Beef Shin Stew

Hellloooooo summer where are you???? Were ready for you now, it's a bit miserable and grey here and everyone would really appreciate it if you just hurried up and started spreading all those lovely D vitamins around with your sunny rays, no....fine well F you then I'll just make a big vat of delicious stew and I don't even actually mind because I secretly prefer winter food anyway so I win.

Beef Shin Stew

Beef Shin cut into chunks
Beef Stock
Shallots
Carrots
Red wine
Bay Leaves
Seasoned Flour
Mushroom Ketchup

Cover your beef in seasoned flour and brown off in a big casserole dish, then add your peeled whole shallots and carrot's, fry gently for a few mins the add red wine, beef stock, bay leaves and a splash of mushroom ketchup.
transfer it into a pre heated oven and cook for as long as your dare or as long you have, I managed 3 and a half hours and I served it with mashed potatoes and savoy cabbage, lovely jubbley.

Pork Fillet with roasted Apples and Bubble and Squeak

The weather has been really nice recently until yesterday and it all went a bit tit's up with a thunderstorm, rain and full force winds that nearly blew me over
so I felt like eating something a bit comforting and pork fillet with apples sounded like fine idea to me!




I started off by pan frying the fillet in butter with apples and onions. I also put some potatoes to boil for my bubble and squeak.


I then transferred everything into a baking dish with some more butter (because I love it!) and half a can of scrumpy cider and left it to cook for around half an hour.


I mashed my potatoes with milk, butter, mature cheddar and pepper. I also added some cabbage to the mash that I had sauteed in butter but for got to take a picture of because I am a fool.


Bubble and Squeak!!!!


Here's my lovely pork when it's out of the oven.


And here is the finished article and yes it was amazing and yes I did it all myself and no you can't have any......

Roast Root Soup

Even though it's the start of spring it's still bloody cold and wearing big jumpers and eating soup are high on my list of prioritys!! I went out last night and so am feeling a bit sorry for myself today and definatly did not want to go to the shops for supplies so I just raided the veg drawer to make this yummy soup.
I roasted carrot's and parsnips in the oven for half an hour before adding them to the pan I was sauteing swede, potato and onion in. I added some home-made chicken stock and seasoning and when the veg was tender I blitzed the lot.


Blurry veg shot



I put a big spoonful of sour cream on the top and a huge amount of pepper and it was good....Another picture on my windowsill, I don't know why

Chicken, Bacon and Leek Pie

It's the time of year again when you need to eat pie. I love pie more than I could merely express in words on this blog, any kind of pie and I am happy whether it be sweet or savoury.
I had a whole chicken than I bought from the butcher and decided to roast it to make several meals over the next few days, the first being a delicious and comforting pie. Chicken, bacon and leek pie is so easy to make and takes no time at all.
When the chicken was roasted and rested I stripped enough of the meat off for my pie and started on making the filling by sauteing a whole leek I had cut into thin strips in butter with 4 slices of smoked streaky bacon. I then added the cooked chicken, some fresh chicken stock made from last weeks roast, white wine, some double cream and seasoning, that's it.
It was horrible weather yesterday so I didn't want to walk to the shop to buy pastry so I made some using a basic recipe of flour, butter and water, I have to admit the pastry was not great but it all tasted amazing and that's the main thing! Sorry the pictures are not the greatest but I was in a rush as the camera was running out of battery fast. I have just had to add in that three of my photo's of the fillings and other exciting things have been deleted by mistake so now you just have pictures of pastry, I am sorry but the show must go on so here is my pastry.



I couldn't find my rolling pin so had to use a role of tin foil, it worked quite well though!





My pie was a little burnt around the edges and sunk slightly in the middle but it was delicious served with buttery mash and savoy cabbage and I don't care what you lot think anyway so there ( I do really).
For lunch the next day I made the leftovers into a pie version of bubble squeak with some extra cabbage and bacon, I highly recommend you do the same.