Contents

Cover

Title Page

Introduction

The Intolerant Kitchen

Spring

Carrot and Coriander Soup

Garden Soup

Warm Greek Salad sans Feta

Prawn Noodle Rolls with Thai Dipping Sauce

Falafel with Parsley and Tomato Salad

Chicken, Watercress and Quinoa Salad

Chicken with Orange, Fennel and Olives

Chicken Rogan Josh

Lemon and Cashew Nut Rice

Roasted Redcurrant Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary New Potatoes

Spring Chicken with Lemon and Herbs and Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Herbed Lamb on a Bed of Leeks and Cannellini Beans

Honey-baked Leg of Lamb

Chicken and Apricot Tagine

Persian Jewelled Quinoa

Herb Quinoa

Lamb Korma

Penne with Hot-smoked Salmon in a Garlic Cream Sauce

Spaghetti with Asparagus and Lemon Pesto

Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry

Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry

Spiced Spinach and Aubergine Stew

Rhubarb Streusel Tart

Drop Pancakes

Flapjacks

Chocolate Nut Brownies

Jam Tarts

Chocolate Shortbread with Vanilla Ice Cream

Apricot Spice Sticky Squares

Summer

Chorizo, Chickpea and Spinach Salad

Slow-roasted Tomatoes

Crayfish, Mango and Avocado Salad

Prawn and Pineapple Rice Salad

Herb Pancakes with Smoked Salmon

Chicken and Noodle Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

Chicken and Prawn Paella

Paprika Pepper Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Sweet Chilli and Orange Chicken with Oriental Coleslaw

Pork Satay Skewers

Pork Tenderloin filled with Tomato Pesto

Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Olive and Mint Tapenade

Greek Meatballs with Griddled Courgette and Tomato Salad and Tahini Dressing

Seared Steaks with Roasted Pepper and Almond Sauce

Penne with Fennel and Salami

Summer Tomato and Pesto Tart

Roasted Tomatoes, Butterbeans and Sweet Peppers with Thyme

Ratatouille

Roasted Aubergine and Quinoa Salad

Warm Lentil Salad with Roasted Fennel and Sun-blushed Tomatoes

Potatoes with Parsley, Capers and Lemon

Tomato, Basil and Pine Nut Quinoa

Pesto New Potato Salad

Bakewell Tart

Strawberry and Lime Sorbet

Mocha Fudge Cake

Carrot Cake with Lemon Fudge Icing

Chocolate Ice Cream

Victoria Sponge with Strawberries and Vanilla Cream

Blueberry Shortcake Biscuits

Autumn

Cream of Chicken and Mushroom Soup

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup with Walnut Pesto

Sweet Potato, Thyme and Bacon Tartlets

Salmon Carpaccio with Caper Dressing

Smoked Chicken, Butternut Squash and Avocado Salad

Chicken and Sweet Potato Casserole

Lebanese Chicken

Slow-cooked Spanish Chicken with Chorizo

Roast Chicken with Sage and Garlic and Perfect Roast Potatoes

Thyme and Chilli Chicken on Pea Purée

Lamb-stuffed Aubergines with Spiced Tomato Sauce

Lamb Tagine with Dates and Peppers

Spaghetti Carbonara

Prawn Arrabbiata

Peppers Stuffed with Chestnuts, Chilli and Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash Tagine

Spaghetti with Roasted Aubergine, Thyme and Chilli Sauce

Stuffed Aubergines with Sweet Potato Crouton Rice

Wild Mushroom and Butternut Squash Risotto

Plum and Oat Crunch with Honey Cream

Baked Apple Charlotte

Pecan Pie

Chocolate and Pear Puddings

Apple and Blackberry Cake

Sticky Date Squares

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Winter

Roasted Pepper and Lentil Soup

Roast Butternut Squash, Coconut and Chilli Soup

Smoked Chicken, Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad

Hot-smoked Salmon Pâté

Salmon and Horseradish Fishcakes

Chicken and Mushroom Pie

Clay Pot Chicken with Date and Nut Quinoa Stuffing

Baked Apple and Mustard Ham

Parsnip Purée

Masala Roast Chicken with Butternut Squash

Roast Pork Boulangère

Spicy Sausage and Bean Stew

Pasta with Smoky Bacon, Olive and Chilli Tomato Sauce

Roast Beef with Horseradish Cream and Olive Oil Mashed Potato

Spiced Lamb Steaks with Chickpea Purée

Winter Squash and Chestnut Bake

Vegetable Lasagne

Peppers stuffed with Gado Gado Sauce

Spiced Parsnip Quinoa

Chocolate and Chestnut Cake

Apple and Cinnamon Granola Bars

Little Sticky Toffee Puddings

Treacle Tart with Custard

Lemon, Sesame and Ginger Cake

Maple and Pecan Squares

Breads and Baking

White Soda Bread

Rye Soda Bread

Flaxseed Bread

Quinoa Bread

Crusty White Loaf

Flatbreads

Corn Tortillas

Shortcrust Pastry

Basic Biscuits

Banana Bread

Products and Stockists

Acknowledgements

Copyright

About the Publisher

Introduction

The Intolerant Gourmet is for everyone who loves food and who loves to cook. This includes anyone who suffers from an intolerance or allergy to certain foods, people not usually catered for by cookery books. For that reason all the recipes in this book are completely free from wheat, dairy produce, soya, eggs and yeast, and almost entirely free from gluten. Yet they taste fantastic – designed to inspire and make you want to eat. And, most important of all, they don’t let on that there is anything missing. For this not an earnest cookbook but one that celebrates the joy of good food; every recipe could (and should) be served to friends and family, whether suffering from a food intolerance or not, without a single person finishing their meal feeling that they’ve gone without.

Through my own experience of learning how to cope with various food intolerances, I have met many fellow sufferers and this book has emerged as a result. The Intolerant Gourmet focuses on the culprit foods – how to avoid and replace the ones most commonly associated with food intolerances. It focuses less on full-blown food allergies, which are relatively rare and usually confined to one type of food, such as nuts or shellfish. By contrast, food intolerances are widespread and often multiple, with the sufferer developing a sensitivity to a whole range of foods. For this reason I haven’t excluded nuts from this book as I find that, in the absence of other ingredients, they provide vital texture and flavour to my dishes. However, less than a third of the recipes contain nuts. Those that do are clearly marked and there is a wealth of choice for readers wishing to avoid them. For those who are allergic to any of the foodstuffs focused on in this book, such as wheat or dairy produce, then absolutely every recipe is open to you.

When first diagnosed with an intolerance or allergy, you may feel depressed at the idea of having to give up certain foods, but your diet need only be as restrictive as you make it. It takes a little extra forethought, admittedly, but within a short space of time preparing intolerance-friendly meals will become second nature. The benefits of avoiding the problem foods will leave you feeling so much better that you’ll never want to go back to your old ways.

Cooking and eating are, by their very nature, sociable acts. Hence people who become restricted in their diet worry that they may also become restricted in their lives. Family meals or dinners with friends can become an act of isolation, with one meal for you and another for everyone else. Eating out can be equally fraught, its pleasures outweighed by the simple lack of anything on the menu that you can actually eat! Having lived with multiple food intolerances for years, I have experienced these frustrations many times. So when I began writing The Intolerant Gourmet it was very important to me that this was a cookbook that could be used by as many people as possible. In these pages you will find dishes that you can eat blissful in the knowledge that they contain nothing that could make you unwell. Not only that but they will make you and those eating with you feel both indulged and well fed. These are dishes that everyone can take pleasure in, whether they’ve a food sensitivity or not.

