Sherried turkey & ham bake

Serves 4

350g/12oz cooked turkey , cut into strips
140g thickly sliced cooked ham , cut into strips
175g frozen peas
50g butter , plus a little extra for greasing the dish
50g plain flour
600ml milk
3 tbsp medium sherry
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
100g cheddar , grated
50g chopped mixed nuts , such as hazelnuts, almonds, and walnuts

1.Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6/fan oven 180C. Mix the turkey, ham and frozen peas in a buttered ovenproof dish.

2.To make the sauce, put the butter, flour and milk in a saucepan and bring to the boil, whisking all the time, until the sauce is thickened and smooth. Stir in the sherry and mustard, season to taste and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in half the cheese.

3.To finish the dish, pour the sauce over the ingredients in the dish. Mix the remaining cheese with the nuts and sprinkle on top. At this point, you can keep the bake in the fridge up to 5 hours, or freeze it. When ready, bake for 25-35 minutes until the topping is golden and the sauce is bubbling.

Nutrition per serving:
633 kcalories, protein 50g, carbohydrate 23g, fat 37 g, saturated fat 18g, fibre 3g, salt 2.16 g

(Good Food magazine, January 2002)

Scottish oat cakes

225g oats
60g wholewheat flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
60g butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
100ml hot water

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190C.

2. Mix together the oats, flour, salt, sugar and bicarbonate of soda.

3. Add the butter and rub together until everything is mixed and has the consistency of large bread crumbs.

4. Add the water (from a recently boiled kettle) bit by bit and combine until you have a somewhat thick dough. The amount of water varies; depending on the oats.

5. Sprinkle some extra flour and oats on a work surface and roll out the dough to approx. 1/2cm thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes (the final number of oatcakes depends - of course - on the size of cutter you use. In a wonderfully Scottish twist/coincidence I found that using an upturned whisky glass makes the perfect size.

6. Place the oat cakes on a baking tray and bake for appprox. 25mins. or until slightly golden brown.

(©2012 DJB)

Thai pork & peanut curry

Serves 4

1tbsp vegetable oil

Bunch spring onions, sliced

Small bunch coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves picked

400g pork tenderloin, sliced

4tbsp Thai red curry paste

4tbsp peanut butter

1tbsp soft brown sugar

1tbsp soy sauce

400ml can light coconut milk

175g pack baby corn

Juice 1 lime

Steamed jasmine rice, to serve

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole. Add the spring onions and coriander stalks and cook for 1min. Add the pork slices and cook for 5mins until starting to brown.

2. Stir in the curry paste and peanut butter. After 30secs, add the sugar, soy sauce and coconut milk plus ½ can of water. Mix well, put a lid on and leave to simmer for 15mins, stirring occasionally.

3. Remove the lid, add the baby corn and increase the heat. Bubble for 3mins until the corn is cooked and the sauce has thickened a little. Stir in the lime juice and check the seasoning. Can now be frozen for up to 2 months. To cook from frozen: thoroughly defrost, then heat in a pan on the hob until curry is hot all the way through. Serve scattered with the coriander leaves and rice.

Nutrition per serving:

388 kcals, protein 28g, carbs 12g, fat 25g, sat fat 4g, fibre 2g, sugar 9g, salt 1.6g

(GoodFood Magazine – January 2013)

Chicken with mustard lentils

Serves  4

1 tbsp vegetable oil

4 chicken drumsticks

4 chicken thighs

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

250g Puy lentils

750ml hot chicken stock

2 tbsp crème fraiche

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Small bunch parsley, chopped

Green veg, to serve (optional)

1.  Heat the oil in a large flame proof casserole. Season the chicken pieces, then brown in the hot oil for 3mins each side, until golden on all sides. Remove and set aside. Pour away all but 1tbsp oil.

