Red Wine Risotto

Ingredients
300g Risotto Rice (long grain will do)
450ml Red Wine
600ml Chicken Stock
125g Butter
250g Mushrooms (sliced)
175g Parmesan (grated)
2 Red Onions (thinly chopped)
2 Cloves Garlic (thinly chopped)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Pan
1 Large Frying Pan
1 Spatula

The Good Bit

1. Pour the red wine and stock in your pan and bring to a gentle simmer, in the frying pan, heat up a little oil and add half the butter, gently cook the onions and garlic until they are soft (don't brown them)
2. Add the rice to the frying pan and stir well, now add the stock from the other pan until you just cover the rice, keep the liquid simmering and keep stirring, as the liquid soaks up, add a little more stock and keep stirring, keep this up, adding a little stock at a time until all the stock has been absorbed.
3. When you've got the point when you are half way through your stock, add in the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper, finally add in the butter when all the stock is gone and most of the parmesan, stir in and serve. sprinkle over the remaining parmesan.

Serves 4

Lamb with Celery and Onion

Ingredients
1kg Lamb (cut into chunks)
375g Baby Onions
2 Sticks Celery
450ml Chicken Stock
2 Bay Leaves
2-3 Sprigs Rosemary (chopped into pieces)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Pan with Lid/Casserole Dish

The Good Bit

1. Heat a splash of oil in the pan/casserole dish and fry the onion and celery over a low heat for 5 minutes until soft, now add the meat, rosemary and half the rosemary, season with salt and pepper and fry until the meat is browned all over.
2. Add the stock, and if needed a little water just to make sure all the meat is covered, cover and simmer for 1 hour, when ready, remove the herbs and then garnish with the remaining rosemary.
   

Serves 4

Lamb Stew

Ingredients
1kg Lamb (cubed, neck is a good cut to use)
2 Large Onions (sliced)
1Kg Potatoes (sliced)
2 Large Carrots (diced)
400ml Chicken Stock (lamb or vegetable are ok as well)
Handful Fresh Parsley (chopped)
Butter
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Pan or preferably Casserole Dish
Greaseproof paper
Tin Foil

The Good Bit

1. If you have a casserole dish, pre heat your oven too 160c 335f gas 3, if not we'll use the hob. Start by layering your vegetables and lamb into the pan, make the top layer one of potato slices, you want to sprinkle salt, pepper and a bit of chopped parsley on each layer, but leave the last layer (your potatoes) alone, then pour on the stock.
   
2. Grease your greaseproof paper with a bit of butter then cover your dish or pan tightly with it, now add a tight layer of tin foil and finally a lid, if your are using the oven put the casserole dish in now and leave for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, on the hob you want to bring the pan to the boil first then reduce the heat and leave to simmer for about the same length of time.
3. Serving suggestion, if you have too much liquid, take a few of the potato slices and mash them then add them back to the stew and heat. Finally add a garnish of parsley, season to taste and serve.
   

Serves 4

Asparagus Soup

Ingredients
750g Asparagus (cut into inch long bits)
125g Brie Cheese (diced)
25g Butter
1 Small Onion (thinly chopped)
1.2 Litres Chicken (or Vegetable Stock)
Salt and Pepper
150ml Single Cream
A Few Cooked Asparagus Spears to Garnish
Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Frying Pan
1 Blender

The Good Bit

1. Melt the butter in the frying pan then cook the onion for 5 minutes until lightly browned (over a gentle heat as butter burns if you cook over the same temperatures as you would with oil) then add in the asparagus.
2. Add in the stock and season to taste, cover the best yu can and leave to simmer for 25 minutes, the asparagus should just be going soft.
3. Allow to cool a little the blend until you have a nice smooth soup, then add in the brie and blend again. Rinse out the frying pan then pour the soup back in, reheat and adjust the seasoning if needed (if it looks a little pale you can add green food colouring if desired)
4. Serve with French bread and a drizzle of cream.
   

