Pasta with Cabbage and Chickpeas (v)

A really tasty and satisfying yet very quick supper dish, and one where the pasta doesn't get cold even tho there's no 'wet' sauce covering it. Everyone loved this, even the boy who porports to "hate cabbage". I think the garlicky oil, flecked with spicy chilli heat, is what made him over come his cabbage consternation... This is another from River Cottage Veg Everyday.

For three portions you need

225g pasta, we used rigatoni 

1 can chickpeas, don't bother to drain them

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 chilli, finely chopped

1 onion, finely sliced

5 tbsp olove oil

4-5 cavolo nero cabbage leaves, tough stems removed and finely shredded.

Cook the pasta. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion over a medium heat until lightly golden. Add the chilli and garlic and cook for a few mins longer.

3 mins before the pasta is done, lob in the chickpeas (juice an' all) and the cabbage. Heat for 3 mins then drain. Toss into the onion pan and mix thoroughly. Serve in warmed bowls and add some cheese if you're not vegan. Delicious. 

Banana Chocolate Chip Shortbread Bars (v)

This recipe is adapted from Mary Berry's Baking Bible. It's dead simple, very yummy and makes cooked banana taste nice (I usually can't stand it cooked in anything unless it's well and truly mushed up). It's a bit crumbly and liable to disintegrate round the edges but it's perfect with a morning coffee and is a reasonably healthy energy boost.

For about 8 bars you need
75g wholemeal flour
11/4 tsp baking powder
75g demerara sugar
75g porridge oats
100g vegan spread or butter if you're not vegan
1 banana, sliced into 5mm slices
25g plain chocolate chips

Blitz everything apart from the chocolate chips in a food processor until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Line a 2lb loaf tin and put half the shortbread mix in the bottom. Press down. Lay the banana slices on top and then cover with the remaining shortbread. Press down firmly and scatter over the chocolate. Bake in a 180 degree oven for about 25 mins. Leave to cool and then carefully slice and scoff.

Carrot and Potato Soup with Ginger and Chilli (v)

A lovely friend made us a delicious bowl of soup to replenish our bellies after a walk round the Holmfirth countryside a few weeks ago, so I decided to recreate the flavours and use up some limp carrots from the bottom of the fridge. You can flavour this soup with whatever you like, but the warming ginger and chilli work well with the sweet carrot.

For 3-4 portions you need

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3-4 carrots, roughly chopped, no need to peel

2-3 potatoes, roughly chopped, no need to peel

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 small chilli, destalked and cut into a couple of sections.

1.5 litres vegetable stock

Fresh parsley and coriander to serve

Heat the oil in a pan and sautee the veggies for a few mins. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and then top up with the stock. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 15 mins until the potatoes are cooked.

Blitz to a smooth consistency, adding more water if necessary and then serve topped with chopped fresh herbs. Yummy.

Meal Plan

I'm having a fresh new start, and one of my aims is to actually plan meals on a weekly basis to ensure we eat healthily, don't buy too much each week and use up everything we have. And I know other people are trying to do the same so along with recipes I am going to blog my meal plans too. If nothing else, it will provide a nice bank of foodie ideas to refer back to at a later date.

So, this week we are having the following...

w/c 6 Sept 2013	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
Friday	Cereal and Toast	Quinoa with Courgettes and Onions  (p279 River Cottage Veg)	Home made fries with yogurt dip and salad	Courgette Cake
Saturday	Vendetta Eggs and Beans	Green Beans, Potatoes and Halloumi  (p222 River Cottage Veg)	Pasta with Cabbage and Chickpeas  (p261 River Cottage Veg)	Courgette Cake Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sunday	Pancakes	Vegetable Soup and Bread	Cheesy Jacket Potatoes, Bean Stew and Salad	Courgette Cake Flapjack Chocolate Chip Cookies
Monday	Cereal and Toast	Peanut Vegetable Noodles  (p261 Nigella Express)	Bean Stew and Rice and Salad	Courgette Cake Flapjack Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tuesday	Cereal and Toast	Peanut Vegetable Noodles  (p261 Nigella Express)	Moroccan Roasted Vegetables with Cous Cous	Courgette Cake Flapjack Chocolate Chip Cookies
Wednesday	Cereal and Toast	Roasted Veg Soup and Bread	Spinach, Penne and Cheese Spouffle  (p43 River Cottage Veg)	Courgette Cake Flapjack Chocolate Chip Cookies
Thursday	Cereal and Toast	Cheese and Chutney Sandwiches with Salad	Fuz Fried Rice	Courgette Cake Flapjack Chocolate Chip Cookies

