OUR FAMILY COOKBOOK
RECIPES BY OUR IN HOUSE COOKS
CRISPY CHICKEN PIE WITH MASH
INGREDIENTS 4 chicken breasts 2 tins of chopped tomatoes or passata 1 tin of sweetcorn 150ml of double cream Grated cheddar cheese Ready salted crisps Potatoes
METHOD
Turn oven on to 180 degrees Place chicken into tin foil . Wrap loosely and cook for 25-30 minutes. Once cooked drain off excess chicken stock . Leave to cool and dice into bite size pieces. Warm sweetcorn, drain and leave to the side . Blend the tomatoes until smooth . Pour tomatoes and cream into saucepan and simmer until sauce has thickened. Whisking to keep a smooth consistency. CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE...
CRISPY CHICKEN PIE WITH MASH
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Add the chicken and sweetcorn . Mix together . Pour this into an ovenproof dish and spread out evenly. Crush up the crisps and add this to a bowl with 250g of grated cheddar. Mix together and completely cover pie mixture . Place in the centre of the oven for 10 mins until nice and crispy . Boil and mash potatoes to accompany this and serve .
SIMPLE BUT TASTY VEGETABLE SOUP
INGREDIENTS
5 carrots 3 potatoes 2 white onions 1 turnip (or frozen pieces) 1 head of broccoli Veg stock or bouillon to taste
METHOD
Bring about 2 litres of water to the boil in a saucepan . Add 2 stock cubes or bouillon. Peel and chop all vegetables into pieces of the same size so they cook at the same time . Place into a saucepan and simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender . (Do not boil the soup as it looses flavour) Simply blend up and serve. Enjoy with crusty bread .
SPAGHETTI BOLOGNAISE (SIMPLE RECIPE)
INGREDIENTS Minced beef Long spaghetti Tinned tomatoes or passata White onion Tomato puree Garlic puree Carrots (optional)
METHOD
Place minced beef and finely diced onions into a saucepan . Fry until the mince has browned and the onions are soft. Add 2 tablespoons of tomato puree and 1 tablespoon of garlic to the mince . Cook this out for 5 minutes as tomato puree can be bitter when not cooked enough. Add blended up tomatoes or passata to the pot .
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SPAGHETTI BOLOGNAISE (SIMPLE RECIPE)
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Turn down to a simmer and stir occasionally until the sauce has thickened. You can now add cooked ,diced carrots if you like for extra vegetables . In another saucepan bring some water to the boil. Break up the spaghetti into inch size pieces. Cook according to the packet Drain off and add to the bolognaise sauce . Mix gently and serve . Delicious with some garlic bread and a sprinkle of cheese.
GINGERBREAD
INGREDIENTS 12oz Plain Flour (WHEAT) 1 Teaspoon of Bicarbonate of Soda 2 Teaspoons of powdered Ginger 1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon 4 ½ oz Butter or Dairy-Free Baking Fat 6oz Soft Brown Sugar 1 Egg 4 Tablespoons of Golden Syrup METHOD
Preheat your oven to a medium to hot temp. Combine the flour, bicarb, ginger and cinnamon in a bowl. Cream together the sugar and the fat until very soft, then add the syrup. Add in your egg with a spoonful of the flour mixture then gradually work in the rest of your flour (you might want to get your hands in at this point!) until you have a soft dough. Wrap your dough in cling film and chill overnight.
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GINGERBREAD
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If you are lucky enough to own a food processor you can let that do the hard work! Roll out to about 5mm and cut out your Gingerbread men, women, stars, pumpkins or just plain rounds! Reform the remaining dough and start again. Baking takes approx 12-15 minutes but check after 10, they should look a beautiful golden brown and smell incredible 😍 Cool on a wire rack then you can ice them if you wish.
“A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.” BARBARA JOHNSON
CHICKPEA DIP
INGREDIENTS 400g Tin of Chickpeas 1 Teaspoon of Salt or salt to your own preference or taste. 1 Teaspoon Parsley (optional) 2 Tablespoons Sunflower or Olive Oil 1 Tablespoon of Lemon Juice 1 Teaspoon of Garlic Granules or Fresh Crushed Garlic METHOD
Food Processor - First blitz the Chickpeas using the cutting blade until roughly chopped, add in the rest of the ingredients except for the salt and continue chopping until it reaches the preferred
consistency. Now taste your
dip and add salt to taste. Stick Blender Method - More difficult but not impossible! Blitz all of the wet ingredients before adding seasoning, the oil and lemon help to blend the Chickpeas. Potato Masher Method Lots of elbow grease required...Good luck!
