Meatballs in a Tomato, Garlic & Chilli Sauce

A SIMPLE DISH WITH WITH TONS OF FLAVOUR

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

Tomato Sauce

400g Chopped Tomatoes
3 Crushed Garlic Cloves
1 tbsp Tomato Puree
Fresh Ginger, Finely Chopped (thickness of a £1 coin)
1/3 Fresh Medium Chilli (finely chopped)
Hand Full of Fresh Basil Leaves

Meatballs

500g Minced Beef (not lean)
2 Pieces of Bread (blitz in a mixer and make fine bread crumbs)
2 tsp Dried Oregano
1tsp Smoked Paprika
1 Free Range Egg
6 Large Basil Leaves

300g Good Quality Pasta (I use Tesco Finest Pennoni Rigati)
Parmesan Cheese
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

WHAT TO DO:

In a bowl put the minced beef, oregano, paprika, egg (beaten), basil leaves (finely chopped), and bread crumbs. Using your hands mix together the ingredients well, the egg does make the mixture squelchy (love that word!) but this helps the meatballs stay together and not fall apart.

HANDY TIP:

After trying different recipes i have found that breadcrumbs help keep the meatballs moist, as well as using un-lean beef.

Roll the mixture into golf ball size balls and place on a tray (you should get about 12 meatballs from this mixture) cover with clingfilm and put in the fridge (best kept in fridge for couple of hours at least to firm up. (If you havent got the time don't worry, it should still stay together).

In a pan over a medium heat pour a splash of olive oil, put in the garlic, chopped chili, and finely chopped ginger (don't worry to much on how finely these are chopped or crushed as you will be sieving the sauce later on). Gently fry for 5 minutes, stiring so ingredients do not colour or catch. Once the flavours have released in the oil pour in the chopped tomatoes and stir, add the tomato puree, rip and tare the basil leaves and add to the sauce. Simmer the sauce for around 10 minutes so the ingredients infuse.



Sieve the sauce into another pan, making sure you squeeze every last bit of liquid out of the sieve. leave the sauce to one side.

Handy Tip:

I have found that by sieving the sauce the flavours are infused  more intensely and not everyone appreciates biting into ginger or garlic!

In a frying pan drizzle a little  olive oil on a medium heat, place the meatballs into the pan and brown (by browning this helps keeps the moisture inside of the meatballs)make sure all sides of the meatballs are browned, keep in the pan for around 10 minutes moving occasionally so not to burn.

In another pan bring to the boil a pan of water and cook the pasta, while doing this re-heat the sauce (do this gently). When heated, put the meatballs into the sauce so all the meatballs are covered.

Handy Tip:

Put some olive oil and salt in the water when cooking the pasta, the oil stops the pasta sticking to each other and the pan, and the salt flavours the pasta while cooking.

Once all elements are ready, put the pasta onto your serving bowls, (I drizzle olive oil over the pasta) spoon the meatballs on top of the pasta and grate some Parmesan cheese over the top of the meatballs. Finally, place a few basil leaves on top.

Great with some Italian bread

Photo's by Matt Grice

Triple Cooked Chunky Chips

These take a while but are so worth it!

Serves 4

INGRIEDIENTS:

6 extra large Maris Piper Potatoes
Sunflower oil (enough to be able to deep fry)
Sea Salt
Pepper

WHAT TO DO:

Wash and peel the potatoes and cut in to equal sized chips (about 5" length, 2" width). Put them in a pan and fill with cold water (you want to wash off the starch) drain the water and refresh the pan with cold water. Then put the pan on the heat until boiling. Simmer for around 15 mins or until the potatoes looked cooked (you want them to be close to breaking up as this what gives you soft fluffiness inside the chips!)

Once cooked take them out and place on a cooling rack, then put in your freezer for 1hr...freezer?...an hour?!!! Yes, this takes the moisture away, so when you fry them they go mega crispy (I could go in to this scientifically but I have a life so...nah!).

While the chips are in the freezer heat your deep fat fryer to 140 degrees. Place the chips in the fryer for 5 mins, your looking for the chips not to colour but to produce a light skin on them.

  HANDY TIP:

Do them in batches, so less chance of them breaking. There is no rush at this stage as they are going back into the freezer.

Once done, place on the rack and put back into the freezer for an hour, Heat the oil to the Max, remove the chips from the freezer and deep fry for 7 minutes (do in batches again).

