Root Vegetable & Beef Stew

So all this was pulled out of the ground and put straight into a pan on Friday. I didn't use a recipe I just kind of threw everything into a pan and hoped for the best and it turned out pretty tasty! We have an endless supply of fresh home grown vegetables - we're lucky! I cooked up a huge batch to freeze for lazy days. Feel free to change the vegetables up a little!





For 10 servings -

This is what you'll need:

2lbs stewing steak, cut into large chunks
1lb carrots, diced (ours were a mixture of yellow and orange carrots)
700g potatoes, diced
Handful of carrot stalks, roughly chopped
1 tbsp dried basil
4tbsp tomato puree
600ml beef gravy
2 beef stock cubes
600g parsnips, diced
Handful of green beans, sliced
1tbsp honey
5 small onions, diced
3tbsp olive oil
200ml water

This is what you do:

1. Fry onions in oil until soft.
2. Turn up the heat, add beef and seal.
3. Add water and tomato puree, stir and cover. Allow to simmer on a medium heat for 15 minutes.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients, simmer uncovered on a low heat for 30 minutes. When it has thickened, cover and simmer for a further 30 minutes.
5. Add salt and pepper if you wish.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Parsnips go beautifully with honey and cracked black pepper. If you have the time to roast them before putting them in the stew, try it! Dice parsnips, drizzle with a drop of olive oil, honey and pepper and roast for 30 minutes. The sweetness from the parsnips and honey will blend well with the tangy yellow carrots.

Carrot, Corriander & Ginger soup

Wonderfully refreshing and surprisingly filling, here's my take on a classic carrot and corriander soup. Some of this is a fluke (I now prefer the lumps!) but adding ginger has been my doing for years now. I think it adds a real kick and makes this soup a must have when you're feeling under the weather.



For 6 servings:

This is what you'll need -

1lb carrots, peeled and diced
1.5 litres chicken stock
2 thumb sized pieces of ginger, peeled and grated
Large handful of corriander, chopped roughly
Salt & pepper to taste

This is what you do -

1) Boil carrots until mushy. Drain and mash (our food processor broke so I mashed - feel free to blitz until smooth if that's what you prefer)
2) Add hot chicken stock and ginger to the mashed carrots and stir.
3) Add salt if you wish and plenty of black pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes and remove from heat.
4) Add corriander at the last minute and combine.
5) Serve with crusty bread rolls and enjoy!

Mixed Herb Fish Pie

Growing up, most fish pies I had (bar my mother's - this recipe is derived from hers) were made from bland cod in a cream sauce. Despite being incredibly rich, they lacked excitement and flavour. This recipe has become a firm favourite of ours (and Reggie enjoys the odd prawn chucked his way) and we enjoy it both in the summertime and winter.



For 4 servings -

This is what you need:

8 medium sized potatoes
100g cheddar cheese
100g cod, diced into bite sized pieces
100g salmon, diced into bite sized pieces
100g king prawns, peeled and de-veined
100g smoked haddock, diced into bite sized pieces
Handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Handful of tarragon, roughly chopped
Handful of garden chives, roughly chopped
Handful of basil, roughly chopped
2 medium sized onions, diced
2tbsp paprika
2tbsp butter
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tin chopped tomatoes (optional - use if you like more sauce)
Salt & pepper to taste

This is how you do it:

1. Peel, dice and boil potatoes until soft enough to mash. Mash whilst adding butter and paprika and set aside. I like to mix in paprika with a spoon instead of mashing it through so there's a marbled effect.
2. Fry onions until brown and add herbs and tomatoes.
3. Once tomatoes have softened, gently mash. If at this point you'd like more sauce, add a tin of chopped tomatoes. Add lemon juice and season to taste.
4. Lay fish and prawns in a casserole dish and pour sauce over the top.
5. Spoon and evenly spread mashed potatoes over the top of the fish.
6. Top with cheese and place in a 180 degree pre heated oven.
7. Remove from the oven after 30 minutes and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
8. Serve with a mild flavoured salad and enjoy!

Caramel Snack-a-Jack with coconut ice cream & sliced bananas

This is a lazy dessert, concocted on a lazy night for two lazy people. But it was delicious and I really enjoyed the textures. My beloved Snack-a-Jacks were to hand and we had some bananas that needed eating up. I had intended to use whipped cream instead of ice cream but it fell out of the fridge while I was opening it...and smashed...everywhere. The cats enjoyed it though. Just as well because the coconut ice cream was surprisingly tasty with the caramel!



