Are you a creature of habit?

When it comes to cooking, is toast as adventurous as you get?

Some of your friends are getting together for a picnic and you all agree to bring some food along. Do you...

a) Buy a ready-made quiche from the supermarket and/or a bag of salad and a packet of biscuits - no one can complain about any of that

b) Make your standard pototo salad and roast some chicken

c) Hit the cookbooks and try that frittata you spotted in it a few days ago - that would be brilliant cold!

2) Your boss is coming for dinner. Do you...

a) Get it catered - there's no point mucking up your chances of promotion. No matter what it costs, this is a career investment!

b) Serve up a salad tricolour for starters (no cooking, fab), a bog standard lasagne and green salad and go for a bought-in but delicious dessert. You'll be fine on two courses but you won't risk being a hit on all three

c) Three courses coming right up! You just love an important audience and will be devising the menu, marinating and chopping yourself. It will all be perfect 

3) Have you ever baked a birthday cake?

a) No - and nor will I. Baking is for professionals.

b) Yes, a simple one but I'd never do my own icing or anything fancy like that.

c) Oh yes!. I do a different one every time - it gets boring to do the same old thing again and again.

4) If a recipe used raw prawns would you buy them fresh and peel and de-vein them.

a) Er, no! I can barely chop up a chicken nevermind prepare seafood

b) Well, I don't know - I'd like to think I could manage it but I might end up using some prepared frozen ones instead

c) Yeah. Why?

5) What's your signature dish?

a) Gulp - I don't really have anything that I cook well enough to want to be known for  it!

b) I have about ten signature dishes - I do them all brilliant but I rarely cook anything else

c) I couldn't' choose one dish from my massive repertoire - all of my cooking is fab!

Mostly As

You have no confidence in the kitchen, do you! And you're not likely to get any unless you give a few recipes a go. Get some basic recipe books (children's ones, if need be) and just attempt a dish or two. Or give this simple Philadelphia recipe a try:

Sizzling Philly Chicken Tortillas

Serves 8
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 9-11 minutes

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp hot chilli powder
• 1 red and 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and thickly sliced
• 1 red onion, peeled and cut into thin wedges
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 8 flour tortillas, warmed
• ½ iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 4 medium vine tomatoes, sliced
• 1 ripe avocado, halved, stoned, peeled and sliced
• lime wedges for squeezing
• 120g Philadelphia Light
• 1-2 tsp cold water

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Toss the chicken with the chilli powder and stir fry for 5-6 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through. Tip chicken onto a plate and set aside.
• Add peppers and onion to the pan and stir fry until softened and lightly browned, adding the garlic for the last minute of cooking time. Then return the chicken to the pan and cook with the vegetables for 2-3 minutes until hot, stirring regularly.
• Mix the Philly and water until it reaches a smooth, dropping consistency. To serve, put some lettuce and a couple of sliced tomatoes onto each tortilla. Top with cooked chicken and vegetables, then add some sliced avocado and a squeeze of lime. Finish with a couple of teaspoons of the Philly sauce. Roll up and serve immediately.

Nutritional Information
(per serving)

Energy            845kJ/202kcal
Protein             4.0g
Carbohydrate   28.2g (of which Sugars 13.3g)
Fat                  5.4g (of which Saturated Fat 14.g)

Mostly Bs
You're quite confident when you get going but boy is it hard to get you to diversify. Move on, is the message for you - do so and the cooking world could well be your oyster. Choose to stick with the old favourites and you'll bore those you feed to distraction in the end! How about this twist on Chilli Con Carne to liven things up?

Philly Chilli Con Carne

Serves 6
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 40 - 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 400g lean minced beef
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 tsp chilli powder (mild or hot)
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 100g tomato salsa (mild or hot)
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 400g can kidney beans, in water
• 6 soft tortilla wraps
• 1 small ripe avocado, thickly sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 120g Philadelphia Light, softened
• fresh coriander, to garnish

Instructions

• Cook minced beef in a large non-stick saucepan, stirring occasionally.  Add onion and garlic, cook until softened.  Stir in chilli powder, cook a further minute then add the salsa, pepper, chopped tomatoes, drained and rinsed kidney beans. Simmer for 30-35 minutes until heated through.

• Warm tortillas according to pack directions.  Drape each tortilla over upturned oven-proof tea cups or ramekins.  Place on a baking tray and cook for 5 - 8 minutes at 190ºC, gas 3 until lightly golden.  Leave to cool slightly, then carefully remove tortillas.    

• Place a little cooked chilli into each tortilla cup and top with a spoonful of Philly (softened with a little milk if desired), slices of avocado, chopped tomatoes and a little coriander.

Nutritional Information
(per serving)

Energy                  1669/406kj/kcal
Protein                  25.1g
Carbohydrate         47.7g (of which Sugars 8.7g)
Fat                        13.6g (of which Saturated Fat 5.1g)

Mostly Cs

Wow, are you out there with your cooking or what? You're an adventurous, confident cook who's always extending her repertoire. A real go-getter in the kitchen, there is nothing you won't attempt - and there are few occasions when you miss the mark. Impressive? We think so! Why not whip up this White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake and enhance your culinary reputation even further?

Philly White Chocolate & Raspberry Cheesecake

Serves 10
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Setting time: 3 hours

• 200g digestive biscuit crumbs
• 50g butter, melted 400g Philadelphia, softened
• 150g caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 2 teaspoons gelatine dissolved in 50ml boiling water, cooled
• 200g white chocolate, melted
• 200ml cream, lightly whipped
• 150g frozen raspberries (do not defrost)
• 200g fresh raspberries
• Icing sugar, to dust

Instructions

• Combine the biscuit crumbs and butter and press into the base of a greased 20cm springform tin.
• Beat the Philly, sugar and rind using an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in the gelatine mixture and chocolate until smooth, then fold in the cream.
• Pour the filling into the prepared base and refrigerate 3 hours or until set. Decorate with raspberries and dust with icing sugar. A perfect treat to share with friends and family!

Nutritional Information
(Per serving)

Energy                            2028/485kJ/kcal
Protein                            6.6g
Carbohydrate                   45.5 g (of which Sugars 34.5g)
Fat                                  32.1g (of which Saturated Fat 19.6g)
 

Click here for more recipes and tips on how to get inspired in the kitchen with Philadelphia

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