Apple and Cinnamon Scones

Ingredients

• 400g white flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 100g butter (cut into dice)
• 100g sugar
• 1 egg
• milk
• lemon juice
• 2 apples
• 2 teaspoons of cinnimon

Method

1. Put the flour, baking powder, sugar and butter into a large bowl rub together with the tips of your fingers (to keep it cool) until it looks like fine bread crumbs.
2. juice the lemon and put into another bowl.
3. Peel and core the apple then cut into small dice and stir well into the lemon juice ( to stop it going brown)
4. Mix the apple into the flour mixture.
5. beat the egg in a small cup (leave a little over to glaze), then add to the mixture and stir well.
6. Add enough milk to bring it together as a dough (sometimes if the eggs are large it needs no milk)
7. Flatten a little and cut with a medium size scone cutter, if it's large it takes longer to cook. (if I don't have a scone cutter I often use a glass or other object!!!
8. Glaze the top with egg mix.
9. Cook at 200oC for 20 mins or until golden brown on top.

Shepards Pie

INGREDIENTS

• 200g lean minced Beef
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 carrots
• 2 sticks of celery
• 1 tin of tomatoes
• 1 beef stock cube
• 2 tablespoons of tomato puree
• 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
• 6 large potatoes
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon (or more) fresh mixed herbs, parsely, sage, rosemary and thyme (dried will do)

METHOD

1. Wash, peel and cut the potatoes, not too small or they go too watery. Put them into a saucepan to boil.
2. Peel and dice the onion, heat a little oil in another saucepan and add onion, salt and pepper saute until soft
3. Peel the carrots and cut into small dice, add to the pan
4. Wash and cut the celery into small dice, add to the pan
5. Peel and crush the garlic, add this and the herbs to the pan.
6. Put on the oven to pre-heat at 190oC
7. Add the mince and stir well until turned from red to brown, drain any fat or water that appears.
8. Add the tomatoes and puree and bring to the boil. lower and simmer until the veg are soft.
9. Drain the potatoes, add the oil and mash well
10. Put the meat and veg mixture into an ovenproof dish, then gently put the mashed potatoes in a layer on top of it, spread it carefully with a fork then put into the oven for 15mins or until the top is golden brown.

The tomato puree is full of the carotenoid lycopene I mentioned in the previous post and is more easily absorbed than raw unprocessed tomatoes, the olive oil also helps this absorption, but butter would do the same job, I just prefer the taste of olive oil.

Paint our recipes 'RED'

If we want to lower the risks or prevent heart & cancer diseases then we need to see where to go red.....
Researchers have been busy looking into this on our behalf, they've found that tomatoes are red because they are rich in an antioxidant carotenoid lycopene; a bit of a mouthful I know, its effect is to inactivate free radicals and protect cells from damage (Bhuvanesnari & Nagini 2005, Basu & Imehan 2007).
Because we've been bombarded by health manufacturers we might look for a supplement in this but interestingly (& saving euros) a synergistic effect is seen when lycopene is obtained from the whole tomato - what this means is that, the other components found in tomatoes enhance lycopene's effectiveness (Shi et al 2004).
Often nutrients are damaged or their effectiveness reduced in cooking but not so with this gem, when it is cooked and combined with oil it is more easily absorbed by the body, other foods with lycopene are watermelon, pink grapefruit and papaya (Gorden-Robinson, NDSU 2011).
People who suffer with Rheumatoid Arthritis are an exception and should avoid red fruit and vegetables especially tomatoes (Sen 1996).
I try to put tomatoes into as many recipes as possible even traditional ones that wouldn't normally have them but easily can.

Basil Pesto

Ingredients

• 15g Fresh Basil (more if you like)
• 100mls of extra virgin olive oil
• 50g parmesan cheese
• handful of pine nuts
• 3 cloves of garlic
• salt & pepper

Method

1. Pre heat the oven to 180oC. Put the pine nuts onto a flat roasting tray and roast (without oil) for 10mins.
2. Wash and dry the basil, take the leaves off the stalks and place in a measuring jug or blending jug.
3. Grate the cheese. Cool the pine nuts. Peel the garlic cloves
4. Add the oil, cheese, garlic and nuts into the jug with the basil, blend together into a smooth pesto.

