CONTENTS Introduction 6 The Basics 8 Breakfast & Grab-and-Go Snacks 16 Light Bites 48 Bigger Meals 90 Clear the Fridge 156 Cheeky Treats 180 DIY 212 Makeovers with Leftovers 228 Planning & Shopping 234 Index 236 Acknowledgements 240 Key: V VG DF GF EF LS NS Vegetarian Vegan Dairy Free Gluten Free Egg Free Low Added Sugar No Added Sugar
VG option EF BEETROOT FLATBREAD Serves 4 6 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for greasing 4 small or 2 large beetroot ½ recipe for pizza dough (see page 220) or 1 recipe for unbaked pitta bread dough (see page 215) 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 50g feta, crumbled 5 sprigs of thyme This pretty little dish has a great combo of flavours there is sweetness from the beetroot, from the feta and the sugary balsamic vinegar mix gives the dish a lovely tart taste. I usually make this recipe when I ve got some pizza or flatbread dough sitting in the refrigerator from a previous day so I have less prep to do. 1 Preheat the oven to 180 C fan, 200 C, Gas Mark 6. 2 Wrap the beetroot in foil and bake in the oven for 45 60 minutes, depending on size, until fork-tender. Unwrap and leave them to cool slightly. 3 Rub the beetroot skins under cool running water to remove them, then slice the beetroot into 2mm thick coins. 4 Meanwhile, prepare the dough according to the recipe on page 220 or page 215. 5 Preheat the oven to 200 C fan, 220 C, Gas Mark 7 and grease a baking tray with a little oil. 6 Press the dough out on the prepared baking tray into a rough 24 x 20cm oval shape. Arrange slices of the beetroot on top, sprinkle with and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake in the oven for 20 25 minutes until the edges are golden. 7 Heat the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a small pan over a medium heat for 1 minute until it is reduced and thick. Drizzle over the flatbread then sprinkle on the feta and thyme to serve. Vegan Use Sun Feta (see page 219) instead of the feta or chop a handful of pitted black olives and sprinkle those over instead. Use 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze instead of the combo of the balsamic vinegar and sugar. Roll out 250g vegetarian shop-bought puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface to about 5mm thick. Prick all over with a fork, then top with the cooked beetroot slices and bake as in the recipe. Roast extra beetroot and store in the the refrigerator for up to 3 days. l Beetroot l Feta l Thyme LIGHT BITES 59
GF option VG LS CRISPY BROCCOLI & BARLEY BOWL WITH TAHINI DRESSING Serves 2 150g uncooked pearl barley or 375g cooked, warmed 1 large head of broccoli, cut into medium florets 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar or maple syrup handful of fresh coriander, chopped TAHINI DRESSING 2 tablespoons tahini juice of ½ lemon 1 garlic clove, crushed pinch of Chewy pearl barley meets crunchy fronds of roasted broccoli in a simple, quick bowl meal. The tahini dressing is creamy and tangy and the sweet crunch of the pumpkin seeds adds a pop of texture. 1 Preheat the oven to 180 C fan, 200 C, Gas Mark 6. 2 If starting with uncooked pearl barley, place the pearl barley in a medium pan and pour in enough water to cover. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 35 40 minutes until chewy but soft. Drain, rinse and return to the pan and cover with a tea towel and a lid for 10 minutes. 3 Meanwhile, toss the broccoli in the oil and a sprinkle of on a baking tray. Roast in the oven for 20 30 minutes until golden and crispy. 4 Toast the pumpkin seeds in a nonstick frying pan over a medium heat, stirring frequently, until they start to pop. Add the soy sauce or tamari and sugar or syrup, then stir until the seeds clump together. Tip out on to a plate or chopping board and leave to cool. 5 Stir the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and together in a small bowl. Add enough water to make a drizzle-able dressing. 6 Divide the cooked pearl barley, crispy broccoli, pumpkin seeds and tahini dressing between 2 bowls, scatter over the coriander and serve warm. Gluten Free Cook an equal weight of quinoa or rice instead of the pearl barley. Make sure that you are using a certified gluten-free tamari or soy sauce. Use cauliflower instead of broccoli and roast for 30 40 minutes. Any extra broccoli and cooked pearl barley can be stored in the refrigerator in a container for up to 3 days. l Pearl barley, raw or cooked l Fresh coriander l Tahini l Lemon juice BIGGER MEALS 113
QUICKIE CHILLI V VG GF CHICKPEA STEW 3 WAYS MINESTRONE Serves 2 3 BASE STEW 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 carrot, finely diced 1 celery stick, finely diced 1 red onion, finely diced 3 garlic cloves, crushed or finely minced 240g (1 can, drained weight) cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed 400g can chopped tomatoes 200ml water or vegetable stock ½ tablespoon granulated sugar or honey or 1 tablespoon Date Paste (see page 221) Having a simple stew recipe like this is super-useful for weekday batch cooking. You can double or triple this base stew, then keep it in the refrigerator or freezer to use throughout the week. It can easily become boring if you re always eating the same flavour combos again and again so by simply adding a couple of extra ingredients (see overleaf) you can have a completely different meal! 1 Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium-low heat. Add the carrot, celery, onion, garlic and a generous pinch of and cook, stirring frequently, for 15 20 minutes until the vegetables are softened. 2 Tip the chickpeas, tomatoes, measured water and sugar into the pan. Stir together then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue according to one of the recipes overleaf. Vegan Use granulated sugar or Date Paste. SHAKSHOUKA Use an equal weight of fresh tomatoes, instead of canned. Make a double or triple batch of stew base and store in the freezer in a container for up to 2 months. Defrost to use in one of the recipes on pages 130 131. l Cooked chickpeas l Tomatoes, canned l Celery l Carrots BIGGER MEALS 129
