Editor's December Pick - Posh Chilli

Editor's note: This recipe and photo-guide combo is coming up on it's second blog birthday which is hard to believe. I still maintain that this is the only one I've seen in my limited culinary adventures that suggest using something other than mince as the base, and after trying, it's a wonderful way of zhushing it up!

December thoughts – Posh Chilli method

Seal the diced steak in batches in a large frying pan using a drop of rapeseed oil then set aside in your slow cooker.

Gently fry your onion and garlic, using another drop of rapeseed oil if necessary. Add the spices and cook together so that the spices are able to release their deliciousness!

Add the passata and the chilli sauce and bring to the boil. Add to the sealed diced steak and then slow cook for 4 hours. Turn off and then leave to cool. Freeze in boxes to suit your needs – remember – you can pull out two boxes if you need to, rather than have to throw away from a larger quantity.

Defrost thoroughly in your fridge. Re-heat gently on the stove adding your kidney beans, sweet baby peppers or chorizo.

For the optional extras :

Use a large frying pan and fry the chorizo gently so that it releases its oil. Set the chorizo aside, leaving the oil in the pan.

Sauté the sliced, sweet baby peppers in the chorizo oil.

If you enjoy a spicy hit you can use mixed beans in a chilli sauce instead of ordinary red kidney beans.

Serve with rice if you like but I think it's fab in a bowl with a blob of sour cream served with some rustic bread of your choice on the side or with wraps with bowls of relish of your choice – mango would work well.

Freezing serves dishes like chilli or curry very well – the freezing process allows the spices to develop. Here's a thought – you could double the recipe and serve as a supper or as part of a larger supper buffet. Hot food seems to go down so well and it's easier to cook and serve.

A great New Year Party idea – but you might want to double the recipe!

And now for a photo guide:

Sealed diced steak in the slow cooker

softened onion and garlic

the four “c”s – cumin, coriander

cinnamon and chilli

the four “c”s cooked out with the onion

the chilli – ready to slow cook and perform its magic!

glistening with the beans and a blob of

sour cream

ditto with flat breads

Editor's December Pick - Posh Chilli

Editor's note: Everyone I know has a go-to recipe for chilli. It's such a staple that whatever your chosen method - packet, from scratch, ready meal - you get stuck in a rut with it and can make it in your sleep. Same meat, same veg, same "secret" (I can't be the only one that uses Worcestershire sauce, but some apparently use chocolate or .. coffee?!). You get a bit desensitized to the process and to the taste when you've made it so often in the same way. Now is a fantastic time to forget what you usually do, follow along with this recipe and rediscover why it's such a well-loved meal.

December thoughts – and what's forgotten

We're so focused on the day that just when you thought it was safe … there are the days leading up to and those in-between too.

Here's a dish that will suit either of the above and it uses your favourite friend – the slow cooker.

Make a chilli but not any old chilli - when I think of chilli I think of minced beef. Another confession – I hate minced beef. What makes this chilli special, nay posh, is it uses diced steak and slow cooks it. The only remaining task is to add the red kidney beans and any garnishes. A word of warning – just in case you've forgotten – do not slow cook the kidney beans.

Posh Chilli

Serves 4

500g diced steak

A glug of rapeseed oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of roasted garlic paste or 2 cloves crushed

tsp = teaspoon

half tsp ground cumin

half tsp ground coriander

half tsp ground cinnamon

quarter to half tsp chilli powder (to taste, depends how much of a kick you like – I used a quarter tsp)

500g jar of passata

60ml sweet chilli sauce

390g can of red kidney beans, rinsed

optional extras :

150g small dice or sliced chorizo

sweet baby peppers, de-seeded and

finely sliced

Method up next …

Editor's Pick #4: Finally Cherry Tiramisu

Editor's note: They say that tastes change as you get older, which might explain why I keep thinking about this recipe. I used to not be the biggest fan of cherries but as I was reading through dessert recipes, something clicked and now the flavours and ingredients together are really appealing to me! If you go all out with your shopping list, this has the potential to be a real show-stopper. The combination of sweetness, tartness, the biscuit crumb, the sponge, all coming together ... must dash, need to go shopping!

