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Feeds 4
Ingredients
1 tsp salt
½ onion powder
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
500g unbleached white flour
4 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
3 tbsp yellow mustard
125ml water
2 tbsp baking powder
1lb mock chicked (in the US, try Gardein brand) or drained, firm tofu cut into chunks
875ml vegetable oil
Method
Mix together the salt, onion powder, pepper, garlic powder, flour and nutritional yeast in a deep bowl.
In a separate bowl, dilute the mustard with the water.
Add 75g of the flour mixture to the mustard mixture and stir. Add the baking powder to the dry flour mixture and mix.
Dip chunks of the mock chicken into the mustard batter, then drop each chunk into the flour mixture and coat with the desired amount of “crust”.
Fry the chunks in hot oil on a medium-high heat in a large skillet or deep fryer until crispy and golden brown, turning as needed.
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Feeds 6
Ingredients
1kg small courgettes, sliced and steamed for two minutes
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
A large handful of fresh basil, chopped
250g (8oz) cottage, ricotta, feta or soft goat’s cheese, cubed or crumbled if necessary
250g (8oz) no-cook lasagne
300ml (½ pint) béchamel sauce
150ml (¼ pint) crème fraiche or single cream
50g (2oz) cheese, grated
3 free-range egg yolks
For the light tomato sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tsp plain flour
1kg (2lb) ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped or equivalent canned chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Sea salt to taste
Method
Preheat an oven to Gas Mark 5/180C/375F.
To make the tomato sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and cook over a low heat, covered, for 8-10 minutes or until softened.
Stir in the flour and cook gently, uncovered, for one minute. Stir in the rest of the sauce ingredients and mix well. Simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a little water as necessary to prevent the sauce from sticking (the finished consistency should be quite thick).
Next, moisten the bottom of an ovenproof dish with a little of the tomato sauce. Make a layer of sliced courgettes and season with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle some chopped basil over them. Cover with slices of cheese and moisten with a little more tomato sauce. Cover with strips of lasagne. Continue making these layers until all of the ingredients are used up, ending with a layer of lasagne.
Heat the béchamel gently and stir in the crème fraiche or single cream. Mix in the grated cheese until it melts and season to taste. Off the heat, beat in the free-range egg yolks.
Pour the sauce over the top lasagne layer and bake for one hour or until the topping is deep golden and set.
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Feeds 4
Ingredients
100g margarine
2 large bunches spring onions
550g small chestnut mushrooms
1 tbsp cornflour
½ tsp yeast extract
300-350ml light ale
210g ready-rolled puff pastry
800g floury potatoes, peeled
100ml unsweetened milk or soya milk
Method
Preheat an oven to Gas Mark 6/200C/400F.
Melt 50g of margarine in a large non-stick frying pan. Roughly chop the bottom 7cm of the spring onions and sauté briefly. Save the tops as you will need them later.
Cut the mushrooms into 5mm slices and add to the pan. Continue to sauté for 5 minutes until starting to colour, stirring to prevent sticking.
Remove from the heat and sprinkle with the cornflour. Once back on the hob, add the Marmite and ale. Cook for a further 5 minutes or until mushrooms begin to soften. Use more ale if the mixture seems too dry.
Divide the mixture into four small soufflé/ceramic pie dishes, then cut out four pastry circles to place on top, leaving some room to rise. Brush with milk or soya milk and make a small hole in the top to let the steam escape. Bake for 20 minutes until golden.
Cut the potatoes into large chunks and boil until soft but not falling apart. Drain and put back into the pan to dry slightly. Add the remaining 50g margarine and mash well. Finely chop the green tops of the spring onions and add, with enough milk or soya milk, to make a smooth mash.
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Feeds 4
Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tbsp curry powder
225g carrots, peeled and sliced
225g mushrooms, quartered
1 small head of cauliflower, broken into florets
2 tbsp tomato purée
225g tin of chopped tomatoes
600ml vegetable stock
410g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
100g frozen peas
200g basmati rice or 50g person
Method
Heat the oil in the large saucepan then gently fry the onion for two minutes.
Add the garlic and curry powder and stir, giving the onions and garlic a good coating of curry powder, and leave to cook for two minutes.
Stir in the carrots, mushrooms and cauliflower, and gently fry for another three minutes.
Add the tomato purée, tinned tomatoes and stock, bring to the boil and stir in the chickpeas (other beans of your choice would also work).