OAT COOKIES
INGREDIENTS 75g Plain Flour 75g Baking Fat 75g Oats 50g Golden Caster Sugar 1 tsp Baking Powder 1 tbsp Golden syrup METHOD
Combine the flour, oats and baking powder in a bowl and set aside. Melt the fat, sugar and syrup in the microwave
or over a pan
of boiling water until the fat has just melted then mix well. Add the dry ingredients and then using a wooden spoon mix together until it forms a ball. The dough will be quite soft at this point so wrap in cling film and chill overnight if you can. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and roll out. It might seem a little tricky at first because of the crumbly soft texture but the dough is forgiving and will reform well. Cut out small rounds about
5mm thick and place on
a baking tray. Bake for -10 minutes in a medium-hot oven.
TOMATO AND ROASTED PEPPER RIGATONI INGREDIENTS 1 Onion 1 Punnet of Cherry Tomatoes 1 Red Pepper 1 Yellow or Orange Pepper 2-3 Medium Carrots 2 Cloves Garlic Mixed Herbs or Fresh Basil, Oregano etc if available Vegetable/Sunflower or Olive Oil 1 Vegetable
Stock Cube
2 x 440g Tins of Chopped Tomatoes 1 Dessertspoon of
Tomato Puree
2 Teaspoons of Sugar or Agave syrup if you prefer * Rigatoni Pasta METHOD
Cut your tomatoes, peppers and carrots into roughly the size of a pound coin and place in a roasting tin, toss in peeled garlic cloves and herbs and a drizzle of your preferred oil. Roast on a medium heat for about 30 min until everything is soft and just about to go brown. Meanwhile gently heat your tomatoes, stock, puree and allow to reduce a little. Add in your roasted veg and let things cook together for a few more minutes. CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE...
TOMATO AND ROASTED PEPPER RIGATONI
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Using a stick blender give everything a good blitz! *At this point taste your sauce, the roasted vegetables will give a certain amount of natural sweetness but this is a good time to add seasoning if necessary. Cook your Rigatoni according to the instructions. Once your pasta is cooked and drained you can then coat it with your sauce. Serve it straight away with some grated cheese.
"Life is a combination of magic and pasta." FEDERICO FELLINI
CHICKEN IN TOMATO AND BASIL SAUCE
INGREDIENTS Cooked Chicken Pieces Onion Garlic Chicken Stock Basil Tomato Passata Tomato Puree METHOD
To make the sauce, gently saute the onion and garlic until the onion is transparent. Add the Chicken Stock, Passata, Basil and Tomato Puree and allow it to reduce a little, Taste the sauce and if necessary add a teaspoon of sugar. Then add in the cooked chicken and allow to simmer gently until the chicken is heated through to at least 75 degrees C. The sauce is usually self-thickening but you can thicken with a little cornflour if desired.
HIDDEN VEGETABLE AND BEAN SOUP
INGREDIENTS
Vegetables including Carrots, Swede, Onion, Celery Tinned Chopped Toms Tomato Puree Vegetable Stock Garlic Mixed Herbs Lentil, Beans such as Borlotti, Cannellini etc Sugar to taste METHOD
Saute your base vegetables with the garlic and a little vegetable oil. If you want to use lentils you can boil them at the same time, try to find quick cook red lentils so you don’t have to soak them for hours! Next add your tinned Tomatoes rinse out the tin with water to add more liquid. Then add Vegetable Stock, Mixed Herbs and Tomato Puree and stir in. Allow everything to cook together. You could also, at this point, add leftover vegetables, roasted vegetables etc CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE...
HIDDEN VEGETABLE AND BEAN SOUP
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Taste your soup, if it is a little acidic from the tomatoes add some sugar. The tiniest amount makes a huge difference, although the root vegetables are naturally sweet. Add your cooked lentils or beans and stir in and then using a stick blender give it a whizz until your soup is smooth and fairly thick. I usually try it again at this point.
“Laughter is brightest in the place where the food is.” IRISH PROVERB
HOMEMADE PIZZA
INGREDIENTS
600g Self-Raising Flour 1 Sachet of Instant Yeast 300ml lukewarm water Salt if desired Tomato and Vegetable Soup Topping Grated Mozzarella or Cheddar or a mix of both.
METHOD
Put your flour in a bowl, sift it if you like, but life is too short right? Add the yeast and make sure to stir it throughout the flour. Make a well in the flour and add the water. Now the messy bit! Get your hands in there and combine the ingredients, it will come together eventually. Once it is more or less combined tip it out onto a floured work surface and knead for at least five minutes. I usually set a timer so I don’t cheat and give up too soon! It should be a nice smooth elastic dough. Place it into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel or cling film and place it somewhere warm, forget about it for an hour while you make your soup. CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE...
