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That Batch Cooking Debie - 9 April 2025

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Smoky Pork Bacon And Bean Hot Pot

Ingredients:-

750g lean diced pork

½ pound lean bacon medallions

2x green bell peppers

4x medium carrots

1x large brown onion

3x sticks of celery

2x tins chopped tomatoes

1x cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)

1x ltr of boiling ham/chicken/vegetable stock

5x cloves garlic

1x tbsp smoked paprika

â…“ of a tube of tomato puree

Salt and pepper to taste

A large saucepan

Method:-

Slice the peppers, onions, celery and carrots into bite size pieces…add to the pot

Slice the bacon into strips…add to the pot

Next add the diced pork, garlic, paprika, tinned tomatoes and tomato puree and stir.

Pour on the stock stir again.

Place the pot on the hob, bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 1 hour stir occasionally.

Lastly pour in the cannellini beans, stir and simmer for another 40 minutes.

Serving suggestions:-

1:- in a bowl with some buttered/garlic crusty bread

2:- as a jacket potato topping

3:- served in a giant Yorkshire pudding topped with cheese

Slow Cooked Campfire Stew

Ingredients:-

4 Chicken Breasts

1 large brown onion

5 cloves of chopped garlic

2 tins of baked beans

2 tins chopped tomatoes

1 tsp chilli powder (optional)

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 tbsp smoked paprika

â…“ tube of tomato puree

200 ml of boiling stock ( vegetable chicken or ham)

Method:-

Preheat the slow cooker on high for 10 minutes

Place chicken breasts in the middle of the slow cooker

Pour in the the tins of tomatoes and beans

Chop the peppers into chunks or slices add to the pot

Slice the onion add to the pot

Next add the garlic paprika tomato puree and chili powder

Give everything a good stir

Cover the pot and cook for 3.5 hours on high or 5.5 hours on low

Stir in the boiling stock and cook for a further 30 minutes

Serving suggestions

1:-in a bowl topped with cheese and low fat sour cream

2:- with cheesy mash and corn on the cob (a firm family favourite)

3:-with rice and tender stem broccoli

Michelle Evans-Fecci - 2 April 2025

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Beetroot & Carrot tarts

Ingredients

1 sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry

8 carrots

Little olive oil

4 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

100g cooked beetroot

200g cream cheese

Fresh thyme and rosemary

Salt and pepper

Method

1.) Preheat the oven to 180 fan.

2.) Lightly scrub the carrots, place whole in a baking dish along with the olive oil, maple syrup and balsamic vinegar and toss well. Roast for 30-40 minutes until the carrots are tender. Leave to cool. One cooled, cut the carrots in half lengthways.

3.) Preheat the oven to 200 fan. Roll out the chilled pastry onto a sheet and cut into 6 rectangles. Score a border around the edge of the pastry 1 inch in, being careful not to cut all the way through.

4.) Prick the centre base with a fork and bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden.

5.) Blitz the cooked beetroot in a food processor and mix well with the soft cheese in a bowl. Spread the beetroot cream cheese over the base of the pastries and lay the carrots on top. Scatter with a little chopped rosemary, thyme and season well. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

Carrot-top pesto

Ingredients

120g carrot tops

30g basil

50g mix of pine nuts & pumpkin seeds

60g Parmesan, grated

2 garlic cloves

2 tbsp lemon juice

80ml olive oil (plus extra for jar)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1.) For the pesto, remove the tough stalks and stems from the carrot tops, rinse well and drain, then use a paper towel to remove excess moisture.

2.) Place the carrot tops, basil, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, grate parmesan and garlic in a food processor and blitz, adding the lemon juice and 80ml of the oil little by little. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste.

3.) Add the pesto to a clean sterilised jar and top with a layer of olive oil. Keeps well in the fridge for a week, or pop into ice cube trays and freeze.

