Week 2 Day 4: Smashed avocado and garlic mushrooms on rye

Day 4... (this picture shows only half the quantity)

Sometimes you do silly things. Daft, spontaneous ideas to which everyone responds with a certain delirious excitement... only to have second thoughts about, well, about two seconds later. I'm building this up to be something big aren't I? Cliff diving or bungee jumping, or something sufficiently adrenalin fuelled. I'm afraid I'm not quite that exciting. This particular silly idea was wild swimming. Not on one of the many sunny days we've had this year, oh no, my dad came up with this suggestion on the one cold, windy, cloudy day of the week - clever eh? Odd as it may seem, cake is to blame. We had blobbed around all day (they've come down to visit for the week) and dad, feeling the fun had sapped from the day, decided to run off to the nearby deli to pick up a few treats to brighten up the evening. It was closed. Cake no longer being the spontaneous treat we'd hoped for, dad's mind (who knows how) jumped to the idea of wild swimming. As I shivered down the beach in my bikini, I struggled to maintain my belief that this was a sufficient alternative to cake (not many things are!) But, I will admit, I am a girl converted. Not only is it brilliant for its stupidity alone, wild swimming equals exercise which equals food based reward!

This recipe may not seem a particularly decadent reward, but it's incredibly healthy and slots in nicely to my meal plan this week (I resisted the temptation of relying on my parents' purses to go off-piste from my budget shop... but I won't pretend I haven't popped round for the odd cream tea - my mum's scones always destroy my will-power). It also makes me feel rather smug to follow exercise with a healthy dinner - being surrounded by toned surfers may have something to do with this new drive to be slim and healthy - "by the end of summer, my body's going to be a temple" - a quote from one of my fellow waitresses as we desperately tried (and mostly failed) to paddle out to join the proper surfers. Oh and I know the portion on the picture looks tiny - that's about a third of what I had in total as I buy enough for two portions worth to eat when I can - meal times are always determined by work shifts and surf. I know it would be nice to have three different meals, neatly spread out across the day, but when you're buying for one, it's hard to make sure everything gets used up when you cook lots of different things... so two different meals per day works best for me.

Ingredients:

1 Avocado
Small squeeze of lemon juice
A couple of handfuls of mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic
Olive oil
A couple of slices of rye bread

Method:

• Fry the mushrooms in a lightly oiled pan on a low heat and add the chopped garlic once the mushrooms have started to soften
• Meanwhile, peel and smash up the avocado and add a splash of lemon juice
• Toast the rye slices and top with the avocado mixture and then the mushrooms.

Week 2 Day 2: Lentils and chorizo with peppers and spinach

Day 2... (this picture only shows half the quantity)

Lentils and spinach, this just sounds impossibly healthy doesn't it? And, if it wasn't for the chorizo, I'd be quick to join you in that assumption. However, the smoky chorizo adds a depth and a little bit of fat to this otherwise oh so angelically good for you dish! If you're veggie, or just insanely healthy, you could skip out on the chorizo as the pepper oil still gives the lentils some flavour... but I say live a little - a little bit of fat and, as in my case, some much needed protein, are welcome additions.

Work was a little quieter yesterday so I was actually able to sit outside on the café decking to eat this... disguised in an inconspicuous hoody to avoid being asked any waitress questions. Sadly I forgot to remove the many pens and notepads sticking out of my trouser pockets, so my disguise was rumbled by a customer requesting advice about where to order his drinks. For some reason, I answered him as if I myself was a tourist, recommending, with a great tone of uncertainty, that he head to the bar area. Yes, I know that it was childish, BUT COULD HE NOT SEE THE HOODY?!?! Notepads safely stowed away, I returned to my lentils. Next time I'll wear sunglasses.

Ingredients:

Tin of green lentils
A large thumb sized piece of chorizo, cut into about half cm rounds
A few roasted red peppers from a jar, thinly sliced
A couple of tbsp. pepper jar oil
A couple of handfuls of fresh spinach

Method:

• Fry chorizo until cooked through (and crispy on the outside) in an oiled pan on a medium-high heat (should only take a few mins)
• Rinse and drain the lentils and combine with the peppers, chorizo and pepper oil - do this in the pan you cooked the chorizo in so that the lentils absorb some of the fatty juices. If you're eating it straight away you can keep the heat on for a while to enjoy it all as a warm salad (don't warm the spinach unless you want it wilted!)
• Plate up the fresh spinach and top with the chorizo/pepper/lentil mix.

