Righteous Recipes

Asparagus and Leek Quiche

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I love when seasons change and new foods become available.

Asparagus is great at the minute, so I decided to make this yummy creamy quiche with it as the centre piece.

I used marscapone to add creaminess the the egg mix, because it’s what I had in the fridge.  You could also use creme fraiche or recotta if this is what have.

I used ready made pastry which made this even easier (it looks quite impressive for not a huge amount of effort if you’re cooking for people and can be serve hot or cold).

Ingredients

1 Sheet of ready made short crust pastry

6 Eggs

1 Leek (finely sliced)

1 Bunch of asparagus

1 Tbsp Oil

100 Grams Marscapone cheese

25 Grams of Parmasan (or other strongly flavoured cheese like mature cheddar)

Salt and pepper

Butter/oil for greasing a loose bottom flan/pie dish

Method

  • Grease the flan dish, and line with the ready made pastry, making sure the it’s pushed well into the edges. Pierce the base of the pastry with a fork and then chill the flan dish for 30 minutes
  • In a frying pan heat the oil over a medium heat and gently fry the Leek until it softens but do not allow to brown (set to one side and allow to cool)
  • To prepare the asparagus, snap off the ends and the blanch the asparagus on boiling water for 30-90 seconds depending on the thickness of the spears). Remove the boiling water and submerge in ice water (this will help keep their bright green colour)
  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Cover the base of the pastry with greaseproof paper and poor baking beans or old dried rice or beans on top). Bake for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and carefully remove the greaseproof paper and baking beans
  • In a large bowl, add the marscapone, parmasan and eggs and whisk until smooth (add salt and pepper)
  • Cover the pastry base evenly with the cooked leeks, then arrange the asparagus spears wth tops pointing to the outside of the tin
  • Pour the egg mix on top of the vegetables and carefully place the tin back in the oven ad bake for another 20 minutes or until the centre of the quiche is just starting to set

Ribollita

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I want you to keep an open mind.  When I first heard of this stale bread soup I thought hell no!

However, I had it when I visited Italy and I’m now a total convert, it was one of the best dishes I tried.  Like most popular Italian dishes, this is peasant food, and came about when servants would be given scraps that they would reboil into a soup.  Ribollita is actually more like a stew and is extremely satisfying and the perfect comfort food.  Each family has their own version, but the basic ingredients are a sofritto (this is a base of finely chopped carrots, celery and onion, I whizz mine in a food precessor when I can’t be bothered standing chopping). For the bread part, I used some stale ciabatta I had, other types of bread like French baguette would also work (not sure how ideal sliced white supermarket bread would be).

Italian Grannies save the rind of parmasan to flavour this, but I just added some of the grated cheese. If you want to make this a vegan dish you can swap this out for pine nuts. The beauty of this is that it is the original zero waste recipe.  Basically you use what ever you have and it’s perfect for using up those left over bits in your fridge.  You can also season with the flavours you like.  The original version I tried had fennel seeds, for the version I made at home I used oregano because it’s what I had.  Rosemary or basil would also work well, so feel free to experiment.

Serves 3-4

400 Mil Can Chopped tomatoes or pasatta

400 Mil Can Cannalini beans (set aside half the tin and mash with a fork, this will help mske the ribollita creamy, as with the other ingredients feel free to use whatever type of brand you have)

1/2 Tsp Chilli flakes

1 Tbsp Olive oil

1 Tbsp Tomato puree

100 Grams Stale bread (broken into 3-4cm chunks)

2 Handfuls shredded cabbage (I used savoy cabbage because this is what I had, but kale or cavelo nero also work well in this dish

500 Mil Vegetable stock

2 Carrots (finely chopped)

2 Sticks of celery (finely chopped)

1 Onion (finely chopped)

2-3 Cloves of garlic (finely chopped)

25 Grams Grated Parmasan (plus extra for serving

1 Tbsp Chopped fresh oregano (or 1 Tsp dried herbs)

1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar (or a splash of red wine if you have a bottle open)

Method

  • Heat the oil in a large pot, and gently fry the onion, celery and carrot over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes
  • Add the cabbage and tomato puree and fry for a further couple of minutes
  • Add rest of the ingredients and simmer for another 15-20 minutes before checking the seasoning
  • Ladle into large bowls and sprinkle with some grated parmasan (or whichever cheese you have)

Banh Mi (sort of)

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If you haven’t tried one before, these are  super fresh and tasty Vietnamese sandwiches.  They started of as simple street food, using the baguettes made popular by the French who invaded and colonised the country.

