SLOW BRAISED LAMB AND DUMPLINGS

MY BEST EVER SLOW BRAISED LAMB 

Perfect slow braised melt in your mouth lamb with root vegetables and super light fluffy dumplings, a wonderful comforting winter dinner.

Per portion approx:  547 kcal / Protein 23.9g / Fat 26.9g / Sat fat 13.2g / Carbs 48.4g

INGREDIENTS

(Serves 4)

2 lamb neck fillets trimmed

1/2 a swede rough diced

3 potatoes diced

1 leek finely diced

1 stick celery finely diced

1 onion finely diced

1 clove garlic grated

2 ltrs chicken stock

25ml peanut oil

In a deep saucepan gently pan fry the onion, garlic, leek, celery in the oil until soft but not coloured, dice the lamb in approx 1 inch squares and add the the pan, brown off, add the stock, pearl barley, swede and potatoe and season with salt and white pepper, leave to gently simmer for 2hrs.

THE DUMPLINGS

150g supreme quality self raising flour

75g atora suet

6-8 tbsp water

Salt and white pepper

30 minutes before you are ready to serve, mix all the dumpling ingredients together really gently so that the dumpling mix is only just holding together, using two spoons drop a large golf ball size dumpling on top of the braised lamb pop on a lid and leave to steam for approx 20 minutes.  Don't be tempted to lift the lid or stir the stew as this will make the dumplings heavy.  Serve with lots of chunks of fresh bread and butter to soak up all the gorgeous juices.

HARISSA TURKEY STIR FRY

 A EAT MYSELF SLIM DINNER

It is that time of the year where two weeks of passionate eating has to come to an end, this is not by choice but by waist expansion!  So to ease myself back onto the pathway my first day of dieting dinner should still be a rich creamy exciting dish that is low in fat but full in flavour.

 Portion appx: 548 Kcal / Protein 28.3g / Carbs 54.8g / Sugar 2.5g / Fat 13g / Sat fat 10.3g

INGREDIENTS

(Serves 2)

300g turkey breast diced

80g green pepper chopped

80g broccoli chopped

80g courgette chopped

1 tsp of turmeric

1 tsp tamarind paste

1 tsp tom yum paste

1 tsp harissa paste

200g half fat coconut milk

Parsley or coriander

1 tsp dried chillies

Salt and pepper

300g cooked rice

This only takes 15 minutes to cook, so put your rice on to cook and then cook the stir fry.

In a non stick pan dry fry the turkey until half cooked, add the green pepper, broccoli, courgette and stir fry for a few minutes, stir in the turmeric, tom yum, tamarind and harissa paste, then add the coconut milk and simmer for 5 minutes, season to taste and sprinkle over the dried chillies and parsley.  Serve with rice.

PERFECT RICE

It is all in the method, take one mug of rice and two mugs of water add to a saucepan with a lid, do not be tempted to stir the rice at any point.  Bring to a rolling simmer and place on the lid and cook for 6 minutes, without removing the lid take the rice off the heat and leave to finish cooking for 10 minutes, this will give you light fluffy perfectly cooked rice.

THE CHRISTMAS HAM

WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS HAM

Among all my loves at Christmas, cooking the ham is the start to all my traditional cooking rituals and the exciting anticipation from cooking new recipes that I will be trying over the two week christmas period.  I have a lot of old fashioned traditional recipes handed down through my family that I will never change and then there are the new trends and fads that sneak their way in for an attempt to be added to the annual must cook list !

INGREDIENTS

5kg leg of pork brined

AROMATIC FLAVOURS

10 whole peppercorns

5 juniper berries

5 crushed cardamom pods 

1 star anise

1 carrot

1 onion halved

1 leek rough chopped

2 sticks of celery

5ltrs cider

THE GLAZE

100g soft dark brown sugar

2 tbsp mustard

2 tbsp marmalade

20 whole cloves

This is a lovely calm simple start to the Christmas cooking frenzy (in my house, too many cooks)!!! I make sure when it comes to cooking my ham it is on a day I am home, this gives me a stress free no timeline.  Nowadays I do not feel the need to soak my brined ham as I have found that there is much less salt used in the brines to date.  

