Back to Autumn mains …

… and one of my oldest recipes that has stood the test of time and been tweaked along the way into Indian and Italian – whatever takes your fancy, its versatility knows no bounds!

Its first version is that old favourite – Burgers – who doesn't love a burger?

Burgers

Makes 5 x 100g/4oz burgers

500g minced beef

or Quorn mince

*salt and black pepper

*garlic – either 2 tsps of paste or 2 cloves, crushed

*mixed herbs or garlic italian seasoning – a generous sprinkle

*half a tsp of chilli or smoked paprika

*heaped tbsp of tomato paste

*1 egg

sprinkle of plain flour plus extra to flour

a tray for shaping the burgers

gloves or damp hands!

Rapeseed or vegetable oil for shallow frying

Place the mince in a large mixing bowl then add the remaining ingredients marked *, mix well. At this point your mixture may be too wet. If it is, sprinkle a little plain flour over the mixture and fold in gently.

The easiest way of making uniform burgers is to weigh whatever amount you wish – in this case 100g/4 oz and then shape using gloves or damp hands. The least messy way is to place an amount of minced beef onto a sheet of cling film and add or subtract to the correct weight required. You can then use the cling film to bring the burger into a ball and then transfer to the floured tray, pat it down and form into a circle. Heat the oil gently and seal the burgers on both sides.

At this point you have a choice, you can continue to cook the burgers in the pan on a low heat turning regularly for 15 minutes and then serve or if you're cooking ahead, cool, cover and fridge in an oven-proof dish and pop into a pre-heated oven on 170fan/190c/Gas 5 for 15/20 minutes when required.

Next … it's up to you

Speaking of crumble ...

… to go with the toffee apples!

This is a new version of crumble. Crumble is personal, some like it soggy, others not.

For those who don't like that uncooked line of crumble you always seem to get when baking straight on top of the fruit, then this is for you.

Baked separately, it adds another element to a pud – it freezes well too.

Serves 6-8

depending on portion size!

120g cold unsalted butter, cubed

120g plain flour

60g caster sugar

60g demerara sugar

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

Using a large mixing bowl, add the flour and butter and rub in until you have fine breadcrumbs, then add the sugar and combine. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet and leave to cool. Box and fridge when cool.

Here it is :

A buttery, biscuity crumble and no uncooked

layer in the middle!

Assembly is easy peasy - sprinkle on top of your warmed toffee apples when you want a sweet hit.

Delicious!

Back to Autumn mains ...

Another idea …

 … apples again, this time eating apples, but with a zhuzh!

Here's a series of separate elements that can be used on their own or put together to suit the occasion – they have one thing in common – they are all easy peasy.

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

Here's what they look like :

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!

Speaking of crumble ...

DAC the fotos

Dorset Apple Cake ... the fotos!

Here they are :

the cake in the tin

and out of the tin

a portion with the clotted cream

The bonus – you get a cake or a pudding, hot or cold!

This cake recipe does exactly what it says on the cake tin and then some - it has a delicious richness with a hint of cinnamon, just right. Sticky, treacly from the muscovado sugar, not as heavy as traditional Christmas Cake - I think it would be the perfect alternative!

The cooking apples don't taste like cooking apples, they are soft and taste like plump pieces of squidgy toffee apples.

More pluses :

this cake is good warm or cold – serve with cream,

custard, brandy butter, ice cream or clotted cream -

the choice is yours, whatever takes your fancy!

it keeps well. I made it on a Friday, wrapped in foil – twice.

By Tuesday it was as good as Friday – just that there were

only two portions left!

Scrumptious … well I think so!

Next … this time eating apples

A cake with Bramleys and the perfect alternative …

… to Christmas Cake!

This is a dark, rich and slightly gooey cake, but the glory is that you can see the pieces of apple – you really have to eat this cake with a fork unless of course you enjoy licking your fingers!

This is another example of there not being an authentic recipe because everyone has their own. Add this, that and the other – who is to say which version is the right one?

I looked at lots of photos of the Dorset Apple Cake, some looked very pale, some looked dry, some looked overcooked on the top and pale on the bottom. I really wanted a cross between a cake and a pudding, if that makes sense?

