Dauphinois Potatoes

Dauphinois Potatoes

Ingredients:

* 8 large potatoes sliced very thinly (3-4mm)
* 500ml double cream 
* 500ml milk
* 3 garlic cloves
* salt and pepper to season
* cheese

Method:

1. mix the garlic (whole cloves), milk and cream in a large sauce pan and bring to a simmer whilst mixing. season
2. add the potatoes and cook on a simmer until the potatoes soften
3. when soft, separate the potatoes and sauce. layer an ovenproof dish with the potatoes.
4. gently pour over the sauce and add a top layer of grated cheese 
5. Put in the oven at 270/290 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is browning

Extra Tips:

* 

Sushi

Mini Shepards Pies

Mini Shepards Pies

Ingredients:

* short crust pastry (see pastry recipe)
* bag frozen vegetables
* pepper
* potatoes
* cheese

* gravy

* mince meat (quorn)

* onion

* garlic

* button mushrooms

Method:

1. In one frying pan, fry the onion, garlic and then pepper. Add the mince and then the button mushrooms 
2. In a second pan, boil the potatoes
3. Make the pastry and roll it out. Use a cutter to cut out 12 circles to fill the cupcake tray
4. Bake blind for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mash the potatoes with a little milk and butter and make the gravy (thick)
5. Fill the pastry cases to the brim with the mince mixture and then top with the mash. Put cheese on top of the mash and put back in the oven to cook through. 

Extra Tips:

* put small disks of baking paper in the bottom of each of the 12 holes so the pastry cases can't stick

Chicken with cheese and bacon

Chicken with cheese and bacon

Ingredients:

* Chicken breast
* Philadelphia cheese

* 1 slice of bacon

Method:

1. Cut the chicken breast almost in half, spoon the cheese inside 
2. Wrap the bacon slice around the whole thing
3. Place on a piece of foil and fold and seal loosely
4. Cook on 175 degrees 

5. Open carefully and check the chicken is cooked through 

6. Serve with vegetables or rice

Extra Tips:

* You can secure the bacon in place using a cocktail stick but make sure to remove it before serving 

Aubergine Winter Veg Feast

Aubergine Winter Veg Feast

Ingredients:

* 
*  
* 
* 
* 

Method:

1. Cut the aubergine in half score the inside with a knife drizzle with oil and roast on a medium heat. 
2. Meanwhile, prepare the inside. fry the peppers, carrot, onions and garlic in a pan
3. Add the mince and cook through. 

4. Add the tinned tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach
5. When the aubergine is cooked through. Scrape out the inside but keep the shell in tact. Mix the inside of the aubergine with the mixture in the pan and then spoon the mixture back into the aubergine skins. Too with feta cheese and put back in the oven to heat through and melt the cheese. 

Extra Tips:

* can add anything to the inside of the aubergine skins. Equally, you can use a different veg (like a courgette) for the outside. 

Spicy Tomato soup

Spicy Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

* 10 tomatoes
* 1 red pepper 
* 1 garlic clove 
* cayenne pepper / chilli pepper
* salt and pepper to season

* 2 table spoons butter

* vegetable stock cube

* tomatoe pure

Method:

1. Melt the butter with the garlic and chilli. 
2. Add the chopped tomatoes and diced red pepper and cook on medium heat for around six minutes until they have softened. 
3. Add the stock that has been melted in half pint boiling water. 
4. add tomato pure to thicken and simmer with the pan lid on for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally. 
5. Use a hand blender to bend until all the bits have blended and you have a smooth soup. 

Extra Tips:

* Can add cream on top or sprinkle  basil. 

* can also add carrot and/or celery to the soup for more flavour.  

Sweet shortcrust pastry

Sweet shortcrust pastry

Ingredients:

* 250g flour
* 125g butter - cut into cubes 
* 50g icing sugar 
* 1 egg
* dash milk

* 1 lemon, zest grated and juice

Method:

1. Sieve the flour from a height into a bowl. 
2. Add the sugar and a pinch of salt and the grated lemon zest
3. Add the butter cubes and use fingertips to make the dough like breadcrumbs 
4. Add the egg and dash of milk. And use fingers to bring the dough together. 
5. Wrap in cling film and put in the fridge to chill. 

Extra Tips:

* don't use warm hands, keep them cold for the best dough outcome. 

