Homemade baked beans

A simple, hearty dish that brings out the best in butter beans with slow-cooked onions and a flavourful tomato base. So much tastier than baked beans and you can just sue them in the same say - on sourdough toast with cheese, or they're great as part of a cooked breakfast.

Ingredients

Serves 4 as a side

• 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons

• 1 garlic clove, finely grated or chopped

• 1 x 700g jar Bold Beans butter beans (or two tins), including the bean water/stock

• ½ tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1.5 tbsp double concentrate tomato purée

• ½ tsp sea salt

• A crack of black pepper

Method

1. Heat a generous drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over low heat. Add the onions and cook slowly for about 20 minutes until soft and caramelised.

2. Stir in the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes until fragrant.

3. Sprinkle in the oregano and paprika, stirring for a few seconds to release their aroma.

4. Tip in the butter beans along with their water/stock, then stir in the tomato purée.

5. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, allowing the flavours to meld together.

6. Season with sea salt and a crack of black pepper to taste.

creamy green pea pasta

Here’s a gorgeous vibrant green pasta with a fresh delicate flavour and lots of the good stuff! Green peas have a delicious sweet flavour and work really well with fresh herbs such as parsley or basil. I’ve have added some optional marscapone cheese for extra creaminess, but you can just add parmesan if you prefer as the peas have a naturally creamy flavour when pureed anyway. I also used fresh chicken stock to boost protein and flavour, but a good vegetable stock, preferably fresh, would also be great. And if you want to make the sauce plant based, you can leave out the dairy and add some fried firm tofu, or top with cashew nuts.

Peas are a great source of vitamin C (around 66% of your RDA in 100g), and protein (5g per 100g), which may be important for supporting your immune system, collagen formation and wound healing. This sauce is also high in fibre, especially if you use wholemeal, lentil or spelt pasta, to keep your gut microbes happy.

ingredients

Serves 4

• ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• Large knob of butter

• 1 large onion, chopped finely

• 1 large garlic clove, grated finely

• 500g frozen peas

• 500ml chicken or vegetable stock

• Handful of fresh parsley or basil, or both!

• 3 tbsp mascarpone cheese, optional

• 2 handfuls of grated parmesan

• Good pinch of salt and grind of black pepper

• Squeeze of lemon

• Pasta: which ever kind you prefer!

method

• Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan and then fry the onions gently for around 15 minutes until browned. 

• Next add the garlic and fry for a minute before adding the frozen peas.

• Start cooking the pasta now.

• Pour in the stock and simmer for 5 minutes.

• Add the herbs and then blitz the sauce with a hand blender.

• Add the mascarpone if you’re using it, and stir well.

• Put in the parmesan, salt, and pepper and stir.

• Add the drained pasta to the sauce and serve with a squeeze of lemon, extra parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.

Mustardy potato salad

A simple way to elevate an ordinary potato salad. It’s way better value and far more tasty than buying a tub too. The dressing only takes a couple of minutes to mix up and makes the salad really interesting and, dare I say, a bit special. Lovely with quiche and salad - a classic weekend lunch combo in our house.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 1kg new potatoes, halved

• 4 spring onions

• 150ml Greek yoghurt

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 1-2 tbsp chives, chopped

• 1-2 tbsp parsley, chopped

• Pinch of sea salt

• A good grind of black pepper

Method

• Boil the potatoes for around 15 minutes until soft all the way through. I always check mine with a knife before draining.

• Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.

• Allow the potatoes to cool completely, or at least a bit before mixing them with the dressing.

Asparagus with white bean dip & feta

Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables. I love the taste, but it also signals the start of spring and warm weather. The name even originates from the Greek word ‘asparagos’, meaning ‘to spring up’!

Asparagus is typically in season for around 8 weeks, from the end of April until the summer solstice on June 21, but the season varies a bit according to the weather. The first crop after planting can take up to 3 years, which is one reason why asparagus tends to be a little more expensive.

It’s a great veggie to add to your diet if your budget allows as asparagus is rich in minerals and vitamins A, C, K, and folic acid and is also high in fiber to keep your microbes happy. Asparagus acts as a prebiotic, feeding good bacteria in the gut. A higher fibre diet (UK Government recommends 30g per day) has been linked to weight loss (increased satiety, regular bowel movements, blood sugar regulation), reduced blood pressure, and improvement in menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, mood swings, and anxiety).

