Homemade Ham & Cheese Macaroni

Homemade Ham & Cheese Macaroni

Following on from my ham, potato & parsnip Dauphinoise, here is another great recipe for using up the ham. My little boy Cameron loves Macaroni and nine times out of ten this is what he asks for if given the choice of what to have for tea. Great comfort food for adults too. If you wish you could also mix in some vegetables for variety e.g. peas, sweetcorn, tomatoes.


75g Butter
75g Plain Flour
900ml Milk, boiled
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
250g Cheddar Cheese, grated
300g Ham/Gammon, chopped
Salt & Black Pepper
300g Macaroni (or I use Rigatoni)

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Whisk in the flour and lightly cook for a minute before gradually adding the boiling milk a little at a time whilst whisking.
2. Stir in the mustard & around 3/4 grated cheese and stir so the cheese melts into the sauce.  Season with salt & pepper to taste and stir in the chopped ham.
3. Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling water. Drain and mix into the cheese & ham sauce.
4. Transfer to an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and put in the oven under a hot grill until the cheese is bubbling & golden brown. The macaroni can also be heated from cold in a 200deg oven for around 20 minutes.

Ham, Potato & Parsnip Dauphinoise

Ham, Potato & Parsnip Dauphinoise

If you and your family don't mind eating the same cut of meat for a few days a large gammon joint is a great investment. A large 2kg joint can cost around £10 but we can make it stretch out across 3 or 4 days. Here is an example - gammon & pineapple on day 1, the recipe here Ham, Potato & Parsnip Dauphinoise, then Homemade Cheese & Ham Macaroni (recipe on tomorrow's blog post).

2kg Gammon joint
- simmer in a large pan of water for around 2 hours (around 30mins per 500g). Regularly skim the surface to remove excess salt & keep topped up with boiling water from the kettle so joint covered in the pan. The joint may also be soaked in water overnight before cooking in fresh water.

700g Potatoes e.g. Maris Piper, thinly sliced (if you have a food processor with a slicing disc use this for speed or a mandoline)
450g Parsnips, thinly sliced (as above)
500g Gammon, sliced/chopped
5 leaves Sage, torn (or roughly 3 tbsp dried)
450ml Double Cream
60g Parmesan, grated
3 tbsp Wholegrain Mustard

1. Preheat oven to 200degs. Layer half potatoes & half parsnips in a buttered ovenproof dish. Season then top with ham & sage.
3. Cover with remaining potatoes & parsnips. Spread with Wholegrain mustard.
4. Heat the double cream in a saucepan until boiling. Remove from the heat and pour over the Dauphinoise.
5. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 50 minutes until potatoes & parsnips are tender (check with a skewer). Remove the foil, scatter the Parmesan over the Dauphinoise and continue to bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden.

Falafels

Falafels

Easy to make and a really cheap meal, falafels are a great healthy vegetarian alternative to beef burgers as featured on my previous blog post. Also another great meal for kids as you can adjust the ingredients and they can add what they like to the pitta. Although traditionally Greek, I have a couple of alternative twists you could try - Indian & Mexican Falafels - by altering the ingredients and the way they are served.

Base Falafel Recipe:
1 400g tin Chickpeas (drained, rinsed & dried)
1 small Red Onion (roughly chopped)
1 clove Garlic (or 1 tsp Lazy Garlic)
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Ground Coriander
1 tbsp chopped Parsley
2 tbsp Plain Flour
1/2 tsp salt

Greek - serve in pitta pockets with salad, tomato & tzatziki (Greek yoghurt, lemon juice, cucumber & garlic)
Indian - add a tsp curry powder to base mix. Serve in wrapped chapatis with fresh coriander, tomatoes, mint raita (natural yoghurt, cucumber & mint), and mango chutney.
Mexican - add a tsp chilli powder to base mix. Serve in wrapped tortillas with salad, tomatoes, salsa, guacamole and sour cream.

