Ingredients:
10oz tomatoes
3 shallots - finely chopped
1/2 a stick of celery - finely chopped
1/2 a red pepper - finely chopped
3/4pt vegetable stock (I used one stock cube)
1tbsp tomato puree
100ml single cream
Method:
Plunge the tomatoes into boiling water for one minute, drain, then remove and discard the skins
Place the tomatoes into a blender/chopper and blend for a few seconds until smooth
Place the finely chopped shallots, celery and pepper into a saucepan with a small amount of boiling water and cook for a few minutes to soften
Add the tomatoes and vegetable stock, bring up to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes
Add in the tomato puree and continue to simmer for a further 5 minutes
Remove from the heat and blend/liquidise the soup until smooth
Return to a clean pan, add in the single cream and heat through gently, don't boil
Serves two
Served with a garnish of fresh home-grown basil
Tomatoes from one neighbour's greenhouse, shallots from another neighbour's allotment
Don't overfill the blender/liquidiser with soup, it is better to do a few smaller batches so that the hot liquid does not splash
If a really smooth soup is required, after blending strain through a sieve before returning to the pan
Ingredients:
2 small tuna steaks
2 small portions of penne pasta
2 eggs - hard boiled and quartered
1/2 an orange pepper - deseeded and chopped into small cubes
1/2 a yellow pepper - deseeded and chopped into small cubes
1/4 of a cucumber - cut into small bite sized pieces
10 french beans - cut into 3cm lengths
4 radishes - sliced
1 block of feta cheese - cut into cubes
1 small tin of anchovies
10 small on-the-vine, cherry or plum tomatoes - quartered
4 tsp capers
10 pitted green olives (mine were citrus marinaded)
Method:
Cook the pasta, hard boil the eggs and cook the green beans
Once cooked rinse with very cold water to stop the cooking process and to keep the pasta and beans firm. This also stops the eggs from having a grey edge to the yolk
Put half of all the salad ingredients and cheese into each of two bowls and gentle stir around to mix
Place the anchovies and egg quarters on the top
Grill the tuna steaks for 2-3 minutes each side and place on top of the salad in the centre of each bowl
Serves two
I served mine with a big spoon of homemade sweet chilli jam (see previous recipe).
Any salad ingredients can be used. Everything just needs to be cut into small, bite sized pieces. I usually use fresh marinaded anchovy fillets rather than from a tin, but I didn't have any in the fridge this time. Fresh anchovies have more flavour and are much less salty. Instead of tuna I have also used salmon fillets, swordfish or marlin steaks.
Ingredients:
2 portions of dry spaghetti or linguine
1 small pack of sliced pancetta (about 100g)
5 mushrooms
2 tbsp sliced black olives
1 large egg
1 small tub of single cream (about 170ml)
Freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Put the pasta on to cook as per the pack instructions
Cut the slices of pancetta into about 3cm lengths and place into a large, hot, frying pan or wok - this needs to be big enough to hold the whole dish - and cook for about 5 minutes, turning regularly
Slice the mushrooms, add to the pancetta, and cook for 3-4 minutes
Add in the olives
Break the egg into a bowl or jug and whisk, add the cream and whisk again
Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the pan with the pancetta and mushrooms, mix around and then pour in the egg and cream mixture and stir through
Keep stirring for 1-2 minutes until the egg and cream mixture is cooked/warmed through
Season with lots of freshly ground black pepper
Serves two
Ingredients:
12oz fresh tomatoes - skinned
1 small onion - finely chopped
3/4 pt vegetable stock (I used one stock cube)
1 stick celery - finely sliced
1 small courgette - cut into pieces
1 small carrot - sliced
2oz dry orzo pasta
Method:
Plunge the tomatoes into boiling water for one minute, drain, then remove and discard the skins
Place the tomatoes into a blender/chopper and blend for a few seconds until smooth
Place the finely chopped onion into a saucepan with a small amount of boiling water or oil to soften
Add the blended tomatoes and vegetable stock and bring to the boil
Add in the celery, courgette and carrot, bring back to the boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes (or slightly longer if the vegetables are cut into big pieces)
Add in the orzo pasta, bring back to the boil and then simmer for another 7-8 minutes
Serves two
Tomatoes provide from one neighbour's greenhouse.