Asparagus is a good source of antioxidants like Vitamin A and Vitamin E, glutathione, and quercetin. Antioxidants may protect against cell damage by free radicals, which are highly reactive and unstable molecules produced by normal metabolic processes in the body, as well as external sources such as poor diet, smoking, alcohol, and pollution. These molecules can cause oxidative stress and inflammation, which have been linked to aging, heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and cancer. Antioxidants and polyphenols in asparagus may have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body, helping to prevent chronic disease.

This dish is a great starter or side dish, but it’s also really nice for lunch with toasted sourdough.

Ingredients

Serves 2-3 for lunch with sourdough or 4 as a starter

• 230-250g asparagus (depending on bunch size)

• 20-30g pine nuts

• 100g / ½ tin cannellini beans

• ½ garlic clove, grated finely 

• Handful of parsley

• Juice of ½ lemon

• 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• A good pinch of sea salt

• 50-80g feta (depending how much you like)

Method

• Heat a griddle pan, or frying pan if you dont have one (you just wont get the lines). 

• Trim the woody ends off the asparagus, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and mix together. 

• Cook one side of the asparagus for about 6 mins, push the spears down with a spatula to help the black griddle marks form. Turn and repeat. 

• Remove and set to one side on a plate. 

• Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan for a few minutes until golden - dont take your eye off them or they’re burn!!

• Next blitz the beans, parsley (reserve a few leaves for serving), garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and salt in a small mixer until it forms a smooth paste. 

• Spoon the dip onto a serving plate, place the asparagus on top then crumble over the feta, adding the pine nuts on top along with the reserved parsley leaves.  

• Drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon and sea salt to serve. 

Tip

• If you are vegan, just leave off the feta and add a few more pine nuts as this dish is also lovely without the cheese.

• Pine nuts can be switched for toasted hazelnuts, almonds or sunflower and pumpkin seeds

Spicy Mexican soup

Winter-warming soup that is so good with grated cheddar or crumbled feta. Add extra harissa or dried chill for more spice and eat with homemade tortilla chips, or cheese on toast.

ingredients

Serves 6

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 2 red peppers, quartered and sliced 

• 3 small cloves garlic, chopped finely 

• 3 carrots, chopped

• 1 tsp ground cumin  

• ½ tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp harissa, ground blend or paste

• 250g red lentils, rinsed really well  

• 2 x 400g tinned tomatoes

• 400ml coconut milk 

• 1 x 400g tin black beans

• 1 tsp sea salt 

• Juice of ½ lemon

• Handful chopped fresh coriander, optional

• Handful of grated cheddar or any other cheese

• Blob of Greek yoghurt

method

• Heat 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large pan and fry the onions, peppers and carrots gently for 10 minutes.

• Next add the garlic, stirring well. Cook for about a minute.

• Now add the harissa and ground spices, stir well to warm through and release flavours.

• Next add the rinsed lentils, tinned tomatoes, coconut milk.

• Simmer for 15 minutes, then add the black beans, plus water. Cook for another 15 minutes, but add a little extra water if needed.

• Next stir in the salt, lemon juice and coriander if using

• Serve with a blob of Greek yoghurt - coconut for vegan option

Quinoa & red pepper nut roast

ingredients

Serves 8-10

• 150g mixed nuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, toasted

• 150g quinoa

• 1 red onion, chopped finely

• 1 red pepper, small dice

• 1 clove garlic, chopped finely or grated with a Microplane

• 150g mushrooms, chopped roughly, but fairly small

• 180g cooked chestnuts, chopped finely or blitzed in a food processor

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 5 tbsp plain or GF flour

• 2 heaped tbsp tomato purée

• 2 heaped tsp Dijon mustard

• 150g cheddar cheese, grated

• 2 tsp sea salt

• 3 large eggs, beaten

• Black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºc. Line a 2lb loaf tin with parchment, or I like to use a liner as they just slot in.

2. Put the nuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds on a tray and roast for 7-8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the onions, pepper and garlic, frying gently for 10-12 minutes until soft.

4. Next add the mushrooms and cook for a further 8-10 minutes, letting any excess liquid evaporate.

5. While the veg is cooking, blitz the chestnuts in a food processor to a bread crumb texture and then put in a bowl. If you don’t have a processor, just chop finely.

6. Add the chestnuts, oregano and flour, mixing well and then the tomato purée, mustard, cheddar, nuts, seeds, salt and finally the beaten eggs. Combine well.

