Is anyone else struggling to find flour in the shops? In these strange times it seems everyone is using the time at home to cook more, which is great. I didn’t expect flour to be like gold dust as I thought it was toilet rolls everyone was panic buying. I have spent the last 9 weeks cooking every night which is great, but does anyone else feel like sometimes just doing something simple. Just like everyone else, I pop a pizza in the oven or open a can of baked beans to put on toast, so just to help everyone have a few easy days at home, here are a few easy and quick recipes for you to try.
Roasted Peppers
4 large red peppers
4 plum tomatoes
4 tbsp pesto
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp pine nuts
Black pepper
Cut the peppers in half, remove the pith and seeds, wash and dry with kitchen towel and place in a shallow dish. Place the tomatoes in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 30 seconds, remove tomatoes, peel and cut into quarters. Place two tomato quarters inside each pepper half. Mix together the pesto and olive oil and drizzle over the peppers. Scatter the pine nuts and black pepper over the peppers and bake in over 180º for 45 minutes.
Burritos With Corn and Beans
230g red kidney beans
340g sweetcorn
1 red and 1 green pepper
1 small chilli (optional)
2 cloves of garlic
3 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp oregano
2 tsp cumin
150ml vegetable stock
8 wheat tortillas
Salt and pepper
Rinse and drain kidney beans and sweetcorn. Finely cut the peppers and chilli and crush the garlic. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the peppers, garlic and chillies for 3-5 minutes. Stir in the beans and sweetcorn, oregano and cumin. Season and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Heat the tortillas in a dry frying pan for 30 seconds each side and serve rolled with the mixture inside.
Spicy Prawn Salad
1 small onion
2 sticks celery
5 small green chillies
2 tbsp sunflower oil
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp brown sugar
700g prawns
A few drops of Tabasco sauce
½ tsp dried thyme
Peel and chop the onions and celery. Remove the seeds from the chillies and finely chop. Heat the oil and fry the onion, celery and chillies for 5 minutes until soft and brown. Stir in the tomatoes, thyme and sugar. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened slightly. Peel the prawns and add to the sauce and gently cook for 5 minutes. Stir in Tabasco sauce and serve immediately.
Leek and Potato Soup
25g butter
2 medium leeks, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
350g potatoes chopped
600ml chicken stock
150ml single cream
Salt and pepper
Fresh chives or watercress for garnish
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the leeks and onion and cook gently without browning. Add the peeled and chopped potatoes with the stock and seasoning. Bring to boil and simmer very gently for 20-30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then sieve or puree in processor until smooth. Chill completely. To serve, stir in cream, sprinkle with chives or watercress.
Apple and Raisin Parcels
450g Granny Smith Apples
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp rum
50g sugar
¼ tsp vanilla essence
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
50g raisins
1 packet puff pastry
Peel, core and chop the apples and toss in the lemon juice to prevent discolouring. Place 2 tbsp of cold water, the rum, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla essence into a pan. Stir in apples and cook gently for 5 minutes. Stir in raisins and allow to cool. Roll out pastry and cut into squares. Place a spoonful of the apple mixture in the centre of the square and bring the corners up to the middle and pinch together. Cook in oven 200º for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.