Here's my offering, tweaked as usual :

Dorset Apple Cake

225g cooking apples, peeled and chopped

slice an extra apple to decorate the top

juice of half a lemon – 1 tbsp

225g plain flour

1½ tsps baking powder

115g unsalted butter, diced

165g dark muscovado sugar – gives a dark

Chrismassy style cake or use light for a lighter

version – golden demerara too – use 50g of this

for the topping

1 egg beaten

2-3 tbsp of milk

½ tsp ground cinnamon

25g ground almonds

Preheat oven to 160fan/180c/Gas 4.

Grease and line a 7” round cake tin.

Toss the apple with the lemon juice and set aside. Sift the flour and baking powder together then rub in the butter until you get breadcrumbs then add the ground almonds.

Stir in 115g of the sugar, the apple and the egg, mix well, adding a drop of the milk at a time to make a soft doughy mix.

Transfer to your tin.

Finally, mix the reserved 50g of soft brown sugar, sliced apple and cinnamon and arrange on top of the cake mix.

Bake for 45-50 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.

Now for the fotos …

My Veggie Roast!

This dish ticks two boxes – it's for those who love stuffing with their roast and with the extra ingredients it becomes a vegetarian roast in its own right.

It's tried and tested, here it is :

Chestnut and Apple roast

170g/6oz of dried breadcrumbs

2 tsps dried sage

100ml/3fluid oz boiling water

or

1 packet of sage and onion stuffing mix – 170g/6oz

suitable for vegans

1 packet – 180g/7oz of vac packed chestnuts, blitzed to a

crumb – not dust!

Vac packed chestnuts are available all year in

larger supermarkets

300g of chunky apple sauce – preferably Bramley apple

OR

Portion of apple sauce – 225-350g/8-12 oz

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Drop of rapeseed oil and knob of butter.

2 additional knobs of butter

I used an oval cast iron oven proof dish measuring 25x17x5 cms – 10”x7”x2” in old money.

For your dried breadcrumbs, remove the crusts and tear up into chunks – weigh to achieve 170g/6oz. Pre-heat oven 150fan/170c/Gas 3. Blitz the bread in a food processor until you get an even crumb. Spread the crumbs onto a baking tray and bake for 6 minutes until they are golden. You can make a finer crumb by blitzing again when cooled. Add dried sage to taste – I'd suggest 2 tsps.

You don't have to make your own breadcrumbs, you can buy them dried.

Alternatively if you're short of time, use a sage and onion stuffing mix.

Fotos to follow!

A brief interlude …

… to talk about apples – rumour has it that 2025 has produced the best quality and flavour for a long while. What do you do with a glut, you can only bake so many apple pies?

Whether it's Bramleys or eating apples, I have recipes and ideas for you especially since the Christmas festivities are looming!

First up it's a Bramley apple sauce recipe (you can use other cooking apples if you can't get Bramleys).

MiamMiam

School of Cookery

The best Apple Sauce!

I found this recipe by accident and it is truly the most delicious apple sauce. Even if you decide you haven't the time on this occasion, stick it in your pending tray and try it when you do have time – you won't be sorry.

Eliza Acton's Apple Sauce – with Bramley apples

Pre-heat oven to 160fan/180c/Gas 4.

Grease a glass dish with butter.

This sauce is so easy – the only emphasis is on the preparation of the apples. All the peel and core must be removed. There are no amounts here, you can cook as much sauce as you desire – it freezes well!! So, peel, core and slice your apples – if you can slice them a similar size they will cook more evenly.

Place your apples in your dish and cover with a lid or foil – NO WATER, SUGAR OR ANYTHING ELSE!!

Bake for 20-30 minutes. Check after 20. Apples should be soft. Here's the satisfying bit – whisk the apples until they begin to break up, sprinkle with caster sugar plus a generous knob of unsalted butter, whisk again – enjoy. (You can use Plant based “butter” if preferred).

Alchemy with apples - enjoy!

P.s. The books … if, like me, you're interested in food history you might like to add the following to your list. Elizabeth David's “An Omelette and a Glass of Wine” which is a compilation of articles and is where I found “Big Bad Bramleys” which in turn lead me to “Eliza Acton Modern Cookery”.

