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Sunday 20 September 2009

Saffron couscous, chickpea and lentil salad



(Serves four)

225g couscous
½ tsp saffron strands
Salt and black pepper
260ml boiling water
150g cooked chickpeas (tinned are OK)
150g cooked Puy lentils (follow the cooking instructions given on the packet – they can vary)
80g dried cranberries
1 red endive, cut into 1cm-thick slices
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
4 tbsp chopped mint
3 tbsp chopped coriander
3 tbsp chopped parsley
Grated zest of 2 lemons
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp nigella seeds
4 tbsp olive oil

Put the couscous in a shallow bowl. Add the saffron and a pinch of salt to the boiling water, and pour this over the couscous to cover. Wrap the bowl in clingfilm and set aside for 15 minutes, so the couscous soaks up the liquid. Remove the clingfilm, fluff up the couscous with a fork, then set aside to cool down.

Transfer the cold couscous to a mixing bowl, add the chickpeas, lentils and cranberries, and toss. Add the endive, spring onion, herbs, lemon zest, garlic and nigella seeds, stir gently to combine, then stir in olive oil and season to taste.

Serve this salad straight away, or chill it for up to 24 hours; the flavours actually improve over time. Before serving, bring back to room temperature and add more olive oil or seasoning as necessary.

Tomato hits

Panzanella
Tumble together chunks of the best tomatoes you can find with some torn up, slightly stale rustic bread, the oil from a tin of anchovies, a slug of good olive oil and a sprinkling of aged apple balsamic vinegar. Macerate for 30 minutes, turning now and again, then toss with the anchovies, a finely sliced red onion, a handful of black olives, a spoonful of capers, plenty of torn basil and salt and pepper.

Tomato side dish
Lightly oil a baking dish and fill it with cherry tomatoes. Bake at 200C until they start to split, about 15 minutes. Trickle over some good olive oil and some flaky sea salt, and serve with grilled fish, steak or scrambled eggs and bacon.

Tomatoes and corn
Simmer a few ears of corn until just tender, refresh, then remove from the husks. Mix with an equal amount of cubed tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes, a small, finely chopped red onion, a slug of olive oil and red-wine vinegar. Season and stir in lots of chopped coriander or basil; a finely chopped chilli is a good addition if you fancy a little heat.

Tomatoes with pasta
Halve a handful of cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with salt. Cook some penne, farfalle or fusilli, drain and toss with some soft, fresh goat's cheese, the tomatoes and their juices, a few black olives and a sprinkling of oregano or torn basil. Season with black pepper and serve at once.

Tomato gratin

This has to be one of the easiest and tastiest side dishes. For variation, try basil or dill instead of the thyme. Serves three to four.

500g large tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch sugar
50ml double cream
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
2-3 tbsp grated parmesan (or other hard, mature cheese)

Preheat the oven to 200C. Slice the tomatoes and closely pack together in a single layer in an ovenproof dish. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar. Stir together the cream, garlic, thyme and cayenne, if using, add salt and pepper if you like, then trickle over the tomatoes. Scatter over the cheese, then bake for 30 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve with bread and a green salad.

Herby stuffed tomatoes


If you're in a hurry, just remove the filling from some herby sausages and use it to stuff the tomatoes. For a lighter result, replace some of the meat stuffing with rice. Serves four.

4 large, firm tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
300g minced pork
1 egg, lightly beaten
6-8 basil leaves, shredded
3 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Cut the lids from the stalk ends of the tomatoes and reserve. Hollow out the tomatoes with a teaspoon, sprinkle salt inside and leave upside down on a rack to drain. Preheat the oven to 190C. Use a little oil lightly to grease a gratin dish large enough to hold all the toms.

Over a medium-low heat, fry the onion in oil until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic, cook for a minute and set aside. When cool, mix with the pork, egg and herbs, season and stuff into the tomatoes so it comes 1cm above the top of each tomato. Pop on the lids, place in the dish and bake for about 40 minutes. Leave to cool slightly before eating.

Sunday 13 September 2009

Thai Style Vegetable Stir Fry with Hoisin Sauce

Ingredients:

For the sauce:
1 tbsp lime juice
1,5 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp fresh ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp honey

For the stir-fry:
1/2 block firm or extra firm tofu
1 red or yellow bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
chopped mushrooms (shiitake is best, but another kind may be used)
olive oil for stir-frying


Preparation:
In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, hoisin sauce, ginger, red pepper, cilantro and honey until combined and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat a thin layer of olive oil and add tofu, stirring frequently until tofu is golden brown, about 4-6 minutes. Add peppers, mushrooms and sauce, stirring to combine. Stir-fry another 3-5 minutes and serve your Thai vegetable stir-fry hot over rice or noodles if desired.

Tuesday 8 September 2009

Vinaigrette

1 small clove garlic
1 level teaspoon sea salt
1 rounded teaspoon mustard powder
1 dessertspoon white wine vinegar
5 dessertspoons olive oil
(1 dessertspoon snipped fresh chives)
Salt and freshly milled black pepper

Saturday 5 September 2009

Lemon couscous

1,5 dl couscous
finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
small rosemary sprig, leaves stripped and finely chopped
1,5 dl boiling chicken stock
seasoning

125 g peas
lemon juice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
parsley chopped

1. Add first five ingredients together, stir and leave to stand for 5 minutes covered
2. Mix the dressing from lemon juice and olive oil and add to couscous along with the parsley and peas.

Tuesday 1 September 2009

Blue Cheese Fettucine

1 tbs butter
1/2 large zucchini, sliced
1-1/2 cloves garlic, crushed
60 ml white wine
60 g blue cheese, crumbled
180 ml heavy cream
freshly ground black pepper to taste
225 g fettuccine
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish


1. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the zucchini and garlic; cook until the zucchini is tender. Stir in wine, blue cheese, cream, and pepper; simmer 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add fettuccini, and cook until tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, rinse under warm water, and drain again.
3. Return pasta to the pot, and toss with sauce over low heat. Serve with Parmesan and parsley sprinkled over the top.

Flash-fried steak with white bean mash

Serves 2

15 ml olive oil, plus 1 tsp
1/2 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 sprig fresh rosemary, optional
Grated zest and juice of 1/3 lemon
410g cans white beans
Salt to taste
2 thin-cut sirloin or entrecĂ´te steaks, about 150g each

1 First, get on with the beans: put the 1 tbs of olive oil in a saucepan and mix in the garlic. Add the rosemary sprig, if using, and the lemon zest and warm through. Remove the rosemary, but do not throw away.

2 Drain the beans and rinse under a tap to get rid of the gloop and then add to the pan and warm through, stirring and squishing with a wide, flat spoon so that the beans go into a nobbly mush. Season to taste; some beans come saltier than others.

3 Meanwhile, heat a teaspoon of oil in a large frying pan and cook the steaks on high for a minute and a half each side. Remove to warmed plates, sprinkling some salt, to taste, over them as you do so.

4 Squeeze the lemon juice into the hot pan and let it bubble up with the meaty oil, then pour over the steaks. Serve immediately with the bean mash adorned with the reserved rosemary sprig.