7. Spoon the mix into the tin, press it down lightly, so it sticks together and cover with a piece of tin foil. Place in the oven for 30 minutes then remove the tin foil and put back in for another 15 minutes.

8. Serve with my red onion gravy roasties and lots of greens.

tip

• If you have any left overs, once cooled, slice the roast and freeze with baking parchment separating each piece, so they don’t stick together. As my daughter is veggie, I like to have a few slices in the freezer ready for when we have a chicken roast.

• I also do the same with my red onion gravy - freeze a few portions so I always have a nice homemade sauce for her.

Baked ratatouille

Ratatouile is an old fave in our house as it’s one of those stew/sauces that you can use in lots of different ways. We like it with cous cous, rice, pasta, on baked potatoes with lots of cheddar or feta, in wraps, with halloumi, fish or roast chicken - anything! If you have kids who don’t like large pieces of veg, then use a hand blender to blitz part of the sauce a bit (not fully or you’ll never get them used to a chunkier texture!).

Ingredients

• 2 aubergines, 1cm slices cut in quarters

• 2 red onion, half moon slices

• 2 courgette, 1/2 cm slices

• 2 red pepper, 2-3cm chunks

• 2 large garlic cloves, unpeeled 

• 1 tsp coriander 

• 2 x 400g tins of tomatoes (best quality you can afford)

• 1 tsp aged balsamic vinegar

• Handful of fresh basil leaves, torn roughly

• Sea salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºc. Get one roasting tray with deeper side and a baking trays.

2. Spread the veggies out on two trays, one with aubergine, onion and garlic, the other with courgette and red peppers. Sprinkle each with ½ tsp coriander, a good drizzle of olive oil and pinch of sea salt.

3. Put both in the oven for 15 minutes, turn and repeat.

4. Take both trays out and scrape all the veggies into the deeper tray.

5. Pour in the tomatoes and mix well, roast for a further 20 minutes.

6. Drizzle over the balsamic and add another good pinch of sea salt, mix well and serve.

Hot & Smoky beans

I like to make a big pan of these beans so I can use them to jazz up lunches and dinners through the week they go really well with grilled Halloumi, feta, rice salad (as shown here), grilled fish or chicken, in wraps or quesadillas. Super versatile and tasty!

Ingredients

Serves 8 approx

• 2 medium onions, chopped finely

• 1 large garlic clove, grated finely

• ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika

• ½ tsp ground coriander

• ½ tsp hot chilli powder

• 1 x 400g tin black beans

• 1 x 400g tin any other cooked bean - chickpea cannellini

• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

• ¾ tsp sea salt

• ½ tbsp red wine vinegar

• A good grind of black pepper

Method

1. Pour a lug of extra virgin olive oil into a large saucepan and fry the onions gently for 10-12 minutes.

2. Next add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the ground spices. Stir to warm through for 30 seconds.

3. Next pour in the can of black beans including their water, the other tin of bean (drained) and the tomatoes.

4. Stir well and leave to bubble with the lid on for 25 minutes minutes, leaving a small gap for escaping steam.

5. Add the red wine vinegar and simmer for a further 20 minutes without the lid, stirring occasionally.

6. Add the salt and pepper to finish.

7. Serve with Greek yoghurt or sour cream and fresh herbs

baked brown basmati with red pepper & cherry tomatoes

I thought I would try baking brown rice instead of white and turns out it’s pretty much the same, but takes a little longer in the oven. This is a really good way to do a hands off rice dish that can be your main course with the addition of baked feta, halloumi, crispy chickpeas or toasted hazelnuts, or you could also have it as a side with roast chicken or grilled fish.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 200g cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 red pepper, sliced

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion, half moon slices

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 500ml boiling water, ½ veggie stock cube

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 200g brown basmati rice

• 1 small bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped

• 1 lemon, juiced

• salt and pepper

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Put the cherry tomatoes and red peppers in the medium oven proof dish that you’re going to use for the rice and mix in 1 tbsp olive oil, a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Put in the oven for 20 minutes, until cooked and starting to brown.

• While the tomatoes and peppers are cooking, get a small frying pan add a little olive oil and fry the onions gently for around 15 minutes until browned.

• Boil 500ml of water, mix with the ½ stock cube and 1tsp sea salt in a jug.

• When the tomatoes and peppers are ready, squeeze out the garlic and mash. Distribute it as evenly as possible over the vegetables. Do the same with the cooked onions, don’t mix them in.

• Next scatter the rice evenly over the top of the vegetables (no mixing), drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil evenly over the top and then pour over the hot stock.