Nerys Howell - 26th March

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Sesame and soy salmon with spring greens

Serves 2

Ingredients
2 x 125g salmon fillets, skin on

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp lime or lemon juice

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tbsp rapeseed oil

½ leek -washed and sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed
4cm piece fresh ginger, grated
120g seasonal greens such as spring cabbage, kale, spinach, cavolo nero -washed and sliced

2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

Method

Mix together the soy sauce, honey and lime juice for the marinade. Put the salmon in an oven proof dish and pour over the marinade turning the fish so that it is completely covered.

Leave to marinade for at least 20 minutes then sprinkle with sesame seeds and cook for 10 minutes in a preheated oven at 180°C/Gas 4.

For the vegetables -heat the rape seed oil in a wok over a high heat and add the leeks, garlic and ginger and cook for a few minutes. Then add the cabbage and kale and stir fry for a further 2 minutes. Finally add the spinach leave and leave to wilt before adding the soy sauce and sesame oil.

Serve the salmon on top of the green vegetables.

Zesty lemon pudding

Sometimes called a surprise pudding because as it cooks it separates into a light sponge on top with a zesty lemon curd underneath.

Ingredients

3 large eggs

75g softened unsalted butter

175g golden caster sugar

75g self raising flour

grated zest and juice of 3 lemons

200ml milk

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/Gas mark 4 and grease a deep 1.75 litre baking dish.

Separate the eggs and put the egg whites in a separate bowl. Zest and juice the lemons.

Mix the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until pale and beat in the egg yolks a little at a time.

Sift the flour and lightly fold into the mixture alternating with the lemon juice, zest and milk.

Whisk the egg whites to a soft peak stage and lightly fold these into the mixture.

Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for between 45-50 minutes until the surface is golden brown.

The pudding is best eaten hot with single cream but is also good cold.

Hami Sharafi - 19 March 2025

Kookoo Sabzi (Persian Herb Frittata) – A Taste of Nowruz

Kookoo Sabzi is a vibrant Persian herb frittata, rich in greens, symbolising renewal and nature’s rebirth—perfect for Nowruz, the Persian New Year. It pairs beautifully with Sabzi Polo ba Mahi (herbed rice with fish), another traditional Nowruz dish, as both celebrate spring’s arrival with fresh, aromatic herbs. Serve with Aab-e Narenj (bitter orange juice), lemon juice, or khiaar shoor (pickled cucumbers) for a true taste of Persian culture.

Time:

Prep: 10 min (plus 2 hrs if using fresh herbs) | Cook: 30 min | Total: 40 min

Ingredients (Serves 4)

Herbs:

- 400g frozen kookoo sabzi mix or

- 80g fresh chives, 80g parsley, 80g dill, 80g coriander (all finely chopped)

- 80g lettuce, chopped into larger chunks (for crunch)

- 40g fresh fenugreek (or 3 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves)

Other Ingredients:

- 6 medium eggs (3–4 if using frozen herbs)

- 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped

- 6 tbsp vegetable oil

- 2 tbsp butter or ghee (optional)

- 3 tsp turmeric, 3 tsp plain flour, 2 tsp black pepper, 1½ tsp salt

Optional for Serving:

- Your favourite sandwich bread or rice

- Aab-e narenj (bitter orange juice) or lemon juice

- Khiaar shoor (pickled cucumbers)

Method

1. Prepare the herbs

• If using frozen herbs, defrost for 2 hours.

• If using fresh herbs, wash, dry completely, and finely chop. Chop the lettuce into larger chunks to keep its crunch.

2. Mix the ingredients

• In a bowl, whisk eggs, then add herbs, lettuce, garlic, turmeric, flour, salt, and pepper. Stir well.

3. Cook the Kookoo Sabzi

• Heat 3 tbsp oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Pour in the mixture, spread evenly, cover, and cook on low heat for 15 min.

• Remove lid, cut into quarters, flip each piece, and cook uncovered for 15 min. Drizzle with butter or ghee if desired.

4. Serve & Enjoy

• Enjoy warm with pickled cucumbers or in a sandwich.

• Drizzle with bitter orange juice or lemon juice for a fresh, zesty flavour.