If kept in an airtight container in the fridge this will keep well for up to 3 weeks as the garlic acts as a natural preservative. However it discolors and spoils every time it is exposed to the air; therefore store it in small airtight containers and only open one at a time.

Fish Risotto

Ingredients

• 1 onion & 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 carrot
• 1 red pepper
• 1 tin of tomatoes
• 150g Risotto rice (can be called aborio rice)
• 100mls white wine (optional)
• 2 dozen large raw prawns & 1/2 med squid cut into rings (can use any fish but others may flake up so if using others cut into large chunks)
• handful of baby spinach
• Fish/veg/chicken stock cube
• 60g Parmesan cheese (optional)
• Half teaspoon of chili powder (optional)
• Half teaspoon of smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon basil pesto (best made yourself, see next post)
• Olive oil, salt & pepper

Method

1. Peel and cut the onion into small dice and crush the garlic.
2. Heat 50mls olive oil in a saucepan and add the onion, garlic, rice and plenty of salt & pepper, lower the heat and saute until the onions are soft. Stir well and add more oil if it's too dry.
3. Wash and peel the carrot, cut into small dice and add to the saucepan, stir well.
4. Deseed the pepper, cut into dice and add. Add the chili and paprika. stir well.
5. If using the wine add now and bring to the boil, leave on a high heat without a lid until reduced by half the amount.
6. Add the tin of tomatoes to the saucepan. Stir well until absorbed.
7. Add 100mls of water and crumble the stock cube into the saucepan. Stir well and again the water will absorb into the rice. You may need to higher and lower the heat as need be.
8. Add the fish and another 200/300mls of water and stir well as before.
9. Taste the rice and if it's soft enough and the mixture is nice and moist then it's done. If the rice is done but it's very dry then add a little water (50mls) and heat. If the rice is not done and the mixture is dry then add 200mls of water and stir until the rice is cooked.
10. Add the pesto and chopped spinach, stir well.
11. Grate the Parmesan cheese and add to the mixture (you can leave out the cheese if you like), stir well and Serve, you can garnish with more grated Parmesan, chopped parsley and lemon.

Green Lentil & Turmeric soup

The other day I was privileged to receive an insightful view of living beyond cancer. My friend, who survived cancer surgery and treatment explained that, while the treatment eliminated final traces of cancer it ravaged many other healthy cells. She communicated a sense of being afloat, with little support and practical information on how to assist her body to recover from the damage of chemotherapy; and then made the perceptive association between nutrition and her body attaining improved well-being and strength.

After investigating ‘healing foods’ I am left pondering my old hobby-horse; what good is it to know the names of food that assist health if we are not able to put them into dishes that we eat?

With this in mind let’s take look at Turmeric – it is from the ginger family and nicknamed ‘ Indian saffron’ because of its lovely yellow colour.

The substance called curcumin in turmeric has been the subject of investigations in relation to cancer. Cancer Research UK indicates that, while inconclusive, early trials show promising results. One such trial found that curcumin altered the expression of 62 genes, 2 of which were inflammatory; it was this information that indicates curcumin may hinder metastasis (Bachmeier et al. 2008).

Here’s a recipe that’s easy to make, and a pot of it can be kept in the fridge for up to four days if it’s only reheated in the portions being used. I have read suggestions that black pepper and oils increase the absorption of turmeric - off to read more......

