Pan Hash

You will Need

potatoes cut into small cubes
onion chopped and sliced
olive oil (or chilli oil)
optional
ingredients 		chorizo (chopped)
corned beef
Cheddar cheese chunks
other left-overs from fridge

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan.
  2. Add the potatoes and stir over a medium high heat until all the cubes are coated in fat.  Turn the heat down low, cover with a lid and cook gently for about 20 mins, stirring frequently to avoid the potato sticking to the pan base.
  3. Turn the heat back up to medium and remove the lid.  Add the onions and fry gently until they are soft (chorizo that needs to be cooked can also be added at this point).
  4. Add the final ingredients (depends on what is in the cupboard/fridge) and cook through.
  5. Serve hot with plenty of salt & pepper.

Roast Vegetables

You will Need

root vegetables potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, beetroot, onions, etc.
peeled and cut into similar sized pieces
2 tbsp lard or Trex
2 tbsp olive oil
Optional
ingredients 		lemon juice
vinegar

Method

Put the lard and oil onto a large shallow baking tray, and put to heat in the oven at 200°C.  The oil gives good flavour, but the lard or Trex gets it hotter and helps them crisp up.  If you intend to use a tablespoon or two of the lemon juice or vinegar, add this at the same time.

Peel and part cook the vegetables.  (Strictly speaking you don’t need to part-cook the veg, but it speeds up the cooking and makes them crunchier.)  You can part-cook either in the microwave or by boiling the veg (not onions) for a short period.  In either case make sure that you toss the part cooked veg to “fluff” the edges - this is what will make it crispier.

Tip the veg into the hot oil and make sure it is coated, then put back in the oven.  Cook for a further 45 mins, turning the veg within the fat halfway through.

Salmon and Herby Potato Coulibiacs

Coulibiac: A Russian style fish pie.

Ingredients (makes 2 pies)

600 g potatoes, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
100 ml double cream
100 ml crème fraiche
4 tbsp freshly chopped dill
4 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
zest of one lemon
2 packs all-butter puff pastry
flour (for dusting)
650 g side of salmon, skinned and boned, cut crossways into 3 cm slices then in half to make fingers
1 egg, beaten

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 180℃.
  2. Par boil the potato slices for 2-3 mins, drain and set aside in a large bowl.
  3. Gently fry the onion in the oil for 10 mins until golden. Allow to cool slightly.
  4. Stir in the cream, crème fraiche, herbs, zest and plenty of seasonings. Pour over the potatoes and mix gently.
  5. Roll out one of the packs of pastry, to about 35cm x 35cm. Lay on a large baking sheet.
  6. Pack a quarter of the potato mix down one side of the pastry, leaving a 5cm border.
  7. Arrange half the salmon on top, then cover with another quarter of the potato mix.
  8. Brush the pastry all round with beaten egg and fold over the pastry. Trim the edges and crimp with your fingers, or seal with a fork. Make or mark a decorative fish on the top.
  9. Do the same with the other pastry and remaining ingredients.
  10. Chill for 30 minutes then brush the pastries all over with beaten egg.
  11. Bake for 40 minutes.
Leave to rest for 10 mins if serving hot or can serve cold.

Stew and Dumplings

You need

3 potatoes
2 carrots
½ turnip
1 or 2 onions
500 g beef (stewing steak), cubed
1 tsp herbs
1 beef stock cube
2 tbsp pearl barley (optional)
50 g suet
100 g self-raising flour
pinch salt

Method

  1. Toss the beef in a little flour to coat it.
  2. Chop all the vegetables into bit sized pieces and layer them with the beef.
  3. Mix up a stock cube with boiling water and just cover the veg. and meat with the stock.
  4. Add the herbs (and pearl barley, if desired).
  5. Bring to boiling point, then cover reduce to a simmer for at least an hour.  Check occasionally to ensure that it doesn't burn.
  6. Make up the dumplings by mixing the suet, flour and salt with just enough cold water to clump it all together.
  7. Toss into the liquid and allow to simmer for 15 mins.

Makes loads.  Also, tastes better the next day!

Cheesy Veg. Pie

Very, very easy.  The only thing to remember is to thaw out any frozen or chilled ingredients beforehand.  Although things like frozen peas and corn can be added directly to the boiling water.

Ingredients

1 packet flaky pastry, at room temperature 
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
½ litre milk
lots of grated cheese
assorted veg. defrosted/peeled/chopped into bite sized pieces
(peas, corn, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, potato etc.)

Method

  1. Prepare all the veg. depending on the types chosen.  Peel and chop potato, carrots, etc. into bite sized pieces.  Chop up broccoli or cauliflower and the like into florets.  Defrost frozen peas and sweetcorn and so on.
  2. Simmer the veg. in a pan of salted water until lightly cooked. This can all be done in the same pan if tipped in at different times (e.g. root veg first, then florets, then smaller podded veg). Drain the veg.
  3. Make a cheese sauce, by melting the butter in a pan and cooking the flour in it. Then, add the milk slowly, mixing all the time to avoid lumps. Finally, add in the cheese and stir until smooth.
  4. Pour the drained veg. into the sauce and stir well. Tip into a casserole dish
  5. Roll out the pastry to roughly fit the top of the casserole. Score 2 or 3 short lines through the pastry in the centre to allow the steam out, then place on top of the cheesy veg mixture
  6. Bake for 20 to 25 mins at 200°C