Indian Salad (v)

I'm sure I have blogged this before, but blogger and google are coming up blanks for it, so in case I haven't, here it is... This is the perfect accompaniment to a fiesty curry. It's tasty, cooling and delicious. Thanks to my mum for the recipe! (the salad is in the top right of the very full plate!! The other recipes are aloo curry and chickpea, red lentil and vegetable vindaloo. And Geetas lime pickle and mango chutney cos a curry isn't a curry without those!).

For 3-4 portions you need
1 red onion, finely sliced
1/2 cucumber, finely sliced
large handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
2-3 tomatoes, chopped (no need to skin and deseed)
juice of half a lemon
2 tsp dried mint
pinch salt

Place everything in a bowl and mix. That's it!

Quick Tomato and Mozzarella Brushchetta

This was a simple, quick and tasty Sunday lunch thrown together to use up some leftovers and lagging ingredients.

For two portions you need
2 thick slices of bread
1 clove garlic
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
Fresh tomatoes
Basil
Red onions
Mozzarella cheese

Begin by placing the bread on a baking sheet and drizzling with a little olive oil. Bake in a hot oven for about 5 mins. Remove, and rub with the garlic clove. Place back in the oven for a further 5 mins until lightly golden brown.

Meanwhile slice the tomatoes and onions and place in a shallow bowl. Drizzle over about 1 tbsp red wine vinegar and 2 tbsp olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper and sprinkle over some chopped fresh basil.

Once the bread is toasted, slice the cheese and place on the bread. Top with the tomatoes and serve. Summer on a plate!

Chorizo and Butter Bean Savoury Crumble (v)

Over Easter we visited the continental market in Norwich and I got suckered in to buying seven salamis for £10. So of course now I need to use them up...! We've done pizza and risotto but I think this savoury crumble is my favourite. It uses two different types of smoked paprika to add depth to the flavour and the breadcrumb topping is a great way to use up a stale heel of bread. If you're veggie/vegan then Redwood Vegan chorizo is an excellent substitute.

For 4 portions you need
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 salami chopped into bite sized chunks
2 tins chopped tomatoes
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp hot smoked paprika
1 can butter beans, drained
1 tsp vegan stock powder
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp sugar

Crumble Topping
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup mixed freshly chopped parsley and coriander
1/4 cup grated cheddar (omit if vegan)

In a large oven proof pan, sauté the onion, salami and garlic in the oil until the onions are translucent and the salami has released it's fat. Add the remaining stew ingredients and bring to the boil. Check the seasoning and leave to simmer for 5-10 mins whilst you prepare the crumble topping.

For the crumble, mix the breadcrumbs with the cheese and herbs, and sprinkle over the top. Bake in a hot oven for 20 mins until the crumble is crunchy and browned and the stew underneath is bubbling. Delicious served with green veggies to contrast the spicy rich stew.

Lamb, Date and Almond Lentil Tagine

I adore Moroccan food. Absolutely, totally love it. Thankfully Fuz does too ;-) This was an easy and quick meal to use up some of the left over lamb from our Sunday roast. It would work well with leftover beef too.

For 2 portions you need
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp each turmeric, ground cumin, chilli flakes and ground coriander
1 tsp each of ground cinnamon and ground ginger
salt and pepper
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp dates, roughly chopped
1 cup diced cooked lamb or beef
300ml lamb stock
1/2 cup red lentils
2 tbsp whole skinned almonds, toasted

Begin by frying the onion in the oil in the base of a tagine or other heavy based pan. Add the garlic, ginger and spices and cook for another 5 mins or so. Add everything else apart from the almonds and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 30-45 mins.

Add the toasted almonds 15 mins before you want to serve, and remove the lid to thicken the sauce. Delicious with the orange, onion and almond salad.

Lentil Bolognese (v)

This recipe is a good base recipe for all sorts of things, but today we used it for pasta sauce. It's dead cheap, uber healthy and very yummy. Permission to feel ultra smug when creating and consuming granted ;-)

For 6-8 portions you need
2 cups green/brown lentils (not puy)
2 cans chopped tomatoes
2 onions, finely diced
4 coves garlic, crushed
pinch sugar
salt and pepper
vegetarian stock powder
3 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
2 bay leaves
2 tsp dried oregano

Begin by placing the lentils in a large pan of water. Bring to the boil and then boil fast for 10 mins. Reduce to a simmer and then cook for a further 15 mins or so until they are tender and cooked. The actual cooking time will vary depending on the lentils so keep checking for done-ness every 5 mins after the initial 15 mins of simmering.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion for 5 mins till translucent. Add the carrots and garlic and continue to fry for another 5 mins. Add everything else to the pan and bring to the boil. Check the seasoning and simmer for 20 mins until thickened and delicious.

