Gnocchi and Pesto

Ingredients
1 Portion Pesto (made in september 2008 or in sauces)
500g Potatoes
175g Plain Flour
1 Egg (beaten)
Pinch of Grated Nutmeg
Salt and Pepper
Butter
Parmesan (grated)

Equipment
1 Pan (2/3rds full with boiling salted water)
1 Colander
1 Potato Masher
1 Slotted Spoon
1 Serving Bowl (lightly buttered)

The Good Bit

1. Make your pesto first then get the potatoes on the boil for 10-15 minutes until they are soft enough to mash.
2. Drain the potatoes and the leave the pan on the heat a little longer to get rid of as much moisture as you can, mash them as well as you can so there are no lumps then beat in the flour and egg and season with nutmeg and salt and pepper.
3. Mix until you have a good dough, then with floured hands turn the dough out onto a floured surface and start to make little sausages about the the size of your thumb upto the first joint.
4. Add a couple of gnocchi to the water at a time and cook for 2-3 minutes until they float then remove them with a slotted spoon and and drain. Place all your gnocchi in a buttered serving bowl and dot a little butter on to them, sprinkle over the parmesan and then top with the pesto.

Serves 4

Butter Sauce

Ingredients
25g Plain Flour
175g Butter (chopped into cubes)
300ml Water
1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Salt

Equipment
1 Pan
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Wooden Spoon
1 Balloon Whisk

The Good Bit

1. Add all your ingredients to the bowl then sit it in a pan of hot (not boiling or simmering water) Stir continuously with the spoon until you have a smooth paste. Now add in the butter and whisk with the balloon whisk.
2. Once all the ingredients are well mixed season with salt and serve, if you need to keep the bowl over the hot water whilst you finish preparing and serving the rest of your meal you can for about 30 minutes, make sure it's no longer and that the water isn't boiling or you'll make the sauce really oily. Serve with fish, asparagus and broccoli.
   

Serves 4

Onion Sauce

Ingredients
450g Onions (sliced)
50g Butter
600ml Stock (vegetable, beef, chicken, lamb stock or milk)
25g Plain Flour
Pinch of Each, Mace, Nutmeg, Salt.
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Equipment
1 Large Pan
1 Medium Pan
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Sieve

The Good Bit

1. Heat half the butter in your large pan and add the onions, cook slowly so as not to brown them, stirring occasionally, in the other pan heat your stock or milk. Once the onions are soft add the stock or milk and drop in the mace, nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.
2. Simmer for 10-15 minutes then strain, reserving the liquid and onions, now heat the remaining butter in one of your pans and add the flour, cook for about 2-3 minutes then remove from the heat and add in the reserved liquid.
3. Keep stirring all the time to avoid lumps, next chop up the reserved onions as fine as you can and add to the pan, stir again, reheat for a little while then serve. Works well with all meats but especially lamb.
   

Serves 4

Steaks en Crout

Ingredients
4 Fillet Steaks (trim the fat off)
2 Small Onions (finely chopped)
1 Clove Garlic (crushed)
125g Mushrooms (finely chopped)
250g Ready Rolled Frozen Puff Pastry (defrosted obviously)
1 Egg (beaten)
4 Slices Ham
40g Butter
Oil
Pinch of Ground Nutmeg

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Garlic Press
1 Frying Pan
1 Bowl
1 Pastry Cutter
1 Pastry Brush

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat your oven too 220c 425f gas 7. Heat 2/3rds of the butter in the frying pan along with a splash of oil, then cook the onion and garlic for a couple of minutes until soft, add in the mushrooms and the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper, cook over a nice gentle heat until the mushrooms are cooked and there is no more liquid left in your pan, remove from the pan and place in a bowl.
2. Heat the last of the butter in the frying pan then quickly sear the steaks on both sides and then remove them from the heat too.
3. Flour your work surface lightly then spread out the puff pastry, cut out 8 rounds that are slightly larger than the steaks, now go round the outside inch of the rounds with the pastry brush well dipped in the beaten egg.
4. Cut the ham into 8 rounds about the same size as the steaks. Place 4 ham rounds onto 4 pastry rounds then use half the mushroom mixture to cover these four servings, now top with a steak each, then divide the last of the mushroom mixture onto the top of that, finally add the remaining 4 ham rounds and then the four pastry rounds. Press the edges of the pastry together to make nice neat parcels and stick a fork in top to air to escape, using some more of the beaten egg, brush the tops of each a little then stick them in the oven for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.
   

