Recipes

Vegetable & Lentil Moussaka (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

Olive oil, 2 Aubergines, salt, 2 courgettes, 3 potatoes, 1 onions, 2 cloves garlic, 2 cans chopped tomatoes, 1 can green lentils, 2 tsp dried oregano, 40g butter, 5tbsp plain flour, 600ml milk, 140g grated cheese, 1 egg, pinch grated nutmeg, 1tsp vegetable bouillon.

1. Sprinkle sliced aubergine with salt and leave for 30mins in a drainer, rinse off the salt add squeeze out moisture. Parboil sliced potatoes.

2. Saute garlic and onions in oil until soft, add tomatoes, drained lentils, herbs and bouillon to taste. Simmer gently.

3. Preheat oven 190C/Gas 5.

4. Fry sliced aubergine and courgette in oil until browned, alternatively brush with oil then brown under the grill.

5. Layer half aubergine, courgettes and potatoes in base of oven dishes. Top with lentil mixture then another layer of vegetables.

6. Bake for approx 25minutes while making sauce.

7. Make cheese sauce: melt butter in saucepan over medium heat, stir in the flour and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk. Return to the heat, stirring constantly to avoid lumps forming. Simmer for 2 minutes until sauce thickens, remove from heat and stir in the cheese until melted, cool a little then beat in the eggs.

8. Pour cheese sauce over top, finish with grated nutmeg. Bake for further 30mins until golden-brown.

Serve with steamed green vegetables and bread.

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Vegetable couscous (Serves 4)

Put 1 large mug of couscous in a heat proof bowl; mix in 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp turmeric powder and 1 tsp bouillon powder. Add 2 mugs of boiling water – leave to stand for 10 minutes

Add 1 tbsp olive oil & rub through with hands to incorporate air.

For vegetable broth – 2kg seasonal vegetables peeled and cut into large chunks. Sauté 1 large diced onion, 1 clove crushed garlic and 1 finely chopped fresh chilli in olive oil to soften, add rest of vegetables and cook stirring for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add 1L vegetable stock and simmer until soft. Add a handful of each fresh chopped coriander, parsley and mint.

To serve – reheat couscous to steaming in hot oven & spoon over vegetable broth.

Reserved cooking liquid & left over vegetables may be blended to make a tasty soup!

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Vegetable curry (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, 1 red chilli, thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, 2 cloves garlic, bunch of fresh coriander, 2 red peppers cut into large pieces, 1 cauliflower broken into florets, 3 ripe tomatoes quartered, 1 small butternut squash peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks, 1 can chickpeas drained, vegetable oil, butter. ½ jar (140g) Pataks jalfrezi paste (or make your own – see recipe below), 1 can chopped tomatoes. Salt & pepper.

Chop the onion, finely slice chilli,garlic and ginger, roughly chop the coriander – sauté these in 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil and a knob of butter for about 10 minutes until soft. Add vegetables, chickpeas, chopped tomatoes and curry paste, add extra water if needed. Bring to the boil then turn heat down and allow to simmer for 45 minutes, checking regularly to ensure it does not dry out. Season to taste.

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Jalfezi paste

Ingredients:

2 gloves garlic, thumb sized piece of root ginger, 1 tsp turmeric, ½ tsp seasalt, 2 tablespoons ground nut or vegetable oil, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 fresh green chilli, a small bunch of fresh coriander.

Spices for toasting: 2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1teaspoon brown mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds.

Peel the garlic and ginger. Dry fry the spices for toasting over a medium-high heat, until golden brown and smelling wonderful  Remove from pan and gringd until fine in a pestle & mortar (or whizz in a blender). Add the rest of the ingredients and blend to a smooth paste.

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Dhal (serves 4 as an accompaniment)

Ingredients:

½ onion chopped, 2 cloves of garlic crushed, small piece of ginger and 1 fresh chilli finely chopped. 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil. 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp coriander, ½ tsp turmeric powder. ½ mug red lentils, vegetable stock.

Cook the onion, garlic. Ginger and chilli in oil until soft, add the spices and stir well. Then add lentils and enough stock to cover all ingredients and simmer until lentils are cooked through, add more stock if starts to dry out. Add piece of butter and stir through before serving.

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Desserts:

Baked Apples (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

4 large Bramley apples, remove cores and score around circumference, 50g soft butter, 2 bay leaves, 2 cloves, 50g flaked almonds, 100g light muscovado sugar, 75g raisins, juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon, 1 heaped tsp mixed spice, optional shot of brandy or whisky.

1. Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4 & place apples in a baking dish.

2. Use pestle & mortar to break up bay leaves and cloves.

3. Mix together butter, spices, most of the almonds, sugar, raisins & juices and brandy/whiskey if using. Squeeze into the hollowed out apples.

4. Sprinkle remaining almonds over the top the toast.

5. Bake in the oven for 36-40 minutes.

Serve with fromage frais.

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Honey Spiced Figs (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

24 dried figs(about 500g), 200ml orange/apple juice mix, juice of ½ lemon, 2 star anise, 4 cloves, 1 stick cinnamon, 1 generous tbsp honey.

Heat oven 130C/Gas ½, rinse figs under cold tap, put all ingredients into a heavy based pan and bring to simmer, cover and bake for 90mins. Cool a little, serve with Greek yoghurt.

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Spiced Poached Pears (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

4 large firm pears, 500ml red wine, 50g caster sugar, ½ vanilla pod split down centre, 1 cinamon sticks, 1 tsp fresh grated ginger, 1 star anise, 2 cloves. 2 thick strips orange peel.

Place peeled pears in pan – fitting snugly. Add wine, sugar, spices etc and bring to boil. Cover pan with greaseproof paper and put lid on. Reduce temperature and simmer for 20-30 mins until pears are soft. Stand for 4 hours to enhance flavour, reheat to serve with crème fraiche.

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Baking & Treats

Prune & Hazelnut Chocolate Squares (makes about 20)

Ingredients:

100g pitted prunes, 60ml brandy/port, 90g toasted hazelnuts, 60ml double cream, 300g dark chocolate, melted.

Line tin with greaseproof paper. Combine the runes and port/brandy and soak overnight. Then add hazelnuts. Heat cream in a pan until boiling, remove from heat, and stir in the melted chocolate fruit and nuts. Pour into prepared tin, refrigerate for 10mins, then allow to set at room temperature (about 12 hours). Slice into tiny squares to serve with coffee.