Week 2 Day 1: Wholewheat lemon spaghetti with courgettes and lemon

Day 1...

I always used to be a morning person, waking up before my alarm even began to sound. This no longer seems to be the case. I now rely on three alarms to wake me up (I have an uncanny knack of turning them off in my sleep, so I'm no longer taking any chances). This may seem entirely irrelevant, but I do have a point... somewhere. What I'm trying to demonstrate is that, with mornings being a wee bit of a struggle, the idea of cooking lunch before an 8am shift would be the stuff of nightmares. However, even I found it bearable with a recipe as quick as this one - you can put it together in ten minutes flat... perfect if, like me, you woke up kicking yourself for putting off the task the night before.

So, as for the recipe, it's incredibly cheap, very healthy and easy to transport... so you can just throw it into a lunch box and be off on your way. The addition of a bit of sweet chilli sauce is a bonus if you find some lurking at the back of the fridge (check for dubious dates though, all sorts of things seem to find themselves in hidden cupboard corners - when the back of a cereal packet is advertising a calendar for the previous year, do not eat it... yes, that little  gem of advice is coming from experience!)... so yes, if you're out of chilli or it looks a bit suspect, don't buy any especially as it tastes plenty flavoursome enough without.

Ingredients:

About 100g wholewheat spaghetti
2 courgettes, peeled into ribbons (discarding the seedy centre)
Zest of 1 lemon and the juice of a quarter of a lemon
Olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
A few walnuts, crushed into small pieces

... I personally didn't have a peeler or a zester for most of my time at the staff house, so I just used a very sharp serrated knife to slice the courgettes thinly. For the lemon, I carefully removed (with the serrated knife) strips of the outer rind (do not remove any of the white pith, this is bitter) and then chopped it as finely as  I could.

Method:

• Cook spaghetti according to pack instructions
• Meanwhile, heat a frying pan to a high heat
• Combine the courgette ribbons, chopped garlic and a couple of tbsp. olive oil
• Throw this mixture into the hot pan and toss for a mere minute to slightly soften the courgettes, but don't let them loose their colour
• Drain the pasta and combine with the courgettes
• Add the juice and zest of the lemon and an extra tbsp. olive oil
• Serve with a scattering of crushed walnuts

Week 2: 1 girl, 1 shopping list, 1 week

Okay, so we're ready for week two (sorry, I'm writing these up at slightly odd times)... another set of healthy recipes for under £20, and all bought during one shopping trip.

I once read in the lovely 'Campervan Coast' cookbook/lifestyle book that one particularly healthy breakfast recipe would give you 'a dash of early morning smugness'... I rather liked this term and these recipes give me  similar feeling. I know you should never judge your own healthiness against others' unhealthiness but, try as I may to refrain, I can't help but feel a little pleased with myself when I reach for my whole-wheat lemon spaghetti instead of the oh so tempting chip sandwiches which are constantly looming over me at work. So take these recipes and cook them instead of reaching for that infamous pot noodle... but keep your smugness inside - these recipes are yummy, but they won't taste quite as good if you're eating them alone in the toilet because you've annoyed all your flatmates with your healthy smugness!

spag, lentils, pizza, mush, chilli, frittata, pesto

Day 1:
Wholewheat lemon spaghetti with courgettes and lemon

Day 2:
Lentils and chorizo with peppers and spinach leaves

Day 3:
Roasted pepper and pesto rye pizzas

Day 4:
Smashed avocados with garlic mushrooms on rye

Day 5:
Chorizo chilli with guacamole

Day 6:
Red pepper and chorizo frittata

Day 7:
Spinach and pesto spaghetti

... and yes I'm still going on the porridge with bananas and walnuts for breakfast (and fruit for snacks)... I know it may not be thrilling, but porridge is probably the best value breakfast you'll find - and personally I need all that slow release energy ahead of a 12hr shift! A friend has recommended a thrifty bircher muesli recipe, so I plan to give that one a go next week... the porridge end is nigh I promise!