I make no claims that this is 100% authentic.  But I think I have done justice to the tangy crunchy lightly pickled vegetables, and the freshness of the herbs and some heat from the chillies hold true to the original thing.

You can use left over chicken or ham in these, but the first version I ever tried had little chicken meatballs that were packed with flavour.  You could also use pork mince to make these.

 My main tip is don’t scrimp on the herbs, they are what makes it. The pickled veggies can live in your fridge for 4-5 days are great served with other dishes.

Serves 4

For the pickled vegetables

100 ml Cider vinegar

100 ml Water

1/2 Tsp Sugar

1 Large carrot (cut into into matchsticks)

1/2 Onion (thinly sliced)

7-8 Radishes (thinly sliced)

For the meatballs

500 Grams Turkey or chicken mince

1 Egg (beaten)

1 Tsp Fish sauce

Handful of breadcrumbs

2 Cloves of garlic (grated or finely chopped)

1 Tbsp Grated ginger

1 Small chilli pepper or more if you like a lot of heat (finely chopped

4 x Demi (small) baguettes

4 Tbsp Mayonnaise

1/2 Cucumber (cut into batons or what ever shape you like)

Coriander and mint

Chilli peppers (finely chopped)

Lime wedges to sere (optional)

Method

  • In a large bowl, add all the ingredients for the meatballs and combine well.  Take around a tablespoon of the mix and roll it into a ball. Continue until you have used all the mix.  Set the meatballs onto a tray and chill for 30 minutes
  • For the pickled vegetables, add the chopped vegetables to a large jar.  Combine the water, vinegar and sugar and pour over the vegetables. Seal the jar and shake before letting stand for 30 minutes
  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (Celsius), and bake the meatballs for 20 minutes, or you can fry them if you prefer.  I usually pop the baguettes in to the oven for a couple of minutes to let them crisp up
  • Cut the baguettes length ways and scoop some of the soft white bread from the centre (this will make it easier to load up your sandwich)
  • Spread a tablespoon of mayonnaise on each baguette (you can add more if you like), then add the pickled vegetables and meatballs before adding the sliced cucumber, mint, coriander and chilli.  Give each sandwich a quick squeeze of lime before getting stuck into sandwich perfection. 

Apple Pancakes

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I don’t do sweet breakfasts that often, but since it’s nearly pancake Tuesday I went all in try these out.

These are light and fluffy and the recipe makes 4 enormous American style pancakes that freeze well, if you’re organised enough to cook a double batch.

I griddled some apple slices to go with this, along side some Greek yoghurt (you can use different fruit and squirty cream if you’re feeling decadent).  These also taste great along side bacon if you want to go savory.

Ingredients

250 Grams Plain flour

225 mil Milk

1 Tsp Baking powder

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tsp vanilla extract

1 Apple (roughly grated)

1 Egg (separated into yolk and white)

A little oil for frying

Method

  • Add flour, baking powder, and sugar to a large bowl
  • Make a well in the centre of the bowl and add the egg yolk, mik and vanilla extract, whisk until smooth
  • Grate an apple roughly on the large side of box grater and stir into the pancake batter
  • Whisk the egg white until it becomes light and fluffy and forms soft peaks.  Gently fold the egg whites into the pancake batter until well combined
  • Heat a small amount of oil in a large pan and spoon in a quarter of the batter on to pan. When small even holes begin to appear on the pancake flip it and cook for a further couple of minutes checking to make sure it doesn’t burn
  • Continue doing this until you have used all the batter and sprinkle with icing sugar and some cinnamon if you’re feeling fancy

3 Minute Tortolini Soup

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It’s January and everyone is broke, so we’re all back to bringing lunch from home.

Generally, I find sandwiches pretty boring, and I always try to find different lunch ideas, and love this. It takes 5 minutes to assemble the ingredients at home and when you’re ready to eat just top up your container with freshly boiled water. Just make sure you use a jar or container that can handle boiling water. Mason jars are ideal, but I’ve also repurposed the plastic containers that you buy ready made soups or stews in.

