A quick (ish) week-night Bolognese sauce for Pasta

Ok so I may be committing somewhat of a foodie blunder, but here is my version of a classic Bolognese sauce. 

The best and most authentic ones are slow cooked for as long as possible and use an assortment of minces (ie Beef, Pork & Veal) and should really use dry white wine rather than red wine, but I'm afraid tonight I am skipping the corners - and for shame, there's only red wine in the house! There should probably be many more caveats in this 1st paragraph, (including: yes, I'm afraid I will be eating it on spaghetti and no I didn't know that was an error), but for now I'll leave it at that and just say, it may not be authentic but it's tasty, so try it :). And just in case you're in the mood to be chained to the stove for the best portion of your day, there are some great recipes for that here. This will feed 6, (or less with plenty of leftovers) and all told probably takes about 45 mins.

Ingredients
Generous knob of butter
Olive oil
4 rashers of streaky bacon, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
2 sticks celery, finely diced
400g minced beef, at room temperature
100ml milk (preferably whole milk)
1/2 a teaspoon of Nutmeg finely grated
150ml red wine
2 400ml tins of plum tomatoes
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt & Pepper

Method

You're going to need one gigantic saucepan and one medium frying pan. So grab 'em now.

Into the saucepan, pour the red wine and simmer over a medium heat until reduced by half of its original volume. Then add in the tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Allow this to simmer gently while you're frying and adding in the rest of bits n bobs.

Melt the butter in the frying pan with a little glug of olive oil over a gentle heat and cook the bacon. Once the bacon is sizzling and the fat is starting to render, add in the onion, and cook gently until translucent & soft. Transfer the bacon and onion to the saucepan leaving the fat behind in the frying pan. Add the carrot & celery to the frying pan and fry for 5 minutes. Transfer to the simmering saucepan. 

Add the beef to the frying pan and brown, stirring occasionally. Pour in the milk, and grate a little nutmeg in too. Simmer over a medium heat until almost all the milk has evaporated (about 15 mins). When it's almost dry transfer the mince to the tomatoey saucepan and stir. Season to taste and pile high on a mound of pasta. Serve sprinkled with finely grated flavoursome cheese, such as a good English cheddar (or Parmesan if you must :)).

Curried Carrot Soup

Hoorah for the humble British Carrot. Versatile, flavourful and nourishing, the carrot can sometimes be, well, a bit forgettable (sorry carrot). But not in this recipe... the hint (really more of a wallop) of curry gives an edge to the Carroty sweetness of this soup.

The Carrot was brought to the UK by the Romans, and soon became quite at home. It grew so well that it was held as far superior to any raised at home. Since the middle ages, carrots have been boiled and buttered as a veg and simmered in soups. And at the end of Winter, when the last of the apples had rotted, they were used in place of fruit in pies, puddings and cakes. Although the sweet carrot pie has faded to obscurity (quite the shocker - although I bet Heston could make it good!), a plethora of unusual and wonderful sweet and savoury Carrot recipes live on. Here's an example, which is based on a 17th century recipe.

Ingredients
2oz (50g) Butter
1tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 sticks of celery (roughly 200g)
500g Carrots, washed and thinly sliced
1.5 pints of stock
Salt & pepper
2 teaspoons of mild curry paste

Method
Heat the butter & oil over a medium heat in a large heavy based saucepan. Chuck in the onions & celery and cook gently in the butter until soft (10 -15 mins). Add in the curry paste, stirring regularly. Add the carrots & stock. Bring to the boil, and simmer on a very low heat, uncovered for 30 mins until the carrots are soft. Blend. Season. Garnish with a few toasted walnuts and a dribble of hemp oil if you have it.

Prep time 10 mins. Cooking time 45mins.

Porridge

The actual breakfast of champions. Get this inside ya and its going to be a productive day! Comfortingly cloying and superiorly sustaining. Porridge is good for both your health and your libido. If you eat this upon a cold and frosty morning, you're going to have more than enough gusto for your quota of snow angels! The following measures are to feed 1 person. So double or triple etc if you have more mouths. You can, of course, vary the liquids you use, as long as you keep the proportions the same. Porridge made with all milk or even cream gives a rich, unctuous result. Soya milk gives a lovely creamy nuttiness. Coconut milk is also good, but steer clear of using it exclusively. You need some water to temper its richness. That is unless you enjoy fat induced headaches or only intend to eat 2 bites?! You can even make it with fruit juice, although it's really only for those hardened health nuts among you.

Ingredients

Rolled oats, half a cup

Milk, half a cup

Water, half a cup

From here you can add whatever you like, but here are a few of ideas...

1 tablespoon of dessicated coconut,a teaspoon of almond essence a squidge of runny Honey and a pinch of salt.

Half a cup of mixed frozen berries, a squidge of strawberry dessert sauce and a sliced pear.

A grated small apple, a handful of raisins, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar and half a teaspoon of cinnamon.

