Recipe: Chilli con Carne with Creamy crushed new potatoes

This is one of my favourite chilli recipes, as well as one of my favourite potato dishes too! Sounds really weird to mash up new potatoes with yoghurt, but trust me, it is absolutely delicious. Must be much healthier than the normal buttery mashed potato I make too! Bit of a lazy chilli recipe i suppose, what with using pre-made sauces/ tins for things, but you end up with such a nice flavour at the end of it, without having to use a whole cupboard full of expensive spices. I crumbled up burgers for this recipe, simply because they were good quality burgers from the Co-op that were reduced in price substantially, so thought i'd give it a go- works a treat in a chilli it turns out!!

Chilli con carne with creamy crushed new potatoes (serves 4)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small red onion, diced
4 beef burgers (weighing around 450g in total), crumbled
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
Large handful fresh coriander, chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ red pepper
½ yellow pepper
300g tomato and chilli pasta sauce
1 tin kidney beans in chilli sauce
500ml chicken stock
2 cubes chocolate
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt, sugar and pepper to taste

750g sliced new potatoes

300g Greek yoghurt
15g chopped chives (plus a little extra for garnish)
Plenty of salt and pepper to taste

1. Fry the onion, beef, garlic, chilli, coriander and tomato puree for 10 minutes, or until the beef has been browned. Add the peppers and smoked paprika and fry for a further 2 minutes.

2. Add all the other ingredients, and cook on a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the sliced new potatoes for about 25 minutes, or until soft but not falling apart.
3. Drain the new potatoes, mash together with the Greek yoghurt and chives, and season well. Season the chilli to taste, and serve this with the crushed new potatoes, with some extra chopped chives garnished on top.

Recipe: Greek Roast Beef with Spicy Courgettes and Potatoes, and a Dijon Mustard Yoghurt

Feels like it's been ages since i've posted up a recipe isn't it? Since my last recipe post, I have gone to Penzance, gone to Glastonbury, moved house, won a competition and got a new job! In fact, this recipe is the first one i've posted from my new home- I love my new flat with my new furniture in it and my lovely boyfriend! Yay. As you guys know, i won a month's supply of Total Greek Yoghurt, and so i'm finding out creative ways of using this surplus of yummy dairy products! This is a really interesting dish- it's like a sunday roast beef dinner- Greek style! I really like this Greco-Anglo Fusion dish, and the flavours work so beautifully together. Za'atar is a middle eastern herb/spice blend (and my lovely friend Emily brought me a jar of it back from Israel!) , but if you can't find it anywhere, use a mix of oregano and cumin instead.

Greek Roast Beef with Spicy Courgettes and Potatoes, and a Dijon Mustard Yoghurt (serves 2)

Beef
1 Scotch beef joint for two (from Co-Op)
500ml lager
1 tsp za’atar
Pinch salt and pepper

Courgettes + Potatoes
50g wild garlic butter (or use 50g normal butter + 2 garlic cloves)
1 red chilli, finely chopped
2 courgettes, halved and sliced
4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp za’atar
1 rounded tbsp tomato puree
500ml beef stock
Salt, pepper and sugar to taste

Mustard Yoghurt

200g Greek Yoghurt
25g Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 200C (Fan Oven 180C). Rub the beef joint with the za’atar and a little seasoning. Put into a roasting dish with the beer, and put into the oven for 40 minutes (for medium well). Take out half-way through cooking time and baste with juices.

2. Meanwhile, fry the chilli, courgettes, potato, sesame seeds and za’atar in the garlic butter on a high heat for 6 minutes, stirring often. Add tomato paste and cook for a further two minutes.

3. Add the beef stock, and cook for a further 20 minutes on a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fully cooked and the sauce is thickened.

4. Remove the beef from the oven, and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving (if there are any extra juices left in the pan, pour it into the courgette mixture). Mix together the yoghurt with the Dijon mustard, and season to taste.

