Recipe List
Quinoa and Broad Bean Falafel with Lemon
Fragrant Carrot, Mandarin and Onion Red Rice Pilaf
Toasted Fennel Seed and Butter Bean Tabbouleh
Aubergine and Sweet Potato Lasagne with Walnuts
Farro and Pumpkin Kofte in a Roast Tomato Sauce
Sweet Potato, Buckwheat and Herb Muffins
Whole Aubergines, Couscous and Confit Peppers
Brown Rice Bibimbap Bowls with Smoky Peppers
Dill and Celery Wild Rice with Roast Fennel
Broad Bean and Asparagus Tostadas with Refried Beans
Cress, Millet and Beet Salad with Coriander Yogurt
Roast Cauliflower and Sesame Bowls with Miso
Brown Rice Congee with Asian Greens
THERE ARE A MASS OF grass-like plants huddling under the great ‘grain’ umbrella. My scientific terminology isn’t entirely correct, I grant you, but, as I know of no other term to encompass the whole gamut of grains, grasses and cereals that we eat, ‘grains’ will do as my shorthand.
Vegetables, even when they take centre stage, often need the balance and bolster of grains. And, yet, the nutritious whole forms are today often lambasted with the same ‘bad carbohydrate’ brush usually reserved for cheap white bread and cakes. I wonder if we are in danger of losing our way completely and forgetting that eating is about giving ourselves energy, pleasure, balance and sustenance; not about achieving weight loss. Unless you have an allergy, I have seen no good evidence to avoid grains; in fact, I feel that a daily diet without them would be restrictive and lacking. Eating whole grains, for flavour as well as complete nutrition, couldn’t be further from mainlining sliced white and jam. And it certainly won’t make you fat.
There are many levels of processing where grains are concerned, a veritable minefield of them in fact. Pearled barley and spelt, for example, are not whole grains, because the fibrous bran has been polished away, but rolled oats – even wholemeal flour – are in the club with their brans intact. A whole grain is just that: the outer bran, the starchy endosperm and the protein- and oil-rich germ all present together. Your body can glean B-vitamins, iron and omega-3 fatty acids (and more) from the germ, and has to work harder to break through the bran layer. Hence whole grain’s status as a darling of low glycaemic index (GI) eating: they sustain steady blood sugar levels for a long time. All told, they are a notable source of energy for very little outlay and they bring flavour in spades. If you eat whole grains where possible, but cook any grain – whole or occasionally not – in a modern way, for texture as well as taste, combining them with vegetables and high-quality protein, I don’t feel any concern is warranted.
The breadth of grains at our fingertips is magnificent, ranging from lesser-known amaranth, kasha, millet and teff, through still-quite-exotic buckwheat, farro, quinoa and rye, to mainstream barley, corn, oats, spelt, wheat and wild rice (in fact all rices).
Dry roasting – or roasting or sautéing grains in flavour-rich fat – is the best way to impart a rounded, nutty flavour to grains. After that initial toast, intense enough to turn them a shade or two darker, making them smell toasted, they are ready to be simmered as usual. They will be a better, more confident version of themselves, once cooked.
If you aren’t planning on dry-roasting or toasting grains, soaking them in cool water for an hour or two will lessen cooking times. And here, on that all-important simmer, you can alter the direction of a grain-based dish significantly. Add umami with vegetable or mushroom stock, lend comfort with coconut milk, or boost aromatic qualities with bay, thyme, cinnamon or star anise. Leave well alone to cook, or stir constantly to coax out starches, thickening to a risotto-like end.
Any grain portion of a recipe doesn’t have to be the main, or even side, event, it can be the finishing touch… so I’d always recommend cooking more than you need, in order to have extra in the fridge or freezer. It is easy to use it up: throw cooked grains into or on to rustic soups and stews; fold them into sweet, roast roots with pulses and a mustard dressing; add herbs, seeds and nuts with a generous hand…
And you can toast grains at the end as well as at the start of cooking. In the broad bean tostadas in this chapter (here), I suggest frying a small amount of cooked quinoa to spoon over at the end. The cooked grains shrink down in a hot frying pan, turning crunchy and intensifying in flavour. They are there for texture as much as taste. Similarly, raw rice can be toasted in a dry pan until golden, then pounded to a gritty dust, with or without spices, to throw over East Asian salads. A small spoonful adds great texture contrast and flavour.
To take the texture in a different direction, try sprouting grains such as rye, wheat and oat groats just as you would seeds or pulses: cover a handful of grains with plenty of cool water and leave to soak overnight. Rinse and drain well and transfer to a clear jar with a square of muslin fastened over the top with an elastic band. Invert the jar and prop it up at an angle in a bowl or similar. Now leave the jarred grains in a cool place to sprout, filling the jar with cool water, rinsing out and draining through the muslin twice a day (return it to its inverted, angled position after each rinse). When you see little sprouts growing, which could take two to five days, rinse the grains well and eat straight away, or keep in the fridge for about three days. They are milky and slightly crisp, packed with nutrients and brilliant on salads or blended into pesto, houmous or even smoothies.
Lastly, a note. Gluten-free readers will know this, but, for the rest of us, it is useful – essential even – to know which grains and grasses are safe for those with an allergy. Amaranth, buckwheat, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, teff and wild rice – if from a certified gluten-free source – are all fine.
Please make these; they are incredible. They have a delightful crunch from the quinoa – I used black for the picture – and a fresh quality from the herbs. Do buy the split, dried broad beans known as fava, or you’ll spend a good 20 minutes slipping soaked beans from their brown skins. Try health food shops and anywhere selling North African food if you can’t see them in the supermarket.
