The Hangry Chef

This is a classic dish that can dress up the most boring vegetables. I personally think cheese or bacon (or sometimes both) can make any meal better! You will need... 1/2 a large head of cauliflower 1 head of broccoli 1 large carrot 2 washed potatoes (I used red delight) 1 cup of peas (fresh or frozen) For the sauce 75gr buttter 1/3 cup plain flour 3 cups whole milk salt & pepper & freshly grated nutmeg 1/2 cup cheddar cheese For the topping 1 cup cheddar cheese 1/4 cup breadcrumbs 2 tbs roughly chopped flat leaf parsley Method... 1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius, grease a large 3-4Lt capacity ceramic baking dish. 2. Peel the carrot and potato and dice into 1 inch pieces then transfer to a microwave safe bowl with a little water, cover with glad wrap and microwave for 1 minute on high to begin the cooking process. Drain and set aside. Wash the cauliflower and broccoli and trim into neat florets.  3. Melt the butte...

This is a great winter warmer, or just a nice hearty dish you can throw together after a long day at work. Good quality sausages work best in this recipe because they kind of make the dish. The more flavourful and the better quality meat used will result in a better cassoulet. If you aren't a fan of pork you can definitely substitute for beef or chicken sausages and if you want to get flavoured sausages thats fine too- just make sure the flavours compliment (don't have asian-flavoured sausages or anything, pork and fennel is a fantastic flavour for this dish!). You will need... For 2-3 large serves 6 good quality pork chipolatas 1 small brown onion or two eschalots/eschallions 1 small carrot 1 stick celery 2 cloves garlic 2 Tbs olive oil 1 generous cup of dry white wine 1 420gr tin chopped Italian tomatoes 1 420gr tin of cannellini (white) beans, drained and rinsed well. 1/4 tsp oregano 2 bay leaves salt and pepper 1/2 tsp sugar chopped parsley crusty brea...

I stumbled across these on Pinterest of all places, I didn't look at the recipe, I just saw the picture and thought that they looked like a yummy healthy snack... I've never made fishcakes at home before, I was a bit apprehensive that they would taste horrible but not only were they delicious, they were super easy to make. Although, if I'm honest, I always find recipes easy when I 'wing it', whether they turn out or not is a different story. This is one of those occasions when they did turn out so I'm more then happy to share it! You will need (makes 12 fishcakes)... 210gr tin of pink salmon in spring water*, drained 200gr sweet potato, cooked and mashed (I left the skin on and just made sure there were no big chunks of skin through the mix by ripping it up as I mashed it) 3/4 cup cooked quinoa, any kind- I used tricolour. 1/2 brown onion, diced finely 2 tsp ginger, minced 2 tsp lemongrass, finely chopped/minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbs choppe...

This sweet and flavourful jam goes brilliantly with freshly baked scones and double cream, or on hot crumpets for a yummy breakfast. You will need... 1 bunch of rhubarb, washed well 2 cups of fresh cherries, rinsed and pitted 1 cup of caster sugar 1 lemon, juiced 1 tsp vanilla  Method... 1. Using a small, sharp knife, trim the ends off the rhubarb and peel away any imperfections on the outside of the stems. Be careful not to peel too much of the outside layer off as this gives the jam the ruby red colour.  2. Cut the rhubarb into 1inch thick peices and place in a medium sized saucepan (one bunch should equate to about 3 full cups of chopped rhubarb) 3. Add the pitted cherries, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla and mix to coat. Place the saucepan on the stove and heat on medium. 4. Once the sugar begins to dissolve and you see the rhubarb begin to breakdown, reduce heat so that the jam is gently simmering and leave to cook down, uncovered, for...

These were meant to be a 'healthier' option, as we all know anything that contains puff pastry can't be classified as 'healthy', but these are definitely leaner then your average ground beef/sausage mince filled sausage rolls. They are a great source of protein and you can hide almost anything in them, which is fantastic for those of you with fussy eaters in your household. And who doesn't love a sausage roll? You will need.. (makes 36 party-sized sausage rolls) 1 small zucchini, ends removed 1 small carrot, peeled, ends removed 300gr turkey mince 3 rashers middle bacon 1/2 small onion 2 garlic cloves canola/non-stick cooking spray 1 egg 1/2 cup panko* breadcrumbs (or plain breadcrumbs if you can't find panko) 1 tsp dried parsley & oregano pinch of salt & freshly cracked black pepper 3 sheets ready-made puff pastry 1/4 cup milk Method... 1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius, fan-forced. Line two baking trays with greaseproof ...

I'm a huge fan of meals that don't require too much preparation and end up with an impressive result. Especially on a week night when I don't feel like coming home from a long day at work and spending 2 hours in the kitchen. But I do like to eat nice food and I don't like eating the same thing every night either. So something like this is perfect for those nights when you want a hearty meal and don't want the fuss! You will need... (2 serves) 2 pork cutlets, trimmed 2 Tbs seeded mustard 1/2 a head of broccoli, cut into florets. 1 cup of instant polenta 3 cups of chicken stock (or you can use milk for a creamier polenta) 2 Tbs butter 1/4 cup parmesan cheese wedge of lemon, to serve olive oil salt and pepper Method... 1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius, fan forced. 2. Rub the seeded mustard all over both sides of the pork cutlet. Add a little salt and pepper. 3. Heat a small amount of oil in a nonstick frypan on a high heat, then carefully...

A frittata is an Italian Omelette, filled with various ingredients. They can be a lifesaver on nights when you don't have any idea what to cook or only have a fridge full of leftovers and half a dozen eggs. You can put whatever you like into a frittata. My Nonna would slice a potato, fry until golden brown in a little oil, then pour a dozen beaten eggs over the top, with some salt and pepper, then whack a lid on it and leave it to cook on a low heat for about 20 minutes- et voila! Quick and delicious lunch! I like to utilise ingredients I have in my fridge. The night before I had oven-roasted some sweet potato, carrot, zucchini and mushroom with some cloves of garlic, halved eschalots, olive oil and salt and pepper to have with some mixed leaves and grilled haloumi (also a nice, easy dinner!). So I used my leftover roast veggies to fill my frittata. I also like to bake mine in the oven as this makes sure you have even cooking all the way through and makes for a lighter fritt...