Tomato soup

The recipe for this came about simply down to the fact that I had tomatoes lying around in the fridge and they were creeping close to their use by date.

I really didnt want them to end up in the bin, knew they wouldnt get used in a salad anytime soon and as I hadn't decided what we were having for lunch I thought soup would be perfect.

With the batch I made up, I had plenty leftt over after the 4 of us had 2 helpings each so the whole batch would easily serve 6-8 people or would be perfect for freezing for another day.


To make my  tomato soup you will need

6-8 large tomatoes
2 medium red onions
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 stock cubes - I used knorr vegetable stock pots
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tsp caster sugar
5/6 garlic cloves
Olive oil

• Preheat your fan to 200c fan
• Roughly chop the tomatoes and red onions. Place onto a baking tray with the garlic cloves, drizzle olive  oil all over the veg
•  Roast for 35-40 minutes until the veg is golden brown and beginning to char all over
• Place the roasted veg in a pan, cover with freshly boiled water,  add in the stock cube, paprika and cayenne pepper, bring to boiling point then lower the heat
• Leave to simmer for about 10 minutes on a low heat, by this time the veg will have started to become very soft and fall apart
• Use  hand blender to blend everything together until completley smooth
• Leave to simmer again on a low heat for a couple of minutes until it is at your desired thickness.
• Check the seasoning and adjust if need be, serve with some buttered Bread rolls
  

Stuffed bell peppers

This is a recipe that i love for its simplicity, versatility of the choice of fillings and the fact that despite a few short cuts using pre cooked rice, it is scrumptious.

I know it's a winner for sure since both my kids say that they love it.

With the fillings you could use tuna, minced beef, lamb, rice, or even tofu for all you vegans out there. For this recipe I decided to use Quorn mince in a smoky passata sauce.


To up the veg content I served it with corn on the cob and just because we absolutely love it, a side of mexican rice since it compliments the flavours of the stuffed pepper really well


For 4 people you will need

4 large bell peppers*
240-250g meat free mince
2 cloves garlic or 1 tsp garlic granules
1 medium onion chopped
1 stock cube ( any flavor)
500ml passata/pasta sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
4 corn cobs
3-4 tbsp cream cheese
Handful grated cheddar cheese
Handful grated mozzerella
Mexican rice packs x 4**

• Preheat your oven to 200c (fan) Mix all the cheeses together to make a thick cheese topping and set aside
•  Give the bell peppers a quick rinse, pat dry and slice the top of the peppers off, keeping the stalk in tact as this will be used as a lid
• Stand the peppers up to make sure they stay balanced. If they're a little wobbly, slice a very little bit off the bottom so that they sit straight. Be careful not to cut too much off that you end up making a hole in the bottom
• Carfeully remove any seeds or pith from the inside. Brush all over with olive oil - inside and out not forgetting the lids 
• Place on a baking tray or dish along with the corn cobs, the 'lids' &  pop straight into the oven for about 15-20 minutes
• Whilst the peppers and cobs are cooking,  make a start on the filling
• In a frying pan, saute the chopped onions in a little olive oil until softened. Add in the garlic and cook until both are begining to lighlty brown.
• Add in the mince, stir through fpr a couple of minutes, add in the paprika and cayenne pepper
• Make up your stock by dissolving the cube in 100ml of water. Pour this straight into the mince, along with the pasta sauce 
• Leave to simmer on a low heat for about 10 minutes until the stock has reduced and the mixture has thickened 
• Take the partially cooked peppers, divide the filling equally between the peppers
• Top each of the peppers with the cheese mixture, turn the cobs over, place the lids on the pepppers, place back in the oven for another 15 minutes or until the peppers and corn begin to char, and the cheese topping has melted and is all golden and bubbly 
• When the peppers have about 5 minutes cooking time, make up the rice follwing the instructions on the packet, plate up and serve

*I went for red since they have the nicest flavour I think when roasted

Roasted red pepper & butternut sqaush soup

I'm quite a newbie to making my own soup, but thanks to a good friend who gave me a few good pointers I think it's safe to say I can add it to my list of things i genuinely love to make from scratch.

