It’s such fun for the whole family to sit at the table together and talk and eat – no matter the different ages and stages – sharing with one another over good food. It does not always happen in my home, but when it does, it’s magical. Sometimes the children like to take their bowls outside and make their own party away from the adults. You will note that most of these recipes are for four persons; whether your family is two people, or six, or even ten, simply adjust accordingly. And by ‘family’ I mean you and your loved ones as they are on the day. I am a single mum, so sometimes it’s just the two of us, and that’s cool.
Please note that salt has been kept to a minimum, so keep it on the table for those who need extra.
Serves 4
This is not a light, brothy soup and, should you decide to add fish, it becomes heavenly, rich and aromatic, complex and hearty. Having said all that, you’ll be surprised at how many helpings everyone can stow away before admitting defeat. I have omitted chillis as children love this soup so much and in my household anyone wishing to hot it up can sprinkle cayenne pepper over his or her own bowl. If you are feeling festive, add the fish and as many prawns as the pot or your budget will allow. Do remember to slice the lemongrass as that allows for optimum flavour release and easy removal before serving.
grapeseed oil for frying
2 cloves garlic, sliced or crushed
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 small bunch spring onions
a handful of chopped fresh dhania (coriander)
2 sticks lemongrass, sliced
500 g butternut, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
2 x 400 ml cans coconut milk
2 cups vegetable stock
150 g uncooked basmati or jasmine rice
sweetcorn kernels cut from 2 cobs
400 g white-fleshed fish, e.g. hake (optional)
200 g baby spinach or pak choi
soy sauce or lemon juice and chopped fresh dhania or spring onions to garnish
Add a little grapeseed oil to a wok or large saucepan and gently fry the garlic, ginger, spring onions, dhania and lemongrass until the flavours begin to mingle and deepen. Add the butternut, coconut milk, stock, rice and sweetcorn. Carefully mix all the ingredients and bring to a gentle boil. Cover the wok or saucepan with a lid and allow to boil for 15 minutes. If you are adding seafood, place it on top of the soup and gently submerge it into the liquid without disturbing the rest of the ingredients. Do the same with the spinach or pak choi. If there is not enough liquid you may add more stock at this stage to cover the fish. Allow 5 minutes for the fish to cook.
Now, very gently, stir all with a spoon so that the ingredients can blend, but without breaking up the fish or butternut too much. Serve in bowls with a dash of soy sauce or a squeeze of fresh lemon and a sprinkle of dhania or spring onion.
Serves 4
It’s summer, you’ve been mucking about outside in the sun for just a little too long. You come inside, put your hat down, open the fridge, reach for the jar of gazpacho, pour some into a tall glass and, still standing, polish off the whole thing!
6 fully ripe tomatoes
1 large red or yellow pepper
1 large English cucumber, peeled
6 spring onions
1 clove garlic
juice of 2 lemons
a handful of fresh parsley, rinsed
a handful of fresh dhania, rinsed
a small handful of fresh basil
2–3 cups cold water
5 Tbsp olive oil
salt
black pepper
cayenne pepper
Place all the ingredients (excluding the seasonings) in the bowl of a food processor and blend to the consistency of your preference. If you enjoy texture, experiment by adding some of the ingredients at different stages to create a variety in consistency. Season to taste. Garnish with slices of lemon and fronds of parsley if you like.
Serves 4
If you are serving this on a high day or holiday, you might want to present each bowl with a side serving of cooked, peeled shrimps or prawns. Each person can then launch their very own little pink Armada out on their light green sea. Or crumble some feta into each bowl for a Titanic effect!
3 ripe avocados
1 large English cucumber, peeled
juice of 1 lemon
a few sprigs of fresh thyme or a small handful of fresh dhania (coriander)
a small handful of fresh mint
2 cups cold vegetable stock
cayenne pepper to season
Blend all the ingredients in a food processor to a smooth purée. Serve as desired and season with cayenne pepper.
Soup always reminds me of my maternal grandparents. My grandfather was adamant that we hold our spoons correctly and my grandmother that we hold the rim of the soup dish delicately and tip it away from us when finishing the last of the soup. So sipping soup was always a bit of an anxious time for me until I got the hang of it. Nowadays we have entire recipe books dedicated to the ease of enjoying what we call ‘bowl food’, which conjures up the impression of comforting food in a bowl we can cup in one hand and consume with any utensil we choose.
