The Talbot Leavers Cookbook 2020

Stafford
Grammar
School

Talbot
Leaver’s
Cookbook
Foreword by the editor
Welcome to the Talbot Leaver’s Cookbook 2020 Edition. As you know the
Talbot tutor team are a very caring bunch and just like your parents, we
feel a little apprehension as you make your journey on your own in to the
big wide world. Whether it be an apprenticeship, a job or life as a student
that initially awaits, you have reached that stage of your life when you will
need to take responsibility for feeding yourself at times.
There are several options available…..
1. Stay at home with your parents and hope they will continue to
cook for you
2. Live off ready meals and takeaways or cereal
3. Quickly find a boyfriend or girlfriend who will cook for you every
day
OR
4. Learn to cook for yourself.
We in the Talbot tutor team, like to feel that we have mastered the art of
cooking (even Mr Beckett- see recipe 2) and now as one final act of
kindness to show our fondness towards you we are making the generous
gesture of sharing all that we have learned with you.

For convenience, the recipes have been listed in order of ease (according
to the judgement of the editor). So if you are really new to this you may start
with recipe 1 and if you are already competent you may start with recipe 4.
I have to warn you at this point that cooking is like exams (sore point I know)
you can’t just turn up on the day and expect to get on with it, there will
need to be some preparation in advance. You will need to go shopping
for ingredients first and also check whether you have any fancy equipment
that may be needed such as a clean saucepan, a knife, loaf baking tin or
tin opener.
So good luck and enjoy the new challenge and hopefully many tasty
meals. If you have any feedback on these recipes please feel free to email
us at school and I may share your comments with Talbot House. Likewise if
you find any good recipes that would benefit future generations of Talbot
students then please send them in. Hopefully this book can grow.
Mrs Stace
Head of Talbot House

Contents
Mains
1. Cheese on Toast (with a little something extra) - Mrs Hague-Jones
2. Baked Beans on Toast – Mr Beckett
3. Tuesday Night Baked Potato – Mrs Stace
4. Brain food by Vaughan – Mr Vaughan
5. Spaghetti and Salmon – Madam Weetman
6. Easy Lasagne – Miss Wedgwood
7. Mrs S’ Veggie Chilli – Mrs Shaughnessy
8. Courgette, Pepper and Chickpea Filo Pie - Chef Trask
9. Amazing Chicken Satay Skewers– Mr Green
Deserts
10.Dr J’s Basic Banana Cake – Dr Johnson
11.Apple Crumble – Mrs Stace
If you don’t fancy the desert options refer to your House Baking Competition
Recipes by my reckoning you should have 6 of these.

Cheese on toast
(with a little something extra)
Mrs Hague-Jones
Ingredients
Slice of bread (wholemeal is better
for you)
A little butter
Grated cheese
Something a little extra e.g. marmite, pickle, ham, sliced tomatoes
Instructions
1. Very lightly toast the bread under a hot grill, since you will return it to grill later
to melt the cheese.
2. Butter the toast. At this stage you can add things to go under the cheese, such
as ham, pickle, marmite or sliced tomatoes.
3. Add the grated cheese. Make sure the cheese covers the edges of the toast;
it will protect the corners of the bread from being burned. Place the toast
back under the grill.
4. Cook until the cheese begins to bubble.
5. Remove from the grill carefully, eat and enjoy!

Baked beans on toast
Mr Beckett
Ingredients
1 can of baked beans (it’s worth paying a little bit extra for one with a ring pull. This
will save you from trying to find the tin opener or cutting yourself on the top of the
can – see image below.)
2 slices of fresh bread (you can buy bread that is already
sliced – this will save time when preparing your
meal).
Butter or similar vegetable oil based spread. (Stay
clear of margarine and low fat spreads – they taste
awful).
Optional: Cheese – finely grated (If you don’t own a
cheese grater, you can buy cheese that is already
grated, although it does cost a bit more).
Any of the following condiments - salt, pepper, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce, HP
sauce (my favourite).
Instructions
1. Set toaster to medium setting and place bread in toaster. You can increase the
setting if you prefer charcoal.
2. Remove ring pull from can of beans and pour into jug or bowl. Place cling film on
jug or bowl and use a knife to make small holes in top of cling film.
3. Cook on full power in microwave for 2 minutes. You can use a saucepan to cook
your beans, but it is likely that somebody else has already used your only saucepan
and not washed it up.
4. By now your bread should have miraculously turned into toast. It is now time to
spread your butter or vegetable oil based spread onto your toast.
5. Pour the beans liberally over the toast. You may also scatter grated cheese and
condiments of choice over the top.
For variety, you may wish to mix the cheese and beans together before heating.

