Cannellini Bean, Parsley and Lemon….dip

Posted on 16/04/2015 by Anna

Now I will be frank and say I am a little nervous about the title of this – if my children were reading (having not previously tasted and devoured it as they do) I am pretty sure they would move on, pulses not being much to their liking.

For me, I struggle with the word dip, it is just a bit…. you know. Dip covers a multitude and can be a tub of generic supermarket gunk or a red, oniony side dish to uh, dip things in. Rarely have I come across anything with the moniker dip that I have wanted to love or, in many cases, finish. This little beauty will, I hope, shatter all preconceptions.

It came about, as many things do out of my kitchen, from necessity over organisation. I wanted something to offer with drinks but frankly the larder was pretty bare but for a few tins of beans. I always have parsley, lemon and garlic on hand and so it was that these were the volunteers, the ingredients that stepped forward from a skeleton line up.

I actually made this three times over Easter, once to serve with said drinks and twice to put on the table along with a mezze type picnic lunch. With some toasty baked pita my children scoffed this with unseemly speed and didn’t even stop when they discovered the star ingredient. I could not believe my eyes at this nor my ears when they asked me to make it again. Today we are having it with some roast chicken, new potatoes and a big salad. It is really good, beyond easy and properly useful of have up your sleeve, but what are we going to call it?

Cannellini Bean, Parsley and Lemon Dip

Taste this when it is all whizzed together, it should have lots of lemon juice to give it zing and you will need a really good pinch of salt, possible two as pulses seem to lap them up. Serve with chopped carrots, baked pita bread, breadsticks or alongside a roast chicken or with a collection of other mezze type dishes.

1 can of cannellini beans

1 small clove garlic

Half a small packet parsley, approx 20g

Juice of 1 large lemon

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Put all the ingredients into a small blender or a jug if you are using a hand held blender. I find it easiest to put the lemon juice in first then you can pick any rogue seeds out easily, followed by the salt so it can dissolve in the juice. The order doesn’t really matter though. Whizz it all up, taste and check you are happy with it before decanting into a dish. The four of us will polish this off between but that said, my husband and I could probably eat it all too. You can double or treble easily if you have a crowd to feed.

Roast Cauliflower and other vegetables

Posted on 09/02/2015 by Anna

I heard something absolutely extraordinary last week. Whilst tucking into tea, my daughter stated the previously unimaginable “I love kale”. I stopped talking and sat slack jawed in amazement. This is the child that will shy away from vegetables apart from a grudging tolerance for peas and cooked carrots. This the child who would normally show wide eyed panic in the face of anything cabbagy and try distracting tactics when I am dishing out. Yet here she was and here it was – kale. Now kale is one of the tougher and if we are honest more bitter winter leaves and so this particular entente was all the more surprising. What was the magic, what was the secret alchemy you ask. One of the oldest tricks in the book, a bit of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and a brief sojourn in a hot oven. That is all it takes to transform these frilly green leaves into a salty, savoury snack comparable (if not better) to the finest potato crisps.

The thing is I really want my children to like vegetables, I don’t want those stand off scenarios where I insist that vegetables are good for them while they will sit, mulish and resistant, eyeing me as one who wishes to enforce horror. So I make it my goal to make their veggies more palatable, whatever it takes, I will keep trying different sauces, salsas and cooking methods until I have cracked it.

Cauliflower along with cous cous were two things my son had asked me, in all honesty, why God had invented. He couldn’t bear either of them, couldn’t see their point and so some time ago having tried all other routes I thought to roast cauliflower. What do you know they will now clamour over the last little floret and I can’t blame them, the oil, salt and hot oven trick turns these innocent little white sprigs into gold singed, roasty delicious mouthfuls.

These are not just something I serve to children and in fact the cauliflower in this form with the dipping sauce is a great choice to put on the table at the beginning of supper or to add to a tapas style spread. The green sauce is my Fresh Herb Sauce (July 2013).

Roast Cauliflower

The addition of some chilli flakes to the cauliflower before roasting gives a lovely pop of heat but I generally don’t add them when doing this for children. I have previously given the recipe for kale crisps, essentially just tear the leaves into mouthful size, turn in a little olive oil, spread out onto a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and cook at 200 for about 7-10 minutes, turning once or twice and eyeing them like a hawk so they don’t burn.