• Put tinfoil over the top of the dish as tightly as possible, you may need to double layer. This is easier if you have a dish with a lip around the top edge. Put in the oven for 45 minutes, until the rice is soft and all the water as absorbed.

• Serve with a scattering of parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Red pepper, white bean and lentil stew

Is it a stew, or is it a soup?! Who knows! But it’s tasty, chunky and total veggie comfort food 🌱

I love this stew/soup (stoup?!) in a big bowl on its own, or equally with a chunk of buttered sourdough, or with brown rice and steamed greens - it’ll go further if you have it this way too. A blob of Greek or vegan coconut yoghurt is lovely on top.

I always try to add lots of gut-friendly fibre (not just for bulking, but to feed your good microbes!) in my cooking, plus I eat a lot of veggie food, so I like to make sure that there is also plenty of protein too - in this soup the lentils and beans will give you loads of both!

Delicious as a comforting dinner, or perfect for lunch - you decide!

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 2 red peppers, quartered and sliced 

• 3 small cloves garlic, chopped finely 

• 1 tsp cumin seeds 

• 1 tsp smoked paprika or pimentón

• 200g red lentils, rinsed well  

• 1 x 400g tinned tomatoes

• 200ml coconut milk (freeze the rest for next time)

• ½ veg stock cube (I used Kallo low salt)

• 1 tbsp rose harissa  

• 1 x 400g tin cannellini beans

• 1 tsp sea salt 

• Juice of ½ lemon

• A small handful of chopped parsley

Method

• Heat 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large pan and fry the onions for 8 minutes.

• Next add the red pepper for a further 5 minutes and then the garlic, stirring well. Cook for another minutes or so.

• Now put in the smoked paprika and cumin seeds and stir well to warm through and release their flavours.

• Next add the rinsed lentils, tinned tomatoes, coconut milk, 1 ½ tins of water and the rose harissa.

• Simmer for 15 minutes with a little gap in the lid (add a little extra water if needed to loosen) then add the drained cannellini beans. Cook for about 5 minutes.

• Next stir in the salt, lemon juice and parsley

• Serve with a blob of yoghurt - coconut for vegan option

Leek, potato & white bean stew

Is it a stew, or is it a soup?! Well, I’ve gone with stew, but either way, here’s a nice hearty dish to try out now it’s getting a bit colder. I mean, cheese and potatoes - what’s not to like!? I can even get the kids to eat this with lots of cheddar or parmesan on top. It goes without saying that they pick the kale out though! Eating plenty of potatoes is a great way to feed your gut with prebiotics to encourage diversity in your microbiome. So what you waiting for? Get cooking!

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 25g butter

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1.2kg potatoes, peeled 2cm cubes

• 2 sticks celery, chopped finely

• 2 large leek, halved 1cm slices

• 2 garlic cloves, grated

• ½ stock cube (I use Kallo veggie low salt) + 1l boiling water

• 1 parmesan rind, optional

• 1 x 400g tin cannellini beans (or any you prefer)

• 2 handfuls of chopped kale (tough stalks removed)

• 1 tbsp dijon mustard

• ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp sea salt

• A good grind of black pepper

• A handful of grated extra mature cheddar or parmesan and parsley to serve

Method

• Melt the butter and then add the oil, warming for a minute.

• Fry the potatoes gently for 15 minutes and then add the leeks and celery, cooking for a further 15 minutes.

• Add the garlic, stir well and cook for a further few minutes.

• Add the stock, parmesan rind and cannellini beans, simmering with the lid on for 25 minutes.

• Add the kale and cook for 5 minutes or until soft.

• Next add the mustard , vinegar, salt and black pepper, stirring well.

• Serve in bowls with a big handful of cheddar or parmesan, plus herbs if you’re using them.

• A wedge of warm sourdough and salted butter is also divine with this stew.

tip

• A note about stock - if I’m using a cube then I always increase the recommended amount of water (usually I double it), otherwise you end up tasting the stock cube rather than it being a savoury back note. In this recipe I have kept the stock ratio very low as it would dominate the delicate flavour of the leeks.

Tomato & coconut red lentils with roasted cumin cauliflower

I love lentils, they’re so satisfying and really versatile; they can be flavoured with lots of different spices and herbs, plus they’re a really cheap and tasty way to add more planted-based protein to your diet.

