'No Carb' Cauliflower Pizza Base

A no carb pizza??

This is the most exciting discovery I've made in food recently.

What a cool way to get an extra vegetable into your diet and miss out on the wheat. The cauliflower is riced and mixed with an egg, then baked until browned. Then it's a simple as topping with whatever you desire and either grilling or baking again until your cheese melts. It's by no means the healthiest dinner in the world, but certainly it's healthier than the traditional pizza dough. And if you wanted to do an even healthier version, you could always miss out on the cheese... Although that does sort of defeat the point.

Other than the time taken to rotate baking the bases, this is much faster than making your own pizza dough. There's no sticky washing up, either!

I won't give a recipe for topping at the moment, just the base. My pictures show a singletons pizza (used about 1 cup riced cauliflower to each egg). I used the rest of the cauliflower as mash the next day. Such a versatile vegetable!

Makes 5/6 one person pizzas

1 small/medium cauliflower
5 eggs
150g grated cheddar
5 tsps dried oregano
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 tsps sea salt


Preheat your oven to 240C/gas mark 8/450F

1, If you are hand grating the cauliflower then I would suggest that it's easier to keep it whole. So after trimming the leaves and removing the stalk, grate it over a large mixing bowl.
If you own a food processor with a grating attachment, break the cauliflower into florets and process through your machine. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2, Break your eggs into the bowl and mix thoroughly.
3, Add the rest of your ingredients to the bowl.
4, Lightly oil some greaseproof paper and place on either a pizza stone or a heavy baking sheet.
5, Use about 2 tablespoons of mixture per pizza. Spread it out evenly to a thin layer and neaten the edges with a spatula. You need to be careful not to leave any gaps in the base or your topping with fall through.
6, Bake for about 15 minutes or until it is evenly browned.
7, Repeat this process until all the bases are cooked and you are ready to top.
8, Top with any manner of wonderful, yummy things and bake again until the cheese has melted and the pizza is warmed through, less that 10 mins.

One you've tried this you would never believe it was cauliflower. I'm not sure I'll ever want to eat a 'normal' pizza again!

Simple Globe Artichokes

These were absolutely divine. Ambrosia.

The new season is just starting to release some of it's goodies to our hungry selves, and I am taking full advantage. I must have eaten asparagus 4 times this week! The combination of the first greens - prima verde - on a plate is simple and satisfying. I've been creating a mixed herb pistou and drizzling it over asparagus, purple sprouting broccoli, peas and jersey royals. It takes no more than half an hour to prepare and steam it all, and you come out with something that is healthy and delicious.

Globe artichokes are just coming into season, although they tend to be french imports as Britain doesn't grow many.

I made a shallot vinagrette to dip the leaves in, but I actually ended up savouring the flavour of the artichoke alone - it was delicious as is. So I guess this isn't actually much of a recipe and more a cooking suggestion.

1, To prepare the artichoke, break off the stem at level with the leaves.
2, Run cold water into the flower head and then shake to remove any dirt or insects.
3, Place them in a pan of boiling water - with a splash of white wine vinegar or lemon juice - keep the water boiling.
4, The artichokes are cooked when the outside leaves come away when pulled towards the head of the flower.
5, Drain the artichokes by placing them upside down in a colander.
6, Serve them warm with melted butter, a hollandaise, a sauce made of creme fraiche, a vinagrette, tartare sauce... The list is endless and really down to personal taste. Experiment with your flavours!
7, To eat, tear away a leaf at a time and dip in your chosen sauce. Holding the tip of the leaf, bite down on the fleshy part and pull the flesh from it with your teeth. When you reach the centre of the flower and have devoured all the tender baby leaves inside, you will come to the choke which is inedible.

I didn't have the foresight to take a photo of the choke, but this diagram is self explanatory.

