Cottage Pie

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp mixed herbs

500g beef mince

1 courgette, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

1 tin of tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato puree

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1 cup of beef stock made with 1 oxo cube

black pepper

3 large potatoes, peeled & chopped

2 handfuls of grated cheese

splash of milk

black pepper

knob of butter

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C or Gas Mark 4.
2. Boil the potatoes in a pan until soft.
3. Heat the oil in another large pan and gently fry the beef mince, once beginning to brown add the onion, garlic, herbs and courgettes. Continue cooking until the onions are soft.
4. Add the carrots, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, chilli flakes and beef stock and season with black pepper as necessary and stir well.
5. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the carrots and nicely cooked through.
6. Once the potatoes are cooked, add the butter, milk and a handful of cheese to the pan and mash the potatoes until smooth and creamy. Season with black pepper.
7. Place the beef sauce into the bottom of an oven proof dish and top with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle the remainder of the grated cheese on top on the potatoes and heat in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is golden on top.

Serve with some fresh green vegetables.

Slow Cooked Cauliflower Curry

I have been looking for creative ways to cook cauliflower and make it more interesting, as neither my partner or little boy seem to want to eat it steamed or as cauliflower cheese, so what could be more interesting than an self-invented cauliflower curry!

Ingredients:

Cauliflower Curry ready to slow cook

Cauliflower, chopped into florets

2 large potatoes, chopped into inch cubes

sweet potato, chopped into inch cubes

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

onion, chopped finely

tin of chick peas

2 tomatoes, chopped

100g red lentils

2 tsps ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

2 tbsp mango chutney

1 tbsp dried coriander

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp mustard

1 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp garam masala

1 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

1 tin of coconut milk

1/2 cup of water

Method:

1. Place all the ingredients into the slow cooker, mix together well.
2. Cook on low heat in the slow cooker for 4-5 hours.

Serve with rice or couscous.

Chorizo, Chilli & Chickpea Casserole

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped finely

1 pepper, sliced

1 clove of garlic, chopped finely

1 tsp chilli flakes

225g chorizo (Optional for vegetarian option)

1 can of chopped tomatoes

1 can of chickpeas

Rocket leaves

Fresh basil leaves for garnish

Method:

1. Fry an onion over a medium heat for a few minutes.
2. Add the pepper, garlic and chilli flakes and cook for a few minutes.
3. Chop and stir in the chorizo.
4. Add a can of chopped tomatoes and chickpeas.
5. Simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Stir in rocket leaves.
7. Garnish with basil.

Serve with rice and/or naans.