"Tenderness Guaranteed" Pork Loin Steaks with Tomato Risotto

INGREDIENTS

For the Risotto

• 2x15ml spoons Olive Oil.
• 1 onion peeled and finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 250g risotto rice
• 2x15ml spoons sundried tomato paste
• 100ml white wine
• 2 vegetable stock cubes, made up with 900ml boiling water
• 240g tub sunblush tomatoes, drained and finely sliced.
• 15g pack basil leaves, torn.

For the pork

• 15ml spoon olive oil
• 4 Sainsburys "Tenderness Guaranteed" Pork Loin Steaks

TO SERVE

½ x 120g tub fresh green pesto

METHOD

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion until softened Stir in the garlic rice and 15ml spoon sundried tomato paste and cook for a further minute until the rice is translucent
2. Pour in the wine and simmer to reduce, stirring often. Gradually stir in the stock, adding more stock once the previous addition has been absorbed, until all the stock is used up. Stir in the rest of the tomato paste, the tomatoes and the basil. Keep warm
3. Heat the oil in a griddle pan, and cook the pork steaks for 3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through
4. To serve, pile some risotto onto individual serving plates, top with pork loin seak and a generous, spoonful of pesto

Serve immediately
Makes 4 portions
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes
Per serving
Calories - 916
Fat 56g

Golden Syrup Sponge

Ingredients

• 7oz (200g) Self Raising Flour
• 5oz (150g) Tate & Lyle Caster Sugar
• 4oz (100g) Unsalted Butter
• 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk mixed together
• 1-2 drops of milk
• 2 tblsp Lyle's Golden Symp
• Additional Lyle's Golden Symp as requied

1. Cream together butter and sugar until white. Add mixed eggs and yolk a little at a time until all incorporated
2. Fold in self raising flour and add 2 tblsp of Lyle's golden symp and a little milk to achieve dropping consistency.
3. Lightly butter and flour a 1 ½ pt (900ml) pudding mould. Spoon in some golden syrup to just cover the base. ·
4. Spoon the pudding mix on top. Cover lightly buttered tin foil.
5. The pudding can now be cooked in a hot steamer or a pan half filled with hot water for 1 ½ - 1 ¾ hours.
6. The pudding is now ready and can be turned out of the mould and simply finished with more golden syrup.

Serves 4-6.

Other ideas

• 3oz of chopped wallnuts can be mixed in for extra texture.
• For individual puddings, use 6 x 5 fl oz (150ml) pudding basins, greased. Cook for 45 minutes and serve on individual plates.
• This pudding is great served with an Anglaise Sauce, which is really just a delicious fresh custard sauce, or cream.

Chinese Chicken with Egg Noodle Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 250g pack Sainsbury's Medium Egg Noodles
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 6 tablespoons groundnut oil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 bunch salad onions, sliced into matchstick strips
• 150g pack prepared radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and sliced into matchstick strips
• 15g pack coriander leaves,rough|y chopped
• 1 pack each of Sainsbury's Chinese Chicken Thighs and Wings

METHOD

1. Cook the noodles in boiling water as per pack instructions, drain and refresh in cold water. Toss in the sesame oil.
2. Mix together the soy sauce, groundnut oil and lime juice and, when ready to serve, mix with the noodles, onions, radishes, cucumber and coriander. Sewe with the cooked chicken pieces.

Serves; 4
Preparation Time; 15 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Per serving:
Calories — 675
Fat — 43g

Individual Tiramisu-Style Desserts

INGREDIENTS

• 12 sponge fingers
• 250 ml Lavazza esspreseo coffee, chilled
• 2x15 ml spoons coffee liquer, eg Kahula or Tia Maria
• 250g tub mascarpone
• 3x15 ml spoons, whippng cream, or mllk
• 25g icing sugar, sifted
• 50 g dark chocolate finely chopped
• 5 ml spoon coco

METHOD

1. Place the sponge fingers in a single layer on a plate or tray. In a small bowl or jug, mix together the coffee and the liquer, pour over the sponge fingers and leave to soak up liquid, about 10 minutes
2. In a separate bowl, blend together the mascarpone, cream or milk, and icing sugar
3. To serve, arrange 3 sponge fingers in each serving plate to form a triangle shape with the end overlapping Place a heaped spoonful ol the mixture in the centre
4. Sprinkle over the chopped chocolate and dredge with a little coco to decorate. Delicious served with cups of Lavazza espresso coffee and glasses of Amaretto di Saranno.

Makes; 4 portions
Preparation Time 30 minutes
Per serving.
Caiories — 496
Fat — 35 g

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Serves 6-8
One of Britain’s richest desserts. It holds everything its title declares. It’s very sticky with an amazing toffee flavour; and as for the toffee sauce, it just dribbles over the black treacle, working beautifully with the cream and Demerara sugar. A pudding we just have to treat ourselves to — an eating experience!

You wlll need

• 1 x 22.5cm square baking tin (28 x 20cm will also work) buttered and/or lined with greaseproof paper
• 175g (6oz) dates, stoned and chopped
• 300ml (10 fl oz) water
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 50g (2oz) unsalted butter
• 175g (6oz) Tate & Lyle Caster Cane Sugar
• 2 eggs beaten
• 175g (6oz) self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

For the sauce

• 300ml (10fl oz) double cream
• 50g (2oz) Tate & Lyle Demerara Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Lyle's Black Treacle

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

1. Boil the dates in the water for about 5 minutes until soft.
2. Add the bicarbonate of soda, and keep the dates in the water.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar untll light and fluffy, then add the eggs and beat well.
4. Mix in the dates (with the water), the flour and the vanilla essence, then pour into the baking tin.
5. Bake for 35-40 minutes until just firm to the touch.

To make the sauce

1. Place all of the ingredients in a saucepan over a low heat and stir together until blended, then bring to the boil.

Cut the pudding into portions and ladle over the sauce.
Note: I use medjool dates in this recipe. They come from India and, without doubt, are the best to eat. They have a natural fudge-toffee flavour that is perfect for this dish, but other varieties can also be used.

Mat’s smoked haddock & cheesy egg bake

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 300g smoked haddock
• 2 medium potatoes
• 2 hard boiled happy eggs
• 100g strong cheddar
• 50g parmesan cheese
• 200ml double cream
• 2 slices of bread
• Tabasco (to flavour)
• pinch of salt and pepper to season

How to make it

1. Place the bread in the oven at 150”C/300°F/Gas Mark 2 for 20 minutes until completely dried.
2. Peel and part boil the potatoes in ½ inch chunks (approx. 5 minutes); they should be firm.
3. Break up the smoked haddock with your fingers ensuring there’s no skin or bones. Grate the cheeses.
4. Chop up the boiled happy eggs into approx. eight pieces each.
5. Holding back a little of the parmesan, gently fold all the ingredients together in a bowl.
6. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to season or if you like a bit of heat, a couple of drops of Tabasco.
7. Pour over the cream to just cover the mixture, then place in a small casserole dish.
8. Crumble the bread and sprinkle over the top, along with the remaining parmesan.

Bake in an oven at 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 for 30 minutes.

Bike news

 I now have the LED indicators on and a nice new rear hugger. The hugger needed a bit of modification - some holes needed elongating to fit, even though it was designed for the bike.
It's also had it's first MOT, with the only failure being electrical. The front brake switch needed changing. All set for a summer of biking! :-D