Beetroot borscht with sweet potato and tofu
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
600g beetroot
300g sweetheart cabbage
1 handful of fresh dill
1 brown onion
1 vegetable stock cube
2 sweet potato
2 tbsp tomato puree
40g walnuts
160g almond yoghurt
4 tbsp tomato ketchup
560g naked tofu
2 tsp garlic paste
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 240C/fan 220C/gas mark 9. Dice the sweet potatoes into 1-2cm cubes (peel optional). Place on a lined baking tray and toss with 1 tbsp oil, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Roast for 15 mins.
2. Finely slice the onion. Peel and coarsely grate the beetroot. Trim and finely slice the cabbage. Heat a large saucepan with 1 tbsp oil on medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 mins, until softened. Add the beetroot and cabbage and cook for 5 mins.
3. Dissolve the stock cube in a jug with 750ml hot water. Add the tomato puree, ketchup and stock to the pan. Simmer for 10-12 mins, until the liquid has reduced slightly and the cabbage is soft. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
4. Drain the tofu, pat dry with paper towel and cut into 6 slices. After 15 mins of roasting, remove the tray from the oven and add the tofu. Drizzle with 1 tbsp oil and season with sea salt and black pepper. Roast for another 10 mins, until the sweet potatoes are soft and the tofu is golden.
5. Make the dill yoghurt; roughly chop the dill (save some sprigs for garnish). Place in a bowl and mix the yoghurt, garlic paste and a pinch of sea salt. Stir the roasted sweet potatoes through the borscht and season with sea salt and black pepper. Roughly chop the walnuts.
6. Serve the borscht in bowls and top with the tofu, dill yoghurt, walnuts and remaining dill.
Quinoa, lentil and kale salad with zhoug dressing
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
2 apple
2 avocado
240g celery
100g kale
1 lemon
3 spring onion
1 handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley
500g puy lentils and wholegrain quinoa
160g almond yoghurt
2 tbsp zhoug paste
40g raisins
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas mark 7. Roughly chop the celery into 1cm pieces. Place the kale and celery on a lined baking tray and toss with 1 tsp oil and a pinch of seasoning. Roast for 5-8 mins, until the kale is crispy.
2. Roughly dice the apples into 1cm cubes. Finely slice the spring onions. Finely chop the parsley. Zest and halve the lemon. Thinly slice the avocados.
3. Heat a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the lentil and quinoa mix and break it up with a wooden spoon. Add the raisins and a splash of water and cook for 2-3 mins, until piping hot. Remove from the heat.
4. Stir the zest, juice from the lemon, spring onions, apples, parsley, celery and kale through the lentil and quinoa. Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil and season to taste.
5. Top with the avocados and drizzle over the yoghurt and zhoug.
Spiced pork, kale and chickpea salad
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
1 green chilli
240g chickpeas (drained)
1 handful of fresh coriander
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 lemon
1 red onion
1 spring onion
220g baby plum tomatoes
80g coconut yoghurt
300g free-range pork strips
80g kale
2 tbsp tikka paste
Method:
1. Zest and halve the lemon. Remove any thick kale stalks. In a mixing bowl, massage the kale with a good pinch of sea salt and juice from half the lemon.
2. Halve the tomatoes. Finely dice the onion and the chilli (remove the seeds for less heat). Thinly slice the spring onion. Roughly chop the coriander. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Add all the ingredients and the zest to the mixing bowl with the kale. Toss to combine.
3. Heat a large frying pan with 1 tbsp oil on medium-high heat. Cook the cumin seeds with a pinch of sea salt for 30 seconds, until fragrant, then pour over the kale salad. Toss to combine.
4. Reheat the pan with 1 tsp oil to medium heat. Add the pork and tikka paste and cook for 3-4 mins, until cooked through. Season with sea salt.
5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the yoghurt with a squeeze of lemon juice, 1 tbsp water and a pinch of sea salt.
6. Serve the kale and chickpea salad in bowls with the pork on top. Drizzle with the lemon yoghurt.
Baked hake with creamed leeks and pesto roast veg
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 handful of fresh chives
4 hake fillets (skin off)
3 leek
1 lemon
2 parsnip
600g baby white potatoes
1 vegetable stock cube
160g almond yoghurt
80g cavolo nero
4 tsp garlic paste
2 tbsp red pesto
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 240C/fan 220C/gas mark 9. Boil a kettle. Halve the potatoes lengthways. Cut the parsnips into 2cm thick batons (peel optional). Transfer onto a baking tray and toss with 1 tbsp oil, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Roast for 20 mins.
2. Trim and thinly slice the leeks into half-moons. Heat a large saucepan or wok with 2 tsp oil on medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic paste and cook for 6-8 mins, until softened. Dissolve the stock cube in a jug with 250ml boiling water. Add the cavolo nero, stock and yoghurt to the pan. Stir and simmer for 4-6 mins, until the sauce thickens.
