LJMU Cook Together
LJMU Cook Together is an initiative to help you cook a delicious meal and eat well, with recipes that aren't costly.
As part of LJMU's support with the rising cost of living, we'll be hosting free lunches plus giving away food vouchers and recipes, to help you create some tasty nutritious food.
Take a look at the recipes and video tutorials below.
Life at university can be busy and demanding so it’s really important that you take care of your wellbeing. What you eat can have a big impact on how your mind and body works.
With the cost of living crisis, we know lots of our students are feeling under financial pressure. Cooking for yourself can save you so much money and minimise waste as you can easily increase the portions and save leftovers for lunch the next day.
For other ways LJMU is offering support, and for money advice, visit the Cost of Living Hub.
Chicken pad Thai
Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 20 minutes
Video
Ingredients
3 chicken breasts
500g rice noodles
1 lime
4 garlic cloves
60mls soy sauce
10g dried chilli flakes
200g mangetout
2 carrots
40g tamarind paste
40ml sriracha sauce
60mls fish sauce
40mls veg oil
30g brown sugar
100g peanuts
Method
Soak the noodles in warm water for 15 minutes
Heat oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat, add sliced chicken breast, stir and cook until the chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
Add sliced garlic and stir well, add fish sauce mixture, mangetout and carrots, mix then add drained noodles ensuring noodles are combined with sauce, cook for 5 minutes.
Serve the pad Thai straight away, garnishing each plate with crushed peanuts, chilli flakes and lime wedge.
Allergen information
Contains peanuts, fish, sulphites and soy.
Please consult the packing for further information.
Key cooking stages
Identify all ingredients
Soaking noodles
Preparing vegetables
Cutting the chicken
Cooking the sauce
Combining noodles with sauce
Presenting the dish
Minced beef tacos with Mexican style rice
Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour
Video
Ingredients for tacos
1 onion diced
1 red pepper (diced)
1 green pepper (diced)
10ml olive oil
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
5g paprika
10g cumin
2 green chilies
500g minced beef
12 tacos
250ml beef stock
100g grated cheese
Salsa:
3 tomatoes chopped
½ bunch spring onions
20g picked coriander
Ingredients for Mexican style rice
350g basmati rice
10ml olive oil
225g passata
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
5g cumin
5g salt
Black pepper
950ml water
Method for tacos
Add oil to large frying pan, fry onion and peppers over medium heat. Add garlic, paprika and cumin, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the beef and cook until beef has browned, pour over the beef stock and cook on low heat for 40 minutes allowing the sauce to thicken and reduce.
For the salsa, roughly chop the tomatoes, slice the spring onion and pick the coriander leaves, combine all ingredients and season well with salt.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180.c and place the tacos on a baking tray, heat for 4 minutes until crisp.
Fill the tacos with meat, cheese and top with salsa.
Method for Mexican style rice
In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté rice in oil for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Reduce heat to low, and stir in passata, garlic, salt, pepper and cumin. Stir in water, cover and cook for about 20 minutes.
Allow to stand for 10 minutes.
Allergen information
Contains dairy and wheat gluten.
This dish is not suitable for vegetarians.
Please consult the packing for further information.
Key cooking stages
Identifying ingredients
Prepping all vegetables
Cooking beef filling
Preparing salsa
Heating tacos
Cooking rice
Building and presenting dish
Rigatoni carbonara
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 15 minutes
Video
Ingredients
600g rigatoni pasta
300g diced smoked pancetta
3 cloves garlic (finely sliced)
6 eggs
20mls olive oil
100g parmesan cheese (grated)
Black pepper
Salad:
200g cherry tomatoes
300g baby leaf mix
1 red onion
½ bunch basil
10mls olive oil
Salt and cracked black pepper
Method
Put the egg yolks into a bowl, add the parmesan, season with pepper, then mix well with a fork and put to one side. Cook the rigatoni in a large pan of boiling salted water until al dente.
Meanwhile, add the diced pancetta to a medium frying pan then place over a medium-high heat. Add the crushed garlic and fry until the pancetta becomes golden. Pick out and discard the garlic from the pan, then, reserving some of the cooking water, drain and add the rigatoni. Toss well over the heat so it really soaks up all that lovely flavour, then remove the pan from the heat.
Add a splash of the cooking water and toss well, season with pepper, then pour in the egg mixture – the pan will help to cook the egg gently, rather than scrambling it. Toss well, adding more cooking water until it’s lovely and glossy.
Serve with a grating of parmesan and an extra twist of pepper.
Allergen information
Contains wheat gluten, eggs and dairy.
This dish is not suitable for vegetarians.
Please consult the packing for further information.
Key cooking stages
Identify all ingredients
Separate eggs and combine with Parmesan
Prepare garlic and salad
Cook pasta
Fry pancetta
Combine pasta with pancetta and complete dish
Butternut squash risotto with apple and walnut salad
Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes
Video
Ingredients
450g Arborio rice
50g butter
40ml olive oil
2 cloves garlic (sliced)
1 onions (diced)
1 butternut squash peeled and diced
2 litres vegetable stock
200ml white wine
100g parmesan grated
100g pea shoots
Salad:
300g baby leaf mix
100g walnuts
2 apples
Method
Combine the prepared butternut squash with oil and season well, place on a roasting tray and roast for 15 minutes at 160c for 15 minutes until golden brown.
Bring vegetable stock to a simmer in a small saucepan, meanwhile add butter and oil to a large saucepan over medium-low heat, add onion, garlic and cook gently for 10 minutes.