Serves 6

Chicken and Corn Soup

Ingredients
1 Large Onion (finely chopped)
1 Red Pepper (cored, de seeded and finely diced)
175g Sweetcorn
250g Cooked Chicken
750ml Chicken Stock
625g Potatoes (peeled and diced)
25g Plain Flour
450ml Milk
Salt and Pepper
1 Knob of Butter
Small Handful Chopped Fresh Parsley (roughly chopped)
A Baguette (to serve)

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Pan
1 Wooden Spoon

The Good Bit

1. Melt the butter in the pan then cook the onion, pepper and potatoes over a medium heat for 5 minutes until soft but not coloured, stirring occasionally, turn down the heat and add in the flour and keep stirring for 1 minute.
2. Next add in the stock and bring to the boil, cover and cook for ten minutes, add in the chicken, sweetcorn and milk then season to taste, throw in the parsley and stir, cover and cook for another 10 minutes (at this point the potatoes should be cooked through)
3. Adjust the seasoning if necessary then serve with a not hot crusty baguette.
   

Serves 4

Pheasant with Cabbage and Mustard Sauce

Ingredients
5 Tablespoons Butter (if you can get hold of clarified use that)
4 Pheasant Breasts (boneless and skinless)
425g Savoy Cabbage (shredded)
300ml Game Stock (if you can buy this or use chicken stock)
300ml Red Wine
300ml Single Cream
2 Tablespoons of Port (for that Christmas feel, or you can leave this out)
3 Tablespoons Wholegrain Mustard
50g Butter
Salt and Pepper
4 Sprigs of Any Herb to garnish

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Frying Pan
2 Large Pans

The Good Bit

1. THIS STAGE SHOULD BE DONE 3-4 MINUTES MAXIMUM BEFORE YOU ARE ABOUT TO SERVE UP, YOU MAY WANT TO PREPARE THE CABBAGE AND SAUCE IN ADVANCE. Start by melting the 5 tablespoons of butter in your frying pan, then fry the breasts over a gentle heat for 4 minutes, remove, season and set aside, the flesh should feel firm but springy to the touch and the meat should look just cooked when cut.
   
2. The sauce is easy, combine the chicken (or game if you can get it) stock with the red wine, heat in a pan and reduce by half, stir in the mustard and cream and reduce until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of your spoon when you hold it up, if it runs off cook a little longer, finally season it with salt and pepper.
3. The cabbage should be cooked and drained then toss in the 50g of butter and swill around to give a good even coating, now pile in the centre of each plate , carve the pheasant into 3-4 slices then position nicely on top, spoon over a little of the sauce, decorate with your sprig and serve
   

Serves 4

Seafood Chowder

Ingredients
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 Clove Garlic (finely chopped)
2 Sticks Celery (sliced)
1 Large Carrot (diced)
40g Flour (preferably Wholemeal)
750ml Fish or Chicken Stock
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
Handful Fresh Parsley (roughly chopped)
2 Tablespoons Parmesan (grated)
1x120g Can Sweetcorn (drained)
250ml Milk
250g Prawns (shelled)
250g White Fish such as Haddock (chopped into bite size chunks)
250g Baby New Potatoes (or large potatoes cut to bite size chunks)
4 Bay Leaves
A Good Splash of Oil
Salt and Pepper to Season
Crème Fraiche (optional)

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Pan

The Good Bit

1. Heat the oil in the pan and cook the onion and garlic together until soft (3 minutes) add in the celery and carrot and cook for a further 2 minutes, then whilst stirring, drop in the flour for another minute, finally add in the stock, potatoes, oregano and bay leaves, bring to the boil and cover, lower the heat so you have a slow simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Once the 15 minutes is up add in the fish and cook until it goes opaque (3 minutes or so) stir in the milk and sweetcorn and bring back to the boil before adding the parmesan and parsley (at this stage you can add 5 Tablespoons of Crème Fraiche to make a really creamy chowder)
   

Serves 6-8

Beef Stew With a Healthy Twist

Ingredients
500g Beef (cut into chunks)
750ml Chicken Stock
120ml White Wine
1 Carrot (halved lengthways then sliced)
1 Clove Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Stick Celery (finely sliced)
300g Baby Onions (peeled, if using shallots 1/4 them)
180g Button Mushrooms (quartered)
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Cornflour
125g Natural Yoghurt
Knob of Butter
Splash of Oil
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Pan
2 Small Frying Pans
1 Large Bowl
1 Slotted Spoon
1 Spatula

