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Gooey Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Cakes, Chocolate, Desserts, Sweets and Biscuits

Makes: 16 square brownies

Ingredients

  • 185g unsalted butter
  • 185g high quality dark chocolate (I use 85%)
  • 85g plain flour
  • 40g cocoa powder
  • 100g white OR milk chocolate
  • 3 large eggs
  • 275g golden caster sugar

Method

  • Chop the butter and dark chocolate into chunks and add to a glass bowl.
  • Fill a small saucepan about a quarter full with hot water, sit the bowl on top and melt over a medium heat, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove the bowl once it’s all melted and mixed and set aside to cool.
  • Get a shelf ready in the middle of your oven and preheat to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4
  • Line and grease a shallow 20cm square tin
  • Sieve the flour and cocoa powder into a bowl, ensuring any lumps are gone.
  • Chop the white and milk chocolate into small pieces
  • Break the eggs into a bowl and add the sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until they look thick and creamy like a milkshake.
    You’ll know it’s ready when the mixture becomes really pale and about double its original volume. Another check is to turn off the mixer, lift out the beaters and wiggle them from side to side. If the mixture that runs off the beaters leaves a trail on the surface of the mixture in the bowl for a second or two, you’re there.
  • Pour the cooled melted chocolate over the eggy mousse and gently fold with a spatula. The idea is to mix the two without losing the air so do this very gently and as slow as you like.
  • Add the cocoa/flour mix and fold gently again until it’s all mixed in. Make sure you don’t over-mix it.
  • Add the chocolate chunks and stir them through evenly.
  • Pour the batter into your prepared tin and use a spatula to gently even out the top so it’s level.
  • Put in the oven and set an alarm for 25 minutes. When the time is up, open the oven, pull the shelf out a bit and gently shake the tin. If the brownie wobbles in the middle, it’s not quite done, so slide it back in and bake for another 5 minutes until the top has a shiny, papery crust and the sides are just beginning to come away from the tin.
  • Repeat as many times as necessary.
  • Remove from the oven and let it cool completely in the tin before cutting it into squares.

Slow Roast Half Shoulder of Lamb

Lamb, Mains

Chef’s Tip: Delicious with my creamy potato bake or perfect roast potatoes

Ingredients

  • 1 medium sized onion
  • 4-6 unpeeled cloves of garlic
  • 1 half shoulder of lamb (around 800g)
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Method

  • Preheat your oven to the highest setting (usually 230-240C).
  • Roughly cut the onion into wedges and place in the bottom of an oven dish with the garlic cloves
  • Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
  • Place the lamb on top of the veg, drizzle it with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and rub it all over
  • Loosely cover it with foil and pop it in the oven, immediately turning the heat down to 170C/150C Fan/Gas Mark 3
  • Cook for 1hr20mins.
  • Remove the foil, baste the lamb with the juices and cook for another 1hr 30mins

Ultimate Roast Chicken

Chicken, Christmas, Mains

Ingredients

  • 1x 1.6kg whole chicken – adjust your cooking time for different weights.  The general rule is 20mins per 450g (1lb) plus 10-15mins on top.
  • 1 large or 2 medium onions
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 celery sticks
  • 1 small whole bulb of garlic
  • Olive oil
  • 1x lemon
  • 1 bunch of mixed herbs like rosemary, thyme and sage

Method

  • Remove your chicken from the fridge around 30mins before cooking to bring it up to room temperature
  • Preheat your oven to 240C/220C Fan/Gas 9
  • Wash and roughly chop the onions, carrots and celery – you don’t need to peel any of them
  • Break the garlic bulb up into cloves and leave them unpeeled
  • Pile all of the vegetables into a baking tray with some of the herbs and drizzle with olive oil
  • Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and rub with salt and pepper
  • Place the chicken on top of the vegetables
  • Prick some holes in the lemon with a sharp knife (this will release the flavour) and place inside the chicken with the rest of the herbs
  • Put the tray in the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6
  • Cook for the allotted time, which is 1hr 20mins for our chicken
  • At this point, you can get on with your vegetables such as my perfect roast potatoes and whatever else you fancy.
  • Take the chicken out of the oven when it’s done, cover it with foil and a tea towel, and leave it for at least 15mins to rest.
  • When you’re ready, carve the chicken and serve 🙂