SERVES 4—6 / MAKES ABOUT 36
– 300g split, dried broad (fava) beans
– 150g quinoa
– sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
– 1 tsp cumin seeds
– 1 tsp coriander seeds
– ½ red onion, chopped
– 1 plump garlic clove, chopped
– 1 preserved lemon, rind only, chopped
– handful each of parsley, coriander and mint leaves
– pinch of cayenne pepper
– pinch of baking powder
– 1 litre rapeseed oil
– handful of pea shoots or watercress
– 200g broad beans, lightly steamed and double podded
– 4 tbsp Roast Tomato and Pickled Lemon Relish (here)
The day or night before, cover the fava beans with plenty of cold water in a bowl and leave to soak in a cool place for 10–24 hours. Drain thoroughly.
Put the quinoa in a saucepan, add 290ml of water and a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Partially cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes, or until no liquid remains in the pan. Set aside to cool slightly.
Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan until just fragrant. Crush roughly and add to a food processor with the fava beans, red onion, garlic, preserved lemon rind, herbs and cayenne. Blitz to make a rough, mouldable paste, stopping to scrape down the sides and mix through every now and then and adding the quinoa near the end of blitzing time. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the baking powder, season generously, cover with cling film and chill for 1 hour to make the mixture easier to shape.
Form into walnut-sized balls, scooping out spoonfuls and rolling them firmly between your palms. Wet your hands lightly if they stick at all. Have them all ready on a tray.
Put the oil in a medium saucepan and heat gently until a scrap of the falafel mixture sizzles gently when dropped into the oil.
Deep-fry in batches until golden, keeping a close watch and turning the falafel regularly so that they colour evenly. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper, keeping the fried falafel warm in a low oven.
Serve with a little salad of the pea shoots or watercress and broad beans, with spoonfuls of the roast tomato and pickled lemon relish.
Much can be made from an onion or two, and this beautiful red pilaf, with its gently spiced rice and frazzled onion-mandarin hat, relies on cooking them slowly and patiently to release their natural sugars. It won’t attain the heights of fluffiness because of the grated carrot, but is no less delicious for that. Serve this with roast roots on the side and perhaps some yogurt.
SERVES 4
– 300g Camargue red rice
– 1 large mandarin, halved
– 4–5 tbsp olive oil
– 25g unsalted butter (optional)
– 3 large onions, halved and finely sliced
– 1 tsp cumin seeds
– 1 tsp coriander seeds
– 4 green cardamom pods
– 1 large cinnamon stick
– 2 large carrots, coarsely grated
– 600ml vegetable stock
– 100g flaked almonds, toasted
– large handful of fennel fronds or dill, chopped
– large handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped
– sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Start by rinsing the rice in a bowl of water held under the cool tap, swishing the grains and draining, then refilling, until the water runs clear. Drain the rice well and set aside.
Squeeze a little of the mandarin juice into a cup and finely slice the mandarin halves. Set aside.
Put 2 tbsp of the olive oil and the butter, if using, in a large frying pan and set it over a medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook gently for 15 minutes, stirring often, until they are very soft and beginning to turn golden. At this point, transfer one-third of the onions to a large saucepan and return the frying pan to a medium heat, stirring in the mandarin slices and a little more oil. Cook, stirring often, until both onions and mandarins begin to frazzle at the edges. Set aside.
Meanwhile, lightly crush the cumin and coriander seeds in a mortar and pestle. Add the cardamom pods and crush to split them open. Stir all these spices, along with the cinnamon stick, into the smaller amount of onions in the saucepan and cook for 5 minutes more. Stir in the drained rice and grated carrots, coating with the fat. Add the stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover the pan and cook for about 30 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed.
Remove the rice pan from the heat, cover with a tea towel, replace the lid and leave to steam for 10 minutes. Stir the almonds, fennel fronds and mint into the rice. Season with the reserved mandarin juice, salt and pepper and spoon the golden onion and mandarin mixture over to finish.
This is not an authentic tabbouleh by any stretch, I have simply borrowed the idea of an exuberant and herb-rich grain salad. ‘Herb-rich’ means positively singing with green herbs, so don’t stint; these simple flavours rely on their vibrancy to pull the dish off. Replace the toasted freekeh (green wheat) with any grain or grass you like. The slight crunch of quinoa works particularly well as an alternative.
SERVES 4
– 1 tsp fennel seeds
– 150g freekeh
– 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
– leaves from 2 large bunches of flat-leaf parsley
– leaves from 1 large bunch of mint
– 1 large fennel bulb, halved
– 300g cooked butter beans (or a 400g can), drained
– 1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
– juice of 1 large lemon
– 1 garlic clove, crushed
– sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
– 2 tbsp Sesame Seed Za’atar (here)
Lightly crush the fennel seeds. Put the freekeh and fennel seeds in a saucepan with 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Toast over a medium heat, stirring often, until the grains begin to darken slightly and smell nutty. Add 450ml of water, bring to the boil and partially cover with a lid. Simmer briskly for 10 minutes or so, until the water has been absorbed. The freekeh should still have texture and bite. Set aside to cool.
Finely chop the parsley and mint leaves, along with any fennel fronds. You should have a very generous amount, far more herb than grain. Combine with the freekeh in a large bowl.
If you have a mandolin, use it to slice the halved fennel bulb very finely. Otherwise, use a sharp knife and have patience. Add to the freekeh with the butter beans and most of the spring onions, keeping a small handful back for the end.
Combine the lemon juice and remaining olive oil with the crushed garlic. Season well with salt and pepper to make a dressing and pour most of it over the freekeh mixture. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed, then spoon on to a serving plate. Finish with the rest of the dressing, the remaining spring onions and the za’atar.
