Magic Tomato Sauce
This magic tomato sauce can be used for topping a pizza or tossing through pasta with grated cheese and some fresh basil.
Preparation Time 10 mins
Cooking Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Ingredients
1 medium onion
1 small carrot
3 garlic cloves
1 tbsp olive oil
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp honey or golden caster sugar
salt and pepper
Method
Peel the onion and carrot, then chop them into small dice.
Peel and crush the garlic cloves using a garlic crusher.
Pour the oil into a frying pan that has a lid. Put the pan on a medium heat on the hob. When the oil is hot, add the onion and carrot and sauté until the onion is see-through. This means keeping the temperature low and allowing the vegetables to cook slowly for five minutes. You can pop the lid on as they sauté – it will keep them moist. Just stir them every now and then.
Add the garlic and cook for about three minutes.
Stir in the tin of tomatoes, the tomato purée and the honey or sugar. Add 1 tbsp of water to the empty tomato tin and swirl it around to rinse out the tin, then add the water to the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Put the lid back on the pan, reduce the heat to very low and allow the sauce to bubble for about 15 minutes.
Blitz the sauce with a soup gun or in a blender until smooth. It's now ready to use however you like.
Once the sauce has cooled completely, store it in the fridge. It will last for up to a week in an airtight container. If you would like to freeze some of your sauce to use later, it will last for up to a month in an airtight container or bag in your freezer.
A Big Pot of Chilli
This is a great family sharing dish. Put the pot in the centre of a table and allow everyone to help themselves. Three other bowls with rice, natural yogurt and chopped coriander can also be put on the table so people can add as much as they like.
Servings 6
Preparation Time 40 mins
Cooking Time 40 mins
Total Time 1 hours 20 mins
Course Main
Ingredients
1 small onion
1 small carrot
1 small stick of celery
1 small fresh chilli (or less if it's a very hot chilli) or 1 tsp mild chilli powder
400g tin of red kidney beans
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp ground cinnamon
450g minced lamb or beef
salt and pepper
½ batch of magic tomato sauce
To serve
boiled rice
natural yogurt
fresh coriander
Method
Carefully peel and chop your onion and carrot into very small square dice. Chop the celery stalk this way too.
Cut the chilli in half lengthwise, then scrape out the seeds and throw them away. Cut the red part of the chilli into thin strips. Extra care is needed for this, not just with the sharp knife, but with washing your hands after you chop the chilli. Chilli can really hurt your eyes or skin if you rub it in by accident after you touch one!
Open the tin of beans. Drain the beans in a colander in the sink to remove all the liquid, then rinse the beans. They are now ready to use.
Pour the oil into a large saucepan that has a lid. Put the pan over a low heat on the hob. When the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté until it’s see-through. This means keeping the temperature low and allowing the onion to cook slowly for 5 minutes. You can pop the lid on as the onion sautés – it will keep it moist. Just stir every now and then.
Add the carrot and celery and sauté for another 5 minutes.
Add the chilli and cook for about 30 seconds, then stir in the cinnamon.
Add the mince to the pan and keep stirring until it’s all browned. Break up any lumps with your wooden spoon as the mince is cooking.
Add the beans to your pan. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper.
Add the magic tomato sauce and allow it to bubble away for about 30 minutes. Make sure the mince is cooked through by checking that all of the red or pink colour is gone.
Take a spoonful of the chilli and allow it to cool before tasting it. See if you think it needs a little more salt or pepper.
Serve your chilli with some boiled rice and a spoonful of natural yogurt on top. It’s also good with some fresh coriander – just wash the leaves and stems, chop them up and sprinkle them over the top.
Apple and blackberry crumble
This crumble uses blackberries that you can pick from the hedgerows at the end of the summer, but you can use another type of berry instead.
Servings 4
Preparation Time 45 mins
Cooking Time 30 mins
Total Time 1 hours 15 mins
Course Desert
Ingredients
420g cooking apples (such as Bramley apples)
100g fresh blackberries
1 dsp maple syrup
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
juice of ½ orange
For the crumble topping
55g cold butter
85g plain flour
40g brown sugar
50g porridge oats
Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
First, make the crumble topping. Cut the butter into small cubes.
Mix the flour and sugar together in a large bowl, then add the cubes of butter. Start to rub the butter, flour and sugar between your palms. The aim is to combine them all so the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. It will take a minute or two. You shouldn't see any big chunks of butter when you’re done.
Stir in the porridge oats and set the bowl aside.
Peel the apples, cut them in half and cut the cores out of the centres. Cut the apples into large dice.
Use a baking dish that can go into a hot oven and that the crumble ingredients will fit into. Put half of the apples and half of the blackberries in the dish. Pour over the maple syrup and sprinkle with half of the cinnamon.
Add the rest of the apples and blackberries. Pour over the orange juice.
Sprinkle the crumble over the top so that the apples and blackberries are all covered. Press it down lightly, then sprinkle on the rest of the cinnamon.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes. Push a butter knife into the centre to make sure all the apple chunks are soft.
Let the crumble cool for about 15 minutes before serving. This is nice with custard, cream or ice cream.