Just Like Mum Did it

'Just Like Mum Did It' is a collection of recipes that I've collected over the years - some are from my mum, some we came up with together, some are just brand spanking new finds. But they are all cooked, or baked, exactly the way my mum does it.

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Toad In The Hole

I’ve been looking forward to this one since I started, Toad In The Hole always makes me feel like such I’m a child all over again, maybe its the name, maybe its the fact that I like when I get a slice with a hidden sausage in there, who knows! With this recipe I do exactly the same as mum does, and use just plain ol’ pork sausages, no fancy herbs or anything, if you want to use herby seasoned sausages then fire away, the cooking process doesn’t change at all.

Oil 8 Sausages 225g Plain Flour Pinch of salt 2 eggs 600ml milk

Preheat oven to 220C (fan 200, gas mark 7) Heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and fry sausages for about 5 minutes, until browned on all sides. Pour the remaining oil in a large ovenproof dish, and heat in the oven until very hot. In a mixing bowl, add the flour and salt, and create a well in the centre. Break in the eggs and gradually work in half the milk, beating until well smooth. Add the remaining milk and beat til combined. Place the sausages in the ovenproof dish (careful with the hot oil here!) and pour over the batter. Bake for 30 minutes until the dough is risen. Serve with mashed potato and green veg, with a splash of Gravy on the side! Num num.

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Tattie and Leek Soup

Or Potato and Leek Soup, if you prefer. I figured I’d start the week with Soup, as it gives me something to do on an otherwise slow day. So Tattie and Leek it is, this recipe is mums of course, except for the Cream, as I prefer creamy Tattie and Leek Soup. Guilty pleasure.

1 tbsp Oil 1 Onion, sliced 225g Potatoes, cubed 2 Leeks, sliced 1.2 litres Vegetable Stock 150ml Double Cream (optional) Salt and Pepper

In a large pan, heat the oil and add the onions, potatoes and leeks. Cook for a few minutes until the vegetables start to soften. Add the stock, salt and pepper, and bring to the boil, leave to simmer for about 30 minutes until the vegetables have softened. If you prefer creamier soups, simply blend down the soup and add the double cream.

Simple as that. Enjoy!

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Sausage and Mash

So I kinda felt a bit silly for having this one here, as lets face it EVERYONE can cook Sausage and Mash, ‘cept I wanted to show how mum makes this with yummy gravy, and I figured it was best served with Sausage and Mash.

1 tbsp Butter 1 tsp Sugar 4 Onions, thinly sliced 150ml Red wine Salt and Pepper 1 tbsp Oil 8 Sausages 1kg Potatoes, peeled and cubed Butter, milk, cream

Put the potatoes in a large pan of salted water and increase the heat to boiling point. Cook for around 25 minutes until tender. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a small pan, add the sugar and cook until lightly browned. Add the onions and cook gently, then stir in the wine and allow to simmer. Season with Salt and Pepper. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook sausages for 15-20 minutes until browned and cooked through. Drain and mash potatoes, adding whatever you prefer to make your mash perfect. Serve a dollop of mash and a couple of sausages, top with the wine sauce and enjoy!

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Sausage Casserole

Or, as mum always called it, Sausage Surprise! I was never entirely sure where the Surprise came in when I was younger, still don’t, maybe the surprise is just how easy it is too make? We’ll never know.

If you have an ovenproof Casserole Dish, you can just brown the sausages in that and then pop straight into the oven.

8 Sausages (I actually used frozen sausages for this one) 1 Onion, diced 2 Carrots, chopped 100g Peas (Of the frozen variety) Gravy Granules (1 pt made up just how you like it, mines is about 6-8 tsps granules) 1 Beef Stock Cube (made up to ¼ pt!) Oil

Preheat oven to 180-200c | Fan 160-180 Lightly fry the onions and sausages (til they are sealed/browned on the outside) Make up your gravy and stock. Throw everything into a casserole dish and pop into oven for around 30-40 minutes. Serve with buttery mash…mmm.

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I threw in a bunch of extra Veg that I had left in the fridge as well, I’m wondering now if thats what the surprise is, that you can probably throw anything in this and it still tastes good! Well there were no objections either way!

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Forfar Bridies

This isn’t a recipe my mum knows by heart, so it was a dive into the old cookbooks for it, and after deciphering the five or six post-it-notes and so many failed attempts, this is the final recipe settled upon – the original which came out of an old recipe book from around the 1930’s just used far too much fat for my liking, but the method was pretty spot on for what I needed.

