Minestrone
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 peppers chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 celery sticks
- 250g chopped tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 30g chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- 150g tomato puree (most tubes are 200g)
- 2 x 400g tins of chickpeas
- 1.6 litres vegetable/chicken stock
- Sea salt
- Cracked black pepper
Method
Prepare all the ingredients this will make cooking a smooth ride.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot once its hot add the garlic and all the chopped vegetables along with a pinch of salt. Cook off for 20 minutes giving it an occasional stir.
Next pour in the stock, add the tomato puree, bay leaves, thyme and dried oregano. Stir to combine, bring to the boil and let simmer for 15 minutes.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add to the pot along with the fresh parsley. Turn the heat off and leave covered for a further 5 minutes.
Makes 6-8 portions
Chicken and vegetable soup
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 4 chicken thighs
- 1 white onion
- 2 celery sticks
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 carrots
- Half a head of broccoli
- 90g cashew nuts/ A little cream
- 2tbsp chopped fresh herbs (thyme/sage/rosemary)
- 1tsp white pepper
- Sea salt
- Cracked black pepper
- 1.5-2 litres Chicken stock
- A handful of chopped fresh parsley
Drizzle the chicken thighs with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook at 200 in a preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the skin is golden and the juices run clear. If you have left over roast chicken, it would be perfect for this.
Roughly chop all ingredients. Heat the oil in a pot. Cook off the onion, celery and garlic until it begins to soften and the onions become translucent.
Add in the carrots, broccoli, cashew nuts (if using) and herbs. Leave half of the parsley for later.
Toss the ingredients together until the herbs become fragrant. Add about 1.5 litres of stock, bring to the boil and simmer until the vegetables are cooked about 10-15 minutes.
Take out about a third of the vegetables using a slotted spoon and set aside. Blend the soup using a hand blender blitz until smooth. Season with salt, black and white pepper. Stir in the rest of the chopped parsley.
Add the vegetables that were taken out. Remove the skin from the chicken thighs and shred the meat using 2 forks. Get rid of the bone or you can save to make stock. Add the lovely tender meat to the soup stir and enjoy.
Salmon poke bowl
Ingredients
- 4 salmon darnes
- 2tbsp sesame oil
- 3tbsp soy sauce
- 1tbsp honey
- 2 limes
- 400g cooked rice (100g per person)
- 400g Sweet potato peeled and cubed
- ½ small red cabbage
- ½ cucumber
- 200g Edamame beans
- 4tbsp sesame seeds
- 1tbs wasabi
- 3tbsp mayonnaise
Method
Mix the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, juice and zest of 1 lime together in a small bowl. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes. Place the salmon on a lined tray and pour the mix over each piece cook in a preheated oven at 180 for 15 minutes. Add the sweet potato cubes to the tray after 5 minutes.
Let the edamame beans defrost. Slice the red cabbage as thinly as possible and chop the cucumber into bite sized chunks.
For the dressing mix the wasabi, mayonnaise and lime juice together. Add a little water to loosen if needed.
To toast the sesame seeds add them to a hot dry (no oil) pan and keep tossing until they become coloured. Toasting the seeds will revive them and bring out their natural oils and flavour.
Divide all ingredients into 4 portions, ideally serve in a bowl and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Dress just before eating/ serving. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Can be served hot or cold.
Makes 4 portions
Seasonal Harvest bowl
Ingredients
2x 400g tins of cooked lentils
- 4 handfuls of kale
- 1 small celeriac
- 2 carrots
- 2 parsnips
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
- Cracked black pepper
- 1tbsp smoked paprika
- 1tsp garlic granules
- 2tsp dried oregano
- 100g feta cheese
- 4 pita breads
- A handful of olives (pitted)
For the herb and garlic dressing:
- 1tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 crushed garlic clove
- 2tbsp lemon juice
- 1tbsp lemon zest
- 2tbsp fresh herbs (parsley/basil/thyme)
- Sea salt
- 1tsp mustard
- 100g olive oil
Method
Rinse and drain the lentils then set aside. For the kale remove the leaves from the spine, roughly chop. Drizzle with olive oil and a little salt and massage for a minute and leave. Massaging will leave the leaves perfectly tender and ready to eat,
Peel and chop the celeriac, parsnips and carrots into bite sized chunks. Drizzle with olive oil and the seasonings. Smoked paprika, garlic granules and dried oregano. Bake at 180 for 25 minutes. After 20 minutes take out the tray and crumble the feta on top. Place the pita breads on the lower tray and bake for a further 5 minutes.
Make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients and then blitz together using a hand blender. Taste and then add more salt or pepper to taste.
To serve divide up all of the ingredients between 4 bowls. Add pitta and dressing just before serving.
Roast tomato sauce
Ingredients
- 800g fresh tomatoes (the best you can afford)
- 2 onions
- 1 bulb of garlic
- 1 handful of fresh herbs (thyme/rosemary/oregano)
- Sea salt
- Cracked black pepper
- Olive oil
- 1 400g of tomatoes
- 2tbsp tomato puree
- 1tsp honey/sugar
- 400ml vegetable stock
Method
Roughly chop the tomatoes, onions, garlic and herbs. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, cracked black pepper and herbs.
Bake at 190 in a pre-heated oven at 190 for 1hr 10 minutes. Give a little toss halfway through.
Take out and season with salt and pepper. Add the tin of tomatoes, vegetable stock and honey/sugar.
Blitz using a hand blender. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Family Chilli con carne
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 peppers chopped
- 1tbsp smoked paprika
- 1tbsp coriander
- 1tbsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 800g 5% ground mince
- 1tbsp tomato puree
- 1 400g tin of tomatoes
- 100g frozen sweetcorn
- 100g kidney beans
- 400ml beef stock
- 30g fresh chopped coriander
- Sea salt
- Cracked black pepper
Method
Heat the olive oil in a medium sized pan add the onion, peppers and garlic and cook of for 5 minutes. Add the spices and cook for a further 3 minutes. If the pan becomes dry add a little water.
Add the mince to the pan and gently break up using a wooden spatula or spoon. This will make the meat tender. Keep breaking up and moving in the pan for 6 minutes.
Drain and rinse the sweetcorn and kidney beans. Add them both to the mince as well as the tin of tomatoes, beef stock. Bring to the boil and let simmer for approximately 20- 25 minutes.
Finish off with chopped fresh coriander and adjust seasoning to taste.
Cowboy pie- top with mashed potato and cheese and bake for 20 minutes in the oven
Chilli con Carne serve with rice
Burritos - Roll up chilli in a wrap with rice, cheese, guacamole, salsa and serve.
Burrito bowl - all of the above but substitute the wrap with lettuce in a bowl.
Enchiladas - Make up a wrap using the chilli, top with a tomato sauce and grated cheese. Bake in the oven and serve alongside rice.
Nachos - Serve the chilli on a bed of tortilla chips along with some grated cheese and melt under heat. Then top with salsa, guacamole, sour cream and freshly chopped coriander.