orange flavored cheesecake, you can use orange jelly. If you wanted a lime flavored cheesecake, you could use lime jelly. If you want a lemon and lime cheesecake, use 100 ml to dissolve each flavor of jelly.

Then add your 100 ml of cold water to each mixture. Since this will be a two-layer cheesecake, you will have to wait three hours for one layer to set before you add the other layer on top of it. So it’s best to prepare this the day before you need it.

Can I use another type of biscuit?

If you don’t like digestive biscuits, you could use chocolate digestive, rich tea or even crackers.

Can I use a springform cake tin?

If you use this tin instead of a 1 lb tin, you should double the ingredients used as this springform tin will be bigger than the 1 lb tin.

Can I use gelatin?

Yes, you can. However, if you use gelatin, then you won't need to use the jelly. You will need to use a punnet of pureed strawberries and add the gelatin and pureed strawberries to the cream cheese. Use one leaf of gelatin per 100 ml of liquid.

© 2020 Sp Greaney

Comments

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on August 09, 2020:

@JP Carlos, yes any biscuit will do for this. Graham crackers will be just as tasty. That's great that your daughter loves making things, she will be taking over your kitchen as her own in no time.

When you add the butter to the crackers, you might need less because digestive biscuits are heavier. When adding the clarified butter only add half the amount first. Then mix it into the graham crackers. You just want the crackers to be lighly coated with the butter so that it form a hard crust when it sets in the fridge. If the graham crackers still look a little dry add some more clarified butter.

I think the rest should be ok but if you want to make a smaller version you add less water to the jelly.

JP Carlos from Quezon CIty, Phlippines on August 08, 2020:

This is awesome. My daughter will have another fun time in the kitchen. We don't have the digestives biscuit ( i ate it all). Can i use graham crackers instead? Do I need to tweak the amount of the other ingredients since it may have a different texture?

Last night she made crepes and I am sure she'll make this later tonight. Thanks for another quick and easy recipe,

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on July 26, 2020:

@Devika Primic, yes do give it a go. I think anyone really can make this.

@viryabo, that sounds delicious. Hope you enjoy it.

viryabo from Lagos, Nigeria. on July 26, 2020:

Love this no-bake recipe. Thank you for sharing this. I’m trying it out with mango.

Devika Primic on July 26, 2020:

I like best to try no bake recipes. I have tried baking and just don't follow recipes as well. This sounds great!

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on July 25, 2020:

@ Audrey Hunt, yes it taste delicious and you should enjoy it.

@ Angel Guzman, yes it one of our to go to desserts.

Angel Guzman from Joliet, Illinois on July 25, 2020:

Sounds yum

Audrey Hunt from Idyllwild Ca. on July 24, 2020:

I'm loving your recipe for strawberry cheesecake. Your directions are super! I'll be making this soon. It looks so delicious!

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on July 08, 2020:

@GlenR, sounds yummy. Fresh strawberries in the summer are a lovely treat.

Glen Rix from UK on July 08, 2020:

A timely recipe for strawberry season. We eat strawberries and cream/ice cream every week when they are locally grown, so I might ring the changes with your recipe this weekend.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on June 27, 2020:

@Liz Westwood, Thanks Liz. I think if the recipe is easy, you're more incline to make it. That's usually my approach.

Liz Westwood from UK on June 27, 2020:

This is my kind of recipe. It has easy to find ingredients and the method is straightforward. I appreciate your easy to follow instructions and illustrations.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on June 25, 2020:

@Chitrangada Sharan, thanks. I have seen that approach on here by others and it's such a good idea.

Chitrangada Sharan from New Delhi, India on June 25, 2020:

This sounds delicious indeed. Love the way you described it, with helpful pictures and instructions.

Thanks for sharing this well presented article.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on June 25, 2020:

@ Diana Carol Abrahamson. Thanks Diana, yes it is a really light dessert too.

@ Linda Crampton, yes, it is. It's one of those desserts that takes very little effort to turn out and tastes great.

Linda Crampton from British Columbia, Canada on June 24, 2020:

I love the sound of your recipe. I think the cheesecake would be a delicious treat. I can understand why it's become a staple dessert in your family! Thanks for sharing the useful tips as well as the recipe.

Diana Carol Abrahamson from Somerset West on June 24, 2020:

That looks like a delicious cheesecake. Thank you for sharing your recipe with us.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on June 24, 2020:

@Thelma Alberts, yes it's so tasty. Plus it's very cheap to make too.

Thelma Alberts from Germany on June 24, 2020:

Yummy! This is an easy no bake strawberry cheese cake. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on June 24, 2020:

@Pamela Oglesby, thanks. Yes, I think we all love recipes that come together with little effort.

Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on June 24, 2020:

I think this no-bake recipe sounds easy to bake and it sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on June 24, 2020:

@Liza, thanks, I totally agree with you. I'm a fan of quick and easy recipes that don't require too much preparation.

Liza from USA on June 24, 2020:

No-bake goods always one of the simplest things to do. I'm a fan of no-bake desserts. It's easy and fast. By the way, this no-bake strawberry cheesecake is perfect for a summer treat! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

S.P. Greaney is a freelance writer who is interested in cooking, gardening and many other topics.

Baked tuna pie is very easy to prepare, as it contains just six ingredients: three vegetables, one egg, tinned tuna and ready-made shortcrust pastry. The dish tastes delicious and is quite filling, too.

This recipe can serve four people. In the summer, I like to serve it with a salad, and during the rest of the year I'll often serve it with chips or wedges. It is better to eat this dish on the day it is prepared as there is an egg in this recipe.

This dish is so easy to make. All you need to do is chop up two vegetables, mix them in with the rest of the ingredients, pour the mixture onto one side of your shortcrust pastry and then cook it.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 2 tins tuna, in brine or water
• 1 large white onion
• 1 green pepper
• 1 roll ready-made shortcrust pastry
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 egg
• Dash of salt

Instructions

1. Open and drain the liquid from the two tins of tuna. Then place the tuna in a large bowl.
2. Next finely chop the onion and place this into the same bowl as the tuna. Chop up the green pepper into strips and then cut it into cubes and add it to the tuna. Finally add in the frozen peas and then mix everything together.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and then pour this into the mixture. Season the dish with a dash of salt. Mix everything together with a wooden spoon, to make sure that the egg is well incorporated in with the rest of the mixture.
4. Next unroll your pastry sheet. Place it on a large baking tray that has a sheet of grease-proof paper on it.
5. Pour all of the mixture onto one side of the shortcrust pastry sheet. Make sure that you evenly spread out all the mixture onto one side of the shortcrust pastry sheet. Use a palette knife to even out the top and to flatten the sides of the mixture.
6. Wet the edges of the pastry with water and then fold over the other half of the pastry sheet onto the tuna mixture. Press around the edges of the pastry sheet with your fingers to seal both sides of the pastry together. Now using a fork go around the edges of the pastry again and then press down on the edges with the fork. You can brush the top with some milk or beaten egg if you want.
7. Place the tray in a preheated oven at 200 degree Celsius / 392 Fahrenheit.on the middle shelf for 40 minutes. If you don't have a fan oven then check it after 20 minutes to see how it is doing. You want the top to be golden brown. If it's turning to brown, you should cover the top with a sheet of tinfoil and turn down the heat a little. Don't cook it for any longer than 40 minutes.
8. Once it's cooked take it out of the oven and serve it hot with potato wedges, chips or a salad.

Substitutions

• Vegetables: If you don't like green pepper, then substitute it for red pepper or yellow pepper.
• Tuna: If you don't like fish, then use chopped-up cooked chicken, turkey or even ham instead of the tuna.

Don't Like Certain Vegetables?

If you are not a fan of some of the vegetables in this recipe, then you can omit them. But try to keep the frozen peas and the onion in the recipe. You could make this pie using chopped cooked chicken, chopped onion and frozen peas.

Also instead of using an egg to bind it, instead you would use a packet of dried mushroom soup. Tinned mushroom soup can also be used instead of dried. Follow the directions on the packet to prepare it but only use half of the soup in this recipe.

Mushroom Soup (Instead of Egg) Variation

1. Dissolve your mushroom soup in about 200 ml of cold water and cook it over the hob until the soup is piping hot and has started to thicken. Set the soup aside to cool. You need the soup to be at room temperature before it is put on the pastry.
2. Once the soup has cooled, mix it in with the peas, onion and chopped cooked chicken.
3. Again pour it onto one side of the pastry and cover it with the other half of the pastry. Cook in the oven at the same temperature for the same length of time.

Cooking Tips

If your oven only has two shelves, I would put this on the lower shelf. I've found that having it on the top shelf can cause the top of the pastry to get a bit too brown. The only thing in this recipe that has to be cooked is the egg used to bind everything together.

Serving Suggestion

You can serve this with salad, potato wedges or chips. If you like mayonnaise then you can add a serving on the side with this recipe.

© 2020 Sp Greaney

Comments

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on July 01, 2020:

@Nicky Hunt, yes, we were the same. You would be surprised what recipes you can come up with, when your time in the grocery stores is limited.

Nicky Hunt from Manila, Philippines on June 30, 2020:

I have quite a number of tuna cans for the quarantine. This recipe just looks perfect for them.Looks easy and delicious. And I have all the ingredients in my pantry. Thanks for the recipe!