Baby beetroot and grilled Halloumi salad on sprouts with a mint sesame dressing
Serves 4
Salty, crispy Halloumi paired with crimson sweet beets. Aaaaah! It’s the holy trinity of winners: taste, texture and colour. All perfection. This salad should be plated individually; it just feels special that way. Mix your sprouts: delicate alfalfa, onion seed or the heartier pea-flavoured mung sprouts. Organic beets are sweetest, naturally...
4 handfuls of mixed sprouts
600 g baby beets, boiled soft and skin removed
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 orange
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp honey
salt
extra-virgin olive oil
500 g Halloumi cheese, sliced 5 mm thick
1 clove garlic, peeled and cut in half
4 Tbsp sesame seeds, dry-fried until brown ground black pepper (optional)
Set out your dinner plates and place a handful of sprouts on each. Slice the beetroot in segments or slices and arrange over the sprouts.
Make a dressing by combining the lemon and orange juice, mint, oregano, honey and a little salt. Now add roughly twice the amount of olive oil to your mixture and stir with a teaspoon.
Heat a non-stick pan that has been lightly brushed with olive oil and fry the Halloumi slices on both sides until they are brown and crispy. Turn the slices onto paper towel and lightly rub one side of each with the garlic. Arrange the Halloumi slices on top of the beetroot slices, then pour the dressing over the salad. Lastly sprinkle the sesame seeds and black pepper (if using) on top. Serve with lovely toast or hot, crusty bread.
Note: My son Francis devised a way of setting a leaf of oregano, basil or mint into the Halloumi slices so that, when fried, the leaf creates a beautiful collage on the cheese. It takes a bit longer, but is worth the effort.
Chickpea and mozzarella salad with pan-roasted cherry tomatoes and mixed greens
Serves 4
Usually chickpeas are paired with feta, so do feel free to try that if you wish. I find the almost bland flavour and texture of mozzarella so comforting somehow. To me, mozzarella is like leaving the busy city for a brief respite in the green rolling hills of the countryside. Maybe it’s not about cheese, maybe I need a holiday?
4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
500–600 g cherry tomatoes
2 x 400 g cans organic chickpeas, drained
400 g mozzarella, sliced or hand-shredded
2 red peppers, thinly sliced
1 small bunch spring onions, chopped
200 g pitted black olives
juice of 2 lemons
1 clove garlic, crushed
100 g rocket
100 g baby spinach
a generous handful of chopped fresh basil
Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the cherry tomatoes whole and, without moving them around too much, roast them until soft and a little black in areas. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients with the tomatoes and gently toss with your hands or salad servers.
Celery, apple and butterbean salad on cos lettuce with roasted pecans and seared sweetcorn
Serves 4
This salad is crunchy, sweet and creamy, with just a little tang from the apples and mayo.
sweetcorn kernels cut from 2 cobs
2 large heads cos lettuce
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced into flat segments
4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 x 400 g cans organic butter beans, drained
a small handful of chopped fresh parsley
mayonnaise (see p. 96)
200 g roasted pecans
Sear the sweetcorn kernels in a hot, non-stick pan until they are slightly charred. Arrange the cos leaves on a platter.
In a mixing bowl, combine the apple slices, celery, butter beans, parsley, sweecorn kernels and just enough mayonnaise that it’s not too heavy (too much mayonnaise can ruin the subtle flavours here). Spoon the mixture over the cos leaves, then sprinkle the pecan nuts on top. This salad is delicious served with hot crusty bread and a wedge of blue cheese.
Salads are about freshness and texture, brilliant colour, and the thrill of eating living things! (And we call ourselves vegetarians?) When it comes to dressings, I stand with Jamie Oliver; why use vinegar when God gave us the lemon? I bulk-buy pockets of lemons as they seem to disappear into everything in our house. Most of these salads can stand on their own as a balanced meal.
Avocado and strawberry salad with baby spinach and cashew cream dressing
Serves 4
Not too sweet, but generous in flavour, this would be my choice for a dessert after a fine dinner. I would of course, on such an occasion, set aside the greens. Marinating strawberries in balsamic vinegar is not an urban myth, it works like a magic potion; a drop or two transforming the flavour of any mass-farmed strawberry into that of its elusive, wild forest cousin.
400 g strawberries, hulled and sliced in discs
2 tsp balsamic vinegar reduction or 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
200 g baby spinach
3 or 4 ripe avocados
juice of 1 lemon
salt
100 g raw cashew nuts
200 ml water
Marinate the strawberries in the balsamic vinegar for 10 minutes.
