Author: Sophie

Indian spiced shepherds pie

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A proper Anglo-Indian collision. Spiced, warm and enormously comforting. Eat with a spoon for maximum coddling.

  • 750g minced lamb
  • 1 tbsp veg oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 2 inches fresh ginger, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 green birdseye chilli, finely chopped with seeds left in
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 large cinnamon stick
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 2 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 2 shakes worcestershire sauce
  • 1 lamb stock cube
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 2 handfuls of frozen peas
  • 900g parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 50ml cream
  • Grated nutmeg
  • Sprinkle of turmeric
  • Handful fresh coriander, chopped
  • 150g spinach, briefly cooked, liquid squeezed out and chopped
  1. Heat butter and oil in a deep, thick-bottomed pan
  2. Brown the lamb mince in batches over a high heat and remove from the pan
  3. Dump in the onions, turn the heat down and saute for 7 or 8 mins until completely soft
  4. Add ginger, garlic and green chilli, cook for 3 mins
  5. Add the tomato puree and cook for another minute
  6. Tip in the bay leaf, turmeric, cinnamon stick, ground coriander, cumin, fenugreek, worcestershire sauce, stock cube, salt and pepper. Stir together
  7. Then stir in lamb and add 200ml boiling water. Scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan
  8. Cook for 45 mins, stirring occasionally until liquid is reduced
  9. Meanwhile, make the mash. Cook the parsnip chunks in salted boiling water for 10 mins or so until soft. Mash with egg, cream, nutmeg, turmeric, salt and pepper. Stir through coriander and cooked spinach
  10. Add garam masala and peas to the lamb mixture. Taste everything and check the seasoning
  11. Pre-heat the oven to 180C fan (200C)
  12. Tip the lamb mixture into a deep oven dish and top with the mash. Run a fork over the top to make it spiky and bake for 30-40 mins until golden and bubbling

Coronation chicken

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A trashy-but-unashamed retro classic and brilliant use of leftover roast chicken. Wrap it in lettuce leaves, top toast with it, put it on a salad, make a mega-sandwich. Feeds 2.

  • 1 large, cooked chicken breast or equivalent amount, sliced and diced into approx 1cm cubes
  • 4 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted
  • 2 tbsp plain yoghurt (or substitute plain coconut yoghurt)
  • 3 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 heaped tbsp mango chutney
  • 1-2 tsp medium curry powder
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Literally just mix everything together and you’re good to go. Sprinkle with fresh coriander leaves and eat it.

BUT ALSO… a recent innovation I’ve just discovered that blew my tiny mind is using chickpeas instead of chicken. It’s coronation chickpeas! Incredibly yum. Just drain a tin of chickpeas and crush them roughly with a potato masher. Mix with all the other ingredients, plus a handful of packaged crispy fried onions. Tuck. IN.

Potato wedges

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

A great side dish for almost anything. Or just eat a big bowl of them on their own, drizzled with chilli sauce or dunked in hummous.

  • 500g potatoes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • Black pepper
  1. Pre-heat oven to 180C fan (200C)
  2. Peel the potatoes and cut into wedges
  3. Tip into a roasting tin and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix together with your hands
  4. Roast for 30-40 mins until soft on the inside, golden on the outside and crunchy round the edges

You can easily make these with sweet potatoes instead, just roast for a shorter time. Change up the spicing to suit whatever you’re serving them with.

Za’atar

~ Sophie ~ 2 Comments

Excellently herby, aromatic, flavourful spice mix. Sprinkle onto hummous, over roast butternut squash soup, on avo on toast, or mix with olive oil and dunk bread in it.

  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp sumac
  • 1 tsp salt
  1. Just mix it all together and you’re good to go! Store in a jar in a cupboard and use whenever you want a pep of flavour.

Roast carrot hummous

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Not really hummous because no chickpeas, but bright orange, nutty and perfect scooped up by pitta chips.