The list

£1.00 Cook Italian Wholewheat Spaghetti 500g
£1.00 ASDA Courgettes 3pk
£0.30 ASDA loose Lemons (1)
£0.45 ASDA Smartprice natural yoghurt
£0.25 ASDA Garlic Bulb
£1.75 ASDA ripe Avocados 2pk
£0.53 ASDA loose Mushrooms 200g
£1.20 ASDA organic Rye Bread with sunflower seeds 500g
£0.48 ASDA Chilli Beans tin
£0.35 ASDA loose Red Onions (3)
£2.50 ASDA Chorizo (raw)
£1.00 The Happy Egg Company Large Eggs (6)
£1.78 Melis Jar Roasted Red Peppers 720ml
£1.00 ASDA Spinach 350g
£0.64 ASDA Green Lentils 400g tin
£1.28 ASDA Green Pesto Sauce
£1.00 Cravendale Filtered Milk 1lt
£0.57 ASDA loose Bananas (5)
£1.00 ASDA Nectarines 5pk
£0.00 Basil (Growing in the Garden)
£1.76 ASDA Walnut halves 150g
£0.00 Oats, Olive Oil (leftover from previous week)

= £19.84

Porridge with apricots and toasted almonds

This may not seem like the best recipe for this time of year, especially during a heatwave, but when it comes to a healthy, budget breakfast, you can’t get much better than the humble porridge. I’ve tried to make it a little more summery with the addition of apricots and almonds, but you could also add a little extra cold milk to it once served to cool it down a little if desired. A lot of porridge recipes recommend the addition of cream, sugar and certainly no water. I don’t doubt for a minute that these versions would be rich and creamy, but I’ve tailored my recipe to be a little lighter on the tummy and on the purse strings. As you may have noticed with most of my recipes, quantities are not exact… this is very out of character for me as I’m normally pretty precise, but the luxuries of weighing scales and measuring jugs are not things I have to hand in the staff house. I thought it would drive me insane, but it is actually quite refreshing to return to cooking by eye… although I fear I may be less positive when I attempt to bake a proper cake!

 Ingredients:

1 large cup of oats

Very small pinch of salt

Milk

Water

Almonds

¼ tin of apricots

 

Method:

·Chop the almonds into small pieces and toast in a pan on a low heat. Set aside once lightly browned.

·Add the oats to a milk saucepan and add enough milk to just cover the oats.

·Add enough water to fill the pan to about 1-2cm above the oats (you can always add more as it cooks, so don’t add too much initially.)

·Cook on a low heat, stirring regularly, until the oats have absorbed the liquid (add more milk/water if the mixture becomes too thick – thickness is all a matter of preference)

· Add a little more milk just before serving to make it a bit creamier. Stir for another minute (to heat the extra milk through) then pour into a bowl.

·Add the apricots and a couple of teaspoons of the juice/syrup.

·Scatter with almonds and serve.

 

Week 1 Day 6: Pitta breads with sweet potato and spinach falafels

Day 6... (pictures coming soon)

This recipe is adapted from my previous sweet potato falafel recipe, adding pittas and extra fillings to turn them into a proper meal. These are easy to eat on the go, and much more exciting than an ordinary sandwich.

Ingredients:

Makes 6 falafels

1 large sweet potato

1 large tbsp of houmous

1tsp cumin seeds
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

Small handful of chopped, fresh coriander leaves
2 large handfuls of  spinach, wilted and squeezed dry of liquid

40g plain flour

2 wholemeal pitta breads, to serve
Extra hummus, spinach leaves, coriander, mango chutney and yoghurt to serve

Method:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees c (non-fan) or 180 degrees c (fan)
• Microwave sweet potato whole (pierce the skin a few times first) for 4 minutes, turn it over, then for about 4 minutes more (feel free to turn it at more regular intervals if necessary) - microwave until it's a texture that you could mash.
• Remove the skin and mash with all the other falafel ingredients.
• Shape into 6 balls and place onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. 
• Cook for 20 - 30 minutes - turn half way through cooking to brown both top and bottom.
• Spread the inside of the pittas with hummus, then add a layer of mango chutney and some natural yoghurt.
• Fill each pitta with the falafels, leaving space for some spinach leaves.
• Add a handful of fresh spinach to each pitta, as well as a few coriander leaves.

Week 1 Day 5: Bombay sweet potatoes with spinach

Day 5... (pictures coming soon)

I was very tempted to make a sweet potato and spinach dhal with these ingredients, but I thought this would be a lighter take on the same flavours… and you can use the mixture to stuff into pitta breads with the addition of yoghurt and mango chutney.

