Honeyed Sausage, Carrot, Potato, & Thyme Traybake (As Featured In The Co-op’s Food Magazine)

This is one of the first recipes I came up with & to this day, still have people telling me how much of a family favourite it has become. It’s so simple to throw together & forget about. Don’t be afraid to substitute the potatoes for a favourite root vegetable like butternut squash or sweet potatoes.

Serves A Hungry Family Of 4!

Ingredients:

500g New Potatoes (Cut The Larger Ones In Half) Or Butternut Squash, Or Sweet Potatoes

1/2 Lemon, Cut Into Quarters

1 Onion, Peeled & Cut Into Wedges

6 Garlic Cloves, Skin On, Gently Crushed

4-5 Thyme Sprigs, Leaves Picked

1 Tsp Fennel Seeds

4-6 Medium Carrots, Skin On, Cut into 0.5cm Slices

8 Pork Sausages

2 Tbsp’s Of Olive Oil

Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2 Tbsp Runny Honey

200g Green Beans

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190c Fan.

Parboil the potatoes in salted boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain & cover with a tea towel for 5 minutes. (This will allow them to steam dry to produce extra crispy potatoes!) If you are using sweet potatoes or another root vegetable like butternut squash, you can skip this stage but you will need to peel them & cut into bite size pieces.

Put the potatoes in a large roasting tray, along with the lemon, onion, garlic, thyme, fennel seeds & carrots.

Season this with a generous few pinches of salt & some black pepper.

Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables & toss together with your hands to coat everything evenly.

Place the sausages on top. Roast in the middle of a preheated oven for approximately 35 minutes, turning the sausages once or twice.

Now drizzle the runny honey over the traybake & continue to roast for a further 5 minutes, or until the sausages & potatoes are golden brown and looking delicious!

Steam your green beans for 3-4 minutes.

Scatter the beans over the traybake as it comes out of the oven & serve it at the table - no need to use another serving dish!

Homemade Meatballs, Orzo & Mozzarella Bake

Who doesn’t love meatballs?! This dish is always received with such excitement & is very feasible to have midweek, especially if you have assembled the meatballs the day before. I really do think its worth making your own meatballs here as there is just no comparison with the shop-bought equivalent (& none of those nasty additives either). I would suggest that you serve this with a nice crisp green salad. My inspiration for this dish comes from the super talented @thescandicook.

Serves A Hungry Family Of 4!

Ingredients:

For The Meatballs:

500g Minced Beef

1 large Handful Of Panko Breadcrumbs

1 Onion, Peeled & Grated

15g Bunch Of Flat Leaf Parsley, Leaves Picked & Finely Chopped

60g Parmesan Cheese, Grated

1 Egg, Beaten Lightly

1/4 Teaspoon Of Ground Nutmeg (Optional)

1/2 Tsp Sea Salt & About 10 Grinds Of Black Pepper

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

Another Large Handful Of Panko Breadcrumbs

For The Bake:

1 Litre Of Passata

200g Orzo

Sea Salt & Ground Black Pepper

1 Tsp Caster Sugar

125g Mozzarella, Torn Into Bitesize Pieces

3-4 Basil Sprigs, Leaves Picked

Method:

To make the meatballs, place all of the ingredients, except for the olive oil & second handful of breadcrumbs, into a mixing bowl. Gently knead the mixture together without squeezing it.

When all of the ingredients are evenly combined, shape them into walnut sized balls. The mixture should make approximately 16 meatballs.

Put the second handful of breadcrumbs onto a plate & lightly coat the meatballs in them. (You can store the meatballs in the fridge at this stage until you are ready to use them)

Preheat the oven to 200c / 180c Fan

Now heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat & add the olive oil. Once hot, carefully slide the meatballs into the hot oil. Its a good idea to place the first meatball at the 12 o’clock position & continue to add them one at a time in a clockwise direction. (This way you will know where you started & be able to turn them one by one in the same order once they have browned.) Ensure that you do not overcrowd the pan. It should be big enough to accommodate all of the meatballs in a single layer with a little room to move!

Brown the meatballs on all sides, turning them carefully so that they don’t break up.

