Crowd Pleasing Bolgense

Ingredients 

500g steak beef mince

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic, finely chopped

1 large white onion, finely chopped

2 bay leaves 

1 stalk celery, chopped into 1cm pieces 

2x400g tinned chopped tomatoes 

1 teaspoon tomato puree

splash worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

pinch salt and pepper

Instructions 

1. Heat oil in pan and fry onion and garlic for 8 minutes of fully cooked down.
2. Add beef mince to pan and break up with spatula while cooking.
3. Once the beef is brown and broken up add the chopped tomatoes, and fill one can with water and then pour into the other tin to get all the juices.  Put all of this in the pan. 
4. Stir, add the tomato puree, sugar, worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, salt and pepper. 
5. Cook this down for at least 6 hours or even longer if you can. The longer you leave it the tastier it will be!

Heartwarming Italian Meatballs

Ingredients 

For the meatballs:

200g  minced beef

200g minced pork

1 teaspoon italian herb seasoning

pinch of salt & pepper

2tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve

For the pasta sauce:

2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes

250g of roasted on the vine cherry tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic, peeled

1tbsp spicy chorizo, chopped

1 teaspoon of tomato puree

1 teaspoon of granulated sugar

1tbsp olive oil

pinch of salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Place all the meatball ingredients into a large bowl and mix to combine.
2. Heat a large pan with oil.
3. Mould your meatballs into the size of golf balls, a ice cream scoop works wonders.
4. Place your meatballs into the warm oil and cover with a lid and cook on low for 1 hour.
5. Meanwhile, you can start cooking your tomato pasta sauce.
6. Preheat the oven to 190C, and arrange your cherry tomatoes in a roasting dish, and cook for 20 10 minutes, or until split.
7. Add the oil and the garlic cloves and cook for a minute, or until the garlic cloves look softer.
8. Pour the tins of chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, sugar and seasoning.
9. Bring to a Simmer and cook for 1 hour. Once your cherry tomatoes are cooked take the off the vine and place them into your sauce, if you prefer a smoother sauce, blend them up just before you put them in.
10. Once you meatballs are cooked place them into your pasta sauce and let them combine with the sauce for 5-10 minutes.
11. Meanwhile, boil your pasta.
12. Put everything to together on a plate, grate over some more Parmesan and serve!

Irrestible Banana Bread

Ingredients

220g plain flour

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

75g caster sugar 

80g brown sugar 

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus extra for decorating

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 

2 eggs

125ml vegetable oil

3 mashed bananas 

Demerara sugar, to decorate 

chopped walnuts, to decorate

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 160C.
2. Grease a loaf tin and line with greaseproof paper.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, both sugars, cinnamon and vanilla extract. 
4. Make a well in the centre, add the eggs, vegetable oil and the mashed bananas and mix until combined.
5. Pour the batter into the loaf tin. Sprinkle cinnamon, Demerara sugar and walnuts over the top.
6. Cook in the oven for 60 minutes.

Flavoured Double Chocolate Twirled Cake

Marble cakes, such intricate and memorising masterpieces. To me they have always stuck in my mind as a childhood favourite, because what is not to love about them? It's the best of both worlds.. vanilla and chocolate. For any chocolate lover this is a MUST HAVE as it takes on both a rich, sharp chocolate and a simply sweet chocolate.  

Ingredients

For the cake:

250g Unsalted Butter

250g Caster Sugar

250g Self-Raising Flour

4 Large Eggs

1 Tablespoon Raw Cocoa Powder

1 Teaspoon of French Almond Extract

75g Green & Blacks Dark Chocolate

75g Green & Blacks White Chocolate

Splash of Grand Marnier

1 Tablespoon of Orange Zest

For the frosting:

25g Butter

15g Raw Cocoa Powder

2 tbsp Milk

100g Icing Sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 190C.
2. In a electric mixer blend the butter till smoth. Then add the sugar until slightly pale and thick.
3. Add one egg at each time and blend well. If it looks a little split add a sprinkle of flour for each egg.
4. Add the flour and a pinch of salt and blend until just combined. 
5. Transfer half of the mix into another bowl.
6. Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie. Allow to cool for a minute. 
7. Add the raw cocoa powder,melted dark, the Grand Marnier and orange zest chocolate to one bowl.
8. Add the french almond extract to the other bowl. 
9. Add the mixture randomly into a greased loaf tin and swirl around with a knife. (You may not need all the mixture as this cake will rise)
10. Cook for 40-50 minutes.  Keep an eye on this loaf as all ovens vary. *
11. While the cake is cooling melt the butter in a pan, once it has melted add the raw cocoa powder and mix until smooth. Take it off the heat an add the icing sugar and milk and blend until combined.
12. Once the cake is cooled, drizzle over the top.

