Quinoa, broccoli & red pepper salad with herby tahini dressing

Nutritious and tasty, this salad delivers a ton of flavour and over 10 of your 30 plants a week! Nutrition researchers at the Zoe project recommend eating 30 different types of plants weekly to support gut microbes, long-term general health, and weight management (read more).

The veggies and quinoa are full of fibre, which feeds gut bacteria and has been linked to weight loss, improved energy levels, and even reduced menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, mood swings, and anxiety.

This recipe is also a good source of B vitamins (tahini and veggies), which can help with weight management; B1 (thiamine) helps the body burn calories from carbohydrates, and B6 and B9 (folate) can boost metabolism.

Quinoa and chickpeas contain manganese, a co-factor for many different enzymatic reactions in the body, including those that support weight management by encouraging carbohydrate and fat burning. Manganese also protects against oxidative stress by neutralising free radicals.

Oxidative stress occurs when our body has high levels of free radicals that can damage the surrounding cells and tissues. When free radicals react with important molecules in our cells, like DNA, proteins, or fats, they can disrupt their normal function and lead to damage. This damage is associated with health issues, such as accelerated aging, inflammation, and increased risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. The good news is that broccoli and red pepper also contain high levels of antioxidants, including vitamin C, which reduce the risk of oxidative stress and inflammation by supporting the immune system

It’s a vegan salad, but you can eat whatever you want with it … last night, we had Mexican-spiced fried chicken breast, and leftover carrot, and kohlrabi slaw, but grilled meat, fish, halloumi, fried tofu, feta, edamame would all work really well.

If you want to simplify the recipe, you can use raw chopped cherry tomatoes (vine if possible for flavor) or roast the tomatoes for 15-20 minutes at 180°c rather than the slow and low method I have used to dry them out. You can also swap the crispy chickpeas for toasted pumpkin, sunflower seeds, or hazelnuts. I recommend you try the chickpeas once, though, as they are super delicious and add a nice crunch.

ingredients

Serves 6 as a side dish

• 250g vine cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas

• ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika

• 150g quinoa (I used tricolour, but you can use ‘normal’)

• 200g tenderstem broccoli, ends trimmed

• 1 large red pepper, thickly sliced

• 30g fresh herbs (any combo of flat-leaf parsley, coriander, dill, basil) chopped roughly

Dressing

• 4 tbsp tahini

• 6 tbsp chickpea water

• ½ clove garlic, peeled

• Juice of ½ lemon

• 10g herbs (taken from the 30g listed above)

method

• Heat the oven to 120 °c

• Drain the chickpeas and retain the liquid. Pat dry with a paper towel.

• Spread the tomatoes on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle with salt.

• Next, spread the chickpeas on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with paprika and a pinch of sea salt.

• Place both trays in the oven and cook for 1 hour. The tomatoes should be caramelized and blackened on some edges, with most of their liquid evaporated. The chickpeas should be very crunchy; if not, put them back in for 10-15 minutes.

• Simmer the quinoa for 20 minutes, then drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside to drain well.

• Once the tomatoes and chickpeas are cooked, turn the oven to 180°c.

• Put the broccoli and peppers on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.

• Place in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove the broccoli and put the peppers back in for 5 minutes.

• Meanwhile, chop the herbs and make the dressing; put all the ingredients, including ⅓ of the chopped herbs, into a small mixer and blitz.

• Assemble the salad by layering quinoa, veggies, herbs, dressing, and repeat, finishing with veggies, dressing, herbs, and chickpeas. I like drizzling each layer with extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon to add flavour and moisture.

Tip

• If you don’t have a mixer, use a whisk and bowl if you don’t have a small mixer, but make sure your herbs are chopped finely.

baked brown basmati with red pepper & cherry tomatoes

I thought I would try baking brown rice instead of white and turns out it’s pretty much the same, but takes a little longer in the oven. This is a really good way to do a hands off rice dish that can be your main course with the addition of baked feta, halloumi, crispy chickpeas or toasted hazelnuts, or you could also have it as a side with roast chicken or grilled fish.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 200g cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 red pepper, sliced

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion, half moon slices

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 500ml boiling water, ½ veggie stock cube

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 200g brown basmati rice

• 1 small bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped

• 1 lemon, juiced

• salt and pepper

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Put the cherry tomatoes and red peppers in the medium oven proof dish that you’re going to use for the rice and mix in 1 tbsp olive oil, a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Put in the oven for 20 minutes, until cooked and starting to brown.

