Lunch Recipes 18 – 22 May

Monday 18 May

Tomato and Cucumber Raita with Pitta Bread

Recipe from: Ottolenghi, Simple

Serves: serves 4

Ingredients:

• 200g Greek-style yoghurt
• 10g mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and finely crushed
• 1 large cucumber, quartered length ways, watery seeds scooped out with a teaspoon and flesh cut into 1cm cubes
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped,
• 200g cherry tomatoes, quartered
• Salt

Green Chilli Paste

• 2 small preserved lemons, pips discarded and flesh chopped
• 2 green chillies, deseeded and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 21/2 tbsp olive oil

To serve: pitta bread

Equipment needed:

• Kitchen knife
• Chopping board
• Food processor
• Whisk
• Large bowl

Method:

For the chilli paste:

1. Place all the ingredients for the chilli paste in the small bowl of a processor, with 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
2. Blend to form a rough paste and set aside.

For the raita:

1. Put the yoghurt into a bowl and whisk with the mint, lemon juice, 11/2 teaspoons of cumin seeds and 1/3 teaspoon of salt.  Add the cucumber, onion and tomatoes and stir gently.
2. Transfer to a shallow bowl and top with chilli paste, swirl lightly, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and serve with warm pitta bread.

Tuesday 19 May

Apple Crumble Cookies

Recipe from: 5 Ingredients, Jamie Oliver

Serves: makes 16

Ingredients:

• 100 g dried apple
• 200 g self-raising flour
• 100 g unsalted butter , (cold)
• 100 g caster sugar
• 1 large free-range egg

Equipment needed:

• Baking trays
• Baking Paper
• Food Processor
• Large bowl and spoon
• Spatula
• Knife
• Chopping Board

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Line two trays with grease proof paper and rub with olive oil.
2. Whiz the apple in a food processor until finely chopped (or chop with a knife), then add the flour, cubed butter, sugar and a pinch of sea salt. Blitz to fine crumbs for 1 minute. If you don’t have a food processor rub the flour, butter, sugar and a pinch of salt together until they resemble breadcrumbs and then mix in the chopped apple.  Then remove 3 tablespoons of the mix and set aside.
3. Pulse in the egg (or use a spoon to beat in the egg) until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides, if needed.
4. Divide into 16 pieces, roll into balls, then press down lightly into 4cm rounds, lining them up on the trays as you go.
5. Sprinkle over the reserved mix, lightly pressing it into the cookies. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly golden.
6. Leave to cool slightly, then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Yum!

Wednesday 20 May

South Indian Vegetable Curry

Recipe from: Nigella Lawson from Kitchen

Serves: serves 3 – 4

Ingredients:

• 2 x 15ml tablespoons garlic infused olive oil or normal oil
• 1 onion (peeled, halved and cut into half-moons)
• pinch of sea salt flakes
• 1 green chilli (de-seeded and finely chopped)
• 2 cm chunk fresh ginger (peeled and cut into fine strips)
• ¼ teaspoon crushed chilli flakes
• SPICES:  1 teaspoon turmeric; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 x 400 millilitres can coconut milk
• 600 millilitres vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 x 15ml tablespoon tamarind paste
• 350 grams cauliflowers (broken into florets)
• 350 grams broccoli (broken into florets)
• 100 grams fine green beans (trimmed and halved) (large handful)
• 125 grams baby sweetcorn (halved)
• 150 grams sugar snaps
• 2 x 15ml tablespoons chopped fresh dill or coriander, or mixture

Equipment needed:

• Thick bottomed casserole dish;
• Knife and chopping board;
• Wooden spoon

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed casserole or large saucepan and fry the sliced onion sprinkled with some salt until it begins to soften, then add the chopped fresh chilli and ginger strips and stir every now and again while cooking for a minute.
2. Add the crushed chilli flakes, turmeric, ground cumin, coriander and ginger. Stir well and cook for another minute or so before adding the coconut milk, stock, sugar and tamarind paste. Stir to combine.
3. Bring to the boil, add the cauliflower florets first, then the broccoli. Cook for 10 minutes, then add the fine beans and baby corn. Check the vegetables after about 5 minutes or so to see if they are almost done, letting them cook for longer if they need it.
4. Once the vegetables are tender, add the sugar snaps and season to taste, then when the sugar snaps are hot, serve, generously sprinkled with the herbs of your choice, in a bowl on top of some plain rice or with some warmed Indian flatbread on the side for dunking.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

MAKE AHEAD NOTE:   The curry sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to non-metallic bowl to cool, then cover and refrigerate. Transfer to casserole or large saucepan and reheat gently until boiling, then add vegetables as recipe instructions.

FREEZE NOTE:  The cooled sauce can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in fridge and use as above.

Thursday 21 May

Herby Potato Cakes with Bubbling Goat’s Cheese

Recipe from: Gino D-Acampo, Buonissimo

Serves: serves 2

Ingredients:

• 400g floury potatoes (e.g King Edwards) peeled
• 4 tsp fresh thyme leaves chopped
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 4 tbs olive oil
• 1 knob of butter
• 120 g goats cheese
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• Rocket to serve

Equipment needed:

• Vegetable peeler
• Kitchen knife
• Grater
• Large bowl
• Large frying pan
• Spatula

Method:

1. Coarsely grate potatoes then use your hands to squeeze out as much water as possible
2. Place in a large bowl can combine with thyme and chopped spring onion, season with salt and pepper
3. Divide mixture into 4 and shape into two flattish discs bout 1.5cm thick
4. Heat the oil and butter in the frying pan. Cook the potato cakes spaced out over a medium heat for 4 minutes on each side. Make sure you press them down with a spatula as you cook them
5. Preheat grill to medium
6. Once the cakes are ready, cut the cheese into 4 discs and place on top of the potato cakes. Grill for 3 mins until golden
7. Place on a serving plate, garnish with some thyme leaves and accompany with some rocket leaves

Fr​iday 22 May

Chocolate Brownies

Recipe from: recipe from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/richchocolatebrownie_1933

Serves: makes 20

Ingredients:

• 225g/8oz butter
• 450g/1lb caster sugar
• 140g/5oz dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 5 free-range medium eggs
• 110g/4oz plain flour
• 55g/2oz cocoa powder

Equipment needed:

• 20 x 30cm baking tray
• Baking paper
• Large saucepan
• Wooden spoon

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Line a 20x30cm/8x12in baking tin with baking paper.
2. Gently melt the butter and the sugar together in a large pan. Once melted, take off the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until melted.
3. Beat in the eggs, then stir in the rest of the ingredients.
4. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the top of the brownie is firm but the inside still feels soft.
5. Take out of the oven and cool in the tin. Cut into 5cm/2in squares when cool.

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