For each serving -

This is what you need:

1 Caramel Snack-a-Jack
1/2 banana, sliced
3 scoops coconut ice cream (I'd imagine other flavours would work well too!)

This is how you do it:

1. Use Snack-a-Jack as a base, top with ice cream and banana.
2. Serve and enjoy!

Yes, that's it. I told you it was lazy. I'm looking forward to trying more. I made a similar sandwich type dessert with the chocolate ones which turned out great. Not as easy to eat though! Best thing is, it's not that bad for you. If you use frozen yoghurt instead of ice cream, even better!

Hot (HOT) Wings

A slightly healthier version of a favourite of mine. I love wings. I love them roasted, fried and most of all grilled. They're the perfect pig out food and great to set in front of the boys when you want them to be quiet for a few minutes.



For approximately 20 wings -

This is what you'll need:

Chicken wings (also works for other meat! I've done this with a whole chicken, ribs, pork chops etc.)
3tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt & pepper
100ml light soy sauce
2 red chillis - diced (keep the seeds in for extra heat)
5 drops of Tabasco sauce
3 cloves garlic, crushed
Thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and sliced thinly

This is how you do it:

1. Combine everything in a large bowl.
2. Cover with a plate/foil/cling film and put in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours. Best left for 24 hours!
3. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 190 degrees Celcius.
4. Place wings on a baking tray with a small amount of the marinade.
5. Cook for 30 minutes.
6. Serve and enjoy!

This marinade works for all kinds of meats as long as you like them spicy! Great for BBQs too. If grilling, keep the marinade to brush over the wings while cooking to prevent them from drying out.

Mini Pittas with Warm Salad & Chili Cheese

My new favourite lunch! This dish would also be incredible with mozzerella and other soft cheeses but a friend of mine bought me this delicious chili cheese I wanted to try out. It also works well doing these as mini pizzas. Just follow instructions below but top each pitta instead of stuffing them and put under a grill until cheese has melted.



To fill 3 mini pittas (one serving) -

This is what you'll need:

3 mini wholemeal pitta bread or 1 regular sized pitta bread
Large handful of spinach
2 stems fresh basil, leaves pulled from stems
Small handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
50g grated cheese of your choice or 1/2 ball mozzerella sliced

This is how you do it:

1. Microwave pitta for 20 seconds or until it puffs up - this makes it easier to open them up.
2. Tear small pockets into the pitta bread and set aside.
3. Wash veggies and wilt in a pan with balsamic vinegar
4. If using grated cheese, add to the mix after removing from the heat and toss until cheese has melted. If using mozzerella - stuff pittas with vegetables then place a slice of cheese inside the pocket.
5. Stuff pittas with mixture. Overstuffing will cause them to fall apart so be aware of this!
6. Serve and enjoy!

Chicken Casserole & Couscous

Another simple recipe that can be as hearty or light as you like. Once again, London's summer has been interruped by a cold snap so I decided to whip together something that would warm out tummies and prepare ourselves for a snuggly Sunday night in front of the TV.



For 4 servings -

This is what you'll need:

300g dry couscous
300ml boiling water
1tbsp butter
4 large chicken legs
1 tin chopped tomatoes
Large handful of parsley, chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed
2 medium onions, diced
4tbsp olive oil
4tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1tbsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

This is what you do:

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees celcius.
2. Heat oil to a medium heat and add garlic and onions, sautee for a minute or so until soft.
3. Add tomatoes and stir thoroughly.
4. Add 1/2 the parsley, paprika, salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.
5. Arrange chicken legs in a large casserole dish and pour sauce over the top.
6. Sprinkle grated parmesan over the top and place in the oven for 40 minutes or until the chicken easily slides off the bone.
7. Prepare couscous according to directions on the packet.
8. Once ready, toss with 1tbsp butter and remaining parsley.
9. Serve on the side of the chicken with sauce drizzled over the top...and enjoy!

For a lighter meal, cook as above but allow to cool. Remove chicken from the bone, shred then toss with the couscous and some of the sauce.