Next up, My Veggie Roast ...

… or you could try

... a posh Shepherd's Pie Upside Down – the “SPUD”

SPUD

Serves 4-6

940g braising steak – 1kg will do it doesn't

have to be precise

980g beef stock - ditto

Glug of rapeseed oil

salt and pepper

2 x beef stock pots

salt and black pepper

I went to the butchers and bought 3 x trays of cubed braising steak – you can usually get a great deal. A good start! A little patience is required here – using a large frying pan heat the rapeseed oil, place braising steak in the pan – it should sizzle – season with salt and pepper. Don't overload the pan, brown the meat and then set aside in your slow cooker making way for the next batch and repeat until you've browned all the meat. At the risk of repeating myself, if you insist in ramming it all into the pan it will turn grey and stew – it's not a good look!

Add a litre of water to the juices left in the frying pan, bring to the boil then add the stock pots – stir until melted – pour carefully into the slow cooker with the meat. Pop the lid on and slow cook for four – six hours.

Switch off and cool – if you want to freeze all or part then divide the stock between two “pour and store” freezer bags and divide the meat between two in strong freezer bags.

Other than the slow cooking of the braising steak there's no work involved - the mash and turning the stock into a gravy beyond all gravies is easy, peasy, just thicken the stock as required with 1-2 teaspoons of slaked cornflour.

All that remains is the mashed potatoes – a large pan! A big tip - leftover mash is perfect for bubble & squeak or corned beef hash.

Was it worth the fifteen minutes I spent prepping the braising steak for the slow cooker … you betcha!

P.s. You might want to offer your guests a spoon too, to scoop up the leftover gravy. In the North we have a less refined custom but much more satisfying – use small pieces of crusty bread to dip and mop up the remains.

Gets my vote!

There's a Spie for everyone!

 

Quorn, chicken or turkey Spie

Serves 4

500g Quorn, chicken or turkey breast mince

1 medium onion, finely chopped

glug of rapeseed oil

2 chicken stock pots

1 tsp garlic paste or 1 garlic stock pot

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 dessertspoons small chunk Branston

glug of Worcestershire Sauce

celery salt and black pepper

250g passata

2/3 jacket potatoes, baked, peeled

if you wish, sliced thinly

50g each of Mature Cheddar and Red Leicester cheese

grated and mixed together

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

Heat the rapeseed oil gently in a large frying pan. Add the chicken or turkey mince ensuring that you break it up – fry for 2/3 minutes to seal properly and then turn it, repeat. Add salt and black pepper.

Add the onion and garlic and fry for 2/3 minutes, stirring to combine.

Add the tomato paste and the chicken stock pots, followed by the Worcestershire Sauce, stirring to combine. Finally add the Branston and stir well and simmer for 5 minutes. Leave, covered until you're ready to roll.

If you're using a hob to oven frying pan then arrange the sliced potato over the base and then sprinkle with cheese. Cook for 30 minutes.

If you are using an ovenproof casserole or a foil tray then transfer the base and finish as above.

The Quorn, chicken and turkey breast mince are all low in fat.

A WARNING – if you are using a frying pan that is suitable to transfer from the hob to the oven please be careful when removing the pan and remember to wear oven gloves! If you'd prefer to use a foil tray, they measure 23x23 cms approximately so perfect to serve four - if you want to know where to get them, try Amazon or any larger discount store.

A tip - you could decant into smaller foil “takeaway” type trays (with lids) and then freeze in portions if you don't need the whole batch.

Something to suit everyone!

The Spie

The Spie is just a nickname which evolved for variations of a basic recipe and also because I was fed up with labelling containers with the full title and it stuck!

What follows is the original, “no frills” recipe for “the Spie”

Here it is :

Spie

Serves 4

500g minced steak

Celery salt and black pepper

Drop of rapeseed oil

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 Knorr beef stock pots

2 tbsp small chunk Branston pickle

or Branston sauce

2/3 cooked Jacket potatoes, sliced thinly

or leftover mashed potato

Two handfuls of grated cheese – whatever you've

got in your fridge, Mature Cheddar, Red Leicester or

Gruyere work well – or even a little of each

Using a large frying pan, brown the minced steak thoroughly in a drop of rapeseed oil and season with salt and black pepper. Add the tomato paste and stock pots, when cooked through and melted, add the Branston. If the mixture is too stiff add a drop of water. It should not be sloppy. Cook on a low heat for 10/15 minutes and set aside.

