Green fritters--Cooking Books

Green fritters

Ingredients

140g courgettes', grated
3 medium eggs
85g broccoli florets, finely chopped
small pack dill, roughly chopped
3 tbsp gluten-free flour or rice flour
2 tbsp sunflower oil, for frying

Method

1. Squeeze the courgettes between your hands to remove any excess moisture, or tip onto a clean tea towel and twist it to squeeze out the moisture.

2. Beat the eggs in a bowl, add the broccoli, courgettes and most of the dill, and mix together. Add the flour, mix again and season.

3. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Put a large serving spoon of the mixture in the pan, then add 2 more spoonfuls so you have 3 fritters. Leave for 3-4 mins on a medium heat until golden brown on one side and solid enough for you to flip over, then flip over and leave to go golden on the other side.

4.  Repeat to make 3 more fritters (there is no need to add any more oil to the pan after the first batch). Scatter with the remaining dill to serve.

Roast Chicken With Braised Celery Hearts--Cooking Books

Roast Chicken With Braised Celery Hearts

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter
4 whole celery hearts, halved lengthways
3 carrots, chopped
4 bay leaves
few thyme sprigs
6 garlic cloves, skin left on
600ml fresh chicken stock
1 chicken, weighing 1½ kg/3lb 5oz
small bunch parsley, chopped

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the butter in a large shallow ovenproof casserole dish and fry the celery and carrots on a medium heat for 4-5 mins. Add the bay, thyme, garlic and seasoning, then pour over the stock. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat.

2. Sit the chicken in the dish, nestling it into the veg. Season well, transfer to the oven and roast for 1 hr 40 mins until the skin is golden. Remove to a board to rest for 20 mins.

3. To serve, reheat the celery and sauce, scatter with parsley and tip into a serving dish. Carve the chicken into portions and serve on a board with the celery for everyone to help themselves.

Weaning recipe: Slow-cooked lamb & veg with sweet potato & carrot mash

Weaning recipe: Slow-cooked lamb & veg with sweet potato & carrot mash

Ingredients

knob of butter, for frying
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground coriander
3 lamb shanks
4 carrots, peeled and cut into small chunks
2 sticks celery, cut into small chunks
750ml water or low sodium vegetable stock
750g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

Method

1. Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Melt the butter in a big ovenproof casserole dish. Brown the lamb shank on all sides for a few minutes and then remove from the pan. Gently cook the onion for 7-8 mins until well softened, adding a little more butter if necessary. Add the garlic and cinnamon and cook for a further minute.

2. Return the lamb shank to the pan, along with the carrot and celery. Pour in the water or veg stock (bear in mind water is better for baby). Bring to the boil, then put on the lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 - 2 1/2 hours until the lamb is very tender.

3. Meanwhile wrap the sweet potatoes in tin foil and roast in the oven for 45 mins to 1 hour until completely tender. Scoop out the insides and mash with a little butter. For baby, shred the meat into small pieces and serve with the soft vegetables and mash. Serve everyone else with a whole shank and some veg, spoon over a little of the cooking liquor and put a dollop of mash on the side.

Spinach & Feta Cannelloni--Cooking Books

Spinach & Feta Cannelloni

Ingredients

4 large sheets no-pre-cook lasagne (we used Sainsbury's fresh egg lasagne from a 250g pack)
1kg frozen spinach, defrosted
200g pack low-fat feta cheese generous grating nutmeg large handful olives, pitted and chopped
1 tbsp caper, rinsed
400g can chopped tomatoes
25g Parmesan, grated

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put the lasagne sheets in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 5 mins or prepare according to pack instructions. Meanwhile, squeeze as much water as possible from the spinach, then mix with the feta, nutmeg and some seasoning. Drain the pasta, then cut each sheet in half vertically. Spoon 4 tbsp of the filling along the centre of each half, then roll up to enclose. Place in a lightly oiled baking dish.

2. Mix the olives, capers and tomatoes together in a bowl, season, then spoon over the cannelloni. Sprinkle with parmesan, cover with foil, then bake for 20 mins.

Egg Niçoise salad--Cooking Books

Egg Niçoise salad

Ingredients

For the dressing

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

juice 1 lemon

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 garlic clove, grated

⅓ small pack basil

, leaves chopped

3 pitted black kalamata olives, rinsed and chopped

For the salad

2 eggs

250g new potatoes, thickly sliced

200g fine green beans

½ red onion, very finely chopped

14 cherry tomatoes, halved

6 romaine lettuce leaves, torn into bite-sized pieces

6 pitted black kalamata olive, rinsed and halved

Method

1 Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl with 1 tbsp water. 

