Margie Broadhead

Stars in your Eyes at Morston Hall, Norfolk

November 10, 2013 by Margie Broadhead Leave a Comment

Morston Hall has won more awards and has more stars than you can shake a stick at. And boy does it deserve each and every one of them.

It’s my favourite kind of restaurant, the kind where there is a set menu and you don’t get to choose. You start with canapes and then follow on to eat SEVEN courses, and finish the whole thing off with perfectly formed petit fours. You can see why this is my kind of restaurant. But each course is the perfect size and is so delicious, it leaves you wanting more. The menu is balanced so beautifully that by the end you feel completely satisfied but not Christmas-day-stuffed.

The menu changes daily and rarely has the same ingredients on the menu which is amazing when you think of the sort of imagination it must take to come up with such exciting and delicious daily changing menus. The restaurant I worked at had a different menu each day and so I know from first hand that a lot of skill and thought goes into the process of creating the menu.

There is no pretension to Galton Blackiston’s cooking and he really lets the locally sourced ingredients speak for themselves and the results are nothing short of sensational.

There are rooms too, so you could stay there and have breakfast which I feel confident would be a starry affair aswell.

We started with two canapes, presented on lovely wooden boards.

First off was sausage with homemade sauerkraut

Followed by plaice on shallot puree which was unbelievably good – I could easily have eaten ten more of these!

We opted to go for the “Wine Flight” where the Sommelier choses a wine to go with each course…it meant we ended up with quite a few glasses!

This is a great thing to do, if like me, you don’t know that much about wine. Opting for this means you discover wines you wouldn’t have done before and are treated with some really delicious pairings. The winner of the night was the ‘Carmel Road, Pinot Noir 2012 Monterey America’

Borsch with feather blade of Wagyu beef. Maybe not the looker of the bunch but definitely the best borsch I’ve ever had

Locally shot partridge on a bed of cabbage with apple puree and game chip. This for me, was the star of the bunch. Beyond delicious. Have you ever seen such a beautiful hame chip?

Roasted Salsify with blackberries, celery and goats cheese. This tasted as lovely as it looks

North Sea Cod with beetroot, curly Kale and red amaranth. The cod was perfectly cooked and almost melted in your mouth

Lime sorbet with quite a kick of tequila!

Norfolk Horn Lamb with thinly sliced turnip, tiny cubed potatoes and roasted onions. I thought this dish was beautiful, and the lamb was incredibly tender – your knife cut through it like butter

Selection of British Cheeses

Gateau Opera with green tea and vanilla ice cream – I’ve been wanting to try an opera cake since it featured on the Great British Bake Off. The green tea gave it a really interesting flavour and the vanilla ice cream was amazing

And finished the whole thing off with some mouthwatering petit fours – including melt-in-the-mouth madeleines, raspberry marshmallows and passionfruit jellies

The head chef came round to talk to people at the end of the meal and he said that people are able to go and spend a day in the kitchen seeing how it’s done – Morston Hall I will see you soon!

Morston Hall, Morston, Holt, Norfolk NR25 7AA

Frozen Berries with White Chocolate Sauce

November 7, 2013 by Margie Broadhead Leave a Comment

This has to be one of the easiest puddings in the world.

And definitely one of the most delicious.

It hardly warrants a recipe – as it is merely a handful of frozen berries smothered in a hot white chocolate sauce. As the hot chocolate hits the frozen berries, the berries thaw a little and melt a little themselves into the chocolate. It’s amazing and is definitely one to try!

It’s perfect for dinner parties when you want to spend more time at the table than slaving away in the kitchen. It is also the perfect pudding for when you have impromptu guests, as the ingredients are things you probably have in your kitchen anyway.

I always have frozen berries in the freezer, for popping into a smoothie, or whipping up a coulis, or for this amazing pudding.

