When you have thirty minutes to spare …

… how about slow cooking a pie filling, in this instance - steak.

Once upon a time the kids were coming to visit. As I've said recently their favourite meat is lamb which was already on the menu. For some reason best known only to me I decided to serve two mains, giving a choice. I wanted to make a pie, I think there's nothing more comforting in the Autumn/Winter. Hey, if the worst came to the worst and it didn't get eaten I could always freeze it.

Here's the recipe for the filling :

Steak Pie Filling

1kg/2.2lbs braising steak or stewing steak, cubed

glug of rapeseed or Canola oil

2 x Knorr beef stock pots

2 heaped tbsp tomato paste

2 heaped tbsp small chunk Branston pickle

or 2 generous tbsp Branston sauce

Brown the meat in a frying pan, using a drop of rapeseed oil – do this in small batches – if you don't you'll get grey looking meat - it'll take ages and will stew. Using a slotted spoon pop the browned meat into the slow cooker.

Dissolve the stock pots in the residual pan juices, then add the tomato paste – make sure the paste is properly melted and “cooked out” - if you don't do this you'll get a bitter taste. Add your Branston, then add 250ml water, bring to the boil and tip over your meat. Slow cook on low for 4 hours. If your gravy is too thin then add a little slaked cornflour and thicken to taste.

Freeze in amounts that suit you. For example, if you make pot pies weigh out how much filling you'd use for the size of pot and freeze accordingly.

Life is so much easier this way!

By the way, the thirty minutes in the title is the time it takes to seal and brown the batches of steak, the rest is done by magic.

Pastry Preferences are on their way.

When you have five minutes to spare …

… slow cook chicken fillets - once cooked, cool and freeze.

Tarragon Chicken

Serves 4

For the slow cooking

4 chicken fillets

drop of Rapeseed/Canola oil and a knob of butter

500ml/1 pint of chicken stock

Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan until hot. Seal the fillets on both sides, set aside in your slow cooker. Add the stock to the residual juices in the pan and bring to the boil – add to your fillets and slow cook for 2/3 hours, depending on the thickness of the fillets.

Defrost in the fridge before use if you freeze after cooking.

For the completed dish

Bunch of spring onions, finely diced

1 tsp dried tarragon

Fresh tarragon – chopped – approx 2 tbsp

160ml/¼ pt/5 fl oz approx Vermouth or dry white wine

½ tsp of sea salt flakes

120ml/4fl oz double cream

white pepper

drop of Rapeseed oil/Canola and a knob of butter

**optional variation in sauce see below

Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan, add the onions and then dried tarragon. Add the mashed garlic and stock paste at this stage. Add the Vermouth, let it bubble up, add salt. Add the cooked breasts and let them simmer for 20/25 minutes – depending on the size of the fillets. When you're ready to serve remove the fillets, wrap in foil and keep warm, bring the liquid to the boil, add the cream and fresh tarragon and finally white pepper.

**You can vary your sauce by adding 2 cloves of roasted garlic paste, mashed into a Knorr chicken stock pot – it's delicious – if you like garlic!

You can always slow cook more than four fillets – there are deals out there! Finally, don't forget to freeze in smaller quantities for convenience, you won't be sorry.

Your Autumn Treasure Chest (ATC) … slow cooking spree

If you're not familiar with slow cookers, or crock-pots in the USA, it's a method of cooking that you'll find very useful, particularly through the Autumn and Winter.

What follows gives you basic hints and tips and then a series of recipes and how to fill your Treasure Chest.

First up, the boring bits - the hints and tips :

You can slow cook all sorts of stuff apart from meat and poultry – soups, veggies, desserts, the world is your lobster!

I've used mine, all three of them in various sizes, principally for meat and poultry.

Cheaper cuts of meat take longer to cook to become tender and flavoursome.

For example, beef cheeks (or pigs' cheeks) are now popular, braised for 8 hours they melt in your mouth. Cuts of meat like shin and skirt make great casseroles or pie fillings. You're using cuts that come from the hard working muscles of the animal.

Two other cuts I'd recommend :

Lamb shanks – fashionable these days. I slow cook 4-6 (depending on the size of the shank) at a time. You can either leave in tact or strip and then freeze. Place a defrosted whole shank in a pre-heated oven so that the outside can brown.

