Spaghetti bolognese

Ingredients

200g beef mince
70g spaghetti
250 tomato pasta sauce
Half a red onion, chopped
Beef stock cube dissolved in 200ml water
1tsp worcestershire sauce
Parmesan shavings
Dried oregano
Dried basil

1. Fry the mince and onion until both are cooked

2. Add worcestershire sauce the pour the beef stock over and bring to the boil

3. Add the spaghetti and boil until it has softened

4. Add the tomato sauce and herbs, mix well and simmer for about 10 mins until sauce has thickened

5. Serve and sprinkle parmesan shavings over

Serves 1

Chicken chasseur spaghetti

Ingredients
1 chicken fillet, chopped
3 slices bacon, chopped
70g spaghetti
Half tin of chopped tomatoes
Half an onion, chopped
1 beef stock cube
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
Dried parsley
Dried basil

1. Fry the chicken, onion and bacon

2. Dissolve the stock cube in 250ml water and pour over the chicken, bacon and onion

3. Bring to the boil and add the spaghetti and worcestershire sauce.

4. Add the tomatoes and simmer until sauce starts to thicken

5. Stir in the parsley and basil and serve

Serves 1

Pork, apple and vegetable bake

Ingredients
1 pork chop, cut into smaller chunks
1 sweet potato, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 apple, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
Dried basil
Dried thyme
Poppy seeds

1. Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F / gas 6

2. Fry the pork and sweet potato for 10-15 minutes

3. Put the olive oil, basil, thyme and poppy seeds in a bowl and mix

4. Add the carrot and apple and mix to coat them then put them in a baking tin/dish

5. Do the same with the pork and sweet potato and pour any remaining oil over all of the ingredients

6. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through

Serves 1

Feta, sundried tomato and basil quiche

Ingredients

Savoury pastry case
2 medium eggs
150ml single cream
100g feta cheese, crumbled
100g sundried tomatoes
Fresh basil

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F / gas 6

2. Place the tomatoes, cheese and basil into the pastry case.

3. Beat the eggs, add the single cream and mix

4. Pour into the pastry case

5. Bake for 30 mins

Fish in tomato and onion sauce

Ingredients
600g white fish fillets
500g jar tomato pasta sauce
2 small onions, chopped
100g parmesan
dried parsley
dried basil

1. Preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F / gas 5

2. Fry the onions until soft then place in a baking dish.

3. Pour the sauce over the onions and stir well, stir in the herbs.

4. Place the fish in the middle of the dish and cover with some of the sauce.

5. Sprinkle the parmesan over the top and bake for 20-25 minutes

Serves 4

Creamy pasta with chorizo

Ingredients
300g pasta
200g chorizo, chopped
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
100ml creme fraiche
oregano
basil

1. Boil the pasta for 5-10 minutes until cooked

2. Fry the chorizo for 5 minutes then add the tomatoes

3. Stir in the pasta and herbs and cook for 5 minutes

4. Stir in the creme fraiche and cook for another 5 minutes

Serves 4

Ciabatta sandwich

Ingredients
1 ciabatta loaf
sun dried tomatoes
mozzarella
green pesto
dried basil
olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F / gas 6

2. Cut the loaf in half and spread the pesto over the bottom half

3. Place the sun dried tomatoes on top, sprinkle over some dried basil then put the mozarella on, then the top half of the loaf

4. Bake for 15 minutes then drizzle the olive oil over the sandwich and sprinkle with more basil

Serves 1

Lasagne

Ingredients
250g lasagne sheets
500g minced beef
500g tomato pasta sauce
500g white lasagne sauce
1 onion, chopped
50g cheddar, grated
basil, oregano

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F / gas 4

2. Fry the onion until soft then add the mince and cook until the mince has browned

3. Stir in the bolognese sauce and herbs and heat through for 5 minutes

4. Place a layer of lasagne sheets in the bottom of a baking tin / dish

5. Spread half of the mixture on top, then another layer of lasagne sheets, then mixture, then lasagne sheets

6. Spread the white sauce over the top and sprinkle the grated cheese over

7. Bake for 30 minutes

Serves 4

Feta, tomato and basil triangles

Ingredients
270g pack of filo pastry (6 sheets)
125g feta cheese, crumbled
3 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp dried basil

1. Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F / gas 6. Grease 2 baking trays