Add the drained cooked lentils to the pan and heat through thoroughly. Serve over pasta with shredded fresh basil and veggie parmesan if you're not vegan.

Pasta with Tomato Sauce

OK OK this doesn't sound like the most exciting recipe anyone has ever made, but according to one blog it's the most talked about tomato pasta sauce recipe on the internetz... Hmmm I thought and then I made it and I could see why. It tastes of perfect pasta sauce like you get in a good Italian. Rich but light, tasty and moreish.

For two people you need:
150-200g pasta
1 medium onion, cut in half
1 can chopped tomatoes
salt and pepper
3 tbsp butter

Place the butter, tomatoes and onion in a pan and heat to a gentle simmer. Leave bubbling away for 30 mins, making sure you keep an eye on it so it doesn't catch and burn on the bottom.

Cook the pasta and when it's nearly done, blitz the sauce until smooth. Check the seasoning and serve. Totally yummy and so easy to make!

Kale and Smoked Paprika Stew with Butter Beans and Potatoes (v)

Yeah, another kale recipe! Again from the BBC Good Food website for initial inspiration... Tho, clearly this doesn't have chorizo in it! But the echoes of the juicy flavours from chorizo are there in the sweet smoked paprika that is added. If you can get hold of Redwood Vegan Chorizo style chunks then add those to this for a delicious vegan alternative, but it works just as well without. Lex loved this as much as I did and it was the perfect dinner for a cold, dreary January evening.

For 3-4 portions you need
3-4 potatoes, cut into bite sized chunks, skin left on
2 leeks, sliced
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can butter beans in water
1 tsp vegan stock
2 tsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper
pinch sugar
2-3 cups kale, stripped from the inner stalk and well washed
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 pepper, cut into bite sized chunks

Begin by sauteeing the leeks in the oil. After 2-3 mins add the garlic and smoked paprika powder. Add everything else apart from the kale and peppers and bring to the boil, adding a little more water if you want a thinner sauce. Simmer for 10 mins then add the kale and peppers. Continue to cook for a further 5 mins until the potatoes are done, then serve with crusty bread to soak up all the gorgeous juices. Delicious!

Pasta with Onion, Leek and Tomato Cinnamon Sauce and Fresh Basil (v)

My mum makes a mean pasta sauce which uses cinnamon in it to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. It's utterly delicious. This is a version of it for a quick, tasty and healthy dinner following an exhausting hike over Ilkley Moor this afternoon!

For 4 portions you need
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 small onions, chopped
1 leek, sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp veggie stock powder
freshly ground black pepper
150ml water
2 tbsp olive oil
Handful fresh basil, roughly shredded

Begin by sauteeing the leek and onion in the olive oil for 5-10 mins until soft. Add everything else and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for a further 10 mins. Blend to a puree and check the seasoning. Serve on pasta topped with fresh basil. Nom.

Pasta with Tomatoes and Pesto (v)

I finally got round to watching some of the many, many episodes of Three Good Things I've had stacked up on my tivo box for the last few weeks, and in one of the episodes The Huge Furry Whipping Tool (as he is known in our house, Hugh FWS to everyone else...) made pasta with tomatoes and blue cheese. My boyfriend does *not* like blue cheese so I ditched that aspect and instead made some yummy pesto as my third thing. It perfectly used up some rapidly-going-past-their-best baby plum tomatoes that had been hanging round the kitchen for tooooooo long, and also allowed me to try out the Gourmet Garden, Fresh Made Easy basil and garlic combo in a fresh pesto. The verdict was deeeeeeeeeeelicious. Excellent.

For two people you need

2 tsp Gourmet Garden crushed garlic

1 whole tube Gourmet Garden chopped basil

2 tbsp pine nuts

salt and pepper

1/2 pack ripe baby plum tomatoes (or whatever tomatoes you have to hand)

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil

175g cooked pasta (I used shells to capture the sauce)

1 large handful fresh basil

Begin by marinating the tomatoes. Quarter them and chop into eighths if large, and place in  a bowl. Add 1 tsp Gourmet Garden crushed garlic, the balsamic vinegar, some salt and pepper and 1 tbsp olive oil. Mix gently and leave to one side.

Meanwhile heat a pan and gently toast the pine nuts till golden brown. Place 2/3 into a mini food processor bowl along with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp Gourmet Garden crushed garlic and the fresh basil leaves. Pulse for a few seconds till roughly combined. Add the tube of Gourmet Garden chopped basil and the remaining pine nuts and season to taste.

Cook the pasta and drain. Add the tomatoes and pesto and scoff down. Yum yum yum.