2. Add the onion to the pan and cook for 5mins, then add the garlic and cook for 1min more. Add the lentils and stock and stir well. Put the chicken on top and leave to simmer over a medium heat for 30mins. Remove the lid and increase the heat. Bubble for another 20mins until the lentils are tender, most of the stock has been absorbed, and the chicken is cooked through.

3. Stir in the crème fraiche, lemon zest and juice, mustard, parsley and seasoning. Serve with green veg if you like.

Nutrition per serving:

538 kcals, protein 49g, carbs 32g, fat 24g, sat fat 7g, fibre 7g, sugar 3g, salt 1.0g

(GoodFood Magazine – January 2013)

Thai green curry paste

1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp each thai fish sauce and salt
2 small shallots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
5cm piece fresh galangal, chopped (or fresh ginger if galangal not available)
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 lemongrass stalk, outer layer discarded and finely chopped
4 medium green chillies, 2 seeded, 2 deseeded and chopped,
A bunch of fresh coriander, roots and stalks washed and chopped
zest of half a lime
juice of 1 lime

1. Dry-fry 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and 2 teaspoons coriander seeds in a small non-stick frying pan until aromatic.

2. Transfer the seeds to a food processor along with 1 teaspoon each shrimp paste and salt, 4 garlic cloves, fresh galangal, 1 tablespoon palm sugar, 1 lemongrass stalk, the green chillies, a bunch of fresh coriander, and whizz together to a paste.

(©DJB 2012)

Mustard mash

Serves 4

900g King Edward or Maris Piper potatoes
85g butter
100ml whipping cream
3 tbsp milk
2-3 tbsp grainy mustard
1.Boil the whole potatoes in their skins for 30-40 mins, or until tender (timing depends on their size). Drain and peel off the skins. Put the potatoes back in the pan, cover and gently heat for a min or two.

2.Remove from the heat and mash the potatoes with the butter until no lumps are left, then heat 100ml whipping cream and 3 tbsp milk together and add that to the potatoes. Beat 2-3 tbsp grainy mustard in and season to taste.

Nutritional information per serving:
437 kcalories, protein 6.0g, carbohydrate 40.0g, fat 29.0 g, saturated fat 17.0g, fibre 3.0g, salt 0.7 g

(Good Food magazine, March 2005)

Braised rabbit pappardelle

Serves 5

2 tbsp olive oil
1 wild rabbit , jointed (ask your butcher to do this for you)
4 rashers smoked streaky bacon , chopped
1 small red onion , finely chopped
1 carrot , finely chopped
3 garlic cloves , crushed
2 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
150ml white or rosé wine
500ml chicken stock
500g pappardelle pasta
zest ½ orange
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
100ml double cream
small bunch flat-leaf parsley , chopped, plus a few leaves picked to serve
grated Parmesan , to serve

1.Heat the oil in a large pan. When hot, add the rabbit, brown on all sides, then remove from the pan and set aside.

2.Add the bacon, onion and carrot to the pan and cook for 10 mins until soft. Add the garlic, rosemary and tomato purée, stir for 1-2 mins, then pour in the wine and chicken stock.

3.Return the rabbit to the pan, season, cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for 1 hr until the rabbit is really tender.

4.Remove the rabbit from the pan and shred the meat using 2 forks. Be careful to remove all small bones. Meanwhile, increase the heat under the pan and boil the liquid for 5 mins until reduced by half. Add the shredded meat and reduce the heat to low. Cook the pasta in a large pan of salted water following pack instructions. Drain, reserving a little pasta water to thin the sauce if necessary.

5.Stir half the orange zest, mustard, cream and parsley into the rabbit sauce. Add the cooked pasta to the pan, toss everything well to coat and heat through for 1-2 mins. Serve in bowls with grated Parmesan, parsley leaves and the remaining orange zest.

Nutrition per serving:
633 kcalories, protein 40g, carbohydrate 57g, fat 25 g, saturated fat 11g, fibre 2g, sugar 6g, salt 1.4 g

(Good Food magazine, October 2012)