According to James McIntosh, the UK's leading home economist, many people don't realise that it is possible to eat healthy food without spending a fortune."Most cookery books on the market use complicated and expensive ingredients and only teach you how to follow a recipe - they don't actually teach you how to cook."
He believes that it's not difficult to feed yourself using ingredients that are easy to source and are available at everyday prices by learning a few basic recipes that can be adapted to make many variations on a theme.
James's new book mix. (strange name?) is a comprehensive guide to basic proportions in cookery giving the quantities needed for simple, everyday food. The book contains over 170 recipesbut only costs £4.99. He gives us lots of useful tips on how to eat good food while saving money on ingredients and fuel.
Recipes include how to make a tomato sauce for pasta to how to make steam puddings and is an essential cookery book for young people who want to learn to cook and families interested in saving money on food bills.Raspberry and White Chocolate MuffinsThis is a very easy, quick, all-in one muffin mix and makes about 10 to 12.
Ingredients...
250g self raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
100g caster sugar
250ml milk
1 large egg
90ml vegetable oil
150g raspberries
150g white chocolate chips
Here’s how to make it...
 Preheat oven to 180˚C (160˚C if using a fan oven) or Gas Mark 4. Place the muffin cases into a muffin tray.
Place all of the ingredients apart from the raspberries and chocolate into a bowl and mix to form a smooth batter.
Gently fold in the raspberries and chocolate.
Place into the oven for 20-25 minutes until nicely risen and golden on top. Allow to cook slightly and enjoy.
2 Oven Aga, cook on the 4th set of runners in the Roasting Oven for 20-25 minutes with the cold plain shelf on top.
3 and 4 Oven Aga, cook on the 4th set of runners in the Baking Oven for 20 – 25 minutes.
Rayburn, cook on the 4th set of runners in the Main Oven with the Thermodial reading Bake for 20 – 25 minutes.
James says...
These are best eaten within 24 hours, but they do freeze well.Spicy Fish cakes .... a really quick dinner or lunch using leftovers, or canned fish and makes 4!
Ingredients...
250g cooked or canned fish
250g cooked and mashed potato
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 red chilli, chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
1 egg, beaten
Fresh bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
Here’s how to make it...
Remove the bones and skin from cooked fish. Flake and mash onto a plate.
Add fish to mashed potato, beat until smooth.
Season and add chilli, lemon juice and egg, beat together.
Form mixture into a large roll on a floured surface, cut into 10 rounds and dip in egg and breadcrumbs.
Fry in a hot frying pan with a little oil on both sides until browned.
Serve.
James says...
Fresh breadcrumbs are easy to make by popping some stale bread into a food processor and whizzing.
According to Antony Worrall Thompson, mix. is: "A fantastic concise book explaining everyday recipes and giving every cook a helping hand with the secret of successful cookery - getting the basics right first!"
BUY mix. by James McIntosh HERE
October 2008
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