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Recipe of the Week: Spiced Cottage Pie

Spiced Cottage Pie

A delicious twist on the ubiquitous cottage pie. This fabulous recipe is cheap to make and perfect to freeze.

 

Spiced Cottage Pie

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Print

Calories 737 per portion
Fat 25g (10.8g sat) per portion
Suitable for freezing

Ingredients

  • Sunflower oil 1 tbsp
  • Minced beef 500g (1lb 2oz)
  • Onion 1, peeled and chopped
  • Medium hot curry powder 2 tbsp
  • Carrot 150g (5oz), diced
  • Red lentils 150g (5oz)
  • Beef stock 600ml (1 pint)
  • Tomato purée 1 tbsp
  • Sultanas 50g (2oz)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Potatoes 680g (1½lb), peeled and cut into chunks
  • Butter 50g (2oz) Milk 4 tbsp
  • Ground turmeric ¼ tsp
  • Cooked frozen peas to serve (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and fry the mince and onion, stirring and breaking up the mince, for about 5 minutes until it is evenly browned.
  2. Stir in the curry powder and carrot, cook 1 minute and then mix in the lentils. Pour in the stock, tomato purée, sultanas and seasoning and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally until the lentils are soft.
  3. Meanwhile, put the potatoes into a saucepan with just enough lightly salted water to cover them. Cover with the lid and bring the water to the boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
  4. Drain the potatoes, return them to the pan with half the butter and the milk and turmeric and season with salt and pepper. Mash well, adding the milk as needed to make a soft spoonable mash.
  5. Preheat the grill to hot. Spoon the mince mixture into an ovenproof dish, cover with the potato and fork the mash into an even layer. Dot the remaining butter over the top and grill for 5–10 minutes until browned. Serve with peas, if you like.

Cook’s tip
Leftover lentils can be used to make a delicious, filling soup. Cook 110g (4oz) lentils with 1 chopped potato, carrot, onion and parsnip (or any other leftover veg you fancy) and 900ml (1½ pints) stock very gently for 1 hour. Purée with a stick blender before you serve.

 

Fantastic Food For Less cookbook

 

This recipe comes from Fantastic Food for Less.

The clever recipes in this cookbook show you how to cook fantastic food using good quality, affordable ingredients with minimum waste.

Order your copy of Fantastic Food for Less.

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#recipeoftheweek
#cottagepie
#tripletested

Recipe of the Week: Asparagus Risotto

Asparagus Risotto

Asparagus Risotto

Full-flavoured, deliciously sweet and tender, British asparagus is regularly described as the ‘best in the world’.

Serves 4
Time 40 mins
Calories 518 per portion
Fat 20g of which 11.9g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians

Butter 25g (1oz)
Shallots 4, peeled and finely chopped
Garlic 1 clove, peeled and crushed
Risotto rice 300g (11oz)
White wine 150ml (¼ pint)
Hot vegetable stock 900ml (1½ pints)
Small asparagus spears 125g pack, trimmed
Frozen peas 110g (4oz)
Chopped flat-leaf parsley 2 tbsp
Stilton cheese 150g (5oz), cubed

1 Melt butter in a sauté pan and fry shallots and garlic for 3–4 minutes until softened. Stir in rice and fry for a further minute. Pour in wine and simmer to evaporate off.

2 Gradually stir in hot stock, cooking for 18–20 minutes, until rice is tender, and all stock has been absorbed.

3 About 5 minutes towards end of cooking time, add asparagus and peas.

4 Before serving, stir in parsley and half cheese, then season to taste. Spoon into bowls, scatter over remaining cheese and serve immediately.

A Dairy Diary recipe.

Recipe of the Week: Cranberry & White Chocolate Cookies

Take A Box Of Eggs cookbook

Cranberry & White Chocolate Cookies

  • Servings: 20
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Calories 225 per portion
Fat 12.2g (7.3g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Ingredients

  • Butter 200g (7oz), softened
  • Soft light brown sugar 150g (5oz)
  • Eggs 2, beaten
  • Self-raising flour 300g (11oz)
  • White chocolate 200g (7oz), chopped
  • Dried cranberries 75g packet

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas 5 and line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Beat the butter with the sugar in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs and flour and mix well. Work the chopped chocolate and cranberries into the mixture.
  2. Drop generous dessertspoonfuls of the mix onto the prepared baking sheet and cook in batches for 10–15 minutes until the cookies are golden, but still soft. Leave to cool for 1 minute on the baking sheet before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Cook’s tip
This is one of those wonderful recipes that is great to get children interested in baking as it doesn’t involve the use of an electric mixer – just keep an eye on where the white chocolate ends up!

Take a Box of EggsTake A Box Of Eggs

Discover the delight of cooking with eggs; nature’s own convenience food. This recipe is taken from Take a Box of Eggs, which features 100 easy, irresistible recipes in an attractive yet straightforward style.

Buy now for just £7.49.

#childrensbookday

#cookingwithkids

#toptenchildrensbooks

Win a Vonshef Waffle Maker

Win a Vonshef Waffle Maker

Do you like waffles? Brownies? Doughnuts?

Of course you do – so you need to enter now!

Dairy Diary is giving you the chance to win a VonShef 3 in 1 Waffle, Brownie & Mini Doughnut Snack Maker.

It makes 7 delicious mini doughnuts, 4 scrumptious brownies or 4 fluffy waffles in as little as 5 minutes!

Share and enter now!