I used spinach and peas but you can swap out the vegetables you use, for things like kale, this might need to be chopped finely as it has a tougher leaf than spinach. I used normal shop bought tortolini and just use the filling you enjoy. I have listed the ingredients for 1 portion, but you can scale up the amounts for this soup and make it in a pot.

Makes enough for 1

Ingredients

4-5 Pieces of tortolini

Small handful of spinach

2-3 Tbsp frozen peas

1-2 Scallions/spring onions (finely chopped)

1 Tsp Pesto (just use the stuff from a jar)

1/2 Stock cube or 1 teaspoon of bullion powder

Method

  • Add all ingredients to a mason jar or heatproof container (this can live in the fridge for 2-3 days
  • When you’re ready for lunch top up the container with freshly boiled water and cover 3 minutes
  • Stir well and transfer to a bowl (the jar or contain will be really hot, so be careful), or you can eat it straight from the jar if no one is around and you don’t want the washing up

Roast Red Pepper, Tomato and Lentil Soup

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Cold dark winter days call for warm comforting food.

This delicious bright red soup is super healthy and filling, packed with fibre and flavour.

When I’m using the oven, I always throw in a tray of vegetables to roast so that I get my money’s worth by cooking a couple of things at once. I roasted a red pepper, onion, cherry tomatoes and garlic which give a really intense flavour. I also used a potato which helps give a creamy texture.

Ingredients

1 Red pepper (deseeded and cut into large chunks)

1 Tub Cherry tomatoes

1 onion (peeled and cut into large chunks)

1-2 Cloves of garlic (skin left on)

100 Grams Split red lentils

1 litre Vegetable stock (I used a stock cube)

2 small potatoes (cut into large chunks)

1 Tbsp smoked paprika (add half a teaspoon first then check for taste as some paprika is stronger than others)

1 Tbsp Vegetable oil

Salt

Method

  • Add the onion, pepper, tomatoes and garlic to oven proof dish, drizzle with oil and roast at 180 degrees (Celsius) for around 30 minutes or until the edges of the pepper start to char. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly
  • Add the lentils, potatoes, and vegetable stock to a large pot and bring to the boil, before reducing to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes (or until the lentils and potatoes are soft)
  • You can use a blender/food processor or an immersion blender. Add the roast vegetables (remove the skin from the garlic), to lentils and stock.
  • Sprinkle in half the smoked paprika and blend the ingredients together until creamy and smooth. Check the seasoning, add more paprika if you like it spicy and salt if you think it needs it
  • I served this with some fried up tortillas that had gone a bit stale (try this it’s yummy), but fresh crusty bread is also delicious with it

Roast Red Cabbage with Orange Dressing

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Side dishes can be a bit meh, and this is a tasty and healthy way of getting more vegetables way into your diet.

I like this served on a bed of humus, and it makes a really good vegan meal. It’s also really good served along side roast meat, and takes very little prep.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

Half a red cabbage divided into 4

Zest and juice of 1 small orange

1 Tbsp Vegetable oil (plus extra to grease the baking tray and drizzle over the cabbage)

1 Tbsp White wine or cider vinegar

Salt and pepper

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (Celsius), lightly grease a baking tray
  • Divide half the cabbage into 4 (remove most of the stalk in the centre). Lightly drizzle with oil and bake for 25-30 minutes (or until tender)
  • To make the dressing, grate the orange zest, and then squeeze the juice into a bowl. Stir in the oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper
  • Remove the cabbage from the oven, and drizzle with the dressing before serving

‘El Bulli’ Bean Soup with Picada

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El Bulli was one of the most famous 3 Michelin star restaurants in the world.  I don’t claim this was what they served their customers, but apparently they would provide a 3 course meal for staff each day, and this is one of those dishes.

Anyone who’s ever worked in fancy restaurants will you the traditional staff meal can often be a bit ropey to say the least (I worked in a place once that only ever fed us cheap and nasty chicken nuggets).  A cook book based around El Bulli’s staff meals has actually been published called The Family Meal (dropping hints ahead of Christmas, just in case Santa is reading this)

It’s good to see El Bulli fed their staff well, and while it isn’t an extravagant dish, it’s delicious.  The thing that takes it to another level is the Picada (a Catalan version of pesto, made with hazelnuts and parsley).

Do yourself a favour and try to buy ready blanched hazelnuts, it will save a lot of time and effort.

