casserole and pour over the tomato sauce. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and sugar. Stir well and bring to the boil. Put the lid on and place in the oven. Bake for 1 hour.
6 After an hour, check the beans and, if necessary (which it always seems to be!) add some more boiling water. Cook for another hour. Before serving, check whether the beans need more liquid, and if you think they do, stir in some more boiling water.
Every one has their own idea of the perfect full English breakfast – this is my version. (Strictly for weekends or school holidays as this is far too messy for weekdays!)
2 tbsp olive oil
12 chipolata sausages
12 rashers of bacon (I love maple bacon)
1 tin baked beans (or your own if you have any made!)
6 large field mushrooms
6 plum tomatoes
pepper to taste
6 large free-range (and if possible organic) eggs
fresh wholemeal bread
margarine
Serves: 6
Prep time: 5–10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
1 One of the hardest things with cooked breakfast is timing everything together and keeping it all warm! To help with this, preheat the oven to 130°C/250°F/GM½ and put in your serving plates and a large platter.
2 Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the chipolatas, cooking slowly for about 10 minutes until they start to spit. Add the bacon and cook until it begins to crisp. The sausages should now be nice and brown. Pop these into the oven onto the large platter to keep warm.
3 Place the baked beans in a small saucepan and heat gently. Do not allow to overheat.
4 Lower the heat in the frying pan and add the mushrooms and tomatoes. Season these with some pepper and gently fry for approximately 5 minutes.
5 Meanwhile in a separate frying pan heat a little oil and crack the eggs carefully into it. Cook until the white is completely set and firm.
6 Toast the wholemeal bread and spread with margarine.
7 Serve!
This was a dish I used to enjoy as a child – my mum always used to do it for my grandmother who lived with us. I remember Mum being surprised that I loved it so much, but that is often the way – children like the most unlikely foods at times, and we miss that because we never give them different things to try. This became my favourite Saturday morning breakfast. Incredibly easy and quick to make.
knob of butter
300g/12oz soft herring roe
couple of twists of black pepper to taste
1 lemon (cut into quarters lengthways)
4 slices wholemeal toast
Serves: 4 children
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
1 Simply melt the butter in a medium-sized frying pan.
2 Put in the herring roe and sauté gently, until the roe is firm. This takes approximately 2–3 minutes. Twist in the black pepper and serve onto hot buttered toast.
3 Squeeze over the lemon and serve!
Tip
• A sprinkling of chives adds great flavour.
25g/1oz butter
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp turmeric
250g/8oz basmati rice
450ml/16fl oz water
pinch Maldon sea salt
2 free-range eggs
450g/1lb smoked haddock fillet
125ml/4½fl oz milk
125ml/4½fl oz double cream
2 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp coriander, chopped
Serves: 4 hungry children
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
1 Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, then add the spices and the rice. Cook this for approximately 2 minutes. Add the water and salt. Bring this to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
2 Place the eggs into a saucepan of boiling water and boil for 6 minutes, so they are not too runny in the centre, but not fully hard – you want them to have a lovely bright yellow yolk that is almost creamy in texture.
3 Meanwhile, put the haddock in a saucepan with the milk and cream and heat to a simmer. When simmering, cover and allow to cook for approximately 5 minutes.
4 When the eggs are ready, run them under a cold tap to stop them overcooking, then peel and put aside till ready to serve. Take out the haddock, remove the skin and flake the fish, carefully removing any bones. Put the flakes back into the milk and cream.
5 Stir the rice and add to the haddock, sprinkle in the spring onions, chop the eggs and add to the dish, gently stirring through. Sprinkle the coriander over the top and serve.
Tip
• This is also delicious if you add fresh peas.