Now add the orzo to the pan, trying to nestle it in between the meatballs.

Next, carefully pour the passata over the meatballs. Turn the meatballs over once to ensure they are coated in the sauce. Try to make sure that the orzo is also nestled in the sauce and not sitting on top as it will need the moisture of the passata to cook in

Bring the tomato sauce to a gentle simmer and season with a large pinch of salt, some freshly ground black pepper & the caster sugar.

Now put the lid on the pan (or cover snugly with a large piece or 2 of tin foil) & place it in the preheated oven to bake for 30 minutes, stirring half way through, to prevent the orzo from sticking to the pan.

Remove the lid, give it another stir & scatter the mozzarella on top. Return to the oven for a further few minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

Serve with basil leaves on the top & a nice crisp green salad.

Cheesy Refried Bean Quesadillas (As Featured In The Dulwich Diverter)

This cheesy refried beans recipe sums up the Family Feasts Ethos - ‘One Family, One Meal’. It’s an exciting, healthy, meat-free option which is on the table in under 40 minutes. Perfect for a mid-week dinner & suitable for the whole family to enjoy together. Most importantly, its delicious!

Serves A Hungry Family Of 4!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Rapeseed Oil

1 Large Onion, Finely Chopped

1 Tbsp Cumin Seeds

4 Garlic Cloves, Finely Chopped

1 Tsp Ground Coriander

1 Tsp Mild Chilli Powder

2 Tins Of Black Beans, Rinsed & Drained

2 Tins Of Butter Beans, Rinsed & Drained

500ml Hot Vegetable or Chicken Stock

1 Tsp Sweet Paprika

6-8 Large Wholemeal Flour Tortillas

200g Mature Cheddar Cheese, Grated

4 Spring Onions, Finely Sliced

Small Bunch Of Coriander, Leaves Picked

Sea Salt

To Serve:

Homemade Guacamole

Method:

Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan. Add the onion & a generous pinch of salt. Cook this over a low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are nice & soft.

Next, add the cumin & the garlic. Continue to cook gently for a further 3 minutes.

Now stir in the ground coriander & chilli, followed by all of the beans. Stir to coat the beans in the onion mixture.

Dissolve the paprika in the hot stock & add this to the bean mixture. Simmer on a low heat for 15-20 minutes, or until most of the stock has been absorbed. Season to taste & remove from the heat.

Mash the beans to whatever consistency you like. I usually mash most of them but leave a few whole for added texture.

To assemble the quesadillas, spread a layer of beans onto a tortilla and top with a sprinkling of spring onions, some coriander leaves & plenty of grated cheddar. Now put another tortilla on top & dry-fry them on a medium heat, in a large non-stick frying pan until they are golden brown on both sides & warm & oozy in the middle. This will take approximately 4-5 minutes on each side.

We love to eat ours with lashings of guacamole & even a little fiery salsa.

Fusilli With Basil & Pistachio Pesto & Mangetout

In my experience, kids seem to love pasta with pesto. This version is taken from an Ottolenghi recipe & slightly adapted to suit my family needs. It makes a great midweek meal and any leftovers are ideal for packed lunches the next day. The addition of mangetout adds a nice crunch, but feel free to substitute this with another green vegetable. Omit the anchovies for a vegetarian version, just don’t forget to add a little more salt instead!

Serves A Hungry Family Of 4!

Ingredients:

100g Pistachio Kernels, Toasted. (Reserve A Few For Garnish)

60g Fresh Basil

1 Large Garlic Clove, Crushed

5 Anchovy Fillets

100ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil

75g Parmesan, Grated (Plus Extra To Serve)

Zest of Half A Lemon

Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

500g Fusilli Pasta

150g Mangetout

1-2 Pinches Of Chilli Flakes (Optional)

Method:

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta, according to the pack instructions, adding the mange tout to the pot for the last minute of cooking time.

Meanwhile, you can make your pesto.

In a small food processor, roughly blend the pistachio, basil, (leaves & stalks), garlic & anchovies together.

Now stir through the olive oil, followed by the grated parmesan & lemon zest. You should now have a lovely oozy pesto.

Carefully season the pesto, bearing in mind that you may not need much salt as the anchovies are already very salty. I would suggest that you use plenty of black pepper though.

