Smokey Sausage and Pepper Pasta

People, it seems, are becoming more and more bogged down with the pressures of everyday work or family activities and tea time is becoming more of a chore. That tends to see people reaching for the convenience food. If you can gain a bit more confidence in the kitchen by adopting a few simple cooking processes and learning how to be creative with what you have, it is amazing what you can do.

I always ensure that the spice and dried herb cabinet is full to the brim. They lift the dullest and most bland of ingredients to another level. This dish is a perfect example of what you can do with just a few fresh ingredients and some non-perishable store cupboard herbs and spices. It is completely non-authentic, but does that matter when it is cheap and delicious, packed full of flavour and filling for the whole family? 

Smokey Sausage and Pepper Pasta
Feeds 4

8 good quality pork sausages (I use Gordon's of East Boldon - always a top quality and award winning banger)
1 onion, sliced
1 pepper, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 tins of tomatoes
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsps dried oregano
2 tspn paprika (if you can get it, smoked sweet paprika)
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
Tagliatelle or your pasta of choice
Fresh basil

1 - In a large casserole dish, heat the olive oil and then quickly brown the sausages all over. Remove and keep aside.
2 - Add the onions and pepper to the oil and stir for 5 minutes until soft and slightly browned. Add the tomato purée, garlic, herbs and spices and cook for 1 minute.
3 - Return the sausages to the casserole dish with the tomatoes. Bring to the boil and then simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning.
4 - Boil your pasta of choice. Serve with the smokey sausage and pasta sauce, a scattering of basil and a green salad.

Corn Soda Bread

Soda bread is so easy to make: 10 minutes maximum mixing, 25 minutes in the oven and minutes to devour with lots of butter.

This one is perfect for the gluten intolerant, using a good quality gluten free flour along with maize, or ground corn. It gives a lovely crunchy outside and a scone-like inside.

You can experiment with this recipe by adding some Cheddar cheese, perhaps some whole spices such as cumin and chilli. Try it, you won't regret it.

Corn Soda Bread
Feeds 4-6

300g bread flour 
200g ground corn/maize
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
500g natural yoghurt

1 - Pre-heat the oven to GM6/200C.
2 - In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients then pour in the yoghurt. Mix together with a wooden spoon then tip onto a floured baking tray. Form it into a dome shape but don't knead or press it too much.
3 - Use a knife and cut a cross into the top. Place onto the middle shelf and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. If you tap the bottom it should make a hollow sound.
4 - Allow to rest for 10 minutes then serve with lots of butter.

Chocolate and Almond Mousse Cake

You may need to burn a few calories after tackling my favourite easy cake,  the chocolate mousse cake. Rich, buttery and intense with high cocoa content, it is a crowd pleaser pretty much all of the time. I love the chestnut version; so seasonal and a brilliant alternative for Christmas pudding for chocolate lovers. But I also love almonds, and with ground almonds surely being a staple cupboard ingredient for everybody, you can whip one of these up in no time.



Chocolate and Almond Mousse Cake
Feeds 8

250g 70-80% chocolate
250g butter
200g ground almonds
50g sliced almonds
5 eggs
100g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, split and seeded (optional)

1 - Preheat the oven to 180C/GM4.
2 - Break up the chocolate and put into a heatproof bowl along with the butter. Place over a pan of water and bring to the boil until the chocolate and butter have melted.
3 - Separate the eggs. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, vanilla seeds and sugar until pale. Stir in the chocolate and butter and then finally, gently fold in the ground almonds and the sliced almonds.
4 - Whisk the egg whites until they reach 'soft peak' stage, or you can hold the bowl upside down and nothing falls out. Gently fold into the mixture.
5 - Grease and paper a 20cm spring form cake tin. Pour in the cake mixture, then place on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the cake is still slightly wobbly and the surface has cracked.
6 - Remove and rest until cool. Decorate with cocoa powder and a handful of sliced almonds.

Beef Rendang

Simply one of the most amazing curries that you will ever taste. Coming from Malaysia, it is the perfect combination of flavours that make South East Asian food so amazing - hot, salty, sweet and sour. Enjoy.

Adapted from Rick Stein's 'Far Eastern Odyssey'

Feeds 6

First of all, you need to get your head around the paste, the key to success for any decent curry. You can make it from scratch using all of the ingredients that I will list. Or, visit your local Asian superstore (loads up Newcastle) who can provide you with a whole host of quality pastes which are really cost effective. Here's how to make 1 quantity of Rendang spice paste. Simple place it all in a food processor and blend until you have a fine paste. Make double the quantity and keep the rest in the freezer.

