US measures at the moment

Ingredients:-

• 14 ounces ground pork
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 3⁄4 ounces canned bamboo shoots, drained rinsed and chopped
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons superfine sugar
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 4 1⁄2 teaspoons cornstarch

Method:-

• Place the ground pork, scallions, bamboo shoots, soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil, sugar and beaten egg white in a large mixing bowl and mix until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
• Stir in the cornstarch, mixing until thoroughly incorporated with the other ingredients.
• Place a spoonful of pork mixture in your hand and roll into a tight ball.
• Line a steamer with a clean, DAMP tea towel and arrange meatballs inside.
• Cover and steam for 5-7 minutes, until balls are cooked through.
• Serve immediately.
• Note. You may need to steam for longer so try a test run first. Do not put too many balls in the steamer at any one time.

For the sauce

Ingredients:-

• 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce



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Method:-

• In a large saucepan, mix 1 cup water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup ketchup and 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce.
• Bring to a boil and mix in 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/4 cup water to thicken.
• Cook until well blended.

Optional

• Add a few pinapple chunks to the sauce and warm through before serving.
• Pour this sauce over the meatballs and serve with charred vegetables such as courgette, onion, aubergine, peppers etc.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:-

Green Curry Paste

• 4 lemongrass stalks, roughly chopped
• 6 spring onions, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 4cm ginger, roughly chopped
• Stalks from a 30g bag of fresh coriander (cilantro)
• 4 large green chillies (see note)
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 6 tablespoons coconut milk

Lamb Thai Green Curry

• 2 tablespoons olive or rapeseed oil
• 4 lamb leg steaks
• 400ml tin coconut milk (minus the 6 tablespoons used above)
• 1 red pepper, sliced into batons
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce (optional)
• Juice of 1 lime
• Leaves from a 30g bag of fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped finely (save some for garnish)
• T-o serve
• Reserved fresh coriander for garnish
• 1 lime cut into 4 wedges
• 300g jasmine rice (or basmati, or long grain)

Method:-

• Start by making the paste. Place the lemongrass, spring onions, garlic, ginger, coriander stalks, chillies, ground coriander and cumin in a small blender or food processor, along with 6 tablespoons of the coconut milk and blend to a smooth paste. Alternatively you can place all the ingredients in a small jug or bowl and use a hand blender to mix to a paste.
• Set aside the green curry paste while you fry the lamb.
• In a wide, deep frying pan, heat up the oil for 1 minute on high, then add in the lamb leg steaks and fry for 4 minutes on each side. Remove the lamb from the pan and rest for 5 minutes.
• Drain off any fat from the pan, then add the curry paste and cook for 3 minutes, then add the rest of the coconut milk, red pepper, fish sauce and lime juice, and cook for 2 minutes.
• When the lamb has rested, chop the lamb into bite-size pieces and add the lamb back into the pan, together with most of the chopped fresh coriander (cilantro). Cook for 2-3 minutes, then serve with jasmine rice, extra coriander as a garnish, and lime wedges on the side.

Note:-

I have used 4 mild green chillies in the curry paste – these are the normal larger sized green chillies you can buy from supermarkets (in the UK, at least). I usually remove all the seeds and some of the membranes to give a milder taste. You can leave them in if you prefer a hotter flavour. If you prefer not to handle fresh chillies, you can use 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes instead for a similar level of heat as my milder version.

New potatoes, wild garlic and cream

If garlic leaves prove evasive, I use 6 cloves of new, wet garlic instead, crushed flat and left in the hot cream for 15 minutes to infuse, then removed. I add pepper, but not salt, which I already added to the potato cooking water.

Serves 3-4 as side dish

Ingredients:-

• new potatoes 450g
• butter 20g
• garlic leaves 85g
• double cream 250ml
• lemon zest 1 tsp
• lemon juice 1 tsp

Method:-

• Scrub the new potatoes, but do not peel them. Either steam them in a colander over boiling water covered with a lid, or boil them in lightly salted water. They will need 8-15 minutes depending on their size.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the washed garlic leaves and let them cook for a minute or two, turning them in the butter as they soften. Once they have wilted, pour in the cream, then bring it to the boil. As the cream starts to boil, remove it quickly from the heat, season it lightly with pepper, the lemon juice and zest then cover with a lid or plate and set aside for 10 minutes for the cream and garlic to infuse.
• Drain the potatoes and put them on a large serving plate. Using the back of a spoon or a potato masher, press firmly down on the potatoes to lightly crush them. Ideally the skins should be broken and the flesh open enough to take up the dressing, but not so heavily crushed that they fall to pieces.
• Spoon the cream and softened garlic leaves over the potatoes, leave for a few minutes for the cream to soak in, then eat while still hot.

A vegetarian pie recipe made with seasonal autumn vegetables and goat's cheese in a cheesy pastry. The pie is freezable so you can make it ahead.

I used a 6 inch pie mould.

Ingredients:-

• 2 (about 1kg each) butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into thick slices
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
• 2 tsp ras el hanout (from the spice section of most major supermarkets)
• Pinch of chilli flakes
• 2-3 red onions, thinly sliced
• 4 whole garlic cloves with skins on
• 1kg baby spinach
• 250g ricotta
• 50g pine nuts, toasted
• 200g soft, rindless vegetarian goat’s cheese, sliced

For the pastry

• 350g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 50g coarse polenta
• 150g cold butter, cut into cubes
• 60g grated vegetarian Parmesan
• 1 medium free-range egg, beaten

Method:-

• .For the pastry, mix the flour, polenta and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Tip into a bowl, add 50g of the grated Parmesan and mix with a table knife until the mixture comes together. Measure out 4 tbsp cold water and add a little at a time until the dough just sticks together (you may not need all the water). Knead it gently until it forms a ball, wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for 20 minutes in the fridge.
• .Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Scatter the sliced butternut squash over 2 or 3 large roasting trays, drizzle with half the olive oil, scatter over the cumin seeds, ras el hanout and chilli flakes, and season well with salt and black pepper. Roast in the oven, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes.
• .Meanwhile, add the sliced onions and garlic to another roasting tin with the rest of the olive oil. Halfway through cooking the squash, add the onions to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Remove the squash and onions from the oven, squeeze out the garlic from their skins, mash the roasted garlic into the onions and leave to cool slightly.
• .Place the spinach in a colander over the sink and pour over a kettle of boiling water. Refresh under cold water, then squeeze dry to remove all the excess water. Chop the spinach, put into a bowl, season and mix with the ricotta, then set aside.
• .On a lightly floured surface, roll out two-thirds of the pastry and use it to line the base and sides of a 23cm springform tin. Add half the spinach mixture in a layer, then distribute half the roasted squash on top of that. Scatter with half the pine nuts, then half the goat’s cheese. Repeat with the rest of the spinach mixture, butternut squash, pine nuts and goat’s cheese. Finally, add the garlicky onions in a layer on top.
• .On a lightly floured surface, roll out the rest of the pastry, then lay on top of the pie, pushing in the edges to seal well. Make a hole in the middle of the pie and decorate the top with leaves made from any leftover pastry. Brush the top of the pie with beaten egg, scatter with the rest of the Parmesan and chill for 20 minutes.
• .Cover with cling film and foil and freeze, uncooked, for up to 1 month.
• .When ready to eat, remove the foil and cling film and defrost fully in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6 and bake for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is golden brown on top. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before serving.