Warm chorizo and chickpea salad

Ingredients

1 tbsp light Olive oil
200g Chorizo, uncooked
500g Chickpeas, canned and drained
1 red Onions, very finely sliced
1 large red chilli, de-seeded and chopped
1 clove Garlic, crushed
1 Lemons, juice and zest
1 Oranges, juice and zest
4 tbsp extra virgin Olive oil
2 tbsp fresh Coriander, chopped
2 tbsp fresh Mint, chopped
1 pinch black pepper


Method

1. Heat the light olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the Chorizo and cook for five to six minutes until really crispy. This is really important as it means that all the lovely oils are released. Drain well in a sieve, reserving all the oil.

2. Tip the chickpeas into a large metal bowl. Add the red onion and chilli, and stir in the Chorizo oil.

3. Make the dressing by mixing the garlic, lemon juice and zest, orange juice and zest, and extra virgin olive oil.

4. Stir into the chickpeas with all the herbs. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir in the chorizo. Serve immediately.

Seared beef salad with pickled ginger recipe

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

4 beef fillets, approx 4 oz each
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
3 tbsp olive oil
4 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mixture of shiso and baby leaf salad, purple and green cress
Pickled ginger to garnish

For the dressing:

5 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
3 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp pickled ginger, diced
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Trim the beef fillet of excess fat and sinew. Mix the coriander and cumin seeds together with salt and pepper, lightly crush using a pestle and mortar or base of a heavy-based pan. Scatter the seasoned spices evenly over a plate.

2. Roll the fillets into the crushed spices to coat. Heat a large heavy-based sauté pan until hot. Lower the fillets into the pan and sear for 30 seconds on each side over a moderate to high heat. Remove from the pan, roll in the toasted sesame seeds and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, whisk the ingredients for the dressing together and season to taste. Toss the mixed cress together with enough dressing to coat lightly. Using a very sharp knife, thinly slice the beef and divide between plates. Serve the sliced beef on a bed of the dressed salad and garnish with a touch more dressing and some pickled ginger. Serve immediately.

Meatloaf

(serves 2)

200 g minced beef
200 g minced pork
1 medium onionn, very finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 level teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 egg
40 g white bread, sliced and crusts removed, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon mustard powder or Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
50 ml dry white wine
Traditional smoked streaky bacon
salt and freshly milled black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 150°C

The best way to make a meatloaf is in a large food processor, if you've got one. In which case you can begin by chopping the onions, garlic, parsley and thyme all together until the onion is very finely chopped, then add the meats and break in the egg.

Place the bread in a little bowl, spoon the milk over, then mix it with your hands or a fork until the bread has broken down to fine crumbs. Add these to the processor along with the mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce, wine and a really good seasoning of salt and pepper.

Now, switching on and off, or using the pulse button, mix the whole lot together until thoroughly blended. If you don't have a food processor, grate or mince the onion, chop the garlic finely then mix everything thoroughly in a large bowl.

When the mixture is ready, pack it into the loaf tin and smooth the top with the back of a spoon, then snip the rinds off the bacon and lay the slices all along the top of the meat, slightly overlapping, and press them down firmly. Now place a piece of foil over the top and twist or pleat the corners. Stand the tin in a shallow baking tin, pour about 4 cm boiling water into the tin straight from the kettle and place the whole thing on the middle shelf of the oven. Let it cook slowly for 2 hours. After that remove the foil and dig a skewer into the meatloaf; press it down to make sure that the juices are running clear. Now, if it's cooked, remove it from the oven then let it cool for about 30 minutes and after that, if you're serving it cold, replace the foil and place something heavy on top to weight it down. Leave it weighted like this until it's completely cold. This makes the meatloaf easier to slice. If you're serving the meatloaf hot, just allow it to rest for 30 minutes in the tin, covered with foil, then turn it out on to a board and serve cut in slices.

Aubergine parmegiana

This classic northern Italian recipe is a great way to serve aubergines. By layering them with Parmesan and tomatoes and then baking them you get an absolutely moreish, scrumptious vegetable dish. Great served with all sorts of roasted meats and with roasted fish as well.

(serves 2-3)

2 medium firm aubergines
olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove of regular garlic, peeled and finely sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
400 g tins good-quality plum tomatoes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a little wine vinegar
a large handful of fresh basil
2 large handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 handfuls of dried breadcrumbs
a little fresh oregano, leaves chopped

optional:
1 x 150g ball of buffalo mozzarella aubergine parmigiana

First things first: remove the stalks from the aubergines, slice them up into 1cm thick slices, and put to one side. Whether you’re using a griddle pan or a barbecue, get it really hot. Meanwhile, put 2 or 3 glugs of olive oil into a large pan on a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and dried oregano and cook for 10 minutes, until the onion is soft and the garlic has a tiny bit of colour. If you’re using tinned tomatoes, break them up, and if you’re using fresh tomatoes (which will obviously taste sweeter and more delicious, if they’re in season), very quickly prick each one and put them into a big pan of boiling water for 40 seconds. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and put them into a bowl of cold water for 30 seconds, then remove the skins, carefully squeeze out the pips and cut up the flesh. Add the tomato flesh or tinned tomatoes to the onion, garlic and oregano. Give the mixture a good stir, then put a lid on the pan and simmer slowly for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, grill the aubergines on both sides until lightly charred – you may have to do them in batches, as they probably won’t all fit into your griddle pan in one go. As each batch is finished, remove them to a tray and carry on grilling the rest until they’re all nicely done. When the tomato sauce is reduced and sweet, season it carefully with salt, pepper and a tiny swig of wine vinegar, and add the basil. You can leave the sauce chunky or you can purée it.

Get yourself an earthenware type dish . Put in a small layer of tomato sauce, then a thin scattering of Parmesan, followed by a single layer of aubergines. Repeat these layers until you’ve used all the ingredients up, finishing with a little sauce and another good sprinkling of Parmesan. I like to toss the breadcrumbs in olive oil with a little freshly chopped oregano and sprinkle them on top of the Parmesan. Sometimes the dish is served with torn-up mozzarella on top, which is nice too.

Place the dish in the oven and bake at 190°C for half an hour until golden, crisp and bubbly. It’s best eaten straight away, but it can also be served cold. You can use the same method substituting courgettes or fennel for the aubergines – both are delicious. But do try making it with aubergines – you’ll love it!

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.