Recipe Squadron

For the salad

1. Pre-heat the oven to 225°C.

2. Heat the olive oil in a hot pan. Grate the onion and carrot and crush the garlic before frying together. Season with the bay leaf, a pinch of oregano, Worcestershire sauce and a little salt and pepper. Allow the onion to soften before making a well in the centre of the pan. Place the mince in the middle of the pan and stir to break it up. Add the tomato puree and allow to cook out for 30 seconds. Continue until all the meat has browned nicely. Add the wine and cook off the alcohol before adding the tomatoes. Leave to simmer for a further 2-3 minutes. Finally add the milk, turn off the heat and set aside.

3. To make the cheese sauce, first melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and using a wooden spoon, stir to form a paste. Over a gentle heat add a third of the milk, whisking to prevent any lumps forming. Add the rest of the milk a third at a time, whisking as you go. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of ground nutmeg. Allow the sauce to cook out for another minute before adding the Cheddar cheese. Stir and remove from the heat.

4. Spoon half of the meat sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and place pasta sheets on top (break the sheets if necessary to avoid any overlapping). Next, pour in just under half of the cheese sauce, and spread evenly using a spatula before spooning the remaining meat on top. Add the final layer of pasta and use the spatula to pour over the remaining cheese sauce.

5. Finish with the grated Parmesan and sprinkle with another pinch of oregano. Add a light seasoning of salt and pepper before cleaning the edges of the dish and placing in the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

6. In the bottom of your salad bowl use a fork to whisk together the mustard, vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Carefully open the head of lettuce, season inside with salt and pepper. Upend the lettuce headfirst into the salad bowl. Holding the root, wipe the leaves around the bowl to coat in the vinaigrette. Twist the root and pull it out. Turn the dressed head of lettuce onto a large plate and gently open out.

7. Portion out the lasagne and serve alongside the salad.

For the marinade

1 tbsp honey

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

2 chipotle chillies

1 fat clove garlic

Salt and pepper

tsp cumin seeds, freshly ground

4 tbsp olive oil

800g chicken thighs, cut into strips

For the wrap

A wholewheat flatbread

A large handful of coriander leaves

Cos lettuce leaves

½ avocado

A pickled jalapeño, sliced

Smash up the garlic, salt, cumin seeds and chipotle chillies with a pestle and mortar. Add the rest of the ingredients and smear over chicken thighs. Marinade for at least 45 minutes, preferably a few hours. Char-grill for 8-10 minutes depending on the size of your strips. This chicken is delicious with rice for supper. For lunch, wrap the chicken up with the coriander, cos lettuce leaves, jalapeño and avocado, and make everyone jealous at work.

Ingredients
1 large onion or 2 banana shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 red chilli deseeded or keep half with seeds if you like it spicy
2 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked and roughly chopped
Olive oil, for frying
500g good quality beef mince
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
3 fresh tomatoes or 1 beef tomato, roughly chopped
400g chopped tomatoes
100-200ml chicken or beef stock
3 tbsp tomato puree
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
400g kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper
Handful of chives, chopped
200ml soured cream
Boiled rice, to serve

1. Sweat the onion, garlic, chilli and thyme in 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan. At the same time, brown the mince in a separate pan over moderate heat in a little oil.

2. Add the dried spices to the onion mixture and cook until they release their aroma. Then stir in the beef and mix well. Add the fresh and tinned tomatoes and leave to cook down a little for about 5 minutes.

3. Pour in the chicken or beef stock and stir in tomato puree to taste. Drop the cinnamon and bay leaf in then bring to the boil and leave to simmer.

4. Once the sauce is beginning to thicken add the kidney beans and leave to cook for another 5-10 minutes to allow the beans to soak up the flavours. Check for seasoning.

5. Mix the chives and soured cream together. To serve, spoon the chilli into the centre of a mound of rice, with the soured cream and chives in a separate bowl on the side.

This is a classic spare rib glaze with a touch of sweet and sour thanks to sugar and vinegar.

Ingredients
12 pork spare ribs

For the sauce:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
50g/2oz light muscovado sugar
4 tbsp malt vinegar
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
1 tsp ground cumin
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion. Fry for 3-4 minutes, until softened, then stir in the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
2. Place the ribs on the barbecue and cook for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat. Brush the ribs liberally with the barbecue sauce every few minutes, until they have a thick, sticky coating, and serve.

Ingredients

Pork Spare Ribs
2 tbsp demerara sugar
2 tbsp dark Soy sauce
2 tbsp clear honey
2 tsp mustard powder
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 bunch of Spring onions, finely chopped
quarter of a Scotch bonnet pepper, finely chopped
quarter of a tsp of ground allspice
half a tsp of Salt
freshly ground black pepper
900g pork spare ribs
2 tbsp dark rum
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Sweet Potato Mash
1 yellow-fleshed sweet potato
1 white-fleshed yam
25g Butter
salt and fresh ground black pepper

Method 1. First make the marinade. Mix together the sugar, soy sauce, honey, mustard, chopped garlic, spring onion, Scotch bonnet pepper, ground allspice, salt and pepper.

2. Thoroughly coat the spare ribs with the marinade mixture. Pour over the rum. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 4-24 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 180c/Gas 4. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan and fry the ribs in batches until browned on all sides (reserving the excess marinade).

4. Place the browned ribs in a roasting pan. Cover with foil and roast for around 45 minutes, until cooked through. Every 15 minutes or so baste the meat with some of the reserved marinade.

5. After the ribs have been roasting for 25 minutes, prepare the sweet potato mash. Peel the sweet potato and yam and cut into 3 cm chunks. Place the sweet potato and yam in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cook until soft; around 10 minutes. Drain and mash with butter. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Serve the roast ribs with sweet potato mash.