STUDENT COOKING SKILLS FOR THE MODERN DAY STUDENT
cook book
Use this cookbook in combination with studentcookbook online blog; https://studentcookbookblog.wordpress.com/
Contents 4-5) Essentials 6-7) Herbs & Spices PASTRY 9)Leek and Cheese Pasties 10-12) Quiches (How To Blind Bake) MEAT 14) Beef Bourguignon 15) Chorizo and Butterbean Stew 16) Duck Ragu 17) Sausage and Lentils VEGGIE 19) Veggie Chilli 20) Falafel Burgers 21) Paneer Curry 22-23)Stuffed Mushrooms SOUP & SIDES 25) Split Pea Soup 26) Country Vegetable Soup 27) Roast Tomato Soup 28) Honey Roast Parsnips & Carrots, Rosemary & Garlic Sautéed Potatoes 29) Thyme Mushrooms with Low Fat Crème Fraiche 30-31) Couscous
PASTA 33) Easy Carbonara Sauce 34) Mushroom Risotto 35) How to Make a Basic Cream Sauce 36) Bolognese Ragu 37) Roast tomatoes with Garlic and Herbs 38) How to Skin Tomatoes 39) Basic Tomato Sauce 40-41) How to Make a Basic White Sauce 42-43) Macaroni Cheese 44) Pesto SALADS 44) Pear & Blue Cheese Salad 45) Insalata Caprese
I have enjoyed cooking since I was young, but heading off to university has given me an opportunity to expand my horizons in terms of my cooking ability, and a chance to try out new ideas. I have aimed my recipes at students, but this is not the same as other student cookbooks. Its not patronising, telling you how to make beans on toast or put something in the microwave; its new, more grown up recipes that actually make you look forward to cooking. Recipes that get your taste buds going and start those cravings for your next meal. But its not just about the recipes, it’s also a resource to teach cooking skills that can be applied, with a little imagination, to pretty much any dish. So have a go, be adventurous and get excited about cooking again!
Please visit my blog for cooking ideas, videos and pictures of these recipes and many more;
https://studentcookbookblog.wordpress.com/
There are some things which I feel, even as a student are essential to make sure you always have in your cupboard. With these basic ingredients, you can pretty much whip up a easy basic meal from scratch. The addition of basic herbs, spices, and extra flavours mean you can enhance the taste of almost all meals you make.
Essentials Tins Chopped tomatoes/passata Tinned beans and pulses- kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils
Oils& Vinegar Olive oil & Sunflower Oil Honey Wholegrain mustard Balsamic Vinegar Flavours
Dried Herbs (mixed, rosemary, thyme) Spices (paprika, cumin, turmeric) Salt and Pepper Vegetable and Chicken Stock Cubes Garlic bulb Fresh Chilli
Grains Variety of pasta
Herbs and Spices Herbs Rosemary– works great in pretty much any meal, especially in slow cooked meat and gravy Thyme– a fresh lemon pepper flavour, works great with mushrooms, white wine or chicken Parsley– not a particularly strong flavour, but can add an extra flavour to pretty much any meal! Sage– works really well with fish dishes, and also great to stuff under pork skin when roasting or with gravy for sausages. A familiar flavour from classic stuffing mix! Oregano– a popular Italian herb to add to tomato sauces and pizza bases! Basil– the basis of pesto, a sauce which can be added to everything from pasta to chicken. However, there are many extra options, add to sauces for a fresh taste and combine with lemon to highlight flavour. Coriander– great to add to any Mexican style meal, curries or stir-fry. Add whilst cooking for a milder taste Bay leaf– an essential for almost all stews or slow cooked food. Make sure to take it out before serving, eating a leaf is not so appealing!
Herbs and Spices
Spices Fresh Chilli– Everyone has cooked with chillis before, they’re a staple of any meal with a basic kick. You can get dried chillis to store in your cupboard, but it can be difficult using to know how much spice you are adding . Remember including the seeds makes it even hotter, so think about whether you want to use them before adding. Paprika– Paprika comes in spicy and sweet varieties, which can alter how you use it. I find spicy paprika more versatile and it’s nice to give a quick kick to a meal. Works really well for chilli dishes and anything with chorizo. Ginger– Fresh grated ginger has such a strong flavour and really adds spice to a meal. Works really well for Thai, Chinese or Indian dishes, particularly with salmon and soy sauce. Be aware you don’t need to add too much to get the taste. Cumin and Turmeric– These are some of my favourite spices, and just using two spices these can still give a great flavour for a basic curry. Cumin has a lovely earthy taste which works so well. Be careful when handling turmeric, its vibrant colour can sometimes cause staining! Other spices– Having a basic curry powder and mixed spice shaker can be really useful if trying new meals. Adding spices to tomato or coconut bases sauce is a great way to create your own curry.
