Our Favourite Food
Need some inspiration for what to feed the family? Well look no further!
In this week's blog our team has put together their favourite food to share with you all. All our favourite recipes have been tried and tested. The photos are of the actual meals we have cooked.
Lets start with a yummy starter....
Creamy Coconut Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil (rosemary-infused adds great flavor)
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium stalks celery, diced
1 teaspoon garlic puree (approx. 1 clove, minced)
4 large potatoes, scrubbed and roughly cut into small chunks
1 medium head of cauliflower, washed and cut into florets
6 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
Sea salt & fresh pepper, to taste
Optional Toppings
Shredded cheese (choose a vegan variety if desired)
Chopped chives
Method
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery and a sprinkling of salt and pepper, stir and let sauté over medium low heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic puree or garlic and let cook for another minute.
2. Add potatoes, cauliflower and broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a bubbling simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until potatoes and cauliflower are soft.
3. Remove pot from the heat and, using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Stir in coconut milk and add more salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish with cheese (choose a vegan variety if necessary) and chives (optional)
Next up are the mains....
Veggie Shepherds Pie with Sweet Potato Mash
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion - halved and sliced
2 large carrot - (500g/1lb 2oz in total), cut into sugar-cube size pieces
2 tbsp thyme - chopped
200ml red wine
400g can chopped tomato
2 vegetable stock cubes
410g can green lentils
950g sweet potato -peeled and cut into chunks
25g butter
85g vegetarian mature cheddar, grated
Method
1. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then fry the onion until golden. Add the carrots and all but a sprinkling of thyme. Pour in the wine, 150ml water and the tomatoes, then sprinkle in the stock cubes and simmer for 10 mins. Tip in the can of lentils, including their juice, then cover and simmer for another 10 mins until the carrots still have a bit of bite and the lentils are pulpy.
2. Meanwhile, boil the sweet potatoes for 15 mins until tender, drain well, then mash with the butter and season to taste. Pile the lentil mixture into a pie dish, spoon the mash on top, then sprinkle over the cheese and remaining thyme. The pie can now be covered and chilled for 2 days, or frozen for up to a month.
3. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Cook for 20 mins if cooking straight away, or for 40 mins from chilled, until golden and hot all the way through. Serve with broccoli.
One pot Lasagna
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large brown onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
250g dried curly lasagne sheets
1/2 large barbecued chicken, skin removed, meat shredded (see note)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1/4 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1 1/2 cups grated reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
500g jar tomato pasta sauce
1 bunch English spinach, chopped
150g fresh ricotta cheese, crumbled
Salad leaves, to serve
Method
1. Heat oil in a 6cm-deep, 26cm (base) ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until softened.Meanwhile, break each lasagne sheet into 5 pieces. Combine lasagne, chicken, basil, chilli and half the mozzarella in a bowl. Add lasagne mixture to pan. Stir to combine.
2. Spread evenly over base of pan. Pour over pasta sauce and 2 cups cold water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 12 to 15 minutes or until lasagne is tender.
3. Preheat grill on medium-high heat. Top lasagne with spinach, ricotta and remaining mozzarella cheese. Grill for 5 minutes or until spinach has wilted and cheese lightly browned. Stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Serve with salad leaves.
Chicken Rice Casserole
Ingredients
2 cups Chicken, Cooked chopped
2 cups Chicken Stock
1 cup Sour Cream
3 cups Jasmine Rice cooked
1 Can Cream Of Chicken Soup
2 cups Fresh Broccoli Florets
1/4 cup Butter melted
2 cups Cornflakes crushed
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Grease a large baking tray lightly with canola oil. Spread the cooked rice evenly on the bottom of baking tray. Carefully pour the two cups of chicken stock over the cooked rice.
2. Spread the broccoli and chopped chicken evenly over the rice layer. Mix together the sour cream and can of cream of chicken soup and pour evenly over the top of the chicken mix.
3. Mix the melted butter and the crushed cornflakes together and spread evenly on top. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until golden.
Irish Stew
Ingredients
500g of diced casserole beef
4 large potatoes - diced
3 large carrots - diced
3 tablespoons of beef Gravy granules
A pinch of mixed herbs
A pinch of salt and pepper
1 teaspoon of Worcester sauce
1 full kettle of boiling water.
Method
1. Put all in a large saucepan with a lid slightly on top of the saucepan and cook on a medium heat for an hour.
2.Then add in another 3 tablespoons of gravy granules to thicken, simmer for a further 15 mins. Serve! Lovely with some warm fresh bread to dip :0)
Lamb and chickpea meatballs served with Tabouleh Salad
Meatballs
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 x 400g tinned chickpeas, drained
500g lamb mince
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
Method
1. In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat and fry the onion until translucent. Add the garlic, cumin, ground coriander, cumin and chilli flakes. Cook for 2 minutes and set aside. 2. Process chickpeas in a food processor until smooth and combine in a bowl with the onion mixture, lamb and fresh coriander. Roll into balls with wet hands. 3. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the lamb and chickpea balls until brown and cooked through.