Side Salad (v)

Yeah, I know, you hardly need a recipe for a side salad right? Well, I was asked to do some simple basic recipes as part of the Vegan MoFo, along with what I normally blog, so here you go :) This is my fave side salad for all sorts of things, but most especially pasta.

For one person you need
Mixed salad leaves
Cucumber
Tomatoes
Red pepper
Red onion
Salt and pepper
Balsamic syrup
Olive oil

Place the lettuce leaves in a bowl and then top with the cucumber, tomatoes, onion and pepper. Drizzle over balsamic syrup and 1-2 tsp oil before seasoning and consuming. Yum.

Pasta with Courgette, Tomato and Lemon Garlic Sauce (v)

This was a spur of the moment, what on earth do I cook for dinner, how can I use up some languishing ingredients dinner and very tasty it was too.

For 2 portions you need
1 courgette, cut into slices then quarters as in pic
6-8 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 clove garlic, crushed
grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
pasta of your choice

Begin by cooking the pasta as per the instructions on the packet.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil gently and sautee off the courgette until softened and lightly browned (keep the heat quite high to ensure it browns before going mushy). Add the tomatoes, zest and garlic and cook for another 1-2 mins to warm everything through. Season with salt and pepper. Drain the pasta and then place in the sauce pan and coat everything with the sauce. Scoff. Nom.

Cowboy Stew (v)

I don't know where the name Cowboy Stew comes from I have to confess. I first made this as a student so I think it's probably something to do with the fact that it contains beans and sausages and everyone knows that's what cowboys eat. Whatever, the etymology of the name is less interesting than the recipe. It's the perfect sort of dish for horrible weather like what we had today: wet, soggy, cold, blustery. This warms you from the inside and tastes lovely at the same time. Result.

For 4 portions you need
1 pack Linda McCartney sausages
1 tin baked beans
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin drained black eyed beans
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 punnett mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 red and 1 green pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chilli powder
salt and pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp each of hendersons relish (veggie worcester sauce), soya sauce and mushroom ketchup

Begin by sautéing the onion in the oil for about 5 mins. Add the mushrooms and cook till the juices have come out. Add the peppers and garlic and fry for another 1-2 mins. Add everything else apart from the sausages and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 5 mins. Meanwhile fry the sausages until browned. Add the sausages to the pan of stew and cook for a further 10 mins till steaming hot. Serve with mounds of buttery mash, or whatever carb you feel like. Perfeck.

Pasta with Tomatoes, Chilli, Ginger and Garlic (v)

I don't have a picture for this, boo. So you'll just have to imagine in your minds the bowl of steaming hot pasta topped with a gloriously vibrant red sauce, speckled with pungent ginger and chilli and garlic...
This was made for me a couple of weeks ago and was a revelation. I had never ever thought to add ginger to a tomato based pasta sauce but it works so well. Usually I reserve the holy trinity of ginger, garlic and chilli to Indian or Chinese style dishes, not pasta. But try it. You won't be disappointed.

For 2 people you need:
150g pasta of your choice
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 red chilli, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
good knob of ginger, finely grated (only a microplane will do imho)
1 cup fresh baby plum tomatoes
salt and pepper

Cook the pasta. Meanwhile prepare the fresh tomatoes by chopping them and then pulverising them in the pan. Add the ginger, garlic and chilli and heat. Season. Serve on the pasta. Groan with pleasure, even moreso if you have been spoiled and someone else does the cooking and washing up...

Simple Tomato Salad with Balsamic Vinegar (v)

I never used to like tomatoes, but apparently I do now. But only when perfectly ripe and preferably served with balsamic syrup. This is a lovely light summer salad that makes the most of the last of the perfect tomatoes.

For 2-3 people you need:
2-3 large tomatoes
Couple of handfuls of salad leaves
1 red onion, sliced
basil leaves
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
3-4 tbsp very good quality olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 cucumber
1-2 tbsp balsamic syrup

Start by making the tomato salad. Slice the tomatoes and onions and lay in a shallow dish. Season with salt and pepper then drizzle over the red wine vinegar and the olive oil. Scatter over the basil leaves. Leave to infuse at room temperature for a couple of hours if you can.

When ready to serve; plate up with salad leaves and cucumber and then add the tomatoes. Drizzle over some balsamic syrup and serve with bread.

Bruschetta with Pesto, Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Poor ickle blog. No posts for ages. Bad Becka. But here is a quick, easy and tasty end of work feed me now recipe to get me back into the blogging groove again...

For 2 people you need:
1 garlic ciabatta
1 tub fresh green pesto
1 pack mozzarella
1 cup baby plum tomatoes, cut in to quarters
1 red onion, finely diced
handful fresh basil leaves

Bake the ciabatta in the oven according to the instructions. Meanwhile mix the onions with the tomatoes and 2/3 of the pesto. Once the bread is cooked, place the pesto onion and tomato mix on the bread, top with the cheese and basil leaves. Drizzle over the remaining pesto and season with black pepper. Eat with your fingers and sigh with pleasure...

