The Cooking Academy - cookery school

Last minute Christmas Gifts

If you still have that elusive gift to buy for someone with a passion for food why not buy them cookery gift vouchers for a cookery class at The Cooking Academy.  This is ideal gift who someone who loves to cook and wants a little inspiration in the kitchen.  It also pays dividends back to you in the form of fabulous homecooked recipes that makes your mouth water. 

Don’t worry about delivery – you can print off your voucher instantly so that you still have something to give on the 25th December. 

Our cookery voucher start from £50 and we offer a wide range of cookery classes for the novice – right up to courses for chef’s. 

Visit our website on http://www.thecookingacademy.co.uk/AboutUs.phpor call us on 01923 778880 for further information. 

Turkey Somosas's - great for left over turkey or chicken

Turkey Somosas – A great recipe for left over turkey

If you always have the problem ‘What to  do with left over turkey’ then here’s a great alternative to the usual curry pot. 

Have a go at making our tried, tested and much loved recipe for Turkey Somosas and turn leftovers into scrummy canapes  for your guests over Christmas.  It is easy to make and there are lots of ingredients that can be used as substitutes to use up all your left over vegetables from the fridge.  For example if you can’t find somosas pastry then use filo pastry, or even puff pastry and instead of frying them just bake them in the oven brushed with a little egg. 

Turkey Somosas

 Ingredients:

Section 1 – somosa filling

300g cooked turkey meat – shredded of the joint

5 stems salad onions finely chopped

2 finely chopped Thai chillies (these are much less hotter so provide volume and texture)

100g garden peas

60g sugar snap peas finely shredded (substitute with Red pepper if necessary)

30g bean sprouts

1 tsp sesame seeds

1 tbsp grated ginger

Salt to taste

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 large handful chopped coriander

30 g or a handful of fresh coriander

4 tbsp chilli & fennel spice blend – see our web site for the recipe

 Section 2

Somosas pastry or Filo pastry

50g Plain flour

Cold water

Vegetable Oil to fry

Cooking Instruction:

To make the somosas filling:

 In a large mixing bowl add all the ingredients in section 1 and mix well.  Taste to season accordingly with salt and additional chillies if required. 

 Filling the somosas:

1. Start by making a flour paste (edible glue) to bind the somosas together. Mix flour and water in a bowl until it is pancake consistency. 
2.  Now separate the somosa pastry one slice at a time covering the pastry you are not using with a slightly damp cloth. Create pocket as shown in the class and fill. Be careful to seal all the edges to prevent leaking whilst frying.
3. Heat oil to deep fry and slowly slide the somosas into the oil at the sides, cook for 1.5 minutes on either side or until golden brown.
4. Remove from oil onto absorbent paper to drain any oil and serve. 

 Cooks Hint 1: Don’t be afraid to be generous with the ‘edible glue’ as it will dry out like the pastry and stop the somosa from opening in the cooking process

Cooks Hint 2: Be careful the oil is not too hot as it will brown the somosas without heating the filling sufficiently. 

Cooks Hint 3: The somosas can be frozen flat on a tray once made but before frying

 Serving Tip: Allow somosas to cool for a moment or two before serving as they are too hot to eat straight away.

 Recipe by Kumud Gandhi – Founder of The Cooking Academy- Cookery School

Recipes to pep up the Brussels

Brussel Sprouts!  Are you still boiling  yours ?

Love or loathe them, they’re a fabulous little winter vegetable packed with earthy flavour and goodness, their medicinal qualities are somewhat overshadowed by their reputation for smelly after-effects.  But it all depends on what you do with them. So here are 3 alternative recipes:

 Steam the sprouts with just 50 ml water and covered either in the microwave or on the hob.  Once fully cooked, mash with parmesan cheese, some double cream a little black pepper and salt to season – serve them as an alternative mash potato or bubble & squeak patties.

 Another alternative is to toss them in a little butter, a generous helping of garlic and sliced almonds, fry on a high heat for 2 minutes, then turn them out into a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes.  Serve with any other main course dish

My third suggestion is equally simple, quick and tasty.  Tossing a knob of butter into a baking tray, add some pancetta or lardons, the raw sprouts topped and tailed, some chesnuts and some rosemary, mix together and roast for 40 minutes at 180 degrees.  Once cooked, season with a little pepper, salt is unnecessary as it will come from the pancetta or lardons.

Nutritional Value of the ‘Super food’ league

Brussel Sprouts are high in antioxidant properties, they have three times the level of vitamin C of an orange.  Unlike most vegetables, Brussel Sprouts are high in protein as well, providing just over a quarter of their calories. Four-to-six sprouts contain the adult daily requirements for vitamin C.  They’re also an excellent source of vitamin B6, vitamin D, vitamin K, beta-carotene, potassium and folic acid during pregnancy.     As if this wasn’t enough, Brussels sprouts contain numerous cancer-fighting phytochemicals in the form of glucosinolates.  A 100 g serving of cooked Brussels sprouts provides 35 calories, 2.3 g of protein, no cholesterol, 0.4 g of fat, 7.2 g of carbohydrate, and 3.3 g of fibre.  With such an impressive resume their definately worth their salt! 

