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4 medium beetroot, cooked (cooked weight about 650g), peeled and chopped into chunks
2 lemons – juice from both and zest from one
2 heaped tsp tahini
2 tbs olive oil
1 dsp (flat) Maldon salt
Put all the ingredients into the large blender and pulse, scraping down the sides to everything gets mixed. Leave so there is still some texture, shouldn’t be totally smooth. Check seasoning and serve.
Adapted from a Nigel Slater recipe in the Christmas Chronicles
Serves 2 (generously)
For the onions and mushrooms
2 medium onions (red if possible)
30ml olive oil
25g butter
6 sprigs thyme, rinsed and dried
150g mushrooms (chestnut ideally), brushed clean, halved and sliced
For the polenta
75g fine polenta (NOT quick cook variety)
250ml water
250ml milk
2 large handfuls of greens (optional) such as spinach or kale, finely sliced and rinsed
2 tbs (heaped) cream cheese
2 tbs (heaped) Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 185C fan. Peel the onions, and quarter them. Put them into a small metal roasting tin. Drizzle with the olive oil, tuck in the sprigs of thyme and dot small bits of the butter over the top. Bake for 20 mins and then baste. Cook for another 20 mins but set the timer to remember to base every 5-6 mins.
While the onions are baking, cook the polenta. You need to be able to stand and stir like a risotto for 25 mins…
Pour the water and milk into a medium sized saucepan and warm it, but don’t allow to boil (number 6 should be fine). Add a generous pinch of salt and then add the polenta while stirring continuously. If it spits remove from the heat but keep stirring. Return to the heat and keep stirring for around 20 mins.
After 20 mins, take a small frying pan and warm a slug of olive oil on 6 and fry the onions – keep stirring the polenta though! Once the polenta is smooth and doesn’t have any graininess to the texture add the greens if using and stir through, once wilted add the cream cheese and parmesan, stir and then taste and season, it probably needs a generous seasoning. Remove from the heat.
Spoon the polenta into pasta bowls, top with the mushrooms and then add the roast onions on top. Add a final grate of parmesan if you like.
Adapted from Nigel Slater in Christmas Chronicles
Serves 2
2 large aubergines
3 tbs olive oil
1 lemon
1 medium white onion
2 cloves garlic
4 large sprigs of thyme
3 sprigs rosemary
150g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
150g puy lentils
2 large handfulls of spinach leaves, shredded and rinsed
2 tbs double cream
Fresh parsley (enough to make about 1 tbs chopped)
2 tbs grated Parmesan
Preheat the grill on high. Wash and dry the aubergines and slice in half lengthways. Score a tight lattice pattern into the flesh without piercing the skin. Put them onto a baking sheet cut side up and rub over enough of the olive oil to cover each side (generously) and season with salt and black pepper. Halve the lemon and squeeze over the juice. Put under the grill, not too close to the top and cook until golden brown. (check after 10 mins and if brown but not soft then cover with foil and switch the grill to oven 185C and finish for another 10-15 mins).
Rinse the lentils and check for stones, then put into a pan with enough cold water to come up about 1″ over the top. Bring to a boil, put a lid on top and reduce heat to 5 and simmer until cooked (min 20 mins) keeping an eye on the water level.
While the lentils are cooking put the green Le Creuset on 6 to warm. Peel and dice the onion, add the olive oil and diced onion to the warm pan with a generous pinch of salt and stir. Cook until soft and then grate in the garlic cloves. Rinse the thyme and rosemary and remove the leaves from the stalks, finely chop the rosemary and add both to the onion mix with the mushrooms. Add some more olive oil if the pan seems dry. Leave to soften, adding the lid after a few mins and reducing the heat to 4.
Once the mushrooms are cooked, check the lentils to be sure they are cooked, drain and add to the mushroom/onion mix. Stir in the chopped spinach, stir and add the lid for a couple of mins until the leaves have wilted. Add the cream and parmesan and stir then season generously and taste. Needs to be well peppered!
Put the lentils in a pasta bowl and serve with one half of the grilled aubergine on top.
350g Quorn pieces
1 large onion roughly chopped
2 large carrots cut into cubes
1 large glass of dry white wine
2 bay leaves
1 large potato cut into small pieces
300ml boiling water
2 Kallo chicken stockcubes (or veggie)
1 dessert spoon corn flour
6 leafy stems parsley
– stems finely chopped
– leaves roughly chopped
4 large handfuls of spinach leaves, finely chopped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Heat a tbs of olive oil in a Le Creuset casserole pan on 7. Add the quorn and brown it off, stirring from time to time, add more oil if necessary. Once brown, reduce the heat to 5 add the onions and a large pinch of salt and cook until the onions are soft.
