Food and Health PROJECT

Food and Health PROJECT The Food and Health project is a joint initiative between Westmeath Community Development Ltd and HSE, providing Community Cookery practical healthy eating courses to groups in Westmeath and Longford aimed especially at groups cooking on a budget. For more information or to book a course please contact our coordinator: 044-9348571; foodandhealth@westcd.ie Contact details: Cara Cunningham Senior Community Dietitian Community Nutrition and Dietetics Service Primary Care Centre, Clonbrusk Athlone Co. Westmeath cara.gray@hse.ie community.dietitians@hse.ie

Weekly Menu Sun Pancakes Roast Chicken Potatoes Vegetables Apple/ fruit crumble Light bite: Potato Cake Mon With sliced banana Sandwich Chicken Curry (Make stock from Chicken carcass) Tues With some frozen fruit Baked/ Microwave potato and left over chicken curry Chilli Bean Wraps Soup made from stock Wed With some frozen fruit Soup Brown Bread Fruit Cottage Pie Thurs With handful raisins Soup Brown Bread Fruit Spagetti Bolognese Fri Baked/Microwave Potato with left over bolognese Salmon Fishcakes with salad Sat Pancakes with chopped leftover fruit (whatever left from the week) Scrambled Egg and Beans on toast Pizzas 2

Chicken Curry Leftover chicken Shredded or cut into chunks 100g Frozen Peppers or 1 Pepper sliced 1 Onion diced finely 5 mushrooms sliced 2 dessertspoons of frozen peas 1 Clove of garlic 2 dessertspoons of medium curry powder 1 teaspoon of rapeseed oil 1 dessertspoon of flour 1 low salt chicken stock cube dissolved in ½ pint/ 275mls of boiling water 1. Heat the oil on a frying pan and gently fry the onion and garlic. Add the mushroom and peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes 2. Add the curry powder and flour to the pan and cook for one minute, stirring at times 3. Stir in the stock, chicken pieces and peas 4. Reduce heat, cook slowly for 10 minutes stirring occasionally 5. Serve with brown or white basmati rice Chilli Bean Wraps 1. Heat the oil in a large heavy based pot, add the onion and cook until opaque; add the peppers and mushroom 2. Add the 2 tins of beans, Passata or chopped tomatoes, add the cocoa powder, bring the mixture up to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for about 20-30 mins Making up wraps: 1. Preheat the oven ~ 180 o C 2. Lay out the wraps put about 4-6 dessertspoon of the bean mixture; wrap up and lay into a casserole dish. Build up each of the wraps until all 6 are in the same casserole dish (might be a bit of a tight squeeze!) 3. Drizzle any remaining liquid down the middle of the lined up wraps; add natural youghurt over this liquid and then sprinkle with grated cheese and pop into the oven. Cook for about 20 minutes (or until the cheese is melted and golden) 4. Serve with a green salad 1 teaspoon rapeseed oil 1 Onion diced 100g frozen peppers 5 Mushrooms 1 tin of Kidney beans in chilli sauce 1 tin of mixed bean drained 1 tetrapak of Passata or 1 tin of chopped tomatoes 1 dessertspoon cocoa powder 1 Pack of tortilla wraps (6) 4 dessertspoons natural youghurt Grated cheese (about 2 matchbox size of cheese) 3

Cottage Pie ½ lb/ 225g lean minced beef 1 onion - diced 2 carrots sliced 2 dessertspoons peas 3 mushrooms sliced Any leftover vegetables broccoli, parsnips, cauliflower etc 1 low salt beef stock cube dissolved into ½ pint boiling water 1 tetrapak Passata or 1 tin of chopped tomatoes 1 tin of Borlotti beans or 1 tin of baked beans 5 Potatoes cooked and mashed with a little low-fat milk (could use leftover potatoes or freshly cooked) 1. Heat a frying pan (no oil required) add the mince and fry for 3-4 minutes breaking the mince up to make sure that it is all browning. Add onion and mix together. Drain any excess fat from the pan 2. Transfer to a bigger pot, add carrot, peas, mushrooms and any other vegetables. Add the chopped tomatoes, beans and stock. Bring mixture to the boil and reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes 3. Put the mince mixture in a deep casserole dish, spoon the mashed potatoes on top. Smooth gently with a fork 4. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 45mins Spaghetti Bolognese 1. Heat the frying pan and dry fry the mince once it is beginning to brown add the onions, peppers and mushrooms. Drain any excess fat from the pan 2. Transfer to a larger pot, add the Passata/ Chopped tomatoes and tomato ketchup. (add broccoli and/ or sweetcorn now) Bring the mixture to the boil, turn down and simmer for 20 minutes 3. Meanwhile Cook spaghetti or pasta for 10-15 minute in pan of boiling water until it is cooked. Drain 4. Serve with the Bolognese on top ½b / 225g lean minced beef 1 onion - diced 1 tetrapak Passata/ 1 tin of chopped tomatoes 6 mushrooms chopped 100g frozen pepper (optional) 2 carrots grated 2 dessertspoons tomato ketchup sauce Optional: can add broccoli or sweetcorn to the recipe 4

