Paprika beef and mushroom pot

Ingredients
1 x 40g (1½oz) pack dried porcini mushrooms
2tbsp olive oil
2 onions, roughly chopped
2 celery sticks, finely sliced
4tsp paprika
1kg (2lb) stewing beef, cut into large cubes
1 x 400g (13oz) tin chopped tomatoes
1tbsp tomato purée
150ml (¼ pint) beef stock
2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into chunky slices
250g (8oz) pack chestnut mushrooms, sliced
bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, to serve
baked potatoes, pasta or rice, to serve
soured cream or Greek yogurt, to serve

Method

Soak the dried mushrooms in 300ml (½ pint) of boiling water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of the oil in an ovenproof casserole dish or pot and fry onion and celery for 10 minutes, or until softened. Add the paprika and sizzle for 2 minutes, then add the beef and stir to coat (there's no need to brown the meat).
Preheat the oven to gas 3, 160ºC, fan 140ºC. Lift the mushrooms from the liquid and roughly chop. Add to the pot with all but the last few tablespoons of liquid (as this will be a little gritty), along with the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, beef stock and peppers. Cover the pot and cook in the oven for 2 hours, until the meat is tender and the sauce is rich and dark. Season.
Put the remaining oil in a pan and fry the chestnut mushrooms over a high heat for about 4 minutes, until golden. Scatter over the stew, along with the parsley. Serve with baked potatoes, pasta or rice, topped with dollops of soured cream or yogurt.
Tip
To avoid the meat disintegrating as it cooks, cut it into large cubes.

Piri Piri chicken with quick Portuguese tarts meal..

INGREDIENTS
For the chicken
4 large chicken thighs, skin on and bone in
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
For the Piri Piri sauce
1/2 a red onion
2 cloves of garlic
1-2 birds-eye chillies
1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
1 lemon
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
A bunch of fresh basil
For the potatoes
1 medium potato
2 sweet potatoes
1/2 a lemon
1 fresh red chilli
A bunch of fresh coriander
50g feta cheese
For the tarts (makes 6 tarts)
Plain flour, for dusting
1 x 375g pack of pre-rolled puff pastry
Ground cinnamon
125g creme fraiche
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla extract
5 tbsp golden caster sugar
1 orange
For the seasonings
Olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
For the salad
1 x 100g bag of prewashed wild rocket
1/2 a lemon
METHOD
To start: Get all your ingredients and equipment ready. Turn the oven on to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Put a large griddle pan on a high heat.
Chicken: Put the chicken thighs on a plastic chopping board, skin side down, and slash the meat on each one a few times. Drizzle with olive oil and season, then put on the griddle pan that is heating up, skin side down. Cook until golden underneath, then turn over. Wash your hands.
Tarts: Dust a clean surface with flour. Unroll the sheet of pastry, then cut it in half so you end up with two 20 x 20cm squares of pastry (put one in the fridge for another day). Sprinkle over a few good pinches of ground cinnamon, then roll the pastry into a Swiss roll shape and cut into 6 rounds. Put these into 6 of the holes in a muffin tin, and use your thumbs to stretch and mould the pastry into the holes so the bottom is flat and the pastry comes up to the top. Put on the top shelf of the oven and cook for around 8 to 10 minutes (set the timer), or until lightly golden.
Potatoes: Wash the potato and sweet potatoes and halve lengthways. Put them into a large microwave-safe bowl with ½ a lemon. Cover with cling film and put into the microwave on full power for 15 minutes.
Chicken: Turn the chicken over.
Tarts: Spoon the crème fraîche into a small bowl. Add the egg, vanilla paste or extract, 1 tablespoon of golden caster sugar and the zest of 1 orange. Mix well.
Piri Piri sauce: Peel and roughly chop the red onion half and add to the liquidizer with 2 peeled cloves of garlic. Add the chillies (stalks removed), 1 tablespoon of paprika, the zest of 1 lemon and juice of½ a lemon. Add 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, a good pinch of salt and pepper, the bunch of basil and a swig of water. Blitz until smooth.
Chicken: Slice the peppers into strips and add to the griddle pan. Turn the heat down to medium and keep moving the peppers around.
Tarts: Take the muffin tin out of the oven, and use a teaspoon to press the puffed up pastry back to the sides and make room for the filling. Spoon the crème fraîche mixture into the tart cases, and return to the top shelf of the oven. Set the timer for 8 minutes.
Chicken: Pour the piri piri sauce into a snug-fitting roasting tray. Lay the peppers on top and put aside. Add the chicken to the roasting tray with the sauce. Scatter over the sprigs of thyme, then put the tray into the middle of the oven.
Tarts: Put a small saucepan on a high heat. Squeeze in the juice from the zested orange and add 4 tablespoons of golden caster sugar. Stir and keep a good eye on it, but remember caramel can burn badly so don't touch or taste.
Potatoes: Finely chop the red chilli and most of the coriander on a board, mixing as you go. Add the feta and keep chopping and mixing.
Chicken: Take the tarts out of the oven and move the chicken up to the top shelf to cook for around 10 minutes, or until cooked through.
Tarts: Pour some caramel over each tart (they'll still be wobbly, but that's good). Put aside to set
Salad: Quickly dress the rocket, still in its bag, with extra virgin olive oil, a good pinch of salt and pepper and the juice of ½ a lemon. Tip into a bowl and take to the table.
Potatoes: Check the potatoes are cooked through, then use tongs to squeeze over the cooked lemon. Add the coriander mixture from the chopping board and mix everything together. Season, then take to the table.
To serve: Get the tray of chicken out of the oven, sprinkle over a few coriander leaves and take straight to the table.

