meatballs. Pour the remaining olive oil into a large frying pan on a medium heat and, when hot, add the meatballs and fry for 10–12 minutes, turning regularly, until evenly browned and cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside.
* Remove the risotto from the oven and beat in the butter and most of the Parmesan cheese with a wooden spoon. Taste for seasoning, then divide between bowls, top with the meatballs and sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan.
This deliciously spicy mince mixture tastes wonderful served with lightly toasted pitta breads and a few spoonfuls of Greek yoghurt. Use beef mince instead of lamb if that’s what you have to hand, it's still delicious.
Serves 4–6
PREPARATION TIME
10 minutes
COOKING TIME
20–25 minutes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 large clove of garlic, peeled and crushed or finely grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
450g (1lb) lamb mince
225g (8oz) potatoes, peeled and cut into 5mm (¼in) dice
75g (3oz) frozen peas
To serve
4–6 pitta breads
About 150ml (5fl oz) natural Greek yoghurt
* Pour the olive oil into a large frying pan on a high heat and, when hot, add the onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Fry, stirring frequently, for 6–8 minutes or until the onion is cooked and golden at the edges.
* Add the spices and mince and cook for 4–5 minutes or until the mince loses its raw colour. Tip in the potatoes and 50ml (2fl oz) water, then cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 8–10 minutes or until the potatoes are just tender, then add the peas and cook, uncovered, for a further 2 minutes.
* Shortly before the spiced mince is ready, toast the pitta breads and pour the Greek yoghurt into a small serving bowl. Season the cooked lamb to taste and serve with the toasted pittas and yoghurt.
These delicately aromatic meatballs are very happy resting on a bed of couscous – a seriously useful store cupboard ingredient that is ready to serve after only a few minutes soaking in stock or hot water. The meatballs can be stored in the freezer before cooking (defrost them well before use).
Serves 4–6
PREPARATION TIME
10 minutes, plus chilling
COOKING TIME
10–15 minutes
6 green cardamom pods
500g (1lb 2oz) lamb mince
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 onion, peeled and grated
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed or finely grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
For the sauce:
200ml (7fl oz) natural Greek yoghurt
1 tsp turmeric
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cucumber, cut into 2cm (¾in) chunks (optional)
* Place the cardamom pods on a chopping board, lay the flat side of a large knife over the top and press down to lightly crush. Remove the seeds (discarding the pods) and crush to a powder with a pestle and mortar or place in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.
* Place the crushed seeds in a bowl with the lamb mince, lemon zest, onion and garlic, then season with salt and pepper and mix together. To check the seasoning, fry 1 teaspoon of the mixture in a frying pan for 1–2 minutes or until cooked through, then taste to see whether you need to add more salt or pepper to the mixture.
* Using wet hands, form the mixture into 20–24 meatballs, each about 3–4cm (1¼–1½in) in diameter, then leave to chill in the fridge (for up to 24 hours) until you are ready to cook them.
* Pour the olive oil into a frying pan on a medium heat and, when hot, add the meatballs and fry them for 8–12 minutes, tossing occasionally, until well browned and cooked through.
* To make the sauce, simply mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve drizzled over the meatballs on a bed of couscous.
Chocolate, toffee and peanut squares
One of my guilty pleasures is a tin of boiled condensed milk. The sugars in the milk caramelise to make a thick toffee-like sauce. It’s perfect for cooking or eating straight from the tin (with or without a spoon!). It’s also possible to buy ready-boiled condensed milk, which is sold in jars as dulce de leche. If you want to make your own, boil unopened tins of condensed milk for 2 hours – I like to prepare a few tins at a time and then keep them in the cupboard where they’ll store for months.
Makes about 24 squares (v)
PREPARATION TIME
10 minutes
COOKING TIME
20 minutes, plus chilling
100g (3½oz) caster sugar
200g (7oz) butter, softened and diced
300g (11oz) self-raising flour, sifted
400ml (14fl oz) dulce de leche or boiled condensed milk (see recipe introduction)
125g (4½oz) salted peanuts, roughly chopped
200g (7oz) milk chocolate, broken into pieces
20 x 30cm (8 x 12in) Swiss roll tin
* Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4. Line the base of the Swiss roll tin with baking parchment.
* In a food processor, whiz together the sugar, butter and flour for the shortbread base until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Alternatively, rub together the butter
