This is a real comfort food chapter – a variety of pies and crumbles that will fill you up and give you that metaphoric hug when you are feeling low. Most of these recipes can be prepared in advance, so that they are there ready to be popped in the oven when you are ready to cook.
SERVES 4–6
2 dessertspoons paprika
2 dessertspoons flour
Seasoning
1kg lean braising steak
25g butter
1 large red onion, finely chopped
2–3 cloves garlic, crushed
½–1 red chilli, finely chopped
500ml chocolate stout
3 beef stock cubes (depending on desired thickness of gravy), dissolved in 300ml of hot water
½ sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
I use chocolate stout in this pie as it goes brilliantly with the beef. If you can’t get hold of chocolate stout, use ordinary stout and add a dessertspoon of cocoa to it. As with most recipes using braising steak, the meat is better and more tender when left to cook slowly.
• Place the paprika and flour in a large freezer bag and season to taste. Add the braising steak and shake until evenly covered.
• On your hob, heat the butter in a deep sauté or stock pot over a medium heat and add the floured beef. Cook until browned.
• Add the onion, garlic and chilli and allow to sweat for 5 minutes before adding the stout.
• Once the ale is combined with all the juices and vegetables, add the stock.
• Leave to cook slowly on a low/medium heat for 1 hour. If the mixture becomes too dry, add a little more water. (If you prefer to use the halogen at this point instead of the hob, decant into a deep ovenproof pie dish, cover with foil and cook at 160°C for 1 hour on the low rack, checking half way through to see if it needs more water added.)
• Place the beef into your deep ovenproof pie dish.
• Roll out your pastry – ideally to an approximately 4–5mm thickness.
• Brush the edges of the dish with beaten egg and place the pastry over the top of the pie. Crimp the edges to seal and coat the top with the egg as this helps to give it a nice golden colour. You will probably have some pastry left over – if you are feeling creative, you could cut out some leaf shapes and decorate the top of the pie.
• Place the pie on the high rack. Cook for 30–40 minutes at 200°C until golden and the pastry has puffed and cooked thoroughly.
• Serve immediately with mashed potato and greens.
SERVES 4–6
400g potato, cut into rough chunks
400g sweet potato, cut into chunks
1–2 carrots, cut into chunks
Spray of olive oil
1 onion, chopped
400g lean mince (or pre-drained of fat)
1 tin baked beans
1 tin chopped tomatoes
Seasoning
Worcestershire sauce
25g butter
75g mature Cheddar
Paprika
Kids love this – a variation on the cottage pie.
• Place the potatoes and carrots in a steamer or boil until soft.
• Meanwhile, on your hob heat the oil in a large sauté pan over a medium heat and fry the onion for 3–4 minutes. Then add the mince.
• Cook until brown, before adding the baked beans and chopped tomatoes.
• Cook for 10 minutes until tender and reduced to the desired consistency. Add more stock or water if you prefer a more liquid base. Season to taste and add a splash of Worcestershire sauce.
• Mash the steamed potato and carrots together. Add the butter and two-thirds of the Cheddar. Mix thoroughly.
• Place the mince in a deep ovenproof dish and spoon the mash over the top. Be careful not to overfill the dish. Press the mash down gently with a fork. Top with the remaining grated cheese and a sprinkle of paprika.
• Place on the low rack and cook for 20–25 minutes at 200°C.
SERVES 4
800g potato, cut into rough chunks
4 carrots, 2 cut into small cubes, 2 roughly chopped
1 onion, chopped
400g lean lamb mince
50g mushrooms, sliced (optional)
100ml red wine
1 teaspoon yeast extract (Marmite or similar)
200ml hot lamb or beef stock
Seasoning
25g butter
75g mature Cheddar
Paprika
This is always a family favourite.
• Place the potato and the chopped carrots in a steamer or boil until soft.
• Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan on your hob, cook the onion for 3–4 minutes over a medium heat before adding the mince. Cook until brown and then add the cubed carrots, mushrooms and wine.
• Dissolve the yeast extract in the hot stock before adding to the mince. Cook for 20 minutes until tender and reduced to your desired consistency. Season to taste.
• Mash the potato and carrots together. Add the butter and two-thirds of the Cheddar. Mix thoroughly.
• Place the mince in a deep ovenproof baking dish, making sure it fits well into your halogen oven. Pipe or smooth the mash on the top, taking care not to overfill. Press down gently with a fork and top with the remaining grated cheese and a sprinkle of paprika.
• Place on the low rack and bake for 20–30 minutes at 180°C.
SERVES 4
600g potato
4 eggs
400ml milk
1 bay leaf
Black pepper
450g haddock
1 dessertspoon butter
1 dessertspoon flour
2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
Small handful of fresh parsley, chopped
50g butter
50g Parmesan
50g breadcrumbs
• Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes. They should still be firmish, not completely cooked. Drain and leave to one side to cool. Note that you also need to hardboil the eggs – I cheat by boiling them with the potatoes, making sure I only cook them for 6–7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, into another saucepan, put the milk, bay leaf, black pepper to taste and haddock pieces. Bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes, or until the fish is cooked (it should flake easily).
