CURRIED ROAST VEGGIES + SOFT BOILED EGGS

I feel like I've lost my mojo a little... the cooking hasn't been coming that easily (hence the lack of posts), it feels like there are never ending chores and little jobs to be done and the takeaway menu has felt like a good idea a little too often. Also Mat is such a good cook... just saying! Isn't it so much easier to just chill out on the sofa with a nice G + T and have your dinner served to you ;)

But then I remind myself that cooking is what I do (apart from designing), cooking is what I love doing and that I need to make that little bit of an effort again.

So here is an easy one... I mean super-duper easy. It is just as tasty and the perfect winter warmer dish. You can use any veggies you have in your store cupboard, it's a great way to use anything up that needs to be eaten. The ingredients below are what I used for our meal.

Hope you enjoy.

Love,
Etta xo
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SERVES 2
PREPARATION 5mins
COOKS 45mins

INGREDIENTS

• 2 potatoes, scrubbed and diced into 2cm chunks
• 1 beetroot, scrubbed and diced into 2cm chunks
• 4 carrots, scrubbed and sliced into battons
• 1 large onion, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1tbsp rapeseed oil
• 2tsp Caribbean curry powder
• Salt and Pepper to season
• 4 eggs, soft boiled and peeled (the perfect soft boiled egg here)
• lime pickle to serve

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190˚C.
2. Place all your veggies into a large baking tray. Drizzle the oil over the veggies, sprinkle the curry powder over it and season generously with salt and pepper. Use your hands or a large spoon to mix up the ingredients until all vegetables are well coated in the spices and oil.
3. Cook in the oven for 45 minutes, tossing the veg half way through.
4. Serve with the soft boiled eggs and tangy lime or mango pickle on the side. Oh and if you need something to cool down add a dollop of natural yoghurt and of course an ice cold glass of beer.

BABY BEETROOT TART TATIN

Oh hello colder season with all your earthy yumminess of beetroots, pears and figs. I do like you!

I like you because you let me turn a fine dining dessert into a super simple dinner for four. I mean who doesn't love a sticky, sweet and piping hot tart tatin with a creamy dollop of bourbon vanilla ice cream on a cool September evening? But even better (well just as good) is Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Baby Beetroot Tart Tatin. It's buttery and sweet and earthy and so, so  yum with it's tangy shallot vinaigrette and a generous crumble of feta. 

It's one of those dinners you make to impress but is super simple and fairly quick. 

Enjoy!

Etta xo

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SERVES 4 (as a light meal)

PREPARATION 10mins

COOKS 1-1.15hr

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 25g butter
• 500g baby beetroot (no bigger than a golfball), scrubbed
• 1 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 250g ready made puff pastry

For the vinaigrette

• 2 shallots really finely chopped
• 1 tsp English mustard
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 5 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

• 70g feta to crumble

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190˚C. 
2. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 5mm. Take an ovenproof frying pan (or tart tatin dish) roughly 20cm in diameter, pace it upside down on the pastry and cut around it. Wrap the pastry disc in cling film and place it in the fridge.
3. Heat the oil and butter in a heavy bottom, oven-proof pan large enough for all the beetroot to sit snugly (approx. 20cm). Add the beetroot and toss to coat in the oil and butter. Add the sugar and vinegar, season and taste, adjusting the vinegar and sugar if necessary.
4. Cover the pan with foil and place in the oven for approximately 30-40 minutes or until the beetroot are tender.
5. When the beetroot are cooked remove from the oven and arrange the beets neatly in the pan.  Carefully place the pastry over the beetroot tucking the excess pastry into the pan. Return to the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes until golden and puffed up. 
6. Make the vinaigrette by placing all the ingredients in a clean jam jar and give it a good shake. 
7. When the tart is ready remove from the oven and leave to rest for a few minutes. 
8. To serve place a large plate over the pan and carefully, but quickly, turn upside down, remove the pan, crumble the feta on top and pour over the vinaigrette. 
9. Enjoy with a lovely green salad and a strong red wine.

BLONDE VEGGIE PIZZA

Do you guys like Pizza? Oh what a question, who doesn't. Even better if it's homemade, right? But then you face the whole dilemma of kneading and proofing and kneading and things turn out to not be a quick 'n' easy dinner solution. And then you end up grabbing the phone and ordering Papa John's or venturing out to Pizza Express and your wallet hates you a little more.

Oh trust me I know this feeling all too well. All those times we have called Papa John for 2 for 1 delivery (millions of calories included) and I disliked myself a little afterwards.

As so often, Good Housekeeping comes to the rescue here with their incredibly delicious Blonde Pizza. Yes blonde... no passata here my dears. Pure squidgy mozarella, courgette and garlic goodness.

Make some extra dough and keep it in the freezer for a quick and healthy pizza dinner.