Here’s my take on a dal, made with coconut milk and tomatoes this time. I’ve added roasted cauliflower to bring another texture and flavour to the bowl, but if you want to simplify then the lentils are still great on their own with yoghurt.

Ingredients

Serves 6

Cauliflower

• 1 whole cauliflower, chopped into small florets

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp sea salt

Onions

• 2 small onions, chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, grated

• A thumb fresh ginger, peeled & grated

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 tsp coriander seeds

• 1 tsp fennel seeds

• 1 tsp sea salt

Lentils

• 350g red lentils

• 500ml water

• 1 × 400 ml tin coconut milk

• 1 × 400g tin cherry tomatoes

• 1 tsp turmeric 

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to 200ºc.

• First prep the cauliflower: tip onto a large tray and gather up at one end.

• Mix the oil, cumin and salt in a small bowl and drizzle over the cauliflower, coating well. Now spread out the florets evenly with small gaps in between them. Set aside.

• Heat 1 tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil in a large pan and then add the onions, cooking gently for 15 minutes on a low heat so they start to caramelise.

• Now put the cauliflower in the oven for 12 minutes, turn (one side should be browned before you do this) and put back in the oven for 5 minutes.

• While the onions and cauliflower are cooking, rinse the red lentils thoroughly with cold water - I usually do this by putting them into a saucepan adding cold water, swishing them around, then tipping out the majority of the water. Repeat until the water runs almost clear then drain throughly.

• Put the lentils in a large saucepan and add 500ml of cold water plus the coconut milk, cherry tomatoes and turmeric, simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes.

• Next add the ginger and garlic to the onions, cooking for 2-3 minutes, before adding the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds. Warm for a minute to release their flavours.

• Add the onion mix to the lentils, plus sea salt, stir well and cook for a further 10 minutes.

• Serve with Brown Basmati rice, natural yoghurt and fresh coriander leaves

Red pepper & hazelnut pesto

I love any kind of pesto as I think it goes with so many things. Pasta is an obvious one, but a spoon on top of a risotto, roasted vegetables, fish or chicken works so well too. I particularly like this pesto with salmon as the red pepper and hazelnuts really compliment it.

In this recipe I have used jarred red peppers as they have a great flavour and texture, so I always use them rather than cooking my own. This saves quite a bit of prep time, but you can blacken your own if you prefer (here’s how in Step 3 of this recipe).

ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 4 roasted red peppers, deseeded

• 40g parmesan, roughly chopped

• 80g toasted hazelnuts

• 25g fresh basil leaves

• 1 tsp sea salt

• Juice of ¼ lemon

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

method

• Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz until you have a rough paste. You’ll need to stop and scrape the sides down a couple of times.

tip

• If you don’t have a food processor you could use a hand blender or a pestle and mortar - if using a pestle them you would need to finely chop the red pepper with a knife and add to the mix at the end.

Harissa & honey roast carrots with lemon feta

I bought some lovely lunched carrots this week, so I felt like they deserved to be showcased in their very own dish! So here they are: super easy to make, spicy and slightly sweet with creamy salty feta and a sprinkle of sumac on top. They’d make a great a side to serve with a tagine or any Middle Eastern style stew or with cous cous and a green salad for a light lunch.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 400g bunched carrots (with tops)

• ½ tbsp honey

• ½ - 1 tbsp harissa dried spice blend

• 100g feta, crumbled

• Zest of 1 lemon

• A pinch of sumac, optional

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to 180ºc.

• Trim the carrot tops and reserve the leaves, then cut the carrots in half length ways.

• Line up on a tray and drizzle with rapeseed oil, honey and sprinkle over the harissa, plus a pinch of salt.

• Roast for 25 minutes and then turn. Cook for a further 15 minutes until soft and starting to brown at the edges.

• While the carrots are roasting, roughly chop the carrot top leaves (throw away the stalks) and mix with the feta and lemon zest.

• Serve warm, topped with the feta mix and sumac if you’re using it.

Family favourite veggie lasagne

I’ve been working on this veggie lasagne on and off for a while now as I wanted to get exactly the right balance of tomato and cheese sauce to pasta. I think I went through five different versions, each with slight tweaks to the sauce and a streamlining of the ingredients to keep things as simple as possible, without compromising on taste obviously! Finally, I think I’ve cracked it, so here’s the recipe for you guys to try, let me know what you think.