* You could even do this in a cupcake/muffin form which I have done many of time.  Just cook for 20 minutes!

My Sunday Roast Tips and Tricks

A Sunday roast to me is a meal that will heat you up from the inside out.  Many people are afraid of cooking a roast due to the amount of effort and time you have to put into it.  Therefore, i'm going to share with you of my tips and tricks to make it just that little bit easier.

1. Give yourself plenty of time

I always start cooking way before you think you have to. This gives you more time for any mistake that might occur, and trust me, something always goes wrong!

2. Chop and peel everything before

This is a great little trick as you save so much time, if you chop and peel your potatoes and vegetables before you start cooking you don't find yourself in such a frenzy mid cooking while trying to get everything on the table at the same time.

3. Prepare all your meat rubs before

Just the same as above, if you pre mix and blend your meat rubs before you start cooking it just gives you that little bit extra time to sit down and relax while your food is cooking. 

4. Make fresh and freeze sauces

If you make your sauces months in advance they can last up to three months in advance depending on how your deep freezer.  This is a great little hack I use everyday, as the sauces are frozen fresh you just defrost when needed. 

5. Ultimate potatoes

The best trick I have ever learnt is how to make crispy, fluffy roast potatoes that are irresistible. Part boil your potatoes for 4 minutes.  Meanwhile add a good heap of Goose fat to your roasting tin and allow to heat up in the oven. Drain your potatoes and put them back into the pan with the lid on and shake them around.  Add a good sprinkle of plain flour and shake again.  Tip onto the roasting tin and cook for 1hour 40minutes. The slow roasting of the potatoes really gives it that crisp outer and a  soft fluffy inside.

6. Make your dessert ahead of time

If you're like me and think crumble is a staple dessert for a Sunday roast then this little hack could be of use to you.  I always make my crumble the night before and at this time of the year I make my delicious Blackberry, Apple and Cherry crumble which can be found here: fail safe sunday crumble. Just reheat at 190C for 25 minutes when you need a little fix.

7. Easy cheesy cauliflower

A cauliflower cheese is another staple must have on my table.  Use a basic white sauce recipe, soak it onto the cauliflower florets.  Add another layer of cheese (yes this is necessary) and bake on 180C for 1 hour.  Slow cooking it this way really gives it that creamy and moreish desire. 

Using any of these tips will really save you time and definitely make it more enjoyable for you!

Fail Safe Sunday Crumble

Apple, Blackberry and Cherry Crumble

Ingredients

For the filling:

60g Butter

60g Demerara sugar (plus extra to sprinkle)

2 large Bramley apples

20 cherries 

250g blackberries

For the crumble:

100g butter

75g rolled oats

50g caster sugar

200g plain flour

50g barley flakes (You don't have to add this, just gives it another texture)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 170C.
2. Melt the butter and sugar in a pan slowly.  Until it turns a light caramel colour.
3. Core the apples and chop into chunks.
4. Core the cherries and chop into half.
5. Add the apples to the melted butter and sugar and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add the blackberries and cherries.  Cook for a further 1 minute.
7. Put the filling into an ovenproof gratin dish. Allow to cool while making the crumble
8. Put the flour, oats, sugar and butter in a bowl, rub in with your fingers until it combined.  At this stage you can add a sprinkle more of oats.
9. Spoon the crumble mixture over the fruit.  Make sure no fruit is visible as it could make the juices of the fruit overflow. 
10. Sprinkle over some Demerara sugar.
11. Cook for 40-45 minutes... or until the crumble is crisp and you can see the juices of the fruit bubbling over.  

Winter warming Lobscouse

This stew is traditionally made with lamb or beef, which originated from Northern Europe by the sailors. You can easily adapt the recipe to other meat, but personally I prefer chicken.  It is full of nutrients and very heart-warming, therefore perfect for the cold weather, or when your feeling a little bit under the weather.   

Ingredients 

1/2 swede

4 large carrots

1 large onion

3 large sweet potatoes

3 leeks

3 cloves of garlic

2 skinless chicken breast

5 OXO vegetables cubes 

1.5 L of boiling hot water

Salt and pepper to taste

Sprinkle of chilli flakes 

Instructions

1. Peel and chop all the vegetables into bite sized chunks.

2. Chop the chicken breast into large chunks

3. Heat oil in a large pot.

4. Add the chopped onions, leek and garlic, and cook until soft.

5. Add the sweet potato and swede and cook for a further two minutes.

6. Add the carrots, and cook for a minute.

7. Crumble over the stock cubes and add the chicken.

8. Add the water, you may need a little extra, just make sure the vegetables and chicken are covered.

9. Season with a salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of chilli flakes.

10 . bring to the boil, and then set on a low heat for 5 hours. (you can speed up the process by letting it simmer, just make sure the vegetables are soft and the chicken is cooked)

11. Serve with crusty bread and Enjoy!