Mexican Minced Beef Cobbler

Makes 2 meals, each serving 8
Takes 1 hour to make and 20 minutes in the oven

8 tbsp sunflower oil
4 medium onions, finely chopped
8 garlic cloves, crushed
1½ tsp crushed dried chillies
4 tsp freshly ground cumin seeds
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2kg lean minced beef
6 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp light muscovado sugar
2 tsp dried oregano
600ml beef stock, hot
400g can chopped tomatoes
4 roasted red peppers from a jar, drained
2 x 400g cans red kidney beans in water, rinsed and drained

For the spicy polenta cobbler:
400g plain flour
2 tbsp baking powder
2 tbsp soft brown sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp crushed dried chillies
175g polenta
125g Cheddar, finely grated
2 medium eggs
350ml milk
4 tbsp sunflower oil
50g butter, melted


1. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onions and garlic and cook for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the chillies, cumin and cayenne and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the beef and cook over a high heat, breaking up with a wooden spoon as it browns. Add the purée, sugar, oregano, beef stock and tomatoes, bring to the boil, then simmer for 25 minutes, until reduced and thickened.

2. Finely chop the peppers and stir into the meat with the kidney beans. Season, then spoon into 2 x 2.75-3-litre shallow, oval ovenproof dishes.

3. Make the cobbler. Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir in the chillies, polenta and 100g grated cheese. Beat the eggs, milk, oil and melted butter together and stir into the dry ingredients.

4. Drop 8 spoonfuls of the mixture around the edge of each dish, about 2.5cm apart, and sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese.

5. To freeze, cool, then cover 1 dish with cling film and freeze until firm. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw for 24 hours in the fridge, then bring up to room temperature.

6. To cook, preheat the oven to 220°C/fan200°C/gas 7. Bake for 20 minutes, until bubbling and the topping is puffed up and golden.

Nutritional Information

Per serving:
590kcals
30.7g fat (10.5g saturated)
40.2g protein
43.9g carbs
8.3g sugar
1.8g salt

Mascarpone and Prosciutto Pizza

Makes 6 pizzas
Takes 40 minutes to make, 12-15 minutes in the oven, plus proving


375g organic plain flour, plus extra for dusting
7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
Half a tsp salt
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing and drizzling
6 tbsp passata
3 large ripe tomatoes, sliced
6 tbsp mascarpone
250g bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls)
12 thin prosciutto slices
24 black olives
75g wild rocket
Small handful fresh basil leaves


1. Make the dough. Put the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl and gradually mix in 225ml lukewarm water and the oil, until the dough is manageable but not too sticky.

2. Tip onto a floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and stretchy. Put into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Leave in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size.

3. About 30 minutes before you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 230°C/fan210°C/gas 8. Knead the dough for a few minutes, cut into 6 and cover with cloth. Roll each piece – first with a rolling pin, then your fingers – to a rough 20cm circle, with a rim. Put on oiled baking sheets.

4. Spread 1 tablespoon passata over each base. Arrange the tomato on top and dot over the mascarpone and bocconcini. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

5. Arrange 2 prosciutto slices on each pizza and top with olives, rocket and basil. Drizzle with oil and season with pepper to serve.

Per serving:
506kcals
24.7g fat (12.1g saturated)
21.8g protein
52.4g carbs
3.7g sugar
1.3g salt

Nicoise Salad with Bacon and Cheesy Croutons

Serves 4
Ready in 25 minutes

Small ciabatta loaf, torn into pieces
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
25g fresh Parmesan, grated
6 rashers streaky bacon, chopped
100g trimmed fine green beans
1 cos lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
4 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
Large handful of pitted black olives
4 eggs, hard-boiled
1 bottle French dressing, to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan200°C/gas 7. Put the ciabatta into a roasting tin, add the oil and turn to coat. Scatter over the cheese, season with pepper and mix. Stir in the bacon. Cook for 15 minutes, turning halfway, until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.

2. Meanwhile, add the beans to a saucepan of boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes, then drain and plunge into a bowl of cold water to cool. Drain again and set aside.

3. Divide the lettuce between 4 plates. Top with the green beans, tomato wedges, olives and cheesy ciabatta croutons with bacon. Season. Peel and cut the eggs into wedges and scatter over the salad. Drizzle with some French dressing to serve.

Nutritional Information

Per serving:
736kcals
58.6g fat (12.6g saturated)
21g protein
33.1g carbs
8.4g sugar
3.1g salt

Chicken and Pumpkin Cannelloni

Preparation time: 1 hour
Total cooking time: 2 hours

Serves 6

Difficulty: Medium

500g (1lb) butternut pumpkin, with skin and seeds
30g (1oz) butter
100g (3½oz) pancetta, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
500g (1lb) chicken thigh fillets, minced
½ teaspoon garam masala
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
150g (5oz) goat's cheese
50g (1¾oz) ricotta
375g (12oz) fresh lasagne sheets
1 cup (100g/3½oz) grated Parmesan

Tomato sauce

30g (1oz) butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 x 425g (14oz) cans chopped tomatoes
¼ cup (7g/¼oz) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup (60ml/2 fl oz) white wine

1. Preheat the oven to hot 220°C (425°F/Gas 7). Brush the pumpkin with 10g (¼oz) of the butter and bake on a baking tray for 1 hour, or until tender. When the pumpkin has cooked and while it is still hot, remove the seeds. Scrape out the flesh and mash it with a fork. Set aside to cool.

2. Add another 10g (¼oz) of the butter to a heavy-based frying pan and cook the pancetta over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.

3. In the same pan, heat the remaining butter and the olive oil. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the chicken in small batches and brown, making sure the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool on paper towels. Reduce the oven temperature to moderately hot 200°C (400°F/Gas 6).

4. Combine the pumpkin with the pancetta and chicken in a bowl. Mix in the garam masala, parsley, goat's cheese, ricotta and some salt and black pepper. Cut the lasagne sheets into rouht 15cm (6 inch) squares. Place 3 tablespoons of the filling at one end of each square and roll up. Repeat with the rest of the lasagne sheets and filling.

5. To make the tomato sauce, melt the butter in a heavy-based pan and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute, then add the tomato and simmer over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the parsley and white wine, and simmer gently for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

6. Spread a little of the tomato sauce over the bottom of a 3 litre capacity ovenproof dish and arrange the cannelloni on top in a single layer. Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the cannelloni and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is golden.

Nutrition per serving
Protein 44g; Fat 26g; Carbohydrate 55g; Dietary fibre 6.5g; Cholesterol 113mg; 2670kJ (638kcal)

Note:
You can use instant cannelloni tubes instead of the lasagne sheets. Stand the tubes on end on a chopping board and spoon in the filling.