Black bean quesadillias

I'm sorry to say that I've been lazy and used bought tortillas for this recipe. My last attempt to make tortillas was a disaster - I went for corn flour and not wheat as an experiment - it kind of put me off making my own for now.  It's silly, really, as I have made wonderful tortillas in the past. But the next try can wait for another day.
Anyway, bought tortillas are nothing like homemade ones, they are more flexible and therefore much easier to roll. Justification begins...

A pack of tortillas (usually 8)
1 (400g) can of black beans
1 red pepper
200g tinned sweetcorn
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
A splash of red wine vinegar
A handful of jalapenos (or to taste)
Salt and pepper
A couple of handfuls (to sight) of cheddar cheese, grated
Fresh coriander leaves, torn

1, Start by covering your tortillas in foil and placing in the oven on the lowest heat possible - the warmth will make them easier to roll.
2, Saute the onion until soft, then add the garlic, beans, pepper, jalapeno and sweetcorn.
3, When the mixture has come together, season it with salt and pepper.
4, Mash the beans in the mix with a fork to create more of a paste - this will make it easier to deal with when you flip the quesadilla.
5, Stir in the red wine vinegar and remove from the heat.
6, In a frying pan, heat a small amount of oil (sunflower or rapeseed preferably). Meanwhile, remove the tortillas from the oven.
7, Take a tortilla and put a rounded tablespoon of the bean mix in the centre. Spread it out, leaving a gap of about an inch around the circumference. Then sprinkle some cheese on top, add a few coriander leaves, and fold in half.
8, Place the tortilla in the pan with oil and check after a couple of minutes for browning. When the tortilla has started to crisp and turn golden brown, take a spatula and flip it onto the other side.
9, When the other side is crisp, remove from the pan. You can use a heat-proof plate and some foil to keep this warm in the oven if making all 8, or serve them as they come out of the pan.

These are a great fast and filling meal. Serve them with a yummy red cabbage coleslaw and some spicy guacamole for a balanced and interesting dinner.

Marrow 'pasta' with tomatoes, mozzarella and pesto

Shame on me! I haven't been into my garden in... 3 weeks! I've been so busy that whenever it has been on my schedule of things I must do today, I either collapse with exhaustion or life gets in the way. It's been a tough couple of weeks at work, but I've survived and things should start to return to normal throughout the next week.

I've also not posted anything for a while. Could there be a better way to quell my guilt than combine the two?

When I finally hacked my way through the overgrown ferns and made it to the garden, I was surprised to see that my neglected courgette plant held a solitary marrow -albeit slightly nibbled. It had produced more, but only their stumps remained. (I feel very guilty.) At least they're organic! I was also faced with a lot of weeding...

When faced with a marrow so many people have no idea what to do with it. I understand, I really do. Marrows are, alone, quite watery and bland in taste. However, they are also a quite versatile vegetable, and deserve a second chance. With the correct treatment, seasoning and accompaniment, the humble marrow can be transformed into something exciting and unusual. A few years ago I made a lasagne using marrow instead of pasta, and today I have followed the same principle.

1 marrow

4 tbsp pine nuts
Pinch of salt
250g fresh basil leaves
50g Parmesan, grated
300ml extra virgin olive oil
A few handfuls of cherry tomatoes, halved
A ball of mozzarella


1, Slice the marrow lengthways, about 1 cm thick. Heat a griddle and colour the marrow, taking care not to overcook, until al dente.
2, Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan, and then cool completely. Lightly crush half of them in a pestle and mortar, along with a pinch of salt (if you don't have a pestle and mortar, a blender or food processor will work, if it is small enough to catch the sauce)
3, Add the basil leaves to the pestle and mortar, and working as quickly as possible, pound them into the mixture until you have a thickish paste.
4, Mix in the cheese, and then gradually incorporate the oil. Taste to season.
5, Slice the marrow into chunks, about 2 inch long, then add them to a large bowl.
6, Add the tomatoes, pesto and mozzarella to the bowl, then leave for ten minutes for the flavours to infuse.
7, Garnish with basil leaves and a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts, and serve with crusty bread.