Method

Put everything into a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring regularly until the mixture becomes thick and side-stickingly gloopy. Serve hot.

Chocolate chip, honey & Lemon Thyme Wholemeal Hotcakes

Some days are made for pancakes. Today is one of those days. The tax return is done and there's not much else on the list (all chores were completed in procrastination of the tax return)! So as I'd been up since silly o'clock and really it was only just past breakfast time, the half-asleep hazy-but-clear mind magic made these glorious, light, flavourful (and fairly healthy - note the wholemeal flour, oats and lack of refined sugar) hotcakes. The quantities below will make 4 hotcakes, which will feed 1 ravenous person or 2 as a light bite. I hope you like them. Please feel free to let me know :)

Ingredients
1/3 cup of rolled oats
1/3 cup of whole meal flour (I used Spelt)
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of freshly picked Lemon Thyme leaves
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
2 teaspoons of runny honey
1 egg
2 fl oz of Milk
40g of Milk chocolate chips
A Pinch of Salt & black pepper
Knob of butter for frying
Method
Put all ingredients (apart from the butter) in a bowl and mix well.
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat (it needs to be medium so that the chocolate chips don't burn). Add in a knob of butter and wait for it to sizzle. Then you can start frying. 1 hotcake is about 2 tablespoons of the mixture. Add the mixture to the pan and flatten a little with the back of the spoon. Fry until a quick shake of the pan moves the pancake, (about 3 minutes undisturbed), then turn and fry for a further 3 mins on the other side. Serve warm covered in crushed (frozen) raspberries and honey.

Baked Risotto

This is a store cupboard super supper. No fuss and nothing fresh required unless you fancy a little finishing flourish of freshness (rocket leaves and pin nuts pictured). I've adapted this from Donna Hay's recipe for basic baked risotto. And although you're never going to get the glorious gooey-ness that necessitates constant stirring and attention, it is still mighty good and a lot less laborious.

• 
  
• Ingredients
• 1 cup Carnolli rice
• 3 ½ cups stock (I used Beef)
• ¼ cup red wine
• 1 clove of Garlic, minced
• A handful of sun blush tomatoes
• 20g of dried mushrooms (i have used a mixture of Shiitake, Oyster & Porcini)
• 50g or so of finely grated Parmesan
• A 20g knob of Butter
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 
  

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F). Place the rice, stock, wine, garlic, mushrooms and tomatoes in a 22 x 30cm (8½ x 12 in) 10-cup (80 fl oz) capacity baking dish and stir. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until most of the stock is absorbed and the rice is al dente. Stir through the Parmesan, butter, season to taste and serve immediately. 

Serves 2 hungry so and sos.

Fried Coconut Banana

This is a brilliant brekkie or brunch. Really speedy, simple, actually good for you and delicious.

What you need to feed 1
A Ripe Banana, sliced (about 2cm thick)
A knob of Butter
A teaspoon of dessicated coconut
A teaspoon of sugar (brown if you have a choice)
A few broken walnuts
Greek yoghurt
What to do
Heat the butter in frying pan over a medium high heat. Once melted add in the banana. Allow to fry for 2 minutes undisturbed. Sprinkle with the coconut and sugar over. Fry for a further minute and then turn over (you are hoping for a beautiful golden brown caramelised colour). Add the walnuts to the pan. Fry until the nuts have become fragrant and both sides of the banana are golden. Eat immediately slathered in Greek yoghurt.

Chinese Five Spice Noodles with Beef

In the east noodles are always served with the assumption that the final taste is to be determined by the eater. And because of this the condiments served alongside this type of dish are much more varied than us western folk are accustomed to. Even in the simplest of eateries there are baskets on every table bursting with herbs, fish sauce, soy sauce, chilli sauce, fresh lime segments, sugar and chillies; so that you, the patron, can ultimately tailor your selected sustenance to your own personal taste. So with that in mind, I think this recipe is perfect, but that of course is just me. If you want some heat, punch it with some chilli, more sour for you..then up the Lime, etc etc. To quote Lloyd.. and now David, it's over to you.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon groundnut oil
1 large clove of garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of Chinese five spice powder
Leftover rare roast beef, about 100g per person, shredded
250g of Beef stock
2 nests of noodles
1 red pepper, sliced
4 spring onions, finely sliced
Juice of half a lime and use the other quarters as garnish
A handful of Coriander leaves, roughly chopped
Some snippets of cress
A sprinkling of black sesame seeds
Method
Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, add the garlic, salt, soy sauce, ginger, sugar and five spice, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Allow to bubble gently for a couple of minutes. Add in the stock, and lime juice, stir and bring back to the boil.
Meanwhile cook (or soak) your noodles according to the pack instructions and drain.
Now it's just a matter of assembly. Divide your noodles into 2 bowls. Gently slosh half the five spice liquid over each. Chuck on some beef, pepper, onions, coriander, cress and seeds and garnish with a lime wedge. Consume.

Prep time 5 mins. Cooking time 7 mins. Feeds 2.