Although you can no longer fuel your frantic lifestyle with frantic food, while you adjust from one state of eating to another you will need—if you are to stick to the new regime—loads of tasty snacks to support your body and your mind. Practically all the recipes in this section are interchangeable. Most will make a gorgeous starter classy enough to serve to friends, an excellent snack when you are starving, and a delicious sandwich or an accompaniment when you need a feast.
These are the recipes that will get you through.
WHAT does the image of sun-dried tomatoes conjure up? If all it brings to mind are small, leathery tomato halves drenched in vinegar and raw garlic and sold at exorbitant prices, then you have been deceived. Proper sun-dried tomatoes are a treat—chopped up and mixed into pasta dishes, with salads and in sandwiches, they are delicious. They’re also great if you’re on a diet, as they add a caramelized sweetness to meals. Since we don’t have consistently hot sun, here’s how to cheat at “sun"-dried tomatoes.
6 fresh, preferably on-the-vine, tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, whole with skins on
few sprigs fresh rosemary and thyme
MAKE 12 TOMATOES
GARLIC is gorgeous slowly roasted in its own skin, as it turns super sweet and mellow. To release, just press down on the cooked cloves with the back of a fork and the hot, pungent garlic will come out. Serve as an appetizer or as an addition to (literally) any meal, with olive or other bread and some feta cheese. Give each person, for an appetizer, snack, or accompaniment, one half to one bulb of garlic each, depending on the size of both appetite and bulb of garlic.
2 bulbs of garlic, whole and unpeeled
few sprigs rosemary, bay leaf, and thyme
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
BAKED potatoes, ah yummy baked potatoes—slowly roasted with their skins on, slit open, and served with a pat of butter and sea salt, what could be better. For a more substantial meal, eat with Hummus (page 63), Slowly Roasted Garlic (page 48), and salad.
6-8 medium-large “old” potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed, and cut in half
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
few sprigs rosemary and bay leaves
4 cloves garlic, not peeled
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon organic butter
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
FRIES, fries, glorious fries, a fine accompaniment to any meal, or delicious as a snack on their own. Just one thing: when you’re making fries, use a good sunflower oil. Other oils just aren’t worth using, as many contain genetically modified ingredients.
4 cups good quality sunflower oil
6 large potatoes
sea salt
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Ohhhh! Oww! The food just gets better and better...! This is Luke’s delicious fast-food topping for French fries.
4 pieces organic bacon, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
dash of olive oil
Cheddar cheese (organic if possible) or feta
Harissa (page 171) or chili powder
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
CASPO Potatoes are basically Baked Potatoes (page 49) with a gorgeous filling, rich, extremely tasty, and good for cold evenings. We tend to eat them by themselves, perhaps with a salad to fill in the corners.
6 large potatoes, scrubbed
4 bay leaves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 free-range eggs
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
4 chunks your favorite cheese (we use sheep’s)
2 teaspoons organic butter
4 slices prosciutto, chopped
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TUNA and mayo sandwiches are so good, we used to eat them all the time when we were little. The first summer we grew cucumbers, we had to find a delicious way of using them. Then Chupi’s boyfriend’s little sister, Tara, came up with this great idea—the cucumber reduces the oiliness of the fish, and with homemade mayo you’ll want to eat more and more. . . .
The Mayonnaise:
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup sunflower oil
1 egg yolk of free-range egg
a good squeeze fresh lemon juice
1 can tuna in sunflower oil
1 small cucumber, chopped
4 scallions, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 Farls, cut in half (page 156)
2 handfuls salad leaves
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
PANZEROTTE are so versatile, they fulfill all parts of this section: they can be served as an appetizer, a snack, or a sandwich and are especially good for picnics, as everything is sealed tight. Pulled apart, they emit wonderful smells of whatever delicious filling you’ve chosen, but make sure that the filling is good and intense, with loads of herbs, spices, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
½ cup white spelt or organic wheat flour
½ teaspoon wheat-free baking powder
1 tablespoon bio-live organic natural yogurt
½ tablespoon your chosen herbs, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
The Filling:
organic feta cheese
rosemary, chopped, or Spinach Frittata (page 55)
organic soft cheese, or zucchini mixture from Zucchini Pasta (page 91)
organic goat cheese, or very ripe tomato, chopped
prosciutto or cooked bacon, chopped
hard organic cheese, grated or Feta and Sage Relish (page 167)
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
IF Sunday morning arrives and you’re looking for a tasty brunch, look no further. Frittata are Italian omelets and you can fill them with anything you like. They look pretty impressive too, while being extremely simple to make. They can be served as an appetizer, a snack, or with a Green Salad (page 70) as a main meal. And they are a great way to get reluctant spinach eaters started.
14 ounces spinach
1 teaspoon organic butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 tomatoes, chopped
6-8 organic free-range eggs
2 chunks organic feta goat’s cheese
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
IT’S so simple to make a sandwich—just stuff lots of yummy ingredients between two pieces of bread and chow down. But when you can’t eat wheat or yeast it is absolutely impossible to get a decent sandwich: sourdough is too bitter and soda bread just crumbles. That’s why I urge you to try our Farls (page 156)—they make truly fantastic sandwich bread. If you can’t tolerate cheese of any sort, try this sandwich with either Mayonnaise (page 168) or a few slices of ripe avocado as a replacement.