• Then drain the fish, retaining the milk for later. Remove the bay leaf and discard. You can reuse the saucepan, so no need to wash up!
• In the saucepan, melt 1 dessertspoon butter and add the flour to form a paste. Gradually add the warm milk until you form a smooth sauce. Continue to stir well until it starts to thicken. If you get any lumps, switch to a balloon whisk and beat well.
• Add the mustard and season to taste. Stir in the parsley.
• Place the fish in the bottom of an ovenproof dish (making sure it fits in your halogen). Chop the boiled eggs and add to the dish. Pour on the sauce and combine well.
• Grate the potatoes with a coarse grater. Melt 50g butter and combine with the potatoes. Season to taste. Spoon this over the fish. Finish with a sprinkle of Parmesan and a sprinkle of breadcrumbs.
• When you are ready to cook, place the dish on the high rack. Set the temperature to 200°C and cook for 25 minutes until golden.
SERVES 4–6
2–3 leeks, finely chopped
150g button or chestnut mushrooms, halved if chestnut
300ml single cream
175g Stilton or blue cheese
Black pepper
Nutmeg
30g toasted pine nuts
8–10 sheets filo pastry
Approx 25g butter, melted
2–3 large handfuls of baby leaf spinach
2–3 dessertspoons cranberry sauce
SUITABLE FOR VEGETARIANS
• In a deep sauté pan over a medium heat, fry/sweat the leeks in a little butter. Once they are starting to soften, add the mushrooms and cook until soft but not soggy.
• Turn the heat to low/medium and add the cream and Stilton. Season with black pepper and nutmeg and then add the pine nuts, reserving a small handful for later.
• Line a greased flan dish with 3–4 sheets of filo, overlapping to avoid any gaps and brushing with butter in between each sheet to help them stick. Leave the edges hanging over, as they can be used to form part of the top later.
• Pour the leek mixture into the flan dish. Smooth out and then add a layer of spinach leaves. Finish with random dollops of the cranberry sauce.
• Bring across the edges to help form the top. Cut any remaining sheets of filo into manageable squares, brush with melted butter, scrunch up and place in the gaps on the top of the pie. Continue until you fill the top with roughly scrunched up filo. Sprinkle with the remaining pine nuts.
• Either freeze until needed or bake. Place on the low rack and cook at 200°C for 40 minutes until golden all over. If the top starts to get too dark before the pie is cooked through, use the extension ring to lift the element away from the pie, or cover gently with some tin foil.
• Serve with a lovely salad, or you can even serve with roast potatoes and vegetables. Rich but delicious.
SERVES 4–6
Olive oil
400g boneless chicken pieces, diced
8 rashers lean bacon, diced
1 red onion, diced
175g button mushrooms, halved
1 x 350g tub cream cheese
200ml milk
Crème fraîche or natural Greek yoghurt (optional)
2–3 sprigs of thyme, finely chopped
Seasoning
30g butter
½ pack filo pastry
15g sesame seeds
This is a very simple recipe, which looks far more impressive than it really is. Cook it in advance for an effortless meal.
• In a sauté pan on your hob, heat a little olive oil over a medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook until they start to brown. Add the bacon, onion and mushroom and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
• Add the cream cheese and milk, and stir well until it forms a creamy sauce. If you like a really creamy taste, you could add a dollop or two of crème fraîche or natural Greek yoghurt.
• Add the thyme and season to taste before removing from the heat. Pour the mixture into a deep pie dish. (I use a deep-sided ovenproof dish.)
• Melt the butter in a saucepan. Cut the filo pastry sheets in half and brush each sheet very roughly with the melted butter. Scrunch up roughly/loosely and place randomly on the top of the chicken mixture. Continue until it is covered but don’t over load the top with tightly packed bundles of pastry, just make sure it is covered. Finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and a dash of black pepper.
• Place the pie on the high rack and set the temperature to 210°C. Cook for 20–30 minutes until golden and bubbly.
• Serve with mashed potato and seasonal vegetables.
SERVES 4–6
2 dessertspoons paprika
2 dessertspoons flour
Seasoning
25g butter
1kg lean braising steak
1 large red onion, finely chopped
2–3 cloves garlic, crushed
75g button mushrooms
2 small carrots, diced
500ml real ale
3–4 beef stock cubes (depending on desired thickness of gravy), dissolved in 300ml hot water
Small handful of fresh thyme
1 egg, beaten
½ sheet ready-rolled puff pastry
This is best I think if you use a traditional real ale, but I will leave that up to you. As with most recipes using braising steak, the meat is better and more tender when left to cook slowly. You can do this in the halogen oven or on the hob, whatever you find easier.
• Place the paprika and flour in a large freezer bag and season to taste. Add the braising steak and shake until evenly covered.