Courgettes and Onions with Quinoa (v)

I have a large collection of cookery books. Some might argue too many. And often I admire them in my living room and then head to the kitchen to create something myself. But I am on a mission to cut my shopping bill in half, and to use up everything we buy along with getting out of the food rut we are currently in. My recipe book of choice at the moment is therefore River Cottage Veg Everyday as we are working our way through our weekly veg box and I am already bored with some of the contents (namely courgettes!!).

This recipe is very easy to do and tastes delicious hot, warm or cold. It makes a lovely light lunch on its own, or a yummy side dish. If you're not vegan, add some feta to it for a salty tang. It'd also be delicious served up alongside a lamb cutlet or similar.

For two people you need
2 medium courgettes, sliced on the diagonal in 5mm thick slices
2 red onions, finely sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-3 sprigs of thyme leaves (not the stalks!)
juice 1/2 lemon
100g quinoa
25g pine nuts
salt and pepper
large handful of roughly chopped flat leaf parsley

Begin by sauteeing the thyme leaves, onions and courgettes in a pan with the oil. Keep the heat medium so that after 20 minutes or so the onions and courgettes are nicely golden. Add the garlic at this stage and cook for another 2-3 mins.

Meanwhile cook the quinoa in 200ml of water. Bring to the boil and then simmer gently for about 8 mins. Turn off the heat and leave to steam until all the water is absorbed (about another 10 mins).

Toast the pine nuts until golden.

Toss everything together in a large bowl, season to taste and then eat hot, warm or cold. Nom nom nom.

Broccoli with Rice Noodles (v)

It's the start of a new term and I am on a new regime again. To blog again, now the horror of being really ill is behind me, and to revive my go-to recipes again and cook more interesting things with vegetables. The River Cottage Veg Everyday book gave me inspiration for broccoli.

For 2-3 people you need
One large head broccoli
Handful rice noodles
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tsp soya sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
freshly ground pepper
3 spring onions, finely sliced
2 tbsp sesame seeds

Cook the broccoli and noodles in boiling water for about 5 mins. Drain and leave to steam for a few minutes to get rid of any excess water.

Gently toast the sesame seeds until lightly golden.

Place everything in a large bowl and toss to mix. Scoff.

Rice and Peas (v)

This is proper Indian kichiri, with none of the Anglo-Indian trimmings. Just rice and peas and spices. It's a fab side dish to any curry and the pulses in boost the protein content making it a good whole meal in itself.

For 6 portions you need
1/2 cup moong dhal, rinsed clean and soaked in cold water for 4 hours
2 cups basmati rice, rinsed clean and soaked for an hour in cold water
3 tbsp butter or oil
2 indian bay leaves
2 cloves
1 tsp whole coriander
1 tsp whole cumin
3 cardamon pods, crushed to release the seeds
1" piece of cinnamon bark
1 medium onion, finely sliced
1 tsp salt

Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the spices for 2-3 mins until the aromas are released. Add the onion and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until browned and crispy. Add the drained rice and peas and stir fry to coat in the oil and spices.

Add 2 and 2/3 cups of water and bring to the boil. Cover with a tightly fitting lid and reduce the heat to very low. Cook for 20-25 mins until the rice is light and fluffy and the peas are cooked.

Mixed Vegetable Makhanawala (v)

I am slowly working my way through Rick Stein's India, a very fine book on curries and Indian food. This recipe caught my eye as I was meal planning over the weekend, and Abel and Cole obliged by providing most of the ingredients for it in their weekly box this week. The curry is delicious, rich and creamy but not heavy. Spiced and fragrant with a little kick of heat but not searingly hot. It might look complicated but it's not, it was very easy to make and was definitely worth the effort.

