Author: Victoria Lagodinsky

From Nicola Graimes’s Veggienomics.

Couscous is a brilliant budget ingredient to keep handy in the cupboard. Quick to prepare, it makes a great base for stuffings as it takes on the flavours of stronger ingredients and adds substance. Here, it is mixed with harissa, which also doubles up as the flavouring of the mayonnaise. Use large mushrooms with a slightly raised edge, which act like a bowl to hold the stuffing.

Roasted Mushrooms with Couscous Crust

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes
 
75g/2½oz/heaped ⅓ cup couscous
hot vegetable stock, to cover
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp harissa paste
1 tsp smoked mild paprika
1 large handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1 large handful of oregano leaves, chopped
4 large portobello or field mushrooms, stalks discarded
125g/4½oz rindless goats’ cheese, crumbled
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
mixed salad leaves, to serve
 
For the Harissa Mayo
1 heaped tsp harissa
6 tbsp mayonnaise
juice of ½ lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Put the couscous in a heatproof bowl and pour over enough hot stock to just cover. Stir, cover with a plate to keep in the heat and leave for 5 minutes, or until the stock is absorbed. Fluff up the couscous with a fork to separate the grains.

2. Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 8 minutes until softened but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the harissa, paprika, cooked couscous and half the herbs, season with salt and pepper and stir until combined.

3. Brush the top (not the gills) and edges of each mushroom with the remaining oil and put them in a small roasting tin to keep them upright. Spoon the couscous mixture in a pile on top, pressing it down slightly, then pour in 1 tablespoon water, cover with foil and roast for 15 minutes until the mushrooms have softened. Remove the foil, scatter the goats’ cheese over the top of each one, drizzle with a little oil and return to the oven for another 10 minutes until the cheese has melted slightly.

4. Meanwhile, mix together all the ingredients for the harissa mayo with 1–2 tablespoons warm water and salt and pepper. Serve the mushrooms, sprinkled with the remaining herbs, with the harissa mayo and salad.

Looking for cheap, delicious and healthy vegetarian cooking? Then try the world of Veggienomics. Click to find out how this cookbook can help you cut down your shopping bill!

From Jennifer Donovan’s Chocolate.

Lovely ripe figs are so easy to find at the moment, so here’s a little inspiration for how to enjoy them. Although there’s few things quite so enjoyable as biting into a juicy fresh fig just as it is, ring the changes and try roasting them – it brings out their sweetness. Combined with a rich chocolate sauce, this is a simple way to an indulgent quick-fix dessert.

Roast Figs with Chocolate Sauce

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes
 
75g/2¾oz butter, plus extra for greasing
8 large figs
2 tbsp caster sugar
250ml/9fl oz/1 cup double cream, whipped to soft peaks

For the Chocolate Sauce:
250ml/9fl oz/1 cup double cream
150g/5½oz dark chocolate, broken into pieces
1 tbsp chocolate liqueur (optional)
1 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Grease an ovenproof dish (large enough to hold the figs) with butter.

2. Cut a cross in the top of each fig, taking care to keep the fig in one piece. Divide the butter into 8 pieces, and place one piece inside each fig. Place the figs in the prepared dish and sprinkle over the caster sugar.

3. Bake in the hot oven for 15–20 minutes, or until the figs are soft but still hold their shape. Remove from the oven and set the baked figs aside in the dish to cool for 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make the chocolate sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the cream and chocolate over a low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the liqueur, if using, sugar and vanilla essence.

5. Divide the figs between 4 plates, top with a spoonful of cream, and pour over the rich chocolate sauce.

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From Beverly LeBlanc’s I Love My Slow Cooker.

Slow cookers can be fabulous tools for cooking during the working week. Pop this soup on in the morning, and by the time you get home your house will be filled with delicious smoky, spicy aromas. Served with plenty of the toppings and tortilla chips, this makes a deeply satisfying supper.

Smoky & Spicy Black Bean Soup

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 10 hours
 
2 tbsp olive oil
100g/3½oz smoked lardons
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
800ml/28fl oz/scant 3½ cups chicken or vegetable Stock, plus extra if needed
250g/9oz/scant 1¼ cups dried black beans
2 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 dried chipotle chilli pepper, deseeded if you like
1 avocado
1 tbsp lime juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
feta cheese, drained and crumbled, to serve
cherry tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
chopped coriander leaves, to serve
lime wedges, to serve
tortilla chips, to serve

Additional Toppings (optional):
hard-boiled eggs, shelled and finely chopped
spring onions, finely chopped
soured cream
 

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan over a high heat. Reduce the heat to low, add the lardons and fry for 1–2 minutes until they give off their fat and start to crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the lardons to the slow cooker.

