Tina's chestnut stuffing and other secret and not so secret recipes

[Namechabged]

Mine is equal measures of buttermilk and mayo, and then double of Greek yogurt, half the juice of one lemon, two tbsp of dried Parmesan, a teaspoon of dill, garlic granules, Maldon seat salt, onion powder, and cracked black pepper.

Makes that amazing ranch dressing you get on the side of fried shit in America and is great for pizza crusts but you can also make kids eat ANYTHING dipped in it.

I’ve watched my kids enthusiastically eat celery, radishes and green peppers which aren’t normally things they will eat raw.

Smoked paprika in chilli. You need to add more than you think. Literally an obscene amount, and it has to be the smoked variety. I make the most basic chilli but always get asked the recipe. It’s especially good with quorn or turkey mince.

@sarahjessicaparka love that idea with mulled wine

No Sugar Bran Muffins from "Hey Nutrition Lady" on the internet. So good and no added sugar, only dates and banana. A very nutritious snack. Still sweet yes, but low glycemic index.

Her technique with dates is interesting and useful.

I add different extras every time, like blueberries, or pineapple, or whatever fruit I have. For a real treat, chocolate chips.

The recipe is very forgiving. I use whole wheat flour. I also add ground flax or wheat germ sometimes as a substitute for some the bran. I also usually add cinnamon and maybe vanilla.

My family love them and I am happy to give them as a snack.

I make 2 dozen out of the recipe. Great for after school or mid day snack. They freeze very well.

We really enjoy these muffins and they are so easy I feel superhuman with a batch cooling on the side!

Nominated for Classics.

Too many to write down!

@BlueFringe

I’ve asked *@MNHQ if they could add in her name to the original recipe post I made. You’re post made me realise @Namechabged* that it would be nice and I can’t thank you enough for this thread.

I'll do this too, and will raise a glass to Tina, what a legacy to leave behind

Mine is the devils food cake mix and chocolate fudge icing from tesco that I pretend to make from scratch.

People always want t know the secret to my fabulous moist cake and rich buttercream. Fucked if I know, I can’t be arsed to read the back of the packs, so I tell them it’s a Secret my Nan passed down.

People go on and on about my wonderful cake. If I had a soul, I’d feel guilty.

not really secret but v easy and v good, chickpea and coconut stew. boil chickpeas (and you can do in oven without soaking, just google no-soak beans). make sauce by frying onion, garlic, cardamon, cloves, garam masala and whatever else in that line you like. when brown, add stock and/or chickpea water. simmer. add tin or two of coconut cream. add chickpeas. mash a bit, simmer. eat with rice or couscous or whatever works.

Thank you so much @Tinkerbell1980 and hope you enjoy it. I’m so touched by everyone’s kindness. She very much liked a tipple with it too 🤣🍸

Turn out a tub of cream cheese and drizzle/pour sweet chilli sauce over and scatter coriander on top - serve with Thai chill crackers for scooping up - not exactly a recipe but really delicious

Instead of breadcrumbs on DIY chicken goujons I use crushed cheese biscuits. Carr's Cheese Melts are brilliant. They crush to a fine crumb that browns beautifully and tastes savoury, not cheesy.

This is my husbands favourite meal that I cook and is quite quick and easy. I don’t know the exact ingredient amounts as I’ve always just thrown it together.

It was from a. Recipe my mum got when she worked in a pub, The pub chef called it spaghetti ambrozezi.

Diced lamb neck fillet
Chopped red chilli
Garlic bacon lardons
White onions
Lamb stock (chicken will do fine too)
Sour cream (actual cream not the dip kind)
Fresh chopped coriander or parsley depending on what you like best.
Spaghetti

Throw the chopped lamb, bacon, onions, and chilli into the pan, and once the lamb looks cooked throw in about 100ml of the stock then add the garlic.

(In the meantime stick your spaghetti on)

Cook until the liquid reduces and thickens a bit, just before your spaghetti is ready, add the cream and chopped coriander/parsley to your other pan and cook for just long enough to take the heat back up again but not so the cream splits.

Serve.

Sorry it’s not precise quantities

Pizza dip

300ml sour cream and a tub of full fat Philadelphia mixed together and spread on a large platter.
Doritos hot salsa spread on top of that.
Grated cheddar cheese scattered on top of that.
To be extra fancy you can scatter the top with skinned deseeded diced tomatoes, but I never bother with that.

Always incredibly popular at parties.

