Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:
1kg fillet steak, membrane removed, cut into thin strips
225g button mushrooms
275g small onions, sliced
75g clarified butter, otherwise unsalted butter
1 teaspoon cornflour
275ml sour cream
2 teaspoons French mustard
6 tablespoons coarsely chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Season the meat with a generous amount of black pepper. Set aside in a
cool place. Wipe mushrooms if necessary, slice each one in half. Put 2
tablespoons of the sour cream into a small bowl, and add the cornflour.
Mix until creamy and well blended. All these preparations, including the
cooking of the onions and mushrooms can be done ahead of time.
About 30 minutes before serving, melt half the butter in a large
frying-pan over low heat. Add the sliced onions and cook until slightly
softened.
Add mushrooms and increase the heat to medium.
Cook, stirring frequently for about five minutes, until the vegetables are golden but not browned.
Lift the vegetables out of the pan and keep warm.
Increase the heat to high, add the rest of the butter and let it become hot. Once hot, add the strips of beef. Cook for 3-4 minutes, turning and keeping the centre of the meat medium rare.
Reduce heat and return vegetables to pan. Cook, stirring, until all the ingredients are mixed through. Slowly pour on the sour cream, allowing mixture to get hot.
Turn into a warm serving dish, add chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Serve with mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.

recipe beef stroganoff stroganoff

Steak and kidney pie

Serves 8 - 10

Ingredients :
1 kg Steak diced
500g kidneys diced
2 medium onions chopped
1 teaspoon crushed fresh garlic
2 carrots scraped and diced
2 stalks of celery sliced
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
3 bay leaves
8 – 10 whole black peppercorns
300 mls good red wine
2 chili beef cubes
30 mls olive oil
1 dessert spoon chutney
2 rolls of puff pastry
1 Beaten egg

Method :
Heat the oil in a saucepan and brown the meat in batches. Do not try and brown all the meat at once, it will boil rather than brown. Set aside the meat once it has browned.
Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery and brown that as well.
Add the meat back into the saucepan and pour in the wine – allow to simmer for 30 minutes then add the potatoes. Cook until meat and potatoes are tender.

Roll out half of the pastry to fit a large ovenproof casserole dish allowing the pastry to overlap the sides of the dish.
Ladle the cooled meat mixture into the pastry lined, casserole dish.
Wet the edges of the pastry with some of the beaten egg.
Roll the second roll of pastry and place it over the meat. With a fork, press the edges together and trim off excess pastry. Prick the top layer of pastry to enable the steam to escape.
Finally egg wash the top of the pie and bake in a hot oven (200 degrees C) for 35 mins.

recipe steak and kidney pie cooking

Pork and celery stew

Ingredients :
1 kg of pork
100ml of olive oil
2 medium onions, grated
250ml good, full-bodied white wine
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1½ kg of celery, stalks and leaves
1 bay leaf
salt, pepper to taste

Method :
Clean the celery carefully, removing any sand or grit.
Cut the celery into roughly 5cm (2 inch) pieces and parboil for about 10 minutes in a large pot of boiling water. Add the thicker stalks first and cook them about 5 minutes longer. Drain.
Parboil the pork for about 10 minutes. Drain and dry off the pork.
Brown the pork in batches in a large saucepan with half the oil.
Remove the meat to a plate, add the rest of the oil and brown the onions and garlic over low heat. With a wooden spoon, stir in half the wine, replace the meat, add the tomatoes, bay leaf and salt and pepper and simmer, covered, for about 1 hour.
Add the celery and the rest of the wine and simmer for another hour until both celery and meat are tender.
recipe pork celery stew

Green Beans Bredie (Stew)

Ingredients :
500g mutton (neck, rib or stewing chops)
6 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 onions, coarsely chopped
200ml water
100ml white wine
1 tin of tomato paste
1 tsp brown sugar
1 kg green beans, sliced in 3cm pieces
Salt & White pepper to taste
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 green chilli, seeded and finely chopped
Cooking oil for frying

Method :
In a large saucepan heat the oil and fry the onions until just soft, then add the meat and brown.
When the meat is done add the garlic and chilli and fry for one minute.
Add the water and wine and simmer for an hour.
Add the beans, salt, sugar, white pepper(be generous), tomato and potato.
Simmer until the stew is done — you might have to add a little more water.
Serve with rice and crunchy fresh bread.

recipe green beans stew

Moussaka

Serves 6

Ingredients :
500g minced beef (or lamb)
5 large onions
4 sliced aubergines
1 bay leaf
2T olive oil
Small tin of tomato paste
120g breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 beef stock cube
Salt & pepper to taste
Bechamel sauce

Method :
Bechamel - sauce
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
4 Tablespoons flour
2 cups cold milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
dash of nutmeg
1 teaspoon sugar

Melt the butter in a skillet.
When it has stopped foaming, stir in the flour and cook, while stirring, for 3 minutes, making sure it does not brown.
Whisk in the cold milk, nutmeg, salt, pepper and sugar.
Continuing to stir, cook until thickened.
A little cream may be stirred in for richness.