Soy sauce chicken

Ingredients
600g chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
2tbsp cooking oil
5cm knob of young ginger, peeled and sliced
8 dried chinese mushrooms, soaked to soften
1tbsp chinese rice wine
250ml fresh chicken stock
2-3 Spring onions (scallions), cut into 2.5 cm lengths
3 sprigs of coriander (cilantro) leaves, cut into 2.5 cm lengths
2tsp cornflour (cornstarch), mixed with 2 tbsp water
Seasoning
2tsp light soy sauce
2tsp dark soy sauce
2tsp oyster sauce
1 1/2tsp sugar
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp ground white pepper

method

Marinate chicken in combined seasoning ingredients for at least 30 minutes. Heat oil in a deep saucepan and put in ginger and Chinese mushrooms. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add marinated chicken. Cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes or until chicken changes colour.
Stir in Chinese rice wine and toss for a further 2 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to the boil. Simmer on medium heat until chicken is cooked through and tender. Add spring onions and coriander and stir in cornflour mixture until sauce thickens. Serve hot.

cushy's tip

serve with any type of rice

Napolitana vegetable pasta quills

Ingredients

300g pasta quills
30ml olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 courgette, chopped
200g mushrooms, sliced
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
400g Can chopped tomatoes
pinch of sugar
salt
freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

Cook the pasta in large pan of boiling water for 10-12mins or until just tender and 'al dente'.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onions and garlic and sauté over a high heat for 2mins or until soft. Add the courgette, mushroom and tomatoes and sauté for 3 mins.

Add the chopped tomatoes, sugar and seasoning and bring to the boil. Simmer uncovered for 5mins or until thickened and reduced.

Drain the pasta and divide between four bowls, spoon the vegetable sauce into the centre and serve.

Sirloin with chimichurri sauce

Ingredients

1 x 2kg boned well-hung beef sirloin, not rolled
flaked sea salt
ground black pepper
For the chimichurri sauce:
12 garlic cloves
8 long red chillies
2 large handfuls of fresh young curly parsley
4 heaped teaspoons dried oregano
5 tbsp red wine vinegar
5 tbsp virgin olive oil
5 tbsp cold water

Method
To make the chimichurri sauce, first peel the garlic and deseed the chillies. Chop both very finely and scoop into a clean jam jar. Remove the tough stalks from the parsley and finely chop the leaves. Add the parsley leaves to the jar along with the oregano, salt, vinegar, oil and water. Stir until all the ingredients are well combined. Put the lid on and leave to sit for several hours or overnight, allowing the flavours to develop.

Roughly 1½ hours before serving, light the barbecue, making sure that you use enough coals to maintain a good temperature for at least an hour. Season the beef all over with salt and a few twists of black pepper.

When the coals are dusted with a fine coating of grey ash and all the flames have gone (this is essential, as otherwise the meat will burn) – after about 30 minutes – put the beef on a rack over the top so that the meat is around 25cm from the coals. Sear on the fatty side until well coloured, then cook fat-side up for 25 minutes. Turn the sirloin again before cooking for a further 20 minutes. Ideally, the barbecue lid should be on and the vents open. When the beef is done, lift onto a board and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Carve the beef into thick slices. Give the sauce a good shake and spoon it over the beef as it is served. Fried potatoes with a tomato and onion salad would be spot-on.

Quick fried Mackerel fillets with garlic and bay

Ingredients:

Fresh mackerel, 1 per person
Olive oil
A few garlic cloves, thickly sliced
A few bay leaves, roughly torn
½ lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Cut the fillets from either side of the mackerel, bait-cutter style
Season them with a little salt and pepper.

2. Put a large frying pan over a medium heat and add a thin film of olive oil. When the oil is fairly hot, scatter in the garlic and bay leaves, then lay the mackerel fillets over them, skin side down. You’re looking for a gentle sizzle rather than a fierce flash-fry.

