Beef bourguignon

This is a good old fashioned, but oh so tasty dish. Easy to prepare and it cooks itself! A nice alternative to a roast dinner.

Serves 4-6

1kg braising steak cut into 2 inch cubes 
2 x 130g packs of cubetti pancetta (or 225g smoked bacon cut into cubes)
4oz mushrooms cut into chunks 
Salt & pepper 
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced 
1 tbsp plain flour
425 ml red wine 🍷 
2 cloves chopped garlic 
2 sprigs fresh thyme 
1 bay leaf 🍃 
350g shallots, peeled and left whole
1 tbsp cornflour (optional)

1) preheat oven to 140 c
2) bring 1 tablespoons of the oil to sizzling point in the casserole or pan and sear the beef, a few pieces at a time, to a rich, dark brown on all sides.
3) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate as it browns.  Next add the sliced onion to the casserole and brown that a little too.
4) Return the meat to the casserole or pan and sprinkle in the flour, stirring round to soak up all the juices. Then gradually pour in the red wine, stirring all the time.
5) Add the chopped garlic, herbs and seasoning, put the lid on and bring to a simmer then transfer to the oven for 2 hours.
6) Then, using 1 tbsp olive oil, fry the shallots and bacon in a small frying pan to colour them lightly. Add to the casserole, together with the mushrooms, then put the lid on and cook for a further hour.
7) If the sauce is too runny, mix 1 tbsp of cornflour with cold water in a cup and then stir into the casserole to thicken 

✔️Top tip: this can be prepared up to 2 days in advance, follow up to and including step 6 but do not cook for the additional hour.  Leave to cool then pop in the fridge until ready to eat. Remove from the fridge and bring to a simmer on the hob then transfer to the oven for 1 hour. 

Spicy salsa 🌶 🌶

This recipe will produce a generous portion of salsa, ideal for pre-dinner drinks and dips! Increase quantities as required. 

1 15ml tablespoons olive oil
1/2 red onion finely chopped
1 clove of crushed garlic 
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
Pinch of salt 
2 fresh jalapeño peppers, finely chopped with seeds 
1 x 400 g can chopped tomatoes 

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat, and cook the red onion, stirring regularly until it's soft, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add the garlic and stir well before adding the cumin, salt and jalapeños.
3. Cook, stirring well for another minute, making sure nothing catches, then tip in the tomatoes, stir well, and bring to a bubble, then lower the heat slightly and simmer for about 15 minutes so the sauce thickens.
4. Check for seasoning, and pour into a bowl to cool before serving.

✔️Top tip: this can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days or can be frozen. Allow to cool then pop in the freezer in a suitable tub.  For a less spicy salsa remrove the jalapeño seeds. 

carrot and banana loaf 🍌

• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 125g brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 250g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 mashed ripe bananas
• 2 carrots
• 50g pitted dates 
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1. Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Grease a 900g loaf tin.
2. In a bowl, combine oil and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Combine flour, bicarb, salt and cinnamon; gradually add to the oil and egg mixture alternately with bananas. 
3. In a food processor finely chop the carrot and dates and stir into the mixture
4. Tip into the prepared tin and bake for 55-65 minutes or until a skewer inserted near the centre comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from tin to a wire rack to cool completely.

✔️Top tip: swap the dates for raisens or walnuts

Carrot and coriander soup 🍜

Serves 4 generous bowls of creamy gorgeous soup! 

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 onion finely chopped

1 leek finely chopped 

1 clove crushed garlic

6 medium carrots

1 tsp chilli salt 🌶 

1 tsp crushed coriander seeds

500ml hot vegetable stock 

Roast pepper soup

Serves 2

1 red pepper
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
3 cloves garlic
750ml vegetable stock
1/4 tsp thyme
1 lemon

1)slice the peppers in half, remove the seeds and place in a roasting tin cut side up
2)slice the garlic cloves in half, and put a half inside each pepper, squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the peppers and pop in the oven to cook for 1 hour.
3)leave to cool and set aside the garlic.  Remove the skins from the peppers and chop into small chunks
4)bring the vegetable stock to the boil, add the thyme and 1 crushed garlic clove then turn down the heat and simmer for 10 mins to reduce the stock slightly
5)add the chopped peppers to the stock and heat gently for a couple of minutes.
6)season with black pepper before serving

✔️Top tip: add a splash of chilli oil to the stock for a bit of a kick 🌶

Date cake

150g pitted dates
100g softened butter
100g soft brown sugar
3 eggs
30g black treacle
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
200g self raising flour

1)place the dates in a bowl and pour over 150g boiling water and leave to stand for minimum of 30 mins
2)preheat oven to 180c and line a 20x20cm tin with parchment paper
3)pop the dates and the soaking liquid in a food processor, add the butter, sugar, eggs and treacle. Blitz until smooth. Don't worry if the butter and eggs are splitting, it will. E ok. 
4)add the flour and bicarbonate and blitz until smooth. 
5)tip the batter into the lined tin and spread out so it's even then pop in oven and bake for 45 mins
6)when cooked remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins then turn out onto a wire rack. Serve straight away for a warm treat or leave until cool

✔️top tip: if eating warm serve with clotted or ice cream 🍧 Or it's nice served cold with a mug of tea ☕️

Halloumi & butternut squash burgers

1) slice the butternut squash neck into discs approx 1.5 cam thick
2) pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into an ovenproof dish and put the butternut squash slices on the top
3)sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of dried oregano, turn over and sprinkle anothe 1/2 tsp oregano on the top
4)pop in the oven for 20-30 mins until they are softened, remove from the oven
5)slice the halloumi into slices approx 1cm thick and pop a slice on top of the squash and return to the oven for 10 mins when the cheese is starting to soften and turn brown
6)serve at you BBQ as side dish or pop into a burger bun or pitta with lots of fresh salad