Remove from fryer, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper... and ENJOY!

Recipe from Heston Blumenthal

Photo's by Rach Grice

Sweet Caramelised Onion Beef Burgers

GREAT LADS GRUB!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

200g Beef Mince (get your meat from a good butcher, does make a difference!)
1 large red onion
1tsp Smoked Paprika
2 Garlic cloves
Sea Salt
Pepper
Burger Buns ( good quality, again makes a difference)
2 Large vine ripened Tomatoes
Rocket
Blue Cheese (enough for 4 slices)
Mayonnaise
5 Anchovies fillets
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

WHAT TO DO:

In a frying pan over a medium heat drizzle some oil, finely chop the onion (the smaller you do this the better the burgers stick together) and add that to the oil. Crush the garlic in with the onions and add the paprika. Sautee these for around 10 minutes, you want them soft not caramelised (if you need to, add a tiny amount of water while cooking as this helps make them soft). Once done remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a mixing bowl put your mince, then add the cooled onions, mix together. At this point you can do two things, one is make them into patties or...

HANDY TIP:

For best results place mince mixture on some cling film and roll into a thick cylinder (you want the cylinder to be long but with the width of a burger). Secure the meat and place in the fridge for at least 4hrs...this not only allows the meat to bind so that you can simply cut the cylinder into 4 slices giving you firm burgers that wont fall apart, but also allows the onion mixture to infuse in the burger.

Once burgers have had the time in the fridge cut them into 4 slices giving you 4 burgers (shape if needed). Poor some oil in your hand and oil all four burgers, then season all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan on a medium/hot heat, once hot enough place burgers on the pan, these should take around 10 minutes depending on how you like them.

While the burgers are cooking slice the tomatoes and cheese. Put some mayo in a bowl, finely chop the anchovies and mix together well. Slice the four buns in half and toast in another frying pan (both sides). Once toasted, remove from the pan, spread mayo mixture on the bottom half of the buns then add the rocket and tomatoes.

HANDY TIP:

When the burgers are nearly done place the cheese on top of the burgers then get four bowls small enough to just fit over the burgers individually while still cooking, this melts the cheese via steam from the heat

Once the cheese has melted, place the burgers on buns and serve....best served with my chunky chips!!!

Photo's by Rach Grice

Fall Apart Sticky Ribs

ULTIMATE LADS NIGHT FOOD!

Serves 4


INGREDIENTS:

12 Pork Ribs (you HAVE to get these from the butcher)
2 large onions
Peppercorns

 (I make twice the amount of sauce as makes amazing BBQ sauce )

Wet Mix for BBQ Sauce

200g Tomato Ketchup
100ml of Water
2tbsp of soya sauce
75ml white wine vinegar
150g light brown sugar
4 cloves of garlic
4 tbs Runny Honey

Spice Mix for BBQ Sauce

25g Light Brown Sugar
2 tbsp Smoked Paprika
1 tbsp Sea Salt
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp dry mustard powder
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp dried mixed Italian herbs

Cucumber and Spring Onion Cooling Dip

5 tbsp of Natural Yogurt quarter of a cucumber (peeled and very finely chopped)
4 Spring Onions (very finely chopped)
Salt
Pepper

WHAT TO DO:

In a pan of cold water place all the ribs, add sprinkle of peppercorns and 2 roughly chopped onions. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cook for 2 hrs (this is to break down the meat, and makes it fall apart). In a bowl mix together the spice mix, and put to one side. In a pan on a medium heat, stir the wet mix. Once the sugar and honey has dissolved, pour in the dry mix, and mix together.

Once the ribs have cooked through carefully remove from the water (these should be falling apart, so be careful) and put in a high sided dish. Pour the BBQ sauce over the ribs coating them all, cover with tin foil and set aside. Once cooled down sufficiently put in the fridge (you should marinate for 24 hrs if you can, if not, at least 4 hrs)

Heat oven to 200c, place the ribs on a baking trays (you will need two as the ribs are big and chunky) and cook for around 20 minutes (turning and basting half way through).

In a bowl combine the yogurt, cucumber, spring onions and season (this goes great with the spiciness of the ribs).

Once the ribs are cooked, place on the platter and put the cooling dip in a serving bowl. Great served with a rocket salad and garlic & coriander flat bread.

The extra BBQ sauce is amazing with the chunky chips and the burger!!