Rainbow bowl

The impulse to buy the exciting new season vegetables is one that I can rarely resist. Be it the abundance of mushrooms in Autumn or the new asparagus in Spring, there's something really beautiful about knowing that the food you're about to eat has been harvested freshly and locally and grown naturally.

I picked the best of the seasonal veg we had at work - all UK grown and abundant at this time of year. Round yellow courgettes, cheery cherry plum tomatoes (which are so sweet and succulent and ripe), beautiful fresh spring onions, and broad beans (need I explain the beauty of the first fresh broad beans?).

When surveying the fresh display at work, I usually create some recipe in my mind. Pulling all of the the ingredients that are in the cupboard at home and what's available to me there and then, I imagine what I can make out of these and then buy accordingly. This evening: quinoa with these beautiful, multi-coloured vegetables and feta.

This could be created using whatever is available - not everyone has the option to just pick up a round yellow courgette, for instance. Substitute where necessary but the more colours you can fit in the dish, the more appetising it will look and also the greater variety of vitamins you will receive from eating it.

2 round yellow courgettes
250g cherry plum tomatoes
250g broad beans - weight before shelling
a bunch of spring onions
100g quinoa
100g feta cheese (optional)
a handful of fresh mint
salt and pepper to taste

1, Start by cutting the courgettes into wedges - I chose to do them in sixths, but that is down to the size of the courgette itself. You need them to be thick enough that they won't turn to mush when you griddle or fry them. Drizzle the pieces in olive or rapeseed oil.
2, Place the broad beans in a small pan of slightly salted boiling water. Cook them for about 3-4 minutes, then drain.
3, Heat the griddle and lay the courgette out on it's flesh, then turn when they have browned. You may need to do more than one set, depending on the size of your griddle. If you are frying, follow the same instructions, taking care not to brown the skin.
4, Place the quinoa in a pan of boiling water with a little salt. Watch over it as it absorbs water quickly and the cooking time varies between brands. Keep the water a few centimetres over it and stir occasionally. It's ready when it has unfurled - a tail will have come out.
5, While the quinoa is cooking, slice the spring onion and the tomatoes. Place these in a large bowl and add the courgette and broad beans.
6, Break the feta cheese into cubes and sprinkle over the vegetables. Finely cut or tear the mint and add it, too.
7, Mix the drained quinoa through the vegetables and serve as a main on as a side dish.

Portakalopita

What a beautiful dish! This recipe was given to me by M, which in turn was given to him by the chef from his holiday in Greece. It is a Greek summer sweet, and a welcome addition to my recipe collection. It is very moist and loose in texture. When served straight from the fridge it becomes much more rigid, but M tells me they serve it at room temperature in Greece. It can also be served warm, but personally I preferred it cold. It would be beautiful on a plate with summer berries for presentation, but from a flavour point of view it can't go wrong! A good vanilla ice cream would work wonders with it, too.
                               
1 packet filo pastry             
250g Greek yoghurt                
4 large, free-range eggs                                                  
2 tablespoons baking powder            
Juice of 1 orange
250 ml extra virgin olive oil
Butter to grease oven dish
600 ml water  
250g sugar
Juice of 1 orange
Sliced rind of 2 oranges

1, Leave the sheets of filo pastry out, separated and uncovered to dry for a few hours.
2, Tear the sheets of filo into 2cm strips – doesn’t matter about being even just torn, don’t shred with a knife as it loses its consistency.
3, Put the olive oil and eggs in a mixing bowl and whisk well until you have a lovely orange coloured cream texture.
4, Add the yoghurt and baking powder and continue whisking until you have a smooth cream.
5, Add the torn filo pastry and mix gently with your hands.
6, Put in a buttered oven dish with additional grated orange zest over the butter and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes until it turns a golden colour.
7, In the meantime, prepare the syrup – boil the syrup ingredients in a pan for 5 minutes.
8, After removing the pie, leave it to cool slightly.
9, Once it is cold, spoon the syrup over the top, spreading the orange rind evenly. Cut into portions and serve.

