Arancini with Arrabiata Sauce

Such a great way to use up any left over risotto, I usually make more than I need just so I can have this the next day! You can be as ambitious as you like with these.  In there simplest of forms, I’ll just take balls of cold risotto & shallow fry in a pan….

My Favourite Meatball & Stuffing Recipe

Originally based on a Jamie Oliver recipe, I used a variation of this for Christmas and have never looked back. Why make your own sausage meat?  Well, I think the answer is obvious – who know’s what’s hidden inside the supermarket rubbish these days.  By using good quality ingredients you can create the best flavoured…

Tomato & Red Onion Tart

Another great way to use up all of those seasonal tomatoes.  Here I’ve used my 3 favourite varieties – Floridity, Sugar Gloss and Sungold The slow roasting intensifies the flavours and turns this into a real taste of summer For the cheese I’ve used a mix of Cheddar and Parmesan. Make your own Puff Pastry…

Brown Tom

This is a variation of an old family recipe that makes excellent use of all of those ripe tomatoes at this time of the year. A really simple and frugal dish that makes the most of one of my seasonal favourites. Serves 4 Ingredients 100g Pancetta, chopped 1 Red Onion, diced Pinch of Salt 2…

Leek, Mushroom & Pancetta Roly Poly

Not just for jam, suet pastry makes a great savoury roly poly too, and this recipe has a very comforting seasonal filling Pre-cooking the leek, mushroom and pancetta means the filling won’t be too wet and the pastry will stay in one piece once baked.  As the filling is quite dry and the dough quite stretchy,…

Pumpkin & Pancetta Risotto

Risotto di Zucca, Pumpkin Risotto is an Italian classic using the colours and flavours of autumn to make what is possibly my favourite risotto of the year.  The addition of pancetta  brings an extra dimension and makes this dish really special You need to use a pumpkin which will start to break down into a…

Coconut Rice & Beans

A nice spin on ‘rice and peas’ which accompanies Caribbean dishes very well.  When you get everything into the pan you’ll be wondering what you’ve done wrong – it looks like a rather odd pudding rice dish, but have faith & do not stir!!! Warning!!! Do not stir this dish – it will break up…

Jerk Pork

A perfect dish for a slow roasted shoulder of pork.  After several hours all of that fat has just melted away to leave the most succulent meat.  This ‘pulls’ really well and makes for a good family ‘help yourself’ Sunday dinner.  Any left-overs go great in sandwiches or salads, but combined with any left over…

Chicken & Mushroom Vindaloo

Using exactly the same principles as the Chicken Balti, this Chicken & Mushroom Vindaloo gives a very different effect.  Not one for the feint hearted, but you can scale back on the chillies… Serves 2-3 Ingredients 2 Medium Potatoes, peeled & chopped (New potatoes or waxy varieties are best) 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil 100g Chestnut…

Raised Vegetable and Barley Pie

I’d been planing to cook a Christmas Pie for our veggie dinner for some time, and came across an old article in something like the Good Food magazine which looked like a promising avenue of inspiration. Although this did for the basis of my recipe, there were one or two elements  didn’t like, or in…

Swedish Meatballs

Over Christmas I came across an article written by Daniel Gritzer – it’s clear that this guy is serious about reproducing the iconic Swedish Meatball and he set about taking a scientific approach to establish his own perfect recipe.  I can’t really take much of the credit for this one – I was keen to follow…

Chestnut Falafel

These were just an amazing vegetarian alternative for the festive season.  One batch serve as a veggie main course when the carnivores tucked into their turkey, these went down so well I cooked them again as a mix and match option to serve with a batch of meatballs and a vegetable daal.  This recipe has…

Yorkshire Leek & Onion Soup

This is a simple alternative to that French classic, using fresh leeks and onions harvested from the garden.  This is a soup you just can’t rush – the flavours come from the slow sweating of the onions and leeks, allowing the sweet flavours to develop without overcooking. This is a vegetarian version which gives a…

Pumpkin and Mushroom Lasagne

I’d planned to make up a batch of ‘normal’ lasagne based around a rich beef ragu and béchamel sauce, but also wanted to make a vegetarian alternative.  I love to make my own pasta and knocking up a full 3 egg batch would make enough for both dishes so knocked up the beef version and left…

Bacon, Sweetcorn and Pepper Risotto

Courgettes are a regular ‘problem’ for me every summer – always more than I can cope with so I’m always looking for great ways of using them up.  Every year it’s the same.  But never before have I been in the situation I find myself this year – too much sweetcorn! I grow sweetcorn every…

Chicken Kung Poa

I think I’ve mentioned before that we a blessed with a superb local Cantonese restaurant in Haxby.  Many times I’ve tried to cook Chinese food but although it’s usually good, it regularly fail to meet the standards I’ve come to expect from Paddyfields.  Their Kung Poa Chicken is one of my favourites, and yet again…

Spicy Lentil, Chickpea and Sweetcorn Soup

It’s official – Summer is well and truly over. It’s only 23rd of August 2014 but I’m seriously thinking about switching on the central heating.  It’s only my skinflint Yorkshire roots holding me back, so I’m in need of an alternative central heating.  This is a really simple and flavoursome soup which can be turned…

Special Mushroom, Celeriac and Walnut Lasagne

For my vegetarian Christmas celebration, I opted for one of my favourites – lasagne, this time made with rich layers of mushroom, herby celeriac and creamy cheese sauce, along with the obligatory home made pasta sheets.  Of course you could use shop bought pasta, but making your own is really simple. It’s a 3 pan,…

Italian Slow Roast Shoulder of Pork

Shoulder of Pork is another ‘cheap’ cut of meat which lends itself to slow cooking.  Treated properly, this can make the most amazing roast dinner, requiring very little effort once it’s gone in the oven.  The fatty layers mean the meat does’t need basting as it cooks, and doesn’t need covering.  The Italian spin from…

How to Roast a Turkey

So you’ve bought your turkey – hopefully a free range, hand raised bird from your local farm shop like mine which you know will have the best of flavours.  If so, you’ve probably just collected it a day or so before it’s needed.  If you’ve gone to the supermarket, your turkey is probably frozen.  Make…