2. Mix the cheese, tomato puree and basil together

3. Open out the filo pastry sheets and cut in half (across the width) then cut each half into 3 equal strips.

4. Take 2 strips of pastry and lie on top of each other on a board

5. Put a spoonful of the cheese mixture on one end of the strip and fold the corner over to make a triangle shape

6. Now fold that over, and continue along the strip until it is all wrapped up into a neat parcel

7. Brush with milk and place on a baking tray.

8. Repeat with the rest of the strips, then bake for 15 minutes until pastry is golden and crispy

Salmon and feta filo parcel

Ingredients

1 salmon fillet

2 sheets filo pastry

25g feta cheese

Dried basil and dill

1. Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F / gas 6

2. Lie 2 sheets of filo pastry on top of each other then fold in half to make 4 layers. Lie on a baking tray

3. Crumble the feta in the middle of the pastry. Sprinkle the herbs over the cheese

4. Place the salmon on top of the cheese and brush with milk

5. Fold the corners of the pastry over the salmon to make a parcel. 

6. Brush the parcel with milk and bake for 25 minutes until the pastry is golden

Serves 1

Pizza spirals

Ingredients
1 sheet of ready rolled puff pastry
1 tbsp tomato puree
1tsp dried herbs (I used oregano and basil)
50g cheddar cheese (grated)

1.  Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F / gas 6. Grease a baking tray

2. Mix together the tomato puree and herbs. Spread over the sheet of puff pastry leaving a 2cm space at one end

3. Sprinkle on the cheese and roll up tightly. Brush the edge of the pastry (where you left a space) with water and seal

4. Cut into 1cm thick slices and place on the baking tray

5. Bake for 10-15 minutes

Turkey pasta

Ingredients
500g turkey mince
300g pasta
1 onion, chopped
440g tomato pasta sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
dried oregano and thyme
fresh basil

1. Boil pasta until cooked. Fry mince and onion

2. Add the garlic and dried herbs to the mince, then stir in the sauce

3. Add the pasta and stir.

4. Serve with fresh basil

Serves 4

Mince and dumplings

Ingredients
500g minced beef
1 onion, chopped
1 tin of tomatoes
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 beef stock cube
1 tsp garlic powder

For dumplings:
100g self raising flour
pinch of salt
pinch of mustard powder
1 tsp dried herbs (I used oregano and basil)
1 egg, beaten
10g butter
2 tbsp milk

1. Preheat oven to 220°C / 425°F / gas 7. Grease a baking tray

2. Fry the mince and onions until the mince is brown and the onions are soft. Transfer to a large pan

3. Add tomatoes, stock cube, worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. Stir well

4. Cook for 15 minutes on medium heat

5. While the mince mixture is cooking mix the flour, salt, mustard powder and herbs

6. Then add the butter, egg and milk and mix into a dough

7. Shape into balls and bake for 15 minutes

8. Place dumplings on top of mince mixture in the pan and cook for another 5 minutes then serve

Serves 4

Tomato and mascarpone gnocchi bake

Ingredients
500g gnocchi
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1tbsp tomato puree
250g mascarpone
50g parmesan
Basil
Oregano

1. Boil the gnocchi according to instructions on pack then drain

2. Pour over the tomatos and tomato puree and stir

3. Add the mascarpone, parmesan and herbs. Stir

4. Transfer to an ovenproof dish and bake for 10 minutes

Serves 4

Tomato risotto

Ingredients
300g risotto rice
1tsp olive oil
1 vegetable stock cube
900ml water
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1tbsp tomato puree
120g soft cheese
basil

1. Dissolve stock cube in water and bring to the boil. Keep hot

2. Heat oil in pan, add rice and cook for 2 minutes

3. Pour 1 ladleful of hot stock over the rice. When this has absorbed, stir and add another ladleful of stock. Keep doing this until all stock is absorbed

4. Add tomatoes and tomato puree and stir well.

5. Remove from heat and stir in the soft cheese

6. Garnish with basil leaves and serve immediatley

Serves 4

Mediterranean eggs

Ingredients
200g potatoes (chopped into small cubes)
2 slices bacon
250g tomato pasta sauce
2 eggs
half an onion
tomotoes and red peppers
basil

1. Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes until soft. Drain

2. Fry the bacon, onion, tomatoes and peppers for 5 minutes then add the potatoes

3. Add the pasta sauce and herbs and stir well.

4. Make a hole in the middle of the mixture and crack 2 eggs into the hole

5. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes until eggs are cooked

Serves 1