Photo's by Rach Grice

(Taken from Hairy Bikers and adapted)

Frangipane & Blackcurrant Tarts

QUICK & EASY TARTS PERFECT FOR THAT SWEET TOOTH CRAVING!

MAKES 8

INGREDIENTS:

8 Deep Shortcrust Pastry Cases
175g Blackcurrant Conserve (good quality)
1 tbsp of Vanilla Extract
90g Castor Sugar
100g Butter
100g Ground Almonds
1 Free Range Egg

WHAT TO DO:

Turn the oven to 200c,

Mix together the sugar, almond, vanilla extract and beaten egg in a bowl, mix well.

Top Tip:

A good quality Blackcurrant conserve is a must, you want whole blackcurrants in the jam so when you eat the tarts the juices from the blackcurrants bust in your mouth.

On a baking tray put out the 8 pastry cases. Spoon a teaspoon amount of Blackcurrant conserve into each case and then spoon a teaspoon amount of frangipane on top. Repeat with another teaspoon of blackcurrant and then finally another teaspoon of frangipane on top of that.

Put the tarts in the oven for around 16 minutes. You want them to go golden on top.

Remove and serve warm with good quality Vanilla ice cream. They are also just as nice cold.

Told you they were easy!!!

Recipie adapetd from Jamie Oliver

Photo's by Rach Grice

(Taken an adapted from a recipe by Jamie Oliver)

"My Dads Fav" Vanilla Custard

EVERYONE HAS A CUSTARD CONNOISSEUR IN THEIR FAMILY...THIS IS FOR THEM!

Makes enough for about 10 people with second helpings...and thirds!!

INGREDIENTS:

568 ml of Whole Milk
600ml of Double Cream
6 tbs Caster Sugar
One Vanilla Pod
8 Egg Yolks

WHAT TO DO:

In a pan pour the the milk, cream and 4 table spoons of sugar. Slice the vanilla pod in half and scape all the seeds out and put in the pan along with the pod. Bring to near the boil then simmer for 5 minutes (this allows the vanilla to infuse with the mixture).

In a separate bowl put the 8 egg YOLKS, the two remaining tablespoons of sugar and whisk well.

Using a ladle, pour the cream mixture into the yolks (add a ladle at a time and whisk when doing it, this stops the mixture turning into scrambled eggs!) then pour mixture back into the warm pan.

Over a low heat stir the custard with a wooden spoon. The mixture will start to thicken as the yolks heat up, this takes around 10 mins

HANDY TIP:

If you start to get tiny lumps in the custard, remove from heat then sieve the mixture in to another pan.

Once thickened, remove and serve.

Recipie by Jamie Oliver

Photo's by Rach Grice

Gooey White Choc Chunk Brownies

 

These are a secret...so at the moment no recipe...sorry!

 

Recipe by Matt Grice 

 

Photo's by Rach Grice

Pear, Blackberry & Ginger Crumble

 

 

GREAT SUNDAY LUNCH PUDDING...DEAD EASY!

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

8 Large RIPE Pears (peeled and chopped into chunks)
2 large handfuls of Blackberries
100g Castor Sugar 100ml water
Stem Ginger 4 pieces (finely chopped)

Crumble mix...

400g plain flour
250g unsalted butter (cold and cut into cubes)
200g Golden Castor sugar
1 tsp of ground ginger

WHAT TO DO:

Heat the oven to around 200c. In a pan heat the water and 100g of castor sugar, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pears and the ginger and heat for a further 5 minutes. Add the Blackberries (I do this at the end so not to breakdown the blackberries...nothing better than them bursting in your mouth when eating...nothing worse than mushy blackberries!) remove and put to one side.

For the Crumble mixture put the flour, sugar and the cubed butter in another bowl and rub together to get a breadcrumb look and feel (with your hands, do NOT use a mixer for this as you do not get the same results).

HANDY TIP:

Don't do it to much, you want random little lumps of butter..that's what makes crumble amazing!

Put your filling mixture into your dish (with all the juices), then with a spoon place heaped dollops of crumble mixture (don't pat or press just fill every space with dollops of crumble), do this until every part of the filling mixture is covered.

Sprinkle the top with golden castor sugar (makes it extra crunchy) and put in the oven for around 25/30 minutes. Take out and serve.

Best served with my homemade custard, see in puds section for this recipe.

Photo's by Rach Grice