What to make with your box contents w/c 26 February
Be creative and adapt recipes to suit what you have in your fridge and store cupboard. Don’t forget to check out our last few blogs here on box contents use.
Ramiro pepper, mushroom and leek lasagne
Total time: 1 hour
Serves 6 -8
Ingredients
- 8 sheets lasagne
For the tomato and veg sauce:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 leeks chopped
- 2 Ramiro peppers diced
- 2 fat garlic cloves crushed
- 40g plain flour
- 800G tin tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 tsp caster sugar
- 500G chestnut mushrooms
- 1 bunch fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
For the cheese sauce:
- 100G butter
- 75G plain flour
- 900ML hot milk
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 30)G mature cheddar cheese grated
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7. You will need a 3-litre (5-pint), ovenproof dish.
To make the tomato and vegetable sauce, heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the leeks and fry for 3 minutes, then add the peppers and fry for 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper.
Measure the flour into a bowl. Mix with half a tin of chopped tomatoes and stir until smooth. Add the remaining tomatoes to the vegetables in the pan, followed by the purée and sugar and then the flour mixture.
Bring to the boil, stirring until thickened, then add the mushrooms and boil for a couple of minutes, stirring. Add the basil and vinegar and check the seasoning.
To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and whisk over the heat for a minute. Gradually blend in the milk and whisk until bubbling and smooth. Add the mustard, three-quarters of the cheese and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon a third of the vegetable sauce into the base of the dish. Spoon over a third of the cheese sauce and sprinkle with a third of the remaining cheese. Lay three sheets of lasagne on top (break the lasagne so they fit neatly without overlapping). Continue with the remaining layers to give 2 layers of pasta and three layers of sauce and finish with the remaining cheese on top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes until bubbling and golden brown.
Parsnip and carrot dhal
Prep: 20 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 500g parsnips, diagonally sliced into even-sized chunks
- Olive oil for drizzling/frying
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 30g fresh ginger, grated
- 300g split red lentils
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 3 carrots, grated
- 100g kale chopped (stems removed)
Method
Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Put the parsnips on 1-2 large baking tray(s) and drizzle with oil. Roast for 25-30 minutes until golden and crispy.
Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat a glug of oil and add the onion. Fry over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes until starting to soften. Add the dry spiced and ginger, then fry for 2-3 minutes more, stirring regularly.
Add the lentils, 800ml boiling water and the chopped tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
When the lentils are soft, stir in the grated carrots and the kale, simmer for 5 minutes more, then season to taste and top with the crispy parsnips. Serve with flatbreads, yogurt and coriander, if you like.
Roasted garlic cauliflower
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Serves 6
This delicious roasted garlic cauliflower is a really delicious side dish and is sure to become a firm favourite. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice if you have any.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large head cauliflower, separated into florets
- 30g grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- optional wedge of lemon to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 220C. Grease a large casserole dish.
Place the olive oil and garlic in a large resealable bag. Add cauliflower, and shake to mix. Pour into the prepared casserole dish, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bake for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Top with Parmesan cheese and parsley, and grill for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden brown.
Serve with a wedge of lemon (optional)
Indian spiced vegetable curry
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 1 hour
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the vegetables
- 1 large parsnip
- 1/4 cauliflower
- 1 onion
- 2 large carrots
- 1 potato
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
For the curry
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder* or less to taste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée
- 400 g tinned tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- Water if needed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 100 g frozen peas
Method
To roast the vegetables
To make the curry sauce
Teriyaki salmon with pak choi
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Serves 2
Sweet chilli, honey, sesame oil, mirin and soy join together to make a fantastic sauce for this teriyaki salmon. Serve with sesame pak choi for a quick midweek meal
Ingredients
- 2 skinless salmon fillets
- 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp mirin or dry sherry
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp finely grated ginger
- Brown rice or noodles, to serve (optional)
For the pak choi
- 2 large pak choi (about 250g)
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 75ml fish or vegetable stock
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds, for sprinkling
Method
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and put the skinless salmon fillets in a shallow baking dish.
