MGS Activities Week 2022 – Recipes
We’ve had a fantastic week at the cookery school with 25 of the politest, most engaged boys we’ve ever seen, it has been a pleasure to teach them cooking skills as part of their annual activities week. We wanted to make sure the boys learnt to cook a dish everyday and we were thrilled to hear that many of them had gone home and cooked for their families each evening.
The boys were with us for five days and split into teams with the last day culminating in a creative and inventive competition using skills they had learnt all week.
- Day One:
- Japanese – Uramaki Sushi, Spiced Chicken with Black Stir-Fried Rice & Ginger Curry Sauce;
- Day Two:
- Indian – Spiced Paneer & Pea Curry with Vegetable Samosa’s, Chapatis and Sombharo;
- Day Three:
- Italian – Pasta Dough, Ricotta and Basil Tortellini, Herb Pesto and Beef Bolognese;
- Day Four:
- Thai – Pad Thai, Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce and Vegetable Spring Rolls;
- Day Five:
- Middle Eastern – Saffron Chicken, Khobz Flatbread, Mint Yoghurt, Moroccan Cherry Tomato Sauce and Chocolate Fondant;
Day One - Japanese
Uramaki Sushi
Ingredients – Serves 4:
- – 200g sushi rice uncooked (400g cooked, following cooking instructions)
- – 4 sheets of nori
- – Wasabi paste
- – Pickled ginger
- – Soy sauce
- – Japanese mayo
- – 1x avocado, sliced
- – 1x carrot, shredded
- – 1x cucumber, de-seeded, cut into long batons
- – Handful of coriander, chopped
Method:
- Cut the nori seaweed into halves, and then place half of the nori on the sushi mat shiny side down. As a golden rule, the shiny side of the nori seaweed should always be on the outside of the sushi.
- Place roughly 110g of sushi rice on the nori seaweed and spread across evenly. Flip the nori seaweed and sushi rice so that the nori seaweed is facing upward. Add a small portion of mayo, cucumber, or any other filling in a centre.
- Start rolling from the bottom, tucking the edge of the roll to fully enclose the filling. Lift the edge of the mat and continue to roll forward until the sushi is formed into a firm cylinder.
- Slightly wet the blade of a sharp knife and slice the roll into 6 pieces. First, slice it into halves and then the halves into thirds. Clean the knife with a wet towel between cuts to prevent the rice from sticking to the knife.
- Serve with soy sauce. Feel free to garnish with other foods such as white / black sesame seeds, tobiko, chives, etc.
How to cook sushi rice
- Use good quality Japanese rice
- 1 sushi roll needs about 100g of uncooked rice
- You can soak sushi rice before rinsing for 20 minutes for more tender grains
- Rinse at least 4 times under running cold water, until it runs clear
- Rice to water ratio: 1:2…Precisely 250g of rice: 330g of water
- Place in a pan, cold, medium heat, no lid at this point, waiting to start simmer
- After bubbles appear, place the lid on your pan and simmer for 10 minutes
- Turn off heat after 10 minutes and let rest for 30 minutes longer, do not remove the lid
- Add seasoning and chill well in a refrigerator before using
Ginger Curry Sauce
Ingredients:
- – 1tbsp of olive oil
- – 1 onion, diced
- – 2cloves of garlic
- – 3cm of ginger, grated
- – 1 carrot, peeled, grated
- – 1tsp of mild curry powder
- – 1tsp of turmeric
- – 100ml of veg stock
- – Salt and pepper
- – 300ml of coconut milk
- – 1tbsp of light soy sauce
Method:
- Heat the oil in a small saucepan, add onion, garlic, ginger and spices, fry for a couple of minutes, add carrot, fry for additional two minutes. Pour in the veg stock and coconut, simmer for about 20 minutes to reduce the liquid, season well and blend if you prefer smooth sauce.
Black Stir-Fried Rice
Ingredients- serves 4
- – 300g of black rice, boiled
- – 1tbsp of oil
- – 2 spring onions, chopped
- – 1 red onion, sliced
- – Handful of chopped coriander
- – Soy sauce to season (tamari)
- – 1 lime, juice and zest
- – Any other veg you like such as red pepper or courgette
Method: Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan, add onion and fry until translucent. Add the rest of your ingredients, cook on high heat until piping hot, you could even add a splash of soy or teryiaki and serve straight away.
