Oven Dishes: Five Simple Vegetarian Oven To Table Dish Recipes

We’ve all thought of endless ways to use our cast iron casserole pots but what about the humble oven dish? We’ve pulled together five simple veggie friendly, oven dish delights guaranteed to make any mealtime.

1. Easy mac & cheese

Ingredients

400g macaroni
50g butter
2 tbsp. plain flour
500ml milk
250g cheddar cheese, grated
Black pepper

Total time: 45 minutes

Directions

Cook the macaroni in a large pan of boiling water according to cooking instructions. Melt butter in a small saucepan, add flour and stir for one minute over a low heat. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth. Gently bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add a third of the grated cheese, mix until melted. Drain the pasta and pour into the oven dish. Add the cheese sauce and rest of the cheese and black pepper and bake for 20 minutes until golden.

2. Oven baked crushed potatoes with rosemary &Stilton

Ingredients

500g new potatoes
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 red onion, sliced
4 sprigs rosemary
2 garlic cloves, crushed
60g stilton, crumbled
Salt & pepper

Total time: 35 minutes

Directions

Preheat oven to 200°C. Boil potatoes for 10 minutes and drain. Grease the oven dish and add the onion, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper and combine well. Add the potatoes and coat with the mixture. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, gently crush and add the Stilton. Bake for a further 5 minutes until cheese has melted and serve.

3. Roasted root vegetables

Ingredients

4 Maris Piper potatoes
1 large butternut squash, deseeded and peeled
3 small beetroot
1 red onion
2 parsnips
1 head of garlic, separated and crushed
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt & pepper

Total time: 50 minutes

Directions

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Chop all vegetables in to 3 - 4 cm pieces. Toss all vegetables with the garlic, oil and seasoning. Place the vegetables in the oven dish (you may need two so the vegetables are spread evenly). Roast for roughly 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden brown.

4. Oven baked Cajun wedges
Ingredients
3 medium potatoes
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. Cajun spices
Salt

Total time: 40 minutes

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200oc. Cut the potatoes in to wedges about 2 – 3cm thick. Toss the potatoes with the olive oil, pinch of salt and Cajun seasoning. Place the wedges in oven dish and bake for 30 – 35 minutes stirring occasionally. Serve warm with a choice of dip.

5. Baked tomatoes, squash and potatoes

Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 small tomatoes, sliced
1 large potato, sliced
1 small squash, deseeded and sliced
Salt & pepper
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan

Directions

Preheat oven to 360°C. Heat oil in a saucepan and fry onions until tender. Arrange onion in the oven dish; overlap the tomato, squash and potato on top. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and Parmesan. Drizzle of oil. Bake for approximately 30 minutes until golden.

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Bakeware Sets: The Pros And Cons Of Silicone Bakeware

Silicone bakeware sets are not always taken seriously in thebaking world. Traditional metal and glass have stood the test of time, so why change now?

Here are the pros and cons of using silicone bakeware sets.

Pros

      No greasing or oiling required

Silicone bakeware has a fantastic non-stick surface, meaning little if any greasing is required when using it for baking purposes.

Using little to no oil means much healthier results.

Bonus tip: It is advised to grease your silicone bakeware when using it for the first time.

2.     Even heat distribution

Silicone offers great heat distribution, meaning even cooking results. No more burnt or soggy bottoms! Silicone can withstand temperatures up to 260°C.

3.     Flexibility

Even if there is no other reason but this one youmust to try it at least once. Remove baked goods with a simple nudge, making a daunting task easy.

4.     Freezer, refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher and oven safe

Silicone can withstand high and low temperatures making it very versatilein the kitchen.

Bonus tip: When not in use, use your muffin trays to make ice for parties. Simply freeze and crush.

5.     No rusting or staining

Silicone bakeware sets do not rust or stain, meaning no orange marks and no cross contamination.

6.     Convenience

Baking time when using silicone tends to be shorter than when using other types of bakeware. This is great as long as you take this into consideration when following recipes.

7.     Easy to clean

Let’s face it, no one likes cleaning. With silicone bakeware you can simply rinse and wipe after use. No need to scour or soak. Even better, it is dishwasher safe!

8.     Lightweight

Silicone bakeware is lightweight and easily stored. Perfect for homes where space is limited as well as campers and caravans.

9.     Bright & colourful

Silicone bakeware sets come in a variety of colours making the bright and cheerful addition to any kitchen.

