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Chicken & leek pasta bake with a crunchy top

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chicken leek pasta bake with a crunchy top

Ingredients

Ingredients
400g dried spinach pasta (we used Seeds of Change spinach trottole pasta, available from Tesco)
2 leeks, cleaned and finely sliced
1 courgette, grated
3 tbsp pesto
2 tbsp low fat soft cheese
2 tbsp fine breadcrumbs
25g butter
25g plain flour
250ml milk
1 tsp olive oil
2-3 (depending on size) skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into cubes
1 skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes
? onion very finely chopped (optional)
Tip
Use the chicken base

You can also use the chicken base for this recipe to make our chicken & broccoli potato-topped pie, or our creamy chicken & sweetcorn soup.

More batch cooking ideas

See more batch cooking recipes to save time and stress when preparing family meals.

Direction

For the base, melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for a few mins, stirring all the time. Now, using a whisk or spatula, carefully stir in the milk, a little at a time, making sure the sauce stays smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for a couple of mins until it thickens – it will be very thick. Turn the heat right down and keep cooking for 5 mins, stirring often.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry all of the chicken in batches until it starts to colour lightly at the edges. Scoop out each batch of chicken and put it on a plate. Add the onion to the pan if you are using it, and cook over a low heat until soft. Add the chicken and any juices and the onion to the white sauce, fold it in and cook the mixture for a further 15 mins or until the chicken is cooked through. If you’re making the base ahead of time, you can leave it to cool at this stage then freeze in an airtight container for up to a month. (Defrost fully before using in the next step.)

Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Put the leeks in a pan with a little water, cover and cook until very soft. Drain, then return to the pan with the courgette, pesto and soft cheese, stir everything together, add the chicken base and stir well, then heat until just bubbling. Add a splash of water if it’s very thick.

Stir the pasta into the chicken mixture and tip into a large baking dish. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and grill the top until it browns.

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First marinate the chicken: In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, white vinegar, and cornstarch until the cornstarch dissolves.

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recipe image legacy id 315527 11

Bobotie

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Pour cold water over the bread and set aside to soak. Meanwhile, fry the onions in the butter, stirring regularly for 10 mins until they are soft and starting to colour. Add the garlic and beef and stir well, crushing the mince into fine grains until it changes colour. Stir in the curry paste, herbs, spices, chutney, sultanas and 2 of the bay leaves with 1 tsp salt and plenty of ground black pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 mins. Squeeze the water from the bread, then beat into the meat mixture until well blended. Tip into an oval ovenproof dish (23 x 33cm and about 5-6cm deep). Press the mixture down well and smooth the top. You can make this and chill 1 day ahead. For the topping, beat the milk and eggs with seasoning, then pour over the meat. Top with the remaining bay leaves and bake for 35-40 mins until the topping is set and starting to turn golden.

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Prawn, pumpkin & coconut stew

Halve the onion, then cut each half into crescent moon-shaped wedges about 2cm thick at the thickest part. Heat the oil in a casserole dish. Cook the onion until soft and pale gold, then add the garlic, chillis and ginger, and cook for 2 mins more. Stir in the coconut cream, stock and some seasoning. Heat carefully, but don’t let it boil.

Add the pumpkin and potato, season again, then add the coriander stalks. Simmer until the pumpkin and potatoes are tender. Use a wooden spoon to squash some of the pumpkin if you want to to thicken the stew a little, but don’t break it down too much (you don’t want a purée).

Add the prawns and spinach. Cook gently until the prawns are opaque, about 3 mins. Stir in the lime juice, sugar and fish sauce. Taste the stew, then adjust the flavour with more lime or fish sauce as needed. Roughly chop the coriander leaves, then stir them through. Top each portion of the stew with some sliced red chilli, and serve with lime wedges on the side.

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Next level chilli con carne

Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Over a high heat, toast the whole chillies on all sides until you can smell them cooking, then remove and set aside. Keep the pan on the heat and toast the peppercorns, cumin seeds and coriander seeds until they just start to change colour, then grind to a powder using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Mix with the smoked paprika and oregano (this is a standard tex-mex seasoning), then set aside.

Return the casserole to the heat, add half the oil and heat until shimmering. Fry the beef in batches, adding more oil if you need to, until it’s browned on all sides, then set aside. Fry the onions in the pan over a low heat for about 8 mins until soft and golden, then add the garlic and cook for 1 min more. Working fast, add the meat and juices, the spice mix, tomato purée, peanut butter and coffee to the pan and cook for 2-3 mins, stirring to coat the meat until everything is thick and gloopy, then pour in the vinegar and stock.

Add the toasted chillies back into the casserole, along with the bay leaves, cinnamon and some salt. Bring to a simmer and stir well, then cover with the lid and cook in the oven for 3hrs, stirring occasionally, until the meat is very tender but not falling apart. Take the casserole out of the oven, put back on the stove and remove the lid. Simmer the sauce for 5 mins, then stir in the semolina flour and simmer for 2-3 mins more. Finely grate over the chocolate, stir through with the beans and simmer for a minute more to heat through. Fish out the chillies, then leave everything to rest for at least 15 mins.

Bring the pan to the table. Serve with bowls of accompaniments and the chilli paste (see tip below) to add heat.

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Poutine

For the gravy, toss the chicken wings in 1 tbsp of the flour, then heat the oil and butter in a large pan. Fry the chicken wings until well browned on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the onion to the pan and cook for 8-10 mins until soft and turning brown at the edges. When the onions are cooked, add the remaining flour and stir well. Put the chicken wings back in the pan, then add the carrot, bay leaf, stocks and garlic. Bring to the boil and cook for 15 mins. Strain the mixture through a sieve into another pan and simmer for another 10 mins or until thick, seasoning to taste. For the chips, scrub the potatoes but leave the skins on. Chop into chunky chips and put them in a bowl filled with cold water. Pour sunflower oil into a large pan until it is just less than half full, then heat until it reaches 125C. Drain the chips from the water and pat dry with a clean tea towel. When the oil is ready, carefully lower 1/4 of the chips into the pan. Fry for 12 mins, then remove with the slotted spoon and lay on a wire rack covered with kitchen paper. Repeat the process with the remaining chips. When they have all had their first fry, increase the temperature to 190C and fry the chips in small batches again, this time for 5 mins or until golden brown. Sprinkle the chips with salt once done, keeping them warm on a wire rack or grill tray in a low oven while you fry the rest. To finish the dish, pile the chips into deep bowls, warm the gravy and pour it over the chips. Top with pieces of cheese and serve immediately.

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Ham & veg crumble

Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large frying pan, chop the remaining butter into small chunks and put in the fridge. Add the leeks, carrots, parsnips and celeriac to the pan with a splash of water, season, cover with a lid and cook for 10-15 mins, stirring now and then, until the veg is beginning to soften. Stir in 2 tbsp plain flour, then add the stock bit by bit, stirring as you go, until all incorporated and smooth. Cover with a lid and simmer for 20 mins until the vegetables are tender. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 6. Add the ham, all but 2 tbsp of the crème fraîche, and the mustard, season with plenty of black pepper and transfer to an ovenproof baking dish. Put the remaining butter and flour in a bowl and season. Rub together with your fingers to a fine crumbly texture. Add the remaining crème fraîche and mix with a cutlery knife until the crumble clumps together in places. Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the filling, then bake for 35-40 mins until crispy and golden on top.

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