All posts by Heather

Tomato red pepper and goats cheese tarts

Main Courses, Starters
  • Cheese and Herb Pastry [for 8 tarts]
  • 8oz plain flour
  • 2oz hard margarine
  • 2oz lard
  • 1oz finely grated parmesan
  • 1teasp dried mixed herbs
  • Filling
  • 2 med red peppers
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large clove garlic crushed
  • 1x15oz 1x8oz tins chopped tomatoes
  • 1 2oz tin anchovy fillets in oil
  • 1/2 teasp dried thyme
  • 2 teasp tomato puree
  • 1 egg+1 eggyolk
  • 1 teasp hot paprika
  • 1 small goat cheese log enough for eight slices

Make pastry in the usual way and roll out thinly
Use to line eight 4inch tart cases and bake blind ie lined witn paper and baking beans for 15 or 20 minutes

For filling
Deseed and chop peppers. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and cook peppers until soft about 6 mins.Stir in garlic and cook another 2 mins’ Pour in tomatoes and add chopped anchovies and their oil. Add thyme and tomato puree, season with pepper only as anchovies are salty.Simmer gently without covering until all excess liquid has evaporated to a jam like consistency[20-25 mins] Remve to a bowl and leave to cool.

Can prepare in advance up to this point.

To assemble
Whisk eggs and yolks with paprika and stir into cooled sauce with 1tbsp olive oil. Put into pastry case and top with a slice of goat cheese. Bake at 170{fan] for 25-30 mins.

Braised Chicken with white beans

Chicken, Main Courses

For Two People

  • 1tbsp olive oil
  • 4 skinless boneless chicken thighs
  • 2 rashers back bacon diced
  • 1 clove garlic chopped
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 carrot diced
  • 1 teasp dried thyme
  • 300ml white wine
  • 150ml chicken stock
  • 400gm tin cannellini beans rinsed and drained
  • chopped parsley

Heat the oil in a wide pan with a lid and brown the chicken all over. Add the onion,carrot, garlic,thyme and bacon and continue to fry for two minutes. Pour in the wine and stock and season with salt and pepper. bring to a boil and simmer for 15 mins uncovered. Cover and continue to simmer for a further ten minutes. Stir the beans into the pan and warm through. scatter with the chopped parsley and serve.

I usually serve with a green veg.

Beef mince and bean hotpot

Beef, Family Favourites, Holidays, Main Courses

  • For eight portions
  • 2 onions
  • 10oz carrots
  • 2lb small potatoes
  • 1lb lean minced beef
  • 2 beef stock cubes plus one oxo cube
  • 2 x400gm cans baked beans
  • splash of worcestershire sauce
  • Chopped parsley to garnish

Roughly chop up veg
heat a large non-stick pan(it saves on the washing up)
add the mince and brown.
crumble in the stock cubes and add the veg
Pour in 1 1/4 pints of water and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 mins until veg are tender.
Add baked beans and worcestershire sauce.
Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Serve with a green veg of choice in shallow bowls.
Garnish with chopped parsley if liked

Katies Stovies

Family Favourites

  • 4 Large Potatoes (Tatties)
  • 2 Medium Onions
  • Left over Beef or Lamb from Family Roast (about 6 slices)
  • 1.5 Pints of Beef Stock

This is my first recipe and my daddy told me that this was the way that his great auntie Beatrice cooked it.

Peel Potatoes
Cut them into small/medium chunks
Slice the onions
Chop up the meat
Put all this in to a deep frying pan or pot
add cooking oil or beef fat
put on stove and fry it for 5 minutes
add half the stock
cook for 10 minutes
add the rest of the stock
cook for another 10 minutes
stir occasionally
once it is slightly mashy and slightly chunky it is ready

it also tastes nice with grilled venison sausages from Pitlochry and oat cakes with a glass of milk.

Enjoy – love Katie xx

Lemon Posset

Desserts, Karen's Recipes
  • 600ml double cream
  • 150gm caster sugar
  • 240ml lemon juice
  • Serves eight depending on size of ramekins. Freezes well

Put cream in a pan and add sugar.
Slowly bring to boil stirring all the time.
Bubble for 3 mins stirring all time.
Remove from heat and add lemon juice and this will make mixture thicken slightly.
Cool slightly and then pour into small ramekins.
Cover and chill for 2 hours.
Easiest to pour into a jug and then dishes…cleaner!
Serve with cats tongue biscuits and a dust of icing sugar or in a sweet pastry shell as a filling.
Very rich so a small amount is fine!