Forfar Bridies tend to use either Shortcrust or Flaky Pastry, depending on where about you get them from, but they taste best with Flaky Pastry, which is what the recipe below uses. If you don’t want to make your own pastry, then you can just buy ready-rolled puff pastry (you’ll need around 450g) – it took me a couple of tries to get the pastry right, it ain’t easy.

225g plain flour 175g Butter (diced) 2-3 tbsps cold water Pinch of salt 450g Mince 1 Onion, finely chopped. 75g Butter

In a bowl, sieve the flour and salt, and add the butter. Using your fingers rub together the mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. One tablespoon at a time, add the water and mix lightly to bind the dough. Wrap in clingfilm and put in fridge for around an hour.

Mix the chopped onion with the chopped mince and butter. Roll out pastry and divide into 4 rectangular shapes. Divide filling into 4 and place lengthwise on one half of each pastry strip. Wet the edges with water and fold the pastry over the meat to make a parcel. Press firmly to seal, pinching along the edges. Using a knife, make a slit in the top (to allow the steam out). Leave bridies in fridge for 20 -30 minutes before cooking. MEANWHILE! Preheat Oven to 200c, and cook the bridies for around 30-40 minutes until golden brown (the meat should also be cooked through) Serve hot, either on their own as a snack or with potatoes and vegetables.

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Bolognese

After the last full-on cooking month, I felt the need to take a bit of a break and make everyone else cook. However tonight I just wanted Bolognese and nothing else would do. I usually cook this in a huge-batch, so I’ve halved my original recipe for below.

400g Mince 1 Onion, diced 1 tsp dried Oregano 1 Garlic Clove, diced 2 Carrots, sliced 2 Celery Stalks, sliced 1 tin Chopped Tomatoes 1 tbsp Tomato Puree 150ml Red Wine Oil

In a heavy-based pan, heat the oil and brown the onion and mince together, add the garlic and oregano and fry for a few minutes. Add the sliced carrots and celery, tinned tomatoes, puree and wine. Stir and allow to simmer for about 30-40 minutes. Season to taste and serve with pasta or spaghetti!

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Corned Beef Hash

This was a last minute, end of month ‘I can’t think of anymore Scottish/British recipes!’ then I had to make dinner with the bare essentials and Mum recommended this. This is proper low budget food!

400g Potatoes, peeled and diced 1 Tin Corned Beef 1 Tin Heinz Baked Beans 1 Onion, diced 1 tbsp Tomato Ketchup  Knob of butter Milk Grated Cheese

Pop the potatoes on to boil, with the lid on for 25 minutes – once they are cooked, Mash them and add butter/milk Preheat oven to 180c | Fan 160 Over a medium heat, fry the onion in the butter, until soft. Into an Ovenproof dish, roughly chop/crumble the corned beef, before tipping the onion over the top. Pour the beans over the corned beef/onion mixture, add a squirt of Ketchup and mix. Flatten the mixture slightly, before spreading the mashed potato on top, scatter some cheese over the top and pop in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve hot or cold. Enjoy!

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Huntsman Pie

I always wondered about this one, understandable as it seems an awful lot like Shepherd’s Pie, or Cottage Pie, but according to Mum this is the Highlands version, made with minced Venison. So I gave it a go, and I think my world has been altered, I’ve never bothered to cook with Venison before, but my word this is delicious! Traditionally, the mashed potato topping should have cinnamon through it, but I can’t stand the taste of cinnamon, if you fancy trying it, just stir in 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder to the mashed potatoes.

600g Potatoes, peeled and diced 600g Minced Venison 1 Onion, finely chopped 2 tbsp Oil 2 Garlic Cloves, minced 250ml Beef gravy 80g Carrots, diced 80g Celery, diced 80g Frozen Peas Butter and Milk Salt and Pepper

Pop the potatoes on to boil, cooking with the lid on for about 25 minutes. Preheat oven to 200c | Fan 180 Blanch the carrots, celery and frozen peas for a few minutes in boiling-salted water (just to soften slightly) In a large pan, heat the oil, and gently fry the onion, garlic and Venison together, (til the venison is browned) Add the Gravy, Celery, Carrots and Peas to the Venison and allow to simmer for a few minutes. Drain the potatoes, mash them up with butter and milk. Using an ovenproof dish, pour the Venison mixture into it, before topping with the mashed potato. Pop in the oven for around 20-25 minutes, until the mixture is piping hot and the Mash is browned on top. Serve and Enjoy!