The recipes in this book aim not only to satisfy your dietary requirements, but also to inspire you in the way of intolerance-friendly home cooking. The thought of all the things you can’t eat can seem overwhelming, but there are so many ways around this that you need never feel as though you are going without. Whether it is a combination of naturally non-allergenic ingredients, or an adaptation of a traditional dish using intolerance-friendly substitutes, these recipes will show you that being sensitive to certain foods does not mean a lifetime of deprivation. In fact, it can open up a whole new way of cooking that uses fresh ingredients, makes you feel fantastic and, most importantly, tastes really, really good.

The Intolerant Kitchen

The Intolerant Gourmet is all about the pleasure of eating – enjoying the delicious food you can have rather than craving the things you can’t. But before delving into the recipes, it is worth defining what constitutes a food allergy and what a food intolerance and how they differ.

A food allergy generally causes an immediate allergic reaction, which triggers an immune-system response and severe symptoms. There is also such a thing as a delayed allergic reaction to food, as in coeliac disease, for instance, in which the sufferer is allergic to the gluten in wheat. Intolerance, on the other hand, is an adverse reaction to a particular food or ingredient that occurs every time the food is eaten, but especially if larger quantities of it are consumed. It is much more common than an allergy and, although far less dangerous, symptoms can be similar and it can be no less difficult to live with. Food intolerance occurs when the body is unable to deal with a particular type of food, such as wheat, dairy products or egg. This is usually due to a combination of factors – the body not being able to produce enough of the particular chemical or enzyme needed for the digestion of that food and an over-exposure to the food in question.

Food intolerance can be triggered by ill-health (following serious illness, for instance, or an operation on the digestive system), but in most cases it is brought on by an over-exposure to a particular food or foods. In Britain, for example, we consume a huge amount of wheat grain on a daily basis, without even being aware of it. It is quite normal for an individual to eat a wheat-based cereal for breakfast, a sandwich of some type for lunch, followed by a pasta-based meal for supper. The result is a disproportionate amount of wheat consumption in one day, and if this is repeated over time, it can easily lead to an intolerance to wheat.

Intolerances are rarely life-threatening, but they do cause very real symptoms, from bloating and abdominal pain to rashes, headaches and even depression. Such symptoms can begin hours or even days after taking the food in question, making it difficult to diagnose the cause. As a result, sufferers can find themselves living in a state where they never feel wholly well. Indeed, this may have gone on for so long that it will have become an accepted part of their lives. They can’t remember a time when it was any better.

Once you have been diagnosed with a food allergy or intolerance, then you should of course try to avoid the problem food in all its guises. At the same time, it’s important to build up your reserves of vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients and to support your immune system as much as possible. Avoiding the problem food needn’t be a dismal business, however. You can buy a wide selection of products specially devised for sufferers from food intolerances and allergies, and some are worth their weight in gold in the kitchen. This cookbook uses a selection of the best, tried-and-tested products – for my list of recommended products and stockists. It also uses a range of allergen-free fresh produce to create recipes that are both rich in nutritional value and taste delicious.

Adopting an allergy- or intolerance-friendly diet does mean weaning yourself off all unnecessary processed and modified foods. When you can no longer rely on packets of biscuits or ready-made meals to fill a hole or provide an instant meal, learning to make the most of fresh wholefoods will make things much easier. Fruit, vegetables, pulses and meat – the foundation of good home cooking – are all intolerance-friendly foods, providing a great range of culinary options. The chapters in this book will encourage you to notice what’s in season, too, so that you begin to make seasonal eating a natural part of your diet.

Foods for you

While it is easy to feel overwhelmed by all the foods you can’t eat, it is far more helpful to concentrate on those you can. And the most important thing to begin with is to work out which of the staple foods you can eat and cook with in order to build up your intolerance-friendly storecupboard. Some will be familiar, while others may be new to you, but they’ll soon become old friends. I’ve listed a tried-and-tested range of intolerance-friendly basics over the next few pages. All the foods listed are high quality and 100 per cent natural, with no artificial flavours, chemicals or preservatives. They are all widely available from health-food shops and big supermarkets.

Dairy-free milks

The dairy-free milks listed below are the perfect substitute for cow’s milk in intolerance-friendly cooking. They are very useful in baking, and also create authentic-tasting custards and creams. You can make your own versions of the nut milks, but if you are buying them I recommend the varieties enriched with calcium, as every little helps!

Almond milk: a rich and creamy milk with a distinctive almond flavour, making it ideal for use in puddings and for pouring over cereal, especially granola or muesli. Most varieties come sweetened with agave syrup as it can be a little bitter without.

Hazelnut milk: a rich and creamy milk, with a distinct flavour of hazelnuts. Ideal for use in sweet baking and puddings.

Oat cream: a thicker, creamier version of oat milk, with added sugar and oil to emulsify it. It can be used in baking, to make ice cream and custards or simply to pour over puddings.

Oat milk: a creamy, savoury and ever-so-slightly grainy milk, this works very well in baking.

Quinoa milk: a thick milk with the distinctive flavour of quinoa.

Rice milk: a thin milk with a naturally sweet flavour. I use it on a daily basis, on cereal and as an accompaniment to tea and coffee. Rice milk heats well but will not froth or thicken when whisked.

Dairy-free fats and oils

There are a number of dairy-free margarines on the market, all varying in cookability and flavour. I recommend checking the ingredients carefully, buying only the trans-fat-free varieties. Vegetable oils, being naturally dairy-free, are ideal for intolerance-friendly cooking.

Coconut oil: often called coconut butter, this is a hard oil (it sets at room temperature) that melts easily and has a distinctive, creamy taste. It is popular in intolerance-friendly baking as it reacts in much the same way as ‘real’ butter would do. Recently, it has received a lot of good press for its health benefits.

Flaxseed oil: an intense and rich oil. It is best used in small amounts – as part of a dressing, for instance, or drizzled lightly for an added nutritious boost – and should never be heated.

Groundnut oil: a light and flavourless oil. I would recommend this for frying and roasting.

Olive oil: an essential for any storecupboard. Olive oil is ideal for all savoury cooking and dressings and can be used in baking. I like to use extra-virgin olive oil for dressings and drizzling over dishes just before serving.

Rapeseed oil: a perfect oil for use in sweet baking as it has a fruity and slightly nutty flavour. It is very healthy too, being low in saturated fat and rich in omega 3, 6 and 9 oils.

Sesame oil: a strong and pungent oil. Most suited to Asian cookery and best used sparingly.

Sunflower oil: a good all-rounder, this has a neutral taste that makes it suitable for baking, roasting and frying.

Egg Substitutes

Replacing eggs in intolerance-friendly cooking can be a daunting prospect. Fortunately, there are a number of good ‘egg replacers’ on the market. Consisting of natural starches and gums, they help to bind ingredients in baking, but without necessarily helping them to rise. For that reason I tend not to use an egg replacer in any recipe calling for more than two eggs, or I use it in combination with a little bicarbonate of soda. If you don’t want to use commercial egg substitutes, there are a couple of other options available to you.

Apple purée: can be used as an egg substitute when making cakes, although it should be noted that it adds a distinctly fruity flavour to the mixture. You can buy apple purée from most health-food shops or from the baby-foods aisle in your supermarket. You can also easily make your own. Peel and core two small Bramley apples, chop into 1cm/½in cubes and combine with 2 tablespoons of apple juice or water. Cook over a low heat for around 6 minutes or until soft and then purée until smooth in a food processor or using a hand-held blender. Once made, the apple sauce will keep for up to 1 week in the fridge. To replace one egg in a recipe, use 2 rounded tablespoons of apple purée and ½ teaspoon of baking powder, adding the baking powder to the flour and the apple purée to the fat.