Add the baby spinach to a bowl and slice the avocado on top. Add the lemon juice and a little salt, then toss thoroughly with your hands until the ‘borders’ between the spinach and avocado have broken down a little.
Make the nut cream by blending the cashews with the water until a pouring consistency is reached. Place the greens on a platter or in a salad bowl, then spoon over the strawberries. Lastly, pour the cashew cream over the salad. Serve with a bowl of plain brown basmati rice.
Fennel and egg salad with green mayonnaise
Serves 4
If you are not a mayonnaise fan, simply blend the basil with extra-virgin olive oil and a little lemon juice. Alternatively, if you have basil pesto handy, add some olive oil to thin it out and use that as your dressing. Avocados are heavenly with fennel (see Francis’s salad on p. 63), so throw some in here if you like.
4 heads fennel, thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, scrubbed and peeled into ribbons
4 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
mayonnaise (see p. 96)
a small handful of basil
a small bunch of spring onions, chopped
This dainty salad is best plated. You can mix the fennel and carrots together and arrange them on the plates, followed by the eggs. Blend together some mayonnaise with the basil. Spoon the dressing over and top with spring onions.
Potato salad with coconut and peanut sauce
Serves 4
This was invented as an experiment one day and became a firm favourite in our household.
6 large potatoes
2 Tbsp smooth or crunchy peanut butter
200 ml coconut cream
lemon juice
chopped fresh basil or parsley to taste
Scrub the potatoes, then boil them in salted water.
In the meanwhile, make the sauce. In a saucepan, gently melt the peanut butter in the coconut cream, then add the lemon juice and herbs. When the potatoes are cooked, remove the skins, cut them into quarters and place them in a bowl. While they are still warm, dress them with the coconut and peanut sauce. Serve with a large salad.
Serves 1
An inspired combination of flavour and texture, this salad was at one stage a great passion, which Francis ate every night in the short-lived fennel season.
1 potato, peeled, cubed and boiled until tender
1 orange, peeled and cut up into small chunks
½ head fennel, thinly sliced or grated
1 small avocado, cut into chunks
sesame seeds or tahini
extra-virgin olive oil
lemon juice
Toss all the ingredients together. Perfection.
Pasta with courgettes, leeks, lemon and crème fraîche
Serves 4
The delicate spring colours of this dish are delightful, while the combination of lemon zest and crème fraîche is the taste springboard for the courgettes and leeks.
zest and juice of 1 organic lemon
a small handful of fresh oregano, chopped
1 cup (250 ml tub) crème fraîche
your choice of pasta, enough for 4 people
extra-virgin olive oil for searing vegetables
4 good size leeks, thinly sliced into discs
500 g courgettes, thinly sliced into discs
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
black pepper (optional)
Stir the lemon zest and oregano into the crème fraîche, then leave it to stand while the flavours absorb.
In the meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted boiling water or according to the package instructions. In a wide, flat, non-stick pan, heat a little olive oil and throw in the leeks and courgettes. Let them sear as they cook and when they show a little blackening, turn down the heat and add the garlic and a few tablespoons of water. Leave all to soften, 3 or 4 minutes at most.
A few minutes before the pasta is ready, mix the crème fraîche into the vegetables until the flavours have combined and the crème fraîche is heated. Drain the pasta, then stir the courgette and leek sauce into the pasta.
Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice and grind black pepper on top, if desired.
Pasta with butternut and broccoli
Serves 4
This recipe lists creamed cottage cheese, but for a more luxurious meal, replace the cottage cheese with crème fraîche, or a large dash of olive oil (as pictured here) or a dollop of your favourite pesto.
1 leek, finely chopped
1 middle-sized butternut, peeled and chopped into small cubes
butter for frying
2 cups broccoli, cut into small heads
2 cloves garlic, crushed
olive oil
dill
5 Tbsp creamed cottage cheese
cooked pasta screws or farfalle, enough for 4 people
grated cheese to serve (optional)
In a large pan, fry the chopped leek and butternut in butter until light brown. Add the broccoli, garlic, olive oil and dill, and a little water and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are soft and cooked. Take the pan off the heat and when it has cooled slightly, stir in the cottage cheese. Toss the pasta into the sauce and add more olive oil if desired.
Serve with grated cheese if you wish.
