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Upside down pear and ginger cake

Cakes, Fruit

Ingredients

For the caramelised pears:

  • 3-4 pears peeled, cored and thinly sliced
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 85g unsalted butter
  • 2 pieces stem ginger in syrup, finely sliced (plus 1tbsp syrup)

For the cake:

  • 250g unsalted butter
  • 250g caster sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 70g Greek yoghurt
  • 260g self raising flour
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 2tsp ground ginger

 

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180C / 160C Fan. Grease and line a 20cm spring form cake tin
  • Toss the pear slices in the lemon juice
  • Make the caramel – add the sugar (100 g) to a medium-sized deep saucepan over a low heat until golden brown. Don’t stir until the sugar has melted. Be careful, the sugar will be extremely hot!
  • Once the sugar has completely melted, add in the butter (85 g) and stir with a long-handled spoon until melted. Take the pan off the heat, then add in the ginger (2 pieces) and 1 tbsp of ginger syrup. If the butter separates, add a splash of freshly boiled kettle water and whisk together (careful, it might spit!). Leave to stand for 15 minutes, until the caramel coats the back of a spoon.
  • Add the pears to the cake tin, arrange in a fan shape, then pour over the caramel to coat.
  • Whisk the softened butter (250 g) and sugar (250 g) until light and fluffy. Slowly whisk in the eggs (4) one by one, followed by the yogurt. Mix the flour (260 g), baking powder (1 tsp) and ground ginger (2 tsp) together, then gently fold through the butter and egg mixture until well combined.
  • Pour the cake batter on top of the pears and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until cooked through. Insert a skewer in the middle – if it comes out clean, it’s ready.
  • Carefully loosen and remove the sides of the cake tin using a pair of oven gloves (it’s important to do this while the cake is still warm, otherwise the caramel will harden). Place a serving plate on top of the cake and carefully flip over. Remove the baking paper.

Slow cooked lamb ragu

Lamb, Mains, Pasta and Rice

Serves 4-6
Prep time: 15mins
Cooking time: 3h20mins

Ingredients

  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil
  • 500g lamb mince or lamb shoulder cut into cubes
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 stick of celery, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped small
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 250ml red wine
  • 450ml chicken stock
  • 2x 400g tins plum tomatoes
  • 1 large or 2 small fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 1 fresh bay leaf
  • Salt and pepper

Method

Tip: make sure you dice your veg first, so you’re all prepped and ready

  • Put a large pan on a medium-high heat with 1tbsp of the oil. Once hot, add the lamb and brown all over.
  • Drain the excess fat and transfer the lamb to a separate bowl
  • Put the pan back on a medium heat (a bit lower than you had it), and add 1-2tbsp of oil.
  • Add the onion, carrot and celery and lightly sautee for 10 minutes, don’t let it brown, we just want it softened.
  • Once it’s soft, add the garlic and stir for a minute until fragrant.
  • Add the lamb back in and mix it all up with the puree
  • Add the wine and cook until it’s reduced by at least half.
  • Now add your tinned tomatoes, breaking them up with the spoon, and your chicken stock
  • Add the rosemary and bay leaf and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper
  • Let it simmer slowly on a medium-low heat for 3 hours, uncovered. If at any point it dries out a bit, add a splash of water or stock.
  • Once it’s ready, taste and season with salt/pepper as needed.
  • Serve with your favourite pasta

Avocado Mango Salsa

Sides

Serves 4-6 as a side

Ingredients

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 1 small firm ripe mango
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped

Method

  • Peel/stone and finely chop the avocados and mango
  • Mix with the chilli, lime juice, coriander and a pinch of salt

Cranberry Sausage Rolls

Christmas, Sides

Makes 26 rolls

Ingredients

  • 1 pack of premade puff pastry (320g)
  • 350-400g sausage meat – you can use any kind with any flavour, or even any type of stuffing mix
  • Roughly 10 tsp cranberry sauce
  • 1 egg, beaten

Method

  • Preheat your oven to 200C/180Fan
  • Line a baking tray with baking paper
  • Cut the pastry in half lengthways so you have two long strips.
  • Spread the cranberry sauce down the middle of the strip
  • Top with sausage meat/stuffing
  • Brush one edge with egg and then roll the other edge over and press down
  • Use a fork to seal the edge and make a nice pattern
  • Brush the whole thing with egg, and sprinkle with black pepper
  • Make little lines on top with your knife for a pretty pattern if you fancy it
  • Cut the roll into mini sausage rolls (about 2-3cm wide) and arrange them on the baking tray
  • Pop them in the oven for 25-30mins until golden brown

Banana Bread

Cakes, Desserts, Fruit

Serves 8-10 people

Ingredients

  • 250g plain flour
  • 1tsp bicarbonate of soda (or 3 tsp baking powder)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 115g unsalted butter, softened
  • 150g soft light or dark brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 80g plain or greek yoghurt or sour cream
  • 3 large or 4 medium overripe bananas, mashed
  • 1tsp vanilla extract

