Sometimes it is the cheapest bits of kitchen kit that are the best, and a fantastic example is the Quickachips mesh tray. 

The Quickachips tray quite simply a mesh tray that you can cook on.  Designed for oven chips, but there are also flat meshes available perfect for pizza or  pastry.  By cooking on the mesh you are forced to use barely any fat, and air can circulate resulting in crisper chips that cook quickly.   Other root vegetable chips cook as well as potatoes and I am especially delighted to have found a delicious and healthy way to use up all my swedes from my fruit and vegetable co-op.

To use simple peel your vegetables and cut into chips, place in a bowl pour a tiny amount of oil over, add some seasoning (I used a pinch of chilli powder and salt and pepper), give the bowl a good shake to coat the chips and pour onto the mesh and roast for about 40 mins at GM6 / 200C.   For even speedier chips boil for two minutes before draining and adding oil and seasoning and cook for about 25 to 30 minutes.

I am astonished at just how good the chips are, with crispy outside whilst  soft and fluffy inside,  and delighted at how healthy they are with such a fantastic value for money piece of kit.  Also dishwasher proof, a must for me!  The chips were just as good  as any from the far more expensive low fat fryer.

Quickachips trays are available from Planit Products priced £1.99 to £3.99 with free P&P on orders of above £3.

Thanks to to Toastabags for my free review samples.

My food co-op has just made the summer switch over from vegetable bags to salad bags.  Despite having not had a bag for the last couple of weeks (busy with life and the decorating) there are still a number of root vegetables languishing at the bottom of the fridge waiting to be eaten.    As recent posts have showed I love roast vegetables.   They are simply easy and delicious, perfect for any non leafy vegetables that are slightly too large or past its best.      This is a fantastic recipe for the evening before co-op day, scoop out the remains of last week’s bag from the vegetable drawer of the fridge and use them all up.

This is another contribution to my series of easy, economical and healthy recipes of what to do with the contents of the co-op “boxes” for the Food Co-ops and Buying Groups project run by Sustain – also part of the Making Local Food Work programme funded by the Big Lottery.

Roast Root Vegetables with Pesto

A mix of carrots, parsnips, turnip, onions, potato, beetroot etc.
Olive Oil
Pesto
Salt & Pepper to taste

Simply peel the vegetables and cut into batons, chunks or wedges about the thickness of your thumb.   Place in a roasting tray, add a good glug of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper, give the tray a good shake to coat the vegetables with the oil.    Place in a moderately hot oven 190C / 325F / GM 5 and cook for about 40 minutes until the vegetables are soft and starting to caramalise.    Flip the vegetables once whilst cooking.

Place vegetables into a serving bowl, add a spoon or two of pesto and another glug of olive oil and stir well.   Serve warm or cold.

I add some more oil to my leftover pesto and freeze it in a tupperware box, by adding oil the pesto does not freeze completely solid so you can easily spoon some out.   To make the recipe vegan simply use a vegan pesto or make your own.