Blueberry pancakes with maple yoghurt

We’re big pancake fans in our house and these fluffy blueberry fellas have become a new favourite weekend brunch. It’s totally worth the effort of whisking the egg whites as it makes the pancakes really light and they’re a nice change from the classic thin crêpe style (which we usually make).

I’ve used 50:50 plain flour and wholemeal spelt as a/ I just can’t bloody resist a healthy angle and b/ it adds a subtle nutty flavour plus extra protein and fibre. But if you don’t have spelt you could use ordinary wholemeal, or even just plain. I won’t judge you.

Ingredients

Makes 10 x 12cm pancakes

• 300g frozen blueberries

• 6 tbsp plain yoghurt

• 75g wholemeal spelt flour

• 75g plain flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 large free-range egg

• 250ml milk (plant or dairy)

• 150g fresh blueberries

• Maple syrup (or honey), optional

Method

• Preheat the oven to 60ºc if you want to make the pancakes in batches, and then serve them together. Line a tray with greaseproof paper and put each batch on without overlapping as much as possible.

• First, put the frozen blueberries in a pan and heat for 3-4 minutes with the lid on and then another 5 without. They should have softened, so you can mash them with a fork and add a little maple syrup if you want to sweeten them. Set aside in a bowl to cool off.

• Put the flour, baking powder, and milk in a large bowl.

• Separate the egg white into another smaller bowl and add the yolk to the flour mix.

• Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks; when you lift out the whisk, the peak flops to the side.

• Whisk the flour mix until smooth, then fold in the whites with a large metal spoon.

• Heat 1 tsp of light olive oil in a large frying or pancake pan and then add just less than a ladle full of the mix, forming a 10-12cm circle - it doesn’t have to be that precise; I’m just giving you a guide!

• You can add the blueberries to the mix before cooking, or I like to quickly put about 7 or 8 into the pancake when it first goes into the pan, pushing them down firmly so I get inky blue dots after cooking.

• Cook for about 1 minute per side on medium heat. You’ll know when it’s ready to turn when lots of bubbles form on the top surface. I always check the underside to make sure it’s golden brown as well.

• Flip with a large spatula and cook the other side for a minute or two.

• Serve with a blob of compote, yoghurt, fresh blueberries, and a drizzle of maple syrup.

  Tip

• You might have a little compote left over, which is no bad thing as it’s lovely on porridge, muesli or overnight oats.

Winter salad with Stilton & pecans

I know I’m a little early with a Winter salad as we’re not quite there yet, but I wanted to share this recipe that I made for my December supper club guests last year. I just remade it for lunch today to double check the recipe and I ploughed through both plates I was enjoying it that much!

Although the recipe has Stilton in, you could easily make a plant-based version of this salad as the dressing is vegan; to make it creamy I’ve used silken tofu rather than egg yolk or a cow’s milk product. I actually find it a little less sickly than a regular ‘mayo’ style dressing as it’s lower in fat. Obviously you’d need to sub the Stilton and I would either add extra pecans, toasted cashews or use a vegan cheese.

• *A note about the dressing: the recipe makes double the amount you need for this salad. The reason I have done this is that silken tofu is usually sold in boxes weighing 300-350g, so I created a recipe to use it all up rather than leaving half a packet to go off in the fridge! I really like silken tofu in ramen or miso soup, but I don’t make them that regularly, so rather than risk wasting the other half, I prefer to make a big tub of dressing that can be used with other things. It lasts a good 10 days (if not longer). Just think of it as of vegan mayo and use it in place of ‘normal’.

Ingredients

Serves 4 as a starter or side

• 1/2 sweetheart cabbage

• 50g sprouts

• 50g curly kale

• 15g parsley, roughly chopped

• A good pinch of sea salt

• 70g stilton or gorgonzola, crumbled or chopped in 1cm cubes

• 45g pecans

• I small apple, chopped in 1cm cubes

Dressing

• I packet of silken tofu (300-350g)

• 140ml olive oil

• 1 small garlic clove 

• 1 tsp dijon mustard

• 2.5 tbsp cider or white wine vinegar

• 3 tbsp lemon juice (approx 1.5 lemons)

• 1/2 tsp table salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 120ºc.

• Spread the pecans on a baking tray and toast for about 6-8 minutes - keep an eye on them, I’ve lost count of the amount of nuts I’ve burnt. (That sounds a bit wrong now I’ve written it down.)

• Finely shred the cabbage and sprouts using a sharp knife, mandolin or a food processor (slicing attachment).

• Cut the tough stems from the kale and chop the leaves finely; mix all the vegetables and parsley in a large bowl with a good pinch of sea salt.

• Make the dressing by blending all the ingredients in a food processor until creamy. Depending on the weight of your silken tofu you might need to add a little extra oil/vinegar to loosen the mix. The texture should be thick, but just pourable, like a slightly runny mayo.