Bouncy wheat grains are ideal spooned into these Mediterranean-inspired peppers, adding sustenance and texture to the sweetly roasted vegetables. The baked peppers are finished with a light dill and feta yogurt and plenty of golden pine nuts. There is a lot going on, but the premise owes more than a nod to the well-known Piedmont peppers Elizabeth David first wrote about more than half a century ago.
SERVES 4
– 150g wheat grains (also known as wheat berries)
– sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
– 4 red, yellow or orange peppers
– 5 spring onions, trimmed
– small bunch of dill
– 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
– handful of mixed olives, pitted and halved
– 16 Sunblush tomato quarters, drained
– olive oil, to drizzle
– 100g feta cheese, crumbled
– 100g Greek yogurt
– 2 tbsp pine nuts
– ½ tsp sumac (optional)
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
Put the wheat grains in a large saucepan with a generous pinch of salt, cover with cool water and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, partially cover and leave to cook for 25–30 minutes, until the grains are just tender (they should still be slightly chewy). Drain and set aside.
Slice the peppers in half from stalk to base and remove the pale ribs and seeds. Arrange in a single layer in a roasting tin, cut-sides up. Finely slice the green spring onion tops and set aside. Cut the remainder of the spring onions into one-thirds and finely chop half the dill, keeping the rest in sprig form. Tuck a few slices of garlic, a few olive halves, a couple of Sunblush tomato quarters, a sprig of dill and 1–2 spring onion lengths into each pepper half. Drizzle with olive oil – be generous – and roast for 35–40 minutes, until tender.
While the peppers cook, beat the feta and Greek yogurt together with the chopped dill and plenty of black pepper until light. Cook the pine nuts in a frying pan with another drizzle of olive oil. They’ll need a couple of minutes over a medium heat, with frequent stirring, to turn golden brown all over. Tip on to a plate.
Gently stir 1 heaped tbsp of cooked wheat into each pepper half, coating it with the garlicky, olive-y, peppery juices that have pooled there. At this stage you can leave the peppers to cool if you like, but I think they are best when warm. Either way, top with a spoonful of the whipped feta, sliced spring onion tops and a final scattering of golden pine nuts, sprigs of dill and sour sumac, if you have any.
I will leave the type of pasta up to you; there are some pretty good dried wholegrain varieties around now, beyond the standard durum wheat. When developing this recipe, I used wholegrain spelt lasagne sheets and was impressed with their flavour and texture after baking.
SERVES 4
– 2 × 400g cans of plum tomatoes
– 2 garlic cloves, crushed
– pinch of chilli flakes
– 50ml red wine
– olive oil
– sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
– 450g sweet potatoes, peeled
– 2 tbsp chopped thyme leaves
– 2 medium aubergines
– 150g (about 7) lasagne sheets
– 3 × 150g spheres of vegetarian mozzarella, drained and sliced
– handful of basil leaves, torn
– 100g walnuts, chopped
Put the tomatoes, half the garlic, the chilli, wine and 2 tbsp of olive oil in a saucepan with a pinch of salt. Set over a medium heat. Bring to the boil, stirring often, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 50 minutes, stirring now and then, until rich and thick, not watery.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Slice the sweet potatoes into 1cm discs. Toss with a good pinch of the thyme and enough olive oil to coat. Season and spread out in a roasting tin. Roast at the base of the oven for 30 minutes, until tender.
Trim the aubergines and slice from top to bottom, making each slice about 5mm thick. Brush with oil, season and lay out on 2 large baking sheets, in single layers. Roast at the top of the oven for 20 minutes, swapping the trays around halfway, until tender and beginning to brown.
To assemble the lasagne, spread one-quarter of the tomato sauce into a 30 × 20cm ovenproof dish. Cover with a single layer of lasagne sheets, topping these with one-quarter more of the sauce. Now add half the sweet potato in a single layer, followed by an overlapping layer of about half the aubergine slices. Cover with half the mozzarella slices and torn basil leaves. Repeat the layers once more, finishing with the remaining tomato sauce in an even layer. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until bubbling.
While the lasagne bakes, combine the remaining crushed garlic clove, walnuts and thyme in a bowl with a drizzle of oil and plenty of seasoning. When there are 10 minutes until the lasagne is ready, scatter evenly with the walnut mixture. Set aside to rest and settle for a final 10 minutes before attempting to slice. Serve with salad and red wine.
These plump little kofte – as close as I could get to meatless meatballs, really – are as delicious with braised lentils or beans as they are with peppery salads. Because they are so rich in grains, I’d plump for ‘courgetti’ instead of pasta (more grains) to eat them with, though of course you can serve them just as suggested below, with their smoky-rich tomato sauce, basil and cheese.
SERVES 4 / MAKES ABOUT 20
– 2 sweet white onions, finely chopped
– 3 garlic cloves, chopped
– ½ tsp dried oregano
– sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
– olive oil, as needed
– 1.2kg ripe tomatoes, halved
– 550g firm pumpkin, cut into 2cm cubes
– 200g farro or spelt
– 1 celery stick, finely chopped
– 2 tsp chopped rosemary leaves
– 2 tbsp tomato purée
– 150g sourdough breadcrumbs
– 1 egg, lightly beaten
– 30g vegetarian pasta cheese, finely grated, plus more, shaved, to serve
– large handful of basil leaves, chopped, plus more to serve
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Scatter half the onions into a roasting tin with the garlic. Sprinkle with the oregano, season and drizzle generously with olive oil. Cover the whole lot with the tomatoes in a single layer, cut-sides down. Slide into the oven and roast for about 45 minutes, until completely tender. Set aside to cool slightly, then remove the tomato skins by pulling them off. Blend to make a rich, smooth sauce.
