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Archive for the ‘Vegetarian’ Category

Pistachio & Feta Dip

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 15 July 2014| 3 Comments »

Pistachio & Feta Dip

We have made this dip many times as we, and our friends, keep on devouring the lot before a photo can be taken. Not really problematic as we love it so much. We finally got  a photo 🙂 but will keep on making the dip, which has become a firm favourite and works great as a starter to share with some barbecued flat breads.

Pistachio & Feta Dip – serves 8

  • 100g shelled pistachios
  • 75ml olive oil
  • 300g feta cheese
  • handful of dill, leaves picked and roughly chopped
  • 2 handfuls of coriander, leaves picked and roughly chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 long red chilli, seeds removed and roughly chopped
  • 3 large tbsp Greek yogurt
  • finely grated zest of 1 lemon and juice of ½ lemon
  • sea salt if needed

Blitz the pistachio nuts and oil in a food processor for 30 seconds.

Add the feta, herbs, crushed garlic, chilli, yogurt and lemon zest and juice and blitz for about 1 minute, or until the mixture has a rustic texture.

Taste and add salt if needed but bare in mind that feta is already quite salty.

Serve with barbecued flatbreads.

(Original recipe from Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour, Mitchell Beazley, 2014.)

 

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Spinach & Ricotta Gnocchi

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 7 July 2014| Leave a Comment »

Spinach & ricotta gnocchi

We’re not even sure if these can officially be called gnocchi but they’re easy and very tasty. They look pretty awful before they’re cooked and we were a bit worried that they would disintegrate altogether when they hit the water. All was well.

Wine Suggestion: These were a superb match with the Sartarelli  “Tralivio” Verdicchio we had open which was great. Sartarelli specialise solely in Verdicchio and it shows with a wine of great depth, personality and balance. There is a nuttiness to the aroma and taste which works with the earthy spinach and the balance of fruit complements the ricotta.

Spinach & Ricotta Gnocchi – serves 4

  • 200g young spinach
  • small handful of parsley leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 140g ricotta
  • 85g plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 100g freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve
  • freshly grated nutmeg
  • olive oil and rocket to serve

Put the spinach into a large bowl and pour boiling water over it. Leave for a couple of minutes until wilted, then drain. Leave to cool, then wrap in a clean tea towel. Squeeze out as much water as possible, then finely chop.

Put the spinach, parsley, garlic, ricotta, flour, eggs, cheese and a generous grating of nutmeg into a large bowl and season. Stir with a fork until completely mixed. Use wet hands to make walnut-size balls. Put the gnocchi on a large plate and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to cook, heat the oven to warm and bring a large pot of water to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium and drop in batches of gnocchi, about 8-10 at a time. They will sink to the bottom at first and when they rise to the top you should cook for another minute, then remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm while you cook the rest.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of Parmesan and some rocket.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Baby spinach salad with dates & almonds

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 2 July 2014| 1 Comment »

 

Baby spinach salad with dates & almonds

A truly delicious salad from Yotam and Sami’s Jerusalem. The perfect start to any middle eastern inspired meal.

Baby spinach salad with dates & almonds – to serve 4

  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • ½ red onion, thinly sliced
  • 100g pitted Medjool dates, quartered lengthways
  • 30g unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 small pitas, about 100g, roughly torn in 4cm pieces
  • 75g whole unsalted almonds, roughly chopped
  • 2 tsp sumac
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes
  • 150g baby spinach leaves, washed
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • salt

Put the vinegar, onion and dates in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and mix with your hands. Leave to marinate for 20 minutes, then drain any residual vinegar and discard.

Meanwhile, heat the butter and half the oil in a frying pan. Add the pita and almonds and cook on a medium heat for 4-6 minutes, stirring continually, until the pita is crunchy and golden brown. Remove from the heat and mix in the sumac, chilli and ¼ tsp of salt. Set aside to cool.

When ready to serve, toss the spinach with the pita and mix in a large bowl. Add the dates and onion, remaining oil, lemon juice and another pinch of salt. Taste for seasoning and serve.

(Original recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi’s Jerusalem, Ebury Press, 2012.)