Tuesday night baked potato
Introduction
Mrs Stace
The beauty of this meal is that for most of the time you can put your feet up
whilst it is cooking. Also, you do not need to wash up any pans first. The downside
is that you need to think ahead as it takes at least an hour to cook.
After years of experience in cooking this meal I have now progressed to putting
it in my oven in the morning and setting my oven timer and voila!! – Tuesday
night’s tea.
Instructions
Buy a couple of large baking potatoes. (Maris
Piper or King Edwards)
Wash the potatoes under water and pick out
any bits that you wouldn’t want to eat. Prick the
potato with a fork a couple of times (I think this is
to stop it exploding whilst cooking).
To give it a crispy coating you could then rub olive
oil and rock salt on to it but this can be a little
messy.
Put the potatoes in an oven for about an hour and 15 minutes at about 200-
220 o C or gas mark 7.
After 1hour and 15 minutes, check the potatoes by putting a knife or fork into
them- if they feel soft they will be ready. Use an oven glove or folded tea towel
to remove from the oven.
Serve with butter and your choice of filling: Baked beans and grated cheese;
Tuna Mayonnaise (and sweetcorn) with salad; Chilli (see Mrs Shaughnessy’s
recipe on p 7); Grated cheddar cheese and coleslaw.

Brain food by Vaughan
Ingredients
Mr Vaughan
1 large tin of chopped tomatoes (with herbs)
1 can of tuna
1 small can of sweetcorn
Dry pasta
Grated cheese (cheddar/ mozzarella)
Instructions
1. On a gentle heat, warm through the tomatoes with the herbs for 2 mins,
then stir in the tuna and sweetcorn.
2. In a separate pan, cook the pasta for just under the time specified on the
packet, drain, and tip into the pan with the sauce, stir and combine.
3. Into an ovenproof dish, layer the pasta with the grated cheese, finishing
with cheese on top.
4. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until the pasta is cooked and the cheese is
melted.
There you have it “brain food by Vaughan” one that Ramsey himself you be
proud of, easy to make and the leftovers are great for lunch the next day.

Spaghetti & salmon
Ingredients
Madam Weetman
. one fillet of salmon
.spaghetti for one
.crème fraîche
.grated cheese
.a portion of lemon/ dill (optional)
Instructions
1. Steam your salmon fillet above the spaghetti or pan fried your salmon fillet.
2. Once the salmon is cooked, break it up into chunks.
3. Drain the spaghetti and add the salmon and crème fraîche to your pan.
4. Add extra grated cheese if you wish. Once all is mixed well, pour into your
plate and squeeze some lemon / sprinkle some herbs if you wish. ENJOY!!
P.S: If you don’t want your kitchen to smell of fish, pan fried it instead of steaming
it.
This recipe has been our daughters’ favourite one since they were very young.
The other advantage to this recipe is that it only takes as long as it takes the
pasta to cook, 8 to 10 minutes.

Easy lasagne
Miss Wedgwood
Introduction
Substitutes for the student cupboard:
Mozzarella and Parmesan can be swapped for cheddar cheese and the
cream can be left out! Or use full fat milk instead. Also mixed herbs instead of
oregano will be fine.
Serves 4-6 so can freeze or cook for your house/flat share/student halls
Serve with salad, garlic bread or chips if you’re feeling like a treat.
Ingredients
250g packet of instant lasagne sheets
half a cup (75g) grated mozzarella cheese
half a cup (60g) grated cheddar cheese
half a cup (125ml) cream
quarter of a cup (25g) freshly grated parmesan cheese
cheese sauce
60g butter, third of a cup (40g) plain flour, 2 cups (500ml) milk,
1 cup (125g) grated cheddar cheese
meat sauce
one tablespoon of olive oil
one onion, finely chopped, 1 clove garlic crushed
500 g minced beef, 800g can chopped tomatoes
quarter of a cup (60 ml) red wine
one teaspoon of dried oregano leaves, one teaspoon of dried basil leaves

