As a food manufacturer, Quattro Foods is relentlessly committed to ensuring that our future CEOs, Prime Ministers, Professors and ordinary citizens are well nourished in preparation for their path ahead. There’s nowhere better to start than at school, where lunches are historically dreadful and notoriously inedible. You may be thinking that you’ve heard all this before….It’s true, we’ve talked about the subject of school lunches in previous blogs – and we’ll proudly keep doing so until we’re tired of the subject (which may be never).
Our passion for feeding our children well and educating our offspring about the joy of a fulfilled life of healthy eating will never wane, and with our growing dedication to improving school lunches, our innovation in the kitchen keeps pace.
Quattro Foods currently works closely to develop menu ideas and supply food products to companies who supply a range of schools and universities across the UK.
To ensure a seamless transition from traditional fare to healthier options, we’re focused on replicating recipes that have previously been filled with additives, such as ketchup and katsu curry and re-writing recipes to make them educationally friendly i.e. additive free, low salt and sugar. We’re also amending some of the current meat recipes to Halal, to enable the products to go into a wider selection of schools.
Our food products that serve schools and universities are designed for easy storage, good value and great taste. We’re talking about our future – let’s all work together to get it right.
One of our inspirations throughout this project has been the inimitable Jamie Oliver. Steadfast in his dedication to changing our children’s food landscape over the last decade, his passion for the cause is truly awesome. Jamie’s incredible TED talk about healthy eating in schools is worth watching. It makes so much sense and we’re hoping to lead the way amongst UK food manufacturers so that ultimately everything our young people eat is healthy and satisfying. He imagined a food revolution to fight obesity, and we’re thrilled to be walking in his path.
For those of you who are avid Quattro blog readers you may remember that last month’s Journey to Good Health blog proposed a selection of easy and delicious recipes that can be made at home and offered as packed lunches or can be shared with the dinner ladies at school to expand their repertoire. In April’s instalment we’re offering you a similar Spring treat, but using a different range of ingredients – still in keeping with our understanding of fussy yet discerning little taste buds.
Bolognaise
You will need:
- 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 stick celery (all finely chopped)
- 2 lbs mince meat (for extra depth of flavour, optional of course, add some diced pancetta 100gms)
- 50gm tomato puree
- 1 tin chopped tomato
- 1 clove garlic (chopped)
- Worcestershire sauce (few drops to taste)
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- Some fresh basil (torn into sauce last minute) 20gm
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 pack spaghetti
Fry the onion in vegetable oil until soft. Add the chopped garlic and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Brown the meat in the frying pan with the onions and garlic and add the tinned tomatoes. Add a drop of Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Let it simmer for an hour. Cook the spaghetti and serve with the meat sauce on top.
Fish pie
You will need:
- 1 piece salmon
- 1 piece white fish (cod or haddock)
- 1 piece smoked haddock
- 1 bag potatoes (cooked and mashed until smooth)
- 2 cups milk
- 3 boiled eggs
- 1 pack grated cheddar
- 2 tbsp flour
- 20 grams Butter
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Add some fresh herbs like parsley, dill or tarragon for a little extra flavour
Cook the fish in the milk for 6-7 minutes. Take the fish out of the milk with a slotted spoon and place in an oven dish. Make the cheese sauce with the milk. Melt a knob of butter into it, add the flour and whisk until it thickens. Take off the heat and add the cheese and chopped boiled eggs. Pour the cheese sauce onto the fish. Peel and boil the potatoes until soft and mash. Pile the mashed potatoes on top of the fish and place the dish in the oven for 45 minutes until the potatoes start to crisp on top.
Schnitzel
You will need:
- 1 egg
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil
- 4 flattened turkey breasts
Coat the turkey in egg and then in the breadcrumbs. Fry in the oil for about 7-8 minutes on each side. Serve with a wedge of lemon.
Cauliflower cheese
You will need:
- 2 cauliflowers
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tbsp flour
- 20 grams Butter
- 1 pack grated cheddar
- Salt & pepper to taste
Cut the cauliflowers into florets. Boil until tender. Make the cheese sauce by boiling the milk and butter in a pan and adding the flour. Whisk until it thickens then stir gently and add the cheese. Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower and heat the dish in the oven (160-180c) until it starts browning on top (20-30mins).
Salmon skewers
You will need:
- 2 salmon fillets
- Soy sauce
- Honey
- Wooden skewers
- For an extra dimension sprinkle black & white sesame seeds over the skewered salmon
Cut the salmon fillets into cubes and marinade in the soy sauce and honey. Meanwhile soak the skewers in cold water, then skewer the salmon and place on an oiled baking tray and cook in a hot oven (180c) for about 12 mins. Serve with rice.
Cheesecake
You will need:
- 1/2 pack Butter (melted)
- 1 pack digestive biscuits, Hob Nobs or even Jaffa cakes
- 1 pack cream cheese
- 50g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200 ml double cream
- For an extra twist once chilled add chocolate fudge sauce, caramel or a fruit sauce as a topping (Shop brought stock cupboard sauce works well for this)
Break up the biscuits in a plastic bag by bashing with a rolling pin. Mix the biscuits with the melted butter. Press the mix into the bottom of a cake dish to create a base. Use a metal spoon to press the biscuit crumbs down firmly and evenly. Chill in the fridge until set.
Beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla extract and fold in the double cream. Spoon the cream mixture over the chilled biscuit base and smooth the top of the cheesecake with a palette knife. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight.
Bon appétit!