Dad’s beef, mushroom & mustard pies

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 300g stewing beef, cut into chunks, fatty bits and sinew removed
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp mustard powder
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 500ml beef stock
• 140g chestnut mushroom, quartered
• carrots and broccoli to serve (optional)

For the pastry

• 300g plain flour
• 2 tsp mustard powder
• 100g light suet
• 50g cheddar
• 1 large egg, beaten

Method

1. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 mins. Meanwhile, season the beef and toss with the flour and mustard powder. Push the onions to the edge of the pan and add the beef. Brown the meat, then add the purée and cook for 2 mins more. Add the remaining filling ingredients, except the mushrooms. Season, stir well, then cover and simmer for 2 hrs, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the mushrooms and cook without a lid until the mushrooms are soft and the liquid has reduced to a thick gravy, about 10 mins. Leave to cool while you make the pastry.
3. Tip the flour, mustard powder, suet, cheddar and ½ tsp salt into a food processor. Blitz until there are no visible lumps of suet, then dribble in all but 1 tsp of the egg (you’ll need this for glazing the top) and enough water, 1 tbsp at a time, to bring the mixture together as a dough. Tip onto a floured work surface and knead briefly until smooth. Remove ¼ of the pastry, wrap in cling film and set aside. Divide the remaining pastry into 2 lumps, on a lightly floured surface, roll out to approximately 0.5cm thickness, and use each piece to line a 500ml pie tin, leaving some pastry hanging over the edges. If you want to cook the pies now, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
4. When the filling has cooled down, divide the mixture between the 2 cases. Roll out the remaining pastry and cut out 2 lids to fit, saving the trimmings. Brush the inside edges of each pie with a little egg, then press on the top. Trim the overhanging edges and crimp to seal. Brush the top of the pies with more egg and cut a small air hole in the top of each one. Use the pastry trimmings to decorate.
5. Put the pies on a baking tray, and bake for 45 mins until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is hot. Alternatively, cover the uncooked pies with cling film and freeze for up to 2 months. Cook from frozen at 200C/ 180C fan/gas 6 for 1 hr. Serve with carrots and broccoli, if you like.

Malty choc chip cookies

Malty choc chip cookies

 

Ingredients

• 140g butter, softened
• 50g golden caster sugar
• 100g soft light brown sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 200g plain flour
• 175g malted milk drink powder (we used Horlicks)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• Baking powder
• 100g bar dark chocolate, chopped

Method

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment. Beat the butter and sugars in a bowl until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
2. Add the flour, malted milk drink powder, baking powder and a good pinch of salt, then stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a dough. Tip out onto the work surface and gently knead in the chocolate. Divide the mixture into 20 pieces, roughly the size of a whole walnut. Roll each piece into a ball and place on the baking trays, leaving plenty of room for the cookies to spread. Flatten each ball slightly with your hand.
3. Bake for 10-12 mins until starting to turn golden brown on the edges. Remove from the oven, leave on the baking tray for 5 mins to cool slightly then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Will keep in a cake tin or cookie jar for up to 5 days.

 

Baked almond, banana & blueberry cheesecake

 

Ingredients

For the base

• 50g butter, plus a little for greasing
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 75g oatcakes, finely crushed to crumbs
• 40g ground almond

For the topping

• 2 bananas
• 2 x 250g tubs ricotta
• 150g pot natural bio yogurt
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp ground almonds
• 140g blueberries

Method

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and lightly grease a 20cm round non-stick springform cake tin. Melt the butter and syrup in a pan, then stir in the oatcakes and almonds until well mixed and coated. Press firmly into the base of the tin to make a compact layer, then bake for 10 mins. Remove from the oven and increase it to 240C/220C fan/gas 9.
   
2. To make the filling, mash the bananas in a large bowl. Add the ricotta, yogurt, eggs, syrup, vanilla and almonds, and beat with a wooden spoon until everything is very well mixed. Pour onto the base, scatter over the blueberries and bake for 10 mins, then turn the oven down to 110C/90C fan/gas 1 /4 and cook for 30-35 mins more. It should still have a bit of wobble in the middle when you gently shake the tin. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside to cool and set. Chill before serving.
   

 

Rainbow orzo salad

Rainbow orzo salad

 

Ingredients

• 2 pepper, different colours if you like, deseeded and sliced
• 1 red onion, cut into thin wedges
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 6 cherry tomato, halved
• 25g orzo pasta
• 25g feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 tbsp roughly chopped basil

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the peppers and onion in a roasting tin and drizzle with half the oil. Roast for 20 mins, adding the tomatoes for the final 5 mins. Leave to cool.
2. Cook the orzo following pack instructions, then run under cold water to cool before draining thoroughly. Toss with the vegetables, the remaining oil, the feta and basil. Will keep in the fridge for a few days.

 

Watermelon & spinach super salad

 

Ingredients

• 100g quinoa
• 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• ½ small watermelon, skin and seeds removed, cut into chunks
• 80g baby spinach
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
• ½ small pack mint, finely chopped
• 50g feta, crumbled
• juice 1 lime
• 1 punnet salad cress

Method

1. Rinse the quinoa, then put it in a pan with a fitted lid and cover with 200ml water. Cook, covered, over a medium heat for 15 mins or until fluffy and the water has been absorbed. Don’t worry if it catches on the bottom at little. Fork through to separate the grains , then leave to cool.
2. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over a medium heat and toast the pumpkin seeds for 1 min or until they start to pop. Tip into a serving bowl or on a platter with the watermelon, spinach, avocado, mint and feta. Toss through the quinoa , then squeeze over the lime juice with a pinch of seasoning. Top with the cress and serve.

 

Salade Niçoise

 

Ingredients

• 450g/1lb fresh tuna or 4 x 175g/6oz tuna steaks, 2.5cm/1in thick
• 8 new potatoes, cooked and quartered lengthways
• 4 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 115g/4oz extra fine French beans, topped, cooked and drained
• 4 little gem lettuce hearts, quartered lengthways
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 4 eggs, cooked for 6 minutes in boiling water from room temperature, halved
• 6 anchovy fillets cut lengthways into thin strips
• 16 pitted black olives in brine
• 8 basil leaves, ripped

For the dressing or marinade

• 105ml/7tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp aged red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp freshly snipped chives
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Method

1. To make the dressing or marinade whisk together the red wine vinegar, olive oil, parsley, chives, garlic, salt and pepper.
3. Place the tuna in a shallow dish and pour over half of the dressing. Cover and chill for 1-2 hours to allow the fish to marinate. Toss in the marinade from time to time.
5. Heat a ridged griddle pan on the hob or a hot barbecue for 5 minutes. Remove the tuna from the marinade. Cook the tuna steaks for 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on how rare you like your fish.
7. Lay the lettuce leaves onto a large plate and add the lettuce, onion, tomatoes, potato, tuna, beans and anchovies. Drizzle over the remaining dressing then finish by adding the eggs, olives and ripped basil leaves.