Beef is definitely one of our favourite meats. Not only is it delicious, but it can be enjoyed all year round - after all, when is a Sunday lunch not appropriate? With that in mind we've pulled together our favourite beef recipes, all of which can be cooked with the helping hand of the Morphy Richards Slow Cooker.

Beef Stroganoff

• 1kg stewing steak, diced
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 200ml red wine
• 100ml beef stock
• 2 small onions, sliced
• 2 red peppers, deseeded and sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 200g field mushrooms, wiped and quartered
• 100ml creme fraiche
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 375g brown rice, to serve

1. Season the steak. Heat half the oil over a high heat in a large frying pan and cook the beef for about 10 minutes, until browned all over.
2. Add the red wine and stock and, once simmering, pour the beef and liquid into the slow cooker.
3. Heat the remaining oil over a medium heat in the pan and cook the onions, red peppers and garlic for about 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the tomato puree, paprika and Dijon mustard. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Transfer to the slow cooker and stir in the mushrooms. Cook for 4 hours on the high setting or 8 hours on low.
5. To serve, stir the creme fraiche through the stroganoff, and spoon over the hot brown rice.

Traditional pot-roasted beef with fresh herb dumplings

• 800g stewing steak, diced
• 25g butter
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 500ml beef stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 large thyme sprig
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 100g vegetable suet
• 100g self-raising flour
• 3 tbsp chopped mixed herbs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Green vegetables, to serve

1. Season the beef. Heat half the butter over a high heat in a large frying pan and cook the beef for about 5 minutes, in batches if necessary, until browned all over. Stir in the plain flour, then spoon the mixture into the slow cooker.
2. Pour a little of the stock into the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape off any residue. Transfer to the slow cooker together with the bay leaf, thyme and rosemary.
3. Heat the remaining butter over a medium heat in the pan and cook the onions, carrots and celery for about 10 minutes, until softened. Transfer to the slow cooker and add the remaining stock. Cook for 4 hours on the high setting or 8 hours on low.
4. Start making the dumplings about 45 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Combine the suet, self-raising flour and mixed herbs in a bowl and add seasoning. Stir in 200ml water until a dough forms, then drop teaspoons of the dough on top of the casserole. Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until puffed up and cooked through.
5. Serve hot with the green vegetables of your choice.

Beef and chorizo casserole with salsa

Serves: 6

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 4 hours on high/8 hours on low

• 1kg stewing steak
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 mild onion, roughly chopped
• 150g chorizo
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 200ml beef stock
• 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 1 x 300g can pinto or borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
• Large pinch of chilli flakes
• 1 tsp chopped thyme
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 ripe avocados, stoned and chopped
• Juice of 2 limes
• 4 tbsp chopped coriander
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Tortilla wraps to serve

1. Toss the steak in the flour to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over a high heat in a large frying pan and cook half the beef for about 5 minutes, until well browned all over. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the rest of the steak.
2. Heat the remaining oil over a medium heat in the pan and cook the onions for a few minutes, until softened. Then add the chorizo and cook for a few more minutes.
3. Add the stock, chopped tomatoes, pinto (or borlotti) beans, chili flakes, thyme, tomato puree and seasoning. Return the beef to the pan and bring to a simmer. Transfer to the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on the high setting or 8 hours on low.
4. Start making the potato wedges about 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
5. For the salsa, stir together the avocados, lime juice and coriander and add the seasoning. Serve alongside the casserole and potato wedges.

We hope that these recipes inspire you to eat some delicious beef centered meals. For more information about any of our slow cookers then make sure to visit our website. 

Rather than taking your mother to an over-priced restaurant this Mother’s Day, why not add the personal touch and cook her a delicious meal in the comfort of your own home? Nothing can beat the satisfaction of a lip-smacking homemade meal, especially when it’s guaranteed to put a huge grin on your mother’s face!

Here we have a couple of recipes that we feel would really add to the occasion using the Morphy Richards Partition Pot Slow Cooker and the Morphy Richards Intellisteam. 

Coq au vin

Ingredients:

800g chicken pieces, skin on
4 tbsp plain flour
150g shallots
150g Chantenay carrots, trimmed
1 onion, chopped
300ml red wine
50ml brandy
2 rosemary sprigs
3 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
100g smoked streaky bacon, each rasher cut into three
100ml chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.2kg waxy potatoes, diced, to serve
Flat-leaf parsley

Method:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Meanwhile, season the chicken and cook in the oil for about 5 minutes, until golden. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker and stir in the flour.
2. Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan over a medium heat and cook the shallots, carrots and onions for 10 minutes or until softened. Stir in the wine, brandy, rosemary, thyme bay leaves and seasoning. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until reduced by half.
3. In a separate dry pan, brown the bacon, then add to the slow cooker.
4. Add the cooked vegetables to the chicken pour in the hot stock and stir well. Cook for 4 hours on the high setting or 8 hours on low.
5. Steam the diced potatoes in a saucepan for about 10 minutes, or until tender. To serve, place the chicken pieces on a serving plate, spoon over the sauce and serve with the steamed potatoes, garnished with flat-leaf parsley.