100g grated coconut
8 red chillies (whole)
2 tbsp coriander seeds (toasted)
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 whole onions
6 cloves garlic
50g fresh ginger

Now the easy bit:

2 tbsp sunflower or groundnut oil
1kg stewing steak (I like chuck steak) cut into large chunks
Rendang spice paste
2 tins of coconut milk
3 lemongrass stalks (whack them with the side of a knife to bruise them)
10 lime leaves or a nice substitute if you can't find any is to thinly peel a lime and place that in. I peel mine and keep it in a jar to dry.
1 tbsp fish sauce or a tsp salt
2 whole cinnamon sticks
1 tbsp tamarind paste
Fresh lime juice
Fresh coriander, roughly chopped

1 - Pre-heat the oven to 160C/GM3. Heat up the oil in a large pan. Quickly brown the meat all over until golden. Add the paste and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
2 - Pour in the coconut milk, lemongrass, lime leaves or peel, cinnamon sticks, tamarind paste and fish sauce or salt. Bring to the simmer then pour into a casserole dish. Place on the middle shelf and cook for 2 hours, checking halfway through that it has not cooked dry. Add a little water if it is looking dry.
3 - Once cooked, remove the cinnamon sticks, lemongrass and lime peel. Taste for seasoning - you should have a salty, sweet, hot and sour sauce. Add lime juice and fish sauce/salt accordingly.
4 - Serve with plain boiled rice and fresh coriander. In my photo, I've served it with a simple cucumber salad which is deseeded, peeled and chopped cucumber tossed with lime juice, fish sauce, chopped red chilli and fresh coriander.

Braised Red Cabbage

Currently cooking in my oven ready for tomorrow's Festive feast, braised red cabbage is one of my favourite accompaniments. Sweet and savoury, it goes so well with everything, from your traditional turkey, goose or duck to simple pan fried sausages.

The key is to get the spices, sugar and vinegar correct so that you get a mouthful of sweet and savoury rather than top heavy on one or the other. Then simply place it in a low oven for a couple of hours. It can then be eaten straight from the pot or put aside and reheated for another day. Lovely.

Braised Red Cabbage

1 small red cabbage or half a large red cabbage, cored and sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 apples, cored and sliced
4 tbsp soft brown sugar
4 tbsp cider or red wine vinegar
5 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Salt and pepper
50g butter

1 - Pre-heat the oven to 160C/GM3.
2 - Put all of the ingredients except for the butter into a large casserole dish and stir well. Bring to the heat on the hob.
3 - Dot with the butter and place on the middle shelf of the oven. Cook for 2 to 2 and a half hours, checking each hour to see that it isn't cooking dry. if so, add a splash of water and stir.

Mushroom and Parsnip Soup with Peely Crisps

This is a simple soup with a classy finish. Don't throw away those spud peelings; simply heat up a little vegetable or sunflower oil in a pan and add the peelings for a minute or two until golden brown. These can then be placed on top of the soup for that 'restaurant' touch!

Mushroom and Parsnip Soup with Peely Crisps
Feeds 4

300g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
3 medium parsnips, peeled and diced
1 litre chicken stock, fresh or made from cube
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt or double cream

To make the peely crisps:
In a small pan, pour in 2 inches of sunflower or vegetable oil. Heat up and test it is ready by dropping in a piece of potato peel. If it is ready, it will fizz and rise to the surface. Add the rest of the peel and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring with a slotted spoon until crisp and and golden. Remove and place onto kitchen roll, season with a little salt and set aside until ready.

To make the soup:
1 - In a deep pan, heat the oil and add the mushrooms. Stir through until they begin to soften, then add the onion and garlic and cook until softened.
2 - Add the potatoes and parsnips along with the chicken stock. Bring to the boil then simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the parsnips and potato are soft.
3 - Use a hand blender or pour into a blender and whizz until the vegetables are thoroughly combined. Taste for seasoning and then stir in the Greek yoghurt or double cream.
4 - Serve in deep bowls with a pile of the peel crisps.

Beef and Root Vegetable Rosti Pie

Beef and Root Vegetable Rosti Pie
Feeds 4

This is adapted from Nigel Slater's Eat.

For the filling:
1 tbsp sunflower or olive oil
500g stewing beef, cubed
Salt and pepper
1 onion, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
5 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
1 tbsp plain flour (I use gluten free)
500ml beef stock (either fresh or made from a cube)

For the topping:
1 small swede, grated
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 potato, peeled and grated
50g butter, melted
1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 - Pre-heat the oven to 160C/GM3
2 - In a large non-stick pan, heat up the oil. Season the beef and quickly brown in the pan. Add the sliced onion, carrots and garlic and soften.
3 - Stir in the flour then add the stock. Bring to the simmer and then pour into a pie or gratin dish.
4 - For the topping, mix together the grated vegetables in a large bowl with the melted butter, mustard and salt and pepper. Top the pie filling then cover the dish with foil.
5 - Place on the middle shelf and cook for 2 hours. Remove the foil and cook for a further 30 minutes until the top is golden and crunchy.