Pre-heat your oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6. Wrap the shank in foil and bake for 20 minutes, remove the foil and let the shank brown for a further 15 minutes.

The meat from the shank falls away and is tender and sweet. Bear in mind that when you slow cook meat containing a bone it will take longer.

Ham hock is another cut that is perfect for slow cooking and its uses are many and varied. If you want to be cheffy you can turn it into a terrine. Strip it and leave in sizeable chunks to partner your slow cooked chicken as a pie base. Pea and ham soup anyone?

I've used a slow cooker for years and still apply the same principles as I've always done (which does not include the whole chicken recipe – rules are meant to be broken!). I seal my meat/poultry before it goes into the slow cooker and although these days you can buy slow cookers that are suitable for hob to hotplate I use a frying pan to seal – I know it creates washing up but the method in my madness is that I can set aside the protein and then use the juices in the pan adding stock and whatever else I feel like, de-glazing and getting the best flavour possible. I can see what I'm doing too.

Don't overfill with liquid – as a guide half to two thirds maximum.

Thickening. I'm not a lover of coating meat in flour and then sealing it. As far as I'm concerned you're slow cooking the coating and not the meat. I prefer to thicken with a teaspoon or two of slaked cornflour at the end of the cooking time.

If you don't own a slow cooker you might be tempted to buy a small version. It's my experience that you'll regret it – if you are cooking for yourself but feed family and friends too it's the perfect vehicle for saving you time, effort and of course dosh.

I find that stainless steel and a separate hotplate is most practical for me. I can decant from the slow cooker to freeze but leave enough for a meal and then transfer the cooker to my hob to re-heat later.

There are lots to choose from so take your time!

P.s. If you're new to this slow cooking malarkey invest in a slow cooking recipe book. There are some excellent ones out there – Lakeland publish at least two.

The Tapas photos!

Check these out :

Champinones al Ajillo - Button Mushrooms in garlic and olive oil served with parsley and lemon

Queso al Horno – Soft baked goats cheese served with onion chutney and tomato jam

Tortilla Espanola – Classic Spanish potato omelette served with salad leaves and aioli

They tasted as good as they look.

La Estrella is definitely worth a visit – I should say that it doesn't have a large dessert menu but personally I went to sample the tapas. It's a small venue but I think that works in its favour – don't forget to book – they were turning people away who hadn't!

Before I go any further ...

… I thought I'd let you know about La Estrella Tapas Bar.

Early supper out on a Friday night with friends. La Estrella is located at the bottom end of the High Street in Rushden, Northamptonshire. To give you an idea how popular it is, we booked on the 25^th September for ten days hence and got the last table.

It is modern, bright and has a relaxed, informal atmosphere - café style dining.

It helps when one of the staff is Spanish - it gives a certain chutzpah, not wishing to confuse cuisines!

Mixed olives and bread are brought, along with pre-tapas drinks. I'm not a “fizz” drinker but decided to throw caution to the wind and chose a glass of Prosecco from the specials board, which was delicious and I'm difficult to please.

The menu caters for everyone - to cut a long story short here are our choices :

Gambas al Ajilio

King prawns cooked in garlic, virgin olive oil

and fresh chillies

Chorizos del Demonio

Spicy chorizo served with fire roasted red peppers

Whitebait from the specials board

Patatas Bravas

Twice cooked potatoes smothered in garlic aioli

and bravas sauce

Champinones al Ajillo

Button mushrooms in garlic and olive oil

served with parsley and lemon

Queso at Horno

Soft baked goats cheese served with onion

chutney and tomato jam

They were generous portions, so much so that we've decided that when we go back we'll order two tapas each and then may be a patatas bravas in the middle for all!

You must be expecting photos – and you'd be right – up next.

Toffee Apples – photo guide

I'm so sorry you can't smell the apples.

Less is definitely more – treacly sugar, fragrant and zesty oranges and the richness of the butter – finally the hero - Cox apples.

What's not to love!

Your Autumn Treasure continued

Turn a glut into treasure trove.

