Recipes

1. Cover the bacon in cold water and bring slowly to the boil. If the bacon is very salty there will be a white froth on top of the water so discard this water and start again. Cover and continue to simmer allowing 45 mins per kg. 
2. When the bacon is cooked remove from the water. Allow to cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile preheat the over to 250°C. Peel off the rind of the bacon, cut the fat into diamond pattern. Spread mustard over the fat and sprinkle brown sugar over. 
4. Bake in the over for 20 mins until the top is caramelised.

1. Peel potatoes and steam for 40 mins until cooked.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, meanwhile wash and very finely shred the cabbage or kale leaves, add the shredded cabbage to the boiling water simmering for 2 mins and strain immediately.
3. Bring the milk to the boil in a large saucepan and add the butter. Add the potatoes and mash to achieve a fluffy puree, season to taste then stir in the cabbage. 

1. Melt the butter, add the flour, combine and cook for 2 mins on a low heat stirring continuously.
2. Slowly add the milk and continue to cook for 5 mins.
3. Add finely chopped parsley.

Labels: Main Course

• 1lb /480g Strong white flour
• 2 heaped teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground mace
• I teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 eggs (free range if possible
• 11oz / 330g caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 14oz /420g courgettes, trimmed, washed and coarsely grated
• 7 fl oz /175mls sunflower oil
• 8oz / 240g coarsely chopped walnuts

1. Preheat your oven to 180C
2. Sift all dry ingredients, except the sugar into a bowl and mix well to combine.
3. In a separate large bowl beat the eggs and sugar together until they ‘ribbon’ well, add the sugar, grated courgette, vanilla essence, oil and walnuts. Mix well to combine then add in the dry ingredients gradually until well combined.
4. Divide the mixture between two 1lb loaf tins and bake in a preheated oven for 45min, or until a skewer comes out clean.
5. Leave the bread to cool in the tin before turning out.

Labels: Main Course

• 1 x 1500g chicken, cut into 8 pieces (I asked my butcher to do it for me)
• 1 Red Peppers
• 1 Yellow pepper
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 15 baby potatoes
• 2smallish red onions
• 1 small lemon
• Bunch of Rosemary, sprigs and leaves.

• 1 roast red pepper (roast in the oven until the pepper starts to go black and collapse)
• 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika (if you have it)

1. Pre heat oven to 180C
2. First Brown chicken in a frying pan until golden. 
3. Peel sweet potato, and cut into chunks, quarter peppers, peel and quarter onions, quarter lemon, toss all vegetables including potatoes and lemon in olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
4. Place all vegetables in a large oven proof dish, put chicken pieces on top and sprinkle with lots of rosemary. Roast for 35-40 minutes in a pre heated oven. Once cooked turn off the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
5. For the red pepper aioli, pop roast red pepper (skin and seeds removes) along with 2 cloves of garlic, 3 table spoons of mayonnaise and a teaspoon of smoked paprika in a food processor, blitz for 1 minute until combined. Transfer to a small bowl and serve with chicken.

Labels: Main Course

• 2 small oranges
• 9oz butter, diced
• 9 oz caster sugar
• 6oz golden syrup
• 15 oz porridge oats
• 2 tbsp sunflower and pumpkin seeds
• 3 tbsp fine shred orange marmalade

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a baking tin measuring 8½ x11½ inches  
2. Finely grate the zest of the two oranges. Place in a heavy based saucepan over a moderate heat; add the butter, sugar and golden syrup. When the butter has melted, remove from the heat and stir in the oats, until evenly coated in syrup.
3. Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and level surface. Sprinkle with seeds. Bake for 25-30 minutes until turning deep golden brown around the edges, the mixture will still be very soft in the centre. Leave in the tin until almost cold.
4. Heat the marmalade in a small saucepan with 1 tbsp of water until syrupy Brush evenly over flapjack. Turn out onto boars and cut into 18 bars. Store in an airtight container for 1 week.

Labels: Bread And Cakes

• 350ml / 12fl oz chicken stock
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsps vegetable oil
• 3 tbsps plain flour
• 2 tbsps Korma curry powder
• 750g / 1lb 10oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• small handful fresh coriander
• 2 tbsps seedless raisins
• 25g / 1oz flaked almonds
• ½ lemon
• 2 tbsps natural yoghurt
• 2 tbsps double cream
• salt & black pepper

1. Peel and chop the onion and garlic and fry gently in the oil in a large frying pan for about 5 minutes, until soft.
2. Mix the flour and curry powder in a large bowl, then cut the chicken into 2.5cm / 1” cubes and toss them in the mixture until evenly coated.  Add the chicken and flour mixture to the pan and fry, stirring, for 3 minutes.
3. Rinse, dry and chop enough coriander to give 1 tbsp and reserve a little for a garnish.  Add the rest to the chicken with the raisins and warmed stock.  Bring to the boil, stirring, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan.  Squeeze the juice from the half lemon and set it aside.
5. When the chicken is cooked, remover the pan from the heat and stir in the almonds lemon juice, yoghurt, cream and salt and pepper to taste.  Reheat very gently, but do not allow it to boil.
6. Garnish with the reserved coriander.

Labels: Main Course

• 8 large lean pork sausages 
• 125g / 4 ½ oz rindless smoked bacon
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 large onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 400g / 14oz canned flageolet beans
• 400g / 14oz canned cannellini beans
• 400g / 14oz canned chopped tomatoes
• 1 - 2 tsps dried mixed herbs
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 3 tbsps tomato purée
• salt & black pepper

1. Cut the sausages into 2.5cm / 1" pieces with kitchen scissors, and dice the bacon.  Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole and add the sausages.  Fry over a moderate to high heat for 8 minutes, turning frequently until the sausages are golden.  Then add the bacon and cook for 1 minutes, stirring.
2. Meanwhile halve, peel and slice the onion.  Peel and crush the garlic.  Rinse and drain the beans; you don't have to keep them separate.
3. Remove the sausages and bacon from the casserole, drain on kitchen paper and set aside.  Pour away all but 2 tbsps of fat from the casserole.  Add the onion and garlic and cook over a moderate heat for 5 minutes, until softened.
4. Stir the tomatoes and their juice into the onion and add the herbs, mustard and tomato purée.  Rinse out the tomato can with 1/3 of a can of water and add it to the mixture.  Bring to the boil, stirring, then add the drained beans.
5. Return the sausages and bacon to the casserole and season to taste.

Labels: Main Course

• 700g Cooking apples
• 400g damsons (if you don't have damsons just replace quantity with apples and maybe add a bit of cinnamon)
• Sugar

1. Make sure the fruit is clean and not bruised before you start.
2. Chop up the apples without peeling or coring. Put the apples and Damsons in a heavy based saucepan, add 600ml water and simmer until fruit is really soft and pulpy. Stir from time to time to prevent the fruit sticking to the bottom of the pan.
3. Next place a sieve or colander over a large bowl, place the muslin over the sieve, use a fairly big piece so that it will drape over the sieve when the fruit is poured in. Pout the pulp into the muslin lined sieve and leave to drain overnight.
4. Next day, discard the pulp remaining in the muslin. Measure the extract in the bowl and return it to the saucepan with 450g sugar for every 600ml of extract.
5. Heat gently and bring to the boil, boil for 10-15 minutes until setting point is reached. Remove scum with a slotted spoon and pot in sterilised jars and cover.

Labels: Side Dishes And Relishes