3. Season the fish with sea salt and drizzle with 2 tsp oil. After 20 mins of roasting, remove the tray from the oven. Place the fish onto one side of the tray. Bake for another 10-12 mins, until the veg is soft and the fish is cooked through.
4. Finely chop the chives. Add the pesto to the roast veg and mix. Stir half the chives through the leeks and season with sea salt. Cut the lemon into wedges.
5. Serve the fish and pesto roast veg on plates alongside the creamed leeks. Garnish with lemon wedges and the remaining chives.
Braised chicken with kale, beans and baby potatoes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
240g cannellini beans (drained)
150g free-range British chicken thighs
80g kale
3 garlic clove
1 leek
300g baby white potatoes
1 chicken stock cube
1 handful of fresh thyme
Method:
1. Boil a kettle. Preheat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas mark 7. Halve the potatoes lengthways. Place on a lined baking tray and toss with 1 tsp oil. Season to taste. Roast for 25-30 mins, until soft and golden.
2. Heat a medium frying pan with 1 tsp oil on medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 4-5 mins, until golden. Flip and cook for 1 min on the other side. Season the chicken to taste. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Dissolve half the stock cube in a jug with 200ml boiling water. Trim and thinly slice the leek into 1cm thick half-moons. Strip the thyme leaves from the stalks and finely chop. Finely chop or crush the garlic.
4. Reheat the chicken pan to medium heat with 1 tsp oil. Add the leek, thyme and garlic and cook for 3-4 mins, until softened. Drain and rinse the beans, then add to the pan. Season to taste.
5. Return the chicken to the pan and pour in the stock. Simmer for 5 mins, then add the kale. Cover with a lid and cook for 5-8 mins, until the chicken is cooked. Check your chicken is cooked through by inserting a skewer into the thickest part of the meat; the juices should run clear. Cook for longer if necessary.
6. Stir in the roasted potatoes and serve.
Teriyaki mushrooms and edamame quinoa bowl
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
2 carrot
20g cashew nuts
1 midi cucumber
100g edamame beans
1 lime
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 portobello mushrooms
2 spring onion
80g quinoa
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp tamari
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas mark 6. Halve the lime. Make the marinade; in a small bowl, combine the tamari, maple syrup, sesame oil and juice from half the lime. Stir to combine.
2. Bring a large saucepan filled with salted hot water to a boil. Add the quinoa and boil for 13-14 mins, until cooked. Add the edamame for the final 2-3 mins of cooking, then drain altogether. Return to the pan and set aside.
3. Finely slice the spring onions. Place the mushrooms onto a lined tray with the stalks facing up. Pour 1 tbsp marinade into each mushroom and season with black pepper. Sprinkle over half the spring onions. Bake for 15-20 mins, until soft and golden.
4. Heat a small frying pan on medium heat. Add the cashews and toast for 2-3 mins, tossing regularly, until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
5. Coarsely grate the carrots. Finely dice the cucumber, then stir it through the cooked quinoa along with the remaining spring onions. Once cooked, slice the mushrooms into thick strips.
6. Serve the edamame quinoa topped with mushrooms and grated carrots. Squeeze the remaining lime juice over the carrots. Garnish with the cashews and drizzle over the remaining marinade.
Peanut and swede stew with crisp mange tout
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
½ red chilli
½ tsp ground cumin
2 garlic clove
2cm fresh ginger
120g kidney beans (half a drained can)
½ lime
80g mangetout
1 shallot
10g roasted peanuts
2 tbsp tomato puree
30g original roast peanut butter
300g swede
40g cavolo nero
Method:
1. Boil the kettle. Peel and dice the swede into 1-2cm cubes. Roughly chop the shallot. Finely chop or grate the ginger. Finely chop or crush the garlic. Heat a medium frying pan with ½ tsp oil on a medium-high heat. Cook the swede for 4-6 mins until turning golden.
2. Drain and rinse the half tin of beans. Add the shallot, ginger, garlic, cumin, tomato paste and peanut butter to the swede and cook for 1 minute before adding 400ml hot water and the kidney beans. Simmer for 15-20 mins until the sauce has thickened and the swede is soft. Add the cavolo nero and two thirds of the mange tout in the final 3 mins of cooking. Season with sea salt to taste and add a splash of water towards the end of cooking if necessary to retain a sauce.
3. Finely slice the remaining mange tout. Finely dice half the chilli (remove the seeds for less heat). Roughly chop the peanuts. Mix together in a small bowl with the juice of half the lime, ½ tsp olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.
4. Serve the swede stew into a bowl and top with the mange tout salsa.