Meanwhile, toss the pumpkin with oil to coat and spread out in a roasting tin with plenty of salt and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes, or until tender. Tip into a large bowl and set aside. Cover the farro with water in a saucepan, add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Simmer merrily for 25 minutes, or until just tender. Drain thoroughly and add to the pumpkin.
Put 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and set over a medium-low heat. Add the remaining onion and the celery with a pinch of salt and sauté gently for 10 minutes, until soft and just beginning to brown. Add the rosemary and tomato purée and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes. Tip into the bowl with the farro. Using the back of a spoon, crush the pumpkin to make a rough mash – you don’t need to overdo it – combining all the ingredients. Stir in the breadcrumbs, egg, grated pasta cheese and chopped basil. Season with lots of black pepper and a little salt. Cover and chill for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours to firm up.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Scoop out heaped tbsp of the mixture and roll into kofte, each slightly smaller than a golf ball. They can be chilled for up to 24 hours at this point. Put your largest frying pan over a medium heat and add enough oil to form a film over the surface. Fry the kofte gently for 8 minutes, until golden-brown all over. Spoon the tomato sauce into the pan, giving it a shake to redistribute. Bring to a simmer, then slide into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Scatter with basil leaves and cheese shavings before serving.
If you have spent any time in south India, you will have tried these fluffy, slightly sour rice cakes with sambal. Though the batter takes a while to ferment, they’re easy to make with a powerful blender. Track down urad dal in Asian shops; you want the skinned, white ones. The ground rice is good old ‘cream of rice’, found in the baking section of supermarkets. You could always soak white basmati instead.
SERVES 4 / MAKES ABOUT 18
For the idli
– 120g urad dal
– ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
– 210g ground rice (also known as cream of rice)
– 175g cooked brown basmati rice
– 1 scant tsp fine salt
– sunflower oil, for the moulds
For the coconut chutney
– 1 tbsp sunflower oil
– small handful of mint leaves
– small thumb of root ginger, peeled and chopped
– handful of curry leaves
– 1 green chilli, roughly chopped
– 100g fresh coconut, grated
– sea salt
– ½ tsp mustard seeds
At least 14 hours before you want to eat the idli (in practice, this will be more like 2 days), soak the urad dal and fenugreek seeds in a bowl of cool water for at least 4 hours or overnight. Put the ground rice in a second bowl and cover generously with cool water. It will look cloudy; don’t worry, it will settle. Leave the rice to soak for 2 hours. I usually leave both bowls to soak overnight with no ill effects.
Strain the urad dal and fenugreek through a fine sieve, but save the soaking water. Strain the ground rice, too. The sieve needs to be very fine here, so line with a piece of muslin if needed; there is no need to save any of this soaking water. Put both in a powerful blender with the cooked rice.
Add 30ml of the reserved dal-soaking water and begin to blend. When the mixture begins to break down, stop the motor and stir, then blend again to make a paste. Add a further 150ml of the reserved soaking water and continue to blend until completely smooth. The mixture should be bubbling on top and silky, not gritty (check by rubbing a little between your fingers). If your blender is too small, divide the mixture – and the liquid to be added – in half.
Pour into a large bowl and stir in the salt. Cover with cling film or a plate and set aside in a warm place (an airing cupboard, or next to the oven in a warm kitchen, are both ideal) to ferment for 10–12 hours, until the batter smells pleasantly sour and has risen and bubbled dramatically. If it hasn’t fermented properly, the idli won’t rise or turn out fluffy, so be patient and let the batter sit for up to 10 hours longer if needed, making sure the room isn’t too cold as this will slow fermentation drastically.
To make the chutney, put half the oil in a frying pan set over a medium heat. Add the mint leaves, ginger, half the curry leaves and the green chilli. Cook for a few minutes, until the leaves turn dark and fragrant. Tip into the blender with the coconut and 50ml of water. Blend until smooth, stirring in salt to taste; it should make quite a loose mixture. Wipe out the pan and return to a high heat with the remaining oil. Add the remaining curry leaves and the mustard seeds and cook, stirring, until the seeds begin to pop. Pour this temper over the chutney.
Assuming you don’t own an idli mould, oil 6 heatproof pudding moulds or cups (about 7cm in diameter). Arrange in a steamer, fill each mould with 1½ tbsp of idli batter and steam, covered, over simmering water for 8–10 minutes until puffed and springy to the touch. Flip the cooked idli out of the moulds, wrap in a tea towel and keep warm while you cook the remaining 12 in the same way.
Like most recipes in this book, these wholesome savoury muffins contain a generous hit of vegetable. So much grated sweet potato means they will never be elegant, but that’s not to their detriment. They are well suited to buttering or spreading with cream cheese to go with soup. And should you want a muffin for breakfast, make a batch the night before and reheat them. They also freeze well, once baked.
MAKES 6 LARGE MUFFINS
– 75ml fruity olive oil, plus more for the tin (optional)
– 200g sweet potatoes, scrubbed and grated
– finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
– 2 tbsp chia seeds
– 100g mixed seeds
– large handful of soft herbs, finely chopped
– ¼ tsp fine salt
– 2 eggs, lightly beaten
– 1 heaped tbsp Greek yogurt
– 60g wholemeal spelt or regular plain flour
– 60g buckwheat flour
– ¾ tsp baking powder
– ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Line 6 holes of a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases, or just oil the tin.
Stir together thoroughly the grated sweet potatoes, lemon zest, chia seeds, two-thirds of the mixed seeds, the herbs, salt, oil, eggs and yogurt and set aside for 5 minutes, so that the chia seeds swell up a little. Sift the flours, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a second bowl.