PASTRY
Leek and cheese pasties Ingredients (serves 2) 165g leeks (2-3 large leeks) A knob of butter 125g puff pastry 40g strong cheese (grated) 1 egg TIPS- any blue cheese is suitable for this dish, if you feel adventurous taleggio works too. Otherwise cheddar can be used, but this does give a bit less kick.
Pre heat oven to 180oc Thinly slice the leeks- make sure to wash them before you use them Melt the butter, add the leeks and cook on a medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes (until soft and pale)
Roll pastry and cut out 4 round discs (about 8cm across) and place on a tray lined with baking parchment In a jug, mix the egg with a dash of milk, and brush mixture over one side of each pastry dish In a bowl, mix the leek and cheese mixture, and season with salt and pepper. (Add a shake of any dried herbs you have at this point) Divide mixture onto 2 of the pastry discs
Quiche Quiche is a great meal for any time of day, and leftovers work really well for packed lunches. There are so many varieties of filling, pretty much anything work, so be inventive and try out whatever you fancy. The quiche and fillings below should fill a regular quiche tin- about 8 slices.
Ingredients 1 pack shortcrust pastry
Dried mixed herbs 3 large eggs 300ml milk Desired filling (see next page)
Blind bake pastry following instructions opposite Mix together eggs and milk, add herbs and season with salt and pepper Arrange filling as desired along bottom of quiche tin and pour over egg mixture
How to; Blind Bake What you need;
1 block shortcrust pastry (if feeling lazy just buy pre-rolled!)
1 beaten egg
Rice or baking beads
Loose bottom quiche tin (or any ovenproof dish really)
Preheat oven to 180oc Roll out pastry to desired shape and thickness on a floured surface Place the pastry in your dish, gentle pressing in the edges, allowing some pastry overhang Prick the bottom of pastry several times all over with a fork Line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans or rice, and cook for 10 minutes Take out of the oven, removing baking beans and parchment paper from the top Brush the pastry with egg mix and then return to oven for 5 minutes until it begins to turn golden Take out of oven and pastry is ready to fill with desired mixture
Red onion and goats’ cheese 1 red onion Goats cheese
Sauté onions on a low heat until soft. Break up goats cheese into small chunks.
Roasted Mediterranean veg 1 aubergine (diced) 1 courgette (diced) 2 mixed peppers (diced) 1 red onion (sliced) 2 garlic cloves 3 tbsp toasted pine nuts (optional) Fresh rosemary and thyme
Preheat oven to 180oc. Keep all the vegetables chunky when dicing. Add all diced vegetables and onions to a large roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil, and season with pepper and any dried or fresh herbs
Roast for 30 minutes until soft
Quiche Lorraine Chopped bacon (cooked) 1 handful grated cheese
Tomato and Spinach Cherry tomatoes (halved) 2 handfuls of spinach Sliced brie
TIP— for a richer quiche, swap the milk for 300ml low fat crème fraiche
MEAT
Beef Bourguignon I love cooking with wine. Although this may an unnecessary luxury for students, most supermarkets sell mini bottles of wine which are perfect for cooking for less than ÂŁ2 and these usually stretch to two meals! Cooking with wine just gives a much richer taste and brings out the flavours of the meat.
Try white wine with chicken, fish or mushrooms, and red wine with red meat and tomato sauces.
Ingredients (serves 3-4) 450g diced beef or casserole steaks (diced) 2 tbsp flour 75g bacon lardons 2 onions (finely diced) 2 cloves garlic (diced) Dried mixed herbs (or fresh rosemary & thyme) 250mls wine 150mls water 1 tbsp tomato puree 1 handful chestnut mushrooms (roughly chopped)
Dust meat with flour and fry in a little oil until brown Fry lardons, onions and garlic in same oil Add herbs and return meat to the pan Add 150mls water, wine, tomato puree, and a pinch of salt
Duck Ragu This dish is so easy to cook, but looks very impressive when served and is a great meal to serve the family. It is literally so simple, you just put all the ingredients in one pan and cook for as long as you have!
