Roast potatoes

Ingredients

Maris piper potatoes
Oil - I just use olive
Dried mixed herbs
Garlic fresh
Garlic powder
Fresh herbs eg rosemary

1. Peel potatoes then cut into small pieces. The smaller the potatoes the crisper they'll be. Your average sized potato can be cut into 8ths.

2. Place in large saucepan and fill with water. Bring to boil then boil for about 4-5mins until you can slide a fork through. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 220 degrees and pour some oil on a large flat baking tray. Put the tray in oven while it preheats.

3. Drain really well then transfer back to a dry saucepan. Put the lid on and shake really hard till the outside of the potatoes are fluffy.

4. Take the hot tray out of the oven. Carefully put the potatoes onto the tray. Spray with some more oil. Then add the seasonings - dried herbs, garlic powder and fresh herbs scattered on top.

5. Peel 4 or 5 cloves of garlic and scatter onto tray.

6. Put in oven for 40-50mins until golden and cripsy.

7. Place onto kitchen roll to drain excess oil.

Rakhee’s easy vege burgers

Two sweet potatoes microwaved until soft then peeled
Tin kidney beans
Half a red onion chopped
Half tin sweet corn
Half mug peas defrosted
Spices as desired eg cumin paprika chilli and salt and pepper
Dry breadcrumbs

Blitz together or mash sweet pot with half of the kidney beans
Stir in other ingredients apart from breadcrumbs
Spice and season to taste
Shape into patties
Dip in breadcrumbs
Oven

👍🏽

Tofu gyros with tzatziki

For the tzatziki:

• 1 cucumber

• 250g plain yoghurt

• 1 small clove garlic minced or grated

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar or use lemon juice

• 2 tbsp minced fresh dill

For the tofu:

• 1 block firm tofu

• 1 and 1/2 tbsp olive oil

• 4 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tsp mustard

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

• 1/2 tsp ground coriander

• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp dried oregano

To serve:

• 4 pita breads

• shredded lettuce

• cherry tomatoes 

• cooked oven chips
• chilli sauce

1. Grate the cucumber and place in a sieve. Sprinkle salt over and leave for as long as possible to drain and get as much liquid out of it as you can. 

2. Meanwhile, press the tofu. Wrap the tofu in kitchen roll and place a chopping board on top. Then place a weight on top - i usually fill the kettle and balance it on top, or you can use heavy tins etc. Leave to press for as long as possible.

3. Get a griddle pan or pre-heat the grill

4. Make the marinade for the tofu by mixing the olive oil, soy sauce, tomato paste, mustard and herbs/seasonings

5. Slice the tofu block lengthways to make it thinner. Then cut into 8 pieces. Dip the tofu in the marinade, leave for a while if you can. Then cook, turning regularly, till the tofu is golden/slightly charred.

6. Mix the yoghurt, garlic, salt, white wine vinegar/lemon juice and dill. Add the liquid-free cucumber and mix 

7. Toast the pita, add the tofu, some oven chips, lettuce, tomatoes and chilli sauce 

Veggie tacos

MAKES 8 TORTILLAS - SERVES 4

1 tsp oil
1 red onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
2x 400g tins black beans, drained
250ml vegetable stock

100g sweetcorn
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1 red onion, cut into thin wedges
200g butternut squash, diced
1 tbsp tomato puree
100g kale

1 avocado
1 lime
coriander leaves
2 tbsp half fat creme fraiche

To serve: 8 corn tortillas, 1/2 red onion finely chopped, lime wedges

Make the refried beans:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add onion and a splash of water and cook until the onion is soft. Add garlic and oregano.
2. Add the beans and lots of salt and pepper. Pour stock into the pan then mash the beans with potato masher or spoon until half are broken up.
3. Simmer over low heat and keep stirring until it's a thick bean sauce/puree.

For the filling:

4. Heat oil in a large non-stick pan. Add sweetcorn, red pepper, onion and butternut squash then cook over a HIGH heat. Try not to stir it! You want the veg to be charred slightly and al dente.
5. Stir in tomato puree and then add 200ml water. Add the kale on top and again, do not stir. Cover and simmer for 5-7 mins.
6. the kale should have softened by now - remove lid and stir all together.

For the avocado cream:

7. Blend or mash the avocado with the coriander and creme fraiche.

Serve: heat the tortillas in a pan, remove and add beans, filling then avocado cream. sprinkle with red onion and serve with lime

Quick and easy - quinoa and black bean chili

1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 red chilli
olive oil spray
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
200g quinoa, rinsed and drained
600ml vegetable stock
400g (1 tin) chopped tomatoes
400g (1 tin) black beans, rinsed and drained

to serve: coriander leaves, sour cream/avocado

Fry onion, garlic and red chilli in a large, lidded pan.

