Some research indicates that cinnamon may slow the rate at which the stomach empties after meals, thus reducing the rise in blood sugar after eating. Add more than a pinch if you enjoy cinnamon!
Brown Betties or Betties are puddings of fruit tossed with sugar and spices and layered with buttered crumbs. They are homey looking and tasting – and dead simple to make.
This loaf, with its lovely wheaty flavour, even crumb and rustic artisanal look, will make even novices into confirmed bread bakers. You do have to begin the day before to mix the flour, water and yeast starter, but all three loaves – multigrain, whole wheat and white – are worth it. For all three, we used Robin Hood Best for Bread flours.
Traditionally a way of using up leftover roast meat, this can be made with diced or minced lamb – either way, it’s a winner.
It was a piece of kitchen equipment that gave rise to the modern version of this meat and-mash dish. In the 1870s, the newfangled mincing machine made short work of processing offcuts of meat and a classic was born. It is widely believed that the dish came from the north of England and Scotland, where there are large numbers of sheep. Shepherd’s pie, as the name suggests, uses mutton or lamb, and is not to be confused with cottage pie, which contains minced beef. A regional variation is the Cumberland pie, which includes a layer of cheese and bread crumbs on top of the mashed potato.
This is the easiest thing to put together and always leaves you satisfied. Variation possibilities abound, so my family never tires of it. The traditional remains their favourite.
What's for Dinner? Delicious meals make the most comforting weeknight suppers.