1 medium size cauliflower

2 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt

Preheat the oven to 200. Trim the cauliflower , break into small florets and spread onto a baking sheet. Pour over the oil and turn the cauliflower really well making sure every bit is coated in oil. Sprinkle with salt and roast for 20-25 minutes until it is just turning golden brown and catching slightly at the edges. Cool for a minute or two and taste, you might want a tiny bit more salt then serve with the green herby sauce.

Herby Ricotta with Pickled Cucumber

Posted on 17/09/2014 by Anna

Despite a few cool, misty mornings we have been enjoying a bit of an Indian Summer recently, my children were swimming in the sea three times last week (and even I joined them on one occasion…) and there are still shorts and summer dresses being sported in the playground. We expect (and hope) July and August will be hot for the school holidays but September heralds a return to work so to have fabulous balmy weather always feels like a treat, a bonus, a little extra.

As such I like to eke out the summer feeling with barbeques and eating in the garden whenever possible. If, however, you’ve had enough of those leafy green salads then try this for your lunch – smooth, creamy herb flecked ricotta which is unbelievably quick and easy to make (yes make yourself!) accompanied by sweet and sour crunchy cucumber. The latter is a riff on my quick pickled onion and you could of course use that instead.

I like the ricotta spread on slices of baguette, topped with the tangy fresh cucumber slices, a little more substantial than lunches in the height of a hot summer but not yet a headlong dive into the autumnal soups yet to come.

Herby Ricotta with Pickled Cucumber

You can use whichever soft herbs you like, I use parsley, chives and dill because that is a combination I love. The dill along with the pickled cucumber give a bit of Scandanavian vibe and go together perfectly. The ricotta would also be fabulous on little crispy toasts topped with chopped cucumber as a canapé and of course, prior to the herbing this ricotta is perfect for any other sweet or savoury recipe you have up your sleeve (so much better than supermarket ricotta and I struggle to find fresh around here).

300ml pot single cream (you can use double if that is what you have)

600ml whole milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

A handful of chopped herbs of your choice

Put the cream into a pan and fill the empty pot twice with milk and mix this into the cream along with the salt. Bring to the boil and them remove from the heat and add the vinegar and give it a stir. You will see the mixture separate, pour into a muslin lined colander and leave to drain for an hour or so until you have a crumbly creamy cheese. Mix in the herbs and check the seasoning, you may need a little more salt and some pepper. Heavenly.

Pickled Cucumber

Half a cucumber

1 tablespoon caster sugar

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Salt

Put the sugar and vinegar into a shallow bowl with a pinch of salt and leave to dissolve. Using a vegetable peeler, take long slices of cucumber avoiding the watery seeds in the middle and add to the bowl. Leave for at least half an hour, stirring occasionally, for the cucumber to “pickle”.

This amount would serve two for lunch or more along side other dishes.

Roast Vegetables with Pomegranate Molasses

Posted on 22/07/2014 by Anna

I went into the larder yesterday and a pile of vegetables were gazing balefully at me. I had bought them for the weekend but we had done other things and my menu plans had gone awry. As I am going away I knew they needed to be eaten up, there is nothing worse than having to throw something away which was fine one minute and gone off the next. So, courgettes, peppers, aubergine and onions all jostling for the top spot. Aubergine curry, a provencal tian, soup – lots of things crossed my mind but it is hot and I wanted a salad.

I used to make a salad like this all the time in the 90’s – I can see myself now, in the kitchen of my flat, Oasis blaring and a vat of Bulgarian Cabernet Sauvignon on stand by. It was great then and I’ve made derivations of it ever since but I wanted to jazz it up a bit. I roasted all the vegetables and made a dressing with olive oil and pomegranate molasses. The fruity tang was just the thing to bring this up to date, both sharp and fruity and along with some crushed garlic made the perfect dressing. I’m not very keen on couscous, it always seems a bit pappy and, for me anyway, still has a whiff of school semolina about it. Bulgar wheat however has bite and texture so that is what I used. Piles of fresh herbs, the mint being one of the few things the fat slugs haven’t scoffed in the garden, and some rocket completed the picture.

If I’d planned this earlier I would have made some labne, strained Greek yogurt which I could have blobbed over the salad but some garlicky regular yogurt was an excellent alternative. I had forgotten how much I adore this salad, roasted, sweet and slightly charred vegetables, the nutty bulghar, masses of verdant herbs and the lip smacking dressing. This would go down a storm with barbecued meat or fish but is substantial enough to have for lunch on its own. Truly a winner, I will be making this all summer and beyond. Back in couple of weeks!