Onion and courgette provided from another neighbour's allotment!
I used a yellow courgette as that is what I had, but a green courgette would probably have made the end dish look a bit more colourful.
Ingredients:
8oz monkfish - cut into chunks
1 can chickpeas - drained and rinsed
1 medium onion - finely chopped
1 clove of garlic - crushed
1 red pepper - chopped
1 small courgette - cut into bite sized pieces
1 can chopped tomatoes
1/2 pt vegetable stock (I used one stock cube)
1 red chilli - finely chopped
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground ginger
12 green olives
splash of olive oil
Method:
Using a splash of olive oil, soften (but don't brown) the onion, garlic, chilli and pepper in a pan. Add a bit of water to stop it browning or sticking if needed
Add the chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock and bring up to the boil
Add the paprika, ground ginger, chickpeas and courgette and bring back to the boil
Turn down to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes
Add in the olives and simmer for a further 10 minutes before adding in the monkfish
Cook for a further 8-10 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through
Serves two
I served the dish with couscous
The easiest way I have found to make couscous is just to place it into a bowl, add boiling water to just above the height of the dry couscous, leave for 5 minutes and then fluff up with a fork. Vegetable stock can be used instead of water to add a bit more flavour. Also herbs or dried fruit such as sultanas or chopped apricots can be mixed with the couscous before adding the water or stock, again this will give the finished dish more flavour.
Ingredients:
8oz wholemeal self raising flour
1oz porridge oats (and more to sprinkle on top before cooking)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp ground mixed spice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
3oz sugar
2 ripe bananas
2 tbsp honey
2 eggs
6 tbsp olive oil
4 fl oz milk
Method:
Place the flour, oats, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, mixed spice, ginger and sugar into a large bowl and mix well
With a fork mash the bananas in a bowl, add the honey and milk and mix together
In another bowl lightly whisk the eggs, add in the oil and mix
Pour the egg and oil into the bowl with the bananas, honey and milk and mix together
Pour the egg and banana mix into the bowl with the dry ingredients and gently stir until all the ingredients are wet.
Spoon the mixture into muffin cases, sprinkle a few additional porridge oats on the top
Cook for 20 minutes at 180 degree
Makes 12 large muffins
Ingredients:
For the paste:
1 stick of lemongrass
2 cloves of garlic
2 spring onions
1 green chilli (or more to taste)
3cm root ginger
Small plant or small pack of coriander (leaves and stems)
Small plant or small pack of basil (leaves and stems)
1 lime - zest and juice
2 tbsp olive oil
2 chicken breasts
1 can of coconut milk (only about 2/3 of the tin is needed)
Method:
To make the paste:
Trim the lemongrass and remove the outer layer if needed and cut into slices
Peel the root ginger and cut into slices
Trim and slice the spring onions
Remove zest from the lime (easier to do when the lime is still whole)
Slice the garlic cloves
Place the lemongrass, root ginger, spring onions, lime zest, garlic and chilli into a small blender/chopper and process
Add in the lime juice, process again
One at a time, add in the herbs and process
Once all the ingredients are finely chopped, add in about 2 tbsp of olive oil to bring together in to a smooth paste
Discard any skin and cut the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces
Mix about 3 tsp of the paste with the chicken breast and coat evenly
Leave to marinade for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour if you have time
Put about 1/3 of the coconut milk into a large pan or wok and bring up to the boil
Add in the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes
Add in the remaining paste, stir and cook for a couple of minutes
Add in another 1/3 of the tin of coconut milk and cook for another 10 minutes
Serves two
Served with basmati rice and naan bread
I sometimes add the remaining coconut milk to the water in which I cook the rice. This does add a small amount of flavour, but the rice needs to be strained and washed with boiling water before eating as it can start to stick together as it cools.
Serves two
