slow cooked beef with gnocchi.

A wholesome, comforting beef recipe which is super simple to make and won't break the bank either. This season, Red Tractor and Simply Beef & Lamb are leading the #LivePeasant campaign to encourage every day home cooks to embrace a more simple, rustic approach to cooking. Stew and casserole recipes are at the heart of the campaign, making affordable cuts of beef and lamb tender and tasty using traditional one-pot methods. 

This slow cooked beef recipe is teamed with warming cinnamon, spicy cayenne pepper and smoky paprika before being stirred through with gnocchi and topped with fresh parsley. Just perfect!

sausage, spinach, mozzarella and egg pan bake with debbie&andrew's.

A Mother's Day breakfast treat for that special person in your life. With this Sunday 6th March just around the corner (note: remember to put that card on your shopping list), I've teamed up with debbie&andrew's to create a breakfast recipe to make her smile. This one pan wonder is so simple to rustle up and can even be made with leftovers. Inspired by Andy Bates' sausage, spinach and egg bake, I've made a version which switches mushrooms for red peppers and cheddar for mozzarella. Of course don't forget fresh flowers and a cuppa just the way they like it. 

chorizo, chicken and chickpea casserole.

in terms of cuisine, i tend to lean towards either asian inspired dishes or italian with my new found love for pasta making! in the search for something new, i found myself using the handy "cuisine type" option on bbc good food and clicking on... spanish! here i stumbled upon simon rimmer's chorizo, chicken and chickpea casserole and instantly had to try it. 

i did slightly tweak as i didn't use sherry in mine (and probably a bit more than just a splash of red wine) but on the whole i stuck to the recipe - which was delicious! i also halved to make three portions.

 

raspberry and coconut cupcakes: peyton and byrne recipe

shopping list
for the cupcakes
♥ 100g softened unsalted butter
♥ 125g caster sugar
♥ 150g self raising flour
♥ two eggs
♥ 60g low fat natural yoghurt
♥ 200g raspberries - set aside the best 12 for decoration
♥ 30g desiccated coconut 


for the icing
♥ 115g caster sugar
♥ 175g unsalted butter, softened
♥ two egg whites
♥ 50ml coconut milk, shaken
♥ flaked coconut to decorate

preheat the oven to 170 degrees and line the tin with 12 fairy cake cases. drop in a couple of raspberries in each.


for the cupcakes, mix together the butter and caster sugar until creamy. then add in each egg at a time and sieve in the flour. lastly, lightly mix in the natural yoghurt and desiccated coconut.


drop roughly three generous teaspoons of the mixture into each case. pop in the oven for around 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. 
next... the yummy, scrummy icing :)


the coconut icing is made with an italian method - which means it uses egg whites instead of classic butter and icing sugar made buttercream.

to prepare the egg whites, simply crack the egg in your hand and let the whites fall through your fingers into a bowl ready for later.

begin making the icing by pouring the sugar and egg whites into a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of boiling water over a low heat until the granules have dissolved into a thickened syrup. 


when the sugar mixture has cooled, beat together for 10 minutes - preferably with an electric hand whisk - or if not just a little of elbow grease. add in the butter a little at a time. do not fret if it splits; persevere and it will come back together to form a creamy texture. a great tip is to keep it in the fridge for a little while so it thickens even more.


ice the cupcakes and sprinkle with coconut flakes - of course topping each with a raspberry. it's one of your five a day, right?

if you love these as much as i do then maybe you'll like my lemon and almond frangipane tart recipe.

with thanks to peyton and byrne for their amazing cakes and even more amazing recipes. if you're ever in st pancras station in london, be sure to buy a chocolate tart for the journey :)