Slow Cooked Lamb Hot Pot

Cooked for 7-8 hours in slow cooker then put into oven proof dish and top with sliced potato and cheese. This amount serves 6.

6-8 Lamb Leg Steaks, cubed with fat remove

4 Carrots, Sliced

2 Sweet Potatoes, Cubed

1 Onion, Chopped

2 Small Leeks, sliced

2 Sticks of Celery, sliced

2 Veggie Oxo made to 2 pints & Gravy Granules

2 Tbsp Red Lentils

Rosemary, Salt & Pepper

4 Medium Potatoes, sliced

Grated Cheese

Thyme

1. Fry Onion and Leeks till transparent

2. Add Celery, Carrots, Potatoes and fry for a few minutes then place in slow cooker

3. Fry Lamb with Rosemary, Salt & Pepper in 2 batches till browned, add to cooker

4. Deglaze pan with stock and add to slow cooker with lentils, mix well

5. Cook on slow for 7-8 hours till vegetables tender, add gravy thickening for last hour

6. Precook sliced potatoes for 15 minutes

7. Place meat in oven proof dish and top with sliced potato, thyme and grated cheese

8. Cook Gas 5/ Fan 160 for 30 minutes till browned 

 

Somerset Apple Tart

 I used ready rolled pastry and put the brandy cream in the bottom, then topped with apples.

About 4-5 large apples

125ml single cream

1          medium free-range egg

35g      caster sugar OR vanilla caster sugar

2 tsp    Somerset apple brandy or brandy OR 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp  sieved apricot jam OR apricot glaze, warmed

Pastry case (bought or ready rolled pastry)

1. While the pastry case cools, peel and quarter the apples. Cut out the cores, then cut the apples into very thin slices. Arrange the apple slices, slightly overlapping, in the cooled pastry case, starting from the edge and working round in neat concentric circles. Make sure the pastry case is completely filled to the top, with no gaps, and the top layer looks pretty.

2. Measure the cream in a jug. Add the egg, sugar and brandy (or vanilla) and mix well until smooth. Slowly pour this mixture evenly over the apples, letting it seep through the layers.

3. Set the flan tin on the heated baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 35 minutes until the custard is just set when you jiggle the tart and the apples are a golden colour. Set the tin on a wire rack and quickly brush the top of the tart with apricot jam or glaze to give a glossy sheen. Carefully unmould the tart and leave to cool. Eat warm or at room temperature.

Pear and Blackberry Frangipane Tart

Second time I made with double the frangipane and 2 cooking apples instead of the pear. 

Very nice warm with clotted cream

1 Pastry Case

3 tbsp raspberry jam

1 soft pear, sliced

100g blackberries (or a couple of handfuls)

55g butter
55g caster sugar
40g ground almonds
1 large egg
15g plain flour

1. Heat the oven to 180C/170C fan oven
2. Spread the raspberry jam on the base of the pastry
3. Using an electric mixer or a wooden spoon, beat together the frangipane ingredients
4. Add sliced pear and sprinkle over the blackberries, push them down into the frangipane mix.
5. Bake at 170C for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden brown

Corned Beef Tart

I added a sliced hard boiled egg as a "surprise" and omitted the carrot & celery. Lovely with Baked Beans and Daddies sauce.

Shortcrust pastry

beaten egg, to finish

For the filling

• 1 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 1 large potato, peeled and cut into chunks
• 6oz tin corned beef, broken into large chunks
• splash Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• salt and white pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook gently for 5–10 minutes, or until soft but not coloured.

2. Boil the potato for 20 minutes and mash slightly. 

3. Stir in the corned beef and vegetables, salt, pepper and sauce.

4. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and have ready a 23cm/9in metal pie plate.

5. Divide the pastry into two pieces. Use to line the pie plate and to form the lid.

6. Spoon the filling into the pastry-lined dish. Brush the edges of the pastry on the plate with a little beaten egg, then cover the pie with the pastry lid.

7. Crimp the edges together with a fork, or your fingers, then trim away the excess pastry neatly. Brush with beaten egg and make a couple of holes in the top to let the steam out. Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden brown.

Homemade Tomato Soup 2

I made the soup and then added some cooked vegetables. Made a main meal for 2 with some fresh baked rolls. (Starter for 4)

Ingredients

2 tbsp              Butter                                                  

1                      Carrot (chopped)                                            

1                      Stick Celery (chopped)

1                      Onion (chopped)                                            

1 lb                  Ripe Tomatoes (chopped)                           

1 pint               Vegetable stock (2 stock cubes)

1/4 pint            Milk

Pinch Basil                                                                          

Salt & Pepper                                                                   

 

Method

1.            Heat the butter and cook vegetables (except tomatoes) for 10 mins.

2.            Add Stock, Tomatoes and herbs

3.            Bring to the boil and simmer 30 mins.

4.            Add Milk when taken off the heat

5.            Puree in batches

Strawberry Pound Cake

 

Makes 8 slices

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (2 oz) unsalted butter melted
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granular erythritol
• 2 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp Greek Yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 100 grams superfine almond flour
• 20 grams coconut flour
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder 
• 4-5 small strawberries

Instructions

1.            Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a small loaf pan with parchment paper.

2.            In a large bowl, add butter and erythritol. Whisk until evenly combined. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition.

3.            Add in vanilla. Whisk until evenly combined.

4.            Add in almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder. Whisk until evenly mixed. Your batter should be thick.

5.            Stir in chopped strawberries until just mixed and evenly spread out into the batter.

6.            Pour batter into prepared pan.

7.            Bake cake in the middle of your oven for about 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cake cool before drizzling with icing.

serving: 1slice, calories: 200kcal, 2 net carbs

Cullen Skink

 This is my version of the Scottish classic. Serves 2

25g butter

1/2 medium onion

2 potatoes

1 Corn on the Cob (cooked and shredded)

280g smoked haddock (2 fillets)

300ml whole milk (about 1 and 1/4 cups)

300ml boiling water (about 1 and 1/4 cups)

Optional - Fish stock cube*

Optional - Parsley to garnish*

Optional - 2 tablespoons double cream*

 

1.    Put the milk and smoked haddock skin-up (if there is any) into one pan and allow to sit. The milk should cover the whole fish. Don’t turn the heat on yet.

2.    Finely chop the onion and peel and cube the potatoes.

3.    Add the butter and onion to a pan and fry for around 5 minutes until the onion is soft.

4.    Add the potatoes for a minute before pouring in 300ml of boiling water. Cover and allow to simmer for 10 minutes or so until the potatoes are cooked through. Add the corn and simmer for another 5 minutes.

5.    Meanwhile, heat the milk and haddock gradually. It should take about 5 minutes or so for the milk to heat up and then cook the fish for a further 5 minutes.

6.    Remove the fish from the milk with a slotted spoon and keep the milk to one side.

7.    Allow the fish to cool slightly and any skin or bones and discard them.

8.    Add the milk to the pan of potatoes and onions and stir for a few minutes to combine.

9.  Use a fork to separate the smoked haddock into large chunks then add to the pan and stir gently through. Salt and pepper to taste.

10. Add parsley or cream if you choose to.

Carbs 22 / Calories 286