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,