1. Blitz all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
2. Shape into patties & lightly fry in a splash of olive or sunflower oil for around 3 minutes on either side until golden.

Homemade Burgers

Homemade Burgers

Making your own burgers couldn't be easier and again it means the seasoning & fillings can be adjusted to taste or omitted for children. This is the base recipe I use with some suggestions of seasoning, herbs etc. you could mix in to add flavour.  Using a binding ingredient such as egg or breadcrumbs isn't essential but it does help the burger maintain it's shape better.

800g Beef Mince (if using lean mince a small dice of butter in the middle of the burger pattie will keep it moist)
1 Onion finely chopped or grated (best if slightly softened first by frying in tsp olive oil)
1 Egg
Salt & Pepper
1 tbsp Oil (for frying)

Suggested additions:
2 tbsp Ketchup
1 tbsp Italian Herbs
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbsp Chilli Flakes or Chilli Powder
1 tbsp Mustard (Dijon or Wholegrain)

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl (along with any of the suggested additional seasoning/flavouring above) & thoroughly mix.
2. Shape into patties (can be frozen for use at another time).
3. Griddle or pan fry for 4-5 minutes on each side (check that cooked through; if not, can be put in a hot oven for a few minutes).
4. Serve with chips on the side (refer to previous post for Homemade Chips. Sweet Potato chips can be cooked in the same way).

Creamy Tomato Soup

Creamy Tomato Soup

I have a boy who's not a big fan of vegetables so soup provides a great way to get veg into his diet. Once processed it's a form of 'hidden veg', he doesn't have to chew the lumps but all the vitamins are in there. An easy & quick way to make soup is to grate veg into a pan before topping with stock, simmering until soft then processing until smooth. This recipe does this and contains tomatoes & carrot. A take on tinned tomato soup...but without the added salt & sugar. Serve with cheese toasties for dunking :-)

25g Butter
1 Red Onion, chopped
1 Leek, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed (or 2 tsp Lazy Garlic)
2 Carrots, peeled & grated
2 medium Potatoes, peeled & grated
600ml Vegetable Stock
1kg ripe Tomatoes, peeled, deseeded & chopped (an easy way to do this is to cut a small cross in the bottom of the tomatoes, blanch in a bowl of boiling water for a few minutes, drain in a colander then the skins can be removed easily. Use a teaspoon or ice cream scoop to remove seeds.)
2 tbsp Tomato Purée
Sea Salt & Ground Pepper
300ml Full Fat Milk
(serves 4)

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over a low heat. Cook the onion, leek & garlic for around 10 minutes until soft but not browned.
2. Add the carrot and potato. Cook for 5 minutes more before adding the stock and bringing to a gentle simmer.
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato purée and season to taste. Simmer for 15 minutes until the vegetables are very soft. Add the milk, warm through then transfer to a blender/ food processor and process until smooth.
4. Return the soup to the rinsed out pan & gently reheat (if you wish you can pass through a sieve to the pan).

Sausage Pasta Sauce (quick cook version)

Sausage Pasta Sauce - Quick Cook Version

Refer to previous post. This is the quick cook version of the sausage pasta sauce. As per the slow-cooked version, hold off on adding the chilli and instead portion off some of the sauce towards the end into a seperate small pan and continue firstly adding the chilli into the main pan.

2tbsp Olive Oil
2 Small Red Onions, peeled & chopped
8 Pork Sausages, meat removed from skins (Italian Spiced or flavour varieties; we use Pork & Caramelised Onion which work well plus kids will like the sweeter taste)
1 1/2tbsp Fresh Rosemary, chopped
2 Bay Leaves (if dried use extra as not as strong)
2 Small Dried Chillies, crumbled (or 2tsp Lazy Chilli or Chilli Flakes)
2 400g tins Peeled Plum Tomatoes, drained
Sea Salt & Ground Pepper
250g Penne Rigate Pasta
150ml Double Cream
120g Parmesan, grated
(recipe serves 4)

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil and fry the onion until light brown. Stir in the sausages, rosemary, bay leaves and chilli (or hold off if you don't want included in kids sauce). Fry together over a high heat, stirring to mash the sausages (a metal potato masher works well).
2. Remove all but 1tbsp of the fat & continue to cook out for 20 minutes until the sausage meat has browned.
3. Add the tomatoes, break them up in the pan & return to the boil. Remove from the hob.
4. Cook the penne & drain.
5. Stir the cream into the sauce along with the drained penne & half the Parmesan. 
6. Serve with remaining Parmesan.