Frozen Berries with White Chocolate Sauce

Author: Made By Margie

Serves: 4

Ingredients

500g mixed frozen berries (you can buy these in the supermarket, the only ones i would avoid are the strawberries) - I only used frozen raspberries this time as that is all I had, but this recipe lends itself well to any kind of berries
140ml double cream
140g white chocolate

Instructions

Break up your chocolate into small pieces.
Then, simply pour the cream into a saucepan and heat gently until it it is bubbling gently but not boiling rapidly.
Turn off the heat and throw (not too hard!) your chocolate into the pan and give it a good stir. The heat from the cream will melt the chocolate and you shouldn't have to add any more heat.
Now arrange your berries onto four plates and take to the table.
Pour your now melted chocolatey cream into a jug and take to the table.
Allow each guest to pour the hot chocolate cream onto their berries and tuck in.

Now is not the time for manners, don’t wait for everyone else, just devour!

Skinny Garlic Mash

November 6, 2013 by Margie Broadhead Leave a Comment

Mash has got to be the ultimate comfort food, but stodgy mashed potatoes can leave you feeling bloated and tinged with guilt.

My skinny garlic mash uses crushed white beans to create the mash-like texture, drizzled with olive oil and a generous amount of garlic. I was introduced to skinny mash by a friend and I genuinely think I now prefer it to mashed potatoes. Plus, it is surprisingly filling and full of nutrious beany benefits such as being full of protein and helping to lower cholesterol.

One of my favourite suppers ever is a juicy sirloin steak served with lots of skinny garlic mash. It takes minutes to make and is packed full of protein to leave you feeling fuller for longer.

Skinny Garlic Mash

Author: Made By Margie

Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 tins of butter beans ( or any white bean will do)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 clove garlic

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a pan on the hob, and then throw in your crushed garlic.If you aren't lucky enough to have a garlic crusher - sprinkle some salt on the garlic and it will make it easier to crush it with the tip of your knife.
Watch the garlic, you don't want it to burn.
Open and drain your beans and give them a quick rinse.
Then throw them in with your garlic and olive oil, give them a good stir and then let them cook for 2 minutes or so.
Take a wooden spoon and smoosh the beans until they resemble mashed potato.
Taste first and then season with Maldon salt and pepper (some beans are already salted).
Serve with pan fried steak, roast chicken, sausages...or anything you would normally serve mashed potato with and feel virtuous in the process.

Melt in the Middle Chocolate Chip Cookies

November 6, 2013 by Margie Broadhead Leave a Comment

CAUTION: THESE MAY CAUSE YOUR CLOTHES TO SHRINK

These cookies are amazing. On their own. Eaten upside down. With no hands. Blindfolded. You name it, they are delicious.

I’ve often wondered as I have sunk my teeth into a freshly baked cookie, does life get any better than cookies? Well, the other day as I was perusing Pinterest I discovered that life can indeed get better. It was an epiphanic moment. It was around 10.07 last tuesday morning that my world was to change forever. I logged onto Pinterest and there it was. A beautiful vision the likes of which I had never seen before. Gorgeous and gooey. It was there and then that I knew life was going to be a lot shinier. Shinier, and I would be a chubbier.

It’s a cookie which is baked in a muffin try to give it the appearance of a muffin. A cookie masquerading as a muffin with a gooey melted chocolate centre. Yumm. This recipe is slightly adapted from the one Amanda gives, but the idea was all hers.

Cookies are so easy to make – that this recipe is a total breeze anyway, but if you wanted to make life even easier, you could buy ready made cookie dough.

Melt in the Middle Chocolate Chip Cookies

Author: Made By Margie

Serves: 10 cookies

Ingredients

110g butter
110g light brown sugar
110g caster sugar
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt
220g plain flour
½ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
340g chocolate chips (or you can use a chopped up chocolate bar)

