Ingredients

• 1kg of shin of beef diced
• Flour, for dusting
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large white onions
• 4 carrots
• 2 beef stock cubes
• 6 juniper berries
• 1 bulb garlic
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 500g bottle of strong local beer
• 2 x 400g tins of tomatoes

1. Dice the beef up into good size chunks, and place in a bowl of flour, season with lots of salt and pepper.

2. Remove the beef and shake off the excess flour.

3. Heat a large heavy pan, when it is hot pour in the olive oil, then add half the beef and cook on all sides until nice and brown, remove from the pan and place in the slow cooker while you brown the rest of the beef

4. Dice the onions and carrots roughly into the same shape and add to the slow cooker.

5. Crumble the stock cubes into the cooker, using the back of your knife squash the juniper berries and add in with rest of the ingredients. Slice the garlic bulb in half and add to the stew. Add the cinnamon stick, the beer and the tinned tomatoes.

6. Place the lid on the slow cooker, place it on the medium setting and leave it over night or if you want it for dinner make it all in the morning and set it to cook all day.

Ingredients

• 2 red onions, chopped
• 1-2 tbsp sunflower or canola oil
• 1 pepper, chopped
• 1-2 sticks celery, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 tbsp tomato purée
• 500g carton tomato passata
• 720g vegetable stock
• 1 chilli, deseeded and chopped
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• About 25-30 pieces okra, topped and tailed and chopped into 1.5cm slices
• 400g can chickpeas, drained
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• Big bunch of coriander, chopped
• Rice and squeeze of lime, to serve

Method

Put the onions in a deep pan with the oil. Fry them off for a few minutes over a medium heat, then add the pepper and celery and give it another couple of minutes. Finely chop all the garlic and add it to the mix with the tomato purée.

Stir it around a bit, then add the passata, stock, chilli, cinnamon, okra, chickpeas, soy sauce and the coriander – you need a big bunch. Roughly chop it up and bung that in too. The okra needs a long time to get tender so leave the pan to simmer for about 30-40 minutes but keep stirring it every 5 minutes or so just so nothing sticks to the bottom.

Try a spoonful after about half an hour and if the okra still has a bite to it, give it a little more time. Put some rice on to cook when you’ve got about 10 minutes left and serve your piping hot gumbo over the rice, then squeeze some fresh lime juice over the top and top with some more coriander.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 600g pork fillet and cut into chunks
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 heaped tsp smoked paprika, plus extra for dusting
• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 red pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
• 1 green pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
• 1 long red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped
• 1 tsp crushed caraway seeds
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1x 400g tin plum tomatoes
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 200ml beef stock
• 2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
• 100ml low fat natural yoghurt

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan ovens/Gas 4. Heat a large casserole dish over a high heat and add the oil. Toss the pork in the flour, paprika, salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Once it is hot, add the pork and fry until it is browned all over. Using a slotted spoon remove from the casserole and keep to one side.

Reduce the temperature under the casserole and stir the onions and garlic. Add a splash of water to the pan to help prevent the onions from sticking. Cook for a few minutes until the onions are softening. Add the red and green peppers, chilli, crushed caraway seeds and oregano. Continue to cook for a minute or so before adding the tomatoes, red wine vinegar and stock. Return the pork to the casserole, and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid, and place in the oven for 1 ½ hours, stirring a couple of times throughout.

By now the sauce will have thickened slightly and the pork starting to break down.

Remove from the oven and stir in the parsley.

Spoon onto plates or into bowls. Spoon the yoghurt over the top and sprinkle with a little paprika before serving.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1.5kg piece boned and rolled beef brisket
• 100g thick-cut rindless bacon, cut across into strips
• 50g butter
• 2 parsnips, cut into long wedges
• 1 large fennel bulb, cut lengthways into 8 wedges
• 2 small leeks (about 225g), cut into lengths
• 4 carrots, thickly sliced
• 2 celery sticks, sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 300ml chicken stock

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C/fan130°C/gas 2. Heat the oil in a casserole large enough to snugly fit everything. Season the brisket all over, add to the casserole and brown on all sides. Lift out onto a plate. Add the bacon and fry briefly until golden brown. Set aside on another plate. Pour away any excess oil.

2. Melt the butter in the casserole over a medium heat. Add the vegetables and herbs. Season. Cook gently for a few minutes until lightly browned. Add the brisket, bacon and stock, then cover with foil and a tight-fitting lid and cook in the oven for 2-2 1/2 hours.

3. Put the brisket on a board and carve thin slices. Skim excess oil from the casserole and boil for a couple of minutes. Serve with the juices and mustard.

Wine note: Don’t overdo it with a heavy red – agood quality, juicy Beaujolais hits just the right note.

• ·2 tablespoons olive oil
• ·1 large red onion, roughly chopped
• ·2 red peppers, deseeded and chopped
• ·1 orange pepper, deseeded and chopped
• ·2 large courgettes, coarsely chopped
• ·2 garlic cloves, crushed
• ·400g tin chopped tomatoes
• ·2 teaspoons sugar
• ·4 eggs
• ·salt and pepper to taste

2.Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion and fry, stirring, for 5 minutes until lightly browned. Add the peppers, courgettes and garlic, and fry for a further 2 minutes.

3.Stir in the tinned tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper, then bring to the boil.

4.Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker pot. Cover with the lid and cook on high for 3-4 hours.

5.Stir the mixture and make 4 shallow indents, slightly spaced apart, with a spoon.

6.Crack an egg into each hollow, replace the lid of the slow cooker and then cook on high for another 10-15 minutes until the egg whites are firm and the yolks still slightly soft.

• ·125g quinoa
• ·1 tablespoon olive oil
• ·2 medium potatoes
• ·500g frozen sweetcorn
• ·1L vegetarian stock
• ·250g frozen peas
• ·1 small onion, finely chopped
• ·1/2 red pepper
• ·150g chopped green beans
• ·1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ·1 teaspoon paprika
• ·1 bay leaf
• ·1 teaspoon dry or fresh Italian herbs (eg parsley, coriander, oregano)
• ·1 teaspoon paprika
• ·salt and pepper to taste
• ·3 spring onions, finely sliced
• ·2 teaspoon minced garlic
• ·1 teaspoon minced ginger

2.Add all ingredients except sweetcorn, peas or spring onion in a large crockpot.

3.Cover and cook on low for 3 – 4 hours.

4.Turn crockpot to high heat, add the frozen corn and peas and cook for another half hour.

5.Stir in spring onions before serving.