GREEN LENTIL & TURMERIC SOUP

INGREDIENTS

·         1 Onion

·         2 Sticks of celery

·         1 Leek

·         1 carrot

·         2 cloves of garlic

·         2 tablespoons of green lentils

·         1 tablespoon of turmeric

·         1 tablespoon of paprika

·         1 tablespoon of tomato puree

·         1 stock cube (veg/chicken)

·         Salt, Black Pepper & tablespoon olive oil

METHOD

1.      Peel and cut the onion and garlic.

2.      Wash and cut the celery, leek and carrots.

3.      Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onions, garlic, salt & pepper, stir till soft.

4.      Add the lentils, leek, carrot and celery put on a low heat with a lid for 10mins, add the turmeric & 

      paprika,

5.      Add enough water to cover the veg well, add puree and stock cube, bring to the boil, then lower to a  

      simmer for 20mins.

6.      Puree with a hand blender.

POTATO AND HERB SOUP

Ingredient / shopping list

• 3  large OR five medium sized potatoes
• 1 onion
•  stock cube
• ½ pint of hot water
•  2 teaspoonfuls of dried mixed herbs
•  a little butter and oil

METHOD

1)      CUT THE ONION INTO SMALL PIECES

2)      PUT A LITTLE  OIL INTO YOUR SAUCEPAN AND HEAT IT

                  3)   ADD THE ONIONS, SALT & PEPPER AND HERBS AND COOK   

                         ON A LOW HEAT UNTIL ONIONS ARE SOFT.

                  4)   PEEL AND CUT THE POTATOES INTO SMALL PIECES

                        COOK ON A LOW HEAT FOR 5 MINS

                  5)   CRUMBLE THE STOCK CUBE INTO HOT WATER TO

                           DISOLVE.

                  6)    ADD TO THE SAUCEPAN, ADD MORE WATER TO

                         COVER THE VEGETABLES IF NECESSARY. BRING BOIL,

                         THEN LOWER THE HEAT, PUT ON A LID AND COOK

                         UNTIL THE POTATOES ARE SOFT

                   7)   LIQUIDISE THE SOUP UNTILL IT IS SMOOTH WITH A HAND

                          BLENDER

Soup Making

1 : 2 : 3 For Soups

Use this ratio and you can make any soup you want

The numbers refer to your container size. It can be any container e.g. a mug / cup. But you keep using the same one to measure each different ingredient.

1 = The amount of onions – this is your base flavor.

2 = The amount of potatoes – this is your thickener.

3 = The main flavor – e.g. courgettes – for courgette soup.

Also need enough stock to cover all veg, cook until soft, then you may liquidize.

Examples of soups you can make using this ratio method

Mixed veg soup – onion (1 cup) + potatoes (2 cups) + carrot, parsnip, leek, celery, broccoli (3 cups altogether)

Cauliflower and cheese soup – onion (1 cup) + potatoes (2 cups) + cauliflower (3 cups) + cheese (a handful grated)

Courgette and mint soup – onion (1 cup) + potatoes (2 cups) + courgettes (3 cups) + fresh mint to your taste

But really you can make any at all perhaps using up veg that would otherwise go off – leftover soup is easily frozen in little bags when cold.

Roux method of thickening soups

Mushroom and chicken soups do not have enough bulk to use potatoes as a thickener so a roux is better. A roux is made using equal parts marg/butter with flour. For example melt 25g of marg and then add 25g of flour (you may need more than 25g but if you increase it always keep it equal quantities) and cook on a low heat for a minute. This can then be whisked into a hot liquid – stock in the case of soup.

Carrot and Tomato soups have enough bulk and do not need thickeners. Just use 1 : 3 above for them.

GINGER CAKE

• 8oz white flour
• ½ tspn salt
• ½ tspn baking powder
• 2 tspns ground ginger
• 3oz butter/marg
• 1 egg
• 3oz dark muscovada sugar
• 1 tablespoon of golden syrup
• 1 tablespoon of treacle
• a little milk OR tablespoon of rum
• teaspoon vanilla

METHOD

1. Put the flour, salt, ginger and baking soda into a bowl.
2. Melt the butter, sugar, treacle and golden syrup over a low heat. Do not allow become hot.
3. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients.
4. Add the beaten egg, vanilla and enough milk to make a dropping consistency.
5. Grease a loaf tin. Put the mixture into the tin.
6. Cook in a pre-heated oven for 20-30mins. At 180o.