Stir the sweet potato mixture into the dry ingredients to form a very dense batter; be careful not to overmix. Divide between the muffin cases, sprinkle the tops with the reserved seeds and bake for 20 minutes or so, until risen and springy to the touch. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before turning out to cool completely on a wire rack.
The idea of today’s ‘bowl food’ is to create informal and relaxed meals. They needn’t be slovenly, in fact, they are the ideal opportunity to put personality and care into your food, considering balance and texture in particular.
GRAIN OR GRASS
The nutritious base. Let your mood guide you. Robust buckwheat and rye overpower timid flavours and jar with spices, so combine them with pesto, dairy and roasted veg. Any rice, or quinoa, takes well to Asian or South American spice. Nutty grains – the wheat, spelt, farro and pot barley tribe – mix well with strong dressings. Summery grain bowls can be a showcase for sprouted grains (especially good for you and with a handsome chew).
VEG…
Don’t hold back; these are the stars. Spike them with spices and herbs. Roast, grill, steam or sauté, balancing their textures with other additions.
…OR SALAD
I include handfuls of soft herbs and young brassicas in the ‘salad’ bracket. Don’t forget cutting techniques make a real difference: shaved fennel or carrot, perked up in iced water for a minute, will add another element.
HUNGRY?
Add good-quality protein. Tofu, tempeh, seitan, dairy, eggs in any form, pulses, even mushrooms, nuts and seeds will do the job.
SWEET NOTES
Naturally sweet alliums and peppers, cooked slowly to coax their sugars out, add another layer, especially when balanced with vinegar or citrus.
POKE
Think pickled. Kimchi or quick pickles of radish, carrot or cucumber lend crisp crunch and sour contrast.
DRESS
Sauces, dressings, pestos and relishes to stir through as you eat are of pivotal importance. Try a miso seaweed relish (here) with rice bowls, or spoon on serious spice with a Thai-style chilli paste (here).
TO FINISH
A chance to add charm and texture. Sprouts; nuts and seeds (soaked or toasted); herbs; fried shallots; cold-pressed oil; matchsticks of ginger…
A stunner. Sweet peppers, charred aubergines, toasted giant couscous, a spiced dressing, mint and spoonfuls of cool labneh. It is important to choose the longest aubergines you can find. Plump aubergines will need to be sliced in half, or given a good 10 minutes longer if left whole. You could forgo the grill entirely in favour of a barbecue; the extra smokiness would be very welcome.
SERVES 4
– 4 large, sweet peppers
– 4 garlic cloves
– 1 red onion, halved and sliced
– about 9 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
– 3 tbsp good sherry vinegar
– ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
– sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
– 3 tbsp ras el hanout
– 4 large, long aubergines
– good squeeze of lemon juice
– small handful of mint leaves, chopped, plus more to serve
– 150g giant wholegrain couscous
– 350ml vegetable stock, or water
– sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
– 4 heaped tbsp labneh, bought or home-made (here)
Up to a week ahead of time, make the pepper confit. Deseed the peppers, cutting them into chubby strips and removing any pale ribs from the insides as you do so. Finely slice 3 of the garlic cloves and add to a frying pan with the peppers, red onion and 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Sauté over a medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes, until softened. Once they have started to colour at the edges, add 1 tbsp of the sherry vinegar and stir well, scraping at the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze. Stir in the paprika, reduce the heat to low and cover. Leave to cook, stirring now and then, for a further 15 minutes, until sweet and very soft. Season to taste. Use straight away, or cover and chill for up to 7 days.
To cook the aubergines, preheat the grill to medium. Combine 1 tbsp of the ras el hanout with 3 tbsp of the olive oil. Prick the aubergines all over with a fork. Rub with the spiced oil, turning to coat; the hope is that each aubergine absorbs oil and spice through the holes. Arrange on a baking tray and grill for 25–30 minutes, turning with tongs every 10 minutes.
To make the dressing, crush the remaining garlic clove with a fat pinch of salt to make a paste. Combine it with the remaining 4 tbsp of olive oil, lemon juice, chopped mint and remaining 2 tbsp of the ras el hanout. Make the dressing directly in a mortar and pestle if you have one, bashing the mint slightly. Otherwise, just combine everything in a bowl.
Toast the couscous until golden in a dry frying pan set over a medium heat, stirring. Add the stock or water, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often until the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is cooked through. Fold half the dressing through and season to taste.
Serve the whole aubergines and confit peppers with the couscous, pouring the remaining dressing over with spoonfuls of the labneh. Scatter more mint leaves over the top.
I can’t recommend this gentle rice highly enough as a simple, soothing supper with stir-fried greens, or as a rice bowl with spiced roast vegetables and a tangle of fried onions. If you don’t have fresh coconut, soak 25g unsweetened desiccated coconut in boiling water for 15 minutes and replace some of the 500ml rice-cooking water with the soaking water. I suggest using broken cashew nuts as they are cheaper.
SERVES 4 AS A SIDE DISH
– 250g wholegrain basmati rice
– 160ml coconut milk
– 2 tbsp coconut oil
– 100g fresh coconut, grated (or see recipe introduction)
– handful of fresh curry leaves
– 1 tsp black mustard seeds
– pinch of chilli flakes
– ½ green chilli, sliced
– sea salt
– 30g broken cashew nuts
– 30g golden raisins
Start by rinsing the rice in a bowl of water held under the cool tap, swishing the grains and draining, then refilling, until the water runs clear. Drain the rice well and set aside.