2. Pour off any excess fat from the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Add the onion and fry, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, ground coriander, cloves and cayenne pepper and fry for a further 1–3 minutes until the onion is softened.

3. Add the stock, beans, oregano, thyme and chipotle chilli and season with pepper. Bring to the boil and boil vigorously for 10 minutes. Pour the bean mixture into the cooker and add extra stock to just cover the beans, if necessary.

4. Cover the cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 10 hours until the beans are very tender. Remove and discard the chipotle chilli.

5. Transfer half of the beans and liquid to a blender or food processor and purée, or mash in a bowl. Return the mixture to the cooker and stir into the soup. Season with salt and a little more pepper.

6. Stone, peel and finely chop the avocado, then toss with the lime juice. Divide the soup into bowls, top with the avocado, feta cheese and tomatoes and sprinkle with coriander. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over, tortilla chips and a selection of additional toppings, if you like.
 

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From Jo Pratt’s Madhouse Cookbook.

A tangy South American sauce for steak, this makes a delicious weekend night treat, especially served with chips. A 2cm/¾in thick steak takes about 5 minutes for medium-rare if it was at room temperature before cooking and the pan is really hot. Leftover sauce will keep for a few days in the fridge to serve with grilled, roast or fried chicken or fish. You can also use it as a marinade or toss it into cooked vegetables.

Pan-fried Chimichurri Steak

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes
 
For the Steaks:
a drizzle of oil
2 good-quality steaks, whichever cut you prefer, such as rib-eye, rump, sirloin or fillet, left at room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Chimichurri Sauce:
1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tsp fresh oregano leaves
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
a pinch of dried chilli flakes

To Serve:
½ recipe quantity Oven-baked Chips (see below)
roasted vine tomatoes (optional)
 

1. To make the chimichurri sauce, put the parsley, oregano and garlic in a small food processor or blender and whizz until finely chopped, then stir in the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar and chilli flakes. Season with salt and pepper and leave to one side until ready to serve.

2. To cook the steaks, put a griddle or large frying pan over a high heat and leave to become super-hot, then add a trickle of oil. If the steaks are at all wet, pat them dry with kitchen paper, then season generously with salt and pepper. As soon as the oil is smoking hot, put the steaks into the pan. Cook for about 1½ minutes, then flip over, cooking for a further minute or so, then flip over every minute until the steaks are cooked to your liking. If there is a thick piece of fat around the edge of the steak, use a pair of tongs to hold the steak vertically in the pan to brown the fat.

3. Remove the steaks from the pan and leave in a warm place to rest for at least 5 minutes. Serve the steaks with any resting juices poured over, and spoon some chimichurri sauce on top. Serve with oven-baked chips and roasted vine tomatoes, if you like.
 

 
How to make oven-baked chips or wedges
Put a large, non-stick baking or roasting tray in the oven and preheat it to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Cut 750g/1lb 10oz potatoes or sweet potatoes into chip shapes or slim wedges, peeled or not, as you prefer. Toss in 3 tbsp olive oil and transfer to the hot tray. Bake for 25–45 minutes (depending on the thickness of the potatoes), turning every 10 minutes or so until golden and cooked through. Once cooked, season with salt to your taste. For added flavour, toss 2 tsp dried spices with the potatoes before cooking. My favourites are paprika, mild chilli powder, garam masala, sumac, Cajun or Creole seasoning. Choose flavours that complement the main dish. This makes enough for 4 adult portions.

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From Daniel Galmiche’s Revolutionary French Cooking.

This is a fantastic fresh and light dessert. Goats’ milk ice cream is easy to make and the lift from the lime zest is perfect. Buy raspberries in season for the best flavour and you need a very good, aged balsamic vinegar for the marinade – one that is slightly syrupy but not too acidic. It will specify the age on the label. The Langues de Chat biscuits go really well with this too. The finished dessert is summer itself!