Spiced Chicken Thighs
Ingredients- serves 4
- – 4 chicken thighs
- – 2tsp of white miso paste
- – 1tbsp of olive oil
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 195C and get a baking tray lined with non-stick greaseproof paper ready.
- Rub the chicken with a mixture of oil and miso paste and bake in the oven for at least 15 minutes.
Day Two - Indian
Chapatis
Ingredients – Makes 4:
- – 15ml Vegetable Oil
- – 125g Wholemeal Chapati Flour
- – 60ml Hot/Warm Water
Method:
- Take a handful of flour out and set aside in a plate or bowl.
- Add oil to the remaining flour and mix in to achieve a breadcrumb like consisitency.
- Now add hot water gradually till you get a dough that soft, pliable but not too wet. Leave asdie for 30 mins covered.
- Heat a frying pan on a med to high heat.
- Knead the dough so it has a smooth surface and bounces back, divide into 4 equal quantities.
- Take each small amount and roll it between the palms of your hands to create a smooth ball of dough.
- Dip the ball into the loose flour previously set aside and place on a chopping board or worktop surface.
- Squash the dough ball down with your fingers and roll gently, pick up the dough, dip it in the loose flour and roll again.
- Each time slightly turn the dough to create a round flat pancake/chapatti.
- Take the chapatti and place it in the hot dry frying pan. Wait for small bubbles to rise and then using a spatula lift the chapatti and flip onto the other side.
- Allow this side to cook and flip again, then gently take it from the frying to a plate. Spread ghee/butter or marge over the hot chapatti.
- Repeat steps 6 to 11 until you have used all the dough
Spicy Paneer & Pea Curry
Ingredients:
- – 225g Diced Paneer
- – 2.5tbs Vegetable Oil
- – 1 Tsp Cumin Seeds
- – 1tsp Mustard Seeds
- – 1/2tsp Coriander Ground
- – 1/2tsp Cumin Ground
- – 1/4tsp Tumeric Powder
- – 1/4-1/2tsp Grd Kashmirian Chilli Or Chilli Powder
- – 1 Glove Fresh Garlic, Crushed
- – 1inch Piece Fresh Grated Ginger
- – 100g Frozen Peas
- – 8 Cherry Tomatoes, Quartred
- – 1/2tsp Salt
- – 1/2tsp Sugar (Optional)
- – 300ml Water
- – 1/2 Fresh Lemon
- – Fresh Coriander, Handful
Method:
- Place the diced paneer,1/2 the ginger and 1/2 garlic, 1 tbsp oil and a pinch of salt in a bowl and ensure its all mixed together.
- (optional) place the marinated paneer in a dry pan and fry for 5 mins continously turning and avoiding.
- Heat the rest of the oil in a pan on a med/high heat, then turn the heat down to medium.
- Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds, place lid on to prevent the spices spluttering at you.
- Add the diced onions and stir.
- Add the rest of the garlic and ginger and any fresh green chilli (optional) stir immediately to prevent burning.
- Add paneer and stir, then add all the dry spices, including half of the salt and ensure the paneer is fully coated.
- Turn heat down and place the lid on for 3-4 mins.
- Stir again and add a little water to prevent the paneer from sticking.
- Stir the paneer again and add the cherry tomatoes and more water, if needed.
- Allow to cook for a further 3-4 mins.
- At this stage, taste and add more salt or chilli powder if needed.
- Add the peas and juice of a lemon to your required taste, you can add sugar if you prefer your curries sweeter.
- Give the curry one final stir and garnish with chopped coriander before serving.
Vegetable Samosa
Ingredients – Makes 8:
- – 280g Diced Potato
- – 1.5tbs Vegetable Oil
- – 5 Cm Piece Of Cassia Bark Or Cinnamon
- – 1tsp Cumin Seeds
- – 1 Medium White Onions, Diced
- – 1 Tsp Ground Cumin & Ground Coriander
- – 1/4tsp Garam Masala
- – 1/4tsp Tumeric Powder
- – 1/4-1/2tsp Grd Kashmirian Chilli Or Chilli Powder
- – 50g Finely Diced Carrots
- – 90g Frozen Peas
- – 1tsp Salt
- – 1/2tsp Sugar (Optional)
- – 300ml Water
- – 3 Sheets Of Samosa Pastry/Filo Pastry Cut Into 8 Cm Strips, 25 Cm Long
- – 1tbsp Plain Flour Or Whole-wheat Flour
Method:
- Place the pastry sheets under a damp but not wet tea towel. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan on a high heat, then turn the heat down to medium.