Ground flaxseeds: also known as ground linseeds, flaxseeds work well as a binder in intolerance-friendly baking, although they can create a gummy centre to whatever you are making. These are best for use in cakes, brownies, pancakes and biscuits. To replace one egg, my general rule of thumb is to use 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds and ⅛ teaspoon of baking powder blended with 3 tablespoons of water.

Gluten-free flours

Naturally gluten-free flours are far more prevalent than you may realise; it is the mixing of them that affects how successful they are in baking. You can buy some excellent pre-mixed varieties, ideal for baking, but it’s worth experimenting with your own mixtures too.

Buckwheat flour: a strong and ‘earthy’ flour, traditionally used for making blinis and soba noodles.

Gram flour: also known as chickpea flour. This golden flour has a distinctive nutty flavour and is widely used in Indian cookery, mostly for poppadoms and bhajis. It is great for coating patties and potato cakes before frying them.

Ground rice: more coarsely ground than rice flour, this is ideal for using in puddings and cakes as it gives a wonderfully light and airy texture to any mixture.

Masa harina: also known as corn or maize flour (not to be confused with cornstarch – see ‘Baking Aids’). This delicious golden flour has been used for centuries to make naturally gluten-free tortillas and tamales. I recommend searching out a good-quality brand and experimenting with it; you’ll find it well worth the effort.

Potato flour: a pure, white flour (not to be confused with potato starch), ideal for use in thickening sauces or as part of a blend with rice and quinoa flour for baking.

Quinoa flour: this flour has a strong and particular taste, making it unsuitable for some dishes. When combined with potato and rice flour, however, it makes a very good bread flour.

Rice flour: available in both its brown and white forms. Used as base for sauces or in shortbread, it has a slightly grainy texture that renders it unsuitable for use on its own in baking except when blended with potato and quinoa flour.

Rye flour: while containing no wheat, this flour is not entirely gluten-free and so is unsuitable for anyone trying to avoid gluten in all its forms. If you can tolerate rye then this heavy, dense flour makes a great sourdough loaf. It has a strong and distinctive flavour, making it unsuitable for sweet dishes, however.

Gluten-free grains

There is a common misconception that all grains contain wheat, but this is not so. There are an abundance of delicious grains that can replace wheat in a whole range of dishes.

Basmati rice, white and brown: ideal for use as an accompaniment to numerous dishes. Clean in flavour, basmati has the advantage of being quick to cook. I use it to stuff peppers and squash, in pilaffs and even to make rice pudding.

Brown rice, short-grain: a wonderful wholefood and natural detoxifier. Rich and nutty in flavour, it can be used as an accompaniment to many dishes and in place of white rice in risotto, paella and salads.

Buckwheat: not in fact a grain but a plant related to rhubarb. With a strong and earthy flavour, it can be used to make salads, while its flour is traditionally used for making pancakes and noodles.

Maize: otherwise known as polenta or corn, maize is a substantial grain that can be cooked with water or stock to produce a thick and creamy paste, or left to chill and then cut into slices and fried. Naturally golden in colour, it has a slightly sweet flavour, making it useful for baking cakes.

Millet: a strong-tasting grain often used in soups. It cooks in much the same way as rice and so can be used in any recipe where you would normally use rice.

Oats: a wheat-free food, oats can be tolerated by some coeliacs and gluten intolerants. Although oats contain a protein similar to that of gluten, it is the way that they are processed that really affects their gluten content. You can buy pure oats (meaning uncontaminated) that have been milled in a gluten-free environment, making them suitable for most gluten-free diets. The best gauge is to trust your instincts, listen to your body and avoid them if you feel that they have a negative effect.

Quinoa: actually a fruit rather than a grain, this can be used in much the same way as you would rice. Quinoa is both delicious and a great source of protein – I can’t recommend it highly enough. With a slightly nutty texture, it benefits from the addition of stock or seasoning as it readily absorbs flavours.

Baking aids

All good baking requires some form of catalyst to help it leaven and cook well. With the removal of gluten, milk, butter and eggs from the list, it is really important that your remaining ingredients are up to the job! Using natural binders and thickeners is the way to go and there are lots of good-quality varieties on the market.

Arrowroot: a natural thickener. You can use it to thicken sauces and make glazes as it leaves a very clear sheen.

Baking powder: helps breads and cakes to rise. While generally gluten-free, it is always worth checking the label first – and to make certain that the brand you’re buying is aluminium-free too.

Bicarbonate of soda: a natural leavening agent activated when it comes into contact with warm liquids. It is an ideal addition to intolerance-friendly cakes.

Cornflour: also known as cornstarch and based on maize. It helps to thicken sauces and custards.

Xanthan gum: a plant gum that acts like the gluten found in wheat. Xanthan gum is the holy grail of allergy-friendly baking; it helps breads come together, pastry to roll and flatbreads to bend. It is the must-have staple of any allergy-friendly storecupboard.

Following the recipes

The recipes in this book are designed to work together – you can choose a selection of dishes from each section within one season and they will blend together to create a harmonious menu. When following the recipes, however, you’ll need to bear in mind that allergy- and intolerance-friendly ingredients often don’t work in the same way as their allergenic counterparts. For example, gluten-free flours are often far more absorbent than wheat flour and so require different quantities of liquids and fats to combine with them. Equally, using sunflower margarine as a replacement for butter is a useful and easy alternative, but margarine is simply a blend of vegetable oils and so when heated or over-whipped, its stability can change and affect the end result. When you cream the margarine and sugar in a baking recipe you should use a wooden spoon and lightly cream the mixture by hand, until incorporated. Beating the mixture too hard or for too long, and/or using an electric whisk, can cause the margarine to separate, which will result in an oily or ‘fried’ texture in your baking.

The particular blends of flours and the other substitutes (whether milk, egg or butter) that I use have been specifically chosen, from personal trial and error, to create the best possible results. For that reason I would always recommend that you use the ingredients suggested as I cannot guarantee the same success if you use your own substitutions. That being said, experimentation certainly helped me, and so if you want to adapt the recipes using your own choice of ingredients, then go right ahead. Just be aware that you may have to adapt other parts of the recipe too.

Cooking notes

Fan oven temperature: if you have a fan oven, please reduce the temperature given in the recipe by 20°C/70°F.

Stocks: if not using homemade, please refer to Products and Stockists for details of intolerance-friendly varieties of fresh stock, stock powder and stock cubes.

Teaspoon/tablespoon measures: 1 teaspoon = 5ml/½fl oz; 1 tablespoon = 15ml/½fl oz.

Spring

Spring imbues us with renewed energy and enthusiasm, and spring cooking should reflect this: we can say goodbye to the rich stews, hearty pies and warming soups of winter and reintroduce colour and crunch to our dishes. The Chicken, Watercress and Quinoa Salad, for instance, offers a lemony zing and seasonal, peppery bite, while the Herbed Lamb on a Bed of Leeks and Cannellini Beans combines tender spring lamb with the mellow flavour of softened leeks to ring in the season. The fresh, tangy theme carries through to the puddings: in the Rhubarb Streusel Tart the intense, sharp flavour of rhubarb is softened by the rich pastry and buttery, ginger crunch of the streusel topping. All the recipes in this section make the most of what’s in season to embody this revitalising time of year.