Turn up the heat to medium, add the rice and coat the grains, pour in the white wine, stirring continuously allowing the wine to evaporate, now add a ladle of stock and cook stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed. Continue adding stock a ladle at a time allowing each ladle of stock to evaporate until the rice is tender - this should take approx. 20-30 minutes. Finally add the roasted butternut squash and combine with the rice.
Turn off the heat and stir in the grated parmesan, check the seasoning and allow to sit for a few minutes. Serve with apple and walnut salad.
Allergen information
Contains dairy and nuts (in salad).
This dish is suitable for vegetarians.
Please consult the packing for further information.
Key cooking stages
Identify all ingredients
Prepare all vegetables
Roast squash
Simmer stock
Make risotto
Add parmesan
Build and present dish
Jamaican jerk chicken with rice and peas
Cooking time: 40-50 minutes
Video
Ingredients for jerk chicken
12 pieces drumsticks and thighs skin on
40g jerk seasoning paste
Juice of 1 lime
50ml rapeseed oil
10g brown sugar
20ml honey
Ingredients for rice and peas
410g canned red kidney beans
400g coconut milk
400g washed basmati rice
200ml water
1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2g dried thyme
1 bunch spring onions
½ bunch coriander
Salt
Method
To cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 190c and place the pieces on a roasting tray with rack, ensuring they are evenly spaced. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes turning the chicken over halfway through cooking time ensuring the chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.
Meanwhile in a medium sized pan, add the diced onions, kidney beans, coconut milk, garlic, thyme and water to a pan and bring to the boil, add the washed rice and simmer for 30 minutes until the rice is cooked.
Serve rice with 2 pieces of jerk chicken per portion.
Garnish with shredded spring onion and coriander.
Allergen information
Contains soy.
This dish is not suitable for vegetarians.
Please consult the packing for further information.
Key cooking stages
Identify all ingredients
Roast the chicken pieces
Prepare garlic, coriander, onion and spring onion
Prepare rice
Present dish
Spaghetti alla puttanesca with apple and walnut salad
Prep time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 20 minutes
Video
Ingredients
4 garlic cloves
1 red chilli
½ bunch basil
600g dried spaghetti
50ml olive oil
80g anchovy fillets
250g tinned chopped tomatoes
300g cherry tomatoes
100g black olives
100g shaved parmesan
Mixed leaf salad
100g walnuts
2 red apples
Cracked black pepper
Method
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Meanwhile, peel and finely slice the garlic and halve the cherry tomatoes. Slice the chillies and pick the basil leaves.
Add the spaghetti to the pan of boiling salted water and cook according to the packet instructions.
Place a large frying pan over a medium–high heat, drizzle in a good lug of olive oil, and add the garlic and chilli, then tear in the anchovies and olives and stir for 2 minutes, or until the garlic starts to turn golden and the anchovies melt into the base.
Add the cherry tomatoes and tinned tomatoes, a good splash of pasta water and cover with a lid. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the cherry tomatoes start to cook down slightly.
Drain the pasta, reserving a cupful of cooking water. Add the basil to the sauce along with the pasta and a splash of the reserved cooking water, to loosen. Transfer to a serving platter and top with a good shaving of parmesan. Serve with salad leaves.
Allergen information
Contains wheat gluten, fish, nuts and dairy.
This dish is not suitable for vegetarians.
Please consult the packing for further information.
Key cooking stages
Identify all ingredients
Prep and cut garlic, chilli and tomatoes
Pick basil leaves
Cook pasta
Create sauce
Combine pasta with sauce
Present the dish
Spinach and sweet potato dhal with pilau rice
Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 50 minutes
Video
Ingredients for dhal
20ml coconut oil
1 red onions chopped
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
3 tomatoes (chopped)
10g ginger (chopped)
200g sweet potato (cubed)
10g cumin
10g turmeric
10g coriander
2 green cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
2 green birds eye chillis
200g red lentils
100g spinach
500ml water
1 teaspoon salt
6 chapatis
Ingredients for pilau rice
300g basmati rice
5g turmeric
2 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
20ml coconut oil
½ bunch coriander
500ml water
Salt
Method for dhal
In a saucepan add lentils and dry spices (cumin, turmeric, cardamom pods and cinnamon stick) cover with water 1 inch above lentils and simmer for 20 minutes until lentils are cooked, adding more water if necessary.
In another pan add coconut oil and fry chopped red onions until lightly coloured, add garlic, ginger and chopped chillies, then add diced sweet potato and spinach, add a splash of water and cover pan with a lid cooking on low heat until sweet potato becomes soft, then add chopped tomatoes
Once lentils are cooked, add them to the sweet potato and spinach, adding a splash of water if necessary, season well with salt and pepper.
Method for pilau rice
In a saucepan add coconut oil and lightly fry cardamom, cinnamon and turmeric for 2 minutes, add rice and 1 teaspoon of salt, when rice is coated in spices and oil, add water gently simmering until all water is absorbed and rice is cooked, cover pan and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
Serve pilau rice with dhal garnish with coriander, serve with chapati.
Allergen information
Contains wheat gluten (chapatis).
This dish is suitable for vegans.
Please consult the packing for further information.
Key cooking stages
Identifying all ingredients
Prepping and cutting spices and vegetables
Cooking lentils
Cooking spinach and sweet potato
Combining lentils with spinach and sweet potato
Cooking pilau rice
Presenting dish