5. Carve the beef, and serve with the courgettes and potatoes, and a pot of the mustard yoghurt on the side.

Recipe: Miso Roast Beef, with Garlicky New Potatoes, and an Onion Gravy

A proper nice roast beef dinner!! Nomnomnom! It sounds very unusual to incorporate miso paste into a traditionally english meal- and to be honest I wasn't sure it was going to work- BUT MY GOD YES IT DOES!!! It gives the beef the most scrumtiously savoury flavour, and the smell of it cooking whilst it's in the oven is divine!! I reccomend to cook the beef for 50 minutes for medium. I overcooked this a little when I first made it actually, because the packet told me 1 hour 30 for rare, Delia reccomended 1 hour 10 minutes (for rare) but after 1 hour, it was medium/well! I guess trusting your own judgement with these sort of things is best! I would say this serves 3, but it depends how large your roast dinner portions get! I myself am a roast supersizeser, I practically use those large Toby Carvery plates and always go up for seconds, haha!!

Roast beef, with the perfect gravy, and garlic roasted new potatoes (serves 3)

Beef
1.1kg silverside beef joint
1 tbsp white miso paste
2 celery sticks, diced
½ white onion, diced
1 pint water
1 bay leaf
Pinch Garlic salt
Salt and pepper
1 tsp duck fat
1 pint water

Potatoes

300g small new potatoes, halved
3 tbsp duck fat
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp garlic salt
Black pepper

Gravy

1 tbsp wild garlic butter (or just use 1 tbsp butter + 1 garlic clove)
½ white onion, sliced
Pinch sugar
2 tbsp plain flour.
100ml white wine
Liquid from the beef
300-600ml beef stock
Pinch herbs du Provence
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Put the onions, celery, bay leaf and water In a roasting dish. Smother the beef all over with the miso. Put the beef on top of the vegetables, season with garlic, salt and pepper, and put in the oven for 50 minutes, basting half way through.

2. Meanwhile, boil the new potatoes for 5 minutes. Drain, allow to cool a little, and mix with the liquid duck fat, rosemary, garlic and pepper. Put on a roasting tray in the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes, until crisp.

3. Remove the beef from the oven, and from the roasting tray, and put covered on a plate for 5-10 minutes, to rest. Drain (and keep) the liquid from the beef roasting dish. Discard the celery/onion.

4. In a saucepan, cook the onions and sugar in the butter until it is caramelised. Stir in the flour, add the wine, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the beef liquid, stock, and herbs, and cook on a high heat until thickened (use more flour, mixed with water, to thicken it further if necessary).

5. Carve the beef, and serve with the hot roasted potatoes, gravy, and whichever veg desired.  

Recipe: BBQ Beef Chilli Dawgs!

Love these!!! When American food is done properly, it is just the best! High in fat, not generally very good for you, but the perfect kinda food to fill you up, or line your stomach ready for a big night out on the town! I'd love to have my own american themed restaurant or something- call it "Mel's Diner" and it would have all sorts of yummy dishes like home made burgers, decent juicy steaks, meatloaf, malt shakes and Cherry pies and things- so retro and cool! I tend to eat two, but if you are particularly hungry/greedy go ahead and have three. Use whichever sausages are your favourite, I like to use Linda McCartney veggie sausages for this recipe personally.

BBQ Beef Chilli Cheese “Dawgs”! (serves 4)

50g wild garlic butter (or 50g butter + 2 cloves garlic)
2 banana shallots, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced finely
2 celery sticks, diced finely
4 rashers smoked bacon, diced finely
2 tsp dried rosemary
500g beef mince, preferably organic
500g passata

2 tbsp sundried tomato paste or pesto

2 rounded tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp barbeque sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Few drops toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp dark brown or Demerara sugar
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 vegetable stock cube
Salt and pepper to taste

8 sausages, cooked.

8 white floury rolls.
120g grated cheddar

1. Fry the shallots, carrot, celery, bacon and rosemary in the butter for 5 minutes.  Brown the mince for a further 10 minutes.

2. Add all the other ingredients and cook on a low heat for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste. Put the sausages in the rolls, and top with the chilli, and grated cheese.

Recipe: Mel's Perfect Chilli con Carne, with Tomato Salsa

This is my perfected, utterly delicious, beef chilli recipe. Perfect with rice, with cheesy mash, in soft tortilla wraps, or just in a gurt big bowl on it's own!! Spiciness can be adjusted to personal taste, through keeping the seeds in the chillies or adding more. I rarely deliberately promote the use of organic meats, as I know many, like me, are on a budget, and we can't always afford organic products. Always stick to free-range though, no batteries for me! It's just, for me, with this perfected chilli recipe, organic beef mince does make a difference in the flavour I think.