Leave to simmer gently for 10 minutes then stir in the peas. Meanwhile prepare the rice as per the instructions on the packet.
Cook the curry for a further 10 minutes, season to taste, and serve over rice.
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Feeds 4-6
Ingredients
230g can refried beans
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 tsp hot chilli sauce
4 taco shells
Cheddar cheese, grated
For garnish
Avocado, sliced
Sour cream
Lettuce, shredded
A squeeze of lime or lemon juice
For corn bread
1 free-range egg
2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tbsp fresh hot chilli pepper, chopped
230g can sweetcorn, drained, or 2-3 fresh ears of corn, kernels cut off
110g crème fraiche or sour cream
230g yellow cornmeal
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
460g grated cheese
Method
Gently fry the onions in 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the refried beans. Add the chopped tomato and fry till heated through. Season to taste with chilli sauce and salt if desired.
Warm the taco shells as per the instructions on the packet and half-fill with the refried bean mixture. Top with grated cheese and shredded lettuce, garrnish with sliced avocado and sour cream.
To make the Mexican corn bread, beat the egg with the oil until blended. Add the chilli pepper. Stir in the corn, crème fraiche, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and all but 110g of the cheese.
Pour into a 20cm square pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 40 minutes. Let cool slightly in the pan, than un-mould and serve warm.
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Serves 6-8
Ingredients
450g cashews
¾ tsp New Chapter Probiotics (dissolved in 225ml warm filtered water) or 225ml fresh Rejuvelac
2 tbsp nutritional yeast, small-flake
½ tbsp onion powder
1 ½ tbsp chives, finely chopped, plus extra to serve
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp shallots, finely chopped
1 large beetroot, sliced into paper-thin rounds
Garlic oil
Aged balsamic vinegar
Green garlic oil
Coarse sea salt
Cracked black pepper
Method
To make the herb-cashew bourson, first soak your cashews for 12-14 hours. In a food processor, blend them with the probiotics in lukewarm water/rejuvelac until smooth. Put into a glass bowl, cover with a towel, and leave to sit in a warm place for 14-16 hours to culture.
When finished culturing, mix in the yeast, onion powder, chives, parsley and shallots, and put to one side.
Slice the beetroot into paper-thin rounds, season and marinate for a minimum of one hour in the garlic oil.
Lay out the sliced beetroots out, scoop a tablespoon or so of the cashew cheese into the centre of each, and cover with another slice of beetroot to complete the ravioli.
Finish with more chopped chives, aged balsamic, cracked pepper and coarse sea salt.
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Ingredients
225g flour
190g butter
70g sugar
30g egg white
2g salt
4 beetroots
4 courgettes, diced
100ml olive oil
50g onion
¼ bunch of lemon balm
400g girolles
200g apricots, diced
50g shallots
20ml olive oil
½ bunch of parsley
Method
For the short-crust pastry, mix the butter and sugar, add the egg white and lastly the flour. Mould into a dough and leave in the fridge overnight. Roll the dough 8cm in diameter.
Bake in the oven at 150C for 20 minutes.
Create a beetroot jus by blending the beetroots. Reduce to a syrup over a gentle heat.
For the courgette cream, cook the diced courgettes in salted boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain, and mix with the olive oil and lemon balm. Add salt and pepper and keep warm.
Thoroughly clean the girolles with cold water and pat dry, then cook for 3 minutes in preheated olive oil. Add the shallots, the diced apricots and the parsley.
Place the warm courgette cream in a deep dish, place the shortcrust pastry over the top, then add the beetroot syrup and at last the girolles mix.
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Makes 4
Ingredients
150g grapeseed oil
70g honey
30g sherry vinegar
1 pinch of salt
400g green beans
100g peeled fresh almonds
1 head frisée lettuce
2 punnets micro-cress
Method
For the dressing, combine the honey, sherry vinegar and salt. Gently whisk in the grapeseed oil.
Blanche the beans for one minute. Refresh in cold water.
Chop the beans into 2cm pieces.
Halve the almonds. Toss everything together in a bowl, drizzle on the dressing and season to taste. Serve.
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Makes 1
Ingredients
1 large Japanese aubergine
200ml vegetable oil
80ml mirin
20ml soy (Yamasa)
2tsp ginger, crushed
2tsp garlic, crushed
2tbl onion, grated
1 pinch shichimi pepper
Method
Heat the mirin in a small saucepan until reduced by half.
