Recipes for spring, keeping well and keeping warm

Community Food Volunteer Lesley Main suggests: ” I’ve been trying since New year to have a healthy smoothie everyday. These are my favourites….”

• Green smoothie – a handful each of spinach and blueberries, half a banana, a few walnuts, a tablespoon of oats, a pinch of cinnamon whizzed up with whatever type of milk you prefer.
• With a handful of spinach blend a small pot of pineapple in juice, half a banana, some mango, a small piece of fresh ginger and some fruit juice or coconut water.

“A warming supper for a cold a day”

Gnocchi alla Romana

• 40g butter
• half litre of milk
• 125g semolina
• 50g grated parmesan
• 1 egg yolk
• 20g grated cheddar
• salt and pepper

1. Heat the milk with the butter, salt, and pepper. When simmering remove and whisk in the semolina, parmesan, and the egg (you can add a pinch of nutmeg too if wished).
2. Return to the heat and stir until thick and coming away from the side of the pan. Cool for 15mins.
3. Lay out a large piece of cling film and roll the mixture into a large sausage 4cm diameter. Put it in the fridge till ready to cook.
4. Heat oven to 180c, cut the cooled mixture into 2cm slices, and arrange slightly overlapping in a shallow oven dish. Sprinkle with cheddar and bake for 15mins.

This is lovely served with warm tomato and spinach. You can make this by heating a spoon of oil, add 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds, 1 clove of garlic,  then a tin of chopped tomatoes, a couple of spring onions, and a few handfuls of spinach. Cook until the spinach has wilted, then add the zest and juice of a 1 lime, and a little mint. Wash everything down with a glass of red wine! Buon appetito.

Duncan and Cameron McKendricks tablet is legendary down at Ravenscraig Walled Garden. Here is their recipe for Scottish Tablet. You’ll need:

• 1 heavy pot
• 1 large baking tray
• 1 wooden spoon
• 1 electric hand mixer
• 1 kg white sugar
• 2 oz butter
• 1 tin condensed milk
• 1 tin whole milk*

1. Put all the ingredients in the pot. *Use the condensed milk to add the amount of milk you need.
2. Heat the ingredients very slowly. Keep stirring all the time for about 25 minutes.
3. Once all the sugar is dissolved continue to heat and stir until the mixture starts to boil.
4. Turn the heat down and continue to stir until mixture turns the colour of strong tea with milk.
5. Remove from the heat to a heatproofed worktop or a heatproof mat. Beat with a mixer for 3 minutes, then for another 3-4 minutes.
6. Beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to thicken, then pour onto a buttered baking tray
7. Put the tray somewhere cool and mark into squares after about 10 minutes
8. Once completely cool break into squares and put in a tin or a box. Enjoy!