• While the tomatoes and peppers are cooking, get a small frying pan add a little olive oil and fry the onions gently for around 15 minutes until browned.

• Boil 500ml of water, mix with the ½ stock cube and 1tsp sea salt in a jug.

• When the tomatoes and peppers are ready, squeeze out the garlic and mash. Distribute it as evenly as possible over the vegetables. Do the same with the cooked onions, don’t mix them in.

• Next scatter the rice evenly over the top of the vegetables (no mixing), drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil evenly over the top and then pour over the hot stock.

• Put tinfoil over the top of the dish as tightly as possible, you may need to double layer. This is easier if you have a dish with a lip around the top edge. Put in the oven for 45 minutes, until the rice is soft and all the water as absorbed.

• Serve with a scattering of parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Red pepper, white bean and lentil stew

Is it a stew, or is it a soup?! Who knows! But it’s tasty, chunky and total veggie comfort food 🌱

I love this stew/soup (stoup?!) in a big bowl on its own, or equally with a chunk of buttered sourdough, or with brown rice and steamed greens - it’ll go further if you have it this way too. A blob of Greek or vegan coconut yoghurt is lovely on top.

I always try to add lots of gut-friendly fibre (not just for bulking, but to feed your good microbes!) in my cooking, plus I eat a lot of veggie food, so I like to make sure that there is also plenty of protein too - in this soup the lentils and beans will give you loads of both!

Delicious as a comforting dinner, or perfect for lunch - you decide!

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 2 red peppers, quartered and sliced 

• 3 small cloves garlic, chopped finely 

• 1 tsp cumin seeds 

• 1 tsp smoked paprika or pimentón

• 200g red lentils, rinsed well  

• 1 x 400g tinned tomatoes

• 200ml coconut milk (freeze the rest for next time)

• ½ veg stock cube (I used Kallo low salt)

• 1 tbsp rose harissa  

• 1 x 400g tin cannellini beans

• 1 tsp sea salt 

• Juice of ½ lemon

• A small handful of chopped parsley

Method

• Heat 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large pan and fry the onions for 8 minutes.

• Next add the red pepper for a further 5 minutes and then the garlic, stirring well. Cook for another minutes or so.

• Now put in the smoked paprika and cumin seeds and stir well to warm through and release their flavours.

• Next add the rinsed lentils, tinned tomatoes, coconut milk, 1 ½ tins of water and the rose harissa.

• Simmer for 15 minutes with a little gap in the lid (add a little extra water if needed to loosen) then add the drained cannellini beans. Cook for about 5 minutes.

• Next stir in the salt, lemon juice and parsley

• Serve with a blob of yoghurt - coconut for vegan option

Red pepper chickpeas with rose harissa

I like to make a big pan of these chickpeas as I love to eat the leftovers for lunch with feta and sourdough or a green salad. They’re a great way to up your plant-based protein if you’re cutting back on meat and I even managed to get my pescatarian legume-hating daughter to eat them on a baked potato with lots of cheddar on top. So I’m classifying them a child-friendly too!

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic, grated

• 1 red pepper, sliced

• 1 tsp of ground cumin

• 2 x 400g tins chickpeas

• 1 tin of cherry tomatoes

• 1 tbsp rose harissa

• 1 tsp sea salt

Method

• Heat 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a large saucepan then add the onion and fry gently for five minutes.

• Next add the red pepper and cook gently for a further 10 minutes

• Add the garlic, cooking for one minute, then the cumin, stirring well for 30 seconds. 

• Pour in the chickpeas, tomatoes and rose harissa simmering gently for 20 minutes.

• Finish by adding 1 teaspoon of salt and serve with crumbled feta, crusty sourdough and a green salad. 

