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Quick Sausage and Bean Stew – Serves 3
Ingredients | Equipment |
---|---|
4 - 5 cooked Sausages | Knife |
15 - 20cm length Chorizo Sausage | Chopping Board |
1 x 400g tin Baked Beans | Saucepan |
1 Red or Green Pepper, sliced | |
1 - 2 teaspoons Tomato Puree | |
1 - 2 teaspoons Paprika | |
2 - 3 cloves Garlic | |
1 teaspoon Oil |
Peel and chop the garlic and fry for 1 – 2 minutes then add the Chorizo sausage and pepper. Cook for about 5 mins, or until the pepper begins to soften.
Add the cooked sausage, baked beans, tomato purée and paprika and simmer gently for 5 mins, being careful not to let the beans go mushy.
Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
If your budget doesn’t run to Chorizo sausage, look for spicy ordinary sausages, and add one extra in place of the Chorizo.
Try and use the best quality sausages to can afford!
Three Bean Salad – Serves 8
Ingredients | Equipment |
---|---|
1 x 400g tin Chickpeas | Large Bowl |
1 x 400g tin Red Kidney Beans | Knife |
1 x 400g tin Green Beans | Chopping Board |
4 Spring Onions, chopped | Small Bowl |
1 stalk Celery, sliced | Whisk |
4 tablespoons Olive Oil | |
1 tablespoon Honey | |
1/2 teaspoon Mustard Powder | |
100ml Cider Vinegar |
Rinse and drain the tinned beans and place in a bowl with the chopped spring onions and sliced celery.
Place the olive oil, vinegar, honey and mustard powder in a small bowl and whisk thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour over the salad, and refrigerate, ideally for at least 2 hours for the flavours to develop.
Mix gently before serving.
You can also use a shop bought French dressing.
Vegetable Soup
Ingredients | Equipment |
---|---|
800g mixed raw Vegetables (e.g. Carrot, Turnip, Swede, Onion, Leek, Celery erc.) | Knife |
600ml Water | Chopping Board |
Stock Cube | Saucepan |
1 tablespoon Tomato Puree | |
1 tablespoon Oil |
Heat the oil in the saucepan and add the vegetables. Cover and fry for about 5 mins until they begin to soften.
Add the stock cube, water, tomato purée, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, stir, and then simmer (cook on a low heat so that the liquid is bubbling slowly) for 30 – 40 mins, until all the vegetables are soft.
This is a good way of using up all the sad and limp looking vegetables that are lying in the bottom of your fridge! You can also add a tin of chopped tomatoes; use a little less water if you do.
Tortillas with Black (or Red Kidney) Bean Sauce – Serves 4
Ingredients | Equipment |
---|---|
1 small Onion, sliced | Saucepan |
1 clove Garlic | Large Baking Dish, lightly oiled |
1 tablespoon Olive Oil | Wooden Spoon |
2 x 400g cans Black eyed or Red Kidney Beans | Can Opener |
2 x 400g cans Chopped Tomatoes | Knife |
1 tablespoon Tomato puree | Chopping Board |
dried Mixed Herbs | |
1 teaspoon chilli powder | |
175g grated Cheese | |
8 Flour Tortillas |
Heat oven to 200C gas 6
Heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the onion and garlic over a medium heat until soft.
Drain and rinse the beans under cold running water and add them to the pan, cooking for about 1 minute while stirring.
Stir in the tins of tomatoes, tomato purée, a pinch of mixed herbs, and the chilli powder; add salt and pepper here if you want.
Bring the sauce to the boil and then let it cook slowly (simmer) for 20 mins, until the sauce starts to thicken, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Place the tortillas on a clean work-surface and spread the sauce onto the tortillas; sprinkle half the cheese over them and then roll up and place in the baking dish, join side down.
Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the tortillas and bake for 15 minutes.
Quick Pizza
Ingredients | Equipment |
---|---|
150g Self Raising Flour | Large Bowl |
150ml Milk | Baking Tray, lightly oiled |
25g Margarine | Rolling Pin |
50g Grated Cheese | Chopping Board |
1 tablespoon Tomato Puree | Knife |
3 Mushrooms (sliced) | Can Opener |
1 small Onion (sliced) | |
Pinch of Mixed Herbs |
Heat the oven to 200C, gas 6.
Put the flour in the mixing bowl and add the margarine.
Rub together with fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add 6 tablespoons of milk and mix in using the blade of a table knife.
Add another tablespoon of milk and mix well using your hands to bring the dough together; it should be soft but not sticky (if it is add a small amount of flour).
Turn out onto a floured work surface and roll into a circle. (If you don’t have a rolling pin you can use a plastic bottle filled with water).
Place onto the baking tray.
Spread the tomato purée onto the pizza followed by the mushrooms and onion. Add the grated cheese and herbs last.
Cook in the oven for 10 – 15 mins until the base is firm and the topping golden brown.
Why not experiment with the pizza toppings!