Mel’s Perfect Chilli con Carne, with fresh tomato salsa (serves 4/5)

Chilli

2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 large handfuls fresh coriander, chopped
2 rashers smoked bacon, diced.
1 red chilli, seeded and diced
1 green chilli, seeded and diced
500g organic beef mince
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 tsp mixed herbs
2 tsp cumin
700ml vegetable stock
1 tbsp Worchester sauce
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 yellow pepper, seeded and diced
150g mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 tin borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
50g galaxy milk chocolate
Salt, pepper and sugar to taste

Salsa

4 large ripe tomatoes, diced
½ red onion, finely chopped
Large handful fresh coriander, chopped
Juice of half a lime
½ tsp soy sauce
Salt and pepper

1. Fry the red onion, coriander, garlic, chilli and bacon in the olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook for a further 10 minutes on a high heat, browning the mince. Add the tomato paste and stir in for a couple of minutes. 

2. Add all of the other ingredients, and cook on a low heat for 1 hour. Meanwhile, mix together all the salsa ingredients together and set aside. Season the chilli to taste, and serve, with basmati rice and topped with the salsa.

Recipe: Classic French Onion Soup

A good French onion soup is one of the nicest dishes in existence! I've tried to make it as traditionally as possible, but if you wanted to up the anti go to your butchers and buy a marrow bone. A french onion soup should be beautifully sweet, savoury, wine-y and meaty! This sublime meatiness is often accomplished by chucking a marrow bone into the soup whilst it is boiling, the marrow within enriching and thickening the soup. I didnt have one to hand, and I served the soup with my friend's homemade focaccia instead of the classic toasted gruyere on french bread, but this was a marvellous soup- and I reccomend you give it a go!

Classic French Onion Soup (serves 2_

50g butter (or any animal fat/ beef dripping/lard)

1 large white onion, sliced
2 red onions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tsp sugar
Pinch herbs du Provence
100ml white wine
60g meat juices (or leftover gravy etc.)
1 litre beef stock
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Fry the onions, garlic, sugar and herbs in a saucepan for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the white wine and cook for a further 10 minutes.

2. Add all the other ingredients, and cook on a medium heart for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Season to taste, and serve.

Recipe: Perfect Chilli

Everyone has their preferred "perfect" chilli recipe, and this one is mine! Sometimes I alternate it a bit, depending on what i have in the fridge, I might also chuck a rasher of bacon in there, some mushrooms, or have a mix of different coloured peppers- but the spices and herbs I use in the chilli is really what gives it it's lovely flavour. A lot of people put a bit of dark chocolate into their chillis, but I started putting hot chocolate drinking powder in it, as I don't really like or eat chocolate much- but always have hot chocolate drinking powder in the house. Sounds like an odd ingredient but it sweetens as well as thickens the chilli. If making this in a larger batch for a crowd or a party, I find it's nice to serve it with rice, tortilla wraps, nachos, sour cream, salsa and guacemole on the side for people to grab a spoonfull of chilli and garnish with whatever they fancy.

Perfect Chilli (serves 4)

2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 green chilli, finely chopped
Big handful fresh coriander, freshly chopped (plus extra for garnish)
500g lean steak mince
1 tsp tomato puree
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp paprika
100g tinned chopped tomatoes
400ml beef stock
1 tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 tbsp chocolate drinking powder
Salt, sugar and pepper to taste

1. Fry the onions, garlic, chilli and coriander in the olive oil on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Increase the temperature and fry the mince for about 5 minutes, or until beginning to brown.
2. Add the tomato puree and spices, and cook in for a couple more minutes. Add all the other ingredients and cook on a slow heat, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
3. Season to taste and serve, with extra fresh coriander on top.

