Pepper, Pesto & Sweetcorn Calzones--Recipes For Dinner

Pepper, Pesto & Sweetcorn Calzones

Ingredients

500g pack bread mix
100g passata
290g jar roasted red peppers, drained and roughly chopped
100g frozen sweetcorn
125g ball mozzarella, torn into pieces
50g Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated
handful basil leaves, torn
50g pesto
1 egg, beaten
dressed salad leaves, to serve

Method

1. Make up the bread mix to pack instructions, reserving a little of the flour for dusting, and leave to prove for 30 mins.

2. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Tip the dough onto a floured surface and cut into quarters. Roll each ball of dough to a circle, roughly 20cm wide. Spread a little passata over each base, leaving a border of about 1cm around the edge. Season well.

3. Top with the peppers, sweetcorn, mozzarella, Parmesan, basil and blobs of pesto. Fold each base in half, to make a half-moon shape, then squeeze the edges together, rolling them a little to stick and create a seal. Cover the tray with cling film and leave for 10 mins. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas

4. Brush the calzones all over with beaten egg, then bake for 25-30 mins or until puffed and golden brown. Serve with dressed salad leaves.

Mozzarella Beef Wraps--Recipes For Dinner

Mozzarella beef wraps

Ingredients

12 thin-cut sandwich or minute steak, about 85g/3oz each, or 6 small sirloin steaks, about 140g/5oz each

small bunch basil, leaves only

2 x 150g balls mozzarella, torn

1 tbsp oil

300g SunBlush pepper from the deli counter, plus 1 tbsp of their oil

handful black or green olives

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method

1. Heat oven to 230C/fan 210C/gas 8. Season steaks, place a few basil leaves on each and split the mozzarella between them. Bring the sides of the steaks together to make an open parcel, securing the edges with a cocktail stick. If making up to a day ahead, cover and chill.

2. Heat a heavy-based roasting tin on a high heat, add the oil and brown the beef on all sides – this should take about 1 min in total and the meat will still be rare in the middle.

3. Add the peppers, their oil and the olives to the tin, pour over the vinegar, then roast for 2-3 mins for medium rare, longer for well done. Cover with foil and leave to rest for up to 5 mins. Scatter over remaining basil before serving.

Vegetable vegan biriyani with carrot salad--Recipes For Dinner

Vegetable vegan biriyani with carrot salad

Ingredients

400g basmati rice
pinch saffron
 threads (optional)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cauliflower, cut into florets
2 potato, cut into chunks
100g red lentil
100g French bean, trimmed and cut in half
handful curry leaves
2 handfuls frozen pea
small bunch coriander
50g roasted cashew nuts, roughly chopped
poppadoms and naan bread, to serve

For the paste

1 large onion, roughly chopped
large piece ginger, roughly chopped
5 garlic clove
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small green chilli

For the carrot salad

4 carrot
pinch of golden caster sugar
squeeze lemon juice
handful cashew nuts, roughly chopped
handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped
thumb-sized piece ginger, shredded into matchsticks
1 tsp cumin seed, toasted

Method

1. Soak the rice for 30 mins, then rinse in several changes of water until it runs clear. Cover with about 1 cm water, add the saffron (if using), cover the pan, bring to the boil, stir once, then turn off the heat. Leave for 10 mins, covered, then stir again and leave to stand, covered.

2.To make the paste, blitz all the ingredients together in a food processor. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Tip in the paste, then add the cauliflower and potatoes. Cook in the paste to colour, then add the lentils and green beans, and cover with about 400ml water. Add the curry leaves, season with salt, cover with a lid and simmer for 20 mins until the lentils and vegetables are tender Add the peas for the last 2 mins to defrost. Stir the rice through the curry until completely mixed and hot, then spoon onto a platter and scatter with coriander and cashews.

3. For the carrot salad, use a peeler to shave the carrots into ribbons. Sprinkle with the sugar and dress with the lemon juice, then toss with the other ingredients. Serve the biryani on a large platter for everyone to help themselves, with the carrot salad on the side, poppadoms for any vegans and naan bread for the vegetarians.

Beef & orange stir-fry--Recipes For Dinner

Beef & orange stir-fry

Ingredients

200g purple sprouting or Tenderstem broccoli
4 tsp groundnut oil
400g rump steak, trimmed of any excess fat and cut into thin strips
2 tsp cornflour
2 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
4 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 red chilli, thinly sliced (deseeded if you don't like it too hot)
4 spring onion, halved and sliced lengthways
2 orange, 1 juiced and 1 cut into segments
1½ tbsp clear honey
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
steamed rice or noodles, to serve

Method

1. Steam or boil the broccoli for 3-4 mins until tender. Drain and run under cold water.

2. Heat 2 tsp of the oil in a non-stick wok or large frying pan and toss the beef strips in cornflour. When the oil is hot, fry the beef for 1-2 mins to brown, then put to one side.

3. Heat the remaining oil in the pan, then toss in the peppers and fry for 2 mins. Add the ginger, garlic, chilli and 3 spring onions, and cook for 1 min more, taking care not to burn the garlic. Add the orange juice, honey, rice vinegar and soy, and bubble down briefly before stirring in the broccoli, beef and orange segments. Heat through, then sprinkle with the remaining chopped spring onion. Serve with rice or noodles.