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Broccoli and Stilton Soup

Mum has this elusive cookbook that I remember from when I was younger, and I won’t lie and say I haven’t gone’a’searching for it a time or time to sneak a peak – yet I never came across it. Last night, the elusive cookbook was taken out and it felt like I was thumbing through the Holy Grail, its an old Good Housekeeping Recipe Book, and contains recipes on pretty much everything! I’ve the book cover saved in my mind, so will have to start trawling second-hand bookshops for it, but this is one of the recipes that instantly caught my eye – I enjoy making soup, and the partner really enjoys Broccoli and Stilton, yet I always thought it must be hard to make, and yet when I came across it I was shocked, there was hardly any ingredients and the steps were simple. So, I give you, Broccoli and Stilton Soup!

Olive Oil 1 Onion, chopped 1 Potato, chopped 2 Garlic Cloves, chopped 450g Broccoli, cut into florets 1l Vegetable Stock, made up strong (I used two stock cubes in 1l Water) 50g Stilton, crumbled

In a large pan, heat a tablespoon of oil and gently fry the onion and potato until softened. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute, before adding the broccoli florets and Stock. Bring to the boil, and allow to summer until the vegetables are softened. Blend the soup until smooth, season lightly, before stirring in the crumbled stilton. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!

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Bonnie Prince Charlie

This is fancy food for me, and I came across the recipe whilst thumbing through mums cookbook, after having guests over for dinner I thought I’d whip it out to show off!

4 Chicken Breasts 3 tbsp Drambuie 125ml Chicken Stock 250ml Double Cream 90g Butter 4 Apples, peeled, cored, and cut into thick slices Flour for dusting Salt and Pepper

Season a little flour and use this to dust the chicken breasts. In a pan, melt the butter, add the chicken and fry the chicken until its browned on both sides. Add the Drambuie and chicken stock, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for about 10 minutes. In a frying pan, melt the butter and fry the apple slices until softened (do not stir as you don’t want apple sauce!). When done set aside. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside to keep warm. Add a little more Drambuie to the stock left in the pan then stir-in the cream. Heat through, but don’t let it boil. To Serve, cover the chicken with the sauce then garnish with the fried apples – serve alongside Mashed Potatoes and Green Vegetables!

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Macaroni Cheese

There is just something undeniably comforting about masses of gooey cheese. This isn’t mums recipe, this is in fact my partners mums recipe, that still counts though, right?

175g Macaroni 40g Flour 40g Butter 450ml Milk 1/2 tsp Wholegrain Mustard 175g Grated Cheese 1 Tomato, sliced Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 190c | Fan 170 Cook Macaroni in fast-boiling salted water. Create your roux: in a large saucepan, melt your butter before stirring in your flour. Add Mustard and Salt and Pepper. Gradually stir in the milk, bring to the boil, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and beat in 125g Cheese. Add the cooked macaroni and stir. Pour into an ovenproof dish, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and layer the tomato on top. Cook for 15-20 minutes.

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Balmoral Chicken

I had guests over for dinner last night, so whipped up this, its simple yet classy in my eyes.

4 Chicken Breasts 300g Haggis 8 Rashers Bacon Whisky Sauce (Try our recipe found here) Best served with Mashed Potatoes and Green Vegetables.

Preheat oven to 200c | Fan 180 Using a knife, cut a slit along the side of each chicken breast, leaving about 1-2 cms at each end. Stuff Haggis into the slits, and wrap a couple of rashers of bacon around the breasts. (Helps hold everything in) Wrap the chicken breasts in tinfoil and place on a tray in the centre of the oven, and cook for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through (Note: the tinfoil is more to stop everything going dry, keeps the moisture locked in) Serve with Mashed Potatoes and Green Vegetables, and lashings of Whisky Sauce over the top. Enjoy!

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Whisky Sauce

We’re having Haggis, Neeps and Tatties tonight, and I feel like having a recipe for cooking something that basic seems a bit weird. So instead I give you a recipe for Whisky Sauce, which should alwaysbe served with Haggis, its just that divine! The recipe below is how mum does it, this is a Scottish version – as in it tastes strongly of the Whisky – so if you don’t want a strong tasting Sauce, then drop the 4 tbsp Whisky for just 2 tbsp.

500ml Chicken Stock 4tbsp Whisky (Use a good quality Whisky! As the better the Whisky, the better the Sauce!) 200ml Double Cream 2tbsp Dijon Mustard 40g Butter

In a pan, mix the chicken stock and whisky and bring to the boil, allowing the volume to reduce by about a half. Add the mustard and cream, making sure you continually stir. Finally, to thicken the sauce, add the butter and stir. Serve with Haggis Neeps and Tatties, for a real traditional feel!

