Recipes: Classic dishes with a twist
LASAGNE WITH A CHORIZO TWIST (pictured above)
Serves 6Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: Approx. 1 hr
½ tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 ½ tsp dried mixed herbs
500g 5% fat beef mince
1 tbsp Sainsbury's double concentrate tomato purée
500g Sainsbury's passata
70g pack Spanish Chorizo slices, roughly chopped
9 Sainsbury's lasagne sheets
480g Sainsbury's white lasagne sauce
20g Mature cheddar, grated
Preheat the oven to 200ºC, fan 180ºC, gas mark 6. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until softened, then add the garlic and herbs and cook for a further minute.
Add the mince and cook for a further 6-7 minutes, or until browned. Stir in the tomato purée, passata and chorizo (reserving a handful for the topping) and simmer for 5 minutes.
Spoon 1/3 of the beef mixture into a 20cm square ovenproof dish. Cover with 3 sheets of pasta and then 1/3 of the white sauce. Repeat, finishing with the white sauce and then sprinkle over the grated cheese and reserved chorizo. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling. Serve with a fresh salad.
SHEPHERD'S PIE WITH AN ANCHOVY TWIST
Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hr 10 minutes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stick of celery, finely chopped
½ a 50g tin of anchovies, drained and very finely chopped
500g lamb mince
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp flour
400ml lamb stock
800g potatoes, peeled
100ml milk
Preheat the oven to 160C fan/180C. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, and fry the onions, carrot and celery with the anchovies over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes until softened. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the lamb mince to the same pan and fry over a medium heat until browned, then add the vegetables back to the pan. Add the dried thyme, Worcester sauce and tomato puree and cook for a further couple of minutes. Sprinkle over the flour and cook, stirring well, for a couple of minutes before adding the stock. Leave to simmer for around 20 minutes until the sauce has reduced.
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes until tender, drain and mash with the milk. Season with black pepper.
When the sauce has reduced, pour the mince into a 1.5 litre pie dish. Smooth the mashed potato over the top and then rough it up with a fork to create a textured topping. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden.
MAC & CHEESE WITH A HORSERADISH TWIST
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
300g macaroni
20g butter
20g flour
500ml semi-skimmed milk
2tbsp creamed horseradish sauce
1tsp paprika
100g Sainsbury's Lighter Mature Cheddar, grated
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
25g fresh breadcrumbs
120g bag Sainsbury's Bistro Salad
1. Put the pasta in a large saucepan and cover with salted boiling water. Bring back to the boil, stir once, then cook for 7 minutes. Drain and set aside in a 1 litre baking dish. Preheat the oven to 180/160/Gas 4.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes to make a paste, then gradually pour in the milk. Over a very gentle simmer, whisk the sauce for about 5-6 minutes until it thickens.
3. Add the horseradish, paprika and cheese (reserving a tbsp. for the topping) and stir until the cheese has melted. Season.
4. Pour the sauce over the drained pasta and mix well. Scatter over the tomatoes, and mix the breadcrumbs with the reserved cheese before sprinkling on top.
5. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes and then put under a preheated grill for 5 minutes until the breadcrumbs have turned golden brown. Serve with the salad leaves.
TIP
Add some crispy bacon bits to the sauce for a meaty treat
PORK & BROCCOLI STIR FRY WITH A HONEY TWIST
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
1½ tbsp sesame oil
450g pack Sainsbury's British Thin Cut Pork Loin Steaks, cut into 1cm slices
250g broccoli florets
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 red chilli, deseeded & sliced
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and sliced
2tbsp reduced salt soy
2tbsp honey
2cm piece ginger, grated
2tsp cornflour, mixed with 1tbsp water
1tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
240g medium egg noodles
Heat 1tbsp of the oil in a wok and add the pork slices. Cook for 3-4 minutes until just cooked, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the broccoli to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, until beginning to soften but not colour. Add the remaining oil, garlic & chilli and cook for another two minutes, tossing together well.
Add the sliced pepper and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix together the soy, 1tbsp of the honey, ginger and cornflour paste. Add to the stir fry and mix well, before adding the pork back to the pan.