Tip

• If you want to use up the rose harissa, just type it in as a search term on my site and more recipes will come up!

• Serve with any of the following: chicken, white fish, baked potato, brown rice, cheddar cheese, coconut or Greek yoghurt.

Red pepper & hazelnut pesto

I love any kind of pesto as I think it goes with so many things. Pasta is an obvious one, but a spoon on top of a risotto, roasted vegetables, fish or chicken works so well too. I particularly like this pesto with salmon as the red pepper and hazelnuts really compliment it.

In this recipe I have used jarred red peppers as they have a great flavour and texture, so I always use them rather than cooking my own. This saves quite a bit of prep time, but you can blacken your own if you prefer (here’s how in Step 3 of this recipe).

ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 4 roasted red peppers, deseeded

• 40g parmesan, roughly chopped

• 80g toasted hazelnuts

• 25g fresh basil leaves

• 1 tsp sea salt

• Juice of ¼ lemon

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

method

• Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz until you have a rough paste. You’ll need to stop and scrape the sides down a couple of times.

tip

• If you don’t have a food processor you could use a hand blender or a pestle and mortar - if using a pestle them you would need to finely chop the red pepper with a knife and add to the mix at the end.

Ratatouille

Less is more where ratatouille is concerned. I like to make a simple traditional recipe letting the taste of the vegetables shine through without too many extra flavours.

I’ve only added ground coriander and a few basil leaves, but they combine to make a rich sauce that is slightly sweetened by the natural flavours of the vegetables.

I love to eat ratatouille with baked potatoes and lots of cheese, cous cous, bulgur wheat, rice, in wraps or with grilled fish.

It’s so versatile that you can use it with a few different meals through the week and only have to cook it once, which is my kind of dish!

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1 aubergine, 2cm cubes

• 1 large red onion, chopped

• 1 large garlic clove, grated

• 1 red pepper, sliced

• 1 courgette, halved and sliced

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 2 x 400g tins of tomatoes

• 1 tsp sea salt

• A handful of ripped basil leaves to serve

Method

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan. Add the aubergine and onion, cooking for 10 minutes on a gentle heat

• Next add the garlic and red peppers for 5 minutes and then the courgettes for 10 minutes with the lid on.

• Stir in the coriander and pour in the tinned tomatoes, simmer for 40 minutes with the lid on.

• Add the salt and basil leaves, stir well.

Orzo, sweet pepper, spinach & toasted almond salad

It’s all about salads for me at the moment! I love the warmer weather and the food it brings, out with soup and in with lots of colourful plates of grains, veggies, cheese and fresh herbs. This is a Italian-style plate with a lovely combination of pasta, roasted peppers, spinach, basil and toasted almonds in a garlic red wine vinaigrette. The salad is vegan, but if you want to top with crumbled feta, that would work really well too.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 3 sweet peppers (red, orange or yellow)

• 250g orzo

• 150g fresh spinach

• A handful of ripped basil leaves

• 50g almonds

Dressing

• 60ml olive oil

• 20ml red wine vinegar

• 1/2 tbsp maple or honey

• ½ small garlic clove, grated

• 1 thinly sliced half moon of red onion, finely chopped (see photo below)

• ¼ tsp sea salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Make the dressing by mixing all the ingredients in a salad shaker (I love this one by Oxo)

• Spread the almonds on a baking tray and toast in the oven for 6-7 minutes. Allow to cool and then chop roughly.

• Cook the orzo as per the packet instructions, usually simmer for 8-12 minutes, depending on the brand. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop it cooking further. Once thoroughly drained put in a bowl and drizzle with a little of the dressing to stop it clumping. Add a good pinch of sea salt too.

• While the orzo is cooking, roast the peppers: put them on a sheet of tin foil and place under a hot grill, blacken on all sides - this should take about 12-15 minutes, turning every 2-3. Wrap in the foil once cooked and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then peel, deseed and cut into strips. Reserve the juices from the peppers and pour over the salad before serving for extra flavour.

• Steam the spinach for approx 3 minutes until it has just cooked, then spread out on a plate to cool.

