This is one of those recipes that we spotted in the paper and realised we had all the ingredients. It’s yummy – perfect for mid-week lunches.
Spiced carrot soup – serves 4
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
a large pinch of chilli flakes
750g carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 litre hot vegetable stock
100g red lentils
2 bay leaves
fresh mint and parsley, to serve
Warm the olive oil in a deep saucepan over a medium heat, then add the onion. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic and continue cooking for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft but not coloured.
Add the cumin, ground coriander and chilli flakes, then add the carrots and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the hot stock to the saucepan, then add the lentils, a little salt and the bay leaves.
Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered with a lid, for 25-30 minutes or until the carrots and lentils are soft.
Whizz the soup in a blender or with a stick blender until you have a thick purée.
Season to taste and garnish with the fresh herbs.
(Original recipe by Nigel Slater in The Guardian, 25 Apr 2021)
This is much lighter than your average pasta bake and therefore perfect for midweek. It’s packed full of flavour and you can freeze the leftovers too. Serve with a salad.
Wine Suggestion: Perfect with an easy, mid-weight red like the Umani Ronchi Rosso Conero Serrano, a joyful blend of Montepulciano and Sangiovese. Food friendly and also easy sipping on its own.
Spinach & Ricotta Pasta Bake – serves 6
400g wholewheat penne pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
250g roasted peppers from a jar, diced
700g jar passata
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
100ml water
200g ricotta cheese
a small handful of sage leaves, finely chopped
150g baby spinach
a handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped
125g mozzarella ball, diced
15g Parmesan, finely grated
Preheat the oven to 220C/Fan 200C/Gas 7.
Bring a large pan of salty water to the boil and cook the pasta for the shortest time indicated on the pack, then drain and run under cold water until completely cooled. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in another large saucepan, then cook the onion for about 5 minutes or until softened. Then add the garlic and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Stir in the paprika and cook for a further minute.
Add the roasted peppers, passata, tomatoes and oregano. Pour the 100ml of water into the passata jar, give it a shake, then add this too. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the ricotta and chopped sage together and season with salt and black pepper.
Stir the spinach and basil into the tomato sauce until wilted, then season the sauce with salt and black pepper. Add the pasta and stir to coat in the sauce, then tip it all into a large roasting tray or lasagne dish.
Scatter over the mozzarella, dot with the ricotta mixture and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Bake on a high shelf in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
(Original recipe from Lose Weight & Get Fit by Tom Kerridge, BLOOMSBURY ABSOLUTE, 2018.)
Try this for a tasty weeknight dish, particularly if you have lots of herbs in the garden. We loved the anchovies in this but you can easily give it a go without. With gnocchi the trick is to definitely fry it at the end as this gives you both a crispy outside and a pillowy-soft centre.
Wine Suggestion: This needs a characterful white with a bit of acidity. Domaine Gueguen’s old-vine Aligote was our choice, but a good Gavi or top-notch Vermentino would work too.
Gnocchi with herb sauce – serves 2
1 tbsp capers
4 anchovies (optional)
1 clove of garlic
1 lemon, juiced and zest of half
50g herbs – we used parsley, chives & basil
4 tbsp olive oil
500g gnocchi
Blitz the capers, anchovies, garlic, lemon juice and herbs with 3 tbsp of the olive oil to make a sauce. Season and set aside.
Cook the gnocchi in salty water according to the pack – it takes hardly any time at all and don’t be tempted to leave it in longer, really as soon as it floats to the top it’s done. Drain the gnocchi, then heat the last tbsp of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat.
Fry the gnocchi for about 3 minute or until crispy on the outside and piping hot. Drain on kitchen paper, then tip into a bowl and toss with the sauce. Divide between warm bowls and top with lemon zest and lots of black pepper.
(Original recipe by Elena Silcock in BBC Good Food Magazine, April 2018.)
This is so simple for mid-week and the colours are just fab! Healthy too and generous portions.
