SLOW-COOKED PORK AND LENTIL CASSEROLE WITH ORGANIC COUS COUS
This dish is very popular with our children, as it is easy to eat and is also flavoursome and highly nutritious. Even children who have never tried cous cous before seem to enjoy the new taste and texture of it. Slow-cooking the meat overnight makes it tender and suitable for even the very youngest (blend as required for babies).
INGREDIENTS
To serve approximately 40 nursery children (from babies and toddlers to pre-schoolers)
3kg diced pork loin (ideally, local breed pork)
225g or more red lentils
450g each of carrots, onion, swede, parsnips and sweet potato
50g powder bullion for 2 pints of veg stock
Approximately 1/2 cup cornflour mixed with water to a thin paste
2kg (dried weight) organic cous cous
METHOD
1. The evening before, put the pork and diced onion and 2 pints stock in the slow cooker on a low heat overnight.
2. In the morning, dice up the vegetables and add the lentils with approximately 2 pints water. Simmer, with the lid on, until soft.
3. Add the meat and liquid from the slow cooker, and simmer until ready to serve.
4. Add cornflour paste to thicken.
5. For the cous cous, add boiling water (2 parts water to 1 part cous cous), put on a low heat for 3 minutes, fork through and serve.
SOURCING INGREDIENTS
Sourcing high-quality and affordable basic ingredients in bulk is well worth the search.
Our nursery cook orders and buys in bulk from a local farm shop. The quality and provenance of the produce are excellent. Get to know your local farm shop and/or butcher. Explain what you will need on a regular basis. You will usually find excellent, locally sourced ingredients such as fruit, veg, eggs and meat at competitive prices.
We use a large ethical supplier for our dry goods and buy in bulk every two months. Again, the quality is unbeatable and ingredients competitively priced. Visit: www.essential-trading.co.uk.
HINTS AND TIPS
- We find red lentils are the best type to use with young children, as they do not need to be pre-soaked and cook to a 'mush', which thickens sauces and leaves the lentils undetectable to the children. Red lentils are also a fantastic source of protein, and so allow you to use slightly less meat.
- If you need to buy a slow cooker, get the biggest capacity you can find. We use a 2.5 litre capacity. If you can't budget for a slow cooker, oven-cook the meat for at least 4-5 hours on a low heat the day before.
- You can substitute any of the vegetables with seasonal varieties.
- Use Knorr bullion powder, as it is one of the few powders that is free of MSG (monosodium glutamate).
- This recipe also works well with stewing steak.
- Add herbs, stock or butter to the cous cous for more flavour.
Emma Comer is owner-manager and Meg Smith is cook at Tall Trees Kindergarten, Frome, Somerset. Visit www.talltrees kindergarten.co.uk.