Ingredients (serves 2) 4 duck legs 1 onion (finely chopped) 1 tin chopped tomatoes 1 garlic clove (roughly chopped) 1 tbsp water Dried thyme Pancetta (optional)
Add all the ingredients to a large saucepan and season.
Bring to the boil, reduce to low heat, cover and cook for up to 2 hours Optional- if serving as a sauce, strip meat from bone and remove bones firom sauce.
TIP- Swap duck for chicken thighs, add olives and serve on the bone with couscous. Short pork ribs can work really well served with pappardelle or linguine.
Chorizo and Butterbean Stew Ingredients (serves 2-3) Chorizo ring Chopped bacon
1 tin butterbeans 1 red onion (finely diced) 1 garlic clove (diced) 400g passata 1 tin chopped tomatoes Dried mixed herbs 1 handful of spinach (optional) 125ml red wine (optional)
Olive oil
On a medium heat, cook the onions in oil for 5-10 minutes until soft in the bottom of a large saucepan. Add the garlic and bacon and fry until meat begins to brown Add the chorizo and cook for a few minutes Add the passata, chopped tomatoes and butterbeans. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, and then cook for up to an hour on a low heat, with lid on. Remove lid and reduce sauce to thicken. Before serving stir in the shredded spinach before serving.
Sausages and Lentils Ingredients (serves 2) 4 sausages ½ red onion (finely diced) 2 garlic cloves (diced) Olive oil Dash of balsamic vinegar Dash of red wine (optional) 1 tin chopped tomatoes 200g lentils Fresh parsley and/or dried mixed herbs
Preheat oven to 180. When ready, cook the sausages for 25 minutes until golden Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat up a dash of olive oil, and fry the onion until soft. Then add the garlic Add the lentils to the pan, then add the chopped tomatoes Finally add the red wine, balsamic vinegar and herbs Cover the saucepan with lid and cook for 20 minutes Serve the sausages sliced widthways on a bed of the cooked lentils
TIP- Try cooking this meal with Linda McCartney’s Rosemary and Red Onion Vegetarian Sausages. These sausage are frozen, so great to have in the house, and the herbs really make these sausages taste great. A great alternative to pork sausages for meat eaters and vegetarians alike.
VEGGIE
Veggie Chilli Ingredients (serves 4) ½ red chilli 1 red onion
1 tsp paprika ½ tsp cumin 2 garlic cloves 2 peppers (mixed colours) 1 tin chickpeas 1 tin kidneys beans 700g passata or chopped tomatoes
Olive oil
Finely dice onion, chilli and garlic Slice peppers into long strips Heat olive oil in a large saucepan and then add onion, chilli, garlic, paprika and cumin Add peppers, chickpeas, beans and passata to pan Bring the liquid to the boil, then reduce to a low heat, add a lid and cook for at least 20 minutes (up to 45mins/1hr if time allows)
TIPS- this meal can be made with any kind of beans or pulses, swapping the chickpeas for lentils or butter beans (or whatever you have in your cupboard) can taste just as good!
Paneer Curry Paneer is a cheese typical used in Indian cuisine and is very low in fat and calories. Using cheese in a curry might not appeal to everyone, but it is a great cheap alternative to meat in curries or can be eaten on its own fried in spices and served with wilted spinach. Apparently you can even make your own paneer at home if you're feeling adventurous!