It always seems to be that when you've had a great summer it produces so much of a glut it's difficult to know what to do with the bounty.

Have you been given yet another bag of eating apples? I have – here's what I did with mine :

Toffee Apples

but not as you think of them

6-8 large Cox's apples, peeled, quartered and each

quarter sliced into 4

115g/4oz unsalted butter

125g/4½oz soft dark brown sugar

1 medium orange, zest and juice

Place the apples, butter, soft dark brown sugar, orange zest and juice into a large frying pan and cook for 10 minutes until tender.

The recipe given will give you 1.5k/3.3lbs of toffee apples. I box up in smaller quantities – it's more economical and so no waste - you can pull out whatever you need. It's whatever suits you.

The world really is your lobster with the toffee apples :

You can serve hot or cold over ice cream or custard

You can use as a base for crumble

You can serve on top of waffles with ice cream or cream

You can serve as a filling in a crepé

My original use for these toffee apples is as a base for a tart tatin – it's on the blog if you'd like to check out the recipe on the blog – Sunday 18th October 2015 Speed Sweet TATT.

Photos up next!

Cheese Feast photo guide

I hope you'll love these – and I hope you get what I'm trying to say – fill your freezer with one element – the pastry cases – or two if you want to make up the filling and freeze it – result – fab food quickly and easily.

You don't have to make the pastry if you'd rather not – a ready-made shortcrust sheet will do, it just won't have the cheese.

The verdict of the jury was … yum – a light crispy pastry – a double cheesy hit, definitely worth a shot.

There were two leftover, so lunch for the next day. I warmed them for 20 minutes at 160fan/180c/Gas 4. The feasts were still light and crispy – they held their shape very well – I cut one into quarters and it was perfect to pick up with my fingers.

I'm already thinking of other uses for home-made shortcrust pastry – hold that thought.

Feeling creative?

My Cheese Feasts ...

… the theory and the practice.

I've already made the cheese pastry bases and cooked them – they're in my freezer or rather they were – I've taken out six, ready to be filled for supper tonight.

In my fridge I've got the baked potatoes that I cooked whilst my oven was on.

I've also got a lump of Red Leicester cheese that is only fit for grating and the same again with Mature Cheddar. Grated and bagged together they weigh 200g – I'm using 100g.

I've always got onions, so I finely chop half a large one and soften it gently with a knob of unsalted butter and a drop of rapeseed oil – 5 minutes – approximately 180g

I do check my fridge to make sure I've got another of my staples – Dijon mustard – yep, present and correct!

I take two baked potatoes from my fridge stash, peel and cut into small dice – weight is approximately 400g and tip into a large mixing bowl, mash the potato using a fork, add the onion and 100g of the mixed grated cheese together with a teaspoon of mustard, just a sprinkle of salt – it's already in the cheese and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Mix well. The mixture can be made ahead, boxed and fridged.

Pre-heat your oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

Place your cases on a baking sheet and fill each case with a generous amount of the filling. Bake for 20 minutes.

The “Feasts” don't have to be veggie - I served mine with ham hock but the world really is your lobster – your filling can be whatever you want it to be, think on … as we say up North … you might want to consider cooking more than you need for a meal so that you deliberately create leftovers for your own version of a “feast”.

Photo guide up next.

Your pastry rules

Pastry making is another form of therapy for me but it's a technique that scares some cooks. I love shortcrust pastry – it has been overtaken by puff pastry in recent times. The invention of the ready-made pastry sheet is without doubt fantastic but it's good to make sure you can still cut it.

Here are some basic rules you'll find helpful :

Shortcrust pastry is half fat to flour and then liquid to bind

Flour contains gluten – the more you work your pastry the more

you develop the gluten and if you want a pastry suitable for a patio

that's how to achieve it!

Your pastry should be crumbly – your ingredients

should be cold – it will help keep the pastry light and crumbly -

including your kitchen – first thing in the morning is best

When rolling out try not to use too much flour – you're adding

more flour to your pastry and distorting the recipe

If you have to work on a warm day in a warm kitchen

then roll it between two sheets of baking parchment

Rest your pastry for 30 minutes in the fridge before rolling it will also prevent shrinkage when baking

Rest your pastry again, covered, when rolled out and in its tins

Having inwardly digested all of the above there is one golden rule that should always be observed – baking is a science – be accurate with your weighing out. There's nothing wrong with using a food processor to make your pastry but I think you get a better result from using what comes naturally – your own hands.