• Mix the peppers, spinach and basil leaves into the orzo and pour over 2/3 of the dressing. Spread the salad onto a large serving plate, drizzle over a little extra dressing and the juice from the peppers. Finish by scattering over over a few basil leaves and the toasted almonds.

Tip

• Avoid green peppers as they’re unripened and bitter.

• Save the rest of the red onion to chop thinly in salads.

• This salad tastes even better for lunch the next day! I think because the flavours from the dressing have more time to permeate the pasta. Or may be it was because I didn’t have to actually make anything!

Red pepper, aubergine & adzuki

A break in the sunshine calls for something slightly warmer today and this is a lovely stew that’s lightly spiced with harissa and full of flavour. I’ve used creamy aubergines and sweet peppers to compliment the nutty adzuki beans - which I’d forgotten much I liked!

Adzuki are a great addition to a veggie dish as they give a nice bite and texture, which works well to contrast with the softer vegetables. My husband isn’t a massive bean fan, but he likes adzuki as they’re relatively small compared to other types - they pretty much went under his radar!

This is another dish that I make a big pan of and store in the fridge for quick healthy lunches with a chunk of sourdough, or eat for dinner in different ways - with roasted squash wedges, a baked sweet potato or grilled halloumi, veggie sausages, chicken or fish if you’re BBQing with friends.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 150g dried adzuki beans

• 2 aubergines, 1cm slices

• 2 medium red onions, chopped

• 3 large garlic cloves, grated

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp ground harissa spice blend

• 3 red peppers, sliced

• 2 tins 400g tomatoes

• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 1/2 tbsp maple / honey

• 1 tsp sea salt

• A handful of fresh coriander

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Simmer the adzuki for approx 45 minutes until soft, drain and set aside.

• Spread the aubergine on a large tray, brush with olive oil on both sides, sprinkle with sea salt, then put in the oven for 10 minutes.

• Heat ½ tbsp olive oil in a large pan and fry the onions gently for 10 mins, then add the garlic and ground spices cooking for 30 seconds.

• Next add the red peppers and cook for a further 10 minutes.

• Then add the tomatoes, aubergine and adzuki, simmer for 20 minutes.

• Add the red wine vinegar and maple, simmer for 5 minutes. Then finish by stirring in the salt. Serve with fresh coriander leaves

  Tip

• Other serving ideas: cous cous, brown rice, top with plain yoghurt or plant-based coconut. I like Coconut Collab, especially with savoury dishes.

• Use chickpeas instead of adzuki if you can’t get hold of them.

• You can cook the aubergine in the same pan if you prefer - fry on a medium to high heat using plenty of olive oil until 2-3 sides are browned. Set aside and add back in following the instructions above. I prefer to use the oven as I can get on with prepping the other ingredients while the aubergine cooks.

• Coriander is optional!

Red pepper & tomato baked rice with lemon feta

I love baked rice as you can add so many different vegetables, spices and herb combinations to make it really interesting without too much work. It’s great as a side dish, or I had it as a main with a green salad. If you want to go vegan, then just stir through a tin of chickpeas (or any beans) and top with roasted pumpkin seeds.

As you can make the rice ahead, it’s a really good one to cook for friends as all the work is done beforehand, so it only needs a quick reheat in the oven. Perfect for a spring/summer BBQ, now we’re allowed to socialise outdoors again! Let me know if you make it for 5 friends!

Ingredients

Serves 4 as a main, or 6 as a side

• 2 red peppers, 2cm slices

• 250g cherry tomatoes, halved

• 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled

• 1 tbsp rose harissa

• 2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil

• 300g white basmati rice

• ½ tsp sea salt

• 600ml boiling water

• 200g feta cheese

• Zest of 1 lemon

• Handful of coriander leaves

method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Spread the red pepper slices, tomato halves and garlic cloves on a large baking tray, drizzle well with rapeseed or olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Place in the oven for 20 minutes.

• Once the vegetables are roasted scrape them into a large casserole dish (I used 24 x 33cm).

