At this time of year I get all the spices out of the cupboard and start to use those that I forgot about over the summer months. I found a tub of my homemade keema spice mix and although I know it’s delicious with lamb I wanted to try and make a veggie version. After trying out a few different vegetables and quantities I decided that I like this version of my vegetable keema rice the best. Not only is it easy and filling, it’s also got four different veg in and loads of texture from that crispy paneer.
Sticky Soy and Chilli Chicken Thighs
From time to time I get a recipe stuck in my head and I can think of nothing else until I make it. These sticky soy and chilli chicken thighs are exactly one of those recipes. There were several criteria that these thighs had to fulfil and anything short of my imagined flavour would not suffice. Most importantly they had to be sticky; properly glazed so that they left trails of marinade on the plate. Secondly, they had to have a salty soy base and a little chilli kick. The ginger, garlic, lime, onion and sesame were all added for depth of flavour. They were everything I wanted them to be.
Sausage, Broccoli and Spinach Pasta
Using sausages when making a pasta sauce is a great way to add depth and flavour to the sauce and cut down on cooking time too. My most recent recipe creation came about because I had one too many broccoli heads in the fridge; so my sausage, broccoli and spinach pasta was born. I used some delicious Italian sausages for this which were flavoured with plenty of herbs and a little fennel. The spinach was added as an afterthought but actually I really liked the earthiness it brought to the dish.
Carrot Falafel and Quick Pickled Onions
I’ve tried to make falafel a few times before without much success; it seems to fall apart when I cook it. Experimenting with this falafel recipe, a bit more of this and a bit less of that, means that I’ve now ended up with a pretty sturdy recipe. These carrot falafel are really easy to make; everything gets blended together, and I’ve served them with all my favourite sides. Quick pickled onions will be appearing on everything from now on!
Ingredients
You will need (for two):
- 1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 100g carrots, grated
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- Zest 1 lemon
- 1/4 tsp chilli powder
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- Sesame seeds
- Oil for frying
For the Pickled Onions
Runner Bean and Tomato Stew
It’s bean season at the moment. There’s runner, French, broad and all manner of other beans popping up in the veg box, at the farmers’ markets and in friends’ gardens. I love a perfectly cooked and simply dressed bean salad; a little drizzle of oil, a squeeze of lemon and a little seasoning. However, from time to time it’s nice to do something different and this runner bean and tomato stew is a much slower way of cooking with green beans.
Ingredients
You will need (for four servings):
- 1 onion, sliced
- Olive oil for cooking
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp dried chilli
- 8 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
- Large handful runner beans, sliced into finger sized pieces (you can use other beans here, French beans would just need halving)
- 2 tins borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
- 150ml vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper
- Few sprigs fresh marjoram or oregano
Method
Get a large frying pan onto a low/medium heat, add a little oil and the onions and fry gently for 15-20 minutes until well softened and just starting to turn golden.
Moussaka – without frying the aubergines
Moussaka is one of my favourite dishes to eat. It’s a bit of an involved one to make, you need four different cooking pans going to make all the component parts; that’s why I don’t make it very often! Frying the aubergines, I think, is one of the most laborious parts of making the moussaka so I’ve got a different way of doing it. My moussaka without frying the aubergines is every bit as good as the original and you use far less oil than if you fry them. Win win.
Leaving the bay leaf in the sauce while it bakes really helps to impart a lovely flavour into the béchamel sauce. I’m not sure the potatoes on top are necessarily that traditional but I know so many people who add them to the top that I can’t imagine eating moussaka without them. This is a rich, full of flavour meal and cooking the moussaka without frying the aubergines does make things easier. The once or twice a year I make moussaka I try to make a double batch so that I can keep one in the freezer for a rainy day.
Aubergine and Ricotta Gnocchi Bake
What’s that? More aubergines? Yes actually, and I make no apologies because this Aubergine and Ricotta Gnocchi Bake is so good that I think we can all forgive if I’ve been a little heavy on the aubergine recipes of late. The key to this dish comes down to two things. Firstly, the aubergine has to be fried beautifully to make sure it’s soft, silky and golden brown. Secondly, adding a handful of cherry tomatoes really transforms the tomato base as it adds a wonderful freshness and sweetness. This is such a delicious vegetarian dish and one that feels at home as much now, in the summer, as it would in the autumn.
Ingredients
You will need (for two):
- 2 medium aubergines, cut into length slices, then halved and chopped into finger sized pieces
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- Olive oil for cooking
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- Handful really ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
- 200g ricotta cheese
- Pinch sugar
- Few sprigs fresh basil and oregano, roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper
- Parmesan cheese
Method
Get a large frying pan on a medium heat and add a little oil, you need enough to just cover the bottom of the pan. Add the aubergine and fry until golden brown and soft. You may need to do this in batches depending on how much aubergine you have and how big your pan is. Once the aubergine is done place it on some kitchen paper to remove any excess oil.
