Cheap but fantastic dessert

Ingredients: 

2 scoops ice cream

2 rich tea biscuits

a few squirts of runny honey

Serves 1

Method:

1) Put 2 rich tea biscuits in a freezer bag and bash them over the head with a rolling pin.

2) Scoop out the ice cream, cover in honey to taste and top with crushed biscuits.

Variations

• Use 2 chocolate chip cookies instead of rich tea biscuits and discard the honey.
• Smash up 3 KitKat fingers to replace the biscuits and honey.

Natalie's Loaded Potato Skins

Ingredients

4 large baking potatoes (baked)

8 rashers bacon (chopped into small squares and fried off)

100g medium cheddar (or more to taste)

Instructions

1) Chop the potatoes in half.

2) Scoop the potato out and put in a large bowl leaving the jacket intact.

3) Mix the bacon and cheese into the potato using a potato masher.

4) Put the potato mixture back into the jackets.

5) Return to the oven for a couple of minutes because the potato cools down while you mash it.

6) Serve with sour cream and chives.

Alternatives

Tomatoes, onions, eggs or tuna could replace the bacon.

Andy’s Cheese on Toast

4 slices of bread

Margarine

Mature cheddar (grated)

Worcestershire sauce to taste

Place bread under grill in 2 stacks

Grill until light brown

Turn over and grill until golden brown

Turn back over and spread with margarine

Cover with cheese and sprinkle Worcestershire sauce

Grill until cheese is golden brown

Beef and Mulukhiyah Casserole

Ingredients

2 lb (900 g) braising steak cut into 2 inch (5 cm) squares

15 fl oz (425 ml) Leffe beer

1 tablespoon olive oil

12 oz (350 g) onions, peeled and cut in quarters

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 heaped tablespoon plain flour

1 tbsp dried thyme

2 bay leaves

salt and freshly milled black pepper

2 large handfuls of fresh Mulukhiyah leaves

1 small packet of croutons

4 oz (110 g) grated mature cheddar cheese

Method

1. Preheat the oven temperature to gas mark 2, 300°F (150°C). Take the flameproof casserole and place on direct heat, then heat oil until sizzling hot and fry the meat 3-4 pieces at a time, until they turn a dark mahogany colour on all sides. Don't overcrowd the pan or they will not brown. As the meat browns remove it to a spare plate.
2. Add the onions to the pan, still keeping the heat high. Toss them around for about five minutes until they become darkly tinged at the edges.
3. Add the garlic and fry for about 30 seconds or so, then turn the heat down, return the meat to the casserole and sprinkle the flour in. Using a wooden spoon, stir until all the flour has been absorbed into the juices. (If it looks stodgy at this stage that is to be expected.)
4. Now gradually stir in the beer and let the pan gently come up to simmering point.
5. Add salt, black pepper, thyme and bay leaves.
6. Just as it begins to bubble, put the lid on, transfer it to the centre shelf of the oven and leave it there for 2½ hours.
7. Just before you want to serve the beef, pre-heat the grill, spread the croutons with the mustard and sprinkle them with the cheese, then arrange them on top of the meat and pop the casserole under the grill until the cheese is bubbling. Serve straight away.

Roast Potatoes

Ingredients:
5 average size potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
a pinch of salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp dill

Method:
1) Preheat the oven to 250 C.
2) Cut the potatoes into bitesize pieces and place them in a shallow Pyrex dish.
3) Sprinkle the salt, pepper and dill over the potatoes.
4) Pour the oil over the top as evenly as possible.
5) Cover with foil.
6) Put in the centre of the oven for 30-40 minutes.
7) Baste every ten minutes and move the potatoes about at the same time so that they don't stick.

If you are cooking meat too and the dish is large enough you can put the meat in the dish next to the potatoes for a quick midweek basic roast.

Joshua's Lamb Stew

Ingredients:

400g shoulder of lamb

2 baking potatoes cubed

2 carrots sliced

6 brocoli florets

5 vegetable Oxo cubes in 2 pints of water

3 dried apricots

pepper to taste

1 tsp mixed herbs

1 tsp rosemary

1/2 tsp sesame seeds

shake of garlic salt

Serves 2 adults and a small person

Method:

Put all the ingredients into a pressure cooker and cook for 20 minutes.