• Break the cooled pecans into small pieces and add to the vegetables reserving about 1/3 for topping the salad.

• Same for the cheese, add to the bowl and keep a 1/3 to one side.

• Lastly chop the apple into 1cm cubes, add to the bowl and mix well, before pouring in 160ml of the dressing.

• Stir well to coat and then serve, topping each plate with extra stilton and nuts.

This is how thin I like the veggies to be shredded

Tip

• If you want to prep this ahead, then get all the components ready and keep them in separate air tight boxes; mix just before serving. The apple will need a squeeze of lemon to prevent it from oxidising and going brown, or you can chop at the last minute.

• Keeping the various ingredients separate until serving is a trick I use for lots of salads. This means I can get organised earlier in the day and I don’t have much to do when friends arrive for dinner. It also works well to keep a salad fresh if you’ve prepped a batch for lunches during the week.

Homemade tortilla chips

Ingredients

Serves 4-6 with dips

• 3 tortilla wraps (I use Mission Deli 50:50 wholemeal/white)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Generous pinch of table salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Pour the olive or sunflower oil into a small bowl.

• Place the tortilla wraps on a baking tray, brush well with the oil on both sides, then use scissors to chop in half and then into rough triangles.

• Spread evenly on two large trays, sprinkle with sea salt and place in the oven for 5-6 minutes. Check and remove any that have browned on both sides (usually the ones on the outside of the tray), turn the rest and place back in the oven for 2 minutes

• Serve with any kind of dip you like! Try my roasted tomato & red pepper, pea & broadbean or romesco.

  Tip

• Use any kind of tortilla you prefer - seeded works really well.

Apple pecan porridge

I love the combination of these autumnal flavours; apple, pecan and maple go so well together! I made a vegan version with plant milk, but you can use whatever kind you prefer.

Ingredients

Serves 1

• 1/2 apple, diced

• 1 tsp maple

• 1/3 cup / 35g porridge

• 3 cups / 235ml nut milk or organic whole

• 12g pecans, broken up

  To serve:

• 1/2 tbsp maple

• apple slices to decorate

Method

• Put the apple in a pan with 1 tsp maple syrup and cook on low for 3 minutes with the lid on.

• Next add the oats and milk, bring to the boil and then simmer for 3-5 minutes. The length of time you cook the oats for will vary on the type - check the packet instructions for precise times. Bigger oats will take a lot longer and you won’t need to precook the apple.

• Serve with pecans, a drizzle of maple and apple slices to look pretty.

Vegan banana hot choc

I got my 10 year old daughter’s seal of approval on this one, so I must be doing something right as her favourite thing is ‘real’ hot choc. This is an alternative made with ingredients that all have nutritional value, so it’s healthy as well as being a treat. It’s perfect for this time of year and a nice substitute for a mid morning or afternoon snack if you need to warm up.

Ingredients

Serves 1

• 180ml Oatly semi chilled

• 40g banana (approx 4 x 1cm thick slices)

• 2.5 tsp raw cacao, or coco powder if you don’t have it

• 1 tsp maple syrup or honey

• 1/2 tsp white chia seeds, optional

Method

• Pour 40ml of Oatly to the smoothie maker with the banana. Briefly blitz to a smooth liquid.

• Then add the rest of the Oatly and warm for about 1 minute in the microwave, or do this in a pan if you prefer (I like to save on washing up!). Be careful not to let it boil though as it’ll be too hot for the smoothie maker and cause it to leak.

• Then add the rest of the ingredients and blitz really well for about 1 minute so it’s totally smooth and has a frothy top.

• Chia seeds are optional - they’ll add protein, keep you fuller for longer and make the drink a little thicker, so you decide!

Spicy black bean soup

There’s something about beans that I really love; they make great comfort food as they’re so hearty and filling. I know they might not be a meat sub for everyone, but that’s how they work for me, along with lentils. I’m not usually a fan of dark muddy food (funnily enough), but I make an exception for black beans; I actually love their rich colour and the way they are able to take on strong flavours without losing their own.

So here is a recipe that celebrates the humble black bean, but with a few twists to give them an extra lift: limey guacamole for zing, coconut yoghurt for creaminess and homemade tortillas for crunch. That’s every box ticked for me!

Let me me know what you think if you try it!

