Parmesan

Beef Cobbler

20th March 2016 by Rosie

I’m sharing a tasty meal for you to enjoy. It’s relatively quick and easy to make, so perfect for a midweek meal, and will feed a family when combined with fresh vegetables.

10ml vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

500g minced beef

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 beef stock cube

1 Knorr herb flavour pot

15ml Bisto gravy powder

175g self raising flour

15ml cornflour

175g self raising flour

0.25ml Colemans mustard powder

Pinch salt

25g butter, cubed

25g Parmesan cheese, grated

50g Cheddar cheese, grated

2 eggs, beaten

Oven temperature: 200°C

1. In a saucepan, heat the oil gently and add the onion. Cook until starting to soften, but not brown.

2. Add the minced beef and cook until browned.

3. Add the chopped carrot and stir through.

4. Dissolve the stock cube in 100ml boiling water and add to the saucepan along with the Knorr flavour pot.

5. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 15 minutes until the carrots are softened.

6. To make the cobbler (scone) topping, in a large bowl place the flour and mustard powder and stir together to combine.

7. Add the cubed butter and, using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.

8. Stir in the cheeses.

9. Beat the eggs and add approx 2/3 of these to the flour and butter mixture. Combine with a fork until it starts to bind together, then knead gently until it forms a ball, adding more egg as required.

10. Turn the cobbler mix out onto a floured surface and gently roll out to a thickness of about 1cm.

11. Using a 5cm circular cutter, cut out as many rounds as you able to get from the mixture, re-forming and rolling as required. Set aside briefly whilst you thicken the minced beef.

12. Mix the Bisto and cornflour together and add cold water to mix to a runny paste, the consistency of single cream.

13. Increase the heat under the mince and return to the boil.

14. Add the Bisto and cornflour mixture and stir constantly until thickened. It is essential that you continue to stir this whilst it thickens or you will get a lumpy gravy!

15. Season to taste.

16. Transfer the mince to a heatproof dish and top with the cobbler rounds, overlapping as required.

17. Brush the top of the cobblers with the remaining beaten egg and transfer the dish to the oven.

18. Bake for 20 minutes, until the cobblers are browned.

19. Serve with plenty of freshly steamed vegetables.

Meatballs with a Spicy Chilli Sauce

1st October 2014 by Freycob

Similar to my other meatball recipe, I made this today but had a play with the sauce to spice it up using a Knorr Mixed Chilli Flavour pot.

2 medium Onions

3 cloves Garlic

Generous handful of fresh herbs (I used basil, sage, thyme, oregano & parsley)

2 eggs

100g Dried breadcrumbs

500g Minced Beef

Sauce

Small handful of fresh basil, sage & oregano

540g Passata sauce

1 medium Onion

4tbs tomato ketchup

1tbs Tomato purée

2tbs Cider vinegar

Knorr beef stock pot

Knorr mixed chilli flavour pot

Extra Virgin Olive oil

1. In a food processor, place the onions, garlic cloves, herbs and eggs.

2. Blitz until they form a thick, foamy paste.

3. In a large bowl, place your breadcrumbs and mince.

4. Pour your onion, garlic, herb and egg paste onto the mince and breadcrumbs and mix together thoroughly, using your hands. Then wash your hands.

5. Without the need to wash the food processor bowl, add the sauce herbs, Passata and onion. Blitz these together until they form a smooth sauce.

6. Pour your sauce ingredients into a large saucepan and add the ketchup, tomato purée and cider vinegar.

7. Mix the Knorr beef stock pot in 500ml boiling water until dissolved.

8. Add this to the sauce mixture with the Knorr mixed chilli flavour pot (I only used half of the chilli pot, but add more or less according to your own personal taste).

9. Bring the sauce ingredients to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer.

10. Roll your meatball mixture into small balls, about 2cm in diameter.

11. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and brown the meatballs all over. It’s best to do these in batches so that they brown and don’t steam.

12. Transfer your browned meatballs to the sauce and shake the pan to coat.

13. Repeat until all of your meatballs are in your sauce mixture. Try to avoid stirring the sauce so that you don’t break your meatballs up.

14. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add your chosen pasta shape. Return to the boil then simmer until cooked to your liking.