- Add the cassia bark, slowly followed by the cumin seeds.
- Place lid on to prevent the spices spluttering at you.
- Add the diced onions and stir immediately to prevent burning. Cook for 1-2 mins.
- Add potatoes and carrots and stir, then add all the dry spices, including half of the salt and ensure potaoes are coated.
- Turn heat down and place the lid on for 5-7 mins.
- Stir again and add a little water to prevent the potatoes from sticking.
- Once the potatoes are al dente or just cooked but not mushy add the peas and more water if it begins to stick.
- Allow to cook for a further 3-4 mins.
- At this stage, taste and add more salt or chilli powder if needed.
- Give the mixture one final stir and leave to cool down.
- Add cold water to the tablespoon of flour, a little by little. Make into a smooth thick, sticky paste.
- Take one pastry strip (longest side verticle infront of you) and turn the lower right edge upwards into half a cone.
- Brush the edge of the pastry with the flour paste to secure the cone.
- With the cone in your left hand, spoon the filling into the cone.
- Flip the rest of the pastry over the filling and stick down with the pastry paste. The shape should be similar to a triangle.
- Ensure the corners are closed so the filling does not fall out during the frying/baking process.
- Either brush the whole samosa with oil and place on baking tray in the oven at 180’c uncovered, turn over once golden in colour (approx 10-15 mins).
- Or fry in a deep fat fryer for 3-4 mins, turning carefully, take out, drain.
Sombharo (Gujarati Slaw)
Ingredients:
- – 1tbsp Vegetable Oil
- – 1/2tsp Mustard Seeds
- -1/4tsp Asfoetida Powder
- – 100g Shredded Cabbage
- – 50g Grated Carrots
- – 1 Fresh Whole Green Chilli
- – 1/4tsp Turmeric Powder
- – 1/4tsp Salt
- – ½ Juice Of Fresh Lemon
- – Chopped Fresh Coriander, Handful
Method:
- Heat oil in a pan on a high heat.
- Take the chilli and make a slit lengthways, without splitting the ends of the chilli.
- Add mustard seeds, place lid on to prevent the spices spluttering at you.
- Once the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the asofeotida, immediately followed by the green chilli and the lid!
- Swirl the pan around so the chilli infuses the oil.
- Add the cabbage and carrots and then the turmeric and salt.
- Give the sombharo a really good stir to ensure the spices coat all of the cabbage.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes and turn down the heat if it starts to stick.
- Add a plentiful squeeze of lemon and a final stir, take off the heat and taste.
- Add more salt or lemon if needed.
- Add coriander, stir and serve. Ensure the whole green chilli is placed on top as a garnish or discard.
Day Three - Italian
Pasta Dough
Ingredients:
- – 4 large free-range egg yolks
- – 200g ‘00’ flour, plus extra for dusting
Method:
- Mix egg yolks and flour together in a bowl to make a breadcrumb consistency.
- Pour out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and bring together with your hands.
- Knead into a dough until it is no longer sticky.
- Cover and rest in the fridge.
Tortellini
Ingredients:
- – Pasta dough
- – Ricotta and Basil filling
Method:
- To assemble the tortellini, roll the pasta dough through all the sizes on the pasta machine starting with the widest setting and finishing on the smallest setting when the pasta is very thin. Using a 9cm/3½in round cutter, cut out 10 circles. (Any leftover dough can be frozen to use another time.)
- Pipe a heaped teaspoon amount of filling inside each pasta circle and fold in half to create a half moon shape. Wet the edges and press down to help them stick. Pull the two narrow ends together to form a tortellini shape.
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta in the boiling water for 2–3 minutes, or until al dente. Drain well.
Ricotta and basil tortellini filling
Ingredients:
- – 200g of ricotta
- – 2 cloves of garlic, grated
- – 1x small shallot, diced
- – 6x basil leaf, chopped
- – 1x tbsp of grated parmesan
- – 1x zest of lemon
- – salt and pepper
Method:
- Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, making sure that everything is evenly distributed (you don’t want a big chunk of garlic in one tortellini and none in the other).
- Also, you can use the lemon juice for the pesto recipe below, but use only zest for the filling as the juice would make the filling too wet.
- When you’re happy with the flavour of the filling, wrap in cling film and chill well before using.
