Fusilli with broccoli and mascarpone – Recommended Recipe!

Fusilli with Broccoli and Mascarpone – serves 4, ready in 20 mins.

Ingredients

300g fusilli

400g purple sprouting broccoli, each stem halved

15g butter

4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed

250g mascarpone

75g extra mature Cheddar, grated

2 tsp coarse grain mustard

Method

1.       Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the pasta and cook for 11 mins until just tender. Add the broccoli for the last 7 mins.

2.       Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan and fry the spring onions and garlic for 2 to 3 mins. Add the mascarpone, Cheddar and mustard and stir over a low heat until melted. Season well.

3.       Drain the pasta and broccoli and toss in the sauce, or serve with the sauce poured over.

Per serving: 546 calories, 45g carbohydrate, 32g fat, 18g saturated fat, 3g sugar, 1g salt.

Source: Asda instore magazine.

Pasta peperonata - Recommended Recipe!

Pasta peperonata - serves 4.

Ingredients
2 red peppers, seeded and sliced
2 yellow peppers, seeded and sliced
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 red onions, peeled and finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
2 handfuls of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped, stalks reserved
2 tsbp red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
2 handfuls of grated parmesan cheese
2 heaped tbsp mascarpone cheese or creme fraiche (optional)
455g/1lb rigatoni, penne or spaghetti

Method

1. Put all the peppers in a large frying pan over a medium heat with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Place a lid on, and cook slowly for 15 mins until softened.  Don't rush this too much, as cooking the peppers slowly like this really helps to bring out the flavour.
2. Add the onions and cook for a further 20 mins.  Then add the garlic and parsley stalks and toss around, keeping everything moving in the pan.  Cook for about 3 mins more.  Have a little taste, and season with a bit more salt and pepper.
3. Add the vinegar - it will sizzle away, so give everything a good toss.  Then add one handful of the grated parmesan and the mascarpone or creme fraiche (if using) and turn the heat down to minimum while you cook the pasta.
4. Meanwhile, put a large pot of salted water on to boil.  Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the pack instructions.  When cooked, drain in a colander, reserving some of the cooking water.
5. Put the peppers, pasta and parsley leaves into a warmed bowl.  Give them a good toss together, then add a little of the pasta cooking water and a few good glugs of extra virgin olive oil to coat the pasta nicely.  Serve straight away, sprinkled with the rest of the parmesan.

Source - unknown.

Mushroom Risotto - Recommended Recipe!

Mushroom Risotto - serves 4, preparation 15 minutes, cooking 30 minutes

Ingredients
25g dried mixed mushrooms or dried porcini
1.3 litres boiling water
1 tbsp olive oil
10g butter
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely crushed
250g mushrooms of your choice, finely chopped
350g risotto rice
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
30g Parmesan or Grana Padano, finely grated
Handful finely chopped parsley and about 5g butter (optional)

Method

1. Put the dried mushrooms into a jug, add the water, cover and stand for 15 minutes.  Pour through a sieve into a jug, saving the liquid.  Chop the mushrooms.
2. Heat the oil and butter in a pan and soften the onion for 10 minutes.  Add the garlic, soaked mushrooms and fresh mushrooms and fry for a few minutes.  Add the riceand balsamic vinegar and stir to coat.
3. Add a little of the dried mushroom stock and gently stir.  Once the liquid has been absorbed, add some more.  Keep adding the stock gradually until the rice is just cooked.
4. Take off the heat.  Sprinkle over the cheese and stir through the parsley and extra butter, if using.  Serve straight away.

Per serving - 430 kcal, 10.1g fat, 4.2g saturated fat, 2.7g sugar, 0.2g salt.

Source - The Co-operative instore magazine.

Mushroom Burgers - Recommended Recipe!

Mushroom Burgers - serves 4, preparation 5 minutes, cooking 5 minutes

Ingredients
4 portobello mushrooms or flat mushrooms
10g butter
2 tsp olive oil
30g Gruyere cheese or Cheddar, grated
A little fresh watercress
4 wholemeal rolls, lightly toasted
Relish of your choice (chilli relish or sweet chilli dipping sauce are the best)

Method

1. Preheat the grill to high.  Put the mushrooms on a baking tray.  Dot each one with a little butter and a tiny drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle over the grated cheese and grill for 5 minutes until cooked.
2. Scatter the watercress over the bottom halves of the bread rolls and top with the grilled mushrooms.  Dollop a little chilli or other relish of your choice on top.  Cover with the top halves of the rolls.

Per serving - 250 kcal, 9.3g fat, 3.9g saturated fat, 4.9g sugar, 1.0 salt.

Source - The Co-operative instore magazine.

Creamy coconut dahl - Recommended Recipe!

Creamy coconut dahl - serves 4, preparation 15 minutes, cooking 40 minutes

Ingredients
250g red lentils, rinsed
200ml reduced-fat coconut milk
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, sliced
5 tbsp oil
2.5cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp mustard or poppy seeds
Small bunch of fresh coriander leaves, washed
2 large naan bread, warmed, to serve

Method

1. Place the lentils in a saucepan with 400ml cold water.  Reserve 4 tbsp coconut milk and add the rest to the pan.  Season, bring to the boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  If the mixture gets too thick, add a little boiling water.
2. Fry the onion for 5-6 minutes in the oil.  Add ginger, garlic, garam masala, turmeric and mustard or poppy seeds and cook for 2 more minutes.  Add to the lentils with the coriander.  Spoon into bowls, drizzle with remaining coconut milk and serve with naan bread.