Roasted Vegetables with Bulghar and Pomegranate Molasses

The following vegetables are what I had but use an equivalent amount of whatever you like. Should I be overwhelmed with courgettes later in the summer (if the slugs don’t eat those too) I will make this with those and perhaps throw in some feta and chives.

2 red peppers

1 aubergine

2 courgettes

3 onions

Olive oil

1 bunch parsley, chopped

1 bunch mint, chopped

2 large handfuls rocket

100g bulghar wheat

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed

Half a lemon

Preheat the oven to 200. Chop the vegetables into small and similar size pieces, turn in some olive oil, put onto baking sheets and cook for about 30 minutes turning occasionally until soft and just catching at the edges. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Put the bulghar wheat into a bowl with a pinch of salt and cover with boiling water to about 1cm above, leave to soak for 15 minutes then drain. Mix the garlic, oil, pomegranate molasses and some salt and pepper to taste. In a large bowl, toss the vegetables, bulghar, herbs, rocket and dressing, stir to combine and have taste, a squeeze of lemon will probably be all you need. Serves 2 on its own or 4 as an accompaniment.

Green Beans with Tomatoes and Feta

Posted on 17/06/2014 by Anna

I am very keen on the whole family eating together and of course eating the same thing, I might have mentioned before that I am not a big fan of “kid’s food” and who needs it. Be adventurous, there are so many delicious things to try and honestly who wants the headache of cooking lots of different dishes? That said, it is not always plain sailing to keep the customers happy. One of my children is currently off pasta, rice (except Paella – how does that work?) and sausages, neither like mashed potato and the other doesn’t really go a bundle on many vegetables. I am nothing if not determined however and this salad suits everyone.

The crisp beans with sweet tomatoes and salty feta go together unbelievably well. I can’t quite say perfect marriage, too many contenders but that sort of thing. My daughter loves the beans because of the garlicky dressing and the feta (but not the tomatoes), my son loves the beans and tomatoes (but not the feta) and I love it because the bowl is always empty. I often serve this with roast chicken or lamb and it is one of the sides I am most likely to make to go with a barbecue. It is a perfect solitary lunch or supper, quick, easy (so simple I am almost embarrassed to put it up as a recipe) and cheap too.

A twist on this and particularly good with chicken or fish is to lose the feta and have loads of garlic, lemon (zest and juice) and parsley or dill along with some black olives. I do alter the components depending on who is eating the salad and would usually add olives the version you see in the photograph.

I served this, as you can see in the picture, with some focaccia which is simply the wild garlic one I wrote about in May but now that the wild garlic is over I use a regular good olive oil on its own but you could easily whizz up some other herbs if you like.

Green Beans with Tomatoes and Feta

250-300g green beans, topped and tailed

A large handful of cherry tomatoes, halved

75g feta, cubed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, crushed

Cook the beans until just tender. Mix the oil, vinegar and garlic in a bowl with a little salt (remember the feta is salty) and pepper then add the beans and turn them well in the dressing, put in the tomatoes and feta and mix gently until just coated. Taste, you may want to add a little more seasoning. Serves 4.

Roast Asparagus with Parmesan, and Banting

Posted on 04/06/2014 by Anna

Are you Banting? No I’m not being weird or misspelling, it refers to HFLC – the high fat, low carb way of eating. When we were in South Africa recently everyone was talking about Tim Noakes and his Real Meal Revolution book. The night we arrived we had supper with friends, a fabulous carb free supper incidentally and were introduced to the idea, among others, of avocado, anchovies and cream cheese for breakfast. I tried it, totally delicious and not as peculiar as you might think. This way of eating is all the rage there, tout le monde was either talking about it or doing it and by the way, losing weight on it. To the point that the book was sold out in most places and I was lucky to find a copy. The day we flew out I saw a new magazine based on the philosophy at the airport – this is big over there.

Fundamentally you eat fats in their original, purest form i.e. regular milk or yogurt rather than messed around with low fat versions. Good fats fill you up so you can eat less of them, what you need to keep a beady eye on are those carbs as that sugar can play havoc. Chicken to be eaten with its delicious, crispy skin, bacon, avocados, cheese…. and you can lose weight. Sounds like a dream no? It isn’t a pink ticket to go crazy though, vegetables are a huge part of the regime and the recipe section of the book is sensational.