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Leith’s Mushroom Risotto

Posted in Food, Italian, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 1 July 2014| 3 Comments »

Mushroom risotto

 

A classic recipe from one of our reliable sources of inspiration; Leith’s.

Not terribly seasonal so you might like to keep this for the Autumn when the mushroom selection is better.

Mushroom Risotto – serves 4

  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 150g unsalted butter
  • 100g Parmesan cheese, grated (plus more to serve)
  • 300g risotto rice (Arborio, Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
  • 15-20g dried wild mushrooms
  • 400g mixed wild mushrooms
  • 150ml dry white wine
  • 1.5-2 litres chicken or vegetable stock

Add the dried wild mushrooms to the stock, bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10-15 minutes. Strain the stock and return to the pan. Bring  back to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to as low as possible.

Meanwhile, sauté the soaked mushrooms with the mixed wild mushrooms in 50g of the butter over a medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes or until browned and any excess water has gone. Set aside and keep warm.

Melt another 50g of the butter in a large, shallow saucepan, add the onion and sweat over a low heat until completely soft but not coloured (about 10 minutes).

Add the rice to the pan and fry gently, stirring until coated in the butter. Add the wine and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook, stirring, until the wine has been absorbed.

Start adding the stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring all the time, and making sure each ladleful is absorbed before adding the next. Keep going until the rice is just cooked, about 25 minutes. If you run out of stock use a little boiling water. Make sure the risotto is quite fluid at this stage as it will thicken on standing and you are aiming for a loose, almost sloppy texture.

Take the pan off the heat and stir in the last 50g of butter, the grated Parmesan and the sautéed mushrooms. Season to taste and allow to stand, covered, for 5 minutes before serving with extra Parmesan.

(Original recipe from Leith’s How to Cook, Quadrille, 2013.)

 

 

 

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Roast Sweet Potato with Lemon, Red Onion & Paprika

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 25 June 2014| 2 Comments »

Roast Sweet Potatoes with lemon & paprika

This is a great accompaniment for roast chicken and we love the lemon wedges which add a wonderful freshness and impart a hint of caramelisation to the flavour mix.

Roast sweet potato with lemon, red onion & paprika – serves 6

  • 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
  • 2 lemons, cut into wedges and seeds removed
  • 2 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
  • 12 garlic cloves
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp finely chopped thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp Spanish sweet paprika
  • ½ tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 4 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6.

Add the sweet potatoes to a saucepan of boiling water and parboil for a couple of minutes. Drain and transfer to a large roasting tin with the lemons, onions, unpeeled garlic cloves and bay leaves.

Mix the paprika, chilli powder, thyme, mustard and oil in a small bowl. Pour over the veg, season with salt and pepper and toss well to coat.

Roast in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the sweet potato is tender and golden brown.

(Original recipe from Leiths How to Cook, Quadrille, 2013.)

 

 

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Haloumi & Lentil salad

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 24 June 2014| Leave a Comment »

Haloumi & Lentil salad

This is a super simple dish that has a great balance and play between textures and flavours – salty halloumi, earthy lentils and sweet, juicy tomatoes.

Warm Puy lentil, cherry tomato and halloumi salad – serves 4

  • 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ red onion, finely sliced
  • ½ garlic clove, crushed
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 150g Puy lentils
  • 250g halloumi, cut into big chunks
  • small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped

Toss the tomatoes, red onions, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl.

Cook the Puy lentils until just tender, then drain and add to the bowl. Season well and toss.

Grill or barbecue the halloumi until golden.

Stir the coriander through the lentils and serve with the grilled halloumi.

(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, May 2008.)

 

 

 

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Mushroom Arancini

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 9 June 2014| Leave a Comment »

Mushroom Arancini

These little arancini or  risotto balls are the perfect solution for leftover risotto which tends to turn a bit claggy. We made ours from leftover mushroom risotto but you can use any flavour. The joy of arancini is the crisp exterior and melting centre; easy and moreish.

Easy Arancini – serves 3-4

  • 350g leftover risotto
  • 25g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
  • 50g breadcrumbs
  • 4-6 tbsp olive oil

Put the risotto into a bowl and stir in the Parmesan. Spread the breadcrumbs out on a flat plate.

