Isobel Cooks: Oat, Pear and Raspberry Loaf

Isobel Cooks: Oat, Pear and Raspberry Loaf

Monday, February 8, 2016

The other day we spoke about some killer sportswear that I've been donning lately, and today I've decided to balance all of that healthiness out with one of my absolute favourite recipes. So, not only do I want to promote a healthy, balanced lifestyle to my lovely readers (!) but I also think that everyone's Monday can stand to be brightened, and what better way to do that than to present you with a gorgeous cake-like recipe? Now, this is by no means my own recipe - it's a recipe from Bill Granger's 'Bill's Open Kitchen' that I have cooked a bunch of times though usually I end up winging a bit so feel free to experiment a bit! I hope you enjoy it... 

INGREDIENTS:

For the topping:

(you may need more or less of this depending on preference, but it's easy to make!)

18 g (1/8 cup) rolled old-fashioned oats

28 g (1/8 cup) brown sugar

1 tablespoon plain all purpose flour

1 tablespoon of chilled butter, cut into small pieces

For the loaf:

100 g (1 cup) rolled oats

375 ml (1 cup) boiling water

150g (5.5oz) unsalted butter, diced

115g (1/2 cup) brown sugar

55g (1/4 cup) fine granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

185g (1.5 cups) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tin of tinned pears (you probably won't need them all, just add as desired)

120g (1 cup) raspberries, fresh or frozen

Method:

For the topping:

Add all of the ingredients for the topping into a bowl, and rub the butter into the oats, sugar, and flour until you produce a crumble-like texture. Set to the side.

For the loaf:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 c and prepare the topping by using the instructions above.

2. Place the oats in a bowl and add the boiling water, putting them to the side to soak.

3. Cream the butter and sugar until creamy. 

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure to mix well after each addition.

5. Add the vanilla extract.

6. Combine the salt, flour, and baking soda and sift it into the mix. 

7. Drain the oats before adding them to the mix as well. Fold them in.

8. Spread 1/3 of the mixture into a greased/non-stick loaf pan, and add a layer of both fruits on top. 

9. Add the second third and repeat with the fruit (use as much or as little as you want - this may require a bit of experimentation!)

10. Add the final layer of the mixture, making sure to cover all of the fruit layer. Sprinkle with the previously prepared topping (again, amount used is up to personal preference)

11. Bake for approximately 1 hour 20 minutes - the centre should still be slightly gooey but only just.

12. Leave to cool, and enjoy with a nice cup of tea!

So, there you have it! A scrumptious and easy recipe that'll see you through 'till the weekend! Let me know if you end up trying it - I'd love to hear what you think of it!

I x

Continue Reading...

comments: 0

Isobel Cooks: A simple Caesar Salad

Isobel Cooks: A simple Caesar Salad

Friday, September 25, 2015

Summer is the time for an abundance of salad due to the (hopefully) warm weather. However, I've never been a fan of salads so you can imagine my nightmare when the season approaches because leaves and dressings seem to feature in every meal. To combat this, I've been experimenting with the few types of salads (see another of my recipes here) that I do like and have settled on a recipe or two that I've been scoffing all summer long. Today we're going to take a look at a good ol' chicken caesar salad that I've been all over recently!

Ingredients:

- 1 romaine lettuce / 1 pack of salad leaves

- 1 - 1 1/2 pack of cooked chicken breast (depending on how much chicken you like!)

- A pack of croutons (you can make your own, but I prefer the store bought ones)

- A handful of finely grated parmesan 
- A few slices of shaved parmesan (for the topping)

- 4tbsp half-fat mayonnaise

- 2tbsp white wine vinegar

- Salt and Pepper to taste
- A pinch of sugar

Method:

1. Combine the half-fat mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, the finely grated parmesan and a pinch of sugar to create the dressing. Don't forget to season with salt and pepper!

2. Slice/tear up the chicken into bite size pieces and throw into a large bowl with
the lettuce, dressing, croutons, and the grated parmesan.

Feel like trying this recipe out? Let me know how it goes! 