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180 o C, gas mark 4. Brush a shallow ovenproof dish with
a little oil. Line with one layer of lasagne sheets breaking them to fill any
gaps as necessary.
2. To make the cheese sauce: melt the butter in a medium pan, add the flour
and cook, stirring for a minute until bubbling and golden.
3. Add the milk a little at a time, stirring until smooth between each addition,
bring to the boil still stirring and reduce the heat. Simmer uncovered for 2
minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat, add the cheese and stir until melted and
smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
5. To make the meat sauce: Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and
cook until soft and lightly golden, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and
cook for 1 more minute.
6. Add the mince to the pan and break it up with a fork as it cooks. when it is
well browned add the undrained tomatoes wine and herbs. Reduce the
heat and simmer for 20 mins.
7. Spoon one third of the meat sauce over the lasagne sheets, and top with
one third of the cheese sauce.
8. Continue layering, finishing
with lasagne sheets. Sprinkle
with the combined mozzarella
and Cheddar cheeses.
Pour the cream all over the
top and sprinkle with the parmesan.
Bake for 35 to 40
minutes or until Golden
Brown.

Mrs S’ veggie chilli
Ingredients
Mrs Shaughnessy
1 onion, chopped
3 peppers – different colours for flavour and variety
(red, orange and yellow are sweet,
whereas the green has a more bitter taste)
1 sachet of chilli con carne spice mix or mix up
your own
1 400g can of kidney beans or mixed beans
1 or 2 400g cans of chopped tomatoes (depending on desired consistency)
Instructions
1. Chop up the peppers and onion – either diced for a smooth chilli, or into
larger chunks if you prefer chunky chilli.
2. Add a few sprays of FryLight (or oil) to a wok (this always worked best for
me!) or frying pan and heat.
3. Add the onion and peppers, and cook until softened.
4. Add the beans, tomatoes and spice.
5. If you don’t have a ready-made spice mix, you can season to taste with a
mix of salt, chilli powder, cumin, garlic powder and oregano.
6. Cook for 15 mins, or until the chilli thickens and the ingredients are soft.
7. Serve with rice, tacos, nachos, salad, as a jacket potato filling or whatever
else you like.

Courgette, pepper & chickpea
filo pie (V)
Ingredients
2 tbsp Olive oil
Chef Trask
2 red onions, cut into 8 wedges, 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced, 3 courgettes,
sliced, 1 chopped red pepper
A pinch of dried chilli flakes, A small bunch of rosemary, leaved picked and
chopped, A small bunch of thyme, leaved picked and chopped
400g can on chickpeas, drained, 2 Veggie Oxo cubes
200g or 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
3tbsp balsamic vinegar, 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
10 sheets of filo pastry
Instructions
1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes,
until softened.
2. Add the garlic, pepper, courgettes and cook until the vegetables are just
tender and lightly coloured.
3. Stir in the chilli, Oxo cubes, rosemary and thyme.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, balsamic
vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
5. Transfer the mixture to an ovenproof dish.
6. Heat the oven to 160 C/320 F/Gas Mark 3
7. Lay out a sheet of filo pastry on a work surface and brush with olive oil, then
scrunch it up loosely so it looks like a rose. Drop it on top of the filling and repeat
with the remaining filo to cover the dish.
8. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes or until the filling is thoroughly heated
through.
9. Remove the foil and bake for about 5 minutes longer, until the the pastry is
golden.

