These recipes are taken from my (Mikes) home cooking repertoire, none of which have ever been written down before so results may need tweaking for the individual! I will slowly add more as I cook and remember and write down what quantities I put in things, rather than my usual "freestyle" approach to measuring! I will include some bits to go with it where I do it myself too!
Jess never complains when I cook at home so these recipes are either tasty or she is a good liar! Only time will tell........
Please leave feed back via facebook, twitter or email. Send me your results and thoughts. If you want me to try a recipe of yours then email it in to me (contact me through the site or the email on your loyalty card)
Well, less chit chat and more chop chop........
My mums chilli (that has now become my own much better version.....sorry mum!)
What you need to serve 4 (or 3 hungry fellas)
450g or 1lb of beef mince
1 large onion - diced (doesn't matter what colour as long as its an onion)
3 garlic cloves - diced finely
1 good Tblsp Tomato purée
3 - 4 rashers of bacon (smoked is nicest but I use what's in the fridge at the butchers)
1 beef stock cube
1 1/2 tsp chilli powder OR 1 - 2 fresh chilli's
1 tin of Kidney beans (I like the chilli beans ones from the supermarket)
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tin of good old baked beans
A splash of lea and perrins
This recipe is fool proof. First stick the oven on at 110 -120 deg C (yes that low). Get a good size flame proof casserole (I use a le creuset 20cm one), sweat down your onion for a few mins, add garlic and sweat some more. Then add your bacon and cook it for a couple of mins. Then add the tomato purée, I saw them cook their purée on Saturday kitchen once, its meant to improve the flavour, so I do it religiously now, I also add the stock cube at this point too. after a bit of stirring it should all come together in the casserole and the stock cube should be melted in. Then turn up the heat and add all your mince. Cook it till its all brown. Then add the chilli OR chilli powder, Tomatoes, Baked beans and Kidney beans and stir it together. Bring back to the boil and put it in the oven and forget about it for however long you want. I once cooked it for 6 hours and it was amazing. I usually do it for 2-4 though. if you haven't got much time you can cook it out on the hob for 45 mins to an hour on a slow simmer but the flavour just isnt as good! if you want it quick and don't want to stir then whack it in the oven for and hour and a bit at 180 deg C.
I serve it with some rice, whatever you fancy. I use Basmati as its what's in the cupboard! and some pittas, the recipe for which is below.
Pitta breads (makes 8 big pittas or 10 usual size ones) freeze what you don't eat for next time to save a job!
650g of strong white flour (wholemeal works just as well but add a couple of tsp more water)
10g salt
7g yeast - packet stuff
15fl oz water (warm - you should your take flour temperature and subtract from 54 to give you your required water temp)
a glug of olive oil - 2 tblsp ish
Knead together all of your ingredients (for at least 10 mins - or do a dough cycle on your bread machine) and let your dough rise for 1 hour in a warmish place.
After it has doubled in size, knock it back with a 5 min Knead, then roll out into very thin (like 2 mm thin!) pitta shaped errrr pittas! Put them in a hot oven (put the chilli on the bottom shelf while you do this) and bake for 6 - 8 mins. Word of warning - they puff up about 2-3 inches so dont put them too high in your oven or you will be scraping the burnt bits off of the grill element....yes I did that first time!!
Enjoy with a cold beer!