 

Ingredients:

2 Sweet potatoes

½ a pack of spinach

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

Small handful of coriander, stalks finely chopped

Olive oil

Pinch of salt

1-2 wholemeal pitta breads

Mango chutney

Natural yoghurt
 

 Method:

·Peel the potatoes and chop into large cubes (about 2cm/2cm).

·Drop the chopped potatoes into a pan of salted water, bring to the boil and cook until they start to soften (not until fully cooked).

·Fry the onions and, once soft, add the potatoes and cumin seeds.

·Continue to fry and, once the sweet potatoes have begun to crisp up on the outside, add the garlic and chopped coriander stalks.

·Once all is cooked through, add the spinach and continue to cook until the spinach is wilted.

·Serve topped with the coriander leaves, mango chutney and natural yoghurt... or use the mixture and accompaniments to fill pitta breads.

Week 1 Day 7: Beetroot hummus with toasted pitta bread

Day 7... (pictures coming soon)

This is definitely one of my simpler recipes. I would have loved to have brought you a more complex ‘from scratch’ hummus recipe, but sadly the raw ingredients like tahini paste just brought the cost too high considering I didn’t have the need for the rest of the jar – nor the desire to eat a kilo of hummus to myself! So this is basically a nice way of adding a bit of interest to ordinary hummus, whilst also making it go a little further… and (have you guessed?) a great way to eat up the last of the beetroot!

 Ingredients:

1-2 cooked beetroot

1/3 of  a pot of hummus

½ a cucumber

2 wholemeal pitta breads

 Method:

·         Blitz the beetroot with a stick blender until smooth and stir through the hummus until combined.

·         Chop the cucumber into dipping-sized batons.

·         Toast the pitta bread (I like mine really crisp so they almost turn into breadsticks.)

·         Once toasted and still warm, use scissors to chop the pittas into dipping soldiers.

·         Serve the hummus with the cucumber and pitta sticks to dip.

Week 1 Day 4: Spiced sweet potato soup

Day 4... (photos coming soon)

I know hot soup screams summer about as much as a polo neck but, seeing as I’m on the English coast, I feel fairly safe in the knowledge that we’ll be having a bit of rain sometime soon, even if only for a couple of hours… so have a look at the forecast and plan ahead – every rainy day has a silver lining!

To be honest, even if we do get an endless summer of sunshine (okay, I probably am being too optimistic now), I think the coolness of the coriander and yoghurt add a freshness to make it a socially acceptable dinner choice. And if, like me, you’re cooking this for one, there’s no one to complain anyway – unless you complain to yourself and well, if that’s the case, I think you’ve got far greater concerns to worry about!

Ingredients: 

2 sweet potatoes

1 red onion, chopped finely

1 garlic clove, chopped finely

Pinch salt

1 tsp cumin seeds (plus extra to serve if you fancy)

Small handful coriander, leaves and stalks

A few almonds, chopped finely

Milk

Olive oil

 

Method:

·Do not peel the sweet potatoes (the skins add a great flavour and are a fab source of nutrients) but chop them into large pieces for boiling (about into quarters.)

·Place potatoes into a pan of salted water, bring to the boil and cook until the potatoes are soft but not falling apart. Drain the water away.

·Whilst the potatoes are cooking, fry off the onion in an oiled pan on a medium heat.

·Once the onion is soft, add the garlic, cumin seeds and coriander stalks (finely chopped).

·Fry for a further couple of minutes.

·Remove this mixture from the pan, turn up the heat, add a little more oil and throw in the cooked potato (do not wash the pan in the interim – the purpose of this is to add a bit of flavour to the potato.)

·Dry for a few minutes until the potato is slightly charred in places.

·In a separate pan, on a low heat, toast the almond pieces (toast some extra cumin seeds too if you fancy).

·Combine the potato and onion mix, add the coriander leaves and a splash of milk.

·Blitz until smooth (using a stick blender), adding milk/water until you reach your desired consistency.

·Feel free to add more cumin seeds/salt/coriander to your preference.

·Pour into a bowl and top with the toasted almonds and a little extra coriander.

·Add a dollop of natural yoghurt too if you fancy it.