Beef & Guinness Stew

Ingredients

• 10 Shallots
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 carrots
• 4 sticks of celery
• 300g lean diced beef
• 1 beef stock cube
• 1/2 teaspoon of wholegrain mustard
• 50ml of white wine vinegar
• 1 can Guinness
• 1/2 tablespoon of dark brown sugar
• tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of tomato puree
• Salt, pepper and mixed herbs
• tablespn corn flour

Method

1. You can marinade the beef in the Guinness overnight.
2. Wash, peel and cut the shallots  into quarters
3. Peel and crush the garlic
4. Wash, peel and cut the carrots into thin slices
5. Wash and cut the celery into thin slices.
6. Heat the oil in a saucepan, then add the onions, garlic, salt, pepper and herbs, saute until soft.
7. Add the carrots & celery saute until soft.
8. Take the beef out of the Guinness (keeping the liquid for later). Add the beef to the veg in the saucepan, stir until it's browned.
9. Add the guinness and stock cube, bring to the boil without a lid, then lower to a simmer for 20mins.
10. Add mustard, vinegar and sugar and puree, simmer with a lid until the meat is soft
11. If not thick enough add a little corn flour
12. Serve with mashed potato and green veg
13. Say it's soooo difficult to make & ENJOY!!!!!!

Quick Seafood Pasta

Ingredients

• 100g fresh egg tagliatelle pasta (or any pasta will do but dried pasta takes longer to cook)
• 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic
• teaspoon of smoked paprika (optional)
• juice of 1 lemon
• handful of fresh corriander
• 100g of mixed chopped fish (most fish shops do a chowder mix eg. salmon, cod, prawns, squid, etc.)
•  2 table spoonful olive oil and 1table spoonful flour, salt & pepper to your own taste
• 100ml cream OR milk OR tomato 
• 50g grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Method

1. Chop onion, heat the oil add onion, salt and pepper saute until soft
2. Crush the garlic and add, stir well.
3. Put some water, a little oil and salt into a saucepan and bring to the boil add the pasta when boiling
4. Coat the fish with the flour and paprika (if using),and add fish to the onion & garlic.
5. Add the milk or cream or tomato (which ever you prefer) & lemon juice & chopped coriander (you can chop the stalks and add them too - but only with coriander) heat but do not boil
6. Drain the pasta when soft, grate the cheese and add them both to the sauce, if the sauce is too thick add a little water or if it's too thin add some more cheese or a little tomato puree
7. serve with a fresh green leaf salad or some mixed vegetables eg. carrot, broccoli, green beans.

Safe Food Research

This was a very interesting event in Belfast during the week.


A summary report was launched on a research project that was funded by Safe Food it's called 'Food on a low income: four households tell their story'
The households that took part were; (1) Two parent two children; (2) single male living alone; (3) single older person living alone; and (4) lone parent with 1/2 children. It was found that all households lacked variety and many diets were restricted to food that are known and favorites; they preferred not to experiment with new types of food as this helped  to avoid wastage. The people interviewed said they knew about healthy eating but saw the things that got in the way of this - such as cost, convenience and taste as insurmountable. It is also possible that many people may lack the skills needed to have a healthy diet. The summary report is quite easy to read and you can find it at this link http://www.safefood.eu/Publications/Research-reports/Food-on-a-low-income-%E2%80%93-Four-households-tell-their.aspx

Fish Stew (White sauce)

This is an option for the fish stew if you want to add calcium into the diet

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 carrots
• 4 sticks celery
• red pepper (optional)
• mixed herbs (or dill instead)
• 2 med pieces of haddock/other fish (tail end has less bones)
• fish stock cube
• 50g plain flour
• 50g margarine/butter
• 300mls milk
• sml amt olive oil, salt & pepper