Instructions

First things first - preheat your oven to 170C
Grease a muffin tray, i like to do this with one of those vegetable oil sprays, but a bit of butter on kitchen roll also works really well
If you have a freestanding mixer, pop your butter and sugars into it and beat until light and fluffy, this should take about 4 mins. Remember that you are using light brown sugar as well so the colour will be darker as a result
Of course if you don't have a freestanding mixer you could use an electric whisk...and if you don't have one of these you could use good old fashioned elbow grease, and this can count as your work out for the day. Yes, that is my idea of a work out.
Add the egg and the vanilla and give it a good beat
Now add the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda and beat on a low speed until just combined
Now add HALF of the chocolate chips and give it a really good stir. I always think this makes a really satisfying sort of clackle when you do this. No? Just me?
Scoop the dough out and flatten it with your fingers and squidge it into the muffin tray, so it comes up the sides a little
Then melt your remaining chocolate chips - i find the easiest way to do this, is to melt them in a heat proof bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, making sure they don't burn.
Then use a teaspoon to blob a dollop of melted chocolate onto each piece of cookie dough
Then take another scoop of cookie dough and place this on top of the melted chocolate and squidge it down a little
Bake for 15-20 mins
You will know when they are done when the edges are hardened and a little brown
Remember that cookies continue to cook as they cool down, so you want them to still be squidgy when they come out of the oven
Leave to cool before using a knife to run around the edge of each cookie muffin
These are unbelievably good popped in the microwave for 15 seconds to remelt the chocolate into gooey deliciousness.

Melt in the Middle Chocolate Chip Cookies

November 6, 2013 by Margie Broadhead Leave a Comment

CAUTION: THESE MAY CAUSE YOUR CLOTHES TO SHRINK

These cookies are amazing. On their own. Eaten upside down. With no hands. Blindfolded. You name it, they are delicious.

Cookies are so easy to make – that this recipe is a total breeze anyway, but if you wanted to make life even easier, you could buy ready made cookie dough.

Makes 10 cookies:

Melt in the Middle Chocolate Chip Cookies

Author: Made By Margie

Ingredients

110g butter
110g light brown sugar
110g caster sugar
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt
220g plain flour
½ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
340g chocolate chips (or you can use a chopped up chocolate bar)

Instructions

First things first - preheat your oven to 170C.
Grease a muffin tray, i like to do this with one of those vegetable oil sprays, but a bit of butter on kitchen roll also works really well.
If you have a freestanding mixer, pop your butter and sugars into it and beat until light and fluffy, this should take about 4 mins. Remember that you are using light brown sugar as well so the colour will be darker as a result.
Of course if you don't have a freestanding mixer you could use an electric whisk...and if you don't have one of these you could use good old fashioned elbow grease, and this can count as your work out for the day. Yes, that is my idea of a work out.
Add the egg and the vanilla and give it a good beat.
Now add the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda and beat on a low speed until just combined.
Now add HALF of the chocolate chips and give it a really good stir. I always think this makes a really satisfying sort of clackle when you do this. No? Just me?
Scoop the dough out and flatten it with your fingers and squidge it into the muffin tray, so it comes up the sides a little.
Then melt your remaining chocolate chips - i find the easiest way to do this, is to melt them in a heat proof bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, making sure they don't burn.
Then use a teaspoon to blob a dollop of melted chocolate onto each piece of cookie dough.
Then take another scoop of cookie dough and place this on top of the melted chocolate and squidge it down a little.
Bake for 15-20 mins. You will know when they are done when the edges are hardened and a little brown.
Remember that cookies continue to cook as they cool down, so you want them to still be squidgy when they come out of the oven.
Leave to cool before using a knife to run around the edge of each cookie muffin.
These are unbelievably good popped in the microwave for 15 seconds to remelt the chocolate into gooey deliciousness.

Prosciutto, Tomato & Basil Pizza Omelette… Pizette? Omelizza?

November 3, 2013 by Margie Broadhead Leave a Comment

This is such an easy lunch or supper and is incredibly quick to make. Now that the cold weather has firmly settled, I find it’s incredibly comforting to have something warm. It is also surprisingly filling, as the eggs are protein rich and will help keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Treat the omelette like a pizza and have a play around with the toppings. An eggy pizza. Would a pizza by any other name taste as delish…YES. If it were called a Pizette, or perhaps my personal favourite – the Omelizza.