Ingredients (serves 2) 1 packet paneer 1 tin chickpeas 400g passata 1 tin coconut milk
2 mixed peppers (sliced) Cherry tomatoes (halved) 1 red onion (finely diced) 2 garlic cloves (finely diced) ½ red chilli (diced) 2 tsp cumin 2tsp turmeric Fresh coriander Spinach and yoghurt to serve (optional)
Cut the paneer into large chunks Sautee the onions on a medium heat until soft in a large saucepan. Add the garlic, chilli and spices. Add passata and coconut milk and bring to the boil, before reducing the heat Add cherry tomatoes, peppers and chickpeas Cook for 30 minutes on a low heat
Veggie Burgers Ingredients (serves 2) 200g chickpeas 1 red onion (finely diced) 1 garlic clove (diced) 1 tsp cumin ½ tsp harissa paste or chilli powder 2 tbsp plain flour 2 tbsp oil
Put the chickpeas in a bowl and use a fork to crush into a paste (or add to a food processors) Add the onion, garlic, spices and flour Shape into two patties with your hands Heat up oil in a non-stick frying pan, add the burger and cook each side for up to 5 minutes until golden and beginning to crisp
Stuffed Mushrooms Mushrooms are a great low calorie addition to meals and are packed full of vitamins. There are so many options to stuff them with, the sausages in this recipe can be swapped for almost any kind of meat or chopped vegetables. Low fat cream cheese is a great alternative to keep these meals healthy.
Ingredients (serves 2) 2 flat mushrooms 1 flat mushroom or a small handful of button mushrooms (finely chopped) 2-3 tbsp cream cheese 1 onion (finely chopped) 3 garlic cloves 2 sausages 1 ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar Olive or sunflower oil Dried mixed herbs 75g grated cheese (optional)
Pre heat oven to 180oc Drizzle mushrooms with oil and the balsamic vinegar, season, and then cook for 15 minutes until softened While your mushrooms are cooking, remove the sausage meat from the skin. Crumbled sausage meat into a frying pan with a small amount of hot oil Cook on a medium heat until brown and then remove to a mixing bowl Next cook onions and chopped mushrooms until soft, adding the garlic to pan just before the onions are ready Add onions and garlic to the sausage, and then add both grated and cream cheese and mix. Season and add a shake of dried herbs Divide mixture between large mushrooms and return to the oven to cook for 30 minutes or until soft
TIP- If you’re low on time, swap the sausage for bacon, and simply fry until brown with onions.
SOUP & SIDES
Country Vegetable Soup Buying all these separate vegetables might seems like a lot of hassle and money, but most supermarkets do a pre-prepared vegetable selection pack which are often full of yummy winter root vegetables. You can usually pick these up for just over a pound, so don’t worry if your ingredients don’t exactly match the suggestion below, just use whatever you’ve got!
Ingredients (4 servings) 1 swede (peeled & diced) 2 parsnips (peeled & diced) 2 carrots (peeled & diced)
2 potatoes (peeled & diced) 1 onion (sliced) 750 mls veg stock
Fry the onion in a little oil until soft. Add all the diced vegetable and cook on a medium heat with the lid on for 2-3 minutes allowing the vegetables to sweat. Add the vegetable stock, season with pepper and any herbs you have. Bring to the boil Reduce down the heat to low, cover pan with lid and cook for 1-1.5 hrs until all vegetables are soft
Use a blender to smooth soup before serving (you can keep the soup chunky if you prefer!)
Split Pea and Leek Soup Ingredients (4 servings) 60g butter 1 onion (finely chopped) 2 large leeks (finely sliced) 2 potatoes (roughly chopped) 110g green split peas 1L veg or chicken stock
Melt butter and cook onions and leeks on a medium-low heat until soft Add potatoes, split peas and stock. Season with plenty of pepper Bring to boil then reduce to low heat, add lid and simmer for 40 minutes to 1 hour. Soup can then either be left chunky or slightly blended for a thicker texture
TIP- split peas are a great pulse full of protein and low in fat. These are available at most supermarkets and also super cheap at health food shops. They work similar to lentils and can be used instead in many pulse recipes.
In general they need to be soaked before use, preferably overnight. However if you forget to do this, don’t worry just cook the soup for a little longer to make sure the peas aren’t too chewy!
