Easy and Delicious Vegetarian Stew

I love stews this time of year. They are comforting and delicious, and they make the house smell beautiful when they are cooking. Vegetarian stews don’t take as long to cook as the ones containing meat, but they do benefit from about an hour or so in the oven so that the flavours can all blend together.

I’ve tried lots of different combinations of vegetables and this is the one we like best in our house, but I don’t mean to be prescriptive, and of course you can change things round to suit your tastes and what you have on hand. This one makes a fantastic Meatless Monday dinner, and the leftovers are lovely the next day too.

To serve four to six people, you need:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use mild olive oil)

1 red onion, peeled, cut in half and sliced in half moons

1 cup white mushrooms, quartered

3 parsnips, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and sliced in chunky sticks

3 carrots, peeled, cut in half and sliced in chunky sticks

1 red pepper, seeded and cut in chunks

1 can (about 14 ounces) chopped tomatoes, preferably organic

1 can (about 14 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon chopped or dried flat leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 375℉ (160 to 170℃).

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large stove top to oven casserole with a lid. Add the onion and sauté gently until it begins to soften. Add mushrooms and stir fry for a few moments longer. Add the parsnips, carrots and red pepper and stir until coated in the oily oniony mixture.

Add the tomatoes, beans, bay leaf and oregano and stir through. Pop the lid on and place in the oven for about 40 to 50 minutes.

Remove from the oven and place on a heatproof surface.

Carefully taste the stew and add salt and pepper if necessary. If the vegetables are softened, return to the oven for five minutes or so, but if they are still not soft enough, return to the oven for ten to fifteen minutes.

Serve when the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape. Serve garnished with the parsley. I like to serve this with a basket of hot rolls, but for a heartier meal you can serve it with crushed new potatoes or rice.

The Restaurant Experience at Masterchef Live

One of the best parts of Masterchef Live is The Restaurant Experience, where you can try small plates from some of London’s top restaurants. This year at Olympia Roast, Blue Elephant, The Luxe (Spitalfields), Theo Randall at the InterContinental, Café Spice Namaste, Nin Jiang and the Malaysia Kitchen were all there. There was even a Masterchef restaurant, with dishes from some of Masterchef’s winners. It’s a fantastic way to taste some of London’s best flavours all in one day without splashing the cash or ending up feeling like you’ve eaten for two (or three…or four). 

After you have exchanged your pounds for Dining Currency – which is available in mixed denominations - all you have to do is peruse the huge menu and decide which dishes you would like to try. This takes some time as you are utterly spoiled for choice. You then go to each restaurant’s stand and exchange your currency for small plates of their specialities. Prices range from 4 to 6 pounds per dish. (Dining currency is on par with GBP, so a pound buys you one unit of dining currency, five pounds five units, etc.) 


The Restaurant Experience was sponsored by Hardy’s and there are wine selections in the show guide to go with each dish. However if you had a glass with each selection I think you might struggle to stay upright! My husband and I each chose a wine we liked and just had the one glass to accompany all the various dishes.  My husband chose the lovely Nottage Hill Pinot Noir and I had a glass of their Sauvignon Blanc.

Although the plates are small, you don’t need a lot of them, and in the end we had to go back later in the day to make sure we tasted everything we wanted to. The first dish I chose was Grilled Angus Sirloin Beef with Green Papaya Salad from Blue Elephant. I was given not only the dish, but also a leaflet with a recipe, a sachet of Chili Paste and a coupon for £10 off should I decide to visit the Blue Elephant itself. I thought this was a very nice touch.

The Green Papaya Salad had a refreshing kick to it and was a wonderful foil to the meltingly tender strips of sirloin, perfectly grilled to medium. The contrast of hot and cold, and the kick of the sharp dressing on the salad was really refreshing on the palate. 

My husband’s first dish was the Corn fed Chicken Green Curry with steamed organic red rice also, from the Blue Elephant. What can I say?

It’s not pretty, but it sure did taste good. (We each chose our own dishes, but we shared everything.) It had just the right amount of spice and the chicken was tender and delicious. The red rice had a fantastic flavour to it as well.

From there, we both chose the Slow Roast Wicks Manor Pork Belly from Roast. Neither one of us was sure we would be able to share that, and it was a good thing we got two portions. It’s the kind of classic British dish Roast are famous for, and they do it to perfection. It was accompanied by a sage, garlic and applesauce with a port reduction and root vegetable mash. I can't imagine why I don't have a photograph of it - except if it's because we ate it too fast. It was seriously yummy.

