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Pomegranate molasses is traditionally used here to add a sweet piquant roundness. Most larger supermarkets and Middle Eastern shops stock it, but if you can’t get your hands on it you can substitute a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and a tablespoon of date syrup, dark honey or agave syrup.
MAKES A GOOD JARFUL, ENOUGH FOR A CROWD TO DIP INTO
75g shelled walnuts
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 × 200g jar of roasted red peppers, or 3 freshly roasted red peppers, peeled, deseeded and chopped
2 slices of good brown bread, whizzed to breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons good-quality tomato purée
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon Turkish chilli flakes (see here) or a pinch of normal chilli flakes
juice of ½ a lemon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Preheat your oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas 7.
Put the nuts and cumin seeds on to a baking tray and roast for 6 minutes, until the nuts are just starting to turn golden and the cumin smells wonderful and has released its oils. Tip into a food processor and add the red peppers. Blitz to a paste, then add the breadcrumbs, tomato purée, pomegranate molasses, chilli flakes, lemon juice and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Blitz again until smooth.
With the mixer on, slowly pour in the oil and blitz until really smooth. Taste, season if needed, and blitz again. Keep tasting and balancing the flavours – you may need a bit more lemon juice, or more molasses and seasoning. Get it how you like it. This will keep well in the fridge for at least a week.
Ways to use your muhammara:
· For breakfast, spread on toast and topped with a poached egg.
· As a marinade for tofu or vegetables for barbecuing.
· Let down with a little oil as a dressing for roasted root veg, beetroots and squash.
· Piled on the side of a plate of lentils or beans, with a little yoghurt and some herbs.
Maple peanut California wraps
This wrap sustained me through a week in the desert, listening to music, a few years ago. Just the right combination of refreshing greens and vitamin-loaded carrot and good protein energy from tempeh and seeds.
But the crowning glory here is the sauce – it’s one of those sauces that hits every flavour level and leaves you wanting more. It’s good on a salad too. I have to say it has been known for me to eat two of these on the trot. They are that good. Super-quick to put together, these are a weekday lunch for me at least once a week and often make an appearance in summer for supper, with some roasted sweet potato wedges.
Tempeh is a cake of pressed soya beans. It is a great source of protein and works well in most recipes where you might use tofu. I buy my tempeh from my local health food shop. Tempeh is a fermented food, which actually makes it much easier to digest than other types of soya. Tempeh does need a bit of special treatment, such as this marinade, as its flavour is quite neutral. Firm tofu would work here too.
MAKES 4 WRAPS
4 wholemeal tortillas
2 carrots, grated
4 tablespoons mixed toasted seeds
4 handfuls of salad greens
FOR THE TEMPEH
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
200g tempeh, cut into 1cm slices
FOR THE PEANUT DRESSING
2 tablespoons all-natural peanut butter
2 teaspoons miso paste
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons tahini
juice of 1 lemon
Mix the maple syrup, soy sauce, olive oil and vinegar in a bowl. Add the tempeh and turn to coat in the marinade. Leave to one side.
Next, make the dressing. Whisk all the ingredients together, with a tablespoon of water if it’s too thick, taste and check for balance, then set aside.
Heat a dry pan and fry the tempeh for a couple of minutes on each side until browned and starting to caramelise.
Warm the tortillas – I do this by holding them with tongs over a gas flame for a few seconds, but the oven or a dry non-stick pan will do too. To assemble each wrap, place some tempeh on each tortilla, top with a quarter of the grated carrot, seeds and greens, then add a quarter of the dressing. Repeat with the rest of the wraps.
HUMMUS
If your house is anything like mine, or those of most of my friends for that matter, then a lot of pots of hummus find their way into fridges and on to tables. I usually make my own, as I like being able to adapt the flavours to what’s going on at the time, seasons, moods and what else is in the fridge. The chickpea/tahini format can get a bit samey, so here are some offbeat versions you won’t find in the shops. The principle can be followed with pretty much anything, as long as you keep to roughly the same quantities of beans/citrus/seasonings below.
