There’s no point trying to deny it any longer – ‘It’s Christmas!’ in the words of the Slade hit (which was number one as I arrived in the world). So here’s a round up of some favourite recipes for serving up over the festive period – good things to share or make use of leftovers. […]

Don’t usually share work things here but couldn’t resist this one. We’ve just launched a competition to find the very best festive Welsh Beef recipe in the run up to Christmas. There are some fab prizes – including some on-the-spot ones for anyone following the competition online. If you’re interested in finding out more pop along to the […]

We shouldn’t really be doing slow-cooked anything – it’s August for heaven’s sake. But as it’s been the suckiest ‘summer’ since records began I’m still making nice big warming pies. This was a great alterative to a Sunday roast – it’s very simple to cook, but does need to sit in the oven for a […]

I know some people are a bit squeamish at the thought of making their own meatballs. No need to squeam – there’s an easy cheat using sausages as a short cut. And of course it’s much quicker than starting from scratch. The meatball bit is simple – buy the best sausages you can find, run a sharp […]

I can’t tell which magazine I ripped this out of any more – I’ve had it for years and it always gets dusted off for special occasions. They are lovely warm or cold and perfect with a drink or two. They make a great starter or lunch with a big green salad and I guess you […]

There was a brisket joint at the butchers last week – it was cheap, looked good and with a Bank Holiday looming, I figured it was bound to be slow-cooking weather. So in the inevitable pissing rain, I  went searching for a recipe this morning. I’ve never cooked it before and my only real reference point was […]

You can’t beat a home-made pie – it’s up there with soup and a cracking roast in terms of ‘most comforting things to cook’ in my book. And it doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming, thanks to frozen pastry. Turkey or chicken and ham pie is a fantastic way to turn leftovers into […]

I’d never seen oxtails until the butcher had some a few weeks ago. I had to give them a go and the only thing I knew about them was they needed very slow cooking. I have to say though, I think this might be one of my favourite things I’ve cooked for a long time. I […]

Such an easy dish, this. Takes no time to cook and livens up a tea time very easily – perfect to make a pork chop or chicken thigh a little bit more exciting. And saves on making a separate sauce. Pop the oven on to 200 decC to get warm. Separate a cauliflower into florets […]

This is a rediscovered family favourite. Not sure why I’d forgotten about it, or why it came up in conversation with my mum recently, but  once remembered it’s reestablished itself on our midweek menu very quickly indeed. Probably because it’s so simple to make and tastes amazing – I’m sure there’s a degree of nostalgia […]