A tasty classic. I usually just make a cheesecake that goes straight in the fridge, but i wanted to try making it the way i've seen it on the great british menu, baked. What a difference it made! A silky smooth creamy slightly set centre and a crunchy toasted base. Even though it does that a while to make, its well worth it!

Ingredients:

250g Sweet Plain Biscuits (i used milk coffee, i had them in my cupboard)
125g Butter, melted
2x 250g Philly Cheese (cream cheese), softened
3/4 Cup Castor Sugar
3/4 Sour Cream
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 Eggs
Fruit to decorate if wanted

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 140'c and line the bottom of a spring form cake tin and lightly grease sides.

Blitz biscuits up in a food processor until it resembles crumbs. Add melted butter and process until combined. Press mixture into prepared tin pressing down firmly over bottom and up sides. Place in the fridge for 20mins.

Place cream cheese, sugar, sour cream , vanilla and lemon rind into a food processor or mixer (I used my kitchenaid with the mixer attachment). Mix until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, processing until combined. Pour mixture into the prepared tin. Bake for 50mins to and hour until just set and centre wobbles a little bit still. Allow to cool in the oven for 2 hours ( leave the door open slightly). Put in the fridge to cool thoroughly before serving. Serve with fresh fruit if wanted.

Pangrattato is a word meaning poor man's bread crumbs. Its old bread blitzed and flavored to add something special to your meals. I always have a massive tub of this in my cupboard, but it doesn't last long. Great for pasta toppings or for crumbing meat. 

Ingredients:
4 Pieces stale bread
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
2 Bacon slices, Cooked till crispy
4 Sprigs Thyme, leaves picked of stalks
Salt
Olive Oil

Method:

Place bread and bacon into a food processor and blitz until breadcrumbs. Bring a large frying pan to hot. Add breadcrumbs, garlic, thyme, a large pinch of salt and a large glug of olive oil (enough to lightly coat the crumbs). Cook stirring regularly until crumbs are golden brown and crispy. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Store in a sealed container. 

Notes: Can be used as a topping for pasta, seafood and a coating for meats.

Ingredients:

185g Self Raising Flour
2 Tablespoons Castor Sugar
2 Eggs,  beaten
250ml Milk
60g Butter, melted
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste ( or extract)
Pinch of salt

Method:

Sift flour, sugar and a pinch of salt into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Mix together eggs, milk, butter, cinnamon and vanilla into a jug, pour into the well and whisk to a smooth batter. Allow to stand for up to 20mins (this allows for a fluffier pancake). 
Heat a non-stick frying pan and brush with butter. Add 3 Tablespoons of batter into the pan and swirl gently to desired pancake size. Cook over a low heat for 1 minute or until bubbles burst on the surface. Flip pancake over and cook on the other side until cooked. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm whilst cooking remaining batter.

Note: You can flavor these pancakes with anything you like.
Serve with a warm maple syrup and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Nothing feels more comforting than a bowl of shepherd's pie on a winters night. Shepards pie was a dish created by people using leftovers. Meat (generally lamb hence the name 'shepherd's' pie) but now beef is mostly used, leftover veggies and leftover potatoes. A delicious meal for the whole family. 

Ingredients: 

1 Red Onion, diced
1 Carrot, diced
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
Olive oil
 500g Minced Beef
 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
250ml Chicken Stock
½ Cup Red Wine
 Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5kg Potatoes
100ml Milk
A large knob of butter

Method:

Heat a large pan on a medium heat. Add a good glug of olive oil; add onion, carrot, and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, Turn the heat up, add the mince, and brown for 10 minutes. Use a sieve to drain away any excess liquid from the pan, and then add in the tinned tomatoes.  Pour in the stock and wine, season with a good pinch of salt and pepper and stir well, and then bring to the boil.  Reduce to a low heat, and simmer for 1 hour.

To make the mash peel the potatoes, cut them into quarters and put them into a saucepan of salted, boiling water.  Boil for about 10 minutes until tender (to make sure they are cooked stick a knife in them and it should slide out).

Drain and return them to the pan, add milk and butter, mash well and season.

 Preheat the oven to 200’c. Transfer the beef mixture to a large ovenproof baking dish spoon the mash evenly over the top. Drizzle with olive oil, and then cook in the hot oven for 25 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Serve with veggies.