As there are two main elements to making a lasagne, the way I do it is to cook the tomato sauce the day before (or even two), so all I need to make is the cheesy béchamel and then assemble. This cuts the work time to 20-30 minutes on the day as lasagne can sometimes seem too time-consuming. A bonus is that this recipe serves 6-8, so you should have dinner sorted for a couple of days too.

When we are finally allowed to socialise, lasagne is a great dish to make for friends (roll on June!!) as you can do all the prep ahead, pop it in the oven when your guests arrive and serve with a big green salad. I’d be pretty surprised if you got any complaints from meat-eaters as this lasagne is full of flavour, from the umami of the tomato sauce to the lovely rich cheesy béchamel. It’s certainly a favourite in our multi-diet house!

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 1 aubergine, ½ cm slices

• 2 large onions, finely chopped

• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped

• 2 large cloves of garlic, grated

• 2 red peppers, small dice

• 1 courgette, sliced

• 1 vegetable stock cube

• 800g tinned tomatoes

• 2 tbsp tomato purée

• ½ tbsp red wine vinegar

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1 handful of basil, stalks chopped, leaves torn

• 500g fresh lasagne sheets

Cheese sauce

• 90g butter

• 90g flour

• 1L milk

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 150g Gruyère or Comte cheese

• 150g gouda, grated or sliced

• 50g parmesan, grated finely

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc. Brush a large tray with oil and spread out the aubergine, turning to make sure both sides are coated in oil. Sprinkle with sea salt. Roast for 20 minutes turn and cook for 5-8 minutes more. Cut the slices in half and set aside.

• While the aubergine is roasting, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in large pan and cook the onion and celery for 10 minutes.

• Next add the peppers for 5 minutes and then repeat adding the garlic and courgettes.

• Pour in the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, basil stalks and ½ a tin of water (swilling out to get the last bits of tomato juice). Simmer for 20 minutes.

• Then add the aubergine, red wine vinegar and sea salt for another 5 minutes. Finish by stirring in the basil leaves.

• Cheesy béchamel sauce: while the tomato sauce is bubbling away, melt the butter in a large non-stick saucepan and then tip in the flour, use a silicon whisk to mix thoroughly and allow to warm through for a minute.

• Start pouring the milk in slowly, 50ml at a time, so you don’t get lots of splashing as you whisk it in.

• Quickly add the next 50ml, whisk rapidly and repeat until you’ve used about 300ml, then you can start adding 100ml each time. Once you’ve poured in all the milk leave on a low heat for a further 10-12 minutes to thicken, but whisk or stir regularly so you don’t get lumps.

• Add 100g of Gruyère or Comté, 25g parmesan, sea salt and a good grind of pepper; stir well and allow to melt for a couple of minutes.

• Now assemble the lasagne in a large oven proof dish (I used 24 x 33cm) by first adding a big spoon or two of the tomato base, a ladle of cheese sauce (drizzle over the tomato generously), gouda and then 2 lasagne sheets. Repeat until the last layer of pasta and then cover with cheese sauce and the rest of the Gruyère/Comte and parmesan.

• Bake in the oven at 180ºc for 35-40 mins. If the top still needs a little browning then place under a hot grill for a minute or so, but watch like a hawk so it doesn’t burn!

tip

• There’s no need to pre-cook fresh lasagne sheets, although the packet will tell you to do so.

• Cut any leftover lasagne into thick strips and use like pappardelle.

• Stir a couple of handfuls of spinach into the tomato sauce to add some greenery.

Super quick cheese & red onion galettes

These are the easiest tarts to make and they’re so more ish. They take minutes to prep and taste so good. We had them for lunch with salad yesterday, but they would great for dinner too. When we all get back to socialising you could serve a bite size version of these to guests as appetisers or canapés. Just divide the pastry into smaller rectangles, repeat the steps below with less of the toppings and cook for a shorter amount of time.

I used the red onion chutney I made a few weeks ago, but you could use a good quality shop-bought instead to save time.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 320g packet pre-rolled puff pastry

• 6 tbsp sour cream

• 6 tbsp red onion chutney (recipe here)

• 200g block Comte cheese, rinds trimmed then grated

• 1 egg, lightly whisked

method

• Take the pastry out of the fridge about an hour before you plan to make the galettes, so it can warm to room temperature. Otherwise it will crack as you open it out.

• Preheat the oven to 200ºc.

• Open the pastry out keeping it on the parchment wrapping and place on a large baking tray. Use a sharp knife to divide the pastry into six rectangles (cut right through it).

• Then score each one with another rectangle 1 ½ cm inside the outer edges (see photo steps below).

