Shepherds Pie

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 large onion, chopped

2-3 medium carrots, chopped

500g pack lamb mince

2 tbsp tomato purée

large splash Worcestershire sauce

500ml beef stock

900g potatoes, cut into chunks

85g butter

3 tbsp milk

serves 4

Heat the oven to 180C/ fan 160C/ gas 4,

1. Heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a medium saucepan,

 + soften 1 large chopped onion and 2-3 medium chopped carrots and soften for a few mins.

2.When soft, turn up the heat, crumble in 500g lamb and brown, tipping off any excess fat.

3. Add 2 tbsp tomato purée and splash of Worcestershire sauce, then fry for a few mins.

4. Pour over  500ml beef stock, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 40 mins, uncovering halfway.

5. Meanwhile, make the mash. Boil 900g potatoes in salted water for 10-15 mins until tender.

6 Drain, then mash with 85g butter and 3tbsp milk.

7.Put the mince into an ovenproof dish, top with the mash and ruffle with a fork.

 The pie can now be chilled and frozen for up to a month.  (To bake from frozen, cook at 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 for 1 hr-1 hr 20 mins until piping hot in the centre. Flash under the grill to brown, if you like.) Leave to stand for 5 mins before serving.

8. Bake for 20-25 mins until the top is starting to colour and the mince is bubbling through at the edges

Recipe from Good Food magazine, March 2009

Raspberry & Chocolate muffins

100g butter

1 tbsp milk

400g self-raising flour

175g golden caster sugar

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 large eggs

284ml carton buttermilk or soured cream

225g fresh raspberries
Chocolate chips

Equipment 

12 baking parchment cups

12-hole muffin tin

Large mixing bowl

1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.

2. Melt the butter and leave the rest to cool slightly.

3. Mix  400g self-raising flour, 175g golden caster sugar and 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl.

4. In another bowl, beat 2 eggs, then mix in the 284ml buttermilk, 100g cooled butter .

5. Stir this into the flour mixture until almost combined – it will need only a few stirs and the mix will feel light and airy.

6.Tip in the raspberries and chocolate and give a few more stirs to finish the mixing, but don’t overbeat or the mix will toughen.

7.Spoon the mix into the muffin tins

8.bake for about 25-30 mins until risen and golden.

9. Let them cool in the tin a few minutes, then move to a cooling rack. 

Eat within 2 days.

Recipe based on Good Food magazine, July 2005

Pumpkin Sauce for Gnocchi & Pasta

Serves 6-8

•  Half a medium pumpkin- small cubed
•  6 tbsp olive oil
•  30g butter
•  1 onion chopped
•  1 clove of garlic
•  1/3 glass white wine (optional)
•  cup of stock (chicken or veg)
•  250ml light creams
• salt & pepper to taste
• sprig Rosemary

Garnish

finely chopped parsley
grated parmesan

1. Medium heat, to a frying pan add  6 tbsp olive oil & 30g butter, sauté 1 onion chopped & 1 clove of garlic
2. Add pumpkin and fry off a little.
3. Turn up the heat and add 1/3 glass white wine and allow alcohol to burn off.
4. + rosemary , cup of stock and bring to a simmer
5. turn heat to a medium low, cover pan and cook for 30 minutes or until pumpkin is nice and mushy. (dont let it become too dry , +  drop of stock if required)  
6. + 250ml of light cream, stir through and simmer for a minute or so to combine.
7. add to cooked pasta or gnocchi.

Mango Chicken Curry

Serves 4

• 1 Sliced Onion
• 500g cubed Chicken fillet
• 2 tbsp Keen's Traditional Curry Powder
• 425g can Sliced Mango
• 1/2 Cup Coconut Cream
• 1 tbsp Oil

1. Saute 1 sliced onion and 500g cubed Chicken  in 1 tbsp Oil for 5 mins.

2. + 2 tbsp Curry Powder panfry for 1 min

3. + 425g Sliced Mang and 1/2 Cup Coconut Cream simmer for 10 mins.

From Keen's Traditional Curry side of tin! .... yum

Toad in the Hole

Ingredients

• 2 free-range eggs
• 125g plain flour
• 150ml milk mixed with 150ml cold water
• 1 level tbsp grain mustard
• 6 fat, herby pork sausages
• 100g thinly sliced prosciutto, pancetta, Serrano ham or thin streaky bacon
• 3 tbsp dripping or lard
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Less than 30 mins preparation time 10 to 30 mins cooking time Serves 4

Preparation method

1. Whisk together 

2 eggs, 

150g plain flour, 

150 ml milk with 150ml water, 

 1  tbsp mustard and seasoning, 

beating out any little lumps of flour. The consistency should be about that of ordinary double cream, but no thinner. 

2. Rest for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.

3. Carefully remove the skin from 6 sausages. 

4. Wrap each piece of skinned sausage meat in a piece of cured ham.

5. Put the 3 tbsp dripping or lard in a roasting tin and leave it in the oven until it is smoking.

6. Pour in the batter - it will sizzle softly in the hot fat - then arrange the sausages in the batter.

7. Transfer the tin back into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until puffed and golden. 

From Nigel Slater : A Taste of My Life & Real Food p114

To serve

Browned Onion and Madeira Gravy

• a very thick slice of butter
• 2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• flour, no more than a level tablespoon
• 1/3 cup Madeira, Marsala or red wine
• 1¼ cups stock
• Worcestershire sauce

1. Melt the very thick slice of butter in a heavy based pan, 

+ add 2 sliced onions 

and cook over a low heat till golden and soft. 

