It’s comfort food weather, and if like most of us you’re trying to increase the amount of protein you’re eating these are perfect.
I can eat a big bowl of these on their own with some crusty bread, but they also make a tasty side dish.
This is quick and easy to make, using tinned beans but you can use dried beans but these usually need soaked overnight and should be cooked according to the instructions on the packaging.
Ingredients
2 x 400ml Cannelloni beans (drained)
1 Tbsp Tomato puree
125ml Vegetable stock
2 x Cloves of garlic (finely chopped
1 Large sprig of rosemary or 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary
1 Tbsp Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
4-5 Sun dried tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Method
Heat the oil in a large pan and fry onion gently until it starts to caramelise, stirring occasionally.
Stir the tomato puree into the pan and cook for another 2 minutes before adding the beans and vegetable stock. Stir well and simmer for 10 minutes.
With a fork or potato masher gently mash about a third of the beans. This will release the starch in the beans that will help thicken the beans and give the beans a creamy texture.
Stir in the sundried tomatoes and rosemary, and simmer for 5 minutes. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
While trying to eat less meat I’ve struggled with plant based protein alternatives. Tofu is s big turn off for me (I’ve given it every chance but it’s just not for me).
I remembered some of the delicious tempeh I had in Bali and gave it a try with a satay type marinade.
If you haven’t used tempeh before, its a soy protein widely eaten in Indonesia and you should be able to find it in the freezer section of Asian supermarkets or some larger supermarkets.
It usually comes in a flat loaf shape and you usually crumble or slice it before cooking.
This is a really versatile dish, you can eat it straight from the oven with rice or noodles, or it also yummy in salads, budha bowls or sandwiches and wraps.
Tempeh makes a great addition to jar salads with veggies, and rice noodles, perfect for bringing to work for lunch.
Ingredients
500 Grams Tempeh
For the marinade
1 Red chilli (finely chopped or 1/2 Tsp chilli flakes)
Thumb sized piece of ginger (grated, or its fine to cheat and use a tablespoon of the prepared stuff in a tube)
2 Cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
3 Tbsp Peanut butter
2 Tbsp Soy sauce
Juice of 1-2 limes (I only had a lemon and also worked OK, because what your after is acidity to balance out the salt and sweet in the marinade)
3 Tbsp Maple syrup (cane sugar is traditional but this work well)
Method
Defrost the tempeh and slice into 1cm thick slices
In a large bowl combine all the ingredients for the marinade and stir well to make sure the peanut butter disolves.
Put the tempeh slices into a large dish and cover with the marinade, ensuring all the slices are covered. Cover and put in the fridge for a couple of hours (ideally overnight)
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Line a baking sheet with parchment and lay the temp slices on this and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Once you try homemade pesto, you’ll never eat the stuff in a jar again.
Most people have tried pesto with pasta, and it’s a classic for a reason plus it takes only 5-10 minutes to make. I use a food processer, but you can use a pestle and mortar if you want to go old school.
I love it in Italian sandwiches made with focaccia and filled prosciutto and buratta (you can use any combo and it will still taste amazing with the pesto).
Ingredients
100 Grams Pine nuts (or you can use blanched almonds if you can’t find them)
1 Large bunch of basil
50 Grams Parmasan or Granna (finely grated)
1-2 Cloves of garlic (peeled and roughly chopped)
100mil Olive oil (you may want to use more or less depending on how lose you want the pesto)
Method
In a dry pan, heat the pine nuts until the start to brown, remove from the pan and allow to cool
Add the pine nuts to a food processer and blitz a couple of times until the nuts have broken up
Add the rest of the ingredients (hold back half the oil) and blitz for a couple of seconds.
Check the consistency of the pesto, and continue to add the olive oil until you have reached the thickness you want (I like it quite thick and chunky but some people prefer a smoother pesto)
Use as a spread in sandwiches or as a pasta sauce. It will keep well in fridge for 2-3 days
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
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.
Soup is virtually impossible to mess up. So when it’s cold and wet outside its the ideal thing to make that’s cheap and easy. Its also a great filling lunch to bring to work if you’re on a budget.
This soup is vegan friendly, but if you need a meat fix, you can also add some cooked chorizo or smokey bacon and reduce the amount of smoked paprika.
Ingredients
1 Small Leek (roughly chopped)
2 Handfuls of either cabbage, kale or cavelo Nero (shredded)
3-4 Small potatoes (skins left on, and cut into 3-4cm cubes)
1 Vegetable stock cube
1 Tsp Smoked paprika
1 Can Black beans (you can use any type you like)
3 Cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1 Tsp Chilli powder (optional)
Large sprig of rosemary, or thyme
1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
500ml Carton of passata
1 Tbsp Tomato puree
Salt
Method
Heat the oil in a large pot over a medium heat and add the leek. Fry until the leek starts to soften
Add the potatoes, tomato puree, chilli powder, rosemary and paprika and cook for 2-3 minutes
Add the crumbled up stock cube, pasatta, garlic, 1 litre of water, and bring the soup to the boil. Add your greens and beans, reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are soft
Check the seasoning and add salt if you think it needs it.
I recently grew some lion’s mane mushrooms from a kit. Having not used them before I’d no idea what to do with them.
Terry from Hearty Growers told me their texture was similar to lobster so this gave me a idea. On a previous holiday I was at a very fancy restaurant I had lobster tacos which were devine. This inspired me, I decided to cook the mushrooms in a super light tempura batter for a bit of crunch. If you like fish tacos you’ll love these.
