Coq au Vin

This is a combination of many recipes off the internet, kudos goes to Nigel Slater, Delia Smith and Jamie Oliver for some of the best ideas.

• 1 whole chicken, ask your butcher to cut this into 4 joints for you
• 2 ribs celery, chopped coarsely
• 500g baby onions (soak in water to peel easier) cut in half
• 500g chantaney carrots, unpeeled, topped and tailed and cut in two
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2/3 bottle rich red wine (Cote du Rhone etc)
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 180g bacon lardons or thick bacon chopped into cubes
• 300g button mushrooms
• butter
• fresh thyme
• salt and pepper

Put chicken, carrots, celery and onions in bowl and add the wine. Mix until all covered, cover with lid and leave somewhere cool overnight to soak up.

Next day, put a good sized knob of butter in a large pan, once melted, cook the bacon lardons in the pan until lightly browned. Put to one side.

Next cook off the button mushrooms in the butter and bacon juices. After 4-5 mins of cooking remove frompan and set aside with bacon.

Take the onions soaked in wine out of the bowl and cook them off next until soft, then repeat for the carrots and the celery (these could be done together). Keep the wine, you're going to need it soon!

Finally in all the remaining pan juices, fry off the chicken pieces until browned on each side.

Once chicken is brown, add the onions, carryots and celery back in. Cook them off for 2-3 mins adding the garlic and the thyme.

Then pour in the wine, chicken stock, add salt and pepper and boil. Turn onto a low heat and simmer.

After 1-2hrs of cooking, add the bacon and mushrooms. Taste for seasoning and if needed add a little cornflour mixed with water to thicken the sauce.

Serve with buttery mashed potatoes.

Chicken Liver Pate and Chicken Liver Parfait

OK, this is a recipe which can go one of two ways, a coarse tasty everyday use pate or a silky, creamy, rich decadent parfait for special occassions.

The pate is my mum's amazing recipe, the parfait is my little additions ;)

For the pate and parfait

• 1kg chicken livers
• 2 onions (white for pate, red for parfait), chopped fine
• 2-4 cloves of garlic dependent on taste
• Fresh thyme, or fresh tarragon whichever you wish
• 125ml brandy
• 1 250g packet of butter
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

For the parfait only

• 1 250g packet of butter
• Small bunch of sage leaves or other large leaf herb
• 50ml double cream

Melba Toast to serve

• 1 loaf medium sliced bread

Parfait only

First need to clarify the butter to make a clear liquid and remove the milk solids. Put one pack of butter in a pan over a very low heat and allow to melt.

Parfait and Pate

Heat oil in a large saute pan, using a high heat cook the onion, garlic and chosen herbs until soft.

Add the chicken livers and cook until coloured on the outside but still pink/red in the middle.

Add the brandy to the pan and allow to bubble to cook the alcohol off. Season with salt and pepper.

Pate only

Put the ingredients into a food processor and using the normal chopping blade, whizz the ingredients up. Chop up the pack of butter and slowly add it to the pate in the processor. Once all added, taste the mix to see whether more salt or pepper needs adding, then pour out into a suitable container or a few containers and chill to set (can be frozen then).

Parfait only

Once the brandy has been cooked through, pour in the double cream and mix well.

Put the ingredients into a food processor with a blender attachment or into a liquidiser. whizz it all up and chop up the packet of butter and slowly add it piece by piece until the mixture is shiny. Taste and season again if you need to.

Once happy with the taste, push the parfait through a sieve to smooth it even more into your chosen container, can use individual ramekins, or a loaf tin, or a bowl. Put into the fridge to chill and set.

Get the pan of clarified butter from the start. Skim the clear oil off the surface using a spoon and put it into another pan on a high heat. Add one of the herb leaves and watch until it starts to bubble and frazzle. Add the rest of the herb leaves and this will make them crispy and snappy.

Decorate the top of the parfait with these leaves and then pour on the clear butter oil to just cover the surface of the pate. Put this back in the fridge to set.

Serve with rocket, a good chutney (pear and ginger, yum yum) and melba toast.

To make the melba toast, cut the crusts off the sliced bread, then put the crustless slices into a toaster just to lightly toast them. Once toasted, carefully using a sharp bread knife, slice them lengthways through the still untoasted dough part in the middle, creating two slices. Do this to all pieces of toast and lay them on trays in the oven (dough side up) at around 160 to 170 degrees for 20-30mins until they start to brown on the dough side and curl up at the edges. Can be kept in an airtight container until needed.

Apple Pie

• 4 baking brambley apples, peel and sliced
• 1 500g shortcrust pastry block, cut into 2
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• splash vanilla essence
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• Milk and sugar to sprinkle

Grease a 9"/23cm deep-dish pie tin. Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees.

Roll out one block of pastry until it is large enough to cover the bottom of the tin. Fold the end of the pastry over the rolling pin to pick it up easily, drape it over tin and squash into corners so it fits. Leave as is, with untidy edges.

In a plastic bag (carrier bag etc) put in the apple slices, with the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla and both types of sugar. Tie the top closed and shak bag around until all ingredients mixed and apples well coated.

Empty bag out into pie dish.

Put pie dish to one side and roll out second block of pastry for top of pie. Again roll out until large enough to cover the top of the pie. Pick it up with the rolling pin and drape it over the top. Push down around the edges, pinching them in to make a nice edging shape.

Lift pie tin in air with one hand flat on bottom and go round edge of tin with a knife to remove overhanging and untidy edges. Pierce two small holes in centre of pie to allow steam to escape. Brush over top with milk and sprinkle with a coating of sugar.

Put in oven at 190 degrees for 20-30mins until golden brown, then turn down oven to 160 degrees and cook for 30-40mins more, until a knife slides through the pie easily.

Baklava

Made up amounts etc as usual.....!

• 100g cashew
• 100g pistachios
• 150g walnuts
• 100g almonds
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 packet pre- made filo pastry sheets (about 250g)
• 150g melted butter

FOR SYRUP:

• 340g caster sugar
• 300ml water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• juice 1/2 lemon
• 3 tbsp honey

Toast almonds and chop all the nuts into small buts (or bash :-) ) and put in seperate bowls. Mix the sugar and cinnamon and split between the bowls evenly.