Method

1. Peel and cut onion into small dice, heat oil in a saucepan (4) and add onion, salt & pepper saute on med heat (2) until onion is soft. 
2. Crush garlic, add this and the herbs to the pot, stir well.
3. Peel and cut carrots into thin slices add to the pot and stir well
4. Cut the celery into thin slices and add.
5. If using cut the red pepper in half length-ways then remove the pips and throw away, cut the pepper into small dice and add.
6. Add the marg/butter into the saucepan and allow to melt
7. Add the flour and mix well for 2 mins - don't let it stick
8. Add a third of the milk, crumble the stock cube into the pot and mix well until disolved, then  keep stirring until it becomes thick.
9. Gradually add the milk in the same way until all the milk is added. 
10. Cut the fish into bite size pieces and add to the sauce simmer for 10 minutes.
11. If it's too thick add more milk.
12. Serve with mashed/baked potato, rice or pasta.

Fish Stew (tomato sauce)

Ingredients 

• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 carrots
• 4 sticks celery
• red pepper (optional)
• mixed herbs (or dill instead)
• 4 med potatoes
• 2 med pieces of haddock (tail end has less bones)
• fish stock cube
• tin of tomatoes
• tomato puree
• sml amt olive oil, salt & pepper

Method

1. Peel and cut onion into small dice, heat oil in a saucepan (4) and add onion, salt & pepper saute on med heat (2) 
2. Crush garlic, add this and the herbs to the pot, stir well
3. Peel and cut the potatoes into chunks, add to the pot 
4. Peel and cut carrots into thin slices add to the pot and stir well
5. Cut the celery into thin slices and add.
6. If using cut the red pepper in half length-ways then remove the pips and throw away, cut the pepper into small dice and add.
7. Add the tin of tomatoes, crumbled stock cube and the puree, stir well and bring to the boil.
8. Lower the heat to simmer (2)
9. Cut the fish into bite size pieces and add to the stew (you can use more fish if you like) simmer for approx 10minutes.

Bacon,Leek & Mushroom Risotto

Here's the Risotto recipe that you wanted Grace......enjoy the making & the eating........


Ingredients

• 1 onion & 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 leek
• 5 smoked rashers
• large punnet of mushrooms
• 150g Risotto rice (can be called aborio rice)
• chicken stock cube
• 60g Parmesan cheese (optional)
• Half teaspoon of chili powder
• Half teaspoon of smoked paprika
• Olive oil, salt & pepper

Method

1. Peel and cut the onion into small dice and crush the garlic.
2. Heat 50mls olive oil in a saucepan and add the onion, garlic, rice and plenty of salt & pepper, lower the heat and saute until the onions are soft. Stir well and add more oil if it's too dry.
3. Wash and trim the leek, cut into small dice and add to the saucepan, stir well.
4. Cut the bacon into bite size pieces and add to the saucepan, stir well.
5. cut the mushrooms into quarters and add to the pot, add the chili and paprika powders.
6. Add 200mls of water to the saucepan, it speeds up the process if you use boiling water. Stir well until the water is absorbed.
7. Add another 200mls of water and crumble the stock cube into the saucepan. Stir well and again the water will absorb into the rice. You may need to higher and lower the heat as need be.
8. Add another 200/300mls of water and stir well as before.
9. Taste the rice and if it's soft enough and the mixture is nice and moist then it's done. If the rice is done but it's very dry then add a little water (50mls) and heat. If the rice is not done and the mixture is dry then add 200mls of water and stir until the rice is cooked.
10. Grate the Parmesan cheese and add to the mixture (you can leave out the cheese if you like), stir well and Serve, you can garnish with more grated parmesan and chopped parsley. 

Fresh fruit salad & smoothie

Every fruit contains different vitamins and we need them all of them in small quantities, so it's better to eat a plate of mixed fruit than to have one full fruit, which may only provide one/two types of vitamins. If   fruit is eaten raw it provides more nutrients because the vitamins can be unstable in heat and therefore destroyed.


