Lorraine Pascale's recipes for Composed in the Kitchen - Episode 3

Throughout January Scala Radio is offering tips and advice on how to stay healthy and happy in 2021. And a good place to start with a healthy regime is surely the food we eat.

Listen to Lorraine Pascale in her special four-part series every Sunday in January from 6pm as she combines restorative recipes with uplifting classical music.

In episode one Lorraine suggested Soothing Sag Aloo Soup, Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins, and Easy Spelt Pizza with Harissa, Mozzarella and Basil. Episode two's menu included Hot and Sour King Prawn Soup, Crunchy Black Pepper Halloumi, and Roast Peri Peri Chicken.

Recipes from the third episode can be found below.

Lorraine Pascale's Broccoli & Blue Cheese Soup with Chive Mascarpone & Warm Garlic Bread

Soup

Vegetable Oil

1 large leek

1 large potato

900ml good-quality chicken stock (fresh is best to use here)

1 whole head of broccoli

150g strong blue cheese, such as Stilton or Roquefort

Accompaniments

3 garlic cloves

Small handful of fresh chives

50g softened butter

1 French baguette

6 tablespoons mascarpone

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Put a drizzle of oil into a large pan over a medium heat and while it heats up, top and tail the leek, discarding most of the dark green bit. Then slit it lengthways, discard the hard outer leaves and wash under a cold tap. Finely slice and add to the pan, then give them a stir and leave to cook for about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the garlic butter. Peel and finely chop the garlic and finely chop the chives. Put all of the garlic and half of the chives into a small bowl with the softened butter and some salt and pepper. Mix and set aside.

3. Returning to the soup, peel and chop the potato into 1cm cubes and add to the softened leeks, along with the chicken stock. Turn up the heat and put the lid on to help bring it up to the boil quickly.

4. Once this is boiling, remove the lid, reduce the heat a little and leave to simmer away for 10 minutes or so.

5. Preheat the oven to 180ºC, (fan. 160ºC), 350ºF, Gas Mark 4 for the garlic bread.

6. Roughly chop the broccoli (including the stalk) and add to the soup for the last 5 minutes or so.

7. Now, divide the baguette into three even-sized pieces and split each one in half as if you were making a sandwich. Pop the bread, cut side up, on a baking tray and put in the oven for 5 minutes. (I have to really keep an eye on it as I sometimes don’t remember that it is in there!)

8. Meanwhile, put the remaining chives in a small bowl with the mascarpone. Season with salt and pepper and stir together once (otherwise it might go grainy), then set aside.

9. Remove the toasted bread from the oven, slather the cut sides with the garlic butter and return it to the oven for a further 4-5 minutes.

10. Once the soup is ready, check the potatoes and broccoli are cooked through and remove from the heat. Carefully blend the soup until smooth. Crumble in the blue cheese, give the soup another quick blitz and then season to taste.

11. Divide the soup between six serving bowls. Add a dollop of the chive mascarpone to each. Remove the garlic bread from the oven and serve a piece with each one.

Maple, Pecan and Cranberry Granola

Change things up to makes this a more summery. Home made granola. Replace Maple with honey, and cranberries with apricots.

Once you’ve made you’re own you won’t go back to shop bought! Make this in advance for the coming weeks ahead so you have longer in the mornings to enjoy this great weather! Recipe is from my book: fast, fresh and Easy Food.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Time baking in the oven: 15 minutes

Makes: 1.3kg

Equipment

2 large roasting trays,

Large bowl

Ingredients

125ml maple syrup

25g caster sugar

25ml sunflower oil

½ tsp vanilla extract

500g jumbo rolled oats

175g mixed seeds (such as pumpkin, sunflower,sunflower, sesame or linseeds)

150g pecans (or walnuts)

50g whole almonds

25g flaked almonds

75g desiccated coconut

Pinch of salt (optional)

2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

150g dried cranberries

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170 ° C, (fan 150 ° C), 325 ° F, Gas Mark 3. Line two large roasting trays with baking parchment and set aside. + Put the maple syrup, sugar, oil and vanilla extract into a large bowl and mix well. Then toss in the oats, mixed seeds, pecans (or walnuts), whole almonds, flaked almonds, coconut and salt and cinnamon, if using. Give the mixture a good stir and then get your hands in, picking it up and letting it fall down to coat and moisten everything really well.

2. Pour the mixture onto the roasting trays and spread it out evenly. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, giving it a good stir and swapping the trays about on their shelves halfway through.

3. The granola should be golden when cooked. Remove and leave to cool completely before stirring the cranberries through. Store in an airtight container for up to a month.

Butternut squash and sweet potato lasagne

Ingredients

50g/2oz parmesan (or a vegetarian alternative)

50g/2oz dried natural breadcrumbs

600g/1lb 5oz prepared sweet potato and butternut squash

pinch salt

4 sprigs rosemary

12 sage leaves

drizzle olive oil

12 lasagne sheets

75g/3oz baby spinach leaves

100g/3½oz toasted pine nuts (some supermarkets sell them toasted)

For the white sauce

100g/3½oz parmesan (or a vegetarian alternative)

2cm/¾in piece of fresh ginger

600g/1lb 5oz ricotta

2 free-range eggs, yolks only

pinch freshly grated nutmeg

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salad

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

pinch English mustard powder (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

80g/2oz wild rocket

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.

2. Put the kettle on to boil for the vegetables.

3. Meanwhile, finely grate the parmesan for the topping, toss in a small bowl with the breadcrumbs and set aside.

4. When the kettle has boiled, tip the prepared sweet potato and butternut squash into a large pan, add a little salt and then pour the boiled water over to cover. Put the lid on, bring back to the boil and then leave to bubble away for 15-20 minutes until tender.

5. Fill the kettle up with water again and pop it back on to boil while you quickly prepare the herbs for later. Run your fingers down the length of the rosemary stalks to release the leaves and roughly chop them with the sage leaves and set aside in a small bowl.

6. Pour the boiled water into a large pan, add a drizzle of oil, slip in the lasagne sheets and leave to cook for five minutes. (As there is not loads of liquid in this dish the lasagne sheets do need a bit of precooking).

7. In the meantime, prepare the sauce. Finely grate the parmesan and peel and grate the ginger. Place both into a medium bowl, add the ricotta, egg yolks, pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper, stir to combine and set aside.

8. Drain the lasagne sheets once they’ve had their time and tip them back into the pan. Drizzle in a little more oil and gently toss them about to coat, so that the sheets don’t stick together.

9. Check that the vegetables are now nice and tender. Drain well and tip them back into the pan. Mash them with a masher until smooth and add salt and pepper to taste.

10. Now assemble the lasagne in a baking dish, set on a baking tray. Spread a third of the vegetable mash in the base of the dish. Next, scatter a third of the herbs, pine nuts and spinach leaves over. Then arrange four lasagne sheets on top, cutting to fit if necessary. Spread a third of the white sauce over.

11. Repeat this two more times giving you three layers and finally sprinkle the parmesan breadcrumbs on top. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

12. Prepare the salad dressing by simply mixing the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard powder (if using) and seasoning together in a small bowl.

13. When the lasagne is ready, the pasta will feel tender when pierced through with a knife and the top will be crisp and golden-brown.

14. Cut it into portions, carefully lift out and serve with a handful of rocket drizzled with the dressing.

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