Cooking and Assembly
Sprinkle the aubergine slices with course sea salt and place in a colander over a bowl, to extract excess liquid which causes bitterness. Leave for about 30 minutes - discard the liquid extracted. Dab dry afterwards, if necessary.
Fry the onions & aubergines in a little olive oil.
Brown the minced meat, then add the bay leaf, beef stock cube and tomato paste.
When cooked, add 60g of the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.
Add the egg and mix in well.
Place the remaining bread crumbs into a greased baking dish and layer alternately with mince and the onions/aubergines, ending with a layer of the onions/aubergines.
Pour béchamel sauce on top and bake at 150C for 30 minutes.

recipe Moussaka Greek bechamel

Savoury corned beef tart

Serves 4

Ingredients :
1 tin corned beef
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
2 cups breadcrumbs
1 onion, chopped
100 ml milk (+/-)
1 egg
1 tomato, chopped
30g margarine
chopped spring onions (optional)

Method:
Fry chopped onions in margarine.
Mix the fried onions with the corned beef (flaked), most of the breadcrumbs, egg, chopped spring onion (optional) and a little milk to give a sticky consistency.
Place half the mixture in a baking dish.
Arrange the hard boiled egg slices and chopped tomato over this.
Add the rest of the corned beef mixture.
Cover with tomato and remaining breadcrumbs.
Bake at 180C for about 45 minutes.

Serve with mashed potato.

recipe Corned Beef tart savoury

Lancashire Hotpot

Ingredients :
900g neck of lamb meat, cubed
1 tbsp cooking oil
butter
4 lamb's kidneys, skinned, cored and cut into bite-sized pieces
3 onions, sliced into 1cm wedges
tbsp plain flour
575ml freshly boiled water
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 fresh bay leaf
2 thyme sprigs
900g potatoes, cut into 2cm slices
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper

Method :
Pre-heat the oven to 170C.
Trim the lamb of any excess fat and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Heat the oil and a small blob of butter in a large heavy-based frying pan until very hot.
Add the lamb, a few pieces at a time, and fry until brown.
Once browned, put them in a large casserole dish.
Brown the pieces of kidney.
Once the meat and kidney are in the casserole, add the onions to the pan. Fry over medium heat, adding a little more butter to the pan if necessary, for about ten minutes until browned at the edges.
Stir in the flour then gradually add the hot water and Worcestershire sauce, stirring until the flour and liquid are smoothly blended.
Season with salt and pepper and bring to simmering point. Pour over the meat in the casserole.
Add the bay leaf and thyme, then arrange the potato slices on top.
Season the potatoes and brush the surface with butter.
Cover with a tight-fitting lid and put in the oven.
Cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Towards the end of cooking time, remove the lid and brush the potatoes with a little more butter.
Leave the the lid off and increase the heat to 200C for the last 15 minutes to get the potato topping golden brown.

recipe Lancashire Hotpot

Hamburgers

Serves 5 to 6.

Ingredients :
600g ground beef mince
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
5ml Worcestershire sauce
5ml tablespoons grated onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons tomato juice
salt and pepper
sliced tomatoes
sliced gherkins
sliced onion
lettuce
sauce of your choice (optional).

Method :
Prepare a grill (or skillet) for high heat.
Combine the beef with bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, grated onion, garlic powder, and tomato juice.
Shape the meat into 5 or 6 large patties.
Sprinkle both sides of burgers lightly with seasoned salt and pepper.
Put burgers on a lightly oiled grill over hot coals (or skillet and grill for about 6 to 8 minutes on each side, or until done as desired.
Serve on split toasted buns with your choice of the sliced vegetables.
Add sauce, if desired.

