Kicking off next Thursday on 1^st April, national food charity FoodCycle will host its first challenge event with FoodCycle 50 Challenge

Inviting participants to set a 30-day fitness target around the number 50 – from cycling 50 miles per week to a daily dose of 50 star jumps – to raise vital funds for vulnerable people across the country.

Helping to fuel FoodCycle 50 Challenge fundraisers in whichever challenge they decide to set themselves, friends and chef patrons of the charity have come together to provide a selection of FoodCycle 50 Fuel recipes. Including recipes from Ben Tish, Melissa Hemsley, Cyrus Todiwala and Danilo Cortellini.

The veggie recipes pack a real punch. Protein and carbohydrate rich, while giving all the right nutrients, these meals will hopefully propel participants to succeed and raise even more money for vulnerable people across the country.

FoodCycle 50 Fuel Recipes

Braised courgettes with tomato, fenugreek, sheep’s cheese and migas from Ben Tish

Serves 4

Prep time 20 mins

Cooking time 25 mins

Method:

• Heat a large sauté pan over a medium heat and add a good lug of olive oil. When the oils hot place in the courgettes cut side down and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 4 minutes to caramelise and then add the garlic, thyme, bay and fenugreek. Continue to cook cut side down for 3 minutes and then turn over and cook until the courgettes are just tender.
• Remove everything from the pan onto a plate and reserve. In the same pan add the onions and cook over a medium heat to soften, then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and seasoning and cook the tomatoes for 25 minutes or until broken down into a thick, rich and chunky sauce. Check the seasoning again and reserve.
• Fry the bread pieces in hot olive oil until crisp and golden brown, season and reserve.
• Place the courgettes back in the tomato sauce and reheat slowly over a low heat. Sprinkle over the fried breadcrumbs ad serve with a pot of sheep’s cheese on the side.

Chickpea burger with avocado, hazelnuts and baby spinach from Danilo Cortellini

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 45 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Categories: Starter/Main course

Method

• Put 200g of the chickpeas in a food processor with 1 egg and process well until smooth.
• Using a wooden spatula, add the remaining 100g of chickpeas, mustard, a pinch of salt, the caramelized onion and the spelt flour.
• Process well and add the cooked baby spinach roughly chopped.
• Make the burgers a minimum of 100/120g each. You can use a metal cutter to shape them, then place them on a sheet of baking paper, drizzle with olive oil and cook in the oven at 200°C for 6 minutes.
• Flip the burger and cook for three more minutes.
• Mash the avocado with a fork; add a pinch of salt, lemon juice and the tomato concassé. Add a teaspoon of parsley or chives and black pepper to taste.
• Serve every burger with 75/80g of avocado salsa, a few leaves of baby spinach and chopped roasted hazelnuts.
• Serve on a sesame bun or even bunless.

Parsnip Dahl with Pink Pickled Onions from Melissa Hemsley

Method

• Preheat the oven to fan 220°C/Gas mark 9 and melt 2 tablespoons of the ghee or oil on a large baking tray in the oven.
• Meanwhile, mix the spice mix in a small bowl and slice up three of the parsnips into about 18 wedges, say 5cm × 1.5cm, then toss the parsnip wedges in the oil on the tray with half of the spice mix. Pop in the oven for about 30–35 minutes, tossing halfway through with the maple syrup, until golden and going crispy at the edges.
• In a large pan, fry the onion in the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, while you get on with everything else.
• Add the remaining half of the spice mix, plus the garlic and ginger and fry for 3 minutes.
• Add the diced parsnips and lentils, the chopped coriander stems and the tomato purée and let fry. After a minute, add the coconut milk, then fill up the tin four times with hot water (1.6 litres) and pour in, stirring well. Pop the lid on, bring to the boil and immediately turn down to a medium heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.
• Stir a few times throughout to make sure the lentils don’t stick. Add more liquid if you think it needs it or if you like your dahl soupier, like I do.
• Meanwhile, scrunch and massage the red onion in a bowl with the lime juice, salt and maple syrup, if using, for 30 seconds, then leave to bathe in the salty lime juice.
• Once the lentils and parsnips in the pan are cooked, add the chopped greens, pop the lid on so they steam for 3-5 minutes until just tender, then taste for seasoning. Serve up each bowl, topped with the roasted parsnips, coriander leaves, pink-pickled onions and their juices and a dollop of yoghurt, if you like.

Summer green palav from Cyrus Todiwala

Simple Spice: Vegetarian by Cyrus Todiwala is published by Mitchell Beazley £20.00, www.octopusbooks.co.uk

Photography by Matt Russell

Serves 4–6

Method

• To make the stock for the rice, pour the water into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add a little salt and, one by one, blanch the vegetables until cooked but retaining a bit of bite and not soft. Use a slotted spoon to lift each of the vegetables out of the water and transfer to a sieve placed over a bowl. Leave to cool and reserve the water.
• Measure 1 litre (1¾ pints) of the reserved water, topping up with fresh water if there isn’t enough. Pour the cooking water back into the pan.
• Preheat the oven to 130°C/260°F/Gas Mark ¾.
• Heat the oil in a large pot or casserole dish that has a lid and can go in the oven. Add the mustard seeds and cinnamon stick. As soon as the mustard seeds crackle, add the cumin seeds and red chilli and, after a few seconds, the curry leaves, ginger and onion.
• As soon as the onion turns soft, about 3–4 minutes, add the sliced coconut and the turmeric and sauté for a couple of minutes until the coconut starts to change colour slightly around the edges.
• Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Check the seasoning and add more salt if needed. Pour in the rice and stir gently with a flat wooden spatula to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. Cook for 5–6 minutes, until the water is nearly absorbed. Stir in the vegetables, cover the pot and place in the oven.
• Cook for 15 minutes or so, then turn the oven off and leave the palav in the oven for another 10–12 minutes. Remove and mix together gently. Check the rice to make sure that it is cooked and is not too hard.
• Serve the rice immediately with some daal or yogurt or even on its own.

For more information on FoodCycle 50 or to sign up to the challenge visit www.foodcycle.org.uk/get-involved/foodcycle50/