(All Recipes have Gluten-Free Options)
Savoury Mince (with Creamy Colcannon Potatoes) (Serves 4)
This isn’t your average beef mince; the recipe is from chef, Simon Hopkinson who takes this humble dish to higher levels with perfectly balanced flavours – a touch of mushroom and carrot, a good beef stock, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and tomato ketchup, herbs and a little fat from some streaky bacon, they all combine to make a dish that is the most gratifying of all comfort foods. You don’t necessarily need to serve it with the Colcannon, plain creamed potatoes would suffice, but I urge you to try this recipe for Colcannon (recipe here), it’s a classic from Delia Smith, need I say more?..
200g onions, peeled and chopped
75g butter
200g carrots, peeled and diced
200g flat dark-gilled mushrooms, diced
1 tablespoon groundnut oil
500g beef mince
200g streaky bacon, coarsely minced (leave the rind on as it will add more flavour)
1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
½ tablespoon tomato purée
400g tin chopped tomatoes
200ml beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (gluten-free if required)
Sea salt and plenty of white pepper
- Melt the butter in a large pan, fry the onion until well coloured. Add the carrots and mushrooms and continue to cook gently for a further 10 minutes or so. Then remove from the pan and leave to one side.
- Briefly wipe the pan and pour in the oil. Heat until smoking. Add the minced beef and bacon and briskly fry until golden. Add the mixed herbs and tomato purée and cook for 5 minutes over a fairly high heat until the purée loses its very red colour.
- Return the vegetables to the pan, together with the tinned tomatoes, stock, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, season and simmer very gently, uncovered for about 1 hour, stirring from time to time. The final consistency should be thick and rich and not at all too liquid.
- Serve with ‘Creamy Colcannon Potatoes’ (recipe here).
Veal and Lemon Meatballs ( Serves 6)
With their lemony sauce these meatballs have a rather refined flavour in comparison with those served in a heavier tomato sauce. They are fantastic served with baby roast potatoes (recipe here) or pasta. You can substitute the fresh breadcrumbs for gluten-free dried breadcrumbs, I like those by ‘Esgir’. This recipe is from Blanche Vaughan, food editor of House and Garden magazine.
800g minced veal
100g fresh white breadcrumbs (or gluten-free alternative – see above)
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
75g Pecorino or Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tablespoons milk
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
3 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed and chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
100ml dry vermouth or dry white wine
2 teaspoons tomato purée
500ml chicken stock
3 bay leaves
Sea salt and black pepper
- Mix the veal with the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and juice, garlic, cheese, milk, nutmeg and thyme. Season well with salt and pepper. Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a walnut. Place on a plate and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Heat half of the oil in a large frying pan and brown the meatballs all over working in batches. (Alternatively you can brush the meatballs with a little oil, and place on an oiled baking tray then bake in a preheated oven, 220’c fan, for 15-20 minutes, turning halfway through). Set aside.
- Add the vermouth to the frying pan and let it bubble away to reduce by half. Add the tomato purée and mix well. Pour in the chicken stock and add the bay leaves, bring to the boil then reduce the heat to simmer. Add the meatballs to the pan and cook them gently for 20 minutes, turning them over every so often. (Do not cover the pan as you want the liquid to reduce as the meatballs cook).
- Serve the meatballs with baby baked potatoes (recipe here) or pasta.
Cowboy Chilli (Serves 6-8)
This Chilli is the real deal, a proper American chilli from a favourite cookbook of mine, ‘Five Marys Ranch Raised’ by Mary Heffernan. I recommend you serve it with ‘Cornbread & Honey Butter’ (recipe below) plus toppings of sour cream, grated cheddar and sliced spring onions…and perhaps some guacamole! The wonderful thing about this recipe is that it makes a large portion (enough for 6-8), so there are leftovers which can be frozen for another day or, even better, used to make another authentic American recipe – ‘Chilli Mac and Cheese’ (recipe below!)…
(I use a mild chilli powder as I prefer a milder flavour, but if you like more heat use a hotter chilli powder!)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
900g beef mince
25g chilli powder (see note above)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cayenne
400g tin pinto beans, rinsed and drained
800g passata
400g tin chopped tomatoes
Sea salt and black pepper
To Serve:
Mild cheddar cheese, grated
Sour cream
A few spring onions, sliced
Cornbread with Honey Butter (recipe here)
Guacamole (recipe here)
- In a large casserole pot heat the oil. Add the onion, peppers and a pinch of salt, cook over a medium heat, stirring until the vegetables soften and start to brown – about 8 minutes.
- Increase the heat to medium-high, add the beef and cook stirring until it is just browned – about 5 minutes.
- Add all the spices, plus a teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper and stir until well combined.
- Add the beans, passata and chopped tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then reduce the temperature to low and cook, stirring occasionally until the chilli is thick and rich – about 1 hour (if it gets too thick you can add a little water).
- Serve bowlfuls of chilli topped with sour cream, grated cheddar and spring onions plus, on the side, cornbread (recipe here) and/or guacamole (recipe here).
Leftover Chilli Mac & Cheese (Serves 4-6)
Another favourite recipe from Mary Heffernan’s cookbook ‘Five Mary’s Ranch Raised’. It’s worth making the ‘Cowboy Chilli’ (recipe above) just so that you have the leftovers to make this recipe! It’s a real crowd-pleaser, feel free to add some sautéed mushrooms, peas or blanched broccoli into the mac and cheese before baking if you want a more veggie-based version.
450g macaroni or penne pasta (gluten free if required)
75g unsalted butter
40g plain flour (gluten free if required)
700ml whole milk
225g mild cheddar, grated
About 900g leftover ‘Cowboy Chilli’, warmed (recipe above)
Sea salt and black pepper
*9×13 inch (or similar size) baking dish, greased
- Cook the macaroni or penne according to the packet instructions until just al dente (it will continue to cook in the oven, so it is best to have it slightly underdone). Drain, rinse in cold water and set aside.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over a medium-low heat. Sprinkle over the flour and whisk until smooth. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly until smooth. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes until it is slightly thickened, then slowly add the cheese, whisking until smooth. Season with salt and pepper
- Add the cooked macaroni to the sauce, stir until well combined.
- Spread the warm chilli in an even layer over the baking dish, then top with the mac and cheese. Bake in a preheated oven, 200’c fan, for about 20 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned around the edges. Let it stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Menu Mistress 