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 1/2 tbsp rapeseed oil

• 2 large onions, chopped finely

• 2 large cloves of garlic, grated

• 2 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp oregano

• 1.5 tsp dried chilli flakes

• 4 x 400g tins of black beans

• 2 tsp vegetable bouillon

• 300 ml water

• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt

• Juice of 1 lime

• 180 ml coconut yoghurt/plain yoghurt/sour cream

Guacamole

• 2 large avocado, mashed

• 2-3 spring onions, thinly sliced

• 4 baby plum tomatoes, small dice

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• Juice of 1 lime

• 1 red chilli, chopped finely (reserve 1/2 for serving the soup)

• Small handful of coriander, chopped roughly

Tortilla chips

• 2 tortilla wraps (I use Mission Deli 50:50 wholemeal/white)

• 1/2 tbsp light olive or sunflower oil

• Generous pinch of table salt

Method

• Heat the rapeseed oil in a large pan and then fry the onions for 20 minutes on a low heat until softened and beginning to brown.

• Next add the cumin and chilli warming through for a minute or so before pouring in the beans (including their water) plus the oregano, a crumbled stock cube and 300ml water - swilling the empty bean cans to get the last bits out.

• Simmer for 30 minutes without the lid on, skimming off any foam that forms in the first 5/10 minutes.

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Prep the guacamole by mashing the avocado and mixing in all the other ingredients.

• Pour 1 tbsp olive or sunflower oil to a small bowl with a generous pinch of table salt. Place both tortilla wraps on a baking tray (or pizza trays), brush lightly with the oil on both sides, then chop in half. Pile each one on top of the another and cut into triangles. You don’t have to be too precious about this, just make sure they’re all a similar size.

• Spread evenly on the tray (not overlapping) and place in the oven for 5 minutes, then check and turn, moving any browner chips on the outside to the middle. Put back in the oven for 2-3 minutes and then set aside.

• The soup should be almost ready by now so add the sea salt and lime. Use a hand blender to blitz the soup to break down about half the beans, but don’t purée, you want to retain a chunky texture.

Tip

• I’ve used a 50:50 wrap this time, but seeded or wholemeal work really well too. Try making them to go with dips as well, they’re so tasty and much less fatty than shop bought tortilla chips.

  Other toppings

• Grated cheddar cheese

• Brown rice

• Tomato salsa

Mushroom bourguignon

Nothing says autumn like a warming one pot dish and this is a great one to make while mushrooms are in season at this time of year. In normal non-Covid times (remember those?) I host regular vegetarian and vegan supper clubs in Leeds, but as I’ve had to press pause on those, I thought it would be nice to share a few of the recipes from the nights, so you can make them at home while we’re all locked down. If you fancy checking out some of the other menus and photos they’re all in the ‘Events’ section.

This was my main course at last October’s pop up and I served it with served with pomme purée and roasted squash. It would also be lovely with roasted or mashed sweet potato and any green veggie you can think of - we had roasted broccoli with ours last night, but steamed green beans would work well too.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 1 red onion, chopped finely

• 1 stick celery, chopped finely

• 2 carrots, chopped

• 1/2 leek, chopped finely

• 750g chestnut mushrooms, sliced

• 1 large garlic clove, grated

• 2 tbsp tomato puree

• 150ml red wine

• 1 vegetable stock cube (Kallo low salt)

• 150g dried puy or green lentils

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped

• 2 tsp nutritional yeast

• 400ml water

• 1 1/4 tsp sea salt

Method

• Preheat 1 tbsp rapeseed oil in a large pan. Cook the onions, celery and carrots for 20 minutes on low, stirring regularly, before adding the mushrooms. Turn the heat up a little and cook for a further 10 minutes.

• Stir in the garlic and warm through for a minute or so before adding the red wine, simmer for 5 minutes to cook off the alcohol.

• Then add the tomato puree, stock cube, lentils, bay leaf, thyme and water.

• Cook with lid on for 30 minutes then stir in the nutritional yeast and sea salt.

• Serve with a good grind of black pepper.

Tip

• If you’re using green lentils rather then Puy, make sure that they are small ones that stay relatively firm as the larger tend to break up and are better for dal.

• If you don’t have nutritional yeast, it’s not the end of the world, I think it adds a nice subtle savoury note, but you could substitute with a little marmite instead. Go easy though as it has a stronger flavour.

Almond & oat protein smoothie

This is a protein packed smoothie that I’m loving at the moment. I use unflavoured pea or organic whey protein.

If you have a flavoured powder it will obviously change the balance of the smoothie, but even if it doesn’t taste like mine, you’ll still get the same nutritional benefit.

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 250g banana (frozen ideally)

• 2 tbsp almond butter (or any nut butter you prefer)

• 2 tsp pea protein powder

• 2 tbsp oats

• 1/2 tbsp maple syrup (or honey)

• 400ml nut milk or organic whole

Method

• Blitz really well as the oats take a bit longer to break down

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.

Butternut squash & leek fritters with lemon yoghurt

This recipe came about after having a tub of roasted butternut squash that had been sitting in the fridge for a couple of days. I was originally going to make leek fritters using a recipe by Smitten Kitchen, but having seen the squash I decided to adapt it a bit and it worked really well. The firm texture of the squash made the fritters bind together well whilst adding a sweet nutty taste; I also added some harissa for heat and flavour.