Khoresh-e Fesenjan (Pomegranate & Walnut Stew with Chicken)

Khoresh-e Fesenjan is a deeply flavourful Persian stew made with slow-simmered walnuts, tangy pomegranate molasses, and tender chicken. The result? A rich, velvety sauce that perfectly balances sweet and sour notes.
This dish is a beloved classic in Persian cuisine, often served at festive gatherings and special occasions. If you're new to Persian food, this is the perfect place to start—many of my non-Iranian friends say they've never tasted anything like it before, and they love it!
Fesenjan is traditionally made with chicken, duck, or lamb, but this version uses chicken for its classic flavour and convenience. You can also adjust the sweetness and tartness to suit your taste.

Time:

Prep: 20 min | Cook: 1h 45 min | Total: 2h

Ingredients (Serves 4)

Main Ingredients:

- 4 chicken legs or 1kg / 2.2 lbs chicken thighs (skin removed)

- 250g / 2 cups walnuts (plus extra for garnish)

- 3 to 5 tbsp pomegranate molasses (adjust to taste)

- 1 large onion (or 2 small ones), finely chopped

- 3 tbsp vegetable oil

- 2 tbsp organic walnut oil

- 1 tsp turmeric

- ½ tsp black pepper

- Salt to taste

- Grape syrup or sugar (to balance sweetness)

- Pomegranate seeds (optional, for garnish)

Method

1. Prep the Walnuts & Onions

• Grind the walnuts in a food processor or blender until finely ground.

• Finely chop the onions.

• Cut a few walnuts into halves for garnish.

2. Toast the Walnuts

• To enhance the flavour, toast the ground walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly until fragrant. This step deepens their nutty aroma.

3. Sear the Chicken

• Remove the skin from the chicken using a paper towel for better grip.

• Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat.

• Add the chicken and sear on all sides until golden brown (about 5 minutes per side).

• Remove from the pan and set aside.

4. Build the Stew

• In the same pan, gently caramelize the onions over low-medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Add turmeric, black pepper, toasted ground walnuts, walnut oil, and 2 cups (470ml) of freshly boiled water. Season with salt.

• Stir well, then submerge the chicken in the sauce.

• Cover and simmer on low-medium heat for 30 minutes.

Tip: Toasting walnuts reduces their natural oils. Adding walnut oil restores richness and enhances the nutty essence of the stew.

5. Add Pomegranate Molasses & Adjust Flavours

• Remove the chicken from the stew to make stirring easier.

• Stir in 5 tbsp of pomegranate molasses (start here and adjust later).

• Return the chicken to the stew and let it simmer for another 30 minutes.

6. Balance Sweetness & Final Touches

• Toast the walnut halves in a dry pan for a few minutes until aromatic.

• Gradually add grape syrup or sugar, tasting as you go, until the sweet-sour balance is perfect for you.

• For a festive touch, garnish with pomegranate seeds.

7. Serve & Enjoy

• Serve Fesenjan with steaming saffron rice (Chelo) for a truly authentic Persian meal.

• Enjoy the rich, velvety flavours of this Persian classic!

Chef Krish of Keralan Karavan - 12 March 2025

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“Doolally” Kheema Masala

A unique dish originating from a place in central India called Deolali, Nashik also infamously popular for the term “Doolally Tap”

Prep Time 20-25 minutes

Cooking Time 1.5-2 hours

Serves 4-5 people

Ingredients

1. Lamb Mince - 1 kg

2. Green chillies 3-4.

3. Garlic 7-8 cloves

4. Ginger 1-2 pieces

5. Fresh Coriander leaves a handful

6. Salt to taste

7. Turmeric powder 1 tsp

8. Yogurt ½ cup (thoroughly whisked)

9. Oil 3 tbsp

10. Onions 2 medium size (chopped)

For Garam masala powder

Ingredients

Coriander Seeds 2 tbsp

White sesame seeds 1.5 tbsp

Spicy red chillies 2-3

Cloves 3-4

Black peppercorns 8-10

Star anise 1

Bay leaf 2

Cinnamon stick 1 inch

Mace 1

For the Deolali Masala paste

Ingredients:

• Onions 7-8 medium size (washed & wiped)

