Buttered sweetcorn & squash--Recipes For Dinner

Buttered sweetcorn & squash

Ingredients

50g butter
1kg squash, cut into cubes
4 sweetcorn, kernels sliced off
bunch spring onions, sliced
small bunch parsley, chopped

Method

Melt butter in a frying pan. Sizzle squash gently for 15 mins or until tender, stir in sweetcorn, season and cook for a further 2 mins. Remove from heat, stir in onions and parsley. Serve warm or allow to cool.

Balsamic braised beef--Recipes For Dinner

Balsamic braised beef

Ingredients

2kg stewing beef, cut into large chunks
250ml bottle balsamic vinegar
300ml beef stock
3 garlic clove, crushed
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 carrots, roughly chopped
5 thyme
 sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp cornflour mixed with a little water (optional)

Method

1. Tip the beef into a bowl, then pour over the balsamic vinegar. Mix well, then leave to marinate in the fridge for 1 hr.

2. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 6. Put the beef stock, garlic, onion, carrots and herbs into a casserole dish with the beef and its marinade. Mix everything together, cover, then place in the oven.

3.  Cook for 2½ hrs until the beef is really tender, then leave to cool slightly.

4. Tip the beef into a colander with a bowl underneath to catch the juices. Tip the liquid back into the casserole then, on the hob, bring to the boil until it starts to become a syrupy gravy. If you prefer your gravy thicker, add the cornflour and simmer, stirring, for 1 min more. Return the beef to the sauce and serve. Can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Potato frittata with pesto & goat’s cheese--Recipes For Dinner

Potato frittata with pesto & goat’s cheese

Ingredients

4 medium potato
 (about 600g/1lb 5oz), thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
8 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp olive oil
100g pack soft rindless goat's cheese, sliced
3 tbsp pesto
handful rocket leaves
tomato and basil salad, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Boil the potatoes in salted water for 5 mins until just tender. Meanwhile, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Mix the garlic and eggs together with some seasoning, then drain the potatoes and stir into the egg.

2. Heat the oil in an ovenproof frying pan, then tip in the egg and potato mixture. Cook over a low heat for 5 mins or until two-thirds of the frittata is set, then cook in the oven for 10-15 mins until cooked through.

3. Arrange the goat’s cheese round the edge of the frittata and drizzle with the pesto. Top with rocket and serve with a tomato & basil salad, if you like.

Beef Schnitzel--Recipes For Dinner

Beef Schnitzel

Ingredients

5 thin-cut minute steaks
50g plain flour
2 tsp paprika
2 egg, lightly beaten
250g dried breadcrumbs
5 tsp butter
5 tsp olive oil
lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1. Stretch a piece of cling film over a chopping board, lay the steaks on top of it, then put another piece of cling film on top. Use a rolling pin to bash the steaks until they are really flat and thin.

2. Mix the flour and paprika with some salt and pepper on a plate. Put the egg and breadcrumbs on two more plates, then dip the steaks into the flour first, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs.

3.Heat 1 tsp of butter and 1 tsp of oil in a large frying pan, then cook one of the schnitzels for about 1 min on each side until the breadcrumbs are golden and crispy. Repeat Step 3 for the other schnitzels. Serve with lemon wedges, salad and coleslaw, if you like.

Pepper, Pesto & Sweetcorn Calzones--Recipes For Dinner

Pepper, Pesto & Sweetcorn Calzones

Ingredients

500g pack bread mix
100g passata
290g jar roasted red peppers, drained and roughly chopped
100g frozen sweetcorn
125g ball mozzarella, torn into pieces
50g Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated
handful basil leaves, torn
50g pesto
1 egg, beaten
dressed salad leaves, to serve

Method

1. Make up the bread mix to pack instructions, reserving a little of the flour for dusting, and leave to prove for 30 mins.

2. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Tip the dough onto a floured surface and cut into quarters. Roll each ball of dough to a circle, roughly 20cm wide. Spread a little passata over each base, leaving a border of about 1cm around the edge. Season well.

3. Top with the peppers, sweetcorn, mozzarella, Parmesan, basil and blobs of pesto. Fold each base in half, to make a half-moon shape, then squeeze the edges together, rolling them a little to stick and create a seal. Cover the tray with cling film and leave for 10 mins. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas

4. Brush the calzones all over with beaten egg, then bake for 25-30 mins or until puffed and golden brown. Serve with dressed salad leaves.

Mozzarella Beef Wraps--Recipes For Dinner

Mozzarella beef wraps

Ingredients

12 thin-cut sandwich or minute steak, about 85g/3oz each, or 6 small sirloin steaks, about 140g/5oz each

small bunch basil, leaves only

2 x 150g balls mozzarella, torn

1 tbsp oil

300g SunBlush pepper from the deli counter, plus 1 tbsp of their oil

handful black or green olives

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method

1. Heat oven to 230C/fan 210C/gas 8. Season steaks, place a few basil leaves on each and split the mozzarella between them. Bring the sides of the steaks together to make an open parcel, securing the edges with a cocktail stick. If making up to a day ahead, cover and chill.

2. Heat a heavy-based roasting tin on a high heat, add the oil and brown the beef on all sides – this should take about 1 min in total and the meat will still be rare in the middle.

3. Add the peppers, their oil and the olives to the tin, pour over the vinegar, then roast for 2-3 mins for medium rare, longer for well done. Cover with foil and leave to rest for up to 5 mins. Scatter over remaining basil before serving.

Vegetable vegan biriyani with carrot salad--Recipes For Dinner

Vegetable vegan biriyani with carrot salad

Ingredients

400g basmati rice
pinch saffron
 threads (optional)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cauliflower, cut into florets
2 potato, cut into chunks
100g red lentil
100g French bean, trimmed and cut in half
handful curry leaves
2 handfuls frozen pea
small bunch coriander
50g roasted cashew nuts, roughly chopped
poppadoms and naan bread, to serve

For the paste

1 large onion, roughly chopped
large piece ginger, roughly chopped
5 garlic clove
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small green chilli

For the carrot salad

4 carrot
pinch of golden caster sugar
squeeze lemon juice
handful cashew nuts, roughly chopped
handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped
thumb-sized piece ginger, shredded into matchsticks
1 tsp cumin seed, toasted

Method

1. Soak the rice for 30 mins, then rinse in several changes of water until it runs clear. Cover with about 1 cm water, add the saffron (if using), cover the pan, bring to the boil, stir once, then turn off the heat. Leave for 10 mins, covered, then stir again and leave to stand, covered.

2.To make the paste, blitz all the ingredients together in a food processor. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Tip in the paste, then add the cauliflower and potatoes. Cook in the paste to colour, then add the lentils and green beans, and cover with about 400ml water. Add the curry leaves, season with salt, cover with a lid and simmer for 20 mins until the lentils and vegetables are tender Add the peas for the last 2 mins to defrost. Stir the rice through the curry until completely mixed and hot, then spoon onto a platter and scatter with coriander and cashews.

3. For the carrot salad, use a peeler to shave the carrots into ribbons. Sprinkle with the sugar and dress with the lemon juice, then toss with the other ingredients. Serve the biryani on a large platter for everyone to help themselves, with the carrot salad on the side, poppadoms for any vegans and naan bread for the vegetarians.