I'm out and about this month promoting my latest cookbook, Bake, which is just out! It's a collection of delicious and easy recipes - including cakes and bakes, tarts and pies, quiches and casseroles and you can buy your copy now at amazon.co.uk
Rhubarb is at its best at this time of year. These delicious muffins work perfectly for breakfast, or as a snack at any time of day!
Makes 10 large muffins
125g (5oz) light brown sugar
15ml (1tb sp) sunfower oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
100ml (3 1/2 oz) buttermilk
100g (4oz) rhubarb, finely diced
175g (6oz) plain four
1 level tsp baking powder
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
For the topping
25g (1oz) light Muscovado sugar
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas mark 6. Place 10 paper muffin cases in a muffin tray.
Place the sugar, oil, egg, vanilla extract and buttermilk in a large bowl. Beat until well mixed. Add the rhubarb and mix. Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt, and stir until all the ingredients are mixed. Do not over-stir.
Fill the muffin cases three-quarters full with batter. Leave to chill and sprinkle the Muscovado sugar on top of the batter in each muffin case.
Bake in the oven on the centre shelf for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Makes 8 wedges / Vegetarian
Quesadillas are essentially the Central American toasted cheese sandwich! We make many versions of it at home, depending on what is in the fridge. Our children love plain cheese quesadillas or quesadillas filled with a little spinach (very handy as you can sneak it in almost unnoticed to greens-wary little ones). These are perfect for a snack or TV supper, and they are great for grown-ups too. I quite often have guacamole and tomato salsa with mine, as they do in Mexico, or else for a very fast sauce try Crème Fraîche with Sweet Chilli. Not all children like chilli, but one of our boys actually likes it, so I sometimes leave it in for him.
2 wheat flour tortillas
100g (4oz) cheese (I like a mixture of Cheddar, Gruyère and mozzarella), grated
one handful of baby spinach leaves (about 15g (1/2oz) 1 spring onion, trimmed and sliced (optional) 1/2 green or red chilli, deseeded and chopped finely (optional - chillies can be very hot!)
Heat a frying pan slightly. Place one tortilla in the pan and sprinkle with all the grated cheese, the spinach, sliced spring onion, and chilli, if using. Cover with the other tortilla and press down with a spatula or your hands. The cheese will have started melting at this stage and the tortilla on the bottom should be golden brown. When it is, carefully turn it over and then cook the other side for another couple of minutes, until it is golden and all the cheese has melted. Transfer to a board and cut into wedges. Serve immediately on its own or with Crème Fraîche with Sweet Chilli or Tomato and Cucumber Salsa.