(Update I have had a couple of hams that were salty, so I am now going back to soaking my ham for 24hrs in the fridge, changing the water three or four times)

Fill a deep pan with the cider and bring to a simmer with all the aromatic flavours thrown In, add the ham, top up with water if the ham is not covered, simmer for approx 4-5hrs, if your using a probe your ham is ready when you reach 75 degrees in the deepest centre part.  I like to leave the ham now to cool down in the stock liquor, this makes a huge difference to the moistness and overall flavour of your ham, as your ham cools it soaks back some of the stock.  Leave for a couple of hours if you can.

Pre heat your oven to 170 degrees, take your ham and gently remove the skin keeping the fat intact on the ham.  Gently score the fat, not to deep so that you can see the meat.  Now take your glaze ingredients and mix well together, paste over the scored ham and with the cloves gently push the studs randomly into some of the criss cross sections of the fat.

Place in your roasting tin with another litre of cider or water creating a water bath to help retain moisture and cover well with foil, cook at 170 degrees for 25 minutes, remove the foil and brown off the caramelised crust for a further 20mins, then bring out, cover and leave resting for at least one hour if you can!  In my home I. Have to fight my family off from attacking the ham at this point!

RACK OF VENISON WITH PORT JELLY

GORGEOUS

Melt in the mouth tender venison served with creamy mashed potatoes and watercress, finished with a drizzle of home made port and elderberry jelly from the summer's harvest.

INGREDIENTS

( serves 2-3)

Four bone rack of venison

2 fistfuls of watercress

1 kg King Edward potatoes

100g butter

100ml full cream milk

Dash of white onion vinegar (optional)

Salt and white pepper

PORT AND ELDERBERRY JELLY

500ml port

300g jam sugar

100 ml elderberry cordial ( optional) 

First make the jelly, in a thick bottomed saucepan mix the sugar, port and elderberry cordial until dissolved, turn on the heat and bring to a rolling boil for four minutes.  Remove from the heat and leave to cool.  If you want to check that your jelly is going to be set once cooled, take a teaspoon of the jelly and pour onto a saucer, leave to cool for a few minutes, tip the saucer to check the consistency of your jelly.  The jelly will still be warm when it comes time to serve your meal.

Peel your potatoes and put them on to boil while you cook the venison.

Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees.  Sear the rack of venison in a non stick pan, place the pan in your oven and cook for around 18-22 minutes until the centre temprature is 55 degrees or to your choice.

COOKING TIME GUIDE

50 degrees RARE

55 degrees RARE-MEDIUM

60 degrees MEDIUM

70 degrees WELL DONE

Once your venison is cooked, remove the pan from the oven, remembering that the pan handle will be hot!  Cover with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile mash your potatoes add the butter, milk, seasoning and a hint of vinegar if wanted, this is something my nan always did.  

To serve place your mashed potatoes in the centre of your plate, pile the watercress high in top, place your venison cutlets around the potato and drizzle over some of the warm port and elderberry jelly.

CRISPY SWEET CHILLI MACKEREL WRAP

I just had a craving for this hot sweet spicy mackerel wrap with a fresh rich creamy avocado guacamole, lime, coriander and a generous glug of my hot habanero sweet chilli jam...

INGREDIENTS

(makes 2)

2 fresh mackerel fillets

Dash of ooil

2 tbsp black and white peppercorns crushed

1 lime juiced

2 small flour tortillas

1ripe avocado

1 clove of garlic grated

Small handful of coriander

Small handful of watercress

Few shavings of courgette

3 cherry tomatoes halved

1 red chilli de- seeded and sliced

Hot sweet chilli jam

Place a non-stick pan on a medium high heat, rub the mackerel fillets with the oil and season with salt and the crushed peppercorns.  Place skin down in the hot pan, don't be tempted to turn the fillets for a minute or so, as you want the skin to become crispy and full of that gorgeous flavour.  When you turn the fillets after 30 seconds turn off the heat and leave to finish cooking.

Scoop out all the avocado in to a bowl, mash with a fork and add some lime juice, a good pinch of salt and the grated garlic.  Take your flour tortilla and spoon on some of the avocado, top with a little of the chilli jam and watercress, place a mackerel fillet on top and then load the courgette shavings, sliced chillies, coriander and cherry tomatoes, finish off with an extra drizzle of your hot sweet chilli jam and an extra squeeze of lime juice.  Roll up your tortillas, tucking in the bottom end to keep all the juices from dripping out and enjoy.