Optional : Serve with freshly prepared French fries (potato chips)

recipe hamburger

Cooked Gammon (Christmas Ham)

A Christmas Ham is carved from the hind quarter or shoulder of a pig and then is either pickled or smoked. It could be either cooked(boiled) or baked in an oven.

Cooked :
In a large saucepan, cover the ham with water and bring to the boil. Cook for 30 minutes per 500g or until the skin(rind) could be easily peeled off. Allow to cool and remove the skin - retain the removed rind in order to make crackling, if you so wish.
Place the ham back into the liquid and when cooled down, cut a diamond pattern into the fatty layer.
Glaze (see below).

Baked in the oven :
Preheat the oven to 160C.
Place the ham onto a rack in a roasting pan and cover completely with aluminium foil.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes per 500g.
Discard the foil and cut off the skin(rind) - retain the removed rind in order to make crackling, if you so wish.
Cut a diamond pattern into the fatty layer.
Glaze (as described below).

Glazing :
Mix some apricot jam(or honey) with a little lemon juice and add some mustard.
A clove may be inserted into the fat where the diagonals criss-cross(optional).
Coat the entire ham with the glazing mixture and bake in an oven for about half an hour at 160C, or until golden brown.

Simultaneously, the rind could be place in a separate roasting pan (sprinkle with a little cooking oil) and baked until crispy.

recipe Gammon Christmas Ham

Cottage Pie

Ingredients :
1 onion, finely chopped
Vegetable oil
500g minced beef
1 tomato, skinned and finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
10ml Worcestershire sauce
30ml tomato paste
1 extra large egg, beaten
1 slice of bread (crumbed)
60ml smooth cottage cheese
4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
50ml sour cream
50ml grated cheddar cheese
paprika

Method :
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Grease and ovenproof baking dish.
In a saucepan, saute the onions in some oil until soft.
Add the minced beef and stir-fry until done.
Add the tomato and season with salt and pepper.
Add the Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste and mix well.
Remove from the heat and add the breadcrumbs together with the beaten egg and mix through.
Boil the potatoes in salted water until soft, then drain and finely mash. Add the cottage cheese and sour cream to the mashed potato and mix well.
Layer the baking dish with then cooked mince then mashed potato, another layer of mince and ending with a mashed potato topping.Arrange the cheese evenly over the top and then sprinkle with paprika.
Bake in the oven until the topping becomes golden brown.

recipe cottage pie

Chili Con Carne

serves 8 - 10

Ingredients :
1/2 kg ground beef
1 can tomato puree (400ml)
1 can kidney beans (with liquid)
1 can pinto beans (with liquid)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green chilies
1/4 cup diced celery
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoons cumin powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup water

Method :
Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat and drain off the fat.
Using a fork, crumble the cooked beef mince.
In a large pot, combine the beef mince plus all the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring every 15 minutes, for 2 to 3 hours.

recipe chili con carne Mexican

Lasagne

by Janet Anderson

Ingredients :
Meat Sauce :
500 gms lean minced beef
2 onions, diced
1 punnet button mushrooms, sliced
2 stalks of celery, sliced
2 carrots, grated
½ green pepper, diced
½ red pepper, diced
2 Tsp olive oil
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1 small tin of tomato puree
2 tsp crushed garlic
2 tsp origanum
1 Tsp sugar
250 mls red wine
250 mls beef stock
one cup of grated cheese (mixture of mozzarella & cheddar) - for the topping.
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Method :
In a large saucepan, heat the oil and add the onions, garlic, celery, carrots, peppers and sliced mushrooms and saute until the onions become translucent.
Add the beef mince and cook until brown.
Add the wine and tomatoes and cook on medium to high heat for 15 minutes.
Add the tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, beef stock, origanum, sugar, salt and pepper and simmer for a further 15 mins.

White sauce :
120 gms butter
200ml plain flour
1 litre of milk, warmed
salt and pepper to taste

Method :
Melt the butter in a suitably- sized saucepan and add the flour to make a roux.
Slowly add the warmed milk, stirring continuously to make a smooth sauce.
Add the salt and pepper.

