I’ve always liked the idea of a hash; various bits of food all chopped up and cooked together. I tried to make a corned beef hash once which was somewhat eventful. I was at University in my student house with two of my friends. The can of corned beef was being somewhat stubborn so I used my intuition and tried to open the can with a can opener. Suffice to say there was some slippage and some slicing and next thing I know I’m running around the kitchen with all of us pretending to be braver than we are trying to wrap my hand in kitchen roll. Luckily we lived near the hospital so off we trudged, in the ice and snow, to sit in A&E with all the people who had dislocated something slipping on the ice. I ended up with four stitches and my two fingers bandaged up which provided much amusement for the following week. In my haste to leave the house I had left a pan of water on the hob; this was also the night I learned you can burn water.
Creamy Pea and Bacon Pasta
After my last £6 supper on BBC Radio Berkshire, Paul Ross was quite disappointed that the recipe included no frozen peas. It got me thinking that actually there’s plenty to celebrate in the humble frozen pea. They’re cheap, you can always keep some in the freezer and they are a welcome shot of greenness and sweetness at this time of year. This quick, easy and cheap meal is a little mid-week fanfare of the frozen pea.
Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Bacon and Cheese Pasta Bake
It’s a bit weird here at the moment. The days are warm but the nights are surprisingly cold; light lunches but also still comfort food dinner season. The purple sprouting broccoli season is upon us and as much as I like it cooked simply, maybe with a butter sauce, I am craving carbohydrates and big warming meals at the moment. My bacon, purple sprouting and cheese pasta bake is ideal.
Leek, Cheese and Potato Pie
Ingredients
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You will need (for a pie for four):
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1 medium potato, peeled and in small cubes
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£0.20
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1 large leek, finely sliced
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£0.50
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1 tbsp plain flour
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£0.02
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75ml milk
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£0.05
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125g strong cheddar cheese, grated
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£1.00
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Small handful chopped chives
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£0.20
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Salt and pepper
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£0.02
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Small knob of butter plus extra for greasing
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£0.10
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Milk for brushing
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£0.02
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Readymade and rolled shortcrust pastry
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£1.50
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Total
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£3.61
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Method
Boil the potatoes and cook for 7-10 minutes or until tender then drain and put to one side. Fry the leeks on a medium heat in a little butter for around 10 minutes, until softened, then add the flour. Cook for a minute then add the milk and stir well while heating to make a thick sauce. Add the potato, cheese, chives and salt and pepper to the cooked leeks. Preheat oven to 180C and lightly grease a pie dish with butter. Take two thirds of the pastry and line the pie dish. Trim any excess pastry, prick the base with a fork, line with greaseproof paper then fill with baking beans or rice and bake for 12-15 minutes then remove the beans and greaseproof and return to the oven for 2 more minutes. Pour the filling into the pastry case. Brush the edge of the pastry base with milk and roll out the remaining pastry. Top the pie with the pastry and press the pastry well onto the pastry base. Trim any excess and brush the top with milk.Cut a slit in the top of the pastry then put back into the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
The leeks and chives in this give a brilliant green colour to the pie so it’s not all beige. I liked that the filling wasn’t too wet and stodgy but you could clearly see and feel the potato and leek. Comfort food is always welcome, particularly when it’s mostly carbohydrate based and this was my perfect dinner on a rainy evening this week. Not only exactly what I wanted but also a bargain for four people. You could of course make your own pastry but when I’m as busy as I am now, readymade and rolled is my best friend.
Cheat’s one pot Paella
I didn’t realise how much rice I had been eating until I thought about the last time I ate pasta or potatoes and I can’t remember when that was. I like rice as a plain side to something, a herb encrusted rice salad or as a risotto. This quick and easy rice dish (or a cheat paella) is not a paella by any means but it’s a great dish to knock up after a hectic day with a nice bit of chorizo for a mid-week Spanish pick me up. Get out your flamenco.
Luxury Leek and Potato Soup with Homemade Soda Bread
Ingredients
| You will need (for two big bowls of soup): | |
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1 medium onion, sliced
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£ 0.10
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2 large leeks
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£ 0.90
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Large knob of butter
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£ 0.15
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2 large potatoes (around 500g)
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£ 0.50
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100ml double cream
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£ 0.40
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850ml vegetable stock
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£ 0.10
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Small handful chives
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£ 0.25
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Salt and pepper
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£ 0.02
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For the soda bread:
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300g spelt flour
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£ 0.66
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10g baking powder
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£ 0.06
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5g salt
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£ 0.01
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230ml buttermilk
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£ 0.75
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Total
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£ 3.90
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method
Wash the leeks and then slice them thinly. Heat the butter in a saucepan on a low to medium heat and fry the onion and leeks for around 15 minutes until softened but not brown. Peel and dice the potato then add this to the leeks and put the lid on the pan. Leave the potatoes to soften for around 10 minutes.
Add the stock to the pan and bring to the boil. Boil with the lid on until the potatoes are tender then add the cream and some salt and pepper. Let the soup cool down before blending the soup until smooth. Return to the pan to warm through and then chop up the chives and use them to top the soup.
