Chive & Mint Potato Salad

A dish that is great to go with a BBQ or as part of a fork buffet.

Ingredients:

2kg new potatoes
2 red onions, sliced thinly
bunch of chives, chopped
3 large stalks of mint, chopped
2 tbsps of mayonnaise
3 tbsps of olive oil
pepper
1 tsp of mustard powder

Method:

1. Half the potatoes and place in pan of water, bringing to the boil.
2. Simmer for 20 mins or until soft but firm.
3. Whilst potatoes are cooking, prepare the dressing - place the mayonnaise, olive oil, mustard powder and black pepper in a large bowl and mix well. Add the onions and herbs and mix well.
4. When potatoes are cooked, drain and rinse with cold water.
5. Add the potatoes to the dressing and mix until the potatoes are evenly covered with the dressing.

Serve either warm or chilled as part of a buffet or BBQ.

Vegetarian Herby Bean Hotpot

Ingredients:

4 large potatoes, sliced
2 onions, finely chopped
2 large carrots, sliced
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin of baked beans
1 tin of kidney beans, drained
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp mixed herbs
1 handful of grated cheese
1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Place the sliced potatoes in a pan of boiling water & simmer for 5 minutes to allow the potatoes to soften.
3. Heat the oil gently in a pan & fry the onion softly, until soft.
4. Add the carrots to the pan & fry for a few minutes.
5. Add the tins of tomatoes, baked beans, kidney beans, tomato puree and mixed herbs to the pan with the onion and carrot.
6. Heat the pan until the mixture is simmering, allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Place into the bottom of an oven proof dish and arrange the sliced potatoes on top.
8. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the potatoes.
9. Place in the oven for 30 minutes until the cheese and potatoes on top are golden brown.

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 leek, sliced

2 carrots, chopped

150g mushrooms, chopped

1 clove of garlic, crushed

3 tbsp dried sage (or 3 fresh leaves if available)

3 tbsp dried thyme (or 3 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves only if available)

250g dried green lentils

750ml vegetable stock (made with 1 vegetable OXO cube)

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

200ml red wine

1 tbsp (vegetarian) Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

tbsp olive oil

Topping:

2 large sweet potatoes

2 large potatoes

1 small/medium cauliflower, heads only

large knob of butter

handful of grated cheese

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the leeks, until they begin to soften.
3. Add carrots, mushrooms and garlic, continuing to cook for 4-5 mins, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the herbs, lentils, tinned tomatoes, vegetable stock, red wine, soy sauce & Worcestershire sauce and stir together well.
5. Bring to the boil and allow to simmer on a low heat for 30-40 minutes to thicken slightly.
6. Whilst the filling is simmering, boil the potatoes, sweet potatoes & cauliflower in a pan together for 15 mins until all is soft.
7. Drain the vegetables and add the butter to mash until smooth.
8. Transfer the filling to an oven proof dish and top with the mashed vegetables. Sprinkle the grated cheese on the top.
9. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Cabbage & Leek Potato Skins

Ingredients:

8/9 medium jacket potatoes, pre-cooked & cooled

1 large leek, sliced

several large Savoy cabbage leaves, chopped finely

handful of grated cheese

2 eggs, beaten

olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Halve the jacket potatoes & spoon out the potato insides into a bowl, leaving the skins intact.
3. Gently heat the oil in a pan, add the cabbage & leek to cook gently, stirring constantly.
4. Once the cabbage & leek have softened mix in with the potato.
5. Add the grated cheese & beaten eggs and mix well.
6. Spoon the filling back into the potato skins.
7. Place on a baking tray & bake for 30-40 mins until golden brown.

Great hot or cold for a buffet.

Root Vegetable Pie

Again another real winter warmer...

Ingredients:

Tbsp veg oil

2 onions

1 tbsp thyme

1 large parsnip

3 large carrots

3 medium potatoes

Half a swede
4 tbsps pearl barley

1 heaped tbsp plain flour

1 litre of veg stock (I used 2 veg OXO cubes)

500g puff pastry

Milk or egg to glaze

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Chop onions finely & the other veg into small chunks.
3. Heat oil in a pan.
4. Add the chopped onion & thyme & fry for a few minutes.
5. Add the carrots, parsnips, swede, celery & potato, place the lid on the pan & gently fry for about 10 minutes.
6. Add the flour & mix well to coat the vegetables.
7. Add the pearl barley & stock, again cover the pan & simmer for 15-20 minutes until veg is softening.
8. Place in an oven proof dish or pie dish.
9. Roll the pastry til approx 0.5cm thick & cut to the shape of the dish. 
10. Brush the edges of the pie dish with milk or egg to allow the pastry to stick.
11. Place the pastry on top of the dish & with a fork or your fingers press the edge of the pastry to the dish.
12. Place a small hole in the centre of the pastry & brush with milk or egg to glaze.
13. Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. 