Roast Tomato Soup Ingredients (4 servings) Roast tomatoes (see pg) 1 onion (sliced) 1 large potato (diced) 500-750mls veg stock Fresh basil and rosemary
Roast the tomatoes according to the instructions on page 37. Meanwhile fry the onion in a little oil until soft Add the diced potatoes and allow to cook and sweat for 2-3 minutes Remove from heat until tomatoes are ready Strain the tomatoes through a sieve over the saucepan to remove skin and seed Add 500 mls of stock (this will probably be enough as tomatoes provide a lot of liquid too, but can always add the spare nearer the end). Season at this point and add herbs Bring to the boil before reducing to low heat, cover with lid and cook for 1-1.5hrs Blender to smooth before serving
Honey Roast Parsnips & Carrots Ingredients (serves 2) 2 carrots (sliced) 2 parsnips (sliced) 1 tbsp honey 1 tsp wholegrain mustard 1 tbsp olive oil Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 170oc Add peeled and chopped vegetables to a large mixing bowl
Pour over honey, olive oil and mustard and mix together. Season with salt and pepper Cook for 30 minutes until vegetables begin to crisp
Rosemary & Garlic SautĂŠed Potatoes Ingredients Handful of new potatoes Few sprigs of rosemary 2 garlic cloves Olive oil
Put the unpeeled potatoes in a pan of salted water, bring to the boil, and cook for 15 minutes until the potatoes feel soft with a knife Drain and allow to cool before cutting the potatoes into thick slices Heat up a pan of oil, add the rosemary and garlic and then add the potatoes On a medium flame, fry the potatoes, flipping to cook both sides until brown
Thyme mushrooms with low fat crème fraiche Ingredients 2 tbsp crème fraiche 6-8 chestnut mushrooms (sliced) Fresh thyme (or dried mixed herbs) Olive oil
Melt oil in pan and add a small amount of oil Add mushrooms to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and add herbs Cook on a medium heat until mushrooms begin to lose water and soften Add crème fraiche to pan and stir through Cook for 2 further minutes before serving
Basic Couscous Couscous is great addition to almost any meal, works great with Mediterranean stews, curries or tagines. It’s a healthy option instead of potatoes or chips, it’s high in protein and low calorie. However, it can also be a meal in itself. Just fill it with fresh vegetables, pine nuts and seasoning for a satisfying lunch Opposite, I served it with garlic and herb roasted Mediterranean veg, topped with chargrilled butterfly chicken.
Ingredients (serves 2) 120g couscous Butter 1 chicken stock cup Dried herbs Pinch of lemon zest 1 red onion (finely diced) 1 red pepper (sliced)
Add dried couscous to a mixing bowl, pour over enough hot chicken stock to cover the couscous by a couple of cms. Add a knob of butter and stir through Add dried herbs and a pinch of lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper Cover your couscous with cling film or a plate to keep the steam in While your couscous is absorbing the liquid, gently cook your onions until soft, adding peppers near the end to warm up.
Once couscous has absorbed all the liquid, taste to see it is soft and no longer crunchy (if it isn’t ready, add more stock and cover again) Stir through the vegetable and serve hot, or keep in fridge for a great lunch option
PASTA
Easy Carbonara Sauce Ingredients (serves 2) 200g linguine 2 large egg yolks 50ml double cream Handful of grate parmesan Zest 1 lemon Dried mixed herbs 2 slices of bacon 2 sausages (optional)
Add pasta to boiling salted water Remove skin of sausages, roll sausage meat into meatballs. Fry meatballs in olive oil until brown (OPTIONAL) Add bacon to pan and brown While bacon is cooking, mix together eggs, cream, half of cheese, lemon and herbs When pasta is cooked, add sauce and meatballs and stir
Mushroom Risotto Ingredients (serves 2) 125-150g risotto rice
1 handful chestnut mushrooms 1 Onion (finely diced) 2 garlic cloves (diced) 500ml veg or chicken stock (A dash of white wine– optional) Knob of butter Black pepper
Sprigs of rosemary and sage (or dried mixed herbs)
Cook down onions in melted butter on medium heat until soft, then add onions and continue to cook for a few minutes Add mushrooms and cook until begin to soften, then add risotto rice and gently cook for 2 minutes (stirring so rice doesn't stick to pan) At this point add your herbs, pepper and wine if using Add stock gradually, making sure the rice is covered in liquid at all times. This may take up to 20 minutes on a low heat Once all the stock is added the rice should be beginning to soften, continue to cook for a further 10 until all liquid is absorbed and the rice is soft (Remember to stir at frequent intervals so it doesn't catch on the bottom) When serving add some freshly grated parmesan and top with rocket!
How to; make a basic cream sauce This is a take on a veloute sauce, a traditional French ‘mother sauce’. Traditionally it is made by mixing melted butter with flour and then adding stock, but this version uses cream instead.
