Recipes



Bean and cabbage soup

Ingredients (Serves 6)
4 tablespoons olive oil
200g smoked back bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
2 sticks of celery, diced
2 small carrots, diced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 courgettes, diced
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 x 410g tin of borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
A piece of Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small green pointed cabbage
Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Method
Put the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium to low heat. Add the bacon to the pan, stir for a minute or two, then reduce the temperature slightly and add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic and courgettes. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring, then add the tomatoes, the beans, and the Parmesan rind if you have some. Fill the empty tomato tin with water twice and add to the pan. Increase the heat to high, then cover the pan and bring up to a full boil. Remove the lid, season and leave at a brisk simmer.



Super Salad
I think the success of a salad lies in using plenty of fresh herbs – don’t be swayed into thinking you'll only add one variety. You’ll find mint and basil, parsley and chives work very well in this salad, with just a few thyme leaves to add a punch. Colour is important, so ruby chard and tomatoes lift the ingredients. The reason I’ve picked these ingredients is that they all have great nutrient values.

Ingredients (Serves 4)
A handful each of basil, mint (spearmint – Mentha spicata – is best for salad), curly-leaved parsley, chives
3 handfuls each of Italian rocket and ruby chard
4 – 6 home-grown dwarf tomatoes – or as many as are ripe – don’t skimp
1 avocado, ripened on your windowsill
a big dash of virgin olive oil
a sprig of thyme

Method
- First take a large bowl – I like to use glass, clear plastic or a stainless steel bowl that’s somewhat on the large side, as this gives plenty of room between the leaves and adds to the beauty of a salad. It also means you can toss the leaves thoroughly with the dressing.
- Lightly wash all the herbs and leaves in cold water and pat dry on kitchen paper.
- Tear the basil, finely chop the mint, parsley and chives and place in your salad bowl.
- Throw in the rocket and chard leaves, the tomatoes cut into quarters, and the avocado, peeled, stone removed and sliced.
- Drizzle with enough olive oil to lightly coat but not drown the leaves, scatter with the thyme leaves and mix well.



Chicken with Winter Vegetables
Sometimes our bodies just want simple, easy to digest meals and they couldn’t come better than this.

Ingredients (Serves 4)
1 medium size organic chicken
Large bunch of flat leaf parsley
4 bunches of thyme
3 bay leaves
Small head of fennel
3 leeks
4 carrots
Small head of celeriac
Dry white wine
Ground black pepper
Sea salt
450g small waxy potatoes

Method
- Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F/GM 6.
- Remove the giblets from a medium-sized, organic chicken and then wash the chicken well. Place the chicken in a large, earthenware casserole dish (it’ll need a lid).
- Remove the leaves from a very large bunch of flat-leaved parsley and set them to one side. -- Throw 4 bunches of thyme, 3 bay leaves, the parsley stalks, a very finely chopped small head of fennel, 3 cleaned, roughly chopped leeks, 4 peeled carrots, chopped into large pieces, and a roughly chopped small head of celeriac into the casserole dish.
- Pour in a bottle of dry white wine, season with plenty of freshly ground black pepper and a little sea salt and cover the casserole dish with a lid. Place it in the middle of the oven and cook for 2 1/2 hours.
- When the chicken is thoroughly cooked, remove and discard the parsley stalks.
- Transfer the chicken to a serving plate and cover it with clingfilm.
- Now boil 450g peeled, small waxy potatoes until they are cooked. Finely chop the reserved parsley leaves, add them to the cooked vegetables, check the seasoning and stir well.
- The best way of serving this dish to four people is to allow them to savour the thick parsley-and-vegetable soup to start with and then to move on to the room-temperature chicken accompanied by the boiled potatoes, with little light, Dijon-style mustard on the side.

 

Italian Beans with Pasta
Ready in minutes, this is a really tasty store-cupboard recipe that will feed four and provide good family travel food. If you can’t find borlotti beans, use cannellini. Penne is a good pasta to use because the sauce will coat its shapes beautifully and it’s easy to eat with just a fork.

Ingredients (Serves 4)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion
2 garlic cloves
125g pancetta or streaky bacon
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or rosemary
400g borlotti beans, tinned
250ml vegetable or chicken stock
400g dried pasta
Black pepper/sea salt
2 tablespoons fresh parsley

Method
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan, add 1 chopped red onion, 2 crushed garlic cloves and 125g finely chopped pancetta or streaky bacon and fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Now stir in 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or rosemary.
- Drain and rinse 1 x 400g tin borlotti beans, then stir the beans into the onion mixture. - -- Pour over 250ml vegetable or chicken stock and bring it to the boil. Cover the pan and leave the ingredients to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, drop in 400g of your favourite dried pasta and cook according to the instructions on the packet.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove 1/4 of the bean mixture from the pan, transfer it to a bowl and set it aside. Now pour the remaining bean mixture into a liquidiser and whiz it until it is smooth.
- Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt, then pour the bean sauce back into the pan, also adding the reserved beans and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley. - -- Season to taste with more freshly ground black pepper and sea salt.
- Drain the pasta, stir in the sauce and pop into your Tupperware box.



Falafel Burgers

Ingredients (Makes about 12)
2 x 400g tins chickpeas
6 plump cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsps ground coriander
2 tsps ground cumin
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoon wholemeal plain flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Groundnut oil for shallow-frying

Method
- Drain, rinse and dry chickpeas.
- Blend in food processor with garlic, spices and onion until smooth.
- Scoop into a bowl and stir in the flour and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Stir mixture thoroughly. It should be thick enough to roll into balls.
- With floured hands, roll chickpea mixture into balls about the size of golf balls, or maybe smaller.
- Alternatively, flatten them into patties and shallow-fry them for 2 mins each side, till crisp.
- Serve them as you would do a traditional sausage.



Sausage, Tomato and Potato Pie
There is another very easy supper which you can usefully make in advance, that makes the sausages go much further-which can be good if you’re spending more money on the 75% meat plus sausages-my motto is buy good quality and then use cheaper simple, nutritious ingredients as in this sausage, tomato and potato pie-potatoes, and tomatoes,(and some great veggies too like cauliflower and leek) to make a nutritious one of my family’s favourite, meal of it. Perfect for a family to tuck into whilst the bangers are banging.

Ingredients (Serves 4 )
300g potatoes, peeled and steamed/boiled-can be normal or it’s also delicious with sweet potatoes too.
150g cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces and steamed or boiled.
6 tblsp natural full cream yoghurt
100g mature cheese, such as a strong cheddar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
freshly ground black pepper
450g good quality sausages,
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 medium leek, washed carefully and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tblsp olive oil
1 large can 400g, chopped tomatoes
2 tblsp tomato puree
1 tblsp freshly torn basil
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method
- Mash the potatoes and cauliflower together with the yoghurt, mature cheese, mustard and freshly ground black pepper-season to taste - but you shouldn’t need any salt, as the pepper and mustard give it great flavours.
- Grill the sausages until golden brown-drain and dap with kitchen roll to remove excess fat. Slice and set aside.
- Gently fry the onions, garlic and leek in the olive oil until they turn golden brown and soft. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree and fresh basil and bring to a boil and then simmer for ten minutes.
- In a large oven proof dish, arrange layers of the sausage, tomato and potato mixtures, finishing up with potato on the top. Top with Parmesan cheese-about 25g. Set aside until you are ready to cook it (it can be stored in the fridge for 24 hours)
- Pre heat the oven to 190C and then cook the pie for about 30 minutes, until cooked right through to piping hot, and crunchy on the top.