Add the white wine and bay leaves, using a spoon to scape the bottom of the pan and reduce by half. Add the carrots and potato, the stock cubes and boiling water and the parsley stalks. Reduce the heat to 4, add some black pepper and cook with the lid off stirring from time to time until the potato is cooked (about 30 mins).
Mix the corn flour with a little cold water so it is runny. Pour in half to the casserole and stir well, if it is still not thick enough add the rest and stir again. Add the parsley and stir.
Add the spinach on top and cover for a couple of minutes until wilted. Stir well and check the seasoning and serve.
Goes well with roast turnips and some green veg.
Serves 4 for large mains or 8 as a side
For the curry
1 large onion roughly chopped
1 heaped tsp grated ginger
2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
1 green chilli roughly chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 small cauliflower cut into bite size pieces
2 medium potatoes cut into small dice (bite size)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tbs sunflower or coconut oil
1/2 tsp turmeric (or haldi)
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
Salt and pepper
Water
Half bunch chopped coriander and yoghurt to serve
Chickpea Pancake
Serves 2 as a main
1/2 cup chickpea flour
Sunflower oil
Water
Salt and pepper
Heaped tbs chopped coriander
Method
Cook the potatoes until just tender, just before they are ready add the cauliflower for the last couple of minutes, they should be pretty crunchy still. Drain and set aside.
Heat a Le Creuset on number 6. Meanwhile put the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli in a jug and use the stick blender to make a paste or chuck it in the food processor in the smallest part and blitz.
Add the oil to the pan and add the mustard and cumin seeds and fry until popping a little, then add the onion paste and fry for a few mins. Add the tinned tomatoes, and the powdered cumin, curry and garam masala and stir well, cook for a few mins stirring regularly. Add some water to slacken off the paste and add the potato and cauliflower to the pan. Stir and turn the heat down to 4 maybe 3, it should just be gently cooking, not boiling.
Heat a large black frying pan on 7. Put the chickpea flour in a medium bowl and add about 1/4 cup water and stir well with a fork to make a smooth paste. Then add some more water you want the mix to be about the consistency of single cream/pancake batter. Add the coriander and season well.
Add some oil to the frying pan (about 1/2 tbs) and swish around. Add the pancake mix and turn the pan so it is well distributed. Leave until you can see bubbles forming and bursting and that the bottom is brown (it will be about 4-5 mins) then flip over with a fish knife. You might need to add a little more oil…
Check the seasoning of the curry and add more garam masala if needed and some more water if it is too thick.
Serve with the pancake cut into triangles and some yoghurt and fresh coriander on top.
Serves 8-10
Olive oil
2 diced onions
2 carrots diced into small cubes
2 sticks celery diced into small cubes
250g dried red lentils
1 tin tomatoes or 2/3 jar passata
1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
500ml stock (veg or chicken)
Salt and black pepper
6-8 tbs frozen peas
1Kg floury potatoes cut into roast potato size pieces
500g sweet potatoes cut into roast potato size pieces
Skimmed milk
Grated hard cheese like cheddar (optional)
Warm the olive oil in the green Le Creuset on 6 and add the onion, carrot and celery with a large pinch of salt and fry until soft. Once soft add the tomato paste, tinned tomatoes (or passata) and stir well and then add the stock and lentils and stir again, turn the heat down to 5 and add the lid. Keep checking every few minutes and add more water if necessary (it can get dry).
Preheat the oven to 185C (fan) if cooking immediately.
Boil the potatoes while the sauce is cooking and drain and allow the steam to evaporate. Mash well with enough milk to make a smooth mash and season well with salt and pepper.
Check the lentils are cooked, add the frozen peas and season the mix well then smooth down. Ideally allow to cool so it forms a hard base for the mash but not essential.
Add the mash in dollops to the top and carefully smooth down and then fork over. If using the grated cheese sprinkle over the top.
Bake for 30 mins until the top is golden and allow to stand for 5 mins before serving with any green veg.
