All posts by admin

Creamy Sausage Pasta

Pasta and Rice

Warning: a lot of this recipe is guesswork/tasting so make sure you check you’re happy with amounts

Serves 2 people

Ingredients

  • 2x sausages per person so 4 for this 2 person recipe but you can scale up (I loves using those Jolly Hog sage ones or butcher’s farmhouse)
  • 1x medium white onion
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1x 400g tin of plum or chopped tomatoes (this goes up to 2 tins from 3 people)
  • Sprinkle of dried oregano
  • Sprinkle of dried chilli flakes (up to you how spicy to make it)
  • Half a bunch of fresh basil, chopped
  • Salt and pepper for seasoning
  • A dash of double cream – maybe 2tbsp
  • Optional extras – bit of puree if you want it more tomatoey, or a dash of worcestershire sauce for tang

Method

  1. Remove the skin from your sausages and break the meat into small chunks.
  2. Slice your onion and chop the garlic
  3. Heat a large pot on the hob on a fairly high heat (on an induction hob I’d go for 6. out of 9), once hot add a small splash of oil
  4. Add the meat to the pan, breaking it up with a wooden spoon
  5. Once the meat is browned all over, use a slotted spoon (keep the fat in the pan) and transfer it to a frying pan on a high heat (7 out of 9) to crisp it up.
  6. Turn the heat down to medium on your big empty pot.
  7. Add the onion and cook for 5-10 minutes or until soft
  8. Add the garlic and cook for a minute until fragrant
  9. Add the crispy meat back in along with any fat that cooked from it and give it all a good stir
  10. Add the tin of tomatoes, oregano and chilli flakes. You can add the optional bits here as well, but make sure you taste it!
  11. Season well with salt and pepper and let it simmer on a low heat (4/5 out of 9) for a good half an hour to develop the flavours
  12. Check the flavour in case it needs more salt/pepper.
  13. Get your pasta cooking – I like to do this one with rigatoni so the sausage gets inside the tubes
  14. When there’s 4-5mins left on the pasta, add your fresh basil and cream to the sauce. Check again for seasoning as cream can sometimes dilute salt flavour.
  15. Drain your pasta and chuck it all in the sauce, give it a good mix and serve!

P.S. Goes great with a nice garlic bread to dip 🙂

Chicken and Chorizo Paella

Chicken, Pasta and Rice

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
  • 1 red pepper, sliced
  • Handful of green beans, cut in half to make them short
  • 1/2 bunch of fresh parsley – chop the leaves and stalks separately
  • 70-100g chorizo
  • 3 large chicken breasts, cut into large cubes
  • Olive oil
  • Paella spice mix
  • 1tbsp tomato puree
  • 2 chicken stock cubes
  • 300g paella rice
  • 750ml water
  • 1 lemon
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  • Heat some oil on a medium-high heat in a large lidded, shallow casserole pan or paella dish
  • Add the onion and cook for 5mins until starting to soften
  • Add the garlic and parsley stalks and cook for 1-2mins until fragrant
  • Add the chorizo and cook until it releases oils and starts to brown
  • Add the pepper and green beans, cook for 5 mins
  • Add the chicken and cook until browned all over (no need to cook all the way through)
  • Stir in the spice mix, puree and crumble in the stock cubes
  • Add the rice and stir until it’s all coated in the spices and flavours
  • Pour in 750ml boiling water, bring to the boil and then cover with a lid.
  • Turn down and let it simmer for 15mins – keep checking and stirring
  • Add water if needed but keep stirring until all of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked
  • Sprinkle with the parsley leaves and serve with lemon wedges

Mexican Corn Ribs

Sides

Ingredients

For the corn

  • 3 corns on the cobb
  • 60ml olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp chipotle chilli powder (or any hot chilli powder)
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp fresh coriander

For the sauce

  • 4 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 4 tbsp sour cream
  • 1/2 lime, juiced and zested
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1tsp chipotle chilli paste
  • 1/4tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Method

