Toad in the Hole with Mustard and Spring Onion Mash and Onion Gravy

Toad in the hole is a classic dish that goes well with mashed potato. When the batter is cooked to perfection it's just so crisp on the outside and light on the inside, but it needs a hot oven.

6 pork sausages
1tbsp oil

for the batter
75g plain flour
1 large egg
75ml milk
55ml water
salt and pepper to season

for the gravy
2 large onions, sliced
2 tsp oil
1tsp caster sugar
1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1tsp mustard
1tbsp plain flour
425ml vegetable stock
salt and pepper to season

for the potato
4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
25g butter
50-100ml milk
2tsp wholegrain mustard
2 spring onions, finely chopped
50g double Gloucester cheese


Step 1
Sieve the flour into a large bowl, then make a well in the centre of the flour for the egg. Add the egg, and salt and pepper to season, and beat into the flour. As you mix the egg and flour, slowly add the milk and the water to the mixture, making sure to whisk the flour from around the edges until the batter has a smooth consistency. Cover with cling film, and leave to rest.

Step 2
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C place the sliced onions in a bowl with one teaspoon of the oil and sugar, then mix gently to coat the onions before spreading on a baking tray. Arrange the sausages in a roasting tin and place the onions on a high shelf in the oven and the sausages on a lower shelf. After 10 minutes remove the sausages, after another 5 remove the onions. Heat the sausages on the hob and add the tablespoon of oil if there's not much fat in the pan. When the tin is really hot and the oil is searing hot quickly pour in the batter and return to the hot oven, on the highest shelf, for 30 minutes.

Step 3
Add the Worcestershire sauce and mustard to the stock, then add the onions and remaining oil to a saucepan and stir in the plain flour using a wooden spoon. Stir it in, on a medium heat, until it starts getting too thick, then switch to a whisk and slowly add the stock, whisking until the liquid is smooth. Turn up the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Step 4
Meanwhile boil the cubed potatoes until par-boiled then drain. Add the butter and mash with a masher, then slowly add the milk and mix well with a fork until the potato is the desired texture, a more creamy mash will need more milk. Then add the mustard and spring onions and mix into the mash before spooning the mixture into a small oven-proof dish and topping with the cheese. Place this into the oven with the toad in the hole for 15 minutes.

For a slight variation on the dish add chives to the batter in step 1. For a more flavoursome gravy you can drain off the fat from the sausages and use it in the gravy, use in place of the an equivalent amount of oil, in step 4, so as to not make the gravy too fatty. You can use any cheese on the mash instead of the double Gloucester, but the colour of it looks really striking against the white of the mash.

Chilli Con Carne

A great dish when done properly, Chilli con carne is a delicious taste of home and a really tasty dish. You can make it properly with thin strips of steak, or you can substitute minced steak, or beef, instead. Instead of the can of tomatoes you could prepare your own, but canned is easier and quicker.


1.2kg lean braising steak/minced beef
2tbsp sunflower oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
1tbsp plain flour
300ml red wine
300ml beef stock
2tbsp tomato puree
salt and pepper for seasoning

For the Beans
2tsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 fresh red chilli, de-seeded and chopped
2 x 400g cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
400g can chopped tomatoes


Step 1
If using the braising steak cut into thin strips and then cut crossways to make cubes of the meat. Heat the sunflower oil in a large saucepan and add the chopped onion and the garlic and cook on a low heat until softened, not browned. Remove the onion and garlic with a slotted spoon, and season the flour with salt and pepper before coating the cubes of meat with it and adding them to the pan on a high heat and brown. If using mince, make small balls of mince and roll in the seasoned flour, and when browning break up the ball.

Step 2
Return the onion and garlic to the pan and stir in the wine, stock and tomato puree and bring to the boil on a high heat, reduce the heat and let the beef mixture simmer for 45 minutes or until tender, if using whole steak; or for 30 minutes if using mince. Reduce the liquid until thickened and taste, and add more seasoning if required.