Whilst I can’t tell you I am following this idea, I am interested in something that has gained such a huge following and I will read the book cover to cover. In the spirit of it however, this weeks’ recipe is something I cook every year when asparagus is in season. The roasting intensifies the asparagus flavour and the parmesan adds a gorgeous, salty savoury finish. Quick, make it before the asparagus is over for another year.

Roast Asparagus with Parmesan

1 bunch of asparagus

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Parmesan, grated – as much as you would like

Preheat the oven to 200. Trim the bottom of the asparagus, either just snap them off where they ‘give’ or peel the bottom third. Put them on a baking tray, pour over a little olive oil and turn the spears in it. Season well with salt and pepper and roast for 10 minutes until just singeing at the edges. Grate some parmesan over them and return to the oven for a further 2-3 minutes until the cheese has just melted and then tuck in. I sometimes have this for lunch on my own or it could serve two as a light starter (or just do two bunches for a proper size starter!) A drop of good balsamic is a nice finishing touch.

Chorizo and Potatoes

Posted on 18/05/2014 by Anna

Is there anything that doesn’t taste better with a bit of chorizo in it? I love that rich, spicy flavour and the way it imparts its sunny personality into other ingredients. Chorizo has great shelf life and is fantastic to have in the fridge for those inevitable moments when you have empty beaks to feed and the cupboard is bare.

This is one of my children’s favourites, unbelievably quick and only uses 5 ingredients. If you don’t have any potatoes, make Chorizo and Beans (365 things to eat, June 2013) or for a more summery feel, Chorizo, Tomatoes and Green Beans (September 2013).

Chorizo with Potatoes

I use the Goikoa Spanish chorizo which I buy in Waitrose, it comes in a 260g horseshoe but any other cooking chorizo would be fine too.

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 ‘horseshoe’ Chorizo

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

4 medium new/waxy potoates

Small tin chopped tomatoes, approx 227g

Small handful parsley, chopped

Heat the oil in a pan over a low heat, slice the chorizo and add it to the pan. Meanwhile slice the potatoes and cook until tender then drain. When the chorizo is beginning to colour on both sides, add the garlic and cook for a minute followed by the tomatoes. Let this simmer for 3-4 minutes then put the drained potatoes into the pan, turn them so they are coated with the tomato sauce, finally sprinkle over the parsley. This serves 2 but is easily doubled, just use the whole horseshoe of chorizo and a normal 400g tin of tomatoes.

Pepper and Caper Crostini

Posted on 26/04/2014 by Anna

I love something punchy and full of flavour on top of a crunchy bit of toasted bread and find it an easy prepare ahead canapé to serve with drinks before lunch of supper. From the super simple garlic rubbed toasts to something that requires a little chopping and cooking. The basis of this is often some softened vegetables with a good hum of garlic and a bit of sharpness from capers, balsamic or lemon juice. Courgettes work a treat as do leeks or onions if that is what you have. The crisp little toasts can be made days ahead and kept in an airtight tin enabling you to make this in a matter of moments.

This time I have used peppers which cook down to silky soft sweetness with very little attention. Pushed for time you can use jarred peppers but try and find the ones in oil rather than brine. Use a little of the oil they are packed in for the pan, chop them and then proceed with the recipe. They will only need heating briefly and marrying with the garlic.

Incidentally, my children who both profess to not like peppers will scoff these with unseemly speed….

Pepper and Caper Crostini

2 peppers, red orange or yellow but not green, sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon capers

4 slices of toasted sourdough or similar, (rubbed with garlic if you want a bit extra!)

1 small bunch parsley, chopped

Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the peppers for about 15-20 minutes until soft (or you could do this in the oven). Add the garlic and cook for a minute then remove from the heat. Stir through the capers, check for seasoning and then pile onto the slices of toast. Sprinkle with parsley and tuck in.

Blood Orange, Beetroot and Feta Salad

Posted on 28/01/2014 by Anna

We are blessed with a fabulous farm shop just down the road and I find myself there often. This point was proved, rather tellingly, the other day when my husband went in to collect “an order for Anna” to be told “oh yes I know her, she is in here all the time….”..

I do shop there a lot. Since foxy got our chickens, the next best thing is to see those at Washingpool strutting, pecking and buy their spanking fresh eggs. When I can’t be bothered to make bread, theirs is marvellous and when I want tip top, super-fresh fruit and veg that haven’t clocked up air miles I go there. The problem is that I usually come out with more than I went in for. Faced with amazing produce I am helpless and unable to resist. So it was this week when I chanced upon fat globes of beetroot still with their frilly green and pink leaves (perfect in a stir fry) and one of my absolute seasonal favourites, blood oranges.