Basic Jacket Potatoes
Ingredients | Equipment |
---|---|
1 medium potato for each person | Foil |
1 teaspoon of oil for each potato | Baking tray |
Heat oven to 200C, gas 6
Wash the potatoes and and stab with a knife 4 times.
Rub with the oil and wrap in foil
Place on the baking tray and bake in the oven for approximately 40 – 50 mins, or until they feel soft.
To serve, cut an “X” in the top of the potato and with thumb and forefinger of both hands push upwards on the skin to expose some of the flesh.
These can also be cooked in a microwave. Just wash and stab with a knife a couple of times. Place on a microwave suitable plate and cook for initially 6 minutes and then on 2 minutes bursts, they are ready when they feel soft.
Jacket Potato filling ideas
Grated cheese
Baked beans
Coleslaw
Prawn mayonnaise
Tuna mayonnaise (small tin of tuna drained, with 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise)
Sour cream and chives (chop a handful of chives and add to a small pot of sour cream)
Chilli (see Basic Bolognese recipe)
Microwave Chocolate Mug Cake – Serves 1 – 2
Ingredients | Equipment |
---|---|
4 tablespoons Self Raising Flour | Large mug |
4 tablespoons Sugar | |
2 tablespoons Cocoa Powder | |
1 medium Egg | |
3 tablespoons Milk | |
3 tablespoons Oil |
Note: This needs a large mug, or can be divided into two smaller mugs once mixed.
Add the flour, sugar and cocoa powder to the mug and mix well.
Crack the egg into the mug and mix well (don’t worry if there is still some dry mixture).
Add the milk and oil and mix until smooth.
Cook in the microwave for 4 – 5 mins, until the cake is firm and springy to the touch. This needs watching as all microwaves are different!
Allow to cool for a few minutes before eating, either straight out of the mug or turned out into a bowl, maybe with fruit and/or ice cream.
Apple Crumble
Ingredients | Equipment |
---|---|
150g Self Raising Flour | Mixing Bowl |
75g Sugar, plus 2 tablespoons | Knife |
75g Margarine | Chopping Board |
3 Cooking Apples | Oven Proof Dish |
Heat oven to 200C, gas 6.
Mix the flour and margarine in a bowl using your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Stir in the 75g of sugar.
Peel, core and slice the apples and place in an oven proof dish.
Sprinkle the sugar on the apples and mix in gently.
Pour the crumble mixture onto the apples.
Cook in the oven for about 40 mins, until the crumble is golden brown and the apples are soft.
This basic crumble mixture can be used with different fruits, e.g. plums and can also be used with tinned fruit (drain before using and omit or reduce the amount of sugar added to the fruit).
Basic Bolognese Sauce serves 4
Ingredients | Equipment |
---|---|
1 tablespoon oil | Knife |
500g beef mince (can also use lamb or pork) | Chopping board |
1 heaped tablespoon tomato purée | Can opener |
1-2 cloves of garlic | Frying pan |
1 medium onion | Wooden spoon |
2 carrots | |
1 level teaspoon mixed herbs | |
1 x 400g can whole or chopped tomatoes | |
Salt and pepper |
Peel and chop onion and carrots. Peel and crush, or finely chop the garlic.
Fry the mince in the oil until lightly browned. Add the onion and garlic and continue frying until the onion is also lightly brown, stirring all the time.
Add the carrots, tomato puree, tinned tomatoes and herbs. Bring to the boil and then turn the heat down until just simmering. Cook for 20 – 30 mins. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with a pasta shape of your choice (traditionally spaghetti).
For Lasagne, layer the sauce with lasagne sheets (check to see whether they need cooking first as they vary). Top with a jar of white or cheese sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese and cook in the oven at Gas 4/350F/180C for 30 – 40 minutes.
For Chilli, add chilli powder instead of the herbs and a tin of red kidney beans that have been drained and rinsed.
For a vegetarian option, replace the mince with soya mince.
You can also replace some or all of the mince with a selection of tinned pulses (beans, lentils etc.)
Pancakes
Ingredients | Equipment |
---|---|
110g Plain flour, sifted | Bowl |
pinch of salt | Whisk or fork |
2 eggs | Frying pan |
200ml milk mixed with 75ml water | Tablespoon and knife |
Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl.
Make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it.
Using a whisk or fork, start whisking (mixing) the eggs, gradually incorporating the flour and milk, until you have a smooth batter.
Heat a small knob of butter/margarine/teaspoon of oil in the frying pan. When really hot, turn the heat down to medium and add 2 tablespoons of the batter. Swirl this around to get the base coated (you may need more batter depending on the size of the pan and spoon). After about 30 seconds try lifting the pancake up to see how it is cooking. When it looks done, flip over and cook the other side for around 30 seconds.
Pancakes can be served with savoury or sweet fillings, and can be made in advance; separate each one with greaseproof paper and either reheat in the oven or microwave.