Chicken and stuffing pie

This is the ultimate comfort food pie - you will love it.

As with all great pie recipes, it comes from Lisa Faulkner - her books are my favourite and this recipe is from her most recent book which I would highly recommend. I have also made her chicken and mushroom pie (click here for recipe) and her turkey and leek pie before (click here for recipe)

I changed Lisa Faulkner's recipe a bit, adding garlic and wholegrain mustard to mine, and I also used half the amount of stuffing to her recipe which I thought was the perfect amount, but if you love stuffing and want it oozing then feel free to double my quantity! The stuffing is layered between two sheets of puff pastry so I was sceptical and thought this may make the pie soggy but no no no, it was absolutely perfect and had the most delicious flavour and textures.

I used leftover roast chicken from the previous night to make this pie (click here for recipe!) I would highly recommend using leftover roast chicken because it just has such great flavour and will be moist and tender, and you can use a mixture of breast, thigh, wing etc. Equally, if you are wanting to make this so desperately (which you should be) and haven't got any leftover roast chicken, then cooking chicken thighs or breasts would still work.

Bake this pie and then curl up on the sofa in comfort food heaven. A perfect weekend treat with some oven cooked chips and a glass of wine.

Serves 4

- 85g sage and onion stuffing

- 50g butter

- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed

- 1 onion, chopped

- 50g flour

- 200ml chicken stock

- 150ml single cream

- 2 tsp wholegrain mustard

- 500g cooked chicken, torn

- 200g mushrooms, sliced

- handful of fresh parsley, chopped

- black pepper

- 375g ready rolled puff pastry (Sainsbury's size - quantity can vary)

- 1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. Make the stuffing (mix with boiling water according to packet instructions) and set aside.
3. Fry the garlic and onion in the butter for 5 minutes, or until softened.

4. Mix in the flour, then add the chicken stock, cream and wholegrain mustard. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Stir in the cooked chicken, mushrooms, parsley, and pepper, and cook for a further 5-10 minutes.

6. Transfer the mixture to a pie dish.

7. Cut two layers of pastry to fit the pie dish. Spread one layer with the prepared stuffing.

8. Place the other sheet of pastry on top of the stuffing and press into the other sheet of pastry.

9. Brush the insides of the pie dish above the filling with beaten egg, then place the pastry on top, pressing lightly into the sides to mould to the shape of the dish. Brush the top of the pastry with egg and using a sharp knife, pierce three slits into the middle.

10. Cook in the oven for around 30 minutes, or until bubbling inside and golden brown on top.

Enjoy :)

Beef Bourguignon

I'm surprised to say that I don't think I've ever even tried beef bourguignon before, so when I wanted to cook this for mother's day I decided to stick with Lisa Faulkner's recipe, since her recipes always turn out well and are delicious - this was no exception. I even served it with mustard mash, as she suggested, and it all worked beautifully together, everyone loved it. I would highly recommend this recipe, even though I don't have any others to compare it to (I've heard Lorraine Pascale's is also good), because the beef was so tender and the flavours were amazing from the shallots, wine and bacon mm mm. Perfect for a special occasion.

Serves 4-6

- 500g stewing/braising steak

- flour, for dusting

- olive oil, for frying

- 200g bacon lardons

- 300g shallots, peeled and halved

- 3 garlic cloves, crushed

- 2 tbsp tomato purée

- 125g button mushrooms

- 500ml red wine

- 250ml beef stock

- 1 bouquet garni (dried parsley, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf)

- salt and pepper

- mustard mash - potatoes, milk, butter, wholegrain mustard

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.

2. Coat the beef in seasoned flour.

3. Heat a generous amount of oil in a large casserole dish and brown the meat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat and set aside.

4. In the same dish, add the lardons, shallots and garlic and fry until browned.

5. Add the tomato puree and mushrooms. Return the beef to the dish and add the wine, stock and herbs.

6. Bring to the boil then cover with a lid and cook in the oven for around 3 hours. Serve with mustard mash!

Enjoy :)

Sweet scones with raspberry jam

These English treats are perfect for the Jubilee weekend - whether you're having friends and family over for afternoon tea, or having a party with a finger food buffet. I got this recipe from Lisa Faulkner's book again (I love it, I get so many recipes from there!) and they tasted yummy. However, I was cooking in a student kitchen with no mixing bowls, no scales, no sieve, and no rolling pin... You can imagine the dilemma of guessing the quantities and using a tall drinking glass to roll out the dough and cut out the round shapes. As a result of all the chaos, they didn't seem to rise well like scones usually would (only a few worked out okay) and I also forgot to brush them with milk, and I cooked them slightly too long... This meant that they were quite dense and crunchy, almost like biscuits! Delicious biscuits, nonetheless, especially with jam. I'm going to make these again soon when I'm home so I can get them right, and have them with clotted cream as well as jam. I'm sure this recipe will work perfectly well for you though, so give it a try!