Take your potatoes from your baked stash, slice thinly (or add leftover mash) and arrange on top of the mince mixture. If you haven't any ready to use baked potatoes you can always microwave them although the flavour is not as good as oven baked. Finish off with grated cheese.

To serve pre-heat your oven to 180fan/200/Gas6 and bake for 30 minutes.

Serve on its own, with steamed vegetables or, if you like hot with cold, try my personal favourite, bazzin' beetroot relish (mentioned in the blog on 27^th July … “By the way ...”) and or a coleslaw! (mentioned in the blog on Friday 8^th August … When you're ready to serve).

This is an everyday, speedy recipe and more to the point it's easy peasy. Perfect fork food served in large bowls of comfort and joy!

If you'd like a veggie version you can use Quorn mince - or a version that doesn't use red meat but poultry, you could use chicken or turkey mince.

The recipe's coming up ...

To mash or not to mash!

Toppings on pies are a serious business - shall it be mash - if not then what?

Two of the fundamentals that I still use are baking jacket potatoes (usually six - large) in foil whilst my oven is already on. The other is grating a large box/bag of mature cheddar cheese and fridge it. You create a very useful stash!

It may seem trivial but I have found these two “bits” invaluable – for example, with the potatoes, the principle is if your oven is on, with a roast chicken, roast spuds and parsnips, stuffing et al, you can always find space for jacket potatoes. Bake for an hour and a half then test – you want your paring knife to move firmly through the potatoes. Remove them and set aside to cool – bear in mind they will continue cooking because they are insulated by the foil. When cool they can be bagged and fridged.

Which brings me to the title of this piece. You don't have to have a mashed potato topping for your Snug Shepherd or your Cosy Cottage – you can slice a couple of jackets from your stash, peeled or not for a “top” and then use some of your grated cheese to complete!

If you choose a mashed potato topping and you want it lump free then put the pototoes through a ricer – don't add milk or butter. Set aside to cool.

You can add grated mature cheddar cheese, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and black pepper to the riced potato before you complete your pie. If you want added flavour to zhuzh the mash you could add a finely diced onion softened in a little unsalted butter and a tiny drop of rapeseed oil.

Mashed potato seems to be on “the definite list” - definitely yes you love it or definitely no you hate it! If you're in the no camp then try the sliced baked potatoes.

This is my favourite method of Autumn cooking especially when you want a meal as quickly as possible when you arrive home – turn on your oven to pre-heat when you've taken off your coat and by the time you've juggled a few more balls or spun a few more plates your shepherd or cottage – posh or not - is in the oven - ready for the hungry hordes.

Whether mashed or baked the beauty of this dish is it can be made and assembled ahead and then baked in a pre-heated oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6 for 25 mins.

Simple stuff but it hits the spot for those autumnal chilly nights – a hug in a bowl!

The Autumn leaves …

… are beginning to fall - is it Snug or Cosy?

Depending on what you fancy, the following recipe is for either a “Snug Shepherd” or a “Cosy Cottage” – minced lamb for the shepherd and minced beef for the cottage – pie that is!

A Shepherd or a Cottage

700g minced lamb or beef

1 tbsp rapeseed oil (Canola USA)

2 tbsps Madeira

2 tbsps Ruby Port

2 tsps Worcestershire Sauce

2 tbsps tomato paste

2 lamb, beef or veggie stock pots

50-100 ml water

Using a large frying pan and preferably one that is suitable for transfer to the oven. Heat the oil and then add the mince and brown, turning until thoroughly browned. Add the Madeira and the Port and bring to the boil for 2/3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and the stock pots and mix well until absorbed and melted.

Your filling should not be too dry but not too wet either. You should be able to see tiny puddles of liquid. If you need to add water then add it gradually – you can add more you can't remove it!

It's difficult to predict how much fat there'll be in minced meat. Lamb, generally speaking, will have more than beef.

You can transfer the filling into a foil tray or, as I did, leave it in the frying pan.