In a medium bowl, combine the thickened mirin, soy, ginger, garlic and onion. Mix together well and store till required.
Slice the aubergine in half lengthways. Scored the flesh diagonally in a criss-cross manner.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, then fry the aubergine, flesh-side down in the hot oil till slightly golden. Drain on paper towel.
Baste the aubergine with the mirin, ginger and soy marinade, and place skin-side down under a heated grill. Grill for 5-8 minutes until golden brown and caramelised.
Turn once to colour the flesh side, grill for 2 mins. Serve with a pinch of shichimi pepper.
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Makes 4
Ingredients
3 large Maris Piper potatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, though yellow onion is fine
2 tbsp butter
12 medium eggs
Salt to taste
Method
Thinly slice the potatoes with a mandoline or a very sharp knife. Fry them in the oil until golden and crispy all over. Set aside.
Caramelise the onion in the butter until dark brown. If overly brown, add a little water to deglaze any burned parts.
Mix the eggs with the caramelised onion and the crisped potatoes, season to taste with salt and leave to rest in the fridge for an hour.
Meanwhile, heat a non-stick frying pan to a medium/hot heat, add a splash of olive oil and pour in the egg and potato mixture. After two minutes, turn the omelette over using a plate larger than the pan.
Repeat this process after two minutes, and again until the omelettes are nicely browned. The centre of the omelette should retain a runny consistency.
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Serves 6
Ingredients:
6 small hen eggs
1kg frozen peas
1 large onion, chopped
800ml vegetable stock
100ml single cream
Salt and pepper
50g butter
Olive oil
Method:
Poach the eggs in lightly salted boiling water for about 3 minutes, until the whites are just set. Refresh in ice cold water, then drain and trim the whites with a pair of scissors if necessary.
Sweat the onion in the butter over a low heat, with out letting the onion colour. When soft add the peas, season and sweat over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the boiling vegetable stock bring to the boil, then add the cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Blend in a food processor, and then pass through a fine sieve.
To serve
Place the warmed poached egg into a soup bowl, season with salt and pepper, bring the soup to the boil, whisk with a hand blender, and then pour around the poached egg.
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(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
4 big handfuls of broad beans
120g Pecorino cheese, finely grated
4 handfuls of mixed leaves
House vinaigrette
For the chips:
100g of Pecorino, finely grated
50g Parmesan, finely grated
50g flour
Method:
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, put in the broad beans and blanch them for 2-3 minutes, then drain and refresh under ice-water. Peel off the outer skins of the beans. If the beans differ strongly in sizes, cook them separately according to the size.
To make the chips, mix the flour with the Parmesan and the Pecorino. Heat a couple of small non-stick pans and sprinkle a thin layer of the mixture all over the pan. Let it cook until it starts to turn golden. Turn the chips over and let them colour on the other side. Keep separate.
Season the broad beans, dress with house vinaigrette and add pecorino cheese. Lay the broad beans flat in the centre of the plate. Dress the mixed leaves and put on top of the broad beans. Top with a pecorino chip on top.
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MAKES 7
Ingredients:
Pastry:
plain flour - 340g
butter - 170g
iced water to bind
Mix:
Onion, peeled and sliced - 2
Butter - 30g
Potato, peeled 2cm cube & par cook - 1ech
English spinach, picked & blanched - 180g
Montgomery cheddar, grated - 285g
Eggs - 3
Double cream - 6tblsp
Thyme/ parsley - few springs
Nutmeg - trace
Method:
Caramelise the onions with thyme. Cool. Rough chop spinach and add to onions and potato once cooled. Add remaining ingredients and season maybe with a little pepper easy on salt as cheese is salty.
Roll pastry out and line a mould as you would for a pork pie.
Bake 200c for 25 minutes
SERVE WITH PURPLE SPROUTING BROCCOLI TOSSED IN EVO & LEMON JUICE ON A WOODEN BOARD.
THIS DISH IS TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY A SHOT OF ASPALS APPLE CYDER.
