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Recipes

Category: Recipes

Hey there, food enthusiasts!  Looking for inspiration in the kitchen?  Look no further! The Cambridge Food Bank has you covered with a treasure trove of amazing recipes that are as easy as they are mouthwatering.

The best part? By using some ingredients commonly found at our Mobile Food Markets, you’re not only treating yourself to fresh, locally grown, delicious produce but also supporting our community-driven initiatives. It’s a win-win!

Click here to see what’s in this week’s market

Roasted Butternut Squash & Red Lentil Soup 

Serves: 6–8 
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour 

Ingredients:
2 cups red lentils, rinsed 
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed 
1 large sweet pepper, diced  
1 sweet pepper, diced 
2 carrots, grated 
2 celery stalks, sliced 
1 onion, diced 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
2 tbsp olive oil 
1–2 tsp Italian herbs 
Salt and pepper, to taste 
6–8 cups water or broth 

Instructions 

Prepare and roast the squash: Wash and peel the butternut squash. Cut into cubes, place on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, and roast at 375°F (190°C) for 45 minutes, turning halfway through. 

Cook the red lentils: While the squash is roasting, place the rinsed red lentils in a pot and cover with water or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15–20 minutes, until soft. Set aside. 

Prep the vegetables: While the lentils are cooking,  prep all your veggies, leaving onion last to avoid “crying”  

Sauté the base: In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5–7 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, sweet pepper, and herbs cook for another 2–3 minutes. 

Combine and simmer: Add the cooked lentils, water or broth and the roasted squash and simmer for another 5–10 minutes to bring all the flavors together. 

Blend (optional): Blend until smooth with an immersion blender, or leave slightly chunky. 

Season and adjust: Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Add more broth if needed. 

Serving Ideas 

  • Serve with crusty bread 

  • Top with yogurt or a drizzle of olive oil 

  • Add fresh herbs if available 

Shop this week’s MFM Basket here

Lettuce wraps with sweet potato, zucchini, carrots and chickpeas

This week’s mobile food market features lettuce, sweet potatoes, zucchini, and Carrots. Here’s a delicious recipe to try:

Ingredients:
1-2 sweet potatoes, cleaned and cubed
1-2 zucchini, cleaned and cubed
1-2 carrots, cleaned and sliced thinly
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
2 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
Lemon juice
lettuce

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  2. Spread sweet potatoes in a single layer on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 35-40 minutes, then add zucchini and carrots and roast an additional 10-15 minutes
  3. In a frying pan over medium heat, saute chickpeas, garlic and paprika and 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 3-5 minutes
  4. Add roasted sweet potatoes, zucchini, carrots and lemon juice, stirring together and saute another 3-5 mins

Place spoonfuls of mixture onto lettuce leaf, wrap and enjoy!

Click here to shop this week’s mobile food basket

 

Roasted Broccoli with Red Pepper and Onion

This week’s mobile food market features broccoli, red peppers and onions. Here’s a delicious recipe to try:

Ingredients:
2 cups Broccoli Florets
1 Red pepper
1 Red Onion
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
3 tsp Olive Oil

  1. Preheat your oven to 425F
  2. Clean and chop broccoli into bite-sized pieces, slice the red pepper and onions into long strips.
  3. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning together to make a seasoning mix.
  4. Drizzle the seasoning mix over the vegetables and toss to coat evenly.
  5. Place the vegetables on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, mixing once.

Enjoy over rice or noodles, or as a side!

Click here to shop this week’s mobile food basket

 

Mango Salad

A Bright and Flavourful Thai Inspired Salad

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Juice of 1 Lime

1 Tbsp Honey

Pinch of Chili Flakes

Salt and Pepper to taste

½ Red Onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 Mango, pitted, peeled and thinly sliced *See Note Below*

3 Cups of Lettuce, washed and roughly chopped

¼ Cup Minced Fresh Mint (Optional)

¼ Cup Chopped Peanuts (Optional

Serves 4 as a side dish

  1. In a mason jar, combine the oil, lime juice, honey, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Shake for 15-20 seconds, until the dressing is combined.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the red onion, mango and lettuce. Pour over the dressing and toss to combine thoroughly.
  3. Top with the fresh mint and peanuts, if using, then divide and enjoy!

*How to cut a mango*

  1. Place the mango on a cutting board, with the stem facing up. Cut the mango into thirds, straight down, to avoid the pit in the middle. Set aside the middle piece
  2. For each end piece, use a sharp paring knife to slice the mango into thin strips, without cutting through the skin. You can press down on the mango to get a cleaner edge.
  3. Using a spoon, scoop the flesh off of the skin and into your salad bowl.
  4. Go back to the middle piece. Using your paring knife, remove the skin, then find the edges of the tough pit in the center, and remove it as well. Thinly slice the remaining flesh and add it to the salad bowl.

Click here to shop this week’s mobile food basket

Asparagus and Sweet Potato Salad 

This week’s mobile food market features potatoes. Here’s a delicious recipe to try.

Use Sweet Potatoes for a Fun Twist on a Traditional Potato Salad  
Serves 4, as a side 

Ingredients: 
1.5-2 Pounds of Sweet Potato 

½ Pound Asparagus 

¼ Cup Olive or Canola Oil 

2 tbsp White Wine or Champagne Vinegar 

2 tbsp Dijon Mustard, preferably Grainy 

Pinch of Nutmeg 

Pinch of Chili Flakes (optional) 

Salt and Pepper to taste 

¼ Cup Green Onions 

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Scrub the sweet potato, then place on a lined cookie sheet and drizzle with oil. Cook for 25-35 minutes, until fork tender. This could take longer depending on the thickness of your sweet potato. Set aside to cool. 

  1. Fill a pot with 1-2 inches of water. Place a steamer basket on the pot of water, then bring the water to a boil. Cut the asparagus into 1-inch sized segments and wash them under running water in a colander. Add the asparagus to the steamer basket, and steam for 3-5 minutes, until bright green and tender. Remove from heat. 

  1. Combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, nutmeg and chili flakes (if using) in a mason jar. Shake for 10-15 seconds to combine. Taste, and add more salt or pepper if desired. 

  1. Cut the sweet potato into bite-sized pieces. Add the sweet potatoes and asparagus to a large serving bowl, pour over the dressing, and toss everything together. Thinly slice the green onions, add to the salad and gently toss to combine. Serve, and enjoy! 

Click here to shop this week’s mobile food basket

Two Red Onion Recipes

Two Easy Ways to Use Delicious Red Onions

Red Onion Gravy
Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp Butter
  • 2 Tbsp Oil
  • 4 Red Onions, Peeled and Thinly Sliced
  • 1 Tbsp White Sugar
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste
  • 1 Tbsp Flour
  • 2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1 Cup Vegetable Stock
  1. Heat the butter and oil at medium-low in a large frying pan. Add the onions and stir to separate. Sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper, and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes.
  2. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to coat the onions, then add the vinegar and stock and bring to a boil. Cook for another 5 minutes or so, until it’s thickened to your desired consistency. Pour into a serving dish.

Quick Pickled Red Onion

  1. Peel and thinly slice 2 Red Onions, then pack them into a mason jar.
  2. In a medium saucepan, combine ¾ Cup of Apple Cider Vinegar, ¼ Cup of Water, 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup or Honey, ½ Tbsp Salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and whisk together.
  3. Carefully pour the vinegar mixture over the onions until the jar is full. Tightly screw on the lid, then shake gently. Set aside for at least an hour to marinate. This should keep in your fridge for at least a week. Enjoy!