Recipes from episode three

The Harrar's serve up another lip-smacking Indian treat with their stuffed parathas (flatbread). Try making your own with their recipe.

The Harrar's stuffed parathas

Ingredients

Makes 6

For the dough

• 400g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• Half a tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1x free-range egg
• 220ml milk

For the filling

• A 2cm piece of root ginger, freshly grated
• 1x onion, finely chopped
• 1x bullet chilli, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Fenugreek (methi)
• 4 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed
• Salt

Method

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 2 minutes per parathas.

To make the dough

1. In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt, egg, baking powder, milk and sugar until the mixture forms a dough. Knead for about ten minutes until it's smooth, then cover with cling film and leave it to rest for 15 minutes.

To make the filling

1. Thoroughly mix together the mashed potato, finely chopped onions, bullet chilli, fenugreek, crushed black pepper, coriander, garam masala and salt.

To make the parathas:

1. Divide the dough into six portions. Flour the work surface (to stop the dough from sticking to it) and roll each portion of dough into a round flat disc.
2. Place a ball of potato filling in the middle of each piece of dough and bring the edges up to cover to filling. Turn the ball-shaped parathas over, add a little flour to avoid everything sticking together, and roll gently until you form a round flat bread about 5mm thick.
3. Heat a griddle pan and place the parathas on top. Cook for several minutes each side until golden.

The Harrar's serve their Parathas with yogurt, chutney and Indian pickle!

Health conscious Sue Evans shares her low-carb 'seasoned steak' recipe for you to try at home.

Sue's seasoned steaks

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 2 steaks
• 1 beef stock cube
• A little bit of Jamaican curry powder
• Some 'all-purpose' seasoning
• A tad of garlic salt
• A bit of tomato ketchup
• A handful of mushrooms per person, cut into chunks
• 1x red onion, cut into chunks

Method

1. Crumble onto the steaks, the beef stock cube, curry powder, 'all-purpose seasoning' garlic salt and a few squirts of tomato ketchup.
2. Next smooth the seasoning mix over the steaks and then stab several times (this is Sue’s foolproof method of making sure her steaks are cooked through).
3. Heat a frying pan with oil and once hot, add the steaks. They can be cooked whole, but Ginny would advise cutting them up into 'lady pieces'. Once the steaks start browning add some chunky cut mushroom and onions to the pan.
4. Once the steak, mushrooms and onions are cooked to your liking, remove and serve with salad.

The Garbutt's take on a British classic with their recipe for toad in the hole.

The Garbutt's toad in the hole

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 8 sausages
• 2 table spoons of oil

For the pancake mix

• 225g plain flour
• 4 eggs
• 250ml milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Cooking time 40 mins

1. Pre heat the oven at 220C/fan 200C/gas 7.
2. Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl and add a good pinch of salt. Make a well in the centre, crack in the eggs, then pour in a splash of milk. Stir with a wooden spoon, gradually incorporating some of the flour, until you have a smooth batter. Now add a bit more milk and continue stirring until all the milk and flour has been mixed together. Leave the mixture to one side.
3. Put the sausages into a roasting tin. Add 1 tbsp of oil, thoroughly coating the base of the tin, then roast in the oven for 15 mins until browned.
4. Take the hot tray from the oven. Lucy likes to pour away the excess fat released by the sausages, but traditionally you can pour the batter directly onto the fat.
5. Once the batter has been added to the sausages, put it back into the oven and bake for 40 mins until the batter is cooked through, crisp and hopefully well risen.

The Garbutt's serve their toad in the hole with green beans and roasted pumpkin from their allotment!

Clapham boys Xanthi, Matt and Dave continue in their tradition of trying to make 'low in fat but high in protein' dishes, with their self-proclaimed recipe for a low fat lasagne.

The Clapham boys' 'low fat' lasagne

Ingredients

Serves 3 hungry people

• 2 packets of lean organic beef mince
• 2 packets of button mushrooms
• 2x white onions
• Fresh lasagne pasta sheets
• 2 bottles of tomato pasta sauce
• 1 bottle of ready made white sauce
• Extra mature low fat cheddar

Method

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

1. Chop the onions and mushrooms into small pieces.
2. Brown the mince in a frying pan with a small splash of olive oil. Once cooked, put the browned mince into a colander, and with the colander placed in the sink, pour over some boiling water to remove the excess fat.
3. While the mince is draining, fry the onions and mushrooms in the same frying pan, until the onions are transparent. Add the mince drained of fat.
4. Next add the tomato pasta sauce and mix thoroughly. Leave it over a medium heat until the sauce has reduced and the mince has soaked up all the flavour.
5. Get a pasta dish and layer. Begin with a layer of meat, followed by fresh pasta sheets and then a generous dollop of ready made white sauce. Continue layering in that order but finish with white sauce on the top. Grate some cheese over the top and pop it in the oven for 25 minutes on the middle shelf at 190C until the cheese has browned nicely.
6. Serve with a mixed salad and enjoy.