Of course you can substitute the toppings with anything you like.

Enjoy,
Etta xo 

PS Excuse the lousy pictures. The camera died and the iPhone had to do. :(
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SERVES 4
PREPARATION 10mins
COOKS 30mins

INGREDIENTS

For the base

• 125g strong white flour, plus extra to dust (or 65g wholemeal flour and 60g white flour)
• 75ml warm water
• ½tsp fast action dried yeast
• 4tbsps olive oil
• 1tsp salt
• any herbs you want to add to the dough

For the base

• 1 garlic clove crushed
• 3tbsps olive oil
• sea salt
• 1 courgette thinly sliced with a peeler
• 1 red chilli 
• 1 red onion finely sliced (if you have a mandolin slicer, use it ;))
• 2 balls of mozzarella
• salt and pepper

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Put the flour, yeast and 1tsp salt into a large bowl. Quickly mix in 75ml (3fl oz) warm water and 4tbsps of the olive oil to make a soft, but not sticky, dough (add more flour/water as necessary). Tip on to a work surface lightly dusted with flour and knead for 5mins (or use a kitchen machine with the hook attachment). Form into a ball, put back in the bowl and cover with clingfilm. Leave in a warm place to rise for 15min (I heat my oven to 40˚C and place the bowl there. Next to the heating is good too.)
2. Preheat oven to 220°C. Mix the 2tbsp of olive oil, crushed garlic clove and a generous pinch of sea salt in a bowl.
3. Flour a large baking tray (you can also use polenta/corn meal). Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to make a rectangle roughly 20.5cm x 30.5cm. Transfer to the prepared baking tray and brush with the olive oil garlic mix.
4. Place in the pre-heated oven and cook in the oven for 5min until the base is just beginning to dry out.
5. Take out of oven and lower temperature to 180°C. 
6. Top with toppings the mozzarella, courgette and chillis, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Return to the oven for 15-20min until pizza is golden.
7. Enjoy with a green salad.  

SUMMER FILO TART

Sometimes it's hard to come up with recipes and meal ideas that are that little bit different. I am sure you have noticed a bit of a re-occurrence when it comes to roast veggie recipes (yup, I luuuurve my roast veggies). While things can get a bit boring on the culinary front in Etta's home, I really don't want to start posting overly complicated dishes. The odd 100% effort roast dinner or Christmas meal is ok but in general I am all about simple, delicious, easy and healthy meals. I want you guys to be able to come here and pick a recipe that you can easily throw together in an evening without cursing me afterwards.

For simple meals like these Good Housekeeping Magazine and Skinny Meals in Heels are my saviours. Naturally when I came across this veggie filo tart I thought it was going to end up being a messy, difficult affair. I couldn't have been more wrong. So for something a little different which is great to serve at a summer picnic or for a light dinner try this.

Etta xo
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SERVES 4
PREPARATION 10mins
COOKS 40mins

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium eggs
• 300g creme legere
• 150g broad beans, frozen
• small broccoli (approx. 150g) cut into small florets
• 75g sun-blushed tomatoes, sliced
• 100g feta, crumbled
• small handful of fresh mint, chopped
• 6 sheets of filo pastry
• sunflower oil to brush
• salt and pepper to season 

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180˚C. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and creme fraiche. Season with salt and pepper. 
2. In a separate bowl, lightly mix the broad beans, broccoli, tomatoes, feta and mint. Add 3/4 of this to the creme fraiche mixture.
3. Brush the top of one filo sheet with oil, then lay into a 20cm round loose-bottomed cake tin, letting the excess hang over the sides. Repeat with the remaining sheets, overlapping the sheets slightly each time (there should be no gaps). Pour in the creme fraiche mixture, then scatter over the remaining vegetable mix.
4. Crumple the overhanging pastry down the inside of the tin (above the level of the filling) and brush with a little more oil.
5. Put tin on a baking tray and cook in the pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes or until the filling is set and the pastry is golden.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature with a green salad.

Recipe taken from Good Housekeeping-Simple Suppers and adapted by Etta.

MY ULTIMATE STUDENT LUNCH - CRUSHED POTATO, CUCUMBER + EGG SALAD

I was pretty poorly last week. Some weirdo virus completely knocked me out. Concentration levels were at zero and at my worst I was so weak and achy I couldn't lift myself up. Glasses were dropped, drinks spilled, beds remained unmade and the flat ended up being an absolute mess. I watched every documentary there is on BBC iPlayer and am now an expert on all historic events ranging from Victorian times to the 1960s. It didn't help that Mat had to work super long, knackering hours and hence our meals for that week consisted of pasta, frozen pizzas and takeaways. Healthy, I know.

On Saturday I started feeling a little better but nowhere near strong enough to cook myself a decent meal. Then I remembered my go to lunch when I was a poor student. It involved the cheapest ingredients around (yes potatoes) and one pot. Result is all I say. And trust me it's pretty damn good as far as lunches go.