Use your hands to roll the risotto into ping-pong-sized balls, then roll in the breadcrumbs to coat, and put on a baking tray.Chill the risotto balls in the fridge for at least half an hour.

Put a large frying pan on a high heat and add 2 tbsp of the oil. Wait for the oil to get hot before adding a few arancini. Fry for about 4 minutes, turning now and then, until golden brown all over.

Drain the cooked arancini on a serving plate lined with kitchen paper, then repeat to cook the rest, adding more oil as needed.

(Original recipe from Rachel Allen’s Everyday Kitchen, HarperCollins, 2013.)

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Marinated Pepper Salad with Pecorino

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 15 May 2014| Leave a Comment »

Marinated Pepper Salad with Pecorino & Capers

This salad is really versatile and can be served on it’s own as a starter, with a good variety of barbecued meats like the sirloin steak we had here or grilled mushrooms. It has a great balance of earthiness, sweetness and a salty freshness from the peppers and capers which match the pecorino cheese really well.

Marinated Pepper Salad with Pecorino – serves 2 as a starter or more as a side

  • 1 red pepper, quartered
  • 1 yellow pepper, quartered
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp water
  • ½ tsp muscovado sugar
  • 2 thyme sprigs
  • 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
  • 10g flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
  • 15g basil leaves
  • 30g watercress
  • 50g mature pecorino shaved
  • 1 tbsp capers, drained

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/Gas Mark 5.

Toss the peppers with 1 tbsp of the oil and a little salt. Scatter in a roasting tin and roast for 35 minutes, or until soft and starting to colour. Remove to a bowl and cover with cling film. Leave to cool, then peel and cut into thick strips.

Whisk together the marinade ingredients: 2 tbsp of the oil, the balsamic vinegar, water, sugar, thyme, garlic, and some salt and pepper. Pour this over the peppers and leave aside for at least an hour or overnight in the fridge.

When ready to serve, toss the herbs, watercress, drained peppers, pecorino and capers together. Add the last tbsp of olive oil and 1tbsp of the marinade. Season to taste.

(Original recipe from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi, Ebury Press, 2010.)

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Lemon Curd Yoghurt Ice-cream

Posted in Dessert, Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 18 April 2014| 3 Comments »

Lemon Curd Ice cream

Delicious, smooth and creamy ice cream.

Lemon curd yoghurt ice cream – to serve 4

For the lemon curd: 

  • 2 small lemons
  • 120g caster sugar
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 2 eggs

For the ice cream

  • 400g Greek yoghurt

Finely grate the zest of the lemons and squeeze the juice. Put the juice in a saucepan with the sugar and butter. Beat the eggs to break them up and add them to the pan.

Stir the mixture over a low to medium heat until the sugar and butter have melted, then increase the heat. Bring just to the boil, stirring constantly, them take off the heat. Strain through a sieve into a bowl and stir in the lemon zest. Set aside to cool completely.

Once, cool, stir this lemon curd into the yoghurt and churn using an ice-cream machine. Transfer to a loaf tin lined with cling film, then cover and freeze. Slice with a hot knife as soon as you take it out of the freezer.

(Original recipe from Leiths How to Cook, Quadrille, 2013)

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Easy Spinach & Feta Pie

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 15 April 2014| 3 Comments »

 

Easy Spanakopita

Inspired by Spanakopita, this is a simple recipe that’s easy to throw together when time is short and requires very little shopping.

Easy Spinach & Feta Pie (Cheat’s Spanakopita) – to serve 4

  • 1kg frozen whole-leaf spinach
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp cumin, fennel or caraway seeds (use what you have)
  • 1 large onion, finely sliced
  • ½ tsp dried thyme or a few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only, chopped
  • a squeeze of lemon juice
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 100g feta or soft goats cheese, broken into small chunks
  • 35g pine nuts, toasted or roughly chopped cashew nuts (we used a mix of both)
  • 375g all-butter, ready-rolled puff pastry

Heat the oven to 200°C /Gas Mark 6.

Put the frozen spinach into a saucepan with a splash of water. Cover and heat gently, stirring occasionally, until totally defrosted. Drain in a sieve, pressing with a wooden spoon.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the spice seeds and cook for a couple of minutes, then add the onion and sauté until soft and golden. Add the thyme.