A simple but satisfying recipe from the Barry/Power family: chocolate crispy cakes!

Chocolate crispy cakes

Ingredients

• 100g milk chocolate
• 100g Any brand of puffed rice or corn flakes

Method

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

1. Break up the milk chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl over a simmering pan of hot water. Gently stir over a low heat until the chocolate gradually melts. Louise says: "it’s important not to turn the heat up too high, otherwise you may end up overcooking the chocolate or, like Lee, melting your bowl!"

2. Remove the chocolate from the heat and add the puffed rice or corn flakes. Give it a good stir and then spoon the mixture into cupcake cases.

3. Leave to cool and then enjoy!

The Bradshaws have gone all French with their recipe for the classic bistro dish, chicken chasseur. If you want to go one step further, try mixing your own seasoning!

Marilyn's chicken chasseur

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 sachet of chicken chasseur seasoning mix
• 4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts
• 2 medium onions
• Vegetable oil
• 1 medium packet of chestnut mushrooms (about 100 grams or so)
• 1 tablespoon of tomato puree
• 420ml of water

Sides

• Mashed potato
• Broccoli
• Carrots

Method

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C, gas mark 4.
2. Slice the mushrooms, and chop the onions into small pieces.
3. Trim all the fat from the chicken.
4. Fry the chicken breast and onions in a frying pan until brown.
5. Place in an oven proof casserole dish.
6. Combine the seasoning mix with tomato puree and water. Then pour the mixture over the chicken and onions, and pop it in the oven for an hour.
7. When ready, take it out of the oven and serve with mashed potato, broccoli and carrots.

Hamish Mitchell-Cotts delivers another budget savvy recipe to feed a large family. Try making your own leeks wrapped in ham with a cheesy sauce.

Hamish's ham and cheesy leeks

Ingredients

Serves 9 (all for less than £1 per head)

• 9 large leeks
• 9 pieces of smoked ham (preferably marked down)
• 80g butter
• 80g flour
• 580ml milk
• 80g mature cheddar cheese

Method

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

1. Wash the leeks, trim off the top and tails and cut it into two – one whole leek will feed one hungry child or adult.
2. Blanche the leeks in a saucepan of salty water until slightly soft (about 5 minutes). Drain in a colander and leave it cool.
3. Wrap the leeks in ham and put in a lasagne dish.
4. Make your roux. Melt a good nob of butter in a saucepan, then add the flour and stir until the mixture is smooth and lump free. Add the milk slowly. Hamish likes to use an egg whisk. When the sauce is nice and smooth add the grated cheese slowly. The cheesier the better so add more if you’d like it to be stronger.
5. Pour the sauce over the wrapped leeks, pop it in the oven at 180 C for half an hour until the top is a bit brown.
6. Dish up two half portions of leek per person and serve with peas.

Simon Gale has ambitiously named his own version of a steak sandwich, 'Simon's steak manwich'. Give it a go with his recipe!

Simon's steak 'manwich'

Ingredients

Serves 5

• 5 portions of rump steak (2 large steaks)
• 1x large red onion
• Brown sugar
• 3 small brioche loaves
• Slices of gruyere cheese
• Lettuce

Method

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

1. Get two lovely steaks. Trim some of the fat off, leaving a little bit on for flavour. Get some greaseproof paper, lie the steaks onto it and give them a light bashing with a food hammer. Simon describes this as "giving the meat a massage - it gets the steak nice and flat and tender." Season with some pepper and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
2. When they’re 'massaged', divide into five portions to fit the brioche bun.
3. While you’re doing this, chop up a large red onion and fry it over a medium heat in frying pan, with a good dollop of olive oil. Add in a handful of brown sugar to sweeten the onion and help it to caramelise.
4. Ideally you’ll cook the steaks on a really hot griddle pan or a griddle that fits on the burners of the stove. While you’re waiting for this to heat up, divide the brioche loaves into 5 sandwich portions.
5. When the griddle pan is really hot, splash some olive oil on and put the steaks on. If you like your steak rare, it'll only need to be on the griddle for 30 seconds each side. Leave it on for longer if you like your steak more well done. Remove the steak and leave it to rest for a few minutes – while you do this, put the brioche buns (cut side down) on the griddle pan to heat them up and soak up any excess juice.
6. When the buns are done put the steaks back on the griddle quickly. Layer on some onions with the cheese on top.
7. When everything’s ready, put it all together. Put some ketchup on the brioche bun, followed by the steak. Top with lettuce and the other half of the bun, and your steak 'manwich' is ready to be eaten and enjoyed!