Creamy Potato Bake

Sides

Ingredients (for 4 people)

  • Roughly 1kg of potatoes, thinly sliced (I use Desiree or Maris Piper)
  • 150ml semi skimmed milk
  • 300ml single cream
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced/crushed
  • 10g fresh thyme, leaves picked
  • 75g grated parmesan
  • Sprinkle of ground nutmeg
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

  • Preheat your oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6
  • Butter the inside of an ovenproof dish that will hold the amount of potato you’ve sliced
  • Pour the milk and cream into a wide sauce pan with the bay leaves, garlic, thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Turn on a medium-low heat
  • Add the potatoes and stir well. Keep on the heat while it starts to thicken up and then stir in 50g of the parmesan
  • Spoon into the oven dish and spread it all out.
  • Sprinkle the rest of the parmesan over it
  • Cover with an oiled piece of foil and bake for 20mins.
  • Remove the foil and cook for another 20-30mins until golden

Vegetable Soup

Sides, Starters

Chef’s tip: You can freeze this soup for up to a month

Indregients (makes around 6 portions)

  • 6-7 medium sized tomatoes
  • 1 white onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 leek
  • 3 medium carrots (or 2 large)
  • 3 celery sticks
  • 1 medium sweet potato
  • 1 red pepper
  • 500ml vegetable stock
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Dried basil
  • Garlic powder

Method

  • Preheat your oven to 170C/160C Fan and lightly drizzle some olive oil in an oven dish
  • Slice your tomatoes in half and place them skin side down in the dish. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper, dried basil and garlic powder.
  • Put the tomatoes in the oven and cook for at least 45mins.
  • While they’re cooking, put a large high sided saucepan on a medium heat and add some olive oil.
  • Slice the onion and garlic, and add to the pot.
  • Next slice the leek and add this.
  • Now for the red pepper.
  • Keep going with the celery, carrots (keep the skins on for extra fibre), and the sweet potato (peel this one), chopping them into small pieces and add them to the pot.
  • Stir the vegetables every few minutes until the tomatoes are done.
  • Take the tomatoes out of the oven, add them to the pot and stir them in to release the juice.
  • Add the vegetable stock and a good amount of black pepper.
  • Cover and simmer for at least 30mins.
  • Use a good stick blender to whizz the soup into a smooth mixture.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta

Mains, Pasta and Rice

Chef’s tip: If you want to add a bit of spice to this, you can throw in a few slices of fresh chilli when you add the spinach.

Ingredients (serves 2 people)

  • 3-4 rashers of smoked bacon
  • 1 large chicken breast
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed/chopped
  • 50g fresh spinach
  • 500ml milk
  • 150-200g spaghetti/linguine
  • 60-70g green pesto

Method

  • In a large frying pan/wok/low sided large saucepan cook the bacon with some olive oil until crispy
  • Add the chicken to the pan and season well with salt, pepper and the garlic powder
  • Cook until all the pink in the chicken is gone and then remove the chicken, placing it in a bowl to the side (keep the bacon in the pan).
  • Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until the onions are soft and brown
  • Add the spinach and once it’s wilted, add the milk
  • Bring it to the boil and then add the dry pasta.
  • Stir continuously for around 7-8 minutes, until the pasta is cooked (you may need to add more milk and cook for longer if using thicker pasta or wholewheat)
  • Mix the chicken back in and add the pesto
  • Serve and sprinkle generously with parmesan

Swedish Meatball Pasta

Mains, Pasta and Rice

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

  • 450g mince (beef or pork)
  • Half an onion, diced
  • Breadcrumbs (amount is subjective but around 30-40g)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tablespoon salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon pepper

For the sauce:

  • 500ml beef stock (I use knorr which makes 490ml)
  • 500ml milk
  • 1/2 tablespoon salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • Approx 400g spaghetti/linguine/tagliatelle (or however much you’d make for 4 people).
  • Grated parmesan
  • 1/2 bunch chopped parsley

Method

  • In a large bowl, combine the mince, onion, egg, salt and pepper. Add the breadcrumbs gradually until the mixture is smooth and doesn’t fall apart if you try to make a meatball.
  • Roll the mixture into golf ball sized meatballs and cook with a little oil over a medium heat in a large frying pan or wide large saucepan.
  • Add the beef stock, milk, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce, and stir.
  • Bring the sauce to the boil then add the pasta.
  • Stir constantly for around 7-8mins (a bit longer if you use wholewheat pasta) until the pasta is cooked and coated with the sauce. You may find that you want to add a bit more milk if it thickens before the pasta is fully cooked.
  • Add a sprinkling of parmesan and the parsley and stir through.