CHRISTMAS PUDDING ICE CREAM

Brandy Christmas Pudding Ice Cream, decadant, indulgent and perfect on it's own or with your Christmas pudding or mince pies...

INGREDIENTS

(Serves 6)

500ml double cream

250ml jersey gold top milk

100g un-refined sugar

3 large egg yolks

pinch of salt

Christmas pudding

Place the cream, milk and sugar in a pan and scald, (this means bring up to heat but do not boil).  Take off the heat and leave to cool for a couple of minutes.  Whisk the egg yolks with the salt.  Pour the slightly cooled milk on to the eggs whisking all the time, return the custard back to the pan and on a low heat cook until the mixture thickens slightly and covers the back of a spoon, don't be tempted to rush this stage, it will take approx 4 minutes, and if you turn your heat up to high you risk turing the custard into scrrambled eggs.

Remove from the heat and leave to cool for approx 1 hour.

Pour your custard into your ice cream maker and churn for 20-30 minutes until soft firm peaks.  Crumble in your Christmas pudding and mix well, pour into a tub and place in the freezer to finish setting, this will take a couple of hours.  Enjoy with a warm christmas pudding, mince pies or on it's own.

RICH BEEF RAGU WITH FRESH HANDMADE TAGLIATELLE

Rich and sumptuous luxury on a plate, for me this is the ragu of ragu`s, the deep body of the claret adds a richer depth of flavour along with the quality of the Angus steak beef mince with an added bonus of fresh jelly from my dripping.

INGREDIENTS

(Serves 4)

2 carrots finely diced

2 celery finely diced

1 onion finely diced

1 knob of butter

Ooil

Sprig of fresh thyme

1kg angus minced beef or chuck steak

250g minced pork (optional)

1 bottle of Claret or Burgundy

500ml beef stock or jelly from your dripping bowl

Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato puree

Heat the butter and ooil in a deep pan, soften the onion, carrot and celery for five minutes, add the beef and pork mince and brown off, sometimes I like to catch the mince a little to give a nuttier flavour. Add the thyme, red wine and reduce by on third, add the beef stock, tomatoes, tomato puree and leave to gently simmer for 1-2  hours, taste and season with salt, white and black pepper and maybe a pinch of cayenne pepper.

  This is one of those dishes that will improve with resting so this can be made earlier in the day and left to mature once cooked.

HANDMADE PASTA

Making your own pasta not only gives you higher quality produces but is quick, easy and cheaper than buying dried manufactured pasta.  Making pasta is just the same as making pastry and once you look at the method like this it really is very simple.  No fancy equipment is needed, in Italy all the Nona's use is a rolling pin and the biceps!  

INGREDIENTS

(Serves 4)

500g 00 flour

2 eggs beaten

3 egg yolks whisked

Good pinch of salt

Add the salt to your flour and mix in, place your flour in a mound on your work top, make a well in the centre, add the eggs and egg yolk.  Now you want to slowly incorporate the flour into the egg little by little.  I find the easiest way is to make my hand like a birds beak and using a pecking action bring in the flour into the egg and peck together.

Once you have used all the flour bring together and gently knead for five minutes until your dough becomes smooth and springy.  Wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Once you have rested your dough, cut into four, dust with semolina, and roll out as thin as you can with your rolling pin, don't let the pasta dry out, so if your taking your time have a damp tea towel and cover the rolled out pasta.

Now your pasta is ready to cut into sheets or tagliatelle, just roll up the sheets and slice thin, remember that the pasta will expand a little during cooking.

SUMPTUOUS GORGEOUS RAGU WITH HANDMADE TAGLIATELLE

BLUEBERRY PANCAKES WITH SWEETCURE BACON AND MAPLE SYRUP

This is the Queen of breakfasts and perfect for New Years Day, I admit to scoffing these down and loved every sweet, salty and sharp mouthful, I had way to much maple syrup, but hey it's a New Year! 

I made these pancakes with buttermilk which gives the pancake a lighter texture with a much more enriched flavour.

INGREDIENTS

(Serves 2-4)

1 cup of self raising flour

1cup of buttermilk

50 ml full cream milk

1 large organic egg

Pinch of salt

Pinch of cinnamon

300ml maple syrup 

250g blueberries

1 vanilla pod seeds scraped out

16 rashers sweet cure bacon

100g butter

I say this serves 2-4 because it depends on how many pancakes you like in a portion, this batter makes 8 pancakes.