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Baked beets with pomegranate, basil, orange, walnuts and feta
Ingredients:
6 med to large beets approx 600g
2 pomegranate cut in half and deseeded from pith and skin
20 basil leaves
80g toasted walnuts
200g feta cheese diced into 1cm cubes
2 tbsps olive oil
2 oranges, peeled with a knife
Method:
Clean and wash the beets, then place in a bowl and sprinkle in the olive oil, sprinkle in course sea salt and milled pepper and then wrap individually in tin foil. Place these onto a cooling wire and onto a tray and bake in the oven at 170c for approx 30 minutes till semi soft. Then to check to see if they are cooked enough, place a knife through the centre of the beetroot and if it falls off the knife its ready. Leave them to cool on the rack in the tin foil then un wrap and peel off the outer skin. Cut them in half and then each quarter into 4 pieces. Place these all into a bowl and crush the walnuts on top of the beetroot. Add the orange segments, figs, pomegranate seeds and feta, season with milled pepper and course sea salt then add the dressing and stir well.
Dressing
Ingredients:
Juice of 3 oranges
Juice of a lemon
200ml olive oil
1 heaped tsp of lemon thyme leaves
Method:
Place the orange juice into a pan and reduce by 2/3rds on a medium heat, then place into a bowl and leave to cool. Add the lemon juice, olive oil and add the thyme leave, give a little stir and add a little milled pepper.
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Ingredients
500g/1lb 2oz carrots, peeled
50g/2oz butter
1 garlic clove, peeled, crushed
750ml/1 pint 7fl oz water
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
salt and freshly ground black pepper
150ml/5fl oz milk
2 pink grapefruit, peeled and segmented, segments halved
1 handful green Gordal olives, stones removed, halved
1 handful hazelnuts, crushed and toasted
1 punnet fresh micro coriander cress
4 tbsp hazelnut oil
Method
1. Slice the carrots as thinly as possible, using a mandoline.
2. Heat a large pan until hot, then add the butter, sliced carrots and
garlic and gently cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the water, thyme and rosemary and season with salt and freshly ground
black pepper. Bring to a simmer, then cover with a lid and cook for 5-6
minutes, or until the carrots are tender.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the milk. Allow to cool
slightly, then transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.
Place into the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.
5. To serve, divide the soup among four serving bowls. Arrange the
grapefruit segments, olives, nuts and coriander cress on top of the soup,
then drizzle over the hazelnut oil.
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Ingredients:
4 tablespoons of fresh Peas in the pod
3 tablespoons of shelled Broad Beans
5-6 Mangetout
3 Orange Carrots
3 Yellow Carrots (if you can get them otherwise substitute orange)
8 Baby Carrots
2 Baby Artichokes
4 finely sliced discs of raw Beetroot
2 Baby Courgettes cut on bias
some Marinated Peppers
3 tablespoons of Mayonnaise
1teaspoon of chopped tarragon
salt to taste
Squeeze of lemon juice
Olive oil
Method:
First of all peel and cut the carrots, pod the peas, and cut the baby courgettes and the mangetout into diamonds. Blanche all those prepared vegetables in a boiling seasoned water
Then prepare the baby artichokes for pickling by taking off the excess leaves and trimming up the artichoke.
Once all the vegetables are cooked then chill in ice water (To keep their colour) and drain
Mix the tarragon, mayonnaise with a touch of lemon juice to create the sauce for the base of the plate.
Dress all the prepared vegetables in olive oil, salt, lemon juice and a little chopped herbs.
Arrange on a plate, with the mayonnaise on the bottom and the vegetables on top, adding slices of raw beetroot at the end.
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Baby Aubergines with Sesame and Tamarind Sauce
There are different versions of this dish all over the country but the most popular one is from Hyderabad. It has rich, deep, earthy notes, and some recipes use fat green chillies alongside the aubergines, or even include lamb’s liver in the sauce.
The term baghare refers to the tempering of the aubergines.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
12 baby aubergines
1½ teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable or corn oil
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
2 sprigs of fresh curry leaves
2 teaspoons Ginger–Garlic Paste (see page XX)
1 quantity of Boiled Onion Paste (see page XX)
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
4 tablespoons tamarind paste
500ml water
For the masala paste:
50g desiccated coconut
1 tablespoon peanuts
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
3 green chillies, chopped
2 tablespoons coriander stalks
To finish:
a pinch of sugar
a sprig of mint, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Crisp Fried Onions
Method:
Make 2 deep slits in each aubergine, forming a cross from the base towards the stalk end but leaving the quarters attached. Leave the calyx and a little of the stalk on to hold the aubergine together. Sprinkle the aubergines with half the salt and set aside for a good 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the masala paste. Separately roast the coconut, peanuts, sesame, coriander and cumin seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for a minute or two, then remove from the heat. Blitz them in a small food processor with the chillies and coriander stalks, adding just enough water to make a paste.