• On your hob, heat the butter in a deep sauté or stock pot over a medium heat and add the floured beef. Cook until browned.
• Add the onion, garlic, mushrooms and carrots and allow to sweat for 5 minutes. Then add the ale.
• Once the ale is combined with all the juices and vegetables, add the stock and thyme.
• Leave to cook slowly on a low/medium heat for 1 hour. If the mixture becomes too dry, add a little more water. (If you prefer to use the halogen at this point instead of the hob, decant into your deep ovenproof pie dish, cover with foil and cook at 160°C for 1 hour on the low rack, checking halfway through to see if it needs more liquid added.)
• Place the beef into your deep ovenproof pie dish. Brush the edges of the dish with beaten egg and place the pastry over the top of the pie. Crimp the edges to seal and coat the top with egg as this helps give it a nice golden colour.
• Place the pie on the high rack and set the halogen to 200°C. Cook for 30 minutes until golden.
• Serve immediately with mashed potato and greens.
SERVES 4
Olive oil
25g butter
2–3 leeks, finely sliced
75g button mushrooms, halved or whole
2–3 cloves garlic, crushed
400g chicken, cooked roughly chopped
1 tub cream cheese
200ml milk
Crème fraîche or natural Greek yoghurt (optional)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Seasoning
Crumble
100g wholemeal flour
50g butter
75g wholemeal breadcrumbs
75g oats
75g mixed seeds
50g mature Cheddar or Parmesan, grated (optional)
This is actually really simple to make and can be made in advance ready to pop in the halogen. If you like a cheesy crust to your crumble, simply add 30–50g of grated mature Cheddar or Parmesan to the crumble mixture.
• In your sauté pan (or use your hob-proof oven dish to save washing up), heat a little olive oil over a medium heat. Add the butter and leeks and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for another few minutes before adding the chicken.
• Once the chicken is warmed through, add the cream cheese and milk, stirring to form a creamy sauce. (If you want a creamier sauce, you can add a dollop or two of crème fraîche or natural Greek yoghurt).
• Add the thyme and season to taste. Then remove from the heat. Transfer into your ovenproof dish if you are not already using one.
• Place the flour and butter into a bowl. Rub with your fingertips until you form a crumble (which has a look similar to breadcrumbs). Mix in the breadcrumbs, oats and seeds and season to taste. If you are using cheese, add this now.
• Sprinkle this over the creamy chicken mixture, ensuring it is all covered.
• Place on the high rack and cook for 20–25 minutes at 200°C until golden.
• Serve with seasonal green salad.
SERVES 4
Olive oil
1 large red onion, finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 red pepper, diced
2 sticks of celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 small sweet potato, diced
1 tin mixed beans, drained
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 teaspoons sundried tomato purée
200ml red wine or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram, chopped
Seasoning
Crumble
100g wholemeal flour
50g butter
75g oats
75g wholemeal breadcrumbs
50g mixed seeds
50g Parmesan cheese, grated
• Drizzle oil into a saucepan or your ovenproof casserole dish and place on the hob over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and pepper and cook until they start to soften.
• Add the celery, carrot and sweet potato and sweat for 5 minutes. Then add all the remaining ingredients apart from those for the crumble.
• Cook for 10–12 minutes and then remove from the heat.
• Into a bowl, place the wholemeal flour and butter. Rub until you form a texture similar to breadcrumbs. Add the oats, breadcrumbs, seeds and Parmesan and season well.
• Cover the vegetable mixture with the crumble mix until evenly coated.
• Turn the halogen oven on to 200°C and place the crumble on the high rack. Cook for 25–30 minutes until golden and bubbling.
• Serve immediately with a green salad.
SUITABLE FOR VEGETARIANS
SERVES 4
500g fish fillets or ask your fishmonger for pieces of flaky white fish
200g salmon pieces (optional)
100g prawns (optional)
250ml milk
25g butter
25g flour
1 teaspoon mustard
Seasoning
Crumble
100g wholemeal flour
50g butter
75g oats
75g wholemeal breadcrumbs
50g mixed seeds (optional)
50g Parmesan cheese, grated
• Place the fish and milk in a pan on your hob and bring the milk to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook gently for 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.
• Drain the fish, reserving the liquid for making the sauce. Shred the fish and place in your ovenproof dish.
• To make a creamy sauce, melt the butter in a pan and add the flour. Stir in the reserved milk stock and heat gently until the sauce thickens. I normally use a whisk at this stage as it helps prevent any lumps from forming. Stir continuously. Add the mustard and season to taste.
• Pour the sauce over the fish.
• Into a bowl, place the wholemeal flour and the butter. Rub until you form a texture similar to breadcrumbs. Add the oats, breadcrumbs, seeds and Parmesan and season well.
• Cover the fish with the crumble mix until evenly coated.
• Turn the halogen oven on to 200°C and place the crumble on the high rack. Cook for 25–30 minutes until golden and bubbling.
• Serve immediately with a green salad.