Once home I decided I wanted to combine the sharp juiciness of the oranges with the sweet earthiness of the beetroot. I added a little spring onion and rocket for peppery bite and some soft salty feta. It was a delicious lunch.

Blood Orange, Beetroot and Feta Salad

This is how I made the salad you see, it was enough for one but can easily be doubled or tripled.

1 cooked beetroot, peeled and cut into 8

1 blood orange, peeled and segmented

A handful of rocket

1 spring onion, finely chopped

About 25g feta

2 teaspoons rapeseed oil

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Salt and pepper

Mix the oil and vinegar in a small bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. Put the beetroot, blood orange, spring onion and rocket on a plate, drizzle over the dressing then add the feta at the last minute so it doesn’t all turn Barbie pink.

For an unbelievable refreshing light pudding after this seasons hearty, cosy stews try my Blood Orange Granita (February 2013) show here in front of another crisp, cleansing number, Iced Tea Granita (July 2013).

A final point, why have supermarkets started calling Blood Oranges Blush Oranges….?

My Favourite Green Salad

Posted on 09/01/2014 by Anna

Happy New Year! Are you looking for something fresh, green and crunchy? After the Christmas cake which I ate almost entirely myself I know I am. I love salads all year round and eat them in one form or other several days a week. However right now my craving knows no bounds. After what feels like weeks of rain the sun is out and the sky is blue. Tom and I went for a fabulous walk up beautiful Lewesdon Hill this morning and following a hose down (Tom, not me) I felt like something healthy, raw (mostly) and fresh to eat.

This is the sort of salad we often have for a weekday lunch, perhaps with the addition of a few chunks of feta, maybe with soup if it is chilly or just good bread. Whatever the weather we often have this for a weekend lunch alongside a roast chicken, my children invariably picking out the bits they like best. It makes a lovely change from the usual roast with vegetables and feels a bit lighter – without losing out on the gorgeous golden roast chook. Perfect with a steak for supper, no need for chips because of the croutons and it is just the thing with any barbecued meat (I know, I know, barely a sign of Spring outside and I am already talking barbecues, I can’t help myself).

I suspect you may have spotted the croutons so I must state that this is not diet food per se but it is so delicious, crisp and clean that I would certainly term it healthy. Whatever, this is the green salad I turn to most often and usually have the ingredients in my fridge. No spring onions or avocado? No matter, use what you have or what you like best. This is enough for my lunch just as it is, the croutons, seeds and avocado giving it substance but as ever, it is just a guideline, an idea to share.

My Green Salad

4 slices of baguette or similar, cubed (a little stale is fine)

1 tablespoon oil

1 small clove garlic, crushed or very finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

Juice of 1/2 lemon

3 tablespoons oil (I use 2 of good extra virgin olive oil and one of a plain oil)

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon each of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and pine kernels

1 little gem

A handful of baby spinach

A handful of rocket

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 avocado, peeled and cubed

Small chunk of cucumber, peeled, deseeded and chopped

Chives, a small handful (parsley, mint or oregano work well or a combination of any)

Preheat the oven to 200. Turn the cubes of bread in the tablespoon of oil, put in a small tin and bake for 5 minutes until golden, then sprinkle with a little salt. In a small bowl mix the garlic, sugar, mustard, lemon juice a good pinch of salt and some black pepper. Slowly add the 3 tablespoons of oil mixing well until emulsified. In a small frying pan heat the seeds until just turning golden. Cut up the little gem put it into a large salad bowl with the spinach, rocket and avocado. Add most of the dressing and toss the salad, you may not need it all but I find this amount just right. Scatter over the croutons and seeds and trickle over the rest of the dressing if you want. Snip the chives or other herbs over the top. Serves 2 for lunch or 2 adults and 2 children as a side dish.

If you are looking for more healthy New Years’ crunch, try my carrot salad which I posted in January 2013.

Anna May, everyday…

Category Archives: Salads

Cannellini Bean, Parsley and Lemon….dip

Roast Cauliflower and other vegetables

Herby Ricotta with Pickled Cucumber

Roast Vegetables with Pomegranate Molasses

Green Beans with Tomatoes and Feta

Roast Asparagus with Parmesan, and Banting

Chorizo and Potatoes

Pepper and Caper Crostini

Blood Orange, Beetroot and Feta Salad

My Favourite Green Salad