Who said getting your five a day was a chore? | The Tool Shed

Who said getting your five a day was a chore?

We all know the massive health benefits to eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables but many of us can be forgiven for thinking that most vegetables lack flavour and excitement, however, we have discovered that they are not only extremely versatile but they also lend themselves beautifully to all kinds of flavours, and we can guarantee that there is a vegetable side perfectly suited to almost any dish.

The key to deliciously tasty vegetables with a fantastic texture is definitely in the cooking. By using a water bath you will achieve maximum flavour without losing any of the valuable nutrients. And, most of our vegetable recipes need minimal preparation so lets get on our way to five, or even ten a day!

We’ve picked a few of our recipes to show you but there really are loads more. To view them all please click here.

SOUS VIDE LEEKS

Cooking leeks can be challenging because the outer layers cook quicker than the inner core. This makes it difficult to achieve an even result. You can avoid this problem by cooking leeks sous vide in your water bath. In this method, the low cooking temperature means that the leeks never exceed the optimum temperature, which prevents them overcooking on the outside.

This recipe also includes a detailed ‘how to’ video which will show you exactly how to achieve perfectky cooked leeks every time!

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PESTO INFUSD CHERY TOMATOES COOKED SOUS VIDE WITH CHARDONNAY VINEGAR AND SMOKED SEA-SALT

Why not jazz up a salad or meat/fish dish with these delicious, and very easy to make cherry tomatoes? Taking just 45 minutes to cook sous vide, the flavours used in this recipe work really well together and combine to make a lovely Italian inspired side-dish.

Tomatoes infuse with almost any herb but our chef has suggested thyme or rosemary with balsamic vinegar. Delicious!

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SOUS VIDE CARROTS WITH GINGER, LEMONGRASS AND TOASTED CARRAWAY

Because carrots are such a staple vegetable they have undeservedly got a reputation for being a little boring, but here at Sous Vide Tools we can’t get enough of them, especially when cooked using this recipe with ginger and lemongrass.

This dish is so easy to prepare and really gives the humble carrot a massive flavour hit. Ideal for Sunday lunch or why not wow your guests at your next dinner party!

Chef’s tip – The liquid used in this recipe can be saved for another use or chilled to make a delicious and extremely healthy carrot drink!

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TURNIPS COOKED SOUS VIDE IN CIDER WITH ROASTED APPLE AND HAZELNUT

Turnips are an under-used vegetable when they really shouldn’t be. High in antioxidants, this super healthy root vegetable also has anti-inflammatory properties needed for a health heart, plus it is rich in calcium and potassium which is great news for our bones!

This dish is so simple to prepare, takes just 90 minutes to cook sous vide in your water bath and tastes sensational. Our chef also suggests adding a rich beef stock to the pouch before cooking if you are looking to create a tasty beef casserole. Either way, we are certain that once you have tried this recipe you will be adding turnips to your weekly shop.

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SMOKED CAULIFLOWER CHEESE PUREE

This classic combination is a family favourite and certainly isn’t for just vegetarians. In this recipe we use a smoking gun to give the dish a unique smoky flavour that works fantastically with the cauliflower.

Serve alongside a leafy green salad or crusty bread and for optimum flavour our chef advises that you season well.

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Post by Chris Holland

Our Chef Director Chris Holland worked as Head Chef at the prestigious Alderley Edge hotel before joining us. He has a passion for using the best produce and never compromises on quality. Author of our best selling book Sous Vide The Art of Precision Cooking, Chris is a expert on the sous vide technique.During the later part of my school days at Wardle High School Rochdale I always wanted to be a chef . I knew from the very start that my path to work was never going to be academic it was always going to be something practical and hands on.

As a young boy growing up I was inspired to cook with my Grandma who was and still is an inspiration to me . I have memories of helping make the cakes that she always had made for visitors and family alike . She made the most amazing cakes and I loved nothing more than eating the sweet raw cake batter straight from the bowl . We used to fight over who got to lick the bowl/spoon after the cakes were made. My grandma’s philosophy for cooking even on a shoe string budget was always to use fresh and seasonal ingredients either home grown or bought from the market.

School was somewhat of a drag for me as I was itching to learn to become a chef.

I started at Hopwood Hall college as a chef and instantly fell in love with it .To me it was the only real time I excelled in something and this inspired me to really get my head down and put in the hard work. College was the first time I really excelled in something and gave me the opportunity to laugh at the teachers who said I would never make something of my life!!!!

During the three years at college I also took on a part time position in a local hotel working the bar and restaurant first and then the kitchen. These were great days and gave me the opportunity to see how the industry ticks. I learnt a lot from those days both good and bad !! But I have to say I was itching to work only in the kitchen but it was a good insight into the catering world .

After completing college I moved away from Rochdale for a full time roll at one of Cheshire’s most talked about Hotel restaurants The Stanneylands Hotel. This was the school of hard knocks for me as I quickly realised that although excelling at college meant nothing in “The Real World”.

I loved every minute of the 18 hour days 6 days a week on minimum wage . Although difficult I feel that without this grounding I wouldn’t have achieved what I have today. After 18 months of hard graft I left Stanneylands and went with the Head chef to open a fine dining restaurant at Mere Golf and Country Club. The opportunity to work alongside Matthew Barrett was too good to turn down. I learnt so much from the ex-Ritz chef and working in a much slower paced role helped me develop a much better understanding of how to organise and run a kitchen. We were a very small team and teamwork was and still is the only way to go for me.

After 2 years at Mere I got the opportunity to go into The Alderley Edge Hotel as Junior Souschef. The Early days at the Edge were all about learning new styles of cuising which is invaluable in any role as a chef. I got the opportunity to grow and learn all aspects of every section which was inspiring . I was offered the opportunity at the age of 29 (2004) to take the role of head chef. For me this was when I really started to develop my own style of food.

After 9 years at the top winning Cheshire restaurant of the year , Chef of the Year and appearing on GBM amongst many highlights including cooking for many celebrities and famous people I decided to move on into development with Sousvidetools.

The main inspiration for this was to train and educate people . I always had a great passion for education but could never really see myself at a college . The job is super rewarding and I am proud to say we have become the leading light in sous-vide education in the UK . This is something I am very proud of . Food is my biggest passion and this is what keeps me interested the most . I love to travel and try out other countries cuisines. I am constantly inspired by ingredients and the pursuit of getting the best out of them without destroying their natural flavour .It is super important to me to continue to try and be at the forefront of the food scene this is what inspire me and the team to keep driving forward .

Technology is now widely used in the industry and I am super proud to say we have been a big part of spreading that message.

I am very lucky to be in the position I am and the drive to constantly improve our training and links to the next generation of young budding hospitality chefs.

TI feel that my experience over the last 25 years really enables me to get close and educate the “next generation” of chefs .

The industry which I love is really struggling to bring through new recruits and if I can help that process I will be immensely proud.

The food seen in the Uk has improved dramatically over the last ten years and I feel this will continue with the correct education. What happens next only fate will tell us...

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