World Food Day – Top Recipes

Little ones love to cook especially if it involves licking chocolate off the wooden spoon. It’s a fantastic way to spend time with your children, it is fun, messy and in fact a great way for them to develop their confidence, educate them on healthy food choices and learn a variety of skills including:

• Weighing and measuring ingredients incorporates a variety of mathematical concepts from counting to learning about the notion of more and less.
• Mixing ingredients and observing what happens, discussing the method and seeing the end result teaches about the scientific process.
• Gaining an appreciation of time by seeing how long recipes take to cook.
• Boosting creativity in numerous ways from decorating to altering recipes.
• Reading recipes, discussing them and following instructions are a wonderful way to encourage communication and early literacy.

To celebrate World Food Day our fantastic chefs, have suggested their favourite recipes from around the world to cook, we hope you find them tasty!

Jackie’s – Caribbean Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients

4 Large carrots peeled and chopped
2 Sweet potatoes peeled and chopped
½ a small butternut squash peeled and chopped
1 small red chilli
1 Red onion peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove
1 inch piece ginger
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 chunk of creamed coconut
1 litre veg stock

Method

• Heat the oil in a large baking tray, stir in all the vegetables, garlic and ginger. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, when they are just becoming soft.
• Put baked vegetables in saucepan, and add stock. Bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes.
• Remove the ginger and add the coconut milk. Warm through and then blend.
• Adjust seasoning and add more stock if needed.

Janice’s – Lasagne

Ingredients:

250g minced beef
1 x onion
1 x 450g tin tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato puree
50 g mushrooms optional
1 pepper optional
1 clove garlic optional
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons of mixed herbs

Cheese Sauce:
50g plain flour
500ml. Milk (1 pint)
100g grated mature cheddar
Packet of lasagne sheets
1 Lasagne Dish

Method:

Meat Sauce:

• Peel and finely chop the onion
• Slice the mushrooms and chop the pepper and if using, crush the garlic
• Put 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan and fry the onion and the mince, until the mince has browned, breaking the mince down with the wooden spoon
• Add the mushrooms and pepper and garlic and garlic and continue frying for 5 minutes
• Add the tin of tomatoes
• Add the herbs, salt and pepper and bring to the boil
  (Put a lid on the pan, turn heat down and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes. Stir in tomato puree)

Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce:

• Add the flour to a saucepan and add 5 tablespoons of milk. Mix well with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth. Add the rest of the milk.
• Place on the hob and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. When boiling, reduce the heat to low.
• Let the sauce bubble gently for 1 -2 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and add almost all the cheese and seasoning.

Layer the Lasagne:

• Spread the base with ½ the mince mixture
• Place sheets of lasagne and then repeat
• Cover the mince with a further layer of lasagne sheets
• Pour the cheese sauce on top
• Sprinkle with remaining cheese
• Bake in oven at Gas 5, 190 for 30 – 45 minutes until lasagne is soft and cheese is browned

Shillah’s – Chicken wraps

Ingredients:

Wraps
Diced chicken
Sliced tomatoes
Ice-burg lettuce
Mayonnaise
Curry powder
Cumin
Smoked paprika
Coriander leaf
Mixed spice
Olive oil
Fresh garlic- 1 clove

Method:

• Mix all spices together and olive oil, marinate the chicken, cover and keep in the fridge overnight.
• Place chicken in baking dish, place in the oven and let chicken cook until soft and tender.
• Let the chicken cool down and add mayonnaise and raisins.
• Chop lettuce, place in the wraps, add the chicken and fresh tomatoes, roll and serve.

Can be served with homemade coleslaw or a mixed leaf salad with a bit of olive oil and fresh croutons

Clive’s – Riz Colonial 

(His own signature dish and named after the restaurant that he was working in at the time)

Ingredients:
2 x 5oz Chicken Supreme (cut into strips)
2 x 3oz Sole Fillet (cut into strips)
2 oz. Curry Paste
1oz Sultanas
1 oz. onion (finely chopped)
1oz red peppers (diced)
2oz pine kernels (toasted)
1pt Double Cream or Crème Fraiche / Natural Yoghurt
Little Oil
1 oz Coriander
1oz Parsley
Basmati Rice (Pilaf)

Method:

• Pan fry chicken in the oil with curry paste
• Remove from pan and keep warn. Add the onions, peppers and kernels
• Add cream or Crème Fraiche and simmer gently. Do not boil
• Add the chicken and fish. Do not overcook the fish or chicken
• Add the Herbs Last
• Serve in a bowl with rice separately

Pilaf Rice

• Sweat a little chopped onion
• Add the rice and cover with vegetable or chicken stock. Cover with greased greaseproof paper
• Cook in oven until evaporated.