Hugh's North-African Spiced Lamb Burgers

By Chris
Main Ingredients:

• 1kg lamb mince
• Cumin, coriander and fennel seeds, cayenne and garlic
• 200g Greek yoghurt
• Green salad

After pointing out that I've done a Jamie Oliver 30 Minute Meals recipe every week so far, Helen insisted that I try another chef and I'm glad I did. Hugh's approach is much slower and more measured, and while it isn't really best suited to midweek cooking, it does yield pretty decent results.

This recipe is not dissimilar to Hugh's Chorizo meatballs, a personal favourite - mix a broad range of spices (cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, garlic, salt and pepper) with some meat and leave for an hour for the flavours to infuse. 

The main difference with this was he also suggested toasting some fennel and coriander seeds as well as some black peppercorns on the hob first, before grinding them up with a pestle and mortar. I'm not sure how much of a difference it made to the end result, but it certainly made the kitchen smell amazing. The burgers were fried and gave off quite a lot of fat, but after resting on some kitchen paper for a few minutes, they were succulent and juicy.

These creations were served with jewelled cous cous and a jazzed up Greek yoghurt with mint, salt, cumin and some more toasted seeds - coriander and sesame this time. The final flourish was some homemade flatbreads, which required kneading, and were pretty tricky to cook. After a genius intervention from Helen, who decided to cook them directly on the ceramic hob, these turned out to a serious upgrade on a bun or wrap.

Overall, quite a classy, yet thrifty meal at just over £2 per head, and one I will definitely be replicating come barbecue season.

Best for... A super snazzy summer barbecue, when you're not pushed for time.

Taken from... Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - River Cottage Every Day

Helen says... A big improvement on some ready-made lamb burgers, fragrant and not greasy. Plus I felt pretty good flipping flatbreads on two hobs like a pro!

Delia's Fast Roast Pork with Rosemary and Caramelised Apples

By Helen
Main ingredients:

• Pork Fillet
• Rosemary
• Granny Smith apple
• Cider vinegar and dry cider
• Garlic

Ah, good old Delia. 

That boeuf en croute must have just caught me on a bad day, since this is the second of her recipes in a row which has been easier and more delicious than I'd anticipated.

A fillet of pork was studded with garlic and roasted for 25 minutes with cider vinegar, onions, rosemary, a little sugar and a few wedges of apple. Once cooked it was hoisted out and left to rest while all the lovely juices were combined with double cream and cider to make the sauce.

We tucked into thick slices of the pork with roast potatoes (as recommended) and minty savoy cabbage (from a couple of weeks ago). The end piece of the fillet was a little chewy but the slices from the middle were no match for even our feeble butter-knives. I didn't have the patience to craft the sauce as lovingly as instructed but that was mainly because it smelled SO GOOD and I was hungry. 

It came off none the worse and as Queen Smith points out, a couple of fillets would make a substantial roast for six people in less than an hour - and works out around £2.78 a head. 

Next week: something not Delia and not a roast!

Best for...A bit of Sunday indulgence on a soggy weeknight

Taken from...Delia Smith - How to Cook: Book Two

Chris says... Lovely subtle flavours and very moreish - went well with minty cabbage too!

Jamie's Steak Sarnie with Beetroot Salad

By Chris
Main ingredients:

• 10oz Rump Steak
• Horseradish Sauce
• Ciabatta Loaf
• Jarred Peppers
• Rocket, Parsley, Feta and Beetroot

I've been wanting to do this recipe ever since I got the 30-minute meals book and it did not disappoint.  What's more, this was the first recipe that I managed in 30 minutes flat, with none of the steps posing much of a challenge.

The beetroot was grated into a bowl then dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and parsley, then finished off with a few cubes of feta. I've never really tried beetroot before, but it made for a sweet refreshing salad to balance out the monster of a sarnie that was to come.

Jamie has a knack of making a small steak go a long way and this was no exception. If you're eating steak and chips, then a 10oz-er between two is a bit stingy, but in this context it was more than enough. Season the steak with salt, pepper, olive oil and thyme, then fry it quickly in a searing hot pan.

The ciabatta was prepped with plenty of horseradish, rocket and jarred peppers, then the steak was layered up and it barely fitted into the bread! This beastly sandwich was served with garlic and rosemary new potatoes and cheesy stuffed mushrooms.

If I was to do this again, and I almost certainly will, I would have fried the steak for slighty longer than the 4 minutes recommended and been a bit more brave with the horseradish application, but overall this was a hearty meal that left me feeling full to the brim and like it was £4.32 per head well spent.

Best for... Your first al fresco lunch of the year

Taken from... Jamie Oliver - 30 Minute Meals

Helen says... If you actually like mushrooms it goes even further - I had two and could barely finish a third of the sandwich.

Delia's Crisp Roast Duck with Confit of Sour Cherries

By Helen
Main ingredients:

• Duck legs
• Dried cherries
• Red wine
• Watercress
• Potatoes and parsnips
  

This is a recipe I'd been meaning to try for a few weeks but never managed the necessary preparation - soaking the cherries in wine for 24 hours and drying the duck legs to achieve the desired crispy skin. 

Thankfully both were a good use of time - the cherries were sweet, sharp, and juicily delicious once they had been simmered for an hour with a little sugar and balsamic vinegar, and the duck legs (salted and roasted for around an hour) were excellent.

The watercress garnish looked oddly ornamental in Delia's photo but provided a fresh and welcome alternative to cabbage, and would have been even better if there'd been any leftovers for sandwiches the next day. We ate this with roast potatoes, honeyed parsnips and garden peas, and thoroughly enjoyed the whole meal - definitely quicker and tastier than your average roast chicken, and not bad value at £2.75 a head. 

The only change I'd make would be increasing the volume of sauce, or reducing it a little less to make sure there was more to go around.

Best for...A rich (but not bank-breaking) Sunday lunch with plenty of wine
Taken from... Delia Smith - How to Cook: Book Two

Chris says... Very rich and tasty, the cherries were definitely worth the extra effort, but a right bugger to wash up!