As a guide, my frying pan that is suitable for hob and oven is 28cms in diameter – 3 very large appetites or 4 normal.

I feel the need to describe the “puddles” :

See them glistening – not too wet but definitely not too dry.

Next up - to mash or not to mash, that is the question!

Notes and hints & tips!

Russian Fish Pie is very similar to Coulibiac – also Russian in origin. The original pie consisted of cod in a stiff parsley sauce placed in the centre of a puff pastry square, “glued” with egg wash and brought together to form four triangles all in one. My preference is to use a mornay sauce and to use a variety of fish.

Russian or not it's really moreish and the portions are generous so think carefully about what you would serve with it – a spot of fusion as an idea – a winter coleslaw I think would go very well – the rich pastry and filling with a crispy, crunchy fresh slaw – you could even kid yourself that it's healthy – ish!

In reality it's about as far from Russia as you'll ever get. The recipe probably came from Coulibiac as mentioned above – a dish consisting of salmon, rice, mushrooms, onions and dill encased in pastry – so a variation on a theme!

Notes :

It's important that the fish and sauce mixture is cooled, nay chilled before you place it on the pastry.

I always make more mornay sauce than required for the fish – it's an indulgence to have extra to pour over the pie.

An optional extra is to add chopped hard boiled eggs.

If you are using cooked, peeled prawns don't add them until you are mixing your sauce with your cooled cooked fish.

A treat or even a supper party dish – just the job for Autumn!

Next up, an every day fish pie ...

Fancy something fishy?

Fish doesn't have to be boring – here's a crowd pleaser – with “comfort” thrown in, hints and tips too to make life easier. A truly scrumptious pie!

Here it is :

Russian Fish Pie

Serves 4

1 x 500g packet of puff pastry

Pre-heat oven 160fan/180c/Gas 4

Approximately 500g of mixed fish –

smoked cod loin, salmon, and prawns.

¾ pint/450 ml milk

¼ pint/150 ml cream (you don't have to use

cream, increase to 1pint of milk if preferred)

salt, 8 black pepper corns

bay leaf

50g unsalted butter

50g plain flour

1 tsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard

150g (75g each) Red Leicester and Mature Cheddar cheese, grated

Roll out your pastry into a large square (approximately 24cm x 24cm) and place on a non stick (or greased and lined) baking sheet.

Poach your fish in the milk and cream, season with salt, black peppercorns and bay leaf on a medium heat for 5/10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Remove the fish, flake, allow to cool and set aside in a large bowl. Strain the liquor.

Melt the butter and add the flour to form the roux and cook for 2/3 minutes then gradually add the poaching liquor and cook the sauce on a low heat for about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens (it should coat the back of your spatula) add grated cheeses and mustard. The sauce should be stiff. Set aside to cool.

Tip half the sauce over the flaked fish, add the prawns and fold gently so that all your fish is coated. Reserve the remaining half of the sauce to pour over the pie.

Using a slotted spoon place the mixture in the centre of the pastry. Egg wash the edges and pinch together to form 4 triangles in a square. Egg wash the completed pie and bake in the oven for 40 minutes – check after 30 minutes. Cut into 4 individual triangles and serve.

Yum!

Notes on the pie coming up ...

The sauce recipe

 

Sauce Supreme

15g unsalted butter

15g plain flour

250g cold chicken stock

½ tsp Dijon mustard

200ml double cream

salt and black pepper

Melt the butter, take the pan off the heat, add the flour and whisk. Return to the heat and cook out the flour for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously making a roux sauce – do not walk away.

Tip your cold stock straight into the roux and whisk until smooth, then cook on a low heat for 20 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

Add the mustard and the cream and simmer for 5 minutes.

You can freeze the sauce if it's more convenient – it's every bit as good from the freezer.

You have choices for your pie lid. I'm using the potatoes I've already baked and have stashed in my fridge.

You could use the ever popular puff pastry sheet, again taken from your freezer stash.

Add the mushrooms to the chicken and then fold through the sauce. Pour the filling into a casserole measuring 23x23 cms approximately or, in my case, a foil tray - layer the sliced potatoes over the top, add a little salt and pepper and a dot or two of butter . Place in the oven for 25 minutes and serve.