Enjoy!!

Awesome vegetable lasagna

Mr. Fox and my nemesis had a face off this evening through the garden gate. Unfortunately it was all over before I could take any pictures, as they were scared off by a couple exploring the gardens backing on to the cliff. If this continues I'll have no more cat shit in the gravel! Go Foxy!


MM came back this weekend from his holidays - he's been away for two months - so I made an epic vegetable lasagne based on Green Kitchen Stories lasagne, which looked so beautiful I couldn't resist. It was lovely, very fresh and full of flavour. I upped the pepper and would recommend a little more seasoning in general - the huge amount of basil doesn't really come through, so don't be afraid to add more, even though it seems excessive to start.

Serves 4 generously and 6 normal appetites.

N.B. I have a generous appetite, and this was too much for me!

A generous glug of olive oil
1 medium size onion (finely chopped)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tsp chilli sauce
A couple of handful green olives (pitted)
2 tbsp capers (drained)
4 large ripe tomatoes (cut in quarters)
2 tins plum tomatoes
A good handful of fresh basil
Salt & pepper
1 package of spelt whole wheat lasagne

For the ricotta cheese:
500 g ricotta cheese
Zest and juice of one lemon
A good handful of fresh basil
A pinch of sea salt
A pinch of lemon pepper

For the grilled vegetables:
Olive oil
A few pinches of sea salt
2 courgettes
1 aubergine
300 g chestnut mushrooms
300 g fresh kale or spinach
1 clove garlic

I ball of mozzarella, torn roughly.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4/350°F. 

1, Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute before adding the chilli sauce.
2, Add olives, capers and fresh tomatoes and cook it a couple of minutes more before adding the rest of the ingredients. Cook for 10 minutes, lower the heat and let it simmer for half an hour more under a lid.
3, Finely slice the courgette and aubergine lengthways. Heat a griddle until smoking. Brush the slices with olive oil and lay them on the grill, a set at a time, until soft and coloured. If you don't have a griddle you could use the grill, or even oven roast them.
4,  Fry the mushrooms and the kale/spinach in a pan for 5 minutes with olive oil, salt and garlic. Do this is batches if necessary as the greens will take up a lot of space until they wilt down.
5, Empty the ricotta cheese into a large bowl and add the lemon zest and juice to the bowl. Tear the basil roughly, add salt and lemon pepper and mix together.
6, Begin to assemble the lasagne by starting with a layer of tomato sauce, then a layer of lasagne sheets. Next, smear the ricotta cheese mix over the sheets - this take a bit if work as it is quite sticky. Don't worry about being too precise, it's all going in the oven at the end and will work into itself.
7, Next, lay about one third of the griddled vegetables and then the mushroom and green mix down as evenly as possible. Spoon another layer of tomato sauce on top.
8, Add a layer of lasagne, and repeat these steps until you run out of space of lasange sheets.
9, Make sure you top the lasagne with ricotta mix  - in spread dollops because there's no way of creating an even layer - and then sprinkle the mozzarella over.
10, Bake for about 45 mins - 1 hour.

Linguine with Mediterranean vegetables and ricotta

The vegetables I cooked for this dish were originally meant to go with milestone lentils - a sort of green puy lentil. My plan for the evening was slightly altered when I got home and discovered Mr. Fox asleep in my garden.

I had meant to do some gardening but didn't want to disturb sleeping beauty. The opinion of many is that foxes are vermin, and although I understand that it isn't pleasant to find your rubbish strewn across the street because the hungry animals have broken into them, I also feel incredibly sad when I see the thin animals roaming the streets in the evenings. This fox has been visiting the garden for the last few months, but I've never seen him so comfortable.

So, I ended up cutting back the ivy on the street and became so engrossed that I completely forgot about the lentils simmering away on the stove top. Needless to say, they burnt and I had to re-think my dinner.