Roast onion, chickpea & halloumi salad – serves 2
2 red onions, peeled and each cut into 8 wedges
400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tsp ras el hanout
extra virgin olive oil
250g cooked Puy lentils – we used a tin but you can of course cook them yourself or buy one of those pouches
100g roasted red peppers, cut into strips
a large handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
a large handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tsp pomegranate molasses
250g packet of halloumi, sliced
2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/Gas 7.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Spread the onion wedges and chickpeas over the tray, then sprinkle with the ras el hanout and some salt and rub gently to coat, then drizzle with oil. Cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the chickpeas or golden and crunchy.
Meanwhile, mix the lentils, roast peppers, mint and half the chopped parsley in a bowl. Drizzle over 1 tbsp of oil and the pomegranate molasses and season well with salt and pepper. Mix well and divide between serving plates.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, add a little oil, then fry the halloumi slices for a couple of minutes on each side or until golden brown.
Spoon the onions and chickpeas over the lentils, then top with the halloumi and scatter over the pomegranate seeds and parsley to serve.
(Original recipe from Lose Weight & Get Fit by Tom Kerridge, Bloomsbury Absolute, 2019.)
Given it’s sharp-sour character it can sometimes be tricky to think of what to do with sorrel – so this is a quick and easy recipe for sorrel butter. Delicious with pasta or on fish or chicken. You can make the butter and stash it in the freezer if you happen to have some leftover sorrel from another dish.
Wine Suggestion: This works really well with the Gulfi Valcanzjria. A blend of Chardonnay and Carricante from the slopes of Mt Etna, this fresh and Spring-like as well as having the stuffing to work with the sharp/sour sorrel.
Tagliatelle with sorrel butter & pine nuts – serves 4
2 large handfuls of sorrel leaves, remove the stalks and roughly chop
100g butter, softened
½ a lemon, juiced
300g tagliatelle or pappardelle pasta
75g toasted pine nuts, to serve
Parmesan, shaved or grated to serve
Tip the sorrel into a food processor with the butter and lemon juice, then whizz to a paste. Season with salt and pepper.
Scrape the butter out onto a piece of cling film then roll into a log and chill in the fridge. It will be fine there for a few days or you can freeze for a month.
Cook the pasta in very salty water until al dente.
Meanwhile, melt the sorrel butter in a large frying pan. Use tongs to transfer the cooked pasta from the cooking water into the frying pan with the butter. Toss the pasta in the butter, then add most of the pine nuts and mix well.
Divide the buttery pasta and pine nuts between warm bowls and scatter with Parmesan and extra pine nuts to serve.
We served this as a side with a barbecue but it would also make a nice dinner for 2.
Couscous & chickpeas in ras el hanut spice – serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main
½ a small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp ras el hanut spice mix
100g cooked chickpeas (from a tin)
1 tomato, diced
60g couscous
180ml boiling water
15-20g coriander, chopped
Heat the oil in a pan, then fry the onion and garlic over a medium heat until softened and starting to colour. Add the salt and ras el hanut and mix for about 20 seconds. Add the chickpeas and diced tomato and cook for another minute. Stir in the couscous and boiling water, bring to the boil, then turn off the heat and cover.
Leave the couscous aside for 10 minutes to absorb the liquid, then remove the lid and use a fork to separate the grains and mix in the chopped coriander. Serve warm or at room temperature.
(Original recipe from Honey & Co. Food from the Middle East, Saltyard Books, 2014.)
For no particular reason we tend to eat mostly meat and fish dominant dishes on the weekend, and mostly veg during the week. This has been unsettled recently as we have no one to share our dishes with, so there is inevitably lots of leftovers from the weekend, and fewer opportunities to cook vegetables. This weekend we made sure to include a veggie dish in the line up and we’re looking forward to the leftovers already. Lots of lovely warm spices in this one. Serve with steamed rice.