Gnocchi with Broccoli, Toasted Walnuts and Blue Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
You will need (for four):| 2 500g packs of gnocchi (not the refrigerated ones) |
£1.30
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1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
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£0.80
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1 small onion, finely chopped
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£0.10
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Oil or butter for frying
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£0.02
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300ml double cream
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£1.10
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150g creamy blue cheese (I used Blue Monday)
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£1.20
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75g walnuts, roughly chopped
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£0.85
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Salt and pepper
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£0.02
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Total
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£5.39
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Method
Start by getting a frying pan on a low to medium heat and adding a glug of oil or knob of butter. Add the onion and fry slowly for around 20 minutes or until softened but not browned. While the onion is frying get another small frying pan on a medium to high heat. Add the chopped walnuts and toast them in the dry pan for a few minutes until you can smell they are toasted. Watch them carefully though as they can burn easily. Put to one side when done. When the onion is around five minutes from ready bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the broccoli and boil for two to three minutes.When the onion is soft, pour in the cream and stir frequently until it just starts to simmer.
Add the gnocchi to the pan with the broccoli and continue to boil for one to two minutes more or until the gnocchi floats to the top.
Crumble the blue cheese into the cream sauce, reduce the heat to its lowest setting and stir frequently.
Drain the broccoli and gnocchi and put to one side.
Ensure the cheese has melted into the cream and then add plenty of black pepper. Taste the sauce and add a little salt if needed; it will depend how salty your cheese is.
Chicken Tikka Wraps with Cucumber and Onion Salsa
Ingredients
You will need (for four):|
2 free range chicken breasts
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£3.42
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2 tbsp tikka paste
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£0.20
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150g organic natural yoghurt
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£0.49
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1/2 large lettuce
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£0.25
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1/2 cucumber
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£0.33
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1 small red onion
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£0.10
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Small handful fresh coriander
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£0.15
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8 wraps
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£1.00
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Salt and pepper
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£0.02
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Oil (for frying)
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£0.02
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Total
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£5.98
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Method
Start by slicing the chicken breasts into thin, inch sized pieces. Put these into a bowl with the tikka paste and 1 tbsp of yoghurt. Mix together and then cover and leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.While the chicken marinates prepare the rest of the meal.
Wash the lettuce and drain well before shredding it.
To make the salsa finely chop the cucumber and the onion. Put half of the onion and all of the cucumber into a bowl. Tear in the coriander and then mix it all together with some salt and pepper. Put this to one side.
When you are ready to cook the chicken get a large frying pan on a medium heat. Add a little oil and the other half of the chopped onion. Fry the onion for around five minutes to get a little colour then add the chicken and all the marinade.
Continue to fry it all together for around ten minutes or until the chicken is cooked and some of the edges of the chicken have started to catch. Leaving the chicken to catch really adds to the flavour.
Caribbean Spicy Bean Burgers with Pineapple Chilli Sauce
Ingredients
You will need (for four):
| For the burgers – | |
| 2x 400g cans of mixed beans, drained | £1.58 |
| 50g breadcrumbs | £0.30 |
| 2 tsp ground allspice | £0.10 |
| Few sprigs thyme, leaves only | £0.10 |
| 1 egg | £0.35 |
| 3 spring onions, sliced | £0.35 |
| Salt and pepper | £0.02 |
| For the pinepple sauce – | |
| 1x 227g canned, chopped pineapple in juice | £0.43 |
| 125g caster sugar | £0.19 |
| 175ml water | £0.00 |
| 4 tbsp white wine vinegar | £0.18 |
| 2 garlic cloves, crushed | £0.05 |
| 1/2 scotch bonnet chilli, roughly chopped | £0.08 |
| 2 tsp cornflour | £0.03 |
| Salt and pepper | £0.02 |
| 4 crusty white rolls | £1.20 |
| Total | £4.98 |
Method
Put the drained beans into a large bowl and roughly crush them with a masher or the back of a spoon.
Add all the remaining burger ingredients, except the egg, and thoroughly mix together.
Taste the mixture to check the seasoning and when you are happy crack in the egg, mix well and then form into burger shapes.
Put to one side while you make the pineapple sauce.
Drain the pineapple and then put into a saucepan with all the remaining ingredients except the cornflour.
Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring occasionally, and boil for around five minutes.
Mix the cornflour with a little water to make a paste and then mix this into the sauce.
Bring the mixture back to the boil then remove from the heat.
Blend the pineapple sauce until mostly smooth but with some pineapple chunks still left.
Put to one side to cool down.
Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Garlic Infused Olive Oil and Parmesan Pasta
Purple sprouting broccoli has to be one of my favourite vegetables. Its arrival on my plate with the warmer weather tells me that in a few weeks time I will be enjoying asparagus. It’s delicate appearance and slightly sweet taste is brilliant with so many foods. I like mine nice and simple; with copious amounts of garlic infused oil and coronary shattering piles of Parmesan.