Note: this sauce freezes well but freeze after step 3 then add cream, penne & Parmesan after reheating once defrosted.

Sausage Pasta Sauce

Sausage Pasta Sauce

I got this recipe from my mum and it has to be the best pasta sauce I've ever tasted.  The many people I've shared this recipe with can vouch for this! Better still there is a slow-cooked version and a quick cook version and both taste great (though I recommend the slow-cooked option if you have the time to let it cook out). If you're serving this to kids as well then simply hold off on adding chilli,  portion off the sauce in a separate saucepan 5 minutes from the end and add chilli to the main pan, stir in and allow to cook out in the sauce for a bit before adding the Parmesan and the cream.

Slow-Cooked Version
2tbsp Olive Oil
8 Pork Sausages removed from skins (Italian Spiced or flavour varieties; Pork Sausages with Caramelised Onion are particularly good and kids will love the slightly sweeter flavour- often come in packs of 6 & 6 is fine in this recipe) 
2 small Red Onions
2 Garlic Cloves (or 2tsp Lazy Garlic)
2 small Dried Chillies, crumbled (or 2tsp Lazy Chilli or Chilli Flakes)
2 Bay Leaves (dried fine but use extra as flavour is not as strong)
1/3 Btl Red Wine (ideally Chianti or Sangiovese; many supermarkets have cheaper own-brand versions)
2 400g tins Peeled Plum Tomatoes, drained
Sea Salt & Ground Pepper
120g Parmesan, grated 
150ml Dbl Cream
250g Penne Rigate Pasta
(recipe serves 4)
1. Heat the oil in large pan, fry the sausage meat, stirring and breaking up the pieces (I use a potato masher which works well).
2. After juice from the meat has evaporated and fat begins to run, add the onion, garlic, chilli (or hold off if you don't want included for kids), and bay leaves. Cook gently for almost 30 minutes until onion is browned.
3. Pour in the red wine, increase the heat and cook until the wine evaporates. Add the tomatoes, break up and lower the heat. Simmer for around 45-60 minutes until the sauce is thick.
4. At this stage portion some of the sauce off into a separate saucepan for kids & stir in chilli to main pan.
5. Season with salt & pepper, stir in the Parmesan until melted down into the sauce and add the cream (a little of Parmesan and cream into smaller kids pan too).
6. Cook the penne and stir through the sauce.

Homemade Oven Chips

Homemade Oven Chips

It's Friday night so we opted for fish & chips! However, if you're feeling virtuous it couldn't be easier to make homemade healthier oven chips and I've now been using this method for years. It always produces yummy & crisp chips.

Maris Piper Potatoes
Olive Oil (I use mild & light Bertolli Olive Oil)

Optional seasoning:
Sea Salt & Black Pepper
Paprika
Cajun Spice
Chilli Powder
Garlic Salt or Powder
Chopped Rosemary

1. Peel & cut potatoes into sticks approx 1cm thick (use around 2 medium potatoes per person; more for big appetites!)
2. Rinse in a colander. Thoroughly pat dry in a tea towel.
3. Return to dried colander & drizzle with olive oil over the kitchen sink. Using the colander allows excess oil to drain away. Chips should be coated but not saturated in oil.
4. Add optional seasoning to taste & shake in colander to coat.
5. Cook on a preheated roasting tin or baking tray in the oven at 220degsC for around 25-30 minutes. Turn midway through to ensure even cooking.