From the Masterchef Restaurant I chose Claire Lara's Crispy Skinned Sea Trout with Apple, Leeks and Watercress. The gorgeous pink sea trout was beautifully set off by the mild flavours of the other ingredients.

My husband's choice from the Masterchef Restaurant was Dhruv Baker's Ballotine of Chicken and Pork with pomme puree, Savoy cabbage and Madeira sauce. 

The presentation was beautiful and it tasted as good as it looks. The pork was spicy and delicious and really accentuated the mild flavour of the chicken.

When it came to desserts, we returned to Roast for their Mulled Spices, Bramley Apple, Sultana and Cranberry Crumble with Vanilla English Custard. 

It was divine. Sadly Roast did not provide recipe cards so I will be spending some time this holiday season attempting to duplicate this ambrosia. It’s the perfect Christmas dessert, with all the season’s traditional flavours wrapped up in a comforting, traditional crumble with custard.

And then there was Paul’s Blueberry Cheesecake with Lemon Curd from The Luxe. 

I don’t know who Paul is, but thank goodness he provided a recipe card because I seriously would have begged for one. This was one of the best cheesecakes I have ever had – and in fact we returned later in the day for another portion of it. The cheesecake itself was light and delicious, with just the right amount of blueberries in it. The homemade lemon curd provided a combination of sharp and sweet that was simply mouthwatering.

It’s worth visiting Masterchef Live for the Restaurant Experience on its own, but there are also so many other shows, including presentations by celebrity chefs and the Masterchef Live team, displays from specialist food, wine and spirit producers, masterclasses, the latest in kitchen appliances and gizmos and lots of things to try and to buy as well. Masterchef Live is at the Winter Good Food Show in Birmingham next week, and if you can get to Birmingham, I definitely recommend a visit!

Meatless Monday - Busy Day Blueberry Pie

This is a wonderful recipe for those days when you really don’t have time to fuss, but you fancy something special for dessert. It’s easy to keep everything on hand for this, and while I appreciate that scratch pastry is usually nicer than store bought, once in a while, a shortcut doesn’t hurt. Frozen blueberries can give you a lovely taste of summer on a cold day as well - and the fact you don’t need to thaw them makes this a great last minute dessert.

1 top and bottom crust ready rolled pastry (uncooked)

4½ cups frozen blueberries (not thawed)

½ cup white sugar plus extra for sprinkling

⅓ cup flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 350℉ (about 160℃ to 170℃ for a fan oven). Put the bottom pastry into your pie dish.

Pour the blueberries into a large bowl. Add the sugar, flour and cinnamon and mix well.

Put the blueberry mixture in the bottom pie shell, dot with the butter and put the top crust over. Pinch the edges of the crust together, and cut two small slices in the top of the pie for vents. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. 

You may want to put a cookie sheet underneath the pie in the oven just in case it bubbles over a bit. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, checking from time to time to make sure the crust is not browning too quickly. (Adjust the temperature or cover the edges with aluminum foil if this starts to happen.) When the pie is done the crust should be just beginning to turn a bit golden. Allow to cool almost to room temperature before slicing.

Chuck Wagon Chow

You can tell from the title of this recipe that it has to be just a little bit vintage. I found it in my Mom’s recipe box when I was about seven years old and to my mind, it sounded very cool. I begged her to make it, but she never did, and over the years I forgot about it. But recently I found it in my Mom’s old recipe box, which she gave to me a couple years before she passed away. I’d actually re-written it as kid, so keen was I to bring it to her attention. Sadly I don’t remember what the original was written on, whether it was a newspaper clipping or where it came from. If I could, I’d have words with that seven year old me, but hey, she didn’t know that the grown up her would be so into food history and where recipes came from!

When I reviewed the recipe, I think I may have found the reason for Mom’s hesitation to make it. It was one very spicy meal, and my Dad was a meat and potatoes man back then. Spice really wasn’t his bag at all. Even though my family does like a bit of heat in their food, I did change the spicing quite a bit as otherwise I don’t think even I would have been able to eat it. Either that or the seven year old me made some boo boos when she was copying the recipe out! Anyway, the end result is this, and it really is delicious and very good for you. A bit meatier than normal chilli, with a bit of a southwestern feel, it makes a lovely meal on a cold or blustery night. You can serve it with toast on the side, or tortilla chips, or even some rice (brown or basmati would be best). That’s how British people eat their chilli, served over rice, and I’ve almost gotten used to it after all these years. It is great way to serve it if you need to stretch the recipe a bit to serve a few more people - but I’m going to be honest here and say I like whole grain toast best - or tortilla chips if they had no calories! 

This recipe will serve four adults, and is easily doubled.

