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Who doesn't love cheese, chicken and pasta? Ingredients 300g penne pasta 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp butter 450g chicken, bite-size pieces 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 250ml chicken stock 2 tbsp plain flour 1 ½ cups single cream 1 tsp Italian seasoning ¼ tsp red chili flakes ¼ tsp ground black pepper 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, grated Parsley leaf (optional)   Method Cook the pasta until al dente and reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water. Heat the oil and but

I'm experimenting with different fats and this week's guest was mayoinnaise. I was sceptical but would use again (probably if I didn't have beef dripping or goose fat available). They had an amazing smell, crisped up nicely and brough a subtle sweet element (sort of caramelised crunch). I preheated the mayo but it doesn't melt so definitely toss the par boiled potatoes in it when warm. Ingredients Potatoes, peeled and chopped 3 tbsp mayonnaise (full fat) Sprinkle of polent

Yes, yes and thrice yes! Make this, make it all the time. Absolutely delicious. The cut of pork is so cheap this is an amazing way to elevate it. Ingredients   500g pork tenderloin 1 tbsp vegetable oil 2 tbsp butter 250g mushrooms, finely diced 1 red onion, finely diced Small bunch fresh thyme leaves only 50ml white wine 250g puff pastry Sliced prosciutto 1 tbsp Dijon mustard Small bunch fresh sage leaves chopped 1 egg, beaten Sea salt and black pepper Method   Heat the ove

The search for the ultimate roast package continues. This was a perfect accompaniment to pork wellington which also has a mustard element. Will 100% be adding into rotation as I love cabbage but it can be bland.   Ingredients   1 head of cabbage, chopped into 2cm slices 300ml single cream 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder Salt and pepper   Method   Add the oil and chopped cabbage to a large pan. Season with salt and pepper and

A nice way to use up leftovers. I will take a much better picture next time I make this as I opened the oven door by accident so it was slightly flat. We hadn't had roasties so I made some to go with. Ingredients   ½ cup leftover roast meat ½ cup leftover roast potatoes ½ cup cooked vegetables (carrots, sprouts, peas..whatever you have left) 150g plain flour 185ml milk 2 eggs ¼ tsp salt ⅛ tsp black pepper 1 tbsp vegetable oil   Method   Preheat the oven to 220C. Drizzle the

We piled this into wraps like an almost-burrito! Ingredients   170g basmati rice 3 chcken thighs, cut into chunks 1 tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, roughly chopped 1.5 peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika ¾ tsp ground cumin ½ tsp groundcoriander ½ tsp dried oregano 1 lime, juice only Small handful fresh coriander, chopped Salt salt and freshly ground blakc pepper   Method   Cook the until just tender. Drain well and set aside to cool. Season the chic

The breadcrumbs on this add an amazing extra layer of texture. Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp butter  500g chicken, chopped 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp dried parsley 3 cloves garlic minced 1 onion, chopped Salt and pepper to taste 350g penne pasta 2½ cups chicken stock  2 cups milk ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped 1 cup Parmesan, freshly grated   Topping 1 tbsp butter ½ cup panko breadcrumbs 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tbsp dried parsley Method Add the tbsp butter to a skillet and me

This is creamy wthout being overly rich. I used M&S Italian sausages which were really tasty. Ingredients 400g penne 2 tbsp olive oil 400g Italian sausage, casings removed 1 small onion, finely diced 4 garlic cloves, crushed 1/4 cup white wine 1 cup double cream 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, grated Freshly ground black pepper, to taste   Method Cook the pasta and cook to al dente. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and fry it for 5-6 mins until sl

Just like my Mum used to make. And boy did it take me back! So much more cost effective to buy a big bag of peas and just make the batch size you need. Ingredients    250g dried marrowfat peas (must be marrowfat  peas which are larger, have a higher starch content and contribute the right flavour and texture for traditional mushy peas) Boiling water 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 3 cups water 1 tsp salt   Method   Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in boiling water.  Place the dri