Lentil Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

Topping:

500g potatoes, peeled and chopped

splash of milk

50g butter

few handfuls of grated cheese

salt & pepper

Filling:

1 onion, chopped finely

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1 tbsp thyme

1 bay leaf

300g lentils

2/3 large carrots, chopped

handful of frozen peas

handful of frozen sweetcorn

1 tin of black eyed beans

600ml vegetable stock

splash of Worcester sauce (vegetarian one)

1 tbsp tomato puree

olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Gently fry the onion, garlic & thyme in the oil, until soft.
3. Add a little more oil & the lentils, coating them in the oil.
4. Add the vegetable stock, carrots, peas, sweetcorn, black eyed beans, bay leaf, Worcester sauce & tomato puree, mix well.
5. Bring to the simmer, with the lid on the pan simmer for 20-30 mins until the carrots are soft & lentils are cooked but not too mushy.
6. Whilst the lentils are simmering, prepare the potatoes & boil them in a pan of boiling water until soft.
7. Mash the potatoes with the butter, milk and a handful of cheese. Add the seasoning to taste.
8. Place the lentil filling into the bottom of an ovenproof dish and top with the mashed potato.
9. On top sprinkle another handful of grated cheese.
10. Place in the oven for about 30 mins or until the topping is golden brown.

Serve with a green salad or crusty bread.

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.

Vegetable Cottage Pie

Ingredients:

Topping:

1kg potatoes

75g butter

75g grated cheese

Filling:

175g red lentils

1 leek, sliced

1 onion, chopped finely

500ml boiling water

vegetable stock cube

2 tomatoes, chopped finely

1tsp mixed herbs

4 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200C or Gas Mark 6.
2. Chop the potatoes into chunks and place in a pan. Fill pan with boiling water and boil for ~20 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
3. Mash the potatoes with the butter and cheese.
4. Melt 50g butter in a pan (with a lid) on a low/medium heat and then add the leeks and onion. Stir for ~10 minutes or until soft.
5. Mix the stock cube with the boiling water to create a vegetable stock.
6. Add the lentils to the pan and coat with the melted butter before adding the stock. Place the lid on the pan and bring to the boil, lower the heat to simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid has all been absorbed or evaporated. 
7. Mix the chopped tomatoes, herbs and lemon juice into the lentil stew.
8. Place the lentil mix into the bottom of a large casserole dish and top with the mashed potato.
9. Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.

Bacon & Cheese Potato Skins

Bacon & Cheese Potato Skins

Ingredients:

4 large baking potatoes

150g Raclette cheese, grated (Raclette cheese is difficult to get your hands on in the UK but any flavourful cheese will do, mature cheddar, edam etc)

150g bacon lardons

1 egg, beaten

black pepper

chilli flakes

oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to Gas Mark 6 or 200C.
2. Brush oil over the potato skins and pierce. 
3. Place onto a baking tray and bake the potatoes in the oven for an hour turning in the middle so that their skins are crispy and centre is soft.
4. Allow the potatoes to cool a little before halving the potatoes and spooning out the potato flesh, leaving approximately 0.5cm of potato flesh around the skin.
5. Fry the bacon until crispy.
6. Mix together well the spooned out potato with the 3/4 of the grated cheese, crispy bacon, black pepper, chilli flakes and beaten egg so that it makes a thick but gooey mix.
7. Spoon this back into the potato skins and sprinkle the left over cheese on top of each potato.
8. Bake in the oven for another 15-20 minutes until the cheese has turned golden brown on top.

Serve with baked beans or a green salad to make a delicious meal.

Spinach & Potato Bake

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

400g small potatoes, cubed

half a medium swede, cubed

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, chopped finely

150g spinach

1 vegetable stock cube

150g grated cheese

Sausages (Optional)

Method:

1. Chop all the vegetables.
2. Preheat oven to Gas 5 or 190C.
3. Add the swede and potatoes to a pan of boiling water and simmer for 15 mins.
4. Add 200ml of boiling water to another small pan with the stock cube, onion and garlic, also simmer for 15 mins.
5. In the microwave but the spinach onto a plate and cook for 1 minute at full power, so that it wilts.
6. Drain potatoes and swede and place back into the pan with the spinach, half the cheese and the stock mix and mix well.
7. Place into an ovenproof dish and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.
8. Bake in the oven for 30-40 mins or until the cheese is golden.

OPTIONAL: Serve with sausages for those who enjoy meat in their meal!

Colcannon Mash

 

Colcannon Mash

Ingredients:

8 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 knobs of butter

splash of milk or cream

8 leaves of Savoy cabbage, shredded

black pepper

Method:

1. Boil potatoes until soft.
2. Whilst the potatoes are boiling on a gentle heat melt a knob of butter in a pan and gently fry and soften the cabbage.
3. Drain the potatoes and the other knob of butter, pepper and a splash of milk as necessary.
4. Mash until light and fluffy. 
5. Mix in the cabbage.

Serve with a nice stew, a roast or sausages and gravy :) and most of all ENJOY!!

Pesto Potato Skins

Ingredients:

4 large potatoes

2 tbsp pesto

1 egg

200g cheese, grated

Oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to Gas 6 or 200C.
2. Brush potatoes with oil and place in the oven for 45-60 mins.
3. Once the potatoes are cooked through cut them in half and spoon out the middle leaving about half a centimetre of potato around the edge.
4. Mix the potato, half of the cheese, egg and pesto together in a bowl.
5. Spoon into the potato skins and put back in the oven for 20-30 mins until golden brown.

Serve with baked beans or vegetables.