Today's offering is a favourite of mine as well as the husband and kids.. We love it with my Simple bloomer loaf

To easily serve 4-6 people you will need:

1 butternut squash peeled and chopped
1 large red bell pepper
2 medium onions roughly chopped
1 veg stock cube
1/2 -1 tsp  cayenne pepper
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic granules
2 tsp onion salt

• Preheat your oven to 200c fan
• Place all the chopped veg onto a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and roast for 25-30 minutes or until the veg just begins to soften and char all over
• Place the roasted veg into a pan, with a drizzle of olive oil, cook for a couple of minutes so the veg softens further.
• Add in all the spices and stock cube, stir together, then pour in enough freshly boiled water to cover the veg and leave to simmer till all the veg begins to mush
• Use a hand blender to blend everything together till it's nice and smooth 
• Leave to simmer on a low heat unti, its at your preffered consistency 

Sweet short crust pastry

I thought I would share the recipe for my go to short crust pastry as it is the easiest of all the pastries there are and it works so well for savoury and sweet dishes.

You can easily elevate the flavours wether you're doing sweet or savoury, for example for my sweet short crust for my recent attempts at mince pies, i added in grated orange zest.

For my go to sweet short crust pastry you will need:

175g plain flour
75g  cold unsalted butter
25g icing sugar*
1 medium egg

• Place the butter and flour into a food processor and blitz together until you get a breadcrumb consistency. Alternatively you can rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips if you don't have a food processor

• Stir in the icing sugar, then whisk the egg and add straight it. Use your hands to bring the mixture into a soft dough. If yiu find it's a little dry, you can add a tsp of water.

• Once the dough forms, flatten it out slightly on a lightly floured work surface, and wrap in cling film. Chill the wrapped dough in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before using as required.

* if you are making savoury short crust, use salted butter, leave out the icing sugar and follow the steps in the same way.

Peri peri chicken stir fry

This is a really quick dish that really requires minimum effort but is full on flavour with the seasoning & seriously filling with the addition of pre preppared stir fry veg & noodles. You can serve this as a main which will on it's own or as a side. My kids love it with prawn crackers & a good drizzle of sweet chilli sauce

For the peri peri seasoning that is listed in the ingredients, i buy mine from my local Asian grocery store, the brand is by a company called east end, as it's got a bit of a kick to it. Alternatively you can use the Nando's version which is readily available in most of the large supermarkets.

To serve 4 -6 people you will need

1 kg chicken breast/ thigh meat cut into strips
250g lemon peri peri seasoning
1 large pack stir fry vegetables
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chilli flakes ( if your your using the nando's seasoning )
1/4 tsp salt
1 250g pack pre cooked egg noodles
Juice 1/2 lemon
1 tsp garlic paste/3 cloves crushed
1 tsp ginger paste/ small fresh peice crushed or finely grated

• In a bowl, start by mixing together the chicken, peri peri seasoning, cayenne pepper, chilli flakes, salt & the lemon juice. If you can, marinate this the night before for maximum flavour, if not, leave to marinate for at least an hour.

• In a large pan heat up a little oil, add in the garlic & ginger and cook on a medium heat until they turn a light golden brown colour.

• Add in the chicken peices and cook on a high heat till the chicken is fully cooked through and begins to slightly break down.

• Add in your stir fry veg, turn up the heat to almost full and stir fry everything together till the vegetables are cooked but have a slight bite to them

• Add in the noodles, stir them through until they are heated all the way through, as the noodles are cooked, heating them should only take a couple of minutes.

• Once the noodles have warmed through, serve immediately

Whole egg omelette

This is a recipe that takes me down memory lane, it's something that my mum would whip up in the school holidays for breakfast or if we had guests staying over this was guaranteed to make an appearance at the table for a hearty filling breakfast. Mum would traditionally serve this with paranthas - crispy buttery chapatis - and steaming cups of chai.