• Deglaze the roasting tray with 200ml of boiling water: gently scrape the flavoursome bits and juices off the tray and tip all the water into the casserole dish as well.

• Add the rose harissa, oil, rice and salt to the vegetables, stirring well and then pour over 500ml of boiling water.

• Cover really tightly with tin foil - it helps if you have a small lip on the top edge of the dish to scrunch it round.

• Place in the oven for 25 minutes.

• While the rice is cooking, crumble the feta into a bowl and mix with the Lemon zest.

• Serve topped with the feta and a green salad.

Roasted red pepper pesto

I’ve been experimenting with different pesto combinations recently as there are so many variations you can make and I love how it works with so many things: pasta, gnocchi, roasted veggies, sandwiches and fish or meat too.

This time I decided to use roasted red peppers with cashews, but you could swap for hazelnut or pine nuts if you prefer. You can also add a tablespoon or two of crème fraîche to make it creamy, which is especially good with gnocchi, as I always find it needs a bit more sauce than pasta.

The other great thing about pesto is that it freezes really well; I usually divide some into small portions that defrost quickly to make a tasty pasta when the fridge is empty!

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 4 red peppers

• 50g parmesan

• 60g cashews

• 1 clove garlic

• 50g basil

• 1 tsp sea salt

• Juice of ½ lemon

• 2 tbsp olive oil, optional

Method

• Put the whole red peppers on a sheet of tin foil and place under a hot grill, blacken on all sides - this should take about 12-15 minutes, turning every 2-3. Wrap in the foil once cooked and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then peel and deseed. Allow to cool completely before making the pesto.

• Start by putting the parmesan into a food processor and pulse a few times so it is a very rough crumble, then add cashews and repeat.

• Next add the garlic, blitz and then put in the basil, lemon and salt. Pulse until you have a rough paste and there are no large bits of any of the ingredients.

• Add a little olive oil to loosen if needed, this will also help the pesto bind with pasta or gnocchi.

tip

• You can use jarred red peppers to save time.

• Roast the red peppers a day or two beforehand, so they don’t have to cool and you can use them straightaway.

• If you don’t have a food processor you could use a hand blender or a pestle and mortar - if using a pestle them you would need to finely chop the red pepper with a knife and add to the mix at the end.

white beans & roasted red pepper

Another day, another lockdown lunch: posh beans on toast. My son had the classic Heinz with a ton of cheese and I had these with red pepper!

I’ve kept the ingredients to a minimum, so it’s quick to prep and really good value. Two servings should only cost you about £1.50 plus toast or a baked potato. Masses of protein in the beans and a good dose of Vitamin C in the red pepper for very little cost!

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 1 red pepper, whole

• ½ onion, chopped finely

• 1 small garlic clove, minced

• 1 sprig rosemary

• 1 x 400g tin cannellini beans

• ½ tsp sea salt

• Small squeeze of lemon juice

Method

• Put the whole red peppers on a sheet of tin foil and place under a hot grill, blacken on all sides - this should take about 12-15 minutes, turning every 2-3. Wrap in the foil once cooked and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then peel, deseed and chop or tear into ½ cm wide strips.

• Heat about 1 tsp of olive oil in a medium sized saucepan and fry the onions gently for 10 minutes until softened. It’s fine if they brown a little.

• Then stir in the garlic and cook for about 1 minute.

• Next pour in the cannellini beans and add the rosemary strig, simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on but leaving a small gap for a little steam to escape.

• Serve on toasted sourdough or a baked potato topped with the red pepper. Feta or grilled halloumi would also work really well.

tip

• You might need to add a little extra water at the end to loosen the beans.

• You could also have them with a baked potato, grilled halloumi, veggie sausage or top with feta. Meat-eaters could top with crispy bacon or have with white fish, roast chicken or pork sausages.

Butternut squash & spelt salad with rose harissa dressing

I made this lovely salad at the weekend so I had some tasty lunches ready for me to grab in between home schooling. It’s been really nice to have something interesting ready eat without having to do any prep - especially as food is the highlight of my day more than ever right now! If you’re going to do the same then just keep the salad and dressing separate and that way it will last 4-5 days without going soggy.