Serves 2-3

One red onion

One aubergine

One courgette

A handful of ripe tomatoes

A handful of mint

Juice of one lemon

Cold pressed rapeseed oil/olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

One tub of ricotta cheese

Enough linguine to feed you

1, Begin by slicing your onion finely and add to a frying pan with a tablespoon of oil. 

2, Cube your aubergine and add it to the cooking onion, and sprinkle with a pinch or two of salt. Fry these together until the aubergine is browned - don't be afraid to add more oil if necessary. 

3, Slice your courgette and add it to the pan, fry until soft.

4, Add the pasta to a large pan of salted boiling water and drizzle a small amount of oil into the pan to stop it sticking together. After a minute or so stir the pasta.

5, Chop the tomatoes into chunks and add the frying pan. Keep this on the heat for a few minutes, stirring, then take it off and squeeze over the lemon juice. 

6, When the pasta is close the ready, chop the mint finely and add it to the vegetables. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
7, Drain the pasta when ready and return to the pan. Mix the ricotta through and then add the vegetables.

You may want to season this further on the plate, or add a grating of parmesan cheese. Personally, a drizzle of olive oil was enough.

Courgette soup

After spending the day studying and eating strawberries, I wasn't too in the mood to make something elaborate with the 5 courgettes that have been haunting my fridge for a week. It had got to the stage where if I didn't use them this evening, they'd have to be thrown - and that wasn't going to happen.

This soup is so simple, a throw-it-in-the-pan-and-carry-on-eating-strawberries kind of recipe.

5 or 6 medium courgettes, sliced
4 medium floury potatoes, 1inch dice
1 onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, finely diced
veggie or chicken stock
bay leaf
olive oil
squeeze lemon juice
salt and pepper
a green of your choice - I used spinach
optional: single cream
to serve: grated parmesan or pecorino

1, In a large pan, soften the onion with the olive oil, then add the potatoes and garlic. Stir for a few minutes, then add the courgette. Add a splash of water to stop the potatoes sticking.
2, Make up your stock, and add it to the pan to cover.
3, Add the bay leaf and leave the soup on a low heat to simmer for about 20 mins.
4, Check the potatoes are cooked, and add the spinach.
5, When the spinach is wilted, remove from the heat and leave to stand until lukewarm.
6, Using a hand blender or a food processor, blend the soup.
7, Reheat gently and season with salt and pepper. If using, add the cream.

Quinoa and griddled veg salad

A sweet spring day, and lots of work to do.

This salad is filling, healthy and delicious. It can also be served hot or cold, making it perfect for next days lunch. Although I've not tried it, the ingredients would make a lovely vegetarian kebab for a BBQ, served on top of the quinoa as a straight salad. And if you don't fancy the quinoa, you could substitute it for cous cous or bulgar wheat.

Serves 4
100g quinoa - I'm using Biofair tricolore for a more colourful base
1 bunch spring onions
200g feta cheese
A handful of mixed seeds, toasted
1 aubergine
3 courgettes
Artichoke hearts in oil
Sweet peppers in oil
1 lemon
Olive oil
A handful fresh mint
Salt and pepper

1, Rinse the quinoa in a sieve under running water, then add 200ml water. Cover with a lid and simmer for ten minutes, then remove from the heat and leave (lid on) until all the water is absorbed.
2, Cut the aubergine and courgettes lengthways into cm thick slices and brush with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3, Heat a griddle it until smoking and in batches cook the aubergine and courgette until coloured. You can also use a grill to do this if you don't have a griddle.
4, Colour the artichoke hearts and the peppers on the griddle as well.
5, Transfer the quinoa to a large serving bowl.
6, Slice the spring onions and add to the quinoa with the toasted seeds. Mix the griddled vegetables through and squeeze over the juice of the lemon, a good glug of olive oil and salt and pepper.
7, To serve, crumble the feta and tear the mint over the salad.

