Em's roasties!

It was the Christmas Cake that triggered the thought and after many a year I've been persuaded to commit this recipe – if you can call it that – to paper.

Here goes – you will need :

Foil tray (12”x10”x2” or 30x25x5cms)

Maris Piper or King Edward Potatoes (2kg bag)

As a guide, roughly, use 1kg

Celery salt

You can make this recipe as large or as small as you like – personally I always cook a tray full and freeze what I don't use, which sounds like a plan!

Peel your potatoes and cut into a similar size.

Par boil them until you can ease a paring knife through – approximately 10 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes.

Drain, carefully, and sprinkle 1 heaped tablespoon of semolina over the potatoes, shake them well. A tip: make sure you're wearing oven gloves and hold the lid on the pan securely.

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

When the temperature is reached pour enough rapeseed oil to cover the base of the tray and place in the oven for 10 minutes – very hot!

Remove the tray from the oven and spoon the potatoes carefully into the oil (they should sizzle) and place in the oven for 20 minutes – set your timer!

Remove the tray – and turn the potatoes with a spoon, again carefully and put back into the oven for a further 20 minutes.

Set aside until you're ready to serve and place in the oven for a final 20 minutes to synchronise serving with your meal.

Notes :

Your can re-use the tray – scrape out all the lovely crispy bits and the oil residue, soak and then wash and you're ready to go again.

If you've got potatoes that are larger and therefore not so evenly cooked you can remove and box or bag and fridge or freeze – they will crisp up nicely for another meal. Just pop them in the oven for 20 minutes.

If you can't get hold of semolina you can use plain flour but the roasties aren't as good – here's a photo for ease of reference.

Just in case you might find it useful.

Enjoy!

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.

This may be a perfect alternative to your Christmas Cake this year!

Now for what might seem a random choice – there is a method to my madness ...

A cake with Bramleys!

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 …

A Spie to suit 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 veggie or 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 protein of your choice, 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 veggie or 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.

Perfect for the chilly weather!

Next up … an indulgent pudding (or if you like, cake) to follow

To mash or not to mash

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

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.

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 sliced baked potatoes.

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 30 mins.

Here it is, in the frying pan and baked in the oven.

This is a posher version of the norm - I'm treating the hungry hordes to a topping with grated Gruyere cheese, a knob or two of butter and black pepper.

A third of the pie left – oh goodie enough to freeze for another day.

This is my favourite method of winter 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 evening meal – posh or not - is in the oven - ready for the hungry hordes in 30 minutes.

Simple stuff but it hits the autumn or winter comfort spot!

“No frills” 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” - however it doesn't have to be boring!

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 (published recently) and or a coleslaw.

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 – there's a recipe to follow.

Next … to mash or not to mash!

Bazzin' beetroot relish

... this is definitely a relish and not a chutney since it contains vegetables and fruit - chutney is made from fruit and additional spices et al – one of my absolute favourites!

It may not be the most sophisticated relish but then it doesn't mean to be – it's your own and really quick and easy to make.

Bazzin' beetroot relish

300g vac pack of organic cooked beetroot

drained and cut into small cubes

1 sharp eating apple, peeled, cored and cut

into small cubes

1 medium onion, finely chopped

75g soft dark brown sugar

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and black pepper

Don't forget to use gloves when prepping your beetroot!

Mix well and place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan – 16cms in diameter. Simmer on a low heat, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Take the pan off the heat and allow to cool. Box up and fridge until ready to use.

What I loved about this recipe is its flexibility – anywhere you want a relish it fits the bill - from a side with baked salmon or honey glazed gammon to plain and simple with bread and cheese!

It's not complicated or fussy and you can make it any time you've got half an hour to spare.

Here's a photo, served with frittata sat on sautéed veggies and topped with the Bazzin' beetroot relish :

Give it a go, you won't be sorry!

Now for “no frills” suppers ...