Cottage pie topped with horseradish & cheddar mash

A classic winter warmer with a tasty twist.

Recipe (serves 2-3)

Ingredients:

For the meat base:

• 500g beef mince
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• Good handful of chopped mixed herbs (I used parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme)
• 450ml beef or vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp mushroom ketchup
• 2 tsp brown sauce
• 1 tsp ketchup
• 1 tsp gravy browning
• 2 heaped tsp cornflower mixed with a little milk

For the topping

• 1kg potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 tbsp horsradish sauce
• 30g grated cheddar, plus extra to sprinkle on top
• good knob butter

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 175f/gas mark 4
2. Soften the onion and carrot in a little oil until soft
3. Remove from the pan and set aside
4. Turn the heat up and add the mince, spreading it across the pan. Leave for 4 minutes until the underside is brown and crisp (do not be tempted to stir)
5. Flip over for another 4 minutes and brown the other side
6. Return the onion and carrot to the pan with the beef and add the mushroom a& tomato ketchups, the brown sauce and the herbs.
7. Stir to break down the mince then add the beef or vegetable stock and the gravy browning
8. Simmer for 20 minutes on a low heat and season to taste
9. Meanwhile boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes until soft and ready to mash
10. Drain the potatoes and add the butter, cheddar and horsradish and mash thoroughly
11. Pour the mince mixture into an overproof dish and then top with the mash. Don't spread it on, drop pieces of the mash all over to give it a rugged top that will provide lots of brown crispy bits.
12. Top with the remaining cheddar and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the top is crisp and the sauce is bubbling around the edges

Serve with steamed broccoli or cabbage

Veggie Thai green curry (v)

I created this recipe for a vegetarian lady very close to my heart. It will probably make the purists balk at the lack of fish sauce but this is a clean zesty treat for all lovers of Thai flavours. As with a lot of my recipes its  easy and versatile with not too much stress about quantities. Just use your favourite green vegetables.

Recipe

Ingredients (serves 2)

• bunch of spring onions (one finely chopped and set aside) chopped coarsely at an angle
• 2 sticks lemongrass bashed with the outer skins removed and finely chopped
• 3 green chillies roughly chopped (leave the seeds in if you like it spicy)
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• generous thumb sized piece of ginger
• handful of fresh coriander
• a few fresh basil leaves
• tiny pinch of ground cloves
• 1 tsp frozen lime leaves (available from Waitrose)
• juice and zest of a lime
• 1 tsp palm sugar
• 1 400ml can coconut milk
• 1 tsp stock powder
• 1tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 courgette, sliced in half length ways and sliced into pieces
• 1/2 head of broccoli cut into florets and the stalk chopped too, its sweet and delicious
• 1/3 green pepper, sliced 
• handful of sugar snap peas
• handful of frozen peas or petit pois
• good handful cashew nuts
• handful of fresh spinach

Broccoli stalk

Method

1. Place the garlic, ginger, chillies, lemongrass, half the spring onions, coriander, lime leaves, palm sugar, half the basil leaves, cloves and half the basil leaves in a pestle and mortar and pound to a vibrant green aromatic pulp.
2. Scrape the paste into a saucepan and cook through on a low heat before adding the coconut milk, soy sauce and stock powder and simmer for 5 minutes
3. Bring to a rapid boil and add the vegetables, cooking for 1 minute only
4. Place the spinach, the rest of the basil and half the cashew nuts in a deep serving bowl
5. Pour the curry on top and garnish with the finely chopped spring onion, the rest of the cashews and a few coriander leaves.

Serve with some Thai fragrant rice and an ice cold Singha beer.

New recipe M*rs Bar on the way?

I am currently blind tasting a chocolate bar each day as part of a new consumer survey. There are nine versions to try but so far they are all suspiciously like a certain chocolate bar that used to "Help us work, rest and play".

There are slight differences in texture and substantialness, with the heavier versions much more satisfying than the fluffily whipped one currently on sale.

It was made considerably lighter a few years ago to appeal to the female market but I have a sneaky feeling they may be returning to the original recipe.

Keep an eye out for new advertising in the coming months. If I'm right, you heard it here first...

Bonfire night banger casserole

Remember, remember the 5th November with bangers crisping on the bonfire embers.

This is a hearty meal to warm the cockles before heading out to watch the Guy Fawkes fireworks.

Recipe (Serves 4)

• 6 good quality sausages (I used Sainsburys Toulouse style)
• 50g cubed pancetta
• 200g lentils (I used a mix of puy and green)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 pickled onions, sliced
• 1 carrot cubed into 1 cm pieces
• 50g suede or parsnip cubed into 1cm pieces
• 2tsp wholegrain mustard
• 1tsp dark brown sugar
• 1tsp tomato puree
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 good handful of chopped mixed herbs such as parsley, thyme, rosemary and sage
• 1 large glass of red wine
• 1 litre of hot stock, whichever you have to hand
• olive or vegetable oil

Method

1. Heat a glug of oil in a pan and fry the sausages until browned and cooked through, remove and put to one side
2. Add the pancetta and cook until browned and crisp, remove add put with the sausages
3. Add the onions and garlic and soften on a low heat in the juices from the sausages and pancetta for 5-10 minutes
4. Add the carrot, suede or parsnip and sugar, cook for another 5 minutes stirring from time to time
5. Add the lentils, mixed herbs and bayleaf. Stir combine then add the red wine, mustard and tomato puree
6. Simmer rapidly until the wine has been absorbed and the alcohol burnt off
7. Add the stock, bring to the boil and then simmer for 30 minutes
8. Heat some more oil in another pan
9. Slice the cooked sausages diagonally and fry until crisp all over
10. Add to the casserole with the pancetta, stir and serve with a generous dollop of creamy mashed potato.