• Place a tablespoon of sour cream into the middle of each tart and spread out evenly inside the inner rectangle.

• Repeat with a tablespoon of chutney, then top with a large pinch of cheese (approx 25-30g), making sure all the toppings are within the inner rectangle.

• Carefully brush the egg around the outside border making sure the toppings aren’t spilling on to it at all.

• Place in the oven and cook for 18-20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and has puffed up all around the outside.

• Serve with a crisp green salad or coleslaw.

tip

• You could use any cheese that isn’t too oily like cheddar and melts well, like Gruyère, goats, Gorgonzola, Camembert.

Sweet potato, lentil & chickpea curry with raita

Here’s my take on a traditional Indian dish called chana masala. I realise I’m being totally inauthentic adding sweet potato and lentils, as this should be made only with chickpeas, but I wanted a slightly different texture and taste this time.

The curry works really well with a side of raita as you have a nice fresh crunch from the cucumber and cooling creaminess from the yoghurt to counteract the spicy heat.

I served ours up with a combination of brown basmati, raita and chapatis (recipe here).

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 1 large onions, half moon slices

• 2 large garlic cloves, grated

• 1 tsp garam masala

• ½ tsp ground cumin

• ½ tsp dried red chilli flakes

• ¼ tsp turmeric

• 2 x 400g tins tomatoes

• 1 tbsp tomato purée

• 2 x 400g tins chickpeas

• 1 sweet potato, cubed

• 150g red lentils, rinsed well

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 20-30g fresh coriander, optional

  Raita

• 250ml Greek or plain yoghurt

• 2 spring onions, sliced finely

• 15cm cucumber, small cubes

• Juice of ½ - 1 lime

• ½ tsp sea salt

• ¼ tsp ground cumin

Method

• Heat 1 tbsp rapeseed oil in a large pan and then add the onions, frying on low for 10 minutes.

• Next add the garlic for 1 minute and then the spices, warming through for 30 seconds.

• Pour in the tomatoes, plus 1 ½ tins of water, tomato purée, chickpeas, sweet potato and lentils.

• Simmer for 25 minutes.

• Mix all the raita ingredients together.

• Add the salt and a handful of coriander and stir well.

• Serve with basmati rice and or chapatis and extra coriander leaves.

Tip

• If you’re making chapatis then get the dough ready before you start on the curry. That way the dough can rest and then you’ll be ready to roll them out and cook while the curry bubbles away.

• I’ve listed the coriander as optional as I know a lot of people don’t like it. Personally I think the curry tastes more interesting with it in, but it will still be tasty if left out.

Spinach & cashew pesto

Spinach pesto is a bit lighter and less aromatic than straight-up basil and works really well with the delicate flavour and texture of homemade gnocchi.

Now I realise that making gnocchi from scratch is probably not exactly at the top of your job list in the middle of lockdown when we’re all juggling a million things, so you could easily just use shop-bought or any kind of pasta as a sub - it’ll still be really delicious. The cooking method I recommend for shop-bought gnocchi is frying with olive oil in a hot pan for about 5 minutes, no need to boil. I think you get a better taste and texture that way.

As I haven’t actually made much gnocchi until recently (thank you Lockdown 1 & 3), I haven’t developed my own recipe as yet, so I’ve been using a really reliable one by The Smitten Kitchen if you fancy giving it a go. I’m not quite sure how I could improve on it to be honest, but I’ll experiment with a few different methods over the next few weeks and then develop my own version.

You’ll be pleased to know that the pesto is super easy to make as long as you have a food processor (I know, Nonna would turn in her grave), if not, it’s the traditional Italian way with elbow grease and a pestle and mortar.. way more authentic, but a little more time-consuming!

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 60g cashews

• 1 clove garlic

• 30g parmesan

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• 80g spinach

• 20g basil

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• Juice of ½ lemon

Method

• Preheat the oven to 160ºc and toast the cashews on a baking tray for 6-7 minutes until slightly browned.

• Allow the nuts to cool while you get all the other ingredients weighed out.

• Put the parmesan in a food processor and blitz to a crumble, then add the nuts and pulse a few times.

• Add all the rest of the ingredients and continue to pulse until you have a paste-like texture. You will need to scrape down the sides at least a couple of times to ensure that all the ingredients are mixed evenly.

tip

• You can substitute the cashews for pine or hazelnuts if you prefer.