Week 1 Day 3: Watercress, sardine and beetroot salad

Day 3... (pictures coming soon)

Mackerel and beetroot have long been kitchen friends, a happy pairing of oily and earthy. As fresh fish goes, mackerel is one of the cheapest, but cooked mackerel in the vac-packed packaging can be quite pricy. Tinned sardines will not have the same firmness of flesh, but they do still have the same oily qualities and I think they work well in this dish. As much as I love it, this recipe does come with a warning… when it comes to food breath, tinned fish and raw onions couldn’t be bigger culprits, and this recipe contains both - so this is one for an evening alone! I made the error of making it for a pre-work lunch… I finished an entire packet of chewing gum in one evening shift, nuf said.

 Ingredients:

Tin of sardines

Very large handful of watercress

2-3 cooked beetroot

1 red onion

3 large beefy tomatoes

 

Method:

·         Finely chop the beetroot, red onion and tomatoes into similarly sized dice.

·         Flake the tinned sardines and combine with the beetroot ‘salsa’.

·         Fill a bowl/place with watercress and top with the sardine/salsa mix to serve.

·         As with the feta salad, feel free to add more quinoa for carbs and bulk.

Week 1 Day 2: Beetroot and orange salad with griddled feta

Day 2... (picture coming soon)

This recipe is admittedly quite similar to yesterday’s, but I’m afraid I’ve had to become very waste-averse in my attempt to feed myself for £20/week…and when you’re cooking for one, ingredients often have to make repeat appearances in order to use them up. Apology aside, I do still think this is a really lovely recipe; the saltiness of the feta pairs brilliantly with the earthiness of the beetroot and the slight sweetness of the oranges.

 

Ingredients:

3 whole, cooked beetroot

1 orange

Large handful of watercress

Feta

Olive oil

 

Method:

· Remove the orange peel and slice thinly into rounds (horizontally across the segments.)

· Slice the beetroot in the same way.

· Heat a griddle pan to a high heat and add a little olive oil.

· Griddle the feta in one whole piece until dark griddle marks appear on the underside. Turn and repeat (a couple of minutes on each side, depending on how hot you can get your griddle.)

· Arrange the beetroot and orange slices on a plate, top with the watercress and place the feta piece on the top.

· Drizzle with a little extra olive oil and serve.

· If you want a little carbohydrate with this you can happily serve it with more quinoa as there will be some left over from this week’s meals… I just didn’t suggest this in the recipe as I thought three days of quinoa may seem a little too much for some!

Week 1 Day 1: Feta and orange quinoa

Day 1...

 

I popped home for a few days last week and had the chance to visit my fabulous foodie friend Martha. When I asked on the day if I could bring a pudding she replied “yeah of course, although I’ve got no idea what I’m doing for mains yet!” Most people would be a little put off by this comment, but not with Martha… a couple of hours later I pitched up, raspberry torte in hand, to the sight of a garden table teaming with summer salads. How she does it I’ll never know, but it’s one of the many reasons why she will be sorely missed when she goes off to uni abroad this year!  So this salad is inspired by one of her creations, the perfect accompaniment to an afternoon of girly catch ups... or, as in my current case, the perfect packed lunch to eat on my break.

 

 

Ingredients:

100g Quinoa

2 Oranges

2tsp olive oil

Pinch salt

A few mint leaves, chopped small

½ a cucumber

Feta

 Method:

·Cook the quinoa according to the pack instructions.

·Zest and juice one of the oranges... I didn't have a zester so I used a serrated knife to remove strips of the outer peel  to then slice as small as possible (do not remove the pith as this is bitter.)

·Combine the juice and zest with the olive oil, mint leaves and a pinch of salt.

·Stir this dressing through the quinoa whilst it's still warm.

·Remove the peel of the second orange and cut the flesh into segments.

·Chop the feta and cucumber into bite size pieces.

·Combine the feta, cucumber and orange segments with the quinoa and serve with an extra drizzle of oil and a few more shredded mint leaves.

1 girl, 1 shopping trip, 1 week

As you may have guessed from my blog post dry spell (again), my first week on my 'healthy but budget plan' went awry. I made the fatal error of not planning anything and then just trying to make it up as I went along. The result was expensive (emergency shopping trips) and often rather uninspiring (tuna pasta for three days running... need I say more?) So this weekend I decided to set aside the time to plan the following week's meals - I even price checked my ingredients online to avoid any scary checkout moments!

So what am I doing? My task is to cook for myself all week for under £20. The food needs to be healthy and blog-worthy... so no Heinz tomato soup. The £20 budget needs to include everything: breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. I'm working as a waitress down in Cornwall so, with erratic shift hours, I make one large 'double' meal for lunch and dinner and pick at it when and where I can.