Steamed vegetable balti

Ingredients:

500g (1lb 2oz) butternut squash, cut into chunks
1 large carrot, sliced
2 celery sticks, sliced
½ tsp cumin seeds
100g (4oz) fine green beans, sliced
100g baby corn, halved
1 red and 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Rice:

300g (10oz) basmati rice
2 tsp vegetable stock powder
1 x 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Sauce:

3 tbsp balti curry paste
2 tbsp tomato puree
250ml (9fl oz) vegetable stock

To Garnish:

Chopped fresh coriander, to garnish

Method:

1. Position divider wall in front container. Mix together the butternut squash, carrot and celery. Add the cumin seeds, season with a little salt and black pepper, then tip into one of the front compartments.
2. Position the rice tray in the back container. Add the rice and 450ml (3/4 pint) of cold water. Spoon in the stock powder, then add the chickpeas, stirring to mix.
3. Mix together the green beans, baby corn and peppers and tip them into the remaining front compartment, levelling them evenly. Position the sauce tray on top and add the curry paste, tomato puree and stock. Stir to mix.
4. Set the time for the rice (42 mins). Set the time for the butternut squash mixture using the pre-set for root vegetables (35 mins). For the remaining vegetables and sauce, set the time using the pre-set for sauce (30 mins), then adjust to 10 mins.
5. Share the rice and chickpeas between 4 warmed bowls. Tip all the vegetables into a large bowl and add the sauce, tossing to mix. Serve, sprinkled with coriander.

We have two brilliant slow cookers that would make a great addition to any kitchen. Our Partition Pot Slow Cooker allows you to slow cook two separate meals in the same pot, whereas the Sear and Stew Slow Cooker means you can both sear and stew within the same pot. Both of these slow cookers allow you to control the cooking speed, meaning that you can slow cook at the pace you desire.

To best use your Morphy Richards Slow Cooker, here are three lip-smacking recipes that will help you spend your time in the kitchen wisely.

Italian fish stew:

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp. olive oil
100g smoked pancetta, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp. chilli flakes
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
200g swordfish fillets
200ml white wine
200g squid tubes, cut into rings
200g raw king prawns
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crusty bread, to serve 

METHOD:

1. Heat half the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the pancetta and garlic for about 2 minutes to soften. Stir in the chilli flakes and chopped tomatoes and heat through for about 3 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker.
2. Heat the remaining oil over a high heat in the frying pan, season the swordfish and cook and cook for about 1 minute on each side. Add to the contents of the slow cooker.
3. Pour the wine into the hot pan; simmer for a couple of minutes, then add to the slow cooker. Finally, add the squid and prawns and season well. Cook for 2 hours on the high setting.
4. To finish, mix together the lemon zest and parsley and sprinkle over the stew. Serve in shallow bowls or on deep plates with crusty bread.

Salmon in chilli miso broth:

Cooking time: 3 hours on high setting

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp. sunflower oil
3cm piece fresh root ginger, grated
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2-3 red chillies, deseeded and shredded
12 spring onions cut into 5cm lengths
150g French green beans, halved
1 large carrot, cut into sticks
4 tbsp. dashi miso paste
600ml boiling water
4 salmon or trout fillets, skins left on
3 heads baby pak choi 
Salt
Soy sauce, to serve
Pickled ginger, to serve
Wasabi paste, to deserve

METHOD:

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, chillies, spring onions, beans and carrots and cook for 2 minutes, until softened. Spoon into the slow cooker.
2. In a measuring jug, dissolve the miso paste in the boiling water. Pour some of this into the pan to deglaze, then pour it all into the slow cooker with the vegetables. Cover and cook for 2 hours on the high setting, then 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time proceed to step 3.
3. Season the salmon fillets with a little salt. Place a dry frying pan over a high heat until very hot. Sear the salmon fillets, flesh side down, and when they are sealed, place in the slow cooker on top of the vegetables. Cover and cook for 1 hour on the high setting.
4. About 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the pak choi. Serve in shallow bowls, offering the soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi separately. 

Pot-roasted gammon in cider with apples:

INGREDIENTS:

1kg unsmoked gammon joint, soaked overnight in cold water and drained
25g butter
1 leek, diced
1 onion, diced
1 stick celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 Granny Smith apples, cut into wedges and cored
200ml pork or chicken stock
300ml cider
2 tbsp. mustard powder
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mashed potato, to serve

METHOD:

1. Put the gammon in a colander in the sink and pour a kettle of boiling water over the joint.
2. Melt the butter over a medium heat in a saucepan and cook the diced vegetables for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add seasoning, then transfer the vegetables to the slow cooker and add the stock, cider and mustard. Tuck the bay leaves under the gammon strings.
3. Add the gammon joint to the slow cooker, nestling it down among the vegetables. Cook for 4 hours on the high setting. Add the apples 1 hour before the end of the cooking time.
4. To serve, drain the slow-cooked sauce into a saucepan and boil for about 5 minutes to reduce by a half. Slice the gammon thinly and serve with the vegetables from the broth and mashed potato.

Salmon fillets & Asparagus

Preparation:

1. Turn on the Intelligrill and set to a high temperature; 218c is a good benchmark. Make sure to place the temperature probe in the salmon fillet to allow for constant monitoring.

2. Meanwhile, prepare salmon fillet. Rinse and pat dry and remove any bones (you can pull these out with tweezers if you’re really struggling). Very lightly brush the skin with low-fat oil, and then sprinkle the flesh side of the fillet with salt and pepper.