So here you have it, my crushed potato, cucumber and egg salad. You'll love it!

Enjoy,

Etta xo

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SERVES 1

PREPARATION 5mins

COOKS 15mins

INGREDIENTS

• A handful of baby potatoes (about 5)
• 1-2 large eggs
• 1/4 cucumber, finely sliced
• Sea salt and pepper
• White balsamico or white wine vinegar
• Extra virgin olive oil

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Add some salt to the water and place onto a hob at high heat. Once it starts to boil set the timer to ten minutes.
2. After the potatoes have been boiling for ten minutes carefully add the eggs and boil for a further five minutes.
3. Check your potatoes are cooked then place the saucepan under cold running water to cool everything down. Drain.
4. Place the potatoes in a bowl and crush with a fork. Add the cucumber and generously season with salt and pepper. Add a generous splash of vinegar and drizzle with olive oil. 
5. Top with the boiled egg(s) (after you've peeled it obviously), crack open, allowing the yolk to ooze out over the potatoes. 

I tend to mush everything together and eat it with a spoon. Gross I know and my mum would be appalled. 

STUFFED ROAST PEPPERS WITH GRILLED FETA

I love having friends around for dinner. A long chat, lots of laughter, a nice glass of wine and music are good for the soul. That's why I don't particularly like making ellaborate meals for a casual dinner get-together.  Who wants to sweat in the kitchen while everyone is having a good time.

My favourite types of dinners are our cheese and wine evenings. Everyone brings their favourite cheeses, we have freshly baked baguettes, cold meats and various snacky bits. 

The other day we spontaneously had our friends Dan and Cat over. We drank two bottles of the bestest reds went through numerous chunks of cheese, a loaf of crusty bread and a plate of stuffed charred peppers. Those evenings are the best, when you stay up too late on a school night and wonder how you'll get up in the morning but you've just made another memorable evening spent with people you love and conversations to remember.

These stuffed peppers are sooo easy to make and would taste even better prepared on the barbecue. But the old oven and grill will do.

Enjoy,

Etta xo

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SERVES 4
PREPARATION 5mins
COOKS 30mins

INGREDIENTS

• 4 Peppers, halved and de-seeded
• 10tbsps couscous
• a large handful of spinach, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2tbsps good quality balsamic vinegar
• 1 chilli finely chopped
• 1tbsp fresh oregano finely chopped
• salt and pepper
• olive oil 

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190˚C and (if you have a seperate one) the grill to full wack.
2. Once the oven is hot, place the peppers onto a baking tray, skin side up. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the skin starts to char and the peppers are cooked.
3. While the peppers are cooking, place the couscous in a heat proof bow with a little salt and, just, cover with boiling water. Cover with a plate and leave to sit for five minutes, until the couscous has absorbed all the water.
4. In another bowl mix the spinach, garlic, chilli, oregano and about one tablespoon of olive oil. 
5. Mix the cooked couscous with the veggies. Add the balsamico and season with salt and pepper. If it's too dry add a little more olive oil.
6. When the peppers are cooked, turn them around and fill with the couscous mixture. Crumble the feta on top and place under the grill for 5-10 minutes, or until the feta starts to brown and soften a little.
7. Serve with crusty bread.

MUSHROOM + FETA SALAD WITH A BASIL VINAIGRETTE

Mushrooms are waaaaay underrated. I know at least a handful of people who “hate” mushrooms, because they are slimy and taste funny and are just yucky. Firstly, hate is a strong word and secondly, how can you hate all mushrooms if they are all so different… Oyster versus Portobello… worlds apart.

When I was a kid our local Italian made these garlicky grilled Oyster mushrooms, served alongside some warm crusty bread - my always go to starter. I love a Portobello mushroom and halloumi burger and a hearty sausage ragú would be nothing without some finely chopped chestnut mushrooms, not to mention chanterelles with eggy parpadelle. I guess you get the picture.

To add to the veggie challenge and to be a bit healthy, we made a lovely mushroom and feta salad, with rocket and a balsamico and basil vinaigrette. This was amazingly good and will definitely be made again ;)

Enjoy!







SERVES 2-3
PREPARATION 5mins
COOKS 15mins

INGREDIENTS

• Three handfuls rocket
• 250g oyster mushrooms, cut into bite size chunks
• 250g shiitake mushrooms, cut into bite size chunks
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 150g feta, crumbled
• a handful of basil
• 3tbsp olive oil
• 3tbsp balsamico
• salt and pepper to season
• olive oil

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the shallots and fry until soft and starting to brown. 
2. Wack up the heat to high and add the mushrooms. Cook for a bout 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Once they are brown and just before they start to release water take them off the heat. Stir in the crushed garlic and season with salt and pepper.
3. Place the basil, olive oil and balsamico into a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Whizz with a stick blender until liquid and all bits have been blended.
4. Distribute the rocket between 2-3 plates, top with the mushrooms, crumble the feta over everything and finish off with a generous drizzle of the basil dressing.