Step 3
Meanwhile heat the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan and cook the onion and chilli on a low heat until softened. stir in the beans and tomatoes and simmer gently to reduce the liquid for 25-30 minutes until the mixture has thickened. Serve with the beans topping the meat

Ideally serve this with basmati rice, and you can have guacamole, salsa, and sour cream on the side. Top with chopped coriander leaves as a garnish to add a little extra flavour. For those who like their food with less spice you can reduce the amount of chilli, about half a chilli will reduce the heat while still giving the flavour. If, on the other hand, you like more spice then you can add either more chilli, some tobasco sauce, or use a hotter chilli pepper. Also, I like to mix together the meat and the bean just before serving, or for an interesting take you could always try having three strips, one of the meat, one of the rice, and one of the beans, artfully aranged on the plate. As you can see from the pictures I also added celery and carrots to the mix. If you do this add them with the beans and tomatoes in step 3.

Chocolate Chip Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Icing

Vanilla cupcakes are the most basic cupcakes, and adding chocolate chips can make them a little bit more decadent and give them more body. The versatility of the classic vanilla cupcake means that you can spice it up with things like the chocolate chips, and add different icings and decorations.

110g unsalted butter at room temperature
225g caster sugar
2 large eggs
150g self-raising flour
125g plain flour
120ml milk at room temperature
1tsp vanilla extract
120g chocolate chip

110g unsalted butter at room temperature
60ml milk at room temperature
1tsp vanilla extract
500g icing sugar
food colouring

Step 1
In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar together until you have a smooth, pale mixture. Add the eggs one at a time and mixing thoroughly after each addition. Sift the flours into a seperate bowl and mix the milk and vanilla in a jug. Add about a third of the flour to the creamed mixture, beating thoroughly, then a third of the milk, again beathing thoroughly. Repeat until all the flour and milk has been used. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Step 2
 Preheat the oven to 170°C, and line a muffing tray with cupcake cases. Carefully transfer the mixture into the cupcake cases filling them two thirds full. Transfer to the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown and slightly raised. Check the centre of the cake with a skewer or thin knife, it should come out clean if it is properly cooked. Remove the cupcakes from the oen and leave to cool on a wire rack. Once cool you can add icing.

Step 3
I a large mixing bowl beat all the icing ingredients, except the food colouring and only half the icing sugar, together. Slowly add the remaining icing sugar and beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. If you are adding food colouring add it carefully and beat thoroughly after each addition tobuild up to your desired shade. Once achieved use a pallet knife, or a spatula, to spread the icing over the top of the cupcake.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

For this recipe you can have either spaghetti or another long pasta, I made mine with long strips of homemade pasta.

Spaghetti

1 onion, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1tsp tomato puree
1tsp fresh basil, chopped
1tsp fresh chives, chopped
1glass white wine

250g minced meat
50g breadcrumbs
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1tsp fresh chives, chopped
1tsp paprika
1 egg
plain flour
salt and pepper to season


Step 1
Add the chopped onion and garlic to a saucepan with a little oil and sweat on a low heat. When the onion becomes transluscent add half the wine and reduce on a high heat. Add the tin of tomatoes and the tomato puree, and simmer on a low heat.

Step 2
Put the meat, 1/2 an onion, chives, egg, paprika, breadcrumbs, and seasoning into a mixing bowl and use your hand to mix the ingredients well. If the mixture is a little sticky add a little plain flour to help bind it. In a deep fryingpan heat a little oil, meanwhile shape the mixture into small balls, using a little flour on your hands to prevent the mixture from sticking, and place the balls into the oil. Brown one side then turn.

Step 3
Add the tomato sauce to the frying pan with the last half a glass of wine and salt and pepper. Cook on a medium-high heat to finish cooking the meatballs and to reduce the sauce. Once reduced add the chives and basil and stir through before removing from the heat.

Step 4
Meanwhile have a large saucepan with slightly salted boiling water at the ready. If using home-made pasta add to the water when reducing the tomato sauce with the meatballs, otherwise leave sufficient time to properly cook the pasta. Once cooked serve immediately topping with the sauce and meatballs.

I used beef for the meatballs, but you can use any other meat, or even meat subsititute.Using the amounts given, and assuming a diameter of about 1 inch for the meatballs, you should be able to make about a dozen meatballs.
This dish would be enhanced with a delicious side of garlic bread, or even just a side of bread and garlic butter cooked in the oven for a few minutes until crisp, like these