To cook the aubergines, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, heavy-based pan and fry them over a high heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring from time to time, until they are seared on all sides. Remove the aubergines from the pan and heat the remaining oil in it. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves, let them crackle, then add the ginger–garlic paste and fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. Add the onion paste and cook, stirring, until it turns light brown. Stir in the turmeric, red chilli powder and masala paste, reduce the heat and fry for 10–12 minutes, until the oil begins to separate from the mixture at the side of the pan. Now add the remaining salt and the tamarind paste and cook for 3–4 minutes.
Return the fried aubergines to the pan and mix well. Pour in the water and simmer for 10–12 minutes, until the aubergines are soft but still hold their shape. Finish with the sugar, chopped mint and fried onion. Serve with either naan bread or pilau rice.
Tip - Don’t stir the aubergines too vigorously when simmering them in the sauce, as they break quite easily.
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Ingredients:
80gr raisins
3tblsp sweet marsala
450gr sheep’s ricotta
100gr caster sugar
1tblsp plain flour
3 eggs (separated)
60ml double cream
60ml crème fraiche
1 vanilla pods
¼ tsp salt
Method:
Soak the raisins in the marsala.
Add the caster sugar and flour to the ricotta and beat until smooth.
Add the egg yolks, creams, marsala, raisins and vanilla pods.
Beat the whites with salt. Fold in the ricotta mixture and pour into a springform tin with cooked sweet pastry on the base.
Bake for about 50 minutes at 160?c
Sweet pastry
100gr unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
150gr plain flour
50gr icing sugar
Blend all ingredients together until dough is formed and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll out and cut to size of springform dish.
Bake for 20 minutes. Cool down, then add ricotta mix.
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Ingredients:
3 courgette flowers
2 small zucchini (80g)
50g of fresh ricotta
Zest and juice of half lemon
Tea spoon of orange blossom honey
5g of butter
Table spoon of extra virgin olive oil
10g of parmigiano reggiano
1g of fresh marjoram
6 black olives (Moroccans)
Salt and pepper
Method:
Prepare a mixture with ricotta cheese and ¾ of parmigiano reggziano.
Black olives roughly chopped and the zest the lemon.
Keep in the fridge for 20 minutes.
In the mean time prepare a dressing with honey, half lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper and marjoram.
Cut the zucchini in circles and marinate them with the dressing.
Separately stuff the courgette flowers with ricotta mix and cover them with remaining parmigiano and butter (slightly soft on the top).
Place in the grill/oven for 8 minutes in 185?C.
Serve hot on a bed of marinated zucchini previously prepared.
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Serves 6
Ingredients:
SPINACH BALLS:
100 g breadcrumbs – dry
2 eggs
1/2 garlic clove very finely chopped
50 g finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Ground black pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Nutmeg – very small pinch
300 g cooked spinach
Olive oil for shallow frying
PASTA:
120 g butter
30 g red chillies finely chopped
3 medium courgettes finely grated
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
250 g Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
750 g Largest Penne
Method:
Make 42 mini spinach balls as follows:
Cook the spinach in slightly salted water for 2 minutes.
Drain and let cool.
Squeeze out all the water.
Cut the spinach coarsely with a knife (in order to create a well rounded finished spinach ball).
In a bowl place the chopped spinach, garlic, eggs, nutmeg and mix well, add in the Parmesan then half the breadcrumbs; season with salt and pepper. Roll and fry one ball. Taste and check consistency. Add a little more breadcrumbs or seasoning if needed. Fry until golden.
Cook the pasta to al dente in salted water – this may take from 10 to 15 minutes - drain and keep warm.
While the pasta is cooking heat the butter in a pan, add the garlic and chillies.
Then add the grated courgettes and pan fry for about a minute or two.
Add the cooked pasta into the pan and toss with the grated cheese.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve in a pasta bowl with spinach balls sprinkled over the top.
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Ingredients
• 20 asparagus spears trimmed
• 8 thin croutons cut to large rectangles
• 2 soft boiled eggs (6 mins)
• 1 bunch watercress
• Mayonnaise
• Sea salt and pepper
Method:
Take the asparagus and cook in boiling salted water for 3 1/2 minutes.