Carrot and Coriander Soup

Soup is one of life’s nurturers; it both sustains and comforts, warming one in body and soul, whatever the weather. For me, the best soups are the simplest: take some good-quality ingredients and cook them together slowly and you can’t go wrong. This wonderfully vibrant soup is just the thing for a spring lunch; fruity and fragrant, and served with a slice of my Quinoa Bread, it will brighten up any day.

Serves 4–6

—

1½ tbsp olive oil

1 large onion

1 potato (unpeeled)

700g/1½lb carrots

1.2 litres/2 pints vegetable stock

A bunch of coriander

Juice of ½ orange

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pour the olive oil into a large saucepan and place over a medium heat. Roughly chop the onion and add to the oil, cover with a lid and allow it to sweat for 4–5 minutes or until softened and beginning to turn translucent.

Chop the potato into 1cm/½in cubes and add to the onion. Cover again with the lid and cook for around 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the potato has taken on a light sheen and is slightly softened.

Halve the carrots lengthways and chop into half-moon segments, then add to the potato and onion, season with salt and pepper and leave to cook for about 15 minutes, covered but stirring frequently, until the carrots and potato are tender.

Add the stock to the vegetables and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat and allow to cool down slightly. Finely chop the coriander and add it, along with the orange juice, to the soup. Using a hand-held blender or food processor, blitz the soup until smooth and velvety. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then heat through to serve.

Garden Soup

This soup is a variation on one of my mum’s creations. So called because she always uses whatever is freshest and in greatest abundance in the garden, it manages to taste both rich and wonderfully fresh. My mum makes it with chicken stock (homemade, of course) for a satisfying, savoury depth of flavour, but you could use vegetable stock instead. And feel free to play around with whatever is in season: extra leeks, asparagus or spinach are all wonderful additions, although I would avoid adding any of the brassica variety (cabbage, sprouts, broccoli, etc.) as they tend to overpower. Serve hot with my Crusty White Loaf, warmed through, for ultimate satisfaction.

Serves 4

—

2 cloves of garlic

2 sticks of celery

1 leek

1 large red onion

2 carrots

1 potato

1 small sweet potato

1½ tbsp olive oil

1 courgette

100g/3½oz frozen peas

1.2 litres/2 pints chicken or vegetable stock

A small bunch of curly-leaf parsley or watercress

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Finely chop the garlic, celery, leek and onion. Peel the carrots, potato and sweet potato and dice into small chunks. Pour the olive oil into a large saucepan set over a medium heat, cover with a lid and sweat the onion, garlic, leek and celery for 4–5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Season well with salt and pepper, then add the carrots, potato and sweet potato and continue to sweat, with the lid on the pan, for a further 10 minutes or until they begin to soften.

Dice the courgette and add to the vegetables with the peas, then pour over the stock, cover again with the lid and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes.

Finely chop the parsley or watercress and stir into the soup. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes, then, using a hand-held blender or food processor, blitz half of the soup, leaving the rest unpuréed for a chunky-textured finish. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then heat through to serve.

Warm Greek Salad sans Feta

This is one of my favourite salads – a lovely combination of bright colours and intense flavours. Here, the aubergine takes the place of the feta, its tender flesh melding with the sweetness of the peppers, the aroma of the mint and salty tang of the olives. I love to make this when friends come to visit – it’s so simple to prepare but tastes quite complex and is really versatile. Served with a few green leaves and a slice of bread, it makes a refreshing light lunch, but it works equally well as an accompaniment to a larger meal. For a delicious supper menu, it would go wonderfully with my Spring Chicken with Lemon and Herbs and Roasted Sweet Potatoes.

Serves 4

Contains nuts

—

25g/1oz pine nuts

1 red onion

1 red pepper

1 yellow or orange pepper

1 large aubergine

1 clove of garlic

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp soft light brown sugar

½ cucumber

20 cherry tomatoes

15 pitted black olives

A bunch of mint

Juice of ½ lemon

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

Scatter the pine nuts on a baking tray and toast in the oven, turning occasionally to make sure they don’t burn, for 5–6 minutes or until golden brown, then remove and set aside to cool.

Halve the onion, slicing it into thin half-moons, then deseed the peppers and cut lengthways into strips about 5mm/¼in thick. Trim the ends from the aubergine and cut into chunks approximately 2cm/¾in in size. Crush the garlic and place in a large roasting tin with the onion, peppers and aubergine. Drizzle over half the olive oil, tossing to combine, then sprinkle over the sugar and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 25–30 minutes or until all the vegetables are softened and browned around the edges.

Meanwhile, peel the cucumber and cut into 1cm/½in cubes, then halve the cherry tomatoes and black olives. Place in a large serving bowl with the roasted vegetables and mix together. Finely chop the mint and scatter over the salad, along with the toasted pine nuts. Pour over the remaining olive oil and the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste and toss together so that the salad is thoroughly mixed and coated in the dressing. Serve while warm.

Prawn Noodle Rolls with Thai Dipping Sauce

These little rolls are a beautifully packaged treat, perfect for a starter or served as part of a larger spread. They look and taste as though you have gone to a lot of effort but are in fact really simple to make. They have a light and clean flavour, while the combination of the rice noodles, sweet prawns, crunchy cashew nuts and cucumber provides a satisfying bite. The dipping sauce is a necessity and, if you wish, you can add a little to the filling of each roll before closing it. You can find spring roll wrappers in Asian stores or health food shops.

Makes 12 noodle rolls

Contains nuts

—

110g/4oz cucumber

A small bunch of coriander

50g/1¾oz roasted and salted cashew nuts

100g/3½oz fine rice noodles

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

250g/9oz cooked and peeled prawns

12 spring roll wrappers (16cm/6½in in diameter)

For the dipping sauce

1cm/½in piece of root ginger

1 red chilli

A small bunch of coriander

1 tbsp soft light brown sugar

Juice of 2 limes

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

A pinch of sea salt

First prepare the dipping sauce. Peel and finely grate the root ginger, deseed the chilli and finely chop it and the coriander, then mix in a bowl with the remaining ingredients and 3 tablespoons of water. Cover and chill in the fridge until ready to use. (Left covered in the fridge, it will keep for 48 hours.)

Next peel the cucumber and cut into cubes about 5mm/¼in in size, finely chop the coriander and roughly chop the cashew nuts.

Cover the rice noodles in boiling water and leave for as long as instructed on the packet (usually around 10 minutes). Once soft and pliable, drain and place in a large bowl. Pour over the toasted sesame oil, then add the prawns, cucumber, coriander and cashew nuts and mix together until combined.

Prepare the spring roll wrappers by immersing each in cold water for a few seconds and then placing on a clean tea towel for 1 minute to allow it to soften.

Transfer each softened wrapper to a chopping board and spoon about 2 tablespoons of the rice noodles and prawns along the centre of the wrapper. Fold in two opposing sides of the wrapper and then fold over one of the remaining sides to cover the filling by about a third. Continue to roll the wrapper so that the filling is completely enclosed. Set aside on a plate and continue this process with each sheet of rice paper until you have made all of the noodle rolls.

You can then either serve the rolls immediately with the dipping sauce or cover and refrigerate for a few hours until ready to serve.

Falafel with Parsley and Tomato Salad

I simply adore falafel – dense, fragrant and completely moreish. A perfect treat when served as a starter, they are equally wonderful as part of a larger feast – my Honey-baked Leg of Lamb and Persian Jewelled Quinoa spring to mind. I like to serve them with a tomato and parsley salad – a variation on the Middle Eastern tradition of serving a bowlful of mixed fresh herbs with a meal. I think it lends the perfect bite and contrast to the softly spiced falafel. A dab of houmous wouldn’t go amiss either.

