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Chilli Con Carne

Beef

Serves 4 people

Ingredients 

  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 red chilli, chopped (or 1tsp chilli powder)
  • 500g beef mince
  • 125ml red wine
  • 400g tin of plum or chopped tomatoes
  • 2tbsp tomato puree
  • 1tsp ground cumin
  • 1tsp ground coriander
  • 1tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Shake of Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 beef stock cube
  • 1x 400g tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • Thumbnail sized piece of dark choc
  • Half a bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method

  • Put a large non-stick saucepan on a medium heat with a little oil and fry the onion until softened.
  • Add the garlic and chilli, and stir for a minute until fragrant.
  • Increase the heat and add the mince, breaking it down as it cooks
  • Once browned, pour in the red wine and let it boil for 2-3mins
  • Stir in the tomatoes, puree, cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon and Worcestershire sauce
  • Add the stock cube and season with salt and pepper.
  • Bring to a simmer, put the lid on, and cook on a gentle heat for an hour. Stir occasionally
  • Add the kidney beans and simmer for another 30mins
  • Add the fresh coriander and stir through

Serve with lime wedges, rice, guacamole, soured cream etc

The Perfect Jacket Potato

Sides

Ingredients 

1x large baking potato per person – you might want to try a floury potato like a King Edward or Maris Piper if you can find them big enough.

Method

  • Preheat your oven to 200C/180C Fan
  • Rub the potato skin with a little bit of oil and season with salt
  • Place on the middle shelf in the oven and cook for 1hr-1hr30 depending on the size.
  • Check the potato with a fork to check if it’s cooked all the way through and serve with butter and as many toppings as you can handle 😉

Date and Almond Energy Balls

Sweets and Biscuits

Ingredients

  • 50g pitted dates
  • 1tbsp honey
  • 25g coconut oil, melted
  • 100g oats
  • 1tbsp almonds (whole or ground)

Method

  • Line a plate or tupperware with baking paper
  • Place dates, honey and coconut oil in a blender, mix until it forms a paste
  • Add the oats and almonds to the blender and mix until you have a combined sticky dough
  • Roll the mixture into balls with your hands and place on the baking paper
  • Refrigerate for at least 30mins before eating

Delicious Roast Beef

Beef, Mains

Chef’s Tip: serve with my Perfect Roast Potatoes, plenty of veg and some Yorkshire Puddings 🙂

Ingredients

  • Roasting joint of beef (silverside/topside/small roaster)
  • 2 onions
  • 4-5 cloves of garlic
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper

Method

  • Preheat oven to 240C/220C Fan
  • Peel the onions and cut them in half. Place them face down with the garlic (unpeeled) in a roasting dish
  • Place the beef joint on top, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
  • Add about 50-100ml of water to the bottom of the pan to stop the veg from burning
  • Put it in the middle of the oven and turn down the heat immediately to 200C/180C Fan
  • Check the cooking time of your joint but generally follow the rule of 20mins per 450g/1lb for rare and then add an extra 10-15mins for medium and another 15mins for well done.
  • Make sure you baste the beef with the juices at least twice during cooking and add more water if necessary.
  • Remove from the oven, cover with foil and let it stand for 10-15mins before carving.

Flourless Oat Pancakes

Desserts, Sides, Sweets and Biscuits

Chef’s Tip: delicious served with warm berries/honey/yoghurt 

Ingredients

  • 100g/3½oz porridge oats (not instant)
  • 1/8 tsp sea salt flakes
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 100ml/3½fl oz oat milk, or any other sort you wish
  • 1 free-range egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract

Method

  • Put the oats and salt in a mini blender/food processor and whizz until they resemble a crumby heavy flour.
  • Tip into a bowl and add the baking powder and cinnamon.
  • Mix up the milk, egg and vanilla in a jug.
  • Slowly add the liquid to the dry mixture, mixing as you go, until it’s all mixed in.
  • Add a tiny drop (about half a teaspoon) of oil to a large non-stick pan and use a piece of kitchen towel to wipe it across the whole surface.
  • Use a ladle to spoon the batter into small circles in your pan, no more than 4 at a time.
  • When the surface starts to bubble, use a spatula to turn them over and let them cook for another 2-3mins.

Gooey Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Cakes, Chocolate, Desserts, Sweets and Biscuits

Makes: 16 square brownies

Ingredients

  • 185g unsalted butter
  • 185g high quality dark chocolate (I use 85%)
  • 85g plain flour
  • 40g cocoa powder
  • 100g white OR milk chocolate
  • 3 large eggs
  • 275g golden caster sugar

Method

  • Chop the butter and dark chocolate into chunks and add to a glass bowl.
  • Fill a small saucepan about a quarter full with hot water, sit the bowl on top and melt over a medium heat, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove the bowl once it’s all melted and mixed and set aside to cool.
  • Get a shelf ready in the middle of your oven and preheat to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4
  • Line and grease a shallow 20cm square tin
  • Sieve the flour and cocoa powder into a bowl, ensuring any lumps are gone.
  • Chop the white and milk chocolate into small pieces
  • Break the eggs into a bowl and add the sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until they look thick and creamy like a milkshake.
    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.
  • Pour the cooled melted chocolate over the eggy mousse and gently fold with a spatula. The idea is to mix the two without losing the air so do this very gently and as slow as you like.
  • Add the cocoa/flour mix and fold gently again until it’s all mixed in. Make sure you don’t over-mix it.
  • Add the chocolate chunks and stir them through evenly.
  • Pour the batter into your prepared tin and use a spatula to gently even out the top so it’s level.
  • Put in the oven and set an alarm for 25 minutes. When the time is up, open the oven, pull the shelf out a bit and gently shake the tin. If the brownie wobbles in the middle, it’s not quite done, so slide it back in and 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.
  • Repeat as many times as necessary.
  • Remove from the oven and let it cool completely in the tin before cutting it into squares.