Toss the pesto through the cooked pasta & mangetout, ensuring that the pasta is evenly coated.

Scatter the reserved pistachios, some parmesan shavings and a sprinkle of chilli flakes over the top and serve.

Homemade Pistachio & Cranberry Muesli

It couldn’t be much easier to make your own muesli, plus you have the luxury of adding whatever combination of ingredients you like. There’s no hidden nasties, just nutritious, delicious, individually chosen ingredients for the whole family. This recipe includes pistachios, almonds, various seeds and cranberries but feel free to replace any of them with your favourite nuts and seeds and dried fruit.

Makes enough to approximately fill a 1 Litre Jar!

Ingredients:

100g Flaked Almonds

100g Pistachio Kernels

100g Mixed Seeds (I used Sunflower, Pumpkin & Sesame)

350g Oats

50g Chia Seeds

100g Ground Flaxseeds

100g Dried Cranberries

Method:

Toast the almonds, pistachios & mixed seeds. The easiest way to do this is to dry fry them over a medium heat in a non-stick frying pan. Keep a watchful eye on them, turning them regularly so that they do not catch and burn. You just want them to be lightly toasted to enhance their flavour. Set aside and allow to cool.

Place the oats, chia seeds, ground flaxseeds & cranberries into a large mixing bowl. Add the cooled toasted seeds and nuts. Use your hands to combine all of the ingredients.

It’s that easy!

I love to eat mine on top of some natural yoghurt & some freshly chopped kiwi, mango or berries. It’s also delicious on its own, drenched in some ice cold oat milk.

One Pot Orzotto, Cooked In Chicken Stock, With Pancetta, Peas & Parmesan (As Featured In BBC Good Food Magazine)

If you are looking for an easy mid-week family pleaser, this dish will serve you well! Don’t be afraid to try different flavour combinations too. Trade the peas and pancetta for spinach & lemon for example.

Serves A Hungry Family Of 4!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

150g Pancetta, Chopped

1 Onion, Finely Chopped

4 Cloves Of Garlic, Finely Chopped

500g Orzo

1.5 Litres Of Hot Chicken (Or Vegetable) Stock

500g Frozen Petit Pois

Zest & Juice Of Half A Lemon

100g Parmesan, Grated

A Handful Of Basil Leaves, Larger Ones, Torn

Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick lidded pan.

Add the pancetta and fry on a medium to high heat until it is nice & crispy. Remove, with a slotted spoon & set aside.

Lower the heat & add the onion, along with a pinch of salt to the pan. (It will take on all the delicious flavours from the pancetta.) Sweat the onion, for about 5 minutes on a low heat.

Now add the garlic and stir-fry for a further 1-2 minutes.

Time to turn up the heat & add the orzo. Fry for a few minutes but keep stirring as it may stick to the pan.

Now add half of the stock and bring to a simmer. Keep stirring as the pasta may stick to the bottom. You can keep topping it up with the remaining stock as the orzo absorbs it, in the same way you would could a risotto.

After about 5 minutes, stir in the peas and bring the mixture back up to a simmering point, as you want to keep cooking the orzo. Again, keep topping up with the stock to prevent it from drying out. You are looking for an oozy consistency. If you run out of stock you can use a little freshly boiled water.

This whole process should take about 10 minutes if you keep the temperature at a simmering point. It’s important to keep tasting the orzo to see when it loses its bite and turns all lovely and slippery. Then it’s ready!

Now it’s time to add the lemon zest & juice, check the seasoning & stir in the basil, parmesan & crispy pancetta.

Now put the lid on & just let it sit for 2 minutes. This is when the magic happens & all the flavours marry. Be patient, it’s well worth it!

Chorizo, Prawn & Butterbean One Pot

Serves A Hungry Family Of 4!

Ingredients:

250g Cooking Chorizo, Chopped

1 Onion, Peeled & Finely Chopped

2 Tins Of Plum Tomatoes

2 Tins Of Butterbeans, Rinsed & Drained

1 Tsp Sweet Paprika

1 Tsp Caster Sugar

1/2 Tsp Chilli Flakes (Optional)

Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

300g Large Prawns (or whichever type of prawn you prefer. I use Large, shell-on Gambas on a special occasion!)