Ingredients

• 1 lemon & 1 orange
• 1 red apple & 1 pear
• 8 red & 8 green seedless grapes
• 2 kiwis
• 1 banana
• 1 mango  & 1 papaya & half a pineapple (optional these can be hard to find)
• half a melon
• handful of mint (optional)

Method

1. Squeeze the lemon & orange and put the juice into a bowl.
2. Wash the apple cut in half and then quarters and remove the core. cut into small dice (leave the skin on for the fiber), put immediately into the juice and mix well - this is to stop the apple going brown (must be fresh lemon juice to do this, the bottled one won't work)
3. Cut the banana if using and put mix well into the juice for the same reason as above.
4. Cut the pear in the same way as the apple and put into the bowl
5. Cut the melon in half and remove the pips then remove the skin and cut into small dice and add.
6. Wash the grapes, cut in half and add.
7. Take the skin off the kiwis and cut into thin slices or chunks and add.
8. Take the skin off the mango & papaya if using and cut into slices around the dense centre (they don't have a stone as such in the center, but you can't cut right through it and don't use the center). then cut into small pieces and add to the bowl.
9. If you think there is not enough liquid in the bowl you can squeeze another orange and add the juice to it.

As long as this doesn't sit out of the fridge for too long it will stay fresh in the fridge for a couple of days as the lemon juice acts as a natural preservative. Don't just have this as a dessert, it's a lovely change for breakfast for a snack during the day and easy to transport in a well sealed Tupperware.

Smoothie

You can put a couple of table spoons of this mixture into a jug and add a small natural yogurt and some orange juice (or any other juice eg. cranberry, apple etc). Then liquidize well with a hand blender. This is good to do if the fruit salad doesn't look fresh enough to serve on it's own

Tomato & Broccoli Salad with French Dressing

Ingredients

• small head of Broccoli
• 8-10 cherry tomatoes
• 100mls sunflower oil
• 50mls olive oil (or you can use a full 150ml olive and leave out the sunflower oil)
• 50mls white wine vinegar
• 3 table spoons of hazelnuts (optional)
• 1 clove of garlic
• 3 teaspoons wholgrain mustard
• 3 table spoons of honey
• 1 teaspoon soya sauce 
• Salt & pepper

Method

1. If using the hazelnuts, place on a flat baking tray and roast in the oven 180oC, for approx 20mins, take out and cool, rub in a teatowel to get the outer skins to break off.
2. Meanwhile put the two oils, vinegar, garlic, mustard, soya sauce and honey into a container (a measuring jug is good as it doesn't splash) Blend them all together with a hand blender until well mixed and slightly thick.
3. Wash and cut the thick stalks off the broccoli then break into small florets, put into a bowl.
4. Wash and cut the tomatoes in half, add these and the hazelnuts if using to the bowl.
5. Put french dressing over the vegetables in the bowl, the amount you use depends on how moist you like the salad, there is no set amount, so perhaps add it little by little (it's easier to add more than take some out!!!). If this amount is too much for this salad the dressing keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge, the garlic acts as a natural preservative for approx 4 weeks.
6. Season with salt & pepper

Baileys Chocolate Cheese Cake

Had this made for me yesterday, thanks Kev!
Ingredients

• 100g butter
• 300g Chocolate digestive biscuits
• 2 tablespoons of honey/golden syrup
• 250g mascarpone cheese
• 225g Philadelphia/cream cheese
• 250g plain Chocolate
• 200g cream
• 200mls Baileys

Method

1. Crush the biscuits into fine crumbs using a food processor or rolling pin.
2. Meanwhile melt the butter. When melted add the honey. Then add the biscuits to the butter mixture and mix well.
3. Press the biscuit mixture into the base of your greased - loose bottom based - cheesecake tin. Leave this in the fridge to set while you make the rest of the cake.
4. Melt the chocolate in the microwave (be careful it burns easily here) or in a bowl over a small pot of water. leave to cool slightly
5. Put the two types of cheese into a bowl and mix well, then add the baileys. If you use an electric whisk it makes a more even and light mixture.
6. Whip the cream in a separate jug until it's stiff.
7. Add the chocolate to the cheese mixture and combine well, then fold the cream lightly into this mixture a spoonful at a time.
8. Pour this over the biscuit base and chill in the fridge for 2/3 hours or overnight is even better, If you can wait that long.