In the meantime make the egg and cress sandwich by taking two croutons, dicing the eggs and arranging pieces of the egg, mayonnaise and some small leafs of the watercress iteratively on the croutons, then season with salt and pepper.
Take four warmed plates and place the asparagus on top and then the croutons on that. Now scatter the watercress on and around the plate and serve.
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Ingredients:
200g whites of leeks, finely sliced and rinsed
1kg Desiree potatoes, finely sliced
2 Bay leaves
½ bunch thyme
3L Veg stock
3L milk
750g nettles tender tops
Method:
Sweat leeks and potatoes off without colouring with a little oil and a pinch of salt, while cooking cover with grease proof paper so that the moisture does not escape.
To make the stock bring the veg stock to the boil with the herbs, then add the milk.
Boil again.
When the vegetables have cooked right down add the stock, bring back to the boil, then immediately add the nettles, boil for a further 30 seconds
Bitz and pass over ice.
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Andrew says, "This fresh, cooling pate is a wonderful summer starter, or even a great alternative to a cheese course. Even for those who do not normally eat blue cheese, it is a great alternative, mellowing out the heavy flavour of the cheese. The acidity of the tomatoes cuts through the pate perfectly and the crunchy texture of the Melba toast adds a beautiful texture, creating a perfectly rounded beginning or end to any summer meal!"
Serves 6
Ingredients:
100g (4oz) Stilton cheese
275g (10oz) cream cheese
25-50ml (1-2fl.oz) double cream
½ tbsp brandy
black pepper
250g vine ripened cherry tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
Method:
Remove the rind from the stilton. Place the stilton in a food processor and blend until smooth. With the motor running, add half the cream cheese, then the brandy very slowly. Do not overmix. Add the remaining cream cheese and sufficient double cream to give the required consistency. Season with black pepper. Place in a serving dish and smooth the surface.
Drizzle the cherry tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and roast in a searing hot oven for about 4 minutes, until the skin is just peeling off.
Melba toast
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 3, 160ºC. Cut wafer thin slices of bread. Remove the crust and cut each slice diagonally. Place on a baking sheet and bake until crisp and pale golden brown. Allow to cool and store in an airtight tin. Use as required.
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This recipe is really simple and a great one to prepare in advance and assemble last minute if you’ve got friends over, and it looks impressive too. It’s also perfect as a week day supper because the rice makes it really substantial.
Ingredients:
2 cobs of corn
150g (5.5 oz) wild rice
1 small cinnamon stick
1 red chilli, split lengthways
1 red onion
3 tbsp good red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp sweet smoked paprika
100g (3.5 oz) pecan nuts
1 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tbsp Maldon sea salt
1 bunch coriander, chopped (stalks and leaves)
1 avocado cut into pieces
Small bunch of watercress, washed
100g (3.5 oz) marinated feta
Method:
Cut the kernels off both cobs of corn. Put a little oil in a big pan, add the kernels and fry over a high heat until charred in places. Simmer the wild rice, cinnamon and chilli in plenty of water until tender but still al dente, and strain (check your packet of wild rice for timings, and taste for tenderness). Leave to cool.
Slice the red onion and caramelise in a pan in 1 tbsp of oil until soft. Add the vinegar and paprika. When the vinegar has evaporated, remove from the heat, allow to cool and add the corn.
Toss the pecans with the icing sugar, cumin seeds, salt and 1 tbsp water. Bake at 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2 for 20 minutes or until golden (keep checking to make sure they don’t scorch). Cool.
Mix the rice, sweetcorn and onion, chopped coriander, avocado and watercress together. Crumble over the feta and pecans. Serve.
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Ingredients:
4 cumbers peeled and de seeded
2 green peppers diced and de seeded
1 bay leaf
½ clove garlic
½ bunch of dill
½ bunch of basil
2 sticks celery washed and sliced
2 teaspoons creamed horseradish
Water
Salt
Method:
Brown the preen peppers in a hot pan with a little oil.
Add all the ingredients including the green peppers to a blender jug add cold water to cover the ingredients half way up the jug.
Blend until smooth and season with a little salt, you can always add some more horseradish if you think it needs more of a kick.
Chill, serve and garnish with picked dill.
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At Leon we give the veggies who eat with us quite a lot of TLC, and this curry took a long time to get it spot on before it went on the menu: it’s all about the balance of spices, sweetness and making sure you time the veg right so it doesn’t all fall apart. The Gobi refers to the cauliflower in it, and like the Rogan Josh, it’s the addition of ground almonds that provides the wonderful consistency. Our grandmothers were wedded to arrowroot to thicken their sauces, and our mums to flour (or Bisto), but ours is the generation to welcome the almond – so much better than any other thickener, both for health and flavour.
