Stuffed Butternut Squash

Ingredients

1 large
(or 2 small)		 butternut squash (about 1.5 kg)
50 g butter
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
200 g Feta cheese
1 tbsp basil leaves, shredded
salt and pepper
olive oil

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
  2. Make sure the outside of the squash is scrubbed clean. Cut the squash in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds and soft fibres.
  3. Put in an ovenproof dish, put a little chopped garlic and a small nut of butter in each cavity, brush with olive oil and season well.
  4. Bake for about an hour, until the flesh feels very tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
  5. Carefully scoop out the soft flesh, and the buttery, garlicky juices, into a bowl, leaving a 1cm-thick layer of flesh still attached to the skin, so the squash holds its shape. Roughly mash the flesh.
  6. Fold the feta and basil into the soft squash, along with some more salt and pepper.
  7. Spoon the filling back into the two empty squash halves, return the squashes to the oven.
  8. Bake for a further 15 minutes before serving.

Coronation Chicken

A good use for left-over chicken.

Ingredients

left-over roasted chicken
3 tbsp mayonnaise
½ tsp curry powder
½ tsp cinnamon
handful sultanas
1 tbsp mango chutney
black pepper

Method

  1. Shred the chicken meat into bite sized chunks.
  2. Mix all the ingredients together.

Serve in sandwiches or on baked potatoes, etc.

Can be frozen but, if freezing, wait until thoroughly cooled and freeze in smallish portions.  Don’t keep longer than six weeks in the freezer.

Fajitas

You will need

chicken breasts cut into thin strips, less than 1 cm thick
red peppers cut into thin strips
onions sliced thinly
oil for cooking
1 packet fajita mix
serve
with		 tortillas
sour cream
guacamole and
salsa

Method

  1. Fry the chicken in a non-stick frying pan with a little oil, until golden.  Remove and drain. 
  2. Fry the onions and then add the peppers.  The peppers should still be a little crunchy.
  3. Add a packet of fajita mix and add the chicken back in.  Stir for about 3 mins.

Serve with tortillas, sour cream, guacamole and salsa.

Macaroni Cheese

Ingredients

100 g pasa shapes or macaroni
25 g butter or margarine
25 g flour
300 ml milk
100 g cheese, Cheddar or similar
½ tsp mustard
optional
ingredients		 small can tuna
100 g ham
50 g peas or sweetcorn
cooked onions or peppers

Method

  1. Cook the past and drain.
  2. Mix the margarine, flour, milk and mustard in a saucepan and whisk until the flour dissolves.
  3. Heat gently stirring all the time.  Bring to the boil and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Remove from the heat, add half the cheese, cooked pasta and any extras.  Season & stir together.
  5. Place in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
  6. Grill under a hot grill until bubbling and browning.

Pasta Salad

Ingredients

100 g pasta shapes, cooked
2 spring onions
½ red pepper
½ green pepper
75 ml natural yoghurt
75 ml mayonnaise

Method

  1. Cook the pasta in boiling water until soft, then drain.
  2. Chop all the vegetables and combine in a large bowl with the yoghurt, mayonnaise and some seasoning.
  3. Add the pasta and stir until it is well mixed in.

Serve cold.  It will keep in the fridge for a few days.