The Good Bit

1. In the pan, heat a little oil then cook the meat until it is evenly browned on all sides, add 500ml of stock, the wine, carrot, celery, thyme, garlic and bay leaf, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. In the frying pan, pour in the rest of the stock and drop in the onions, cooking until all the stock has gone, then remove from the heat and set aside.
3. In the other frying pan, heat another splash of oil and drop in the knob of butter, went it is bubbling add in the mushrooms and cook until they are soft then stir in the lemon juice and remove from the heat then set that aside too.
4. With the slotted spoon, remove the meat and vegetables from the broth and place in the large bowl, remove the bay leaf and throw away, blend a the cornflour in a cup with a little of the broth then tip it back into the pan, simmer away until the broth has thickened, reduce the heat again now and stir in the yoghurt, finally add all the other ingredients and the teaspoon of parsley, heat through then serve.
   

Serves 4

Sunday Roast Chicken

Ingredients
1 Chicken
300ml Vegetable or Chicken Stock (if you are doing carrots, peas or any vegetables, then use the water from that pan once the vegetables are cooked for a really excellent flavour)
Vegetables of Your Choice (boiled in unsalted water)
6 Medium Potatoes (quartered)
Oil

Equipment
2 Roasting Tins
2 Large Pans
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board

The Good Bit

1. OK now before I start here, there are many ways to make this meal, I'll cover the ones I like and throw in suggestions. Pre heat your oven to 160c/325f gas 3.
2. Weigh your bird! then work out the cooking time with this simple formula (don't worry!!) 30minutes for the first 1lb in weight then after every pound add another 15 minutes so a 1lb bird would take 30minutes, a 2lb bird 45minutes, 3lb 60minutes, 4lb 1hr15 and so on.
3. Wash the bird, place it on the roasting tin and place in the oven for the desired time!
4. Now for the vegetables, i like roast potatoes (quartered) with this meal so i chuck them in the other tin, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with sea salt and put in the oven when the chicken has 45 minutes left, you can also do this with carrots and parsnips.
5. I love carrot with this meal and peas, so i cook them in pans of unsalted water until they are tender, sliced carrots take 10-15 minutes, peas only take 5-10 minutes.
6. For the gravy, this is a thin one, I pour some of the carrot juice and some of the pea juice into the roasting tin, stir it in well and ladle it over the meal, if you want to make it slightly thicker add a tablespoon of flour and fry until the flour has begun to brown then add the carrot/pea juice or stock.

Serves 4

Lemon and Lime Chicken

Ingredients
4 Chicken Breasts (chopped into chunks)
1 Red Pepper (cored, de seeded and sliced)
1 Green Pepper (cored, de seeded and sliced)
1 Onion (sliced)
1 Lime (jested and juiced)
1 Teaspoon Chilli Powder
250g Long Grain Rice
1/2 Lemon
A Splash of Oil

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Frying Pan/Wok
1 Large Pan (2/3rds full with boiling salted water or chicken/vegetable stock)
1 Spatula
1 Zester

The Good Bit

1. In the large frying pan heat gently the onion, chicken, peppers, chilli powder, lime zest and juice, stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, 10-15 minutes. Season to taste.
   
2. Meanwhile in the large pan boil either the water or stock and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon and then drop in the used lemon half, stir in the turmeric and then add in the rice and cook to packet instructions, usually 10 minutes, this should be ready about the same time as the chicken.
3. Serve the rice in a ring with the chicken inside.
   