Depending on what you are serving with this will make 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
400-500g green lentils
3 red onions (or 2 large) finely diced
2 medium carrots finely diced
2 sticks of celery finely diced
4 cloves of garlic grated/mashed
Olive oil
2 heaped tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground allspice
1 cinnamon stick or 1 flat tsp ground cinnamon
3 bay leaves
2 birds eye chillis finely chopped
2 dried chipotle chillis (rehydrated in some hot water for 10 mins and then finely chopped)
3 tbs cider vinegar
1-2 dsp of Marmite
2 x 400g tins of good quality chopped tomatoes
2 tbs ketchup
1 heaped tbs dark brown sugar
1 heaped dsp of cocoa powder
1.2l (ish) of boiling water
2 x 400g tins of kidney beans (optional, black beans also work)
To serve
Grated cheese like a strong cheddar
Chopped fresh coriander
Finely sliced radishes
Jalapeños from jar chopped a bit
Creme fraiche if it is very hot
Salted tortilla chips/rice/jacket potato/cauliflower rice/roast squash
Hydrate the chipotle in hot water and set aside before chopping.
In a very large and deep pan, sweat the onion, celery and carrot and a large pinch of salt on a medium heat until soft (at least 10 mins) then add the garlic, spices, and chillis and stir and cook for a couple of mins.
Add the tomatoes and swill out each tin filled with about 1/3 cold water into the chilli. Add all the other ingredients EXCEPT the kidney beans and cook on a low heat for at least an hour, stirring regularly. Keep checking and add more water if your lentils are thirsty. Add the kidney beans about 20 mins before you want to eat. Season at the end, not while it is cooking.
Serve with the any of the listed schizzle on top.
Make in the KitchenAid in the small bowl with chopper
1 whole egg and 1 yolk
1 tsp mustard powder1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp of Maldon salt
Generous grind of black pepper
150ml olive oil (good quality)
150ml sunflower oil (good quality)
Lemon juice – about 1-2 tbs but depends on size and taste
Put the egg, mustard powder, salt and pepper in the mixer and blitz to mix.
Pour the oil into the oil nozzle on the mixer (the smallest one with a hole in the bottom) in a few batches letting it drizzle into the mix while you have the mixer constantly running.
****DO NOT DO THIS UNLESS THE MIXER IS RUNNING***
Add the lemon juice, mix, taste, add more as required, and add more seasoning if necessary. Give a final blitz.
If using fresh eggs will keep up to a week in the fridge in a jar.
Serves 4
Half a red onion very finely sliced
1 red bird eye chilli finely chopped
Juice of one lemon
2 tbs olive oil
1 large jar of chickpeas
1 small tin of kidney beans
1 medium beetroot grated
2 large carrots grated
Handful of mint roughly chopped
Handful of basil torn
1 pack of feta cheese
1 tbs lin seeds
1 tbs sunflower seeds
In a large bowl mix the onion with the chilli and stir in the lemon juice and olive oil and mix well, adding some salt and pepper. Leave to one side for 20 mins to take the raw taste off the onion.
Heat the chickpeas until lukewarm with a couple tbs water. Once warm take off the heat and mash about 1/4 until a rough paste.
Stir the chickpeas into the onion and lemon and mix well to make sure the paste takes on the oil and lemon juice. Add the kidney beans, carrot and beetroot and stir together.
Finally add the herbs and crumble in the feta keeping some larger chunks. Check the seasoning and add more salt and lemon juice if necessary.
Serve and sprinkle on the seeds (if using) on each serving.
Can also add chopped tomatoes and cucumber – but only if not planning to keep left overs as will go too soggy.
250g red lentils
1700ml cold water
1 chicken or veg stock cube
1.5 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbs olive oil
1 medium white onion, finely diced
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 red chilli finely chopped (or 2 tsp dried flakes)
200g of pumpkin/squash peeled and diced into small cubes
1 small tin chickpeas (or about 2/3 jar) rinsed
1 tbs tomato puree
Black pepper and salt
Fresh spinach (4 large handfuls) washed and chopped
Put the lentils, water, stock and turmeric in a large pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and skim off any scum that forms. (use a black pan so the turmeric doesn’t stain and don’t use wooden spoons).
Heat a frying pan on a medium heat for a few mins and add the mustard and fennel seeds, toast until they start moving/jumping around the pan. Add the olive oil, a good pinch of salt and the onion and fry until soft. Add the ginger, chilli flakes and the puree and cook for a couple of mins.
When the lentils are cooked add the onion and spice paste to the pan with the squash and cook for another 10-15 mins until the squash is cooked through and then add the chickpeas and warm for a couple of minutes. Turn off the heat, add the spinach and stir well and check the seasoning.
Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and or some natural yoghurt on top.