Herb Pesto
Ingredients – Serves 4:
- – 1 clove of garlic
- – 1/2 big bunch of fresh basil
- – Handful of chives
- – Handful of coriander
- – 1 handful of pine nuts
- – 1 good handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- – extra virgin olive oil
- – 1 lemon
- Method:
Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, making sure that everything is evenly distributed (you don’t want a big chunk of garlic in one tortellini and none in the other).
Also, you can use the lemon juice for the pesto recipe below, but use only zest for the filling as the juice would make the filling too wet. When you’re happy with the flavour of the filling, wrap in cling film and chill well before using.
Beef bolognese
Ingredients:
- 1tbsp of olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 small carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 celery stick, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 200g of beef mince
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 400g of chopped tomatoes
- 5 fresh cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1tbsp of tomato puree
- salt and pepper
- parmesan and basil to serve
Method:
Place a saucepan on medium heat and add splash of olive oil. Saute the onions and add garlic after 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt at this stage. Add celery and carrot, saute for another couple of minutes.
Add the beef and cook it until you can’t see any raw meat, also try to crumble it as much as you can, you don’t want any big “meatballs”.
Add the beef and cook it until you can’t see any raw meat, also try to crumble it as much as you can, you don’t want any big “meatballs”.
Add all the toamatoes, rosemary and possibly a splash of water if the sauce feels too thick.
Cook the sauce, on medium-low, for at least 1 hour, but ideally 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Serve with homemade pasta, freshly grated parmesan, black pepper and basil.
Day Four - Thai
Pad Thai
Ingredients:
- – Clear noodles 300 grams
- – Prawns 30 grams
- – Bean curd
- – Egg 2
- – Beansprout 50 grams
- – Spring onion 50 grams
- – Peanuts half cup
- – Sugar 3 tablespoon
- – Garlic 1 tablespoon
- – Tamarind 3 tablespoon
- – Fish sauce 2 tablespoon
- – Cooking oil 4 tablespoon
Method:
- Heat oil in a wok add the garlic and fry till golden brown taking care not to burn.
- When you can smell the aroma add the noodles stir fry for 1 minute and add a little water to soften.
- Add the prawns with the fish sauce, tamarind, sugar and beancurd, stir fry for 1 minute keeping the noodles as separate as possible.
- Scoop the noodles to one side of the wok and add a little oil with 1 egg and scramble the egg until set. Now mix all the noodles and egg together with bean sprout peanut and a little chilli to spice up the taste if you wish.
- Serve hot with a side dish of spring onion beansprout and a slice of lemon.
Chicken Satay with peanut sauce
Ingredients – serves 4:
- 500g chicken breast
- 125 mls coconut milk
- 1 tsp of galangal
- ½ tsp of cumin powder
- 2 tsp of coriander powder
- 1 tsp of turmeric
- 1 tbsp of lemongrass
- 2 tsp of sugar
- 1 tsp of salt
- Bamboo Skewers
Ingredients for peanut sauce
- 1 tsp of curry paste
- 375 mls of coconut milk
- 75g crushed peanuts
- 2 tspn salt
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp of tamarind juice
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
Method
- Slice chicken into thin strips
- Blend lemongrass, galangal, cumin, coriander and turmeric in a food processor or mortar & pestle to form a paste
- Put chicken in a large mixing bowl and add the paste, sugar, salt, and coconut milk. Stir thoroughly and leave to marinade for 30 minutes or longer.
- Make skewers by adding the chicken strips to the bamboo skewers. These are now ready to grill.
- Fry the curry paste in a pan with oil until aromatic.
- Add the coconut milk, peanuts, salt, sugar, tamarind juice to the paste and simmer until it forms a thick sauce.
- Serve grilled chicken with warm peanut sauce.
Vegetable spring roll
Ingredients
- 300 g spring roll sheets
- 25 grams glass noodles (soak in water and chop)
- 100g White cabbage sliced very finely
- 50 g bean spout
- 100 g leeks finely sliced
- 1 small carrot finely sliced
- 2 clove garlic crushed and chopped
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- Vegetable oil to fry the spring rolls in.
Method
- Heat cooking oil and cook garlic until it is aromatic, then add all the other ingredients
- Cook until dry and set aside to cool.
- Cut spring roll sheet to size
- Add a spoonful of vegetable mixture to the sheet so you can roll into shape tucking in the edges as you go. Seal with flour and water.
Sweet Chilli Sauce
Ingredients
- 900mls of white vinegar
900g caster sugar
4 tbsp salt
6 whole garlic cloves
5 chillis
Method
- Put all the ingredients in a pan and simmer. It should become lovely and gloopy!