Competition: Morphy Richards Healthy Recipe competition

Hey guys. Morphy Richards is doing another fab recipe competition, to win an Intellisteam Compact! Their theme is healthy recipes or "recipes with a healthy twist". If you fancy giving it a go yourselves, you have until the 22nd February to go in for it by posting a healthy recipe on your blogs (along with the pic and link of course!). Check it out here:

My recipe with a healthy twist is my "Healthy Beef Stir Fry"- we all know how many calories and how much fat can be in our cheeky saturday night chinese takeaways, so how about making something with just as much flavour- that's a fair bit more kinder to our waistlines! This recipe uses lean beef and plenty of veggies, and keeps flavours high but calories low using ginger, fresh coriander, and a sticky soy based sauce. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Healthy Beef Stir Fry (serves 2)

2 tbsp oil
½ white onion, sliced
2 spring onions, sliced
1 red chilli, seeded and finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp minced fresh ginger
300g sliced beef steak (rump is fine)
½ red pepper, sliced
100g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and finely sliced
1 celery stick, sliced
80g asparagus, diced
Handful chopped fresh coriander (plus extra for garnish)
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp normal soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
½ tsp toasted sesame oil
Pinch of white pepper
1 tsp corn flour, mixed with 100ml water
Salt, sugar and pepper to taste

1. Stir fry the onion, spring onion, garlic, chilli and ginger for 2 minutes. Add the beef and cook for a further 2 minutes.
2. Add the vegetables and coriander, and fry for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together the soy sauces, honey, sesame oil and pepper. Add this sauce, and the corn flour mixture to the pan/wok and cook for a further 3 minutes.
3. Season to taste, garnish with a load more fresh coriander, and serve!

Recipe: Italian Meatballs with Cirio Sauce

Hey guys. So I won a lovely little prize draw, from My favourite recipes (who i still write for) and Cirio- an Italian food company. I got sent a lovely tomato hamper- with these sorts of products in it: tinned tomatoes, tomato sauces, pizza sauces, tomato puree, and a few other bits and bobs.

Both me and the boyfriend have been lucky lately actually- Nicky won a hamper too! He won a hamper from New covent garden- a lovely fruit, veg and nut collection just in time for Christmas! These meatballs are scrummy- my tip for the perfect meatballs, is whiever "flavour" you make them with herbs and spices (e.g. spanish, spicy, scandinavian etc.) use half pork and half beef mince. The fat in the pork keeps the meatballs moist, and the beef gives them rich flavour. If you can't get cirio tomato, garlic and herb sauce- just use your favourite pasta sauce.

Italian Meatballs with Cirio Sauce (serves 4)

250g pork mince
250g lean beef mince
1 very finely chopped red onion
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Handful fresh basil, chopped
1 egg
50g breadcrumbs
½ tsp dried mixed herbs
¼ tsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper (plenty of!)

4 tbsp olive oil
1 jar Cirio garlic and herb tomato sauce
400g spaghetti

1. Mix together all the meatball ingredients, shape into medium sized meatballs (makes about 30) and put on a plate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 200C. Put a pan of salted water onto the boil for the spaghetti. In a large frying pan (you will probably have to do this in batches) fry the meatballs on a high heat, stirring often, for 8 minutes. Put the meatballs in a baking dish and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
3.Heat up the tomato sauce, drain the pasta, and serve the meatballs and sauce over the cooked spaghetti with whichever garnishes you might fancy (grated parmesan/cheese, freshly chopped herbs, extra virgin olive oil, cracked black pepper, etc.).

Recipe: Beef and Winter Vegetable Casserole

This is actually my boyfriend's recipe, and he cooked me this lovely dinner, but I thought I would have to put it on here because he does rather make some of the best comfort food in the world (although in our house we do actually compete for who makes the best!). I kinda feel like it doesn't matter even if I go out in my warmest clothes and winter coat and gloves and all that, I still come home feeling cold, and wanting a big bowl of some lovely hot food. Theres something about the need of stews and casseroles in the autumn/winter to make you feel much warmer on the inside, much more than other foods.

Beef and Winter Vegetable Casserole (serves 4)

1 tbsp olive oil
Knob of butter
500g casserole steak, cut into bite sized pieces
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
2 sticks celery, sliced
3 medium sized potatoes, peeled and diced
¼ a swede, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 parsnip, peeled and diced
½ tsp dried mixed herbs
400ml beef stock
1 tsp Bovril
150ml red wine
1 Bay leaf
Dash Worcester sauce
Dash chilli sauce (such as Tabasco or Cholula’s)
½ tsp corn flour, mixed with water.
Salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Brown the beef in the oil in a medium-large casserole dish, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add butter to the pan then sweat off onion and garlic, adding celery, carrot, swede and potato, stirring around occasionally for about 10 minutes.
2. Return the beef to the pot add the herbs, seasoning, wine, stock and bay leaf and cover with lid. Cook in the oven for about 2 and 1/2 hours- 3 hours, giving it a stir halfway through cooking. At the end thicken on the stove with a little corn flour mixed with water, finish with a dash of the sauces, and season to taste.