Wine Suggestion: a nice accomaniment to this was from a young turk in Chateauneuf du Pape, Jean-Paul Daumen’s Méditerannée. From Southern France this contains the usual Rhone varieties alongside Cab Sauv and Merlot for a very pleasurable taste of sunshine. A well thought out biodynamic and organic blend that demonstrates why we shouldn’t always insist on what was grown traditionally in the area; this expands the range of taste on offer in a good way.
Red kidney bean & sweet potato stew with yoghurt & hot mint oil – serves 4
vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 big garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp chilli flakes
690g jar of passata
500g sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1cm chunks
400g tin red kidney beans, drained
30g flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 tbsp dried mint
Greek yoghurt
Put a large saucepan over a medium heat and pour in enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, then add the garlic and stir until both have softened but not coloured.
Stir in the spices and cook for a minutes, then season generously with Maldon salt and black pepper, then stir in the passata. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes. Add a splash of water now and then if needed to prevent it sticking.
Stir in the sweet potato and cook for a further 30-40 minutes, or until tender, then add the beans and most of the parsley and heat through.
Meanwhile, put a small pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil and heat before stirring in the dried mint. Stir for a minute or two then remove from the heat.
Serve the stew with some yoghurt, the extra parsley and a drizzle of the hot mint oil.
(Original recipe from Simply by Sabrina Ghayour, Mitchell Beazley, 2020.)
This soup really couldn’t be simpler and it’s nice and filling for lunchtime.
Tomato Soup with Chickpeas, Orzo & Pesto – serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp tomato purée
400g tin chopped tomatoes
400g tin chickpeas
150g orzo pasta
700ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp basil pesto
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and celery and fry for 10-15 minutes, or until starting to soften, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add all of the other ingredients, except for the pesto and remaining oil, and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 6 to 8 minutes or until the orzo is tender. Season to taste and divide between warm bowls. Stir in the remaining olive oil with the pesto, then drizzle over the soup.
Do we need to provide another recipe for Italian roast potatoes with rosemary? Probably not, but this version uses regular potatoes, rather than the baby waxy variety. So perhaps it will come in handy, as it did for us.
Roast Potatoes with Rosemary – serves 4 to 6
2kg potatoes e.g. Maris Piper or Roosters
a large handful of rosemary sprigs, leaves picked
extra virgin olive oil
Maldon salt and black pepper
Peel and cut the potatoes into chunks, then boil in salted water until just cooked through. Drain in a colander and leave for 10 minutes to cool slightly and lose some mixture.
Preheat the oven to 220C/220C Fan/Gas 7.
Heat a roasting tray in the oven with most of the rosemary leaves and a good few glugs of olive oil, salt and pepper.
Remove the tray from the oven and add the potatoes, turning to coat well in the oil and rosemary .
Roast for about 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes or so.
(Original recipe from Polpo by Russell Norman, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2012.)
This makes a delicious veggie breakfast with toast or with bread and a salad for lunch. It is so simple but you need to use top quality tinned tomatoes as they are the star of the show.
Baked eggs with tomatoes – serves 4
500g tinned tomatoes, drained, seeded and chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
8 fresh eggs
Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
Put the tomatoes into a saucepan with 2 tbsp of water and a couple of pinches of salt. Cover and simmer slowly for 30 minutes, give it a stir occasionally.
Pour the olive oil into an ovenproof dish, then pour the tomatoes on top.
Break the eggs into the dish on top of the sauce and season with black pepper. Bake for 5 minutes or until the whites are just set and the yolks still runny.
(Original recipe from Southern Italian Cooking by Valentina Harris, Pavilion Books Limited, 1993.)
Try this delicious Indian brunch dish by Cyrus Todiwala – chilli cheese on toast with a fried egg on top and ketchup on the side. We poached our eggs this time.
Wine Suggestion: What do they serve in those brunch places? Bottomless prosecco – something like that.