Skinny Prosciutto, Tomato & Basil Pizza Omelette... Pizette? Omelizza?

Author: Made By Margie

Serves: 1

Ingredients

2 eggs
handful of cherry tomatoes
3 slices of prosciutto
2 eggs
handful of cherry tomatoes
3 slices of prosciutto
sprinkle of parmesan
handful of basil leaves, I used Greek basil as I just think it's so pretty, but you could definitely just use normal Basil
scattering of pine nuts
salt and pepper
small knob of butter

Instructions

First crack your eggs into a bowl and give them a good whisk - conversely I like to do this with a fork.
Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Next slice your tomatoes in half - i think they look much prettier if you slice them in half around the middle. So if you imagine your tomato is the earth you would cut around the equator. Or if your tomato was wearing a belt, you would cut around the belt. I kind of wish tomatoes did wear belts, that would be amazing.
Now take a non stick frying pan - I have quite a nifty little 8 inch pan that I am a bit obsessed with and I use him to whip up pancakes on a regular basis, but any non stick pan will do!
Put your pine nuts into the pan and gently toast for 1 minute or so until they are a lovely golden colour, careful not to let them burn. Burnt pine nuts do not taste nice. When they are cooked tip them into a bowl and set aside for later.
Now heat a knob of butter in the frying pan and throw in your tomatoes and season with a little pinch of salt and some pepper.
let the tomatoes gently sizzle away for about a minute just so that they are a teeny bit squishy. But not mooshy. There's a difference.
Then pour in your eggy mixture and give it a little stir to make sure the tomatoes are spread out and that the egg covers the base of the pan.
Let it cook for a minute or so and then when the edges are beginning to firm up you can sprinkle on your grated parmesan ( if you have a microplane grater, then you can use this to grate the cheese straight onto the Omelizza...if you don't have one, put it on your list for Christmas, pronto!).
Use a spatula to loosen the edges of the omelizza and use this opportunity to have a sneaky peak underneath to check it is turning a lovely golden brown.
Once the egg has set, carefully slide the omelizza onto a chopping board or plate and decorate with the slivers of prosciutto, scatter the pine nuts and tear the basil leaves.
Finish with a little drizzle of olive oil.

This is no ordinary Omelizza. It’s a Made by Margie Omelizza.

Flat Iron Soho – Best Steaks in Town

October 31, 2013 by Margie Broadhead Leave a Comment

There is only one item on this menu and oh what an item.

A perfectly cooked, mouth wateringly melt in the mouth Flat Iron steak.

The menu is written on the exposed brick wall and you can choose between dripping cooked chips, creamed spinach, aubergines roasted with parmesan and market greens to accompany your £10 steak.

I narrowly missed out on going to Flat Iron as it’s one of the growing number of restaurant that abides by the no reservations policy….which drives me mad. But of all the ‘no bookings allowed’ restaurants I’ve been to, I can honestly say this is the only one that has truly been worth it!

There’s a really cool cocktail bar so you can while away the waiting time for your table. As if this place could get even better – there is also a doughnut station – which makes hot freshly made doughnuts with lots of scrummy fillings.

As soon as you sit down you are greeted with deliciously salty popcorn which wins me over every time.

There was a special of the day which was slow cooked beef belly which sounded incredible, so we ordered one of these along with the signature Flat Iron steak. Flat Iron is a delicious cut of meat which is surprisingly underused as it is relatively inexpensive and seriously tender. (Jamie Oliver has proclaimed it to be his favourite cut of beef…as if you needed more convincing).

I loved that everything was served in the blue and white enamel dishes that I am completely obsessed with. The steaks come on their own little chopping boards and instead of a steak knife, everyone is given their own mini meat cleaver…so cute!

I’d heard good things about the pudding, so we decided to try and resist the chips and went for the creamed spinach and the roasted aubergine with parmesan, pretending to ourselves we were being virtuous. Which we were, if you ignore the copious amounts of cream and cheese. Theres a choice of sauces, so we went for the peppercorn and the Fred’s special sauce which is a tomato, chilli and caper sauce, both of which were seriously good.