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 to 2 cloves of garlic

1 pound of beef chuck, stewing beef or braising steak, cut in chunks

(pastured, free range or organic if possible)

1 to 2 teaspoons chilli powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 red or green pepper, de-seeded and cut in chunks

1 - 14 ounce (about 400 grams) can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained

(If you want to used dried beans you have cooked yourself that is absolutely fine.)

2 - 14 ounce can of chopped tomatoes

1 - 14 ounce can of niblet or whole kernel corn

Heat the oil on the stovetop in a large oven safe casserole with a lid. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat. Grate in the garlic. Continue to sauté until the onion begins to go translucent.

Put the chilli powder, salt and pepper in a food safe paper or plastic bag. Quickly toss the chunks of beef in this mixture.

Tumble the beef into the onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes to brown the meat, stirring frequently.

Add the tomatoes, red pepper, kidney beans and corn.

Stir through.

Place the casserole in the oven and cook for an hour and a half to two hours, stirring every half hour or so. Serve with toast, rice or tortilla chips as you wish!

An Easy and Impressive Roast Dinner

Roast chicken is one of the easiest dinners to cook and it is something almost everyone enjoys. It needs very little accompaniment, aside from some fluffy mashed potatoes, gravy and fresh vegetables or a crisp salad. For an easy meal to impress just about anyone when you are just getting started in the kitchen, roast chicken is definitely your best bet.


It is such an easy meal. You could literally just put the chicken in the oven and you would still get something lovely to eat, but with a tiny bit of what you can hardly even call effort you can end up with something really special. All you need is a lemon and some fresh herbs, either from your garden, farmer’s market or even the grocery store. As you can see from the photograph above, I like to use thyme, parsley and rosemary. I cut the very top off the lemon to expose the flesh of the fruit.


The most important thing to do is to choose a good chicken - and by that I mean one that has been ethically and humanely raised - either pasture raised, free range or organic. Please don’t buy intensively farmed chicken - you are better off not eating meat, rather than eating meat that has been intensively farmed.

You need to pre-heat your oven to about 375℉ (180℃ - or 170℃ for a fan oven). Most chickens come without giblets these days, and they no longer recommend washing chickens because of the risk of salmonella contamination of sinks and worktops, so really all you need to do is take the chicken out of any packaging and place it on a roasting dish. Then push the herbs up inside the chicken and then the lemon. Rub a little piece of butter over the skin of the bird or drizzle a little oil over top and then liberally season it with salt and pepper. Be sure to thoroughly wash your hands after doing this.

Pop the chicken in the oven and cook for an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the size of the chicken. I often cook two chickens side by side on a baking sheet at the same time as you can make such lovely things from the leftovers. Keep an eye on it and start to check it when the skin begins to turn golden brown. I use a thermometer to tell when the chicken is done. When you stick it in the thigh meat it should read at least 180℃ (a little over 350℉) and the juices running from the thigh meat should be clear. If the skin seems to be getting rather too golden, and the meat isn’t cooking fast enough, turn the temperature down a bit and/or cover the chicken with aluminum foil  (shiny side out).

When the chicken is done, remove it from the oven and cover with fresh aluminum foil. Allow to rest for ten to twenty minutes. This lets the juices settle inside the meat, so that when you cut into it they don’t all run away. Now all you have to do is find someone nice to carve it for you, or try it yourself - it really isn’t as hard as you might think. Just be careful and use a very sharp knife. (There are lots of instructional videos on carving on the internet.)

And that is it, an easy, impressive roast dinner in less than two hours in the kitchen! While the chicken is cooking you have plenty of time to peel, cook and mash some potatoes with butter, milk and salt and pepper and either lightly cook some vegetables or throw together a crisp salad. Oh, and make some gravy. And then you are done!


If you are feeling nervous about plating everything up, just serve it all country style on the table so everyone can help themselves, although it is good to use an electric hot plate to keep everything warm if you are going to do this. Anyone can make a delicious hot roast dinner! Don’t let anyone tell you it is difficult or intimidating, because as you can see from this post, it truly isn’t!

Quick Cassoulet for British Sausage Week

It's British Sausage Week this week, and the hunt is on for Britain's best sausages. I get my sausages at our local butcher, Greens of Pangbourne, and I think theirs are the best anywhere. I developed this recipe using their pork and caramelised onion variety, and it turned out beautifully. 

It's important to use pork products that have been ethically raised and that are free range or organic if possible. In the UK, the Red Tractor Symbol is a way of knowing that the pork you are buying is not only from the UK, but has been ethically and humanely raised. All Red Tractor endorsed products can be traced back to their farms of origin, which are regularly visited by independent inspectors. 