3. Place the salmon fillet inside the Intelligrill with the skin-side-down and then cover. 

4. Cut the tips off the asparagus and place and boil for 5 minutes.

5. Cook the fillet until the salmon starts to release its fat and/or the flesh begins to flake easily. This normally occurs after 10 to 12 minutes for most 1-inch-thick fillets. Allow another 10 minutes for each extra inch of thickness. 

6. Use a spatula to carefully remove the salmon fillet from the Intelligrill and serve with asparagus and drizzling of lemon juice.

Lemon chicken & cous cous

Ingredients:
• 1 large skinless chicken breast, cut into pieces
• 8 large, raw peeled prawns
• 3 tbsp low-fat olive oil
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 300g fresh (or frozen and thawed) broad beans
• Handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 100g feta, crumbled

Preparation:

1. Place the chopped up chicken fillets in a bowl and toss with the prawns, 1 tablespoon olive oil, the zest and juice of 1/2 lemon and the dried oregano. Season and set aside for roughly 10 minutes.


2. Meanwhile, cook the broad beans in lightly salted water for 4 minutes. Once done, then drain and place in cold water, drain again and slip out of their skins. Put these into a bowl and toss with the mint, feta and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Season with freshly ground black pepper and set aside.


3. Place in the Intelligrill and cook on for 3 minutes on each side, until relatively charred and cooked through. Thread the chicken and prawns onto 4 skewers, and then divide between plates, along with the bean salad. Cut the lemon into wedges, and sprinkle the juice over all the skewers.


The Morphy Richards Intelligrill is an easy-to-use griller that is designed to complement any kitchen. If you want to see the product in action, click here to watch a video of our design and innovation manager Glynn taking you through the product. To buy the product, please visit our website.

It’s a bit of a given that January marks a change for many people. Whether that’s giving something up, embarking on a new exercise regime or simply eating better, health is at the forefront of people’s minds. Fortunately we have created a number of products that help with any healthier, New Year’s cooking.

One of these, the Morphy Richards Intellisteam is a versatile, yet simple-to-use steamer that will work well in any kitchen. This week we have pulled together some of our favourite recipes that will help to make the most out of your steamer,  and complement any New Year’s diet.

Steamed oriental salmon:

Ingredients

•             150g/5¼oz salmon fillet

•             2 spring onions, sliced lengthways

•             1 tomato, cut into quarters

•             2 tablespoons of soy sauce

•             ½ lemon, juice only

•             1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

•             1 teaspoon of sesame oil

Method

1. Place the fillet of salmon into the Intellisteam, and set to cook for 8 minutes,or until the salmon is cooked through.

2. After a couple of minutes, add spring onions and tomatoes into separate compartments and steam for 6 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, mix soy sauce, lemon juice, vegetable oil and sesame oil in a bowl. Make sure to do this thoroughly.

4. Remove the salmon and vegetables from the steamer and place onto a serving plate. Drizzle the sauce over and serve.

Can also be served with potatoes, as pictured.

Steamed chicken with creamy leeks and mushrooms

Ingredients

•             4 sprigs of tarragon

•             4 skinless chicken breasts

•             2 shallots, finely chopped

•             1 leek, diced finely

•             200g/7oz chestnut mushrooms, sliced

•             2 tbsp olive oil

•             pinch curry powder

•             pinch saffron strands (steeped in a little water) or turmeric

•             small bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped

•             100ml/3½fl oz low fat fromage frais

•             sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Decorate each chicken breast with a sprig of taragon and place in the steamer for 15 minutes until cooked through.

2. In a pan, sweat the shallots, leeks and mushrooms in oil together with the curry powder and saffron for a few minutes until softened but not brown.

3. Add the parsley and fromage frais, bring to the boil and simmer gently for a few minutes. Season and serve with the steamed chicken breasts.

Lamb with Oregano and Tomato

Ingredients

•             4 x 110-125g (4-5oz) lamb leg or lamb rump steaks

•             1x Tbsp olive oil

•             1x Large garlic clove, crushed

•             2x Tbsp tomato puree

•             1 Tsp dried oregano

•             Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Potatoes:

To garnish:

Method:

3. Position divider wall in front container. Toss potatoes in olive oil and lemon zest, then tip compartment and add mint sprigs. Place carrots in remaining compartment, sprinkle with cumin seeds (if using) and put butter on top

4. Set time for lamb using chicken pre-set (27 mins). Set time for carrots using root vegetable pre-set (35 mins) then adjust to 30 minutes. Set time for potatoes using pre-set for root vegetables (35 mins).

Serve garnished with mint sprigs.

Cooks tip:

Lamb can be wrapped and cooked in cooking foil to retain juices and prevent surface protein.

The weather’s definitely getting a bit nippier now, so what better way to enjoy an evening in than with a healthy and hearty meal that all the family can enjoy?

It’s time to make your slow cooker a permanent fixture on the kitchen worktop. It’ll allow you to cook up incredibly tasty, great value meals by getting the most out of cheaper cuts of meat, while you get on with whatever else you have to have to do!

If you’re in need of some inspiration, we’ve pulled together a couple of delicious recipes to try out. Whether you’re the owner of one of our innovative slow cookers or not, give them a try and let us know how you get on.

Thai Pork Curry

This dish is the perfect meal for frugal slow cooks. You can use inexpensive shoulder meat for the recipe, which will tenderise, thanks to the long cooking time.

