Serves 3 - 400 Calories Per Serving
INGREDIENTS:
2 Tins Chopped Tomatoes
1 TBSP Mixed Herbs
1 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar
2 TSP Crushed Garlic
1 TBSP Chopped Dates
150g Brown Penne Pasta
1 Aubergine Roughly Chopped
3 Red Onions Roughly Chopped
10 Cup Mushrooms Roughly Chopped
1 Cup Frozen Cooked Spinach
1TBSP Capers
1/2 Cup Olives
Salt
Pepper
Fresh Basil
Method
Place the aubergine, onions and mushrooms on a non-stick matt and baking tray and roast in the oven at 220c for 30 minutes.
While the veg is roasting place the tomatoes, dried herbs, vinegar, garlic, dates and enough salt and pepper to taste in a large pan, place a lid on and simmer for 30 minutes.
Boil the pasta until cooked. Then Drain Well.
When all of the above is cooked pour the roasted veg and pasta in the large pan with the tomato sauce and add the defrosted spinach. Heat up until hot on the stove, continue to mix. Once hot add the capers and olives.
Pour into a pasta bowl and serve with the fresh basil over the top
My Chef Training
I found the academic side of school very hard. Suffering from dyslexia it became apparent that the vocational side of life was my calling. This is where my love of food took the next step.
At 15, I found my love for cooking. Immediately my confidence grew and I was finally good at something. Excelling my year group with my culinary skills, at 16 I enrolled at the most prestigious catering college in the country, Westminster.
This had to have been one of the most challenging, fun and eye-opening experiences I had in the real world. Commuting from Sevenoaks to London, Monday to Friday, at 16 was thrilling but tiring. Our days in the kitchen started at 9am and finished at 5pm each day. I would then go and work in a kitchen as a paid chef from 6pm-10pm.
Weekends were a no-go. I would then work from 6.30am to 10pm every other weekend and study on alternate weekends. Welcome to the real life of a chef. Or lack of.
During my time at Westminster, I had opportunities to work at the Dorchester Hotel, Hilton Park Lane, City Rhodes, Houses of Commons and Marco Pierre White’s, Belvedere.
This experience helped a team of 6 chefs win the country's biggest catering competition, Toque D’or.
Daniel Welstead Plant Based Vegan Personal Trainer in Sevenoaks