Stroganoff Pie

 This was really tender as I cooked in the slow cooker for 8 hours on slow, I did omit the mustard.

500g Casserole Beef

2 tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 brown onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 cup beef style liquid stock

100g cup mushrooms, thickly sliced

1/3 cup cream

Fresh chives, chopped, to serve

Mash topping

 

Step 1

Place beef in a large bowl. Add flour. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

Step 2

Heat the oil in a 10-cup-capacity, heavy-based flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Cook beef until browned all over. Transfer to a slow cooker.

Step 3

Add onion to dish. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and paprika. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste, mustard and stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil then add to slow cooker for 4-5 hours on HIGH. Add mushrooms and cook for another hour or until beef is very tender. Stir in cream.

Step 4

Meanwhile make Mash Topping: Place potato in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Boil for 12 to 15 minutes or until potato is very tender. Drain well. Return potato to pan. Add butter and cream. Mash until smooth and combined.

Step 5

Place beef from slow cooker in oven proof dish. Dollop beef mixture with mash topping. Spread to cover filling. Bake for 25 minutes or until top is golden. Sprinkle with chives.

448 Calories

Orange Cake

 Had 1 orange left from doing Salmon.

• 125g butter, softened     
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour sifted
• 1 tbs orange zest, finely grated

• 1/3 cup butter softened
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar sifted
• 2 tbs orange juice *to taste
• 1/2 tsp orange zest, finely grated

 

Combine all cake ingredients and beat thoroughly for 3 minutes.

Pour mixture into a greased 20cm x 10cm loaf or 20cm ring tin.

Bake in the centre of a 180C / Gas 5 oven for 30-40 minutes.

Turn onto a wire rack and allow to cool.

Mix orange icing ingredients together in a bowl, then ice cake.

 

Orange Crumb Salmon

 Very tasty and easy

3 slices medium bread blitzed to crumbs

Zest and juice of 1 Orange

4 Tbsp Chopped parsley

1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil

4 Salmon Steaks

Mix the 4 ingredients to a paste

Place salmon steaks skin side down in a baking dish

Spread paste on top

Cook Gas 5 / Fan 160 for 20 minutes in a warm oven

Chicken Casserole

 Quick and easy to do from Mary Berry. I did in slow cooker for 5 hours.

8 chicken thighs or use chicken tenders

salt and pepper to season

1 tsp sunflower oil

8 strips smoked streaky bacon diced

1 large onion finely diced

½ tsp minced garlic

200 g (7 oz) mushrooms sliced

 

½ tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dried thyme or mixed herbs

2 bay leaves

120 ml (½ cup) dry white wine

120 ml (½ cup) hot chicken stock from a stock cube

250 g (1 cup) full fat creme fraiche or sour cream

1 tsp xanthan gum or 2 tsp cornflour diluted in a little cold water

 

1.                 Season the chicken thighs with a few turns of the salt and pepper mill. Heat the oil in a skillet until simmering then brown the chicken over high heat, turning once. Set aside and drain any oil from the pan.

2.                 Pan fry the bacon over medium heat until it starts to render its fat.

3.                 Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, for five minutes until the onions soften and bacon starts getting crispy at the edges.

4.                 Add the mushrooms, salt, pepper and dried herbs and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are browned.

5.                 Stir in the white wine, chicken stock and bay leaves. Add the chicken thighs. Bring to a low simmer, cover and cook in the oven for 20 minutes. Take the lid off and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes.

6.                 Stir in the creme fraiche and sprinkle with xanthan gum (or stir in a little diluted cornflour) if the sauce needs thickening. Simmer for a minute or so.

Runner Bean Soup

 Uses up a glut of runner beans and is nice and tasty with lots of pepper.

1 tbsp butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

500g runner beans, chopped very small

1 carrot

2 ribs celery

1 litre well flavoured chicken or veg stock

 

Top and tail the beans and remove the stringy sides – not necessary if they’re slim and tender. Chop into one-inch long pieces. Finely chop the onion. Finely chop the carrot.

Heat the butter in a pan and add the vegetables. Toss and cook until they begin to soften and the carrot is translucent, stirring constantly.

Add the stock, cover the pan and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

 Whizz in a blender, or use a handheld, and season to taste.

Seafood Chowder with Winter Root Vegetables

When I do this again I think I will omit the crab and just us cod. The Old Bay seasoning made it very tasty with a kick.

·         2oz shrimp

·         1 cod fillet

·         1 8oz can crab

·         1/2 small carrot chopped

·         2 ribs celery chopped

·         1/2 onion chopped

·         garlic granules

·         4 florets cauliflower (frozen works too)

·         1 tsp old bay seasoning

·         ½ pint Veg or Fish Stock

·         2 Tbsp Cream

  Serves 2

In a large stock pot, melt some butter on medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery, cauliflower, and carrot. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add the stock and old bay and cook another 10 minutes till vegetables tender.

Turn heat down so that broth bubbles very gently, and add the cod. Cook until cod is flaking apart and cooked through, 10 - 15 minutes. Add the crab and cream, and cook until heated through. Taste again and add additional salt and/or pepper.

At this point, add the shrimp and warm through. 

Marsala Mushrooms with Herby Toast

 

This is a quick and lovely starter 

serves 4

4 oz butter

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

4 slices ham chopped

8 Tbs marsala wine

4 tbsp cream

garlic granules

salt and pepper

4 slices bread, buttered both sides and sprinkled with mixed herbs baked in oven (Gas 5 / Fan 160 ) on foil tray turn once - takes about 8-10 minutes

heat butter in a saute pan over medium heat.

add garlic and saute for a few minutes.

add mushrooms and saute until tender, about 5-8 minutes.

add ham and stir.

add marsala and let simmer for another 3 minutes.

add cream, salt and pepper to taste.

serve with herby toast