Salted Caramel Shortbread Slices

Christmas, Sweets and Biscuits

Ingredients

For the shortbread

  • 175g/6oz unsalted butter
  • 75g/2.5oz golden caster sugar
  • Seeds from 1 vanilla pod OR 1tsp vanilla extract
  • 225g/8oz plain flour

For the caramel

  • 200g/7oz unsalted butter
  • 1x 397g tin of condensed milk
  • 4tbsp golden syrup
  • 1tsp sea salt

For the topping

  • 100-150g milk chocolate

 

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4
  • Grease and line a 20cm square tin
  • Rub the butter, sugar, vanilla and flour together to form a rough dough – don’t worry if it doesn’t all come together, it should be crumbly
  • Press the dough into the tin evenly and prick it all over with a fork
  • Bake the dough for 5 mins then turn the oven down to 150C/Gas Mark 2 and bake for another 35 mins.
  • Remove the tin from the oven and let the base cool in the tin
  • Now you can make the caramel. Add all of the ingredients to a large saucepan and bring to the boil for 10mins. I’d recommend stirring for the whole time even before it starts boiling.
  • After 10mins, the mixture should be golden and now you can pour it over the biscuit base. Use a spoon to level it all out.
  • Put your tin in the fridge to cool the caramel until it’s cool and slightly hardened.
  • For the topping, add the chocolate to a bowl and melt it over a sauce pan of simmering water.
  • Once melted, pour the chocolate over the caramel and level it out.
  • Return to the fridge to let it set.
  • Cut into as many or as few pieces as you like 🙂

Fluffy American Pancakes

Desserts, Sweets and Biscuits

This makes roughly 8-10 small pancakes

Ingredients

  • 225g plain flour
  • 1tbsp baking powder
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 eggs (beaten)
  • 30g butter (melted and cooled slightly)
  • 300ml milk
  • Butter for frying

Method

  • Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl and make a well in the middle.
  • Add the eggs, butter and milk into the well.
  • Mix with a fork or a whisk until smooth
  • Heat some butter in a frying pan
  • Use a ladle to spoon small amounts into the pan one at a time
  • All you need to do is wait for the top of the pancake to blister and bubble and then flip it for around 1-2mins on the other side.

Chef’s tip: Delicious with berries, honey and yoghurt. Or for a savoury approach, butter and smoked bacon.

Creamy chicken pie

Chicken, Mains

There are many variations you can make here so I’ve written in the options/substitutes where I can but it’s a very flexible recipe so you can adapt it your own way.

Ingredients

Filling:

  • 2-3 chicken breasts
  • 1 onion OR 1 leek
  • 1 large or 2 small garlic cloves crushed/chopped
  • Optional: mushrooms
  • 50g butter
  • 2tbsp plain flour
  • 300ml milk
  • 1 chicken or beef stock cube (I use beef for more flavour)
  • 100ml boiling water
  • Ground nutmeg (optional)
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Small handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Topping or side dishes:

  • Ready rolled shortcrust pastry OR
  • Ready rolled puff pastry OR
  • Potatoes for mashing

Method

  • Cook the chicken in a frying pan and set aside
  • In a new pan, heat a little olive oil and cook the onions and garlic on a medium heat
  • When soft, add the butter and once it’s melted, sprinkle over the flour
  • Combine into a paste and add the stock cube with the water
  • Gradually add the milk while whisking/stirring and make sure it stays thick (you don’t have to use all of the milk)
  • Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg
  • Once you’ve reached your desired consistency, add the chicken back in and simmer for 10mins.
  • At this point you can either cook your pie crust or mash your potatoes
  • You can either put the pie crust on top, cover with potatoes and cook in the oven for 20mins or serve with potatoes on the side.