When the spinach has cooled a bit, squeeze as much liquid out of it as you can with your hands, then roughly chop. Mix with the onion, a squeeze of lemon juice and plenty of seasoning. Keep a few tablespoons of the egg for glazing and stir the rest into the spinach and onion mixture.

Spoon half the spinach mixture into an ovenproof dish (around 25 x 20 cm). Scatter over the cheese and pine nuts or cashews, and top with the remaining spinach. Brush a little beaten egg around the rim of the dish.

Lay the pastry over the dish and trim. Press the edge down on the rim of the dish so that it sticks. Brush with the rest of the beaten egg and bake for about 25 minutes or until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown.

(Original recipe from River Cottage Veg Everyday! by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Bloomsbury, 2011.)

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Baked Eggs – Ouefs en cocotte

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 12 April 2014| Leave a Comment »

Ouefs en cocotte

A simple but indulgent weekend breakfast. Perfect for using up any leftover cream from the night before.

Ouefs en cocotte 

  • butter
  • one egg per person
  • one tbsp of cream per person

You need small oven-proof china dishes.

Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5.

Get your eggs ready by breaking into separate mugs.

Put a lump of butter into each dish. Place in the oven and remove as soon as the butter has melted.

Slide an egg into each dish.

Pour a tablespoon of cream over each egg, avoiding the yolk, and return to the oven.

You need to watch these carefully but they are likely to take about 4-5 minutes. You want to remove them while you still have a runny yoke. If you practice these a few times you will get to know the perfect timings for your oven.

Serve with buttered toast soldiers.

(Original recipe from At Elizabeth David’s Table: Her very best everyday recipes, Penguin, 2010.)

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Broccoli and Stilton Soup

Posted in Food, Soup, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 12 February 2014| 2 Comments »

We love cheese after dinner but it seems a bit indulgent during the week and therefore we inevitably end up with chunks of cheese lurking in the back of the fridge. We try our best not to waste any food but something as expensive and delicious as cheese (particularly the cheese pantry stuff as opposed to the supermarket plastic-wrapped kind) is even more of a travesty to not use. That’s when recipes like this one are perfect for a mid-week treat without having to indulge in a two-course evening meal.

Broccoli & Stilton Soup – to serve 4

  • 2 tbsp flavourless oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 stick of celery, sliced
  • 1 leek, sliced
  • 1 medium potato, diced
  • a knob of butter
  • 1 litre of good chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 head of broccoli, roughly chopped (including stalks)
  • 140g Stilton (or other blue cheese), crumbled

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onions until soft but not coloured. Add a splash of water if they start to catch.

Add the celery, leek, potato and butter. Stir until the butter melts, then cover with a lid and sweat for 5 minutes.

Pour in stock and add any chunks of broccoli stalk. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

Add the remaining broccoli and cook for another 5 minutes. Whizz until smooth, then stir in the stilton. Season with black pepper (you are unlikely to need salt) and serve.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Vichy Carrots

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 10 February 2014| Leave a Comment »

This is a classic French side dish which remarkably improves steamed carrots and we find impresses guests too despite being easy to cook.

Vichy carrots – serves 4

  • 6-8 carrots
  • 15g butter
  • small pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • few mint sprigs
  • few parsley sprigs
  • black pepper

Peel the carrots and cut into batons.

Put the butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan and heat gently. Stir in the carrots and add enough water to come halfway up.

Increase the heat to medium and partially cover. Simmer until the carrots are tender and most of the water has evaporated.

Turn down the heat and remove the lid. Reduce the remaining liquid to a glaze, stirring to ensure the carrots are evenly coated and don’t stick.

Finely chop the mint and parsley – you need about a ¼ tsp of each. Season with pepper, stir in the herbs and serve.

(Original recipe from Leiths How to Cook, Quadrille Publishing Limited, 2013)

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Marscarpone, Mushroom & Marsala Fettucini

Posted in Food, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 17 January 2014| 8 Comments »

Marscapone & Marsala Fettucini

A rich and indulgent pasta dish and quite a hefty portion but as Nigella points out there is little point in leaving 50g of fettuccine in the box for another time!