With this omelette as the eggs are left whole, you can leave the yolks runny or fully cooked through to your preference, either way this is definitely a tastebud pleaser. 

For this omelette it's super handy if you've got a frying pan with a lid as in the last step the use of the lid helps to cook the yolks with the help of the steam, if not you can place the pan under the grill until the yolks are cooked to your preference 

To make my whole egg omelette to serve 4 /5 people you will need:

5-7 medium eggs* ( depending on the size of your pan you may be able to fit in more or need less )
1 chopped red onion  
1/4 each of red, yellow and green bell pepper sliced 
A large handful chopped mushrooms
1 green chilli finely chopped 
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika 
Handful fresh chopped coriander 
1 tsp cumin seeds 

• Start by cracking the eggs carefully into a bowl ensuring the yolks stay whole and don't split. Set the bowl aside.

• In a frying pan, add a little olive oil and on a medium heat, add in the onion and cook until the onion begins to soften.

• Add in the mushrooms and continue to cook on a medium heat, when they are almost fully cooked, add in the peppers, along with the chilli, chilli flakes, salt and smoked paprika and continue to cook until the peppers are just soft but not mushy. Spread the vegetables evenly over the base of your pan.

• Slightly lower the heat, then carefully pour the eggs into the pan. The eggs may end up all on one side, carefully tilt the pan to help spread the eggs out. 

• When the whites just begin to cook, sprinkle over the cumin seeds and if your pan has a lid, place the lid on and totally lower the heat ( alternatively place under the grill on the lowest setting ) and leave to cook till the whites are completely cooked and the yolks have set to how you like them. 

• Once cooked, sprinkle over some smoked paprika, garnish with the chopped coriander and drizzle over some of your favourite sauce - I went with sweet chilli and garlic but even good old ketchup or brown sauce will go well 

• Serve with toast and any extras as you wish



* I managed to fit 8 eggs in my pan as it is rather big, if your pan is small, adjust the amounts of the ingredients accordingly 

Mint chocolate brownies

Brownies are something that I dont actually make that often, I'm not really sure why in all honesty as they are actually so easy and you can make up all sorts of flavours from the classic sticky chocolate to out of the box rocky road brownies.

I decided to go with mint chocolate brownies this time around as we are in December which for fellow foodies and bakers means Christmas preps, and I think mint is a classic flavour for this time of year.


For my mint chocolate brownies you will need :

250g unsalted butter
250g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
4 large free range eggs
250g caster sugar
2 heaped tablespoons self raising flour
2 heaped tablespoons cocoa powder
1 bag aero mint bubbles
1 box mint matchmakers

• Start by preheating your oven to 160c (fan), grease and line a 20cm tin.
• Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl over a simmering pan of water. Once melted, set aside to slightly cool.
• Whilst the melted chocolate is cooling, whisk together the eggs and caster sugar in a freestanding mixer or an electric whisk. The eggs should be pale and fluffy and almost double their volume.
• Stir in the cooled melted chocolate, and stir through gently to combine. Sieve over the cocoa powder and self raising flour and carefully stir together until all the flour is mixed in and their are no lumps.
• Pour the mixture into the lined tin and spread out evenly. Take the mint aero bubbles and gently press them into the batter - I used about half the packet. Then take the matchmakers, roughly snap them up and scatter all over the top of the brownie batter- I used almost the whole box
• Bake the brownies in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until crisp on the top and just slightly soft.
• Leave to cool slightly before cutting. Serve warm with Ice cream or cooled completely on their own.

Pan fried Cajun salmon

This is quite simply a quick and easy but unbelievably delicious meal that is perfect for lunch or even dinner.

I made this to serve 4, I bought a large fillet with the skin on and cut it into 4 chunks but you can buy it pre cut into pieces if you prefer. I did a live video of this as when I made it the first time round quite a few friends were asking for a live tutorial on facebook, and have only just got round to posting the recipe a year later after a friend requesting it again. 