For 4-6 portions you need
800g mixed vegetables - I used potatoes, carrots, cauliflower and french beans
50g butter or oil
1 medium onion, sliced
5 large garlic cloves, finely minced
5cm stick of ginger, finely grated
400g fresh tomatoes pulverised to make passata (don't use tinned or a jar, you want the lightness of fresh tomatoes)
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp each of ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cinnamon, garam masala and tumeric
1 tsp desiccated coconut
1.5 tsp salt
25g cashew nuts
1/2 tsp sugar
75ml yogurt/soya yogurt
4 tbsp double cream/soya cream (or coconut cream)
Handful of fresh coriander leaves to finish

Begin by boiling the carrots and potatoes until just cooked. Drain and leave to one side.

Melt the butter in a large heavy based pan and add the onion. Cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes until the onions are soft and golden. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a further 5 mins. Add the tomatoes, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 mins. Add the spices, salt, coconut and 100ml of water and cook for a further 10 mins.

In a mini food processor blitz the cashew nuts with a little water until smooth. Add this to the pan along with all the vegetables apart from the potatoes. Add another 100ml of water and simmer for 10 minutes until the veggies are cooked. Add the yogurt, cream and potatoes and heat through for 2-3 mins. Serve garnished with the coriander. It's truly delicious.

Goldilocks Tarka Dhal (v)

So called because I have made it three times... The first time we used scotch bonnet chillies and it was too cold. The second time I used thai chillies in quantities as per the recipe and it was too hot. The third time I used Indian chillies and it was juuuuuuust riiiiiiiight. You do need to soak the chana dhal for a good couple of hours beforehand or it will take ages to cook. This recipe is from the very fine Rick Stein's India, a fabulous book about Indian food!

For 4-6 portions you need
For the dhal
200g chana dhal, rinsed and soaked in cold water for 1-2 hours
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 whole cloves garlic, peeled
1 onion, chopped
2 green chillies, left whole and slit, seeds left in
1tsp salt
1/2 tsp tumeric

For the tarka
1 onion, thinly sliced
large knob of butter/vegan spread
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp asafoetida
Small handful of fresh curry leaves
Fresh coriander leave to serve

Place the soaked chana dhal in a pan with the rest of the dhal ingredients. Cover with water to about 2cms above the level of the chana. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about an hour until the chana is cooked. Mash a little to break up some of the dhal but leave some texture in.

For the tarka heat the oil and butter/spread until hot. Add the mustard seeds and asafoetida and cook until the seeds pop. Add the onion and cook over a medium heat until brown and crispy, but take care not to burn it!

Pour the tarka into the dhal and serve with bread or rice or whatever you fancy.

Celebration Chocolate Cake

This cake has done the rounds on an internet forum I am a member of, and I book marked it as one to make to welcome Lex home after he'd spent the summer with his dad this year. It looks impressive but is actually a doddle to make and decorate, and any kid (or adult for that matter!!) that sees it can't resist breaking out into a huge grin. You can put whatever you want round the sides and on the top. I was under strict orders from the boy with what I included but let your imagination run wild!

Our cake is a chocolate orange marble cake with chocolate orange buttercream icing and milk and orange chocolate kitkats. For other flavours, amend the recipes below to suit your tastes :)

For 8-12 slices you need
Orange cake batter
3 eggs
zest and juice of one orange
6oz self raising flour
6oz caster sugar
6oz vitalite

Chocolate orange cake batter
3 eggs
zest and juice of one orange
4oz self raising flour
2oz cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
6oz caster sugar
6oz vitalite

Chocolate Orange Buttercream Icing
225g vitalite
475g icing sugar
50g cocoa powder
zest of one orange

To Decorate
1 pack of 8 x 2 finger orange kitkats
1 pack of 8 x 2 finger milk chocolate kitkats
1 packet peanut M&Ms
1 packet yorkie chocolate drops
Jelly stars
Edible silver stars

You will also need
A ribbon to decorate
2 x 8 inch round cake tins, lined and greased
Cake stand or plate

Begin by making the cake batters. In separate bowls cream together the vitalite and sugar, beating for 10 mins until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, alternating with the flour or flour and cocoa mixture. Finally add the zest and juice and thoroughly incorporate.

Dollop spoonfuls of each mixture across both tins, and once all the batter is in, swirl to mix lightly for the marbled effect.

Bake at 170 degrees for about 25-30 mins until the cakes are well risen, starting to shrink away from the sides of the tin and fully cooked. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out onto a cake rack to finish cooling completely.