2. Now continue cooking, covered with a lid, until the onions are truly brown and soft enough to crush between your fingers.

 3. Stir in a level heaped tablespoon of flour and cook for a few minutes until it has lightly browned, 

4. then pour in the liquids- 1/3 cup Madeira, Marsala or red wine & 1¼ cups stock

 5. Season with salt and pepper and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a boil. 6. Turn down the heat so that the gravy bubbles gently and leave for about 15 minutes, stirring from time to time

I first intended this gravy to be poured over my toad in the hole but now make it for mashed potatoes, potato cakes, liver and braised vegetables (it is sensational with celery that has been braised in vegetable stock). It keeps for a couple of days in the fridge and is glorious poured over steaming hot, over bubble and squeak.

by Nigel Slater & p117 Real Food

Chocolate Brownies

• 185g unsalted butter 
• - cut into smallish cubes
• 185g best dark chocolate 
• - break into small pieces
• 85g plain flour
• 40g cocoa powder
• 50g white chocolate
• 50g milk chocolate
• 3 large eggs
•                                                                      275g golden caster sugar
• You Need

1. Mixing bowl & Sieve
2. Bowl to melt chocolate in over Small Saucepan
3. Large sharp knife
4. Rubber spatula
5. Electric mixer
6. Pre-heat Oven & Position a shelf in the middle of your oven and turn the oven on to fan 160C/conventional 180C/gas 4 (most ovens take 10-15 minutes to heat up). 
7. Shallow 20cm square tin, cut out a square of non-stick baking parchment to line the base.

Method

1.  Cut 185g unsalted butter into bowl.
+ 185g best dark chocolate 
2. Fill a small saucepan about a quarter full with hot water & sit the bowl on top so it rests on the rim of the pan, not touching the water. Put over a low heat until the butter and chocolate have melted, stirring occasionally to mix,

 alternatively, cover the bowl loosely with cling film and put in the microwave for 2 minutes on High.
 3. Leave the melted mixture to cool to room temperature.
4.  With a large sharp knife, chop 50g white chocolate and 50g milk chocolate into chunks the safest way is to do this is to hold the knife over the chocolate and press the tip down on the board, then bring the rest of the blade down across the chocolate. Keep on doing this, moving the knife across the chocolate to chop it into pieces, then turn the board round 90 degrees and again work across the chocolate so you end up with rough squares.

5. Into the mixing bowl + 3 large eggs, 275g golden caster sugar 

6. With an electric mixer on maximum speed, whisk the eggs and sugar until they look thick and creamy, like a milk shake. 

     This can take 3-8 minutes,  You’ll know it’s ready when the mixture becomes really pale and about double its original volume. Another check is to turn off the mixer, lift out the beaters and wiggle them from side to side. If the mixture that runs off the beaters leaves a trail on the surface of the mixture in the bowl for a second or two, you’re there.

7. Pour the cooled chocolate into the mixing bowl and gently fold together with a rubber spatula. 

-  Plunge the spatula in at one side going under and over in a figure of eight, moving the bowl round after each folding so you can get at it from all sides, until the two mixtures are one and the colour is a mottled dark brown. The idea is to marry them without knocking out the air, so be as gentle and slow as you like
8. Sieve 85g plain flour and 40g cocoa powder into the chocolate mixture .

9. Gently fold in 

-   using the same figure of eight action as before. The mixture will look dry and dusty at first, and a bit unpromising, but if you keep going very gently and patiently, it will end up looking gungy and fudgy. Stop just before you feel you should, as you don’t want to overdo this mixing. 

10. Stir in the 50g white chocolate and 50g milk chocolate chunks until they’re dotted throughout. 

11. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, 

-    gently ease the mixture into the corners of the tin and paddle the spatula from side to side across the top to level it. 

12. Put in oven for 25 minutes. 

- To check if ready gently shake the tin. If the brownie wobbles in the middle, it’s not quite done, bake for another 5 minutes until the top has a shiny, papery crust and the sides are just beginning to come away from the tin. 
13. Leave to cool in the tin, 

14. Cut into quarters, then cut each quarter into four squares and finally into triangles. 

They’ll keep in an airtight container for a good two weeks and in the freezer for up to a month.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, May 2003

Baked Chicken with goat's cheese & tarragon

Preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C

• 8 skinless chicken breasts fillets
• 20g pack fresh tarragon
• 2 x 150g tubs soft goat's cheese (we used Charvoux)
• 5 vine-ripened tomatoes
• 3 tbsp olive oil

1.Make a slit down the centre of each chicken breast with a sharp knife (taking care not to cut right through) then open up the slit with your fingers to make a pocket. 

2. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in a large, lightly oiled ovenproof dish.

3.Reserve 8 sprigs of tarragon, chop the rest of the leaves and beat into the cheese with plenty of ground black pepper. 

4. Spoon into the pockets in the chicken. 

5. Slice the tomatoes and place 2 slices over each cheese-filled pocket. Put a sprig of tarragon on top and drizzle with oil.

6. Season and bake for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked, but still moist. 

If serving cold, pour off the juices otherwise they will set to a jelly once cold.

Transport in the dish covered with cling film. You can prepare up to step 3 and serve cold, or cook when you get there.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, September 2003