Serves 4

—

1 white onion

1 clove of garlic

1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

½ tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp chilli powder

2 tbsp gluten-free plain

flour (ideally Doves Farm)

2 tbsp groundnut or rapeseed oil

For the salad

A very large bunch of flat-leaf parsley

2 ripe tomatoes

½ red onion

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Finely chop the onion and crush the garlic, then place in a food processor with the chickpeas, sea salt and spices and blitz until you have a rough paste. Tip the mixture into a bowl, cover and chill in the fridge for up to an hour or until firm.

Scoop up a tablespoonful of the chickpea mixture and, using the palms of your hands, carefully form it into a small round cake, approximately 2.5cm/1in in diameter. Repeat with the rest of the mixture to form about twelve falafel, then coat lightly and evenly in the flour and return to the fridge until ready to fry.

Next prepare the salad, first trimming the stalks from the parsley. Skin the tomatoes by placing them in a bowl, covering in boiling water and leaving for 1 minute. Drain and carefully peel away the tomato skins (they should slide off with ease), then slice in half, scoop out the seeds and finely dice the flesh. Dice the onion and combine in a bowl with the tomatoes and parsley leaves. Drizzle with the olive oil, season well with salt and pepper and toss lightly.

Heat the groundnut or rapeseed oil in a heavy-based frying pan and fry the falafel over a medium heat for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden all over – you may have to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your pan. Serve while hot with a handful of the fragrant parsley and tomato salad.

Chicken, Watercress and Quinoa Salad

This salad is light and crisp with a wonderful lemony, garlic zing. I love the combination of peppery watercress, succulent roast chicken and savoury quinoa. It is actually a very simple dish to create, especially if you are using leftover chicken, making it ideal to cook the day after roasting a chicken. You could even strip the meat from the chicken and then boil up the carcass with a few vegetables and a bouquet garni for some fabulous, homemade stock – perfect for using to cook the quinoa.

Serves 4

Contains nuts

—

2 cloves of garlic

150g/5oz watercress

Grated zest of 1 lemon and juice of ½ lemon

175g/6oz quinoa

500ml/18fl oz chicken or vegetable stock

200g/7oz frozen peas

50g/1¾oz unsalted cashew nuts

350g/12oz cooked chicken

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel the garlic and blitz in a food processor with the watercress and lemon zest until very finely chopped.

Place the quinoa in a saucepan and pour over the stock, then cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to its lowest temperature and leave to simmer very gently for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, lift the lid and add the peas, then re-cover and cook for a further 5 minutes or until all of the stock has been absorbed by the quinoa. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool down.

In a heavy-based frying pan, dry-fry the cashew nuts over a medium–high heat for 3–4 minutes or until golden, shaking the pan regularly to ensure that they don’t burn. Remove from the heat and season well with salt and pepper.

Next cut the chicken into small cubes, approximately 1cm/½in in size. Once the quinoa has cooled, fluff up with a fork and transfer to a large serving bowl. Gently stir in the watercress paste, add the chicken and cashew nuts, pour over the lemon juice and olive oil and season well with salt and pepper to taste. Toss thoroughly until well mixed and then serve.

Chicken with Orange, Fennel and Olives

I love the combination of oranges and olives – they seem made for one another, adding the kind of bright flavour to a dish that conjures up images of their sun-baked, Mediterranean origins. I recommend serving this with steamed white basmati rice, all the better to absorb the wonderful juices that pool around the roasted chicken and fennel. In addition to the rice, you could serve it with a green salad mixed with fresh herbs, although it would work equally well with wilted spinach or kale with perhaps a splash of garlic oil.

Serves 4

—

1 large red onion

2 fennel bulbs

2 cloves of garlic

A small bunch of curly-leaf parsley

3 tbsp olive oil

Grated zest of 1 orange and juice of ½ orange

4 skinless chicken breasts

100g/3½oz pitted black olives

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

First prepare the vegetables. Halve the onion and slice into thin half-moons, then trim the fennel bulbs and cut widthways into thin rounds. Crush the garlic and finely chop the parsley.

Combine 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the orange juice in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Using a sharp knife and cutting to a depth of 5mm/¼in, score each chicken breast diagonally three times (this will help the meat to cook evenly). Place in the orange marinade, stirring each breast in the mixture to ensure it is thoroughly coated, and set aside for at least 30 minutes.

In a large ovenproof dish or roasting tin, combine the onion, garlic, fennel, orange zest and olives with the remaining olive oil. Mix thoroughly, season well with salt and pepper and place in the oven to cook for 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven, stir well and then place the chicken breasts on top of the fennel and onions. Season lightly with salt and pepper and return to the oven to bake for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and, when pierced with a skewer, the juices run clear. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve while hot, on a bed of white basmati rice.

Chicken Rogan Josh

Rogan josh is one of those versatile curries that can be adapted to suit your palate. By that I mean that if you like your curries hot, rogan josh lends itself to the addition of a few extra chillies without losing any of its complexity of flavour. There is something reassuring about a sauce made of tomatoes and onions; it can really hold its own with a whole array of herbs and spices, while the ground almonds, when cooked, add a buttery note to the curry that enhances the whole dish.

Serves 4

Contains nuts

—

6 skinless and boneless

chicken thighs

2 red onions

3 cloves of garlic

1 red chilli (or more if you prefer)

2 large tomatoes

3 cardamom pods

2 tbsp groundnut or rapeseed oil

1 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp soft light brown sugar

A good pinch of sea salt

1 tbsp tomato purée

1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

5 tbsp ground almonds

1 tsp garam masala

A small bunch of coriander

Begin by cutting the chicken thighs widthways into slices about 1cm/½in thick. Halve the onions, slicing them into thin half-moons, crush the garlic and slice the chilli (or chillies) into fine rounds, keeping the seeds. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and crush the cardamom pods with the flat side of a knife.

Heat the groundnut or rapeseed oil in a heavy-based saucepan, add the onions and sauté gently over a medium heat for 5–6 minutes or until soft but not browned. Stir in the chilli powder, cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, ginger, sugar, crushed cardamom pods and salt. Cook the spices for a minute or two or until fragrant, then add the tomato purée, garlic and fresh chilli, and continue to sauté for a further 2–3 minutes.

Add the chicken and mix in thoroughly so that all the pieces are coated in the spice mixture. Pour over the chopped tomatoes, along with 150ml/5fl oz water, and add the tomato quarters. Cover with a lid, then bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

Once the curry is cooked, stir in the ground almonds and garam masala and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Finely chop the coriander, sprinkle over the top of the rogan josh and serve with steamed white basmati rice.

Lemon and Cashew Nut Rice

This mildly spiced rice is ideal for serving alongside any of the curries in this book. Indeed, it provides a fresh and zesty accompaniment to any Indian meal.

Serves 4

Contains nuts

—

50g/1¾oz unsalted

cashew nuts

½ tbsp groundnut or rapeseed oil 175g/6oz white basmati rice

½ tsp turmeric

A bunch of coriander

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a heavy-based frying pan, dry-fry the cashew nuts over a medium–high heat for 3–4 minutes or until golden, shaking the pan regularly to ensure they don’t burn. Remove from the heat, season with salt and set aside to cool.

Pour the groundnut or rapeseed oil into a large saucepan and place over a medium heat. Add the rice and turmeric and gently fry for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Pour over 500ml/18fl oz water, cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and leave the rice to simmer for 10–15 minutes or until all of the water has been absorbed and the rice is fluffy.

Remove from the heat and leave to stand for a minute or two before fluffing up with a fork. Finely chop the coriander and stir into the rice with the toasted cashews, lemon juice and zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste and then serve.

