Big & Little Cooks – At Christmas
We really hope that you and your little ones enjoyed the class and got into the festive food spirit. Chef created the menu to be easy to make again at home.
You Cooked
- – Turkey and cranberry biriyani; Sweet potato momos
- – Festive mess
Sweet Potato momos Recipe (Vegetarian)
Ingredients: Makes 12
- -80g Roasted & mashed sweet potato
- -1 clove of garlic, crushed into a paste
- -50g diced paneer, fried until golden brown
- -1/2 tsp kiso curry powder
- -1 spring onion
- – a pinch of nutmeg
- – a pinch of cinnamon
- – 1 tbsp of crispy-fried onions
- -1/2 tsp ginger paste
- – 12 gyoza wrappers
For cooking
- – 4 teaspoons sesame oil
- – 120ml cold water
For the dipping sauce
- -1/2 green apple, grated
- -1/2 red onion, diced
- -1/2 red chilli, sliced
- -1TBSP mango chutney
- 1TBSp chopped coriander
- -Juice of 1/2 lime
- -1TBSP dried cranberries
- Salt to taste
Method:
To make the sweet potato puree/mash – simply roast the whole sweet potatoes in their skins until super soft. Then when cooled, remove the skin. Can be done a day in advance.
- Remove the green tips from the spring onion and save back for garnish. Slice the remaining spring onion as small as possible and add to a bowl along with the rest of the ingredients.
- Mix to combine, and season to taste.
- Fill a small cup with cold water.
Place a gyoza wrapper on a flat dry surface and put a heaped teaspoon of the sweet potato mixture in the centre (see picture above).
Dip one finger in the cold water and run it around the rim of the gyoza wrapper. - Fold the wrapper over to enclose the filling. Pinch the wrapper in the centre at the top to seal that spot.
- Holding the filled wrapper in your left hand (or right one if you are left-handed), pleat the top of the wrapper (see pictures above). Set aside on the lined tray keeping the edge up. Repeat with the rest of the gyoza dumplings.
- For the cooking part, use a large frying pan or skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Put the pan over a medium heat and add one teaspoon of sesame oil. When it is hot, place the gyoza in the pan with their edge up. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the bottom of the gyoza is golden.
- Add in 60ml of the cold water and cover immediately with the lid. Steam for about 2 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated.
- Uncover, let the water evaporate completely, then add one teaspoon of sesame oil. Cook until the gyoza is crispy in the bottom
The gyoza dumplings should be translucent and the filling should be firm. There will be no water left in the pan when they are ready. - Remove from the pan when completely crispy on the bottom and serve with the dipping sauce (mix the ingredients in a small bowl).
Dipping Sauce
- Squeeze the lime over the diced onion and grated apple.
- Add the chilli and mix well. This can be left to infuse if you have time, otherwise, add in the remaining ingredients and taste for seasoning.
- Serve as a chunky chutney, or blend quickly to create a saucy consistency.
Turkey & Cranberry Biryani
Ingredients – Serves 2:
- 150g Basmati Rice
- Juice of half a lime
- 170g cooked turkey or chicken – pick this from your Sunday roast- but try to stick to leg meat.
- If you fancy a veggie dish, substitute with cauliflower, paneer or chickpeas
- 1 Tablespoon of garlic & ginger paste
- ½ tsp chilli powder (optional)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala
- Small pot of natural or plain Greek yoghurt
- 20ml vegetable oil
- 2 mild chillies, whole
- 2cm piece fresh root ginger
- Handful of crispy ready-fried onions (shop-bought crispy shallots are gluten-free)
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- 15g butter
- 2 tbsp double cream
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- handful of dried cranberries, or raisins or both
Method:
- Turn oven to 180°C Fan.
- Rinse the rice 2-3 times and then let it soak for at least 30 minutes.
- Partly cook the rice – drain the rice and add to a pan of boiling water for 6 minutes. Take off the heat, drain and squeeze half a lime over the top.
In an oven proof saucepan, lightly fry the ginger paste.
Peel and cut the root ginger and the chillies into thin matchsticks and then combine them with the yogurt, turkey and spices. Add to the saucepan with the ginger paste. Mix well on a low heat.
In a small pan gently heat the butter and cream, stirring in the turmeric powder.
The yoghurt/ turkey mix will be gently bubbling, take off the heat and cover this with the rice, making sure it’s an even layer. Pour over the cream/ butter/turmeric mix and then the cranberries and if you like some extra crispy onions.
You need to seal with foil as best you can – use at least 2 layers and if you have a lid that fits, pop this on too.