  • Preheat oven to 200C/180C Fan
  • Cut the corn into strip wedges and add to oven tray
  • Mix oil with the seasonings and brush over the corn
  • Cook for 30-45mins (flip half way through)
  • In the meantime, make the sauce by mixing all the ingredients
  • Once the corn has cooked, drizzle the sauce over (keep some for dipping) and sprinkle with coriander

Summer Potato Salad

Sides

Ingredients

Keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge

  • 750g Jersey royal potatoes (or any baby salad potato)
  • 4 spring onions
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 30g fresh basil
  • Small handful of fresh parsley
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1-2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
  • Flakey sea salt

Method

  • Cut the potatoes into quarters and place into a deep saucepan with the garlic
  • Cover with water and generously season with salt so it tastes like the sea
  • Bring to a rolling boil, and turn down to a simmer for around 10-15 minutes until tender
  • Remove the garlic
  • In a bowl, mix together the spring onions, chopped basil and parsley, with a pinch of salt and pepper
  • Add in the olive oil and yoghurt, mixing to combine
  • Drain the potatoes and while still warm, tip into the herb mix. Toss evenly to coat and allow the herbs to wilt from the heat.
  • Add more oil/yoghurt as needed.

Upside down pear and ginger cake

Cakes, Fruit

Ingredients

For the caramelised pears:

  • 3-4 pears peeled, cored and thinly sliced
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 85g unsalted butter
  • 2 pieces stem ginger in syrup, finely sliced (plus 1tbsp syrup)

For the cake:

  • 250g unsalted butter
  • 250g caster sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 70g Greek yoghurt
  • 260g self raising flour
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 2tsp ground ginger

 

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180C / 160C Fan. Grease and line a 20cm spring form cake tin
  • Toss the pear slices in the lemon juice
  • Make the caramel – add the sugar (100 g) to a medium-sized deep saucepan over a low heat until golden brown. Don’t stir until the sugar has melted. Be careful, the sugar will be extremely hot!
  • Once the sugar has completely melted, add in the butter (85 g) and stir with a long-handled spoon until melted. Take the pan off the heat, then add in the ginger (2 pieces) and 1 tbsp of ginger syrup. If the butter separates, add a splash of freshly boiled kettle water and whisk together (careful, it might spit!). Leave to stand for 15 minutes, until the caramel coats the back of a spoon.
  • Add the pears to the cake tin, arrange in a fan shape, then pour over the caramel to coat.
  • Whisk the softened butter (250 g) and sugar (250 g) until light and fluffy. Slowly whisk in the eggs (4) one by one, followed by the yogurt. Mix the flour (260 g), baking powder (1 tsp) and ground ginger (2 tsp) together, then gently fold through the butter and egg mixture until well combined.
  • Pour the cake batter on top of the pears and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until cooked through. Insert a skewer in the middle – if it comes out clean, it’s ready.
  • Carefully loosen and remove the sides of the cake tin using a pair of oven gloves (it’s important to do this while the cake is still warm, otherwise the caramel will harden). Place a serving plate on top of the cake and carefully flip over. Remove the baking paper.

Slow cooked lamb ragu

Lamb, Mains, Pasta and Rice

Serves 4-6
Prep time: 15mins
Cooking time: 3h20mins

Ingredients

  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil
  • 500g lamb mince or lamb shoulder cut into cubes
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 stick of celery, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped small
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 250ml red wine
  • 450ml chicken stock
  • 2x 400g tins plum tomatoes
  • 1 large or 2 small fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 1 fresh bay leaf
  • Salt and pepper