You may notice that apart from the portions of salmon per person I have not noted down amounts of the seasoning as at the time of making the recipe I didn't measure anything out. I just ensured the pieces were all coated generously for maximum flavour

so for a serving of 4 portions of Cajun salmon you will need:

4 pieces of salmon with the skin on

Cajun seasoning

salt

pepper

2-3 garlic cloves

a small bunch of fresh thyme

butter

olive oil  

• Start by cutting 3 slits along each piece of fish. Place the pieces onto a large flat plate or even a chopping board. Sprinkle the pieces with a generous amount of the Cajun seasoning and a good pinch of salt. Rub the seasoning all over the skin and flesh side ensuring every piece is well covered
• Into a non stick frying pan, add a little olive oil- just enough to cover the base. Let the oil heat up till it's quite hot, warm oil will result in soggy and oily skin which is the last thing you want with this dish as the crispy skin with the seasoning is what makes the salmon so delicious.
• When the oil is nice and hot, add in the garlic cloves, fresh thyme and knb of butter and stir through the oil. 
• Place 2 pieces into the pan skin down and gently using a fish slice, press the pieces down so they come directly into contact with the pan and are nice and flat. Let them cook skin down for about 5- 8 minutes or until the skin is crisp and golden
• Whist the first 2 pieces are cooking, switch your oven on to it's lowest setting. This is so as your first 2 cook you can transfer them to the oven so they stay warm whilst the final 2 pieces cook. You dont want or need to be baking or further cooking the salmon in the oven
• Once the skin has crisped up on the first 2 pieces and flip them over flesh side down onto the pan. Cook the flesh of the fish on a slightly lower heat as the high heat will cause the flesh to overcook and burn quite quickly. I found the flesh took just a little over 5 minutes. 
• Once the first 2 pieces have cooked, transfer them to the oven so they stay warm and cook the other pieces in the same way. Serve with baby new potatoes and steam veg or however else you wish - we had ours with tender stem broccoli an asparagus cooked in my griddle pan all charred and crispy

Chilli & cumin plait loaf

I think it's safe for me to say now that bread and I are friends and I'm finally getting a bit more confident in experimenting with flavours and ingredients. After making my simple bloomer loaf   I thought I'd be a bit brave and experiment with some Asian flavours added into it and try a plaited version.

With my first attempt I used just white bread flour but thought it could with a bit more depth so i switched half of the white flour for wholemeal. The wholemeal definitely improved the flavour but i think it also along with the addition of the cheese slowed down the proving time - maybe any of you that are more experienced in bread making could shed light on this.

After a couple of attempts to get the amount right with the spices, I finally got a version i was happy with and it went really well with some roasted red pepper soup, and it tasted even better the next day with just a little hummus as a snack

So here is my recipe for my chilli and cumin 3 strand plaited loaf:

250g white bread flour
250g wholemeal bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp dried yeast
3 tbsp olive oil
11/2 tsp red chilli flakes
2 tsp cumin seeds
A good handful of extra mature cheddar cheese
2 tsp black onion seeds
315-320 ml cold water

• Start by adding the flour to a bowl, add the yeast to one side, and the salt opposite to the yeast - this stops them from interacting and activating the yeast before the dough is formed. Add the chilli flakes, grated cheese and the cumin seeds into the bowl
• Pour the oil into the middle of the flour. Slowly add in the water and mix all the ingredients together using your hands - you may not need all the water.
• Keep adding the water until you get a soft and slightly sticky - but not wet dough.
• Lightly oil your work surface - i used 2 tablespoons. Turn out the dough and use both hands to knead the dough till it's smooth. It may take a little longer than the dough for the simple bloomer due to the cheese and cumin seeds.
• Place the dough back into a clean bowl, and cover with lightly oiled cling film, (this helps the dough to stop sticking to the cling film if it touches)
  and leave it to rise till doubled in size - it took almost 2 hours which was possibly due to my kitchen being quite cold at the time and the extra ingredients adding a bit more weight to the dough
• Once the dough has doubled in size, knock the dough back by gently punching the dough to knock the air out.
• Lightly flour your work surface and knead the dough again for a couple of minutes, then divide into 3 equal pieces
• Roll each piece into a sausage shape about 30cm long. Line the 3 together, onto a grease proof lined baking tray, each with about a finger space gap. Gently bring the top of all 3 together and press them together so that they all stick together
• To make the plait, take the right strand and diagonally place it over the middle strand. Then take the left strand and again diagonally place over the middle strand. Repeat with the right strand and again with the left and keep on doing so until you reach the bottom of the strands. Pinch the 3 strands together at the bottom and tuck the end of the plait underneath.
• Brush the top of the plait with a little water and sprinkle the black onion seeds all over the loaf. Leave the loaf to prove again till doubled in size.
• Preheat your oven to 200c, and bake for 25 minutes then lower the temperature to 180c and bake for a final 15 minutes. Once cooked it sound hollow when you tap the base, leave to cool on a wire rack and serve with soup or as desired.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