Think I'll have to get another slice after writing all about it................

Chorizo Stew

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 potatoes
• 1 red pepper
• 1 ring of chirizo sausage
• 1 tin of tomatoes
• 1 chicken stock cube
• tablespoon tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• olive oil, Salt & Pepper

Method

1. Cut the oinion into small dice, and crush garlic
2. heat a little oil in a saucepan and add the onion, garlic, salt & pepper
3. cut the potatoes into small cubes and add to saucepan
4. cut the pepper into small dice and add also
5. Add the tin of tomatoes and then fill the empty tin with cold water and add, bring to the boil, then lower the heat
6. crumble the stock cube into the mixture and add the sugar & puree
7. simmer until the potatoes and peppers are soft approx 20mins

Courgette & Carrot En Croute

Once I start thinking of recipes I can't stop........

Ingredients

• Pkt frozen puff pastry
• 1 small onion
• 3 carrots
• 3 courgettes
• Bag of Basil
• 100g Cheddar cheese
• breadcrumbs (optional)
• thin slices of fish of choice/thin fillets of chicken (optional)

Method

1. Pre-heat your oven to 200oC
2. When the pastry is defrosted Roll it into a rectangular shape (similar to a flat baking tray)
3. Place the pastry onto a flat baking tray, so that the long right-hand edge is more or less down the center of the tray and the left-hand edge is hanging off of the tray
4. Cut the onion into thin slices and place in a bowl.
5. Wash and peel the carrots, then grate them and place in the same bowl.
6. Wash and grate the courgettes and add to the bowl
7. Grate the cheese and add to the bowl
8. Season the ingredients in the bowl to your taste with Salt & Pepper and mix everything well together.
9. Take the basil off the stalks and cut into small pieces add to the bowl and mix well.
10. The ingredients are now going to be packaged up in the pastry. To do this:-
11. Place the breadcrumbs along the length of one half of the pastry eg. the right-hand side of it, but leave about 3cm from the edge at the top and along the side without anything on it.(Optional:- the breadcrumbs are to absorb any moisture the ingredients let out during the cooking and stop the pastry from being too soggy, but if you don't mind this there's no need to use them) 
12. Place the fish/chicken on top of this (Optional:- this can make the package a bit bulky to handle until you get used to doing this with the pastry)
13. Place the vegetable & cheese contents of the bowl along the length of one half of the pastry eg. the right-hand side of it, but leave about 3cm from the edge at the top and along the side without anything on it. 
14. Check that the left-hand edge of the pastry can reach over easily to the edge of the right-hand side, If it  doesn't you may need to shove the contents around a bit, or take some out. If it goes easily past the edge you can add some more of the veg mix.
15. Rub some water along all the inside edges of the rectangle of pastry (this is to make the edges of the 'parcel' stick together) Then press all around the edges with a fork in the same way as you do with an apple tart, the technical term for this is to flute the edges.
16. Glaze the top, by rubbing with a beaten egg, also make some air holes with a fork or knife to let out the steam.
17. Place in the oven for 10mins and then lower the heat to 180oC for another 20mins. (If the fish/chicken is in it and thick it may need an extra 10mins)

Don't worry this is not as complicated as the explanations seem, once you have the mixture made, you'll manage the pastry easily enough.

You can cook the chicken/fish separately in the oven until you get used to making the dish and then add them to the parcel to have an all in one dinner......