Makes 16

- 375g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting

- 1 tsp salt

- 2 tsp baking powder

- 2 tbsp caster sugar

- 75g cold butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing

- 175ml milk, plus extra for brushing

- raspberry or strawberry jam, to serve

- clotted cream, to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees / gas mark 6 and grease a baking tray.

2. Sieve the flour, salt and baking powder together into a mixing bowl and add the sugar and butter. Rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

3. Mix in the milk to make a dough, and knead a little until it becomes smooth.

4. Roll the dough out onto lightly floured surface to about 1cm thick and cut about sixteen 5-6cm rounds. 

Put the dough circles onto the greased baking tray and brush with a little milk.

5. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until risen and golden.

6. Serve warm or cold with clotted cream and jam!

Enjoy :)

Chicken and mushroom puff pastry pie

I had been craving a pie for ages; pastry is such a weakness for me, and puff pastry is definitely the most satisfying! I decided to make this creamy, comfort food chicken pie after coming across the recipe in Lisa Faulkner's cookbook (check here for info on her book). However, I altered it in a few ways - her recipe is for pot pies (small individual ones) and I made one large one, I lined the dish with puff pastry so it has a pastry base and topping rather than just topping, I used parsley instead of tarragon, and I didn't use any fennel. It was absolutely delicious, I recommend to anyone who likes pies. I had never made a pastry pie before, and it was exceptionally easy considering you can buy ready-rolled puff pastry! My boyfriend and I both loved it, although it is very rich - I guess this is one of the reasons why in the original recipe it just has a pastry topping rather than the filling being completely encased. I served the pie with creamy, parsley mash (I didn't take a picture of this but will write the recipe down below) and green beans. Mmmm, re-living the amazing taste of the mushrooms and parsley - I cannot wait to make this again!

Serves 4
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 medium chicken breasts, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 300g mushrooms, quartered
- 100ml double cream
- 270ml chicken stock
- bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- puff pastry (1 or 2 sheets if just covering top, but 4-6 if lining the dish as well)
- 1 egg, beaten


1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Heat the butter and oil in a deep frying pan and fry the chicken until browned. Put aside and return the pan to the heat, adding the garlic and onion, cooking until softened.
2. Add the mushrooms (adding a bit more oil if necessary) and cook until reduced down and softened.
3. Pour in the double cream and prepared stock, and reduce for 5-10 minutes until thickened. Add the cooked chicken, and parsley.

4. Meanwhile, oil a deep baking dish and line it with puff pastry (only one layer thick). You may need to cut different shapes for it to fit round the sides. Pour the chicken and mushroom mixture into the pastry-lined dish.

5. Top with the remaining pastry and brush with the beaten egg - this helps it crisp up, and gives it that gorgeous golden brown colour. If you want you can save some pastry and make shapes to stick on top, my boyfriend made the star! Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until hot in the middle and the pastry is crisp and golden.

For parsley mash

- mashing potatoes

- salt

- margarine

- double cream

- fresh parsley, chopped

1. Simply cook the potatoes in a pan of salted water according to packet instructions (20-30 mins)

2. Drain and return to the pan, adding a dollop of margarine and some cream. Mash until smooth - season to taste and add more cream if necessary. Add the parsley and stir through... delicious!

Enjoy :)

Chicken with katsu sauce

First of all I have to apologise for the photo - I didn't get one which really shows the sauce and it all looks a bit unclear and messy - I think I was just far too excited about eating it to worry about the photo! I got this from Lisa Faulkner's book again, and just like the macaroni and cheese dish from her book (here), it was very yummy! The sauce was mild which was perfect for me considering I don't like spicy food, although it did leave my mouth feeling hot. The sauce was also nice and sweet from the apple, it tasted so delicious mixed in with the wholegrain rice. And last but not least, the chicken! Who doesn't love crispy chicken!? It really is so simple to breadcrumb your own chicken and actually quite fun dipping it in the egg etc. It was perfectly moist chicken with crunchy crumbs, which complimented the smooth sauce and soft rice brilliantly. I was very weary about cooking this because I have never made any type of curry sauce in my life and had no clue of the consistency it was meant to be or anything - I still don't know if I did it right, but my boyfriend really loved it and suggested that next time there should be more sauce. So either he's just greedy with sauce, or I made it too thick haha...