Place the egg, buttermilk, milk, vanilla pod, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk together, add the flour and whisk well until smooth, fold in the blueberries, if you can leave the batter to rest for half an hour on the side this will improve the texture, but is not essential.

Heat a flat griddle to medium hot, add a knob of butter and then a ladle of your batter, don't be tempted to turn the pancake until you have lots of air bubbles on the un-cooked side, then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Grill the bacon and serve on top of the warm pancakes with lots and lots of glorious maple syrup, each mouthful will deliver paradise.

CHRISTMAS MAGIC

This year's table theme was chosen by my son Oscar, as he was going to Lapland to find Santa Claus he wanted to carry on the magic with a fun christmas table.  Oscar made the crackers for the table and helped with lots of home made decorations, this is truly a magical time for making memories with your most cherished family.

Fun Santa plates and name place baubles create a fun magical table setting.

Every detail helps, the salt and pepper pot and gravy or custard jugs add the finishing touches.

Oscar loves to leave home grown carrots, one for each of Santas reindeers and a mince pie and whiskey, even though Mrs Claus would not agree!

Oscar found Santa Claus deep in the woods of Lapland

Christmas a magical time.

MINCEMEAT AND BRANDY PIES

Nothing symbols the beginning of christmas feasting as much as the humble mince pie, often underrated, but if handmade they are a mouthful of the magic to come over christmas.  I love to make my own mincemeat, it is really quick and easy and will last all year.

INGREDIENTS

200g Bramley apples peeled and grated

175g raisins 

110 g candied peel

100g cranberries

100g currants

150g sultanas

1 orange zest and juice 

1 lemon zest and juice

200 ml brandy

175 g suet

3tsp mixed spice

1/4 tsp grated fresh nutmeg

200g muscovado sugar

Take all the ingredients except the suet and sugar and place in a lidded deep pan, bring to a simmer then turn down really low and place the lid on, leave for approx 1 hour until all the brandy has been absorbed and the fruit is soft and plumped up, leave to cool.  Once cooled mix in the sugar and suet and a generous glug or three of brandy! 

Heat some jars and lids in your oven for around 5 minutes to sterilize them and fill with your mincemeat, pop on the lids and that is it.  Your mincemeat will improve it's flavour over the next few months, with this in mind I like to make my mincemeat by November at least.

OLD FASHIONED SHORTCRUST PASTRY

110 g lard cold

110g butter cold

450 g plain flour

Pinch of salt

180ml of ice cold water

Place the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl then grate the butter and lard into the flour, add the water and gently mix together to form a ball, be gently you don't want to mix this evenly, the reason for this is as the pastry cooks the fat will start to cause a puff effect giving you a lighter pastry.

Roll out your pastry and line your tins or if your making old fashioned flying saucer mince pies just cut disks with a scone ring, egg wash and fill with your mince meat, top with pastry lids or stars, egg wash and sprinkle with Demerara sugar, bake for approx 15-18 minutes until golden, serve warm on their own or dusted with icing sugar or with some thick brandy cream or custard.

ROAST FORE RIB OF BEEF

OLD FASHIONED 35 DAYS HUNG RIB OF BEEF

This was an exceptionally outstanding piece of beef, I asked my local farm butcher to hang this for me for 35 days, when I went to collect it he had to trim off the black bits which were a lovely treat for my dogs.  When I popped the beef in the oven for the half hour sizzle the smell of old fashioned beef basting itself in it's own gorgeous proper fat was divine and only a hint of the flavour to come.

Four and a bit hours later and WOW this beef was juicy, succulent and full of old fashioned fabulous beef flavour, possibly the very best beef I have ever eaten, (until next time)!  

INGREDIENTS

5-10kg fore rib of beef

Salt

Oil

Cooking any joint of meat is really very simple, it is the method and timing that gives you a gorgeous result every time.  After trying many methods the following method for me works every time giving me full confidence each time I cook for friends and family. 

My family like many I am sure want their beef from blue to medium well done, and I do not like to disappoint.  With this 10kg fore rib I probed the thickest part of the meat and cooked until the probe read 55 degrees, this gave me rare meat at this point of the fore rib and then the slightly thinner part of the fore rib reached 60 degrees which gave medium rare, this way I was able to please all my family.