Slow Roast Half Shoulder of Lamb

Lamb, Mains

Chef’s Tip: Delicious with my creamy potato bake or perfect roast potatoes

Ingredients

  • 1 medium sized onion
  • 4-6 unpeeled cloves of garlic
  • 1 half shoulder of lamb (around 800g)
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Method

  • Preheat your oven to the highest setting (usually 230-240C).
  • Roughly cut the onion into wedges and place in the bottom of an oven dish with the garlic cloves
  • Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
  • Place the lamb on top of the veg, drizzle it with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and rub it all over
  • Loosely cover it with foil and pop it in the oven, immediately turning the heat down to 170C/150C Fan/Gas Mark 3
  • Cook for 1hr20mins.
  • Remove the foil, baste the lamb with the juices and cook for another 1hr 30mins

Ultimate Roast Chicken

Chicken, Christmas, Mains

Ingredients

  • 1x 1.6kg whole chicken – adjust your cooking time for different weights.  The general rule is 20mins per 450g (1lb) plus 10-15mins on top.
  • 1 large or 2 medium onions
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 celery sticks
  • 1 small whole bulb of garlic
  • Olive oil
  • 1x lemon
  • 1 bunch of mixed herbs like rosemary, thyme and sage

Method

  • Remove your chicken from the fridge around 30mins before cooking to bring it up to room temperature
  • Preheat your oven to 240C/220C Fan/Gas 9
  • Wash and roughly chop the onions, carrots and celery – you don’t need to peel any of them
  • Break the garlic bulb up into cloves and leave them unpeeled
  • Pile all of the vegetables into a baking tray with some of the herbs and drizzle with olive oil
  • Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and rub with salt and pepper
  • Place the chicken on top of the vegetables
  • Prick some holes in the lemon with a sharp knife (this will release the flavour) and place inside the chicken with the rest of the herbs
  • Put the tray in the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6
  • Cook for the allotted time, which is 1hr 20mins for our chicken
  • At this point, you can get on with your vegetables such as my perfect roast potatoes and whatever else you fancy.
  • Take the chicken out of the oven when it’s done, cover it with foil and a tea towel, and leave it for at least 15mins to rest.
  • When you’re ready, carve the chicken and serve 🙂

Creamy Potato Bake

Sides

Ingredients (for 4 people)

  • Roughly 1kg of potatoes, thinly sliced (I use Desiree or Maris Piper)
  • 150ml semi skimmed milk
  • 300ml single cream
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced/crushed
  • 10g fresh thyme, leaves picked
  • 75g grated parmesan
  • Sprinkle of ground nutmeg
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

  • Preheat your oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6
  • Butter the inside of an ovenproof dish that will hold the amount of potato you’ve sliced
  • Pour the milk and cream into a wide sauce pan with the bay leaves, garlic, thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Turn on a medium-low heat
  • Add the potatoes and stir well. Keep on the heat while it starts to thicken up and then stir in 50g of the parmesan
  • Spoon into the oven dish and spread it all out.
  • Sprinkle the rest of the parmesan over it
  • Cover with an oiled piece of foil and bake for 20mins.
  • Remove the foil and cook for another 20-30mins until golden

Vegetable Soup

Sides, Starters

Chef’s tip: You can freeze this soup for up to a month

Indregients (makes around 6 portions)

  • 6-7 medium sized tomatoes
  • 1 white onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 leek
  • 3 medium carrots (or 2 large)
  • 3 celery sticks
  • 1 medium sweet potato
  • 1 red pepper
  • 500ml vegetable stock
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Dried basil
  • Garlic powder

Method

  • Preheat your oven to 170C/160C Fan and lightly drizzle some olive oil in an oven dish
  • Slice your tomatoes in half and place them skin side down in the dish. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper, dried basil and garlic powder.
  • Put the tomatoes in the oven and cook for at least 45mins.
  • While they’re cooking, put a large high sided saucepan on a medium heat and add some olive oil.
  • Slice the onion and garlic, and add to the pot.
  • Next slice the leek and add this.
  • Now for the red pepper.
  • Keep going with the celery, carrots (keep the skins on for extra fibre), and the sweet potato (peel this one), chopping them into small pieces and add them to the pot.
  • Stir the vegetables every few minutes until the tomatoes are done.
  • Take the tomatoes out of the oven, add them to the pot and stir them in to release the juice.
  • Add the vegetable stock and a good amount of black pepper.
  • Cover and simmer for at least 30mins.
  • Use a good stick blender to whizz the soup into a smooth mixture.
  • Serve and enjoy!