In the autumn-time I want food to, metaphorically speaking, wrap me up like a big, cosy, snuggly blanket. At this time of year when the temperatures start to drop and the evenings shorten, it is time to think about a different kind of eating.

It is also back-to-school time so for anyone with a job and a family too, then time might seem a little limited in the evenings. At the moment I am just starting to get back into slow cooked casseroles and stews.

I adore this kind of food - you just throw some delicious meat and chunks of vegetables with some seasoning and herbs into one big pot, pop it on to cook, get on with whatever else you need to do, then miraculously a few hours later those raw ingredients have transformed themselves into a warming meal for the hungry masses.

This is also a great way to entertain in the autumn and winter.

With this whole recession going on we all need a bit of comfort food that has a feel-good factor so gone are the chi-chi dinner parties with foie gras, foam, and fizz, and in come casual suppers with some delicious unpretentious food, good buddies and a few bottles of red at the kitchen table.

The real beauty of stews and casseroles is that they reheat very well, in fact they often even improve in flavour if reheated, and also it is necessary to use the cheaper cuts of meat for long slow cooking, so stewing cuts such as the shoulder, flap, shin, topside and chuck, rather than the fillet, loin or leg are just what you need to get you into autumn.

STEWING TIP

In these recipes that call for the stews to be cooked in an oven preheated to 150°C or 160°C for about 1½ hours, you can always pop them into a much cooler oven, such as at 130°C, and they will take about 3 or 4 hours to cook instead.

BEEF, STOUT AND MUSHROOM STEW

Serves 4-6

This is a delicious comforting big stew. It can be reheated, and also topped with mashed potato or pastry it makes a great pie.

4 tbsp olive oil
600g / 1lb 5oz stewing beef, trimmed and cut into
2cm chunks
400g / 14oz button mushrooms, cut into quarters
2 large onions or 500g, sliced
4 large cloves of garlic
500ml / 18fl oz beef or chicken stock
1 x 250ml bottle of stout, such as Guinness, Murphy's or Beamish
1 tbsp chopped tarragon

Place a casserole on a medium heat and allow to get hot. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and brown the chunks of beef (in batches if necessary), season with salt and pepper. Remove the beef and set aside. Add 1 more tbsp of olive oil, and brown the mushrooms, seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove the mushrooms and set aside. Place the last bit of olive oil in the pot and add the onions and garlic, toss these on the heat for a minute, then add the beef, mushrooms, stock and stout.

Bring up to the boil, then cover and gently simmer on the hob or in an oven preheated to 150°C for about 1 and a half hours.

Depending on the meat, it may even take a bit longer.

When the meat is lovely and tender it is cooked. Add the chopped tarragon and season to taste.

LAMB, THYME AND WHITE BEAN STEW

Serves 4-6

Like many other stews this gets more even more delicious if made a day or two in advance. Serve with just a green salad, or some mashed or boiled potatoes or rice too.

2 x 400g tins of cooked butterbeans, haricot or cannellini beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
1kg / 2½lb shoulder of lamb, cut in 4cm (1½ inch) cubes
680g / 1½ lb baby onions, peeled, or large onions cut in quarters
6 whole cloves garlic, peeled
450ml / 14fl oz lamb or chicken stock
A small handful of thyme sprigs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp chopped thyme

Heat the olive oil in a pan, toss the meat, onion, garlic in a hot pan in batches until light golden, and transfer to a casserole.

Drain the beans and add into the meat with the thyme.

Pour in the stock, it should come about half way up the meat.

Add some salt and pepper, bring to the boil and simmer for approx 1½ hours (either on a low hob, or in an oven preheated to 160°C), until all the ingredients are tender. Taste, it may need more seasoning.

The stew should be nice and juicy. Sprinkle with coarsely chopped thyme and serve.

PORTUGUESE PORK, BEAN AND CHORIZO STEW

Serves 10 approximately

This is a gorgeous gutsy stew that we make at the Ballymaloe Cookery School. It takes a little bit of time to throw together but once it is in the oven you can rest assured you will have the most delicious supper in a few hours.

4 tablespoons (4 American tablespoons + 4 teaspoon) olive oil
1kg / 2½lb streaky pork
700g / 1½lb streaky bacon or pancetta
450g / 1lb ham hocks cut into chunks
450g / 1lb onions roughly chopped
450g / 1lb carrots, sliced 8mm (1/3inch) thick
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 green peppers, seeded and chopped
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
450g / 1lb very ripe tomatoes peeled and chopped or 1x 400g (14oz) tin of tomatoes
450g / 1lb chorizo, sliced in 5mm (¼inch) slices
lots of freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon hot or smoked paprika
big bunch of parsley stalks ? optional
600g / 1¼lb cannellini beans, haricot beans or butter beans or black beans
fist of fresh coriander

Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water. Remove the pork and back rind and cut into 4-5cm (11/2-2inch) chunks. Cut the ham hock into chunks also.

Heat a little oil in a frying pan and brown the pork, bacon and ham hocks in batches on all sides.

Transfer to a large casserole. Pour off excess fat but leave enough to fry off the garlic, onions, carrots and peppers with the sprig of thyme and a nice big bay leaf. Cook on a little heat stirring every now and then, 5-6 minutes.

Transfer to the casserole, add the chopped tomatoes, chorizo, pepper and paprika. Add just enough water to almost cover the meat. Bring to the boil, cover (add a big bunch of parsley stalks if you have them). Simmer gently on top of the stove for 2-21/2 hours? better still transfer to a preheated oven 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3.

Meanwhile drain the beans, cover with cold water, bring to the boil and simmer until cooked, for 40minutes – 11/2 hours depending on the type of beans. Add to the stew 15 or 20 minutes before the end of cooking.

Taste, it's unlikely to need salt. Serve in deep wide soup bowl, sprinkled with lots of coarsely chopped coriander or parsley.

You'll need crusty bread to mop up the juices.