Amazing Chicken Satay Skewers
Ingredients
Mr Green
Up to 4 chicken breasts (4 people)
Handful of fresh coriander (stalks as well)
1 whole fresh red chilli (stalk removed, roughly chopped, including seeds – hot,
hot, hot!!)
½ a clove of garlic (peeled)
4 heaped tablespoons of any crunchy peanut butter (may be add a little extra)
1 tablespoon of crunchy peanut butter
to eat now!!!
Soy sauce (any)
2cm piece of ginger (peeled and
roughly chopped)
2 limes
Pita bread or flat bread
Green salad and sliced raw red onion
A couple of bottles of nice cool beer.
(may be a few more)
Food processor
Metal or wooden skewers (not essential)

Instructions
1. Put the coriander, chilli, garlic, peanut butter, a lug of soy sauce (about 2
table spoons), ginger, zest of both limes (grated), juice of one or two
limes (I like two limes), a couple of splashes of water into the food
processor and whiz into a paste.
2. Add a little more water to achieve a paste
3. Add more soy or even some black pepper to taste
4. You now have a fantastic thick dipping sauce or marinade
5. Put half of it into a small bowl and put to one side
6. Save the other half to marinade your chicken
7. Slice chicken breasts into reasonable sized chunks (big enough for a
skewer)
8. Use the half of the satay sauce to marinade the chicken chunks (toss
and rub the sauce into the chicken chunks – use plenty)
9. Skewer the chicken (if you do not have skewers, don’t bother)
10. You can either bbq, grill, griddle or oven cook the chicken (I prefer to
cook in the oven first for 15-20 minutes (200C) and then finish on the grill,
griddle or bbq so that they crisp up a little. Make sure the chicken is not
pink and that it is piping hot throughout.
11. Warm your pita breads or flat breads in a toaster, grill or in the oven for a
few minutes.
12. Serve your chicken with the salad, bread, extra satay sauce and an ice
cold beer (if there are any left)

Dr J’s Basic Banana Cake
Dr Johnson
Ingredients
Even a student house tends to end up with very overripe bananas. You cannot afford
to let these go to waste, not when you can turn them into cake! This is the easiest
banana cake you can make, it requires very little skill (even I can make it). It is as
close as you can come to just mixing everything together and putting it in the oven!
125g butter
150g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
190g self-raising flour
60ml milk
A sprinkling of demerara sugar
Instructions
1. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking paper. (don’t worry if you can’t line it
but it makes it easier)
2. Peel and mash the bananas, small lumps don’t matter.
3. Melt the butter, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan over a medium heat.
4. Remove from the heat and add the mashed bananas, mix well.
5. Add the egg, mix well.
6. Stir in the flour and the milk.
7. Pour into the prepared tin, sprinkle with a tablespoon of demerara sugar to give a
crunch topping if liked.
8. Bake at 170oC / Fan 150oC / Gas Mark 3 for 35 minutes, check with a skewer,
continue to bake until it comes out clean.
9. Take out of the tin, leave to cool and enjoy!

Ingredients
Apple Crumble
Mrs Stace
You will need an ovenproof dish for this one – any shape will do
575g 3-4 Bramley apples (these are cooking apples)
110 g Golden Caster Sugar (if not white will do)
1 teaspoon Cinnamon (optional)
175g Flour
110g Butter
2 tablespoons of Oats
2 tablespoons of demerara sugar
Instructions
1. Wash your hands. Peel and core the apples.
2. Slice the apples and put them in saucepan on a medium heat. Heat them gently
and add a couple of tablespoons of sugar – the quantity depends on how sweet
you want your apple crumble to be. You could add up to a teaspoon of cinnamon
at this point. Don’t over heat them as you will end up will apple puree- the
apples should be a little hard as they will be cooked for longer in the oven.
3. Spoon the apple mixture into an ovenproof dish.
4. Now make the crumble. Cut the butter into cubes and add the flour and 110g of
sugar and squish it together with your hands until it makes a crumble like mix. If you
get some lumpy bits even better.
5. Scatter the crumble topping on to your apple mixture.
6. You can add the oats and 2 tablespoons of sugar on top of this if you want.
7. Put your crumble in to the oven for 35-40 minutes at 190 C (170 C for fan ovens) or
gas mark 5
Once you are confident with this dish you can customise it with other ingredients such
as a handful of blackberries, strawberries, raspberries or blackcurrants. You could
add almonds or toasted walnuts to the crumble mix. Experiment and have fun! Serve
with ice cream, or custard or double cream.