Balsamic and Lime Raspberries with Goats’ Milk Ice Cream

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus 3½ hours freezing

Cooking time: 5 minutes
 
For the Goat’s Milk Ice Cream:
300ml/10½fl oz/scant 1¼ cups goats’ milk
100ml/3½fl oz/ scant ½ cup goats’ cream
200g/7oz/heaped ¾ cup natural goats’ milk yogurt
120g/4¼oz/scant 1 cup icing sugar
finely grated zest of ½ lime
 
For the Balsamic Rasperries:
200g/7oz/scant 1²⁄³ cups raspberries
3 tbsp good-quality balsamic vinegar
finely grated zest of ½ lime, plus extra for sprinkling
2 drops of lime juice
 
To Serve:
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp icing sugar
Langues de Chat
 

1. Line a medium-deep freezerproof tray with baking paper. Put all the ice cream ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until smooth. Pour into the prepared tray and freeze for at least 3 hours, or until hard. Remove and break into small chunks, put into a food processor and blend briefly to a smooth, firm purée – you don’t want the mixture to defrost too much. Spoon into a small freezerproof container, smooth the top, cover and return to the freezer for 25–30 minutes until hard again.

2. Meanwhile, put the raspberries in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar, the lime zest and juice. Gently stir until combined, cover with cling film and put in the fridge.

3. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6 and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Put the fennel seeds on the prepared baking sheet and dust with the icing sugar until lightly coated. Put in the oven for 4–5 minutes until light golden and caramelized. Return to the oven for a couple of minutes at a time if they are not ready. Remove and leave to cool, breaking up any seeds that may have stuck together.

4. Remove the raspberries from the fridge and, using a slotted spoon, spoon into serving bowls and put a small scoop of ice cream one on top of each bowl of raspberries. Drizzle any of the liquid from the raspberries and the remaining balsamic over the top and finish with a scattering of caramelized fennel seeds and a little extra lime zest. Serve with langues de chat.

From Marcus Bean’s Chicken – available for pre-order from Amazon now.

 
Fajitas are a great choice for an informal supper with friends, and with griddled chicken breasts, which are naturally low in fat, they are also a healthy option for sharing food – not that you’d know that to taste them! The wraps are simple to make, and if you have time to make your own salsa and guacamole, too, all the better. Your friends are sure to be impressed – and they’ll enjoy it all the more if you stock up on a few bottles of Mexican lager to wash it all down.

Chicken fajitas & homemade smoked paprika wraps

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus making the wraps, salsa and guacamole

Cooking time: 20 minutes
 

4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into 8 even-sized strips
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp soured cream, to serve

 
For the Smoked Paprika Wraps:
400g/14oz/scant 3¼ cups plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp baking powder
30g/1oz unsalted butter, diced
a little oil, for greasing

 
For the Tomato Salsa:
4 large ripe vine tomatoes with seeds, finely chopped
½ red onion, finely diced
2 spring onions, finely sliced
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 tbsp chopped chives
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 
For the Guacamole:
2 ripe avocados
juice of ½ lime
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. To make the wraps, mix together the flour, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and baking powder in a bowl. Add the butter and rub together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Gradually add 400ml/14fl oz/generous 1½ cups boiling water, mixing with a wooden spoon and gradually bringing the ingredients together to form a soft dough.

2. Knead the dough on a lightly floured work surface for 1–2 minutes until smooth, then put in an oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave for 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, roll into balls and keep covered.

3. Put a piece of baking paper on the work surface and dust with flour. Put the first portion of dough on the paper, sprinkle with flour and lay another piece on top. Roll out the dough thinly between the sheets, turning every roll to keep an even shape. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

4. Heat a large, dry frying pan over a high heat. Add the first wrap and cook for about 30 seconds on each side until just browned. Remove from the pan and leave to cool. Repeat to cook the remaining wraps.

5. To make the salsa, put all the ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together until well blended, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. For the guacamole, cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, then scoop out the inside, using a spoon, and put into a bowl. Add the lime juice and crush with the back of a fork, then add the coriander and season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. Put the chicken in a bowl, drizzle with the oil and season with salt and pepper.

8. Heat a griddle pan over a high heat until it just starts to smoke, then add the chicken, in batches if necessary, and cook for 1–2 minutes on each side until it has charred markings. Repeat with the peppers.

9. Serve the chicken and peppers with the wraps, soured cream, salsa and guacamole so your guests can wrap and enjoy their own fajitas.