Bolognese Cannelloni

Gin & Tonic

I can't tell you how guilty i feel about the lack of blogging lately! I love writing it & never struggle to waffle on about things, it's just trying to find the time to sit down & do it. Well tonight's the night, the Houseboy is cooking Prawn Stir Fry & police, camera, action is on tv (one of my guilty pleasures...) Perfect creative atmosphere. So as usual it's been busy in London town lately. The Lipchucks thew a extremely fun 30th for Dirty Dave complete with frozen Mojitos, Strawberry Daiquiris & Liz's amazingly inventive canapes. With a beach theme there was a healthy dose of Hawaiian shirts & the odd grass skirt (i mistakenly thought people were going full fancy dress...) Luckily they have lovely patient neighbours who happily ignore horrendous renditions of 80s classics...

Readyfields Farm Tents

The following weekend we spent a brilliant weekend 'glamping' (posh camping with proper beds) in Nottinghamshire which was amazing fun. Featherdown Farms is a company which advertise glamping on nearly 30 farms across the UK. We choose Readyfields Farm run by David & Lesley who were incredibly welcoming. A beautiful working farm with a mix of chickens, donkeys, a huge horse called Brian & a energetic pack of blood hounds it's perfectly located for a weekend break from London. It was all about beer & BBQ & dodging showers of rain (i did notice the odd person dodging having a shower full stop. You know who you are) All the tents were fully set up with a wood burning stove, sink & loo. And more importantly beds! i love camping but if offered a choice between a paper thin foam mat & sweaty sleeping bag or a comfy bed with pillows i know which one i will go for every time. We started the Saturday with some clay pigeon shooting which was enjoyed by all, there were some pretty good shots knocking around. On the Sunday we all went for a bike ride with the hounds through the local village, hilarious due the variety of bike size. The Houseboy had his knees round his ears for most of the time, but was well worth it. After our cruisey cycle we headed back to the farm for homemade pizzas cooked in a huge outdoor wood burning oven. Happy happy times.

The boys in charge of the BBQ

My birthday seems to have gone on & on & on which has been pretty brilliant, i think by the time i turn 50 i will be demanding a month long celebration. One present i received from the Houseboy's super kind parents was an amazing turquoise Le Creuset pot which has seen some heavy use! (as i'm writing this it's in the oven filled with Beef in Red Wine for the freezer) Perfect for casseroles & pot roasts i really think that the range is unbeatable. The Houseboy's parents live in 'Bloody Paradise' a beautiful town in Australia so unfortunately i can't cook them up a feast, but they at least can see the evidence of it's use here! I also received some fabulous cook books  (people do know the way to my heart) which have hugely inspired me. So excited to bash out some new recipes.

My favourite cooking pot.

Mr & Mrs Brown's fantastical European travels are sadly over & they made a brief stop over in London on the way home to Sydney. Always game for a laugh, usually the last standing & great entertainers they are going to be sorely missed. A usual catching up with them involved food, drink & more food. One evening we headed to the Walmer Castle in Nottinghill, the pub has a Thai menu which was pretty good, the Fish Cakes were particularly good & the Pad Thai also a winner. The prosecco was even better. My head the next morning not so much. The Rose pub in Fulham was also frequented. Excellent food, beautiful garden & lovely staff, its perfect for a leisurely Sunday lunch. I would love to run a little restaurant or cafe, problem is, i would most likely eat all the profits.

 

The Scariest cycle gang i know

The inspiration behind making this dish is two of the naughtiest boys i know - Poppy & Chisholm who gave me a fantastic Italian cookbook full of regional dishes. It's great to make in large quantities & freeze. Nothing better than realising you have Sunday night dinner waiting for you in the freezer after a overly social weekend. This makes a fairly big portion, there may be some bechamel sauce left over, but it's better to have too much than too little.

Ingredients:

 

Bolognese

• 750g beef mince
• 200g chirizo (a ring not sliced)
• 1 & 1/2 onions
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 2 tins of plum tomatoes
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 large glass of red wine
• 2 boxes of cannelloni tubes
• s&p
• grated parmasan (to sprinkle on top of dish)

Bechamel Sauce

• 850mls milk  
• 10 peppercorns, 2 bay leaves & 1/4 of an onion)
• 80g butter
• 40g plain flour
• s&p

Method:

Kick off proceedings by turning your oven to 180c. Take an oven proof pot & heat up a good splash of oil. Finely chop the onion & garlic & cook gently. While that's happening pull the thin skin of the chirizo & chop as finely as possible. (its always will be a little lumpy) Turn up the heat slightly, add the chirizo & cook for 5 minutes. Then add the mince & quickly brown. Once nicely browned add the wine, tomato paste & tinned tomatoes. Season well & place in the oven (lid on) & cook for 1 1/2 - 2hrs. Check regularly, you may need to skim a little oil off the top. Once its done take it out & leave it to cool.

While the bolognese is cooling you can make the white sauce. Add the milk, peppercorns, bay leaves & onion to pan & gently heat to simmering point, making sure it doesn't boil. After 5 minutes of infusing take the milk off the heat and strain into jug. Then take the butter & melt making sure it doesn't colour or burn, otherwise it will effect the flavour. Add the flour & using a wooden spoon stir together vigorously to make a smooth paste. Add roughly 25mls of milk & stir in well, once the milk is fully incorporated add the next bit until all the milk has been added. Make sure the each stage of milk is fully absorbed to avoid lumps. You should now have a nice smooth sauce. Season to taste.

Take the now cooled bolognase & start to pack the cannelloni tubes making sure you fill them as tightly as possible. Lay in an oven proof dish & pour the white sauce over the top. Sprinkle with grated parmasan & bake for 40-50 minutes. Serve with a rocket salad.

Blood Hound