• Dry desiccated coconut 100 grams

• Green chillies 8-10

• Garlic 15-20 cloves

• Ginger 2-3 inch

• A handful of fresh coriander

• Freshly made garam masala 2 tbsp

• Water 50 ml

• Oil 2-3 tbsp

• Very spicy red chilli powder 2-3 tbsp

Marination of the Mince

Method:

- Add all the ingredients for marination listed 1-5 in a grinding jar & grind to fine paste, add a little water if required. Add the paste to the mince and the ingredients listed 6-8 mix well and marinate

- Refrigerate while marinating for a minimum of one hour, you can also marinate it overnight for the best results.

Step 2

Cooking of the Mince

Method :

- After the marination , In a large pot or pan with a lid add the oil heat nicely & add onions, cook the onions until they turn light golden brown in colour. Now add the marinated Lamb mince & stir well for a minute, cook on high flame for another 10 minutes.

- Further lower the flame & cover the vessel with a lid, doing this process will develop steam in the vessel & the mince will cook faster & it’ll be tender. Cook the mince for a minimum of 60-90 minutes, the cooking time may vary depending on the quality of the mince. Make sure to cook the mince until they are almost done & not completely cooked, by the time mince is been cooked you can make other components.

Step 3

Garam Masala Powder

Method :

- Lightly toast all the spices on low flame until fragrant, switch off the flame & cool down the spices to room temperature, transfer the spices in a grinding jar, along with a large pinch of salt & grind into a fine powder, adding salt helps to maintain the powder texture.

- Special garam masala is ready, kept aside to be used later in making Mince.

Step 4

For the Deolali Masala paste

Method :

- Trim off the head of the onion & make slits, char the onions, green chillies and garlic on direct open flame on a gas hob until they are dark or black in colour. Turn & char them from all sides.

Similarly brown the desiccated coconut on a pan to a dark brown colour.

- If you can't use an open flame use an oven for the same effect

- Now roughly cut the charred onions, garlic & green chillies & transfer in a grinding jar, if you want

you can remove a few charred bits, but I would suggest you keep as it’ll give that distinct smoky

flavour.

- Along with these elements add ginger, a handful of fresh coriander & the special garam masala, to the grinding jar, add little water & grind to a fine paste. Deolali masala paste is ready.

- Set an iron wok on medium heat, if you don’t have an iron wok you can use any wok, using an iron wok will give that intense dark colour to masala. If a wok is not available use a large pot, add oil & very spicy red chilli powder. You can adjust the amount of red chilli powder as per your palate.

- Further add the prepared Deolali masala paste & cook on medium flame while stirring in regular intervals. Cook until the oil has separated from the masala. This process of cooking may take around 30 minutes.

- The masala will leave the sides of the wok/kadhai & will darken more in colour. Cook nicely until the masala is closely black in colour & then switch off the flame.

- As it has been around 75 minutes the Mince is been cooking, make sure the mince should is somewhere about 90% cooked.

- Now add this cooked Mince to the Deolali masala paste and cook completely Garnish with fresh chopped coriander. Ready to Serve

- Best enjoyed with some white Bread, Naan, or Paratha.

Kolkata Style Egg Roll

This quick and easy roll is a crowd favourite for a quick lunch or snack from the streets of Kolkatta

Prep Time 15-20 minutes

Cooking Time 15-20 minutes

Serves 4-5 people

Ingredients

To make the Paratha

• All Purpose Refined Flour - 2 cups

• Sugar 1 tbsp

• Salt ½ tsp

• Ghee 1 tbsp

• Warm water as required

• Eggs 2 (for one roll)

• Salt to taste

For the Salad

Ingredients:

• Egg on parotta

• Green chillies (chopped)

• Black pepper powder

• Chaat masala

• Red chilli sauce

• Ketchup

• Lemon juice

• Onions 3 medium sized (sliced)

• Cucumber 2 (deseeded & julienned)

• Lemon juice 1 tsp

• Ketchup and Hot Chilli Sauce 1 tsp

Step 1

To make the Paratha

Method

- In a mixing bowl, add maida, sugar, salt and ghee, lightly mix until it's combined well.