Butternut Squash & Bacon Soup

Butternut Squash & Bacon Soup

Ingredients:

* 1 red pepper
* 1 butternut squash
* 1/2 packet bacon
* garlic
* onion

* herbs and pepper to season

* 1/2 stock cube with boiled water

Method:

1. Cut the butternut squash into cubes, peeled. Dice all the other vegetables. 
2. Put everything into a roaring tray and drizzle with olive oil. Season well. Cook in the oven u til the squash is soft. Mix half way through. 
3. When everything is roasted, transfer to a pan. Add the stock (a little at a time to get the texture you prefer) 
4. Use a hand blender to blend together. 
5. Serve with feta cheese and bacon cubes sprinkled on top. 

Extra Tips:

* don't season with salt as the bacon and stock will make it salty enough. For the same reason, don't use more than half a stock cube. 

Apple Pie

Apple Pie

Ingredients:

* 3 large cooking apples
* 2 regular apples
* 3 tsp muscavado/Demerara sugar
* raisins 
* sweet shortcrust pastry (see sweet pastry recipe)

* ginger

* 1 lemon

Method:

1. Prep the apples.  Peel and cut into chunks
2. Prep the pastry and put in the fridge for 20 minutes. 
3. Put the apples, ginger, sugar, raisins, lemon rind and some lemon juice into a pan and simmer on a low heat. Keep stirring until the apples go tender. Then, leave to cool. 
4. Whilst the apples cool, get the pastry ready, split the dough that has been in the fridge in half. Roll out one half and line the base of a greased tin. Roll the other half and make the pie lid and decorations
5. Spoon the apple mixture and put the pie lid on sealing around the edges. Make two cuts into the pie lid so the steam can get out. 

6. Cook for approx 30 minutes in the oven at 180 degrees. 

Extra Tips:

* Can add cinnamon to taste. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

* 100g brown sugar
* 125g unsalted butter
* 200g chocolate chips
* 1 egg
* 225g self raising flour

Method:

1. mix together the sugar and the butter
2. add the egg
3. sift the flour and mix again
4. add the chocolate chips
5. press onto a surface and roll into a thick dough
6. use a cookie cutter to make the cookies and place on baking paper. Cook until slightly golden but still moist.

Extra Tips:

* the more chocolate chips the better. I used broken up galaxy and galazy caramel pieces.

Tuna Pasta Bake

Ingredients:

* 2 tins tomatoes
* 2 tins tuna
* Tomato puré
* 2 peppers, chopped
* 2 onions, diced

* garlic to taste

* button mushrooms

* handful fresh plum tomatoes

* mozzarella cheese 

* half bag pasta

* salt, pepper and other herbs to season (I used mixed herbs, smoked paprika and fresh parsley)
* flour

Method:

1.half boil the pasta
2. add the garlic and onions to a pan with a little oil and cook on a low heat
3.add the peppers, tomatos (fresh) and then mushrooms
4.SAUCE: in another pan, heat the tinned tomatoes and add flour to thicken, add tomato puré and then the tuna, cook on low heat
5. combine the pasta, fried vegetables and sauce in a casserole dish. top with parsley and mozzarella and cook in the oven until the pasta is soft and the mozzarella melted. (approx 20 minutes) 

Extra Tips:

* this makes a large casserole dish of tuna pasta bake. Halve the quantities for a dish that would still serve 2 very generous helpings. 

Stewing steak

Stewing Steak

Ingredients:

* Steak
* Carrots
* Potatoes
* Onions
* Peas
* Mushrooms

Method:

1. Place the steak in a shallow, ovenproof bowl which has a lid. Add water until the steak is half covered.
2. Cook in the oven at 180 degrees turning frequently for 3 hours or until tender enough to fall to pieces. keep the water level topped up and keep lid on (do not let boil dry).
3. Half way through cooking the steak, add the chopped onion to the dish
4. Boil vegetables (minus the mushrooms) in a pan and when cooked, add to the dish. Top up with boiled kettle water to cover the vegetables. Mix together, add the mushrooms and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Extra Tips:

* If you want to thicken the juice, add gravy granules
* If you don't have a large enough dish for all the ingredients, transfer to a large pan after step 3.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients:

* 1 egg, beaten
* small handful spaghetti
* handful plum tomatoes
* 5 rashers bacon, diced
* handful baby mushrooms, quartered
* 1 onion, diced
* 1 clove garlic, chopped
* cheese to top.