Fettuccine with Mushrooms, Marsala & Mascarpone – serves 2

  • 15g dried porcini
  • 60ml Marsala
  • 125g mascarpone
  • freshly grated nutmeg
  • ground pepper
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley plus more to serve
  • 250g  fettuccine (or tagliatelle)
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • small clove of garlic, crushed
  • 4 tbsp grated Parmesan

Measure the porcini into a very small saucepan, cover with the Marsala and 60ml water, put on the heat and bring to the boil. As soon as it starts to boil, turn off the heat and leave to stand for 10 minutes.

Put the mascarpone into a bowl with a good grating of fresh nutmeg and ground pepper. When the porcini have finished soaking, strain the liquid into the bowl and fork together to combine.

Squeeze the porcini out over the bowl, then chop on a board along with the parsley.

Cook the fettuccine in a large pan of boiling salted water.

Melt the butter in a large pan and add the garlic, stirring over the heat for a minute, then add the porcini and parsley mixture and cook for a couple of minutes. Whisk in the mascarpone and stir until the sauce bubbles, then turn the heat off.

Reserve a small cup of the pasta cooking water before draining and tipping the pasta into the sauce. Add a little pasta water to loosen as it will thicken on standing.

Add the Parmesan and check the seasoning before serving with some extra parsley.

(Original recipe from Nigella Lawson’s Nigellissima, Chatto & Windus, 2012).

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Carrot & Sweet Potato Mash

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 3 January 2014| Leave a Comment »

This was good served alongside a beef hotpot, but we daresay it’ll be nice against a few other dishes as well.

Carrot & Sweet Potato Mash – to serve 4

  • 500g carrots, chopped
  • 500g sweet potatoes, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, bashed
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
  • 25g butter

Put the carrots, sweet potatoes and garlic in a large pan  salted water, bring to the boil and cook for about 12 minutes or until very tender, then drain. Add the cumin seeds, butter and seasoning and serve.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Pumpkin & Sage Soup

Posted in Food, Healthy, Soup, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 1 January 2014| 1 Comment »

Sage brings an unexpected element to this soup that really works. Super warming and homely.

Pumpkin and sage soup – to serve 8

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 3 onions, chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped sage
  • 1.4kg of pumpkin or squash flesh
  • 1 tbsp clear honey
  • 1.5 litres vegetable stock

Melt the oil and butter in a large pot. Add the onions and sage and cook gently for about 15 minutes or until really soft. Add the squash and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the honey and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until the squash is soft.

Cook before processing until smooth. Season and add a bit more stock if its too thick. Reheat to serve.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Farfalle with Cavolo Nero & New Olive Oil

Posted in Food, Italian, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 23 October 2013| 1 Comment »

This works really well as a starter portion for 6 people. Make sure you use top quality fresh extra virgin olive oil from the most recent vintage. We buy fresh olive oil made by the Tuscan wineries Capezzana and Selvepiana. They’re not cheap but they taste fabulous when only the best olive oil will do.

Wine Suggestion: The iron rich Cavolo Nero requires something minerally and iron rich too, but you need to avoid wines with too much weight. We’d suggest trying the Gulfi Cerasuolo di Vittoria, a red from Sicily that is a blend of Frappatto and Nero d’Avola which combines an earthiness and power with a joyful fruit and fresh acidity giving the wine personality and depth without excess weight.

Farfalle al Cavolo Nero con Olio Nuovo – serves 6

  • 1.1kg cavolo nero leaves
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 250ml extra virgin olive oil (see comment above)
  • 250g farfalle
  • Parmesan

Remove the stalks from the cavolo nero but keep the leaves whole. Blanch the leaves in a generous amount of boiling salted water along with 2 of the garlic cloves for just a few minutes. Put the blanched garlic and cavolo nero in a food processor and pulse to a coarse purée. In the last few seconds, pour in around 75ml of the oil to make a fairly liquid purée.

Crush the rest of the garlic with 1 tsp sea salt and stir into the purée with another 75ml of oil. Season to taste.

Cook the the farfalle in plenty of salted water, then drain. Add the pasta to the purée and stir until evenly coated. Pour in the remaining olive oil and serve with some grated Parmesan.

(Original recipe from The River Café by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers, Ebury Press, 1995.)

