Cottage Chilli Hotpot

This is truly a stunning show stopper of a one pot dish. It comes from the January edition of Good Food magazine and my pictures really do not do it justice, it was my first attempt and I did not transfer it to a casserole dish so it looks a little messy, (Update, have added new picture from my latest attempt, much better) but it really is delicious.

Cottage Chilli Hotpot

Serves 6

800g Braising Streak - cubed

2 tbs seasoned plain flour

4 tbs Olive Oil

300ml Red Wine

2 Red Onions Finely chopped

2 Carrots - Finely chopped

4 Garlic cloves - Finely chopped

2 Red Peppers, deseeded and chunked

Thyme

Bay leaf

1 tsp each ground Cumin and Corriander

1/2 tsp each Cinnamon and Chilli flakes

2 x 400g Chopped Plum Tomatoes

2 tsp sugar

250ml Beef Stock

400g Red Kidney Beans

1Kg potatoes

Butter

Toss the beef in the flour and brown half of it in a pan. Remove meat from pan and deglaze with 100ml wine, pour all the wine and sticky bits over the meat, wipe pan clean and repeat with the remainder of the beef.

Add 2 tbs of oil to the pan and add the veg, peppers, fresh chilli some thyme sprigs and bay, fry for 10 mins. Tip in the spices, cook for 1 min then add the rest of the wine and reduce by half.

Add the tomatoes, sugar, beef, winey jucies and stock, season and simmer for 1 1/2 - 2 hours until meat is meltingly tender. Stir in the beans and allow to cool.

Peel and slice the potatoes about 5mm thick, then boil for 5 mins. Drain then tip back in to the pan. Add a knob of butter and thyme leaves, season then toss gently to coat. Pour the chilli mix into a casserole dish and layer the potatoes over the top. Bake at 180oc for 40mins or until sauce is bubbling and potatoes golden.

Serve with green veg and soured cream. Truly scumptious!

Angostura Mince Cobbler

Pink Gin - I love it, just a few drops of Angostura Bitters really enhance a classic G & T with it's unique herby taste and glorious deep pink colour. A bit of research comes up with the fact that it is made from gentian root was developed in Venezuela around 1824 and is 44% Alc. It is an ingredient in many cocktails, can be a cure for an upset stomach and hiccups, but I have only ever once seen it as an ingredient in food. Taken from the 1982 M&S Special Occasion Casseroles I give you the delicious:

Angostura Mince Cobbler

550g Mince Beef

1 Large Onion chopped

2 Carrots peeled and diced

300ml Beef Stock

1 1/2 tbs Angostura Bitters

1 tbs Tomato Puree

S&P

2 tsp Cornflour

Scone Topping

175g SR Flour

40g Butter or Marg

S&P

1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs, I like to use onion seeds

1 Egg beaten

2 tbs Milk

Handful grated Cheddar Cheese

Fry the beef, onion and carrots gently until soft.

Add the stock, Angostura Bitters, tomato puree seasoning and bring to the boil.

Blend cornflour in a little water and add to pan, cook until thickened.

Transfer to a casserole dish, cover and cook in oven at 180oc for 20 mins.

For the scone topping, sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the fat until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add S&P and herbs. Bind together with the egg and enough milk to give a softish dough.

Pat out the dough on a floured surface to about 1cm thick and cut into 4cm rounds.

Remove casserole from oven and increase the temperature to 200oc. Arrange the scones in an overlapping circle around the edge, brush with milk.

Return to oven and bake uncovered for 20 mins or until the scones are well risen and golden brown - as an extra add a handful of grated cheese over the scone 10 mins from end.

In a variation minced pork can be used as well and I have been know to add a couple rashers chopped of smoked bacon to it.

Boxing Day Beef

Well Christmas and New Year have been and gone and what a wonderful time it was. My brother and his family were over from Holland. This gave us the perfect excuse to play all those kids games with my nephews without feeling childish, also the excuse to eat, drink and be merry to excess.

Christmas Eve - Shepherds Pie and Fizz cocktails at our house.

Christmas Day - The Turkey and Trimmings at my parents house.

Boxing Day - Roast Forerib of Beef at our house for 10, plus a 4 year old who ate her own body weight in roast potatoes!

I was a little disappointed when I saw the size of the beef from our local butcher, I had asked for eat to feed 10, but thought that there was no way it would. So I put a small joint of pork in the oven as well. I need not have doubted the butcher, after all he knows what he is talking about, we had loads leftover and did not need to touch the pork. In all the confusion though I forgot to cook the Yorkshire Puds! What a crime, but I don't think anyone noticed, mainly because the gravy was fantastic, based on Nigella Lawsons Port & Stilton gravy.

New Years Resolution to try and blog more regularly. Last years resolution to cook more food to freeze fell down when I realised that my small freezer cannot cope with such things, also we are so greedy barely anything is left over to freeze. But I am pleased that in the main I have kept up blogging for a year.

Mustardy Cauliflower Cheese

A hearty winter take on an already comforting dish. Last night I wanted to make cauliflower cheese with a bit of a twist.

