With the new government regulations in place, a lot of us are working from home and staying home for most of our day. We have worked our way through our Netflix lists, finished Disney+ and can no longer bear to listen to the kids shout at their gaming consoles! So, we at DID have come up with three fun recipes to provide a bit of tasty distraction and give you a chance to win a cool prize, while staying safe at home. It's time to cook at home!

Simply try out one (or all!) of the recipes below, take a picture of your creation and share it with us on our Facebook page. Then you will be in with a chance to win one of three Dolce Gusto Coffee Machines.

Stay safe & have fun! - The DID Electrical Team

Want a simple recipe to cook at home? This simple muffin recipe is perfect for getting kids of all ages involved. If you don't have a muffin tray at home then you can also bake the mixture in a loaf or cake tin. We recommend slicing up the loaf and toasting under the grill for a minute on either side to give it a bit of extra crunch! These muffins are perfect for an easy breakfast or a mid-afternoon treat. They also store well in the fridge, just microwave or toast when you are ready to eat.  

Baked Oat and Berry Muffins

We have opted for frozen berries because they are cheap to purchase in your local supermarkets, you can store them in your freezer without worrying about them going off and they are also handy for making smoothies! Feel free to sub in for fresh berries or any leftover fruit you have at home.  

Ingredients

Makes 6 Muffins or 1 Medium Loaf

• 30g Plain Flour (you can sub in coconut flour or protein pancake mix here too!)
• 1 Medium Banana (90g)
• 135g Porridge Oats
• 3 Eggs
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 300g Frozen Berries (you could sub in raisins or chopped apple if you prefer)
• 2 tsp Honey or Maple Syrup -Cinnamon (optional)  

1. Weigh out your ingredients. Add the oats, flour, baking powder and cinnamon to a large mixing bowl.

2. Preheat your oven to 180°c.

3. Mash three-quarters of the banana in a separate bowl and whisk in the eggs and honey.

4. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the mixing bowl, stirring constantly. Add the frozen fruit and mix again ensure the fruit is fulling covered with the muffin mix.

5. Grease your muffin tray or loaf dish.

6. Add your mixture to your baking tray and slice the remaining banana. Place the remaining banana pieces on the top.

7. Baking time will vary depending on your oven and whether you opted for a muffin tray or a loaf tin. These typically take 30-35 mins in a muffin tray or 45 mins in a loaf tin. Remove after cooking and test using a knife. The knife should come out dry (you may get some fruit juice on the knife, but this is ok!)

8. Rest for 5-10 minutes before eating.

To Serve:Add a dollop of Greek yoghurt and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup when serving. You can also add chopped nuts, ice cream or chocolate chips. If you are prepping for tomorrow's breakfast then store your muffins in an airtight container and toast under the grill when ready to eat.

Homemade Fakeaway Spice Bag

Want a tasty takeaway that you can cook at home? If your Friday night takeaway is temporarily closed then why not try out our takeaway favourite, the spice bag, at home! You can make up additional spice bag mix and store it in an airtight container. So, making up a midweek treat is easy, cost-effective and healthy.  

Ingredients

Serves 3-4

• Diced Chicken 350g
• 1 Large Red Pepper 
• 1Large Yellow Pepper
• 1 Large Onion
• 2 Large Maris Piper Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes (whichever you prefer!)
• 1 Large Red Chilli
• Spring Onion to Garnish

Top Tips: This recipe is a great way of using up any leftover baked potatoes from the night before. You can also use oven chips or wedges if you want to save on prep time or you have few in the freezer. You can buy premade spice bag seasonings from your local supermarket. However, if you have a spice drawer full of half-used spices then why not try making your own?  

Spice Bag Seasoning 

• 2 tsp of Salt
• 4 tsp of Chinese Five Spice
• 1 tsp of Paprika
• 1 tsp of Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp of Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp of Onion Powder
• 1 tsp of Dried Flaked Chillis
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• Salt & Pepper  

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200°

2. Combine the spice bag seasoning ingredients in a small container.

3. Dice your chicken, peppers, potato and onion and coat in your spice bag seasoning. If you are using raw potato then be sure to make skinny wedges so that everything cooks evenly.

4. Add to a lined baking tray and cook for 20 minutes. If you are using frozen chips or wedges then cook these separately and add your cooked chicken and vegetables after.

5. Once cooked, sprinkle fresh chilli and spring onion on the top and serve immediately.

Top Tip: You can opt for breading your chicken if you prefer. You can oven cook or air-fry these to keep the calorie count down. Add a bit of the spice bag mix to your breadcrumbs and sprinkle some of the spice on your raw chicken before coating. Breaded chicken is nicest when it is eaten straight away as reheating can take away the lovely crunchiness. So, you are best leaving out the breading if you are prepping this dish for the next day.  

If you have a cupboard stocked full of tins than a casserole, minestrone or chilli is the perfect comfort dish. It will also use up some of the tins you've gathered up and haven't gotten around to using. We decided to make chilli. It's perfect for feeding a large family or you can use it in loads of ways for different weekly meals. Serve it with rice, wrapped in a burrito with cheese or dolloped on nachos. Lunch, dinner and movie snacks sorted!  

Chilli Con Carne

Serves 8 - 10

Ingredients 

• 500g Minced Beef
• 2 Large Onions
• 2 Sticks of Celery
• 2 Red Peppers
• 2 Yellow Peppers
• 4 Tins of Plum Tomatoes (or chopped tomatoes)
• 2 Tins of Kidney Beans
• 2 Tins of Chick Peas (Black beans, mixed beans or others will work. Just use what you have in the cupboard)
• Fresh Coriander to Garnish
• 2 tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 tsp of Minced Garlic
• 1 tsp of Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp of Ground Cumin
• 1 Large Red Chilli
• 1 tbsp of Tomato Puree
• Salt and Pepper  

You can also add extra peppers, cherry tomatoes, extra beans, sweetcorn or mushrooms to bulk out the recipe if you are serving extra people. If you want to make a vegetarian version then leave out the minced beef and add in mushroom and aubergine instead.  

Method

1. Chop and sautee your onion and celery. Brown your mince in a separate pan.

2. Add the peppers, onion, celery and browned mince to a large pot on medium heat. Add your tinned tomatoes and any other vegetables that you are using.

3. Chop your fresh red chilli finely. Add the fresh chilli, chilli powder, cumin, balsamic vinegar, garlic and tomato puree to your pot. Combine and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Strain and rinse your tinned beans. Once you have rinsed these, add them to your pot.

5. Simmer for a further 10-15 minutes. If you would prefer to have a thinner sauce then add more tinned tomatoes or some passata. Jarred premade Bolognese sauce will also work if you have this hiding in your cupboard.

6. Be sure to season well with salt and pepper. Add coriander and fresh chilli when serving. You can also add a few lashings of hot sauce if you like it extra spicy.

This recipe is perfect for freezing or you can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.  

Don't forget to send us in a photo of your creations to be in with a chance of winning a Dolce Gusto coffee machine.