Enjoy with crusty bread or just on its own. (I had it alongside a sneaky Gin and Tonic and it went down a treat.)

RICOTTA AND MUSHROOM ROULADES

Life's been pretty meaty recently and sadly I have been a bit slack when it comes to the veggie challenge.

Last Monday we went onto our second Grub Club session and visited Burger & Lobster in Farringdon for some scrumptious surf 'n' turf (read the review here). Over the weekend I had sausage and mash and sausage sarnies (yep one day after the other) and then chicken for Sunday Roast. Not to mention our visit to Germany over the Easter weekend - roast and sausages and salami and carpaccio and more roast and steak and more salami and ham... Well you get the picture...

Soooo I stumbled upon this lovely little dish of pretty Ricotta and Mushroom Roulades which were super yummy, pretty healthy and luckily - completely veggie.

Hope you enjoy!








SERVES 4
PREPARATION 15mins
COOKS 45mins

INGREDIENTS

• 1 savoy cabbage, separated and tough stalks removed
• 300g chestnut mushrooms, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 shallots, finely sliced
• small glass of white wine
• 1tsp caraway seeds
• 200g ricotta
• a handful pine nuts or roughly chopped almonds
• 500ml tomato and basil sauce
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• boiled potatoes or crusty bread to serve

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180˚C. 
2. Bring a large saucepan of salty water to the boil. Add the cabbage leaves and blanche for 3 minutes or until tender. Remove from the water and pat dry. Set aside eight of the leaves and finely shred the rest.
3. Heat some olive oil in a large pan. Add the shallots and fry until they start to soften. Stir in the caraway seeds, mushrooms and garlic. Cook over a high heat for a few minutes. Pour in the wine and leave to bubble down. Turn down the heat to medium and cook until all the water has evaporated from the mushrooms and they have started to brown. 
4. Stir in the shredded cabbage, ricotta and nuts and combine thoroughly.
5. Pour the tomato sauce into an ovenproof dish. Divide the mushroom mix between the eight savoy cabbage leaves and roll into roulades. Fold the sides first and then roll into little parcels.
6. Place on top of the tomato sauce and drizzle with a little olive oil. 
7. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes or until the sauce has warmed through.
8. Serve alongside potatoes or bread and a dry glass of white wine.
   

CHERMOULA AUBERGINE AND TABBOULEH

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. Ours was pretty busy and involved eating a lot of fried eggs and cheese on toast on the go - solely for the purpose of ease and speed. But we got tons done which is always good and are looking forward (some of us more than others ;)) to a busy week ahead. 

Today I want to share a recipe that is MORE than worth mentioning. Have I said before that I am obsessed with Ottolenghi's Jerusalem? Literally in love with every recipe I have made so far.
We made Chermoula Aubergine with Tabbouleh and converted Mat (a former aubergine hater). He ended up having a double portion for lunch the next day. Yes people, aubergine isn't gooey and chewy and bitter.

So, for anyone who is on the look out for a book full of taste sensations and lots of clever and unusual uses of herbs and spices I highly, highly recommend Jerusalem.









SERVES 4
PREPARATION 15mins
COOKS 45mins

INGREDIENTS

For the Tabbouleh

• 90g fine bulgar wheat
• 4 medium tomatoes, diced into 0.5cm cubes
• 2 medium shallots (optional), finely chopped
• 160g fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 2 bunches fresh mint (30g), finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 3-4 tbsp lemon juice
• 75ml extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

For the Chermoula Aubergine

• 150g fine bulgar
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 tbsp finely chopped preserved lemon skin, finely chopped
• 140ml olive oil, plus extra to finish
• Salt
• 2 medium aubergines, halved
• 50g sultanas
• 10g fresh mint, chopped
• 50g green olives, halved
• 30g flaked almonds, toasted
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• 1½ tbsp lemon juice
• 120g greek yoghurt (about one small tub)

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180˚C. 
2. Add all the bulgar (both for the tabbouleh and the aubergine) into a large bowl and season with a pinch of salt. Pour over boiling water so the bulgar is just covered (approximately 180ml) and cover with a plate. Set asside for 10 minutes.
3. Once the bulgar is done take out just under a third and place into a separate bowl. Add all the remaining tabbouleh ingredients, mix thoroughly and set asside
4. To make the chermoula, mix together the garlic, cumin, coriander, chilli, paprika, preserved lemon, two-thirds of the olive oil and half a teaspoon of salt.
5. Take the aubergine halves and score the flesh of each half with diagonal, crisscross lines, making sure not to pierce the skin. Spoon the chermoula over each half, spreading it evenly, and place on a baking tray. Roast for 40 minutes, or until the aubergines are very soft.
6. Soak the sultanas in 50ml of warm water for 10 minutes, then drain and add to the bulgar with a tablespoon of olive oil. Stir in the herbs, olives, almonds, spring onions, lemon juice and season to taste with salt.
7. Once the aubergines are done, spoon the bulgar over them, drizzle with the greek yoghurt and a little olive oil and serve alongside the tabbouleh.