Coming up next is the result of my “therapy session”!

Do you like making pastry?

... I do!

Here's my first idea for your treasure chest – Cheese Feasts – using a cheese shortcrust pastry.

Cheese Feasts

200g/8oz plain (all purpose) flour

pinch of salt

100g/4oz unsalted butter, diced

100g/4oz mature cheddar cheese, finely grated

ice cold water to bind

1 egg, beaten for egg wash

Place the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, add the diced butter and rub in using your thumb and index finger until you have a texture resembling fine breadcrumbs. Add your grated cheese and mix. Make a well in the centre and add a glug of water. Using a round bladed knife bring the pastry together. Add another glug of water and continue bringing together until the pastry holds together and you have a “clean” mixing bowl. Add your water gradually, your pastry should not be too wet. Wrap the pastry in cling film and fridge it for 20/30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface cut your pastry in half and roll out half thinly – 0.5cms/1/8”. I used non stick cases 10cms/4” in diameter. If you turn one upside down and place on the pastry, cut out six circles using a round bladed knife. You'll get twelve cases from the quantity of pastry.

You have options – I placed the uncooked cases in bags and put them straight into the freezer. You can freeze some or all – if you want to use immediately fridge them, then egg wash when you're ready to bake. Pre-heat your oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6 and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Set them aside to cool, ready for filling.

Pastry rules coming next!

Remember your Treasure Chest …

… aka your freezer? Autumn/Fall is upon us, like it or not, so here are some thoughts which will help you to get the best out of your treasure chest.

I know planning is not everyone's idea of fun but you will be pleased with what you save – in time and dosh.

The first bit you won't like – clear out your freezer – you know that at least a third of its contents you won't even remember buying or, for that matter, recognise!

What you cook and freeze is largely controlled by the likes and dislikes of your family.

It's good to use what's in season too and usually there's a glut of produce, enabling you to take advantage of some good deals.

Now that you've cleared out your freezer and have loads of space I'm going to give you some idea of what to cook to re-stock it so that you've the basics in your treasure chest to make your Autumn cooking stress free.

There are other ways you can save yourself time - you know that I live by the mantra “whilst I'm at it, I might as well” - my favourite “whilst I'm at it ...” example is baking potatoes when my oven is already on, usually six at a time.

Planning ahead and filling your treasure chest will help you put together meals quickly and easily.

By the way - do you like making pastry?

It's not what you know …

it's who you know.

I have two Nephews – Lucas my IT Guru and Editor I've already mentioned. Nathan among his many talents is a steel fabricator.

On holiday altogether earlier this year I was grumbling to my Sis that I couldn't find rings or cutters if you prefer – large enough for neat flatbreads. I know that rustic is good but sometimes it's good to be precise.

From nowhere came - “I'll make your rings, let me know what size you want”.

Happy Birthday to me. I was cheeky and asked for two different sizes – 12 and 15 cms (4¾” and 6” respectively).

A while later, I received a present in the post - check these out – in food grade stainless steel no less!

a thing of beauty is a joy forever, to quote John Keats.

Thanks Nathan - the world is now my neat flatbread lobster!

Stock isn't just for soup

Your veggie stock isn't just for making soup.

There are excellent recipes using potatoes – try this one on for size, as they say.

Boulangere potatoes uses onions, fresh thyme, thinly sliced potatoes and veggie stock.

Boulangere potatoes

Serves 8

2 onions, sliced thinly

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

1½kg/3.3lbs of potatoes – Maris Piper

or Desirée, sliced thinly *see below

425ml/15fl oz/¾ pint of veggie stock

Pre-heat your oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

Fry the onions and thyme sprigs in the oil for 5 minutes.

Spread a layer of potatoes over the base of a 1.5litre oiled gratin dish. Sprinkle over a few onions and keep layering with the potatoes. Your top layer should be potato. Add your stock and bake until the potatoes are cooked and the top is golden and crisp. 50/60 minutes.