Beat the icing ingredients together for 10 mins until light and fluffy. Use to sandwich the cakes together and then cover the outside of both cakes with a good layer of icing. Once you have done this, start to stick your kitkats (or chocolate finger biscuits or whatever else you have chosen!) to the outside.

Then add your decoration of choice. Some people like to just cover with maltesers or other sweets, but my cakes were very deep, and there wasn't a lot of overspill room above the kitkats so I used giant chocolate buttons and then filled the inside with other sweets.

Finally, tie the ribbon around the outside of the cake (this helps to ensure the kitkats don't fall off as well as giving an extra wow factor ;-)) and scoff. I recommend palming the children off on to grandparents once the sugar rush hits mwahahahaha!

Mock Duck Noodle Soup (v)

There was a bit of a shopping fail this week, as I'd planned to make fake chicken noodle soup for lunch on Sunday but upon opening the freezer realised that we had no quorn chunks left, d'oh. I did however remember that there was a tin of mock duck languishing in the cupboard where it had lain for months. It made for an excellent and very tasty soup. So now I need to buy another tin to replace the one I used!

For three portions you need
1 tin mock duck (available from larger supermarkets or Asian/Chinese grocers), gluten sliced into bite sized pieces
3 nests noodles
1 litre vegetable stock plus the sauce/liquid from the mock duck tin
1 onion, halved and then sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into thin strips
125g closed cup mushrooms, cut into quarters
1 cup frozen sweetcorn
1 inch ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp chinese five spice powder
1 tbsp soya sauce

To garnish
3 tbsp fresh coriander, roughly chopped
chilli flakes, tabasco sauce and soya sauce to serve

Place the stock into a large pan and add the noodles, onion, garlic and ginger. Season with soya sauce and the chinese five spice powder. Add all the other ingredients, apart from the pepper and mushrooms, and cook for 3-5 minutes until the noodles are done. Add the mushrooms and pepper and heat through for a further two minutes. Serve in large bowls garnished with the coriander and chillies to taste. Delicious.

Macerated Strawberries with Black Pepper and Balsamic Vinegar (v)

Last time Abel and Cole delivered us strawberries, they went mouldy as soon as the box was opened. I didn't want that to happen to this batch, so I macerated them to help preserve them. Not that I needed to worry about them hanging about, Lex couldn't get enough of them!

For one punnet of strawberries you need
1 tsp sugar
Few twists of black pepper
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

De-hull the strawberries and slice into thirds. Sprinkle over the sugar, vinegar and pepper and leave to macerate for 30 mins or so. A lovely syrupy sauce will form from the strawberry juice. Serve as you wish, I like mine with good quality ice cream. Bring on Wimbledon!

'Suprise' Lemon and Orange Pudding

I think this is the perfect Sunday dinner pudding. It's light, airy, tangy and delicious. And it's also a doddle to make, using ingredients from the cupboard. As it cooks, a sponge lighter than a cloud develops on the top, with a tangy, creamy almost lemon curd like sauce forming underneath. A friend (hello Kim!) has suggested adding fresh blackberries to it just before baking which I think is a genius idea and will be trying that next time I make it.

For 3-4 portions you need
25g soft butter/vitalite
100g caster sugar
150ml milk
zest of one orange
juice and zest of one lemon
25g plain flour
2 eggs, separated

Begin by whisking the egg whites to stiff peaks in one bowl using a handheld mixer. Then cream the butter and 25g of sugar in another bowl using the same mixer (doing it this way saves washing up ;-)

Add everything else to the creamed butter and sugar mix and mix thoroughly. Finally fold in the egg whites and gently turn into a souffle or similar oven proof dish.

Place in a bain marie and bake in a moderate (180 degree) oven for about 30 mins until the sponge is risen and lightly golden and there is a delicious layer of sauce underneath. To bake this in individual ramekins, reduce the cooking time to about 15-20 mins.

Laab

Lip tingling, tongue searing, tastebud rocketing yumminess! This salad is so simple to make but it sings off the plate. Beware, it is VERY hot! I serve with sticky rice to help calm the chilli burn, but sometimes you need to numb your lips with spice! My sister gave me a packet of laab mix
which is what I used tonight and it was the most authentic tasting one I have made to date. I just cannot get enough of thai food right now!

