Serves 4

What you’ll need

• 250g plain biscuits (for example Scotch fingers or milk arrowroot)
• 100g butter (melted)
• 100g icing sugar
• 160g good-quality white chocolate (broken into pieces)
• 500g full-fat cream cheese (at room temperature)
• 250ml heavy cream
• 4 passionfruit (halved)

To decorate

• 300ml double cream
• 2-3 passionfruit (halved or cut into wedges)

Method

1. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm / 8 inch loose-bottomed cake tin with non-stick baking paper. Set aside.
2. Tip biscuits into a food processor and blitz into fine crumbs. Add the butter and whizz again until you have the desired crumbly consistency.
3. Tip the biscuit mixture into the prepared tin and pat into a smooth and compact layer using the back of a spoon. Cover and chill in the fridge whilst you make the filling.
4. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Stir occasionally until smooth and melted. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
5. Scoop the insides from the 4 passionfruit into a sieve over a bowl. Using a spoon, press down to extract as much juice as possible and catch all the seeds. Set aside.
6. Whisk together the cream cheese and double cream until you have soft peaks. Add the icing sugar, cream cheese, melted chocolate and passionfruit pulp, then continue to whisk until just combined.
7. Spoon the mixture over the biscuit base in an even layer, finishing by smoothing over the top. Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours, or overnight, to set.
8. When you’re ready to serve, whisk the double cream until you have medium peaks. Spoon over the top of the cheesecake and decorate with the remaining passionfruit pulp and/or slices of halved passionfruit.

More ways to save this Christmas

Christmas is a magical time of year, but it can also put a strain on your wallet. With gifts to buy, festive meals to plan, and social expectations to meet, it’s easy to feel the financial pinch. Check out our handy guide for loads of ways to save this festive season without compromising on joy.

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The post Jingle Bites: White choc passionfruit cheesecake recipe appeared first on The Origin Blog.

Serves 4

What you’ll need

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 cup olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 a lemon
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 sprig of thyme or oregano
• 2 teaspoons sea salt

To serve

• Your choice of chopped root vegetables (e.g. potato, sweet potato)
• Extra lemon wedges if you desire

Method

1. To a bowl add olive oil, lemon juice, pepper, salt, oregano and honey. Mix together well.
2. With a paper towel pat down the chicken skin to remove any excess moisture, sprinkle with some sea salt and pour over the glaze. Rub through the cracks on the chicken and ensure it’s evenly spread.
3. Place the chicken along with any chopped root vegetables of your choice directly into an air fryer with a rack. This will capture all the chicken juice and you can use this as a sauce when serving.
4. Set your air fryer to 175°C and cook for 15 minutes, the skin will turn a dark brown. Lower the heat to 150°C and cook for another 40 minutes. Turn the chicken around and turn the back heat up to 175°C again and cook for another 10 minutes. This will ensure a crisp skin all around the chicken.
5. Place chicken and vegetables on a serving dish and drizzle over any remaining juices. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary or thyme.

More ways to save this Christmas

Christmas is a magical time of year, but it can also put a strain on your wallet. With gifts to buy, festive meals to plan, and social expectations to meet, it’s easy to feel the financial pinch. Check out our handy guide for loads of ways to save this festive season without compromising on joy.

Follow Hoda for more recipe inspiration on Instagram and TikTok.

The post Jingle Bites: Mediterranean roast chicken recipe appeared first on The Origin Blog.

Serves 7

What you’ll need

For the feta dip

• 400g feta
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Zest of 1 lemon

For the balsamic tomatoes

• 400g cherry tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 4 sprigs thyme
• Salt to taste

To serve

• Olives
• Lemon zest

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C.
2. Whip the feta, Greek yogurt, olive oil and lemon zest in the food processor until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Place the tomatoes in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle the salt and thyme over the top and bake for 20 minutes.
4. Spoon the whipped feta dip onto a serving dish, and once cooled, spoon tomatoes over the whipped feta.
5. Top with olives, lemon juice and/or zest and serve with your choice of crackers or bread.

More ways to save this Christmas

Christmas is a magical time of year, but it can also put a strain on your wallet. With gifts to buy, festive meals to plan, and social expectations to meet, it’s easy to feel the financial pinch. Check out our handy guide for loads of ways to save this festive season without compromising on joy.