Serves 6
A little unconventional, but the butternut adds a lovely sweetness to the dish.
olive oil
1 large butternut, peeled and sliced into 1 cm rounds and steamed until tender basic lentil sauce (see p. 91)
1 regular box lasagne sheets, cooked, drained and rinsed (but if you use the instant variety, follow the instructions on the box and add more liquid, stock or milk)
2 cups full-cream cottage cheese or crème fraîche
300 ml grated gouda or mozzarella cheese
Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
Grease a large ovenproof dish with olive oil and arrange a layer of butternut rounds on the bottom. Spread a layer of lentil sauce over the butternut. Cover the sauce with lasagne sheets and dot with cottage cheese or crème fraîche, and sprinkle over grated cheese. Repeat the layering process, ending with a layer of lentil sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 40 minutes until bubbling and hot. Serve with a green salad or steamed greens.
Pasta salad
Serves 4
Make up the amounts and ratios to suit yourself. Choose any or all of the vegetables you like. Try it with all three of the dressings and see the difference. Any of your favourite fresh herbs go well with the mayonnaise.
cooked pasta shells, farfalle or screws
cooked peas, steamed marrows (julienne), broccoli florets, mange tout, baby corn, carrots (julienne) and English spinach
1 x 170 g can tuna chunks in brine, drained (optional)
feta cheese
olives
1 Tbsp grated onion
3 Tbsp grated red peppers
mayonnaise (readymade or homemade – see p. 96), tomato or basil pesto (see p. 97)
Combine the ingredients, then gently toss in mayonnaise or one of the pestos. Serve at room temperature.
A healthy way to cook any fillet of fish is to wrap it in baking paper. To the parcel, add garlic, onion, lemon juice, olive oil, dill or parsley and then twist the parcels closed. They can either be steamed in a steamer over boiling water, or baked at I80 °C for 10 minutes. If you want to do this with a whole fish, bake for 25 minutes. Serve with salad, steamed vegetables or your choice of pesto.
Fish cakes
Serves 6
200 g cooked hake or other white fish
2 cups cooked basmati or brown rice
4 spring onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 egg, beaten
olive oil for frying
Mix all the ingredients, except the oil, together, then shape into patties 2 cm thick. Chill for 30 minutes, so that the patties don’t crumble apart. Fry in a little olive oil until the patties are brown.
Serve with avocado and tomato sauce (see p. 90) or your choice of pesto.
Fish and winter vegetable roast
Serves 4
To me, winter vegetables are those that ‘hibernate’ in the soil; roots such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips and bulbs of fennel and onion. Pumpkins and butternuts are lovely at this cold time as their rich, orange hues are sunlight-distilled. Decide which vegetables to combine if you like some more than others. Rich salmon or salmon trout goes particularly well with this dish, but be guided by your preference.
4 big potatoes in jackets, scrubbed and quartered
4 small sweet potatoes or 1 small butternut, all peeled and cubed to same size as potatoes
4 onions, quartered
extra-virgin oil for drizzling
2 parsnips, peeled and cut lengthways (optional)
4 heads fennel, quartered
2 carrots, peeled and sliced lengthways
4 x 150–200 g salmon or salmon trout fillets
juice of 2 organic lemons
fresh rosemary or chopped dill or tarragon
salt
Preheat the oven to 220 °C.
Arrange the potatoes, sweet potatoes or butternut and onions in a large roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Mix them until well coated in the oil. Place the pan in the oven for 20 minutes and then remove it to give the vegetables a good stir so they don’t brown only in one place. Add the parsnips, fennel and carrots and return the pan to the oven for another 20 minutes. By now the vegetables should, on inspection, be soft inside and beginning to brown.
Dip each fish fillet in the lemon juice and roll in the herbs. Place the fillets on top of the vegetables, sprinkle with salt and the rest of the lemon juice and pop back in the oven for 10–15 minutes, or until the fish is cooked and the vegetables are browned. This dish is best served immediately with a green salad.
Fish and summer vegetable roast
Serves 4
Summer tastes of cherry tomatoes, black olives, garlic, brinjal, mange tout and herbs. White-fleshed fish balances the delicate flavours so well. Serve with boiled baby potatoes and a big bowl of tzatsiki.
extra-virgin olive oil for frying and drizzling
400 g cherry tomatoes
2 large brinjals, sliced into discs
300 g mange tout
1 cup black olives, pitted
2 cloves garlic
4 x 200 g fresh hake, kingklip or other white-fleshed fish fillets
juice of 2 organic lemons
fresh chopped thyme, oregano and basil
Preheat the oven to 220 °C.
Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan. Add the tomatoes to the pan and allow them to sit in the heat without moving them around too much so that the skin blackens on some areas. In a separate, large frying pan, heat a little olive oil and fry the brinjals until they are browned.