Combine the coconut milk with 500ml of water and pour into a medium saucepan. Add the rinsed rice and bring slowly to the boil. Partially cover with a lid and simmer for about 25 minutes, until the rice is just tender and the liquid no longer present. Cover with a tea towel and the lid and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
While the rice rests, put 1½ tbsp of the coconut oil in a frying pan. Melt over a medium heat and add the grated coconut, curry leaves, mustard seeds, chilli flakes and green chilli slices. Season with salt and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture frazzles slightly. Fold through the rice. Wipe the pan out and return to the heat with the remaining ½ tbsp of coconut oil. Add the broken cashews and cook until golden all over. Remove from the heat and stir in the raisins with a little more salt. Spoon the coconut rice into a serving bowl, or divide between individual plates or bowls, and top with the cashew and raisin mixture.
An exercise in organisation if ever there was one, this Korean-inspired dish isn’t hard to make, but it does involve spinning a few plates. Drop one or more of the vegetable elements to make it easier, or get a friend to help you, dividing the cooking between you. Gochujang is a fiery Korean chilli paste. Find it online or in East Asian shops or, in a pinch, substitute Thai-style Roasted Chilli Paste (here).
SERVES 4
For the bibimbap
– 200g brown short-grain rice
– sea salt
– 4 red peppers, halved
– groundnut oil
– toasted sesame oil
– toasted sesame seeds
– tamari or light soy sauce
– 3 tbsp gochujang paste
– 2 tbsp unrefined brown sugar
– 1 garlic clove, crushed
– 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
– 1 carrot, sliced into matchsticks
– 100g shiitake mushrooms, sliced
– thumb of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
– 2 handfuls of kale, shredded
– 100g beansprouts
– 4 very fresh eggs
To serve
– pickled ginger, finely sliced
– spring onions, rehydrated seaweed or nori strips
Start by rinsing the rice in a bowl of water held under the cool tap, swishing the grains and draining, then refilling, until the water runs clear. Drain the rice well and tip into a saucepan. Cover with 450ml of water and add a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 25 minutes, until the water has evaporated and the rice is tender.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7. Arrange the pepper halves on a baking tray, skin sides up. Drizzle with a little groundnut oil and roast for 25–30 minutes, until soft and blackened. Tip into a bowl and cover with a plate. Leave for 10 minutes, then peel and roughly shred. Season the pepper ribbons with sesame oil, sesame seeds and tamari.
Meanwhile, make the bibimbap sauce by combining in a small bowl the gochujang, sugar, garlic and vinegar with 2 tbsp each of water, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Season with salt and set aside.
To cook the carrot, heat a whisper of groundnut oil in a wok. Add the carrot and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes until just tender. Season with salt and set aside. Wipe the wok clean before returning it to the heat. Cook the mushrooms in a little oil in the same way, keeping the heat high and the pan moving until the mushrooms are cooked. Season with tamari.
Again, wipe out the wok. Add a little more oil followed by the ginger and the kale and a splash of water, stir-frying for a few minutes until wilted. Toss with a drizzle of sesame oil, 1 tsp of sesame seeds and salt to taste.
Blanch the beansprouts in boiling salted water for a few seconds, until just wilted. Scoop out with a slotted spoon, refresh under cool water and drain well. To fry the eggs, pour a thin film of groundnut oil into a wok or frying pan set over a medium heat. Crack the eggs in separately and fry gently, flicking a little oil over the tops, until they are golden and lacy underneath and the whites have set.
To serve, divide the warm rice between generous warmed serving bowls. Spoon each distinct element on top in a roughly circular pattern: peppers, carrots, mushrooms, greens and beansprouts. Lay the fried egg on top and add pickled ginger, sliced spring onions, seaweed, toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds to taste. Add a generous spoonful of the bibimbap sauce, putting the rest on the table to spoon over as you mix everything together and eat.
Celery, fennel and onion all cook down to become soft and sweet. Celery in particular, I feel, is vastly underrated as a cooked vegetable; it is excellent braised or slowly roasted. All that natural sweetness, further enhanced by dried apricots and pecans, makes this baked pilaf of sorts the perfect candidate to accompany a salty slab of baked feta (here) and perhaps a crisp salad of bitter chicory.
SERVES 4
– 100g pecans
– 3 celery sticks
– 20g unsalted butter
– 3 tbsp olive oil
– 2 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
– 1 small red onion, halved and finely sliced
– 250g wild rice
– 900ml vegetable stock
– sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
– 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed
– 100g dried apricots, chopped
– small bunch of dill, chopped
Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas mark 5. Spread the pecans out on a baking tray and roast for 8–10 minutes, until golden and toasted. Cool and roughly chop.
Slice 1 celery stick. Heat the butter and 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large, ovenproof casserole set over a medium heat. Add the crushed coriander seeds and cook for a minute or so. Stir in the sliced red onion and sliced celery and cook for 5 minutes, until beginning to soften. Now add the wild rice, stirring well to coat with the fat, and pour in the stock. Season lightly with salt and pepper (you can always adjust the seasoning later), cover with a lid and bake for 40 minutes.
Cut the remaining celery sticks into one-thirds. Trim the bases from the fennel bulbs and cut each into 8 slim wedges. Toss the celery and fennel pieces with the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil, spread out in a roasting tin and roast alongside the wild rice for about 30 minutes, until soft and sweet. Set aside.
Uncover the pilaf and cook for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven to fold in the roast vegetables, apricots, toasted pecans and chopped dill. Return to the oven – still uncovered – for 10–15 minutes, until no liquid remains. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Grains don’t always have to form the basis of a dish. Here, a little quinoa – strictly a grass and not a grain – is flashed through a frying pan until crisp, adding a clever hit of texture to these tostadas. The refried beans will be better made with freshly cooked beans, but canned are absolutely fine to use. In which case, drain them, but reserve the canning liquid to add as needed.