Per serving - 536 kcalories, sugar 6g, fat 17g, saturated fat 6g, salt 1.2g.

Source - Morrisons instore magazine.

Garlic & rosemary roast vegetables - Recommended Recipe!

Garlic and rosemary roast vegetables - serves 8, preparation 15 minutes, cooking 50-60 minutes.

Ingredients
1kg Maris Piper potatoes
4 parsnips
4 carrots
4 tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic
Few sprigs of rosemary, washed
Salt & pepper

Method

1. Peel the potatoes and parsnips and cut into quarters.  Halve the carrots.  Boil potatoes in salted water for 12 minutes, adding the parsnips to the pan for the last 3-4 minutes.  Drain the vegetables and shake them in the pan until fluffy.  Set aside.
2. Heat a roasting tin on the hob with the oil and add potatoes, parsnips, carrots, unpeeled garlic cloves and rosemary.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast at 200C/Gas 6 for 45-50 minutes.

Source - Morrisons instore magazine.

Ribollita-style soup - Recommended Recipe!

Ribollita-style soup - serves 4, preparation 20 mins, cooking 40 mins

Ingredients
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 onion, sliced
Pinch crushed dried chillies
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp thyme leaves, washed
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 carrots, diced
250g savoy cabbage, shredded
1 litre vegetable stock
400g tinned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 slices toasted country-style white bread and 1 peeled garlic clove, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan.  Fry the onion over a low heat for 5-6 minutes.  Add the chillies and garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
2. Stir in the tomato puree and thyme and cook for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, carrots and cabbage.  Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
3. Add the cannellini beans and simmer for 2 moreminutes.  rub the bread slices with garlic, drizzle with olive oil and put one in each bowl.  Pour over the soup and serve.

Per serving - 351 kcalories, sugar 12g, fat 14g, saturated fat 2g, salt 0.9g.

Source - Morrisons instore magazine.

Discovery Mexican Fajita Recipe Kit Review

Another parcel popped through my door the other day... another great product from Discovery Foods!  We have reviewed one of their fajita kits before - the Mexican BBQ flavour - but this time we received the orginal Mexican flavour.  Now, this one has a bit more of a "kick" and is more suited to my taste buds!  It is still family-friendly though as my children happily ate the fajitas, although some may find it too spicy for their children... mine are used to eating spicy foods and we always encourage them to at least try whatever we eat and it has not done them any harm yet!

Again, the kit contains the spice mix, tortilla wraps and a tomato salsa.  It's very quick and easy to make  - a simple one-pan meal which means for me, less washing up and more time for playing with the kids, walking the dog, blogging, etc,etc!!!

We served the fajitas with a simple side salad but would also be complemented by some spicy potato wedges or curly fries (my youngest's favourite at the moment - but I don't mind too much as he doesn't like chips at all!)

You can also buy the spice mixes separately - I think chicken and kidney beans stir-fried with the spice mix and served with boiled rice would make a lovely Mexican alternative to chilli con carne.  You could even just use mixed beans and vegetables for a great vegetarian alternative.  The flavours of the spice mix are strong enough to hold their own in a recipe and so would be compatible with almost anything!

Keep your eye on the Discovery Foods Facebook page for updates and news; and don't forget Freebie Friday!

Have a look in your local supermarket for the full range of recipe kits - the new sized boxes fit great on the shelf and in your cupboard, using less cardboard and so reducing their (and your!) carbon footprint!

And, never fear, if you can't find what you want in your local supermarket, you can now order Discovery products online here via Discovery Foods Direct.  Now there's no excuse for an empty store cupboard as delivery is usually made within 48 hours of the order being placed!  With the warm weather back with us, get planning your Mexican party evenings and share the Mexican love!

Discovery Mexican BBQ Fajita Recipe Kit Review

Thanks to the guys over at Discovery, we had the chance to sample the new Mexican BBQ Fajita kit.  The kit includes the spice mix, sour cream and plain flour tortilla wraps so the only ingredients you need to add are the chicken, peppers and onions.

When shopping, watch out for the new packaging on the shelf.... using 15% less cardboard than the older design is better for our planet!  My husband nearly popped to the shop to buy wraps as he didn't believe they were in the pack, but trust me they are!

The spice mix is a mild, family friendly one - I love food with a bit of a kick - this has a good flavour but not too hot for younger children to enjoy.  It was easy to make - no lengthy marinating time so a quick decision tea is possible!  Including preparation, it took about 25 minutes from start to finish - enough time for a quick read of the newspaper in peace whilst the children changed out of their school uniforms (and the potatoes steamed!).

We had the Mexican BBQ fajitas with a green side salad and home-grown baby new potatoes (the onions we used were home-grown too!).  Four clean plates shows that it was enjoyed by all 4 of us and was a great Friday evening meal! As the kit itself is vegetarian and vegan friendly, you can substitute the meat for more vegetables and/or lentils to make a great tasting vegetarian dish too.

This is great addition to the range and I look forward to the next new ideas coming up!

Pop over to the Discovery Facebook page and give them a wave... there you can keep up to date with new products and, of course, their Freebie Friday giveaways!