fruit scones

Scones are probably one of the first things I ever learned to bake and even now i love the simplicity of them and how they still taste delicious everytime.

The recipe i use now has slightly changed from what i used growing up, but definitely this recipe gives me the best tasting and textured scones to date.

These are the classic sultana scones, but you can swap them for glace cherries, rasins or chocolate chips or even leave them plain if you prefer

To make 12-15 scones you will need 

250g strong bread flour
250g plain flour
5 level tsp baking powder
80g unsalted butter
80g caster sugar
250ml milk
2 medium eggs
100g sultanas/choc chips/glace cherries 

• Preheat your oven to 200c (fan) and line 2 baking trays with grease proof paper
• Place your flour, butter, baking powder and sugar in a bowl and rub the mixture together with your fingers till you get a breadcrumb like consistency. Add in your chosen fillings at this point, mix them through
• Add in eggs and half the milk and mix together to combine everything. Add the rest of the milk a little at a time combining the mixture until you get a soft (but not wet) dough. You may not need all the milk
• Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes till you have a smooth dough.
• Roll out your dough to about 2 and a half cm thick and use a 5and a half cm cookie cutter to cut out rounds. Re roll any remaining dough and cut out more rounds.
• Brush the tops with beaten egg and leave to rest for about 5 minutes.
• Bake in the  oven for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and they have risen. 
• Serve toasted with butter or with jam and cream

 
 

sun dried tomato soda bread

Soda bread is a fab bread to start off baking with if you're not confident in bread but want to make a start and build on your skills. It's also great as its so simple to put together, a variety of fillings would compliment it. This bread doesn't require any kneading whatsoever, and you don't have to let it prove at all, it literally takes less than an hour in total.



for my sun dried tomato soda bread you will need:

500g bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda bicarbonate
400ml buttermilk*
3-4 tsp dried italian herbs
4-5 tbsp parmesan/ italian hard cheese
6-8 sundried tomatoes chopped  

• Preheat your oven to 180c, (fan)If you're making your own buttermilk, start by making that first and leave to aside.
• Add all the other ingredients to a bowl, stir together just so that the tomatoes distribute evenly
• Slowly add in the buttermilk using a wooden spoon till everything is just combined
• turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape the dough into a round. Place onto a grease proof lined baking tray. Cut a deep cross in the middle of the round
• Bake for 40 minutes until doubled in size and golden. It should sound hollow when tapped from the bottom.
• Eat/serve as desired.

*I made my own by adding 3 tsp of lemon juice straight into the milk - leave the milk to sit for 10 minutes once you've added the juice for the milk to become buttermilk

Aubergine Guvec

This recipe was a bit of a 'throw together and hope it tastes alright' kind of dish, since i had some aubergines chopped and frozen and didn't want to do a traditional Asian vegetable curry.

So i thought of some Turkish dishes that I've tried in a couple of restaurants and came up with aubergine guvec which is basically roasted aubergines and bell peppers in a harrisa based sauce, with chickpeas for texture and to make it go that little bit further.

This is perfect to eat on its own as a light snack or light lunch or for dinner as we did with rice or cous cous.