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, approx 800g unpeeled - you need 500g once roasted

• 2 large leeks, approx 600g whole, not chopped

• 1.5 tsp ground harissa spice blend

• 4 tbsp flour

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 1 large egg

Lemon yoghurt

• 200ml Greek yoghurt

• Juice and zest of 1 lemon

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc and follow the instructions for cooking the butternut squash here (using harissa instead of cumin). Set aside to cool and then chop into 1cm cubes.

• Reduce the oven temperature to 80ºc so you can keep your batches of fritters warm later.

• While the squash is roasting, quarter the leeks length ways leaving about an inch or so that is still attached at the whiter root end. Rinse the sliced darker green end to remove any dirt.

• Next cut the leek in 1/2cm slices and steam for 6-8 minutes they should still have a little bite.

• Put the leeks into a muslin cloth or clean tea towel and squeeze out as much water as you can. You may need to let them cool a little before you do this, or wear rubber gloves!

• Put all the ingredients, except the egg, into a large bowl and stir well. Add the salt and double check the seasoning by tasting a pinch of the mix and if it’s ok then add the egg and mix well to combine.

• I use a large ice cream scoop to measure and shape each fritter, but you could do it with a big spoon and scales - aim for about 80g each.

• Put a sheet of parchment on a baking tray and line up the raw fritters as you make them. Now you can either freeze or put some in the fridge in an air tight container if you don’t want to cook them all. See note on freezing below.

• Once they are all ready. Heat 1 tbsp of rapeseed oil in large frying pan. You’ll need to cook the fritters in batches so the pan doesn’t get over crowded; I do 4/5 each time (or they’re hard to turn) and I usually need to add about 1/2 tbsp of oil for each new batch so they don’t stick.

• Cook for approx 5 minutes each side on a medium heat until golden brown.

• Place each batch on a large tray and put them in the oven to keep warm while you cook the rest.

• Mix the ingredients for the lemon yoghurt while the fritters are cooking.

TIP

• Serve with a green salad, homemade slaw, griddled halloumi or a poached egg.

• To freeze: find a tray or plate that will fit in your freezer and line it with baking parchment. Space out the fritters and put in the freezer for about an hour, allowing them to harden and then transfer to a bag. This way they won’t stick together in a big lump and you can defrost however many you need.

veggie sausage, mushroom & spinach rigatoni

This is a family favourite in our house and as it only takes about 20 minutes to make it’s a recipe I keep returning to when I want a tasty mid-week meal. We’ve also been trying to gradually reduce our meat intake as a household and this is a dish that my carnivore middle son and my vegetarian daughter both devour. I’d say it’s a vegetarian meal that even the keenest meat eater would (perhaps begrudgingly!) enjoy.

It’s a good one for students too; my son is at uni and he makes this quite regularly as it’s a nice alternative to the classic student tomato pasta - I think that’s all he ate in his first year!

The recipe is flexible in that you can switch (or remove) the vegetables if you don’t like them or want a change. Leeks, carrots, broccoli, kale, peas, sweetcorn or even roasted butternut squash would all work really well, but you would need to adjust the cooking times accordingly. I would sub leeks, carrots, broccoli or other veggies that need a longer cooking time for the mushrooms and then add frozen peas, sweetcorn or roasted squash at the last minute instead of spinach. Kale would need a little longer to cook properly.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil

• 6 Quorn sausages, chopped into diagonal slices

• 1.5 tbsp butter

• 1 clove garlic, grated

• 400g chestnut mushrooms, sliced

• 1.5 tbsp plain flour

• 1/2 vegetable stock cube ( I like Kallo low salt)

• 400ml water

• 200ml crème fraîche (I use half fat if I can find it)

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• Juice of 1/4 lemon

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 60g grated parmesan

• 100g spinach

• 320g rigatoni

Method

• Warm 1/2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil in a wide bottomed pan and add the sausage slices, cook on a medium heat for 3-4 minutes so that they start to brown.

• Then melt the butter and 1/2 tbsp oil in the same pan, before adding the garlic, stir well and then add the mushrooms. Cook on a medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Fill a large lidded pan of salted water and bring to the boil ready for the pasta.

• Next sprinkle the flour on to the mushrooms and sausage, stir well to coat and then add the stock cube (crumbled), mustard and 400ml of water. Stir and allow to thicken, simmering on low for 5 minutes.

• Start to cook the pasta while the sauce is thickening.

• Add the crème fraîche, and 30g parmesan to the sausage mix, stir and warm through gently on low for 5 minutes while the pasta cooks. For the last minute mix in the spinach allowing it to wilt then finish with the lemon and salt.

• Drain the pasta (reserving a little cooking water) and add to the sauce.