Add a little more oil to the pan and add the onion. Fry for around 10 minutes before adding the garlic. Continue to fry for a few more minutes then tip in the chopped and cherry tomatoes.
Bring the tomato mixture to a simmer and continue to simmer until it’s reduced by around a third then add the sugar, salt and pepper, basil and oregano.
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the gnocchi according to pack instructions; but drain them around 30 seconds before the pack says to. The gnocchi will continue to cook in the oven.
Remove the tomato sauce from the heat and stir in the ricotta and aubergine.
Drain the gnocchi and add to the tomato and aubergine mix, stir everything together well and then put into an oven proof dish. Grate over a little Parmesan.
Bake in a preheated oven at 200C for around 20 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbling.
You could definitely try using any shape of pasta rather than gnocchi if you wanted to. I know you shouldn’t really cook with basil but I actually like the way the leaves wilt and give their subtle flavour over to the sauce once they are cooked. It’s great to dive into this dish and get a forkful of everything: sticky gnocchi, soft aubergine, creamy ricotta, a chunk of tomato, a bit of basil and a bit of punch from the Parmesan. I don’t think a few slices of fried courgette would go amiss either.
Tuscan Sausage Ragu
The food in Italy was everything I wanted it to be and Tuscany in particular was filled with incredible locations to eat amazing food. We went to a restaurant in Montepulciano on our first night in Tuscany; it was in an old wine cellar and the food was sensational. I ordered the Tuscan Sausage Ragu and along with a glass of local red wine and Italian hospitality it was such a memorable meal. I wanted to try and recreate the flavours, if not the ambiance, at home and my version of this sausage ragu has been through a few different variations until I’ve reached the recipe below. It’s not exactly the same but it’s wonderfully delicious in its own right.
Ingredients
You will need (for eight portions in total):
Miso Glazed Aubergine with Pickled Cucumber Salad
I’m not ashamed. I will admit it. I am an aubergine-aholic. Babaganoush, parmigiana, in a curry, moussaka, stirred through pasta there isn’t any meal I don’t love which has aubergines in. This recipe may sound familiar, as I have made something similar before, but this miso glazed aubergine when combined with a quick pickled cucumber salad really is a match made in heaven. Depending on the size of your aubergines this takes around half an hour to make, a little longer if they are large and need more time in the oven.
Ingredients
You will need (for two):
For the aubergines
- 2 aubergines, sliced in half lengthways and flesh scored in a criss cross pattern (don’t slice into the skin though)
- 2 tbsp miso paste (the best you can get your hands on)
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp runny honey (use agave or maple syrup to make it vegan)
- 1 tsp water
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
For the cucumber pickle
Sticky Chilli Chicken with Avocado Rice Salad
I have to admit that I turn to a chicken dinner in some form or other most weeks. Especially as the evenings get lighter and warmer as it’s an easy meal to pull together and so flexible on the ingredients used too. My latest offering, this sticky chilli chicken with avocado rice salad, is full of colour and vibrant flavour and ready in 30 minutes. Trust me on the grapefruit. If you don’t fancy using chicken in this then I think tofu, halloumi or aubergine would be great alternatives.
Ingredients
You will need (for two):
- 2 chicken breasts
- Rapeseed oil for cooking
- Salt and pepper
- 2-3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- 150g brown rice
- 1 large avocado, skin and stone removed, roughly chopped
- 1/2 grapefruit, peel and pith removed, roughly chopped
- 1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
Method
Pop a pan of water on to boil and once boiling add the rice and cook according to packet instructions. I find it normally takes around 20 minutes.
Then, put the two chicken breasts between two sheets of clingfilm and whack them with a rolling pin to make them a little thinner; around 1-1.5cm thick is ideal. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
While the rice cooks prepare the avocado, grapefruit and onion. Mix them all together in a bowl and add a little salt and pepper. The grapefruit juice will stop the avocado from turning brown.
Around 10 minutes before the rice is cooked heat up a frying pan on a medium/high heat and add a little oil. Add the chicken and fry on both sides until cooked through and starting to turn golden brown. Pour in the sweet chilli sauce and leave it to bubble up, turn sticky and coat the chicken.
Drain the rice well and stir in the avocado mix. Serve up with the chicken on the side.
The chicken is so good! It’s sticky, spicy and, depending on the sweet chilli sauce you use, garlicky too! The brown rice brings a lovely wholesomeness while the avocado works to smooth everything out. Adding the grapefruit means there’s a fantastic sharpness to cut through everything. You could use so many different ingredients like mango and quinoa, miso or aubergine! And if you’re a fan of quick recipes during the week you might like to take a look at my other 30 minute recipes.
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