For two people you need
300g pork mince (use quorn mince if you're veggie or crumbled tofu)
1 packet laab seasoning
1/4 cup water
fresh mint and coriander to serve
as many thai chillies as you want, thinly sliced as a garnish (I used two!)
a thinly sliced shallot or red onion
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1-2 tbsp fish sauce or mushroom soy sauce if veggie/vegan
Thai sticky rice to serve

Heat a wok and stir fry the protein in the water until completely cooked and hot. Add the packet of laab seasoning and mix well. Turn out onto a serving dish and garnish with the shallot/onion, spring onions, chillies, coriander and mint. Serve with the rice and prepare for a taste sensation!

Thai Dipping Sauce (Nam Pla Prik)

This is the most versatile thai condiment that you will find. It works so well with anything you want to dip into it, and it also tastes fabulous on other things like boiled potatoes, omelettes etc. It's also highly addictive from all the chillies! Beware of numb lip syndrome when you eat it tho, those chillies are f-i-e-r-c-e!! My sister will quite rightly point out that the variation of this I made to accompany the pork toasts is not authentic as it contains soy sauce and coriander. But I like the added tang of the coriander, and the soy enriches the sauce and takes away some of the OMFG fish sauce sting!

You will need
4 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 thai chillies, chopped
2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

Mix everything together and serve. Yum!

Thai Pork Toasts (Kanom Punk Na Moo)

My sister made these for us as a thank you for helping her to move some stuff about in her house. I was amazed at how simple yet delicious they were. This recipe is more intricate as the pork mince is flavoured, but they're still a doddle to make and taste fantastic. The original recipe can be found on Supatra's website.

For four people you need
500g pork mince
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
1 tbsp crushed garlic
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp cornflour
4 tbsp mushroom soy sauce
1 egg
8 slices white bread, crusts removed and cut into four squares
vegetable oil for deep-frying

Mix all the ingredients, apart from the bread and oil, together till thoroughly combined.

Divide into 24 balls and press each onto a square of bread.

Heat the oil until a cub of bread sizzles immediately upon contact and turns golden brown in about 30 seconds. Fry the toasts in batches, flipping over half way through to ensure the pork is throughly cooked.

Drain on kitchen roll and serve with a dipping sauce. We had one made from fish sauce, soy sauce, chillies, garlic and coriander but anything you fancy will do! Enjoy :)

Chickpea and Red Lentil Vindaloo with Vegetables (v)

This was a vindaloo simply because that was the only curry paste I had left in the cupboard. Despite the name, it wasn't too hot! Use any combination of vegetables and pulses that you like, this is simply what we needed to use up :)

For 4-6 portions you need
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp curry paste
1 tbsp oil
2 tins chopped tomatoes
1 tin chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup red lentils
200ml water
2 tsp vegetable stock powder
1/2 cup frozen sweetcorn
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 tsp sugar

Begin by sauteeing the onion and garlic in the oil. Once soft, add the curry paste and cook out for a few mins. Add everything else and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 20 mins or so until the red lentils are done. Check the taste and adjust salt, sugar or chilli according to taste. Serve with rice, pickles and indian salad!

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!

Aloo (Potato) Curry (v)

It was a friends 40th at the weekend and we went out for a curry to celebrate, but I wasn't hungry enough to truly appreciate the food so recreated curry night last night to satisfy a craving. I love the flavours of curry with potatoes but have never had much success making this type of side dish before. The potatoes either didn't cook properly, or they stuck to the bottom of the pan, or I'd burnt the spices and they tasted bitter, but thankfully the curry gods were smiling last night as this was DELICIOUS!

For 4 portions you need
3-4 cups peeled and diced potatoes. I'd suggest a 1cm dice but don't worry about making them mathematically perfect...
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp each black mustard seeds, yellow mustard seeds, dried red chill flakes, garam masala, tumeric, ground coriander, ground cumin, coriander seed.
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
150ml boiling water

Place the oil in a heavy based pan and heat. Add the curry spices and ginger to it and cook for 2-3 mins until the seeds pop and it's come together into a paste. Add the potatoes and water and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15 mins or so. Stir often to ensure the potatoes don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add a little more water if necessary but the aim is to steam the potatoes, not boil them.

