Ryan Riley and Kim Duke co-founded Life Kitchen, a free cooking school for people living with cancer, after they lost both of their mothers to the disease.
For many of us, the pandemic has made us think about what really matters. If we were to ask you what you value now more than ever before, it’s likely that you would say your family, friends, and your health. One of the advantages of lockdown is that many of us have more time on our hands; time to catch up with a friend, reconnect with someone we’ve lost contact with, or just ring to say hello – although if you have kids you may find yourself with less time…
It’s also more important than ever to eat well, because our immune system relies on the nutrients that come from a healthy, balanced diet.
The idea
You might have heard of Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving and unity, which is coming up on 5 May. We understand that lots of people are struggling financially as a result of COVID-19. So, Life Kitchen and World Cancer Research Fund are simply asking you to send a recipe to a friend. It’s like a chain; you cook the recipe and then nominate a friend, they cook it and nominate someone else, and so it goes on – why not see how long the chain can go? And instead of having to pick the recipe yourself, we’ve created one for you!
We’ve written a recipe that we know you’re going to enjoy. It’s brand new, delicious, easy, and it follows Life Kitchen’s five principles of taste and flavour, meaning it is specifically designed to be as tasty as possible!
Sharing the recipe is a fantastic way to support those who are struggling right now; it’s also a lovely way to reconnect with someone who you aren’t allowed to see at the moment.
So, the rules are simple, have a go at making the recipe we’ve created for you, take a picture and pass it on,
Remember to share it on social media and tag us so we can see it too!
The recipe
This recipe is packed full of flavour-boosting ingredients. The tomatoes and cheese both contain something called umami, which is our fifth taste. When umami rich ingredients are combined, we create something called synergistic umami, which usually means, super-powerful flavour! This recipe contains tomatoes, garlic and cheese, which are all great sources of umami. The mint, chilli and black pepper in this recipe stimulate the trigeminal nerve; this is the nerve responsible for the sensation we get when we eat wasabi or horseradish. This adds an extra layer of sensation to the recipe for those having difficulty tasting food due to cancer treatment. By roasting the ingredients, we’re causing a maillard reaction – otherwise known as caramelising the proteins – adding extra layers of flavour into those ingredients, creating a super simple recipe absolutely packed with flavour.
Roasted cheese & tomato pasta
Serves 2
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 3 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 1 red chilli, sliced
- 30g unsalted butter
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 40g cheddar cheese, grated
- 3 tbsp reduced salt Soy sauce
- 150g pasta of your choice
- Few sprigs of mint, leaves removed, finely chopped
Set the oven to 200 degrees
Add the whole tomatoes, sliced garlic, chillies, butter and black pepper to a high sided roasting tray and place into a hot oven for 15-20 minutes, until the garlic is aromatic and the tomatoes are softened. Remove from the oven and add the soy sauce and half of the cheddar cheese, then press the tomatoes lightly with a fork to release some of the juices and place back into the oven for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is caramelised and the sauce is slightly reduced.
In the meantime, boil the kettle and fill up a saucepan, with a sprinkle of salt and add in the pasta. Cook according to the packet instructions and then drain.
Tip the drained pasta into the roasting tray and mix well to coat.
Serve immediately into bowls, finish with a sprinkling of mint and a final flourish of cheddar.
If you’re looking to add more fibre to your diet, try using wholewheat pasta.
- Find more recipes by Life Kitchen and WCRF here.
- Looking for more ways to stay busy in the house? Why not sign-up to one of our Virtual Events!