Hearty Recipes for Spring, so light and fresh with wholesome ingredients! Alpro included, even more healthy!

Hearty Recipes for Spring, so light and fresh with wholesome ingredients! Alpro included, even more healthy!

Chicken and Vegetable Pie

This wholesome pie is a meal in itself. Replace any of the vegetables named with green beans, leeks or butternut squash.

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 40 min
Cooking Time: 40 min

Ingredients
115g unsalted butter, 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced, 2 sticks celery, sliced
1 onion, sliced, 3 tbsp garden peas, 5 tender stem broccoli, 1 garlic clove, crushed
700g skinless chicken breast, cubed, salt and black pepper, 1 pinch nutmeg
1 sprig thyme finely chopped, 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp heaped plain flour, 350ml Alpro soya Original alternative to milk
1 lemon, zest only, 400g potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 tbsp Alpro soya alternative to cream

Method
Preheat the oven to 150C/300F, gas 2.

Heat half of the butter in a pan on a medium heat and gently cook the carrot, celery, onion, peas and garlic, softening but not colouring, Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the remaining butter to the pan and brown the chicken pieces, seasoning them with salt, pepper, nutmeg and the herbs.

Sprinkle the flour over the chicken, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually add 300ml Alpro soya Original and beat until the sauce is smooth and glossy. Once the sauce is ready, stir in the cooked vegetables to the pan. Add the lemon zest and pour the mixture into an ovenproof dish. Leave the filling to cool.

Place the potatoes in boiling water and cook for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain and return the potatoes to the pan, shake the potatoes until dry. Add the remaining Alpro soya Original and alternative to cream, season with freshly ground black pepper then mash with a potato masher.

Spoon or pipe over the filling and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Potatoes Dauphinoise

Serves 4

Cost: 65p per portion

Ingredients

200ml Alpro soya alternative to cream, 200ml Alpro soya milk alternative, 400g potatoes

2 cloves garlic, 75g sunflower margarine, Nutmeg, grated

Pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste

Method

• Preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4
• Thinly slice potatoes. Grease casserole dish or baking tin (about 15cm by 10cm). Crush garlic and spread around the bottom. Add potatoes in layers, seasoning as you go and add a couple of pinches of freshly grated nutmeg.
• Mix together the Alpro soya cream and milk. Pour over the potato mixture.
• Place dish in oven and bake for about 45minutes until soft inside and crispy on top.
• Serve with selection of spring vegetables.

Spring Spinach and Parsley Risotto

Once you have mastered the art of making a risotto you will never look back.  Deliciously easy.

Preparation Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 25 min

Serves: 4

Ingredients

250g bag spinach leaves, 2 large sprigs mint, halved, 40g butter, 1 onion, finely chopped

1.2 litres hot vegetable stock, salt and freshly ground pepper, 400g Arborio or other risotto rice

150ml dry white wine, 3 tbsp parsley, finely chopped, 4 tbsp Alpro soya alternative to cream

shaved parmesan, to serve

Method

Place the spinach and mint in a large colander and pour over boiling water until wilted. Leave to drain.

Pour the stock in a pan and keep hot over a very low heat.

Melt half the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, season, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the rice and toss in the butter until glistening.

Add the wine and cook, stirring, until it is absorbed. Add a ladleful of stock and, stirring occasionally, cook until it is absorbed. Repeat until you’ve used all the stock and the rice is tender.  This process could take 20 minutes.

Squeeze out all the water from the spinach and mint. Chop and add into the risotto along with the parsley and Alpro soya alternative to cream. Stir and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Serve immediately with a topped with Parmesan cheese.