I'll me trialling different brines for chicken, having absolutely loved the turkey brine at Christmas. This one had a really strong smell so I was a bit worried but it actually came through as a lovely subtle warm flavour. Ingredients   250g soft light brown sugar 150g sea salt 1 tbsp fennel seeds 1 tbsp coriander seeds 1 tsp allspice 2 bay leaves 1 tsp juniper 1 head garlic 1 small bunch thyme A few cloves 1 star anise 1 tsp black peppercorns 2 litres water   Method   Mix e

I'm on a quest for the ultimate meat cut and marinade for roast dinners. First lamb was a boneless lamb leg with Greek marinade. It was really effective and definitely carried through into the cooked dish. Despite the accidental overcooking it was still moist. Ingredients   1 leg lamb 4 garlic cloves, minced 4 tbsp olive oil Juice 1 lemon 1 tbsp dried oregano 1 tbsp thyme leaf 2 bay leaves   Method   Mix the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme and bay and season

I love braised cabbage but this adds a bit of cream if you're not making cheesy leeks or similar.   Ingredients 1 savoy cabbage, leaves cut into thin strips 2 tbsp butter 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp sea salt Pinch black pepper 100ml double cream  2 tbsp water   Method   Add the butter to a large pan and heat. Add the garlic and fry off for 1 min. Add the cabbage and toss into the butter, fry off for 2 mins. Add in the water and cover with a lid to steam for a few minutes.

Sprout recipe 3 and my personal favourite so far. Sweet and sticky. Would be great with guanciale if you want a more savoury flavour. Picture could have been better. Ingredients   200g Brussel Sprouts 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp brown sugar 1 tsp olive oil   Method   Prepare the Brussel sprouts by removing any brown outer leaves and halving them. Mix the Soy Sauce, Balsamic, Garlic and brown sugar together to form the marinade. A

I received an accidentally large turkey from the butcher this year so was determined to treat it well. I gave it a spa day prior to it's sauna and it was honestly the nicest turkey ever to grace our household. So juicy and the flavours really permeated throughout. The cut was butterfly too, so easy to carve. Will repeat next year without changing a thing. Ingredients Brine 200g Salt 200g Soft brown sugar 3 litres water ½ltr fresh orange juice 3 cinnamon sticks 4 bay leaves

Sprout trials number 2. Did this one in the air fryer because it would be great to save oven space on Christmas Day. These were really nice and I will make again, but too zesty for Christmas Dinner. The old people would faint. Ingredients    250g sprouts cut in half 1-2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp lemon juice 3 tbsp butter 2 cloves garlic, crushed ¼ cup capers   Method   If using, heat oven to 180C (I used the air fryer roasting setting). Toss the Brussels sprouts with olive oil

Alix loves sprouts, I need them to be better. In anticipation of Christmas Dinner we're practicing different enhancements. This one was really nice although I'm concerned the parents will find them too sweet. Ingredients    250g brussels sprouts 2 tbsp olive oil 3 tbsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp honey Salt and pepper 2 tbsp capers   Instructions   Preheat oven to 220°C. Coat a baking sheet with oil or line with baking paper. Whisk together olive oil, mustard, and honey. Slice bru

Creamy and delicious. A nice change from the primarily tomato based gnocchi recipes. Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp butter 350g chicken, diced 4 garlic cloves, minced 75ml dry white wine 1 tsp Italian seasoning 400ml chicken stock 180g cream cheese 500g gnocchi 100g baby spinach, roughly shredded 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Black pepper   Method Heat the olive oil and butter in a large, deep pan. Add the chicken and cook for 4-5 mins until golden. Stir in the garlic and con

This was a nice change for a flavourful light dinner. Four large prawns each was enough. Ingredients   2 large garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp minced ginger 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp salt 0.5 tsp black pepper 1 tbsp olive oil 500g large prawns, peeled 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tin coconut milk 1 tbsp soy sauce 3 cups baby spinach 1 lime, halved   Method   In a bowl, mix together the garlic, ginger, turmeric, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper and the olive oil. Ad