Ratatouille and redcurrant sauce

This was delicious with duck and roast potatoes and parsnips, but I think it would be lovely with chicken or any meat - or with a nut roast, come to that!

1 small red onion

1 small or 1/2 large courgette

1/2 red or yellow pepper

1 tomato - you guessed it

1/2 punnet mushrooms (c. 125 grammes)

A little salt, pepper, Everyday seasoning and herbs (I used what I call "Scarborough Fair" mix - parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme)

1 tbs olive or other oil

About 100 ml water

1 tbs chicken or vegetable stock powder

1 large tbs redcurrant jelly

Pre-heat the oven to Mark 6 (200 C; 400 F).  Slice the vegetables and place them in an oven-proof tray.  Season and pour on the oil, and stir very thoroughly.  Roast for about 40 minutes.  Transfer to a saucepan and, using a stick blender, reduce to a puree, but you can leave some of the vegetables whole if you cba to do it thoroughly.  Add the jelly, water and stock powder, taste to check the seasoning and rectify if necessary, bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.  

Liver and bacon casserole

 Serves 2

1 tbs olive or other oil

1 large onion

Several cloves of garlic

1 portion ox or pork liver

2 rashers bacon

1/2 punnet mushrooms (I forgot these, and regretted it; it was nice, but would have been a lot nicer with the mushrooms)

1 tin tomatoes

1 small tin peas

Seasoning - it won't need salt, but I used pepper, herbs and a dash of Worcestershire sauce

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the chopped onion and garlic, cover, and allow to cook on a low heat for several minutes, until the onion is translucent.  Now raise the heat, add the liver and the bacon, let cook for a few seconds and then turn over.  Add the rest of the ingredients (I forgot the mushrooms - if you use them, cut them in half or break into several pieces unless they are tiny), cover, turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve with a green vegetable and, if liked, a source of carbohydrate - mashed potato, pasta, rice... I used German dumplings, just for a change.