Serves: 6

Prep time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 4 hours on high/8 hours on low

Ingredients:

1 tbsp sunflower oil

800g pork shoulder, diced

1 onion, sliced

90g red Thai curry paste

6 tbsp lime juice

400ml coconut milk

2 tbsp soy sauce

8 dried lime leaves

1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped

3 baby aubergines, quartered

2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

2 tbsp chopped basil leaves

4 tbsp fish sauce

Thai jasmine rice, to serve

Method:

First, cook the pork and onion in the Sear and Stew Slow Cooker for around five minutes, to brown it all over.

Combine the curry paste with half the lime juice and all the coconut milk, soy sauce and lime leaves. Heat until it’s simmering and pour it over the browned pork. Add the red pepper and aubergines. Cook it for four hours on the high setting or eight hours on low.

Stir in the additional lime juice, coriander, basil and fish sauce.

Spoon portions of the curry over the cooked Thai jasmine rice and serve up your delicious meal.

Sausage, Red Onion and Bean Casserole

This is a great meal which all the family are bound to enjoy. This particular version’s made with spicy sausages, but you could use ordinary sausages or even veggie ones, if you want.

Serves: 6

Prep time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 4 hours on high/8 hours on low

Ingredients:

2 tbsp sunflower oil

2 red onions, diced

1 carrot, diced

450g merguez sausages

450g pork or veggie sausages

2 garlic cloves, chopped

½ tsp chipotle chilli paste

200ml beef stock

400g can of chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp chopped rosemary

100g pinto beans, soaked overnight, or 420g of canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Jacket potatoes, to serve

Sour cream, to serve

Method:

Cook the sausages in your Sear and Stew Slow Cooker for five minutes, to brown them, then add the onions and carrots, cooking for a further five minutes.

Add the garlic, chilli paste, stock and tomatoes to the sausages, onions and carrots, bringing the whole mixture to a simmer.

Season it well, then stir in the rosemary and pinto beans. Cook for four hours on the high slow cooker setting or eight hours on low.

Serve the casserole with jacket potatoes and sour cream.

So there you have it, two simple and delicious recipes to tickle your taste buds. If you’re in need of a versatile new slow cooker, why not check out or brand new Sear and Stew. It makes the whole process even more hassle-free, allowing you to brown your meat and slow cook in the same pot. 

We love a good Chinese meal out, and the old classic Chicken and Sweetcorn soup is possibly the tastiest way to kick things off. Ever thought of making it at home? We thought not.

Now you can take a taste of China home with you with little preparation, by trying out wonderfully simple recipe for our new soup maker.

Chinese Style Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Setting: Chunky

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 320g sweetcorn, uncooked

• 1 red onion, finely chopped

• 250g cooked chicken, shredded

• 100g water chestnuts, thinly sliced

• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

• 750ml chicken stock

• 2tsp corn flour mixed with 1

tsp of water to form a paste

• 4 spring onions, finely chopped

• 1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped

• 10g chopped coriander

• 200g hot cooked noodles

Method:

1. Place the chicken stock into the Soup Maker along with the  sweetcorn kernels, red onion, water chestnuts, ginger, shredded chicken and pour in the cornflour paste, mix the ingredients together with a spoon or spatula to evenly distribute 
2. Select the chunky setting and leave until ready
3. Divide the hot cooked noodles between serving bowls scatter over the chilli, spring onions and coriander. Pour the soup over the noodles and serve

The weather might think otherwise, but summer is still officially here, so you’ve got plenty of time to enter our fantastic summer baking competition.

Here at Morphy Richards, we’ve been eagerly trawling through all the entries to our Foodies100 competition to find some tasty treats that we love the look of.

We shared a few entries with you last month and we’ve got another for you right here, which will hopefully inspire you to submit your best summer baking recipe. Don’t forget, you don’t need to be a blogger to enter – we’ve got a prize for the best blogger recipe and one for a non-blogger too!

This scrumptious looking Strawberry Tart with Elderflower Pastry Cream has come in from How to Cook Good Food.

• 180g unsalted butter chopped into cubes
• 240g plain flour sifted
• pinch of salt
• splash of water

FOR THE ELDERFLOWER PASTRY CREAM -RECIPE ADAPTED FROM STEPHANIE ALEXANDER’S THE COOK’S  COMPANION

• 8fl oz (240ml) milk
• 150g caster sugar
• 50g cornflour
• 6 egg yolks
• 8-10 tbsp elderflower cordial (I used my home -made cordial from Karen at Lavender & Lovage’s recipe HERE but used 2 oranges, 1 lemon and half white half demerara sugar)

FOR THE TOPPING :-

• 1 punnet of strawberries sliced
• Icing sugar

METHOD :-

FOR THE PASTRY :-

1. Place the butter, salt and flour in a bowl and work the mixture with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. You could also use a food processor for this
2. Add enough water to bring the mixture into a ball of pastry. It will not take more than a few splashes to do this.
3. Work it gently into a ball as the less you handle the pastry the lighter it will be. Wrap in cling film and keep it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to rest.

FOR THE ELDERFLOWER PASTRY CREAM :-

1. Heat the milk in a pan until it is hot but not boiling.
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour.
3. Pour the hot milk onto the egg yolk mixture then return it to the pan.
4. Stir the pastry cream until it begins to thicken over a medium heat. When it begins to bubble you will need to beat it as it will begin to thicken quickly and you don’t want it to catch on the bottom of the pan. (This took longer than I expected, about 10 minutes)
5. Remove from the heat and let it cool before you add in the elderflower cordial then cover with cling film until you are ready to use it.

