Tilda® hot and spicy Firecracker rice is free from artificial colourings and preservatives. Ready in a couple of minutes the smoky, peppery basmati rice is vegan and gluten free.
Ingredients:
Olive oil
Small Broccoli with florets cut into bite size pieces
½ red pepper, chopped
½ onion, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 chicken breast cut into 10 pieces
1 pack Tilda® firecracker rice
¼ tin of low fat coconut milk or 150ml of stock
Chopped parsley
Step by step:
Step 1
Fry off the chicken pieces in oil and set aside. In the same pan, add 1 tbsp of oil and fry off the onion, peppers and broccoli.
Step 2
Add the coconut milk and replace the lid (or pop a plate on top) to prevent the pan running dry. Cook for 10 minutes adding more coconut milk or stock as required.
Step 1
After 10 minutes, add the rice and chicken and put the lid back on the pan. Cook for another 3-4 minutes adding more coconut milk or stock as required. Add a dessert spoon of Maggi® seasoning.
Serve with chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.
Spring vegetable risotto celebrates new life in the garden and this variation on the traditional Venetian recipe is delicious and easy to make.
Ingredients:
1/2 a red onion, finely chopped
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
1/2 leek, finely chopped
6 green beans, chopped in 1 centimetre lengths
400g risotto rice
white wine
chicken stock cube
100g butter
olive oil
60g Parmesan or Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
Single cream
12 asparagus spears, chopped
Step by step:
Step 1
Add a large knob of butter to a pan and sauté the red onion, celery, beans and asparagus adding more oil and butter as necessary.
Step 2
Add the rice, stir well and add white wine to taste. Start adding the stock a ladle full at a time and keep cooking on a low heat, stirring occasionally until all the stock is absorbed.
Step 3
Season with black pepper, stir through the cream and Parmesan or Parmigiano Reggiano.
Dress with sage leaves or parsley and serve.
Adapted from favourite Italian cookbook Antonio Carluccio’s Italia (2005 Quadrille). See More: HERE
Tips:
Use your favourite vegetables and what you have to hand. We didn’t have any carrots, but they are in the usual recipe.
Cook your burgers on the grill and pop your Spanish style grains either in the microwave or in a pan on the stove.
Rustle up a salad and dressing or boil some peas.
Notes:
Rooster chicken burgers contain fewer nasties than many other processed foods and are a good quick on-the-go meal. They are low fat and a little salty, so you only need a good grind of black pepper for seasoning.
The Spanish style grains are a nice blend of whole long grain rice, and black rice, spiced with chilli flakes, smoked paprika and yeast extract.
Chorizo, courgettes and chillies added to a basic carbonara make a delicious, quick and easy lunch or weeknight supper. Quartering and slicing your courgette and finely slicing the spring onions gives an attractive finish.
Get your ingredients ready while the spaghetti is cooking
Ingredients:
150g spaghetti
50g lardons
50g chorizo, chopped
1 medium size courgette, chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
1 small chilli, chopped (optional)
50ml single cream (optional)
1 pinch chilli flakes
1 lemon, zested and juiced
basil, a good handful
Step by step:
Step 1
Put your spaghetti on to cook as per the pack instructions, minus about one minute than stated cooking time.
Step 2
Prepare your ingredients and cook off the lardons, chorizo for a couple of minutes until they are nice and crispy. Add the courgette and chilli. After approximately 5 minutes, turn the heat down.
Step 3
Add your spaghetti to the pan, using tongs and stir in a little cream and cook for about a minute on the low heat. Add a splash or two of the pasta cooking water if needed. If you want more of a classic carbonara flavour, add a beaten egg with some grated parmesan to the sauce.
Step 4
We have used a thin spaghetti and made a light creamy sauce, Penne also works well. Chilli flakes are always a favourite store cupboard item.
Stir the spaghetti through the other ingredients in the pan and check the pasta is done. Serve with the basil scattered over and a bowl of grated parmesan to the side. A squeeze of lemon juice is always welcome.
Store cupboard essential
We use a generous handful of Basil
Using Penne, the pasta soaks up all the sauce and a good grating of parmesan on top to serve.
Seasonal asparagus with a nutty brown butter pastry crust, punchy capers and gruyère – perfect for lunch or tea time snack.
Ingredients:
250g asparagus, trimmed
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
250ml double cream
1 lemon, zested and segmented
50g gruyère, finely grated
2 tbsp capers, drained
Brown butter pastry:
225g plain flour
150g butter
1 egg
Step by step:
First – make your pastry
Heat the butter in a small frying pan, swirling frequently, until foaming. Cook for 1-2 minutes until it starts to turn brown and smell nutty. Transfer to a bowl to cool. When it is cool, transfer to the fridge to chill and turn solid. Once cold, cut into cubes.
Whizz the flour and brown butter in a food processor until it looks like damp sand, then add the yolk and 1-2 tbsp of ice-cold water to bring it together. Wrap and chill for 30 mins.
Now make the filling
Steam the asparagus for 3 minutes, then rinse under cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper. Keep 6-8 of the best spears whole, and chop the remainder into 1cm pieces.
Heat your oven to 200C / 180C fan / Gas 6. Roll out the pastry to 2-3 millimetre thick and use it to line a 23cm tart tin. Prick the base all over with a fork. Fill with a piece of baking paper and baking beans. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and cook for another 5 minutes until the base looks dry.
Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, cream, lemon zest and cheese with some seasoning.