Eggs kejriwal – serves 2
1 tsp butter, plus more for spreading on the toast
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-4 thick slices bread
100g mature cheddar, grated
2 tsp English mustard
a small handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped
1-2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
3 large eggs
1 tbsp oil
tomato ketchup, to serve (optional)
Melt the tsp of butter in a small frying pan and fry the onion for about 5 minutes or until soft. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Lightly toast the bread, then spread with butter and put onto a baking tray.
Heat the grill to medium.
Mix the onion, cheese, mustard, coriander, chilli and 1 egg together in a bowl and season.
Spread the cheese mix over the toast and grill for about 5 minutes or until set and bubbling.
Meanwhile, fry or poach your eggs.
Serve the cheese on toast on warmed plates with an egg on top and ketchup on the side.
(Original recipe by Cyrus Todiwala in BBC Good Food magazine, March 2020.)
PSB is our veg saviour early in the year when winter is lingering and spring still seems too far away. We loved this roasted version with a tangy lemon dressing.
Roasted PSB with feta & preserved lemons – serves 4 to 6 as a side
500g purple sprouting broccoli
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red chilli, chopped
1 preserved lemon, flesh and rind chopped, plus 1 tbsp juice from the jar
80g yoghurt
1 garlic cloves, grated
30g feta
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Put the PSB into large roasting tin, add the olive oil and red chilli, season with salt and pepper, then toss with your hands.
Roast for 15 minutes, turning halfway, until tender and starting to char.
Meanwhile stir the preserved lemon, juice and garlic into the yoghurt.
Crumble the feta over the roasted broccoli and drizzle with yoghurt dressing and your best olive oil.
This is a great little side salad to serve with Middle Eastern flavours. Here we had a chicken roasted with garlic and preserved lemon. Lots of delicious flavours on the plate.
You need to roast chicken for 20 minutes at 190C/375F/gas 5 for each 500g, plus an extra 10 minutes.
Wine Suggestion: a red wine … with chicken … of course you can. We chose the Cantos de Valpiedra, a single estate Rioja, as we wanted hints of Moorish and Middle Eastern spices which tempranillo is good at transmitting. The Cantos is super elegant and smooth and has such a supple weight that it effortlessly matched the chicken and salad.
Herb salad with pomegranate & pistachios – serves 6
juice of 1 orange
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp clear honey
a small bunch of dill, roughly chopped
a small bunch of mint, leaves picked and torn
a bunch of scallions, finely sliced
100g mixed salad leaves
seeds from 1 pomegranate
100g pistachios, roughly chopped
Whisk the orange juice, vinegar and honey together in a small bowl with some seasoning.
Tip rest of the ingredients into a large salad bowl, drizzle over the dressing and gently toss to serve.
A few tins and some spices and you’re pretty much sorted for this tasty weeknight curry. We served this with rice the first night, and chips the second. We also know it’s not tomato season at present but the fresh tomatoes are really more for texture than flavour here.
Tomato & chickpea curry – serves 4
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 x 400g tin plum tomatoes
1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 large tomatoes, quartered
a small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onions for about 10 minutes or until softened.
Add the garlic and spices and keep cooking for another minute or two.
Add the tin of tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the coconut milk and season generously. Bring to the boil and simmer for a further 10-15 minutes or until thickened.
Add the chickpeas and fresh tomatoes and allow to warm through. Serve with some steamed rice and the coriander scattered over.
A genius combination by Gill Meller, unusual and totally delicious. Gill deep fries the artichoke skins and some extra nori sheets as a garnish, which looks fab but too much for us to manage on our lunch break.
Jerusalem artichoke, almond and seaweed soup – serves 4
500g Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and finely sliced
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 leek, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
100g whole almonds, soaked overnight in water
2 nori seaweed sheets
1.2 litres of vegetable stock
Put a large heavy-based pan over a medium heat, then heat the olive oil. Add the artichoke slices, the onion, leek, garlic and soaked nuts. Season generously, then cook, stirring often for 8-10 minutes.