Method:

1. boil water in a large pan with some salt, add the pasta when it starts to boil
2. With olive oil, fry the onion and garlic, add the diced bacon and when that is cooked, add the mushrooms and keep on a low heat
3. when the pasta is cooked, drain the water and keep the pasta in the pan, add the fried ingredients and mix well to evenly distribute
4. keeping the pan on a medium heat add the egg quickly and continuously mix the pasta with two pasta forks or tongues to evently distribute the egg 
5. When the egg is completely cooked over the pasta, serve with a little cheese on top

Extra Tips:

* once the egg is in the pan, constantly stir or it will cook and stick to the bottom of the pan

Sausage Casserole

Sausage Casserole

Ingredients:

• Pack of sausages
• Potatoes
• Onion
• Frozen peas
• Carrots
• Swede
• Tin of tomatoes
• Tomato purée
• 2 vegetable stock cubes
• Worcester sauce
• Mushrooms
• 2 pieces of garlic
• Green Pepper
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Peel and chop the potatoes, carrots, swede and onion cover with water and bring to the boil.
2. Once these vegetables are beginning to go soft, tip out some of the water. Add the vegetable stock, tin of tomatoes, tomato purée, Worcester sauce, mushrooms, frozen peas, green pepper and chopped garlic.
3. Fry the sausages in a separate pan and once cooked cut into three and add to the pan containing the vegetables.
4. Add salt and pepper to your taste.

Extra information:

Can vary the vegetables to your liking. serve with a sauce of your choice e.g tomato or brown sauce.

Cauliflower & Broccoli Soup

Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 large cauliflower
• 2 Broccoli florets
• Water
• 2 Vegetable stock cubes
• Salt and Pepper  

                           

Method:

1. Cut the cauliflower and broccoli florets into medium sized pieces.
2. Cover with water and bring to the boil, the food should start to go soft but not mushy.
3. Add the vegetable stock.
4. Blend the soup to the required texture and add salt and pepper to your taste.

Extra information:   

Serve hot with crusty bread as a main meal. Cheese can be grated on the top or a swirl of cream may be added.

Sliced potato

                                                     Sliced potato

Ingredients:

• 2 Large potatoes
• Salt and pepper
• Chopped rosemary (optional)

Method:

1. Wash and carefully slice the potatoes thinly, taking care not to cut completely through the skin. 
2. Fan the potato out so that it cooks through.
3. Sprinkle with oil, salt and pepper and rosemary.
4. Cook on a tray in an hot oven until the potato is cooked through and the edges start to brown.

Garlic mushroom sauce

                                                                Garlic Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients: 

• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• Milk
• salt and pepper  

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a pan.
2. Add the sieved flour a bit at a time. Stir constantly until it turns a sandy colour, this indicates that the flour is cooked.
3. Add the milk, alittle at a time to get the correct consistency of your choice.
4. Add the chopped mushrooms and crushed garlic. Stir all the time as it can stick to the pan easily.

Cheese and onion pie

cheese and Onion Pie

Ingredients:

* 2 large onions
* Pastry (see pastry recipe) 
* A large block of cheese, of your choice

Method:

1. First make the pastry.
2. Grease an oven proof dish and line with the pastry, save half for the top.
3. Grate the cheese and dice the onion in to small pieces. Mix together.
4. Place the cheese and onion into the pie case, making sure there is a lot of       filling as the cheese will melt.
5. Roll out the pastry for the pie top, cut three slits in the centre to allow air      to escape. 
6. Wet the edges of the pastry so that they stick together. Press the edges        of the pie, either with a fork or thumb to fasten securely.
7. Cook in the oven until golden brown and piping hot.

Extra Tips:

* Add salt and pepper to the filling if required. Other fillings can be used.

Corned beef hash

                                 

Corned Beef Hash with Dumplings

  

Ingredients:

• New potatoes
• Carrots
• Onions
• Large tin of Corned beef
• Gravy granules
• Mushrooms (optional)

For the dumplings:          

• 1 tablespoon of Lard 
•  4 tablespoons of self raising flour

                                

                                

Method:

1. Cut the potatoes into two pieces, peel the carrots and dice the onion. 
2. Place in a large pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Do not allow the potatoes to mush.
3. Add the corned beef, roughly chopped, turn the heat down now and add the chopped mushrooms.
4. Stir in some gravy granules. Simmer.

To make the dumplings:

1. Use the rubbing in method with the lard and flour. Add tiny amounts of cold water at a time until the mixture comes together but is not to sticky.(A small amount of salt can be added here to taste).
2. Portion into the amount of dumpling required and gently place them on top of the corned beef hash.
3. Gently turn the dumplings so they cook through. and make sure the food does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

Extra information:
         Different vegetables can be added. serve with a sauce of your choice e.g. tomato ketchup or brown              sauce.