THE COOKING METHOD

9-10 minutes per lb for RARE

12-15 minutes per lb for MEDIUM

15-18+ minutes per lb for WELL DONE

CORE COOKING TEMPERATURE USING A PROBE

50 degrees for RARE

55 degrees for RARE-MEDIUM

60 degrees for MEDIUM

70 degrees for WELL DONE

ALLOW ONE HOUR RESTING TIME

Pre-heat your oven 220 degrees, take your beef out of the fridge at least 1 hour before you are ready to cook, to allow the meat to relax and come up to room temperature, this will give the beef a more even cooking temperature.

Score the fat on the beef lightly, not all the way to the meat, rub with a little oil, not olive oil, and give a generous rub with sea salt, this is all you need to do to enhance your gorgeous fore rib.

Place your fore rib in the pre-heated oven and give it the half hour sizzle at the high heat, then turn the oven down to 180 degrees and take the beef out and cover well with foil, pop back into the oven and cook for the time that you have calculated.  Take out and leave wrapped up to rest for at least one hour.  That is it your gorgeous wow factor roast is done.

This hour resting time is a blessing, not only will it allow the meat to relax and all the juices to evenly re-distribute themselves back through the meat, it allows you time now to cook the roast potatoes, vegetables to accompany your roast with out comprising your oven space and in a relaxed manner.

CHRISTMAS SIXPENCE PUDDING

THE CHRISTMAS TRADITIONAL PUDDING

This is my top favourite Christmas tradition because my gorgeous 12yr old son, Oscar is in charge of making the family Christmas pudding.  We start with soaking all the fruit the night before in a bottle, yes a whole bottle of brandy and then once Oscar has assembled all the magical ingredients in the bowl, he then stirs the pudding East to West following the direction of the thee wise men, then every member of the family gives the pudding a stir for good luck, then Oscar adds his sixpence that he gets from the Royal Mint into the pudding, this makes our Christmas pudding making a really magical time with the added anticipation on who will find the sixpence on Christmas Day and have good luck all the New Year through.

INGREDIENTS

225g currents

225g raisins

175g sultanas

50g mixed peel

175g butter

1 bottle brandy 

Chopped almonds

Chopped hazelnuts

Chopped Brazil nuts

Juice and zest of 1 Orange 

3tbsp milk

150g self raising flour

1tbsp mixed spice

1 tsp grated nutmeg

150g breadcrumbs

Golden syrup

Black treacle

3 medium eggs beaten

200g dark muscovado sugar

A sixpence 

(This year we got a 1944 sixpence which is grandad's birth year)

I have a ritual that we can not make the christmas pudding unless all is well and happiness is in the home, so if all is well the night before place all the dried fruit in a bowl and add the whole bottle of brandy! cover and leave to steep overnight.  In the morning drain off the excess brandy and reserve in a jam jar for topping up the puddings later in the month.

Pre heat your oven 170 degrees C, in a large bowl place all the soaked fruit, peel, zest and juice, and milk, mix well.   Add the flour, spices a pinch of salt, to be traditional resist the temptation to stir!  Melt the butter and add to the bowl along with breadcrumbs, eggs and muscovado sugar.

Now the pudding is ready to be stirred East to West by every member of the household and family, then add the sixpence and give one more stir.

Grease your pudding basin or tin, then this is important, line the base of your tin with a circle of grease proof paper, this will ensure that your pudding does not stick and tear when you remove it.

Take a deep saucepan and place a trivet in the bottom.  To cover your basin take a sheet of foil and fold a pleat in the centre, then cover the pudding basin with the folded pleat in the centre, this is so that the peat can unfold as the pudding expands.  Place the foil over the basin and then with the some string tie it around the rim, to make handles loop over and tie back to the other side to made the handle, not essential but handy.   

TO COOK

Place the pudding basin in the deep saucepan on the trivit, fill with water 3/4 of the way up and cover with a lid  then bring to a simmer, place on the lid and simmer for 4 hours.  

Once cooked take out leave to cool a little and then turn out and wrap in baking paper, then store in a air tight container.  Every so and now give the pudding a drink with the left over brandy.  

To serve on the big day place the pudding back into the basin and steam just the way you cooked it, approx 1 hour and  serve with a sprig of holly and pour over some brandy.