GOBI GOOD FOR 6
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, halved and thickly sliced
1 carrot, thickly sliced
2 tablespoons sunflower or peanut oil
1 red chilli (go for a bird’s-eye if you like it hot-some do)
2 thumb-sized pieces of root ginger, washed but not pealed
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large teaspoon Madras curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon black onion seeds
1 medium sweet potato, washed and cut into 2.5cm dice
4 heaped tablespoons grounded almonds
A good handful of sultanas
½ a small cauliflower, broken into florets
1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk
150g frozen peas
Juice of ½ a lemon
A really big handful of coriander, roughly chopped
Salt
2 heaped tablespoons desiccated coconut, to serve
Method:
In a big and well-loved saucepan cook the onion and carrot over a medium to low heat in the oil for 15-20 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally. Season with salt.
Blitz the chilli, ginger and garlic to a paste in a food processor. Stir the paste into the onions once they have begun to soften, along with the spices (including the onion seeds).
After another 5 minutes, season with salt, add the sweet potato chunks and the almonds and mix well well so that everything is well coated.
Turn the heat up a bit and stir in 500ml of water and the sultanas.
Bring it up to a simmer and leave it to bubble away gently for about 10-15 minutes with the lid off, stirring occasionally.
Add the cauliflower florets and the coconut milk and simmer for a further 10-15 minutes covered.
Check that the sweet potato and cauliflower are both cooked, then turn the heat off and stir in the peas. It’ll need more salt, plus the lemon juice and chopped coriander to finish it off right. We serve it with a sprinkling of dried coconut on top.
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Makes - 4 portions
Ingredients:
2 large bunches of watercress
200g small jersey royals, finely sliced
50g butter
1ltre vegetable stock
1 onion. Peeled and finely sliced
4g Salt
Method:
Add the onions, salt, butter and sliced potatoes to a heavy based saucepan pan and cook over a medium heat for 8 minutes
Add the stock to the pan and bring to the boil, once the stock has boiled for 5 minutes add the watercress leaves and blend the contents of the pan in a flask blender immediately
Once blended, pour the soup through a fine strainer and into serving bowls
At Trinity we serve this soup with a good spoon full of fromage blanc, some fresh mint and a few cooked whole jersey royals.
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Feeds 4
Ingredients:
Pastry
225g (8oz) plain flour
100g (3 ½ oz) butter
1 egg
A little milk to bind, if needed
1 egg, beaten
Filling
1 onion, sliced
500g (1lb 2oz) button mushrooms, halved
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp green peppercorns in brine, drained
250ml (9 fl oz) vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
200g (7oz) Stilton cheese, crumbled
Method
For the pastry, simply pulse the ingredients together in a food processor to form a dough, adding a little milk if needed. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Now make the filling. Start by frying the onion and mushrooms in oil until soft.
Add the tomato puree and cook for 5 minutes, then add the soy sauce, peppercorns and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat slightly and cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Season to taste.
Divide the filling mixture between four individual pie dishes. Divide the Stilton between the dishes too.
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/ Fan 180ºC/Gas 6. Cut the pastry into four pieces and roll into four circles, just bigger than the dishes.
Damp the rim of the dishes with water and cover the pie dishes with pastry, trim the edges and cut a little hole in the top of each. Brush all over with egg wash to glaze. Bake the pies for about 20 minutes until crisp and golden. Serve with buttery mash and green beans, if liked.
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Serves 6
Ingredients
800g of dried chickpeas or tinned
1.5kg of onion squash
500g of potatoes
8 tins of tomatoes
6 cloves of garlic
2 red chillis
1 head of celery with leaves
sea salt
black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
Method:
Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters.
Drain the tomatoes of their juice and remove any hard cores.
Wash the pumpkin skin well and remove the seeds and cut into 2cm pieces.
Cut the celery into 2 cm pieces.
Use a thick bottomed pan add the chickpeas and just cover with water, bring to a gentle
simmer then add the potato, pumpkin, tomato, chilli and salt and cook until the vegetables
are soft. Make sure the water just covers the vegetables during the cooking.
Mash using a fork or slotted spoon to combine into a very thick soup.
Serve with olive oil.