There is only one pudding. It’s basically a chocolately caramel Mr Whippy. And it’s amazing.

I have it on good authority that it is simply melted mars bars with cream and then put into a cream dispenser which whips it up into a heavenly treat. It’s so good that I am now convinced that I need one of these in my life….one for the christmas list perhaps?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mr-Whip-Cream-Dispenser-Litre/dp/B005D1DOKO

MIRACLE Juice That Will Make You Look like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley!

October 30, 2013 by Margie Broadhead Leave a Comment

Okay, so that may not quite be true, but it is the juice that Rosie Huntington-Whiteley starts her day with. I’m sure her amazing figure is down to genetics and the fact that she never tucks into something as good as the salted caramel rolo miracle microwave cake.

But I’ve been trying to get more fruit and vegetables to counter balance all the chocolate caramel monster cookies I eat and juicing seems to be a great way…and yes, I am secretly holding onto the hope that with one sip of the juice I might be transformed into a Victoria Secret’s Angel.

It’s surprisingly delicious, I promise!

MIRACLE Juice That Will Make You Look like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley!

Author: Made By Margie

Serves: 2

Ingredients

3 green apples
3 stalks of celery
1 generous handful of spinach
Squeeze of lime juice

Instructions

Pop everything into your juicer (I did the spinach first and then bunged in the apples and celery to help push as much juice out of the spinach as possible and then finished with a squeeze of lime juice).
(If you don’t have a juicer, you could whizz everything up in a food processor and then push the pulp through a sieve)

I only recently gave in and bought a juicer as I had been lusting after one for ages. You can spend an obscene amount of money on juicers but after doing quite a lot of geeky juicer research I really recommend the one I got – which seems to be pretty good value for money…and annoyingly it’s already £40 less than I paid for it!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-HR1861-Whole-Juicer-Aluminium/dp/B0007XHGHA/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1383138075&sr=1-1&keywords=philips+HR1861+whole+fruit+juicer

I really like this one because you can chuck in the fruit whole and there is no need to peel or chop anything, and it is really simple to take apart and clean and you don’t need a PhD to put it back together again!

Supper at The Shed

October 29, 2013 by Margie Broadhead Leave a Comment

The Shed is one of my favourite restaurants.

It’s my favourite kind of food – small plates of delciousness that you share tapas-style. Everything on the menu is seasonal and its good hearty food, where there are interesting flavour combinations without pretentiousness. It is absolutely scrummy. My friend proclaimed it to be a “taste sensation” which made me laugh at her, but it actually summed it up perfectly.

We had the table right next to the pass so you can watch the chef (and co-owner) plating up. The restaurant itself is cosy and quirky and would make an ideal date restaurant. In fact I would go as far to say, that taking someone to The Shed on a date would guarantee you a second date.

It’s not the cheapest place to eat, but everything is so yummy that it’s totally worth it.

We had some cocktails to kick things off – ‘Nutbourne Pinot Noir Grape Juice, Chase Vodka and Soda’ and a Shed Gin and Tonic….yum

We started with three little mouthfuls. These little canapés were amazing and I wanted to wrestle my friend to the floor for her share. I resisted. But it was close. I honestly couldn’t tell you which was more delicious.

Beetroot crisp, goat’s cheese, pear jam

Nutbourne pork scratching with apple

Mushroom marmite, confit egg yolk

These little bites were followed with the sharing plates of pan fried goats cheese with hazelnuts, honey and thyme. So simple. So delicious.

Lamb chips with parsley, lemon and harissa

We thought we had better get some vegetable so plumped for the gem squash with red split lentils, cabbage and mature cheddar

My personal favourite of spatchcock quail with quince and marjoram which thankfully has been on the menu each time I’ve been

Pork rillettes with pickled chard which we ate with the Shed’s sourdough….amazing!

We really didn’t need pudding, but couldn’t resist the Quince panettone with marmalade and pouring cream. I thought this sounded a bit odd but it was unbelievably good. It tasted just like Christmas. And it looks like a little borrowers house. What’s not to love.