Recipe: Student's Basic Spag Bol

All of a sudden it seems, my little baby brother is going off the University!! Can't believe it really, he's such a numpty bless him! Me and my family werent sure whether he was going to get into Uni because his BTEC grades were a bit rubbish, but he's been accepted on a foundation degree (4 years, eep!) and is moving out on monday! This is the first time my brother actually wanted to learn a few cooking basics actually, because as we were growing up as kids I loved food and tried getting my brother into it, but he never showed any interest. Mum's taught him to cook rice and pasta, and some egg dishes (omelette and scrambled eggs and all that) and yesterday i went over and taught him how to cook spaghetti bolognese and chilli con carne. I think those are just great basic student go-to's, and mince is so cheap as well. This is the most simple, basic recipe I could teach him (as he has no cooking experience atall) with the most basic ingredients- and i honestly believe even the most kitchen-shy student could pull this one off. The mince can also be frozen in seperate portions if the student has a freezer (not completely sure whether my bro has one or not?)

Student’s Basic Bolognese (serves 4)

2 tbsp olive oil
1 white or red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped (or a tsp of pureed garlic)
500g minced beef
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 tin chopped tomatoes
400ml beef stock (made with two beef Oxo cubes)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Sugar salt and pepper to taste
Optional: Grated parmesan on top

1. Fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil, covered, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes- or until the onions are soft and beginning to brown.
2. Add the minced beef, a little salt and pepper, and mixed herbs, and cook on a high temperature for 10 minutes, stirring often, until well browned.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes, stock and Worcestershire sauce, and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Season to taste and serve!

*When cooking the pasta, it’s about 125g dried pasta per person

Recipe: Pulled BBQ Beef, Leerdammer and Jalapeno Toasties

This is a recipe I created for Bel, and for the British Sandwich association. It's really scrumptious and is a great thing to have as a quick dinner or lunch. Also, it serves 8 (as i was kind of developing a recipe that caterers would use), but it can be a great crowd pleaser at home- bringing it to the table at a barbeque or party is great because people can just pick up a slice of one and nom it all down very easily! I have used Leerdammer Mature here, as that is what i was provided with, but feel free to use normal or low fat leerdammer instead if you wish.

Pulled BBQ Beef, Leerdammer and Jalapeno Toasties (makes 8 toasted sandwiches)

The slow cooked BBQ beef
8.8kg brisket joint of beef
300ml orange juice
500ml water
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper
6 crushed cloves garlic
(this should end up making 500g beef)
340g BBQ Sauce

(Makes enough beef for 8 toasties)

Per Toastie
105g pulled BBQ beef
15g green or red sliced pickled jalapenos
2 slices Leerdamer Mature
2 slices thick white bread

1. Preheat the oven to 220C. Put all the Beef ingredients (except the BBQ sauce) in a large deep baking tray, wrap in tin foil tightly twice (so no steam can escape) and cook in the oven for 3 hours.
2. Remove from the oven, and remove the pieces of beef from the other ingredients, into a mixing bowl. The liquid can be discarded, or can be used to flavour soups, stews, casseroles or chillis.
3. Shred the cooked beef and mix with the bbq beef until well combined. Allow to cool.
4. Assemble the toasties, and put in a toastie machine for 5 minutes, or until the bread has become golden brown and the cheese has melted. Cut on the diagonal, and serve- on its own, or with salad, coleslaw, fries or wedges.

*The bbq beef, once cooled, can be kept in the fridge for three days.

Recipe: Beef Goulash Soup

This is a delicious traditional hungarian dish, that i've been making a lot at the moment because it's so cold in my new flat! BrrrrRRrrRR! In hungary, and in a lot of other cold countries (saw it in restaurants in Iceland and when i was in Prague) they serve goulash soup as a starter (rather than the traditional thicker goulash casserole served with potato dumplings, which is served as a main course). It is rather filling though! Traditionally you would use pork in this dish, but i used beef because that's just what I happened to have in the fridge. Only thing missing from this dish is parsley on top- forgot to get any from the shops- D'oh!