• Loosen with 1-2 tbsp of the cooking water if needed. Serve with a good grind of black pepper and the remaining parmesan.

Tip

• Have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go as the overall cooking time is about 10 minutes so you need to go quickly once you start cooking the sausages.

• If you prefer to use pork sausages then just use the same method, but squeeze the filing out of the casing to create mini meat balls as the skin becomes tough and stringy if you just chop them up.

• I use Quorn sausages or Linda McCartney’s , but they do break up a little bit more than Quorn.

• Vegetable combinations to try: roasted butternut squash & kale, leek & spinach, mushroom & kale, broccoli & sweetcorn (to keep the kids happy!), peas & spinach.

Pumpkin soup with chilli & ginger

It wouldn’t be Halloween without the obligatory pumpkin soup post would it?! Like Lockdown without banana bread...
My recipe this year took a slightly unexpected, but interesting, turn with the addition of coconut milk, chilli, lime and my latest discovery: dark roast peanut butter (linked in the ingredients). If you’ve never tried it you need to, it’s umami heaven! So good on toast too.
I’d originally planned to make more of a classic pumpkin soup with white wine and cream, but I went in a different direction and ended up using more Thai style flavours, which makes sense of the peanuts, right? They bring a deep savoury back note rather than being an obvious addition, I don’t think many people would be able to guess they were there, but they add a lovely subtle umami richness.
There’s also fresh ginger, a little chilli heat and a zing of lime - a bright note to counteract the sweetness of the roasted vegetables - essential in most dishes imo.

This recipe is for a big pan of soup so halve it if you prefer, but I always like to make extra for the freezer.

Ingredients

Makes 2.8l or 8 servings

• 1 medium sized pumpkin

• 1 squash, chopped weight approx 800g ex seeds

• 2 large onions, diced

• 30g fresh ginger, grated

• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes

• 1 stock cube

• 1l water

• 400ml coco milk

• 1 tbsp dark roast peanut butter

• 2.5 tsp sea salt

• Handful of toasted pumpkin seeds

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Peel and chop the squash into wedges; place on a large tray with 1.5 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and mix well to coat. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, turn and repeat; the squash should be browned on at least a couple of sides. Remove from the oven and set aside.

• Chop the pumpkin in half, you might want to cut off the stalk at the top first though. Then put on a large roasting tray, covering the cut sides loosely with foil and place in the oven for approx 1 hour. Test by sticking a knife in at this stage and see if it is soft all the way through, if not put back in the oven for 30 minutes and repeat if necessary. Set aside to cool a little while you chop the onions.

• Heat 1 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil in a large pan and add the onions, cooking for about 15-20 mins on low.

• Once the pumpkin has cooled enough to touch it, cut out and throw away the seeds, then scrape the flesh out of the skin and put in a bowl. Keep the water that has been released from the pumpkin while cooking as this will go into the soup to add extra flavour.

• Once the onions are softened add the ginger, mix well and warm for 1 minute. Then add the squash, pumpkin and pumpkin water, chilli, crumbled stock cube, 1l of water, peanut butter and coconut milk; simmer for 15- 20 minutes.

• Blitz with a stick blender; you may need to add 100-200ml of water to get the right consistency, just do it gradually and then add the sea salt one tsp at a time. The quantity of extra water needed and salt will vary slightly depending on the size and how watery your pumpkin was.

• Serve with sourdough and a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds.

Tip

• Cook the squash or pumpkin on the previous day to save time when making the soup as they take awhile too cook and use a lot of oven space.

• If it’s not pumpkin season then just use another butternut squash instead.

Warm chickpea salad with lemon yoghurt & feta

I was going to make this as a starter for one of my supper clubs, until bloody Covid came along to f@%k things up. So I thought, why keep it to myself, I’ll share it with you guys and you can make it at home instead. I was thinking that it might be a nice idea to look back over my pop up menus from last year and share a few of the recipes. So look out for them on here very soon.

Ingredients

Serves 4 as a starter

• 1/2 red pepper, small dice

• 3/4 cucumber, small dice

• 1/4 small red onion, finely chopped

• 3 tomatoes, small dice with seed section removed

• 15g parsley, chopped

• 15g coriander, chopped

• Zest & juice of 1 lemon

• 1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 x 400g tin chickpea, drained

• 1/2 tsp ground cumin 

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 

• 1/4 tsp sea salt 

• 80g feta

• 120ml yogurt 

• Serve with warmed ciabatta, sourdough or flatbreads.

Method

• Preheat the oven to 160ºc.

• First chop all the vegetables and herbs then mix together with 1 tbsp oil, juice of 1/2 lemon and 1/4 tsp sea salt. Divide on to 4 plates with a little gap in the middle ready to add the warm chickpeas just before serving.

• If you’re serving with bread, put it in the oven now. Or start toasting if you’re doing it that way.