Tabouleh Salad
Ingredients
200g quinoa
1 1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup olive oil
500g ripe tomatoes, diced
1 large bunch flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
1 red capsicum, diced
2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped roughly
salt and pepper
Method
1. Pour the quinoa into a mixing bowl and add the water and oil. Mix through and set aside for half an hour so it can begin to absorb the liquid and begin to soften.
2. Add the chopped tomatoes. Mix through and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Just before serving, add the chopped parsley and mint and mix through. Taste and season as necessary.
Served with store brought Turkish bread and hummus
Tuna Pasta Bake
Ingredients
1x 185g Can of Tuna in spring water
2x 420g Can of diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon of Mix herbs
1 teaspoon of L&P Worcestershire sauce
300g of Penne Pasta
200g of Grated Cheese
Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 180c, boil pasta in salted water until al-dente. In a large bowl mix together tuna (drained and well separated with a fork), tomatoes, L&P and mixed herbs.
2. Once pasta is done - lay on the bottom of a large oven proof dish, add tuna topping and cover with the cheese.
3. Place in oven for approx 15 mins until the cheese as melted. Serve.
Pastie Slab
Ingredients
500 grams Sausage Mince
2 Potatoes peeled and cubed
2 Carrots peeled and cubed
1 Onion finely diced
1 cup Cabbage thinly sliced
1 cup Cheese
2 Puff Pastry (sheet)
2 Egg
1 Salt And Pepper pinch
Method
1. Chop up all the vegetables fairly roughly (rustic) and steam them until just soft.
In a separate bowl, mix the sausage meat and 1 egg together and break up the sausage meat.
2. Add the cooked vegetables and the cup of cheese and mix together well.
Season to taste. In a shallow baking tray, overlap the two pieces of pastry, then pour in the filling, and cover with the pastry joining in the middle (fold it like an envelope).
3. Brush with the other egg, and cook in a medium oven until golden brown all over! Approx 45 mins on 180 degrees.
Now onto bread, salad and yummy lunchbox scrolls
Home-made Bread -no kneading or rising required
Ingredients
9oz of Self Raising White Flour
9oz of Self Raising Wholemeal Flour
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Bi of Soda
500g of Live Natural Yoghurt
Method
1. Sieve flour into bowl and add baking and Soda powder. Mix. Make a well in the centre and add in the yogurt. Combine to make a dough. Shape into a ball. 2. Place on to baking paper and a baking tray and bake in the oven on 180d for 40 minutes. 3. Serve with butter
Raw Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
Broccoli - cut into small florets
Red Onion - diced
Craisins - a good handful
Feta Cheese - 1 block diced.
Pinenuts - toasted
2 Green Apples - diced
3/4 of a jar of Ranch "Paul Newman" sauce
Method
1. Mix together in a large bowl and Enjoy!
Cheese and Vegemite Scrolls
Ingredients
2 cups self raising flour
3/4 cup milk
1 cup grated Tasty Cheese
50g butter, chopped
1 tbs Vegemite, warmed
Method
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking tray with Baking Paper. Sift flour into a bowl. Add butter and using your fingertips, rub into flour until well combined. Make a well in the centre.
2. Pour milk in the centre. Using a spatula, stir until mixture is almost combined. use your hands to gather the dough into a ball. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Roll out dough to a 24cm x 36cm rectangle.
3. Spread vegemite over dough then sprinkle with cheese. Roll up dough and cut into 12 slices. Place scrolls onto the baking tray, close together and with the tail ends facing towards the centre. Bake for 20 mins until golden.
Tip: To warm Vegemite, measure the amount into a small bowl or cup and then stand in a slightly larger bowl of hot water until spreadable.
Lastly Desserts! Yum!
Coconut "impossible" Pie - It really is so EASY!!
Ingredients
1 cup Plain Flour
1 cup Caster Sugar
1 cup Dessicated Coconut
4 Eggs
3 cups Milk
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
100 grams Butter
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with electric beaters until well combined. Pour into a greased pie dish and bake for 1 hour.
Fab and Healthy Banana cake
Ingredients
4 oz self raising wholemeal flour
half tsp mixed spice
2 oz butter
3 oz raisins
2 ripe bananas
1 egg, beaten
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Mix flour and spice, rub in butter and stir in raisins. In a separate bowl, mash the banana and egg. Stir into the flour mixture and put into a well-greased tin (fills a small loaf tin or double up the quantities and put it in an 8″ circular cake tin).
2. Turn oven down to GM 3 / 160 C and cook on the middle shelf for 1 hour or until cooked. Cut up into bite size pieces with a slice of banana on the top!
Bread and Butter Pudding with custard
Ingredients
4 slices of white bread - crusts removed
Butter
800ml of Full cream milk
2 tbs Caster Sugar
Large handful of Sultanas
Method
1. Butter the bread and remove crusts...I do like to leave a few of mine on around the edges in the dish. Layer a oven proof dish - start with bread, sprinkle with the sultanas and 1tb of sugar.
2. Next layer of bread and another 1tb of sugar. Pour the milk on top....allow soak in the fridge covered with cling film for as long as possible. I usually do mine in the morning then cook for pudding.
3. Cook in oven (without the cling film) for 1 hour or until the top layer is brown. Serve with custard!
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