A perfect meal for when there's a chill in the air!

Ease into Autumn …

… with a comfort blanket.

It has to mean soup – what could be better than a steaming bowl of your choice!

How about “chicken soup for the soul” – it makes you feel better when you're having a bad day! It's also a perfect way to use scraps of leftover chicken - remove the chicken left on the legs and wings – and anywhere else. Dice, box and fridge - ready for later.

Here's the recipe :

Cream of Chicken Soup

Serves 4

30g unsalted butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic – preferably roasted

500ml chicken stock

250ml whole milk

celery salt and white pepper

diced chicken stash

garnish of grated nutmeg

50-75ml double (heavy) cream

200g Charlotte potatoes, peel and cut

into small dice

a handful of frozen petit pois

Heat the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté gently for 2-3 minutes – there should be no colour, season with celery salt. Add the stock and diced potatoes and simmer gently for 15 minutes then add the milk and simmer again for 10 minutes Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Blitz 2/3 ladles of the soup until thick and return to the pan. Add the cream, nutmeg, peas, ground white pepper and chicken - heat gently until piping hot.

Don't forget to warm the soup bowls.

Here it is :

chicken soup for the soul – a generous

serving for supper - add good bread for dunking!

Freeze any leftover, ready to use on a cold winter day!

Hmm … your chicken stash

Now for the dumplings!

In my humble opinion dumplings are the food of the Gods – the ultimate accompaniment in a casserole, soup or stew.

Before we begin … a couple of tips

Here's the thing … traditionally dumplings are placed on top of a casserole with a tightly fitting lid. Casseroles have a thicker consistency than soup and obviously, usually, slow cooked in the oven. Soup simmers on the hob and a saucepan lid “sits” on top of the pan and is not what I'd describe as “tightly fitting”. Here's my tip - tear off a sheet of foil large enough to overlap the pan, push down slightly and then secure with the lid. Make sure your soup is simmering gently before you add the dumplings and seal with foil. 20 minutes later you'll have dumplings the size of which you wouldn't believe!

If you've any dumplings leftover for the next day here's a bonus – microwave them on high for 10/15 seconds – light as a feather – note to self – in future make enough dumplings for second helpings to microwave!

Dumplings made with suet have more texture to them. If you prefer light and fluffy then probably without suet would be better for you. If you've never sampled this delicacy then the only way is to make them both ways and decide for yourself.

Suet Dumplings

100g self raising flour

50g vegetable suet

pinch of salt

60ml of ice cold water

A generous pinch of dried mixed herbs - optional

Mix the flour, suet and salt with the water – you want to achieve a firm dough with some give.

Divide into eight and shape into balls.

Place on top of your casserole or soup, simmer for 20 minutes. Ensure that the casserole or saucepan has a tight fitting lid.

Dumplings sans suet

140g cold unsalted butter

250g self raising flour

salt and black pepper

150ml cold water

Generous pinch of mixed herbs – optional

Back to basics – rub the butter into the flour – aka the rubbing in method – until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the herbs and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Add the cold water and mix quickly to form a dough. Dust your hands with flour and divide the dough into twelve and form into balls.

Add to the top of your casserole, soup or stew and bake for 20 minutes, as above.

Or you could have a posh version …

Parmesan Dumplings

In a large bowl, mix together

100g (4oz) self raising flour

50g (2oz) vegetarian suet

pinch of salt

15g grated Parmesan cheese

add 5 tbsps of ice cold water – 100ml approx

– enough to give a

firm but pliable dough. Divide into eight dumplings – six if

you'd like big ones!

30g grated Parmesan cheese to garnish

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

Add the dumplings to the soup and sprinkle 30g of grated parmesan cheese over the dumplings and simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve in a warmed bowl.

Beyond scrumptious!

Coming up … it's that time again

A comfort blanket ...

 ...for an Autumn day! It's chilly outside so what could be more inviting for lunch than home-made bread or dumplings to go with your bowl of soup – so comforting, so simple.

First up the bread and I make no apology for repeating this recipe – I use it again and again!