Ingredients

For the soup

1 Onion (finely chopped)

1 Tbsp Oil

1 Clove garlic (finely chopped)

2 x 400 Gram Tins of cannellini beans

1 Litre Vegetable Stock (I used a 2 x stock cubes)

400 Mil Carton of Passata

1 Tsp Rosemary (Finely chopped)

1 Sprig of Thyme (or 1/2 Tsp of dried Thyme)

Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Picada

1 x Large punch of parsley or couple of handfuls (roughly chopped)

1-2 Cloves of garlic

75 Grams Hazelnuts (try to buy the pre-blanched one, as removing the skins is a pain in the a*se)

50-75 Mil Olive oil, (or more if you want the Picada to be looser)

1/2 Tsp Salt

Serves 4

Method

  • For the soup, heat the oil in a large pot, and add the onion and cook over a medium heat until it becomes translucent, add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes before adding the rest of the soup ingredients to the pot.  Simmer for over a low heat for 20 minutes.
  • While the soup is cooking you can make the picada.  If you haven’t been able to find ready blanched hazelnuts, heat the nuts in a frying pan until they smell nutty (I know this sounds weird but when you can smell the nut smell it means they are ready),  Transfer the toasted nuts onto the centre of a clean tea towel, bring the edges together and roll the nuts within the towel until the papery outer layer comes away
  • If you have more sense than I did and have bought hazelnuts without skins, add these to a food processer and pulse a couple of times until the nuts have broken up.  Add the rest of the picada ingredients to the food processer and blitz until you have a bright green paste.  I like mine quite chunky and rustic, but you can whizz it up until you get a super smooth paste if that’s your thing. 
  • Transfer the picada to a bowl and wipe the food processer, and you will be ready to transfer half the soup to the food processer and whizz until smooth before returning to the pot and stirring well.  This helps to thicken the soup
  • Add half the picada to the soup and stir well, before serving in large bowls.  Spoon a dollop of the picada in the centre of each bowl, serve crusty bread for a simple but delicious meal.

Stuffed Baked Potatoes

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Baked potatoes are a great cheap meal, these pimp them up a notch.

Whenever I have the oven on I try add a couple of potatoes to bake so I get my money’s worth out of using the oven (you can cool them, keep them in the fridge for the next couple of days and then heat them up in the microwave (you can also bake them in the microwave but I don’t they taste as good, and you don’t get he nice slightly crunchy skins). I have also tried making these in an air fryer and they worked really well too.

You can swap out the fillings if you need to use up left overs. I like these for lunch, but they also make a good side dish.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 Large potatoes (baked until soft, the time will depend on the size of the potatoes)

1-2 Scallions/spring onions (finely sliced)

2 Tbsp Mayonnaise

75 Grams Cheddar cheese (grated)

Salt & pepper

Method

  • Preheat oven to 200%
  • Cut the cooked potatoes in half and scoop he middle out and place in a separate bowl
  • Mash the scooped out potato with a fork, stir in the scallions, mayonnaise, a half the cheese as we as salt and pepper before mixing well
  • Spoon the mixture back into the potato skins and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the potatoes
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese bubbling and starting to brown

Cauliflower Cheese Soup

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It’s comfort food season and this rich velvety smooth soup will make you feel all warm and cosy inside.

I like to top mine with some croutons made from stale baguette I had left over, and a little grated cheese. It’s also amazing topped with some crunchy bacon bits.

Ingredients

1 Cauliflower (broken into thumb sized florets)

1 Large potato (peeled and into 2-3 cm cubes)

1 Onion (finely chopped)

1 Tbsp Oil

350 Ml Milk

1 Litre Vegetable stock (I used 2 stock cubes)

100 Grams Mature cheddar or other strong cheese (grated)

Method

  • Heat the oil in a large pot and fry over a medium heat until the onion softens
  • Add the potatoes and cauliflower to the pot and cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally
  • Add the milk and vegetable stock and heat until just before the soup comes to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes
  • Check that the potatoes and cauliflower are cooked (they should be soft enough to stick a fork in easily)
  • In a food blender or with an immersion blender whizz the soup until totally smooth. Add the grated cheese and give a final whizz to make sure it incorporated, cook for a further 5 minutes
  • Taste the soup to check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Sprinkle with your favourite topping