Braised Red Cabbage with Apple

A little sugar and spice makes our red cabbage ever so nice. Swoony with Laverstoke sausages, mash and roasted onion gravy.

Prep: 15 mins / Cook: 1 1/2 hrs
Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 medium red cabbage, quartered, cored and thinly shredded
• 1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2-3 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• A bit of freshly grated ginger (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp sugar (demerara works nicely here)
• 3-4 tbsp red wine or balsamic vinegar
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• A bit of fresh rosemary, to finish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas 3.
2. Mix everything bar the rosemary together. Put in an ovenproof casserole or large roasting dish. Huge cabbage or small pans? Halve the recipe or divide between two dishes to make a shallow layer – no higher than finger deep. Loosely cover with foil.
3. Bake for 60-90 mins. Check every 30 mins. Taste. Add some more balsamic and sugar if needed.
4. Cook till the cabbage is tender, juicy and sweet. Finish with a scattering of fresh rosemary, if you like.

Once cool, the cabbage can be kept in fridge and reheated. It can also be frozen.

Real custard

Real Custard or Custard Sauce is the most common accompaniment to English Puddings. Ask anyone what their favourite English Pudding is and they will nearly always tell you and then add "and custard". Here is a simple recipe to make the real thing.

Method

Keep back three tablespoons of the milk and put the rest into a saucepan with the vanilla pod. Brink the milk almost to the boil and then take it off the heat. Leave to cool for about 15 minutes to give the vanilla time to infuse into the milk.

Place the egg yolks and sugar into a bowl with the reserved milk and mix together until creamy. If using vanilla essence add this now. Take out the vanilla pod and gently add the warm milk to the egg mixture and stir. Put the mixture into a clean sauce pan and cook gently until it coats the back of a spoon and acquires the thickness of single cream. Serve the finished custard in a cool jug. Can be enjoyed hot or cold.

Sweet potato bake

 I had 4 sweet potatoes that needed using up. This is what I came up with, omg it was delish.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, halved
dry parsley
1/2 medium onion, chunked
4 medium sweet potato, cooked

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. 190 C.

Place ingredients in blender or processor, in order listed. Puree. Pour into greased casserole dish or pie plate and bake, uncovered 45 to 60 minutes or until cooked. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

easy red lentil dahl

Ingredients

8 oz red lentils

1 chopped onion

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp ginger

1 7 oz can chopped tomatoes

1 pint veg stock

salt and pepper

Just bung into your slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours.

To serve just sprinkle with torn coriander leaves.

coriander flat bread

Mix together in a bowl

7 oz self-raising flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

pinch of salt

Add 2 tbsp sunflower oil, then gradually mix in 6-7 tbsp water to make a soft dough.

Cut the dough into 6 pieces  and roll out each piece thinly on a floured surface to form an oval.

Fry in a frying pan untill puffy, about 2-3 minutes on each side.

Baked Beans In A Crock Pot

This is a simple baked beans recipe, don't be fooled tho because it's very tasty.

1 lb. yellow eye beans

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. thyme

1/4 c. molasses

1 onion, sm.

2 tbsp. margarine

Method

Pick over 1 pound beans. Cover with cold water and soak overnight. 

In morning bring to boil and boil rapidly for 10 minutes. Allow to cool.

Put 1/2 the beans into pot. Cut 1/2 onion over them and dots of 1 tablespoon margarine. Repeat with second half. 

In a measuring cup put dry ingredients and mix. Add molasses to 1/2 cup mark.

Add hot water to top and mix. 

Pour over beans. Add more hot water to rinse out cup and barely cover beans. 

Cook all day in crockpot. 

Remove cover the last hour to cook down or cool and reheat. 

Can double recipe for 4 quart crock and freeze left overs.

Worth Waiting For Baked Beans

       These are absolutely delicious. The spices give them just the right kick of flavour. Worth a try even if the only baked beans you have tried are out of a tin.    

These are a completely different kettle of fish.

              Ingredients   

                  1 pound dried navy beans

                    2 teaspoons margarine

                    1 clove garlic -- crushed

                    1 cup onion -- finely chopped

                    2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce or Hendersons Relish if your a Vegetarian.

                    2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

                    4 tablespoons molasses

                    5 tablespoons chili sauce

                    1 tablespoon dry mustard

                    1 teaspoon curry powder

                    1 1/2 teaspoons salt

                    1/2 cup dark rum

                    1 1/2 cups tomato juice -- or more as needed 

 Method

                  Place beans in large pot of  water soak overnight.

                  Place a pan off water on your stove and bring to the boil. Add the soaked beans and boil rapidly for 10 minutes. 

Grease casserole dish with the margarine. Rub with garlic. Drain beans. Place in large mixing bowl. 

Add onion, brown sugar, Worcestershire, molasses, chili sauce, dry mustard, curry

                  powder, salt and rum. Mix well. 

Stir in 1/4 cup of the tomato juice. Transfer to prepared dish. 

Cook, until beans are tender, gently stirring in additional tomato  juice as liquid is absorbed by beans.

      Serves 6.

English Baked Beans

I love experimenting, today I threw this together. It was absolutely delicious.

1 pound dried beans

1 clove garlic -- crushed

1 cup onion -- finely chopped

1 carrot--sliced

1 stick celery sliced

1 tsp coffee powder

2 tablespoons Hendersons relish

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons treacle

1/2 tablespoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon curry powder

vege stock cube
Handfull of red lentils

1 1/2 cups tomato juice -- or more as needed

Method

Soak beans overnight

In the morning drain and rinse

Add to a pan of boiling water and boil rapidly for at least 10 minutes

Simmer gently untill tender

Drain

Let beans cool untill their temperature matches that of your slow cooker

In the meantime add everything else to your slow cooker and start cooking on high

When beans are ready add to sauce mix

Cook on low for 5-6 hours untill sauce is nice and thick and vegetables are cooked
Add more liquid as needed

Season to taste
I served with grated cheese melting on top

Enjoy with crusty bread

Delicious

Any leftovers will freeze well