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Top 5 dishes made from an onion, chopped finely,
1 . Puff Pastry Beef, Mushroom & Stout 'Pie'
Puff Pastry Beef, Mushroom & Stout 'Pie'
Sometimes convenience is required & this puff pastry lidded 'pie' is super quick to make and tastes delicious. It uses ready roll puff pastry to make life easier. Gravy granules are also used along with stout to make a thick tasty gravy for the 'pie'.
Ingredient
800 g
cubed beef steak,
110 ml
stout, (dark beer),
2 cloves
garlic, minced,
1 tsp
dried thyme,
4 tsp
beef gravy granules,
1-2 tsp
granulated sugar,
1 tbsp
vegetable oil, for frying,
Cooking instructions
* Step 1
Add the oil to a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onions. Fry for 3 mins then add the beef. Cook until the beef is beginning to brown on all sides and liquid is released from the meat. Drain off the liquid (if any) and discard.
* Step 2
Turndown the heat to medium. Add the mushrooms, thyme & minced garlic. Season well with salt and pepper. Stir everything well. Pour in the stout. Bring to a simmer.
* Step 3
After simmering for around 4 mins, add the gravy granules and stir through to thicken the sauce. Preheat your oven to 200 (fan). Take your pastry out the fridge and bring it up to room temperature.
* Step 4
Add half the sugar to the beef mixture. Stir through. Taste, add another tsp if needed. This will remove any strong bitterness from the stout. Simmer for another 3 mins then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
* Step 5
Dish the cooled beef mixture into your pie dish. Layer over the ready rolled puff pastry and trim off the excess edges - use them as decorations if you wish. Brush over with egg wash and pierce a hole in the centre using a sharp knife.
* Step 6
Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until puffed up & golden. Serve up and enjoy. Perfect with buttery mash & peas! :)
Note: if there is a photo you can click to enlarge it
2 . Hearty Vegetarian Chilli
Hearty Vegetarian Chilli
When I have lots of veg in the fridge that needs using up one of the things that I like to make is a lovely hearty veggie chilli. Here I've listed the veg that I used, however you can use up whatever you need to use as it can be very easily adapted, the only real exception is the onion, which gives a good flavour. This chilli is super low in calories but packed full of goodness and flavour. If cooking for infants too, simply add the chilli powder/fresh chilli at the end of cooking instead, after you've served up their portion.
Ingredient
1 tbsp
tomato pureé paste,
2 cloves
garlic, crushed,
1 tbsp
cocoa powder,
1 tsp
ground cinnamon,
1/2 tbsp
vinegar,
400 ml
water,
Cooking instructions
* Step 1
Heat up a large saucepan over a medium heat and add in a bit of oil to fry the onions. Add the onions and also the vinegar. Fry gently until they begin to soften. Add in the mince meat alternative and the tomato pureé paste, season well with salt and pepper. Stir to get it coated in the oil and fry for around two minutes.
* Step 2
Add in the water and the vegetable stock by crumbling it in. Stir gently then turn down the heat and bring to a simmer. Add in the cocoa powder, stir through until dissolved and the sauce turns a dark rich brown colour.
* Step 3
Add in the dried spices next, so the cumin, cinnamon, chilli powder and smoked paprika. I find it best to add in a bit of chilli powder first, taste it, then add more accordingly to your own personal preference. I like mine pretty hot so add 1tsp!
* Step 4
Stir the spices through and then add in the chopped carrots. Place a lid over and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Once that time has elapsed, add in the tomatoes, courgette and pepper. Stir really well to get everything incorporated well then return to a simmer with a lid on. Simmer low and slow for 1 hour 30 to 2 hours. Cooking the chilli nice and slowly gives the sauce more depth of flavour.
* Step 5
At the end of cooking, dilute the cornflour with a tiny bit of cold water then pour it in and stir through to thicken up the sauce. Add in fresh chilli at the end to taste. Simmer for a few more minutes so the fresh chilli infuses with the sauce then remove from the heat. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
* Step 6
Serve up with your choice of sides and enjoy! :)
Note: if there is a photo you can click to enlarge it
3 . Broccoli & Asparagus Soup
Broccoli & Asparagus Soup
When you have a head of broccoli, instead of throwing away the stalks, why not try making a beautiful soup with them instead? The stalks actually have a strong flavour and work perfectly in soups.