Cook the noodles according to pack instructions. Drizzle in the last tbsp. of honey, mix well, then divide the stir fry between the plates. Serve sprinkled with the toasted sesame seeds.
TIP
This stir fry would work well with any meat. Try strips of beef, chicken or even king prawns for a tasty alternative.
SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE WITH A COFFEE TWIST
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hr
1 tbsp olive oil
2 rashers of reduced salt bacon
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
500g 5% fat lean beef mince
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
250ml beef stock, made with half a stock cube
1 tsp instant coffee, dissolved in the hot stock
300g spaghetti
Parmesan to serve
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the bacon over a high heat for a couple of minutes until browned and crisp.
Reduce the heat to medium and fry the onion, carrot, celery and garlic for around 8-10 minutes until soft.
Add the mince and fry until browned. Add the tomatoes and oregano, along with the stock and coffee. Cover and simmer on a very low heat for around 45 minutes until the sauce is thick and nicely reduced. Season with black pepper.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti to the packet instructions. Divide the spaghetti between 4 bowls and spoon over the Bolognese. Grate over some parmesan and serve.
CHILLI CON CARNE WITH A CHOCOLATE TWIST
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
1tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 red peppers, deseeded and sliced
2tsp hot chilli powder
1tsp cumin
1tsp paprika
500g pack Sainsbury's Beef Mince 5% Fat
500ml Sainsbury's Passata with Onion & Garlic
250ml beef stock, made with 1 beef stock cube
410g can Sainsbury's Red Kidney Beans in water, drained & thoroughly rinsed
2 squares (20g) Sainsbury's Belgian Fairtrade Dark Chocolate (or any other chocolate with at least 70% cocoa solids)
2x250g packs Sainsbury's Microwave Long Grain White Rice, to serve
4tbsp Sainsbury's half fat crème fraiche
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes until beginning to soften and then add the pepper. Cook for another 3-4 minutes until the peppers are just becoming tender.
Add the chilli powder, cumin and paprika to the pan and stir through, cooking for a minute. Put the mince in the pan and move around, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 3-4 minutes until brown all over.
Pour in the passata and stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and heat in the microwave for around 30 seconds until melted. Add this to the chilli, along with the beans. Alternatively, you can add the cubes of chocolate straight to the chilli. Stir to combine, then simmer for another 15 minutes until the mixture has thickened slightly.
Meanwhile, prepare the rice according to packet instructions and serve with the chilli.
TIP
Adding any more than 2 squares of chocolate will take over the flavour of the chilli, so in this recipe, less is more.
TOASTED CHEESE SANDIWCH WITH A CRANBERRY TWIST
Serves 1
1 tsp oil
2 thick slices of white bread
35g mature cheddar, grated
2 tsp cranberry sauce
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat until the pan gets fairly hot.
Sprinkle the cheese on one slice of bread and drizzle with the cranberry sauce. Top with the other slice of bread.
Put the sandwich in the pan and use a spatula to put some pressure on it. Grill on one side for around 3-4 minutes and then flip over and repeat until both sides are golden and the cheese has melted.
Serve immediately.
TOMATO & VEGETABLE PASTA BAKE WITH A GREEK YOGHURT TWIST
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 50 mins
2 peppers (green and red), deseeded and sliced
1 courgette, trimmed & sliced into half moons
1 aubergine, trimmed & cubed
1 red onion, peeled and cut into 6 wedges
1tsp oregano
2tbsp olive oil
300g penne pasta (or any other pasta shape)
2x 390g carton Sainsbury's Chopped Tomatoes with Basil & Oregano
200ml Greek yoghurt
50g Sainsbury's Lighter Mature Cheddar, grated
Preheat the oven to 200/180/Gas 6. In a large roasting tin, toss together the peppers, courgette, aubergine, red onion, oregano and olive oil. Put in the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes, shaking the tin occasionally.
Meanwhile, put the pasta in a large saucepan and cover with salted boiling water. Bring back to the boil, then cook for 8-10 minutes until just al dente. Drain, and then mix well with the chopped tomatoes and yoghurt.
Gently toss the vegetables through the pasta and then spoon into a 20cm square ovenproof dish. Sprinkle over the cheese and then bake in the oven for 20 minutes until bubbling and the cheese is brown.