Blanche the mange tout in boiling water for 3–4 minutes, then drain. In a large roasting pan, mix together the tomatoes, brinjals, mange tout and olives. Crush the garlic in and drizzle with olive oil. Dip the fish fillets in the lemon juice and roll in the fresh herbs and place them on top of the vegetables. Pour the rest of the lemon juice over the vegetables. Roast in the oven for 5–10 minutes until the fish is tender but cooked.
Risotto with orange sweet potato, coconut milk and curry leaves
Serves 4
This is so gentle on the palate. I can’t think of anything to compare it to as it offers its own unique blend of comfort and joy.
1 onion, sliced
2 Tbsp sliced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, sliced
extra-virgin olive oil for frying
400 g arborio rice
400 g orange sweet potato, peeled and diced
6–10 curry leaves
1 x 400 ml can coconut milk
800 ml good quality vegetable stock
soy sauce to serve
chopped fresh coriander to serve
Fry the onion, ginger and garlic in a little olive oil until the flavours begin to mingle. Stir in the rice, sweet potato and curry leaves until everything is well blended. Pour in the coconut milk and stir until the rice begins to thicken. Still stirring, add all the stock, half a cup at a time, until the rice is cooked. Serve in bowls with a dash of soy sauce and coriander.
Serves 4
You have to love eating crimson by the forkful here! There’s no way around it. Not all arborio rice is made in the same manner, but I like the type that cooks within 20 minutes as the vegetables keep their shape. So do check the pack instructions for cooking time. Beetroot loves mint and lemon so there are hints of both here. Call me a rebel, but I am not a fan of using Parmesan in risotto. I grew up in war time in what was then Rhodesia, where Parmesan (among other things) was a scarcity. When my family went out on a Saturday night to Guidos Italian restaurant, the table was allocated one bowl of Parmesan and we had to share it out on our different dishes. So I still like to see proof of it sprinkled over the top of risotto, pasta and a couple of other things that would make some Italians squirm with embarrassment.
1 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced
extra-virgin olive oil for frying
300 g beetroots, peeled and cut into small pieces
zest of ½ organic lemon
400 g arborio rice
1.2 litres good-quality hot vegetable stock
a palm full of fresh mint
salt to taste
juice of 1 organic lemon (optional)
grated Parmesan to serve (optional)
Fry the onion slices and garlic in a little oil until soft. Add the beetroots, lemon zest and rice and stir until the rice is pink. Gradually pour in the stock, half a cup at a time, stirring all the time. When the liquid decreases, add more stock, and continue until you have used all the stock and the rice is tender. Stir in the mint and season with salt.
Serve in bowls with a squeeze of lemon juice if you like, and sprinkle as much Parmesan as you fancy (or not), or are allowed!
Brinjal and sweet potato in coconut milk
Serves 4
Coconut milk takes a dish from ordinary to sublime. If brinjals are not your favourite, almost any other vegetable will do. Try green beans, carrots, butternut, baby corn, cabbage or broccoli.
2 brinjals
2 large sweet potatoes
1 x 400 ml can coconut milk
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 sticks lemongrass
2 cloves garlic, crushed
fresh dhania (coriander) to garnish
sesame seeds to sprinkle
Cut the brinjals and sweet potatoes into small cubes. Combine with the coconut milk, ginger, lemongrass and garlic and place in a wide-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer over a low heat until the vegetables are soft.
Garnish with dhania and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with basmati or brown rice.
Courgette and butternut quenelles with tomato salsa and tzatziki
Serves 4
These are crispy and full of flavour. The chickpea flour boosts the protein content and everyone, regardless of age, can eat with their hands, dipping into the tzatziki and salsa with abandon.
½ cucumber, peeled and grated with excess juice squeezed out
1 clove garlic, crushed
350 ml plain yoghurt
4 large ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
4 spring onions, finely chopped
a small handful of fresh basil, chopped
salt to taste
400 g peeled and grated courgettes
400 g peeled and grated butternut
a handful of fresh mint, chopped
± 100 g chickpea flour
extra-virgin olive oil for frying
To make the tzatziki, combine the cucumber and garlic with the yoghurt, mixing thoroughly. For the salsa, mix together the tomatoes, spring onions, basil and salt.