Ras el Hanout

To make your own ras el hanout put a mixture of the following ingredients in a clean, dry glass jar:

cardamom

clove

cinnamon

paprika

coriander

cumin

mace

nutmeg

peppercorn

turmeric

Lamb Tagine

Ingredients:

1kg lamb shanks

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

SPICE PASTE

2 garlic cloves

1 shallot (roughly chopped)

1/2 red chilli (seeded and roughly chopped)

stalks from 10g packet coriander (leaves reserved)

1/2 tsp freshly ground white pepper

1/4 tsp salt

TAGINE

2 tsp ras el hanout

225g carrots

100g onions

200g waxy potatoes (e.g. Charlotte) (peeled and left whole)

200g sweet potatoes (cut to same size as potatoes)

225g vine-ripened tomatoes (thickly sliced)

1 tbsp clear honey

38 kg dried apricots (as they come)

0.6l stock (vegetable or chicken)

2 bayleaves

1/2 tsp salt

COUSCOUS

450g couscous

1/2 tsp salt

450ml boiling water

25g butter

2 tbsp olive oil

Method:

1) Trim the excess fat off the lamb. Season with salt and pepper.

2) In a pestle and mortar (or I prefer a mini food processor) crush together all the spice paste ingredients until they form a smooth paste.

3) Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish or a large tagine dish. Brown the lamb all round. Life out and put in a separate dish.

4) Add the spice mixture to the oil in left in the casserole and fry for 2-3 minutes.

5) Add the ras el hanout and fry for another minute.

6) Add the carrots, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, apricots. Mix well into the spice paste.

7) Place the lamb on top. Drizzle the honey all over and add enough stock to almost cover the meat.

8) Add the bayleaves and a teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 1 1/2 - 2 hours with the lid on at 200C.

9) Just before tagine is ready put the couscous, and salt into a bowl and stir in the boiling water.

10) Cover with a tea towel and allow to soak for 5 minutes. Uncover then fluff up the grains with a fork.

11) Melt the butter and oil together in a pan, add the couscous and stir over a low heat until heated through.

12) Skim off the excess oil from the top of the stew.

13) Chop the coriander leaves and scatter over the top and serve from the dish at the table with the couscous.

Garlic Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

200g diced onions

2 tbsp sliced garlic
3 tbsp Balti Paste
250g diced chicken
200g chopped tomatoes
100ml water
50ml single cream

Instructions:
1) Fry onions in a pan for 3 mins.
2) Add garlic and fry 2 mins.
3) Add Balti Paste and fry 2 mins.
4) Add chicken. When chicken is sealed add chopped tomatoes, water and single cream.
5) Cover and simmer for 10 mins.

Serves 2 adults and a small person.

Natalie's Carrot & Coriander Soup

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons margarine
1 kg carrots
2 small onions
900 ml vegetable stock
300 ml milk (can be soya for vegan)
2 handfuls coriander (chopped)
Pepper to taste

Instructions:
1) Chop onions finely and slice the carrots.
2) Heat the margarine and add the onions and carrots. Cook for about 10 minutes until soft.
3) Add stock and milk. Simmer for 15 minutes then allow to cool slightly and puree with a blender.
4) Add coriander. Reheat and season before serving.

This serves 4 generously.

Can be kept in fridge for a couple of days or frozen for longer.

Croutons

Ingredients

Slices of bread
Olive oil
Crushed garlic

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C).
2. Drizzle olive oil onto the baking sheet, add garlic, then using either your hands or a piece of kitchen paper, spread the oil and garlic all over the baking sheet.
3. Place slices of bread on top of the oil, then turn them so that both sides have been lightly coated with the oil.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes until crispy and crunchy.

What are different oils used for?

Balsamic Vinegar

use on salads, grilled or baked fish, meat and vegetables and as an ingredient for dressings and sauces

Sherry Vinegar

making gazpacho soup and mediterranean style soups and as a tenderiser for strong meats, such as beef

Red Wine Vinegar

used in a sauce for barbequed spare ribs or in a carbonade for beef, also suitable for making pickles and chutneys

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

drizzling over salads and pasta

Vegetable Oil

frying foods

Toasted Sesame Oil

making stir fries

Chilli Oil

drizzling over salads