These recipes are a great way to use up leftover beans.
All these keep in the fridge for 5 days. Each recipe makes a good jarful.
DATE AND BLACK SESAME
•
1 × 400g tin of cannellini beans, drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 medjool dates, roughly chopped
juice of ½ a lemon
½ tablespoon miso paste
sea salt
2 tablespoons date syrup
2 tablespoons toasted black sesame seeds
If you don’t have date syrup handy, a drizzle of dark honey or dark agave syrup would work really well. Well-toasted white sesame seeds will work here if you can’t get black ones.
Put your beans into a food processor with the olive oil, dates, lemon juice, miso and a pinch of salt and whiz to your preferred consistency. Taste, add more salt if necessary, and loosen with a bit of water or more olive oil if it looks too thick. I go for a good bit of whizzing, as I like a light and fluffy result, but some like more texture – you decide.
Once the texture is how you like it, scoop it into a bowl, drizzle over the date syrup and sprinkle with the black sesame seeds.
BLACK BEAN AND PUMPKIN SEED
•
1 × 400g tin of black beans
1 green chilli, destalked and roughly chopped, plus more chopped chilli to finish
a small bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped, plus more chopped coriander to finish
grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lime
1 tablespoon maple syrup
a good handful of pumpkin seeds
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a good drizzle of olive oil
A classic Mexican combination for a reason – this is very moreish and great with the homemade tortilla chips.
Put everything apart from the extra chilli and coriander into a food processor and whiz together until it’s the texture you like. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed, and loosen with more oil or water if it’s too thick.
Scoop into a bowl. Mix the extra chilli and coriander with a little olive oil and drizzle on top.
BUTTERBEAN, ALMOND AND ROSEMARY
•
1 × 400g tin of butter beans, drained
grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
a handful of whole almonds
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked
2–3 teaspoons almond milk or water
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a good drizzle of olive oil
a few whole almonds, toasted and chopped, to finish
Here the rosemary and almonds come together in an Italian way. This is a good start to a meal, with some griddled olive-oil-drizzled toast. I make mine with untoasted nuts, but toasted nuts add smokiness, so try both.
Put all the ingredients apart from the toasted almonds into a food processor and whiz until it’s as smooth as you like. Add a little extra water if needed until it’s a good consistency.
Top with the chopped almonds and another drizzle of olive oil.
PEA AND GREEN HERB
•
300g frozen peas
a small bunch of fresh mint
a small bunch of fresh basil
2 tablespoons good extra virgin olive oil
grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Who says you can’t make hummus with peas? Not me. Slather this on bruschetta or spoon it on top of a simple risotto; leftovers can even be stirred through pasta. Kids love this one. Sometimes I add an avocado for a bit of extra creaminess. Broad beans work just as well here. I use fresh peas in springtime – the rest of the year, frozen peas are your friend.
Pop the peas into a bowl and cover them with hot water from the kettle. Leave them to sit for a minute, then drain. Put them into a food processor with everything else and whiz until you have a bright green paste (a hand blender works well too), then taste and season with more salt and pepper or lemon if needed.
Homemade tortilla chips with charred chilli salsa
These tortilla chips are a massive hit every time I make them. So much so that I have taken to making them every time anyone comes round – even the sniff of a visitor and these are in the oven and I’m whizzing up some salsa. I love the compliments. I sort of feel a bit guilty about how much people like them, as they are so easy a five-year-old could make them. Which makes people love them even more.
These can be made easily with tortillas, wraps, round pittas, leftover chapattis, whatever you have to hand. Corn tortillas are my choice. Below is my favourite way to flavour them, but most spices work really well: cumin and coriander are favourites, and a bit of lemon zest and some chopped thyme or rosemary also goes down well.
Eat these with anything you can dip them into. In my house most often it’s this smoky salsa but mashed avocado, hummus and spice-spiked yoghurt are also really good. Try the Indian mashed avo here with chips made from chapattis and spiced with coriander and some lemon zest, for another brilliant combination.