2. Meanwhile boil the potatoes for 7 mins, add the beans and boil 5 mins more or until both are just tender, then drain. Boil 2 eggs for 8 minutes then shell and halve.

3. Toss the beans, potatoes and remaining salad ingredients, except the eggs, together in a large bowl with half the dressing. Arrange the eggs on top and drizzle over the remaining dressing. 

Sticky slow-roast belly of pork--Cooking Books

Sticky slow-roast belly of pork

Ingredients

1.3kg piece pork belly, boned, rind left on and scored (ask your butcher to do this)
2 tsp sunflower oil
1 tsp white peppercorns, crushed
3 large onion
, sliced
2-3 tbsp clear honey
2 tsp ground cumin
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped

Method

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Lay the pork, skin-side up, on a rack in a roasting tin. Trickle with a little oil, then lightly press on the crushed peppercorns and a sprinkling of coarse sea salt. Place in the oven, then cook for 1 hr. Remove from the oven and baste with the juices. Continue to cook for a further 1½ hrs, basting every 20 mins.

2. Put the sliced onions in the roasting tin under the pork. Mix the honey together with the cumin and chilli, brush it over the pork, then increase the oven to 200C/fan 180C/ gas 6. Cook for a further 30-40 mins, basting occasionally, until caramelised with a rich, golden glaze over the pork. Once cooked and tender (this can be easily tested by piercing the flesh with a knife), remove pork from the oven, then leave to rest for 10-15 mins.

3. While the pork is resting, heat the tin on the stove with the onions, adding 2 tbsp water. This will lift any residue from the pan, creating a moist cooking liquor. Season the onions with salt and pepper, then divide between 6 plates. Carve pork into 6 portions, then serve on top of the onions. Pour any remaining liquor over and serve with the Pumpkin mash (below).

Slow-roast belly of pork--Cooking Books

Slow-roast belly of pork

Ingredients

1½ kg/3lb 5oz-4lb 8oz pork belly, scored and boned (ask to keep the bones to make stock for the gravy)
25g/ 1oz butter
25g/ 1oz flour
1l/ 1¾ pints chicken stock or 500ml/18 fl oz if you don't have pork bones

Method

1. If you have the pork bones, roast them until browned, then transfer to a pan and cover with 1 litre chicken stock. Gently simmer for 1 hr, skimming off any scum that comes to the surface (you will need about 500ml for the gravy). If you don’t have pork bones, don’t worry about this stage.

2. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the pork on a wire rack in a roasting tray, skin side up, and cook for 1½ hrs. increase oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and cook for a further 15-20 mins to crisp the skin. Remove the pork from the tin and allow to rest for 45 mins.

3. To make the gravy, remove all the fat from the bottom of the roasting tin. Add the butter and heat to melt. Tip in the flour and cook for 1-2 mins, scraping the bottom of the pan. Gradually stir in 500ml stock and cook for 5 mins until thick.

Aubergine & goat’s cheese salad with mint-chilli dressing--Cooking Books

Aubergine & goat’s cheese salad with mint-chilli dressing

Ingredients

2 aubergine
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 pieces lavash bread or pitta bread
175g cherry plum tomato, halved or quartered
4 large handfuls salad leaves
2 shallot, thinly sliced
50g hard goat's cheese
For the mint-chilli dressing
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large handful mint leaves, finely chopped
1 red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Cut the aubergine into 3cm chunks. Drizzle with olive oil and season. Arrange on a baking tray and roast for 25 mins or until browned.

2. Rip the bread into pieces and put on a baking tray. Just as the aubergine is nearly ready, pop the bread into the oven and bake for 8 mins.

3. To make the mint-chilli dressing, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl and season. Toss about one-third of the dressing with the aubergine and save the rest to pour over the salad. Arrange the tomatoes, salad leaves, shallots, dressed aubergine and crisp bread on a large platter. Drizzle the reserved dressing over and scatter the goat’s cheese on top.

Iced Green Tea--Cooking Books

Iced Green Tea

2 tablespoons good quality loose leaf green tea
1 tablespoon (unsprayed) dried rose petals (optional)
1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds (optional)
4 cups filtered water, divided

Place the green tea, rose petals, and coriander in a pitcher. Bring 1/2 cup / 120ml water not quite to a boil. Pour it over the tea leaves wait ten seconds, then add the remaining 3 1/2 cups water. Refrigerate until the tea is a strength you like - typically 4 - 8 hours. Strain and serve over ice.

Makes 4 cups.

- Alternative brew: Substitute a handful of fresh mint, and four coins of bruised ginger for the rose petals and coriander.

Prep time: 5 min