15. Drain the pasta and add to your serving bowl. Spoon some meatballs and sauce over your pasta.
16. Serve with a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Meatballs in a Tomato Sauce

11th January 2014 by Freycob

A favourite in our house that I’ve been making since my son was a baby 18 years ago. Over the years I’ve changed it slightly and added a little chilli to make it for a more grown up palette, but feel free to exclude the chilli (or even add a little more if you prefer).

500g Minced beef

1 medium Onion, finely chopped

1tsp ground Garlic

1tsp dried Oregano

1tsp dried Mixed Herbs

1tsp Chilli powder

50g Breadcrumbs

1 Egg

2tbs Rapeseed oil

Sauce

1 Onion, roughly chopped

540g Passata sauce

2tbs Tomato purée

1tbs Balsamic vinegar

1tsp dried Oregano

1tsp dried Mixed Herbs

1tsp Sugar

1. In a blender, place your onion, Passata, tomato purée, balsamic vinegar, herbs & sugar.

2. Blitz all these together until smooth (alternatively you can put your sauce ingredients straight into your saucepan and use a stick blender).

3. Pour into a large saucepan. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and cover with the lid whilst you make your meatballs.

4. In a large bowl, place your minced beef, onion, garlic, herbs, chilli, breadcrumbs and egg.

5. Mix together until thoroughly combined.

6. Form small balls (you should be able to get 30-40 out of this mixture). I generally use a 15ml (tbs) measuring spoon to portion my mixture out before rolling them into balls and setting to one side.

7. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry your meatballs in batches of 8-10 until browned all over. Don’t add too many into the pan or they’ll steam rather than brown.

8. Tip your browned meatballs into the sauce and gently shake the pan to submerge them.

9. Continue to fry the batches of meatballs until they’re all browned and you’ve transferred them all into the sauce.

10. Simmer the sauce and meatballs, without the lid on, for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Try not to stir the meatballs as it may break them up, instead give the saucepan a shake every so often.

11. While your meatballs are cooking, you have time to bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook your spaghetti until ‘al dente’, then drain.

12. Serve the meatballs on a bed of spaghetti, sprinkled win some freshly grated Parmigiana Reggiano.

FREEZE: Once cooked, you can cool & freeze the sauce and meatballs for up to 3 months. Allow to thoroughly defrost and then heat through gently in a saucepan until hot. Serve with fresh pasta.

This is the perfect recipe to double up for another day’s easy meal.

Parmesan cheese Pastry

23rd October 2013 by Freycob

This is a beautifully flavoured pastry to make as the base for a quiche or for a pasty. With a twist of Parmesan to flavour and enrich your food, just add your imagination and see what you can tantalise your palate with. Enjoy!

200g Plain flour

100g Salted Butter, chilled and cut into small cubes

30g Parmesan cheese, grated

1 medium Egg yolk, beaten

35-45ml Cold water, straight from the fridge

The secret to a good pastry is to have your ingredients cold and to work quickly. Ensure you make it early enough to be able to leave your pastry to rest in the fridge. This prevents shrinkage in the oven when you cook it.

1. Tip your flour into a large bowl. Don’t worry about sifting it, you can give it a quick whisk to add some air and lighten it up as well as remove any lumps.

2. Add the cubed butter and, using your finger tips and thumbs, rub the butter into your flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.

3. Add the Parmesan cheese, and quickly work it through your flour & butter mixture until thoroughly combined.

4. Add the beaten egg yolk and about 35ml of your cold water and mix with a flat bladed knife until the pastry comes together. If required, you can add some more of your water, a bit at a time until the dough starts to stick and form a clump.

5. Tip your dough out on to a lightly floured surface and bring together completely with your hands, then quickly and lightly knead into a ball.

6. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

7. When chilled, remove from the fridge, roll and use as required.

As a variation, when you add your cheese, why not also add:

* 10ml dried herbs such as parsley, sage or thyme for a cheese & herb pastry.

* 10ml caraway, poppy or sesame seeds. This’ll give it an extra crunch when cooked.

* pinch chilli powder for a little ‘kick’

What will you make? With ours, my daughter made a salmon and smoked cod flan. I will share the recipe for that soon. Until then…. X

Beef Cobbler

Meatballs with a Spicy Chilli Sauce

Parmesan cheese Pastry

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