To prepare the quenelles, place the courgettes, butternut and mint in a mixing bowl, then stir in the chickpea flour. Leave this to stand for 10 minutes to allow the mixture to bind. It should still be quite moist as too much flour will make the quenelles heavy. Add more chickpea flour if necessary (or just fry one to test the mixture). Heat a large, non-stick frying pan and pour in a thin layer of olive oil. Using two tablespoons, work a spoonful of the mixture, pressing it from spoon to spoon and watch it form a lovely oval. If this is too difficult, simply roll palm-size ovals in your hands. Drop the ovals into the pan, allowing them to brown and crisp on one side before turning them over. When each is complete, place on kitchen paper. Keep making and frying until you have used all the mixture.
Serve the quenelles with the tzatziki and salsa and enjoy according to your family’s table manners.
Portebellini mushrooms in cream over polenta
Serves 4
Despite being a visual feast, this dish takes very little time to prepare. That’s because I use instant polenta rather than the stir-for-an-hour variety. I don’t think of it as cheating. I come from a long, illustrious line of pioneer women and farmers’ wives who churned butter, plucked chickens and shelled peas from their own kitchen gardens, and I know they would be the first to expect me to use my inherited gumption for less martyristic endeavours. Present this on a platter for the full dramatic effect.
extra-virgin olive oil for frying
1 kg portebellini mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup cream
a small handful of fresh parsley
salt to taste
400 g instant polenta
1.5 litres boiling salted water
a small handful of thyme, torn up by hand
100 g Parmesan, grated
1 red and 1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1 lemon, cut into wedges
In a saucepan, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil, add the mushrooms and move them around the pan. When they begin to colour and release their juices, add the garlic and turn down the heat for a few minutes. Stir in the cream and parsley, add a little salt and reduce the heat so that the sauce just simmers.
Pour the polenta into the boiling water and stir well for 10 minutes while the polenta thickens. (Watch out for dangerously hot polenta missiles!) The polenta should be firm and difficult to stir at the end. Transfer the polenta to a serving platter. Pour over the mushroom sauce and sprinkle with the thyme and Parmesan. Serve the peppers and lemon wedges on the side. Place it in the centre of a table of hungry people and watch it disappear.
Buckwheat crêpes filled with spinach and ricotta
Serves 4
These crêpes are light, tasty and can be filled with almost anything, but here the classic combination of spinach and ricotta is perfection. Serve with a salad of ripe tomatoes, olives and basil.
grated mature Cheddar (optional)
Crêpes
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup water
150 g buckwheat flour
½ tsp salt
butter for frying
Filling
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
100 g brown mushrooms
extra-virgin olive oil for frying
400 g fresh baby spinach, washed and chopped
soy sauce
300 g ricotta
To make the crêpes, beat the eggs, milk and water into the flour and salt until they are well mixed, then leave the mixture to stand for 30 minutes. In a small, non-stick frying pan, heat a little butter and pour in just enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan. As soon as bubbles appear in the batter, turn over the crêpe. The second side will be ready after a few seconds. Repeat until all the batter has been used. Keep the crêpes stacked on a plate in the warming drawer.
For the filling, gently fry the onion, garlic and mushrooms together in a frying pan in a little olive oil until they start to brown and soften. Add the spinach and a dash of soy sauce and let the spinach wilt and blend into the onion mix. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Add the ricotta and mix into the spinach.
To assemble, spread some of the filling over each crêpe and roll up. Arrange the crêpes in an oven-proof dish. At this stage you can choose to serve them warm, or, if you like them hot, sprinkle them with the grated cheese and heat them in a hot oven (200 °C) for 10 minutes.
Sweetcorn pancakes with smoked salmon and watercress cream cheese
Serves 4 (makes 8–10 pancakes)
All through my childhood, sweetcorn ‘fritters’ as we called them, were a huge treat. My mum would make them with creamed sweetcorn from a can and they were a breakfast favourite. Those were the days when breakfast began with porridge (on my granddad’s farm this was his own freshly ground mealies cooked and eaten with cream from his dairy), followed by eggs, bacon, fried tomato, and sometimes fried bread or fritters. All rounded off nicely, thank you, with toast and marmalade and tea. Looking back I don’t know how we managed, but there was no snacking and we had full days climbing trees and pushing each other on go-carts. The watercress in the creamed cottage cheese gives a gentle peppery taste, but on another occasion you may want to blend a handful of fresh dill instead for a more traditional taste.