Use a shallow baking tray and brush with melted butter then place first sheet of filo over the base leaving excess hanging over sides. Brush again with butter and place another sheet on top. Repeat until 6 layers of pastry. Scatter one of the bowls of nuts over the pastry then put another 2 layers of filo over this (buttering each layer as you go). Scatter next bowl of nuts on top then another 2 layers of filo. Repeat until you are nut free! Use the rest of the filo on top of the last layer of nuts again buttering as you go - I had about 6 sheets on top. Trim any excess pastry from the edge of the tray with scissors/knife.

Bake at about 180 degrees for 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy then take out to cool.

Whilst the baklava is cooling place all the syrup ingredients into a pan and heat until the sugar is melted. Simmer for about 5 minutes on a low heat.

Pour over the baklava then leave to cool completely. Store in airtight container (if there is any left after you've tried a piece or two!!)

Chicken Croquettes and Mushroom Croquettes (La Tasca)

• 1 packet of Smash or instant mash potato, made up
• 1 breast and leg of cooked chicken chopped finely
• 9 closed cup mushrooms chopped finely
• 1 white onion chopped fine
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• salt and pepper
• 1 tub breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs beaten
• garlic mayonnaise

Fry the onion and garlic in a pan together on a low heat, in a little olive oil, until soft. Empty the cooked onions and garlic into a bowl with the mashed potato and mix until combined. Split this mixture into two bowls.

Next cook the mushrooms in a pan with some oil again until soft and cooked. Put these into one of the bowls and combine.

Put the cooked chicken into the other bowl and combine together.

If potato is still a little hot, place both bowls in the fridge to chill, the croquettes are much easier to mould when cold.

Once chilled, get bowls out and scoop a spoon of mixture into floured hands (this is going to be messy), roll into small barrel shapes and use all mix. Place barrels onto a plate and again put back in the fridge to chill.

Switch on deep fat fryer to heat up on the highest setting.

Beat eggs and put into a flat bowl and empty breadcrumbs into another flat bowl or onto a plate. Roll each barrel shape into the egg and then into the breadcrumbs to cover.

Once fat is hot enough put a few of the croquettes in the basket and cook for around 3-4 mins until golden brown. Repeat for all.

Serve with garlic mayonnaise.

Wagamama's Ginger Chicken Udon

All credit to NZgirl for finding out the recipe but just had to post it here!

• 220g (7oz) udon noodles (2 x packets at the supermarket, Chi Yip in Chadderton do these)
• Handful of mange tout, finely sliced
• 1/2 red onion, peeled and thickly sliced
• 4 spring onions, trimmed and cut into 2.5cm (1 inch) lengths
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 tblsp fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
• 2 tblsp vegetable oil
• 330g (10.5 oz) boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat, cut into strips (I have done it with breasts too)
• 2 teaspoons pickled ginger
• 6 sprigs coriander

Cook noodles ina large pan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until just tender. Drain and refresh under cold running water.

Put all ingredients except the oil, chicken, pickled ginger and coriander sprigs in a large bowl, adding the noodles last, and mix to combine.

Head a wok over a medium heat for 1-2 mins or until completely hot and almost smoking and add the vegetable oil. Add the chicken and stir fry for 5 minutes, or until cooked.

Add everything from the bowl and stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Check the seasoning, then divide between two plates and scatter over the pickled ginger and coriander sprigs.

Chocolate Fudge Cake

• 4oz/120g golden syrup
• 4oz/120g soft brown sugar
• 4oz/120g margarine
• 6oz/180g self raising flour
• 2oz/60g cocoa powder
• 1 egg
• 1/4 pint/145ml milk

For the icing

• 2oz/60g margarine
• 7oz/150g icing sugar
• 1oz/30g cocoa powder
• 2 tblsp boiling water
• 1 tblsp milk

Melt the sugar, syrup, margarine in the microwave (start off on high for 30 seconds and see how it goes).

Once all melted together, mix well and then slowly add rest of ingredients, adding the flour and cocoa powder bit by bit and mixing well.

Once cake mix is smooth and combined pour into a greased plastic/silicone mould (I use a tupperware ring mould which is ace but this kind of thing would work as well, a ring mould is the best shape for it).

Cook in microwave for 4 1/4 mins on high, until the cake mix is just cooked, don't overcook it as the cake will carry on cooking even when you remove it from the microwave.

Let the cake stand for at least 10 minutes, until it starts to shrink away from the mould sides. The turn out onto a plate and leave to cool.

Whilst cake is cooling put all icing ingredients into a jug and melt in microwave for 15 seconds, then mix together and give 10 seconds more in the microwave. Mix again and allow to cool.

Once cake cool, ice with fudge frosting.

When eating, either serve hot or cold, for hot, cut a chunk and put in microwave for 20 seconds on high and icing will turn into fudge sauce.

Things we like

http://www.instructables.com/id/Cake-Decorating/

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pastry-cake/jamie-s-mum-s-trifle

Warming winter spicy slow cooked lamb

This started out as being slow pot roasted lamb, but then turned into a lightly spiced moroccan dish that i served with some couscous. Here we go.

Take a rolled lamb breast and put this into a big pan and slowly let the outside brown a little. While this is happening take three big onions and peel them and then cut into eighths and put these in the pan with the lamb. When they start to soften a little and the lamb is brownedadd 50g of pearl barley and 50g of green lentils to the pan along with 6 bay leaves, 3 cloves of garlic, a chilli, a teaspoon of chilli powder, a teaspoon of tumeric, a teaspoon of paprika and then a dash of salt. Cover with water and then on a low heat with the lid on for a few hours.

When the lamb has cooked for a few hoursadd 100g each of cubed butternut squash, sweet potato and turnip. Then add a big dollop of tomato puree and just a touch of cinnamon and leave to cook for another couple of hours. About half an hour before you want to serve take the lid off the pan to let the gravy reduce to a nice sticky consistency.

I served mine with some couscous that i added some tomato puree, garlic puree and lemon juice to, but you could just as easily have a nice big bowl with big doorstops of brown bread and butter. Perfect for cold winters evening. Enjoy Peeps!

Gingerbread syrup for coffees

This is a recipe I found on the internet, and is very useful to have at home when you are not in a reasonable distant of a certain 'red cup' company ;)

• 2 cups water
• 1 and half cups sugar (I mix white and demarara)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in pan with lots of room for it to boil.