Lentil Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potato Mash (v)

I fancied this, so I made it...

For 3-4 portions you need:
1/2 cup puy lentils
1/2 cup green lentils
1 bay leaf
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp vecon stock paste
salt and pepper
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
250ml red wine
2 tbsp tomato puree
3-4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2-3 tbsp soya milk
1 small knob vegan marge
Generous grating of whole nutmeg
Salt and pepper.

Wash the lentils, then place in a pan with the bay leaf. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly for 10 mins then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-30 mins till the lentils are soft but not mushy.

Meanwhile sautee the onion, garlic and carrot in the oil for 10 mins. Add the tomatoes, puree, wine, salt, pepper, oregano and stock. Cook for 10-15 mins till thickened. Once the lentils are done, drain and add to the tomato sauce. Mix well.

Cook the potatoes in a pan with a little water. Drain, mash with the milk and marge. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Place the filling in a dish and top with the mash. Bake in a hot oven for 15 mins or so till the mash has browned slightly. Serve with veg or as is...

Creamy Curry Sauce (v)

When we were in Toronto we went to an amazing veggie eatery called Fresh. We had a sauce similar to this there with sweet potato fries. It's sort of like chip shop curry sauce but soooooooooo much nicer. It makes a large batch but keeps for a week or so in the fridge (or you can freeze it) so halve it if you don't want to be drowning in curry sauce...

For 8-10 portions you need:
1 can coconut milk
3 cups vegetable stock
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 chilli, chopped
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
3 tsp each turmeric, garam masala, coriander, cumin
2 tbsp plain flour
1/2 - 1tsp chilli flakes depending on how hot you like it
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Fry the onion, chilli and garlic in the oil for about 10 mins till softened. Add the flour and dry spices and cook out for a further 3-4 mins. Slowly add the stock, stirring to avoid lumps. Add the coconut milk and tomatoes. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 30 mins. Serve with rice and lentils or whatever you fancy really. Including chip shop chips...

Summer Bean Salad (v)

I love haricot beans. I love them as baked beans but they're even better, naked, and centre stage imho. They're smaller than cannellini beans, but with the same creamy inside of a butter bean and just taste so delicious. This salad is quick and easy to throw together and lasts for a couple of days so makes for an excellent portable lunch.

For 3-4 portions you need:
1 tin haricot beans, drained and rinsed
1 small tin sweetcorn, drained and rinsed
handful baby plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 large red onion, finely diced
4" length of cucumber, diced into 1cm cubes
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
salt and pepper
2 tbsp walnut oil
1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp french mustard

Mix together the dressing ingredients. Toss everything together and slather with dressing. Serve on a bed of salad leaves. Become the envy of the office :)

Puff Pastry Pizza

I have blogged something similar to this before, but this combination of ingredients was too good not to remember for another day.

For 4-6 portions you need:
1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry
1 jat red pesto
1 red onion, finely sliced
2/3 pack chilli olives
1/4 jar salted capers, well rinsed
1/2 log goats cheese, cut in to slices
Handful fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1-2 tbsp coarsely grated veggie parmesan
drizzle chilli oil
4-6 sun dried tomatoes in oil

Lay the pastry on some baking paper on a baking sheet.
Score an edge 1cm thick.
Spread the pesto on the pastry inside the boarder.
Scatter over the onions, olives, capers and cheese. Top with the basil and parmesan and tomatoes.
Bake in a hot oven for 15-20 mins till the pastry is risen and everything is cooked.
Serve with a rocket salad and drizzled with chilli oil.

Pasta with Chickpeas, Tomatoes and Broccoli (v)

This was suggested to me by @DixxyD and mighty fine it is too. It's a recipe from Rose Elliot's Vegetarian Express (p92) which I have tweaked slightly by adding tenderstem broccoli to it. It's lovely hot but the leftovers are equally nice cold the next day for lunch.

For 4-6 people you need:
1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
2 fat cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1tsp vegan stock powder
splash red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
1 pack tenderstem broccoli, trimmed, washed and cut in to bite sized chunks
325g wholewheat pasta

Fry the onion in the oil for about 10 mins till softened and lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for a further 1-2 mins. Add the tomatoes and bring to the boil. Add everything else apart from the broccoli and pasta and cook for 10 mins or so till thickened. Season to taste.

Meanwhile cook the pasta, steaming the broccoli over the pasta for the last 5 mins. Add the broccoli to the sauce, then drain and pasta and add this too. Mix well and serve.