3. As it cooks, the mackerel flesh will change from translucent pink to opaque white. When the fillets are almost completely white, turn them over for just a minute to finish cooking. The whole process won’t take longer than 5 minutes.

4. Let the garlic and bay just sizzle in the oil under and next to the fish,
flavouring it gently.

5. Lift the mackerel fillets from the pan, leaving the bay and garlic behind (they’re probably just starting to burn a bit). Give the fillets a squeeze of lemon juice and serve straight away, with salad (a sliced tomato salad is delicious with mackerel) and either new potatoes or buttered bread.

Baked fish with tomato and herbs

Ingredients
1 onion, finely sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 x 227g tin chopped tomatoes
300g (10oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
small handful oregano or basil leaves
4 skinless white fish fillets, about 450-500g (14½oz-1lb)
4 very thin lemon slices

Method

Fry the onion in the olive oil for a minute. Add the garlic, stir, then add the tinned tomatoes and let them bubble away together. Throw in the cherry tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes, until they begin to sag a bit. Add half the oregano or basil and stir. Season and tip the lot into a baking dish large enough to hold all the fish in a single layer.

Lay the fish on top and scatter over the remaining herbs. Season and lay a piece of lemon on each fillet.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the fish flakes when you press it. Serve with a green salad and bread, or boiled potatoes, if you like

Tasty chicken enchiladas

method

heat the olive oil in a frying pan and cook 241g diced chicken breast for 5–10 minutes, until cooked through. Remove and set aside. To the same pan, add the onion, carrots and courgettes, and cook for 10 minutes until tender.
Add the garlic clove, peeled and chopped, for the last minute. Add one carton of the chopped tomatoes and the tin of black eyed beans, and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and stir in the coriander.
Divide between the be good to yourself tortillas, fold the ends then roll to seal. Pour the remaining chopped tomatoes with chilli into a baking dish, place the tortillas on top and add the soured cream, mozzarella and the remaining coriander, chopped. Cook in a preheated oven at 200°C, fan 180C, gas 6 for 15 minutes, until bubbling.

You will need
241g pack of diced chicken breast
2 x 390g carton chopped tomatoes with chilli
1 x 410g tin black eyed beans, drained
1 garlic clove
6 be good to yourself tortillas
50g soured cream
1 onion
2 courgettes, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
125g mozzarella
1 x 28g pack coriander, chopped

Easy fish pie

You will need
1⁄2 x 500g tub white wine and herb cooking sauce
1 x 320g pack seasonal fish pie mix
4 x vine-ripened tomatoes,quartered
150g frozen peas
1 x 450g pack buttery mashed potato

Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Pour the white wine sauce into a large pan. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer.
Add the fish pie mix and cook for 3 minutes, then carefully stir in the tomatoes and peas. Cook for 1 minute, then pour into a baking dish.
Spoon the mash on top. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes until the potato is golden and crisp, then serve.

cushy's quick fish and chips

Ingredients:
2 litres (7 pints) sunflower oil for deep-frying
125g (4oz) self-raising flour
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 medium egg
150ml (¼ pint) sparkling mineral water
2 hake fillets, about 125g (4oz) each
450g (1lb) Desirée potatoes, cut into 1cm (½ in) chips
salt, vinegar and garlic mayonnaise to serve

method

1. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 190°C (test by frying a small cube of bread; it should brown in 20 seconds).
2. Whiz the flour, baking powder, salt, egg and water in a food processor until combined into a batter. Remove the blade from the food processor. Alternatively, put the ingredients in a bowl and beat everything together until smooth. Drop one of the fish fillets into the batter to coat it.
3. Put half the chips in the deep-fryer, then add the battered fish. Fry for 6 minutes or until just cooked, then remove and drain well on kitchen paper. Keep warm if not serving immediately.
4. Drop the remaining fillet into the batter to coat, then repeat step 3 with the remaining chips. Serve with salt, vinegar and garlic mayonnaise.

Red lentil curry

Feed your family for a fiver with this Thai red curry, served with Aegean tomato & basil pittas

You will need
1 x 175g jar Thai red curry paste
1 x 390g carton chopped tomatoes with basil & oregano
1 x 28g pack coriander, chopped
1 x pack Aegean tomato & basil pittas
1 x 500g pack dried red lentils
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pinch curry powder

Method
Preheat the oven to to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a deep frying pan. Add the onion, and the coriander, reserving a little to garnish. Sauté for a couple of minutes and stir through 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste. Add 200g dried red lentils and 500ml cold water. Simmer for 5 minutes and stir in the chopped tomatoes with basil & oregano, then simmer for a further 10 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
Meanwhile, brush the Taste the Difference Aegean tomato & basil pittas with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of curry powder, then place on a baking tray and bake for 5 minutes.
Just before serving, sprinkle chopped coriander into the curry and serve with the hot pittas.