Delicious Autumnal Plum Cobbler (Low Fat!)

What a great time of year the Autumn is, with all the lovely seasonal fruits in abundance. I couldn't let these delicious plums go to waste and wanted something warming to combat the miserable rainy days that seem never ending, so here is my wonderful plum cobbler and the best bit is that it is low fat! Rolling in at approximately 9g of fat per serving. So enjoy a bit of guilt free comfort food, we all did!

Ingredients:

Filling-

750g plums

90g sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

Topping

125g self-raising flour

60g unsalted, chilled butter, cubed

60g soft brown sugar

60ml milk

1tbsp caster sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 200C.

2. Cut the plums into quarters, remove stones and place in a non-stick pan with the sugar and 2tbsp water. Bring to the boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

3. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the plums are soft and jammy.
4. Add the vanilla extract and pour into an ovenproof pie dish which will comfortably hold the filling with room on top for the topping.
5. If you have a mixer or food processor add the butter and the flour and mix/blitz until you have a breadcrumb like texture. Add the brown sugar and the milk until a dough is formed. If making by hand, rub the butter and flour to make breadcrumbs with your fingertips, then add the brown sugar and milk. Bring together with a knife to form a dough. Add more milk if needed.
6. Roll the dough ball out to about 1cm thick and cut out circles with a 4cm cutter or there abouts.
7. Overlap the rounds around the top of the pie on top of the filling. Glaze/ brush with a little milk and sprinkle with the caster sugar.
8. Bake for around 30 minutes until the topping is golden and cooked through.

Enjoy with custard, cream or ice-cream or if watching the calories just as it comes!

Jewelled Blackcurrant Crumble

 What a superb time of year when all of those summer berries are at their best! I have friends with huge clusters of blackcurrant bushes in their gardens who have enjoyed collecting the fruits and now have an abundance of fruit they are not quite sure what to do with. This is where I come in to gladly take it of their hands. Now, I must admit blackcurrants are not something I have had the pleasure of cooking before, but I have read wonderful recipes about making a 'beena of sorts which sounded delicious and of course blackberry jam which I can almost taste spread over warmed croissants. With all of these recipes in mind I willingly accepted my large punnet of blackberries and deposited in the fridge waiting for time to lovingly make these delicacies. Now, with it being summer holidays all good intentions went out of the window and about a week later I opened the fridge to see sorry looking little blackberries looking back at me. The time had come! Out came the trusty old crumble recipe and that is what they became. Upon placing this on the table, it was devoured with such ferocity I didn't even get a picture of it as a whole. Hubby dubbed this the best crumble he has ever tasted, it will be a firm favourite of mine too.

For speed I made the crumble mix in the food processor, I know this is not traditional and doesn't make a rubbley crumble mixture associated with a crumble, however, it does make a topping and can be left to blitz whilst you do one of the 101 other things that need doing. Please feel free to get your fingers in and rub if you require a more breadcrumb like texture and have the time!

Ingredients:

450g Blackcurrants, washed with all stalks removed
2 tbsp Caster Sugar
225g Plain Flour
75g Butter
75-110g Light Soft Brown Sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C
2. Tip the blackcurrants into an oven dish or pie dish.
3. Sprinkle the caster sugar on top
4. Blitz (or rub) the butter and flour and brown sugar until combined and tip over the fruit.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
 Enjoy with custard, cream or ice cream (or all 3 if you are feeling naughty)

Quick Summery Pasta with mushrooms, olives and anchovies

 You know the feeling, when you are engrossed in something and look up only to see that the time has flown by, it is quarter to five and dinner is usually on the table at five o clock sharp (give or take) if you want to have the kids in bed on time to have any semblance of an evening to yourself. When you find yourself in that same situation, this is the dinner for you! It can be on the table in around 20 minutes flat and tastes delicious. Of course, this is not only a dinner to be slapped up in a rush, it would work equally well cooked up for a longer, more languorous lunch or dinner coupled with warm garlic bread to soak up the juices and a glass or two of red, on those long, balmy summer evenings. Need I tempt you any more?

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 Red Onion sliced

250g Chestnut Mushrooms

Handful of Olives - whichever you have will work, even the stuffed ones will add more flavour.

5 Anchovies (From a tin, in oil. You can freeze the rest or keep in the fridge in an airtight container ensuring they are submerged in the oil for a couple more days)

4 Thick rashers of Bacon diced (or Pancetta)

Oregano (About 4 stalks worth of leaves chopped, fresh if you have it or a pinch of dried)

1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes

2 Cloves Garlic crushed

2 tbsp Olive Oil

250g Pasta (Spaghetti works best, but I used Penne as the children find it easier to handle, the choice is yours)

How to:

1.  Put the pasta on to boil as per packet instructions.

2. Heat the oil then saute the onions, bacon and mushroom until soft, about 10 minutes.

3. Add the garlic, olives and anchovies and heat through. Break up the anchovies with a wooden spoon as you do so although they will melt down as they cook. Do this for about 5 minutes.

4. Add the tinned tomatoes and the oregano and reduce down until you have a thick sauce.

5. Drain the pasta reserving some of the starchy water. return it to the pan along with the tomatoey sauce and give it all a good mix up. Add a little of the water if it seems a bit dry.

6. I take it to the table with a large ladle and let everyone tuck in. This was a great success with the girls with little E calling out for 'more peese mummy' twice, no less once her bowl was empty!