For my aubergine guvec to serve 4-5 people you will need

3 large aubergines cut into chunks
2 bell peppers cut into chunks
2 mediuim onions diced
2 tsp garlic paste
2 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
3-4 tbsp harissa paste
1 x tin of chopped tomato
1 x tin chick peas drained
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp smoked paprika
Squeeze lemon juice
Fresh coriander to garnish

• Start by preheating your oven to 180c (fan) and place the aubergine and bell papers on a baking tray and bake until they are cooked and beginning to go crispy and golden. Remove from the oven once cooked and set aside
• Lightly fry off the onions in a little olive oil till soft and they start to go l golden brown. Add in the salt, garlic and ginger paste, stir through till the garlic and ginger paste begin to take on a golden colour and the onions are slightly darker in colour.
• Add in the curry powder, with a splash of water and stir the curry powder through and cook for about 2 - 3 minutes, then add the tomatoes and the harissa paste, smoked paprika and the cayenne pepper. Pour in about 100ml of water and then add the chickpeas straight in.
•Leave the chickpeas to simmer on a low heat for about 10-12 minutes or until they have softened slightly but take care not to let them start to disintegrate.
• Once the chickpeas have softened, add in the aubergines and bell peppers and carefully stir through- I used a metal fish slice as this helped to stop the aubergines and peppers keep their shape and to not turn into a mashed consistency.
• At this point the dish should be quite dry and most of the water should have completely reduced, and is ready to serve. You can leave it dry as it is or add a splash of water to loosen the consistency a little.
• Just before serving, garnish with a squeeze of lemon juice and fresh chopped coriander. Serve with rice, cous cous or pitta bread.

Simple bloomer loaf

You know when you love to bake pretty much anything, but there's always the one thing that you just cant seem to crack ? Well for me it's been bread, to the point of being in tears of frustration at something always going wrong and in the end just keeping well away from it ...


And then came my application for The Great British Bake Off. Having applied for the 3rd time this year, and thinking like i did the previous year,  that i wouldn't hear anything, I didn't even give practicing it as a thought just in case.

But low and behold I got the call to go to the first round of auditions and just as much as i were dreading it, the applicants were required to bake a loaf of bread. To cut a long story short I  have never baked as much bread in those 2 months of the application process than i have in my whole life and thankfully nearly 6 months on i can say that bread and i are friends, and no longer sworn enemies.


So if the thought of baking a loaf fills you with sheer dread (like it did me) give this simple bloomer a go.. It's a small loaf so the dough is easy to work with, and cooks in less than an hour so you're not waiting for what feels like forever for it to cook


To make a simple bloomer loaf you will need:

500g bread flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp dried yeast
3 tbsp olive oil
315-320 ml cold water

• Start by adding the flour to a bowl, add the yeast to one side, and the salt opposite to the yeast - this stops them from interacting and activating the yeast before the dough is formed.
• Pour the oil into the middle of the flour. Slowly add in the water and mix all the ingredients together using your hands. 
• Keep adding the water until you get a soft and slightly sticky - but not wet dough.
• Lightly oil your work surface - i used 2 tablespoons. Turn out the dough and use both hands to knead the dough till it's smooth and shiny.
• Place the dough back into a clean bowl, and cover with lightly oiled cling film, (this helps the dough to stop sticking to the cling film if it touches)
  and leave it to rise till doubled in size - mine took just over an hour and a half  
• Once the dough has doubled in size, knock the dough back by gently punching the dough to knock the air out.
• Lightly flour your work surface and knead the dough again for a couple of minutes, and roll into a chunky baton/ cylinder shape or if you find it easier just into a round, and tuck in the edges neatly.
• Place the shaped dough onto a greaseproof lined baking tray. Cover again with either cling film or a large clean carrier bag and leave again to rise till doubled in size - The second prove took 2 hours for me*
• Once your bloomer has doubled in size, sprinkle the top with water, then a little flour and gently rub all over the top being careful to not knock out the air. Then cut 3-4 diagonal slashes across the top about 1-2 cm deep.
• Preheat your oven to 200c, and place a tray of water at the bottom of your oven, this helps the bread to get a nice crusty top, put the loaf in and bake for 25 mins, then lower the temperature to 180c and bake for a final 15 minutes. Once cooked it sound hollow when you tap the base.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * With the proving of your dough, it may take longer or quicker depending on how cold or warm your environment is. My kitchen is very cool first thing in the morning which is when i normally start my dough for any bread 

Who says Nandos is just for chicken ?!

