41. Upside-down rhubarb and ginger cake

Rachel's Favourite food at home 
Rating: 1/5 
Comment: Not good at all. The cake part was quite stodgy. 
Use it again: No. 

Other nice recipes from this book: lemon biscuits, spicy salmon cakes, apple and cinnamon muffins, asparagus and spring onion tart.

40. Glam Mac and Cheese

Lorraine Pascale - Baking Made Easy   This book is under £5 at the moment - I would recommend it.

Rating: 3.5/5 
Comment: A nice enough mac and cheese (recipe suggests spring onion and pancetta - I used onion and maple rashers), but I prefer the Delia Smith mac and cheese - with leeks and rashers- a recipe I grew up on!
Use it again: Not likely to.
Other lovely recipes from this book: Fudge brownies, Chocolate cake, Soda bread, Strawberry and mascarpone swiss roll, baked plaice with rosemary and anchovies, mini toad-in-the-hole, Focaccia

39. Asparagus and Spring onion tart

Rachel's Favourite food at home 
Rating: 3.8/5 
Comment: Surprisingly nice. Lighter than quiche - can be eaten warm or cold. I think I'll try a different filling next time. Perhaps brocolli and pepper.
Use it again: Yes. 

Other nice recipes from this book: lemon biscuits, spicy salmon cakes, apple and cinnamon muffins

38. Comforting cottage pie

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/comfortingcottagepie_14505 
James Martin.

Rating: 4/5 
Comment: Ok, so this is not from any of my cookbooks - but I couldn't find any suitable one's. Perfect comfort food. used mustard rather than horseradish. 

Use it again: Yes.

37. Spicy Salmon Cakes

Rachel's Favourite food at home 
Rating: 3.5/5 
Comment: Good bit of kick off these. I think they'd be better oven cooked rather than fried. 
Use it again: Yes.
Other nice recipes from this book: lemon biscuits, apple and cinnamon muffins

36. Mini Toad-in-the-hole

 Lorraine Pascale - Baking Made Easy   
Rating: 3.3/5 
Comment: Lovely individual portions of sausages in batter. Made a red onion gravy with balsamic vinegar (a Jamie Oliver one) to go with this. The recipe given does not provide a gravy recipe which is a shame. (they went in the oven for a further 5 mins after the photo to achieve a more golden colour)

Use it again: Yes. Not too often due to the time needed but the same as with normal toad-in-the-hole I believe (I've never made the normal one before). 
Other lovely recipes from this book: Fudge brownies, Chocolate cake, Soda bread, Strawberry and mascarpone swiss roll, baked plaice with rosemary and anchovies, Focaccia

35. Fudge brownies (Lorraine Pascale)

Lorraine Pascale - Baking Made Easy 
Rating: 5/5  
Comment: These should be called sinful brownies - delicious. They have broken up oreo cookies - but would be lovely without them too or with an alternative such as Minstrels.

Use it again: Yes.
Other lovely recipes from this book: Chocolate cake, Soda bread, Strawberry and mascarpone swiss roll, baked plaice with rosemary and anchovies, Focaccia

34. Focaccia Bread

Lorraine Pascale - Baking Made Easy link 
Rating: 3.5/5  
Comment: I didn't have this quite flat enough and probably didn't knead it long enough and a kitchen aid would take this from being average to make to easy. Tasty enough but I'm clearly not a baker.  

Use it again: Yes, but only once every 6 months or so.   
Other lovely recipes from this book: Chocolate cake, Soda bread, Strawberry and mascarpone swiss roll, baked plaice with rosemary and anchovie.

33. Strawberry and Mascarpone Swiss Roll

Lorraine Pascale - Baking Made Easy link 
Rating: 3.9/5   
Comment: Fancy swiss roll. Lovely and light with yummy strawberries. Best left to sit a couple of hours before eating to let the juices sink in. Quite expensive to make but very easy. Perfect for special afternoon tea. 
Use it again: Yes   
Other lovely recipes from this book: Chocolate cake, Soda bread, baked plaice with rosemary and anchovies 

32. Mini caramelised onion and goat's cheese tarts

Kitchen Hero - Donal Skehan 
Rating: 3.5/5     
Comment: These contain a bit a pesto which works well. Great as a starter.
Use it again: Yes    
Other nice recipes from this book: Spicy white bean and chorizo soup, chicken and broccoli pie, Chorizo and Spring onion Quesadilla