Beef Goulash Soup (serves 2)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 carrots, peeled and diced
250g casserole or stewing steak, finely diced
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp caraway seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1.5 litres beef stock
1 bay leaf
1 yellow pepper, seeded and diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

1. In a large pan, fry the onions, garlic and carrots in the oil and butter for 5 minutes. Add the beef and paprika, and cook for a further 5 minutes.
2. Add all other ingredients except the diced pepper and parsley, and cook on a medium high heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
3. 15 minutes before the end of cooking time, add the peppers. Remove the bay leaf, season to taste and serve topped with some chopped fresh parsley!

Recipe: Spiced Beef Casserole

I kinda lost the recipe for this, but then found my print-out behind the sofa and thought GAWWWD I havent made this for ages and it's soooo lush!! I guess with the cinnamon and the cocoa powder it has a slightly north african flavour to it, but i guess it isn't a specific sort of "named dish", it just happens to be tender and delicious! Perfect served with mash and buttered purple sprouting broccoli.

Spiced Beef Casserole (serves 2)

2 tbsp olive oil
500g stewing steak
1 tbsp olive oil
2 red onions, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp mild chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp white pepper
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cocoa powder
½ tsp smoked paprika
250g passata
600ml beef stock
1 fresh or 2 dried bay leaves

1. On a high heat brown the beef off in a couple of batches, seasoned well. This should take about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon remove the browned beef from the saucepan and set aside in a casserole dish.
2. Add another tbsp of olive oil to the pan, and add the onion and garlic. Fry covered for 5 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent. Heat the oven to 180C.
3. Add all the spices to the pan, and stir in well. Add passata and stir until well combined. Add the beef stock and reduce down for 10 minutes.
4. Add the reserved beef, add bay leaves, and cover. Put in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes, removing and stirring every 30 minutes.

Recipe: Heinz Beef and Lentil Ragu

This is a recipe I wrote for an Allrecipes.co.uk competition, (fingers crossed for winning it, lol). If any of you guys want to have a go at this competition yourself, follow this link: http://allrecipes.co.uk/heinz-midweek-meals.aspx?ft=2 , sign up to allrecipes (if your'e not a member allready, don't worry, its not fussy atall and it's completely free) and send in your recipe!



I think it's rather an American thing I suppose to use tins of ready made soups in dishes- I have seen a lot of recipes on Allrecipes.com that have three ingredients basically, recipes like: "Cook pork chops, tinned mushroom soup, tinned chicken soup in a slowcooker for 1 hour. serve" Nothing wrong with it I suppose but I tend to cook with a few more fresh ingredients. However, this quick and simple ragu is delicious, doesn't take too long to make, and it's quite versatile- serve it with mash, pasta, bread, rice, or simply by itself! You can of course, use less garlic if you want- I just love to use a lot of garlic, particularly in beef dishes.



Heinz Beef and Lentil Ragu (serves 2)



2 tbsp olive oil

1 white onion, finely diced

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

500g lean beef mince

2 tsp Italian herbs (a mix of oregano, marjoram and basil)

1 tin Heinz lentil soup

300ml beef stock

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste



1. Fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a large saucepan, for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the minced beef, increase the heat, and fry the beef for about 10 minutes.

2. Once the beef has been broken up and is beginning to brown, add all the other ingredients. Cook for 20 minutes on a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Season to taste and serve!

Recipe: Beef In Oyster Sauce with Mushrooms and Peppers

I've been meaning to write up this recipe for ages- its gawwwjus. I love chinese food so much, and a delivery from my local takeaway (The "Yummy House" in Bath- luuuush) is enough to cure anything really- from hangovers to anxiety over those ever-looming exams! I would easily say this dish is nicer than any of the beef dishes i've got from asian restaurants or takeaways- it's really tasty, tender, quick- and makes quite a healthy dinner. I use "Blue Dragon" oyster sauce- but of course you can use whichever brand you prefer the flavour of.

Beef in oyster sauce with mushrooms and green pepper (serves 2)

300g beef escalopes, sliced into strips
3 tbsp black rice vinegar
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 rounded tsp honey
1 tsp crushed ginger (From “Gourmet Garden Herb Blends”)
Salt and Plenty of cracked black pepper
3 tbsp rapeseed or vegetable oil
125g whole oyster mushrooms, bigger ones halved
1 green pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed or finely chopped
1 x 120g pouch Blue Dragon Oyster and Spring Onion sauce
2 spring onions, sliced
Basmati or sticky rice, or noodles, to serve.

