Feed your family for
Show winner GARY MACLEAN explains why planning ahead can lead to delicious dinners for the family – while also saving you money
HE TOOK on some of the country’s most talented cooks to be crowned winner of MasterChef and now Gary Maclean has set himself another culinary challenge.
He wants to educate Scots on how they can enjoy a healthy diet without spending a small fortune.
He has created a range of tasty and hearty meals to feed a family for a fiver and, best of all, they are quick and easy to make.
Gary, from Glasgow, is hoping his new project will help to encourage people to ditch fatty burgers and chicken nuggets in favour of fresh, healthy meals.
The busy dad of five ensures his kids eat home-cooked meals every day and says being organised in the kitchen helps reduce food bills.
Gary, 45, said: “I want to show people you can eat cheaply by cooking the food yourself. By changing habits and planning in advance it’s possible to eat really well without breaking the bank.
“I’ve put together a definitive collection of recipes that showcase my style of cooking and how to make exciting and vibrant meals on a budget.”
Gary’s life has been a whirlwind since he lifted the culinary crown on BBC’s MasterChef: The Professionals 2016.
Although his wife Sharon, 45, is also a trained chef, Gary likes to do all the cooking at home and knows how tricky it can be to keep kids happy at meal times.
He said: “It’s not any easier for us to be cooking five different meals than it is for anyone else.
“Our children range from 21 to three, and what works for us is making a large one-pot dish to serve at the table. The kids can go back for more and I find it takes a lot of the stress out of cooking.
“The recipes I’ve created are geared towards being served up and letting folk help themselves.
“We are in a society where we don’t put enough time into thinking about what we’re eating. Most people come home from work, open the fridge and ask themselves, ‘What’s for dinner?’
“If you’re working all day, the last thing you want is to start cooking. It needs to be planned.
“If you make a shopping list and stick to it, you’ll save money.”
Gary’s recipes range from handmade pizza to perfect rice and ramen noodles, which have already proved a hit with his kids Cameron, 21, Ewan, 16, Laura, 15, Finlay, five, and Harris, three.
He said: “They love them, especially making pizza dough.
“They also enjoy homemade pasta with meatballs and spicy tomato sauce.
“If you follow the recipes, it is pretty easy – just grab the ingredients and away you go.
“Then, as your confidence
grows, you’ll be looking at food in a whole new way.” Gary spent his early career in hotels where he learned key skills. At the age of 30, he opened his Own restaurant in Glasgow and as head chef, challenged himself to regularly create new and exciting menus for his customers. From there, he went on to run the kitchens at Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art and the Burrell Collection. He has also held executive chef positions and his current role as senior lecturer at City of Glasgow College is what really drives his passion for mentoring other young chefs and creative cooking.
He was crowned MasterChef: The Professionals champion 2016, after taking on 47 other highly-rated chefs.
He battled through seven weeks of fierce competition on TV screens and extraordinary cooking in the challenges.
Despite finding fame and being flown across the world to open restaurants, Gary insists he won’t be giving up his teaching job.
He said: “I think being a teacher has been an advantage to me.
“When we stand in front of 20 students, we have to get it right, no matter what that job is.
“You have to think about the process and the planning.
“It is no different to standing in front of Monica, Gregg and Marcus in MasterChef. You have to be super-organised and know exactly what you’re doing.
“A bad day in the classroom would be just as bad as a bad day in the MasterChef kitchen. The pressure is on you – and your own personal pride – to make sure you’re doing a good job.
“The routine you go through in the classroom helped me in the MasterChef kitchen.”
Gary is sharing six delicious recipes with our readers and hopes they will inspire people to make cheap. healthy meals.
He said: “If you are motivated, you will have a spring in your step to get cooking.
“This is part of the ‘feed a family for a fiver’ philosophy: creating dishes that are fun and interesting to give you people motivation to cook.” ● Get Gary’s next recipe in tomorrow’s Sunday Mail.