Trim the pastry case and place the chopped asparagus over the base. Scatter over the capers and pour over the egg mixture. Arrange the remaining asparagus spears on top and cook in the oven for 35-40 mins or until set but still with a slight wobble to the middle. Serve at room temperature or cold.
Tips
We roll the pastry to just 2-3 millimetre thickness which makes a nice texture and helps ensure you don’t get a soggy bottom
Steaming the asparagus retains more of the nutrients and flavour. M&S have an excellent quality steamer for £55.
Whole wheat pasta is better for our health because the whole grain is milled and therefore it contains more nutrients than white pasta equivalents. The outer membrane contains a lot of fibre, vitamins and minerals including vitamins E and B plus magnesium and iron.
The higher vitamin content in whole wheat pasta increases phytochemicals that help protect against some cancers.
Consuming whole grains is beneficial in many ways including:
Heart health…
Recent studies have shown that people who eat the right amount of whole grains every day reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 30%.
Reduce your risk stroke and obesity by aiding weight control, digestive health and reducing calories intake and cholesterol levels.
Diabetes…
Whole grains help maintain insulin levels which in turn helps improve our body’s glucose control. Adequate intake of whole grains lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by around 30%.
Whole wheat pasta is not the cheapest option, but it is useful if you are making health conscious decisions about food. Whole wheat pasta has a lower glycemic index than refined pasta which means means it is helpful in controlling blood sugar levels.
You can cook most pasta recipes successfully using whole grain pasta. Whole wheat pasta tends to be brown in colour and has a nuttier taste. If you are using flavoursome pasta sauces the taste difference will be negligible.
Generally, whole wheat pasta takes a little longer to cook and overcooking will result in a mushy texture.
Photo courtesy Craig Melville – Acekreations
Best Buys
We have tried several brands and the overall winner in taste test and value for money is Barilla.
Barilla have recently done away with the plastic window on their packaging which together with a great flavour and mid price makes them our first choice. Fusilli £1.50 / 500g
Mr. Organic with paper bag packaging and nice flavour but nearly twice the price of Barilla was second choice. Fusilli £2.70 / 500g
Sainsbury’s was the cheapest (currently price matched to Aldi) and a good flavour. However, the plastic packet which tears very easily on opening made that third place. Fusilli 75p / 500g
Bart Ingredients and Chilli Kitchens are running a competition where one lucky person will win a brand new kitchen. Runners up prizes include Barts herbs and spices, Mr Organic products, Tilda rice and utensils from Denby.
The closing date for entries is 31st December 2024 so there is plenty of time to get your entry in!
Made with a soft crumbly pastry base, this delicious quiche Lorraine will feed 6-8 people and is ideal served with a jacket potato or a few crisps and salad leaves. If time is against you, use a shop bought ready rolled shortcrust pastry.
Blind bake your pastry
Crumbly Butter Pastry Recipe
50g porridge oats
175g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
125g butter, chilled and cubed
Iced water
To make the pastry, place the oats in your food processor and blitz until powdery. Add the flour and butter, then pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water and pulse to combine.
When the mixture clumps together, knead briefly. Shape it into a flat disc, wrap it in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. You can make the pastry ahead as it will keep for up to 2 days in the fridge.
Ingredients:
200g bacon, chopped in large pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
4 eggs, 2 whole and 2 yolks
250ml double cream
200ml crème fraîche
100g gruyère, coarsely grated
Step by step:
Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Fry the bacon with a little olive oil until cooked then drain on kitchen paper. Beat the whole eggs, yolks, double cream and crème fraîche together and season.
Roll out your pastry or ready rolled shortcrust pastry and line the tart tin and prick the base all over with a fork.
Line the pastry case with parchment paper, fill with baking beans and bake blind for 15 minutes.
Take out the paper and beans and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Trim off any excess pastry with a sharp knife. Turn the oven down to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3.
Scatter the bacon and cheese (keeping back a small handful of cheese) into the pastry case, add the egg mix and scatter the rest of the cheese. Bake for 40 minutes or until just set in the middle and lightly golden. Serve at room temperature.
Tips:
Gruyère is the traditional cheese, Comté or good old Cheddar work just as well. Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference Gruyère has a superb flavour.
Sainsbury’s Gruyère £4.20 for 200g
Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference dry cured smoked bacon is worth the extra money and makes a good quiche Lorraine even better.
Sainsbury’s £4.25 for 300g
Sainsbury’s crème fraîche 89p 300g
No time to make your own pastry? Use a ready rolled shortcrust pastry for excellent results.
£1.15 for 300g
Baking Beans
Best buys for baking beans:
John Lewis £8.50
Lakeland £6.99
Dunelm £5.00
All sold in 700g quantities. John Lewis in Kilner jar, Lakeland and Dunelm come in plastic tubs
This is a favourite in our house. The children love it and any leftovers are great the next day.
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, sliced lengthways into wedges
2 red peppers deseeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
500g baby new potatoes, halved
8 mushrooms
12 sausages, pricked with a fork
200ml white wine, or stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Step by step:
Preheat the oven to 220C / 200C Fan / Gas 7.
Put everything in a large bowl and turn the ingredients until they are fully coated in the oil. Alternatively, pop all the ingredients in a large plastic freezer bag and squish it around until everything is coated in the oil.
Tip everything into a large roasting tin, spreading the ingredients out into one even layer and ensuring that the sausages aren’t covered by any of the vegetables. Season well with salt and pepper. Roast for about 30–35 minutes until golden-brown.
Remove from the oven, turn the sausages over and toss the vegetables in the cooking juices. Pour in the wine and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes or until browned and the sausages are cooked and the potatoes tender.
HEAL 