1. In a bowl mix together the vinegar, soy sauce, honey, salt pepper, and ginger. Add the strips of beef, mix well, cover the bowl with Clingfilm, and marinade in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
2. Remove the beef from the fridge and pour away as much of the marinade as possible. Heat the oil in a wok on a high. Stir fry the beef for about 4 minutes, or until the beef strips are beginning to brown.
3. Reduce the temperature a little, add the mushrooms, green pepper, garlic and spring onion and stir fry for 4 minutes.
4. Add oyster sauce and cook for about 2 minutes, until the sauce is thick, the peppers are fully cooked, and everything is piping hot. Serve, on top of steamed rice or noodles.

Recipe: Lasagne

I think every household has a different lasagne recipe- and this is my way of doing it! Everyone also prefers their lasagne in a certain way i think. I mean, my lasagne has got a far bit of sauce to it, whilst other lasagnes can be made almost entirely of pasta layers and almost no filling (it's popular to do it this way in America). This is just the way i like it- lots of sauce, quite garlicky, and plenty of cheese on top! I use Sainsbury's fresh lasagne sheets for the pasta layers.

Lasagne (serves 6, or 4 greedy people!)

Mince
1 tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
500g lean minced beef
10g fresh basil leaves, torn
1 ½ tins chopped tomatoes
½ tsp dried basil
1 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper

White Sauce
50g butter
50g plain flour
550ml skim milk
1 pack (150g) Garlic and Herb Boursin
Salt and pepper

4 fresh lasagne sheets
20g finely grated parmesan
75g grated cheddar

1. Fry the onion, garlic, minced beef, and some seasoning, in the oil, on a high heat, for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add chopped tomatoes, dried and fresh basil and sugar, and cook for 10 more minutes. Season to taste and set aside.
2. In another saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour, and then gradually add the milk. Crumble the boursin into the sauce, and keep stirring on the heat until you have a smooth sauce. This sauce should take around 15 minutes to make from the start. Season to taste
3. Preheat the oven to 200C. In a baking dish, layer the mince, pasta, and white sauce. I do it in this order: Mince, pasta sheet ( around 1.5 or 2 sheets per layer), white sauce, mince, pasta, then finishing off with the white sauce.
4. Sprinkle with the grated parmesan and cheddar, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Put under a hot grill for a couple of minutes until the top is nice and golden. Remove from the oven, allow to cool a little, and serve!

Recipe: Meatloaf

Ah, good old Meatloaf- and no I don't mean the bat outta hell kind! I've never had a go at making this, but it seems to be rather an american dinner staple, so i thought i'd have a go. This is a recipe I have just slightly adapted from Good Food magazine. The changes I made were that I turned it into 1 big meatloaf (as their recipe was for "spicy mini meatloafs"), so had to adjust the amounts and timings a bit, I did not add any tabasco, and i added a couple extra cherry tomatoes. It was really delicious, me and my brother loved it! And it was not dry atall, which is a reputation that meatloaf has seemed to have gained in the past few decades.

Meatloaf (serves 3)

500g minced beef
50g white breadcrumbs
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
1 egg
1 tsp ground cumin
Small handful coriander, chopped (plus a little extra for garnish)
50g sweet chilli sauce
½ tsp salt
Black pepper
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
Vegetable oil (for greasing)

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Mix all the ingredients together (except the cherry tomatoes and vegetable oil) in a mixing bowl until well combined (but do not over-mix, otherwise the meatloaf will become tough).
2. Line a non-stick loaf tin with a little oil and greaseproof paper, and arrange the halved cherry tomatoes face down. Then add the meatloaf mix into the loaf tin, making sure it is nice and even and flat at the top.
3. Bake in the oven for 1 hour. Remove, and turn the oven up to 220C. Turn out the meatloaf onto an ovenproof plate/dish- be careful when you do this, as there will probably be plenty of juices that will come out with it.
4. Remove the greaseproof paper, drain away the juices (if you are making a gravy for the meatloaf, add these juices to it) and put in the oven for a further 5 minutes, just to brown a bit. Garnish with a little extra coriander, and serve!

