Simply Corned-beef Hash

This a versatile dish you can use at just about any mealtime. Serve with beans for a hearty brunch, on it's own as a filling lunch or topped with an oozy, poached egg for supper. It is definitely a dish to help you out if the purse has decided to go on a diet! My dad argues with me that this is not true corned beef hash as it isn't mashed potato and corned beef mixed together, I get the feeling it's like the 'panhag' and everyone has their own take on it. This is mine. 

Tin of corned beef roughly chopped

2 large potatoes cubed

200g black pudding chopped

Large onion sliced

Splash of Worcester sauce 

In a frying pan on a medium heat with some oil fry the onions.

In another pan boil the cubed potato pieces for roughly 5 minutes or until soft.

Put the black pudding and corned beef into the pan with the onion and fry off while the potato cooks add a dash of Worcester sauce.

Drain the potatoes add to the frying pan and cook while your beans heat up or you poach an egg.

Serve and enjoy.

Healthy and humble honey and lemon chicken

This is a delicious meal that is not only cheap and yummy, wait for it.....it's healthy too! So if there are any of you wanting to lose pounds, not money, and you don't want to spend a lot, or sacrifice taste either, then this is for you. If you don't have fresh rosemary, use dried. If you don't have any dried rosemary, use thyme, if you don't have that then leave it out, it doesn't matter. I've tried all ways and all are as tasty. I serve this with garlic potatoes and salad (I know I said it's winter, however coupled with the warm honey and lemon sauce it's a must) I've always found when I eat this I'm full, even though it doesn't look a lot, as it takes longer to eat with having to pick at the chicken. The kids love it too...bonus!

1Kg chicken thighs

2 lemons

5 cloves of garlic

Rosemary

Tbsp honey

Baby potatoes

Bag of salad

Preheat the oven to 200

Place potatoes, unpeeled garlic cloves and some rosemary in a pan and cover with water

In an oven proof dish put the chicken and lemons and rosemary together

Pour over the honey and squeeze the juice out of the lemons (leaving the lemon in the dish to cook with the chicken)

Put the chicken in the oven for 50 minutes 

After the chicken has been in for 30 minutes baste with the juices and leave to cook for a further 20 minutes 

Turn the potatoes on to boil for 20 minutes

When the potatoes are soft and cooked drain off and remove the garlic

Gently squeeze the cloves and the garlic should easily pop out of it's skin

Season generously with salt and pepper and mash with a fork

Coat the potatoes with the garlic and some butter 

When the chicken is cooked drain off the juice into a small pan on a high heat and boil

Serve on the salad with the potatoes and pour over the sauce 

Bob's bargain bacon one pot panhaggerty

Having looked at a few variations of this recipe for panhaggerty, mainly because I wondered why I'd heard so many names for it, I've discovered the dish varies slightly depending on the region. Pan haggerty is a dish from Northumberland involving cheese, potatoes and onions, while panackelty is the Sunderland version with corned beef, onions and potatoes. They all have one thing in common, they're extremely cheap to make, can all be done in one pot, very tasty and very inexpensive. I'm going to give you the lovely Bob's recipe from Whitby for panhaggerty as he called it. I made this for our tea and it tasted absolutely beautiful. So meaty, filling and warming. Perfect for this time of year. Even the kids loved it.

350g Cooking bacon cut into chunks
200g Black pudding
2 onions sliced
4 large potatoes thickly sliced
2 oxos
Flour

In a large pan or oven dish (can be done on the hob or in the oven) line the base of pan with a layer  of sliced potato
Sprinkle some onion over the potatoes
Crumble some black pudding and some oxo on top
Scatter the bacon chunks over the top and a dusting of flour and repeat the process until you have a few layers of each ingredient.
Finally pour boiling water over the ingredients (I poured too much on and have been left with a lovely thick ox-tail soup like gravy which was yummy with bread!)
Bring to the boil and leave to simmer on a low heat for an hour or more until nice and thick and serve immediately. (If doing in the oven put in a casserole dish on 200 for an hour or more)

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!

Cheap and easy autumn tea

Leek and potato soup with warm cheese scones.

Soup ingredients.
Onion
4 leeks
3 potatoes
Half pint veg/chicken stock

Chop the onions, leeks and potatoes into chunks and sweat in butter or oil in a pan until soft. Add the stock and boil for about ten minutes. Blend to desired thickness as salt and proper to taste. If too thick thin with a bit of milk or water.

Cheese scones.

225g plain flour
2 and a half tsp baking powder
50g butter
125g cheese
Tsp mustard/powder
140ml milk

Mix flour and baking powder together, rub in the butter and mustard and then add the grated cheese. Moving with a knife add the milk until dough is formed. Roll out as thick as you want scones and cut. Put in preheated oven at 180 for 20 mins.

Hope you enjoyed my autumn cheap tea!