My go to slow cooker meal because it's cheap and easy to make, can prep it night before and then just switch it on in the morning on your way out the door,

Pork and Apple Casserole

6 Apples cored and sliced into wedges
1 large onion diced
4 Pork Steaks - if frozen make sure you defrost first.
Stock - any flavour or type (homemade, stockpot, stock cube), i tend to use knorr pork or chicken ones.
Sage - dried as your going to need a fair bit

So diced onion goes in the slow cooker first, sprinkle a layer of sage on top, then the apple wedges, another layer of sage, the pork steaks on top, pour over the stock then another layer of sage, cook for 8 hours on low
season with salt and pepper to taste once cooked

Sometime I add a dash of cider but i prefer it without - plus most of time i cant afford it if im honest.
If you want it a bit more stew like then carrots and/or potato between the onion and apples layer, you might need to increase the stock amount if you do this so it doesnt dry out.

I usually serve it with green beans, carrots and mash. Sometimes i just throw it on a bed of rice if im too busy though.

@MidnightFlit just having the mackerel pate for lunch - bloody delicious!!

Oh an for ease, i use one of these corer and slicer jobbies from Ikea on my apples, an if im feeling really lazy i peel me onion and use it on that too.
www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/spritta-apple-slicer-green-90152999/

@steppemum

risotto. So tasty, takes 30 minutes start to finish if you are an efficient chopper.

chicken breasts chopped into small pieces. Chorizo - about 200g, use the spicy one if you can.

Chop and fry an onion, and a garlic clove or two. Add the chicken and brown, add chorizo.
Add rissotto rice - 400g for a family of 4-5. Fry until rice is covered in oil.
Start adding chicken stock, a bit at a time and stir as it cooks.

Keep adding stock until the rice is cooked.

Add a punnet of cherry tomatoes, and some green veg - could be peas or chopped up green veg. Stir in and cook for a few minutes.

Serve.
I had this at someones house, she cooked it in the oven, but I just do it in a large pan. It is now one of my favourite quick meals.

I've discovered that adding all the stock at once, putting the lid on and leaving it to simmer for 15-20 mins works just as well as adding a bit at a time

@explorerdog I use this recipe now for all in one risotto. Perfect every time www.donnahay.com.au/recipes/lunch/baked-pumpkin-and-sage-risotto

I don't understand people that have "secret" recipes. Unless you're Colonel Sanders!

@biddybird - I think it's less 'secret recipe' and more 'what have you found works for you cooking wise that isn't time consuming, over fiddly or really expensive', but that's one hell of a heading for Mumsnet.

My slow cooker go-to 'I invented' recipe is two chicken breasts, one of those individual bottles of white wine, chopped spring onion and diced ginger. Cook as long as you want (I do mine for seven hours while I'm at work), stir some spinach through, a spoonful of double cream if you've got any and serve with noodles. I call it my chinese chicken, no idea why.

I've discovered that adding all the stock at once, putting the lid on and leaving it to simmer for 15-20 mins works just as well as adding a bit at a time

you know I have always wondered why you need to add it a bit at a time. I can't think of any reason at all, so next time I will try with the lid.
The person I got the recipe from cooked it in the oven anyway (never worked out exactly how, just made up the recipe from what she served me!)

[quote Cavagirl]@MidnightFlit just having the mackerel pate for lunch - bloody delicious!![/quote]
Hurray! I'm so glad it worked!

(I should probably have edited to say, Start at one tsp of horseradish and add to taste, as some people don't like it too hot.)

Mine is for cheat's carbonara: Saute some chopped up pancetta or bacon until crispy, add a couple of cloves of crushed garlic, and some sliced mushrooms if wanted, then a tub of creme fraiche. Let bubble and thicken, lots of ground pepper and grated parmesan. Stir into cooked pasta.

Pork chops. Flour, egg and then, instead of breadcrumbs, dry sage and onion stuffing mix. Ensure good covering and press down well.
Bake in moderate oven.

@stumpedasatree that's exactly how I make carbonara now too!

I used to make it with single cream and eggs but i do it that way now as a "healthier" (but still tasty) version

Beef and banana curry.

Brown chunks of stewing steak (I use beef shin)
Sweat down chopped onions in a little oil, add your favourite curry spices or paste (not tomato-based), garlic and fry off.
Add beef and cover with hot water or stock.
Add huge dollop of smooth peanut butter and 2 - 3 chopped bananas.
Simmer for hours, top up water if it looks too gloopy.
(adjust quantities of everything according to taste)