Serves 4 (I halved it)
- 4 chicken breasts
- seasoned flour, for dusting
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 75-100g dried breadcrumbs
- oil, for frying
- wholegrain rice, to serve

For the sauce
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 1/2 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 200ml chicken stock
- 200ml water
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 2 small apples, peeled and grated
- 1 tsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp cold water
- salt & pepper

1. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion and garlic until softened and slightly brown. Add the turmeric, curry powder and ketchup and stir. Add the stock, water, soy sauce and grated apple, season with salt & pepper, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Add the cornflour paste and cook for a further 2 minutes until the sauce has thickened.

3. Blend with a hand blender or food processor until smooth and set aside until needed.

4. Meanwhile, wrap the chicken in cling film and flatten with a rolling pin.

5. Put the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow dishes. Dust each chicken breast with flour, dip in egg, and coat in breadcrumbs.

6. Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken over a medium heat for about 7 minutes each side until cooked through. Don't forget to boil or microwave some rice!

7. Reheat the katsu sauce gently and serve with the chicken and rice. I served with broccoli as well.

Enjoy :)

The best macaroni and cheese

I had never even made mac n cheese before the other night, which shocked me because it is such a delicious meal. I hadn't actually eaten it for a couple of years which also came as a shock, and probably added to the reason why I loved it so much! I bought Lisa Faulkner's new cookbook (which is absolutely amazing by the way, will post a link at the bottom) the other day, and I found this recipe in there, and it worked perfectly. I was sceptical at first about using leeks in this dish as I'd never heard of it in mac n cheese before, and I wasn't even sure I liked leeks. But honestly, the leeks work so well in this - and they don't have an overpowering flavour like I thought they would - they are just soft which mixes well with the roux sauce. I'd never even made a roux sauce before and everyone always barks on about how difficult it is because it can get lumpy etc. But I had no problems with the ratio of milk, butter and flour, or with the method in this book. The sauce was so smooth, silky and cheesy that I practically ate half of it before it even went in the oven! This recipe has pancetta/bacon in, but of course it would be just as lovely without if you are vegetarian. The only complaint me and my mum had about this dish was that we wanted more! So definitely try this recipe, because it is hands down the best mac n cheese I have ever tasted....

(Sorry for the long intro and that the pictures aren't that clear/great. Need to invest in some fancy square white plates!)

Serves 4-6  (I halved it)
- 300g macaroni
- 75g pancetta, cubed (or bacon)
- 2 leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 50g butter
- 50g plain flour
- 600ml milk
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- a dash of Worcestershire sauce (like Lea & Perrins)
- 225g cheddar cheese, grated
- 75g parmesan cheese, grated
- 65g breadcrumbs
- salt and pepper

Few notes: definitely make sure you stick to the ingredients because they really do all add different flavours and textures to the dish which make it so delicious. Particularly the flavour of the Worcestershire sauce, and the texture of the crunchy breadcrumbs on top!
Also, don't be afraid of making a roux sauce, just stick to the method!

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 5/190 degrees. Cook the macaroni for 10 minutes in salted water, then drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a small frying pan, brown the pancetta over a medium heat, add the leeks and fry until softened. Set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour, beating with a wooden spoon to form a roux. Cook this for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Add the milk gradually, stirring all the time until the sauce has thickened. Add the mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce and salt & pepper. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cheeses (saving a little to sprinkle on top)
5. Mix the leeks and pancetta into the macaroni then spoon into an ovenproof dish. Pour over the cheese sauce and sprinkle over the breadcrumbs. (My sauce was quite thick so I mixed the sauce with the macaroni, leeks and pancetta, and then spooned into the dish - I'm sure the other way works just as well though!)
6. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, until bubbling and crisp on top

Enjoy :)

Amazing book - definitely recommend - so many different recipes to suit all different styles and tastes. Love how it is separated into Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, rather than starters, mains etc. Her mini intros of each recipe really make you inspired to try them. I sat for about 2 hours reading it from cover to cover!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Recipes-My-Mother-Daughter/dp/0857206168/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334007221&sr=8-1