Recipe Handbook
Franco Fassio, Nadia Tecco, Pollenzo Food Lab
How can a recipe nourish children, respect the planet and still work in the everyday reality of a school kitchen? 42 Recipes Designed for European School Canteens brings together dishes developed and revised by school catering cooks and professionals from 12 countries within SchoolFood4Change (SF4C), a project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme.
This is more than a conventional cookbook. It translates health and sustainability principles into meals that can be prepared at scale, enjoyed by children and adapted to different European food cultures and catering systems. Its 42 recipes address some of the key challenges shaping the future of school food: nutritional balance, the protein transition, seasonality, biodiversity, dietary inclusion, circular cooking and food-waste reduction.
Each recipe provides detailed information on ingredients, quantities, nutritional values, environmental considerations, allergens, preparation and service. The format also considers children’s sensory preferences and suggests links with educational activities, turning the recipe into a shared planning and communication tool for cooks, dietitians, teachers, local authorities, canteen staff and families.
Coordinated by the University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo, the handbook shows that a recipe can do far more than explain how to prepare a dish. It can guide procurement, communicate the values embodied in a school meal and support the transition towards healthier, more sustainable and inclusive school food systems.
General introduction
CHAPTER 1 – Basic tools to design the good
Autumn burger with coleslaw and potatoes
Lentil lasagne
Olla de la plana
Pumpkin risotto with Parmigiano Reggiano fondue
Spelt and legume soup
Tomato-lentil soup
Winter galette with coral lentils, sweet potato and spices
Wholegrain fusilli with soy ragout and Parmigiano Regiano
CHAPTER 2 – Balanced dishes
Asian style vegetables and lentil stir fry
Autumn ragout with rice and vegetables
Carrot burger
Empedrao rice with vegetables and Romesco sauce
Persian Stew with roasted potatoes and seasonal vegetables
Potatoes, tomato, coral lentils and crunchy vegetables
PPP. Plant-Protein Power Curry
CHAPTER 3 – Protein transition
Beuschel with mixed mushrooms
Brownies & Blondies
Chickpea and rice curry
Coquillettes with lentils, mushrooms and curry
Hungarian green peas soup with nokedli
Lentil and carrot stew
Lentils croquettes and fennel salad
Mushroom Adobada, Ingrid green peas and flatbread
Vegetable couscous with smoked tofu
CHAPTER 4 – Adaptive recipes
Baked seasonal veggies with beetroot ketchup
Cauliflower-Chickpea soup
Crispy vegetables and tempeh with miso-mayo
Potatoes, curd, linseed oil, raw seasonal vegetable sticks
Pumpkin cake / Coca de calabaza
Red curry with vegetables and edamame
Sweet potato ducats with creamy spinach and tempeh cubes
CHAPTER 5 – Cuisine and circularity
Delicious creamy leek soup with herb croutons
Porridge chips with bean spread
Pumpkin and aubergine stew
Vegetables patties
Zucchini and white fish patties
CHAPTER 6 – Dishes for advanced tastes
Broccoli soup
Bulgur salad with chickpeas
Fish soup with seasonal toppings
Sunny soup
Supersalad with beluga lentils
Tuscan vegetable soup
Conclusion and thanks