TO ASSEMBLE :-

1. Roll out the pastry to line a tart tin and bake it blind until it is cooked through, about 20 minutes at 160 degrees.
2. When it is completely cold pour in the pastry cream and spread it evenly over the pastry base.
3. Top with sliced strawberries and then dust liberally with icing sugar.

If you’ve got a great recipe you want to enter into the competition, you’ve got until August 31^st to share it with us. You could be in with a chance of winning a stunning Morphy Richards Hand Blender Set, which is available in a selection of different colours including red, cyan, yellow and cream. Check out the full competition details on the Foodies100 website.

We launched a fantastic summer baking competition in association with Foodies100 last week, and we’ve already had some delicious recipe entries.

To give you a bit of inspiration and show you just how easy it is to enter, we’re keen to show you some of the very first entries we’ve received.

Just to remind you, the competition is open to absolutely everyone – you don’t have to be a blogger – and we’ll be giving away a prize to the best entry from both the blogger and non-blogger categories.

You could be in with a chance of winning a gorgeous  Morphy Richards Hand Blender Set. The Accents Range is available in a selection of different colours including red, cyan, yellow and cream, not only do they produce great tasting food, they’ll also look great in your kitchen!

Here are some of the recipes we’ve received so far:

This delicious looking Lemon-Berry & Tea Frosted Cake came from Sarah at Wuthering Bites, while Lottie over at Lottie’s World of Cakes and Bakes has submitted a yummy Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Cream. Lavender and Lovage entered this gorgeous Vanilla, Strawberry & Rose Victoria Sponge and this Jubilee-inspired Summer Fruits Traybake was entered into the competition by Utterly Scrummy.

These are just a selection of the entries to the competition to date. We’ve also had some yummy looking entries via email – don’t forget that’s another way for you to enter. Keep an eye on Home of the House Proud and the Foodies100 competition post to find some other brilliant recipe submissions.

All you need to do is submit your summer baking recipe, either by posting your blog link or sending an email, before August 31^st to be in with a chance of winning. Good luck!

Even if you don’t feel like entering, you can still get an amazing 25% off products in the Morphy food prep range. Just enter FP10025 at the checkout stage on our website to take advantage of the discount.

The summer may not be making an appearance this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of all the seasonal produce you can get your hands on.

Here at Morphy Richards, we’ve teamed up with Foodies100 to launch a great summer baking competition with a chance for two lucky people to win a brand new set from our food preparation range.

To enter, all you need to do is submit an original summer baking recipe either posting it on your blog or via email. Full details are available on the Foodies 100 website. Bloggers and non-bloggers can enter – we’ll be giving away a prize to the best entry from each category.

We’ll also be posting a selection of our favourite recipes right here on Home of the House Proud over the next six weeks, so keep your eyes peeled for those.

If you enter, you could be in with a chance of winning a fantastic Morphy Richards Hand Blender Set. The Accents Range is available in a selection of different colours including red, cyan, yellow and cream, not only do they produce great tasting food, they’ll also look great in your kitchen!

The set boasts chopping and whisk attachments, with variable speed settings for you to whiz up your foods at whatever speed suits you best!

Even if you’re not feeling particularly competitive, you can take advantage of our exclusive promotional code to receive 25% off products in the Morphy food prep range. All you need to do is enter FP10025 at the checkout stage on our website to get money off.

You’ve got until August 31^st to submit your recipe, so get into the baking spirit and share your best summer recipe with us!

Once you’ve purchased a Morphy Richards appliance, we want to make sure that you get the most from it – that’s why we created ‘Home of the House Proud’ and it’s also why we recently teamed up with author Richard Ehrlich to launch a brand new recipe book for bread maker owners entitled, ’80 Recipes for your Bread Maker’.

Richard Ehrich has written on food for The Times, Guardian, Financial Times and Time Out, where he is also a contributor to the Time Out Eating and Drinking Guide. He has won two Glenfiddich Awards for his drinks column in the Independent on Sunday and is currently the wine editor of Good Housekeeping. In addition to this bread maker recipe book, he’s also put one together for a Halogen Oven and Pressure Cooker.

’80 Recipes for your Bread Maker’ really does demonstrate how versatile this appliance can be and includes tasty and nutritious recipes for every occasion. The book covers classic, simple loaves, such as White Bread and Rye Bread; Flavoured Breads, such as Goat’s Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomato Bread, and Peanut Butter Bread; and cakes and sweet laves, including Chocolate Marmalade Marble Cake and Pear Cake. The book also teaches you how to use a Morphy Richards bread maker to knead dough so that you can effortlessly make anything from Mushroom Pizza to Raisin Buns.

The mouth-watering photography in the book will inspire you to get your apron out and start baking today. Packed with reliable advice and inventive recipes, this book is just what you need to get the most from your bread maker.

You can get your copy of ’80 Recipes for your Bread Maker’ from the Morphy Richards website or by calling our customer care team on: 0844 873 0726. The book is priced at £14.99.

If you pick up a copy and make a recipe from it, or have your own delicious breadmaker recipe that you regularly make, we’d love you to share it with us on our Facebook page!

Happy Bread Making!