TO ENSURE THE BRANDY FLAME

Once the pudding is in place ready to serve, take a ladle of warm brandy and light it so that it is flaming, then pour the flaming ladle of brandy over the pudding, this will ensure you have a successful flaming pudding in the day.  In my home we all have to sign the figgy pudding song and make a big song and dance about Oscars Christmas pudding!!! 

HOW TO COOK THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS TURKEY

With The Best Ever Giblet Gravy

There is nothing quite like Turkey Stress!  It really is so easy to cook the perfect moist juicy turkey and reduce that Christmas day fear of a dry over cooked bird!  It starts with the quality of life the Turkey has had, knowing your oven, minutes per lb and finally a long resting time, that's it.

                                                    

TO COOK THE PERFECT TURKEY

To start you need a beautiful slow raised old fashioned breed turkey, this year I ordered a COPAS turkey, a bronze free range, out door living, rain forest diet, loved turkey that was raised to full maturity and game hung for two weeks.  This turkey was magnificent, the size and shape of the bird echoed it's rooting lifestyle.

I follow the simple minutes per pound cooking rule, which for a turkey is 15 minutes per lb as a guide line but I do use a thermometer to test the temperature of the bird and I remove the turkey from the oven as soon as the centre reaches 65 degrees.  I then rest the turkey for at least 1 hour covered in foil and a towel to insulate.  This cooking method has always given me the most juicy moist succulent roasted turkey ever.  This year I found that the minutes by lb cooking time was spot on with the turkey reaching 64 degrees so by the time I took the turkey out it was at 65 degrees.

I do like to loosen the skin from the turkey with the back of a spoon sliding between the skin and the meat, stuff that lots of seasoned butter to give that extra moisture in the meat while cooking.

TO ME THIS IS TURKEY COOKING LAW 

This method results in a perfect cooked turkey every time.

15 minutes per lb 

Probe temp max 65 degrees

OVEN  TEMPERATURE

Pre-heat to 220 degrees

Place your Turkey un-covered into the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to170 degrees.  Cook for 30 minutes, then cover well with tin foil and leave to cook.

Once cooked I then give my turkey a extra baste and sometimes using my Cajun injector, inject the cooking juices into the breasts.  Now wrap up the turkey in generous amounts of foil and cover with a tea towel and leave to rest for one to one and half hours.

Drain off the cooking juices into a jug and now we can finish off the gravy.  

THE MOST AWESOME GRAVY

1 knob of butter

1 dash of olive oil 

1 onion chopped

2 carrots chopped

2 sticks celery chopped

Turkey giblets

2 bay leaves

10 black peppercorns

200ml dry white wine

2 ltrs water

In a large pan melt the butter and olive oil together, soften the onion, carrot and celery then add the giblets, bay and peppercorns and cook for 10 minutes then add the wine and reduce by half.  Add 2 litres of water and simmer for an hour or so until the stock has reduced by half.  You should be left with approx 1000ml.  This is your base for the most awesome gravy.

I do this stage on Christmas Eve so on the day all I have to do is add some seasoned flour to my turkey pan, let it melt into the fat, you can always add a little more fat if needed, cook out for a minute or so and then add your stock and whisk to a smooth gravy, taste and season well.

GET AHEAD GRAVY

This is something you can do the day before and keep in the fridge ready to go on the day.

12 chicken wings

2 carrots rough chopped

1 onion quartered 

3 sprigs thyme

1 bulb garlic halved

Glug olive oil

2 ltrs water

Pre heat your oven to 200 degrees C 392 F, place all the ingredients in a deep roasting tin and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the skin on the wings is crispy.  Add 2 ltrs of water to the roasting tin and cook for a further 10 minutes so that the water can de-glaze all the lovely caramelised bits on the bottom of the roasting tin.  Remove the tin from the oven and then using a potato masher crush all the wings, garlic, onions and carrots in to the water creating the most wonderful flavours.

Drain in to a large bowl through a sieve and push all that wonderful liquid through the sieve.  That is your fabulous base gravy made for the big day, just add this to your cooking juices on the day and following the gravy making tips above.

