Overview

Prep: 25 min, plus soaking

Cooking: 35 min

Serves: 4/5

Shopping List

• 50g butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 300g superfino carnaroli rice
• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon white wine
• 20g dried porcini, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes
• 1 litres hot chicken or vegetable stock, preferably home-made
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 200g wild mushrooms
• 20g finely grated parmesan
• 4 tablespoons of chopped parsley
• cracked black pepper

Let's Get Started

• Melt the butter in a heavy-based casserole dish over medium heat. Add the onion and cook very slowly for 5-7 minutes until soft.
  
• Add the rice and stir for a few minutes until heated through and well-coated with the butter.
  
• Stirring continuously, add the white wine and cook for a few minute to allow the alcohol to evaporate.
  
• Drain the dried mushrooms, squeeze out any excess moisture and add them to the rice.
  
• Add a ladle of hot stock and stir until absorbed. Continue to add the stock a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously, until all the stock is absorbed – about 15-17 minutes. When cooked, the rice should be 'al dente' – tender but firm in the centre.
  
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and gently fry for a few seconds until transparent, taking care not to let it colour.
  
• Add all the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper to taste. Fry for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the mushrooms start to release their juice.
  
• When the rice is cooked, stir in the mushrooms. Leave to stand for 1 minute.
  
• Add the butter, Parmesan and parsley, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon. Season to taste.
• Individually portion and freeze.
• Pull out of freezer on the morning of when you want it and allow to defrost, microwave until pipping hot throughout before consuming.

Enjoy!

This recipe is part of our working lunch recipe series, suggesting easy meals that can be prepared in bulk and frozen for when you want them.

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Overview

Prep: 35 min

Cook:1 hr 40 min

Portions: 5/6

Shopping List

For the meat

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 sticks celery, finely chopped
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 675 g minced beef or lamb
• 1 tablespoon of tomato purée
• 3-4 drops Worcestershire sauce
• 3-4 drops of Tabasco
• 175ml dry white or red wine
• 300ml chicken or beef stock
• cracked black pepper

For the topping

• 1.4kg potatoes
• 50ml milk or single cream
• 2 tablespoons mature cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon finely grated parmesan

Let's Get Started

• Pre-heat oven to 180C/gas 4.
  
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the onion, celery and carrot, stirring them over a brisk heat but not allowing them to brown.
  
• After 5 minutes or so add the garlic, reduce the heat and soften everything together.
  
• Increase the heat again and add the mince, stirring until browned.
  
• Stir in the tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, wine and stock, season and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes.
  
• Boil the potatoes until soft and mash them with milk and butter until smooth and creamy.
  
• Spoon the meat mixture into 6 small freezable and microwavable ramekins (see pic above) and cover with a thick, even layer of mashed potato.
  
• Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 45-55 minutes until golden and bubbling.
• Allow to cool and freeze, defrost in fridge over night and reheat until piping hot throughout before serving.

Enjoy!

This recipe is part of our working lunch recipe series, suggesting easy meals that can be prepared in bulk and frozen for when you want them.

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Overview

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 55 min

Portions: 4/5

Shopping List

• 750 g stewing steak, cut into 4cm pieces
• 4-6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tomatoes, peeled, seeds removed, roughly chopped
• 50 g piquillo red peppers, from a jar, cut into strips
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 400 ml beef stock
• 1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
• grated rind of half a lemons

Let's Get Started

Season the beef, then dust in the flour.

Heat the oil in a pan and brown the meat.

Remove beef, turn down the heat and add the onions and garlic. Cover and cook until softened, 10-15 minutes.

Return the meat to the pan and add the tomatoes and paprika. Stir well and cook for 1 minute before pouring in the stock. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, add the peppers and continue cooking for a further 30 minutes. At this point the sauce should be thick and the beef tender. Scatter with chopped parsley.

 

Divide up into suitable portions and freeze down. When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw slowly in a fridge or cooler bag.  Heat in microwave until piping hot throughout. 

 

Serve with a crusty bread roll.

Enjoy!

This recipe is part of our working lunch recipe series, suggesting easy meals that can be prepared in bulk and frozen for when you want them.

Share this recipe with your friends on your favourite social network…

Overview

Prep: 20 min

Cook: 1 hr

Portions: 6-8

Shopping List

• 1 whole chicken, (1.8kg)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 350g unsliced rindless streaky bacon, cut into 1–2cm
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 2 large carrots, cut into 2cm slices on the diagonal
• 700ml chicken or vegetable stock
• a few sprigs thyme

For the dumplings:

• 350g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 300 ml buttermilk or soured milk
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped mixed herbs, such as parsley thyme, rosemary or chives
• 25g cheddar cheese, finely grated

Let's Get Started

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Remove the breasts from the chicken and cut them in half. Remove the leg portions and divide them into thighs and drumsticks. This will give you eight pieces of chicken. Season them well.