To give you an idea of how much this recipe makes, I managed to trough my way through it in 5 ‘main meal’ sized bowls with a little added cheese and salad.

I know a couple of the ingredients (spelt and rose harissa) aren’t necessarily what you might have in your store cupboard, but they’re easily available online. Or alternatively you could switch the spelt for bulgur / cous cous / brown rice and use ordinary harissa paste or even leave out and just have a tahini dressing (you might need to add a little extra water) - it will still be super tasty!

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 230g pearled spelt

• 1 large red onion (yellow is fine too)

• 1 sweet pepper (any colour except. green)

• ½ butternut squash, chopped in 1 ½ cm cubes

• Handful of chopped parsley

• Handful chopped coriander

• Sprinkle of sea salt

• Handful of toasted sunflower seeds, optional

Dressing

• 3 tbsp tahini

• 3 tbsp lemon juice

• 50 ml water

• 2 tsp rose harissa

• ½ tsp sea salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200ºc

• Spread the squash out on a large tray and drizzle with about ½ tbsp of olive oil. Do the same with the onions and peppers, mixing well. I used separate trays as the squash will take a little longer to cook. Sprinkle with salt and place both trays in the oven for 20 minutes.

• Check and turn the vegetables with a spatula and place back in the oven. Roast the onions and peppers for a further 10 minutes and the squash for about 20 or until soft right the way through and browned on the outside.

• While the vegetables are roasting, cook the spelt - add to a large pan of cold water and bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until softened. Drain well and allow to cool.

• Now make the dressing by adding all the ingredients to a bowl or jar and whisking well. The tahini will make the mixture stiffen as as you first start to mix, but keep going it will gradually loosen up.

• Mix the spelt, vegetables and herbs with a good sprinkle of sea salt and serve with a generous drizzle of dressing. Top with sunflower seeds if you’re using them.

Tip

• This salad can be eaten warm or cold. With any salad the flavour will always be better if you serve at room temperature. If it has been stored in the fridge, just serve a portion in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute to take the chill off without over-cooking any of the ingredients.

• Add crumbled feta, halloumi, creamy blue cheese and a green salad as a main meal or you could eat it as a side with veggie sausages, griddled meat or fish.

Roasted red pepper & tomato salsa

This is a really versatile salsa that works with lots of different dishes, I made it to go with butternut squash and leek fritters last week, but it would also be great with mini roasties, homemade tortilla chips, avocado on sourdough toast or roasted aubergine slices. It would also work really well with griddled fish or chicken if you want a non-veggie option.

Photo was taken last week on the one occasion that I’ve seen the sun recently! Where’s all the bright autumn sunshine gone? Bit fed up with the bloody lockdown fog in Leeds! Anyway this salsa is an antidote to the weather, bringing some colour and a good hit of flavour into your kitchen.

Ingredients

• 2 red peppers

• 1/2 tbsp rapeseed oil

• 350g baby plum tomatoes, halved

• 1 large garlic clove

• 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 2 tsp red wine vinegar

• Small handful of chopped parsley or coriander

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc

• Put the tomatoes and garlic on a tray and coat with approx 2 tsp olive or rapeseed oil. Roast for 20 minutes, checking half way. 

• Put the peppers on a tray lined with tin foil and place under a hot grill. Allow each side to blacken, but not char. Turn about every 4-5 minutes until the skin of every side is black. This should take about 10-12 minutes in total. Once they’re done, wrap the tin foil around the peppers and allow to cool.

• Peel the skin off the peppers and remove all the seeds. Chop roughly into 1 cm dice and drain the juice from the peppers into a bowl.

• Add 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, squeeze out the roasted garlic from it’s skin and mash into the oil, then pour in the red wine vinegar and salt, mixing well.

• Add the tomatoes, red peppers and whichever herbs you’re using.

Roasted cauliflower, red pepper & dukkah yoghurt

This is a quick and easy salad to make any day of the week, especially if you prepare the dukkah spice mix a day ahead. I used this Ottolenghi recipe, which makes enough to fill a small jar, so you have some ready to go next time.