I’m not going to lie, I waddled home after this feast but every mouthful was completely worth it.

http://theshed-restaurant.com

The Shed

122 Palace Gardens

London

W8 4RT

Chocolate Caramel Monster Cookies Fit for The Cookie Monster

October 29, 2013 by Margie Broadhead Leave a Comment

There is a proverb that says that there is no question that can’t be answered with chocolate. How true this is.

Is there anything better than the smell of freshly baked cookies? With this recipe, there is no need to faff around with beating the butter in a mixer. This is a one-pot recipe that could not be easier and makes the most incredible chocolate cookies with a gooey caramel centre…try not to dribble.

Freshly baked cookies in 10 minutes, with only one pot to wash up…too good to be true? Think again Gunga Din

Be warned though, these come out as cookie monster sized cookies. Not that that is something I would ever complain about. Also holding one of these has the same effect as celebrities wearing huge handbags to make them look skinner. Fact.

Makes 6 GIANT cookies.

(Or 12 normal size cookies – just cook for 2 mins less)

Chocolate Caramel Monster Cookies Fit for The Cookie Monster

Author: Made By Margie

Ingredients

110g butter
350g light brown sugar
2 eggs
55g cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
¾ teaspoon baking powder
260g plain flour
2 packets of rolos, or caramels of your choice

Instructions

First, as always, preheat your oven to 180c/350f.
Line a baking tray with baking parchment, or if you are a fancy pants you can use a silicon baking mat.
I always find it is easiest to get all your ingredients ready before you begin. If you weigh everything up at the beginning it makes cooking a total breeze. Plus if you do this, it is easier to pretend you are a TV chef with your own cookery programme. Get ready to lick that spoon seductively as you stare into the imaginary camera.
Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Once the butter has melted, turn off the heat and stir in the brown sugar and the eggs.
Add the cocoa, salt and baking powder and give another stir.
Then add the flour and mix gently just until all the floury lumps have disappeared (over mixing when you have added flour will result in a tough cookie…don’t pretend you aren’t imagining a cookie in a pair of boxing gloves).
If you have an ice-cream scoop this is the perfect implement to scoop the mixture into 6 balls and place on the lined tray. Don’t worry at all if you don’t have an ice cream scoop, a tablespoon works just as well, as do your hands if you don’t mind those paws getting a little messy.
n press 3 rolos into the middle of each ball.
And top this with another scoop of mixture…see I told you these were monsters.
Then bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes. They are done when the edges feel firm when poked. The whole cookie will seem very soft, but they will harden as they cool, so don’t be fooled into over baking them.
If you are really piggy like me, these can be served with a pot of homemade caramel sauce for dipping them into. Just in case you didn’t have enough caramel. Which you never can.

Lemon Posset – You Only Need 3 Ingredients!

October 28, 2013 by Margie Broadhead Leave a Comment

This is without a doubt one of my favourite puddings – it’s light and cream and tastes like velvet.

That is if you imagine that velvet tastes delicious, which I do.

It’s also one of my favourite puddings to make because it has only 3 ingredients and takes less than 5 minutes. What’s not to love?

They look really gorgeous in little glass pots, or ramekins, but I also love doing them in mismatched teacups.

I’ve kept mine super simple and topped mine here with fresh raspberries and mint. Usually I serve the possets with raspberry coulis on the top and give my delicious shortbreads on the side.

Lemon Posset - You Only Need 3 Ingredients!