4 cobs sweetcorn
2 eggs
400 ml buckwheat or barley flour
400 ml milk
200 ml water
2 large handfuls of fresh watercress
400 ml creamed cottage cheese or crème fraîche
400 g smoked salmon
2 organic lemons, cut in wedges
black pepper to serve
Cut the kernels from the sweetcorn cobs. Blend half of the kernels in a food processor until they are creamed. Beat together the eggs, then add them to the creamed sweetcorn. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg mixture into the flour, then mix in the milk, followed by the water. Leave the batter to stand for 30 minutes.
Heat a small, non-stick frying pan until hot, then pour in a soup ladle full of batter. As soon as the batter begins to bubble, flip the pancake over and cook the other side (a few minutes). Cook all the pancakes the same way and stack them on a plate.
In a food processor, blend the watercress with the cottage cheese or crème fraîche, then scoop into a pretty bowl. To serve, arrange the salmon on a plate with the lemon wedges. Place the pancake stack and the watercress cream cheese in the middle of the table with the smoked salmon, allowing each person to arrange their own pancake. Have the black pepper mill on hand.
Potato bake with eggs, Florentine style
Serves 4
This is one of those dishes that pleases the eye and is deeply satisfying. Use waxy or Mediterranean potatoes as they are more suited to this dish. If the amount of cream makes you feel guilty, or at the very least, has you pondering the health aspects, simply use olive oil instead.
800 g waxy potatoes, boiled soft, peeled and sliced into 5 mm-thick rounds
4 onions, sliced and fried until brown and sweet
100 ml cream
400 g baby spinach
juice of 1 organic lemon
salt
4 eggs
Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
In a large, ovenproof dish, arrange the potato slices with half of the onions. Pour half of the cream over the potatoes.
Gently wilt the spinach in a covered pan or in a steamer. Mix the spinach with the rest of the onions and cream, then add lemon juice and salt to taste. Spread the spinach mixture on top of the potatoes. Make four little indentations in the spinach where your eggs will nest. Carefully break the eggs into the indentations. Bake for 10 minutes or until the eggs are set.
Serve with a luxurious salad of your choosing.
Potato cakes with avocado and tomato sauce
Serves 4
Lovely on its own or as a side dish with your favourite meat or fish dish.
Potato cakes
5 medium-sized potatoes, boiled and peeled
2 eggs
fresh chopped parsley to taste
½ cup grated gouda cheese
milk
oil for frying
Avocado and tomato sauce
1 avocado
3 fresh tomatoes, peeled
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
fresh coriander to taste
crushed garlic to taste
To make the potato cakes, mash all the ingredients together, adding enough milk so that the mash is still stiff enough to roll and shape into small patties about 2 cm thick. Fry in a little oil until the patties are brown and slightly crisp. If you prefer, you may brush with oil and bake at 180 °C for 20 minutes.
To make the sauce, blend together all the ingredients until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately over the potato (or fish) cakes.
Tip: Immerse tomatoes in boiling water for a few minutes and the skins will come off easily!
Makes sufficient for 4 servings
This sauce is a basic for many dishes. I am always amazed by how comforting a piping hot bowl of lentils can be, just on their own. Alternatively, serve it over pasta, rice or baked potatoes, then jazz it up with grated cheese, tzatziki, avocado or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a big slug of olive oil. In fact, I think I’ll put my pyjamas on and make myself some right now.
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
125 g mushrooms, sliced (optional)
extra-virgin olive oil for frying
3 large carrots, sliced
1 x 410 g can chopped tomatoes
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp freshly chopped oregano
1 large bay leaf
1½ cups brown lentils, rinsed
2 cups filtered water
Gently fry the onion, garlic and mushrooms in a little olive oil in a wide-bottom pan until browned. Add the carrots, tomatoes, herbs, lentils and water. Simmer gently for 40 minutes until the sauce is thick. An alternative way to prepare is to put all the ingredients together from the start and follow the same cooking instructions. Many people feel it’s healthier not to fry onions in oil first.
Serves 6
8 potatoes
milk
butter
salt and pepper
basic lentil sauce (see p. 91)
Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
Boil the potatoes until cooked. Peel and place them in a bowl, then mash with enough milk and butter so that they are creamy, but still stiff. Season to taste.
Add the lentil sauce to a large, ovenproof dish and top with the mashed potato. Bake for 30 minutes until the potato topping is browned. Serve with a green salad or steamed greens.
Omelette with grated vegetables
Serves 4
Omelettes take so little time to prepare and they are great as backup when you don’t have much time to plan or prepare a meal. The added vegetables make them a bit more special.