Cherry Tiramisu

8 tablespoons of cherry juice (100ml)

20fl oz whipping cream/1 pint/570ml (heavy)

4tbls cherry liqueur - Kirsch (optional)

one red velvet cup cake per serving

4tbls caster sugar

225g/8oz Mascarpone or curd cheese (Philadelphia)

4 Amaretti biscuits, crushed to a crumb

50g/2oz plain chocolate (grated) or

a cherry liqueur chocolate to decorate

Cherry compote

Red velvet sponge – see notes below

Cherry and Raspberry Compote

350g cherries, stoned – can use frozen

150g caster sugar

juice of 1 lemon (2 tbsps)

150g raspberries – can use frozen

4 tbsp water or juice from defrosted fruit

Pour the water into a pan and add the cherries, sugar and lemon juice. Place on a medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Cook the cherries over a low heat for 5-10 minutes until they have released some juice but are not overcooked. If you are using frozen cherries you will have the fruit juices when defrosted – use this juice instead of the water and reduce the cooking time to 5 minutes.

Add the raspberries to the pan and cook for a further 1-2 minutes until they start to soften. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the mixture to cool, then chill it well before serving. Blitz the compote and pass through a sieve. You'll get 400ml.

Mix the cherry juice with the Kirsch. If you're serving kiddies then omit the Kirsch and add an additional 4 tbsp of cherry juice.

Mix the cream carefully with the sugar and mascarpone. A small tip – place the mascarpone cheese in a mixing bowl and add the sugar. Once combined add the cream gradually. Fold 2 tablespoons of cherry compote into the mixture, gently, to give a ripple effect.

Cut up the cake in shapes that suit the bowl you are using and dip into the cherry mixture.

Layer the mascarpone mixture with the sponge.

Add your decorations when you are about to serve – sprinkle the Amaretti crumb and then add the grated plain chocolate or a cherry liqueur chocolate.

For extra pizzazz add a puddle of cherry compote. Freeze the compote you don't use along with any red velvet sponge you have left for another day!

You have options with the red velvet sponge. I made red velvet cupcakes and a batch gave me 24, far more than I needed, which was deliberate since I was able to either freeze what I didn't use or add frosting for a traditional cupcake.

There are “fast fixes” out there – most large supermarkets sell red velvet cake mixes which will usually give you 12 cupcakes or a 7” cake. Betty Crocker likewise.

Editor's Pick #3 Breadsticks Photo Guide

Editor's note: There is absolutely nothing I could say that would do this post as much justice as the last photo does. Just look at it. As a card-carrying member of the Garlic Society (Ed note: There's no such thing, but there is a plant called Society Garlic, who knew!), this one speaks to me on a few different levels. Put the store-bought frozen baguette back in the freezer. Push the boat out, buy the dough - it doesn't matter too much what you pair it with because, well, look at the photos!

The divine dough – breadsticks photo guide

cut your dough into eight pieces – in this

case four!

roll between your hands into a sausage

shape

leave your breadsticks to rest and

then brush with melted butter and add

garlic salt and finely grated Parmesan

the breadsticks – fresh from the oven

Tempted?!

Editor's Pick #2: Two for the Price of One

Editor's note: It's not often I miss cheese, but when I do it's whilst reading this blog! I was looking up Autumnal themes, foods and the like and this one caught my eye. Possibly an oversight on my part but I would never immediately go to zhushing up an accompaniment such as the dumpling but when it sounds as delicious as this recipe does, it's something that would definitely elevate a meal. Especially on a damp weeknight when you need a pick-me-up.

Two for the price of one …

… the dumplings to go with the steak and gravy, or

... a recipe for a veggie bowlful requiring only a spoon and a boxed set!

Either way ideal if you're in the mood to put your feet up and relax. I love minimum effort that gives maximum deliciousness.