Bring mixture to boil and simmer uncovered for 15mins.

Once ready use about 1/4 cup syrup to each latte :)

Oven baked Lamb with sliced potatoes

One of my mum's recipes :) Really easy, very tasty!

• 4 lamb chops or lamb steaks (if big, one each, if small, 2 each!)
• 4-5 medium to large potatoes
• 1 onion (optional)
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 oxo cubes (either 2 lamb, 2 veg, 2 beef or a mix)
• water

Put on oven at 170 degrees C.

Thinly slice the potatoes with the skins still on. Cut the onion in half and slice, if using. Slice the garlic as fine as possible.

Start layering the potatoes on the bottom of a small casserole dish (you want the lamb to cover the dish if laid side by side almost). Once the bottom of the dish is covered, sprinkle over some of the garlic and onions. Keep on layering like this until all potatoes, onions and garlic are used.

Lay the lamb on top of the potatoes.

Make up the stock and pour into the casserole so it comes about 2/3 of the way up the potatoes.

Cover the dish with tin foil or a lid and place in oven for 90 minutes.

After 90 minutes, remove lid or foil and leave to cook for another 30 mins so the lamb gets crispy.

Serve with gravy and veg.

Celery and Stilton Soup

This is one of my very own :) Love celery and stilton together and this seemed a nice soup to try - even got people eating it who hate celery and stilton!! Nice starter for Xmas Day I think, although a little thinner and smaller portions.

(yes the pic is a small spoonful in a ramekin, I took the first pic of the big bowls before I ate it, and the card wasn't in my camera. Doh!)

• 2 leeks
• 1 bunch celery (ordinary bunch, no need for hearts or anything)
• 1 celeriac
• 40g flour
• 40g butter
• 290ml (1/2 pt) semi-skimmed milk
• 190g Stilton
• 1.2l vegetable or chicken stock (Knorr stock pots again)
• Cutting celery
• salt and pepper

Chop up leeks and slowly saute in a pan until soft. Chop up celery and add, including leaves. Peel the celeriac (you will lose quite a bit of it here, don't worry), chop into cubes and add to pan. Cook all ingredients until soft.

In a separate pan, melt the butter and mix in the flour over a low heat . Stir until the mix forms a smooth paste which comes away from the sides of the pan. Cook for a minimum of 2 minutes, stirring to avoid sticking. Pour in 1/5 of the milk and allow to boil without stirring. Then mix well until the mix is smooth and slowly add the rest of the liquid.

Crumble up the stilton and add to the thickened milk sauce.

Make up the vegetable stock.

Add the thickened stilton sauce to the vegetable pan and mix well. Then add the vegetable stock.

Finally add the cutting celery and salt and pepper to taste.

Allow to simmer for 1-2hrs, until all vegetables are soft and then blend to leave a smooth soup.

Serve with a swirl of cream and garlic croutons.

Tarty Lemon Tart with Cheesecake Cream

This is a recipe by James Martin although the cheesecake cream is mine :)

• 5 free range eggs
• 190g caster sugar
• 250ml double cream
• 4 lemons, juice and zest
• butter, for greasing
• 225g ready made shortcrust pastry (I cheated, ask Tracie, I'm rubbish at pastry!)
• 50ml natural yoghurt
• 50ml low-fat creme fraiche
• 125g marscapone cheese
• 2tbsp icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees

Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk to break up yolks. Add sugar and beat well. Add the cream and the lemon juice and stir. Add the lemon zest and set aside.

Grease a 20cm flan ring (removable base) with butter. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface until big rnough to fit over the flan ring. Press the pastry into the ring and allow to overhang the edges slightly. Line with a circle of greaseproof paper and fill with rice or baking beans.

Transfer to oven and bake for around 15mins. remove from oven and remove beans and return to oven for 5mins, or until case is lightly browned (don't wander off and do something else like I did and come back in a panic 15mins later!)

Turn oven down to 150 degrees and pour lemon mixture into case. Bake in oven for 1hr or until filling is set and pastry is golden brown.

Remove from oven and trim edges off pastry. Leave to cool completely then place in fridge to chill.

Place the yoghurt, creme fraiche, marscapone cheese and icing sugar in a bowl and mix well. Keep in fridge until needed.

Do I need to tell you how to cut it up? Do it as the mood takes you and enjoy ;)

Suet Puddings - Venison and Wild Mushroom, Steak & Kidney, Liver & Bacon

Each type of pudding I made, I managed to make 9 individual puddings in moulds. I only had 9 moulds and by sheer luck each recipe made just enough to fill them, genius :) You could just make one large one in a pudding basin but I like the individual ones, the idea of being able to cut into each one!

For the suet pastry

• 225g suet
• 450g self-raising flour (I choose to use wholemeal as it doesn't settle so heavy on the stomach but tastes the same)
• 300ml water

Mix together the suet and flour then add the water, combining together until it forms a dough. If it seems too sticky and wet add more flour, too dry add a little more water. Once all combined and smooth and stretchy, wrap in cling film and put in fridge whilst making fillings. I did cheat, I used my Kenwood for the pastry with the dough hook on, did I mention how much I love my Kenwood Chef ;)

For the fillings (remember, each one makes 9 puddings)

Venison and Wild Mushroom

• 2 onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• spoon of butter
• 250g chestnut mushrooms (or other wild mushrooms e.g. Cep, ASDA only had chestnut)
• 8 chestnuts
• 500g venison
• seasoned flour
• Fresh thyme
• beef stock (I used 2 knorr jelly packets)
• 200ml red wine
• 2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly
• Gravy powder
• water

Put the chestnuts in a roast tin in the oven at 170 degrees.

Add the onions and garlic to a pan with the butter and cook on a low heat until soft. Once done, remove from pan and place in a bowl.

Next fry the mushrooms slowly in butter, again once cooked remove from pan and place in bowl.

Chop the venison up into small pieces (remember how small the pies are). Put flour into a shallow bowl and add salt and pepper and mix. Then add the venison and toss in the flour until it is all lightly coated. Add some olive oil to the onion pan from early and cook the venison until it is brown on all sides. Add this to the bowl.

Once the chestnuts have been cooking for around 30mins, take out of oven, peel, chop and add to the bowl with 4 sprigs of thyme leaves. Mix everything together well.

