This is a tasty recipe which is also great for those on a budget.

Ingredients:
4 lamb sausages
1/2 white onion, very finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
olive oil
200g can diced tomatoes
100g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained well
150g gnocchi
Basil leaves, to serve

1 Slice the top of sausages off, then squeeze the meat from sausages into a bowl. Add onion, garlic and season with salt and pepper then roll into walnut size balls.

2 Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the meatballs and cook for 6-8 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to brown all over. Add the tomatoes and chickpeas and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until sauce reduced slightly.

3 Meanwhile, cook gnocchi according to packet directions. Drain.

4 Place gnocchi into a warmed bowl, spoon over lamb ragu and top with fresh basil.

• 1 box (about 1 lb) spaghetti pasta
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 lb ground lean beef
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Mix ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, garlic, a little Parmesan cheese, and about one half of the salt, pepper, oregano, and basil in a large bowl. Mix these ingredients together well.
2. Roll balls from the ground beef mix that are about one inch in diameter, and place them on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 300 degrees for about 20 minutes. The meatballs may also be fried in oil for a few minutes (instead of baked in the oven).
3. Cook the spaghetti in a pot of boiling water, then strain, and pour the noodles into a dish.
4. Warm the tomato sauce on the stove with a little olive oil, and stir in the remainder of the salt, pepper, oregano, and basil. Add the meatballs to the sauce, and allow all of the ingredients to warm. Then, pour the sauce and meatballs over the noodles in the dish.
5. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and any extra salt and pepper or spices, and serve.

Voila!

macaroni and cheese

• 250g elbow macaroni
• 30g butter
• 30 plain flour
• 375ml milk, scalded (heated to just below boiling point)
• 190g cheddar cheese, roughly grated
• 1 tsp salt
• ground black pepper
• dash of tabasco and worcestershire sauce
• 30g bread crumbs
• 30g parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 325F.

Boil macaroni until al dente. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and let bubble for 1 minute, then add the milk, whisking as you do so to prevent lumps. Let simmer as the mixture thickens, then stir in the Cheddar until it is melted. Add, off the heat, the salt, pepper, Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce.

Combine the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, Butter a casserole well and coat with 4 tablespoons of the breadcrumb mixture. Drain the macaroni and toss with the sauce. Pour into the casserole, top with the remaining breadcrumb mixture, and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until crusty brown.

Let me a comment to let me know what you think!!

• 10 ripe tomatoes
• diced basil or oregano
• balsamic vinegar
• olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 cup brown lentils
• salt and pepper

Halve tomatoes and oregano on a baking tray and sprinkle with glugs of olive oil and then balsamic vinegar.

Sprinkle with diced basil and salt and pepper and roast at 180 degrees of at least 1 hour.

Saute onions until golden, add washed lentils and roasted tomatoes.

Cover with water and bring to the boil.

If needed, add 1 cup of water with 1 stock cube dissolved and simmer for at least 1 1/2 – 2 hrs.

Even yummier the next day!

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 30g butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 500g beef mince
• salt and pepper
• 1 ¼ cups red or white wine
• a sprig of rosemary
• 1 can tinned Italian tomatoes, chopped

Heat a heavy-based pot and, when hot, add the oil and butter, then the onion.

Saute for a few minutes until soft then add the carrot and celery, then the garlic. Cook gently until they have softened and are lightly golden.

Add the mince, crumbling it in the pot with a fork. Season with salt and pepper, and cook briefly until the meat is no longer red, but do not brown it. It’s important to salt the meat at this stage to extract its juices for the sauce and to cook the meat gently so it retains delicacy.

Now add the wine and bring to the boil. Cook for a few minutes on high heat before adding the rosemary and tomatoes. When it starts to bubble, turn the heat to the barest of simmers, partly cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours (the longer the better). Stir the pot from time to time, adding some water if necessary.