- Further add warm water gradually and knead to make a soft dough, once it's almost formed like a dough, transfer over the platform and start to knead well by pulling & stretching it well, we have to knead the dough well for at least 4-5 minutes or until the dough is soft and stretchy.

- Tuck it inwards and shape to make a smooth surface dough, apply oil over the dough surface, cover and rest for at least 30 minutes.

- After the rest, divide the dough balls in equal size dough balls. As the dough is ready to be shaped, you can shape the parotta by using a rolling pin, roll to make a round chapati, evenly brush oil/ghee and sprinkle some dry flour

Make a slit from the centre like we cut a cake, further start to roll sideways in circular motion to make like a cone, then press to make a thick disc, further coat with dry flour and roll to make a little thick size paratha.

- Set a pan or an iron tawa on medium high heat, add oil, place the parotta and cook from both the sides, by the time on side, break two eggs and add in a bowl, along with salt, whisk well and pour the whisked egg over the paratha, flip and cook until the egg is cooked and the parotta is golden

brown in colour. Your Egg Paratha is ready to assemble.

Step 2

To make the Salad

• To make salad, add onions, cucumber & lemon juice, mix well and rest for at least 15-20 minutes.

• As the components are ready, we can make the rolls.

Step 3

To Assemble The Egg Roll

Method:

• Place the egg parotta, top it with the prepared salad and all the rest of the other ingredients mentioned in the salad ingredient list , roll it and you're good to go, you can tweak the addition of ingredients as per your palate.

• Your Kolkata style egg roll is ready, served hot.

Add your own filling inside to make some fun twists to the Kolkata Egg Roll. If you have tried making the Doolally Keema, this is the best filling ever with this Egg roll

Salad:

• Onions 3 medium sized (sliced)

• Cucumber 2 (deseeded & julienned)

• Lemon juice 1 tsp

• Ketchup and Hot Chilli Sauce 1 tsp

Method:

• In a mixing bowl, add maida, sugar, salt and ghee, lightly mix until its combined well.

• Further add warm water gradually and knead to make a soft dough, once its almost formed like a dough, transfer over the platform and start to knead well by pulling & stretching it well, we have to knead the dough well for at least 4-5 minutes or until the dough is soft and stretchy.

• Tuck it inwards and shape to make a smooth surface dough, apply oil over the dough surface, cover and rest for at least 30 minutes.

• After the rest, divide the dough balls in equal size dough balls. As the dough is ready to be shaped, you can shape the parotta in 2 ways. One is to take a dough ball and flatten with your hands, and further use a rolling pin, roll to make a chapati, evenly brush oil/ghee and sprinkle some dry flour, make a slit from the centre like we cut a cake, further start to roll sidewards in circular motion to make like a cone, then press to make a thick disc, further coat with dry flour and roll to make a little thick size paratha.

• Other way to make parotta is, take a dough ball flatten with hands, and further use a rolling pin, roll to make a chapati, evenly brush oil/ghee and sprinkle some dry flour, fold the chapati while making the pleats, roll the dough and tuck inwards to seal properly, apply oil over the rolled dough balls, cover and rest it for 10 minutes, after the rest press to make a thick disc, further roll to make a little thick size paratha. Your parotta is ready to be cooked.

• Set a tawa on medium high heat, add oil, place the parotta and cook from both the sides, by the time on side, break two eggs and add in a bowl, along with salt, whisk well and pour the whisked egg over the paratha, flip and cook until the egg is cooked and the parotta is golden brown in colour. Your egg parotta is ready.

• To make salad, add onions, cucumber & lemon juice, mix well and rest for at least 15-20 minutes.

• As the components are ready, we can make the rolls.

Assembly:

Ingredients:

• Egg parotta

• Salad

• Green chillies (chopped)

• Black pepper powder

• Chaat masala

• Red chilli sauce

• Ketchup

• Lemon juice

Method:

• Place the egg parotta, top it with the prepared salad and other ingredients, roll it and you’re good to go, you can tweak the addition of ingredients as per your palate.