Serves 4

Cheese Soufflé

Ingredients
5 Eggs (separated so you have 4 yolks and 5 whites, use the other egg yolk in another recipe)
250ml Milk
50g Plain Flour
50g Butter (plus a little extra for greasing)
2 Tablespoons Single Cream
150g Gruyère
1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
A 1.2 Litre Soufflé Dish (greased)
A Wooden Spoon
A Balloon Whisk
A Sauce Pan
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Spatula

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat your oven too 180c 350f gas 4. Melt the butter in the saucepan then stir in the flour and cook, stirring continuously over a low heat for 2 minutes, slowly add the milk a little at a time, stirring well each time you add until you have a smooth thick sauce, now you are going to have to keep stirring this for the next 15 minutes.
2. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cream and then add the egg yolks a little at a time before you add the gruyère and nutmeg, then season to taste, the cheese needs to melt and the mixture should be really smooth before you move on.
3. Whisk the egg whites in your mixing bowl with the balloon whisk until they form stiff peaks, then fold them gently into the cheese mixture with the spatula. Now pour the mixture into your soufflé dish and cook for 15 minutes, then without opening the oven, turn up the heat to 200c 400f gas 6 and cook for another 15 minutes, your soufflé should be well risen and golden before you take it out, then serve straight away.
   

Serves 4

Christmas Cake

Ingredients
125g Self Raising Flour
200g Plain Flour
250g Butter
250g Brown Sugar
250g Currants
250g Raisins
250g Sultanas
75g Mixed Peel (chopped)
75g Glace Cherries
50g Ground Almonds
5 Eggs
1 Tablespoon Treacle
1 Teaspoon Mixed Spice
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
50ml Sherry
1 Lemon (zested)
4 Tablespoons Brandy

Equipment
1 Large Mixing Bowl
2 Wooden Spoons
1 9inch Round Baking Tin (or 8inch square tin) (greased)
Greaseproof Paper
1 Sieve
2 Mixing Bowl
1 Airtight Tin

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat your oven too 140c 275f gas 1. Line the baking tin with a double thickness of grease proof paper and leave a good 5 cm sticking out above the rim of the tin.
2. Start by sieving the flours into the large mixing bowl, add the salt and spices and give a little stir, in an other bowl cream the butter and sugar together until you have a light mixture then add the treacle and mix well, in the other mixing bowl, drop in the eggs, vanilla and sherry and beat gently together.
3. Now what you need to do is, beat half the egg mixture into the creamed mixture then fold in 1/3rd of the flour, then add 1/2 the egg mixture again and fold, then add 1/2 the remaining flour and fold, finally add the last bit of egg, fold, and then the flour and fold again.
4. Now add in all the other ingredients (except the brandy) and fold in well then pour the mixture into your cake tin and flatten out the top. Now chuck this in the oven for 4-4 1/2 hours)
5. If the cake begins to brown too much you can cover it with a double layer of greaseproof paper, check to see if it is done by sticking it in the centre with a skewer, if the skewer comes out clean it's done, if it comes out sticky then leave it in. Turn the cake out on to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely then finally prick the top all over and drizzle over 4 tablespoons of brandy, leave it to mature for 3 months in an airtight tin (adding brand 1-2 tablespoons every couple of weeks)
   

Popeye Soup

Ingredients
2 Large Onions (roughly chopped)
2 Cloves Garlic (roughly chopped)
1 Red Chilli (finely chopped)
1 Bunch Fresh Mint (roughly chopped)
1 Bunch Fresh Parsley or Coriander (roughly chopped)
500g Fresh Spinach (roughly chopped)
1.2l Vegetable Stock
2 Lemons (juiced)
Pinch of Dried Nutmeg
A Splash of Oil

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

The Good Bit

1. Cook the onion, garlic and chilli in the pan in a splash of oil for 10-minutes, or until soft and golden, add the herbs and stock and bring to the boil (not the spinach), simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Add the spinach and cook for another 2 minutes then add the lemon juice, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste, blend with a hand blender or if using a food processor, once blended return to heat through for a short while, (not to long as the colour will go)

Serves 4

Spaghetti Bolognese

Ingredients
500g Pasta
500g Minced Beef
1 Onion (finely chopped)
4 Rashers Bacon (rind taken off and chopped)
1 Carrot (diced)
1 Stick Celery (diced)
1 400g Can Chopped Tomatoes
150ml Red Wine (a decent quality wine is better)
125ml Milk
1 Teaspoon Chopped Oregano (1/2 if using dried)
1/4 Teaspoon Dried Nutmeg
1 Tablespoon Sugar
Splash of Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Optional
2 Beef Stock Cubes
A Splash of Worcestershire Sauce
Parmesan for Serving

Equipment
1 Sharp Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Frying Pan
1 Large Pan

The Good Bit

1. Add a very good splash of oil to the frying pan and heat the onion, bacon, carrot and celery until the onion begins to brown (5 minutes) stirring continuously. then add the beef and cook until well browned, at this point you can add the stock cubes and a splash of sauce if you are using, stir well and cook for another minute.
2. Add the red wine and bring to a good boil, cooking until the wine has reduced by about 2/3rds.
3. Add the milk and nutmeg and cook until most of the liquid has been soaked up by the meat, then add the tomatoes, sugar and oregano and leave to simmer over a low heat for 2-3 hours. Season
   
4. Cook the pasta when required, usually about 10-15 minutes in a pan of boiling salted water, (don't be afraid to get a spoon in there and try a piece, if it's still crunchy give it a few minutes more, if it's soft, get it out straight away)
5. Serve a 1/4 of the pasta each and a good helping of the bolognese on top, sprinkle Parmesan on top for the authentic taste!

Serves 4