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on June 18, 2020:

@Peggy Woods, thank you. It's a fish that is often overlooked but it's delicious in a pie.

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on June 18, 2020:

My husband, and I enjoy eating tuna in all forms but have never had it in a pie like this. Thanks for your recipe.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on June 18, 2020:

@Thelma Alberts, thanks. It can be an acquired taste. I find it nicer when it's hot compare to when it's cold.

Thelma Alberts from Germany on June 18, 2020:

This looks so delicious. I have not tried tuna pie before. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on June 16, 2020:

@ Diana Carol Abrahamson, thanks. It's really delicious. That's a good initiative. I think we all need to eat more fish as there are lots of benefits we miss out on.

Diana Carol Abrahamson from Somerset West on June 16, 2020:

I love simple pies and this one sounds good too. We are trying to eat more fish and to develop more healthy food choices.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on June 16, 2020:

@Pamela Oglesby. Yes, chicken pot pie is lovely. I think most meat and vegetable pies are a bit similiar. This is ironically the only way I can eat tinned tuna. I cannot eat cold tuna.

@Liz Westwood, thank you. Yes that's a good point. I think you can always cook or bake something from what you have in your cupboard. It's cheaper as well.

Liz Westwood from UK on June 15, 2020:

This is a great recipe. I appreciate the fact that it's made from store cupboard ingredients and that you make alternative suggestions. I am very tempted to give it a go. Your instructions are clear and easy to follow.

Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on June 15, 2020:

I aery good. ve never made a tuna pie but it sounds good. I make a chicken pot pie but the recipe is a bit different. I will follow your recipe for the tuna pie. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

I love to share advice and tips gleaned from my own experiences.

Many of us love ordering takeaway pizza on a busy weeknight or a relaxed weekend evening. But if we try to make one from scratch it might not turn out well. Most grocery stores now sell the pizza bases already prepared and all you have to do is to then add your sauce, your favorite pizza toppings and then bake it for 15 minutes in the oven.

Another approach, if you don’t have any store-bought pizza bases on hand, is using tortillas, instead. This recipe is super easy to make from scratch.

You could have it for your lunch, or you could serve it for dinner with a side of potato wedges or salad. This is also a great way to use any leftover produce you have in your fridge or any vegetables that are close to their use-by date.

You can alter the ingredients that are mentioned and choose different toppings or switch out one topping for another. There is no limit to what type of toppings you can add or the number that you can add.

This is a recipe that anyone can make and does not take very long to make, so that's why it would be a good choice for dinner. Once you have everything chopped up, all you need to do is start assembling all your favourite toppings onto your pizza and it's ready in 15 minutes.

I used mini tortillas for this recipe but you can use the larger size tortillas instead. This recipe would be enough for two large-size tortillas.

I used grated white cheddar cheese, but if you prefer using red cheddar or mozzarella that is absolutely fine. It won't lose any of its flavour and it will still taste delicious.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped into cubes
• 4 slices ham, roughly chopped
• 8 cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 8 tablespoons grated white cheddar cheese
• 8 tablespoons chili sauce
• 4 mini tortillas (or 2 large tortillas)

For the sauce:

• 8 tablespoons tomato relish, tomato puree, or pasta sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic puree (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius (392 Fahrenheit).
2. Lay your mini tortillas which will be the pizza base on a large flat cooking tray.
3. Chop up your white onion really finely and place it in a dish. Next chop up your red pepper into cubes. Roughly chop up your slices of ham and place this into a bowl. Slice your cherry tomatoes and set them aside in a bowl to use later. (If you don't want ham you can use chicken instead.)
4. On each tortilla, spread about 2 tablespoons of the tomato relish (or the tomato puree). Spread the sauce out to the ends of each of tortilla.
5. Spread the ham, onion and red pepper toppings over each tortilla. After that pour over 1 to 2 tablespoons of chili sauce over the toppings on each tortilla.
6. Bake the tortillas in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese has melted.

Secret Ingredient

I sometimes like to mix things up and instead of using tomato puree as the sauce for the base; I will instead use tomato relish or pepper relish. Both of these sauces are packed full of flavor.

However if you don’t have tomato relish on hand, you can still make this recipe with pasta sauce or tomato puree. I would mix in 1 teaspoon of garlic puree to either of these sauces and spread this on to the tortilla. It won’t overpower the sauce unless you add more than one teaspoon of garlic puree to the sauce.

Chef's Tip

If you don’t like the smell of garlic left on your hand after preparing it for a dish, then you can use garlic puree.

Garlic puree is usually in the same aisle as the pasta and curry sauces. It comes in a tube and it taste just as good as real garlic. You store it in the fridge. It saves you having to peel and chop a clove of garlic.

