Paella

A classic spanish dish with a variety of ingredients which will fill anyone up.

Serves 4


1 Onion chopped
100g Chorizo, chopped
1 tsp Tumeric
300g Rice
150g Frozen Peas
1/2 packs of seafood mix
3 chicken breasts, diced
800ml Chicken/Fish Stock

1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Fry the onions until softened.

2. Add the chicken and fry until there is no more pink. Then add the chorizo and as its being being fried, it will release the oils.

3. Add the tumeric and rice to the frying pan and coat with the oils from the chorizo.

4. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Make sure that its being stirred occasionally.

5. After 5 minutes and add the frozen peas and cook for a few minutes.

6. Just before the rice is cooked add the seafood mix to the pan and heath through for 2 minutes. Season and add lemon wedges.

Chicken Pilaf

This dish may not look glamorous but is a great midweek meal, only need one pan and contains about 2 of your 5 a day. Healthy food and less washing up!

Serves 2

1 Medium Onion, finely sliced
2 Chicken Breasts, cut into chunks
2 Tbsp Korma curry pasta
1 1/2 Mug of Basmati rice, washed
2 Mugs of frozen vegetables
1 Mug of frozen spinach
2 Mugs of chicken stock
1 tsp dried coriander

1. Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Fry the onions until soft. Throw in the chicken and fry until the chicken changes colour.

2. Add the curry paste and the rice to the pan. Cook for a minute.

3. Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Once boiling reducing the heat and let it simmer. Cook for 10 minutes then add the frozen vegetables. Cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the frozen spinach and coriander, cook for another 5 minutes.

3. The liquid should have reduced and the rice would have cooked. Make sure while cooking this that you stir regularly otherwise it will stick to the pan. Season and serve.

Sausages in a Cider Gravy

I absolutely love cider and wanted to put it in one of my meals. The combination of pork sausages, apples and cider make a tasty meal.

Serves 4:

8 good quality pork sausages
1 Medium white onion, cut into wedges
2 Apples (Cox, braeburn, any eating apples)
    cored and cut into wedges
2 tbp redcurrant jelly
100 ml of Vegetable Stock
200ml of Cider
2 tsp French mustard
1 tsp Sage
Vegetable Oil

1. Heat oil in a frying pan. Poke holes in the sausage with a fork and fry them in the pan for 5 minutes. Turning them regularly.

2. Add the onions to the pan and fry these until soft and golden. After this throw in the apples and fry these until they begin to colour.

3. Make the 100ml mixture of vegetable stock (using either powdered or cubed stock), add the 200ml of cider to the mixture. Stir in the mustard and redcurrant jelly. Pour into the frying pan. Let the mixture boil and then reduce the heat.

4. Add the sage. Let the mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes. The sausages should be cooked and the gravy would have thickened. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Little Extra: Guacamole (V)

This goes well with the beef enchilada recipe.

4 Avocados
Fresh Coriander, roughly copped
2 tomtoes, chopped
1 green chilli, de seeded and chopped
2 tbsp Water
1 lime, juice and zest
1 Onion, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper

1. Fry off the onions until softened.

2. Mash the ripe avocado in a bowl. Mix the rest of the ingredients.

Beef Bourguignon

This is a traditional French dish which is lovely to make for Sunday lunch/dinner. Its really easy to do as you just throw everything into the pot and leave it to cook in the oven. One of my favourite dishes!

Serves 4:

• 600g Beef (You can either get it chopped up into cubes already or get the stewing steaks and cut them up yourself)
• 3 rashers of bacon
• 10 Shallots (Left Whole)
• 300ml Beef Stock
• 8 Mushrooms
• Rosemary (Dried or Fresh)
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 175ml Red Wine

Serving Suggestions:

When I cooked this, I had boiled carrots and broccoli with a couple of slices from baguette. I prefer to use the baguette bread as it soaks up the excess sauce however mash potato would be a good complement the dish. 

1. Preheat the oven to 200c or Gas Mark 6

     2. Take a hob and oven proof dish/pan and heat some oil. Add the shallots and bacon and fry it for a couple of minutes. Chuck in the beef and fry if off until you can't see pink.

     3.Add the flour and stir in until it is evenly covered the contents.

     4. Then pour in the red wine and stock.  Bring this to the boil and the liquid should start to thicken.

     5. Add the mushrooms, rosemary and bay leaves to the dish/pan .

     6. Place the lid over the dish/pan and cook in the oven for an hour and a half. Then your ready to serve.