Serves 4

Basque Chicken

Ingredients
4 Chicken Breasts
175g Bacon (cut the rind off and bin)
4 Onions (thinly chopped)
3 Cloves Garlic (crushed)
2 Green Peppers (seeded and diced)
1 400g Can Chopped Tomatoes
150ml Chicken Stock
A Good Splash of Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Dried Marjoram
Salt and Pepper
Parsley (chopped, to serve)

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Frying Pan/Wok
1 Spatula
1 Wooden Spoon
1 Slotted Spoon
1 Garlic Press

The Good Bit

1. In a Splash of Oil fry the diced bacon until it is just cooked then remove, now fry the chicken breast, if you need to add a splash more il do, until the breasts are evenly golden all over, remove and set aside with the bacon, keep warm if possible.
2. Next fry the onion, garlic and marjoram gently over a low heat for about 10 minutes until the onion is golden too, then add the tomatoes and stock and bring to a gentle simmer.
3. Now add the chicken and bacon back in and stir well, cover and leave for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken to a serving dish and boil the sauce until it coats the back of a wooden spoon, adjust the seasoning and serve with a topping of chopped fresh parsley.
   

Serves 4

Potato and Leek Soup

Ingredients
25g Butter
2 Large Leeks (thinly sliced)
250g Potatoes (diced amazingly enough to the size of a dice!)
1 Onion (chopped as fine or as rough as you like)
750ml Chicken Stock
300ml milk

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Pan
1 Wooden Spoon
Greaseproof Paper

The Good Bit

1. Add the butter, leek, onion, and potato to the pan and stir well to cover with the butter, cover tightly with greaseproof paper and cook over a low heat for 15minutes, until everything is begins to go soft but not coloured, you will need to stir frequently to stop the colouring.
2. Add all the liquids and season to taste then bring to the boil and reduce the heat to a low simmer for 20mins until all the vegetables are cooked through (test the potatoes with a fork, if they are done there should be no resistance)
3. Blend at this stage and return back to the pan to reheat again checking the seasoning, if you like the soup a little more chunky, you can reserve 1/4 of the vegetables and add then back in to the soup on the rewarm.

Serves 4

Cream of Chicken Soup

Ingredients
400g Chicken
1 Onion
1 Garlic Clove (take out if not wanted)
2 Carrots (thinly sliced)
1 Celery Stick (thinly sliced)
1 Leek (thinly sliced)
500ml Chicken Stock
500ml Water
125ml Single Cream
Salt and Pepper to Season

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Pan
1 Blender/Food Processor
1 Slotted Spoon

The Good Bit

1. Place the chicken, onion, garlic and other vegetables in the pan with the water and season, skim off anything that looks undesirable floating on top, then bring to a slow simmer, cover and heat for 30 minutes.
2. Add the stock and bring back to the boil, re-cover and simmer for another 30mins, adjust the seasoning if needed. Using the slotted spoon, take out the chicken and blend until smooth.
3. Return the chicken back to the pan, add in the cream and and heat through, but now the cream is in do not let it boil (if it is a little thick at this stage add a little more water), give a good stir and serve.

Serves 4

Chicken Fricassee

Ingredients
4 Chicken Breasts
1 Large Onion
2 Carrots
2 Sticks Celery
100g Frozen Peas
4 Egg Yolks
Handful Chopped Parsley
Splash of Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Flour
250g Long Grain Rice
600ml Water
2 Chicken Stock Cubes
1 Lemon

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Zester/Juicer
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Frying pan
1 Large pan

The Good Bit

1. Heat a splash of oil in your frying pan and fry the chicken breasts until they are golden on both sides (You can cut your chicken into chunks before you start if you like) take out of the pan and leave to cool.
2. Bring to the boil 2/3rds of a pan of salted water for your rice, whilst waiting for this to happen chop the onion, celery and carrot into small (pea size) cubes, heat all this in the frying pan until the onion begins to go golden, add the rice to the water
   
3. Once golden add the 2 spoonfuls of flour and fry quickly for a minute keeping stirring, now add the 600ml of water and the 2 crumbled stock cubes and the zest from the lemon, keep stirring until it simmers, leave for 4-5mins.
4. Add the frozen peas and plenty of seasoning and cook for another 2 minutes, whilst this is cooking beat the egg yolks then stir in the lemon juice.
5. Turn your heat right down on the frying pan now and add the egg mixture and stir for a few more minutes until lovely and thick, then add the chopped parsley and stir again.
6. Serve the lemon fricassee onto a bed of rice then top with your chicken breast (alternatively if you cut your breast into chunks, add this at the end to the lemon mixture and warm through for a few minutes then serve all together, I think the chicken comes out better this way)

Serves 4