This goes particularly well with a sweet, fresh mint tea.

Recipe taken from Ottolenghi's Jerusalem and adapted by Etta. 

WARM BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND MUSHROOM SALAD

Last Sunday was coooold and filled with so many chores, we didn't even know where to begin. Our floating living-room shelves are almost done. We sanded and painted and sanded some more and now I can barely lift my arms. But we're getting there and it'll all be worth it in the end. (I am just imagining all our lovely books and sculptures up there - daydream...)

Once again I didn't really have the time to make us a big Sunday lunch (which we could've really done with) but ended up relying on the oven to do its thing while we carried on with work like proper troopers.

I had half a butternut squash and half a packet of blue cheese left over, so decided to make us a sweet and tangy warm salad. This was amazingly good. You know when you eat something and it warms your heart and for just a minute you stop caring that outside the snow has started fighting spring. Yes it was that good!

And lucky me, there was enough left over to take to work the next day. Double thumbs up!

If you aren't a blue cheese lover - I suppose you could use a Wensleydale cheese or a milder blue cheese such as Danish Blue. But blue cheese is soooo good!!!

Enjoy!

SERVES 3
PREPARATION 10mins
COOKS 45-50mins

INGREDIENTS

    •    1 small butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded and cut into 3cm chunks
    •    300g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
    •    70g blue cheese
    •    2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
    •    15 sage leaves, bruised (I used the back of a large knife)
    •    2-3tbsp balsamico
    •    bag of rocket
    •    olive oil
    •    sea salt and pepper to season

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190˚C. Place the butternut squash, garlic and sage on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil until well coated (about 2 tablespoons should do) and season with plenty of sea salt and black pepper. Roast for about 35-45 minutes or until the squash is soft and starts to brown around the edges. Once done set aside to cool.
2. Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan. Once really hot, add the mushrooms and sautee until any liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms start to brown and caramelise. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. In a large salad bowl combine the mushrooms, butternut squash and rocket and crumble in the cheese. Drizzle over about 2 teaspoons of olive oil and the balsamico and mix well.
4. Serve with toasted granary bread.

Recipe taken from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Veg Everyday and adapted by Etta.

Work in progress.

Hard-core DIYer.

CHARRED PEPPER AND JALAPEÑO PASTA

Sometimes you get home and all you want to do is get on with things. While you'd love to spend hours in the kitchen making a delicious, elaborate dinner there just isn't the time. There are projects that need to be handed in, rooms to be tidied and of course shelves to be painted.
And then the boy calls and says he won't be home until 11pm and that he's starving and in dire need of a stiff drink. A cheese sandwich will really not do in a situation like this, will it?

So I wacked up the oven, threw in a red pepper and got on with stuff for the next 45 minutes or so. This sauce does take a little while to make, but there is hardly any preparation time and you can put the lid on the pot and literally complete all your chores while it bubbles away on the stove. This sauce is so yummy- it's sweet, smokey, spicy and most of all comforting and filling (in the healthiest way possible). Well and the drink of choice for this late night dinner - Scotch, what else!

And of course this make the perfect lunch to take to work the next day.

What's your favourite busy evening dinner solution? 

Enjoy!








SERVES 3
PREPARATION 5mins
COOKS 1-1.5 hours

INGREDIENTS

• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 1 red pepper, halved and de-seeded
• 2 jalapeños, finely chopped
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1tbsp tomato paste
• 1tbsp balsamico
• 1tsp sugar
• Italian seasoning (optional)
• small glass white wine
• salt and pepper to season
• penne pasta for 3
• rocket to serve
• grated parmesan to serve

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190˚C. Place the pepper halves, skin side up onto a baking tray and place in the hot oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the pepper is soft and the skin charred. 
2. Peel the skin of the peppers and roughly dice the flesh.
3. Pre-heat some olive oil in a pan. Once hot add the diced onions and jalapeños and saute for a few minutes until the onions start to soften. Add the tomato paste, paprika, garlic and pepper and cook for a few minutes. Make sure the ingredients are all thoroughly coated in the spices. 
4. De-glaze the pan with the white wine and leave to cook for a few minutes until the liquid has reduced by half.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes, stir and season with about 1 teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Cover with a lid (leaving a small gap for the steam to escape) or a splash guard. Leave to cook and reduce down for 30 - 45 minutes, depending on how intense you like your sauce.
6. Take the lid off for the last 15 minutes and stir in the balsamico and sugar. 
7. Mix in the cooked pasta and serve topped with a handful of rocket and a shaving of Parmesan.