Other Topping Ideas

If you don't like the toppings mentioned here, there are other toppings you can use.

• Meat and vegetable: Olives, red onion, pineapple, mushrooms, pepperoni, and shredded chicken.
• Vegetarian: Olives, red onion, pineapple, spinach, red and yellow pepper and sweetcorn.
• Meat and cheese: Ham, chicken, bacon and cheddar cheese.

What do you think?

© 2020 Sp Greaney

Comments

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on June 16, 2020:

@Liza, that's a great idea. I never though of that.

Liza from USA on June 16, 2020:

This is something that I would do for snacking while watching TV. I love how simple it is and fast I can do this. Thanks for sharing!

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on June 11, 2020:

@Liz Westwood, yes it's so handy for those days where you want something fast.

Liz Westwood from UK on June 11, 2020:

This recipe ticks a lot of boxes for me. It's relatively easy to make and its very tasty, as well as being versatile.

I love to share advice and tips gleaned from my own experiences.

This is a super quick and easy recipe to make from scratch. It calls for only five ingredients and takes just 30 minutes to prepare, You probably already have most of the items in your kitchen pantry, and if not you can improvise with one or two things.

While this is not a completely authentic curry sauce made from scratch, I think it tastes just as nice.

Once you make your own homemade sauces, you won't ever buy the packet stuff in the supermarkets again. There is a massive difference in taste between the two, and the homemade version is far superior.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons mild curry powder
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree/paste
• 1/2 pint vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup tomato passata

Instructions

1. In a small container, mix the all-purpose flour, curry powder and tomato puree/paste with a spoon until it forms a loose, crumbly type of paste mixture.
2. Dissolve 1 vegetable stock cube in 1/2 pint of just-boiled water. Stir it into the water really well and set it aside to cool. After 10 minutes, give your stock another stir and it should be ready to use. If it is still a bit hot, you can add some cold water to it. (If you add your paste to stock that is too hot, it could end up clumping.)
3. Pour the stock into a saucepan and add the flour, curry and tomato puree/paste mixture to it.
4. Whisk the stock and the dry paste together till all of the paste has dissolved into the stock.
5. Add in the tomato passata sauce and stir the mixture in with a wooden spoon.
6. Place on a medium heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. The sauce will reduce down a little as it cooks. Stir the sauce occasionally so it doesn't burn. Once the sauce begins to thicken, it is done.
7. This recipe makes just under a pint of curry sauce once it is ready.

To ensure you get rid of any lumps in the sauce, whisk your stock with the flour, tomato puree and curry powder paste.

Alternative Ingredients

• Stock: If you don’t have vegetable stock in your pantry then you can just use chicken or beef stock. Either one of these is fine. I would use vegetable stock if I was serving it with chips or vegetables. If I was eating it with protein, then I would use beef stock for a beef dish and chicken stock for a chicken dish. The curry will hide most of the flavour from the stock.
• Curry Powder: If you don't like mild curry, then choose the hot curry powder option. But mild is always a good option for starters.
• Flour: If you don't have all-purpose flour, then you can use self-raising flour. I have done this when I didn't have the other flour and it hasn't caused any issues with the recipe.

How to Reheat

Once this is cooled down, you can store it in an airtight container. It will keep for two days in the fridge.

When you want to use it you can just reheat it in a saucepan or a microwave with a tiny bit of water to loosen it up a bit.

Vegetable Additions

• Onions: If you want to add additional flavour to your sauce, you can also add sliced onions to the sauce. Peel an onion and cut it into quarters. Separate the layers of one quarter and add this to the curry sauce.
• Peppers: You could also add some green peppers to this curry sauce. Again I would cut a pepper in half and split one half into six slices and add this to your sauce.

You could also chop your onion and pepper down into smaller pieces if you don't like it in larger sizes.

These two vegetable don’t need to be cooked prior to adding them to the curry sauce. Just mix them in with the sauce once it's ready to be put on the heat.

How to Reduce the Recipe to Serve 2

If you want to make a smaller portion of this curry sauce which would be enough for about one to two people, then all you need to do is reduce the amount of ingredients you are using for the sauce.

So that would be 1 tablespoon of curry powder, flour and tomato puree/paste. You will only need about a 1/3 cup of tomato passata and 150 ml of stock.

Follow the same procedure as above and you should get about half a pint or less.

Homemade Curry Sauce

© 2020 Sp Greaney

Comments

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on May 27, 2020:

@Liz Westwood, thank you. Yes that's so true and I think things made from scratch are tastier.

Liz Westwood from UK on May 26, 2020:

This is my kind of recipe. I really appreciate the fact that it's made with cupboard ingredients.