There is nothing to stop you prepping and part cooking this dish in advance – when time permits. Cook it for half the time. Remove from the oven, cool, cover with foil and fridge.

Supper the next day. Pre-heat your oven as above. Line a baking sheet with smoked back bacon – as much as you want to serve.

Place the potatoes and the bacon in the oven. Set your timer for 15 minutes, turn the bacon, repeat.

Enjoy!

Notes:

*If you wanted a couple of suggestions for a suitable US variety of potato, Yukon Gold or Russets (my favourite) would fit the bill.

Finally, a useless bit of information - do you know why they are called “Boulangere” potatoes?

I'm sure I'm stating the obvious. A “boulangerie” is a bakery “en francais”. There would be one bakery in a village. Villagers would take their potato dishes to the baker and they'd all be cooked in the one oven after the bread was baked for the day, making the best use of the ovens as they cooled down.

That's what I call organised!

What to do – take two!

Having been given one invention test I was not expecting another – that'll teach me. The previous test used cooked veggies. This time were were given a bowlful of raw ingredients. The only other rule was that it had to have a different texture and appearance.

You could include a potato, so I did, hence my title :

Soup de Ssoise (not quite Vichy!)

2 medium leeks, top, tail and finely sliced

3 sticks of celery, top, tail and finely sliced

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped finely

Glug of Rapeseed/Canola oil

1 medium sized old potato, cubed

pinch of Marjoram

pinch of Fines Herbes

salt and black pepper

1 litre/1¾ pints of veggie stock

Heat the rapeseed oil, in a large saucepan. Add the veggies and sweat for 5 minutes. Add the Marjoram and Fines Herbes and cook through so that their flavours are released into the veggies. Add the stock and potato then simmer until the potato is cooked.

This soup is meant to be smooth – blend two ladles to begin. Do the spoon test as mentioned in Soup de Loop and decant into a large jug or bowl until you've achieved a smooth consistency. Taste your soup – add more herbs if desired together with black pepper. Finally add salt to taste.

Once I'd got over the shock of having to work without any recipe – it was good fun creating something from nothing.

I suppose what I'm trying to show is that you can create something from nothing - go fridge foraging and use up either cooked leftovers or stray raw ingredients. You never know you may cook extra veggies deliberately!

A herb note or two.

Marjoram is delicate and sweet in flavour – the French sometimes add it to Fines Herbes. Fines Herbes are French and a classic combination of herbs – parsley, chives, tarragon and chervil. Just thought you'd like to know.

P.s. I should explain the “not quite Vichy” quote in the title. Vichyssoise is a French soup traditionally made with leeks, onions, potatoes, cream and chicken stock. It is usually served cold but can be hot. The ingredients we were given just reminded me of the soup but since I had no cream and it was to be served hot it wasn't quite Vichy!

What to do …

… with your stash of veggie stock.

Back in the day when I was working for my Cordon Bleu Certificate and, may I say, before there were such programmes as Masterchef one of the tasks we were given was an invention test.

The brief was - make a soup with a bowl of cooked peas, sweetcorn, carrot and broccoli.

Here's my recipe :

Soup de Loop

1 onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 green chilli, chopped – seeds removed

glug of rapeseed/Canola oil

1 old potato, cubed

1 litre/1¾ pints of veggie stock

1 dessert spoon of medium curry powder

1 tsp mace

salt and black pepper

Dice the carrots and keep the broccoli in small florets and set aside.

In a large saucepan sauté the onion, garlic and chilli in the oil, add the curry powder and mace. Add the stock and cubed potato and bring to the boil, then simmer until the potato is cooked but firm. Place two ladles of the soup into a blender and blitz until thick.

If you want to gauge the texture the trick is to dip a spoon into the blitzed soup – check the back of the spoon – it will show the texture. If you're happy with the consistency add it back into your remaining soup. Complete by adding your cooked peas, sweetcorn, diced carrots and broccoli. If you want a thicker consistency repeat the “blitz” with two more ladles.

As with all soups taste and adjust the seasoning at the end and you're ready to serve, piping hot.

The result was a chunky, thick soup with visible veggies.

I passed!