Salmon Fish Cakes 180g (6 oz) can pink salmon, drained and flaked 300g (10 oz) potatoes, boiled and mashed 2 spring scallions, finely chopped 2 tablespoons (60ml) fresh parsley, finely chopped 1 tablespoon (15ml) natural yoghurt 50g (2 oz) fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs 1 egg, beaten Black pepper 1. Heat the oven to 200ºC or gas mark 6. 2. Place the mashed potato in a mixing bowl. Add the salmon, scallions, chopped parsley, yoghurt, pepper and a third of the breadcrumbs and mix well. 3. Place the remaining breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. 4. Divide the fish and potato mixture into four. Shape into rounds to make four individual fish cakes. 5. Coat each one in egg and then the breadcrumbs. 6. Place on a lightly greased baking tray and bake for 15 minutes. Tip: If you decide to make this recipe, cook and mash the potatoes in advance to save time. At home, this could be served with a side salad or fresh vegetables. Chicken Stock 1. In a large pot or Slow cooker (if you have one!) put in all the above; cover everything in water, cover and bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer 2. Simmer for as long as possible (6-7 hours or overnight might only be safe to do this if using a slow cooker) 3. Strain the liquid off this is the stock, discard the carcass and vegetables 1 Chicken carcass 1 Onion roughly chopped 1-2 Carrots Water 5

Pizza leftovers For Pizza Dough: Doesn t take long to make but does need to be left (~45 mins) to rise 450g Strong Flour (mixture of White and Wholemeal is great) 1 X 7g satchet fast acting yeast 1 teaspoon sugar 1 pinch of salt 300mls of warm water (200mls of cold water, 100mls boiling water mixed) 1 tablespoon olive oil For final rolling out few dessertspoons semolina (although flour will work too!) For tomato sauce: 1 onion 4 mushrooms 1 tetrapak Passata 2 dessertspoons tomato ketchup Toppings: Great way to get rid of leftovers! Suggestions: Peppers, red onion, sweetcorn, Pineapple, ham, chicken, mushrooms, Cheese 1. Mix all the dry (flour, yeast, sugar, salt) ingredients; make a well in the centre and add the warm water and olive oil. Initially stir together all the ingredients then get in with your hands and bring all the ingredients together, should look like a dough 2. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for about 7 minutes if you have a mixer with a dough hook (lucky you!) you can mix the dough entirely in this 3. Once kneaded put back into the bowl, cover with cling film and put somewhere warm, to allow to rise for 45 minutes (at least) 4. When risen cut into the amount of Pizzas you require, roll out on a semolina floured board to the thickeness you like, put into lightly greased roasting tin 5. Spread over the tomato mixture and top how you like it (if you make individual pizzas it is a great way to involve the kids to top their pizza the way they want it) 6. Bake in a preheated oven (~180 o C) for about 20-25 mins Serve with a salad 6

Potato and Leek Soup 1 Onion chopped 2 teaspoons rapeseed oil 2-3 Leeks washed and cut into disks 4-5 Potatoes washed, peeled and cut into chunks 2 litre of chicken stock (if not available dissolve 1 x vegetable stock cube and 1 x chicken stock cube in 2 litres of boiling water) 1. In a large pot, heat the oil and add the onion reduce the heat, cover and fry for about 3 minutes the aim is to cook the onion but not brown them 2. Add the leeks and potatoes, stir, cover and cook for 4 minutes (stirring occasionally to make sure they are not sticking to the bottom of the pot. 3. When the leeks are become wilted Add the stock, stir, bring the mixture to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are soft and crush easily 4. Soup can be served like this or can be blended (with hand blender) Serve with brown bread Pancakes 1. Put all the ingredients into a food processor and whizz until a liquid mixture 2. Spray a small amount of oil on a frying pan depending on what size of pancakes you want pour out the pancake mixture and fry until you see bubbles on the surface then turn over Serve with honey, fresh fruit or whatever you want 2 Bananas (riper the better!) 4 Eggs ½ cup of Oats Spray oil 7

This booklet is part of a food waste prevention awareness initiative by Westmeath County Council & Mullingar Tidy Towns. The theme is food waste prevention by making the most of the food we have. Special thanks to Cara Cunningham, Senior Community Dietitian, Community Nutrition and Dietetics Service, Clonbrusk who has been so generous with her time and her knowledge in collaborating on this project. Environment Team, Westmeath County Council & Mullingar Tidy Towns www.westmeathcoco.ie