Cons

1.     Flexibility

Whilst this is an advantage in one respect, it can also be a bit of a problem when moving into or out of the oven, as silicone can be unstable. You can overcome this problem by putting it on a baking sheet.

2.     Damageable

Even with its many pros, silicone bakeware can be damaged. Its soft composition means it can be punctured if not handled with care.

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Induction Cookware Buyers Guide

About Induction

An induction hob is probably the cleanest and fastest way of cooking to date.

 Under the ceramic top heat is generated from an electric current induced by an electric coil. Induction cookware with a magnetised base reacts with this energy and the pan becomes hot - unlike other forms of heat, with induction cookware the heat is generated directly in the pan. When you remove the pan from the hob it will stop reacting and will start to cool.

Induction cookers are the safest choice. Perfect for those with a young family.

Cookware for use with induction- cooking equipment needs to meet two criteria.

First, it must heat up on an induction element and secondly it must be quality cookware not just induction cookware.

What materials to look for in induction cookware

Cookware suitable for induction hobs needs to be made from magnetisable metal.

Steel, enamelled steel or cast iron is most commonly used. Aluminium, copper and glass cannot be magnetised and are therefore not suitable unless the base is bonded with a magnetic metal.

Top 5 induction friendly pans

Induction cookware is becoming more and more popular as the cost of cookers comes down. So to compliment your wonderful cooker why not treat yourself to some new induction cookware. All pans listed below are available as complete sets.

1.       ProCook gourmet steel Wok & Lid 28cm

When it comes to cooking Asian food our 28cm wok is the perfect pan for fast cooking at high temperatures. With gently sloping sides and a large volume this is a wok to do all of your stir-fries in or even your Italian pasta dishes.

This Gourmet Steel cookware is built to offer incredible strength and versatility at amazingly low prices. Made from the highest quality stainless steel, the pans have a 4mm encapsulated base for even heat distribution and perfect cooking results. Each pan features stay-cool silicone handles riveted for extra strength and a self-basting lid for sealing in juices and speeding up cooking times.

The Gourmet wok benefits from 5 star ProCook Ultra double layer non-stick coating, so you don't need to worry about food sticking or burning.

Also comes with a 10-year guarantee.

 2.       ProCook Professional Steel Frying Pan 28cm

A large frying pan can be hugely beneficial to your cooking experience and our 28cm Professional Steel frying pan is perfect for cooking in large batches in one layer ensuring they don't need continual tossing to reach the heat, resulting in even cooking results. They also feature straight sides to maximise the cooking surface area and eliminate any heat spots that may occur around the edge.

The range is designed to be used in professional kitchens and so features solid durable construction using the highest quality no-tarnish 18/10 stainless steel and a substantial 0.8mm gauge body wall with a 7mm impact bonded base for perfect heat distribution and excellent cooking performance.

Each pan benefits from a robust 2mm 18/10 heavy gauge riveted and vented stainless steel handles, so will endure the rigours of daily use for many years to come.

3.       ProCook Elite Tri-Ply Steamer Set 22cm

Steam cooking is a healthy alternative to frying, boiling and roasting as it effectively retains a far greater percentage of vitamins and minerals and our 22cm Elite Tri-Ply steamer insert has an impressive 4.8L capacity, allowing you to cook fish, vegetables and much more to perfection.

This stockpot and two steamer insert set features comfortable grip stay-cool silicone handles, riveted for extra strength and an 18/10 stainless steel lid to seal in juices and flavours.

The Elite Tri-Ply steamer insert has 168 holes allowing faster steaming and a quicker cooking time

4.  ProCook Elite Forged Stockpot & Lid 24cm

The successor to our flagship ProCook Titanium range, our Elite Forged cookware is masterfully constructed using the most advanced materials and manufacturing processes available.

Forged from a single, heavy duty, 5.5mm (1/4") aluminium disc which is then anodised for superior strength and durability, triple coated with our ProCook Ultra Plus non-stick lining and finished with a 1mm (18 gauge) honeycomb steel base for unsurpassed heat distribution for every heat source.

4.       ProCook Elite Forged Saucepan 18cm

These super stylish saucepans are made for discerning chefs who demand the very best from their cookware. Our Elite Forged 18cm saucepan is made to last a lifetime, and its large 2.6L capacity will serve you well in cooking tasks as diverse as boiling eggs, or cooking up a Michelin star sauce.

ProCook Elite Forged cookware is constructed using the most advanced materials and manufacturing processes available. Each pan is forged from a single 5.5mm thick, heavy-duty aluminium disc and is then anodised for premium strength and durability.