  • 100g cashew nuts
  • 600g carrots, scrubbed and cut into chunks
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and squashed gently with the flat of your knife
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
  • Couple of tsp za’atar
  1. Soak cashews for 2 hours in cold water, then drain
  2. Pre-heat oven to 190C fan (210C)
  3. Put the carrots, garlic, sesame oil, veg oil, cumin and a pinch of salt in a roasting tin and mix well before putting in the oven
  4. Roast for 25 mins until soft and starting to go brown round the edges
  5. In a bowl, mix the roasted carrots, tahini, lemon juice, pinch of salt and wet cashews. Use a wand blender or food processor to blend into a coarse paste
  6. Check the seasoning and add more salt or lemon if needed
  7. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of za’atar

Cheese and onion rolls

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A delightful alternative to sausage rolls and the perfect retro party food for the vegetarians in your life.

  • 150g dried breadcrumbs
  • 200g strong cheese of your choice, grated
  • 1 onion, grated
  • 1 tsp veg oil
  • 4 tbsp double cream
  • Around 4 tbsp herbs of your choice (suggest parsley, chives and sage), finely chopped
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard
  • Pinch hot smoked paprika
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 sheet ready made puff pastry (320g)
  • Milk or beaten egg to brush over
  • Sesame seeds
  1. Pre-heat oven to 200C fan (220C)
  2. In a small pan, heat the oil and cook the onion for 5 mins until soft
  3. Mix all the filling ingredients, adding the cooked onion
  4. Form into sausage shapes and roll in the pastry
  5. Cut into 3-4cm lengths, brush with milk or egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds
  6. Place on a lined baking tray and bake for 20-25 mins until puffy and golden

Spaghetti with sausage, bacon and mustard

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Decadent, rich and creamy, with a tangy hit from the mustard, lemon and parsley. Feeds 2.

  • 250g spaghetti
  • 3-4 pork sausages
  • 160g pancetta, diced
  • 150ml double cream
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • Small bunch parsley, finely chopped
  • Squeeze of lemon
  1. Cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water
  2. Cut or pinch the sausages into small pieces
  3. In a deep frying pan, add a dab of veg oil just to start things off. Cook the pancetta until it starts to release its oil, then add the sausage
  4. Cook both until golden and caught around the edges
  5. Pour in the cream and about 50ml of the pasta cooking water
  6. Add the mustard and stir everything together, adding more water if needed
  7. Simmer for a couple of minutes, then throw in and gently mix through the cooked pasta, parsley and lemon juice

Eat immediately, trying not to make appreciative hums and grunting noises!

Apple and chilli salad

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Tart, fiery and super-fresh. An unusual and delicious flavour combination which works as a brilliant foil for rich, savoury stews or curries.

  • 2 granny smith apples
  • 1 red birdseye chilli
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • Pinch sugar
  1. Halve, core and then thinly slice the apple (just a mm or 2 thick)
  2. Slice the chilli, leaving the seeds in
  3. Whisk together the lime juice, sugar and fish sauce
  4. Mix everything in a bowl and serve at room temperature

Guacamole

~ Sophie ~ 3 Comments

I keep my guacamole very simple, just 4 ingredients. By all means make additions – many recipes include onion, coriander, tomatoes, chilli or sour cream – but I like to be able to taste the avocados. Give it a try! Dunk tortilla chips in it, plop some on top of a bowl of chilli or eat it on toast like a hipster. Makes enough for 4.

  • 2 avocados, roughly mashed
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • 1 tsp garlic oil
  • Large pinch salt
  1. Skin the avocados, remove the stones and mash roughly with a fork. You want to keep some texture
  2. Mix in all the other ingredients, check the seasoning and eat straight away

Tomato sauce

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

Straightforward and simple, but definitely not basic. This sauce is the essential staple of a delicious midweek pasta dinner. Feeds 2 comfortably.

  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • Dash worcestershire sauce
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion and garlic
  2. Cook slowly over a medium-low flame until soft, around 5 mins
  3. Turn the heat to medium, add the tomato puree and stir in, cooking for a minute or so
  4. Tip in the chopped tomatoes and two thirds of a tin of water. Add the worcestershire sauce, sugar and seasoning and stir together
  5. Bring to a bubble, then turn to a low simmer and cook with the lid off for 20-30 mins. It’s done when it’s thick, savoury and intensely tomato-y
  6. Taste it, check the seasoning, try not to eat it all from the saucepan

Hugely adaptable, add pancetta, basil, chilli flakes or any seasoning that makes your mouth happy. Eat on top of any and ALL the pasta.