This will last in a clean bottle in the fridge for weeks!
Day Five - Middle Eastern
Saffron Chicken
Ingredients – serves 2
- – Saffron, pinch
- – Pinch of turmeric
- – Pinch of garam masala
- – zest of 1 lemon
- – 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- – 1 red chilli, chopped
- – 1 tsp harissa
- – Plain yoghurt, we used the remainder of the pot from the dip.
- – Salt & Pepper
- – Chicken, either 2 boneless thighs each or a thigh and a leg on the bone.
Method:
- Mix the yoghurt, harissa, saffron, turmeric, garam masala, garlic and lemon juice with some seasoning. Taste and adjust accordingly. Smear all over the chicken. Set to one side for a while or even cover and fridge overnight.
- Using the same griddle pan, heat to high and make sure you get plenty of colour and lines into your chicken. You can then pop the whole pan into the oven for about 20minutes at 180C
- Rest the chicken, slice and serve
Khobz Flatbread
Ingredients – Makes 10
- 350ml of warm water (might need a little bit more, depending on strength of your flour)
- 1tsp of fast action dried yeast
- 2tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 600g strong white bread flour (plus extra for dusting)
- 1tbsp of caster sugar
- 1tsp of fine salt
Method
Pour the water into a mixing bowl, stir in the yeast until dissolved.
Add the oil, flour, sugar and salt, mix everything and form a quite firm dough, adding more water if too dry, more flour if too wet.
Leave for 10 minutes covered before kneading it until smooth.
Transfer into a floured bowl, cover and leave to proof for 60 minutes.
Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces and shape into balls.
Cover the balls and rest for 10 minutes.
Flour the surface and roll them about 1 cm thick.
Cover the rolled flatbread and rest for another 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, place a non-stick frying pan on medium to high heat and get it smoking hot.
Place one or two flatbread at time into your pan and cook on each side for roughly 2 minutes.
Good indicator, when to flip, is if start seeing bubbles on top.
Get a clean tea towel and stack your flatbreads in it and wrap tightly.
Rest in the towel for 5 minutes, this will soften the flatbreads.
Mint Yoghurt
Ingredients – Serves 2:
- – Small pot yoghurt
- – Half cucumber
- – Small bunch mint, small bunch parsley (from above)
- – Salt & Pepper
Method:
- Grate cucumber, chop herbs, mix together with the yoghurt (option to add spices)
Moroccan cherry tomato sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 tsp
- 1 red chilli, chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste plus a pinch of sugar
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes or similar amount of chopped tinned tomatoes
- 1/4 cup water or more as needed
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
- ½ a jar of sweet drop marinated chilli peppers, drained
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1tsp of pepper flakes (Turkish)
Method
- Heat oil in medium pan. Sauté onions for 4-6 minutes until tender and lightly browned. Add garlic, spices, tomato paste (with a pinch of sugar). Stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Add cherry tomatoes, chilli and water. Bring to boil. Then lower heat to simmer, stirring occasionally. The total time will be about 15 minutes, after 5 minutes, help burst tomatoes by gently pressing with spatula or large spoon to burst them (careful not to squirt yourself).
- Stir in sweet drop peppers and coriander. Continue cooking until tomatoes form a sauce the consistency you like. More cooking will make it thicker. Add more water to thin it out if needed. Taste and adjust seasonings e.g., more salt, sugar.
Chocolate Fondant
Ingredients – Makes 4:
- – 100g butter, plus extra for greasing
- – 100g dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped or broken into small chunks
- – 100g plain flour
- – 100g caster sugar
- – 25g cocoa powder
- – 25g melted butter
- – 2 medium eggs
- – 2 medium egg yolks
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 190˚C/170˚C fan/Gas 5.
- Grease 4 ramekins with butter.
- Dust inside of ramekins with cocoa powder.
- Put the butter and chocolate into a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water (don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the water underneath) and leave until melted, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat, sift over the flour and then whisk it in.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks and sugar until combined, then whisk this into the chocolate mixture, until smooth and well combined.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into the ramekins.
- Leave to set in fridge for minimum 20minutes but can be overnight.
- Bake for 12 minutes – the fondants are ready when you shake each one gently and only the middle moves a little.
- Remove from the oven, and gently loosen the edge.
- Carefully invert each fondant onto a plate.
