Sticky aubergines with rice
Ingredients
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp pomegranate molasses
1 tsp honey
1 medium aubergine, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
Cooked rice, to serve
1 spring onion, finely diced
Pinch of chilli flakes
½ tsp sesame seeds
Method
1. Mix together the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, pomegranate molasses and honey. Pour over the diced aubergine, making sure everything is covered, and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the aubergines. Cook on a high heat for 10 minutes, stirring. Pour in the remaining marinade and cook for another 15 minutes.
3. Serve with rice, topped with spring onion, chilli flakes and sesame seeds.
Spicy tomato gnocchi bake
Ingredients
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
200g chopped tomatoes
Half a red chilli, finely chopped
100g roasted peppers
50g sun-dried tomatoes
1 tsp paprika
100g fresh gnocchi
Half a mozzarella ball, torn
Fresh basil
Green salad, to serve
Method
1. In a small frying pan, sweat the onion and garlic until soft. Add the chopped tomatoes, chilli, roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and paprika. Bring to a simmer and then add the gnocchi. Cook for 10 minutes until it has softened. Preheat the grill.
2. Transfer to a small baking dish and top with the mozzarella. Place under the grill until the cheese has melted. Remove from the grill, finish with the basil and serve with a green salad.
Harissa sea bass traybake
Ingredients
100g potatoes, thinly sliced
1 small courgette, sliced
Half a lemon, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp harissa
1-2 sea bass fillets, depending on size
50g pitted black olives
Lemon wedge, to serve
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C (200C non-fan). Layer the potatoes, courgette, lemon, onion and tomatoes in the bottom of an ovenproof dish and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
2. Spread the harissa over the sea bass, making sure each side is covered. Take the vegetables out of the oven. Add the olives and put the fish on top. Bake for a further 10 minutes.
3. Serve with a wedge of lemon.
Chicken schnitzel
Ingredients
1 chicken breast, sliced in half horizontally
2 tbsp plain flour
2 eggs, 1 beaten
100g panko breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, for cooking
50g butter
2 tbsp capers
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
Method
1. Place the two halves of chicken breast between two pieces of baking paper and use a rolling pin to bash them until they are wide and thin.
2. Put the flour in a wide dish, the beaten egg in another and the breadcrumbs in a third.
3. Dust each piece of chicken in flour lightly, shaking off any excess. Then dunk each piece into the egg followed by the breadcrumbs, making sure both sides are fully coated.
4. Heat a large frying pan with a little oil and melt the butter. Add the first chicken piece and cook for 4-5 minutes until brown and crispy. Turn and cook the other side. Place on a plate with kitchen roll to absorb excess oil. Repeat both steps with the second piece of chicken.
5. Mix together the capers, lemon juice and chopped parsley. This will be your dressing.
6. Add a little more oil to the pan, crack in the second egg and fry. Top the crispy chicken with the egg and pour over the dressing.
Gorgonzola, kale and walnut risotto
Ingredients
50g butter
Half an onion, chopped
1 crushed garlic clove
80g arborio rice
50ml dry white wine
200ml vegetable stock
100g chopped kale
50g gorgonzola, plus extra for topping
30g chopped walnuts
Salt and pepper
Method
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and then add the onion and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until softened and then stir in the rice. Pour in the wine and let it evaporate.
2. Pour in 50ml stock and simmer until the liquid has been absorbed, stirring occasionally. Continue to add the stock 50ml at a time until it has all been used and the rice is tender.
3. Stir in the kale until wilted. Turn down the heat and stir through the gorgonzola and walnuts. Season to taste and serve with the extra cheese.
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Spaghetti puttanesca
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
Half an onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, crushed
3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
150g chopped tomatoes
50g pitted black olives
2 tbsp capers, drained
Salt and pepper
100g dried spaghetti
Half a small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
Method
1. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry the onion until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
2. Stir in the anchovies, tomatoes, olives and capers. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Season.
3. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti. Drain and then stir the pasta sauce through it. Top with parsley.
Salmon with spring vegetable and pesto orzo
Ingredients
1 salmon fillet
Half a lemon, sliced into rounds
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
85g orzo
50g Tenderstem broccoli
50g sugar snaps
2 tsp pesto
Juice of half a lemon
30g feta, crumbled
A sprinkle of pine nuts
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C (200C non-fan).
2. Place the salmon on a baking tray and lay the slices of lemon on top. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
3. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the orzo. Boil for 10 minutes until not quite al dente. Towards the end of the boiling time, add the broccoli and sugar snaps and cook for another 2 minutes, then drain.
4. Add the pesto and lemon juice to the orzo and vegetables and toss together. Transfer to a plate and top with the baked salmon. Finish with crumbled feta and a sprinkling of pine nuts.
’Nduja prawns with linguine
Ingredients
100g linguine
Salt and pepper
1 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
100g large raw prawns
1 tsp ’nduja
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
Chopped parsley, to serve
Method
1. Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water for 8-9 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the garlic over a medium heat for 1 minute. Add the prawns and fry until pink. Remove the prawns from the pan and set aside.
3. In the same pan add the ’nduja and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until the tomatoes have softened.
4. Drain the pasta, saving around half a cup of pasta water. Add the water and prawns to the frying pan with the ’nduja and tomatoes and toss everything together. Season with salt and pepper and serve with parsley.
Crispy roast chicken and lentils
Ingredients
1 thyme sprig
¼ tsp salt
1 chicken leg, skin on
2 shallots, halved
3 garlic cloves
Half a red chilli, thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
100g puy lentils
5 asparagus spears
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160C (180C non-fan). Remove the leaves from the thyme. Combine with the salt and rub over the chicken.
2. Place the shallots, garlic and chilli in an ovenproof dish and lay the chicken on top, skin-side up. Pour over the oil and use your hands to make sure everything is covered. Cover with foil and cook for 25 minutes. Then remove the foil and turn up the heat to 220C (240C non-fan). Cook for another 10 minutes to make sure the skin gets really crispy.
3. While the chicken is roasting, make the lentil salad. Over a medium heat, sweat the vegetables and bay leaf in the rapeseed oil for 10 minutes.
4. Bring a small pan of water to the boil and cook the lentils according to the packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and stir into the cooked vegetables. Remove the bay leaf.
5. Steam the asparagus spears for 5 minutes. Serve with the roast chicken and lentils.
Spiced salmon skewers
Ingredients
1 large boneless, skinless salmon fillet, roughly chopped into 2in pieces
½ tsp sumac
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground turmeric
Olive oil
1 small red onion, cut into chunks
Handful of cherry tomatoes
100g giant couscous
Juice of half a lemon
Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Method
1. Put the salmon in a bowl and cover with the spices and 1 tbsp olive oil. Mix well to combine and leave in the fridge for an hour.
2. Meanwhile, add the red onion chunks to a pan and put over a low heat with a little olive oil for 5 minutes until they have softened. Remove from the heat.
3. Preheat the oven to 180C (200C non-fan). Once the fish has marinated, start adding the salmon pieces onto skewers, alternating with red onion chunks and cherry tomatoes.
4. Grill the salmon skewers for 8-10 minutes or until the salmon has cooked, turning halfway through.
5. While the salmon is cooking, bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the giant couscous according to the packet instructions. Drain and stir through ½ tsp olive oil, the lemon juice and flat-leaf parsley. Serve with the salmon when it’s ready.