GF option EF TACOS: HALLOUMI TACOS WITH MANGO SALSA & RICE Serves 2 (2 large or 4 small tacos) 80g brown rice or 160g cooked 125g halloumi, cut into about 3mm-thick slices 4 soft tortillas, warmed a few Quick Pickled Red Onions (see page 223) MANGO SALSA ½ ripe mango, cubed juice of ½ lime 4 cherry tomatoes, finely chopped handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped pinch of chilli flakes I usually end up basing tacos around dry-fried halloumi. It s got that meaty factor and a heavy level to balance with the juicy salsa and sharp, pretty pickled red onions. Brown rice bulks them up with starch but I also like filling them with crunchy shredded lettuce and sautéed peppers if I m craving a veg-ful taco. 1 If starting with uncooked rice, place the rice into a medium pan and cover well with water and a pinch of. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes if using long-grain brown rice or 30 minutes if using short-grain brown rice. Check on the rice as it cooks and add more water as needed to prevent it from drying out and burning. Once cooked, drain and return to the pan then cover with a lid or plate and leave for 5 minutes to absorb any excess water. 2 Lay the halloumi slices in a dry nonstick frying pan over a high heat and fry for 2 4 minutes until the slices are light golden, then flip over and fry on the other side. Remove from the pan. 3 Mix all the salsa ingredients together in a medium bowl and set aside. 4 Divide the rice, salsa and halloumi between warmed tortillas. Top with a few strips of Pickled Red Onion. Gluten Free Use certified gluten-free corn tortillas. Cool and store any extra rice as quickly as possible by rinsing it under cold running water or spreading it out on a plate. Once cooled, keep in the refrigerator for 1 day or in a sandwich bag in the freezer for 2 months. When reheating, make sure it is piping hot before serving. l Mango l Lime juice l Fresh coriander l Halloumi l Brown rice (cooked) l Cherry tomatoes CLEAR THE FRIDGE 169
VG CINNAMON KNOTS Makes 12 STARTING PASTE 80ml water 2 tablespoons plain white flour DOUGH 50g granulated sugar 100ml boiling water 100ml milk or non-dairy milk 7g sachet (2¼ teaspoons) of fast-action dried yeast 150g plain or strong white flour, plus extra for dusting 280g plain or strong wholemeal flour 80ml olive oil or rapeseed oil, plus extra for greasing 1 teaspoon 4 tablespoons olive or rapeseed oil or melted butter, for brushing over the dough FILLING 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon 10 green cardamom pods, seeds removed and ground in a mortar and pestle (optional) pinch of 1 tablespoon plain or strong white flour 110g soft brown sugar GLAZE (OPTIONAL) 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 2 tablespoons water These probably aren t the cinnamon buns you are used to these are made with layered strips of dough twisted into a pretty shape, and are spiked with cardamom. Slather with a cream cheese frosting or sugar glaze for extra sweetness. 1 Line a baking tray with nonstick baking paper and set aside. To make the starting paste, heat the water and flour in a small pan over a medium heat and stir until thickened. Set aside. 2 For the dough, mix the sugar, boiling water and milk in a large bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast and stir, then set aside for 5 minutes. Add the starting paste to the bowl with both flours, the oil and and stir together to form a sticky dough. 3 Tip the dough out on to a lightly floured work surface. Dust the dough and your hands with flour and knead it until soft and slightly sticky, adding a little more flour as needed. 4 Pour some oil into the bowl and place the dough in it. Turn the dough to coat it in oil, then cover the bowl with a tea towel or clingfilm and set aside in a warm place* for 1 hour to rise. 5 Tip the risen dough on to a lightly floured work surface and dust with flour. Roll it out into a 40 x 60cm rectangle using a floured rolling pin (or even a wine bottle). Brush the dough with more oil or melted butter. 6 Mix all the filling ingredients together in a bowl, then sprinkle it over the surface of the dough in an even layer. Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter so you end up with a 40 x 20cm rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half along the 40cm edge to make 2 x 20cm squares. Cut each square into 6 strips. Twist each strip all along its length (it should stretch a little as you twist it). Coil the strips up like a snail shell, stretching the last few centimetres over the top of the bun and tucking underneath (see picture). Alternatively, simply coil the strips of dough like a snail shell. 7 Place the buns on to the baking tray, spacing them a few centimetres apart, cover with oiled clingfilm and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes. 8 Preheat the oven to 180 C fan, 200 C, Gas Mark 6. 9 Once the buns have risen, uncover and bake them in the oven for 20 25 minutes until golden. 10 Heat the glaze ingredients in a small pan to dissolve the sugar and brush over the buns with a pastry brush. Allow to cool slightly before eating. Store extras in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Vegan Use non-dairy milk and use oil instead of the melted butter. *Create a perfect rising area for your dough heat the oven to 90 C fan, 110 C, Gas Mark ¼ for 3 minutes, then switch the oven off, place the dough inside and close the door. 198 CHEEKY TREATS