recently we have enjoyed

moussaka
sausage casserole
chicken pie
stew
roast veg pasta


all these are really simple except the moussaka which takes extra time but was so delicious.

chicken and dumpling soup

Chicken left overs from a roast.
Carrots x 4
potatoes x2

Boil chicken in water that just covers the carcass when it has boiled and the chicken meat can come off easily you can set aside until it is cooled. You can then take the meat off and drain the water into a bowl. keep the water and the meat discarding the bones.

boil potatoes and carrots.

add chicken meat and chicken waterto the boiled veg and its water.

I like to add garlic x 2 cloves, pepper just a small pinch and an onion peeled and sliced. You can add dried herbs or spices.

I like to add 1/4 tsp termeric as it is good for healing and a few italian dried herbs.

Boil again and if you like add some dumpllings to make a soup a meal.

Dumplings can be made using 2oz Suet and 4oz selfraising flour. boil in soup for 30 mins adding plenty extra water as needed.

veg soup

Frozen veg
2 onions
2 cloves of garlic
salt 1/2 tbs
pepper 1 tps
herbs if you and what you like


Cover with water, no oil and boil for an hour.

Make dumplings
veg suet 2 oz.
Self Raising flour 4oz
enough water to make dough pliable but not wet

chickpea and carrot soup, cauli and pot soup

potatoe and cauli bake with white cheese sauce.

8 x small to medium potatoes (washed and cleaned with skins on)
1 x small to medium cauliflower (washed and cleaned)
2 x medium onions (sliced)

1 tbsp oil

2 oz (50 g) of butter
1/2 pt milk
2 oz (50 g) of cheese
1/2 tsp of salt
pinch of pepper

make a roux and add milk to get a white sauce and add grated cheese to get a cheesy sauce.

par boil the potatoes and cauliflower in salty water (not too salty though). In the mean time fry the onions to translucent (not too soft).
cut potatoes in chunks and put on the base of your baking dish and put butter in and stir the potatoes in to allow the potatoes to be coated by the butter and season to taste. put the dish in the oven (180 C) and cook for 7 - 8 minutes. take the dish out add fried onions to the potatoes. Add the layer of the cauliflower to the dish and add cheese sauce to the dish, sprinkle little left over cheese on top and put in the middle of the over for another 12 minutes or till the cheese has turned golden brown.\

chick pea and carrot soup

base
2 x medium onion sliced
1 x clove of garlic (whole)
3 x tomatoes chopped
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp oil

roast the cumin seeds and add oil followed by onions, clove of garlic and bring onions to translucent state, add tomatoes cook long enough to get a nice paste and colour.

Main ingredients
2 x medium carrots diced
450 g of chick peas
1 x small savoy cabbage

add carrots in the base cook for 3 minutes stirring gently, add chick peas to the dish, cook for another 3 minutes gently stirring. Add 2 litres of vegetable stock to the dish, bring to boil and leave it to simmer for 30 minutes and add finely chopped cabbage to the dish and simmer for another 20 minutes.

Season to your taste.

Enjoy a delicious poor man's soup!

deep tasting lamb casserole

1 onion in micro with a knob of butter for 1 min place in the slow cooker.
On top add sliced carrots, sliced potatoes, sliced courgettes.

In a frying pan add the meat but no oil.

Add salt, pepper, 1/2tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp Massala Paste for Madras (Pataks jar) garlic cloves just peeled and crushed slightly as they really taste nice whole as a mild veg, a little ginger peeled and left whole as you take it out before putting mixture in the slow cooker.

Now add a cup of hot water, I like to add the forbidden (!!) bisto gravy granules, they give it a deeper english taste and I also add a veg stock cube. When this has disolved I add a tin of chopped toms.

pour into the slow cooker ontop of the veg as they cook slower than meet actually in a slow cooker. Low for 4 hours or so. Add more water when finished if you find the taste too strong. With Rice the taste evens out and is lovely.

swede and carrot soup

This is a large sauspan of soup as I always find it goes too quick. It can be made with parsnip instead of swede which tastes divine.

1/2 or small swede peeled and cut into small squares.
5 carrots either peeled or scrapped and sliced.
4 potatoes peeled and cut into small squares

put all these in a large pan and fill with water. Turn the heat up and allow them to boil.

Throw in to the pan
1 teaspoon of chilli powder (for a very light spice taste, add more if you like spice)
1 teaspoon of salt (add more later if you need it for your taste)
2 pinch of ground black pepper


I sometimes experiment and add other spices eg; coriander power, 1/2 tsp cumin,

tasty burgers in 20 mins

1/2 a tray of mince
1garlic clove
small slice of ginger
1/2 green chilli
2 tsp salt

left over rice
1/2 tin of harracot beans

squish the beans
grate the ginger and garlic
chop as small as possible the chilli

place the mince in a bowl and add all the ingredients.
Mash down with hands mixing all the ingredients in together

take a palm of meat and roll squishing so that the mixture holds firmly together.
this will make 8 small burgers
grill on a med/high heat for about 8 mins each side. Keep an eye and when they are lightly brown they are probably done.

We used a cookie cutter to make a large and small circle from a slice of bread. Place a large circle on the bottom and the small ontop.

For a dressing we used the tom base for the spicy pizza with some yoghurt and mayo.
yummy 5