CAULIFLOWER AND HAZELNUT SALAD

Cauliflower salad sounds weird right? Cauliflower is meant to be roasted, eaten as a soup, gratin or with lots of cheese.

The first comment I got was: "Is that all we're having?" - Errrm yes. And of course it was more than enough and truly, mouthwateringly delicious.

This salad is pumped full of different flavours and spices and made me long for summer and a barbecue of lebanese sausages, slightly charred lamb chops and spicy chicken thighs. So definitely a must have for the next barbecue.

In the meantime it was just as delicious on a weekday evening, as a light meal, with a drizzle of greek yoghurt and some toasted wholemeal pitta, eaten while watching Ripper Street and sipping on some red wine.

Hope you enjoy!









SERVES 2-4
PREPARATION 10mins
COOKS 45mins

INGREDIENTS

• 1 head cauliflower, broken into small florets
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large stalk of celery, diagonally sliced
• 50g hazelnuts
• a handfull of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• seeds of half a large pomegranate
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp maple syrup
• salt & pepper to taste
• greek yoghurt to serve
• toasted wholewheat pitta to serve

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Pre-heat the hoven to 200˚C.
2. Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl, and toss with 3 tbsp of olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and plenty of black pepper. Place in a baking tray and roast for about 25-35 minutes until the cauliflower has crisped and browned. Remove from oven, and return to the large bowl to cool.
3. Turn the oven down to 160˚C. Place the hazelnuts on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes. Once they're not too hot to touch anymore, roughly chop them discarding any loose skin.
4. Mix all the ingredients together. Taste for seasoning and serve at room temperature.

That's it. So easy, so yummy. Oh and of course don't forget to try as a barbecue side... because I will!

Recipe taken from Ottolenghi's Jerusalem and adapted by Etta. 

MUSHROOM AND KALE LASAGNE

Seriously guys, I am loving the veggie challenge.

My current best friend is Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Veg Everyday! And, while I find some of his recipes a bit too heavy or a bit time consuming there are some real gems in this book. This is particularly relevant if you are usually a meat-eater and find veggie food a little...well...boring. So we made Mushroom and Kale lasagne, which was super yummy. The white sauce was infused with celery and onions and lots of spices, which made such a beautiful difference to the usual cheesy sauce. I bought kale in a bag and I recommend you do not do the same. The kale is all chopped up into small bits and I ended up spending about half an hour picking out the hard stems. I'd recommend you get a nice cavolo nero and do all the cutting and trimming yourself. Cavolo nero is a more flavoursome, more tender version and would definitely work better in this dish. Also make sure you get chestnut mushrooms or a mix of various mushrooms (i.e. oyster, cep, chanterelle) to add different textures and more flavour. Some supermarkets do mixed punnets, which are great.

I am definitely loving the veggie lasagnes. A few months ago I made a butternut squash and sage lasagne which was absolutely delicious and I will be sharing soon.

Make extra and have for lunch the next day. An incredibly delicious winter dinner dish.

Enjoy!


SERVES 4-6
PREPARATION 15mins
COOKS 45mins-1hr

INGREDIENTS

• 300g cavolo nero or kale, stalks removed
• 30g butter (you can use olive oil if you want to go for a healthier option)
• 500g mushrooms, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• a few sprigs of thyme, leaves only, chopped
• 175g green lasagne sheets (you can use normal ones too)
• 20g Parmesan, grated
• olive oil

For the béchamel sauce 

• 750ml full-fat (or semi skimmed) milk
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
• a few black peppercorns
• 50g unsalted butter
• 50g plain flour
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Heat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Heat the milk with the bay leaf, onion, celery and peppercorns until almost simmering. Take off the heat and leave aside to infuse.
2. Roughly shred the kale. Put into a large saucepan and just cover with cold water. Add salt. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes, or until just tender. Drain well and set aside.
3. Heat half the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add half the mushrooms and season. Increase the heat and fry, stirring, until the liquid released has evaporated and the mushrooms are starting to brown and caramelise. Stir in half the garlic and half the thyme, cook for another minute, then remove to a bowl. Repeat with the rest of the mushrooms, garlic and thyme and set aside.
4. Gently reheat the milk, then strain. Heat the butter for the béchamel in a large saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook gently for a couple of minutes, until it turns into a thick paste and starts to bubble. Take off the heat. Add about a quarter of the hot milk and beat vigorously until smooth. Add the rest of the milk in about 3 batches, until you have a smooth sauce. Put the pan back on the heat and cook for  a few minutes, stirring and allowing the sauce to bubble gently, until thickened. Stir in the mustard, then season well.
5. Stir roughly half of the béchamel sauce into the kale.
6. Spread half the remaining sauce over the bottom of an ovenproof dish (approx. 28 x 22cm). Layer a third of the lasagne sheets in the dish, then spoon the kale over the top. Add another layer of lasagne, then add the mushrooms,. Finish with a final layer of pasta and the rest of the sauce.
7. Scatter the cheese over the top and add a trickle of olive oil. Bake for about 30 minutes until golden. Serve with a green salad and a glass of light red wine.