Roasted Redcurrant Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary New Potatoes

If I were to be scrupulously honest, I would say that this is really a cheat’s version of a Sunday roast, with all of the flavour but half the work. It really is none the worse for it, however, and can transform a springtime supper or lunch into a time-saving delight for the senses. One of the beauties of this dish is that you cook it all together, not only bypassing the faff of having a numbers of pots and pans on the go, but also allowing the flavours of the dish to mesh in a beautifully fragrant way. Once the chicken is in the oven, you could lightly dress a fresh herb and baby-leaf salad to accompany it while sipping from a glass of something lovely – the perfect way to cook.

Serves 4

—

5 cloves of garlic

A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp redcurrant jelly

Grated zest of 1 lemon and 2 tbsp lemon juice

4 skinless chicken breasts

450g/1lb new potatoes

4 sprigs of rosemary

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Crush just two of the cloves of garlic and finely chop the parsley, then add to a large bowl, mixing them with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the redcurrant jelly and lemon zest and juice.

Using a sharp knife and cutting to a depth of about 1cm/½in, score each chicken breast diagonally 3–4 times. Place the chicken in the bowl with the marinade, turning each breast in the mixture to ensure it is thoroughly coated and the marinade penetrates the cuts in the meat. Season well with salt and pepper, then cover the bowl and leave for a minimum of 30 minutes to absorb the flavours.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.

Halve the potatoes and place in a large roasting tin with the remaining olive oil, whole garlic cloves and the sprigs of rosemary. Season well with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 20–25 minutes.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and reduce the temperature to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Place the chicken breasts in the roasting tin so that they are resting on top of the potatoes. Pour over the remaining marinade and return to the oven for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Spring Chicken with Lemon and Herbs and Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This is a beautiful spring dish, simple to make but packed full of flavour. I like to serve it with a large salad of fresh lettuce leaves: red oak, rocket, cos and radicchio are all perfect. Equally, a pea and green bean salad would make a great accompaniment.

Serves 4

—

1 x 1.6kg/3½lb chicken

1kg/2lb 3oz sweet potatoes

3 tbsp olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the herb rub

3 cloves of garlic

A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley

A small bunch of marjoram

Leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme

2 tbsp dairy-free margarine (ideally Pure Sunflower Spread)

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon (reserving the juiced halves) and finely chopped peel of ½ lemon

1 tbsp English mustard (1 heaped tbsp mustard powder mixed with 1 tbsp water)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 240°C/475°F/gas mark 9.

Make the herb rub by first crushing the garlic and finely chopping the parsley and marjoram. Mix them together in a bowl with the thyme leaves, margarine, lemon zest and peel and mustard, seasoning well with salt and pepper.

Using a spoon, carefully lift the skin of the chicken from around its cavity and, with your hands, push the lemon and herb rub underneath the skin, spreading over the chicken as far and as evenly as you can without breaking the skin. Place the chicken in a large roasting tin, stuffing the cavity with the leftover lemon halves, then pour the lemon juice over the whole chicken and season well with salt and pepper.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into large chunks, approximately 5cm/2in in size. Surround the chicken with the sweet potatoes and pour over the olive oil.

Place in the oven, immediately reducing the temperature to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7, and roast for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the chicken is golden and, when pierced with a skewer, the juices run clear. (Always test the meat of the thigh rather than the breast as it is the slowest to cook.) If you feel the chicken or sweet potatoes are browning too quickly, then cover with foil for the remaining cooking time.

Once roasted, remove from the oven, cover with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Herbed Lamb on a Bed of Leeks and Cannellini Beans

This recipe is perfect for spring, with all the wonderful fresh lamb that is available at this time of year. The ingredients are so simple, yet produce a classic combination of texture and flavour – the rich meat with the tender, tangy leeks and the creamy bite of the cannellini beans. This dish makes a meal in itself, but it’s also delicious served with lightly crushed Jersey Royal new potatoes, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt.

Serves 4

—

350g/12oz leeks

5 cloves of garlic

A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley

Leaves from 2 sprigs of rosemary

3 tbsp olive oil

4 lamb chops or 8 lamb cutlets

2 x 400g tins of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp soft light brown sugar

150ml/5fl oz chicken or vegetable stock

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

Halve the leeks lengthways and slice into thin half-moons, then crush the garlic and finely chop the parsley. Place the leeks in a large roasting tin or ovenproof dish, add the crushed garlic and the rosemary leaves and pour over the olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper and mix together thoroughly. Level out the leeks so that they form an even layer and then place the lamb chops or cutlets on top, spacing them evenly apart.

Cover loosely with foil and cook in the oven for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and discard the foil. Scatter the cannellini beans over the leeks and gently mix together. Stir the sugar into the stock and pour over the lamb, leeks and beans, then return to the oven for 20–25 minutes or until the lamb is cooked through and tender.

Scatter the chopped parsley over a chopping board, then transfer the lamb chops or cutlets to the board, gently rolling the outside rim of each chop in the parsley to coat it. Serve the lamb resting on a large pile of the leeks and cannellini beans with the juices from the tin drizzled over.

Honey-baked Leg of Lamb

This is such a glorious recipe, the lamb coated in a creamy spiced marinade that soaks into the meat and chars on cooking, producing the most divine combination of flavours. It's a great dish to serve friends and family as it looks so wonderfully generous placed on the table and carved for each person. You could serve it for a dinner party or as part of a more relaxed spread. The Persian Jewelled Quinoa lends just the right body and texture to the overall dish. Add a green salad and a large bowl of houmous and I, for one, am in heaven!

Serves 4

—

5 cloves of garlic

250ml/9fl oz oat cream, chilled

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp chilli flakes

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp runny honey

1 x 1kg/2lb 3oz boned leg of lamb

Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.

Begin by crushing the garlic, then make the marinade by mixing this with the oat cream, lemon juice, chilli, cumin, sea salt, olive oil and honey. (It helps if the oat cream has been chilled first as it thickens up and acts like yoghurt.)

Lay the boned leg out flat, fat side down to begin with. Using a sharp knife, trim the lamb to make it level, scoring and cutting the joint if necessary, so that you end up with a flat piece of meat, reasonably even in thickness. Spread the marinade over both sides of the meat, working it into all the corners and cuts.

Lay the lamb on a rack in a large roasting tin and bake in the oven for 30–35 minutes. This will produce meat that is slightly pink in the middle, so cook it for an extra 5–10 minutes if you prefer it well done. The spiced cream will make a fragrant crust which may scorch during cooking, but don’t worry as this only adds to the flavour.

Once cooked, remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes, then slice into thick wedges and serve with the Persian Jewelled Quinoa.

Chicken and Apricot Tagine

Like most spiced dishes, tagines benefit from being made the day before and then heated through the following day, allowing time for their flavour to develop properly. ‘Tagine’ refers both to the earthenware pot – a traditional north African cooking vessel with a distinctive conical lid – and to the food cooked in it, the spices and juices of the ingredients amalgamating to produce meat that is intensely flavoured and meltingly tender. If you don’t possess a tagine, then a casserole dish with a fitted lid will do just as well.

Serves 4

Contains nuts

—

30g/1¼oz pine nuts

2 red onions

150g/5oz soft dried apricots

A bunch of coriander

4 skinless chicken breasts

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground cinnamon

425ml/15fl oz chicken or vegetable stock

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

You will need a tagine or heavy-based casserole dish with a lid for this recipe

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

Scatter the pine nuts on a baking tray and toast in the oven, turning them occasionally to make sure they don’t burn, for 5–6 minutes or until golden brown, then remove and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, halve the onions, slicing them into thin half-moons, then halve the dried apricots and finely chop the coriander. Cut up the chicken breasts into 2.5cm/1in cubes.