Method

  • Pre-heat the oven to 180C without fan
  • Grease and line a loaf tin (9x5inch)
  • Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside
  • Use an electric mixer on high speed to cream the butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy
  • On a low speed, mix in one egg at a time
  • Then beat in the mashed banana, yoghurt and vanilla extract
  • Using a wooden spoon, gradually mix in the dry ingredients until no flour pockets remain
  • The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. This may be after 60–65 minutes depending on your oven, so begin checking every 5 minutes around the 60-minute mark.
  • Let it cool for at least 15mins before removing from the tin and transferring to a wire rack

‘Nduja truffle carbonara

Pasta and Rice

Serves 2 people

Ingredients

  • 180g dry spaghetti
  • 2 tbsp ‘nduja
  • 3x garlic cloves (whole)
  • 3x egg yolks
  • 40g parmesan (plus some for serving)
  • 1/2 tsp white truffle oil
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  • Bring a large saucepan of salted water
  • Cook the spaghetti until al dente
  • While the spaghetti is cooking, heat a large frying pan on a medium-high heat and add the ‘nduja and break it up for a few minutes.
  • Add the garlic to the pan and stir for a few minutes while the pasta cooks
  • Mix the egg yolks, parmesan, truffle oil and seasoning in a small bowl
  • Drain the pasta and retain the water
  • Add a splash of the water to the frying pan and turn the heat down to low-medium
  • Add the spaghetti and stir
  • Stir in the egg mixture smoothly so it doesn’t scramble 🙂 and add more water to loosen the sauce
  • Serve with parmesan on top

Amaretto Sour

Drinks

Ingredients

  • 1.5oz disaronno
  • 0.75oz whiskey (I use JD)
  • Juice of a whole lemon
  • 1tsp simple syrup

Method

Shake all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a glass and garnish with a slice of orange or glace cherries.

Honey Glazed Carrots

Christmas, Sides

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients

  • 500g thin carrots (or cut them down the middle in half)
  • 25g unsalted butter
  • 1tbsp goose/duck fat (optional)
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1/4 bunch fresh thyme
  • 2 clementines or half an orange
  • 2 tbsp runny honey

Method

  • Trim most of the leafy green stalks off the carrots, then peel them.
  • Melt the butter and fat (if using) in a large frying pan over a medium heat.
  • Crush the unpeeled garlic with the flat side of your knife, then add to the pan turning after 1 minute.
  • Pick and sprinkle in the thyme sprigs, squeeze over the orange juice, then add the honey and a splash of water.
  • Add the carrots in a single layer, season with sea salt and black pepper, then jiggle the pan to coat the carrots.
  • Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender.
  • Remove the lid, then cook until the glaze has reduced, and the carrots are sticky and caramelised, turning often.
  • Serve straightaway, or reheat when needed.

Baked Salted Caramel Cheesecake

Cakes, Desserts

Serves 8-12 people

Ingredients

For the base:

  • 50g melted butter (plus a bit for greasing the tin)
  • 200g chocolate digestives

For the filling and topping:

  • 250g marscapone
  • 500g cream cheese
  • 300g salted caramel sauce from a tin or jar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 150g golden caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 4 medium eggs

Method

  • Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
  • Butter a 23cm springform cake tin and line the base with baking parchment.
  • Tip the biscuits into a food processor, blitz to crumbs and pour in the melted butter. (You could also tip the biscuits into a bag, bash with a rolling pin into crumbs and mix in the butter.)
  • Press the biscuit mixture into the base of the tin. Place the tin on a tray and bake for 10 mins, then remove from the oven to cool.
  • Meanwhile, scrape the marscapone and cream cheese into a bowl with 3 tbsp of the caramel sauce, the vanilla, sugar and flour, and beat until smooth.
  • Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until you have a thick, smooth custard consistency.
  • Tip over the base, scraping the bowl clean, and bake in the oven for 10 mins.
  • Reduce the temperature to 140C/120C fan/gas 1 and continue to bake for 25-30 mins until there is a slight wobble in the centre.
  • Turn off the heat and leave the door just slightly ajar – a tea towel holding the door open is ideal. This should leave you with a completely smooth top, but if there are a couple of small cracks, don’t worry.
  • Leave the cheesecake in the oven until completely cool (overnight is fine), then chill until needed. Will keep in the fridge for two days.
  • When you’re ready to serve, spoon the rest of the caramel sauce over the top of the cake and swirl with the back of a spoon.

Red Wine Jus

Sides

Serves 4 as an accompaniment 

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Any beef trimmings if you have them from the meat you’re cooking
  • 2 large shallots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, whole and slightly crushed
  • 175ml red wine
  • 175ml port (ruby if you can)
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 800ml beef stock
  • 25g butter

Method

  • Heat the oil in a large pan on a medium heat
  • Add the beef trimmings and cook until browned all over
  • Stir in the shallots and cook for around 10mins to caramelise
  • Add the wine, port and herbs and simmer until reduced by half
  • Pour in the stock and continue to cook until reduced by half again
  • Strain into a new pan and bring to the boil, then simmer for 10mins
  • Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter
  • Season to taste if needed