31. Chicken and Broccoli Pie

Kitchen Hero - Donal Skehan
 Rating: 3.8/5   
Comment: Comfort food at its best. Variation on a similar recipe I use, but this has caramelised onions, which make it. 
Use it again: Yes   
Also:  Chorizo and Spring onion Quesadilla
3.5/5; Perfect for light supper or lunch. 
Other nice recipes from this book: Spicy white bean and chorizo soup

30. Baked plaice with rosemary and anchovies

Lorraine Pascale - Baking Made Easy link 
Rating: 3.5/5  
Comment: Tasty way to eat plaice. Cooked with rosemary, anchovies (which I omitted and added more salt instead), white wine, garlic and olive oil. 
Use it again: Yes  
Other lovely recipes from this book: , Chocolate cake, Soda bread.

29. Easy Lemon Cake

Rachel Allen - Easy Meals
Rating: 4.5/5  
Comment: My mum discovered this tasty and easy cake. The recipe suggested throwing all the ingredients into a food processor. I've never mixed up cake mixture using that method before so I thought I'd give it a try - not for me - I find hand mixers are more effective and less washing up!
Use it again: Yes.
Link to recipe: http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/648131

28. Fruity breakfast muffins - apple and cinnamon

Rachel's Favourite food at home 
Rating: 3/5  
Comment:  Healthy muffins  (include wholemeal flour)- the recipe suggests a few alternatives for this basic muffin recipe. These are best served in the morning. These may not be appreciated by those with a sweet tooth!
Use it again: Yes. I'll try the rhubard and ginger version next time. 

Nice recipes from this book - lemon biscuits
 

27. Chocolate cake - 'I can't believe you made that' cake

Lorraine Pascale - Baking Made Easy link
Rating: 4/5 
Comment:  Lovely cake. I may not bother icing the top as well as the sides next time as it is quite sweet. The recipe would be better with cigarellos or even matchmakers, as suggested, but my local supermarket only had chocolate fingers. The strawberries go well on top, as would raspberries. Great cake for a special occasion - I served it to family today who liked it. It was too sweet the first day, but a night in the fridge made it perfect.
Use it again: Yes 

 

 Other lovely recipes from this book: Soda bread.

26. Plaice a la meuniere

Rachel Allen - Home cooking 
Rating: 4.5/5  
Comment:  Yummy. A huge amount of butter required (50g for 2 servings) so one to limit the use of, but really lovely. The recipe calls for sole - but that can be hard to come by near where I live. Fish fried in butter and then add fresh parsley - how have I never thought of this before? I'm still so inexperienced in the kitchen! Served with baby potatoes and salad - perfect. One of these days I'll be able to cook the odd thing without following recipes. I regularly change things a little, but for the most part follow them line by line! 
Use it again: Yes. 
Lovely recipes from this book: Baked raspberry and ricotta cheesecake, Millonaire's shortbread (sister-in-law got me hooked on this one) and recommended this one - Fish Pie.
Average recipes: Shepherd's pie
Avoid: Rhubarb muffins, chicken casserole with cheesy herb dumplings.

25.Spicy white bean and chorizo soup

Kitchen Hero - Donal Skehan - link
Rating: 4.5/5
Comment:  Hearty, slightly spicy and tasty soup. Perfect on a cold day served with bread. A meal in itself. It does need the 2 tins of beans. This has become a regular.  
Use it again: Yes

 

24. Soda Bread

Lorraine Pascal - Baking Made Easy 
Rating: 4/5 
Comment:  Failsafe recipe. Ratio of wholemeal flour to white works well.  Even better the next day.  
Use it again: Yes

23. Herb-Crusted Cod

Avoca Cafe Cookbook (1)

Rating: 3.5/5
Comment:  Perfect for a mid-week supper. Simple and easy - garlic, herbs, olive oil and breadcrumbs. Used more garlic than recommended as love it.
Use it again: Yes.
Other nice newly tried recipes: Tuscan Bean soup, chicken marinated in honey and mustard.

22. Rocket-fuelled pasta with avocado and parmesan; garlic-rubbed ciabatta toast

Kitchen Hero - Donal Skehan
Rating: 2/5 
Comment:  not for me - would be OK as a warm side-dish. 
Use it again: No.

The ciabatta is a nice alternative to regular garlic bread and doesn't need any butter: 3/5. Had it with salad for a light supper.