Heat the olive oil in the tagine or casserole dish and gently fry the onions over a medium heat for 5–6 minutes or until softened but not browned. Turn the heat up slightly and add the spices and the diced chicken. Season with salt and pepper and stir to coat evenly, cooking for a minute or so before pouring over the stock.

Cover with a lid and bring to the boil, then transfer to the oven to cook for 15 minutes. Add the apricots and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes. Remove the lid and stir well, then return to the oven and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until the chicken and the apricots are tender and the sauce has reduced to a thickened gravy. When ready to serve, sprinkle with the chopped coriander and toasted pine nuts before spooning on top of the Herb Quinoa.

Persian Jewelled Quinoa

So called for its Middle Eastern origins and the jewel-like, sweet sultanas it contains, this dish makes a delicious accompaniment to roasted meats or served cold as part of a selection of salads. I have used golden sultanas in this recipe but replacing them with dried apricots, chopped to roughly the same size as the sultanas, works equally well.

Serves 4

Contains nuts

—

50g/1¾oz pine nuts

50g/1¾oz golden sultanas or chopped dried apricots

175g/6oz quinoa

500ml/18fl oz vegetable stock

A bunch of coriander

A bunch of mint

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a heavy-based frying pan, dry-fry the pine nuts over a medium– high heat for 3–4 minutes or until golden, shaking the pan regularly to ensure that they don’t burn. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Cover the sultanas in boiling water and leave for 20 minutes – this will soften them and remove any yeast that may be on the outside. When softened, drain and set aside. If you are using apricots, then you don’t need to soak them.

Place the quinoa in a large saucepan and pour over the stock, then cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for about 15 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all the stock.

Finely chop the coriander and mint. Using a fork, fluff up the cooked quinoa, then place in a large serving bowl, add all the remaining ingredients, season with salt and pepper and mix together.

Herb Quinoa

Bursting with flavour, this dish is perfect for serving with the Chicken and Apricot Tagine, but it also works equally well as an accompaniment to grilled meats or mixed with roasted vegetables. Feel free to use a combination of different herbs in this salad; almost anything works, except perhaps the woodier herbs such as rosemary and thyme.

Serves 4

—

175g/6oz quinoa

500ml/18fl oz vegetable or chicken stock

A bunch of fresh coriander

A bunch of fresh parsley

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Add the quinoa to a large saucepan and pour over the stock, then cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the stock has been completely absorbed.

While the quinoa is cooking, finely chop the fresh herbs and set aside. Fluff up the cooked quinoa with a fork and then add the chopped herbs, season with salt and pepper and mix together thoroughly. Serve while hot.

Lamb Korma

This curry has a mild flavour and, although not heavy on the chilli, the blend of spices gives it a real intensity, while the ground cashew nuts produce an amazingly velvety and light sauce. I love the combination of lamb with this sauce, but chicken would work just as well. Equally, it really lends itself to being converted to a vegetarian version – potatoes or butternut squash with cauliflower, spinach and peas. Like all good curries, it is best made the day before so that the flavours have a chance to really develop. Simply heat through when you are ready to eat and add the fresh coriander to serve.

Serves 4

Contains nuts

—

4 cloves of garlic

2.5cm/1in piece of root ginger

2 white onions

3 cardamom pods

3 tbsp groundnut or rapeseed oil

2.5cm/1in cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp chilli powder

2 tsp tomato purée

500g/1lb 2oz diced lamb, trimmed of excess fat

150ml/5fl oz oat cream

25g/1oz unsalted cashew nuts

A small bunch of coriander

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Crush the garlic and peel and finely grate the ginger, then mix together and set aside. Finely chop the onions and crush the cardamom pods with the flat side of a knife. Heat the groundnut or rapeseed oil in a large heavy-based saucepan, add the onion, cinnamon stick, cardamom and bay leaves and gently fry over a low heat for 8–10 minutes or until the onion is soft but not browned.

Add the ginger and garlic, along with the ground coriander, turmeric, chilli and tomato purée. Mix well and then continue to fry over a low heat for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the lamb, season well with salt and pepper and mix together so that the lamb is fully coated in the spices. Pour in the oat cream and cover with a lid, then bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 30 minutes or until the lamb is tender.

Meanwhile, using a mortar and pestle, grind the cashew nuts with 2–4 tablespoons of water until you have a smooth and creamy paste. Once the lamb is cooked, scoop out the cinnamon stick and bay leaves and mix in the cashew paste, then raise the heat and simmer for a further couple of minutes. Roughly chop the coriander, stalks and all, and sprinkle over the korma ready to serve on a pile of Lemon and Cashew Nut Rice.

Penne with Hot-smoked Salmon in a Garlic Cream Sauce

Slow-roasting garlic cloves until they are tender, sweet and gooey is a sure-fire way to add glorious flavour to a dish. You can stir them into mashed potato, or spread them on warmed bread with a drizzle of olive oil. But I like them best stirred into a cream sauce, as in this recipe. The flavours of the hot-smoked salmon and garden peas mingle with the rich cream sauce, the garlic offset by the lemon zest, to make the perfect springtime supper dish.

Serves 4

—

1 bulb of garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

250g/9oz hot-smoked salmon

A bunch of curly-leaf parsley

400g/14oz gluten-free penne

200g/7oz frozen peas

250ml/9fl oz oat cream

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5.

Peel away any loose papery skin from the outside of the garlic bulb, then slice off the top, about 5mm/¼in down from the tip, so that the inside of the bulb is left partially exposed. Place on a baking tray, chopped side up, pour over the olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the garlic cloves are soft and give when gently squeezed. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down slightly. When cool enough to handle, carefully squeeze out each clove from its casing and set aside.

Meanwhile, put a large saucepan of salted water on to boil. Peel the skin from the salmon and flake into small pieces. Finely chop the parsley and set aside. Once the water is boiling, add the penne to the pan and cook until al dente following the instructions on the packet – usually 10–12 minutes, depending on the brand of pasta. Add the peas to the water for the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Pour the oat cream into another large pan and add the roasted garlic cloves and lemon zest. Season well with salt and pepper and then whisk the mixture over a low heat until the garlic – which will be rich and gooey – is amalgamated into the sauce. Increase the heat so that the sauce begins to bubble lightly and continue to cook for 2 minutes or until heated through.

Drain the penne and peas and tip into the garlic cream sauce. Add the flaked salmon and continue to cook for a minute or two, stirring the mixture together very carefully and giving the pan a shake so that the pasta and sauce combine. Serve while hot, sprinkled with the chopped parsley.

Spaghetti with Asparagus and Lemon Pesto

I have long thought that asparagus and lemon go gloriously well together. I like the way asparagus can hold its own among stronger flavours, its distinctive clean yet savoury taste allowing it to stand alone while still blending in with the crowd. This spaghetti dish is really just an extension of my love for homemade pesto. I’ve added a little lemon zest to the pesto to bring out the flavours and to offset the creamy taste and texture of the spaghetti.