Moroccan lentil & chickpea stew with tahini yoghurt

Is it a soup, or is it a stew?! I’m going with stew today as it ended up so nice and chunky, but you can call it a soup if you prefer! I like to have a big tub of something tasty in the fridge, so there’s an instant lunch or dinner ready for me when either I can’t be bothered to cook, or I’m starving and need to eat immediately! In the winter it’s a stew or soup and in the summer a salad with roasted veggies and grains. So this is what’s in my fridge at the moment and I’ve been loving it. It’s really warming and quick to make, apart from chopping a few veggies, you just basically chuck everything in the pan and leave it for half an hour.

To make this recipe vegan, all you need to do is switch the plain yoghurt for a plant based variety or just whip up the tahini with water, it’ll still make a nice creamy dressing.

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 2 red onions, chopped

• 2 sticks celery

• 2 large garlic cloves, grated

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 2 tsp ground coriander

• 4 carrots, cubed

• 1 tbsp rose harissa

• 300g small green or puy lentils

• 2 x 400g chopped tinned tomatoes

• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, or 125g dried

• 150g cavolo nero, stalks removed, chopped roughly

• 1 ½ tsp sea salt

• A handful of fresh coriander leaves

  Tahini yoghurt

• 240ml (12 tbsp) plain yoghurt

• 6 tbsp tahini

• 6 tbsp water

• 1 ½ tsp sea salt

Method

• If you’re using dried chickpeas, soak them overnight and then cook in boiling water for about

  45-60 minutes.

• Heat ½ tbsp olive oil in a large pan and fry the onions and celery for 10 minutes.

• Next add the garlic and ground spices, let them warm through for about a minute.

• Add the carrots, rose harissa, lentils and tinned tomatoes, plus 3 tins of water.

• Simmer with the lid half on for 30 minutes.

• Mix the tahini, yoghurt, water and 1 ½ tsp sea salt in a medium sized tub or bowl.

• Serve with a drizzle of tahini yoghurt, coriander and a chunk of sourdough or brown rice.

Tip

• You could use red lentils instead of green, but they absorb more water so you would need to keep an eye on the stew getting too thick.

• If you’re looking for another recipe to use up some rose harissa, then try this Butternut squash & spelt salad, it’s really good and another one you can store in the fridge for tasty lunches, dinners or as a side.

• If you don’t have tahini, you can just use plain or coconut yoghurt instead.

Everyday chilli

Chilli is pretty much a vegetarian staple, so it’s good to have a few versions up your sleeve. Here I’ve gone classic style, with soya mince as it’s one way to get my veggie daughter and meat-eating son to eat the same dish. Neither would go for my bean chilli and they definitely wouldn’t tolerate a full mixed veg chilli, so soya mince is a good compromise, plus I can sneak in some sweet potato without anyone complaining too much. Although there’ll probably be a pile of it left on their plates at the end! I just keep presenting them with food they ’think’ they don’t like in the vain hope that eventually they’ll change their minds.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• I large onion, chopped finely

• 1 red pepper, small dice

• 300g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, grated

• 1kg veggie mince (see Tips below for brands I use)

• 1 ½ tsp cumin

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 vegetable stock cube (I like Kallo low salt)

• 3 tbsp tomato purée

• 2 x 400g tins tomato

• 1 sweet potato, 1 ½c m cubes

• 1 x 400g tin kidney beans

• 2 tsp sea salt

• Juice of 1 lime

Method

• Heat 1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil in a large wide bottomed pan.

• Add the onions and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes then add the red pepper and garlic. Fry gently for a further 10 minutes.

• Next turn up the heat a little and add the mushrooms for 5 minutes and then the soya mince, warm through and then stir in the cumin, smoked paprika and cayenne. Allow the spices to warm for about 30 seconds.

• Pour in the tinned tomatoes plus 2 tins of water, the stock cube, tomato purée and sweet potato. Simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on.

• Add the kidney beans and simmer with the lid off for a further 15 minutes.

• Add the salt and lime juice to finish.

• Serve with rice, sour cream, cheese and guacamole. Roasted squash also works really well with chilli as it’s sweetness counterbalances the spicy heat.

Tip

• I’ve tried using a few different brands of veggie mince for this dish and I reckon Sainsbury’s Plant Pioneers is the best. Although I think a 50:50 mix of Plant Pioneers plus Vivera also works really well as you get more variation in texture. The Vivera is a bit too strong for me on it’s own as it has quite a smokey taste, but I like it in combination. For this particular chilli I used Plant Pioneers only.