Why should we donate to the food banks?

I find it really sad that we live in an age, that makes the Jetson's (remember them?) almost seem a reality. With hi-tech gadgets coming out of our ears and the ability to produce enough food to feed a galaxy, yet we have millions of people starving. I'm not even talking about the poor Ethiopian's, who with all the millions of pounds of aid that have been raised over the years, really should be sorted now don't you think? Is there just me finds that odd, since I was at school, in fact for as long as I can remember, we have been fund-raising to help 'feed the world', yet all that seems to have happened is more people are going hungry?

Talking of school, remember the Harvest festivals? The morning your mum would be frantically searching through the fridge, for any vegetables you hadn't used, that didn't resemble an old shoe. Pulling the emergency rations tins for the zombie apocalypse out of the back of the cupboard.

You would get to school and the hall would have magically transformed into some kind of Willy Wonka land-if Willy Wonka did vegetables. There was always a fancy bread loaf, that looked like someone had sculpted it into wheat. Amazing colours everywhere, fresh fruit and vegetables harvested from the land and not tipped out of a tin. I digress, it makes me sad to hear, that instead of us helping the dear elderly folk that live local to us, with all this fresh fruit and veg, we are now being asked to take tinned and dried goods for the food banks. We are now helping people just like us. Not elderly people that could use a boost, but people like you and me with families. How is this happening? How are people not affording to feed their families, when I have just done a weekly shop for £39 for 6 of us?

Are people really that skint? Are they uneducated in how to budget or cook? I really would love to know the answer and I am going to make it my mission to find out. By the way our first tea time recipe was good old bangers and mash. Easy, cheap and filling. 

Peel and chop potatoes into equal sized chunks boil for 20-25 minutes until soft

While they are boiling grill your sausages until they are cooked-I like mine overdone

With some scissors snip the outer leaves of a savoy cabbage very finely and the same with 4 spring onions

5 minutes before the potatoes are ready place peas in a steamer basket above the potatoes to save electric

In a frying pan with a generous nob of butter or oil and lots of pepper fry the cabbage and spring onion

Drain the potatoes when soft and add a splash of milk and  nob of butter to the pan and mash

Stir in the cabbage and spring onion mix and serve topped with sausages, gravy and peas.

How to deliver a cheap and tasty meal

Another tasty, cheap and filling recipe courtesy of my lovely dad, you will be famous soon dad! He's always told me how he fancies a plate full of liver and onions-the very thought always made me want to be sick-but as he's been such a great dad, I put my queasiness aside for a day and made him the treat he's been wanting. I read that if you were to get liver to avoid pigs liver as it could be quite bitter, I have since realised this is all just personal preference. Pigs liver is cheaper and if you don't like the taste if you soak it in milk for 30 minutes it's supposed to combat the bitterness. I used lambs liver, it cost £1.34 and there was enough for two big plates full. As well as being cheap, it's actually quite good for you, it contains a large amount of high-quality protein, an easily absorbed form of iron and all of the B vitamins-including B12 and folic acid in significant amounts. I have to say I didn't like it myself however, the gravy was delicious and my dad said it was the best he had tasted so that's good enough for me!

Lambs liver

Onion sliced

2 rashers streaky bacon

300ml beef stock

Tbsp flour

Worcester sauce

Tbsp tomato ketchup

Tbsp oil

 In a frying pan on a medium-high heat with the oil, fry the onions and chopped bacon until the onions are soft and the bacon is crispy.

Slice the liver into cm thick strips and fry for 2-4 minutes until cooked and remove from the pan and keep warm while you make your gravy.

  Add the flour to the onions and bacon and stir, gradually add the beef stock stirring constantly so you don't get lumps until it's all added. You may need to keep adding more water depending on how thick you like your gravy. Add a dash of Worcester sauce and the ketcup and stir in. Return the liver to the pan and let bubble away for a couple of minutes.

Serve on its own or with a pile of mashed potatoes and peas. Enjoy!

Simple steak and ale pie

I actually thought I had already blogged this, my memory is terrible at the moment, something I'm blaming on the kids. I just have to walk through a door and my memory is wiped clean. So my steak and ale pie is a delicious winter warmer, don't forget it is actually still winter put those salads away!! As with the beef bourguignon, it really doesn't matter what beer you use. For mine I used the cheapest bottle I could get my hands on, Golden goose 90p from Lidl and it tasted yummy! Perfect served with mashed sweet potato and some greens.

350g diced stewing steak

250g mushrooms chopped
Onion chopped
500ml bottle ale/beer/stout whichever you like
Tbsp tomato puree (leave it out if you have none it doesn't matter)
Flour tbsp
Oil tbsp
Puff pastry

Coat the meat in flour and pepper
On a high heat brown the meat in the oil
When the meat's browned place into a large pan and pour over the beer, add some water if not covered
In the frying pan cook the mushrooms and onions for 5 minutes and add to the pan with the meat
Stir in the tomato puree and place on a medium heat until simmering
Turn down low and leave for a couple of hours remembering to stir so it doesn't burn
If the liquid is not as thick as you want it after it's been cooking then add some gravy granules
Pour the mixture into an oven proof dish and top with puff pastry
Cook in a preheated oven at 200 for 25-35 minutes or until pastry is golden

Toad out of the hole

If you enjoy toad in the hole but need to make it go that little bit further, then I have got just the thing for you! By simply slicing the sausages and serving them in gravy and adding some fried red onions to your Yorkshire pudding batter you can feed a few more with the same amount of sausages. We have literally just had this for tea and it was delicious!

2 red onions

200g plain flour
3 eggs
200ml milk

Preheat oven to 220
Place a large oven proof dish with 2 tbsp oil in the oven to heat
Fry red onions and leave to cool
In a bowl whisk the flour, eggs and milk
Mix the onions into the batter
Remove the dish from the oven and pour in the mixture
Leave for 25 minutes do NOT open the oven door to check it will sink
While this cooks grill your sausages and when the Yorkshire pudding has 5 minutes to go make your gravy (I just did bisto best) and slice your cooked sausage
Serve with the gravy on the onion pudding and whatever vegetables or potatoes you like.

Bonfire bangers 'n' mash with a twist

So we've got Halloween over with I hope you all had an amazing time now for bonfire night. I usually do chilli and jackets but you could give this a try if you have guests to feed, just have a load of creamy mash made up ready and keeping warm in the oven and cook your sausages as you need them. Who doesn't love sausage and mash! Well I will tell you how to make it even more tasty with the help of a red onion and some red wine. I know, I know...not many of us have leftover wine to cook with. I actually don't drink red so I buy the little bottles for £1 in Asda, or if my dad's been round and left some of his I steal that (sorry dad!). It really doesn't have to be expensive wine I've tried it with the cheapest and it was still as tasty. So here's my recipe for caramelised red onion gravy the perfect partner for bonfire bangers and mash! The quantities will make enough gravy for 4 so adjust accordingly. Enjoy!

2 large red onions sliced
Butter and oil for frying
Sugar white/brown if you have it tbsp
Flour heaped tbsp
1 small bottle red wine (or however much/little you fancy/is left)
1 pint beef stock (couple of oxos)

In a frying pan on a medium heat melt a knob of butter with a drizzle of oil and place sliced onions in pan with the sugar.
Cook for 15 mins until soft.
Add flour and stir in coating the onions.
Pour in your red wine and stock gradually stirring constantly and turn the heat up slightly so it bubbles.
Let it simmer for 5 mins until reduced slightly  and then serve when it's ready!