6 eggs
200 ml milk
extra-virgin olive oil for frying
1 carrot, grated
2 parsnips, grated (optional)
2 handfuls of baby spinach, finely chopped
2 tsp chopped dill
grated cheese to sprinkle
Beat the eggs and milk together. Heat a non-stick pan, then add a little olive oil and stir-fry the vegetables until soft. Pour in the egg mixture. As the mixture begins to set on the bottom, lift it with a spatula and tilt the pan so that the mixture runs down to the bottom. Repeat this until all the egg is set. Take care not to burn the bottom of the omelette.
Sprinkle with grated cheese and serve with toast.
I love this and make it exactly according to the recipe, but if I want extra texture and sweetness, I add grated carrot, and for luxury, de-pipped olives and sprigs of rosemary from my garden.
2 cups quick-cooking polenta
1 tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups milk or buttermilk
chopped fresh oregano, rosemary or thyme
1 cup grated carrot (optional)
Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Grease a 21–23 cm cake tin.
Mix the dry ingredients together. Mix the wet ingredients together. Combine them, then leave to stand for 5 minutes, to allow the polenta to absorb the liquid. Turn into the prepared cake tin and bake for 25–30 minutes.
Serve with basic lentil sauce (see p. 90) or avocado and tomato sauce (see p. 90). It’s also delicious if sliced and spread with cottage cheese and pesto, or roast tomatoes (see below) and a rocket salad.
Roast tomatoes
Serve these with pasta or rice, any egg dish or drop onto toast. If you have leftovers, they will keep for two weeks in the fridge, but mine have never survived longer than a day or two before being demolished!
tomatoes, quartered (sufficient to fit in an oven tray)
cloves garlic, sliced
oregano to sprinkle
salt
balsamic vinegar
extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 150 °C.
Fill a baking tray with tomatoes, skin-side down. Tuck garlic slices in amongst the tomato pips. Sprinkle with oregano and salt, then pour a good 4–5 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and as much olive oil as you can spare over the tomatoes. (The oil and vinegar create a beautiful, thick liquid.) Bake for 1–1½ hours until the tomatoes have shrunk and are lying in a sticky, sweet juice.
Serves 3 (2 slices each)
3 eggs
1 cup milk
6 slices brown bread
oil for frying
Beat the eggs and milk in a flat dish. Soak each slice of bread in the egg batter and fry in a little oil until the bread is brown and crispy. Serve with fruit compote (see p. 30), molasses or honey and cinnamon.
Hummus dip (age eight months onwards)
Makes ± 2¼ cups
400 g cooked chickpeas, drained
(canned are fine)
½ cup sesame seeds
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lemon
4 Tbsp tahini
100 ml olive oil
70 ml chopped fresh parsley or coriander
Blend all the ingredients in a food processor and keep refrigerated.
Mayonnaise (age eight months onwards)
Makes ± 1⅓ cups
Homemade mayonnaise differs radically from the store-bought variety. I say ‘radically’ because the base ingredients of homemade, particularly the oils, are good for you, unlike the ‘stuff’ in store-bought mayo. And it’s not difficult to make at all; your blender does the work. So be the change you want to see in the world, beginning with reclaiming the right to spoon mayo over anything with a clear conscience!
1 clove garlic (optional)
1 egg yolk
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard
salt to taste
1 cup cold-pressed grapeseed oil
40 ml apple cider vinegar
Blend together all the ingredients, except the oil and vinegar, in a hand blender, then gradually add 2 teaspoons of the oil, blending until smooth and thick. Continue to blend in half of the oil, a little at a time. Blend in the vinegar, and finally the rest of the oil.
Transform a simple bowl of rice, pasta or boiled potato with a generous spoonful of either of these recipes. Jazz it up some more with avocado, chopped English spinach, grated carrot or cheese. Dinner done and dusted!
Basic basil pesto
Makes ± 1½ cups
3 handfuls of fresh basil leaves
½ cup pine nuts or sunflower seeds
1 small clove garlic
½ cup Parmesan cheese or
mature Cheddar (optional)
extra-virgin olive oil
Blend all the ingredients together to your preferred consistency.
Tomato pesto
Makes ± 1½ cups
1 cup sundried tomatoes
hot water
1 clove garlic
½ cup pine nuts or sunflower seeds
extra-virgin olive oil
salt
lemon juice to taste
Cover the tomatoes in hot water to soften, then drain (but retain the water to add, in case necessary). Blend together all the ingredients to your preferred consistency.
Clockwise from top: Mayonnaise, Basil pesto, Tomato pesto