• Your Kolkata style egg roll is ready, serve hot.

Benjamin Conde - 5 March 2025

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RASPBERRY AND ALMOND TART:

Ingredients:

For the tart shell:

• 100g Butter
• 60g Icing Sugar
• 20g Hazelnut Powder
• 2g Salt
• 1 Whole Egg
• 160g Bread Flour­
• 50g Potato Starch or Cornstarch
• 40g Light brown Sugar
• 20g Dark Brown Sugar
• 20g Coconut Sugar

For the financier layer:

• 36g TPT Ground almond and icing sugar (50/50 icing sugar blended with ground almonds for 20 seconds)
• 4g Icing Sugar
• 40g Caster Sugar
• 20g Bread Flour or Plain Flour
• 54g Fresh Egg White
• 50g Browned Butter

For the compote:

• 200g Raspberry Puree or fresh raspberries.
• 20g Water
• 30g Caster Sugar
• 10g Lemon Juice
• 2g Pectin

Method:

For the tart shell:

• Cream butter and icing sugar with hazelnuts and salt.
• Add eggs, beat.
• Add flour and starch until paste forms.
• Mix brown sugar, muscovado and coconut sugar and dust the dough. Cut in disc, line a tart case and fill it with baking beans. Bake in a tart case at 160c for 15 minutes.
• Remove the paper and baking beans and return to oven for 4-5 minutes.

For the financier layer:

• Mix tpt, icing sugar, caster sugar, salt and flour.
• Add warmed browned butter.
• Finally add fresh egg white.
• Pipe a 5-8 mm layer of financier batter inside the blind baked tart shell and return to oven for a further 8 minutes.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool.

For the compote:

• Combine all ingredients apart from the pectin in a small saucepan.
• Heat until warm and then add pectin while whisking.
• Bring to the boil and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
• Remove and cool.

Assembly:

• Add the compote once cool and garnish with fresh raspberries and thyme leaves.

MISO APPLE TART:

Ingredients:

For the tart shell:

• 100g Butter
• 60g Icing Sugar
• 20g Hazelnut Powder
• 2g Salt
• 1 Whole Egg
• 160g Bread Flour­
• 50g Potato Starch or Cornstarch
• 40g Light brown Sugar
• 20g Dark Brown Sugar
• 20g Coconut Sugar

For the apple miso jam:

• 414g Royal Gala Apple
• 24g Unsalted Butter
• 36g Soft Brown Sugar
• 1 Vanilla Pods
• 1 Star Anise
• 1g Orange Peel
• 30g Pale ale (any kind)
• 60g White Miso

For the crumble:

• 100g Bread Flour
• 100g Unsalted Butter
• 100g Demerara Sugar
• 50g Oats
• 50g Caster Sugar

Method:

For the tart shell:

• Cream butter and icing sugar with hazelnuts and salt.
• Add eggs, beat.
• Add flour and starch until paste forms.
• Mix brown sugar, muscovado and coconut sugar and dust the dough. Cut in disc, line a tart case and fill it with baking beans. Bake in a tart case at 160c for 15 minutes.
• Remove the paper and baking beans and return to oven for 4-5 minutes.

For the apple miso jam:

• Cube apples.
• Add all ingredients apart from miso.
• Bake at 140c for 30mins stirring every 10 min.
• When cooked add miso and blend until smooth.

For the crumble:

• Blend/cream butter and flour until sandy.
• Add rest and mix with paddle/spatula until small clumps form.
• Bake on sheet at 180c for 10-15 minutes until crunchy, stirring halfway through.
• Allow to cool.

Assembly:

• Take the baked tart shell and add 1cm layer of the apple miso jam.
• Add cubes of freshly diced granny smith apples (you can also add raspberries according to preference) and press down.
• Sprinkle the crumble on top to cover the apples and dust with icing sugar to finish.

