The original recipe for the steak and ale filling is from the BBC food website (I have adapted here from this pie recipe) and the cobbler originally comes from this recipe.

Ingredients

For the filling

1 kg/2lb 4oz braising steak, cut into matchbox-sized pieces

3 tbsp plain flour

salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

300ml/ 1/2 pint brown ale (I used Guinness)

2 garlic cloves

2 onions

250g/ 9oz carrots

1 fresh or dried bay leaf

handful fresh thyme sprigs

300ml/ 1/2 pint good quality beef stock (I used a Knorr beef stock pot)

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

250g button mushrooms

For the cobbler

200g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp mixed herbs
2 tsp oil
150ml plain, unsweetened yoghurt

Method

1. Mix the beef with the flour and some salt and pepper. An easy way to do this without making too much mess is to put everything into a large food bag, seal, then shake well.

2. Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a large heatproof casserole up to a medium heat, then add half of the beef, shaking off the excess flour and keeping the chunks well-spaced so they fry rather than sweat. The original recipe says to brown for about 10 minutes, but it didn’t take that long so just cook until golden-brown all over.

3. Transfer the first batch of meat to a bowl, then add a splash of brown ale or water to the pan and scrape up any meaty bits. Tip the liquid into the bowl of meat. Wipe out the pan with some kitchen paper, then add a tablespoon of oil and brown the second batch of beef. When the beef is golden-brown transfer it to the bowl and set aside. Repeat until all the beef is cooked.

4. Chop the garlic, onion, and carrots into chunky pieces. Add the final spoon of oil to the pan and heat gently. Add the vegetables and herbs to the pan and fry to soften for a few minutes.

5. Put the beef back into the pan. Pour in the stock and brown ale, then add the tomato purée and balsamic vinegar. If necessary, add a little more stock or hot water to ensure the meat is covered in liquid (this will prevent the beef from drying out). Bring to the boil then cover and simmer the stew for 1-1½ hours until the beef is almost tender and the sauce has thickened. Chop the mushrooms in half and then add about half an hour in, stirring well.

6. The original recipe then says to set aside to cool, overnight if possible. But we wanted to have this for dinner (and I hadn’t started it early enough) so I just put some of it into an oven proof dish whilst making the cobbler. Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas mark 6.

7. Make the cobbler dough by sifting plain flour and baking powder into a bowl. Mix in the herbs. Make a well in the centre and pour in the oil and yoghurt, bringing it all together to make a soft, but not sticky dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and cut into rounds, and then place them on top of the meat.

8. Cook in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the cobbler is golden brown. Enjoy!

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I was surprised to discover that I have not blogged about what is one of our staple meals – this yummy spaghetti bolognese. It probably isn’t the most authentic recipe but we love it! It doesn’t include carrots or celery (I really don’t like celery) so kids seem to like it a lot! Great for a weekday or a weekend, you can make a huge batch and freeze the rest.

Ingredients

Olive oil
2 medium brown onions, finely chopped
800g-1kg lean beef mince
Black pepper
Mixed herbs
Henderson’s relish (optional – you could add a dash of tobasco)
Bouillon (or veg stock cube)
1 tbsp Bisto gravy granules (or a crumbled beef OXO cube)
Red wine
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tins chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 red peppers, chopped
250g chopped field mushrooms

Method

1. Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions, cooking until softened. Add the beef mince and cook until browned.

2. Season with black pepper, and add the herbs, Henderson’s relish, bouillon, gravy granules and as much red wine as you like!

3. Add the garlic, chopped tomatoes and tomato puree and leave to simmer for around 10 minutes.

4. Add the peppers and leave to simmer again before adding the mushrooms. Stir well and leave to simmer again until the veg is cooked.

5. You could serve with pasta, a jacket potato or make a lasagne. Freeze the rest in portions and you can enjoy it again and again!

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This recipe is from Delia Smith, which I found on her website. It’s so easy to make! You’ll need three 1lb (350ml) capacity jars, which should be sterilised before you fill them.

Ingredients

Grated zest and juice of 4 large lemons
4 eggs
12oz (350g) golden caster sugar
8oz (225g) unsalted butter, left at room temperature and cut into small cubes1 level dessert spoon of cornflour

Method

1. Whisk the eggs in a medium sized pan before adding the rest of the ingredients.

2. Place on a medium heat and whisk continuously with a balloon whisk until the mixture starts to thicken. This takes about 7-8 minutes.

3. Next, lower the heat and let the curd simmer for another minute, continuing to whisk.

4. Pour the curd into the hot, sterilised jars – fill them up as full as you can, and cover with wax disks (I used circles of greaseproof paper) and seal them quickly.

5. When the jars have cooled, label and store in a cool place.

Once opened, keep the lemon curd in the fridge. You should eat it within a month of opening (which shouldn’t be a problem as it tastes so good!). The stored jars should be eaten within a few weeks.

Post updated 8th November 2019.

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Another of the new recipes that we have tried out this week is Nigella Lawson’s Chicken with Tomatoes and Peppers. This is a super easy recipe to make and it’s really tasty, and you could cook it on a school night which is always great! I also think that leftovers would make an excellent lunch too, or just pop it in the freezer for another day. We served this with orzo pasta, but it would go well with green veg or some crusty bread.

The original recipe states that you should use chicken thigh fillets – we couldn’t find any but bought thighs with the bones. Tom spent ages (and I mean ages!) removing the meat from the bones before cooking, and he has told me to say ‘Do not do this!’ Either cook the chicken with the bone, or use breast fillets – but trying to remove the meat from the bone is really more hassle than it is worth! We couldn’t find a jar of flame-roasted peppers in our local supermarket, so roasted a couple of red pointed sweet peppers instead.

Ingredients (serves 3-4)

1 x 15ml tablespoon garlic oil
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
500g chicken thigh fillets, cut into bitesize pieces
1 tsp dried oregano
2 x 15ml tablespoons marsala
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes, plus water to rinse out can
1 tsp sea salt flakes, or 1/2 tsp pouring salt
1 x 290g jar (190g drained weight) flame roasted red peppers (or use 2 peppers and roast yourself)

Method

1. If you are roasting peppers, heat the oven and chop the peppers into medium sized pieces. Place on a tray and cover with olive oil before roasting.

2. Pour the garlic oil into a pan and cook the onion until soft, stirring frequently. Add the chicken along with the oregano and turn in the hot pan. Add the marsala and watch it bubble up, before promptly adding the tomatoes and the salt.

3. Half-fill the empty can with water and pour it into the pan, swilling out as much of the tomato as you can.

4. Drain the peppers and snip with scissors into bitesize pieces (or remove your roasted peppers from the over). Add to the pan and then bring to the boil before turning down the heat and leaving to cook at a steady simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened.

5. As the pan is simmering, cook the orzo pasta. When the pasta is done and the chicken cooked through, serve in bowls or serve straight from the pan at the table. Enjoy!

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