Presented with three key ingredients – a whole chicken, a bag of carrots and a couple of pounds of Maris Pipers – it would be easy to go for the obvious. And I do love a mid-week roast. But I’ve been challenged* to come up with something a little different so I’m going for lighter […]

Whenever there’s leftover cooked potatoes from a roast, this is my current favourite way to use them up. You get lovely crunchy breadcrumbs on the outside with soft cheesy centres. For a veggie version, just substitute the ham for some fried diced onion or leek. Boiled or mashed spuds are the easiest to use but baked […]

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 […]

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 […]

In a short series of pie posts (two, to be honest), I thought I’d share my very easy approach to Shepherds/Cottage pie. And a real quick cheat’s version. Again, start with a pan of spuds. Gently fry a finely diced onion and carrot for about five minutes, then add mince (lamb or beef depending on […]

I don’t really know what to call this. Shepherd’s pie – made with lamb. Cottage pie – a dish of leftovers eaten by rural people, who lived in cottages. So what do I call my version of this classic British dish that I make with diced pork? I’m going for Pigsty Pie – there’s a […]

I know a lot of people think it’s minging, but I’m a big fan of corned beef. In a sandwich with brown sauce on crusty white bread – heavenly. So I also love a bit of corned beef hash. Which made me think about what else could be hashed. There’s usually a pack of smoked mackerel […]

[tweetmeme source=”easyteas” only_single=false http://www.URL.com%5D I had a new year’s email from the nice chaps at WordPress this week with lots of useful facts and figures about my blog. I sort of keep an eye on the stats I see in terms of how many people are reading, but I don’t really have much of an […]

[tweetmeme source=”easyteas” only_single=false http://www.URL.com%5D I have a slightly odd relationship with Yorkshire puddings. As a kid I never liked them (which for me translates as wouldn’t try them) and it wasn’t until I went to live in York and saw these massive Yorkshires filled with meat, veg and gravy and I really gave them a […]

[tweetmeme source=”easyteas” only_single=false http://www.URL.com%5D Delia copped a lot of unfair flack for suggesting that it’s better to cook from scratch using a few shortcuts than not to cook at all. I agree and here’s my favourite cheat recipe – a creamy chicken in white wine casserole. I’ve been making it since student days so can’t […]