Recipe taken from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Veg Everyday and adapted by Etta.

SHAKSHUKA

Happy Weekend everyone. How amazing has the weather been in and around London? I spotted the first daffodils sprouting in one of our balcony flower pots, we've got the windows wide open and spring is definitely on its way.
This morning has been pretty lazy. We had lots of tea and coffee and a scrumptious brunch of Chachouka/Shakshuka. Once you've had this dish you will want to eat it every single weekend from now on. It's a wonderful full on breakfast/brunch and a great alternative to the usual fry up.  There are so many flavours going on it's like a little taste party. I initially used Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall's recipe, which was nice but resulted in the eggs being overcooked on top and still underdone on the bottom. I was recommended Ottolenghi's Shakshuka recipe by my workmate - and what a result. Feel free to experiment with Lebanese sausage (or chorizo), aubergine, potatoes, okra etc.

Hope you enjoy!


SERVES 2-4
PREPARATION 10mins
COOKS 30-45min

INGREDIENTS

• 2tbsp olive oil
• 2tbsp harissa paste
• 2tsp tomato purée
• 2 large red peppers, de-seeded and cut into 1/2cm cubes
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1tsp ground cumin
• 1tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tins chopped tomatoes
• 2 medium eggs
• thick yoghurt, seasoned with a little sea salt
• crusty bread (optional)

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the harissa, tomato purée, peppers, garlic, cumin, paprika and 3/4 tsp of salt. Stir and leave to cook on a moderate heat for about 10 minutes, or until the peppers have started to soften. 
2. Add the tomatoes and bring to a gentle simmer. Leave to bubble away for about 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened and intensified. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.
3. Make four dips in the sauce. Gently break the eggs and pour each into its own dip. Use a fork to swirl the egg whites a little bit with the sauce - but make sure not to break the egg yolk. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes until the eggs are still runny, but cooked through. You can also cover the pan with a lid to speed up the process. 
4. Spoon onto individual plates and serve with the yoghurt and crusty bread.

This is really nice with fresh mint tea - warm in the winter and iced in the summer.

Recipe taken from Yotam Ottolenghi's Jerusalem and adapted by Etta.

MA PO TO FU WITH EGG FRIED RICE

I made egg fried rice - and it was yuuuummy. It tasted like my dad's and I am very proud of that. It has taken me a very, very long time to get this right. We are talking years and years. And the simple secret is - use yesterday's leftover rice.

One thing I won't be telling dad is the way I made Ma Po Tofu. This used to be one of our regular dinner dishes when I was a kid and it included finely chopped beef steak, cha choi, lots of veggies and lots of chilli. My version was taken from Gok Wan, adapted, served with omelette and cucumber salad. It's veggie challenge friendly and only takes ten minutes. Result. And while I thought it was super tasty, to me it was a bit of a "mock" Ma Po Tofu, because it just wasn't what I am used to - and therefore should just be called Tofu in Chilli Bean Sauce ;)

This is great for a light dinner, much better and quicker than a takeaway and ideal for a poorly boy who's just had his wisdom teeth taken out.

How do you make your Ma Po To Fu?

Love,



SERVES 4
PREPARATION 10mins
COOKS 15mins

INGREDIENTS

For the Egg Fried Rice

• 250-300g leftover white or brown rice
• 2 eggs, beaten
• a handful of frozen peas
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1tbsp soy sauce
• rapeseed oil
• you can add any other leftover veg or meat to this

For the Ma Po Tofu

• 370g Firm To Fu, cut into cubes 
• 1cm piece of Ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2tbsp Chilli Bean Paste or 4tbsp Chilli Bean Sauce
• 2tsp Fish Sauce
• 1tbsp Oyster Sauce
• a little warm water
• rapeseed oil

For the Omelette

• 3 large or 4 medium eggs, beaten 
• salt and pepper
• rapeseed oil

For the cucumber salad

• 1 cucumber, finely sliced into matchsticks
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 spring onion, finely sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed (optional)
• 2tsp sesame oil
• 4tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• white pepper