SERVES 4
– 50g black quinoa
– sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
– 1 red onion, halved
– 6 tbsp sunflower oil
– 1 scant tsp cumin seeds
– 1 tbsp oregano leaves
– 300g cooked black beans, plus 100 – 150ml bean cooking liquid (or use a 400g can and its liquid)
– 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
– 1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and chopped
– 150g podded broad beans
– 8 small corn tortillas
– 100g Wensleydale cheese, coarsely grated
Cover the quinoa with 125ml of water in a small saucepan, add a fat pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the grains have unfurled slightly. Set aside.
Finely slice half the red onion and set aside. Finely chop the remaining half. Measure 1 tbsp of the sunflower oil into a saucepan and set over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 5 minutes, until softening. Stir in the cumin seeds and half the oregano and cook until the onion is golden. Stir in the black beans and cook for a minute to warm through, then stir in 100ml of their cooking or canning liquid and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and, using a potato masher, crush the beans roughly, seasoning generously and adding more liquid if they are too thick, or simmering down a little if they seem thin. You want a soft, spoonable purée. Cover and keep warm.
Put a frying pan over a high heat and add 1 tbsp of sunflower oil. Add the sliced onion, garlic and asparagus. Season and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, until the asparagus is almost tender. Add the broad beans and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.
Wipe out the pan and return to the heat with the remaining 4 tbsp of oil. Flick a drop of water at the pan: if it dances and spits, it is hot enough. Add half the tortillas and cook for 30 seconds on each side, turning with tongs when pale golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and repeat, topping up the oil if needed. Keep the pan on the heat (there should be about 1 tbsp of oil left, drain any excess away) and quickly add the quinoa, stirring, for 3–4 minutes, until each sphere has reduced in size, turning crunchy. Add the remaining oregano, season and remove from the heat.
Spoon refried beans on to each crisp tostada, top with the asparagus mixture and spoon over the crisp quinoa and grated cheese.
This verdant ‘risotto’ is particularly elegant served as I have described below, with more spinach leaves, roast pumpkin and a lemon and thyme crème fraîche, but you could always substitute celeriac or even plump tomatoes for the pumpkin, if you prefer. Or forget the embellishments and serve the risotto just as it is, with the extra cheese pared over the top with a vegetable peeler.
SERVES 4 GENEROUSLY
– 600g piece of firm pumpkin, deseeded
– 3 tbsp olive oil
– a few sprigs of thyme
– 1.5 litres vegetable stock
– 15g unsalted butter
– 4 shallots, finely chopped
– 375g pearled spelt
– glass of dry white wine
– 300g spinach leaves, plus more to serve
– extra virgin olive oil, to taste
– 50g vegetarian pasta cheese, finely grated, plus more to serve
– 4 tbsp crème fraîche
– finely grated zest and 1 tbsp juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
– sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Slice the pumpkin into 4 wedges. Toss them in a roasting tin with 2 tbsp of the regular olive oil and all but 2 of the thyme sprigs. Roast for 30 minutes or so, until browned and soft.
You will need a grand total of 3 pans here, so bear with me. Put the stock in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Reduce the heat and keep it hot.
Heat the butter and remaining 1 tbsp of regular olive oil in a second saucepan. Set it over a low heat, add the shallots and cook for 5 minutes, until translucent, but not coloured. Spoon half into a bowl and set aside. Increase the heat slightly and stir in the spelt. Add the wine and stir until it has nearly all evaporated. Add a ladleful of hot stock and stir until it has nearly evaporated before adding another. Continue in this way, adding stock and stirring, for about 20 minutes, until the spelt is almost cooked. Make sure you have about 100ml of stock left.
Transfer the reserved shallots to a deep-sided frying pan. Set it over a medium heat and add the spinach with the remaining 100-ish ml stock. Heat until the spinach wilts. Transfer to a blender with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and blitz to make a velvet-textured purée.
The spelt grains should still have a little bite and the overall consistency should be thicker than a standard risotto. Stir in the spinach purée with the finely grated cheese. Cover and leave to settle for a few minutes. Strip the leaves from the remaining sprigs of thyme and stir through the crème fraîche with the lemon zest and juice and seasoning to taste.
Divide the risotto between serving bowls (it won’t sit on a plate), topping with roast pumpkin, a few extra spinach leaves, spoonfuls of thyme and lemon cream and extra cheese, shaved over with a vegetable peeler. Finish with a little extra virgin olive oil, if you like.
This is an excellent opportunity to use up any cold-pressed oil you might have sitting in the fridge. It will add great flavour to the fluffy millet grain, as well as precious polyunsaturated fatty acids. I love pumpkin seed oil, but you could use any nut oil or avocado, rapeseed or hemp. Substitute more coriander or more cress for the microherbs, if you can’t get them easily or cheaply.
SERVES 4
– 12 multi-coloured beetroots, scrubbed and cut into wedges
– a few sprigs of thyme
– 4 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
– 200g millet
– 450ml vegetable stock
– 2 preserved lemons, rind only, roughly chopped
– 1 green chilli, deseeded if you like, roughly chopped
– large handful of coriander, half finely chopped
– 200g mild Greek or natural yogurt
– sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
– 3 punnets of cress, snipped
– handful of sprouts or microherbs, such as coriander cress
– extra virgin olive oil or pumpkin seed oil, to drizzle
– squeeze of lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Coat the beetroots and sprigs of thyme in 2 tbsp of the regular olive or rapeseed oil, spread out in a baking tin and roast for 40–45 minutes, stirring halfway, until soft and tinged with brown.