Ingredients 1 small shallot (finely diced) 1 garlic clove (finely diced) Olive oil 250ml double cream 150ml chicken (or veg) stock A dash of white wine (optional) Dried mixed herbs and pepper
Cook the shallot in oil until soft, stirring frequently so it doesn’t brown. Add the garlic once the shallot is cooked. Add cream to saucepan and initially add 100 ml chicken stock
Cook the sauce on a low heat until it starts to thicken, stirring frequently Add a dash of wine, and season with herbs and pepper. Continue to boil to cook off the alcohol Add more chicken stock if sauce becomes too thick , otherwise serve.
Bolognese Ragu Ingredients (serves 2) 400g beef mince 1 tin chopped tomatoes Passata 1 onion (finely diced) 2 garlic cloves (diced) Dried mixed herbs 1 dash balsamic vinegar
Add the onions to some hot oil and cook until soft. Then add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes on a low heat. Add the mince and brown on both sides Add the chopped tomatoes and passata . Season with pepper, herbs and a dash of balsamic vinegar Bring to the boil before reducing to a low heat, put the lid on and cook for 40 minutes until the meat is soft and the sauce is thickened (if the sauce is not thick enough, boil through for a further 5 minutes without the lid)
TIP- To make a really simple veggie version, just swap mince for lentils and cook in tomato sauce for 20-30 minutes until lentils are no longer tough This can then easily be used as the base for moussaka or lasagne( just add layers of aubergine, and sliced potato or sheet pasta and then top with cheese sauce) Depending what you're making you can always add fresh veg to make this more colourful– spinach can be easily stirred in at the end of cooking, or sliced peppers or mushrooms can be added before the tomatoes sauce and then cooked down with the lentils
Roast tomatoes with garlic and herbs Roasting really intensifies the sweetness of tomatoes, and these are a great base for so many meals. They also go great with chicken breast and couscous or salad, they’re just so versatile! To use these as a tomato sauce, just add to a saucepan, stir and reduce down to thicken. Works great as a pasta sauce or as passata for pizza bases. Ingredients 12 medium tomatoes 3 garlic cloves
Fresh basil and rosemary Dried mixed herbs Black pepper
Preheat oven to 200oc Either cut your tomatoes in half, or cut
a cross in the top of each to allow the tomato to open up Arrange the tomatoes in a roasting tray, adding the garlic and fresh herbs into the dish Season with black pepper and herbs. Drizzle liberally with olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes, until tomatoes begin to soften (roast for slightly longer if straining so they are soft enough to pass through the sieve)
How to; skin tomatoes Skinning tomatoes may seem like a hassle, but you notice the difference when you have a beautifully smooth tomato sauce. There are two main ways to do this;
Straining- Having roasted your tomatoes in the recipe above, simply strain tomatoes with a sieve. Make sure to use a spoon to crush your tomatoes to help ensure you get some of the texture. This means no skin or no seeds, as well as some yummy seasoned tomatoes, so is a win win.
Blanching- f you don’t have time to wait for your tomatoes to roast, you can just use hot water to skin them instead. Simply boil the kettle, and pour over the tomatoes, allowing them to sit in the water for a few minutes. You will soon see the skins beginning to peel off by themselves. Take them out of the water and peel the skin straight off, easy as that.
Basic tomato sauce If you don’t fancy roasting tomatoes to make your tomato sauce, here’s an easy way to make a simple tomato sauce. Serve with spaghetti for a quick pasta dish or as a base for a tomato pasta bake. Ingredients (serves 1) 1 packet cherry tomatoes 1 small onion (finely diced) 1 garlic cloves (diced) Fresh basil and rosemary Dried mixed herbs
Black pepper
Cook down your onion on a medium heat until they begin to soften. Add garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes Chop the tomatoes in half and add to saucepan. Season and add herbs at this point On a medium heat, allow tomatoes to cook down, stirring occasionally
Pasta all’amtricana To make your tomato sauce into this classic Italian dish, just add pancetta or diced bacon with your garlic an cook through with your sauce. Serve with spaghetti (or bucanti) and sprinkle with grated cheese in the traditional Italian way.