Tear the nori sheets into the pan and add the stock. Bring to a simmer, then cook gently for 20-30 minutes or until the artichokes are soft.
Whizz the soup to a smooth purée, then season again. Leave to stand for a few minutes before serving in warm bowls with some of your best olive oil drizzled over.
(Original recipe from Root Stem Leaf Flower by Gill Meller, Hardie Grant, Quadrille, 2020.)
This granola from Dishoom has only a hint of sweetness and is much more nutty with hints of butter and spice so it makes a great foil to any fresh or poached fruit (here with Nigella’s pomegranate-poached quinces). It’s also great with just some creamy yoghurt, we loved it. The kitchen smells incredible as it toasts!
Dishoom Granola – makes 10-12 portions
200g rolled oats
100g almonds
80g cashew nuts
75g pistachio nuts
45g desiccated coconut
70g sunflower seeds
70g pumpkin seeds
20g sesame seeds
100g acacia honey
100g unsalted butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Heat the oven to 210C/190C fan/Gas 6-7.
Line two large baking trays with baking parchment.
Mix the oats, nuts, desiccated coconut and seeds together in a big bowl.
Put the honey, butter and ground cinnamon into a small saucepan and heat gently until the butter is just melted. Pour over the dry ingredients in the bowl and mix well.
Divide the mixture between the baking trays and spread evenly, just a wooden spoon to pat it down. Put one tray in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and mix well, then press it down again. Bake for another 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before you stir or move it. Repeat with the other tray.
Store in an airtight container and use within a month.
(Original recipe from Dishoom by Shamil Thakrar, Kavi Thakrar & Naved Nasir, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019.)
This soup is super simple but it’s really good with the toasted feta tortillas on the side for a weekday lunch.
Bean soup with feta tortillas – serves 4
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 heaped tbsp chipotle paste
500g carton passata
500ml vegetable stock
1 x 400g tin of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 x 400g tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
200g feta
4 large soft flour tortillas
a handful of coriander, roughly chopped
sour cream or yoghurt to serve
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion over a medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, or until soft.
Add the chipotle paste, passata, stock and beans. Season, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, crumble the feta over one half of each of the tortillas, then sprinkle with the chopped coriander and season with black pepper. Fold the uncovered side over and press together. Heat a dry frying pan and cook the tortillas for a minute on each side or until crispy and the cheese has melted.
Serve the soup in warm bowls with a dollop of sour cream or yoghurt if you have it and the feta tortillas on the side.
You could have these for dessert with some crème fraîche but we like them for breakfast with yoghurt and granola.
Pomegranate-poached quinces – serves 6
700ml pure pomegranate juice
300ml cold water
350g caster sugar
3 fresh bay leaves
1 tsp pink peppercorns
a few sprigs of thyme
pomegranate seeds, to serve (we skipped these)
Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan.
Put the pomegranate juice, water and sugar into a heavy casserole with a lid. Stir well, then add the bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme. Put the casserole over a low heat and leave to warm gently.
Peel, quarter and core the quinces and add to the pan with the pomegranate juice.
Bring to the boil, then scrunch up a piece of baking paper, slightly bigger than the pan, then unscrunch again and press down on top of the quinces, tucking it in and up the sides of the pan. Cover with the lid and place in the oven.
Cook for 1½-2 hours or until tender. Remove the lid and baking paper, then scoop out the quinces with a spoon. Strain the liquid, then return to the heat and bubble until reduced by half. Pour the liquid back over the quinces and leave to cool. Keep in the fridge until ready to eat, they keep well for a few days.
(Original recipe from Cook, Eat, Repeat by Nigella Lawson, Chatto & Windus, 2020)
It’s difficult to know how to introduce this recipe by Rosie Birkett. It is far from shy in terms of flavour, bursting with it in fact, and we’d suggest you have to be a bit adventurous, as it has so many punchy layers. Great to see celeriac getting the attention it deserves.