Denise Carbone - 26 February 2025

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California Welsh Cakes

Ingredients:

450g Plain Flour

20g Baking Powder

8g Salt

100g Whipped Butter

20g Canola Oil

26g Applesauce

120g Milk

Add 56g currants if you want fruit Welshcakes

Method:

1. Place the sifted flour in a bowl
2. Add the baking powder and salt
3. Then add the sugar
4. Add whipped butter, canola oil and the applesauce and mix together thoroughly
5. If you want fruit Welsh cakes add the currants at this point.
6. Bind the ingredients together with 120g of milk – a little at a time until the mixture is sufficiently moist to make the dough.
7. Roll out the mixture and cut into Welsh Cake size circles
8. Cook on a griddle until golden. If you have a double griddle it takes approximately 5 minutes

Michelle Evans-Fecci - 19 February 2025

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Coconut Curried Chicken

Ingredients:

Little coconut oil

4 chicken breasts, diced

1 large onion

4 garlic cloves, crushed

Fresh ginger (thumb size)

1 red pepper, sliced

4tbsp curry powder (medium)

1tsp turmeric

Tin coconut milk + half a can of water

Squirt of tomato purée

Salt + pepper

Large pinch of chilli flakes

Method:

1. Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan and add the chicken and onions and fry until chicken is lightly golden and onions are softened. Add the garlic and ginger and continue to cook for a further few minutes
2. Add the sliced peppers, curry powder and turmeric. Pour in the coconut milk and add a little water to the tin to swill and pour into pan. Simmer for 15 minutes then season to taste and add a pinch of chilli flakes.
3. Serve with rice and a naan bread.

Rhubarb & Custard Puff Pockets

Ingredients:

1 sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry

2 long sticks of rhubarb (approx 220g)

50g caster sugar

½ tsp vanilla bean paste

For the custard

150ml whole milk

½ tsp vanilla bean paste

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp caster sugar

1¼ tsp cornflour

1 egg

½ tbsp granulated sugar, to sprinkle

Icing sugar, to dust

Method:

1. For the rhubarb, chop the rhubarb into small batons and place in a saucepan along with the sugar and vanilla. Heat on medium heat for about 5 minutes until rhubarb is soft but still holding its shape. Leave to cool.
2. For the custard, pour the milk and vanilla into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Leave to cool slightly.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg yolk, sugar and cornflour together, then add the milk and whisk well. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat on medium until very thick, making sure the mixture doesn't catch and burn on the bottom of the pan.
4. Pour the custard into a bowl, covering the surface with cling film to stop a skin forming.
5. To make the fluff pockets, unroll the ready-rolled pastry and cut into eight equal rectangles, and stamp out shapes in four of them (I used a heart-shaped cutter for mine), or feel free to leave them plain.
6. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and lift the four plain bases carefully onto it. Spread a quarter of the custard in the centre of a pastry, leaving a border around the edge, then top the custard with a quarter of the rhubarb.
7. Beat the egg and lightly egg wash the border, then lift the top piece on top. Seal the edges with a fork or crimp using your thumb and fingers. Continue with the remaining pastries, then brush the tops with a little more beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed up and golden brown and dust with a little icing sugar.

Becky Excell's Budget Gluten Free recipes - 12th February 2025

Keema Curry

Here’s my version of aloo keema, a traditional Pakistani and north Indian dish, that I absolutely adore for its cost effectiveness and batch-cooking efficiency. Whether you cook it in a pot on the hob or in the slow cooker, you can expect the same mildly spicy, bold curried tomato sauce, potatoes that soak up all that flavour, and a mix of beef and lentils. The frozen peas and lentils essentially bulk out the beef, making it seem like far more than it is at a fraction of the price! However, if you’re not partial to lentils and don’t mind the extra cost of doing so, you could always use an extra 250g of minced beef instead of lentils. Serve with long-grain rice and/or naan bread (see page 44 for homemade).

Serves 6–8

Prep 10 mins

Hob 1 hour 10 mins or

Slow Cooker 6–7 hours

Key

• It’s gluten free, dairy free and lactose free
• To make it veggie and vegan: Swap the beef for 2 x 400g cans of drained chickpeas, and use veggie/vegan-friendly stock.