15g Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley, Finely Chopped

1 Lemon

Fresh Crusty Bread To Serve

Method:

Heat a large, heavy bottomed pan on a medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook for about 5 minutes. There is no need to add any oil as the chorizo will release plenty of its own.

Now add the onion and a large pinch of sea salt. Continue to cook for a further 4-5 minutes, until the onion is soft.

Add the tomatoes and bring this to a gentle simmer.

Now stir through the paprika, sugar, chilli (if using) and the butterbeans.

Gently simmer the stew for about 30 minutes, on a low heat. Stir every so often and as the tomatoes soften, break them up with the back of a wooden spoon against the side of the dish.

Check the seasoning and adjust according to your taste. Once the stew has thickened and the flavours have all merged, add the prawns and put a tight fitting lid on. Allow the prawns to cook through, until they have just turned pink. This should only take 3 to 4 minutes if fresh and small but may take longer if you are using larger or frozen prawns.

Once the prawns are cooked through, stir in the chopped parsley and the juice of half a lemon.

Serve with plenty of fresh, crusty bread!

Homemade Burgers

Serves A Hungry Family Of 4!

Ingredients:

500g Lean Minced Beef (5 or 10% fat)

1 Small Onion, Peeled & Grated

1 Egg, Lightly Beaten

1 Large Handful of Parmesan Cheese, Grated

10g Fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped

1 Large Handful of Panko Breadcrumbs

Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Method:

Place all of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl, including a large pinch of the sea salt and a good few grinds of black pepper.

Using your hands, mix all of the ingredients together gently, (without squeezing the mixture) until well combined.

Divide the mixture roughly into 4 and use your hands to make 4 large burger patties.

BBQ on a medium heat for 6 or 7 minutes on each side, depending on how well you like them cooked.

Serve your patties in a toasted burger bun with whatever sides you like!

Smoked Mackerel Fishcakes

Serves A Hungry Family Of 4!

Ingredients:

For The Tartar Sauce:

125g Mayonnaise

1 Tbsp Capers, Rinsed, Drained & Roughly Chopped

1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

2 Spring Onions, Finely Chopped

1 Tsp Flat Leaf Parsley, Finely Chopped

For The Fishcakes:

450g Skinned, Smoked, Mackerel Fillets, Bones Removed

2 Medium Size Potatoes, Peeled & Chopped

Finely Grated Zest Of 1 Lemon

1 Tbsp Flat Leaf Parsley, Finely Chopped

2 Spring Onions, Finely Chopped

1 Egg, Lightly Whisked

Plain Flour, For Dusting

1 Large Handful Of Panko Breadcrumbs, Mixed With 1 Large Handful of Fine Cornmeal

2 Tbsp Of Olive Oil

Sea Salt & Black Pepper

Method:

Mix all of the tartar sauce ingredients together and set aside.

Meanwhile, put the potatoes into a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Add a large pinch of sea salt and simmer for 10 minutes, or until tender, but not broken up.

Drain the cooked potatoes and then put them back into the hot pan on the lowest heat you can. Let them dry out for about 1 minute, mashing them with a fork and stirring so that they do not stick to the pan. You should have a light, dry fluffy mash.

Remove the potatoes from the heat and beat in 1 tablespoon of the tartar sauce, the lemon zest, parsley and spring onions.

Season to taste, you may not need much salt as you already have some salty capers in the mix!

Now flake the fish, before adding it to the potato and gently combining the ingredients together.

Lightly flour your hands and shape the cooled mixture into patties. You can make them whatever size you like. I tend to make 8 smaller patties from this mixture.

Dip the patties into the beaten egg mixture, coating evenly and finally into the breadcrumb / cornmeal mixture, again coating evenly.

Cover and chill for 30 minutes (or up to a day ahead).

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. To test when it is ready, drop a piece of the dry breadcrumbs in - if it sizzles and quickly turns golden brown, it is ready to use.

Fry the fishcakes over a medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side (depending on their size), or until crisp and golden.

Serve with the remaining tartar sauce and dressed green leaves.