Mix the sweet chilli sauce, honey, sesame oil, mirin or dry sherry, soy sauce and finely grated ginger in a small bowl and pour over the salmon so the fillets are completely covered. Bake for 10 mins.
Heat the vegetable oil and sesame oil in a wok, add the grated garlic cloves and stir-fry briefly to soften.
Lemon Chicken with Broccoli
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Serves 4
A delicious succulent chicken dish with broccoli and lemon – perfect for family mid week meals.
Ingredients
- 1lb pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 68g all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
- 57g butter, cubed
- 235m. chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 broccoli head cut into florets
- Lemon wedges
- Hot cooked rice to serve, optional
Method
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl, mix flour, garlic powder and paprika. In another shallow bowl, whisk egg and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then in flour mixture; shake off excess.
In a large frying pan, heat butter over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 4-6 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm. Add stock, lemon zest and remaining lemon juice to pan; bring to a boil. Stir in broccoli. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 6-8 minutes or until broccoli is tender. Serve with chicken, lemon wedges and, if desired, rice.
No bake kiwi cheesecake
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 35 – 40 mins
Serves 16
Smooth and creamy kiwi cheesecake sandwiched between a zesty layer of kiwi jelly and a crunchy biscuit base. Make one large cheese cake or individual ones.
Ingredients
Crust:
- 160g biscuits
- 70g melted butter
- pinch of salt
Filling:
- 400g cream cheese
- 300g cashews
- 200g coconut cream
- 80g kiwi pulp (~2 kiwis)
- 120g icing sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract (or paste)
- pinch of salt
Jelly layer:
- 120g kiwi pulp (~3 kiwis)
- 50ml water
- 30ml lemon juice (1 lemon)
- 40g caster sugar
- ½ tsp agar agar powder (or use non veggie alternative)
- 1 drop green food colouring (or pinch of matcha)
Method
Crust: Pulse the biscuits in a food processor until they are completely crushed. Add the melted butter and process until well combined.
Place a circular disk of parchment in the bottom of the cake tin to help get the cheesecake out later. Place the crust mix into the cake tin and spread evenly. Use a cup and baking parchment to flatten it down. Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Cheesecake filling: Peel and cut up 5-6 kiwis and weigh them out. You need at least 200g for the filling and jelly (and some extra to account for some lost weight when we remove any pulp later).
Place the kiwis in a food processor and blend until smooth. Remove any white pieces of kiwi flesh. Reserve 80g for the filling and 120g for the jelly.
Bring half a saucepan of water to a boil and boil the cashews for 20 minutes to soften them (you can also soak them in hot water overnight). Discard the soaking water, dry off the cashews and place them into the food processor with the coconut cream. Blitz until smooth.
Add the cream cheese to the food processor with the vanilla extract, icing sugar, kiwi pulp and salt then blitz again until smooth. It will be very thick so you may have to scrape down the sides to get it to blend completely smooth.
Pour this filling into the cake tin in on top of the frozen crust and leave it in the fridge to set for at least 3 hours.
Jelly Layer: Mix together the sugar and the agar powder in a small bowl with the food colouring (or matcha powder). Add a few tablespoons of the water and stir until the sugar and agar are dissolved.
Pour this into a pan with the rest of the water, lemon juice and the kiwi juice. Turn the heat up to medium-low and bring to a simmer, stirring continuously. Allow to simmer for 1 minute until the agar is fully dissolved.
Take it off the heat and allow to cool slightly for 10 minutes. To check if the jelly is going to set, pour a small amount of jelly into a bowl and place it in the freezer. If it doesn’t firm up within 5 minutes then reheat the jelly with some more agar and repeat the process.
Then gently pour onto the cheesecake layer.
Chill for at least 1 hour then serve!
