M&S Top 5 Autumn Recipes

Marks & Spencer are renounced for their delicious food. Here are their top 5 Autumn recipes to get you through the rest of the week.

SPRING GREEN SPIRALISED COURGETTE SALAD

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• For the Pesto:
• 120g fresh spinach leaves
• 50g pine nut
• 1 garlic clove
• 125ml extra virgin olive oil
• 50g fresh Parmesan
• 1 lemon
• 1 pinch Salt and pepper
• 250g M&S courgette spagetti
• 150g frozen petits pois
• 25g mint leaves
• 1 large handful of rocket

Prep:

Mince the garlic cloves. Grate the fresh Parmesan. Chop the mint leaves.

Method:

1. To make the pesto, place spinach, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor.
2. Blitz to a course puree.
3. Transfer to a bowl, and add the olive oil and parmesan. Mix well.
4. Squeeze in lemon juice, to taste.
5. Season with salt and pepper – it will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.
6. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.
7. Add the peas, and cook for 2-3 mins.
8. Drain, and refresh under cold water.
9. Set aside to cool completely.
10. In a large bowl, combine the courgette, peas, mint and 5 tablespoons of pesto.
11. Stir through the rocket last.
12. Squeeze some lemon over the salad, and serve.

MEXICAN RAINBOW RICE BOWL

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1large sweet potatoes
• 1 red onion
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 white onion
• 150g brown rice
• 350ml vegetable stock
• 400g tinned red kidney beans
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 lime
• 0.5 tsp chipotle chilli flakes
• 0.5 tbsp cider vinegar
• 120g Santini tomatoes
• 0.5 packs fresh coriander
• 1 tsp paprika

Prep:

Cut the sweet potatoes into bite-sized chunks. Slice the red onions. Crush the garlic cloves. Finely chop the white onions. Drain and rinse the tinned red kidney beans. Juice the limes. Halve the Santini tomatoes. Leave some leaves whole to garnish, and chop the rest of the leaves of the fresh coriander.

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
2. Toss the sweet potato and red onion with half the oil, half the oregano, half the paprika and half the garlic, along with some salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Tip onto a baking tray and roast for 35-40 minutes, turning halfway through, until the onions are crispy and the sweet potato is starting to caramelise and turn golden brown at the edges.
4. Heat the rest of the oil in a small saucepan and soften the white onion with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes.
5. Add the rice and the remaining oregano, paprika and garlic, stir to coat, then cook for 15 seconds to lightly toast the rice.
6. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, then cover with a lid and turn the heat down to low.
7. Cook for 25-30 minutes, until the rice is tender and the stock has evaporated.
8. Remove the lid and stir in the kidney beans.
9. Cover again with the lid, then turn off the heat but leave the pan on the hob to keep warm.
10. Meanwhile stone, peel and slice the avocado into long fingers and put in a bowl.
11. Squeeze over the lime and add the chilli flakes, vinegar and tomatoes.
12. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and mix in half the chopped coriander.
13. Stir the remaining chopped coriander into the rice and divide between 2 bowls.
14. Top with the roasted sweet potatoes and crispy red onion, then finish with the tomato and avocado salsa and the whole coriander leaves.

CHICKEN AND PRAWN GUMBO

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 100g butter
• 100g flour
• 1 onion
• 1 green pepper
• 1 celery stick
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 500ml water
• 8 chicken thighs
• 140g King prawns
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley
• Spice mix:
• 1.5 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1.5 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme

Prep:

Dice the onions. Dice the green pepper. Dice the celery sticks. Mince the garlic cloves. Skin and de-bone and cut into chunks the chicken thighs. Peel the King prawns. Chop the flat leaf parsley. Chop the fresh thyme.

Method:

1. Combine all the spice mix ingredients together.
2. Prepare the sauce base. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low to medium heat, before adding the flour.
3. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly – it should have a deep, nutty brown colour by the end of this process. This is your ‘roux’.
4. Add the onion, pepper, celery, garlic and the spice mix to the roux.
5. Cook altogether over a moderate heat for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables soften, stirring regularly.
6. Add the chicken stock and water, combine well and bring the mix to the boil.

SMOKY SWEET POTATO BURGERS WITH GUAVA KETCHUP

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1kg sweet potatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 75g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper
• 4 spring onions
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander
• sunflower oil
• plain flour
• 4 Paprika and Chilli Buns for Burgers
• 4 tbsp Guava Ketchup
• Sliced tomatoes and lettuce

Prep:

Peel and cut into 4cm chunks the sweet potatoes. Finely chop the spring onions. Chop the fresh coriander.

Method:

1.  Heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5.
2. Arrange the sweet potatoes in a single layer in a large roasting tin.
3. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and roast for 35-45 minutes, until golden on the outside and just tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
4. Remove from the oven and set aside until cold.
5. Tip the sweet potatoes onto a large board and very roughly chop them.
6. Put them in a bowl and stir in the breadcrumbs, cayenne pepper, spring onions and coriander.
7. Shape the mixture into 4 burgers and place them on a plate.
8. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
9. Pour sunflower oil into a large non-stick frying pan to a depth of 2cm, then heat.

CHILLI CHOCOLATE TART WITH PEANUT PRALINE

Serves 6

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

• 5 cardamom pods
• 175g plain flour
• 75g chilled butter
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 egg

For the filling:

• 400ml double cream
• 1.5 tsp chilli flakes
• 75g butter
• 225g M&S Single Origin Colombian Panela Sugar Dark Chocolate

For the peanut praline:

• 100g caster sugar
• 45g M&S roasted and salted large peanuts

Prep:

Dice the chilled butter. Separate the eggs. Finely chop the Single Origin Colombian Panela Sugar Dark Chocolate.

Method:

1. Break open the cardamom pods, shake the black seeds into a pestle and mortar, and crush to a fine powder.
2. Sift the flour into a bowl, stir in the cardamom and rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Stir in the sugar.
4. Add the egg yolk and mix to a smooth dough, with a little cold water if necessary.
5. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5.
7. Roll out the pastry and use to line a 20cm loose-based flan tin.