Pop into the oven for about 15 minutes. Allow to rest for a couple of minutes then mix and serve immediately, ensuring each portion has a mix of the rice and turkey.
Festive pasties
Ingredients – Serves 4
For the pastry:
- 250g plain flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 150g unsalted butter or margarine, cut into small chunks
- 1 large egg
- About 1 tbsp cold whole milk
- (Optionally use shop-bought pastry)
For the filling:
- Leftover chicken or turkey
- 2x Baked sweet potato, skinned
- 1x shallot, diced
- 1x clove of garlic, crushed
- 1x stick of celery, diced
- 1tbsp of breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp of dried cranberries
For the decoration and topping:
- 1x egg, beaten
- Maldon seas salt, cracked black pepper
Method
For the pastry, place the plain flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add in the chunks of butter and using your fingertips, rub together the butter/margarine with the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre and add the egg and some of the milk to help bind. Incorporate the liquids into the dry ingredients until the dough begins to hold together. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and use your hands to work the pastry together until it just forms a smooth ball. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and flatten into a disc and chill for at least an hour.
For the filling: Place a non-stick frying pan on heat, add oil and sauté the onion, add garlic, celery and chicken and cook until the chicken is golden brown.
Mix with sweet potatoes, cranberries and breadcrumbs and set aside to cool down.
Line a baking tray with a sheet of baking parchment. Whisk the egg for the glaze and sealing in a bowl and have a pastry brush on hand as well.
Divide the pastry into 2 and on a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry until it reaches 3mm thickness, turning and flipping the pastry regularly so it doesn’t stick to the table. Using a 13cm cutter, cut out rounds of the pastry (you should get 4 or 5 if you are lucky), removing the excess and setting aside to reroll. Place a large spoonful of the filling onto one half of the pastry round, leaving around a half centimetre border around the edge.
Brush the edges of the pastry all the way round and fold over half of the pastry over the filling, pressing down firmly to seal. Using a fork, press down the pastry edges to seal and crimp. Place onto the baking tray, leaving some space between. Repeat using up the rest of the pastry and the rest of the filling. Place into the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up the pastry.
Preheat the oven to 190CºC. Brush the pasties with egg wash all over the surface and in between the crimped edges.
Bake the pasties for around 25 to 30 minutes until the pasties are a rich golden brown on top and the bases are nicely browned.
Honey-roasted parsnips and carrots
Ingredients – Serves 4
- 4 medium carrots
- 4 medium parsnips
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp runny honey
- A few sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme
- A pinch of salt.
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC.
- Peel the carrots and parsnips and chop the larger ones lengthways into halves/quarters so that all pieces are about 1-2cm wide.
- Put the carrots and parsnips into a baking tray, ensuring that they all have a bit of space.
- Mix the olive oil (2 tsp) and honey (2 tsp) in a cup and brush over the carrots and parsnips. Lay over the sprigs of rosemary and thyme and season with salt.
- Put into the oven and roast for 35-45 minutes (until they’re soft with a little bite). Give the tray a shake every now and again to help them cook evenly.
- Once they’re cooked, they’re ready to serve.
Hassleback potatoes
A fun side dish for beautifully tender was to serve potatoes, the slices soak up the herby flavours. Originating in Sweden and named after the restaurant where they were first made, Kids love them!
Ingredients: Serves 2
- New potatoes (you put as many in as you want to eat!)
- Salt
- Rosemary sprigs
- Cooking oil.
Method
- 1. Pre heat the oven to 180c
- 2. Put the potatoes on a desert spoon and carefully slice each one several times. The spoon should help you not cut through the potatoes!
- 3. Place on a baking try and cover with oil, salt, rosemary.
- 4. Cook for 45mins – 1 hour depending on the size of the potatoes
Festive Mess
Ingredients – Serves 6
- 600ml double cream
- 400g Greek yoghurt
- 4 tbsp lemon curd
- 1 x 500g bag frozen mixed berries (we used Sainsbury’s Black Forest fruits)
- Fresh berries of your preference
- 4 tbsp icing sugar
- 2 tbsp cassis (optional)
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 8 meringue nests
Method
In a small saucepan gently heat the frozen berries, icing sugar and cinnamon until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat, stir in the cassis, if using, and set aside to cool completely.
Whip the double cream and Greek yogurt until just holding its shape, ripple through the lemon curd. Break the meringue nests into a glass bowl, or 8 individual glasses. Spoon over half the cream, then half the berries. Repeat with the remaining cream and berries. Top with some fresh berries and serve immediately.
We hope you enjoyed the class!
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