PREPARATION METHOD

1. First, prepare your salad. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and season with a little white pepper. Set aside. The acidity in the vinegar will "cook" the garlic and spring onion.
2. Heat a little rapeseed oil in a wok over a medium - high heat. Add the egg and move around with a wooden spoon as if you're making scrambled eggs. Make sure you scrape off any sticky bits from the bottom of the wok. You are after a dry scrambled egg. 
3. Add the rice and mix well with the scrambled egg. Mix in the remaining ingredients and cook until the rice is warmed through. Place in a bowl, set aside and keep warm.
4. Wipe your wok clean and heat a little rapeseed oil over a high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for a couple of minutes. Then add the Chilli Bean Paste/Sauce, Fish Sauce and Oyster Sauce and fry for a further couple of minutes until well combined. Add a splash of water and cook until the consistency of your sauce has thickened.
5. Carefully mix in the to fu, making sure not to break it, until it's well coated in the sauce. 
6. Cover with a lid and set aside to steam away.
7. Heat a little oil in a small-medium frying pan. Once hot, pour in a quarter of your beaten egg. Swivel your pan so it is evenly coated with the egg; almost as if you're making pancakes. Fry until the bottom side is done and the sides start to crisp, then flip over and cook for a minute or so more. Repeat this process until you have four omelette pancakes.
8. Spoon some of the to fu into each pancake, roll and then cut into bite size portions.
9. Serve with the fried rice and cucumber salad.

This dish is super nice with a steaming cup of jasmin green tea.

Recipes taken from Gok Wan and Papa Din and adapted by Etta.

MEXICAN BEANS AND RICE

I went out for one drink yesterday... honestly just one... that turned into three and then I didn't get home until after eight and had a hungry boy waiting for me.
And then I came across this recipe and initially was extremely uncertain about its lack of ingredients. What beans and rice and that's it? Yep that's it and it is absolutely totally and incredibly delicious, trust me. It only took about 20 minutes to cook and was filling and healthy and yummy-yummy-yum-yum.
Of course I didn't have any guacamole, or avocados or sour cream to hand and I am sure it would make this dish even more scrumptious - so do add if you have any knocking about.

Here it goes, Mexican Beans and Rice, for a super quick dinner.

Enjoy!


SERVES 3-4
PREPARATION 5mins
COOKS 20-25mins

INGREDIENTS

• 1 400g tin of borlotti beans
• 1 400g tin of adzuki beans
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tsp smokey chipotle paste
• 75ml white wine or cider vinegar
• 2tbsp golden syrup or honey
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• brown rice, to serve (we used the microwave one for speed)
• a handful of chopped parsley, to serve
• grated cheddar, to serve
• guacamole, sour cream or natural Greek yoghurt, to serve

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Once hot add the onion and garlic and fry for a couple of minutes until starting to brown and soften. 
2. Add the beans and heat through for a couple of minutes. 
3. Mix in the chipotle paste, golden syrup and vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
4. Leave to bubble for 15-20 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the vinegar has evaporated a little.
5. Serve over brown rice and top with the chopped parsley and condiments of your choice.

PEARL BARLEY BROTH

The weather has been in a right old mood lately. Some days it's so bitter cold it hits you right down to the bone and on others you can smell spring in the air, there's the first signs of daffodils and the sun is so bright and warm all you want to do is venture outside.

This dish is for those icy cold, late winter evenings. When you feel like having dinner, snuggled up on the sofa, watching your favourite series.
It's everything a hearty stew is, without the meat and cooks in a quarter of the time - oh and it makes a great lunch to take to work the next day.

Enjoy!



SERVES 4
PREPARATION 10mins
COOKS 45mins

INGREDIENTS

• 15g butter or 2tbsp olive oil (or beef dripping from Sunday's roast)
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• A few sprigs of thyme, leaves only, chopped
• 1 small celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, finely chopped
• 1 small parsnip, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp ground coriander
• A sprinkle of ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp ground mace
• 100g pearl barley, rinsed
• 1.5 litres beef stock (if you want to go 100% veggie use vegetable stock)
• A small handful of parsley, finely chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the croûtons:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 slightly stale sourdough breadrolls, cut into 2 cm cubes
• salt and pepper

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180˚C. 
2. Heat the butter (or beef dripping) in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat and gently sweat the onions with the bay leaf and thyme for about 15 minutes, until soft and translucent. 
3. Add the celery, carrot and parsnip and sauté for a further 5 minutes. Stir in the coriander, nutmeg, cayenne and mace. Add the barley or spelt, pour in the stock and add some salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 25–30 minutes, or until the grain is very soft. Remove the bay leaf. 
4. After your soup's been cooking for 15 minutes, place the bread into a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss a couple of times to make sure the bread is coated in the olive oil.
5. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until your soup is done.
6. To thicken the soup a little, remove 2 ladles full and blitz with a stick blender. Add the puree back to the soup and stir.
7. Serve the soup topped with the crunchy croûtons and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

Recipe taken from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Veg Everyday and adapted by Etta.