30 Second Dip Recipe

How about a nice, tasty recipe you can make in 30 seconds or less? This dip is known in various parts of the world as "raita". Its principal ingredient is yogurt. You can mix various ingredients into the yogurt to add flavour, but this recipe adds a distinctly British touch by using mint sauce.

Ingredients

• Plain yogurt (select a natural yogurt with no sugar or gelatin)
• Bachelors or Colmans Mint Sauce

Preparation

• In a small bowl or ramekin, mix 2 parts yogurt with 1 part mint sauce

Use as a dip for potato chips (crisps), flatbread or as a salad dressing. Simple yet delicious.

Tasty Savoury Muffin Recipe

Here is a colourful, tasty snack that you could convince yourself is healthy enough to be eaten as part of a sensible diet. It came from an English cookbook discovered on a recent trip.

Ingredients

• 125g (4 oz) Cheddar cheese
• 180g (6 oz) baby spinach leaves
• 275g (10oz) plain or all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 medium eggs
• 175ml (6 fl oz) milk
• 85g (3 oz) melted salted butter

Preparation

• Grate the cheese and finely chop the spinach
• Sift flour, baking powder and stir in sugar, salt and pepper
• Stir in cheese and spinach
• Beat eggs, milk and butter until smooth
• Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir until well-mixed
• Pour the batter into a muffin pan and bake at 375F for 30 minutes

John's Notes

The ingredient quantities shown make 6 Texas-size muffins. Why "Texas-size" in an English recipe? As you may know, Texas is south of New York, Philadelphia and Washington which are three small communities in the north-east of England. Well ... you asked.