SPICY LAMB STUFFED PITTA

EAT MYSELF SLIM

 

Hot and spicy lamb stuffed pitta with watercress and spinach salad dressed with the spicy oils from the kofte finished off with a touch of mango chutney

 

Each pitta approx.:  307 kcal  / 13.3g fat / 6.5g sat fat / 26.3g carb / 19.2g protein

 

 

INGREDIENTS

(serves 4)

 

300g lean minced lamb

1 tbsp crushed chillies

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp harissa paste

1 tsp curry powder

salt and pepper

100g watercress

100g spinach

4 tsp mango chutney

4 wholemeal pitta breads

 

A real quick and speedy supper, mix all the spices with the lamb and squeeze together to form patties or sausage shape torpedo's.  In a non-stick pan, no need for oil as the lamb has enough fat, pan sear the patties, I like to caramelise each side adding more flavour, these take approx 7 minutes to cook, once cooked leave the lamb to rest while you toast your pittas, spring open and paint on the mango chutney, this makes the mango flavour go further therefore keeping the calorie count down. 

 

Stuff the pittas with the spinach and watercress salad and your rested lamb kofte.  The hot and spicy flavours from the lamb will ooze out acting like a oil dressing on the salad in the pitta bread making this a really flavoursome supper without being full of fat or calories.

HARISSA AND TURKEY STIR FRY

EAT MYSELF SLIM IN STYLE

 

This is a great healthy low fat filling dinner, full of antioxidants that stimulate liver support and antibacterial properties from the garlic and circulation stimulation from the chilli, along with beatcarotenes that protect the heart, riboflavin, niacin, vitamins C, B2, B12, selenium and zinc from a sprinkling of  Furikake (furry car key) a natural Japanese seasoning of black and white sesame seeds, nori seaweed and red shiso leaves.

 

Approx:  319 kcal / 4.8g fat / 0.8g sat fat / 42.6g carbs / 33.2g protein

 

 

INGREDIENTS

(serves 1)

 

125g turkey breast sliced

10ml soy sauce

100g broccoli florets

50g greens sliced

40g red pepper diced

1 garlic clove grated

1 tsp grated ginger

1/2 tsp Harissa paste

75g cooked brown or white rice

pinch of Japanese furikake seasoning

 

This only takes 15 minutes to prepare and cook.  First put the rice in a sauce pan with twice the amount in water and simmer for 6 minutes, take off the heat but do not lift the saucepan lid, leave to one side for 10 minutes and you will have perfect cooked rice ready to serve.

 

Put a pan of water on to boil, once simmering add the broccoli and greens and blanch for 4 minutes, remove from the heat, meanwhile heat a non stick pan and pan sear the turkey with the soy sauce, add the garlic, ginger and red pepper, then add the broccoli and greens once blanched, add a little of the greens water if the turkey is sticking, add the harissa paste and season to taste, serve with rice and a sprinkling of furikake seasoning and crushed chillies.

 



1950's CAMPBELLS WILD MUSHROOM AND CHICKEN STROGANOFF PIE

EAT MYSELF SLIM IN STYLE

 

This is a non guilt full flavour low fat chicken and wild mushroom stroganoff filo pie, the filo pastry is low in fat and does not disappoint as a pie crust.  The hot smoked paprika rich creamy wild mushroom and dark chicken meat filling is everything it promises to be, Ooh I Love a Pie...

 

Each pie approx.: Kcal 309 / 23g fat / 5.2g sat fat / 26.6g carbs / 14.5g protein

 

 

Such a passion for the Mushroom and Pie, I love this time of the year where mushrooms are growing wild everywhere.  We have recently been on a mushroom foray and found 28 different species of mushrooms in our local woods.  I was most pleased when we were encouraged to pick some, we took a Cep, Chicken of the Woods and some winter Chanterelles , I look forward to learning more in depth knowledge to forage for mushrooms on our own, but I am secretly still a bit of a scaredy cat at the moment!

 

 

INGREDIENTS

(makes 4 pies)

 

300g mixed mushrooms

4 chicken thighs meat only

1 small onion fine diced

2 cloves garlic fine diced

salt and pepper

1 tsp smoked hot paprika

2 tbsp ghee

250ml white wine

1 chicken jelly stock pot in 100ml water

1 can low fat Campbells mushroom soup

200g crème fraiche 1/2 fat

1/2 juice of a lemon

1 pack of filo pastry

 

Pan fry the onions and garlic in a little of the ghee until soft but not coloured, remove to the side, gently cook the mushrooms for two minutes, mushrooms only need to kiss the pan, remove and place with the onions, now add the chicken thigh meat and sear, sprinkle over the hot paprika and season, add the white wine which will de-glaze the pan lifting all the gorgeous flavours into the sauce and reduce by half, add the chicken stock, crème fraiche, Campbell's mushroom soup and stir well. 

