Today, two mince recipes that I hope you will use over and over again. This cottage pie is worth making in batches and keeping in the freezer. It is a great recipe if you want to make sure the children eat their vegetables.

You could also use celery, and leeks work very well too.

The cheesy mash looks well and tastes great and there are so many great Irish cheeses to try with it.

I always enjoy these beef burgers with a Mediterranean twist.

Tzatziki is a sauce that visitors to Greece and Turkey will be familiar with. It is a refreshing dip or sauce and is very popular and now easily available in cartons in supermarkets.

Or you could try Irish yoghurt. I spent a great day at the Dunne family farm in Enniscorthy recently where they produce Killowen from their own herd.

I met brother and sister team Pauline and Nicholas, and Nicholas’ wife Judith. They are the second generation producing the yoghurt range.

Killowen recently won a gold medal at the Blás na hÉireann awards and their natural yoghurt is now available in the Simply Better range.

Happy cooking.

Cottage pie

Serves four to six

1 tbsp rapeseed oil

450g (1lb) lean minced beef

1 onion, finely chopped

4 carrots, diced

2 celery sticks, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

300ml (½ pint) beef or chicken stock (from a cube is fine)

1 tbsp tomato purée

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

100g (4oz) frozen garden peas, thawed

1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

For the cheesy mash:

900g (2lb) floury potatoes, such as Rooster or Maris Piper, peeled and cut into cubes

50g (2oz) mature Cheddar cheese, grated

25g (1oz) butter

100ml (3½fl oz) milk

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Buttered peas, to serve

  • 1 Heat a large heavy-based pan and add the oil. Tip in the mince and sauté for about five minutes, until browned all over, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  • 2 Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic and cook for four to five minutes, stirring, until softened and just changing colour.
  • 3 Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and the reserved minced beef mixture, then add the stock, tomato purée and thyme. Mix well to combine, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the mince is completely tender and cooked through.
  • 4 Finally, stir in the peas and parsley and season to taste. Transfer to an ovenproof dish and leave to cool slightly for about 20 minutes.
  • 5 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4).

  • 6 Meanwhile, gently steam the potatoes until tender. Mash well, making sure there are no lumps. Beat in the cheddar cheese, butter and milk and season to taste.
  • 7 Gently spoon the cheesy mash on top of the mince, spreading it with a fork in an even manner. Place the cottage pie in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until the cheesy mash is golden brown. Serve straight to the table with a bowl of peas.

    • Mediterranean pitta beef burgers

    Serves four

    500g (11/4lb) lean minced lamb

    4 white pitta breads

    200g (7oz) carton red pepper and feta dip

    200g (7oz) packet spinach, watercress & rocket salad

    2 ripe tomatoes, sliced

    200g (7oz) carton tzatziki

    ½ cucumber, cut into batons

    Lemon wedges, to garnish

  • 1 Heat a griddle pan over a medium heat. Season the lamb mince and shape into four even-sized patties. Cook the burgers for four to five minutes on each side until tender.

  • 2 Toast the pitta breads and cut each one in half and open up to make a pocket. Add a good dollop of the spicy red pepper and feta dip and then fill with the salad. Add a burger to each one with the tomatoes and drizzle over the tzatziki. Serve with the cucumber batons and garnish with the lemon wedges.