Lunch Recipes 20 – 24 April

Monday 20 April

Spicy Carrot Soup with Garlic Croutons

Recipe from: Gino D-Acampo, Buonissimo

Ingredients:

• 4 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 250g carrots, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 350ml vegetable stock
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 slices of white bread, crusts removed and cut into 1cm cubes
• Salt

Equipment needed:

• Kitchen knife
• Chopping board
• Vegetable peeler
• Saucepan and lid
• Frying pan
• garlic crush
• Kitchen Roll
• Food processor or handheld blender

Method:

1. Heat 1/2 the oil in a saucepan, gently fry onion until softened. Add the carrot with the chilli powder, cook for 5 more minutes stirring occasionally.

2. Pour in the stock, bring to boil and then simmer gentry with lid on for about 45 mins

3. Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a frying pan, add the garlic and fry on low heat for 30 secs. Add the bread cubes, tuen to medium heat and toss together until golden brown all over. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm

4. Puree the soup in a food processor or use a hand held blender unitl smooth and season to taste with salt.

Serve hot, sprinkled with garlic croutons.

Tuesday 21 April

Rock Cakes

Recipe from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/rock_cakes_03094

Ingredients:

• 225g/8oz self-raising flour
• 75g/2½oz caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 125g/4½oz unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 150g/5½oz dried fruit
• 1 free-range egg
• 1 tbsp milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment needed:

• Baking tray lined with parchment
• 2 X bowls – one large, one small
• Wooden spoon

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.

2. Mix the flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl and rub in the cubed butter until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs, then mix in the dried fruit.

3. In a clean bowl, beat the egg and milk together with the vanilla extract.

4. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until the mixture just comes together as a thick, lumpy dough. Add a teaspoon more milk if you need it to make the mixture stick together.

5. Place golfball-sized spoons of the mixture onto the prepared baking tray. Leave space between them as they will flatten and spread out to double their size during baking.

6. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until golden-brown. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool.

Recipe Tips

The texture should be a thick, lumpy dough – don’t be tempted to add too much liquid.

Wednesday 22 April

Veggie Chilli with Rice

Recipe from: Veggie Centre Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet potato
• 1/2 onion
• 1/2 red pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Little bunch of fresh coriander
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 100g Kidney beans (from a tin is fine)
• 200g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 150ml water

Equipment needed:

• Vegetable peeler; Kitchen knife and chopping board; Baking tray; Garlic press; Large bowl; Large frying pan; Spatula
• We really want to see your cooking/baking successes please email images to becky.belson@stchris.co.uk and Rhiannon.butlin@stchris.co.uk

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F/gas 6.

2. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into bite-sized chunks. Then place onto a baking tray, drizzle with oil then toss to coat. Roast for 40 minutes or until golden and tender.

3. Chop the peppers, onions and finely chop the garlic. Chopped the coriander leaves. Fry the onion, peppers and garlic, and cook 5 minutes in oil. Coriander, tomato puree, spices, and the water cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.

4. Drain and add the beans. Tip in the tomatoes then stir well. Bring to the boil, then reduce to medium-low and leave to tick away for 25 to 30 minutes, or until thickened and reduced. Add the sweet potatoes.

5. Scatter over the remaining coriander. Delicious served with soured cream, guacamole and rice or tortilla chips.

Thursday 23 April

Courgettes and Lemon Zest Pasta

Recipe from: Gino D-Acampo, Buonissimo

Ingredients:

• 2 courgettes coarsely grated
• 3 tbs olive oil
• good pinch of dried chilli flakes
• 3 tbs pine kernels
• Zest of 1/2 unwaxed lemon
• 240g dried spaghetti
• 2 tbs parmesan, freshly grated
• salt

Equipment needed:

• Clean tea-towel
• Kitchen knife
• Grater
• Large bowl
• Large frying pan
• Large saucepan
• Spatula

Method:

1. Put the grated courgettes in a clean tea-towel and squeeze dry

2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the courgette for 5 mins over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the chilli flakes, pine kernels and lemon zest and continue to cook for a further 3 mins. Season with salt and stir

3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan with plenty of boiling salted water until al dente. Once the pasta is cooked, drain thoroughly a tip into the frying pan with the courgette.

4. Toss everything together over a medium heat for 30 seconds.

5. Serve immediately, sprinkled with Parmesan.

Friday 24 April

A Really Fast Blueberry Topped Cake

Recipe from: The Kitchen Diaries, Nigel Slater

Ingredients:

• 130g butter
• 130g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 130g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 250g blueberries (or whatever fruit you have – pealed and cube apple and pear, rasberries etc all work well)

Equipment needed:

• Large bowl
• Wooden spoon
• Electric mixer (if you have one)
• Knife and chopping board (if using apple etc)
• 22-23cm cake tin
• baking parchment

Method:

1. Set oven to 180°C. Line the base of a square 21-22cm cake tin with a piece of baking parchment.

2. Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy – this can be done using a wooden spoon or a food mixer.

3. If you are using apples or pears, prepare them by peeling, coring and cubing them. Wash all fruit before use.

4. Break the eggs, beat them with a fork, then gradually add to the butter/sugar mix. If it looks curdled don’t panic!.

5. Add the flour and baking powder and fold them gently into the mixture.

6. Scrape into the lined cake tin. Tip the blueberries (or other fruit) on top. Scatter a couple of tablespoons of suger over the top of the cake.

7. Bake for approx 55mins – test doneness with the skewer (if it comes out clean the cake is done). Leave to cool for 10 mins and then serve.

We really want to see your cooking/baking successes please email images to becky.belson@stchris.co.uk and Rhiannon.butlin@stchris.co.uk