Macaroni/ Maccheroni Cheese.

The Italians made pasta famous but the Chinese thought of it first (Marco Polo took Noodles back to Italy).
This dish is a great winter meal with lots of energy in it. Warning: it is not a low fat option. You can use most sorts of dried pasta, not just Macaroni/maccheroni.
When making the white sauce (Roux) with cheese, try not to burn the butter!
There are many other ways of making this dish, this is a version that works well in the classroom (quick and easy). Once the pasta and the sauce is mixed together, spoon onto the plate with a green salad for a well balanced meal.
You could alternatively, place the pasta and sauce in a oven dish, sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top and grill it in the oven for 10 minutes.

Maccheroni Cheese

Equipment

Pot

Small fry pan

Wooden spoon

Wooden board

Sharp knife

Measuring cup/spoons

Sieve

Large bowl

Ingredients (per pair)

Maccheroni pasta, 1 cup

Salt, pinch

Butter, 25g

Onion,1, finely diced

Flour, 2 Tbsp

Bacon, 3 rashers, diced

Mustard powder, 1/2 tsp

Milk, 3/4 cup

Cheese, grated, 1/4 cup (1 ramekin)

Salt & Pepper for seasoning

Parsley, 1 tsp, finely chopped

Method

1.    Fill the pot ¾ full of hot water and bring to the boil (high heat)

2.    Add a pinch of salt.

3.    Add the pasta when the water is rapidly boiling. Stir to stop the pasta sticking.

4.    Boil until the pasta is “al dente” (soft but firm). Taste to check.

5.    Drain through sieve and place in large bowl

6.    Heat up the fry pan (moderate heat).

7.    Add the butter and melt.

8.    Add the diced onion and bacon and cook until onion goes clear and soft.

9.    Add the flour and stir in until it goes frothy (making a roux)

1. Add mustard powder.

1. Take the pan off the heat and add the milk gradually, a bit at a time. Stir constantly.

1. Place back on the heat and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. The sauce should thicken up.

1.  Add the cheese and stir through.

1. Take of the heat and season with salt and pepper. Add chopped parsley.

1. Pour the sauce into the bowl with the pasta and mix through.

1. Serve onto a plate and eat with a green salad.

Apple Crumble with Custard.

We cook the apple in the microwave first to speed up the baking in the oven (down to 15 minutes). A whole variety of fruits can be used instead of apple.
The combination of the crunchy sweet crumble topping with the soft cinnamon apples and the velvety custard is a winner.
Try not to burn the custard, keep stirring it until it is like velvet (smooth and creamy). If it boils, take it off.

Apple Crumble and Custard

Equipment

Wooden Chopping board

Sharp knife

Peeler

Measuring cups/spoons

Baking dish

Glass bowl (for microwaving)

Bowl for mixing

Ingredients (per pair)

Apples, 2, peeled, cored and sliced

Lemon juice, 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon, 1/4 tsp

Rolled oats, ½ cup

Flour, 1/4 cup

Coconut, 1/4 cup

Brown sugar, 3 Tbsp

Butter, 50g, melted

Cloves, 1/4 tsp

Method

Oven on to 180⁰C

1.    Peel, core and slice up the apples.

2.    Mix with the lemon juice and cinnamon.

3.    Microwave for 3 minutes.

4.    Mix all the dry ingredients together (flour, oats, coconut, brown sugar and cloves).

5.    Add the melted butter and mix with fingers to make a breadcrumb texture.

6.    Arrange the cooked apple on the base of the baking dish.

7.    Pour the crumble mix on the top and smooth over.

8.    Bake for 15 minutes or until the crumble topping is golden brown.

9.    Serve with custard.

Custard

Small pot

Measuring cup/spoons

Wooden spoon

Mixing bowl

Custard powder, 2 Tbspn

Sugar, 2 tsp

Milk, 1 cup, heated in microwave

1.    Mix the custard powder and sugar into a bowl, add ¼ cup milk and mix to a paste.

2.    Add rest of the milk (3/4 cup) and mix well.

3.    Pour into a pot and heat.

4.    Stir constantly until custard boils and thickens up.

5.    Take off the heat and pour around the apple crumble.

Chicken & Potato curry on rice.

This is a basic curry recipe with the potatoes bulking up the volume. It is finished with a Garam Masala which adds a wonderful flavour to the curry. Using a cup to pack the rice and make rice castles is a way to make the plates look better. We only used a mild curry but you could go hotter as you like. Serving with a dollap of mango chutney is the final touch.

Chicken Curry and Rice

Equipment

Chopping boards (wooden for vegetables and white plastic for chicken)

Sharp Knife

Small Pot

Sieve

Large fry pan

Measuring cups/spoons

Wooden spoon

Microwave container (for potatoes)

Ingredients (per pair)

White rice, long grain, 3/4 cup

Salt pinch

Onion, sliced, 1

Garlic, ½ tsp

Oil for frying

Curry powder, 1 tsp

Chicken stock, ¼ tsp

Chicken, 1 thigh/breast, diced,

Potato, 1 medium, peeled, diced and microwaved for 5 minutes

Tomato paste, 2 tsp in 3/4 cup of hot water

Garam Masala, ½ tsp

Chilli powder, ¼ tsp (optional)

Salt for seasoning

Method

Rice

1.    Bring 3 cups of hot water to the boil.

2.    Wash 3/4 cup of rice in a sieve until the water runs clear.

3.    Slowly stir in the rice to the boiling water (Be careful!) and add a pinch of salt.

4.    Bring back to the boil and boil uncovered for 10 minutes. If the water disappears, add another cup of hot water.

5.    Drain through sieve and leave in pot until ready to serve.

Chicken

1.    Place small fry pan on medium heat (6 o’clock).

2.    Add a little oil

3.    Fry the onions until soft, then add the garlic.

4.    Mix the curry powder and chicken stock together and pour over the onions and garlic.

5.    Add the chopped chicken and fry with the onion for 2 minutes.

6.    Then add the microwaved diced potato.

7.    Mix up the tomato paste with the hot water and add to the fry pan.

8.    Bring to boil then simmer (turn the heat to low) for 5-10 minutes.

9.    Turn off heat and add Garam masala and Chilli powder if needed, stirring through.

1. Season to taste with salt.

1. Serve on white rice.

Carrot cake with cream cheese icing.

Believe it or not, this cake does not taste of carrot! The combination of the carrot cake and the cream cheese icing is a winner. The amount of oil in the cake does take some getting used to but it works well.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Equipment

Loaf tin

Baking paper

Large and small bowl

Whisk

Peeler

Grater

Wooden spoon

Measuring cups/spoons

INGREDIENTS (per pair)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 cup carrot (grated)- use 1/2 a big carrot

2 eggs (beaten)

1/4 cup oil

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1/4 tsp vanilla essence

ICING

1 Tbsp cream cheese

1/4 tsp lemon juice

½ cup icing sugar

METHOD

1.     Preheat oven to 180°C.

2.     Line a loaf tin with baking paper.

3.     Place all ingredients into a large bowl and beat well.

4.     Pour mixture into loaf tin.

5.     Bake for approximately 30 minutes until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

6.     Remove the cake from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the tin.

7.     Add the icing ingredients together in a small bowl and beat until smooth.

8.     When the cake is cool, ice with the cream cheese icing.