Pour the oil into a large casserole dish on a high heat, add the bacon and fry quickly for 1–2 minutes or until crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Add the chicken in batches and sear on each side until golden, and remove. Add the onion and carrots and fry for 2–3 minutes or until golden.

Return the bacon and chicken to the dish, pour on the stock, add the thyme and season well. Bring slowly to the boil, cover with a tight-fitting lid and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

For the dumplings Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large bowl add the herbs, mix, then make a well in the centre. Pour in most of the buttermilk or soured milk (leaving about 50ml out). Using one hand with your fingers outstretched like a claw, bring the flour and liquid together, adding a little more buttermilk if necessary. Don’t knead the mixture or it will become too heavy. The dough should be soft but not too wet and sticky.

Tip the dough onto a floured work surface and bring together. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 2cm thick. cut or divide the dough into 10–12 small balls.

Remove the casserole dish from the oven and turn the heat up to 230C/gas 8. Arrange the dumplings on top, leaving a slight gap between them to allow for spreading. Scatter with the cheese. Return to the oven, uncovered, for 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 200C/Gas 6 and cook for a further 20 minutes until the dumplings are crisp and golden and the chicken is cooked through. Allow to cool.

Divide up into suitable portions with a couple dumplings in each and freeze down. When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw slowly in a fridge or cooler bag.  Heat in microwave until piping hot throughout. 

Enjoy!

This recipe is part of our working lunch recipe series, suggesting easy meals that can be prepared in bulk and frozen for when you want them.

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Overview

Prep: 20 min

Cook: 40 min

Portions: 5 (good portions)

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 100g salami, or bacon, finely chopped
• 1kg minced beef
• 2 tablespoons tomato purée
• 3 teaspoons dried oregano
• 800g plum tomatoes, chopped
• 150ml beef stock
• 60g butter
• 70g plain flour
• 600ml full-fat milk
• 250g no-cook lasagne sheets
• Parmesan
• 100g grated mozzarella

Let's Get Started

Start with a shallow baking dish roughly 20cm x 30cm, lightly grease the inside with oil.

To make the ragù sauce, gently fry the onion and garlic in a wide pan with a splash of oil until soft but not coloured. Tip the salami or bacon in along with the minced beef and stir though, breaking up the clumps of mince. Let it fry, stirring from time to time, until it is browned.

Season, then add the tomato purée, oregano, chopped tomatoes and stock. Bring to the boil, and let it gently cook for about 20 minutes. The juices should be a thick, red texture, and not watery.

To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and let it foam a bit, then slowly add the milk, stirring all the time. Keep stirring over a gentle heat until it thickens and bubbles. Season, then remove from the heat.

To assemble, spread about a 1/4 of the meat sauce across the base of the prepared dish, then add lasagne sheets. Spread this with the thinnest layer of white sauce and grate over some parmesan. Cover this with more lasagne sheets, and do the same again with white sauce and parmesan. Now, add another 1/4 of meat evenly. Add another three layers of lasagne sheets, white sauce and parmesan. Continue to the top until everything is used up, finishing with a thicker layer of white sauce and then the grated mozzarella all over the top.

Put into the oven at 190C/gas 5 and bake for about 40 minutes or until the pasta inside is cooked and the top golden.

Allow to cool in fridge, once the temperature has dropped the lasagne will become more firm. Divide portions up and add to freezable containers. When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw slowly in a fridge or cooler bag.  Heat in microwave until piping hot throughout. 

Serve with side salad if possible.

Enjoy!

This recipe is part of our working lunch recipe series, suggesting easy meals that can be prepared in bulk and frozen for when you want them.

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Overview

Prep:  20 min

Cook:1 hr 30 min

Portions: 6

Shopping List

• 2 large onions
• 700g lean stewing beef, fat removed and cut into 1-2cm cubes
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 800g (canned) chopped tomatoes
• 2 green peppers, sliced thinly
• 3 green or red chillies, chopped, leave seeds in for spice
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 400g red kidney beans
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar

Let's Get Started

Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the meat until it browns – roughly 5-6 minutes. Add onion and garlic and stir for a minute before adding the tinned tomatoes, chillies, peppers, and a good pinch of salt.

Now all you need to do is cover the pan and simmer for about an hour, until the meat is tender and the liquid thickens. Add water is it begins to dry out.

Add the cumin, kidney beans (and a bit of bean juice)and the brown sugar. Simmer for 10 mins.

Allow to cool if you are making it in advance. Boil off enough rice for 6 portions.

Portion chilli and rice into 5/6 freezer friendly secure tubs and freeze.

When ready to eat remove from freezer in morning and let it thaw in a fridge or cooler bag. Heat in microwave at full power until piping hot throughout. Add grated cheese or a dollop of sour cream if possible.

Enjoy!

This recipe is part of our working lunch recipe series, suggesting easy meals that can be prepared in bulk and frozen for when you want them.

Share this recipe with your friends on your favourite social network…