Asparagus with a Goat’s Cheese and Beetroot Mousse
Winter Vegetable Stack with Gremolata Mash and Minty Pea Sauce
Chocolate and All-Bran Banana Cake
Our recipe competition for school students demanded original recipes that demonstrated the best of vegetarian cooking, whilst using as many seasonal ingredients as possible! We were overwhelmed with entries and the judging wasn’t easy, but here are the winners…
Asparagus with a Goat’s Cheese and Beetroot Mousse
Ingredients
20 organic asparagus spears, peeled and trimmed
350g creamy, soft goat’s cheese
300ml single cream
½ clove garlic
Salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 small, cooked beetroot
Small handful of lettuce
Method
1. Remove woody stalks from asparagus and cook in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Plunge in cold water to stop cooking.
2. Blend cheese in food processor then add cream, garlic, salt to taste and a pinch of cayenne pepper and process until thick. Pour into a large bowl.
3. Blend the beetroot in a liquidiser until juiced. Strain into a small bowl.
4. Add the beetroot to the goat’s cheese mix and lightly fold.
5. Spoon into a small chef ring and smooth with a spoon.
6. Chill in fridge on the serving plate. Decorate with lettuce leaves and serve with asparagus.
Winter Vegetable Stack with Gremolata Mash and Minty Pea Sauce
Ingredients
Vegetable Stack
1tbs olive oil
1 organic red onion, finely chopped
½ organic celery stalk, finely chopped
1 garlic clove
Bay leaves
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
100g Puy lentils
1 tbsp tomato puree
200ml organic vegetable stock
Potato Topping
1 large organic baking potato
1 knob of butter or margarine
Grated rind of one lemon
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Minty Pea Sauce
1 shallot (or small onion)
1 tsp olive oil
100g frozen peas, defrosted
1 veggie stock cube
25ml créme fraiche
Serve with:
1 carrot, cut into batons (approximately ½cm wide strips).
Method
1. Heat oil in pan, add onion, celery, garlic and bay leaves and sweat until soft. Add vinegar, tomato puree and lentils. Cover with stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook very gently for 15 minutes, topping with liquid if necessary.
2. Meanwhile, peel and chop potatoes and place in steamer for 25 minutes. Peel and cut carrots into batons and steam for 15 minutes.
3. Mash potatoes and stir in butter, lemon, garlic and parsley.
4. Make pea sauce: Fry shallot in oil for a few minutes, then add peas, crumbled stock cube and 150 ml water. Season to taste. Bring to boil, then take off heat. Whizz with a blender. Return to pan, stir in crème fraiche and keep warm.
5. Present plate: layer carrot batons in centre of plate. Use a chef’s ring to mould lentils mixture, top with mash and place carefully on top of layer of carrots. Drizzle sauce around edges of plate.
Chocolate and All-Bran Banana Cake
Ingredients
40g All-bran cereal
60g raisins
25cl milk
80g plain flour
5g baking powder
2g baking soda
Pinch of salt
95g mashed banana
40g caster sugar
15g brown sugar
25ml vegetable oil
2 eggs
For the sauce
75g butter or margarine
75g good quality cooking chocolate
75g icing sugar
2 ½ tbsp Milk
10 cherries
Method
1. Preheat oven to 175C°. Lightly grease the bottom of 2 small circular cake tins.
2. In a bowl, mix the cereal, raisins and milk. Leave to stand for five minutes.
3. While waiting, remove stones from cherries and cut them into small pieces.
4. In a large bowl, sieve together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
5. In a separate bowl, mash up the banana and then add sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil and eggs. Mix well
6. Combine the cereal and banana mixtures. Fold in the sieved flour mixture until well combined.
7. Divide mixture evenly between the two cake tins.
8. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted through the middle comes out clean.
9. Chocolate topping: melt the butter, chocolate, icing sugar and milk in a pan over simmering water. Stir well and add the chopped cherries.
10. Remove the cake from the cake tins. Spread half the sauce over the surface of one of the cakes. Sandwich the other cake on top and spread the remaining sauce over the top to the cake.
Youth Education Officer Jamie with competition winners Adam, Caroline and their prizes at Linlithgow Academy.