Author: Made By Margie

Serves: 6

Ingredients

600ml double cream (in the UK this is simply one of the big pots from the supermarket)
150g caster sugar
Juice from 2 lemons

Instructions

All you have to do is pop your cream and double sugar into a large saucepan (bigger than you may think, as when the cream boils it can impersonate a volcano).
Set on a low heat and give it a little stir to help the sugar melt.
Bring it gently to the boil.
Once its gently boiling (bubbling nicely, not rolling waves), set your timer for 3 minutes.
Keep an eye on it, and play with the temperature if you need to, to make sure its only gently boiling.
Meanwhile juice your lemons. A top tip for juicing lemons is to give them a little roll before you cut them in half. In effect, you are giving them a little lemon massage, which they love and get really juicy! Happy lemons = yummy posset.
Remove the cream from the heat and then stir in the lemon juice.
I find it easiest to place the jars (or whatever you have chosen to put the possets in) in a baking tray and then fill them up. This makes them much easier to move around.
Then pop them in the fridge for around 3 hours (or up to 3 days ahead).
Serve with fresh raspberries, sprigs of mint and my super simple shortbread.

Bircher Muesli with Stewed Apples, Berry Compote & Toasted Quinoa

October 26, 2013 by Margie Broadhead Leave a Comment

Bircher muesli is one of my favourite breakfasts – I think I even prefer it to porridge and it’s so much easier and much less faff.

You can make up a big batch on a Sunday evening and then keep it in the fridge and have it for breakfast for the rest of the week. Easy peasy.

This is best made the night before, but it literally takes two minutes to whip up.

This version uses apple juice, but its AMAZING with a mix of cream and milk too; slightly more decadent but absolutely delicious. Or try it with almond or coconut milk. The ingredients here are really just a guide; you can add anything you like, try adding some strawberries or raspberries that you’ve mushed with a fork, or a scattering of seeds.

Bircher Muesli with Stewed Apples, Berry Compote & Toasted Quinoa

Author: Made By Margie

Serves: 4

Ingredients

150g oats
2 apples, grated
1 large handful of raisins
50g chopped dates, figs or apricots
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon of nutmeg
Drizzle of honey
500 ml apple juice
Plain yoghurt

Instructions

Grate the apples whole on a grater. Grate the whole thing, including the core. Then you can easily just pick out the pips and the stalk.
Then put the grated apples and the rest of the ingredients into a bowl.
When you pour in the apple juice or whichever liquid you choose, it should just cover the oats – it looks quite liquidy at this stage, but don’t panic, the oats will soak up all the liquid and get lovely and plump overnight in the fridge. Give the whole thing a good stir.
Cover with clingfilm and pop into the fridge for the night.
In the morning, give it another good stir, have a taste and see if it needs more honey or spices and adjust accordingly.

You can loosen it with a bit of milk if you like, and serve with the stewed apples, berry compote, yoghurt and toasted quinoa.

Or it’s really good just with a dollop of yoghurt.

Toasted Quinoa

Author: Made By Margie

Ingredients

1 large handful of quinoa

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 220C (425f/ gas mark 7).
Place the quinoa in a fine sieve and rinse.
Drain it well in a fine sieve.
Spread the quinoa out on a baking tray – try to spread them so that they are in a single layer.
Pop in the oven for about 10-15 mins, check them half way through and give them a bit of a shuffle. They should be golden when toasted.
These are going to add a delicious crunch to the Bircher muesli and fruit, it would also be yummy scattered on salads and vegetables.

Stewed Apples

Author: Made By Margie

Ingredients

3 apples
150ml water
2 tablespoons of sugar

Instructions

Cut the apples into quarters and remove the core.
Then cut into chunks.
Pop them into a saucepan with the water and the sugar.
Cook on a gentle heat until the apple becomes mushy. This will take about 10 mins, but keep an eye on them to watch that they don't become dry and start to burn. If this looks like it's happening, just pour in a little more water and give it a good stir.
Remove from the heat and serve at room temperature.
This will keep in a covered container in the fridge for a good few days, and it also freezes beautifully, so it might be worth making up a big batch so you can have stewed apple on hand in the freezer. It makes the perfect filling for an amazing apple pie, or crumble.

Berry Compote

Author: Made By Margie

Ingredients

300g frozen berries
2 tablespoons of caster sugar
2 tablespoons of water

Instructions

Put the sugar and the water into a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves.
Throw in your berries and cook on high for about 3 mins.
This is delicious served warm or at room temperature, and will keep for a few days in the fridge in a covered container.

Yum!

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