In a pan melt down the stock and add the redcurrant jelly and the red wine. Then add water and gravy powder until a nice thck gravy is made up.

Steak and Kidney

• 2 onions
• butter
• 300g braising steak
• 200g kidney
• 200g mushrooms
• Flour
• Salt & Pepper
• Beef stock (again 2 Knorr stock cubes)
• 200ml Guinness
• Gravy powder
• Water

Add onoins to pan with butter and cook on a low heat until soft. Add to a bowl.

Cook off mushrooms slowly in pan with butter. Add to bowl.

Chop up steak and kidney into small pieces. Put the flour in a shallow bowl and add salt and pepper and mix. Toss the steak and kidney in the flour until well coated and then cook off in onion pan until lightly browned. Add to bowl.

In a pan melt down the stock, add the Guniness and then make up a thick gravy with the water and gravy powder.

Liver & Bacon

Follow the instructions for the steak and kidney, but subsitute 400g liver for steak, 200g bacon (chopped and thick if possible) for the kidney and remove the mushrooms entirely (yes I'm bored of typing.......).

Making the pies/puddings

Right, next get the suet dough out of the fridge, leave out on side to get back to room temperature.

Grease the inside of each of the moulds with butter or just the one big pudding basin.

Find a biscuit or cookie cutter that is round and is about 1cm bigger than the moulds.

Cut a quarter off the dough. Roll this out on a floured surface and cut out 9 circles (or however many puddings you are making). Put these to one side.

Cut the rest of the dough into 9 equal piece and roll each one out to around 3-5mm thick circles (obviously larger than the moulds). Line the mould with the pastry, squishing it together where overlaps occur (suet dough is really forgiving). Scoop in one of your fillings so it reaches just below the top of the mould, do not press down or compact. Ladel in some gravy and shake the mould so the gravy sinks to the bottom and repeat until the pudding seems full. Then place one of the dough circles over the top and press round the edges to seal the top on. either cut round the edges with a knife or press hard when sealing and the excess pastry should fall off.

Cover the top of the pudding with cling film to protect the pastry. Repeat this for all the filling and moulds.

Once done either cook in an electric steamer or a steamer on the hob for 1hr.

Once cooked, remove from steamer, peel off cling film and upturn onto a plate, serve with fresh veg, mash and leftover gravy from the filling.

To freeze - if you want to freeze the excess puddings to use later then upturn them out onto a baking sheet, leave in kitchen to cool then put into fridge (cooling them makes them go more solid), leave for a couple of hours then wrap each pie individually in clingfilm and freeze.

To reheat - place in a shallow bowl (still in clingfilm) with some water in the bottom, cover whole bowl with clingfilm and put in microwave for around 5-6 minutes until hot.

Garden week of 24th October

Winter is truly upon on - good news in that I no longer have to water the veg, that is done for me. Praying the celeriac are going to expand, looking forward to pulling them up.

New greenhouse has arrived and is in pieces in the garage, have to wait and see when that gets put up. Still not bought the polytunnels yet, but that is the next task!

Managed to put a couple more sprout plants in with the hope they might grow for Xmas as the other two will be ready long before them, in fact I ate some of them last night!

The corn was both a joy and a disappointment. Joy when I stripped the plants down and got 11 cobs from them, disappointment when I stripped the husks and saw white kernels. Nevermind at least we know we can do it, better luck next year!

Picked - corn on the cob, sprouts, kale

Planted - sprouts, cabbage, turnip

Petes flu defeating Chicken Broth

Take this germs!!


50g pearl barley
50g green lentils
4 small onions
4 cloves of garlic
Chicken (as much as you want preferably with the carcass)
4 large potatoes
dried shitake mushrooms to taste
6 bay leaves
2 Chicken oxo cubes (or other stock)

Cook your pearl barley and lentils as per the packet instructions until soft.
Chop your Onions and garlic roughly and soften in a large pan. Once slightly soft add your chicken cut into nice chunks. If you have the carcass put this in as well. Chop your potatoes into cubes the same size as the chicken and add along with the pearl barley and lentils and bay leaves. Add a couple of chicken oxo cubes and cover with water. Add the dried shitake mushrooms about half an hour before you serve. Leave to slowly simmer for as long as possible. Remember to take out the chicken carcass and bay leaves before you serve!

I recommend loads of soda bread, generously buttered!

Enjoy!

Rich Steak and Kidney Pie

After a visit to a local farm shop i managed to get hold of some fine ingredients for this excellent winter warmer. Enjoy

These are the ingredients for one smallish pie, will feed two hungry people.

200g Diced steak
200g of pigs kidney
One large red onion
6 bay leaves
A beef stock cube
Salt and pepper to season
Worcester sauce

roughly chop the onion and put it in a large pan with a small glug of worcester sauce. When the onion starts to soften add the steak and brown slightly. Chop the kidney into chunks the same size as the steak and add to the pan. Once the kidney is added put in the stock cube and cover with water. This needs to be left untill the steak becomes melt in the mouth soft.

For your pasrty:
About 125g of butter (you can substitute part of this for lard if you want)
125g of Flour
Pinch of salt

Cube the butter whilst still hard and rub into the flour. Once it starts to bind into a doughroll into a ball and place in the fridge till the steak and kidney is ready.

Once the steak is soft (leave for as long as you possibly can) use a slotted spoon to move the meat into your pie case. Add some of the gravy to the case but not too much and then top with your pastry. Pop in the oven till your pastry is golden brown. Whilst the pie is baking, reduce the remaining gravy to be served with the pie.

I recommend big servings of mash!!!

Charlie's Lasagne

• 1kg mince (or mince your own from steak)
• 3 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• olive oil
• 4 sticks celery, chopped
• 3 peppers (red and green), chopped
• 200g mushrooms, chopped
• 1 Knorr beef stock gel packet (or 3 oxo cubes)
• 3 jars tomato sauce (I like Dress Italian slow cooked)
• 250ml red wine
• Salt and pepper
• Chopped basil and cutting celery
• Dried lasagne sheets or fresh made lasagne
• Jar of lasagne white sauce (I know, I cheat)

Fry the onions and garlic in a deep frying pan until soft, add the mince and cook until brown.

Add the peppers, celery and mushrooms and cook off.