Recipe:Homemade Beef Burgers, with Tomato Relish

I've never made my own burgers, but my head chef Boo's burgers at work have been selling like hotcakes over the last few weeks, so I thought i'd have a go at making my own! These are really yummy, made even better when they are griddled. Griddling is definitely the secret to a good burger- you want to get that lovely "charred" taste to it. The tomato relish is delicious as well, and can of course be made in advance and kept in the fridge for a couple of days. The burgers as well can be frozen easily, so if you're planning a barbeque any time soon, these would be a sure winner! In my burger here, I have put relish, salad, and also spread with a little bit of wholegrain mustard + yoghurt (nicer than mayo i think- and healthier). I also reckon a rasher of crispy smoked bacon chucked in there wouldnt go amiss! (although not as good for my diet-conscious mind at the moment!)

Homemade Beef Burgers, with tomato relish (makes 6 burgers)

Burgers
500g lean minced beef
½ red onion, very finely diced
35g hoisin sauce
3 slices white bread, turned into breadcrumbs
1 egg yolk
Salt and pepper

Relish
1 tbsp oil
½ red onion, diced finely
1 celery stick, diced finely
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp dukka (a mix of toasted ground cumin, coriander and sesame seeds)
¼ tsp crushed chilli flakes
250g diced ripe tomatoes
2 bay leaves
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
10g capers, finely chopped

1. For the relish, sauté the onion, celery, garlic, dukka and chilli flakes in the oil, covered for 5 minutes. Add all other ingredients except the capers, and cook covered for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the chopped capers, and set aside.
2. Mix together all the burger ingredients with plenty of seasoning. Heat a griddle pan on a medium-high heat. Mould the meat into 6 burgers, all weighing 95-100g (trying to get them nice and flat!).
3. In batches, griddle the burgers for 2 minutes on one side, 2 minutes on the other side, and then flip over once more and cook for a further minute, pressing down. Serve the burgers in nice baps, with the tomato relish and salad!

Recipe: Fillet Steak, with Creamy pepper sauce and Rocket Salad

There are not many things in this culinary world that can beat a good steak. A good steak, to me, is very lean- almost no fat atall- and from the fillet. Not a fan of rump or t-bone. I was making this lovely meal for me and nick's 2 1/2 year anniversary. He kept pointing out that it isnt really an "anniversary" unless it is actually annual- but we basically did nothing for our second year anniversary so I thought i'd cook him a nice meal. I like my steak medium rare- although lately i've been liking my meat bloodier and bloodier, closer to rare nowadays. I get my fillet steaks from M & S, they are perfect, and not THAT expensive either. Although i HAD to take a picture of this, it was hilarious- you can't completely see the writing on the label- but it says "remove before microwaving".....who the hell is microwaving aged fillet steaks??? Lol!

I served this with my 'attempt' on baked oven chips. I didn't really cook them long enough, and they didn't go crispy, so they kinda ended up as rosemary baked potatoes really. Still, quite nice though. My recipe for perfect oven baked chips still definitely needs a lot of tweaking! Anyway, i certainly had to write down the rest of this recipe, the sauce is so simple but it is just TO DIE FOR. And the salad is basic, but delicious, and works well against the richness of the steak and creamy sauce.

Steak with creamy pepper sauce, rocket salad (serves 2)

Drizzle of oil
2 good quality thick fillet steaks
2 handfuls rocket and baby red chard salad mix
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
250ml beef stock
2 tbsp extra thick double cream
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
Salt, sugar and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. First, prepare your balsamic dressing. Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and sugar, until the dressing has become thick and emulsified, and the sugar has dissolved. Set aside
2. Put a frying pan onto a high heat with a little oil. Cook the fillet steaks 2 minutes each side, and put into the oven, whilst you quickly make the sauce. Keep your eye on the steak- removing it when it is done to your preferred state- rare, medium rare, or well done.
3. Into the same saucepan, put in the red wine vinegar- because the pan is still hot most of this ends up evaporating. Add beef stock and bubble down for a couple of minutes. Add cream, and lots of black pepper, and thicken for a further two minutes. Season your sauce with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste.
4. Plate up! Put the handfuls of salad, cherry tomatoes, and drizzle over the reserved balsamic dressing onto two plates. Put the steaks onto these plates and pour over the sauce equally (or pour the sauce into a gravy boat if you prefer). Serve with whatever you fancy- oven baked chips or roast potatoes are my favourite things to serve with this dish.