ENTER

 

http://www.dairydiary.co.uk/competitions/win-waffle-maker.html

Top Ten Children’s Books Plus a Fab Recipe Perfect for Making with Little Ones

Top Ten Children’s Books

Top Ten Children’s Books

It was Children’s Book Day on Saturday so we took some time out from rushing around to sit on the carpet and talk about stories. I asked my three children – whose ages range from 5 to 8 – to choose their favourites. Here’s the Davenport Top Ten:

The Blue Balloon Mick Inkpen
It’s a silly and simple story – like many of Mick Inkpen’s books – but it resonated with each of our children when they were little. They love the fold out pages and the sense of fun that the author so cleverly creates.

Cockatoos Quentin Blake
Ever since I was a small child engrossed in Roald Dahl books I have loved Quentin Blake. Author and Illustrator of this book, he has filled it with his cheeky wit. And it’s great for putting on an absurd posh voice!

Magic Faraway Tree Enid Blyton
As I read my original 1970s copy to my children I have to change a few words here and there – PC it isn’t (e.g. the girls always have to help in the kitchen but the boys don’t). But the magic in this book is unrivalled in anything else I have come across for young children and all my children love it as much as I did.

The BFG Roald Dahl
Both Sophie and the Big Friendly Giant are such wonderful characters you can’t help but love this book. Roald Dahl was a genius of storytelling and I think this one is his best. Though apparently the Queen has the same voice as a witch from another story (sorry about that!)

Mr Stink David Walliams
David Walliams has a fantastic ability to write modern day stories with old fashioned fun and adventure. In each of his books the morals are always spot on and his characters are hilarious. My son and I love Raj who appears in every book he writes.

Goodnight Mister Tom Michelle Magorian
Heartbreaking and heartwarming, this was my favourite book when I was young. It’s a moving and compelling tale, which reveals the complexities and terrible consequences of war through a child’s eyes.

The Harry Potter series J. K. Rowling
Ok, I have to confess that this one is my choice. My children are just too wussy to read Harry Potter yet as they get scared after about page 3. J. K. Rowling’s series of epic adventures are just unquestionably brilliant. I’m going to get the audio books for the car and hope that Stephen Fry’s dulcet tones will persuade my children to listen.

Mog and the V.E.T Judith Kerr
Having owned a very grumpy cat (who once ended up on the vet’s head!) this story particularly resonates with us. Mog’s escapades always make us all giggle.

Why the Whales Came Michael Morpurgo
Erie and disquieting, this multifaceted tale of two children who befriend a loner on their island is a real page turner. It was our first Michael Morpurgo book and we loved it.

The Smartest Giant in Town Julie Donaldson
There’s something about the rhythm of rhyme that intrigues children. Even when my little ones are distracted Julia Donaldson’s soothing stories encourage them to listen. In this book, there are so many funny characters it gives us parents a great opportunity for a cavalcade of silly voices!

And after all that reading,
surely it’s time for a treat?  
These cookies are easy and
fun to make with your little
(or not so little) ones.

Take A Box Of Eggs cookbook

Cranberry & White Chocolate Cookies

  • Servings: 20
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Calories 225 per portion
Fat 12.2g (7.3g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Ingredients

  • Butter 200g (7oz), softened
  • Soft light brown sugar 150g (5oz)
  • Eggs 2, beaten
  • Self-raising flour 300g (11oz)
  • White chocolate 200g (7oz), chopped
  • Dried cranberries 75g packet

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas 5 and line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Beat the butter with the sugar in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs and flour and mix well. Work the chopped chocolate and cranberries into the mixture.
  2. Drop generous dessertspoonfuls of the mix onto the prepared baking sheet and cook in batches for 10–15 minutes until the cookies are golden, but still soft. Leave to cool for 1 minute on the baking sheet before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Cook’s tip
This is one of those wonderful recipes that is great to get children interested in baking as it doesn’t involve the use of an electric mixer – just keep an eye on where the white chocolate ends up!

 

Take a Box of EggsTake A Box Of Eggs

Discover the delight of cooking with eggs; nature’s own convenience food. This recipe is taken from Take a Box of Eggs, which features 100 easy, irresistible recipes in an attractive yet straightforward style.

Buy now for just £7.49.

 

#childrensbookday

#cookingwithkids

#toptenchildrensbooks

 

 

 

Recipe of the Week: Hot Cross Bun & Butter Pudding

Two of my favourite things in one dish!

This pud is OH SO GOOD.

 

Hot Cross Bun & Butter Pudding

Hot Cross Bun & Butter Pudding

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Print

Calories 615 per portion
Fat 42g (23.5g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Ingredients

  • Hot cross buns 6 large, each sliced into 3 horizontally
  • Butter 50g (2oz), softened
  • Apricot jam 175g (6oz)
  • Double cream 300ml (½ pint)
  • Milk 300ml (½ pint)
  • Golden caster sugar 2-3 tbsp
  • Eggs 4, lightly beaten

Instructions

  1. Spread each slice of bun with butter and jam. Sandwich buns together and cut in half along the diagonal.
  2. Butter a 1.7 litre (3 pint) ovenproof dish. Arrange bun triangles neatly in the dish.
  3. Pour cream, milk and sugar (if buns are very sweet, use 2 tbsp) into a large saucepan and bring slowly to scalding point, stirring often; do not allow to boil.
  4. Pour hot cream onto eggs in a slow and steady stream, whisking constantly. Strain and pour over buns. Leave to soak for an hour.
  5. Preheat oven to 190°C(170°fan)/375°F/Gas 5. Place pudding into a larger ovenproof dish containing enough water to come halfway up sides of dish and bake for
    35-40 minutes or until just set and golden. Serve warm.

 

#recipeoftheweek

#easterrecipe

#tripletested

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