Melt down the beef stock and then add the tomato sauces and wine and simmer for 10 minutes, finishing off with salt and pepper, basil and cutting celery.

If making own lasagne, roll pasta through machine to make sheets and then boil in water for 2 minutes to make them more workable. Take sheet out of boiling water and place in cold water until needed.

Once ready to make up lasagne, get a deep casserole dish, take out a lasagne sheet and allow the water to drain off and then lay in bottom of dish, cut to fit and place a sheet alongside until the whole of the bottom of the dish is covered. Then cover in the meat mixture, smooth out and drizzle about 1/4 of jar of white sauce over meat. Lay lasagne sheets across the meat layer again cutting to fit and making sure all meat is covered. Cover again in meat mixture and drizzle 1/4 sauce again. Carry on with this layering until the last layer of pasta is 1cm from top of dish. Then cover lasagne layer with rest of sauce, chop up mozzeralla and sprinkle on top. Cook in oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes.

Pasta Dough

• 500g type '00' flour (found it in Tesco's Oldham on the baking aisle, McDougall's '00' flour for sauces and pastry)
• 5 large fresh free range eggs

Mixing by hand

Place the flour on a clean surface, make a well in the centre and add the eggs. Using a fork break up the eggs slightly and then bring the flour into the middle, mixing it around until it forms a semi-soft dough. Knead the dough hard for about 3 mins until smooth, silky and elastic.

In a mixer

Use the dough hook. Add the flour to the eggs and mix at medium speed for 3 mins or until it forms a tight dough. Remove from mixer and knead on a surface for about a minute until smooth, silky and elastic.

In a food processor

Put it all in and turn it on. Within 30 seconds will look like chewy breadcrumbs. Leave it a little longer and it will start to turn into a dough. Take it out and work it by hand for 2 minutes until smooth, silky and elastic.

Whichever way you do it, once done wrap in clingfilm and put it in the fridge for 60 minutes.

Then use a pasta machine and work smallpieces of the dough through the settings until it is 1-1.5mm thick.

Spicy Squash Tortelloni

Another fantasic Jamie recipe starts this one off. Spicy Roasted Squash

• 1 medium/large squash
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 small dried red chillis or small amount chopped chillis
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tblsp olive oil
• 1 batch pasta dough (see other recipe)
• 150g Boursin cheese
• Chopped fresh basil

Cut squash in half, remove the seeds with a spoon and then cut the squash into wedges or segments. Place in a bowl or bag.

Toast the seeds in a dry frying pan until you can smell the spices, then add to a pestle and mortar or flavour shaker with the dried herbs and pound. Then add the salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil. Add the paste to the squash and mix it round until coated thoroughly.

Place the squash pieces in a casserole or on a baking tray skin side down and roast in oven at 200 degress for about 30 minutes.

Once cooked scoop the squash flesh away from the skins into a bowl. Add chopped basil and the boursin cheese and mash until combined.

Using a pasta machine or rolling pin roll the pasta dough out into sheets then use a cicular cookie cutter (about 4-5cm diameter) to cut circles out of the dough.

Place about a third of a teaspoon of mixture in the centre of a circle. Brush water round the outside edge and fold the circle in half, sticking the dough together at the edges. With this semicircle, bring the two corner points together in the middle and squeeze to make a slight barrel shape. Put onto kitchen roll (drying them out makes them easier to handle) and carry on making the rest!

Once all are made, boil a pan of water and add to pan for just 3-4 minutes. Place in bowl and drizzle on melted butter mixed with pesto as seasoning. Serve with fresh parmesan cheese.

Jamie's Meatballs

My favourite all time Jamie recipe from his Naked Chef book

Serves 4-6

900g/2lb mince (If its for a special occassion then I buy good beef or steak and mince it myself)

2 slices bread (blitz to make breadcrumbs)

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic

1 tblsp olive oil

1 tblsp dijon/wholegrain mustard

2 tblsp dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 small dried chilli or a little chopped fresh chilli

1 tblsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 egg yolk

salt and pepper

4 tblsp olive oil

2-3 jars Tomato sauce (I buy the new Dress Italian slow cook jars cos I'm too lazy to make my own!)

250ml red wine

2 handfuls fresh basil leaves, torn

Mozzarella ball

Fresh Parmesan (grated)

Add olive oil to frying pan and saute the onion and garlic, once soft add the mustard and leave to cool.

Put the minced meat and breadcrumbs in a large bowl.

Put the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and coriander seeds in a dry frying pan and lightly toast for 2-3 minutes until you can smell the spices. Place the toasted seeds in a pestle and mortar or a flavour shaker and pound until powder like.

Add these spices to the meat along with the dried oregano, chilli, rosemary and the egg yolk. Add some salt and pepper and finally add the cooled onions.

Wash your hands then stick them into the bowl and mix all the ingredients together. Then with wet hands roll the mixture into meatballs of any size you like. I prefer smaller ones, but thats my choice ;)

Preheat a frying pan or a griddle with some oil in and lightly fry off the meatballs to brown the outside and keep them together. Keep turning them to make sure they brown all over.

Put the meatballs in a casserole dish.

In a pan put your tomato sauces and the red wine, mix together then pour over the meatballs. Then tear up basil and mozzarella and sprinkle over the top.

Cook in oven at 200 degrees for about 25-30mins until golden brown.

Serve with your choice of pasta.

Garden week of 11th October

Been a long time since I've done a garden update, apologies ;) Been a crazy month!

Garden is getting ready for the winter at the moment, the top two beds have been tidied up and the pea supports taken out. Courgette plants have also gone into the new compost bin. Winter cabbages and lettuces have been put into the top beds and I've found some polytunnels that will fit over the top of them perfectly, next purchase I think!

Sadly the greenhouse was a victim of the stong winds and blew down a week ago, not strong enough to survive the fall it had to be dismantled. However, a new 8 x 6 greenhouse turned up in the post this week and is the next challenge to build!