Serve on their own or as a side dish for a curry.

Cheese Souffle with Watercress and Tomato Salad

It would have been my late dad's birthday yesterday so in his memory I made one of his favourite meals: cheese souffle with watercress and tomato salad. I like my souffle gooey and runny in the middle, but cook it for a little longer if you prefer it firmer.

For three to four portions you need
Four eggs
50g butter
50g plain flour
200ml milk
salt and pepper
150g grated cheese (strong cheddar and gruyere are a good combo)
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp french mustard

Begin by making a roux from the butter and flour. Once melted, cooked out for a few mins then add the milk. Heat and beat to ensure no lumps then remove from the heat and add the mustard powder, mustard and grated cheese. Mix well.

Separate the eggs and whisk the whites to firm peaks. Add the yolks to the cooled cheese roux base and mis thoroughly. Let it down with a couple of spoonfuls of the whisked whites and then fold in the remainder of the whites. Scrape into a buttered souffle dish and bake in a bain marie in a moderate (170 degree) oven for 30 mins.

Serve with a tomato salad (see the recipe here for a good one!) and some saute potatoes if you need to be totally stuffed at the end! Enjoy :) and Happy Birthday Dad xx

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.

Clam, Prawn and Smoked Haddock Chowder

Fuz loves fish. I am not that keen. Upon Ocado delivering the ingredients for this, we realised the cat also loves fish! This is quite a rich recipe and not one I would make on a regular basis, but for a nice dinner with friends it was the perfect choice. It didn't take long to make either and is based on a recipe by Marcus Wareing in How to Cook the Perfect....

For 4 portions you need
500g frozen, cooked clams, defrosted
300g cooked and peeled prawns
450g smoked haddock, skin left on and cut into four portions
200g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm dice
1 large leek, cut into 1cm dice
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
50g plain flour and 50g butter for a beurre marnie
100g butter
200ml dry white wine
750ml fish stock
150g can sweetcorn, drained and rinsed
150ml double cream
Handful of roughly chopped fresh parsley

Begin by mixing the butter and flour together to make the beurre marnie. Leave to one side.

Melt the 100g butter in a large heavy pan and fry the onion, garlic and leek until softened. Add the potatoes and cover. Cook gently for 10 mins until slightly softened. Make sure it doesn't catch or colour.

Meanwhile, place the wine and stock in a shallow pan and bring to the boil. Add the fish and poach for 2-3 mins until cooked. Remove the fish and leave to one side. Thicken the wine and stock mixture with the beurre marnie and add the cream.

Pour the stock into the cooked potato mixture and leave to simmer gently until the potatoes are 1-2 mins away from being cooked. Add the sweetcorn, clams and prawns and bring back to a simmer. Finally add the cooked fish to the soup to re-heat gently.

Serve in large bowls, garnished with the parsley.

Perfect Pavlova

I don't often make pavlovas as they end up being too big for a few people to eat, and all those calories over a few days is not a good idea! But a couple of friends came round to see us on Fri so I made one and it was luuuuuush! I prefer to keep my pavlovas simple, no crunchy, pippy passion fruit toppings for me thank you very much! So this recipe can pretty much be thrown together out of store/fridge/freezer staples and looks like you've made a huge effort. Result! The rule of thumb you need when making a pavlova is 62.5g of caster sugar per egg white, this way you can make one as big or small as you like!

For 6-8 portions you need
5 egg whites
310g caster sugar
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp cornflower
600ml double cream
300g frozen raspberries (or any fruit of your choice), defrosted
1 tbsp icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. Begin by whisking the egg whites until they form stiff peaks in a free standing mixer. With the motor running, add the sugar a tablespoon at a time until thoroughly incorporated. Add the vinegar and cornflower and mix in well.

Spoon the meringue on to a lined baking sheet. I usually take care to make a well in the middle with banked up sides to hold the filling in place but you can do it however you wish! Pop into the oven and turn the heat down to 140 degrees. Cook for 90 minutes and then turn off the oven. Leave the door open a little and leave the pavlova to cool in the oven.

Whip the cream to soft peaks then spread onto the pavlova. Add the raspberries and then sift over the icing sugar. Utterly delicious!

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.