With the school run back in full flow, it’s easy to fall into the habit of throwing a ready meal in the oven or picking up the phone for your local takeaway which is something, I must admit, I am also guilty of.
However, I always remind myself of the joy it brings to cook for the family, and it quickly brings me back to healthy habits once more. A regular question I get at our cookery school is about preparing meals in advance and batch cooking.
That’s why one of this week’s recipes is meat sauce which is great for popping in the freezer for a lasagne, spaghetti Bolognese or chili con carne. My second recipe this week is a plum crumble, a fool-proof dessert which is delicious served with custard. These tasty recipes should help take the shade off the autumnal nights.
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Plum Crumble
Ingredients
- 800g plums, stoned and quartered
- 500g chopped hazelnuts
- 150g cold butter, cut into small pieces
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 175g demerara sugar
- 175g plain flour
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 3 whole star anise
- Salt
- Thick double cream, to serve
Method
- Heat the oven to 190C.
- To start, place plums in an oven proof dish and sprinkle with lemon juice, three tablespoons of sugar and half of the cinnamon. Scatter the dish with star anise, cover with cling film and place in the fridge.
- Next, place the hazelnuts into a blender and blend until gritty. Place in a bowl and add in the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt, stirring until well combined. Then, mix in the butter until the texture is like breadcrumbs.
- Now, remove the plums from the fridge and place the breadcrumbs on top. Place in the oven for 40 minutes until the top is golden and the juice is bubbling. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes before serving. Serve with cream on the side.
Meat Sauce
(Serves 6)
Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped
- 400g tinned tomatoes with juice
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 40g butter
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 350g lean minced beef
- 8 tbsp milk
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 20g picked thyme
- Salt
Method
- To start, place the chopped onion with the oil and butter in a deep pot and sauté over a medium heat until translucent. Next, add the celery and carrot, cooking for two minutes. Then, add the mince beef and a pinch of salt.
- Next, add the milk, nutmeg and thyme and cook until evaporated, stirring thoroughly. Now, add the tomatoes and when bubbling, turn down the heat and cook on a gentle heat for three to three and a half hours. This length of time is what makes the difference between a good and bad meat sauce.
- Don’t forget that it can be frozen for use again so I recommend making it in batches. I have not called this Bolognese as I always blend mine with a stick blender to get a fine texture which tends to coat the spaghetti better.