• Crumble the feta and mix the rest of the lemon juice plus all the zest into the yoghurt along with an extra pinch of sea salt.

• Next heat 1/2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan, add the chickpeas and ground spices. Mix well and warm through for 3-4 minutes then sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt.

• Spoon the chickpeas into the middle of the chopped vegetables on each plate, then put 3 tsp yoghurt and approx 20g of feta on top. I also like to put small bowls of feta and yoghurt on the table so people can add a bit more as they go along.

• Serve with warm crusty bread.

Tip

• Get all your ingredients prepped and ready to go so you can put this dish together quick once the chickpeas have warmed through.

Blueberry breakfast smoothie

If anything is going to power you through the morning it’s this smoothie! It’s loaded with vitamin C, B6 & 12, potassium, Omega 3, fiber and protein making it a super healthy start to the day.

I hope you like it as much as I do; this is one of my favourite smoothies that I’ve made recently!

Ingredients

Serves 2 

• 200g blueberries

• 80g banana

• 1 tbsp chia

• 1 tbsp flaxseeds

• 1 heaped tbsp oats

• 350ml nut milk or organic whole

Method

• Blitz!

Beetroot coconut curry with lime & coriander raita

Beetroot is one of my favourite vegetables as I love it’s sweet earthly flavour and the texture really lends itself to cooking low and slow. I usually make roasted beetroot salads with tahini or risottos with feta, but I thought it was time for a change so I decided to experiment with Indian flavours and spices to make my version of a curry.

Don’t let the cooking time of 1 hour put you off, there is very little prep to do and once you’ve finished you just need to leave the curry to bubble away. This recipe should also work well in a slow cooker as beetroot can be cooked for a long time without losing it’s texture.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil

• 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds

• 1 tbsp dried curry leaves

•  3 large cloves garlic, grated

• 1 thumb ginger, grated

• 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp coriander

• 1 large red onion, chopped finely

• 200g cherry tomatoes, halved

• 600g beetroot, chopped into 2cm cubes

• 1 x 400ml tin coconut milk

• Handful of coriander to serve

Naan

• I often make Jamie Oliver’s Easy naan as it’s a really straightforward recipe and works well every time.

Lime & coriander raita

• 2 spring onions, chopped finely

• 8 thick slices of cucumber, chopped into small cubes

• 300ml plain yoghurt

• 1 tsp sea salt

• Handful of coriander, chopped roughly

• Zest and juice of 1 lime

Method

• If you’re making naan, then do this first so it can prove while you cook the curry. Jamie Oliver’s take about 1.5 hrs so factor that in to your timings.

• Heat 1/2 tbsp rapeseed oil in a wide bottomed pan and then add the mustard seeds until they start to pop. Then add the curry leaves and warm through for about 30 seconds until you get a nutty smell.

• Next add the other 1/2 tbsp of rapeseed oil and the onions and cook on a low heat for 15 minutes until they have started to brown a little.

• Then add the garlic and ginger, stir well and cook for 1 minute before adding the spices. Stir and warm through for another minute until you smell their aroma.

• Then stir in the beetroot and cherry tomatoes making sure it they are coated well with the spices. Cook on a low heat (just enough that you can hear a sizzle) for 10 minutes with the lid half on.

• Pour in the coconut milk, heat through so it bubbles and then reduce to simmer on a low heat for an hour with the lid on. Stir from time to time and checking that the curry isn’t bubbling too fiercely. If it is, then take the lid off for a few minutes to cool off.

• While the curry is cooking make the raita by putting the all the ingredients in a bowl and mixing well.

• Start the rice about 20 minutes before the curry is ready (depending on the packet instructions - usually basmati is 10 minutes boiling, 10 minutes steaming off the heat.

• Serve with a sprinkle of coriander.

Sweet potato soup with harissa & tahini

It’s that time of year again: soup season. This is in fact the second reason to be happy about autumn, the first I posted about yesterday: pies!

Harissa is one of my favourite spice blends, originating from the North African region of Maghreb, it is full of flavour and works so well with a wide variety of vegetables. Here I have used harissa to balance the sweetness of the vegetables and the lemon tahini adds a little zing and nuttiness. I particularly like the Spice & Green harissa blend made by my friend Melanie Hadida, but you could use a good quality supermarket version or even make your own. Here’s a recipe by Mr Ottolenghi if you want to to give it a try.

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 1.3kg sweet potato (unpeeled)

• 4 red onions, chopped roughly 

• 3 large garlic cloves, grated

• 2 tsp harissa spice blend

• 1 vegetable stock cube (low salt Kallo)

• 1.6L water

• 1.5 tsp sea salt 

• Toasted sesame seeds - optional to serve

Lemon tahini

• 4 tbsp tahini

• Juice of half a lemon

• 75ml water

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Put the sweet potatoes on a baking tray and roast in their skins for about 45mins-1 hour or until they’re soft right through. This will vary depending on size.