Note: Some recipes recommend parboiling potatoes first. I find that it depends on the type of potato used. Fluffier potatoes like Maris Piper or King Edward make great chips without parboiling but if you have firmer potatoes then parboil for 3-5mins first until just tender before thoroughly draining, coating with oil & transferring to the oven. I always buy Maris Piper as they're a good all-rounder.

Fajitas with Homemade Seasoning Mix

Fajita Seasoning Mix

The great thing about making your own seasoning mix for fajitas is that you can adjust the mix to taste (plus in my opinion this recipe tastes better than the packet mix anyway!).  I make a batch for us and a separate batch for Cameron without the salt and reducing the chilli powder so it's not too spicy for him. There's enough taste in the mix to omit the chilli powder altogether if your child doesn't like any spice. If you make a large batch the mix can be stored happily in plastic containers so you have it to hand whenever you make fajitas rather than making a fresh mix.

1 tbsp cornflour
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp crushed chicken bouillon cube (or granules - Knorr do a jar of low salt/no MSG granules)
1/2 tsp onion powder or granules
1/4 tsp garlic powder or granules
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
(around 2tbsp of this mix is the equivalent of a packet of seasoning mix)

To serve:
Chopped Chicken, Sliced Red Pepper, Sliced Green Pepper, Chopped Tomatoes, Grated Cheese, Sour Cream, Tortillas/Pitta
- for kids serve with small pitta pockets so they can fill themselves with the chicken, cheese, tomatoes & sour cream (or alternatively creme fraiche if not keen on sour cream)

Bacon, Cheese & Potato Pies

Bacon, Cheese & Potato Pies

These pies are fairly simple & great just served with baked beans. My little boy Cameron isn't keen on onions so I make him his own mini-pie leaving these out (and the seasoning). If you want a meat-free version just leave out the bacon.

2 medium potatoes (I use Maris Piper as versatile & use throughout week for homemade chips etc.)
2 tbsp veg oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 packs ready rolled puff pastry (I buy the lighter puff pastry in an attempt to keep them lower fat!)
1 egg, lightly beaten to glaze
4 rashers bacon (or 8 pancetta) cut into roughly 2cm strips (use kitchen scissors to cut as easier)
100g mature cheddar, grated
8 tbsp single cream

1. Heat oven to 200degsC. Peel & half potatoes. Boil until tender (use skewer/knife to check) then drain and thinly slice.
2. Heat 1tbsp oil in a small frying pan & fry onion until soft. Empty into bowl & heat other tbsp oil to fry bacon/pancetta until cooked through.
3. Cut 4 15cm circles and 4 18cm circles from the pastry sheets (I use 2 bowls of roughly this size as a template to cut around).
4. Lay the smaller circles on greaseproof paper on a baking tray. Brush them lightly with beaten egg.
5. Layer ingredients into middle of pastry leaving around a cm at the edge - onion, sliced potato, bacon, cheese - then season & drizzle with the single cream.
6. Top each pastry circle with the larger pastry circle pressing down the edges with a fork to seal. Brush with the beaten egg & cut a small cross in the top of each pie.
7. Bake in the oven for around 10 to 15 minutes until golden and risen.

Introducing my new cookery blog!

I, like most mums of young children, have very little time on my hands to make extravagant meals...let alone run around supermarkets looking for random ingredients found in many cookbooks by even the most popular chefs these days (take note Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay et al. with your rainbow chard and chervil!). This is what has lead me to set up this blog. An opportunity to share some of my tried & tested recipes that don't take hours to prep & cook but that we thoroughly enjoy as a family and I hope other families can too. Plus they can often be made from store cupboard ingredients and picking up the odd few bits from the local corner shop.  I won't commit to having a new recipe on here every day as like the majority of mums I occasionally short cut with a jar or ready meal...shock horror! ;-) But I'll post recipes as and when I make them with accompanying photos (burnt bits photoshopped out :-) ).

Looking forward to you checking out my posts & hopefully trying some of the recipes! All comments and feedback welcome.

Vicky xxx