Cottage pie

For a heartwarming, feel good meal, this is always a favorite.

For 4 people

500g minced beef
3 anchovies
1/2 tsp mustard
1 red onion
2 sticks of celery
3 carrots
half a courgette
4-5 mushroom
200ml of beef stock

8-9 potatoes
spring onions
cheese for the toppings

To a frying pan, add a little olive oil, allow to heat and add the anchovies. As these begin to melt, add the onions and cook till translucent.
Add the beef and brown off.
Add all of the veg, except the mushrooms, in small chunks and allow to cook for 2 mins.
Add the mushrooms, give a good generous stir and add the mustard, stir again.
Add the beef stock, reduce the heat and allow to simmer.

Whilst cooking the beef mince, pell and boil the potatoes. Once cooked drain and mash with butter and pepper until smooth and silky.

To an oven proof dish, add the beef mince, place the mashed potatoes on top and spread out with a fork.
Add the spring onions on top.
Add the cheese on top of this.

Place in a pre-heated oven (approx 180C) and cook until the beef gravy bubbles over and the top is crispy and golden.

macaroni cheese, with bruscetta crumble top!

I couldn't be bothered going out on wed to buy any supplies, So this was made up from raiding the cupboards.

For 2

4 cups of macaroni
Butter
plain flour
salt & pepper
milk
cheese

for the topping:
Breadcrumbs
fresh tomatoes, plum and vine
garlic
fresh basil

more cheese!

Make a simple white sauce, by melting  2cm piece butter, mixing in a spoon of flour until in a smooth paste. Then slowly add milk, little by little until the right consistency has been formed. Add a sprinkle of pepper to taste. Then add a good few handfuls of cheese.
Whilst making the sauce, boil water for the mac.

Whilst the mac is boiling, chop up the tomatoes, garlic and basil ready to sprinkle on top of the pasta.

Once the pasta is cooked, stir into the sauce and add to an oven proof dish.
Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top of the pasta. Add the tomatoes on top of this. A a good sprinkling of cheese

Place in a pre-heated oven at about 175C for 15-20 mins.

enjoy with salad!

Tuesday 11th

So after a hectic monday, I was finally back in the kitchen today.
Simple yet so satisfying spring omelet for lunch. There's something about omelet's that I really love, I used to find them really dull when I was younger, but now I could scoff on them all day.
 The cardinal Rule (well it's never let me down): Always let your eggs, whatever the kind, finish cooking on the plate.

Spring Omelet for One

2 Medium Eggs
1/4 Red Pepper
2 Spring onions
4 mushrooms
1/2 Celery
Cheese

Whilst whisking up the eggs, with a dash of salt and pepper heat a knob of butter in a frying pan.
Add the onions and celery and heat for a few mins, then add the pepper allow to simmer for a few mins.
Add the mushrooms last and allow to cook for 1min or so.
When all the Veg is nice a cook, but still with a little bite, pour in your eggs.
Push the egg into the centre of the pan allowing the liquid to drain to the edges, repeat until all the liquid had stopped running.
Add cheese, gently cook for 1min.
Fold in half and slide onto a plate.
Enjoy with a couple of pieces of toast!

I learnt something new tonight though,
I filleted my first fish today!
The fish of choice: (a little strange) trout.
I completely messed up one of them, cutting through most of the spine and ended up picking bones for a good 15mins.
I was pretty good with the skinning though, I think it's just a case of following the fish, without sounding cheesey.

Once I had my 3 1/2 fillets, I decided to bake them in a parcel, keeping everything really light and fresh. Serving with a trick I learnt from the sinful Nigella Lawson, Roasted gnocchi.

Fish parcels:
2 sheets of baking paper
2 spring onions
2 sticks of celery
1 small green chilli
1 small red chilli
2 thin slices of fresh ginger
olive oil
salt and pepper

Lay the baking sheet one horizontally and one vertically on a surface.
Onto the baking paper, drizzle a little olive oil. Throw all of the ingredients onto this and give a good mix up with your fingers.
On top of these place the fillets.
wrap the first layer and fold over to secure
Repeat with the next opposite layer.

In a pre-heated oven (175C) toss the Gnocchi in olive oil and cook for 15 mins, add then fish for 10 mins.
The fish is ready when it flakes apart.
Pour a little of the juice onto the gnocchi and serve.

Sunday cookies

For a first post, this is sort of a cheat. Its more of a weekend post as I've made them twice, because I ate the whole batch whilst my boyfriend was at work. But really, what's better than watching a bunch of 'men stare at goats' whilst chewing on warm, still melting coffee and chocolate cookies?
These really are a 15min job and the sweet craving you have is completely satisfied without having to put your coat on.

For 6-8 large cookies

6 oz self raising flour
4 oz salted butter
3 oz demerara sugar
1tbsp golden syrup
splash of cold coffee
1 egg
chocolate/ nuts etc

Soften butter, add sifted flour and sugar to bowl and mix well.
Add syrup and coffee, mix.
Add bits (choc etc) mix.
Add egg and whip into cakey loveliness
spoon onto a baking sheet however large you like (remembering they will rise)
Bake for 10mins (approx) at 175C

Allow to cool (a bit) and enjoy!