COOK SMART KITCHEN HACKS

Offering free school meals to all pupils will undoubtedly involve feeding more children than the kitchen is used to – with the same amount of time to prepare.

This means staff will need to find ways to be more efficient, without compromising on taste, healthiness or staff morale. We spoke to our chef trainer Nerissa Buckley for her top tips on preparing for universal free school meals.

Ordering prepared items like peeled onions saves time, but make sure you’re saving at least the difference in cost of product, in labour time.

Repurpose leftovers as much as possible. Re-using cooked lentils and adding to a shepherd’s pie to bulk out, for example, can cut down on cost and time.

Always try to think ahead on the prep. If you have some time with not much to do, slice some onions and put them in the fridge ready to go.

Batch cook. “Cooking smarter is fundamental,” says Nerissa. “Train kitchen staff to batch cook and cook in ways that save time and equipment.”

Cook the whole vegetable, for example, a whole cauliflower, so you’re not spending loads of time preparing vegetables.

Organise the kitchen, dry store, fridges and freezersensure everything is clearly labelled.

Don’t peel vegetables unless you have to! Carrots can just be washed, potatoes can just be washed (mash with potato skins on is absolutely fine!) the skins also add extra nutrients.

Think of all the small tasks you can fit in ahead of time. E.g. prep veg the day before, make large batches of sauces, weigh out ingredients for cake/ bread the day before, make extra trays of cake that can be frozen, such as butternut squash cake.

Tomato sauce - make a lot. It can be refrigerated/ frozen in batches and used for pasta, pizza, curry bases, chilli con carne base, bolognese base etc, see our Basic sauce recipe.

Baking bread from scratch? Make focaccia dough on Friday, to bake Monday. Or on Monday to last the week. Portion and prove it in the fridge in the trays it will be baked in. Need a recipe? Head to page 23.

RECIPE: JOLLOF RICE

PORTIONS: 100

BLITZ

WASH RICE WELL.

PARBOIL RICE.

WHEN ALL WATER IS EVAPORATED, ADD YOUR PASTE AND CONTINUE TO COOK THE RICE WITH LID ON UNTIL COOKED THROUGH.

RECIPE: FOCACCIA 2 DAY FERMENTED

PORTIONS: 1 x 100mm 1/1 Gastronorm tray (60 -80 portions, depending on primary or secondary)

INGREDIENTS QUANTITY METHOD

WHOLEMEAL FLOUR 0.5KG FINE SALT 1 TSP

DRIED YEAST 8g (or 5g if proving all wknd)

TEPID WATER 700ml ROSEMARY/THYME 1 STICK

BREAD FLOUR 0.5KG PUT FLOUR, SALT AND YEAST INTO A MIXER ON LOW. ADD WATER AND 50ML OLIVE OIL & MIX FOR 10 MINS OR UNTIL THE DOUGH COMES AWAY CLEAN FROM THE BOWL, LINE YOUR TRAYS WITH PARCHMENT PAPER TIP DOUGH ONTO A CLEAN WORK SURFACE AND PORTION INTO THE NUMBER OF TRAYS YOU’RE BAKING. PUT EACH PORTION INTO A LINED TRAY AND PUSH DOUGH OUT TO FILL THE TRAY. COVER WITH CLING FILM AND A LID AND LEAVE IN THE FRIDGE OVERNIGHT OR OVER THE WEEKEND. IN THE MORNING, PREHEAT OVEN ON COMBI 220C & 90% HUMIDITY.

TAKE TRAYS OUT OF THE FRIDGE AND UNCOVER. DRIZZLE WITH OLIVE OIL, HERBS, GARLIC AND SEA SALT AND DIMPLE THE DOUGH ALL OVER WITH YOUR FINGERS PUT IN OVEN, USE THE HOSE TO SPRAY THE SURFACE OF THE DOUGH WITH WATER AND CLOSE THE DOOR. BAKE FOR 1015MINS TIL LIGHT BROWN ON TOP.

THEN SWITCH OVEN TO DRY HEAT AND 170C AND BAKE FOR ANOTHER 10 MINS.

BREAD IS READY WHEN THE INTERNAL TEMP READS AT LEAST 90C WITH A PROBE THERMOMETER

RECIPE: PENNE PASTA IN STEAMER

PORTIONS: 100

INGREDIENTS QUANTITY METHOD

DRIED PENNE PASTA 5.5KG DIVIDE INTO FOUR GASTROS. COVER WITH SALTED HOT WATER AND PLACE IN A STEAMER AT 130C FOR 10 MINUTES.

DRAIN AND SERVE. IF NOT USING IMMEDIATELY REFRESH IN COLD WATER AND CHILL.

RECIPE: VEGETABLE TOMATO SAUCE

PORTIONS: 100

INGREDIENTS QUANTITY METHOD

ONIONS, SLICED

1.5KG ROAST SQUASH AND CAULIFLOWER WHOLE UNTIL SOFT AT 220C BOIL LENTILS UNTIL SOFT.

SWEAT ONIONS AND LEEKS IN OIL UNTIL TRANSLUCENT THEN ADD GARLIC AND ROSEMARY. ADD CARROTS, PEPPERS AND COURGETTES AND COOK FOR 10 MINS.

PICK CAULIFLOWER AND ADD. CUT SQUASH IN HALF AND REMOVE PULP. ADD TOMATO PASTE AND COOK FOR 5 MINS THEN ADD SQUASH PULP, LENTILS, PASSATA AND TINNED TOMATOES

STIR WELL AND COOK FOR 45 MINS - IF TOO THICK - ADD WATER.

BLITZ TO A SAUCE.

RECIPE: BUTTERNUT SQUASH CAKE

PORTIONS: 1 TRAY - 60 PORTIONS

Ingredients Quantity

COOKED BUTTERNUT SQUASH, DICED AND STEAMED 500G

METHOD

PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 170C

CREAM BUTTER AND SUGAR TOGETHER ADD EGGS WHILE MIXING ADD COOKED SQUASH

ADD DRY INGREDIENTS

POUR IN A LINED GASTRO

BAKE FOR 40 MINS

PORTION 40G-50G PER CHILD

RECIPE: SQUASH AND RED LENTIL DHAL

PORTIONS: 100

FRY ONIONS UNTIL SOFT, ADD GARLIC MINCE AND SPICES. COOK FOR A FEW MINUTES THEN ADD THE SQUASH. FRY FOR 5 MORE MINS.

ADD LENTILS, STOCK AND COCONUT MILK. COOK UNTIL SQUASH IS TENDER.

SEASON TO TASTE.

RECIPE: FLAPJACK

PORTIONS: 1 TRAY - 60 PORTIONS

INGREDIENTS QUANTITY METHOD

BUTTER 500G PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 160C

MELT BUTTER, SUGAR AND HONEY

ADD FRUIT, CINNAMON AND OATS - MIX WELL

PRESS INTO LINED GASTRO

BAKE FOR 20 MINS

PORTION 40G-50G PER CHILD