Pork from pigs that have been raised with a high standard of welfare not only tastes better in my opinion, but many studies have shown it is actually better for you than intensively raised meat. So buy the best sausages you and give this easy and delicious recipe a try this weekend.

Cassoulet is a rich, slow cooked stew or casserole containing beans and some kind of meat, often sausages. It is French comfort food at its finest and a real treat. The quantities below are to serve 2 people, but the recipe is easily doubled. You just need a bigger casserole!

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 to 6 good, meaty pork sausages

(made from ethically sourced meat)

2 red onions, thinly sliced

1 to 2 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 red pepper, de-seeded and thinly sliced

1 can (about 14 ounces) chopped tomatoes, preferably organic

1 can (about 14 ounces) mixed beans, preferably organic, drained and rinsed

1 bay leaf

2 to 3 generous tablespoons basil pesto

Preheat the oven to 375℉ (about 160 - 170℃ for a fan oven). If possible, use a stove top to oven casserole dish - but if you don’t have one, use a frying pan to start and transfer the ingredients to an oven safe casserole before you put them in the oven.

Heat the oil in the oven safe casserole dish over medium heat on the stove top. Add the sausages and fry them gently, just until they begin to colour a bit. Add the thinly sliced onions and fry gently for two to three minutes.

Grate in the garlic, and add the sliced red pepper, canned tomatoes and beans. Nestle the bay leaf into the mixture, and stir through.

Pop on the lid and put everything in the oven for about 30 minutes, stirring once half-way through cooking. If the mixture seems to be cooking too fast, turn the heat back a bit. After 30 minutes, remove the casserole from the oven, carefully take out the bay leaf and stir in the pesto. Check the sausages to ensure they are fully cooked. Return the casserole to the oven for about five to ten minutes just to round everything out.

Serve with crushed new (or mashed) potatoes and a nice glass of red wine.

Easy Chicken with Couscous

This is a bit of a fusion dish and is a great way to get a really delicious meal quickly and easily. Instant couscous is a wonderful time saver and it tastes great. My cooking method is slightly unconventional as it does involve stir frying the soaked couscous, but it works really well.

You can season the chicken breasts however you like. The night I made the dish to photograph it, I was in a hurry, so I just used a splash of olive oil and some McCormick’s Montreal Chicken seasoning. However, a healthier marinade made with two tablespoons of oil and one tablespoon of balsamic vinegar with some salt, pepper and herbs of your choice tastes equally delicious. 

If you want to include more fiber in your meal, you can always use wholewheat couscous. I have to confess I prefer the texture of the ordinary couscous, but I do serve wholewheat from time to time.

Of course, you can vary the vegetables in this according to what you have on hand in the fridge or freezer or what is in the garden.

To serve four adults, you need:

4 chicken breasts (free range or organic if possible)

about 2 tablespoons of olive (or other mild vegetable) oil

salt, pepper and seasonings

1 large onion, finely chopped

(red onion looks nice in this dish, if you happen to have one on hand)

2 peppers (any colour), de-seeded and chopped in small chunks

1 handful of green beans, topped tailed and sliced in half

(1 cup of frozen peas works well as a substitute here)

½ to ¾ cup flaked almonds

1¼ cup couscous

1½ cups boiling water or vegetable or chicken stock

1 vegetable or chicken stock cube (optional - only if using boiling water)

2 teaspoons soy sauce

Brush the chicken breasts with oil and season them as desired. Bake at 350℉ or 170℃ for about thirty to forty minutes (depending on the size), turning once.

Meanwhile, heat about a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over medium heat and gently sauté the onion until it begins to soften. Add the peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften but still have a slight crispness.

At this point, you will need to soak your couscous. Put the couscous in a large, heatproof bowl and if you are using a stock cube, crumble it over top. Pour the boiling water over the couscous, stir through (you will need to stir a bit more if you have used the stock cube) and then cover with some saran wrap or cling film or an upside down plate. Set aside for five minutes.

Stir the green beans or peas into the vegetables in the frying pan and cook, stirring occasionally.

When the five minutes is up, gently stir through the couscous with a fork, and taste it. It should be moist and flavourful, but not grainy or soggy. If it does taste a bit grainy, add few tablespoons more boiling water, stir through, cover and set aside for a couple minutes. 

Now stir the couscous, almonds (hold a few back for garnish) and soy sauce into the vegetable mixture and cook for a few minutes, stirring, just to blend everything together.

Slice the chicken breasts and serve them over the couscous and vegetables. Sprinkle with the reserved flaked almonds.