Picked -corn on the cob, kale, munkin squash

Planted - winter cabbages, kale, brussel sprouts, cauliflower

Italian Amaretto Profiteroles

WARNING this is not the easiest recipe, and not for the impatient ;) Choux recipe taken from the Kenwood Chef cookbook

• 225ml cold water
• 75g/3oz butter (unsalted)
• 115g/4oz plain flour
• pinch of sugar
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 600ml cream
• 500g fresh custard
• 2 tablespoons Amaretto (or your favourite liquour, Tia Maria would be good too)
• 100g Green and Blacks dark chocolate
• Icing sugar
• 1oz butter
  

Set up food processor with blade attachment. Preheat oven to 220 degrees. Place a shallow swiss roll tin or dish full of water in the bottom to create steam.

Place water and butter in the saucepan and heat gently until the butter melts and then bring to the boil.

Remove from heat and tip in the flour. Beat with a wooden spoon until combined. Return to the heat and cook over a low heat for a few seconds until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan to form a ball (looks kind of like play-doh). Do not over-heat.

Transfer to food processor. Turn on at minimum speed and gradually pour eggs through tube. Process until just mixed and the pastry forms a stiff, glossy paste. Do not over process as will become too thin.

Brush 3 baking trays with a thin layer of water (do not use oil or greaseproof paper, or a tray with holes in! I have learnt) to dampen.

Either put pastry in piping bag, or use a teaspoon (I use teaspoon) and place small mounds on baking sheets (usually put 10 on a baking sheet, leave room cos they expand).

Bake for 20-25mins until puffed up and golden. Reduce the oven to 190 degrees.

Pull buns out of oven and make a small hole in each one with the end of a wooden spoon (I pick the place the pastry is thinest for this) and then return the buns to the oven (can all be on same tray now) for 5 mins to dry out. Transfer to wire rack and leave to cool.

Whip cream and add custard to make creme patisserie. Add alcohol and mix well. Fill piping bag with cream and fill the buns through their holes.

Melt chocolate in dish with butter (either on hob over a pan with water or in microwave carefully), add enough icing sugar to make a slightly runny icing (should be runny enough to dunk the profiteroles in, but thick enough to set). Dip each bun into the chocolate and arrange on a serving place. Chill until served.

Shepherd's or Cottage Pie

• 2 onions (diced)
• 850g mince
• 150g carrots (diced)
• 250g mushrooms (diced)
• 3-4 sticks celery (diced)
• Cutting celery (or can use parsley, thyme or sage)
• Celery salt
• Black pepper
• 350ml stock
• 150ml red wine
• Gravy granules
• 3.5lb potatoes
• Butter

Peel, chop and put potatoes on to boil.

In a large shallow pan, put some oil and add onions and fry until softened.

Add mince, stir and bash so in small pieces and no clumps.

Once mince browned, add carrots, mushrooms and celery and saute on low until all cooked.

Add herbs and salt and pepper to season.

Add stock and red wine and leave to simmer so juices reduce.

Whilst simmering, if potatoes are cooked, drain and mash with butter, salt and pepper until smooth.

Add gravy granules to mince mix to thicken. Put in large dish (like the kind you would use for lasagne or a roasting dish), spoon mash potatoes on top and smooth out with fork, brush melted butter over the top. To finish off, place in oven around 180 degrees for 30-40mins until top goes golden brown

Garden week of 5th September

With help from mum did some serious masacring of the triffid squashes and courgettes. Took one of the 7 courgette plants out as it had come to the end of its cropping time. Cabbages and Brassicas have been decimated by Cabbage white butterflies, must have 2,000 caterpillars. Had to cave in and use pesticide in the end as they were attacking the sprouts for Xmas and the Purple Sprouting Broccoli.

Dug up the last potato bucket, no more now till Xmas.

Made a fantastic Roast Beef dinner the other day with potatoes from the garden and Kale, broccoli and cabbage!

Picked - Kale, Cabbage, beans, tomatoes, potatoes

Planted - Savoy and spring cabbages, winter lettuces

Garden week of 22nd August

Fought long and hard but dragged the triffids back into order last weekend and everything a little more orderly this weekend. Started digging up the potatoes, excellent fun planting them in tubs because digging them up is like a lucky dip. Did amazingly well and the two red pots produced around 50 potatoes and the first white pot another 30! Planted 6 tubs of Maris Pipers for Xmas, so hopefully home grown sprouts and roast potatoes on Xmas Day. Bought winter curly kale, savoy cabbage and spring cabbage plants as well to give some extra choices on the big day. Sadly the end of the broccolis so dug them out and replaced them with the winter kale. Next week time to take the squash in hand!

Picked: Cabbage, broccoli, courgettes, mangetout, beans, potatoes

First signs of: cucumber, squash, tomatoes (still green), sweetcorn heads, chillis and peppers

Carrot Cake. Lush.

Compiled from different recipes (as usual!!) with a bit of my own tinkering too. Main credit goes to Monsieur Rankin. And Becky Boo.

• 250g unsalted butter
• 4 eggs
• 375g soft brown sugar
• grated rind 2 oranges
• 450g carrots grated
• Juice of 1 orange
• 250g plain flour
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 150g chopped pecans
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp salt
• About 150g mixed raisins and sultanas (just kinda threw some in!!)

FOR TOPPING

• 225g philidelphia (other brands are available)
• 65g butter
• 400g icing sugar
• 1tsp vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 180C or gas 4

Grease 9 inch cake tin

Beat butter, sugar and orange rind.

Slowly add the eggs beating well

Fold in carrot, pecans and fruit

Add vanilla extract and orange juice

Fold in sift flour, mixed spice, salt and bicarb

Bake for 45 - 60 minutes

NB I had too much mixture left so experimented and made some carrot cake muffins!!

For topping, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the icing sugar and vanilla essence. Lavish over cake indulgently and enjoy. Yum yum.

Bread and Butter Pudding

It's a recipe from Jamie Oliver with my usual meddling

• 100g unsalted butter
• large pinch of grated nutmeg
• large pinch of cinnamon
• zest of one large orange
• 16 slices Warburtons Raisin bread
• 9 large eggs
• 140g caster sugar
• 500ml whole milk (I did use 250ml semi skimmed and 250ml Elmlea 55% less fat cream here)
• 565ml double cream
• 1 vanilla pod (or I used 2tsp vanilla extract)
• 4 tbsp fine cut marmalade
• Whiskey

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

Make a flavoured butter by mixing the butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest. Use some of it to butter a largish shallow ovenproof dish (I used one of my smaller lasagne dishes).

Butter the bread using the flavoured butter, then cut each slice in half diagonally, place these in the buttered dish and drizzled whiskey over the top.

