Prawn Cocktail Cakes

Now a days when we think of a Prawn Cocktail something from the 80's is likely to pop into our heads... I always think of Prawn Cocktails as a Christmas starter (probably as this is what we used to have a Christmas when I was younger.

So I was watching Gary Rhodes Christmas special the other day and he did a great take on a Prawn Cocktail by turning it into a posh layered cake.

So I would like to share the recipe, which is good as a light lunch as well as a starter!

RECIPE: Festive Prawn Cocktail cakes, layered with a prawn and cucumber filling topped with roaster red pepper and king prawns.

You will need:

1 pack of king prawns
1 pack of lettuce or spinach
3 tablespoons of mayo
1 tablespoon of ketchup
seasoning
1 red pepper roasted and skinned
Cake ring to layer fillings
1/2 cucumber

1. Firstly roast a red pepper in the oven, when roasted remove the skin and allow to cool, using your cake ring molds now cut out the circular shape.


2. In a bowl mix 3 tablespoons of mayo with 1 tablespoon of ketchup and season to taste. (Put some aside if you would like to add extra)



3. Now mix in half the pack of king prawns and dice some cucumber to add in too!




4. Take your cake ring and put one of the red pepper circles at the base.

5. Next layer in some spinach then add the prawn and cucumber sauce filling.




6. Then repeat and layer some more spinach and finally the top being the red pepper circle.

7. On the red pepper decorate with the remaining prawns and decorate the plate.




8. You can swirl some ketchup and pepper over the top of the cake after removing the rings.




And its as simple as that a modern take on a traditional classic!

Duckeys Christmas Pudding Boozy Bon Bons!

The festive cooking has started! I spent some time yesterday in the kitchen after finishing in the Apparition office for the day. I am creating some little after dinner sweets for a party I am attended at the weekend and I thought they made beautiful foodie gifts!

I actually got this recipe out of the 'signed' Nigella Christmas book my lovely boyfriend bought me for Christmas last year!



These bon bons are designed to look like miniature Christmas Puddings so they are very festive and great for parties!

RECIPE: Wonderfully Festive Christmas Pudding Bon Bons, soaked in Sherry and topped with white chocolate and cherry.

You will need:

For the bon bons:

125g Dark Chocolate (I used Green and Blacks cooking chocolate)
350g of cooked or leftover Christmas Pud
60ml Sherry
1 spoon of golden syrup

To decorate

100g White Chocolate
Cherries red and green to decorate (I couldnt find the green so I used icing!)

To Make:

1. Cook the Christmas Pudding, I bought a ready made one from the supermarket and cooked it in the microwave leaving it to cool for a few hours before cooking.



2. Once cooled, break up the Christmas pudding into a bowl

3. Then add the sherry



4. Followed by some golden syrup




5. You will then need to melt your dark chocolate, this bind's the mixture!



6. Add the chocolate to the mixture and if you can get them use some disposable gloves for the next part... it can be messy!



7. Make small truffle sized balls out of the mixture

8. Line a baking tray with foil and once made put these in the fridge to cool

9. Once cooled for around half an hour to an hour melt some white chocolate




10. Add a small amount of white chocolate to decorate the top of you miniature puddings

11. Finally you can cut up the cherry and add icing in my case to create the holly on top of the puddings.



They taste great they are quite rich too which means you cant eat them all at once.

Whilst I promote 'health' I understand this might not be the healthiest of recipes but I believe that in moderation it is healthy to indulge otherwise I find you just binge which is much worse!

A new look for Duckeys Health Corner!

Well it's almost a New Year! So why not have a new look!

Any comments on the new look Duckeys Health Blog would be much appreciated!

Duckey x

Christmas is here!

Hello everyone and Merry Christmas!

Christmas is here which means finally I have some time off to get festive and start cooking again! I am so sorry for abandoning you lately.

But I am back in cooking action, and have some tasty Christmas treats to share with you this season!

THESE ARE RECIPES ALL COMING SOON...

How about my super healthy filo mince pies, I use reduced sugar mincemeat, filo (lighter option) pastry and topped with a dusting of icing sugar and almonds!


Or we could go the more traditional option with the cased mince pies...


These Christmas Rocky roads are always a favourite...



Plus I made up a recipe for gift wrapped, chocolate and mincemeat muffins (think of mince pies in a muffin!) and white chocolate and cranberry ones... very festive!


During the next few weeks I WILL be posting again.

At the weekend for a Christmas party we are having with our friends I am making a Yule Chocolate Log (Nigella Style) some Christmas pudding bons bons and my filo mince pies.

So Christmas lovers stay tuned for more recipes coming soon!

While i've not been cooking!

Hi Guys,

Well some of you may have noticed that Duckeys Health Kitchen has been a little pre-occupied lately... so firstly i'm very sorry for that! Usually I can multi-task but I feel like I am at a whole new level right now.

