Aubergine and chickpea curry

The group wanted to make a vegetarian curry so our new volunteer found this recipe which everyone seemed to want to try.

First we chopped all our ingredients and got all our spices ready to use.

We used chopped onion, tomatoes, Aubergine, two cans of chickpeas, two cans of coconut milk, mustard seeds, garam masala, chilli powder, tumeric and ground coriander.

First we browned the Aubergine in the pan for 5 minutes before putting to one side.

We then cooked the onion, mustard seeds and other spices for a minute to release the flavours.

We then added the tomatoes and coconut milk and let it simmer for half an hour. 

After the half an hour of simmering we added the chickpeas and Aubergine and let the mixture simmer for a further 10 minutes.

We served the curry with cous cous. 

The group liked the curry but thought it needed a bit more chilli and maybe something sour, like some fresh lemon, to cut through the dish a bit.

Broccoli and Feta Parcels

The group came up with this as a starter but is also great for a snack too. We used Filo pastry and seasoned the broccoli with mustard seeds, garam masala, salt and pepper.

First of all we chopped the broccoli and feta.

We then cooked the broccoli with some mustard seeds, garam masala, salt and pepper.

We then cut the Filo pastry into strips (about 5cm wide) and added a bit of the cooked broccoli and crumbled on the feta on one corner of the pastry.

The group then did their best to fold over the pastry to make samosa style parcels.

After the parcels were brushed with a bit of melted butter, they were cooked in the oven for 10-15 mins at 180 degrees until golden brown.

Every one liked the parcels, and enjoyed the flavours and textures.

Pineapple upside down cake

First we started with the topping. We melted 50g of butter with 50g of soft brown sugar.

Weighing out the ingredients.

Melting butter and sugar.

We poured the melted mixture into our dish and laid pineapple slices on top with glacé cherries in the middle of the pinapple rings.

We then mixed 140g of caster sugar with 140g of butter until fluffy and pale. 

We then beat in two eggs...

... And added 140g of self raising flour, 50g desiccated coconut and a teaspoon of baking powder.

We added 6 tbsp of milk to lighten the mixture and poured it on top of the pineapple.

It then had 25- 30 mins in the oven at 180 degrees.

When it came out the oven we let it sit for 15 minutes before turning it out onto a dish.

Beef casserole

Warming casseroles are great during the winter months and the group found this simple recipe for a beef and onion casserole.

First we chopped the vegetables we would be using. This included a couple of potatoes, sweet potato, celery, carrot and onion.

We then brownies the beef in a hot pan to seal the flavour and moisture. This should only take a few minutes.

Once the meat is browned we turned the heat down and added the vegetables and some stock. We put the lid on the pan and let the casserole simmer for an hour and half.

We served the casserole with some fresh bread from the bakery.

Everyone enjoyed the casserole and agreed it was perfect for a cold day.

Fish pie

For the first session back after Christmas we decided on this easy and comforting fish pie.

First we had to peel and chop potatoes ready to boil for the mash potato topping.

 

To increase nutritional value of this meal we used a mix of sweet potato and normal potato. This would also add some  extra flavour to the topping.

Whilst the potatoes were on the boil we got on with making the sauce.

For this we used a tub of low fat garlic and herb cream cheese, vegetable stick and parsley. 

On a medium heat we combined the cream cheese and vegetable stock until the mix was of a smooth and creamy texture. 

Once we added the fresh chopped parsley we had our sauce sorted. The appeal if this recipe was how quick and easy it was to make the sauce. This is something everyone can definitely make at home with very little effort.

We added a mixture of haddock, smoked haddock and salmon to the sauce and let  the fish cook for 15 minutes.

While the fish was cooking we mashed the boiled potatoes.

Mashing the potatoes was really fun and was a great way to expel some excess energy!

Once the fish and sauce were cooked we poured it into a dish and topped with our mash. 

Then it's in the oven for half an hour and it's ready!

We served with some broccoli but any vegetable would go well. 

Christmas Dinner

For the last Come Dine With Us session of the year, it was only right that we pull out all the stops and cook a Christmas dinner.

We first had to get the TWO turkeys in the oven straight away to get them cooking. They needed to cook for three hours so we covered them in muslin and poured melted butter over. Whilst the turkeys were cooking we basted them every half an hour or so.

Whilst the turkeys were in the oven we got on with preparing the vegetables. Peeling and chopping potatoes, parsnips, carrots and Brussels sprouts (of course!). 

We also got on with making our gravy and stuffing.

We roasted the potatoes in duck fat, we glazed the parsnips in honey and we boiled the brussel sprouts before crushing them in a dish and mixing with a bit of cream and Parmesan before cooking in the oven for 15 minutes. This is a great for people who don't like the traditional brussel.

We set the table...

... And sat down for Christmas dinner together:

After all this food we still had room for warm mince pies and cream.

We all had a very festive day and it was a great way to finish off the year.

We wish all our members and staff who have supported us over the year a very Merry  Christmas and Happy New Year!

Lambeth Learning Disability Assembly

Today the cooking group catered for the launch of the Lambeth Learning Disability Assembly Forum. This is a group that has been set up to represent the people of Lambeth who have a learning disability or care for someone who does.

The cooking group were asked to produce a buffet lunch for 65 people.

The group took on this challenge and yesterday cooked lemon drizzle cake, flap jacks and caramelised onion and goats cheese tartlets ready for today.

We also prepared chicken tikka, egg & cress, tuna & sweet corn and homemade houmous to be used as fillings for sandwiches we put together today.

Today we prepared smoked cheese, salami and dill pickle open sandwiches..

.. Egg and cress sandwiches..

... Ham and tomato..

... Tuna and sweet corn...

And chicken tikka and salad wraps...

We also prepared homemade houmous    and carrot sandwiches.

We took the food to the event and presented the buffet to a hungry crowd.

The chefs were very proud of the spread they had prepared.

Everyone enjoyed the food especially the lemon drizzle cake! 

We received loads of compliments about the food which made the cooking group really happy about what they had accomplished in such a short space of time.