Soda bread

170g self raising wholemeal flour

170g plain flour

½ tsp salt

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

290ml buttermilk

an optional sprinkle of semolina – try a sprinkle of semolina

to flour your baking sheet and after you've added your “x”

on top of the loaf

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

Tip the flours, salt and bicarb into a large bowl and mix.

Make a well in the centre, pour in 290ml of buttermilk and mix quickly with a large fork until you have a soft dough formed. You may need an extra drop if your dough is too stiff but take care it should not be too wet or sticky.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly.

Form the dough into a round and flatten slightly. Place on a lightly floured baking sheet.

Slice an “x” on the top of the loaf and bake for 30 minutes – the base should sound hollow when tapped.

Just to confuse the issue I've found buttermilk in different weights. A low fat version weighing 284ml and a full fat version weighing 300ml – a tip – if you can only source the 284ml rinse out the pot with a drop of milk.

Here it is :

Now for the dumplings!

The last soup …

This is a “rib sticker” of a soup, definitely a meal in itself!

Carrot, Coriander and Chickpea Soup

Serves 4-6

1lb/500g Charlotte potatoes, peeled and diced

l large onion, finely chopped

4 large carrots, peeled and diced

2 stockpots, vegetable or chicken

1 litre of water

1 tsp mild curry powder

1 heaped tsp coriander

Salt and black pepper

Rapeseed oil

1 can chick peas, drained

Soften onion and carrot in drop of rapeseed oil for approx 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add curry powder, coriander and black pepper, cook the spices with the onion and carrot for 2 minutes so that the flavours are released.

Add the stockpots, plus 500ml water and simmer until the pots have melted.

Add the diced potatoes and the remaining 500ml of water, bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes until the carrot and potatoes are cooked. Taste, then add salt to personal taste.

At this point you can set aside the soup until you are ready to serve.

Before serving pop 3 ladles of soup into a food processor/liquidiser and blitz. Tip the thickened soup back into your remaining soup, add the chick peas, heat and serve.

By blitzing a portion of the soup no artificial thickening is required. You also get visible vegetables with your chick peas.

Note

Don't put potatoes in with the carrots, onion and oil – the starch that is released from the potatoes means that they will cement themselves to the bottom of your saucepan!

Perfect with home-made bread or a dumpling … hold that thought!

The final two soups …

I couldn't “do” soups without a couple of my favourites – the first of which is :

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Serves 4

1 onion, finely chopped

225g mushrooms, finely sliced

50g unsalted butter

1 tbsp flour

1 litre of milk or vegetable stock

120ml double cream

grated nutmeg

chopped flat leaf parsley

salt and black pepper

Sauté the onion and mushrooms in the butter. Cook slowly with a lid for 10 minutes. Add the flour. Pour on the liquid. Simmer for 15/20 minutes. Season well. Add the cream.

If you wish you can purée the soup if you prefer a smoother texture.

A tip or two for mushroom soup. You can use mushrooms that are past their best – they have a great flavour. A drop of either dry sherry or red wine enhances the flavour of mushrooms – in soups and in sauces – my personal favourite is the dry sherry, but don't be too heavy handed.

The ladle trick. If you are ladling soup, dip your ladle ¾ full, lift out of pan, count to three – hey presto - no drips.

These days we live in a world where we expect perfectly formed, pristine fruit and vegetables, sadly to achieve this result they are “forced” i.e. grown artificially, the result of which is there is little or no flavour. I have a vibrant memory as a child on holiday with my family. Grandad Jack went mushrooming every morning – some days slim pickings, others not. I can still smell those mushrooms cooking – mouthwatering!

By the way - DON'T PICK MUSHROOMS UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!

Here's a thought - if you live near a market selling fruit and vegetables, check out whether you can get hold of a box of mushrooms – I say box, it actually is a basket shape made out of cardboard. Weight-wise probably about 1–1.5kg. Usually these mushrooms are a bargain because they are not what we'd call Grade 1 – in other words past their best.

Turn that box of mushrooms into a stock and freeze it – freeze it in small amounts – it's much more convenient. Freezing intensifies the flavour and you can use the stock for soup or a mushroom sauce. If you're a lover of steak then a mushroom sauce is the perfect partner.

Finally, there's the Carrot, Coriander and Chickpea – or “CCC”!