Roasted butternutsquash, sweet potatoes with smoked bacon

Serves two or one greedy one

Wash butternutsquash. Trim half inch off top and bottom, discard this. Half it lengthwise and remove seeds. Quarter both sections then cut each quarter into 4 lengthwise to make boat shaped pieces. Wash a large sweet potato well and divide it into similar sized pieces. Place on baking tray(s).

Mix together 2tbs fennel seeds, 2 tbsp red chilli flakes, tsp salt and pepper, 4 crushed garlic cloves, 2 tbsp dried rosemary and 4 tbsp oil. Dot each vegetable portion with some of the mixture.

Bake in a preheated oven 200c, 180 fan.

After 20 minutes cut 4 slices of smoked bacon in halves and arrange on top of the vegetables.

Bake another 20 minutes at 200c, 180 fan oven. Serve on a bed of washed baby spinach. Don't forget to use the tasty gnarly bits which will have stuck to the baking sheets.

Oven baked brunch

This meal is cooked all-in-one on a tray in the oven. Saves time, washing and is healthier. Serves 1 or it's easy to add more food for the number you are serving.

Heat oven 180 fan.

Use a 10" deep baking tray. Brush with a thin layer of oil then lay the food evenly in single rows in the tray ie not overlapping each other:

2 slices smoked back bacon, halved closed cup mushrooms, generous portion of cherry tomatoes on the vine, 2 sprigs of asparagus, 1" slices of bell peppers. Brush the food with extra virgin olive oil. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from oven.

To the tray, add a portion of baby spinach, make a well and crack 2 eggs on top of the spinach. Add 1 tbsp green olives and a few sticks of frozen sliced green beans. Put back into the oven for about 5 minutes or until the eggs have runny set. Enjoy.

Heuvos Rancheros

　

Hot, spicy and delicious. (serves 1)

Dice half an onion and 2" piece of leek. Brush a deep frying pan with oil and fry them over medium heat until softened (about 4 minutes).

Add 2 bay leaves, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1tsp smoked paprika, pinch cayenne, 1tsp dried chilli flakes, 1tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp red pesto, 1tsp garlic powder, 1 diced fresh chilli, and half a red and half a yellow bell pepper cut in rough chunks, 2 chopped sundried tomatoes, 10 green olives (the paprika stuffed ones), 2 diced closed cup mushrooms and 1" round of diced aubergine, 100ml water (omit water if you like a thicker sauce). Cook for 2 minutes.

Add 1 tin of tomatoes (400g if you want to use fresh tomatoes), salt and cracked black pepper. Bring to boil then simmer for 10 minutes with a lid on.

Meantime make guacamole:

Put the flesh of 1 advocado into a bowl and mash with a fork, add half tbsp extra virgin oil and the juice of half a lime, 1 diced spring onion, 1tsp fresh chives, coriander and salt and pepper. Mix.

After the 10 minutes. Make a well in the centre of the hob mixture and crack an egg into it careful not to break the yoke. Replace the lid and leave for 4 minutes, serving immediately (as the egg will continue cooking) onto a plate of washed baby spinach. Sprinkle over 1tsp dried coriander, some grated cheese and small diced spring onion for crunch. Add the guacamole and enjoy.

Spag Penne Pasta in a light tomato sauce



I used the bottom two sections of Wilko's three tier steamer (£8) for this meal for one.

Place 80g wholewheat penne pasta and 20g spaghetti into the bottom section of the steamer with three quarters pint of vegetable stock, 1 tsp salt, 20g cubed aubergine, half sliced red onion and 20g fresh green beans cut into 2" slices.

in the second tier place 6 closed cupped mushrooms (halved) and an open tin of sardines in tomato sauce.

Bring to boil and lower heat to simmer for 12 minutes. Put the mushrooms into your serving dish and carefully add the contents of the sardines tin and 1 tbsp red pesto. Drain the pastas and mix well to coat with 2 large spoons.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and helping of grated parmesan cheese.

Gingerbread biscuits



 Mix 350g plain flour, 2 ts ground ginger, half tsp each mixed spice and cinnamon, 1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda.


Rub in 125g butter until it resembles breadcumbs texture. Add 100g brown sugar, 1 beaten egg, 3tbsp golden syrup and 1tbsp black treacle mixing to a stiff dough.

Roll out to 3mm thick. Cut into even rectangles. Line 2 baking tins with parchment and lay the biscuits with room to spread on it. Bake 180 fan for 15 minutes. Allow 10 minutes cooling time before removing from tins.

Duck in orange sauce stir-fry



Serves 1


Prepare all ingredients before starting the dish.

Make orane sauce marinade by mixing the juice and zest of 1 orange, 1tbsp roasted garlic prepared as above (or just finely chop 3 garlic cloves), 1 tsp runny honey, 2tsp chilli flakes, pinch salt, 1 tsp cornflour, 1 tsp freshly grated ginger. Place half a duck breast with fat intact into the marinade for at least 30 minutes.

Place a handful of medium egg noodles in a bowl and cover with boiling water.

Slice half a carrot to resemble matchsticks.

Slice longways and thinly 6" piece of aubergine.

3 brocolli florets sliced longways and thinly.

1 shallot diced.

3 savoy cabbage leaves sliced into thin 2" pieces.

2 tbsp cut green beans and snap peas.

Put a wok on the hob using high heat for 3 minutes. Remove the duck breast and put it fat side down into the wok, leave 4 minutes to cook. Turn and cook the other side for 1 minute. Remove the duck and set aside. The fat will render down, swirl it around the wok leaving a fine coating and drain off the residue (this can be used to cook roast potatoes at a later date giving a marvellous flavour).

Put the carrots, shallots and brocolli in the wok and stir and turn to cook for around 1 minute. Add aubergine, cabbage, green beans and snap peas and cook in the same way for 1 minute. Place the lid on the wok and leave 2 minutes.

Add the marinade and stir the veg to coat well for 1 minute. If you wish trim any remaining fat from the duck, I prefer to leave mine on as the flavour is great.

Slice the duck into half inch wide and long pieces and return to the wok stir-frying another 1 minute.

Drain the noodles using a sieve, put them into the wok again stir frying to coat with the orange sauce. Turn off the heat and replace the lid on the wok. Leave for 2 minutes. Serve with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.



Baked rosti

Simple and filling. I used up my remaining 3 eggs which were coming near use by date, I always buy too many then have to think what to do with them.

Serves 4

600g Carrots

200g savoy cabbage shredded

1 x Large Onion

3 x Medium Eggs

120g Crème Fraiche

70g Medium Cheddar Cheese grated

1 x Vegetable Stock Cube

3 heaped tsps of freshly chopped Coriander

300ml Boiling Water,

Salt and Black Pepper

30ml Sunflower Oil

20 x 20cm Shallow Baking Dish

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160 fan/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

Peel and finely chop the onion, and peel and grate the carrots.

Dissolve the stock cube in the boiling water.

Sauté the chopped onions in the oil in a large frying pan on a gentle heat for 5 minutes.

Add the grated carrot, shredded cabbage and the stock to the pan, season with salt and black pepper. Keep stirring until all the liquid has gone and the carrots are dry.

Transfer to a bowl to cool. Meanwhile beat the eggs with the crème fraiche and the grated cheese.

Pour over the carrot mix, add the chopped coriander, then transfer into an ovenproof dish. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.