Method

Tip: make sure you dice your veg first, so you’re all prepped and ready

  • Put a large pan on a medium-high heat with 1tbsp of the oil. Once hot, add the lamb and brown all over.
  • Drain the excess fat and transfer the lamb to a separate bowl
  • Put the pan back on a medium heat (a bit lower than you had it), and add 1-2tbsp of oil.
  • Add the onion, carrot and celery and lightly sautee for 10 minutes, don’t let it brown, we just want it softened.
  • Once it’s soft, add the garlic and stir for a minute until fragrant.
  • Add the lamb back in and mix it all up with the puree
  • Add the wine and cook until it’s reduced by at least half.
  • Now add your tinned tomatoes, breaking them up with the spoon, and your chicken stock
  • Add the rosemary and bay leaf and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper
  • Let it simmer slowly on a medium-low heat for 3 hours, uncovered. If at any point it dries out a bit, add a splash of water or stock.
  • Once it’s ready, taste and season with salt/pepper as needed.
  • Serve with your favourite pasta

Avocado Mango Salsa

Sides

Serves 4-6 as a side

Ingredients

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 1 small firm ripe mango
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped

Method

  • Peel/stone and finely chop the avocados and mango
  • Mix with the chilli, lime juice, coriander and a pinch of salt

Cranberry Sausage Rolls

Christmas, Sides

Makes 26 rolls

Ingredients

  • 1 pack of premade puff pastry (320g)
  • 350-400g sausage meat – you can use any kind with any flavour, or even any type of stuffing mix
  • Roughly 10 tsp cranberry sauce
  • 1 egg, beaten

Method

  • Preheat your oven to 200C/180Fan
  • Line a baking tray with baking paper
  • Cut the pastry in half lengthways so you have two long strips.
  • Spread the cranberry sauce down the middle of the strip
  • Top with sausage meat/stuffing
  • Brush one edge with egg and then roll the other edge over and press down
  • Use a fork to seal the edge and make a nice pattern
  • Brush the whole thing with egg, and sprinkle with black pepper
  • Make little lines on top with your knife for a pretty pattern if you fancy it
  • Cut the roll into mini sausage rolls (about 2-3cm wide) and arrange them on the baking tray
  • Pop them in the oven for 25-30mins until golden brown

Banana Bread

Cakes, Desserts, Fruit

Serves 8-10 people

Ingredients

  • 250g plain flour
  • 1tsp bicarbonate of soda (or 3 tsp baking powder)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 115g unsalted butter, softened
  • 150g soft light or dark brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 80g plain or greek yoghurt or sour cream
  • 3 large or 4 medium overripe bananas, mashed
  • 1tsp vanilla extract

Method

  • Pre-heat the oven to 180C without fan
  • Grease and line a loaf tin (9x5inch)
  • Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside
  • Use an electric mixer on high speed to cream the butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy
  • On a low speed, mix in one egg at a time
  • Then beat in the mashed banana, yoghurt and vanilla extract
  • Using a wooden spoon, gradually mix in the dry ingredients until no flour pockets remain
  • The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. This may be after 60–65 minutes depending on your oven, so begin checking every 5 minutes around the 60-minute mark.
  • Let it cool for at least 15mins before removing from the tin and transferring to a wire rack

‘Nduja truffle carbonara

Pasta and Rice

Serves 2 people

Ingredients

  • 180g dry spaghetti
  • 2 tbsp ‘nduja
  • 3x garlic cloves (whole)
  • 3x egg yolks
  • 40g parmesan (plus some for serving)
  • 1/2 tsp white truffle oil
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  • Bring a large saucepan of salted water
  • Cook the spaghetti until al dente
  • While the spaghetti is cooking, heat a large frying pan on a medium-high heat and add the ‘nduja and break it up for a few minutes.
  • Add the garlic to the pan and stir for a few minutes while the pasta cooks
  • Mix the egg yolks, parmesan, truffle oil and seasoning in a small bowl
  • Drain the pasta and retain the water
  • Add a splash of the water to the frying pan and turn the heat down to low-medium
  • Add the spaghetti and stir
  • Stir in the egg mixture smoothly so it doesn’t scramble 🙂 and add more water to loosen the sauce
  • Serve with parmesan on top