Sundays go hand in hand with long lie ins, late breakfasts, staying in your pyjama's for as long as possible and most importantly a good old roast dinner. I don't know about you but a sunday without a roast of some form is just criminal.

With that said a roast isn't always possible when you've kids running crazy around the house or are desperately (is it just me ?)  trying to catch up with the mound of laundry and ironing. This is a recipe that really requires hardly and prep at all, and cooks away slowly while you can get on with whatever else needs doing..  Or if your anything like myself .. plonk yourself on the sofa and do as little as possible !!




To serve a family of 4 for you will need :
2- 2 1/2 kg lamb shoulder
2 sachets of Nandos garlic & herb seasoning (medium hot)
100ml olive oil
fresh rosemary sprigs*
2 medium red onions

• Start by preheating your oven at 200c, (fan assisted) then in a small bowl combine the 2 sachets with the olive oil and stir together and put aside.
• Take the lamb shoulder and lightly score all the top and underside. Take the garlic marinade, pour over the shoulder and rub in well with your hands, making sure you get into the scored cuts.
• Take the rosemary sprigs and tuck into a few of the cuts on top and the underside
• Cover the lamb with foil and place in the oven and leave for 2 hours
• After 2 hours, remove the foil from over the lamb**, add in 2 roughly chopped onions. Lower the heat down to 150c and place back in the oven for a further 3 hours
• The lamb now should be golden and fully roasted. Remove from the oven, recover with the foil and leave to rest for at least 10 minutes.
• Serve with your favourite roast veg, my easy peasy yorkies and gravy  … and lashings of gravy 

Potato & Chick pea curry

This is another vegetarian favourite of mine .. quick and simple but packed full of flavour. It's great with rice or naan or even on it's own with a good dollop of natural yogurt. It's also a dish traditionally eaten on Eid for breakfast with Poori's ( fried flatbread)  and halva (semolina based dessert), the combination of spice with warm sweet halva is just amazing

To serve 4-6 people you will need

1 large onion

2 tsp garlic paste or crushed garlic

1 tsp ginger paste or crushed ginger

1 tsp salt

1 green chilli

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

2 tsp curry powder

2 x 400g tin chickpeas - water drained

3 large potatoes

2 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp poppy seeds

fresh coriander to garnish

2-3 tbsp natural yogurt ( optional )

• start by chopping your onion and browning in a heavy based pan in a little oil, add in the ginger garlic & the salt
• On a medium heat, cook the onion with the ginger and garlic till golden brown & completely softened.
• Add in the chillies & curry powder, lower the heat, cook through until the chillies have softened. Remember to stir occasionally & add splashes of water if need be to stop it from catching the bottom of the pan.
• Add in the chopped tomatoes and simmer on a low heat for about 10 minutes till tomatoes have softened. 
• While the tomatoes are simmering, peel & chop the potatoes into quarters. Par boil them in a pan, drain and put to the side.
• When the tomatoes have softened, add in the chickpeas, cook through on a medium heat for about 5-8 minutes and add in the potatoes. Check the seasoning & add more salt if need be to your taste,leave to simmer on a low heat
• While the potatoes & chickpeas are simmering, toast your seeds on a low heat in a frying pan till browned. Remove from the heat as soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop & add into the chickpeas & potatoes and stir through*
• Add enough water just to cover the potatoes & chickpeas and leave to simmer on a medium heat for about 10 minutes. Serve with boiled rice, naan or even poori's   

*if you'd like the consistency to be thicker, simmer for slightly longer or if it's too thick for your liking then add in a little more water