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Chard Two Ways

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , on 12 August 2013| Leave a Comment »

Who would have thought that something so delicious could be made from chard? The stalky bits, that you might have been tempted to throw away, are the stars of the show!

Chard leaves with wild garlic & olive oil – to serve 2

  • leaves cut from a 500g bunch of chard (save the stalks for the recipe below)
  • 150g wild garlic, remove any thick stalks (if it’s not wild garlic time you can substitute a clove of garlic instead)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Slice the chard and wild garlic into wide ribbons. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the leaves and seasoning. Gently fry until beginning to wilt and then stew for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Serve hot.

Chard gratin – to serve 2 

  • 30g butter
  • 20g plain flour
  • 225ml milk
  • 30g Gruyère cheese, grated
  • 40g Parmesan, grated
  • salt, freshly ground white pepper and nutmeg
  • chard stalks from a 500g bunch

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/Gas 6.

Make a mornay sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan and stirring in the flour. Cook gently for a few minutes, then pour in the milk and whisk. Put the pan over a low heat and stir continuously until the sauce starts to thicken (don’t worry if goes lumpy just keep stirring and the lumps will eventually dissolve).

Add the Gruyère, 25g of the Parmesan and the seasonings. Simmer very gently, stirring now and then, for about 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel the chard stalks with a veg peeler and cut into 8-10cm lengths. Steam or boil for about 20 minutes, or until tender, then remove and lay on a clean tea towel to dry.

Lightly butter a gratin dish and lay the chard stalks in it. Pour over the sauce and sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan. Bake for about 20 minutes , or until golden and bubbling.

Serve with the chard leaves.

(Original recipe from Simon Hopkinson’s The Vegetarian Option, Quadrille, 2009.)

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Tomato Salad with a Basil Cream Dressing

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 3 August 2013| Leave a Comment »

This salad is a twist on the classic  tomatoes with basil. The creamy dressing works surprisingly well and gives the salad a cool and luxurious feel.

Tomato Salad with a Basil Cream Dressing – serves 2

  • 1½ tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp warm water
  • 75ml whipping cream
  • 50ml extra virgin olive oil, plus some extra
  • pinch of sugar
  • 7-8 basil leaves, torn or chopped
  • 4 ripe, medium tomatoes, cored and sliced

In a mixing bowl, whisk the wine vinegar, water and some salt and pepper.

Whisk in the cream, olive oil and sugar ,then stir in the basil.

Arrange the tomatoes on a large plate, very lightly season and spoon over the dressing. Serve with an extra drizzle of olive oil.

(Original recipe from Simon Hopkinson’s The Vegetarian Option, Quadrille 2009.)

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Summer Chickpea & Tomato Salad

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 29 July 2013| 2 Comments »

We’ve eaten this as a side salad, and on it’s own with crusty bread –  a summery meal in its own right! As always the quality of the tomatoes will really make this dish sing.

You should assemble most of this dish a bit in advance to allow the flavours to develop, then add the herbs and feta cheese just before serving.

Wine Suggestion: Try to find a youthful Italian red that echo’s the sunshine of this dish. We drank a Dolcetto d’Alba from Pira Luigi that had a joy and vitality, but reds from the Marche, Abruzzo and other central Italian regions should be a delight too. If you’re pushing the boat out go for a Rosso di Montalcino.

Summer Chickpea Salad – to serve 4

  • 1 small red onion, finely sliced
  • 1-2 small red chillies, deseeded and finely sliced
  • 2 handfuls of ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 2 lemons
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 x 410g tin of chickpeas, drained
  • a handful of fresh mint, chopped
  • a handful of  basil, finely torn
  • 200g feta cheese

Mix the tomatoes (including any juice) with the onion and chillies in a large bowl. Dress with the juice of 1½ lemons and lots of good olive oil. Season to taste.

Heat the chickpeas in a pan, then add almost all of them to the bowl. Mush up the remaining chickpeas before adding them as well. Allow to marinate for a while at room temperature.

Add the herbs and check the seasoning just before serving – you can add a bit more lemon juice if necessary. Put the salad in a serving dish and crumble the feta cheese over the top.

(Original recipe from Jamie’s Dinners by Jamie Oliver, Penguin Books, 2004.)

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