• Heat 1 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil in a large deep pan and add the onions, cook for 20 minutes on low. Peel the sweet potatoes while the onions are cooking.

• Once the onions are softened add the harissa and warm through for a few minutes to release the flavours. Then add the crumbled stock cube, water, salt and sweet potato (break up with a spoon). Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

• Make the lemon tahini while the soup is cooking. Put the tahini and salt in a jug or jar, squeeze in the lemon, whisk with a fork before adding the water whisking again.

• Turn off the heat and use a hand blender to thoroughly blitz the soup to a smooth consistency.

• Serve with a drizzle of tahini (about 1/2 tbsp) and a good pinch of sesame seeds.

Tip

• Tahini goes very thick when you first add water, keep going it’ll loosen up. Or use a small blender to avoid this problem.

• You might need to add a little water to the tahini each time you use it as it tends to thicken up after being stored for a day in the fridge.

• Sesame seeds toast quickly and easily in a dry frying pan. Just sprinkle evenly and place on a medium heat, watching careful as they will suddenly colour. You want a pale gold brown.

Creamy 'chicken' cottage pie

This is an absolute fail safe dinner in our house: everyone will eat it without complaint on any night of the week. If that’s not a winner, I don’t know what is. I’m not a massive fan of the days getting cooler, as I’m more of a summer person, but if there’s one thing I do like is a pie so that’s one reason to be happy about autumn. I made a Quorn fillet version last night, but you could easily switch for chicken if you prefer as the method would be exactly the same. You could also change the vegetables if there are others you like better too: mushrooms, squash, spinach, onion, swede, celeriac.

For a vegan option, use dairy free spread instead of butter and plant milk rather than milk. Oatly would work well as it is quite creamy.

Let me know if you make it!

Ingredients

Serves 4 generously, 5 decent portions, or 6 with extra roasties!

Mash

• 1.5kg potatoes, peeled, chopped & boiled

• 75g unsalted butter

• ¼ tsp table salt

• 5 tbsp milk 

Topping

• 10g parmesan, finely grated

• 50g mature cheddar, grated

Filling

• 30g butter 

• Drizzle of rapeseed oil

• 6 Quorn fillets, 1.5cm slices or/ 4 chicken breasts, diced

• 300g / 3 carrots, sliced

• 250g / 2 leeks, chopped in half and sliced

• 3 tbsp flour

• 650ml semi skimmed milk

• 1/2 vegetable stock cube

• 3/4 tsp sea salt 

• 1 tsp mustard, optional

Method

• First make the mash: drain the potatoes well and then add the butter, mash well and then loosen with the milk. Set aside with the lid on.

• Heat a good lug of rapeseed oil in a large pan and add the Quorn or chicken. Allow to sizzle and brown for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Don’t overcook as both Quorn or chicken will become very dry. Remove and set aside in a bowl.

• Then add a drizzle of rapeseed oil and half the butter to the pan, heat through and add the carrots and leeks. Cook on low for about 15 minutes until soft, but not browned.

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Next add the remaining butter to the vegetables, melt and then spoon in the flour. Stir well to coat the vegetables and begin to slowly add the milk about 100ml at a time. Once all the milk has been mixed in add the Quorn or chicken, stock cube and mustard if you’re using it. Cook on low for a further 15 minutes and then add the salt and a good grind of black pepper.

• When the filling is ready, assemble by pouring it into a large ceramic dish (I used 21 x 27cm, but you could probably go to 25 x 30 ish). Next top with mash and sprinkle over the two cheeses evenly.

• Place in the oven for 20 minutes until warmed right through and crispy on top.

• Serve with buttered green veggies.

  Tip

• Red potatoes make the creamiest mash if you can get hold of them, I like to use Desiree, but if you cant find them then white are fine.

• Make the mash a few hours ahead if you want to save time later. You’ll need to warm it through before putting the pie together though, as your filling will already be hot and the two elements won’t cook evenly in the oven if they’re not the same temperature. To do this I just gently warm the mash in the pan, stirring regularly, but you can transfer to a bowl and microwave if you prefer.

Tomato & basil sauce

This is my everyday tomato sauce that I make regularly to go with pasta or use on homemade pizzas. Tt’s is good solid classic that is great vfm costing approx £3.40 for 8-10 portions. I usually make a big pan of it so I can freeze half and use the rest in various ways throughout the week. It’s a great way to get ahead in the kitchen and reduce the time you spend cooking after a busy day at work.

Tomato sauce is simple to make and super versatile as you can add lots of different ingredients to switch it up to make a whole new meal. These are a few of my favourite ways to serve it:

• go classic with grated parmesan or crumbled feta

• stir in some spinach at the last minute and top with feta

• roast aubergine slices with olive oil and sea salt (approx 35 minutes on 180ºc, turn half way) add to the sauce and cook for 5 mins, feta works really well here.