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil spray

150g frozen chopped onion or ½ large leek, finely chopped

500g minced beef

2 tsp garlic paste (optional)

2 tbsp ginger paste

20g jarred jalapeños, finely chopped

3 tbsp mild curry powder

2 tsp salt

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5cm cubes

2 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes

1 x 400g can of lentils, drained

2 tbsp tomato purée

150ml gluten-free beef stock

200g frozen peas

Method:

1. To cook on the hob, spray the base of a large pot that has a lid with oil and place over a medium heat. Once hot, add the onion or leek and fry until the onion is browned or the leek has softened.
2. Add the beef and, once it releases a little moisture, scrape anything stuck to the bottom of the pan until it’s deglazed. Once the beef has browned, add the garlic paste, if using, ginger paste, jalapeños, curry powder and salt. Stir well and fry until fragrant and there is no liquid left in the pan. Stir in the potatoes and fry for 2–3 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, lentils, tomato purée and stock, then stir well once more. Turn the heat down to low, cover and simmer for 45–50 minutes until nicely thickened. Stir in the peas and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until the peas are done.
4. To cook in a slow cooker, spray the base of a large frying pan with oil and place over a medium heat. Once hot, add the onion or leek and fry until the onion is browned or the leek has softened. Add the beef and fry until browned.
5. Meanwhile, add the remaining ingredients apart from the peas to the slow cooker and stir well. Once the beef has browned, add it along with the onion or leek to the slow cooker and stir in. Pop the lid on and cook on low for 6–7 hours or on high for 3½ hours, stirring in the peas 10 minutes before serving.

‘BLG’ Spaghetti

While you’re welcome to look at the photo and guess what BLG stands for, I can tell you already that it doesn’t stand for ‘Becky loves gluten’… it stands for bacon, lemon and garlic. I can’t actually tolerate garlic myself, but see the FODMAP notes for my little sneaky work around, and whichever way you make it, this creamy, cheesy meal is guaranteed to be on the table in 30 minutes and loved by everyone. This recipe is a great example of how a harmony of affordable ingredients can easily offset the additional cost of buying gluten-free pasta, and then some!

Serves 3

Prep 2 mins

Hob 20 mins

Key

• It’s gluten free
• To make it dairy free: Use dairy-free cheese and dairy-free cream cheese.
• To make it low lactose: Use lactose-free cream cheese.
• To make it low fodmap: Use 1 tbsp garlic-infused oil instead of garlic paste, use
• ½ a low FODMAP stock cube, swap the frozen broccoli for 225g fresh broccoli (heads only), use 225g green pepper instead of mixed colours and use lactose-free cream cheese.
• To make it veggie: Swap the bacon for 300g frozen mushrooms (fry until the water evaporates and the mushrooms soften) and use veggie/vegan-friendly stock.
• To make it vegan: Combine dairy-free and veggie advice.

Ingredients:

300g gluten-free dried spaghetti

Vegetable oil spray

10 rashers of smoked back bacon

250g frozen broccoli florets

250g frozen sliced red, green and yellow peppers

1 tbsp cornflour or potato starch

1 tsp garlic paste

1 tbsp dried mixed herbs

250ml gluten-free ham or vegetable stock (made with ½ stock cube)

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

3–4 tbsp cream cheese

Grated zest of 1 lemon and juice of ½

75g mature Cheddar, grated

Method:

1. Cook the spaghetti in a pan of boiling, salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain.
2. Meanwhile, spray the base of a large pan with oil and place over a high heat. Add the bacon and fry until crispy. Add the broccoli and mixed peppers and continue to fry until the peppers are softened. Add the cornflour or potato starch and stir in until it disappears, then stir in the garlic paste and mixed herbs.
3. Add the stock, salt and pepper and cream cheese. Turn down the heat to low–medium, stir briefly and simmer until slightly thickened.
4. Add the lemon zest and juice and the drained spaghetti, then stir until the spaghetti is well coated. Continue to simmer until the sauce has thickened and coats everything nicely. Serve sprinkled with the grated cheese.