Mary Reese

Healthy steak pie

Ingredients
320g/11½oz sheet ready-rolled puff pastry (you will only use half)
1 tsp milk
3 tsp sunflower oil
250g/9oz thin frying steaks, cut into roughly 2cm/¾in pieces
1 onion, finely chopped
500g/1lb 2oz chestnut mushrooms, halved or quartered if large
4 tsp plain flour
1 tsp garlic powder (or 1 garlic clove, crushed)
350ml/12fl oz beef stock (made with 1 beef stock cube)
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Quick chicken korma

Ingredients
For the chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and quartered
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp lime or lemon juice
2 tsp rapeseed or sunflower oil
½ tsp fine sea salt
For the sauce
2 tbsp sunflower oil or 1 tbsp ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 medium onion, very finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp finely grated fresh root ginger
½ x 400g can chopped tomatoes, blended until smooth (alternatively use passata)
1 tsp tomato purée
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 heaped tsp garam masala
¼ tsp hot chilli powder
75g/2¾oz ground almonds
300ml/½ pint full-fat milk
½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
freshly cooked rice and fresh coriander, to serve

Easy tinned tomato risotto

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp dried mixed herbs or dried oregano, plus extra to garnish
400g tin chopped tomatoes
300g/10½oz risotto rice
1 vegetable or chicken stock cube
900ml/1½ pint freshly boiled water
40g/1½oz cheddar, finely grated
salt and ground black pepper

Corned beef chilli

Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (or 100g/3½oz sliced frozen onions)
6 large garlic cloves, crushed (or equivalent frozen garlic or 3 tbsp garlic paste)
350g tin corned beef (or any other tinned meat), grated
400g tin kidney beans (or any other beans or frozen peas), drained and rinsed
400g tin cannellini beans (or any other beans), drained and rinsed
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes (or 1 tbsp tomato purée and 400ml/14fl oz beef stock)
2 tbsp paprika, sweet or smoked (or chilli powder, to taste)
2 tbsp ground cumin (or chilli powder, to taste)
200ml/7fl oz red wine or strong black tea
20g/¾oz dark chocolate (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
cooked basmati rice, to serve (or bread, mashed potatoes or cooked pasta)

Lamb moussaka

Ingredients
75ml/6fl oz olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
675g/1½lb lamb mince
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1.25ml/¼tsp cinnamon
1.25ml/¼tsp allspice
2 x 400g/14oz tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp fresh, soft thyme leaves
175ml/6fl oz white wine
4 medium aubergines, cut into 1cm/½in slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Plain flour, for dusting
For the topping
85g/3oz unsalted butter
85g/3oz plain flour
900ml/1½pt milk
85g/3oz Parmesan, grated
115g/4oz gruyère, grated
2 free-range egg yolks
1 free-range egg

Slow cooker moussaka

Ingredients
2 tsp vegetable oil, plus 2 tbsp for frying the aubergine
400g/14oz lamb mince
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 fresh or dried bay leaves (optional)
690g jar passata
1 tsp sugar
1 large, or 2 small aubergines, cut into 1½–2cm/½–¾in cubes
350g/12oz small or baby new potatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the topping
40g/1½oz butter
40g/1½oz plain flour
400ml/14fl oz milk
50g/1¾oz Parmesan (or extra mature cheddar), finely grated
1 free-range egg

Ramen noodles with sticky soy mushrooms

Ingredients
For the cucumber
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp dried red chilli flakes (optional)
50g/1¾oz cucumber, peeled into ribbons
For the mushrooms
100g/3½oz mushrooms of your choice, we used chestnut, thickly sliced
1 tsp cornflour
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp sriracha
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 pack instant ramen noodles
1 tsp sesame seeds

Coconut chicken noodle soup

Ingredients
1 nest medium egg noodles
3 spring onions, chopped
200ml/7fl oz coconut milk
200ml/7fl oz chicken stock made with ½ a stock cube
1-2 chicken thighs or drumsticks, skin removed
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pork belly ramen

Ingredients
For the pork belly
800g/1lb 12oz rindless rolled pork belly
500ml/18fl oz chicken stock
2 star anise
1 garlic bulb, left whole
2cm/1in fresh root ginger, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp coriander seeds
For the ramen stock
500ml/18fl oz pork stock
2 tbsp miso paste
2cm/1in fresh root ginger, sliced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tbsp ketjap manis
1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chilli paste)
50ml/2fl oz soy sauce
6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
3 oyster mushrooms, sliced
6 pieces Tenderstem broccoli
4 slices roasted sweet potato, unpeeled
To serve
1 pack thin egg noodles, cooked
4 crispy fried eggs
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 red chilli, sliced
20ml/¾fl oz Japanese chilli oil
a few drops sesame oil
2 tbsp crispy onions
1–2 tsp ketjap manis

Pork belly with lentils

Ingredients
For the pork
2 onions, quartered
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 celery stick, roughly chopped
2 garlic bulbs, halved horizontally
600g/1lb 5oz piece pork belly, skin scored
½ bottle dry white wine
1 tbsp olive oil
For the lentils
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
250g/9oz Puy lentils, boiled as per packet instructions, drained and cooled
60ml/2fl oz white wine
1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Christmas cupcakes

Ingredients
125g/4½oz butter, softened
175g/6oz caster sugar
2 free-range eggs
200g/7oz self raising flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
100ml/3½fl oz milk
100g/3½oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), melted
2 tbsp Irish cream liqueur (optional)
For the chocolate icing
50g dark chocolate, chopped
3 tbsp double cream
To decorate
giant chocolate buttons
crisp-coated chocolates (such as Smarties or M&Ms)
mini pretzels
black writing icing
mini marshmallows, sliced

Lemon pork cutlets

4 pork cutlets (250g each), trimmed
1 lemon, rind finely grated, juiced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp dried mint
2 tbsp olive oil
400g baby chat potatoes, halved
2 zucchini, thickly sliced
1 red capsicum, chopped
olive oil cooking spray