2 Farls (page 156) or 4 pieces bread
1 tomato, very thinly sliced
a few very thin slices red onion
2 large chunks hard goat’s cheese, or your favorite organic cheddar, sliced
8-10 green salad leaves
extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
THERE’S something about pizza that nothing else quite replicates. But pizza does take a certain amount of work, so here are some Quickie Pizzas perfect as a snack, a quick lunch, or a mid-evening filler. They don’t take as much time or energy as normal pizza, but you still get that great pizza hit.
2 Farls (page 156), sliced open
4 very ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 red onion, sliced paper-thin
enough organic mature cheddar or feta to cover the pizzas
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon mixed fresh rosemary, basil, and parsley, finely chopped
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Our favorite pizza is definitely a Margarita, so it’s no surprise that the above is topped with a quick imitation of that pizza. You can, however, use other toppings, say 6-8 slices prosciutto underneath the tomato layer for a meat version of the above. You could try Spinach Frittata (page 55) spread across the base, topped with feta cheese or 6 tablespoons creme fraiche, cooked as above. The only limit is your imagination.
GUACAMOLE and Nachos are such a classic combination that it seems obvious to join them together as an appetizer or as a snack. We make our own Nachos because it’s so simple. One note on the different varieties of avocado: you can usually buy two varieties, the tastiest of which is Hass, with its “warty,” nearly black skin. It tastes miles better than its watery green relative.
olive oil
1 quantity Tortillas (page 154) or 1 bag suitable Nachos
1 good-sized, ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Guacamole is suitable for everyone as served above, but if you want to liven it a bit you can add 1 very ripe tomato, finely chopped, and 2 scallions, finely chopped, to the recipe. Serve as above.
WITH all the dips in this section, it’s important to have something good to eat them with. Bruschetta are the perfect solution. A sort of upscale fried bread, bruschetta are goldenly crisp and perfect for scooping up Hummus, Avocado Hummus (both page 63), or Guacamole (page 58). Bruschetta are traditionally made with a white yeast bread, but we’ve used brown soda—both store-bought and homemade—with success. However, if you want to be both Green and traditional, use a white spelt or organic wheat sourdough. You can up the quantities if it’s for a big feed or for a party, but these quantities will serve four people as a robust appetizer.
4 slices bread of your choice (see Excellent Breads pages 151-163)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
MAKES 8 PIECES
MOST taboulehs are made with couscous. Couscous is not in fact a grain, but rolled wheat, which is not very good if you’re wheat-intolerant. Millet is a wonderful grain, acceptable for people who are wheat- and even gluten-intolerant. Try this tabouleh as a tasty snack, appetizer, or accompaniment to a meal with a large salad, as a pasta replacement, or with a chicken breast as a main meal.
¾ cup millet
1¼ cup Veggie Stock (page 77)
1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TEMPURA are vegetables in batter, deep-fried. It may sound bizarre, but tempura is so good—the veggie is gorgeous, crisp on the outside, sweet on the inside. This is an excellent way to encourage vegetable eating. We eat tempura with something simple, but remember to include plenty of dips, perhaps Aioli (page 168), Harrisa (page 171), or Guacamole (page 58). Tempura can serve as an appetizer, snack, or whole meal, provided you have a mix of salads alongside. Gram flour is a wonderful flour, made from chickpeas and suitable for celiacs, so make an effort to find it (try your local health food store). For the vegetables, you can also include whatever is in season.
sunflower oil for deep frying
10 sprigs broccoli, broken into florets
2 carrots, topped and tailed, unpeeled if organic, cut into sticks
8 runner or green beans, topped, tailed, and halved
1 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch sticks
1 cup chickpea flour
½ cup water
white of 1 free-range egg, beaten until fluffy
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
ground cumin and coriander (optional)
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
ONION Bhajis are another triumph of India’s extraordinary culinary classics, but beware, they are quite intense and not to be gorged on if your system is sensitive. As a snack or appetizer with a few dips, or as an accompaniment to an Indian meal, they’re supreme. A small tip when cooking: remember always to use a good oil; we use sunflower.
a saucepan filled with 4 cups of sunflower oil
1 cup chickpea flour
½ teaspoon each cumin, fennel, black mustard, and coriander seeds coarsely crushed
½ cup water
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 potato, peeled and grated
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon each ground cumin, ground coriander, and turmeric
MAKES 6-8 BHAJIS
WE provided recipes for two different kinds of Hummus here, because each is delicious in its own way. Original Hummus is absolute heaven when made properly. A bowl of Hummus and a few Bruschetta—give me five minutes and there will be nothing left! Avocado Hummus is Original Hummus with the addition of an avocado.
1 pound chickpeas
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon mild tahini
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
Nachos, Bruschetta, crudites
MAKES ABOUT 10 OUNCES
Add 1 good-sized ripe avocado, peeled and pitted, just before you blend the Original Hummus. Serve as above.
THIS is Luke’s recipe, so when we debated whether or not it should be a one- or two-person affair, he had the deciding vote: “It’s so damn good you could cook for two and eat it alone.” So here it is, Luke’s version of the traditional grilled cheese sandwich with a new twist. Luke thinks this recipe is best served with a glass of beer, or failing that a glass of apple juice. On the subject of bread, we use homemade, but shop-bought is OK if you can tolerate dairy and wheat. Or you could use your favorite bread, provided it meets the Green requirements. You can also eat these without the bacon, though Luke would not approve.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 pieces of bacon, cut into strips
4 scallions, chopped
2 slices bread, ¼-inch thick (see Excellent Breads pages 151-163)
organic mature Cheddar or feta (to cover bread)
1 large or 2 small very ripe tomatoes, sliced
1 teaspoon Harissa (page 171) or other chili sauce
freshly ground black pepper
MAKES 2 SERVINGS