Read here about why the lovely Pippa of A Mother’s Ramblings loves to flick through cook books. Here she tests out a recipe from Morphy Richards’ Ultimate Slow Cooker Cook Book. Check out the original post here.

A Menu For A Dinner Party I Am Never Going To Have

Reading cooking books is great fun and I do it quite a lot. Recently Daddy suggested that when I was clearing out a lot of books from the book shelf I might consider clearing out some of my cooking books. The evil stare I gave him made him realise I was not parting with them for anybody! When I read cookbooks I come up with Menus for dinner parties I am never going to have and it is a bit of fun to work out what the main course is and to work out how I would make the meal, who I would invite and if it was Come Dine With Me what the sarcastic voice over would say about me.

The lovely people at Morphy Richards saw my post on how much I love my slow cooker(and how I had discovered that you can make Jacket Potatoes in a slow cookera revelation of epic proportions in this house) and so they sent me out The Ultimate Slow Cooker Cookbook. Which was handy as out of all the cook books I own, I don’t have a slow cooker cookbook! I took the book to bed with me and read all the different recipes and was starting to come up with some great plans for a dinner party that I would never host when I saw the Beef with Black Peppers in Black Bean Sauce recipe. I love this dish and that I was going to make it.

Chinese Beef and Green Peppers in Black Bean Sauce done in my Slower Cooker.

I teamed it with rice noodles (we can’t eat egg noodles seeing as how Daddy is now allergic to egg as well as being a Coeliac) and some home fried Prawn Crackers and it was delicious. So if anyone wants to come round for an imaginary dinner party now you know what your main course is going to be.

I was sent a cookbook by Morphy Richards, I didn’t ask for it and they hoped I would like it. I did.

Christmas has come early with the latest recipe that’s been submitted for Home Made Cook of the Year.

If you haven’t entered yet and think you’ve got what it takes to be a home cooking hero, then check out full details here.

Here’s Michelle Platmans recipe for Pauper’s Christmas Dinner – we think you’ll agree it looks absolutely delicious!

Ingredients

2  turkey legs

2 carrots (peeled and cut into rings or rough pieces)

1 garlic head (with the papery skin rubbed off and pointed top cut off)

1 large onion (peeled and cut into slices)

2 large jacket potatoes

frozen peas

soy sauce

olive oil,

pepper

Method

• Heat the oven to 225 degrees C.  Scrub the potatoes and prick all over with a fork or knife.  Rub all over with olive oil and place in the pre-heated oven for about 90 minutes.

• Lay the two turkey legs in a large roasting pan and surround with the sliced onion, carrot pieces and garlic head (cut side up).  Drizzle the vegetables and garlic head with a little olive oil.  Pour hot water from the kettle over the turkey legs and vegetables.  Splosh some soy sauce over the turkey legs and sprinkle pepper over the turkey legs and vegetables.  (no salt at this stage, as the soy sauce is salty enough).

• After the potatoes have been cooking for about 30 minutes, put the roasting pan with the turkey and veg in the oven and roast for aboutg 50 minutes.  Remove turkey from the oven, baste with the pan juices and turn the turkey legs over to allow the skin to crisp up on both sides.  Put back in the oven and cook for a further 10-15 minutes to ensure they are cooked through.  Prick the fleshy part of the legs and if the juices run clear, they are done!  Remove the turkey legs from the oven and allow to rest covered with a cloth, for about 15 minutes before carving.  The potatoes should be cooked by now, so these can be wrapped in some foil and put back in the oven.  Put 4 dinner plates in the bottom of the oven to warm.

• Cook the frozen peas just before serving.

To Serve…

• Carve the rested turkey legs into slices and divide between the 4 warmed places.  Allow one half of a jacket potato per person and a portion of the cooked peas.  Squeeze the pulp from the roasted garlic head and divide between the four plates.  Serve a little of roasted vegetables from the pan with each dinner, and use the soy saucey pan juices as a gravy.

• Enjoy!

Any Salmon fans out there? We thought so…

One of the latest recipes submitted as a part of out Home Made Cook of the Year Competition is a deliciously fishy Smoked salmon and Broccoli Frittata.

Think you can do better? If so, then we want to hear from you! Enter the competition here and you could end up cooking for celeb chef Brian Turner and could walk away with a whole host of foodie prizes.

 

Smoked salmon and Broccoli Frittata

Ingredients

100g broccoli, trimmed

1tsp olive oil

3 x large eggs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

25g smoked salmon trimmings, chopped

1tbsp chopped fresh dill (or 1tsp freeze dried)

100g fresh lettuce

4 xlarge tomatoes

1 x Cucumber

Method

• Cook the broccoli in boiling water for 3 mins or until just tender. Drain in a colander and rinse in cold water until cold and drain again.

• Wash and chop up the salad and place in the fridge whilst preparing other ingredients.

• Heat the oil in a medium non-stick frying pan. Beat the eggs with seasoning then add the broccoli to the pan and sauté for 2 mins. Pour over the eggs and cook for 3-4 mins or until the base has set.

• Scatter the salmon and dill over the frittata and cook under a hot grill for 2 mins or until the top has set. Cut into wedges and serve with salad.

This weekend is your last chance to enter our ‘Home Made Cook of the Year’ competition on ‘Home of the House Proud’, so if you’ve been putting it off, you’ve not got too much longer left!