Note: Serve with some sprinkled Pangrattato

Gnocchi has the misconception that its really hard to make but im here to prove it's not. These fluffy little pillows are so tasty and are a great meal either by themselves or as a side. A great tip i've learnt it to squeeze the dough instead of kneading it. I serve my gnocchi with a bit of Olive oil and fresh chopped tomatoes and a sprinkle of thyme. 

Ingredients:


1 kg Potatoes, peeled
200g Plain Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
100g Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
1 Egg, lightly beaten

 Method:

In a large pot, cover the potatoes with water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until tender. Drain and cool slightly.
Begin by roughly mixing the flour, salt and parmesan in a large mixing bowl. To mash the potatoes, use a potato ricer or mash with a fork and push through a sieve. Add the potato and egg to the flour, salt and parmesan mixture, then gently squeeze until just combined. The texture should feel like very soft play dough, but it shouldn’t stick to your hands. Dust the bench with flour, break off small amounts of dough and gently roll into 1 cm diameter sausages. With a knife, cut off 2 cm sections, roll them in plain flour to prevent sticking and rest them on a tray ready to boil.
In a large pot, boil plenty of salted water. Shake excess flour off the gnocchi before putting into the boiling water. When the gnocchi is cooked, they will float. Gently scoop them out with a slotted spoon and lower straight into the sauce of your choice.  

A classic! Roast spud, but done differently. I like to jazz up my potatoes at any chance i get so with these i added onion and garlic. Once all the flavors are mixed together and baked until golden and crispy and it tastes amazing. As always you can add any combo of flavors to your spuds to enhance them to your liking, go ahead be creative.

Ingredients:

3-4 large potatoes, sliced into wedges
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 Onion, sliced
1 Head Garlic, cut in half

 Method:

Pre heat the oven to 180’c.
Place potatoes on a baking tray mix well with oil, salt, onion and garlic. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until they are potatoes are cooked through, browned and crispy.

Notes: To enhance your wedges add some parmesan cheese with some chopped parsley or bacon with grated cheddar cheese.

Nothing says sunday lunch better than a crispy skinned, juicy centre and a tasty  roast chook! This recipe is a little bit fancy as you stuff the skin with butter and place sage leaves on top so when the skin cooks it goes transparent and the leaves come thru and look amazing.

Ingredients:

50g Butter, Softened
Bunch of Sage Leaves
3 Garlic cloves
1 Lemon, Halved
1 Chicken (1.5kgs)
1 Tablespoon Flour
250mls Chicken Stock

Method:

Heat oven to 200C
Use your hand to loosen the chicken skin away from the breast, then push most of the butter mix into the gap, add the sage leaves on the top of the butter so you can see it thru the skin. Rub the rest of the butter all over the outside of the chicken, then stuff the cavity with the lemon halves and the garlic.
Sit the chicken breast-side up in a roasting tin, and roast on the middle shelf for 1 hr 30 mins, basting with the buttery juices after about 40 mins. When the chicken is golden, crispy-skinned and the juices run clear, remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 5 mins. Transfer the chicken to a serving plate (keep the lemon and garlic in the tin) and rest for at least another 15 mins. Serve with veggies, Yorkshire puds and gravy (see below).


Note: To make the gravy, squeeze the juice out of the cooked lemon halves and discard the skins. Place the tin on a low heat, stir in flour and sizzle until light brown. Gradually pour in the stock and cook for a few mins. Strain the gravy into a jug and serve with the chicken.

A quick 15min treat, perfect for an afternoon snack or for the kids lunch boxes. A mix between a muffin and a scone. Add bacon for an extra treat!

Ingredients:

1 Cup Self Raising Flour
2 Cups Cheese, Grated
1 Egg, beaten
1/2 Cup Milk

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180'c. Grease a 12 hole muffin tin.
Mix  all ingredients in a bowl using a wooden spoon, adding the milk last to bind. Mix well to ensure an even consistency (the mixture will be very sticky). 
Use a tablespoon to put golf ball sized amounts into each of the muffin tin holes. Bake for 10mins.
Cool in a tray for 5mins before removing and serving.