Recipe - Squash Risotto

This recipe serves 2

Ingredients:

250g Butternut Squash (I used prepared squash to save time) cut into chunks.

2 tbsp Rapeseed Oil

15g Butter

650ml Chicken Stock (you could use vegetable stock)

1 Finely Chopped Onion

5ml Garlic Puree

5ml Dried Thyme

150g Risotto Rice

100ml White Wine

50g Parmesan Cheese

Method:

1. Preheat oven 200C/Gas Mark 6.
2. Mix the chunks of butternut squash with a tablespoon of oil and seasoning and spread evenly on a baking tray.
3. Roast in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of oil and the butter in a pan.  Gently fry the onion until softened.
5. Add the garlic and the thyme and cook for a further 1 minute.
6. Next add the rice and cook, gently, for another minute or so without it burning or drying out.
7. Add the wine and cook until absorbed by the rice.
8. Begin adding the stock, one ladle full at a time and continuously stirring.  the rice should absorb the liquid between each addition.
9. Keep doing this until all of the stock is used up and the rice is soft.
10. Gently stir in the roasted squash.
11. Serve sprinkled with the parmesan cheese.

Recipe - Fruit Muffins makes about 16

I often make fruit muffins with my classes and we have a few different recipes.  All use vegetable oil and a couple of recipes also use natural yogurt.  This is the recipe I often use at home which uses coconut oil.  My girls love to make these and it’s a good way to get some more fruit into their diet.  You can use any fruit or even substitute fruit for chocolate chips if you’re feeling generous.

Ingredients:

2 Eggs

125g Coconut Oil

250ml Semi-Skimmed Milk

200g Caster Sugar

400g Self Raising Flour

100g Fruit (I used strawberries and grapes chopped into small pieces)

Zest of half an orange

Method:

1.  Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas Mark 6.
2. Soften the coconut oil.  Melt in the microwave until soft but not hot.
3. Whisk the eggs then mix well with the milk and coconut oil.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and orange zest.
5. Add in the egg, milk and oil mixture.
6. Mix gently until the ingredients are combined (don’t over mix) the stir in the fruit.
7. Fill muffin cases about two-thirds of the way and bake for about 20 minutes until well risen and golden brown.

 

I adapted this recipe from the BBC Good Food Website.  I served it as a side dish with a baked fillet of salmon.

Sweet Potato Tex Mex Style      

Serves 1

Ingredients

150g Sweet Potato

7.5ml Coconut Oil

¼ teaspoon Smoked Paprika

100g Chilli Beans in a Chilli Sauce

50g Sweetcorn (from a can)

¼ Bell Pepper

¼ Red Onion

½ Avocado

Small handful of Coriander

Lime Wedge

Method

Preheat the oven to 200˚C/Gas Mark 6.

Peel and chop the sweet potato into even sized chunks.

Mix the sweet potato chunks with the coconut oil and the smoked paprika and spread evenly on a baking tray.

Roast in the oven for about 15 – 20 minutes until tender.

Dice the onion and pepper.  Add to a mixing bowl with the sweetcorn.

Chop the avocado into chunk and add to the bowl.

Roughly chop the coriander, add to the bowl with a good squeeze of the lime.

Heat the chilli beans in the microwave or on the hob until heated through.  Add the bowl with the roasted sweet potato and mix well.

Season, serve and enjoy!