How to; make a basic white sauce White sauce is the base for many dishes, from a basic cheese sauce, to the base of a chicken or fish pie. The main problems here are getting your sauce to the right thickness, and this is solved by adding the milk gradually until at the desired thickness, and making sure the sauce is smooth and there are no lumps of flour. This just means you have to stir the sauce fairly often, and no whimpy stirring, it needs a proper beat through with a whisk. What you need; Large knob of butter 2 tbsp flour Milk Pepper
The ingredients here are purposefully vague. When mixing the melted butter and flour, the mix should come together like dough, but not be too crumbly or too liquidy (this is called a roux). You can adjust this by adding more butter or flour until you get it right. The milk is also added depending on the thickness of the sauce needed so an exact quantity can’t really be given.
Melt the butter on a low heat, and then add the flour. Stir until all combined and resembles a dough as above Add milk a little at the time, stirring frequently, and cook until the sauce begins to thicken
Keep adding milk until you get to the desire consistency Season with pepper
If making a cheese sauce add cheese at this point. Add a tsp of wholegrain mustard, it brings out the flavour of the cheese really well.
If using as a base for chicken or fish pie, omit some of the milk and use chicken or fish stock to add more flavour. Wholegrain mustard can go great with these sauces too, as well as any herbs you may want to add!
Macaroni Cheese Ingredients (serves 2) White sauce (see previous page) 150g grated cheddar 1 tsp wholegrain mustard 200g macaroni
Preheat oven to 190 Make the white sauce as described, remembering to add cheese and wholegrain mustard Cook macaroni in boiling water for 9 minutes (it doesn’t have to be fully cooked as will cook in the sauce) Mix together the sauce and pasta, place in an ovenproof dish Top with extra grated cheese and bake for 20-30minutes until cheese begins to brown
Some ideas to spice up your pasta Herb crumb Breadcrumbs (bash up some stale bread or use a food processor to blitz) 1 tbsp grated parmesan Pepper and rosemary Mix all ingredients together in a bowl . Take mac and cheese out of oven as cheese begins to melt, cover top with herb crumb, put back in the oven and cook for 10 more minutes. SautĂŠed leeks and bacon Cook 1 finely sliced leek until soft, add bacon, cook through then add to cheese sauce at the end Four cheese Mix up your cheese, using whatever you fancy (blue cheese works great, as does brie, goats, manchego, pretty much anything!). Just add to sauce with cheddar and melt through Chorizo and onion Add cooked red onion and diced chunks of chorizo to your sauce and then bake as above!
Pesto Pesto is such a versatile sauce. It doesn't have to be used just to stir through pasta, it works great with chicken, just smother on top of a fresh chicken breast, then whack in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Alternately spread on the base of a cheese or ham sandwich to make your lunch a little more special
Ingredients (4 servings) ½ garlic clove 3 handfuls of basil 2 tbsp lightly toasted pine nuts 2 handfuls grated parmesan Olive oil 1 tsp lemon juice (optional)
Add all the ingredients to a food processor and whiz until desired consistency
Add more oil or lemon juice if too thick If you don’t have a processor, simple use a knife to chop down ingredients to desired size, add oil and stir
SALADS
I’ve only included two basic salads here as I don’t really think salads need a recipe. Its more about whatever fresh food you have in the fridge and being adventurous, use anything from peppers to cucumber to radishes, and of course any kind of cheese. And you can always experiment with warm salads, try roasting your tomatoes before adding them, or using some sautéed red onions to give some sweetness to the mix, or even warm mushrooms. Instead of going straight to meat try adding some chickpeas or quinoa mix to a salad to give it a protein kick.
Pear and Blue Cheese Salad Ingredients (serves 1) 1/2 bag mixed salad 1 pear 1 carrot
50g blue cheese Toasted pine nuts Vinaigrette dressing
Peel the pear, and then using the peeler shave off thin slices of pear. Repeat this process with the carrots On a low heat, toast the pine nuts, making sure they don’t catch and burn
Add pear, carrot, nuts and salad to a large bowl Pour over dressing and mix Crumble blue cheese over salad and serve
Insalata Caprese Ingredients (serves 1) 2 large tomatoes ½ ball of mozzarella 2 handfuls rocket Fresh basil leaves Olive oil Pesto Halved black olives (optional) Balsamic vinegar/ glaze (for decoration)