Campus Cuisine

Spinach Couscous

Submitted by Dr Ruchira Ghosh, Centre for Sustainable Technologies

Why Try?

This is a super easy recipe, rich in iron, healthy in many aspects, yummy and loved by children too. Adults with diabetes and high blood pressure can also have it, and children also loves this with the green colour of spinach, bits of orange-red colour of carrots in between, and you can make them eat iron rich food too.

Ingredients

• 500g baby spinach leaves
• 200g couscous
• 1 medium sized carrot
• 2 chicken breasts (optional)
• 1 brown onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ lemon
• ½ tsp lemon zest
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp melted butter (optional)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• ¼ tsp chilli flakes (optional)

Method

1. Clean the chicken breast, marinate with squeezed lemon (1/4 lemon), butter/olive oil (1/2 spoon), lemon zest (1/4 teaspoon), crushed garlic (1 cloves), chill flakes (optional), salt (1/4 tea spoon). Skip this if not using chicken.
2. Soak the couscous in hot water in a container with proper lid for 5 min (the water should come over the couscous for 1 inch while soaking, as it will soak all the water up).
3. Keep the couscous aside.
4. Put the chicken in preheated oven 200 degrees centigrade on grill for 5 min. Take it out, flip the sides, sprinkle oil/butter, cover the tray with foil paper, put it in the oven for next 8 min.
5. Blanch the spinach leaves for 2 min, drain the water and coarse blend it, keep it aside.
6. Chop onion, garlic and cut the carrot in cubes.
7. Put oil (1 table spoon) in a pan, sauté chopped onion, and garlic, add salt for 2 min in medium flame. Add blended spinach and stir well till everything caramalises, and cover lid for 4 min.
8. Boil the carrot cubes till soft in a separate pan.
9. Add soaked couscous and boiled carrots in the spinach pot. Add 1/4 lemon zest and 1/4 lemon juice.
10. Cut the chicken in cubes, sprinkle oil, lemon juice, dried parsley and add to the couscous. OR just serve the whole chicken breast with sprinkled oil, lemon juice, dried parsley alongside couscous.

Butter Chicken

Submitted by Rachel McHugh, School of Psychology

Why Try?

I bought a slow cooker during lockdown and I have never looked back! I cook with it most days, trying new recipes, but this is my ultimate favourite. I used to always get this as a takeaway dish, but now I prefer my own. It is also a lean and low fat version using low fat creme fresh, which is a plus. A few tweaks later of my own and hopefully I feel, I have perfected the flavour!

Ingredients

• 2-3 chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp of butter
• basmati rice
• tomato puree/tomato passata
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• half tsp of garlic
• 1 tsp of ginger
• 1 tsp of turmeric
• half tsp of cumin
• 1 tsp of mild chili powder
• 1 tsp of coriander
• one pot of low fat crème frais/double cream

Method

1. Place all ingredients except crème frais/cream and rice in a slow cooker for 3 hours.
2. After 3 hours, add one pot of low fat crème frais/double cream, stir, cook for another 15/20mins, while rice is cooking.
3. Serve

Banana Bread

Submitted by Barbara Norton, Research Office

Why Try?

It is such an easy bread to make and it is loved by all my children.

Ingredients

• 140g butter
• 140g self raising flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 100g sugar
• 1 ripe banana
• 2 eggs
• 100g chocolate chips or raisins

Method

1. Cream all ingredients except banana and chocolate chips/raisins
2. Once creamed add mashed banana and chocolate chips/raisins
3. Line a baking tin and pour in mixture
4. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 180

The Perfect Steak

Submitted by Aodhan McAlorum, Widening Access

Why Try?

I found this trick for cooking steak a while back and have never looked back. Elevate your steak game.

Ingredients

• Steak cut of your choice
• avocado oil (could use butter)
• 1tbsp butter
• 2 garlic cloves
• dried rosemary
• thyme
• salt
• pepper
  ½ onion

Method

1. Rest your steak at room temperature for 20 mins before Heating a cast iron pan on a high temperature. This is also a good time to chop your onion into thin slices.
2. Add a small amount of avocado oil and tilt the pan to glide the oil until the pan is covered.
3. Add a little dried rosemary and the two crushed garlic cloves to the side of the pan.
4. My cut of choice would be sirloin which would be approx. 2.5mins each side for a medium outcome. However, the middle of the steak should be around 50C for rare, 55C for medium-rare, 60C for medium and 70C for well done.
5. Season your steak with salt and lay flat on the pan giving it a gentle press down. do this for both sides to get a good sear.
6. While your steak is cooking, season a chopping board (preferably wooden) with salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary. (You can grind the rosemary down if you don't like how big the sprigs are)
7. Add the tbsp of butter to the pan and baste the steak. then remove the steak from the pan and allow it to rest on the chopping board.
8. Sear your onions in the butter, allowing them to caramelise. Then cut the steak coating the pieces in the seasoning and place the onions on top. Enjoy the juicy tenderness.

Rumbledethumps

Submitted by Johnny McGurgan, AHSS

Why Try?

I found this recipe on a good food website and it has since become a one of my favorite things to cook (and eat). Low fat and nutritious, a great side for your main meal and if there is any left over a delicious lunch to be re-heated at work the next day.

Ingredients

• Potatoes
• Turnip
• White Cabbage
• Onion (Optional)
• Carrots (Optional)
• Grated Cheese
• Salt
• Pepper
• Butter & Milk (for the mashed potatoes)

Method

1. Get the turnip on straight away to boil as it takes a good half an hour to soften, then get your potatoes on for the mash, you can also put carrots on at this stage or any other veg you have lying around.
2. Last thing is the Cabbage as it only takes 5 minutes to boil.
3. Mash three quarters of your potatoes.
4. Get your oven dish and spread out your boiled turnips and non-mashed potatoes cut into bitesize pieces, then add any other veg you want to add such as carrots, onion with the boiled cabbage, mixed in some grated cheese (low fat if your watching the calories) then add the top layer of mashed potato with a little more grated cheese on the top.
5. Pop into the oven for 20 minutes to crisp up and serve.