If you haven’t made tempura batter before it’s really simple and suitable for vegans because there’s no egg in it. What makes it super light is the use of ice cold sparking water. The bubbles help makes the batter super light, so make this at the very last minute before frying the mushrooms
Serves 2
Ingredients
200 Grams Lion’s Mane Mushrooms (oyster mushrooms would also work well), cut into 2-3cm slices
6 Small tacos
150 Grams Canned black beans (drained)
1 Avocado (skin removed and cut into slices)
100 Grams Cherry tomatoes (halved)
50 Grams Red Onion (finely sliced)
2 Tbsp Mint or Coriander, or mix of both (finely chopped)
1/2 Lime
Salt
Finely chopped chilli or chilli powder
Method
Heat vegetable oil, about 4-5cm deep on a pot, or use a deep fat fryer if you have one. I don’t have a thermometer, so I judge the heat to be OK if I can drop a small junk of bread and it starts to sizzle
Assemble all your ingredients, and evenly distribute the beans, red onion, herbs, and avocado onto the tacos
Add the flour and corn flour to a bowl and whisk in the ice cold sparkling water and whisk quickly (the tempura batter should be about the consistency of cream)
Dip the mushroom in the batter and then add to the hot oil (don’t add too many at once)
Fry the mushrooms until they are a light golden colour. Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper before sprinkling with salt
Top the tacos with the mushrooms and sprinkle with finely chopped red chillies or chilli powder depending on how spicy you enjoy your food, and a squeeze of lime
Trying to get away from winter’s stodgy comfort food, doesn’t mean giving up on flavour.
This salad is jam packed with flavour and texture and takes 10-15 minutes to knock up. It’s also gluten free and vegan and makes a great lunch box filler if you’re fed up with sandwiches.
Ingredients
500 Grams Dried rice noodles
1/4 Red cabbage (finely sliced)
3 Scallions/spring onions (finely sliced)
2 Small carrots (grated)
1 Red pepper (finely sliced)
2 Tbsp Coriander (finely chopped)
2 Tbsp Mint (finely chopped)
Dressing
2-3 Tbsp Peanut butter
1 Tbsp Sesame oil
1 Tbsp Soy sauce
1 Tbsp Grated ginger
1 Tsp Maple syrup or Honey if you’re not vegan
1 Tsp Chilli flakes
1 Tbsp White wine vinegar or lemon juice
Topping (option)
2 Tbsp Pumpkin seeds
100 Grams Cashew nuts/peanuts (toasted)
Method
Toast the nuts in a hot frying pan and set to one side and allow to cool.
Cook the rice noodles according to the instructions on the packet. Drain the noodles and add to a bowl of ice water to stop them over cooking.
Add all the dressing ingredients to a bowl and mix well. You might need to add some hot water to loosen up the dressing if its too thick.
Drain the cold noodles and add to a large bowl. Stir in the vegetables and dressing and mix well.
This dish was would have traditionally been made with duck (which I think would be too rich), and is now usually made with chicken. I have also made a vegan version with aubergines and I have to say I think it was my favourite.
This is quite a rich dish and the use of pomegranate molasses (available from most big supermarkets or Asian grocers) gives the stew a tangy sweet and sour flavour.
I call this a weekend recipe, meaning its something that requires low and slow cooking and you aren’t going to try and do for a quick weeknight dinner.
Serves 4
Ingredients
8 Chicken thighs (bone in, but skin removed), or 2 large aubergines (cut into bite sized chunks)
1 Tbsp. Tomato Puree
250 Grams Walnut pieces
1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Black pepper
125 Mil Pomegranate molasses
1 Tsp Sugar (or more to taste)
Pomegranate seeds to decorate (optional)
Method
Add the walnuts to a food processor and whiz until they become fine crumbs and start to stick together in a paste
Move the walnuts to a large pot with a lid, and add 1 litre of cold water to the walnuts. Bring to the boil for a couple of minutes, and then reduce the heat and cover with a lid simmer for 2 hours.
Stir in the pomegranate molasses, tomato purée, cinnamon, sugar, salt and pepper until well combined. Return the mixture to a simmer
Add the chicken thighs or aubergine chunks to the pot and cover with the lid again and simmer for a further hour. Remove the lid and simmer for another 10-15 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds if using just before serving rice or flat breads
I know I harp on about it, but I hate food waste. So when I found some discounted tomatoes in the supermarket that were too soft for salads I decided to make soup.
Tomatoes are roasted with some onion in the oven to bring out their flavour. I always try to cook more than one thing at a time so using the oven is more cost effective, so it’s the perfect excuse to whip up a cake too if feeling like it (I always feel ready for cake)
For the best lunch ever, team it up with a grilled cheese sandwich
Ingredients
500 Grams tomatoes
2 onion (cut into quarters)
2-3 Cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp Oil
500 ml Vegetable stock (I used a stock cube dissolved in 500ml of boiling water)
1-2 Tbsp Basil leaves
1 tsp Cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (Celsius)
Add the tomatoes, oil, and onion to an oven proof dish and roast for 30-40 minutes or until the tomatoes have blistered. Remove and discard the skin from the garlic
Add all the ingredients to a blender and pulse until smooth. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
Seaneen's Sunnyside Kitchen 