Assembly :
In a large oven proof dish, start with a layer of meat sauce and top with lasagne sheets.
Add another layer of meat sauce and a 1/3 of the white sauce and top once again with lasagne sheets.
Add a final layer of meat sauce and lasagne sheets, topping with the balance of the white sauce.
Sprinkle on the grated cheese and bake at 180C in a pre-heated oven for 40 minutes
Once baked, allow the dished to stand for 20 to 30 mins so that the sauce may thicken.
Serve with a tossed green salad and garlic bread.

recipe beef lasagne

Slow Roasted Lamb Shanks

serves 6

Ingredients :
6 lamb shanks

Marinade :
3 large onions, finely chopped
½ cup of fruit chutney
½ tsp finely chopped ginger
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
12.5ml honey
½ cup of brown grape vinegar
½ cup of tomato sauce (ketchup)
25ml apricot jam
1 block of beef extract
5ml mosterdpoeier
a pinch of ground cloves, nutmeg and thyme
salt and pepper to taste
25ml sherry

Method :
Braise the onion and garlic in a little oil until soft and then add the other ingredients.
Simmer for about 30mins and stir regularly.
Place the lamb shanks in a roasting dish and pour the marinade over the meat.
Cover the dish and slow roast for 6 - 8 hours in an oven at 100C.
Before serving, baste the meat and roast for 10 minutes in the oven at 220C (uncovered).
Turn the meat, baste once more and roast for a further 10 minutes (uncovered).

recipe roast lamb shanks

Roast Leg of Pork with apple

Ingredients :
2kg de-boned leg of pork
1 clove of garlic, sliced
freshly chopped sage
salt
2 apples (Granny Smith, Pink Lady or any other tart apple)
30ml butter
30ml sugar
15ml cake flour
300ml apple cider

Method :
Preheat the oven to 220C.
Roll up the meat and secure with string.
Make 1 - 1.5cm incisions into the rind and press the garlic and sage into the incisions.
Rub salt all over the meat and place into a roasting tray.
Place the meat into the oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 190C and roast for 20 minutes per 450g of meat.
Core the apples and cut into slices.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, adding the apple slices and cook until brown. Add the sugar halfway through the cooking process.
Arrange the apples around the meat in the baking tray, about 30 minutes before the end of the roasting period.

To make the sauce (gravy) :
After the meat has been roasted completely, place in a separate dish, together with the apples and keep warm.
Pour off the oil from the roasting pan and add the cider and flour.
Heat the pan until the liquid starts to boil, stirring until the liquid has reduced to about two thirds of the original volume or until the sauce has reached a rich-looking consistency.

recipe roast pork apple sauce

Three meat pie

Ingredients :
1kg beef fillet, cut into cubes
250g shoulder pork, cut into cubes
5-6 lamb kidneys(cleaned)
250ml cake flour
1 chopped onion
250g button mushrooms, sliced
butter
1-2 rolls of frozen puff pastry
1 beaten egg yolk
Bisto (browning, thickening powder) - optional
salt and pepper to taste

Method :
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Place the three meats into a bowl, season evenly with salt and pepper and coat with the flour. Saute the onions and mushrooms in butter until the onions have softened.
Remove the onions and mushrooms from the cooking vessel and add the meat with some more of the butter and cook until brown - add some water/Bisto mixture if you would like the pie to be saucy.
Add back the cooked onions & mushrooms.
Roll out the pastry (thawed) and line a large ovenproof dish (or 2 smaller ones) with the pastry and spoon in the pie filling.
Dampen the top edge of the dish with water and also cover the dish with pastry.
Press around the edge of the dish with a fork, to seal the pie.
Coat the top of the pie with eggwash, using a pastry brush and the beaten egg yolk.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the pastry turns a golden brown.

recipe meat pie pastry

Oxtail stew

by Jennifer Orgill

Ingredients :
90ml cake flour
5 ml salt
15ml paprika
2 kg oxtail segments
cooking oil
hot water
300g sliced mushooms
3 large carrots, cut into roundels
3 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 large onions, peeled and cut into rings
2 beef extract cubes
15 ml mild curry powder
200ml medium cream sherry

Method :
Mix the cake flour, salt and paprika and use to coat the oxtail pieces. Keep the remaining flour mixture (to be used for thickening the stew later).
Heat some cooking oil in a heavy-based pot and brown the oxtail.
Add enough hot water to only just cover the oxtail, place the lid on the pot and cook for 1 hour on low to medium heat.
Add the mushrooms, carrots, garlic, onion, beef extract cubes and curry powder and stir well. Place the lid onto the pot and simmer for about 3 hours or until the oxtail is soft.
Stir in the sherry, replace the lid and simmer for a further 15 minute.
Make a paste with the remaining flour mixture by adding a little warm water, stir into the stew and cook for another 5 minutes without the lid.
Season to taste.

recipe oxtail stew