Tasty Pizza

Good morning! Forget takeaway pizzas and encourage kids to cook their own pizzas with the following recipe!

Rainbow pizzas

Ingredients:

- 2 plain pizza base.

- 6 tbsp passata (tomato sauce).

- 400g mixed red and yellow tomatoes, sliced.

- 74g sprouting broccoli, stems finely sliced.

- 8 green olives, pitted and halved (optional).

- 150g mozzarella cherries (bocconcini).

- 2 tbsp fresh pesto.

- Hanful fresh basil leaves, to serve.

Method:

1- Heat the oven to 180C/160C. Put each pizza base on a baking sheet and spread each with half of the passata. Arrange the tomatoes on the top in rings or wedges of colour and add the broccoli and the olives, if using. Squish the mozzarella cherries (bocconcini) a little before dotting them over the pizzas, then drizzle 1 tbsp pesto over each. 

2- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top is bubbling and just starting to crown a little. Scatter over the basil leaves before serving. 

Enjoy it and see you in the next update!

Main dishes

Beef and dhal curry

by Norma MacMillan and Wendy James

Ingredients:

- 250g Lentis.

- 600ml Water.

- 2 Dried chillies.

- 700g Chuck steak.

- 2 Medium onions.

- 1 Garlic clove.

- 50g Vegetable margarine.

- 2 Cardamom pods.

- 2 Cloves.

- 2 inch Cinnamon stick.

- 1 tablespoon Curry powder.

- 1 tablespoon Tomato purée.

- Salt.

Method:

1- Put lentils into a pan with 400ml water and deseeded chillies. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

2- Meanwhile, cut meat into large cubes. Peel and finely chop onions; peel and crush garlic. Melt margarine in flameproof casserole, add onions and garlic and fry for 3 minutes.

3- Lightly crush cardamom pods and add to pan with other spices and curry powder. Fry gently, stirring, for 3 minutes.

4- Drain lentils, reserving the liquid. Discard the chillies.

5- Stir tomato purée and meat into casserole and fry till coated with spice mixture. Add cooking liquor from lentils. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for about 1h and 30 minutes till beef is tender.

6- Add lentils and remaining water and simmer, uncovered, for a further 15 minutes till lentils become mushy and absorb the liquid. Discard cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Add salt to taste, then serve with boiled rice.

Lamb kebabs with prunes

by Norma MacMillan and Wendy James

Ingredients:

- 12 Prunes.

- 150ml Red wine.

- 450g Lean lamb cut from the leg.

- 3 teaspoons Oil.

- Salt and pepper.

- 1/2 teaspoon Dry thyme.

- 2 Firm tomatoes.

- 1 Medium onion.

- 3 Thick rashers of streaky bacon.

Method:

1- Put the prunes into a saucepan, add the red wine and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to soak for 30 mins.

2- Cut lamb into 12 large cubes. Place in bowl with oil, seasoning and thyme. Cover and leave for 30 mins.

3- Meanwhile, quarter the tomatoes. Peel the onion and cut through the root into eight wedges. Derind bacon and cut each rasher into four. Preheat the grill.

4- Drain the prunes, reserving the wine. Make a slit in each prune and remove the stone. Thread the lamb, prunes, tomatoes, bacon and onion on to four skewers. Brush the kebabs with the lamb marinade and the wine from the prunes, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

5- Grill for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally, till the lamb is tender. Arrange on a warmed serving dish and serve with boiled rice.

Why don't you try to cook them? Stay tuned for more updates! 

Tasty Starters

Piquant herby tomatoes
by Norma MacMillan and Wendy James

Ingredients:

- 8 Medium tomatoes.

- 1 Onion.

- 25g Vegetable magarine.

- 100g Fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs.

- 2 tablespoons Chopped capers.

- 2 tablespoons Chopped mixed fresh herbs.

- 1 Garlic clove.

- 1 Egg.

- Salt and pepper.

- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.

Method:

1- Preheat the oven 200ºC. Cut a slice from the top of each tomato and scoop out the insides with a teaspoon. Arrange in an oiled ovenproof dish.

2- Peel and finely chop the onion. Fry in the margarine until softened, then mix in the breadcrumbs, capers, herbs, garlic, egg and seasoning. Use to stuff the tomatoes.

3- Pour the oil over the tomatoes. Bake for 15-20 minutes and serve hot.

Russian avocados

by Norma MacMillan and Wendy James

Ingredients:

- 5 tablespoons Vegetable oil.

- 2 tablespoons Wine vinegar.

- 1 Garlic clove.

- Salt and pepper.

- 1 Cooked potato.

- 3 Cooked carrots.

- 1 Cooked beetroot.

- 3 tablespoons Cooked peas.

- 280g Can of asparagus tips.

- 3 Avocados.

- 2 tablespoons Lemon juice.

- 6 tablespoons Plain yogurt.

- 2 Hard-boiled eggs.

Sauce:

1- To make the vinaigrette, put the oil, vinegar, peeled and crushed garlic, salt and pepper into a mixing bowl and beat with a fork until well blended.

Method:

1- Dice the potato, carrots and beetroot and put in a bowl with the peas and drained asparagus tips. Pour the vinaigrette over and leave to marinate for 30 minutes, stirring gently from time to time.

2- Cut the avocados in half lengthways. Remove stones and a little of the flesh. Chop flesh and mix in with other vegetables. Sprinkle avocado halves with lemon juice.

3- Fill avocado shells with vegetable mixture and top with yogurt. Chop hard-boiled eggs and sprinkle over yogurt.

Stay tuned for more updates and enjoy it!

Fresh and healthy

Good morning! The update of today presents two tasty and healthy salads, why don't you try to cook them?

Caprese salad

by Donna Hay

Ingredients:

- 2 large heirloom or vine-ripened tomatoes.

- 2 x 100g buffalo mozzarella.

- 1/2 cup (80g) black olives.

- 2 springs basil.

- 1/2 tablespoons olive oil.

- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, sea salt, cracked black pepper and crusty bread, to serve.

Method:

1- Place a saucepan of water over high heat and bring to the boild.

2- Place the tomatoes in the water for 30 seconds, remove and place in a bowl of ice water until cool.

3- Peel away tomato skins.

4- Arrange tomatoes, mozzarella, olives and basil on serving plates. Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper. Serve with crusty bread.

Roasted tomato and mozzarella salad

by Donna Hay

Ingredients:

- 2 heirloom tomatoes, halved.

- 4-8 large basil leaves.

- 2 x125g buffalo mozzarella, halved.

- 4 slices char-grilled sourdough bread.

- 2 tablespoons olive tapenade.

- 4 slices prosciutto.

- 40g rocket (arugula) leaves.

- Olive oil, for drizzling.

Method:

1- Preheat grill on high heat. 

2- Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

3- Scoop out the seeds and some of the soft flesh from the tomatoes and discard.

4- Place the tomatoes on the baking tray cut-side up. 

5- Line the tomatoes with basil leaves and top with mozzarella.

6- Grill for 3-4 minutes or until the mozzarella is golden.

7- To serve, spread char-grilled bread with tapenade and top with prosciutto and rocket. Place the tomatoes on the plates and drizzle with olive oil to serve.

Stay tuned for more updates!