Add remaining ingredients.

Cover, bring to the boil then reduce to lowest heat. Leave for 30 mins. Come back, stir and serve with coriander, avocado and/or sour cream.

Sticky cauliflower sesame 'wings'

1 head cauliflower
65g plain flour
125ml milk
125g breadcrumbs
salt, pepper
garlic powder (optional)
chilli powder (optional)
Oil or frylight
1 tablespoon ginger
1 tablespoon lazy garlic (optional)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice vinegar/apple cider vinegar/red wine vinegar (or omit and add more water)
2 teaspoons cornflour
4 tablespoons soy sauce
water as needed
sesame seeds

to serve: brown rice, vegetables, spring onions


1. Peel cauliflower and cut into florets
2. Pre-heat oven to 225 degrees C
3. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper
4.. In a bowl whisk; flour, milk, salt, pepper, garlic and chilli powder
5. In a separate bowl or on a plate, put breadcrumbs
6. Dip each cauliflower into the batter, shake off excess, then dip into breadcrumbs and place onto baking tray. Repeat till all done (you may need to top up the breadcrumbs)
7. Place in oven for 20 mins.
8. In the meantime, add in to the oven any veggies you want to have with it - I usually use broccoli and asparagus. Cook for the same amount of time as the cauliflower.

9. Whilst the veg is cooking, cook your rice, then prepare the sauce in a non-stick pan.
10. Add oil, garlic and ginger to the pan, add soy sauce, vinegar, honey and stir
11. Add a generous amount of water
12. In a separate bowl, mix the cornflour with 2 tablespoon of water until it makes a thin paste. Add to the pan but keep stirring so it doesn't clog
13. Bring the pan to the boil and reduce until the sauce is thick and sticky. If needed add more honey and/or cornflour mix to thicken. If short on time use less water.

14. When the cauliflower is golden remove from oven but keep oven on. Put cauliflower into the sauce and coat. Transfer back to the baking tray and sprinkle sesame seeds. Put back in oven for 5 mins.

15. Slice spring onions

16. Remove all from the oven and plate the cauliflower on top of the rice, sprinkle spring onions on top

Protein pancakes (gluten-free)

40g oats
1 scoop protein powder (I use chocolate but you can omit this totally too)
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 banana
2 eggs
110g cottage cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Blend all ingredients in blender then use a soup ladle to spoon into a hot non-stick pan. Cook for 3-5 mins then flip.

Serve with greek yoghurt and fruit.

jayshree's Biryani

ingredients

2 tablespoons (30ml) oil
5ml. mustard seeds
5ml cumin seeds
1 cup finely chopped white onions
5ml ginger paste
5ml. garlic paste
salt to taste approximately 10/15 ml
10ml turmeric powder
7.5 ml. corriander and cumin powder
red chilli powder to taste
30 ml. plain greek yoghurt
1 mugful brocolli chopped into small florets
1 mugful cauliflower chopped into small florets
2 mugfuls peas frozen
1 can sweetcorn
10 fistfuls of biryani or basmati rice boiledut slightly undercooked
fried onions, corriander and roasted cashews for garnish


method

heat the oil . oil is ready if a couple of cumin seeds dropped crackle.
add the mustard seeds and when they start to cracke add the cumin seeds
once the seeds have stopped popping , add the white onions.
turn gas to low, and allow onions to go translucent and then start to redden
add the ginger paste followed by the garlic paste
simmer for 30 seconds and add the salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder and corriander/cumin powder
simmer until the spices are cooked and oil starts separating
add the yoghurt and mix
as soon as the yoghurt is mixed add the vegetables and allow to blend into spices
adjust the spice to taste spicier than a curry

layering of biryani

layer one inch of rice, two inches of vegetables and then another inch of rice.
 garnish with a thin lauer of ready fried onions,corriander and roasted cashews
cover with foil and bake for 20/30 minutes at 180 degrees prior to serving.

Rakhee's scones

Ingredients

350g self raising flour
1.25ml (1/4 teaspoon) salt
5ml. baking powder
85g butter cubed
45ml (3 tablespoons ) castor sugar
175ml milk
5ml vanilla extract

method

heat oven to 220 degrees
sieve flour, salt and baking powder
add butter and rub to resemble breadcrumbs
add sugar and stir
heat milk for 30 seconds in microwave and add vanilla extract
put baking sheet in oven
make a well ,add liquid and combine with a knife
tip the dough onto floured surface and fold 2/3 times
pat into a 4 cm deep round
use 5 cm cutter to cut scones - do not twist
brush with milk and place onto hot baking tray
bake for 10 minutes