Steak Mushrooms and Ale Pie

                                                  

Ingredients

Serves: 8

• 500g cubed beef stewing steak
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 can pale ale or lager
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 300g peeled and cubed potatoes
• 100g quartered fresh mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• pastry for double-crust pie

Preparation method

Prep: 45 mins | Cook: 40 mins

1.

Place the beef, onion and ale in a large saucepan. Simmer over low heat until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes.

2.

Preheat the oven to 200 C / Gas mark 6.

3.

Season the beef with garlic, thyme, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Mix in the potatoes and mushrooms. Cover and simmer over medium heat until potatoes are just tender enough to pierce with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes. Whisk a small amount of the sauce together with the flour in a small bowl, and stir into the beef. Simmer until slightly thickened.

4.

Fit pastry into the bottom and up the sides of a pie dish. Spoon the hot beef mixture into the dish and top with the remaining pastry. Cut slits in the top to vent steam, and crimp the edges to seal them together.

5.

Bake in preheated oven until the pastry is golden brown and gravy is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes.

Lancashire Hotpot Recipe

What you need (serves 4):

• 1 kg under shoulder, neck and shin of lamb (Cut into 3-4cm thick pieces) perferably regional lamb, eg Bowland Lamb
• 700g thinly sliced onions
• 1kg peeled King Edward potatoes
• 25g plain flour
• 40g salted butter, melted
• 150ml chicken stock
• 3tsp sea salt
• White pepper
• Hotpot dish - stoneware, diameter 8"/21cm, height 3.5"/9cm

Method:

1. Season the lamb with 1 teaspoon of salt and a good pinch of pepper, dust with the flour. Put the lamb into the base of the Hotpot dish.
2. Sweat off the onions in 15g of butter with one teaspoon of salt for 4-5mins (to sweat is to cook without colour in a covered pan, on a moderate to hot temperature). Spread the onions evenly on top of the lamb in the Hotpot dish.
3. Slice the potatoes horizontally (2mm thick). Place in a medium size bowl, add the remaining 25g melted butter, season with 1 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of white pepper, mix well.
   Put the sliced potatoes evenly on top of the onions, reserving the best-shaped rounds for the final layer and add the chicken stock.
4. Place the Hotpot, covered in a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes on 180-200C (Aga equivalent bottom of the baking oven) then for approximately 2½ hours on 130C (Aga equivalent in the simmering oven).
5. Remove from the oven, take off the lid or cover, return to the oven on 180-200Cfor 30-40 minutes or until golden brown (Aga equivalent bottom of the roasting oven).

Apple and blackberry shortcake

                                             

Ingredients

For the fruit

• 2 large tart cooking apples
• 4 eating apples
• 1 lemon, finely grated zest only
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 150 g fresh or frozen blackberries

For the shortcake

• 185 g unsalted butter
• 185 g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
• 275 g plain flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

For the brandy custard

• 4 egg yolks
• 3 tsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250 ml milk
• 185 ml cream
• about 3 tbsp brandy

Method

1. For the fruit: peel the apples, remove the cores and cut each apple into about 16 slices. Put the apples, lemon zest, sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a medium saucepan. Cover and stew over a low heat for about 10 minutes, until the apples are soft but not mushy. Allow them to cool. 

2. For the pastry: cream the butter and caster sugar together in a mixing bowl until fluffy and smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture and stir until combined. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough into two equal portions. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

3. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4. Roll each piece of cake dough into a round approximately 22cm across. Press one round into a 24cm nonstick springform cake tin. Spread the apples over the dough, leaving a small border around the edge, then put the blackberries on top. Place the other round of dough on top and press the edges together. Brush with water and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. 

4. For the brandy custard: in a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cornflour, sugar and vanilla, then whisk in the milk and cream until smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan and stir over a low heat for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. 

5. Add the brandy to taste, stirring well. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and keep warm. 

6. Remove the tart from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing and serving with the brandy custard. 

blogging

Hi I 1st got in to blogging to help me with my spelling and reading as i am dyslexic and along the way i found a iphone app. the i phone app is called dragon its a dictation app it a great app to have if your not the best at spelling. if you know any great app that can help please let me know many thanks

Health Insurance Tips

The cost of health care has increased substantially over the past decade, so it should be no surprise that the cost of private medical insurance has followed suit. With premiums up from around annually to 18 according to Data Monitor, it is becoming harder for many people to afford private medical insurance at all. There are ways to cut costs and still get quality cover and quality medical care, though. Here are a few suggestions for getting quality health insurance for you and your family on a budget. Downgrade from comprehensive cover If you’ve been paying for comprehensive PMI, you may reduce your costs by downgrading to a budget plan. There are a number of budget plan types available. One of the most common methods of reducing costs on PMI is to exclude cover for some types of treatments. Those treatments may include tests, complementary health care, and psychiatric care. Exclusions are one way to cut costs t if you end up needing tests, scans, or physical therapy, or any other type of treatment not covered, you could wind up paying far more out of your pocket than you would have paid for the extra cover. Agree to a higher excess Another popular way to lower premiums is to opt for a higher excess. You can lower your premiums by well over 50% if you choose to accept a high excess. If you do choose to take on a higher excess payment, be sure to check how the excess is charged. A per claim excess can wind up being far more expensive than a full cover excess. Share the responsibility A third way to cut the cost of your premiums is to share the cost of your medical expenses with your insurance provider. Rather than paying a fixed excess cost, you agree to pay a percentage of your treatment cost up to a predetermined cap. Pay for your own treatment A new class of payment type for private health care costs is to pay for your own expenses without insurance. There are private hospitals that offer fixed rate operations to allow you to shop around and budget for an operation rather than wait for your turn on the NHS. Private treatment at NHS facilities If you opt to pay your own medical expenses, one option to look into is using private facilities at NHS hospitals. The cost may be cheaper than the same treatment at a private hospital. Employer based PMI Check to find out if your employer offers PMI as a company benefit. Group rates for private health insurance are considerably cheaper than individual, so even if your employer requires you to make a contribution, it’s likely to save you a good amount of money on your health insurance policy. Depending on the policy and the company, you may also be able to get cover for your spouse and children. In some of the larger companies, you may even be able to get cover if you have a pre-existing condition. Shop around for the best deal Comparison shopping will always get you the best deal, so do shop around, and compare premiums. Ask for quotes from several insurance companies but be sure to know beforehand what type and level of cover you want so you can compare like with like. 

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

Here is the best thing I have ever found on the internet. For a chocoholic it is amazing ! Here is the recipe to make a chocolate cake, in the microwave in 5 minutes......perfect!

4 Tablespoons of plain flour

4 Tablespoons of sugar

4 Tablespoons of Cocoa

1 Egg

3 Tablespoons oil/marg

3 Tablespoons milk

3 Tablespoons Chocolate Chips (add to taste.......I add lots!!!)

Small splash of Vanilla Essence 

Add dry ingredients to a large mug and mix well. Add the egg (whisked) then the oil and milk. Mix well. Pop in the microwave for 5 mins. If you have a high powered oven reduce the time slightly (something to play with as I found out!)

Ta Da.......one chocolate cake all to yourself in 5 mins. Just how I like it !!!!!

Car Insurance

Last year, for me AND my wife, for fully comprehensive insurance, breakdown cover, gold member blahblahblah, was STILL cheaper than what I'm paying now. Explain that! It's insane! If it keeps going the way it is, I don't think ANYONE will be able to drive cars due to the expense!