• blacken a red pepper under the grill, peel, chop, add to the sauce and cook for 5 mins, serve with parmesan

• add a pinch of chilli for arrabbiata

• Fry some chopped (veggie or meat - but take out of the casing) sausage or meatballs and load with any kind of cheese (cheddar for kids obviously)

• stir in a dollop of mascarpone cheese

• And for the meat eaters - crispy bacon is always a winner (especially with mascarpone) or my kids also absolutely love chicken parmigiana on top.

  Ingredients

  Serves 8-10

• 3 onions, chopped

• 1 red pepper, chopped

• 4 large garlic cloves, grated

• 4 x 400g tinned tomatoes

• 1 handful fresh basil, stalks chopped, leaves torn and set aside

• 1/2 tbsp balsamic

• 1 tsp sea salt

Method

• Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large deep pan and then add the onions. Fry gently for about 10 minutes until softened and then add the red pepper and cook for a further 15 minutes on low.

• Next add the garlic, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes before pouring in the chopped tomatoes and adding the basil stalks. Heat through and then reduce to a gentle simmer for 30 minutes.

• Add the balsamic vinegar simmer for a further 5 minutes and then add the basil leaves.

• Use a hand blender to blitz the sauce.

Tip

Ideally you need a hand blender for this particular recipe, but if you don’t have one or would prefer a chunky sauce then chop the onions and basil stalks finely and the pepper whatever size you prefer. Use a fork or potato masher to break up the tomatoes at the end.

Mango, pineapple & coconut smoothie

As I’m always saying, I love a smoothie for breakfast, especially at the weekend before exercise and then I’m ready for a big brunch. But I also like to quickly make one if I’m rushing out in the morning (remember those days?!), or even to give me an energy boost in the afternoon. This recipe has a lovely tropical flavour to help you forget at it’s October and transport you to a sunny beach somewhere. Ok so that’s probably stretching the limit of it’s capabilities, but Covid is shit and this tastes good, so at the very least it might just be a little highlight in your day!

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 90g mango

• 90g pineapple

• 60g banana

• 2 tbsp chia seeds (white look a lot nicer)

• 400ml coconut milk drink - my favourite is by Rude Health

Method

• Put all the ingredients in the blender and blitz well, so the chia seeds have all broken down and have thickened the smoothie.

Tip

• Where possible use frozen fruit so you don’t need to add ice. Most supermarkets sell a good range of bagged frozen fruit which works out way better value than fresh. If you need to chill your smoothies then just add 2-3 ice cubes to the blender with the rest of the ingredients.

• I never throw away bananas that are a little past their best and going brown, I peel and break them in half then freeze in a sealed bag for smoothies. They’re naturally sweeter when they’re browning and taste really good in smoothies.

Cumin & chilli butternut squash wedges

Butternut squash is one of my favourite vegetables to eat, but only roasted! I love the way it sweetens and caramelises when cooked in this way, as opposed to the blandness of when it is just added it to a sauce and cooked in it. When roasted the cooking process itself adds flavour and improves the texture, plus you can really make it interesting by spiking with different spices.

Cumin and chilli is definitely a go-to combination for me, but I also like to use harissa blends or ras el hanout. Honestly, I could just eat a plate of roasted squash for dinner, but if you don’t quite feel the same way as me then it’s great with my vegan protein or lentil and bean chillis and guacamole.

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 1 butternut squash

• 2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil

• 1.5 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp chilli

• A good pinch of sea salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Chop the squash in half length ways, or thirds if it is particularly large, and peel.

• Next chop each section in half down the middle and then into approx 3cm wedges (at the widest point). The length should be about 8cm as a rough guide.

• Put the squash in a large tray or two making sure the wedges have enough space around them. If not they will steam, not brown.

• Drizzle the squash with the oil then sprinkle over the spices evenly and mix to coat, sprinkle with salt and put in the oven for 15 minutes.

• Open the door just an inch to let out the excess steam from the oven and close again for another 5 minutes. *A note on why I do this below*.

• Now turn the squash so it browns on the other side, put back on the oven for a further 15 minutes. Turn one more and put back in the oven for a final 5 minutes.

Tip

• By opening the oven door an inch, you release the excess steam so the squash will brown and have a lovely sweet caramelised flavour. I use this trick when roasting any vegetable as my oven isn’t great at venting excess steam, but you might not need to do this if yours if more efficient. Just check next time you’re roasting a tray of veggies - if you get a face full of steam then that could be why you’re not getting that tasty caramelisation.

• Try to chop your wedges to a similar size as stated above so they cook according to the recipe. If they’re smaller there is a risk they’ll over cook, but if you keep an eye on them and reduce the times accordingly then they’ll be fine!