1 Medium Cauliflower - cut into florets

2 Leeks - sliced finely

2 Carrots - chopped

1/2 pt Bechamel Sauce

Dijon Mustard

1 cup Grated Cheddar cheese

Olive oil

Par boil the cauliflower, drain and leave to cool in a colander so that all the leftover water can drip away. Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the carrots and leeks until soft add S&P. Make up your white sauce, nice and thick - add into it 2 good teaspoons of Dijon mustard and half of the cheese. Put the Cauli and other veg into a oven dish, pour over the mustardy sauce and bake in an oven for 20mins at 200oc adding grated cheese 10 mins before end.

This dish turned out wonderfully, so warming and tasty, perfect with our sausages and mash.

A great way to use up leftover veg.

Pork & Chilli Goulash

This is a brilliant recipe to scale up and do for a crowd of people. It can sit in the oven for hours until you are ready for it. Taken from the Jamie Oliver Cook at Home book a very pleasing and hearty dish. These quantities feed 4-6.

Pork & Chilli Goulash

2kg Pork shoulder, off the bone, skin off, fat left on.

2 Red onions - slices

2 Fresh chillies, de-seeded and chopped
2 Heaped tablespoons mild smoked paprika

2 Tsp Caraway seeds

Small bunch Marjoram or Oregano

5 Peppers - Capsicum/bell peppers - mixture of colours - sliced
280g jar of grilled peppers, chopped

400g can plum tomatoes

4 tbs red wine vinegar.

Heat the oven to 180oc. Heat a large ovenproof pot on the hob. Score the fat on the pork, season with S&P, cook the pork fat side down in a glug of olive oil for 15 mins on medium heat to render the fat. Remove pork.

Add onions, chilli, paprika, caraway seeds, marjoram/oregano leaves and more S&P. Lower heat and cook for 10 mins.

Add the peppers, grilled peppers and tomatoes.

Put the pork back in the pot and mix. Pour in enough water to cover the meat.

Add the vinegar.

Bring to the boil and place in the oven for 3 hours or so - the meat is cooked when it pulls apart with two forks, if it does not, then pop it back in the oven for longer.

I serve it all pulled apart on a large serving dish, with boiled rice and soured cream and some chopped parsley.

Fish Pie

I have always loved fish pie, but sighed at the thought of having to poach the fish before hand, leave it to cool then flake the fish, whilst making a bechamel sauce and boiling the potatoes. It would always end up with a very fishy smelling kitchen and could be rather messy so I made them infrequently.

Until that is, I thought - why do I need to poach the fish? ... tradition? hmm maybe, its what my Mother and Grandmother both did, so I thought I would start a new tradition.

I have spoken many times of Gordon our great Fishmonger, he was once asked why his fish pies were so much better than the ones the person asking made, he replied "that's because I put twice as much fish in as you do". I remember those words when making my Firsh Pies.

Fish Pie

Fillet of Smoked Haddock - undyed

Fillet of Cod or Coley or any other white fish

Large Salmon Steak

Handful of prawns

Couple handfuls Frozen Peas

Homemade bechemel sauce - butter, flour, milk, pepper

Finely chopped parsley - enough to suit.

Mashed potatoes

Grated Cheese - I know its fish and cheese, but hey, I love a crispy cheese topping on mash.

Oh, so simple. Oven on at 200oc. skin and de-bone the fish.

Cut into hearty chunks, they keep their shape once cooked, giving you something to bite into.

Boil your potatoes and mash.

Make up your white sauce - usually its around 3/4pt, add chopped parsley.

Pour the sauce over the fish and prawns and peas, mix well.

Add the mash to the top with cheese if you wish.

Pop into oven for 25-35mins.

Best Ever Spaghetti Bolognaise

Hubby with low tolerance levels made another unexpected but welcome trip into the kitchen over the weekend. Whilst I was out shopping and failing miserably with any inspiration for presents he was getting all creative. Having listened to Nigel Barden on the Chris Evans Drivetime show on Radio 2 with his best ever Spaghetti Bolognaise recipe, Hubby decided to take this and customise it. Details of which are below:-

Spaghetti Bolognaise

Would probably serve 6 if you can bare letting anyone else have any!

500g Beef Mince

500g Pork Mince

200g Chicken Livers - Chopped (Hubby used 400g, great for me as I love liver, but too much for others)

2 Onions - Sliced

3 Carrots - Grated

3 Stalks Celery - Finely Chopped (Did not have in Hubby's, but he would recommend it for next time)

3 Cloves Garlic - Finely Sliced

500g Passata

150g Pancetta (Not included in Hubby's, but again he would recommend it next time)

400g Tinned Chopped Tomatoes

1 Tbs Tomato Puree

2 Tsp Thyme (dried)

1 Tbs Parsley (dried)

3 Bay Leaves

3/4 pint Stock

Sweat the onions in a little oil until translucent.

Add the mince and fry until almost dry.

Add everything else and mix well.

Bring to the boil.

Simmer or place in a low oven (130oc) for 3 or more hours, stirring occasionally. Hubby had it in the oven for almost 5 hours.

It really was the best ever Spag Bog I have had, there were leftovers after we'd had second helpings, so we scoffed those the following day as part of a Sloppy Joe Bagel, totally scrumptious and well worth the wait.