Through our partnership with the WI, Delia Online and Diabetes UK, delicious recipe entries have been flooding in from around the country. If you didn’t know already, our short-list of three ‘Home Made Cooks’ will have to prepare their tasty entry for Stoves ambassador and celeb chef Brian Turner, with the winner walking away with an envious prize package!

Over the next few days, we’re going to bring you bang up to date with the entries that we’ve received so far. Today’s highlighted entry is from Tamsin Ballard and is for a Roasted Vegetable Risotto Cake.

Ingredients:

For the roasted vegetables:

1x Courgette

1x Red pepper

1x Red onion

150gx Cherry tomatoes

1x Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1x Tbsp olive oil

Pinch of salt

For the risotto:

1x Tbsp olive oil

1x Onion, finely chopped

1x Love garlic, minced

300gx Arborio rice

1Litre x Vegetable stock

50g x Grana padano, grated

Black pepper

Fresh basil leaves

For the cake:

125g x low-fat mozzarella

Fresh basil leaves

Method:

• First roast the vegetables. Heat the oven to 230C. Chop the red onion, courgette and pepper into even size chunks and place in a roasting tray. Add the tomatoes, toss in 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar. Roast for 30 minutes
• Meanwhile make the risotto – gently cook the onion and garlic in olive oil then add the rice. Stir and gradually add the hot stock a ladleful at a time. Cook for about 16 minutes, the rice should still have a little bite. Stir in the grana padano, plenty of shredded basil and pepper to taste
• Turn the oven down to 190C and assemble the cake
• Spread half of the risotto into a 20cm non-stick cake tin. Top with the roasted vegetables and spread over the remaining risotto. Tear up the mozzarella and arrange on top of the cake. Bake for 40 minutes
• Once baked, leave to cool for 30 minutes. Top with more basil leaves and serve with a green salad

In total this recipe costs £6.20 including a side salad and serves 4. With the salad, each serving provides 2 of your 5 a day

If you’d like to enter Morphy Richards’ ‘Home Made Cook of the Year’ competition, you’ve not got too long left – don’t delay, upload your entry today! Here are all of the entry details.

Over the last couple of days, we’ve had a great entry to our ‘Home Made Cook of the Year’ competition from Mrs Jill Wade (from Surrey). Jill has sent us a recipe for her favourite Turkey & Pasta Bake with Roasted Vegetables & Rustic Wholemeal Bread; you can see the entry below. The recipe came to £7.50 and Jill read about ‘Home Made Cook of the Year’ in Diabetes UK’s latest edition of Balance.

Ingredients for Rustic Wholemeal Bread (makes 4 small loaves)

100g x Wholemeal Bread Flour

100g x White Bread Flour

100g x Seeds & Grains Granary Bread Flour

2x Tsp Dried Yeast

2x Tbsp Pumpkin Seeds

2x Tbsp Sunflower Seeds

2x Tbsp Sesame Seeds

1x Tsp Salt

300ml x Warm Water

Poppy Seeds to Decorate

Method

• Make bread dough (in breadmaker if available) – after 2^nd proving, divide into four rustic shaped loaves on a baking tray
• Wash with warm water and sprinkle with poppy seeds
• Cover with tea towel for final rising, then bake in hot oven (200c fan) for approx. 20 minutes

Ingredients for Roasted Vegetables

500g x Butternut Squash

4x Medium Parsnips

4x Medium Carrots

½ x Red Pepper

3x Red Onions

8x Garlic Cloves

Sunflower or Olive Oil

Rosemary Sprigs (from garden)

Salt & Pepper

Paprika to Sprinkle

Method

• Peep parsnips, scrub carrots and cut into fingers. Cover with cold salted water and bring to the boil. When cooked through, drain the vegetables
• Cut onions, pepper and butternut squash into chunks and spread onto a baking tray with plenty of sunflower/olive oil. Add the other vegetables and make sure everything is coated well with oil. Season with salt & pepper, paprika and intersperse with rosemary sprigs
• Roast in hot oven (200c fan) for 30 – 40 minutes, turning occasionally to make sure parsnips crisp
• Squeeze garlic cloves and remove garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs before serving

Ingredients for Pasta Bake

300g x Penne Pasta

1x Red Onion

300g x Unsmoked Bacon Rashes

350g x Turkey Breast Fillet

2x Tbsp Plain Flour

Black Pepper

Fresh Thyme (from garden)

1x Stock Cube

25g x Butter

300ml x Skimmed Milk

75g x Grated Cheese

1x Slice (or crust) Wholemeal Bread (made into breadcrumbs)

Method

• Cover penne pasta with plenty of salted boiling water, return to simmer then switch off and leave to swell for approx. 10 minutes
• Chop onion finely and soften chopped bacon rashes in large covered sauté pan on a medium heat
• Cut turkey breast into small pieces then coat in plain flour with a good measure of black pepper and thyme leaves – but no salt. Add a little sunflower oil to the pan if necessary then sauté turkey pieces until flour is absorbed and edges of turkey pieces are beginning to brown
• Crumble stock cube over meat and add boiling water to cover, stirring to mix in and simmer gently for approx. 5 minutes
• Melt butter in a jug in the microwave; add flour and milk (but no seasoning). Heat and whisk thoroughly to make up thin béchamel sauce – add to meat in pan – then check seasoning – probably will not need any salt, but may need more black pepper
• Drain pasta and combine with meat in sauce and transfer baking dish. Sprinkle over ½ cheese then breadcrumbs, then rest of cheese
• Bake in hot oven (200c fan) for approx 20. mins to heat through and crisp topping

This weekend is your final chance to enter ‘Home Made Cook of the Year’, to find out how you could cook your favourite dish for celeb chef Brian Turner and walk away with a kitchen full of the latest gadgets, click here.