Rinse the millet in a sieve held under a cool running tap. Drain well. Put the remaining 2 tbsp of the regular olive or rapeseed oil in a large frying pan set over a medium-high heat. Add the rinsed millet and toast it, stirring often, for 6 minutes or so, until the water evaporates and the grains turn an even, pale golden colour and smell fragrant.
Add the stock, bring to the boil, part-cover with a lid and simmer for 25–30 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the millet is fluffy and soft. Set aside to steam off the heat for 10 minutes. After this time the grains should no longer have a ‘mealy’ texture (as does only partially-cooked millet).
Pound the preserved lemon rind and green chilli together in a mortar and pestle until pulverised. Stir the finely chopped coriander into the yogurt with this pounded lemon-chilli mixture and season to taste. Serve the roast beetroots on the millet with the cress and sprouts, reserved coriander leaves and spoonfuls of coriander yogurt, all drizzled with extra virgin olive or pumpkin seed oil and a good squeeze of lemon juice.
Comfort food can appear in many guises. This bowl of thoughtfully spiced and dressed grains, vegetables and leaves is simple to throw together if you are feeling fragile. Use any grain you like, though I suggest choosing similarly sized grains or groats to suit the cooking times below. Farro, kamut, oat (groats), pot barley, rye, spelt and wheat all have great character and respond well to a bout of oven-toasting.
SERVES 2
– 100g grains (see recipe introduction)
– 250ml vegetable stock
– 400g cauliflower florets
– 2 tbsp sunflower oil
– 1 tsp ground turmeric
– ½ tsp chilli flakes
– sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
– 5 tbsp sesame seeds
– 2 tbsp mellow miso paste
– 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
– 2 tsp maple syrup
– ½ thumb of root ginger, peeled and finely grated
– toasted sesame oil, as needed
– 4 spring onions, finely sliced
– handful of coriander, roughly chopped
– handful of baby kale leaves
– 2 tbsp sprouts or cress
– Sambal Oelek (here), or chilli sauce, to serve
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Spread the grains out in a roasting tin and roast for 12–15 minutes, shaking the tin partway through, until the grains turn a couple of shades darker and smell nutty. Tip into a saucepan and pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 25 minutes or so, until the grains are just tender but still retain a touch of bite. Different grains will vary, so check the pan every now and then, splashing in more water if the pan looks dry.
In a second roasting tin, toss the cauliflower with the sunflower oil, turmeric and chilli. Season generously and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 15 minutes, then scatter with 2 tbsp of the sesame seeds and roast for 5 minutes more, until tender and deeply golden.
Toast the remaining 3 tbsp of sesame seeds in a dry pan until golden.
To make the dressing, put 2 tbsp of the toasted sesame seeds in a powerful blender with the miso, vinegar, maple syrup, ginger, 2 tsp of toasted sesame oil and 60ml of water. Blitz until smooth. Taste and season as needed.
Toss a spoonful of the dressing through the cooked grains with nearly all the spring onions and chopped coriander. Divide between 2 serving bowls with the baby kale and the cauliflower. Drizzle with the rest of the sauce and scatter with the reserved spring onions and coriander and the sprouts or cress. Finish with a final scattering of sesame seeds, a drizzle of sesame oil and a spoonful of sambal or chilli sauce, if you like.
Cooking the rice separately at first makes its second simmer shorter, keeping the flavours fresh and true but still allowing it time to break down slightly into a magnificent savoury porridge. Swap in another sweet root such as celeriac or parsnip for the carrot, if you like, or add a halved (boiled) or whole (fried or poached) egg on top. Use any tender Asian leaves here, or substitute watercress, spinach or young kale.
SERVES 4
– 200g long-grain brown rice
– sea salt
– 2 tbsp coconut oil
– 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
– thumb of root ginger, peeled and finely grated
– 1 red chilli, sliced
– small thumb of fresh turmeric, finely grated (optional)
– 1 large carrot, coarsely grated
– 120g mushrooms, such as shiitake, sliced
– 1.1 litres weak vegetable stock, plus more if needed
– large handful of tender Asian greens, such as mizuna, mustard greens, or tatsoi
– 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
– small handful of coriander, roughly chopped
– your choice of toasted sesame seeds, crisp fried shallots or sliced spring onions, or all 3, to serve
If you can, soak the rice in plenty of cool water for at least 4 hours or overnight. This will lessen the cooking time dramatically and make for a more porridge-y congee. Rinse the rice in a sieve held under the cold tap. Drain well, tip into a large saucepan and add 550ml of cool water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid – set very slightly ajar – and reduce the heat to low-ish. Cook for 35 minutes or so, until no liquid remains and the rice is extremely tender. Remove from the heat.
When the rice is nearly done, put the coconut oil, garlic, ginger, chilli and turmeric, if using, in a large wok or saucepan. Set over a high heat and stir-fry until the mixture begins to fizz, but not colour. Once softened (about 30 seconds), add the carrot and mushrooms and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Tip the cooked rice into the wok, pour the stock over and bring to the boil. Adjust the heat to keep the mixture simmering merrily and leave to cook for 35 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. The rice should break down a little to form a porridge, but it will take a long time to become completely smooth (so be aware if you want a smoother congee). Adjust the consistency as you wish: for a thicker result, continue to simmer; or add extra stock or water to thin the mixture down. When you are roughly happy with the consistency, add the greens and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and season to taste.
Stir in the sesame oil and serve scattered with coriander and your choice of sesame seeds, fried shallots or sliced spring onions (or all 3).