Here I've paired it with some wonderful seasonal asparagus and some salty crispy bacon.
Ingredient
1 tbsp
olive oil,
2 rashers
crispy fried bacon (optional)
Cooking instructions
* Step 1
Add the vegetable stock to the boiling water and stir through to dissolve. Add to a saucepan over a high heat and then place in all of the broccoli stalks. Bring to a boil and cook for around 7 minutes. Next add in the florets and continue to boil.
* Step 2
In a frying pan, add in the olive oil and once hot sear the asparagus and the chopped onion until it gets a bit of colour and the asparagus is slightly charred. Remove from the heat. Remove the asparagus, chop it up into smaller pieces and add it in with the broccoli. Set aside the onions for the time being.
* Step 3
Boil the broccoli until the stalks are nice and soft and the water has reduced down by about half. Season well with salt and a pinch of white pepper to taste.
* Step 4
Add the cooked onions in with the broccoli and asparagus. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes.
* Step 5
Using a hand blender or regular blender, blend until nice and smooth and no large lumps remain. Add in half the milk and blend again until a smoother texture is achieved. Add the remaining milk, blend one final time until velvety smooth.
* Step 6
For the garnish I like to fry up some bacon until crispy, then sprinkle on top with some crème fraiche or fat free quark, and a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil then a few sprigs of fresh parsley leaves. Then a final grind of black pepper and salt to taste. Enjoy!
Note: if there is a photo you can click to enlarge it
4 . BBQ Fried Rice
BBQ Fried Rice
This is fried rice with a delicious BBQ twist. Perfect if you have some left over pulled pork to use up. Here I've used konjac rice to lower the calories but any day old rice would be perfect.
Ingredient
2 handfuls
(around 20g), sweetcorn,
2.5 tbsp
BBQ sauce of your choice,
Cooking instructions
* Step 1
Heat a wok up over a high heat and spray the base liberally with oil. Once nice and hot add in the onions and fry for a couple of minutes, then add in the rice. Stir fry for another minute or two.
* Step 2
Season well with salt and pepper. Add in the sweetcorn. Stir fry for a minute then pour in the beans. Stir and spread out evenly over the wok and allow some of the sauce from the beans to evaporate from the rice.
* Step 3
Add the pulled pork (or veggie alternative), by scattering it over evenly. Toss everything together. Add in 2 tbsp of the BBQ sauce and toss together once more.
* Step 4
Once the rice isn't sloppy in consistency, and it's not too wet turn out into a serving plate, (the key to good fried rice is that the rice isn't too wet, keep moving it around the wok until enough moisture evaporates, ensuring the rice doesn't catch), and drizzle over the remaining bbq sauce and garnish with some crispy onions. Enjoy!
Note: if there is a photo you can click to enlarge it
5 . Easy Gnocchi Bollo Bake
Easy Gnocchi Bollo Bake
This quick and easy bake is so delicious and is ready in 20 minutes! Makes a hearty lunch or dinner that's low in calories and fat. Ideal if you're short on time and need to make something fast.
Ingredient
165 g
5% lean beef mince,
250 g
gnocchi,
1/2 tbsp
tomato pureé paste,
1/2 tsp
garlic granules,
1/2 tsp
dried basil,
1/2 tsp
dried oregano,
Cooking instructions
* Step 1
Heat a medium saucepan over a medium to high heat and spray in a layer of cooking oil. Once hot add in the onions and fry for a couple of minutes then add in the beef mince and brown off. Season with salt and pepper.
* Step 2
Add in the tomato paste, dried herbs and garlic. Stir until everything is combined. Turn the heat down to medium low. Add in around 150-200ml water (just enough to make a nice thick sauce), and bring to a gentle simmer.
* Step 3
Add in the gnocchi and stir. Leave to simmer for 2 minutes. If needed, add a dash more water to loosen up the sauce.
* Step 4
Once the sauce has thickened and reduced once the gnocchi has been added transfer the mixture to an oven proof dish. Preheat your grill.
* Step 5
Scatter over the grated cheese and season with more salt and pepper. Also sprinkle over some extra oregano. Place beneath the grill and leave until the cheese is golden, melted and bubbly.
* Step 6
Serve up once it's cooled for around 1-2 minutes and enjoy! :)
Note: if there is a photo you can click to enlarge it
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