Follow Hoda for more recipe inspiration on Instagram and TikTok.

The post Jingle Bites: Whipped feta recipe appeared first on The Origin Blog.

What you’ll need

For the cake

• 2 apples
• 2 eggs
• 80g plain flour
• 80g brown sugar
• 50g white sugar
• 50g butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the caramel sauce

• 80g white sugar
• 40g butter
• 150g heavy cream
• Pinch of salt

To serve

• Vanilla ice-cream

Method

1. Start by chopping the apples into small cubes, add them to a bowl and sprinkle cinnamon on top.
2. In a clean bowl mix together the sugars, butter, eggs and vanilla. Mix well then add in the flour and baking powder.
3. Pour it into a lined slow cooker and turn it on high for 2 hours.
4. Make the salted caramel by melting butter and brown sugar together in a pot. Mix in the heavy cream slowly and the salt. Set side.
4. Once the cake is done poke a few holes and pour half the salted caramel sauce on-top and allow it to seep in for an hour. Serve with a scoop of ice cream and top with extra sauce.

Why use a slow cooker?

Slow cookers are the perfect life hack during winter. They’re beginner chef friendly, you can cook both mains and desserts in them, and they’re energy efficient. In fact, they use a little more energy than a traditional light bulb. So, you can have something slow cooking all day while you work – saving your energy and energy at home.

Follow Hoda for more recipe inspiration on Instagram

The post Winter Warmers: Apple pie cake recipe appeared first on The Origin Blog.

Makes 4 serves

What you’ll need

• 300g pumpkin
• 190g orzo/risoni pasta
• 300g water
• 300ml stock of your choice
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 onion
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the oil

• 1 cup olive oil
• 2 lemon peels
• Garlic
• Thyme

To serve

• Parmesan cheese

Method

1. Finely dice the pumpkin, onion, garlic and put them into a slow cooker along with the thyme, lemon juice and stock. Cook on high for 2 hours.
2. Add the orzo and remaining stock to the slow cooker and cook for a further 40 minutes.
3. Make the thyme oil by placing all of the oil ingredients into a saucepan and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Allow to cool whilst orzo is cooking.
4. Serve with parmesan cheese and thyme oil to taste.

Why use a slow cooker?

Slow cookers are the perfect life hack during winter. They’re beginner chef friendly, you can cook both mains and desserts in them, and they’re energy efficient. In fact, they use a little more energy than a traditional light bulb. So, you can have something slow cooking all day while you work – saving your energy and energy at home.

Follow Hoda for more recipe inspiration on Instagram

The post Winter Warmers: Pumpkin orzo recipe appeared first on The Origin Blog.

Makes 6 serves

What you’ll need

• 5-7 pieces of lamb neck (or any other cut of meat you like)
• 10 spring onions
• 1 cup red kidney beans
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 cups of water
• 2 bunches of parsley
• 2 bunches of fresh spinach (or 450g of frozen spinach)
• 3 dried limes (or the peel of 2 limes)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons salt

To serve

• Jasmine rice

Method

1. Wash and roughly chop the parsley, spinach, spring onion roughly. Place in a slow cooker.
2. Add the lamb neck, or any other cut of meat you like, and season with salt, pepper, turmeric and cumin.
3. Add kidney beans, olive oil and water before topping with dried limes* or the peels of 2 limes.
4. Turn the slow cooker on low for 5 hours.
5. Once cooked served with the jasmine rice and enjoy.

*The preserved limes release a unique bitter/sour flavour so the peel of fresh limes would work well as an alternative

Why use a slow cooker?

Slow cookers are the perfect life hack during winter. They’re beginner chef friendly, you can cook both mains and desserts in them, and they’re energy efficient. In fact, they use a little more energy than a traditional light bulb. So, you can have something slow cooking all day while you work – saving your energy and energy at home.

Follow Hoda for more recipe inspiration on Instagram and TikTok.

The post Winter Warmers: Persian spinach stew recipe appeared first on The Origin Blog.

Makes 6 serves

What you’ll need

• 500 grams ground beef*
• 5 large onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 bunch parsley
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon sea salt or 1/2 tablespoon table salt
• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 tablespoon cumin
• Pepper to taste

*For a vegetarian option, you can opt for plant based meat or lentils instead of the beef.

