91Èȱ¬

The flavours of this dish work so well with a cheaper cut of meat or minced steak.Ìý Beef cooked the Italian way is rich and tasty and made with garlic, herbs and red wine or stock.Ìý This dish works best when the meat is allowed to soak in the marinade for as long as possible – up to twenty-four hours

Serves 6

Ingredients

450g/1lbs mince or chump steak

2 cloves of garlic – chopped

4 dsp balsamic vinegar

2 dsp honey

1 dsp olive oil

225g/8oz cherry tomatoes

110g/4oz black olives - stoned

150mls/¼ pt passata or tinned tomatoes

150ml/¼ pt red wine

Handful of basil or flat leaf parsley – chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Use minced steak or cut the meat into strips and leave to marinate in the garlic, vinegar and honey for at least 30 minutes.

Drain the meat from the marinade and add to the hot oil in the pan.Ìý Cook over a high heat for 10-15 minutes until the meat becomes crispy and is almost cooked.Ìý Pour over the remainder of the marinade

Add the tomatoes, black olives, passata or tomato puree and red wine to the pan.Ìý Simmer gently for 4-5 minutes until the sauce thickens.Ìý If you prefer more sauce add a little more passata and red wine.

Finally, add the basil.Ìý Heat through, season, and serve.Ìý I like this dish served with crusty bread or with a mixture of oven roasted vegetables such as aubergines, peppers and courgettes.

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This is a new twist on an old favourite, and can be made with drunken raisins or sultanas for the grown- ups, and a malted flavour for the kids -both topped with a crunchy, toasted topping.

1Ltr Milk

110 gms (4oz) pudding rice

25 gms (1 oz) caster sugar

A few drops vanilla extract

3 egg whites

25 gms (1oz) flaked almonds

For the malted pudding – 1Ìýpint Of malted chocolate sweets

For the drunken raisin pudding – 8oz Muscatel raisins, grated rind 1 lemon, little grated nutmeg and 2–3 tsp of sherry.

Method

Heat the milk in a large heavy-based saucepan, add the rice to milk, next in with the sugar and vanilla.

Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for aprox 1 hour until the grains have swollen, absorbed the liquid and become thick and creamy.

Beat the egg whites in a large bowl, until light and fluffy, and fold in to the rice pudding.

To make the malted pudding, crumble in the chocolate sweets in to the rice, transfer to a pie dish, sprinkle with flaked almonds and bake in the oven 220C (gas mark 7) for 10 – 12 mins until the pudding has puffed up and the almonds are golden. To serve dust with icing sugar.

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