Recipes by Kumud Gandhi – founder of The Cooking Academy- a Cookery school in Hertfordshire  that puts the medicinal value of food at the heart of everything they teach.  For further infromation please contact Sonia Basra at The Cooking Academy 01923 778880

Jazz up the Cranberry sauce - Recipe from The Cooking Academy

Cranberry sauce – spice it up !

 If you like the idea of cranberry sauce but find traditional jars too sweet then you might like my alternative. My ‘left over turkey’ somosa recipe will be a willing accompaniment as a dip to this dish so look that one too.  

I’ve taken a regular jar of cranberry sauce, add 1 tsp of dried chilli flakes, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp of ground roasted cumin, 1 tbsp of lemon juice and 3 tbsp of orange juice.  The consistency is now perfect as a dip, to accompany your turkey roast dinner or the somosas. Give it a go…..

Recipe by Kumud Gandhi – Founder of The Cooking Academy

Cookery team building for Christmas - The Roche Way

Roche products based in Welwyn wanted a Christmas party with a difference, something that that had a team building element and would facility more than drinking and a meal.  

All hands to the deck

They decided upon a cookery team building event at The Cooking Academy.   The objective was to have fun, learn something that they could take away for their personal experience and be together as a group. 

Here at The cooking Academy we put together corporate cookery events for our clients to have an all inclusive, fun teambuild that also provides a personal growth element that individuals will be able to take away and do for themselves in their domestic lives. 

We created a Christmas theme that would give the delegates alternative recipes for Christmas dinner and all the trimmings that go with it. 

To find out more about our corporate cookery events plrease contact us on 01923 778880 or speak to Cara at The Cooking Academy

Cookery vouchers for Christmas presents

Swift Solutions for Christmas – The gift that just keeps giving

Take the stress out of christmas shopping and make an investment in someones culinary skills.  This is the one christmas present where you will benefit from enjoying a homecooked meal by the recipient of ‘A cookery Gift Voucher’. Buy your family and friends a cookery gift, we have a number of offers to make the decision an easy one.  If you have attended one of our classes before, we’ll give you £10 off any voucher you buy.  We are also offering a free voucher for every 5 you purchase.  The vouchers are valid for 12 months. 

call us on 0845 0 68 58 48 to arrange a voucher. or email cara@thecookingacademy.co.uk

Kumud's recipes for Leek and Potato soup

Kumud’s recipes for Local leeks and potato soup

On a cold winters night like tonight this recipe for Leek and Potato soup will go down a treat!  Both leeks and potatoes are at their best and so what better time to eat the seasonal good stuff.  This recipe is very quick and easy and cook time is really quite manageable for after work without losing the will to live!   With such little maintenance you can go grab a bath whilst the soup is simmering and it’ll ready to eat on your return.  

Serve with some crusty wholemeal bread and make the meal a really nourishing treat as well as a winter warmer.

Nutritional Value:

Leeks are packed with anti oxidants, folic acid and are a good source of vitamin A, C, E and K .  Leeks also contain small amounts of zinc and potassium.  Its’ anti oxidant  and vitamin C value is the greatest as they develop resistence against bacteria and infectious agents.   For this time of year its just the sort of vitamin boost the body needs to keep it fighting fit.

 Leek & Potato Soup

 Serves 4

 Ingredients

 2 leeks, finely shredded, white & green parts

4 large rooster potatoes, peeled and diced

2 shallots, finely diced

750ml vegetable stock

A pinch of salt (0.25g)

4 sticks of celery – finely diced into ½ cm cubes

2 shallots, finely diced

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

5 bay leaves

25g unsalted butter

1 tsp salt or to taste

Pinch of black pepper

Splash double cream

 Cooking Instructions

 In a large pan, melt the butter then add the bay leaves, shallots, celery, and garlic and cook for 15 minutes without colouring but softened. Now add the leeks and cook for a further 15 minutes, stirring gently from time to time before adding the potatoes. Cook for a further 5 minutes.

 Now add the stock and bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn down to a gentle simmer and cook for 35-40 minutes or until the potatoes are tender to breaking up in the liquid.

Remove from the heat and liquidise the soup very gently; or if you prefer a little more texture then use a potato masher to lightly mash the solid vegetables.

Return to the heat; add the black pepper, stir and check the seasoning level, salt etc… now add the cream and serve with some fresh crusty bread

Cooks tip 1:

Cut the leeks lengthways from the top and fan open to ensure you wash out the grit from the top part of the leaves.