 

Add back in all the mushrooms, garlic and onion to the sauce and bring up to a simmer and taste for seasoning, then leave to one side to cool before we place in the pie crusts.

 

I have allowed two sheets of filo per pie, which is generous and gives more depth to the pie crust,this is so you really feel you are getting more pie crust than you should when on a reduced calorie intake.  Line your individual or one large pie tin with the filo pastry, this is such a forgiving pastry so don't worry if you tear the sheets, make sure that the filo goes up and hangs over the top of the pie tin by a few inches, this is because you will fold these overhangs into the centre of the pie to create the pie crust top, brush with egg wash and bake for 20-25 minutes and enjoy.

 



HALLOWEEN SCARY MUFFINS

FUN FUNKY MONSTER MUFFINS

 

Love this time of the year, it is great fun to make and decorate these muffins with the children and even more fun to eat them!  Recipe below and then each muffin once cooled is topped with coloured butter icing then as follows:

 

 

Ready to roll regal icing red, yellow and blue.  I grated the blue icing to create the strands, and then shaped the lips and teeth and eyebrow, the eye is a chocolate covered candy ball.

 

 

On a piece of grease proof paper draw a witches head, then using coloured icing pens fill in the face and ice on the features, leave to dry.  Using some black regal ready to roll icing shape the hat and with the coloured icing pens draw a green ribbon and black square buckle.

 

 

Take an Oreo cookie, roll out some white regal icing and cut in to strips roughly the same thickness and then wrap up the Oreo cookie and with the icing pens draw on the eye with two colours looking through the bandages.

 

 

This is really quite simple but stunning, chocolate butter icing topped with a peeled Satsuma and a stalk made from celery, Ta-daa !

 

 

Using the black icing pen draw on your spiders web and with some black regal icing make your spider and place him/her on your web.

 

Again quick and easy on some grease proof paper draw a skull and using the icing writing pens fill in and draw your skull, decorate the eyes and mouth, leave to dry and peel off and stick on.

 

INGREDIENTS

(makes 12)

2 eggs beaten

200g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla

125ml vegetable oil

250ml milk

Blueberries or chocolate chips

400g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Beat the eggs until light and fluffy, add all of the sugar and vanilla and beat for a further couple of minutes, gently whisk in the oil and milk and your choice of flavours, chocolate chips, fresh blueberries which melt while cooking so you have pockets of gorgeous blueberry jam, how about cherry's and chocolate or banoffi and banana.

Now mix all the dry ingredients together, the flour, baking powder and salt, give a little whisk, this is to remove the lumps and easier than using a sieve, fold into the wet mixture, the secret to a good muffin is not to over mix, you will want some little clumps of flour in the mix, this puffs up during cooking giving you that classic muffin top.  Fill your muffin cases two thirds only, this allows the muffin to rise up nice and high.

 

Bake in a pre-heated oven 170 degrees for 23 minutes, eat immediately or leave to cool and then decorate. 

 

HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN COCONUT CURRY

FABULOUS SUMPTUOUS PUMPKIN COCONUT CURRY

This is a wonderful simple quick recipe for all the pumpkins we have carved out over Halloween, a rich coconut vibrant zingy curry that is perfect for a almost winter's night, warm creamy and  huggingly comforting, for some heat sprinkle over fresh sliced chillies.

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

1 glug of ooil

1 onion fine diced

1 tbsp grated ginger

2 grated garlic cloves

2 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 jelly chicken or veg stock

300ml water

1ltr coconut milk

Diced pumpkin

1/2 lime juiced

bunch fresh coriander

salt and pepper

 

Pan fry the onion, ginger and garlic in the ooil for five minutes until soft but not coloured, add the curry powder, turmeric and seasoning, pan fry for a few a couple of minutes, then add the chicken or vegetable jelly stock pot, water, coconut milk and bring to a simmer, add the diced pumpkin, or squash and simmer for 30 minutes until cooked, sprinkle over the coriander and serve with rice.

 

For great presentation serve the curry in a baked pumpkin, bake a hollowed out pumpkin in a moderate oven for 50 minutes and fill with the hot coconut curry.