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Tomato & Basil Soup
To re-create my tomato and basil soup, in 10 easy steps, you will need:
Ingredients:
v 2 Carrots
v 2 Celery sticks
v 2 medium onions
v 2 cloves of garlic
v Olive oil
v 2 chicken or vegetable stock cubes
v 2 x 400g tins of plum tomatoes
v 6 large ripe tomatoes
v A small bunch of fresh basil
v Sea salt and black pepper
v 1.8 litres of boiling water
Method:
Step One: Peel carrot, onion and garlic, then slice the carrots, celery and garlic and chop the onion.
Step Two: Put a large pan on a medium heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Step Three: Add all the chopped and sliced ingredients and mix.
Step Four: Cover with an askew lid and cook for 10 minutes until the carrots have softened.
Step Five: While the vegetables are cooking, add the boiling water to a jug and mix the stock cubes. Stir until the stock has dissolved.
Step Six: Add the stock to the pan along with the chopped tomatoes and whole tomatoes. Stir and bring to the boil. Then simmer for 10 minutes.
Step Seven: While the soup is simmering, pick a small bunch of basil leaves.
Step Eight: Remove the pan from the heat, add the basil leaves and season with salt and pepper.
Step Nine: Using either a hand blender or liquidizer, pulse the soup until smooth.
Step Ten: Season and serve.
Serves 6-8 people________________________________________________________________________________
Pancakes
To re-create my pancakes, next Shrove Tuesday, simply follow this short video of me making... Pancakes.
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Spaghetti Bolognese
To re-create Mum's Spaghetti Bolognese,in just 10 simple steps, you will need:
Ingredients:
v 1lb minced beef
v 1 onion
v 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
v 2 garlic cloves (or squirts of garlic puree)
v Tomato puree
v Dried mixed herbs
v A dash of Worcestershire Sauce
v Teaspoon of Lazy Chillies
v 1 beef stock cube
v Olive oil
v Salt & pepper
v Dried Spaghetti
Note – You could also add bacon, mushrooms or peppers, but keep it simple.
Method:
Step One: Heat a splash of olive oil in a pan.
Step Two: Add the minced beef and brown.
Step Three: Chop the onion and garlic then add to the pan, cooking on a medium heat.
Step Four: Add the chopped tomatoes, a squirt of tomato puree, few herbs and secret ingredients (Worcestershire Sauce and Lazy Chillies) and stir well.
Step Five: Dissolve the stock cube in some hot water and add to the mixture. Add seasoning to taste.
Step Six: Bring the pan to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 30 minutes.
Step Seven: In a separate pan, heat some water (with a drop of olive oil) until it begins to boil.
Step Eight: Add the spaghetti and simmer until the pasta is cooked. It should still have a bit of ‘bite’ to it and not be too soggy.
Step Nine: Drain the spaghetti and serve adding the Bolognese sauce on top.
Step Ten: Finish with either some grated cheddar or parmesan cheese.
Serves 4 hungry people.
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To re-create my apple crumble and custard, in just 10 simple steps, you will need:
Ingredients:
v 5oz self raising flour
v pinch of salt
v 2oz butter or magarine
v 1 and a half oz sugar
v 1 dessert spoon custard powder (cement)
v 2 dessert spoons sugar (sand)
v Three-quarters pint of milk
Note - custard is optional, or if you're just looking to make custard so is crumble.
Method:
Method:
Step One: Peel the apples and cook with a table spoon of sugar and a splash of water until soft.
Step Two: Sieve the flour and salt together.
Step Three: Rub in the margarine/butter with your fingers until the mixture looks like bread crumbs.
Step Four: Gently stir in the sugar.
Step Five: Place the cooked fruit in the bottom of an oven proof dish.
Step Six: Spoon the crumble mixture over the fruit.
Step Seven: Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden (350F, gas mark 5).
Step Eight: Mix the custard powder and sugar together and make in to a cream with a dribble of milk.
Step Nine: Bring the rest of the milk to the boil and add to the custard mix, stirring thoroughly.
Step Ten: Serve the custard over the apple crumble and enjoy.
Serves 4 people hungry for dessert.
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Mini Meatballs (tapas)
To re-create my mini meatballs, in a few more than 10 easy steps, you will need:
Ingredients:
v 250g minced beef or pork
Method:
Step One: Heat a lug of olive oil in a frying pan on a medium heat and add finely sliced parsley stalks and half the finely chopped (peeled) onion.
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Mini Meatballs (tapas)
To re-create my mini meatballs, in a few more than 10 easy steps, you will need:
Ingredients:
v Small bunch of parsley
v 1 medium onion
v 2 cloves of garlic, one finely chopped and one finely sliced
v Olive oil
v 1 large egg yolk
v 25g breadcrumbs
v Salt and pepper
v 1 small dried chilli
v 2 large ripe tomatoes
v 1 lemon
Method:
Step One: Heat a lug of olive oil in a frying pan on a medium heat and add finely sliced parsley stalks and half the finely chopped (peeled) onion.
Step Two: When the onion begins to soften add the chopped garlic, cook for a few more minutes and add to a large mixing bowl and allow to cool completely.
Step Three: Add the minced meat, egg yolk and bread crumbs to the cooled onion. Roughly chop the rest of the parsley leaves and add to the bowl with salt and pepper.
Step Four: Crumble in the dried chilli and mix well with hands (clean hands I hasten to add).
Step Five: Roll the mixture into roughly 12 balls, put them on an oiled baking tray, cover with cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step Six: Prick the tomatoes a few times with a sharpe knife and drop into a bowl of boiling water. Leave for 30 seconds.
Step Seven: Fish the tomatoes out and peel the skin, squeeze out the seeds and finely chop the flesh.
Step Eight: Heat a good lug of olive oil on a high heat. Add the meat balls and cook all over for approximately 8 minutes (until brown).
Step Nine: Fry with the remaining chopped onion and sliced garlic for a couple of minutes, then add the chopped tomatoe.
Step Ten: Simmer for around 5 minutes.
Step Eleven: Half the lemon and squeeze the juice from one half into the pan. Very finely chop a teaspoon's worth of lemon from the remaining half and add to the pan.
Step Twelve: Serve in a small dish and season with salt and pepper, scatter with parsley.
Serves 4 people as a tapas dishStep Eleven: Half the lemon and squeeze the juice from one half into the pan. Very finely chop a teaspoon's worth of lemon from the remaining half and add to the pan.
Step Twelve: Serve in a small dish and season with salt and pepper, scatter with parsley.
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