This is because I have been creating a new business of my very own. How exciting! My passion in websites started with this blog I guess, and because I enjoy blogging and creating so much, with all of the various skills and jobs I have had over the last five years have led me to where I am now.

So I thought well why not try it for myself. Which was when Apparition Marketing & Design Ltd was born!

I started the business back in April and I have to say its going very well. So far I have worked with over 60 clients and am now taking another big step and re-branding already. (New brand coming soon!)

So guys if you know anyone who may benefit from PR, Marketing, Websites or any Graphic Design then get in touch. I have a freelancer who works with a London agency so the quality of our work is great but with the costs to help you through the credit crunch!

Plus when things start to level themselves out I can get back in the kitchen and do what I do!

I would like to say a big thank you to the people who have helped me especially my folks, James my wonderful partner and my bro and friends.

On another positive note, health wise I am at my healthiest weight ever (still using my recipes) so have a scout below and see what you like!

Love Duckey x

Duckeys Gluten Free Banoffee Dream

Well guys I am back.

I have had a bit of a break whilst I have set up my new business Apparition Marketing & Design.

It has been great but my time to cook has been limited. So the other weekend James my partner and I went to some friends and I was asked to provide dessert.

So I made a Banoffee pie. The secret to this one is that it also had to be Gluten Free as my friend Carly can't eat Gluten! So here is the recipe!...

Now I know this recipe doesn't sound healthy but I have given it a slight make over by replacing cream with low fat cream, biscuits with low fat gluten free biscuits (which also makes it a gluten free recipe) used dark 70% organic chocolate and used much more banana than sauce.

RECIPE: A thick creamy Gluten Free Banoffee pie with freshly sliced banana, toffee sauce and chocolate shavings.

You will need:

For the cake:

150g gluten free biscuits
1 tin of condensed toffee
1tbsp butter
1 pot of low fat cream
3 bananas
Shaving of 70% dark chocolate

To Make:

1. Take the pack of Gluten Free Biscuits and crush them in a plastic bag with a rolling pin (or your fists if it has been a bad day!)



2. Then add to a saucepan and heat with a small amount of butter until all the biscuit crumbs have been coated.


3. Then add in the mixture to a spring base tin.


4. Cut up some banana slices.


5. Add the banana to the pan layering on the biscuits.



6. Spread over the toffee sauce making a nice layer.


7. Let set in the fridge until serving time.

8. Just before serving whisk up your low fat cream and pile on top of the pie.



9. Dust over the chocolate and bish, bash, bosh you have a yummy Gluten free dessert.



I must say the pie went down well, the boys had second helpings and out of the desserts I have made its been the best responding one so far.

Kopi Lowak Coffee Cake

OK before you stop reading this recipe immediately if I refer to this recipe as the 'cat poo' coffee cake it's not real cat poo!

For Christmas (along with a signed copy of the new Nigella book!) my boyfriend James bought me what is said to be the best coffee in the world.

It's called Kopi Lowak and the reason it is so good? Well it comes from Lowak (cat) droppings, they eat the beans on the floor and because they only eat the good beans only the best ones see the light again!


So I decided to thank my dear Jamesy by making him a Cat Poo Coffee Cake! You don't have to use this type of coffee normal coffee will suffice!

RECIPE: A deliciously buzzing coffee cake filled with coffee icing, topped with walnuts and Kupi Lowak Coffee.
You will need:

For the cake:

150g wholemeal flour
150g butter
150g brown sugar
1 tspn baking powder
1 egg
1 tspn of instant coffee mixed with a small amount of water (to a paste)
100g Walnuts

For the icing:

150g icing sugar
150g butter
1 tspn of instant coffee mixed with a small amount of water (to a paste)
Dusting of cat poo coffee!
Walnuts to decorate

To Make:

1. Mix together the butter and the sugar

2. Once mixed add in the egg

3, Then add the flour and stir well


4. Make your coffee past and insert the coffee and walnuts into the cake batter



5. Then divide this mixture between two sandwich tins your should have just enough!


6. Put the cakes in the oven to bake for around 20 minutes until golden in colour at 180 degrees

In the meantime we can make the icing:

7. In a bowl 150g of butter

8. Add in a much icing sugar as it takes to make a solid icing


9. Flavour this icing with the coffee paste and Kopi Lowak powder to taste

10. Leave to rest until the cake has cooled

11. Once the cakes are cool spread a layer of icing in the middle of the cake


12. Sandwich the cakes together to form one cake

13. Spread another layer of icing on top of the cake evenly



14. You can then decorate this with a dusting of Kopi Luwak and sprinkle on some walnuts.


And it really is as simple as that. You can make any cake from a basic batter so get inventive in your kitchen and see what you can come up with!