Separate the eggs, keep 9 yolks and 1 white (freeze the other 8 egg whites and use them at a later date, good for meringues). Which together the 9 yolks and one white with the caster sugar.

Gently heat the milk and cream and add the vanilla pod (don't boil the milk, just heat it slowly). Pour this warm mix into the eggs and mix together. Remove the vanilla pod and pour the mix over the bread and leave to soak for 20 mins.

Put the dish in a roasting tin and pour boiling water in to cover it up to halfway up the side of the dish. Cook in oven for 45 mins until the custard is set.

After 45 mins warm the marmalade in a saucepan or microwave, remove the dish from the oven and brush the marmalade over the top of the bread. Put the pudding back in the oven for 5-10 mins to glaze. Allow to cool and firm up slightly before serving.

Stilton and Courgette Carbonara

Yes, I know, its courgettes again, but in my defence I have a lot of them, makes you inventive!

• 1 pk cooking bacon
• 1 leek (sliced thinly)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 12 assorted mushrooms (I used normal and chestnut, chunky chopped)
• 4 medium sized courgettes (sliced lengthways once then chopped so half moons)
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 tub ricotta cheese
• 1 tub low fat creme fraiche
• 2 tbsp double cream
• 200g stilton (crumbled)

Saute the leek and garlic in a pan. Add the bacon.

Once bacon cooked add the mushrooms and courgettes and thyme.

Saute for around 5 mins until soft.

Then add ricotta, creme fraiche and cream and put on a low heat until bubbling. If sauce too thick add a little water.

Finally add stilton and stir.

Boil pasta and then add to pan and mix well.

5 a day chocolate brownies aka the ones with the courgettes

From a recipe adapted from Ottolenghi cookbook (with my own special addition!)

• 100g pecan nuts (bashed)
• 200g unsalted butter
• 280g plain butter
• 300g dark chocolate (Green and Blacks cooking chocolate is ace)
• 2 eggs
• 230g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 100g chocolate chips (or I used a Green and Black's chocolate bar bashed up)
• 40g mini marshmallows (I used Dr. Oetker Mini mini marshmallows and they dissolved)
• 300g grated courgette (honest, I'm not kidding, makes the brownies healthy and moist!)
• Tub Betty Crocker Fudge Icing

Brush a baking tin with melted butter (swiss roll tin) and preheat oven to 170 degrees.

Put a pan of water on the hob to boil. Put butter and chocolate in a heatproof glass dish and balance on top of pan of water so water is heating bowl gently, stir from time to time. Keep pan on a low simmer and allow butter and chocolate to melt but not get too hot. Once melted remove bowl from pan.

In large bowl whisk together sugar, eggs and vanilla just until they are combined, then add melted chocolate mix and flour and mix. Finally add all other ingredients nuts, marshmallows, chocolate pieces and courgette (I promise you can't taste the courgette, it dissolves completely and makes the brownies stay really moist) and mix well.

Empty mixture out into tray, bake on centre shelf of oven for about 25mins (don't be afraid to cook for longer), brownie is ready when you put a knife in centre and pull out and some mix is on the knife but it looks a little cooked and not raw. Take out of oven and allow to cool (will keep cooking).

Once cooled spread icing on top (if required), then cut into pieces (I usually do around 18 pieces) and don't tell people they have courgettes in until they have eaten them, then watch their faces!!

Cheese and Asparagus Strudel

Adapted from a recipe from Silver Palate cookbook

Makes 2 strudels, each gives around 10 pieces, if you don't need this much strudel, either halve the receipe to just make one, or freeze one when its on its baking sheet prior to cooking. As always optional ingredients in italics.

• a bunch of asaparagus (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
• 2 medium sized leeks (sliced thinly)
• 150g gruyere cheese (grated)
• 200g cheddar or double gloucester (grated)
• 3 normal sized courgettes (diced)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• 2 tbsp chopped oregano
• salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 packets ready rolled puff pastry
• Milk for sticking and glazing

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.

Put a spoon of butter in a chefs or saute pan, saute the leeks gently then add the asparagus and courgette, cook until soft.

Add all ingredients to bowl (except the puff pastry and milk) and season to taste with salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper. Mix ingredients well with hands (messy but fun!).

Butter a baking sheet.

Flour a work surface and get puff pastry out of packet, lay on surface and gently roll out so that the piece is around 50cm wide by 30cm long. Place half of mixture on pastry and spread out so it is 2cm from each side and the bottom edge, but it is 10cm from top edge. Paint milk along all the edges. Roll the pastry over approximately 2 or three times to make a large sausage shape about 10cm long and 50cm wide. Very carefully (its very delicate and may need two of you) lift the pastry onto the baking sheet, and if it will not fit on the sheet properly make a horseshoe shape. Paint top with milk.

Repeat above instructions for second packet of pastry.

Cook in oven for 30-40mins until golden brown on top.

Charlie's summer garden minestrone

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 3 onions
• 3 leeks
• 3 cloves garlic
• 500g cooking bacon
• 1 packet fine/green beans (1/2 inch pieces)
• 4-5 courgettes (diced)
• small bunch assorted kale and broccoli leaves (chopped)
• 10-12 mange tout (1 cm pieces)
• 2 large potatoes (diced)
• 1 full celery (sliced)
• 6 carrots (cubed)
• 4pt vegetable stock
• 250g small pasta
• 3 tins chopped tomatoes
• 4tbsp tomato puree
• 4tbsp fresh basil
• 4tbsp cutting celery
• celery salt and pepper

Adapted from a recipe from my cooking oracle, my mum, who I think got it from my Uncle.

Ingredients in italics optional.

Warning, I make a LOT of soup, lots left over to freeze :) But you need a really big pan!

Fry chopped up bacon together with onions, leek and garlic.

Add beans, courgettes, leaves, mange tout, potatoes, celery, carrots. Sweat off for 10mins.

Add tomatoes, puree, herbs, seasoning and stock.

Add pasta and cook for as long as possible, serve with crusty ciabatta and parmesan.

Spicy Lentil Soup

• 3 small onions
• 300g cooking bacon
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 sweet potatoes or 2 potatoes
• 500g red lentils
• 250g green continental lentils
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 3 pints vegetable stock
• celery salt
• black pepper
• cayenne pepper and chilli

Chop up onions and begin to slowly saute in pan. Add garlic (minced or through crusher) and chop up bacon and fry all through until cooked.