Day 1:
Feta and orange quinoa

Day 2:
Beetroot and orange salad with griddled feta and mint

Day 3:
Watercress, sardine and beetroot salad
 
Day 4:
Spiced sweet potato soup
 
Day 5:
Pitta stuffed with bombay sweet potatoes
 
Day 6:
Sweet potato and spinach falafels with hummus and pitta bread
 
Day 7:
Beetroot hummus with toasted pitta bread and cucumber sticks 

Breakfast:
Porridge with toasted almonds and chopped banana/tinned apricots

Snacks:
Fruit and yoghurt

The list:

£1.27 ASDA 200g Feta
£0.60 ASDA Smart price Oranges 5pk
£2.18 Great scot 300g Quinoa
£0.00 Mint from the garden
£0.50 ASDA whole Cucumber
£0.29 ASDA 750g Table Salt
£1.25 ASDA 250ml Olive Oil
£1.00 ASDA 85g Watercress
£0.44 ASDA Smartprice 500g cooked Beetroot
£0.47 ASDA 120g Sardines in sunflower oil
£0.85 ASDA loose Sweet potatoes (estimated price for 3 as priced per kg)
£0.25 ASDA loose bulb of Garlic
£0.30 ASDA loose Red onions (estimated price for 3 as priced per kg)
£0.25 ASDA Garlic bulb
£0.70 ASDA 31g pack of fresh Coriander
£0.68 ASDA 92g Whole Cumin
£1.00 ASDA 350g Spinach
£0.95 ASDA 200g Hummus
£0.70 ASDA Wholemeal Pitta Bread 6pk
£1.00 Cravendale filtered semi skimmed 1litre Milk
£0.75 ASDA Smartprice 1kg Oats
£0.80 ASDA loose Bananas (estimated price for 4 as priced per kg)
£0.58 ASDA tin Apricot Halves in syrup
£1.00 ASDA Peaches 4pk
£1.00 ASDA Kiwi fruit 6pk
£0.50 ASDA Chosen by you whole Almonds (un-skinned)
£0.45 ASDA Smartprice low fat natural Yoghurt 500g
£1.00 Sharwoods Mango Chutney 360g
£0.75 ASDA salad Tomatoes 6pk
£0.45 ASDA smartprice Plain Flour 1.5kg

= £19.81

Emergency cornflake cake

 

I’ve long been an advocate of proper baking, but staff house living taught me that ‘whipping up a Victoria sponge’ is  not always as easy as our famous domestic goddesses want us to believe. No, a Victoria sponge is not particularly complex, but in a kitchen free of mixing bowls, weighing scales and a fully functioning oven, even this simple staple proved too much of a challenge. So I was faced with a dilemma (admittedly a very small one as dilemmas go), a friend of mine at the staff house wanted to make a cake as a gift for her boyfriend’s parents who’d come to visit… but we only had a couple of hours and that kitchen. We also quickly realised that ingredients were also an issue, pot noodles are more readily available than flour and baking powder in our house and, living in the Cornish countryside, the buses wouldn’t be running regularly enough to get us to the shops and back. Optimism still holding on in there, we trundled up the road to a nearby campsite, in the hope that their little shop would provide some inspiration. Unsurprisingly, baking essentials weren’t in abundance here either, but we came away with butter, Mars bars, Corn Flakes, Smarties and, most importantly, a plan.

I had vague memories of crispie cakes and marshmallow squares and decided that something could be salvaged from this ‘ready steady cook’ style bag of delights. The result was not particularly high brow on the baking scale, but it tasted pretty moorish and that was pleasantly surprising enough for us!

Ingredients:

4 large mars bars, chopped

250g pack butter, chopped into chunks

About half a large box of cornflakes

2 tubes of smarties

 

Method:

·         Melt the butter and chocolate in a pan over a very low heat (ideally do this in a bowl over a pan of simmering water – we didn’t have such a luxury and it did still work, you just have to be careful not to let the chocolate burn)

·         Once melted, add the cornflakes a few handfuls at a time – you want all the flakes to be well coated, without too much chocolate liquid left over at the bottom.

·         Spoon the mixture into any lined container, scatter over the smarties and cool in the fridge until set (about an hour should do it).

·         Cut into large pieces once cooled (it should be firm but slightly gooey in the middle, so don’t cut the pieces too small or else they’ll fall apart).