The recipe is not difficult, but it does take a little effort to make all of the separate components.
Wine Suggestion: to match such a punchy, savoury dish you can go all out with a wine to match these levels of flavour, or go light to be complimentary. We went the latter route and opened an easy, dry Rosé. Tonight a bottle from a friend, the Domaine le Novi Côté Levant Rosé, which tasted of fresh red berries, hints of citrus and light tannins, finishing zesty and minerally.
Gochujang-glazed celeriac with black beans, green salsa & crispy shallots – serves 2
about 25g of sea salt flakes
1 medium celeriac, about 750g, peeled, halved and cut into 3cm thick wedges
sunflower oil, for frying
1-2 shallots, finely sliced
FOR THE GLAZE:
2 tbsp gochujang paste
50g salted butter
3 tsp honey
1 orange, juiced
2 tsp cornflour
1 tbsp sesame seeds
FOR THE BLACK BEANS:
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
1 onion, chopped
a small bunch of coriander, stems finely chopped and leaves reserved
a pinch of ground coriander
400g tin of black beans, don’t drain them as you need the liquid
½ lime, juiced (you will need the other half for the salsa)
FOR THE GREEN SALSA:
1 green apple, roughly chopped
½ green chilli, deseeded
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted
½ lime, juiced
1 tbsp olive oil
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Line a tray with baking paper and sprinkle the salt over the top. Put the celeriac slices on top of the salt, then roast for 15 minutes at the top of the oven.
Make the glaze while the celeriac is baking. Put the gochujang, butter, honey, a pinch of salt, 1 tbsp water, the orange juice and cornflour in a pan. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes or until smooth, then set aside.
Leave the celeriac to cool slightly, then remove any excess salt and toss each piece in the glaze. Discard the salt from the tray, return the wedges to it and roast for another 10 minutes. Glaze again and scatter over the sesame seeds, then roast for a final 10-20 minutes or until sticky and caramelised (turn the oven up a bit if you need).
Meanwhile, make the beans. Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the cumin and bay leaf until sizzling, then add the onion, coriander stems, ground coriander and a good pinch of salt. Fry, stirring, for about 8 minutes or until golden and soft. Add the beans with their liquid and a pinch of salt, then bring to the boil. Simmer for 5-8 minutes, stirring, until the beans look creamy and the liquid and almost gone. Remove the bay leaf, stir in the lime juice, then set aside and keep warm.
To make the salsa, put the apple, chilli, pumpkin seeds, lime juice and reserved coriander leaves in a food processor and whizz until combined but chunky. Add the oil and whizz again, then season to taste.
To make the crispy shallots, heat the sunflower oil in a small frying pan and fry the shallots over a low-medium heat for 15 minutes or until golden and crispy. Drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper and season.
Serve the beans on warm plates, topped with the celeriac, salsa and crispy shallots.
Our default lockdown lunch is soup, it helps with the heating bills! We ran out of soup last week and found this recipe when looking for lunch inspiration that would use the only ingredient left in the fridge – carrots. It was really very nice.
Spicy Carrot & Chickpea Pitta – serves 4
50g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 heaped tsp of cumin seeds
4 large carrots, cut into 2cm thick rounds
1 large garlic clove, finely sliced
finely grated zest of an orange, plus a good squeeze of the juice
1 tsp hot smoked paprika
400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 pitta breads
yoghurt or sour cream to serve
Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and fry for a couple of minutes, then add the carrots and fry for 8-10 minutes. The carrots should be tender and starting to brown, but still with a bit of bite.
Add the garlic, orange zest, paprika, and chickpeas and cook until the chickpeas are hot. Remove from the heat, season well with salt, pepper and a good squeeze of orange juice.
Warm the pitta breads in a toaster or under the grill, then stuff the mixture into the pockets and top with yoghurt or sour cream.
(Original recipe from River Cottage Veg Everyday! by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Bloomsbury, 2011.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 