Here's the dumpling recipe :

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 8 dumplings – 6 if

you'd like big ones!

30g grated Parmesan cheese to garnish

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

Add the dumplings to the steak and gravy and sprinkle the 30g of parmesan cheese over the dumplings and cook for 30 minutes.

Serve in a warmed bowl. For extra decadence if you've got leftover mashed potato in the fridge, warm it through place in warmed bowl, place steak on top with a generous helping of gravy, add a dumpling – or even two.

Editor's Pick #1: Autumn Comfort Food Ideas

Editor's note: One of my favourite recipes featured on the blog, so editor's prerogative to include in this week's selection. Just involved enough to make me feel like I'm actually cooking, but not so much that I'm running around with my apron on fire. I had tried to make it in previous years but it was reading the recipe on this blog that got through to me on how you do it properly. This does not disappoint and remains one of my favourite meals.

This time the ideas are for the weekend when you've more time.

Weekend cooking is different – it's time to kick back, relax and enjoy yourself. If you love your cooking it's reflected on the plate or in this case, in the bowl. I long since gave up seating visitors in a different room when all they want to do is hang around the island where the hob is - chatting, with the obligatory glass of something, munching – appropriately with this recipe - on crostini and watching the cook.

If this picture is appealing to you you'll find that risotto is the perfect dish for the occasion. If you fancy the crostini munching there's a plan coming up and again it's possible to prep ahead so that large plates can be passed around – they take only minutes in the oven - to assuage/satisfy those rumbling tummies whilst watching the risotto morph. There'll be various topping ideas to suit your gang – these days too there are so many choices of breads for the crostini - from small baguettes to larger sourdough loaves. Hold that thought – I'll be back with it soon.

All in all it's what I call convivial weekend comfort food.

What follows cannot be rushed, I think of it as a form of therapy. Risotto scares a lot of cooks, there's no need to worry, provided you follow a few basic rules.

There are “spin off” dishes that can be made from the risotto, which I'll come to later.

Here's the basic risotto recipe :

1 litre vegetable or chicken stock

40g unsalted butter

1 tbsp groundnut oil

2 small onions, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves (or 3 tsps paste)

350g risotto rice

150ml dry white wine

2 tbsps flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

100g Parmesan cheese, grated

salt and black pepper

Bring the stock to a boil and simmer gently. Heat the butter and the oil in a pan and fry the onions and garlic until soft. Season with salt. Stir in the rice and fry for 2 minutes until the edges become opaque. Add the wine. Start adding the stock, a ladle at a time – the liquid should be absorbed before you add the next. Add the parsley, black pepper and the Parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately in warmed bowls.

Editor's Pick #4: Veggie or not, here I come! Miso Roasted Mushrooms

Editor's note: Okay so not only does this selection have one of the best titles on the blog, it's also one of the best and quickest lunch ideas for anyone who's a fan of mushrooms. A large number of us are working from home at the moment, so if you're not having the best day on video calls, take a break and treat yourself to some amazing flavours before heading back to 'the office' - not a mushroom pun in sight. The jokes aren't for everyone but they do grow on you.

Veggie or not, here I come!

Miso roasted mushrooms

Serves 4

250g chestnut mushrooms, sliced

3 tbsps miso paste

2 tsps soy sauce

2 tbsps mirin

1 tbsp dark soft brown sugar

Mix the ingredients thoroughly into a marinade. Box and set aside. Add the marinade to the mushrooms an hour before roasting to give it time to infuse, use a strong plastic food bag.

When you're ready to cook, pre-heat your oven 150fan/170c/Gas 3.

Place your marinaded mushrooms into a foil tray and roast for 15-20 minutes.

In case you're not familiar with miso paste, I used brown rice miso - it is available in most large supermarkets.

It's up to you what you do

You can roast the mushrooms the day before but reduce the

time to 10 minutes and then either re-heat in the oven for 10 minutes

or warm through in a small saucepan whilst making the

orzotto

Here's what to expect :

the marinaded mushrooms

then roasted

and served

Ta dah!