MAKES A BIG BOWLFUL
8 tortillas, wraps, flatbreads or chapattis
olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
sea salt
FOR THE SALSA
4 spring onions
1 red chilli, pricked with a knife
20 cherry tomatoes or 8 big tomatoes
a small bunch of fresh coriander
olive oil
juice of 1 lime
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6.
Get a griddle pan on a very hot heat. Once it’s smoking hot, put the spring onions, chilli and tomatoes on the griddle and leave to char on each side. Remove the onions once they are black, then the chilli and finally the tomatoes. This will take 5 minutes or so. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
Once cool enough to handle, tip the whole lot on to a board. Use a big knife to chop everything together until you have a chunky salsa consistency, discarding the green top of the chilli as you go. When the salsa is nearly there, add the coriander and chop it into the mixture.
Put the mixture into a bowl with a good glug of olive oil, the lime juice and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Taste, balancing the flavours with more lime, salt or oil if needed.
Cut each tortilla, wrap, flatbread or chapatti into 8 triangles and scatter them over a couple of baking trays. You don’t want them to be too crowded or they won’t crisp up.
Drizzle them with oil and sprinkle over the smoked paprika and a good pinch of sea salt.
Bake for 10 minutes, until crisped and delicious. Serve piled high in bowls with the salsa.
Other ways to use your salsa:
· To top quesadillas (see here).
· To sandwich in a cheese toastie.
· To top a baked sweet potato.
· To dip potato wedges into.
· Next to a poached or fried egg for breakfast.
· To top some avocado on toast.
Spiced salt caramel popcorn
Salt-sweet caramel-coated popcorn – serve it in big bowls or in cinema-style paper containers for a proper movie night. And make lots – it goes quickly.
I love cinnamon – it’s such a comforting spice. Half a teaspoon of powdered cinnamon a day mixed into tea or hot water can help with digestion problems. Be careful to buy real or Ceylon cinnamon and not cassia. Cassia is the outer bark of the cinnamon tree – it’s darker and comes in a stick-like curl of bark. It has a punchy medicinal aroma and is used widely in America. Real cinnamon is sweeter and more calming – the sticks are lighter in colour and crumble very easily. If you buy from a good wholefood store or spice shop you should know what you are getting.
SERVES 10
a splash of vegetable oil
400g popping corn
200g unrefined light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
a pinch of sea salt
½ a nutmeg, freshly grated
grated zest of 1 unwaxed orange
First get your popcorn popping. Heat a very large pan (make sure it’s one with a lid) on a medium heat and add a splash of oil. If you don’t have a very large pan, two smaller ones will do. Once it’s hot, add the popcorn kernels, put on the lid and turn the heat down to low. Give it a good shake every 30 seconds or so to move the kernels around and stop them burning. It will be a while before the popping starts. But when it does, it will come thick and fast, so don’t be tempted to lift the lid.
While your corn is popping you can get on with your caramel. Put the sugar into a pan with 100ml of water, place on a medium heat and bring to a simmer, being careful not to touch it. Keep it bubbling until the water has reduced and you have a deep caramel. Don’t be tempted to stir or you will end up with a crystallised caramel.
Once your popcorn has finished popping, remove it from the heat and pour it into a deep baking tray. Very carefully pour over your caramel, using a metal spoon to mix it through the popcorn – do not touch the popcorn with your hands, as the caramel will be very hot. Sprinkle over the cinnamon and salt, grate over the nutmeg and orange zest, and mix again with a spoon. Allow the caramel to cool completely before eating.
Caper, herb and soft-boiled egg sandwich
I never used to like egg sandwiches – I always veered away from them. My boyfriend John loves them, so one day I set out to make the best one he’d ever eaten. The kickback was I liked it too. Soft, just-set yolks, plenty of character from an almost tartare-style dressing and a bit of zip from some snipped green herbs. This is quick fresh food at its best. Freshly made straight on to the plate, the only way to eat egg sandwiches to my mind.