Peel and chop up potatoes and add to pan, keep stirring.

Add both types of lentils, tin of tomatoes and vegetable stock.

Season with celery salt, pepper and cayenne pepper and chilli to taste.

Garden week of 14th August

Came back from 2 weeks away and the garden has grown even more! Looks amazing, lots of produce but needs taking into hand a little which is the jobs list for the weekend. Tomatoes have grown so much have collapsed their canes and the squash is getting everywhere! Thanks to Mr & Mrs C, Mum & A. Heather for all their help!

Picked the monster cabbage before I left and the outside leaves alone produced 2 x 1 gallon bags of chopped leaves. The main body produced 3 bags!

Pickings whilst away: Courgettes, broccoli, kale, mange tout

First signs of: Beans!! Red Strawberries, big tomatoes, potatoes

Slugs have eaten: Lettuce, Pak Choi

Soda Bread

Unusual combination of soda bread recipes - There was no buttermilk at tesco but managed to find a recipe that used yoghurt so tried something based on that!

• 125g wholemeal flour
• 125g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8fl oz Natural Greek yoghurt (I used low fat but dont suppose it will matter....)
• 2 teaspoons soft brown sugar

Preheat oven to gas 8 or 230 deg and lightly grease a baking tray

Sieve and mix all the dry ingredients


Then add the yoghurt - Mix with a wooden spoon first then use your hands. Keep mixing until firm but not sticky - I needed to add a bit more flour at this point.

Knead for about a minute then make into a ball



Score a deep cross in top


Bake on gas 8 / 230 deg for 12 minutes then reduce to gas 6 or 200 deg for a further 15-20 minutes - should look good and sound hollow when tapped underneath when it's ready.

Leave to cool until you cant wait any longer then smother with butter/jam etc and enjoy!

French Onion Soup

This is a combination of every recipe I found for French Onion Soup and even if I do say so myself, is amazing ;)

• 6 large onions, sliced (I used the slicing blade in my food processor, quick and perfect!)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2oz butter
• 2 cloves garlic (chopped or minced)
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 3 pint beef stock (I use Knorr beef stockpot - the little jelly things, the better the stock the better the soup)
• 3 oxo cubes
• 300ml/10fl oz red wine
• 2 tablespoon cognac
• 4 tablespoon port
• Crusty bread (optional)
• Grated cheese (optional)

Fry the onions and garlic in the butter and olive oil in a large pan (I use 24cm round casserole pan 4.2l) on a low heat until soft.

Add the sugar, wine, cognac and port and make up the stock and add that.

Bring to boil, then simmer on a low heat as long as possible. I tend to do around 2-3hrs. Either serve at this point or continue for the proper french experience with cheesy crouton.

About 45mins before serving preheat oven at 180oC.

20mins before serving cut a piece of crusty loaf about 1/2 to 1 inch think for each serving of soup. Brush each side with olive oil and place on a tray in the oven.

After 20 mins, or until brown and crispy, remove bread from oven and chop into croutons.

Preheat the grill.

Serve the soup into bowls or bean pots, put the bread on top, and cover with the grated cheese. Place the bowls under the grill until the cheese goes brown and toasted. Enjoy :)

Mojito marinade

This was one of my last minute inventions but turned out really well as a light marinade for chicken kebabs ;)

• Thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
• 10 mint leaves
• Juice of 1 limes
• Glug of olive oil
• Teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of dark rum (I know mojitos use white rum but the flavour was better with dark for this!)

Add all ingredients to jug and add blender. Once all blended together, put in microwave for 30 seconds to melt sugar. Leave to cool then use to marinade any type of meat or fish. Best with chicken. We did kebabs with peppers, onions and mushrooms and chicken.

Garden week of 25th July

Matured - more lettuce ;), courgettes both green and yellow globe, fennel, broccoli nearly there, kale, cabbage, mange tout, peas

First signs of - more tomatoes, squash, cucumbers

Sowed - spring onions, radish, salad leaves

Excited about the first broccoli coming through, looks really impressive. Picked at least 15 courgettes over the course of the week, they are blooming at the moment. Peas and mage tout going well, very sweet. Ate last of the fennel this week, must grow more next year, they were lovely!

Barbequed leg of lamb with thai green spices

From JamieOliver.com with adaptations ;)

For the marinade:

• 10 kaffir lime leaves (I didn't have any so I used a mixture of thai basil leaves and lime basil leaves)
• 2 thumb-sized pieces of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 sticks of lemon grass trimmed and roughly chopped (ASDA Shaw do a new Thai spices bag near the fresh garlic which is ace for this, shame it doesn't have ginger in it tho)
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
• bunch of fresh coriander leaves picked
• 2 green chilles, roughly chopped
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• juice of 2 limes

For the lamb:

• 1 x 2.2.5kg leg of lamb butterflied (went to Darryl's at top of High Crompton - perfect)
• salt and pepper
• 1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
• 1 fresh red chille, deseeded and chopped

Preheat oven to 170oC/325oF.

Add to large pestle and mortar, or bowl/jug/foodprocessor for blending: lime leaves, ginger, lemongrass, garlic, most of coriander and green chilles. Make thick, fragrant green paste. Add olive oil and lime juice.

Pierce lamb all over with knife and then rub with marinade. Season lamb and place in a roasting tin, cover with clingfilm and leave for a while to marinade.

An hour before BBQing remove clingfilm and cover with tinfoil and place in oven for an hour.

After half and hour light BBQ. Have coals high on one side tapering down to the other giving a variety of heat across the grill.

After an hour take lamb out of oven and cut or break into a few big chunks so it's easier to grill.

Place lamb pieces on hot side of BBQ with the roasting tray and juices on the cooler side. Can add a little more lime juice to the tray if you wish at this point. Turn the meat regularly, basting it in juices from the tray as you go. Gives a nice, dark crust. Do the meat for about 10mins like this.

One meat done, remove from grill and place on a board and cover with foil to allow to rest. Add coconut milk to tray and let it bubble for a few mins to thicken.

Carve lamb into chunky slices, serve with the Thai sauce, sprinkles with chopped red chilli and the remaining coriander.