Guinness beef & cabbage hash

Ingredients Potato, cream, butter, stewing steak, Guinness, beef stock, leek, cabbage, plain flour.

Serves: 2 preparation: 1 hour


This came together as a sort of desperate cobbling together as leftovers but The Boy loved it so it's come on the list of recipes to post as an alternative to my Guinness pie. Yet another St Patrick's Day cliched idea!


1) Peel and dice the potato and boil in hot salted water for 20 minutes


2) Dice the leek and cabbage and sautee in a little butter. Sift in a little plain flour to form a sort of roux, then add the chunks of beef and allow to brown before pouring over just enough Guinness to cover the meat.


3) Allow the Guinness to bubble away for about 10 minutes, then add a little beef stock and cream before stirring through. By now the sauce should have thickened to a glossy, dark brown hue.


4) Spoon the beef, cabbage and leek mixture into a casserole dish and set aside.


5) Strain the potatoes and mash with a little butter and cream. Season well with salt and black pepper, then pipe over the meat. Bake in the oven for 10-20 minutes until the top is golden brown and crispy

Mexican Mole soup

Ingredients   6 squares 70% dark chocolate, 1 pint vegetable/beef stock, 400g beans (I used kidney beans, pinto beans,    cannellini beans and haricot beans but you could use black eyed   peas/rice), 1 onion, tomato puree,   olive oil, cumin, 3 cloves smoked    garlic, tahini, smoked chipotle pepper.

Serves: 5 Preparation: 45 minutes

This soup is incredibly, incredibly rich. It's my perfect winter soup - full of beans and exotic spices and the silky texture of chocolate. Seduction in a bowl, this would be wonderful served with a spoon of Rachel's Organic Greek yoghurt to contrast.

1) Finely dice the onion and add into the stockpot with a tablespoon of olive oil. Once the onions have softened, add in 2 cloves of minced smoked garlic, the diced smoked chillis (I have left the quantity up to you - personally I like my food ultra hot but not everyone has an asbestos tongue!) and the chocolate and stir through until the chocolate has melted.


2) Add a generous squeeze of tomato puree, a tablespoon of cumin, a teaspoon of tahini and stir through.


3) Finally add in the stock, the beans and simmer for 30 - 45 minutes which should allow the stock to reduce down to a lovely rich soup. Tesco sell a tin of  "taco beans" in a mildly spicy sauce, 2 tins of which are perfect for this soup if you don't want to go to the fuss of soaking your own beans.

Lavender lamb stew

Ingredients 3 tablespoons Lavender Jam/2   teaspoons dried lavender, 2 onions, 3 stalks of rosemary, 900g lamb, 2 carrots, 2 sweet potatoes, salt, 1 pint beef/lamb/venison stock, red wine, butter/rosemary oil, Worcestershire sauce.

Serves: 6 Preparation: 2 hours


My favourite ingredient is lavender. It has an incredible flavour and scent, medicinal properties and is perfectly partnered with rosemary which makes this stew sinfully rich and fragrant. You can use my Lavender Jam to caramelise the onions which gives this stew that wonderful dark French Onion glaze and hint of sweetness, or keep it savoury and make your own lavender essence to add to the stock.


1) Peel and dice your onions and add to a stock pot with 2 tablespoons of butter or rosemary oil. As the onions begin to soften, crush 4 or 5 cloves of garlic into the pan along with the rosemary stalks (chopped finely) and stir through.


2) At this stage add the lavender jam and caramelise the onions if you're taking this approach. If not, peel and dice the sweet potatoes and carrots as the onions and garlic begin to soften, then set aside.


3) Add the chunks of lamb and stir through until the meat begins to colour then add 1/3 of a bottle of red wine and stir through. Allow to simmer on a low heat.


4) If you are not using lavender jam, infuse the beef stock with the dried lavender by simmering on a low heat in a separate pan for about 10 minutes. Strain the stock through a sieve into the stock pot and discard the lavender.


5) Add the carrots and sweet potato and stir through. Leave on the hob for at least 30 minutes to allow the sauce to reduce and the carrot and potatoes to soften. Taste the sauce and season according to taste with salt, pepper and worcestershire sauce.