I love this salad just on it’s own for lunch, but if you want to make it more substantial or as part of a main meal then you could add quinoa, rice, toasted seeds or feta or eat with veggie fritters (recipe for those coming soon!

Ingredients

Serves 4 - 6 depending on what else is on the plate!

• 1 cauliflower, chopped into medium florets, including the inner leaves

• 1 red pepper, whole

• 5 tbsp greek yoghurt

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• Salt

Dukkah 

• 70g hazelnuts, with their skins

• 2 tbsp sunflower seeds

• 1 tsp fennel seeds

• 1 tbsp cumin seeds

• 1 tbsp dry green peppercorns (or white, as an alternative)

• 3 tbsp coriander seeds

• 1½ tbsp sesame seeds

• ½ tsp nigella seeds  

• ½ tsp sea salt

• 1 tsp paprika

Method

First make your dukkah. These instructions are from the Ottolenghi website where he has made it to go with a delicious sounding butter bean purée:

• Put a frying pan on a medium heat and leave for a couple of minutes to heat up well. Roast the following spices for 30 seconds each and then put to one side in a small bowl: fennel, cumin, peppercorns.

• Next add the coriander seeds for 1 minute, then set aside with the other spices.

• Reduce the heat to low and cook the sesame and nigella seeds together, stirring occasionally, until the sesame turns pale brown, then remove from the pan.

• Rub the hazelnuts between the palms of your hands to discard some of the skin if necessary. Use a pestle and mortar or bash gently in a teacloth with a rolling pin to chop them coarsely, then transfer to a medium bowl.

• Lightly crush the cumin and fennel seeds, and add to the hazelnuts. Repeat with the coriander seeds, followed by the peppercorns and then the sunflower seeds. Add these to the nut bowl, along with the sesame and nigella seeds, add salt and paprika, and mix well.

• I actually put all the seeds and nuts into a spice grinder and pulsed a couple of times. This probably gave a finer grind than Ottolenghi’s, but laziness is key here. I left the nuts and seeds out so they stayed crunchy. That’s the fiddly bit done.

• Next put the oven on at 180°c and the cauliflower florets on a tray, drizzle over 1-2 tbsp of rapeseed or olive oil and roast for 10 minutes, before turning and browning for a further 5 minutes.

• At the same time, put the whole red pepper on some tin foil under a high grill and blacken each side. Then wrap in tin foil and allow to cool so you can peel off the skin, deseed and chop in lengths.

• Plate the cauliflower and red pepper then drizzle with yoghurt and sprinkle about 1 tbsp of dukkah on top. Serve immediately so it’s still warm, or allow to cool to room temperature. Try not to serve cold and this will mask the sweet flavours of the vegetables.

Roasted red pepper salad with coriander

Ahhh nothing beats roasted red pepper for me; the gorgeous sweet flavour and soft texture liven up any salad in my opinion. This dish goes perfectly with a Middle Eastern style meal; or can be eaten simply with some fresh bread, hoummus and grilled halloumi.

Ingredients

Serves 6 as part of a mezze

• 3 red peppers, grilled

• 1/4 garlic clove crushed

• Olive oil, couple of glugs

• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar (may be a little more depending on taste)

• Sprinkle of cumin

• Handful of chopped parsley and/or coriander to finish, leaves chopped

• Salt & pepper

Method

• Place the whole red peppers under a hot grill on some tin foil, making sure that they are not too close to the heat source. Allow the skin to blacken and then turn until all the skin is coloured, but not completely charred. The wrap in the foil and leave to cool, so it is easier to remove the skins.

• Crush the garlic and mix with the olive oil, vinegar and some finely chopped parsley. Season generously.

• Remove the peppers from the foil after about 10 minutes and peel off all the skin, deseed, core and tear in medium sized stripes, or use a knife if you prefer.

• Place the pepper on a plate and pour over the dressing, sprinkle on some cumin and the rest of the chopped herbs. Serve at room temperature. For those coriander-haters out there, use basil or parsley, this salad will still taste divine.