I x

*This recipe was adapted from a Waitrose recipe (see here)

Continue Reading...

comments: 0

Isobel Cooks: Lemon Yoghurt Drizzle Cake

Isobel Cooks: Lemon Yoghurt Drizzle Cake

Friday, August 7, 2015

I'll be honest with you - cooking/baking has never been my forté (neither is food photography, but I'll work on that!) Despite my Mum being an amazing cook, her talent only really passed down to my siblings and missed me completely. I mean, I'm not a horrible cook - I can follow recipes and get decent results - but I don't have that flair that means that you don't even have to look at a recipe and produce something out of this world. So that's why all of the recipes that I will be posting in the future (including this one!) will be pretty much idiot proof; trust me, if I can pull it off then 99.5% of you will have the same success. Today I'm bringing you one of my recent favourites, a Lemon Yoghurt Drizzle Cake which will knock the socks off of anyone that tries a slice and will make you feel like the professional baker you long to be. The recipe is super simple and pretty customisable when it comes to intensity of flavours, so you have the freedom to play a bit. So without further ado I present to you a cake recipe that you'd be a fool to refuse...

Ingredients:

For the cake: 

175g butter 

175g caster sugar 

Grated zest of 2 lemons 

120g natural/greek yogurt 

2 large eggs, beaten 

175g self-raising flour 

For the syrup:

Juice of 2 lemons 

3tbsp caster sugar 

For the icing:

75g icing sugar, sifted 

Enough lemon juice to get the right consistency

Instructions: 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Grease and line a round 15cm/6" loose bottom cake tin. 

2. Cream together the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. 

3. Add the yogurt and lemon zest to the mixture, and then add the eggs. 

4. Add the flour, mix well and spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. 

5. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool

6. When the cake is nearly done, add the juice of the lemons to a small saucepan with the 

sugar and allow to reduce on a high heat. The consistency should still be quite thin.

7. Using a skewer or cocktail stick prick the cake all over and then pour the lemon 

sugar syrup all over the top, allow it to soak in.

8. Leave to cool completely before icing. 

9. Mix the icing sugar with the lemon juice until you achieve a runny paste consistency.
Drizzle the icing liberally over the cake until you're happy with the result.

Et voila! Now you've got a deliciously zesty and extremely moist cake to either share with friends and family, or gobble up yourself over a weekend whilst satisfying your Netflix quota. This is such a quick and easy treat to whip up (and that's coming from a novice like myself!) so give it a go and let me know what you think!

I x

p.s. I really don't like the name 'IR cooks' but couldn't think of anything else,
 so if you come up with something better, let me know! 

Continue Reading...

comments: 0

The salad recipe.

The salad recipe.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

I'm certainly not a chef extraordinaire, but over the years of living by my lonesome, I've developed a few dishes that suit me down to the ground, and this nifty, not-disgustingly-healthy salad really hits the spot. I love making a big batch of this and taking it to uni for lunch for a few days. It surprisingly lasts really well, takes mere minutes to make, and it's the perfect mixture of veggies, protein and fat to keep you going - plus it's delicious! It's great for someone like me who doesn't really like any other salad dressings, plus light mayo has next to no fat in it anyway, so it's just a nice way to tie all of the ingredient together! Writing this has actually made me so hungry, so I might go off to make myself a bowl!

What you'll need: 

(serves 2-3, depending on how hungry you are!)

- 1 bag of baby spinach

- 1 carrot, grated

- 1 can of tuna, drained

- A handful of new potatoes (4/5, but up to personal preference)

- Light Mayonnaise (again, to suit preference)

- Any other veggies that you fancy!

How to make it:

(You hardly need instructions for this!)

- Wash the new potatoes and boil them until soft

- Whilst the potatoes are cooking, wash the spinach, peel and grate the carrot, and drain the tuna

- Put the tuna in a bowl and add the desired amount of mayonnaise (think tuna mayo sandwich consistency)

- Drain the potatoes and crush them up a bit with your fork. Leave to cool

- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and add more mayonnaise if desired.

- Grab a hearty serving and get chomping!

When it comes to cooking, baking, and anything to do with mixing food together, I'm a bit of a noob, but if you do want me to share some of my other well-practised recipes here on the ol' blog, then do let me know! Also, if you have any yummy, idiot-proof recipes to share, please leave a link down below! Until next time!

Continue Reading...

comments: 12