I find yoghurt really useful in the kitchen – it makes its way into baking cakes, batters, breads. I use good organic Greek yoghurt in place of mayonnaise and in more indulgent desserts, and a natural one for breakfasts and toppings. For me it’s important to vary my diet so as not to become reliant on one thing too much, so I also keep coconut milk yoghurt on hand for days when I’m feeling like changing things up a little.
MAKES 4 SANDWICHES
6 organic or free-range eggs
6 cornichons or 2 large gherkins, chopped up small
2 tablespoons little capers in brine, or big ones chopped up
2 tablespoons Greek yoghurt
1 teaspoon good Dijon mustard
grated zest and juice of ½ an unwaxed lemon
a few sprigs of fresh dill, chopped
a few sprigs of fresh parsley, chopped
optional: 1 stick of celery, chopped up small
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 slices of good bread (I like seeded stuff)
First put the eggs into a pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Once the water is boiling, set the timer for 6 minutes (you may need a touch longer for large eggs).
Once the eggs have had 6 minutes, drain them and put them under running cold water until they have cooled a little. Then leave them in a bowl of cold water until they are cool enough to peel.
Put the rest of the ingredients apart from the bread into a bowl and mix together. Once the eggs are cool, peel and roughly chop them and add them to the bowl. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt, pepper or lemon as needed. If your bread is super-fresh there’s no need to toast it, but if it’s a little firm, pop it into the toaster. Pile the eggs on to 4 of the pieces of toast and top with the other 4 pieces.
I sometimes add a handful of seasonal salad leaves too – pea shoots, watercress and rocket all work well.
Killer smoked tofu club sandwich
John thinks this might be the best thing I have ever made. It’s basically an assembly job, putting a few good things between two slices of bread, as a sandwich should be.
MAKES 2 HEALTHY SANDWICHES
100g smoked tofu, cut into 6 slices
1 tablespoon chipotle paste
1 tablespoon mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise
juice of ½ a lime
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices of good bread (I use sourdough or a seeded bread)
½ an avocado, roughly mashed
1 little gem lettuce, shredded
8 sun-blushed tomatoes
Heat a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat, then add the tofu slices and warm them on both sides.
Put the chipotle paste, mayonnaise and lime juice into a bowl, season with a little salt and pepper if needed, and mix well.
Toast your bread, and get everything on your board ready to assemble your sandwich.
Spread 2 slices of the toast with the chipotle sauce and the other 2 slices with the mashed avocado. Top the avocado with the tofu, lettuce and tomatoes. Pop the chipotle-laden slices on top, cut in half and eat immediately.
QUICK SANDWICH IDEAS
Sandwiches are one of my favourite things. Something great happens when the right combination of fillings is sandwiched between 2 slices of bread. These are modern, veg-packed sandwiches. I use good bread – sourdough, rye, seeded or even millet.
HUMMUS
SLICED TOMATO
SUN-DRIED TOMATOES
HUMMUS
BLACK OLIVES
HARISSA
TOASTED SEEDS
VEG FULL
SPROUTS
GRATED CARROT
SPINACH
MASHED AVOCADO
CHERRY TOMATOES
PESTO
FALAFEL
FALAFEL
CAPERBERRIES
TOMATOES
HUMMUS
PICKLED BEETS
SPINACH
LEMON JUICE
ASPARAGUS
BLANCHED ASPARAGUS
PARMESAN
AVOCADO
PUMPKIN SEEDS
ROCKET
LEMON JUICE
VEG CLUB
SMOKED TOFU
SLICED CHEDDAR
GHERKINS
LETTUCE
CHERRY TOMATOES
MUSTARD
MAYONNAISE
AVOCADO
MASHED AVOCADO
FETA
CORIANDER
LIME
CHERRY TOMATOES
LETTUCE
CHILLI/CHIPOTLE
BEETROOT
COOKED BEETS
GOAT’S CHEESE
PUMPKIN SEEDS
ROCKET
LEMON ZEST
SAN FRAN
PESTO
ALMONDS
PECORINO
ROCKET
HONEY
LEMON JUICE
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