For the sauce

• 2 cups onion water (reserved form boiling)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

To serve

• Greek yogurt
• Extra chopped parsley

Method

1. Boil the peeled onions in a pot of water. Make sure to cover them with water for 20 minutes (or until soft).
2. Reserve 2 cups of onion water for the sauce and set onions aside to cool.
3. Remove roughly half of the onions core and chop finely. Add to a large bowl and mix in the remaining ingredients until well combined.
4. Remove 1 peel from each boiled onion and place 2-3 tablespoons of the filling into the onion and wrap firmly. Arrange each one in the bottom of the slow cooker.
5. For the sauce, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and pour on top of the onions. Cover the onions with parchment paper. This allows them to stay extra juicy.
6. Cover the onions with a sheet of baking paper and cook on high in the slow cooker for 5 hours.
7. Once cooled, top with chopped parsley and serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Why use a slow cooker?

Slow cookers are the perfect life hack during winter. They’re beginner chef friendly, you can cook both mains and desserts in them, and they’re energy efficient. In fact, they use a little more energy than a traditional light bulb. So, you can have something slow cooking all day while you work – saving your energy and energy at home.

Follow Hoda for more recipe inspiration on Instagram and TikTok.

The post Winter Warmers: Onion dolmas recipe appeared first on The Origin Blog.

Makes 8 serves

What you’ll need

• 400g dates
• 160g plain flour
• 150g brown sugar
• 30g white sugar
• 60g butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 eggs

For the caramel sauce

• 360g heavy cream
• 150g brown sugar
• 84g butter, cold cut into cubes

To serve

• Vanilla ice-cream

Method

1. Pit the dates and cut into small pieces. Place them in a bowl and add the baking soda and boiling hot water. Mix well and set side aside to soften.
2. Place the room temperature butter and the brown and white sugar in a large bowl and whisk until well combined.
3. Add the eggs and whisk again until doubled in size. Fold in the softened date mixture and the flour and baking powder. Be careful not to over mix.
4. Butter the slow cooker generously and fill it with the pudding mixture.
5. Cook on low for 4 hours.
6. To make the caramel, add the brown sugar and cubed butter to a saucepan over medium heat and continue to stir until melted.
7. Add the cream and continue to cook for 5 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
8. Once the pudding is cooked, and still warm, prick holes in the pudding and pour half the caramel mixture on top. Allow to cool slightly before serving with extra sauce on the side and a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

Why use a slow cooker?

Slow cookers are the perfect life hack during winter. They’re beginner chef friendly, you can cook both mains and desserts in them, and they’re energy efficient. In fact, they use a little more energy than a traditional light bulb. So, you can have something slow cooking all day while you work – saving your energy and energy at home.

Follow Hoda for more recipe inspiration on Instagram and TikTok.

The post Winter Warmers: Sticky date pudding recipe appeared first on The Origin Blog.

Makes 10 serves

What you’ll need

• 5 chicken thigh fillets
• 4 garlic cloves – crushed
• 1/2 a red onion – thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin 
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom 
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 tablespoon Aleppo pepper (can be substituted for 1/4 tbsp dried chilli flakes and 1/4 tbsp smoked paprika)
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika 
• 1 tablespoon sumac 
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt & pepper to taste

For the garlic yogurt

• 1/4 cup pickle juice
• 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
• 1 tablespoon mayo
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
• Salt & pepper to taste

To serve

• Flat parsley – roughly chopped
• Pickles – sliced
• Pita wraps or Lebanese bread

Method

1. Place all the ingredients in a 5L slow cooker. Mix well and place the slow cooker on high for 3 hours.
2. Cut the chicken to your preferred portions and lay on top of the pita bread.
3. Top with the garlic yogurt, pickles, parsley and extra juice from the chicken. Enjoy!

Why use a slow cooker?

Slow cookers are the perfect life hack during winter. They’re beginner chef friendly, you can cook both mains and desserts in them, and they’re energy efficient. In fact, they use a little more energy than a traditional light bulb. So, you can have something slow cooking all day while you work – saving your energy and energy at home.

Follow Hoda for more recipe inspiration on Instagram and TikTok.

The post Winter Warmers: Chicken shawarma wraps recipe appeared first on The Origin Blog.