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Scotch Hot Pot

I wasn’t planning on doing this one, but then I got a nice bit of Shin from one of the local farmers and had to give it a go!

900g Potatoes, peeled and sliced 600g Shin of Beef, diced into bite-sized chunks 5 Pork Sausages, sliced into bite-sized chunks. 6 Tomatoes, blanched, peeled and quartered 1 Apple, cored and sliced 1 Onion, sliced 50g Plain Flour 500ml Beef Stock Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 180°C | Fan 160°C In a bowl, mix together the flour with salt and pepper, before coating the meat and sausage pieces. In an ovenproof dish with a lid, arrange a layer of sliced potatoes for a base, cover with the meat and sausage, then with a mixture of the onion, tomato and apple, before finishing with a layer of potatoes. Add the stock, before replacing the lid. Cook for 2 hours. Enjoy!

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Fish Pie

A request! A handy one, as I had fish left over from making Cullen Skink the day before. I highly recommend buying skinless/boneless fish, as I learnt my lesson the hard way here!

900g Potato, peeled and diced 400g Skinless White Fish fillet 400g Skinless Smoked Haddock fillet 600ml Milk 1 Onion, sliced Parsley Chopped 50g Butter 50g Plain flour 50g Cheese, grated

Put the potatoes onto boil, once cooked, drain and mash with butter and milk. Preheat oven to 200 | Fan 180. Place the fish in a frying pan and pour over 500ml of the milk, add the onion, and bring the milk just to the boil – you will see a few small bubbles. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 mins. Remove the Fish and strain the milk into a jug to cool. Flake the fish into large pieces and place into a baking dish. In a pan, melt half the butter and stir in the flour to create a roux, cooking gently for about a minute. Take off the heat, and using the reserved poaching milk, pour in a little at a time until its well blended, mixing until you have a smooth sauce. Return to the heat, and bring to the boil, stirring continually until its thick enough to perfectly coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper, then pour over the fish. Top the fish with the mashed potato, ensuring you spread the potato right to the edges, sprinkle the top with cheese and bake for up to 30 minutes.

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Cullen Skink

I won’t lie, I HATE Cullen Skink, never liked it, don’t think I ever will. But a fairly unanimous vote meant it had to be cooked at least once. So after spending the last few hours being unhappy and surrounded by fish, I give you Cullen Skink.

225g Potatoes, peeled and diced Milk and Butter 1 Large Smoked Haddock (about 900g) 1 Onion, finely chopped. 900ml Milk 2 tbsp Butter 50g Butter, cubed Chopped Parsley Water Salt and Pepper

Put the potatoes onto boil. Place the Smoked Haddock skin side down in a shallow pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and cook for about 5 minutes, turning just once. Allow to cool, remove the haddock from the pan (reserve the stock and pour into a large soup pan) Now for the fun bit! Gently peel off the skin and remove the bones. Break the fish into flakes and place into the Soup pan with the Stock. Add the onion and season. Prepare your potatoes, adding butter and milk before mashing. Set aside for now. Simmer for 15 minutes then remove the fish (you want to reserve the fish and add it again later). Add the milk to the stock, bring to the boil then take off the heat and add sufficient mashed potato to bring the soup to the consistency that you want (its better if its rich, thick and creamy). Add the fish back into the pan and re-heat. Serve with lightly toasted bread and enjoy.

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Scots Potato Pies

I’ve never known what to call these, we always just referred to them as ‘Potato Pies’ so thats what they’ll be called!

4 large potatoes 150g Mince, 1 Onion, diced 6 tbsp Tomato Sauce 100g Butter Salt and Pepper Oil

Preheat oven to 190 | Fan 170 Peel the potatoes, then cut an even base (e.g a flat base so the potato can stand upright). Trim off the top (retain these though)then use a sharp knife to hollow out the potatoes. In a frying pan brown the mince and onion together, before removing from the heat and mixing in the tomato sauce. Season to taste, then use this mix to fill the hollowed out potatoes, replacing the tops of the potatoes as well. Baste the potatoes with butter before placing them in a greased baking tin, and cook for about an hour. Keep an eye on the potatoes, and baste them with more butter to avoid them drying out/burning.

We always had these with mince, but you can use any type of meat you’d like, just cook it up before hand and then fill the potatoes with it.