The base of the pans benefit from a 1mm honeycomb steel plate offering unsurpassed heat distribution from every heat source.

The saucepans come with an 18/10 stainless steel lids that fit tightly to the pan, sealing in heat, steam and flavours. and have 18/10 stainless steel handles, riveted for extra strength and encased with stay-cool silicone, protecting your hands from hot handles.

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What You Need To Know About Buying Cooking Pans

One of the vital ingredients of success is having the right tools, and this is true when it comes to choosing new cooking pans. With the popularity of television cooking programmes, celebrity chefs and food blogs on the rise, more Brits are whipping up a storm at home in the kitchen. There's a dazzling array of food-related gear on the market, but selecting a few key pieces should set you on the right track to producing a culinary delight. 

All shapes and sizes

Many cookware companies and cooking pan brands offer a variety of shapes and sizes when it comes to kitchen equipment, but choosing three or four basic pots and pans could be all you need to construct perfect cuisine. Special offers on cookware sets often arise, but home chefs can find some of the items unnecessary and it may be economically preferable to purchase a selection of key pieces. A frying or sauté pan, large stock pot and one or two different sized saucepans are usually enough to make most meals.

Tough stuff

Cooking equipment is available in many different materials, which each have their pros and cons. Most cooking pans come in either stainless steel, cast iron, copper or aluminium, with some popular, non-stick options. Copper reacts quickly to fluctuations in temperature (which is why it's often the choice for professional chefs), whilst cast iron provides strength and longevity for your pots and pans. Aluminium is often seen as the most inexpensive type of cookware but has a tendency to scratch and dent, whilst non-stick options can offer the cook convenience of cleaning, but be aware of protecting the pan's delicate surface.

Things to think about 

The types of dishes that a cook makes most can also influence which kitchen equipment to buy. A thick, heavy cooking pot can hold large quantities of stews, soups and sauces, along with sizeable serves of pasta and chilli. The weight and thickness are important, with a heavy base providing durability and a thick base preventing hot spots and uneven cooking. A generously proportioned cooking pan or pot with a colander that slots inside will help with ease of draining and steaming, and glass lids can often help the cook to keep an eye on dishes without losing too much steam or heat from the food. 

As with all important household purchases, buy the best cookware that you can afford, and perhaps most importantly, look after it to prolong its life.

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The Chef Knife Guide

A great chef needs exceptional knives to stay on top of their game. There are a range of chef knives that will make you neater, faster and more productive in the kitchen. Great knives also reduce the possibility of injury. To help you get equipped with an elite kit of knives for the kitchen, here is the ultimate chef knife guide:

Chef’s knife

A chef's knife will be one of your best friends in the kitchen. It has a longer blade, which makes it ideal for finer vegetable preparation, such as julienne or brunoise. It's also great for neatly preparing and cutting meat and fish. Because it will get used a lot, it may be susceptible to frequent blunting, so make sure that you keep it sharp for accuracy and ease.

Second knife

A second knife tends to be a slightly smaller chef's knife and is used for smaller vegetable preparation, such as chilli julienne and shallots. The smaller blade means a bit more control on these smaller items.

Boning knife

A boning knife is the ultimate tool for kitchen butchery as it is specifically designed for meat. Boning knives are incredibly strong, sharp and durable, as they're designed to tackle bone and cartilage. Don't use your best knives for this kind of work, as other knives may not be strong enough and will damage. Uses for a boning knife include jointing a chicken and removing the leg from a leg of lamb.

Filleting knife

Filleting knives are designed for fish, and are incredibly slender to make filleting easy and neat. They can also be slightly flexible, so you can keep the knife really close to the bone.

A serrated knife

A serrated knife is the only knife that is effectively used when chopping tomatoes. A straight knife can cause the tomato to squash. You'll find this knife beneficial when trying to cut anything that is harder on the outside and softer on the inside.

Bread knife

The largest of serrated knives will help you to neatly cut bread without compromising the shape or crumb.

Paring knife

This small, accurate knife is perfect for chopping smaller vegetables, such as garlic and mange tout, with its blade being about 3-4 inches long and a short handle for precision that is great for detailed cutting and peeling.

Utility knife

Utility knives are incredibly versatile and multi-functional. These middle-sized straight blade knives are perfect for practically any product, but especially accurate for paring fruits and vegetables and cutting cooked poultry.

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