HOMEMADE PIZZA
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After an hour or so remove the dough and give it another quick knead. Oil your baking tray or trays, and divide your dough if necessary. Put the dough into the middle of the tray and starting in the centre of the dough use your fingertips to press the dough outwards. It will try it’s best to spring back so you need to show it who is the boss! Once you have pressed the dough to the edges and up the sides of the tray you can top with your Tomato Topping and generous amounts of cheese. If you can, let it sit for another 30 minutes at least so the dough can rise a little more. Cook in a hot oven for 20-30 minutes, check after 20.
SIMPLE CHICKEN CASSEROLE
INGREDIENTS Cooked Chicken Pieces Onion Garlic Mixed Herbs Tomato Puree Chicken and Beef Stock* Cornflour Carrots METHOD
Gently saute the onion and garlic in a little vegetable oil until transparent. Meanwhile, cook some sliced carrots and reserve the water for your stock. When the onions are ready add in the stock, tomato puree and mixed herbs and allow it to reduce a little for about 20 minutes. Then add your chicken pieces and the part cooked carrots and allow it all to finish cooking for another 30 minutes. Check that the chicken is at least 75 degrees C at the core. It’s a good time to taste it and add extra seasoning if necessary. You can then thicken your sauce with some cornflour and water.
HOMEMADE RICE PUDDING
INGREDIENTS 500g Pudding Rice 3 litres Milk 50g Sugar Vanilla Essence
METHOD
Measure ingredients and put everything into a large plastic bowl, stir and cover with cling film. Microwave for 5 minutes at a time, removing and stirring to break up the rice. Eventually the rice will plump up and the pudding will begin to thicken. Carefully taste your pudding and if the rice is still crunchy it needs more time. When you are happy that it is cooked, allow it to stand for a while before serving, it will usually thicken a little more during this time. If the pudding is too thick for you you can easily add more milk at this point.
CREAMY CHICKEN CURRY
INGREDIENTS Mild Curry Paste or Powder* 2 tins of Coconut Milk * 1 onion finely diced Sunflower oil 1 clove of crushed Garlic 1 Dessertspoon of Tomato Puree Chicken Stock Cooked Chicken cut into small bite sized pieces. Cornflour METHOD
Sauté the onion and garlic in a little oil on a low heat until the onion begins to look transparent. Add in the required amount of curry paste and gently cook for at least five minutes stirring all of the time with a wooden spoon. Now add the tinned milk and stir in well, Don't worry if it looks a little brown at this point, it will soon turn yellow! Next add the chicken stock and tomato puree and then simmer very gently for about 30 min allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken slightly. CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE...
CREAMY CHICKEN CURRY
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Add the chicken pieces and allow them to reheat thoroughly in the sauce for another 20-30 minutes at least. They should reach at least 75°C in the middle. To thicken the sauce mix a tablespoon of cornflour with cold water until it is the texture of thin cream and gradually add it, stirring all the while until the sauce reaches the thickness required. Let it cook for another 5 minutes and then your sauce is ready to serve.
CHILLI CON CARNE WITH BROWN RICE
INGREDIENTS Minced beef 1 pack of traffic light peppers 1 tin of beans (440g) 1 tin of chopped tomatoes (440g) Mild chilli powder 2 white onions Tomato puree Brown rice METHOD
In a large saucepan place minced beef ,the finely chopped onions and a teaspoon of mild chilli powder (add more if you like it spicy!) . Cook through till the minced beef is browned . Chop all peppers into pea size pieces and cook separately and simmer until soft to the bite . Blend up the chopped tomatoes in a large bowl with hand held blender . Add this to the mince, along with a tablespoon of tomato puree and continue to simmer. Tomato puree needs to be completely cooked out. CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE...
CHILLI CON CARNE WITH BROWN RICE
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In the meantime, 3\4 fill the other large saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add rice and cook for required amount of time. Cook on simmer for approx 10 minutes or until rice is soft to the bite. Drain and keep hot until serving. Add the cooked peppers and the beans to
the minced beef ,heat these
through. Do not boil as the beans will become mushy .
CHICKEN AND APPLE CURRY WITH BROWN RICE
INGREDIENTS Chicken breasts 1 pack of traffic light peppers 1 tin of sweetcorn 2 apples 1 tablespoon of mild curry powder 3 tablespoons of flour 250ml of chicken stock 250ml of milk Brown rice METHOD
Saute the apple and onion in butter or margarine until tender. Add curry powder and saute for 1 minute more. Add flour and continue to cook for 1 minute longer. Add stock and milk and stir well. Lay chicken breasts in an oven proof dish. Pour sauce mixture over and bake in a preheated oven (175 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
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CHICKEN AND APPLE CURRY WITH BROWN RICE
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In a large saucepan fill 3/4 full of water. Bring to the boil and rice and cook according to pack instructions. Drain and keep hot till serving.
“Food brings people together on many different levels. It’s nourishment of the soul and body; it’s truly love.” GIADA DE LAURENTIIS
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