Serves 4

Contains nuts

—

400g/14oz gluten-free spaghetti

Sea salt

For the pesto

100g/3½oz pine nuts

200g/7oz asparagus spears

1 small clove of garlic

Grated zest of ½ lemon

5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a heavy-based frying pan, dry-fry the pine nuts for the pesto over a medium–high heat for 3–4 minutes or until golden, shaking the pan regularly to ensure that they don’t burn. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

First snap off the woody ends of the asparagus by gently bending each spear between your fingers. The asparagus will start to give in one particular spot close to the base, allowing you to snap it easily at that point. Discard the woody ends and steam or boil the asparagus tips for about 4 minutes or until tender to the point of a knife. Refresh in cold, running water (to prevent further cooking) and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the spaghetti and cook until al dente following the instructions on the packet – usually 10–12 minutes, depending on the brand of pasta.

While the spaghetti is cooking, make the pesto. Crush the garlic and then place the toasted pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the asparagus, lemon zest, garlic and olive oil, season well with salt and pepper and continue to pulse until you have a slightly rough paste. Season again to taste and set aside.

Once the spaghetti is cooked, drain and then return it to the pan. Tip in the fresh pesto and stir it into the hot spaghetti until it is fully coated. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil and serve.

Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry

I truly adore vegetable curries. In many ways they are so much better than their meat counterparts, especially when you are cooking with starchy vegetables such as sweet potato, parsnip or squash. They have the ability to soak up all the intensity of flavour while providing a glorious texture at the same time. This curry is both warming and rich, made wholly comforting by the tender sweet potato, creamy coconut and tangy spinach. I recommend serving it with a bowl of steamed basmati rice, a salad of onion, coriander and tomatoes, some sliced bananas dressed in lemon juice and a few crisp poppadoms.

Serves 4

Contains nuts

—

1kg/2lb 3oz sweet potatoes

4 cloves of garlic

1 large onion

1 large tomato

1 red chilli

A bunch of coriander

3 tsp ground coriander

3 tsp turmeric

2 tsp ground cumin

3 tbsp groundnut or rapeseed oil

150ml/5fl oz vegetable stock

200ml/7fl oz coconut milk

100g/3½oz spinach

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

Peel the sweet potatoes and chop into 4cm/1½in chunks. Crush the garlic and roughly chop the onion and tomato, then deseed the red chilli and finely chop both this and the fresh coriander.

Place the sweet potatoes in a large roasting tin, along with the ground spices and 2 tablespoons of the groundnut or rapeseed oil, season with salt and pepper and mix together until the sweet potatoes are well coated. Roast in the oven for 35–40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are soft and tender and slightly caramelised at the edges.

While they are cooking, pour the remaining oil into a large saucepan, add the onion, garlic and chilli, and then fry on the lowest heat for 8–10 minutes or until softened but not browned.

Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and add to the onion mixture in the pan. Pour over the vegetable stock and coconut milk and stir together gently. Add the spinach and chopped tomato to the curry, then cover the saucepan with a lid and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until the spinach has completely wilted. Taste, adding a little salt and pepper, if necessary, before serving.

Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry

In this irresistible curry, the yielding texture of cauliflower mingles with the iron-rich tang of spinach, while chickpeas add body and bite to the dish, all enveloped in an aromatic coconut sauce. Perfect served with Lemon and Cashew Nut Rice and perhaps a poppadom or two.

Serves 4

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2 cloves of garlic

2 red onions

4 large tomatoes

1 small cauliflower

1 red chilli

250g/9oz spinach

3 tbsp groundnut or rapeseed oil

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 x 200g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

300ml/½ pint coconut milk

1 tbsp garam masala

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Begin by finely chopping the garlic and onions. Place the tomatoes in a bowl, cover in boiling water and leave to stand for 1 minute, then drain and gently peel away the skins (they should slide off with ease) before chopping into quarters. Trim any excess stalk left on the base of the cauliflower and remove the outer leaves, then cut into small individual florets – no bigger than 3–5cm/1–2in in size. Finely chop the chilli, retaining the seeds, and set all the prepared vegetables aside.

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, then immerse the spinach and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse the spinach briefly under cold, running water, lightly squeeze out any excess water from the leaves (taking care as they can be very hot) and then whiz to a coarse purée in a food processor or using a hand-held blender. Alternatively, you could chop the spinach by hand until very finely pulped.

Heat the groundnut or rapeseed oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan and add the onion, garlic, chilli, cumin seeds, ground coriander, chickpeas and a good pinch of salt. Sauté over a medium heat for 10 minutes or until the onion has softened but not browned. Add the cauliflower florets, tomatoes and coconut milk to the pan, cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 30 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender to the point of a knife.

Stir in the puréed spinach and the garam masala, heat through for a couple of minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Spiced Spinach and Aubergine Stew

This is a wonderfully fragrant dish, full of warming spices and complex flavours. I like to serve it with brown basmati rice and a good dollop of houmous. I have used baby-leaf spinach for this recipe as it is more delicately textured and flavoured; you can use the larger-leaf variety, but I would recommend that you remove any tough stalks and chop it roughly before adding to the aubergine and tomato.

Serves 4

—

1 large onion

3 aubergines

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp ground cinnamon

100g/3½oz soft dried apricots

1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

100g/3½oz baby-leaf spinach

Sea salt and freshly

ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

Finely chop the onion and dice the aubergines into 1cm/½in chunks. Place the diced aubergine in a roasting tin, cover with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and roast in the oven for 25 minutes or until soft and golden.

While the aubergine is cooking, place the cumin and coriander seeds in a heavy-based frying pan and dry-fry over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes, shaking the pan regularly to ensure they don’t burn, until lightly smoking and fragrant. Remove from the heat and grind to a coarse powder using a pestle and mortar. Alternatively, place in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.

Heat the remaining oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan and fry the onion over a medium heat for 5–6 minutes or until soft but not browned. Add the freshly ground cumin and coriander, along with the paprika and cinnamon, and mix into the onion. Cut the apricots into quarters and add these and the roasted aubergine to the pan, then pour over the chopped tomatoes and stir to combine. Cover the pan with a lid and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove the lid from the pan, add the spinach and stir it in. Cook for a few more minutes until the spinach has completely wilted, then season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Rhubarb Streusel Tart

Glorious rhubarb, I am a fan of it in all its guises, whether in crumbles, pies or fools, but this streusel tart may just be my favourite. The biscuit base gives way to the tang of sweet-sharp rhubarb, while the streusel topping provides a buttery, oat crunch with a hint of warming ginger – a spice that just adores rhubarb. Serve warm with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream.

Serves 8

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6 sticks of rhubarb

25g/1oz soft light brown sugar

1 quantity of sweet Shortcrust Pastry

For the streusel topping

75g/3oz gluten-free plain flour (ideally Doves Farm)

¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1½ tsp ground ginger

A small pinch of sea salt

75g/3oz soft light brown sugar

50g/1¾oz jumbo porridge oats

75g/3oz Pure Sunflower Spread (dairy-free margarine)

You will need a 23cm/9in tart tin with a removable base for this recipe

Trim the rhubarb and cut into 1cm/½in rounds. Place in a large saucepan with the sugar, cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes or until the rhubarb has softened and become gently stewed. Set aside to cool a little while you prepare the streusel topping.

Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger and salt into a large bowl and stir in the sugar and oats. Add the margarine and, using your fingers, rub it in until the mixture forms soft, crumble-like clumps.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5.

Roll out the pastry and fill the tart tin following the instructions given in the Shortcrust Pastry recipe.

Using a slotted spoon so that any excess juice can drain away, spoon in the stewed rhubarb, spreading it evenly over the base of the tart and discarding the remaining liquid.

Crumble the streusel topping evenly over the tart, pressing down gently with your fingertips to fill any large gaps, then bake in the oven for 35–40 minutes or until the streusel is a deep gold and the pastry is cooked. Leave the tart in its tin on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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