Homemade Cottage Pie topped with cheddar was Amy Jones’s chosen dish at last week’s cookery session, and it tasted amazing. We used 5% fat lean mince, Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, garlic, beef stock, and dried mixed herbs. We added onions, carrots, and peas to the mince and topped it off with creamy mash and cheddar. We then popped it in the oven for twenty minutes to finish cooking. We also made a Quorn version that tasted just as nice, for members who don’t eat meat.

We served the cottage pie with cauliflower, green beans carrots peas and gravy. Our members prepared carrots and onions, dicing them into small pieces to add to the mince, then peeled the potatoes for the mash.

Ffion and Amy hosted a quiz and bingo while lunch was cooking – well done ladies for keeping everyone entertained. Thanks so much to everyone who volunteered – you all worked so hard, as usual.

There is no class next week so we will see you all on Friday May 5th when Tracy Tregaskis has chosen to make chicken stir fry.

Toad in the hole was Paula’s choice in cookery last week, the perfect meal for a cold rainy day. Toad in the hole is traditionally served with onion gravy, but we avoided the onions in ours, as Paula’s not a fan.

Volunteers and members spent the morning preparing green beans, carrots, broccoli, and potatoes for the creamy mash. During the day some members showed us photos of the meals they have recreated at home, and they looked delicious. It’s great to see that people are more confident in the kitchen at home, and are cooking more often since coming to cookery class. What a brilliant achievement, well done to you all.

We ended the afternoon with a quiz, cake, and lots of giggles as always. It’s great to see everyone smiling and having fun with their friends whilst learning new skills. Thanks again to all our volunteers, and we’ll see you next week when Amy has chosen to make cottage pie with vegetables.