Rosie would be the first to admit she’s not a natural whizz in the kitchen, but she’s been cooking up a storm with our Flavour Savour slow cooker and has even tried out one of the recipes from our slow cooker cook book.

You can check out the recipe she tried out, and her thoughts on the product, below (or click here to read the post on her own blog)

Slow cooker Greek-style butter bean and potato casserole

I’m not known for my cooking skills, but even I have managed to successfully produce this Greek-style butter bean and potato casserole from the new Morphy Richards slow cooker cookbook. It takes just 15 minutes to prepare the ingredients, and then you just leave it to cook for four hours. It’s a great recipe for a cold winter evening and great with a chunky bread roll. (Serves 6).

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil
1 mild Spanish onion
4 garlic cloves, crushed
200 ml red wine
400 g white potatoes, diced
2 x 410 g cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
2 x 400 g cans chopped tomatoes
Pinch of paprika
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method

1. Heat half the oil in a large saucepan over a high heat and cook the onions for about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and add the red wine. Let it bubble for a few minutes to deglaze the pan. Season and transfer to the slow cooker. Add the potatoes, turnip and butter beans.

2. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix. Season and cook for 4 hours on the high setting and 8 hours on the low.

The recipe is so simple that your children will be able to help, which is an added bonus. We cooked the dish in the Flavour Savour Digital Slow Cooker that we were sent as part of the Morphy Richards Innovators Scheme.

It is incredibly easy to use and with a capacity of 4.5 litres it is large enough to cook a meal for the whole family. It has three cooking settings – browning, fast stew and slow cook, which are all accessible via its digital interface. I particularly liked its digital countdown timer plus the fact that it is easy to store, especially as we do not have a large kitchen. I was also impressed with its keep-warm function which keeps food hot in the pan  for up to 2 hours. The pan is also hob-proof so can also be used on gas or electric cookers. It comes with a clear lid with cool-touch handle so you can peer inside and check on your cooking with the minimum of fuss.

I absolutely love the product and simply can’t fault it. It retails at £89.99.

Are you a dab hand in the kitchen? Do your friends compliment you on your home-cooking skills? Can you prepare wholesome, nutritious food on a budget? Then why not enter the Home Made Cook of the Year 2011? Morphy Richards are looking for some ‘Home Made Heroes’ and there are some great prizes on offer. Visit Home Made Cook of the Year 2011 for further details.

As you may know, this month our friends Delia Online are giving two lucky readers the chance to win a fantastic Morphy Richards Daily Loaf Breadmaker, and all you have to do is upload a recipe to their website to be in with a shot.

They’ve also fostered a three pronged friendship with ourselves and Zespri kiwi fuits, to bring you another great recipe competition in which you can bag yourself  a stylish Smooth FoodFusion Blender worth £79.99! The product isn’t on shelves for another couple of months so you could be among the first to get your hands on one.

Do you know of any wierd and wonderful ways to enjoy kiwi fruit? Maybe it’s a fruit salad concoction, a smoothie, a curry or a tangy chutney. If this sounds like your kind of thing, then head on over to the competition page and get posting your recipe.

 

The Accents Smooth Table Blender

Made from premium-quality aluminium, this sleek, the Accents Smooth Table Blender helps you whiz up smoothies, coulis, sauces and iced drinks with ease: With a sleek, classic design, it features four variable speeds and four blades for improved speed and efficiency, plus a generous 1.5-litre jug with six hand positions for both left- and right- handed lifting.

This month, Delia Online are giving two lucky readers the chance to win a fabulous five programme breadmaker as part of their monthly Morphy giveaway.

Just upload an inventive recipe idea to the Your Recipes section of their website, and you’ll be in with a shot. They’ll be picking two winning recipes at random on 31st August, so get posting and make sure you tell your friends.

 

The Daily Loaf breadmaker

The Daily Loaf breadmaker (48330) makes the perfect amount for fresh bread everyday. The smell of baking bread is a delight to the senses and it’s not only simple – it’s also quick. Simply place all the ingredients in the non-stick bread pan and the breadmaker will automatically mix, knead, provide and baked the 1lb loaf.

Toast in some form is a staple part of the diet for most of us. Whether it be with a thin spreading of margarine, a big helping of peanut butter or simple butter and jam, it can be a quick, simple snack that often doesn’t blow the taste buds away.

Well, we’ve teamed up with foodie extraordinaire, Tonia George, the author of ‘Things on Toast‘. She’s taken the humble slice of toast and used it as the key ingredient in a whole host of restaurant worthy dishes that are appropriate for any time of the night or day and are quick and simple to execute.

Each week we’ll be revealing an exclusive recipe from Things on Toast for you try yourselves at home.

Instead of beans on toast, why not try a breakfast feast of soft boiled eggs with chilli flakes, thyme and chorizo?

Keep logging on to access an an exlusive recipe each week and to find out how to win your very own copy of the book – which is packed with 60 mouth watering recipes.