A young Inverness couple have launched a new programme of cooking classes aimed at helping those feeling the squeeze this winter.
Michael’s Culinary School was launched in October 2021, offering one-to-one cookery classes teaching people different cuisines like Thai, Italian and Chinese.
Connor Rae and Michael Fallows bravely decided to convert their living room area into a commercial kitchen-style space.
With the cost of living crisis hitting households across the Highlands, the duo decided to launch a new programme of budget cooking classes.
These classes are done either online or in-person, with chef Mr Rae showing people how to make budget dishes such as stir-fry, macaroni cheese or curry.
He said: “Our online workshops, which are £7.50, have been launched in response to the growing economic crisis that everyone is experiencing.
“They have been designed with health and cost in mind and run for around an hour, which is something people can do on Sunday morning and not be too stressed out about it.
“It also gives people an activity to do, because everyone has to make dinner so if you are engaging in an activity with other people, while also making something that you have to anyways it feels more like a fun activity rather than a chore.”
Recipes can be made in bulk for families living on a budget, with ingredients easily sourced from various supermarkets.
Mr Rae, 23, has always had an affinity for food, with many of his relatives also working in the industry.
He started out studying horticulture which developed into a love of using home-grown produce in recipes, so he began cooking.
‘Designed with health and cost in mind’
“I think there is a synergy between growing and producing your own food and then taking it to the kitchen and using it within different dishes.”
According to Mr Rae, the business is moving into a new stage as a social enterprise venture, whereas before it was solely about making money.
The couple want to give back to the community, so have branched out by offering spaces in their 12-person virtual cooking classes to people involved with Mikeysline.
Mr Fallows, 19, has a personal connection with the Inverness-based mental health charity after they assisted the family when his grandfather took his own life.
His grandfather backed the couple to create their business and provided them with the funds to get them started.
Mr Fallows has always wanted to run his own business taking inspiration from his grandfather, who was a business owner, and hopes the work they are doing “makes him proud”.
The entrepreneurs were eager to have Mikeysline involved to do something to help those struggling and make sure people get the help they need.
Mr Fallows said: “We are going to offer Mikeysline two to three spaces in the virtual classes for their service users.
“They will be anonymous, so it creates a safe space for them. The classes will be good for mental wellbeing and hopefully a chance for service users to meet new people.”
To find out how to make this delicious meal, which was priced at just £2.10 per portion from ingredients bought from Aldi and Lidl, here is the recipe.
Beef Chow Mein
(Serves 1-2)
Ingredients
- 150g Beef Mince
- 60g Mangetout
- 1 nest of Egg Noodles
- 1 Red Chilli
- 1/2 White Onion
- 2 Spring Onions
- 1 tsp Garlic Puree
- 1 tsp Ginger Puree
Sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp Rice Vinegar (Mirin)
- 2 tsp Cornflour
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Sesame Oil
Method
- Mix ingredients for sauce together in a bowl and leave to the side
- Roughly chop onion, red chilli and spring onion
- Boil egg noodles in salt water
- Add sesame oil to a frying pan/wok and fry off beef mince until brown
- Remove beef mince from pan and put into a bowl for later
- Add more sesame oil to the pan and fry off onion, chilli, ginger puree, garlic puree for one minute
- Add in the mangetout and keep cooking over medium heat for three minutes
- Add in beef mince, noodles and sauce all at once until it’s all combined
- Plate, garnish with spring onion and enjoy
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