Cannelloni with wilted greens, ricotta and a rich tomato sauce

In my veg box this week I received some 'greens' - mustard, rocket, pak choi, spinach and other, unknown green leaves. MM leaves for the Schumacher college tomorrow so this will be the last meal I cook for him in a month - and cannelloni is so much fun. As I've mentioned before, the temptation to eat spinach every evening is strong, but I decided to push the boat out and replace the traditional spinach and ricotta cannelloni with the mixed greens. MM has got used to me trying out recipes on him - and this one was no failure. Filling, impressive and flexible - you could put anything in the cannelloni.

1 onion, finely diced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

300g mixed greens

200g ricotta

Juice of half a lemon

Cannelloni tubes

1 tin tomatoes - I use Cirio tetrapaks (they are the best I've ever found)

1 clove garlic

Dried oregano

1 tsp honey

Preheat the oven to 180/gas mark 5

1, Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a deep pan over a low heat. Add half onion and cook gently for fifteen minutes until soft and golden, stirring occasionally.

2, Add the chopped garlic and dried oregano and cook for another five minutes, taking care not to burn the onions. Add the tomatoes and honey into the pan with the onions, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

3, In a frying pan, add the other half of the onion and cook gently, then add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.4, Wash and chop the greens, then add them to the pan - there may be too much for the pan so wait until a handful has wilted then add more.

5, When all the greens are cooked, remove from the heat and put them in a large bowl. Add the ricotta and lemon juice, then season to taste. 

6, Take the cannelloni and, using a couple of teaspoons, push the green mix inside. I find it helpful to use the handle end of the teaspoon to push the mixture inside, otherwise you get loads of filling at one end and none in the middle.

7, Place the filled cannelloni in a baking tray and pour the tomato sauce on top. You need to make sure the sauce isn't too dry, otherwise the pasta has no juices to cook in.

8, Bake for about half an hour (or follow packet instructions) and serve with a side of more green veggies.

Broad bean and courgette spagetti

It's the start of summer vegetables! The first ones I've got my hands on are broad beans, hopefully next week there'll be some organic UK asparagus available - watch this space. It's really starting to feel like summer is making itself known in Edinburgh. We've had a good two weeks of glorious weather, in the garden I can't weed fast enough, and all those delightful veggies are coming back!

Tip: When selecting broad beans, gently feel the pod to test how large and firm the beans inside are. It's always a bit of a guessing game, but in general you can feel the beans themselves and the size.

Tonight, I didn't want to do anything too taxing, so pasta was on the cards. I decided to make a broad bean and courgette pasta with ricotta and a lemon dressing.

Serves 2
1 courgette
500g broad beans in their pods
Juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, finely diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Enough spagetti to feed you
A good couple of glugs of quality olive oil
100g ricotta cheese

1, Peel your bean pods and collect the beans in a bowl, then put into boiling water and simmer for 5 minutes.
2, While the beans are simmering, cut your courgette halfways, then cut into 1/2 cm slices.
3, When the broad beans are ready, drain and leave to cool a little before peeling. In this time you can start to fry your courgette in a little olive oil until lightly browned. Remove from the heat.
4, Put the pasta in a pan of boiling, salted water until al dente.
5, When the pasta is close to being done, add the lemon juice and garlic to the broad beans and courgetters, and mix well.
6, When the pasta is ready, drain and then mix all of the veg and juices with it, then sprinkle the ricotta over and stir. Give it a final taste, and serve.

Potato and leek crumble

My veg box arrives fortnightly from East Coast Organics. When I was growing up in Edinburgh my family used to get their large box every week - which includes more variety and obviously a greater volume of produce. I receive a "normal" veg box fortnightly and it serves me fine. I still have to buy the odd bit from shops, but in general I find that the staples last me and I can make several meals from the other veg that arrives.

Today I decided to use the leeks. It's cooking for MM tonight, and I always try to make something veggie-tastic. Leeks are so easy to use, and tonight I had the idea of making a savoury crumble. It'll be crunchy and also soft; the classic combination of leek and potato in a crumble.

Serves 4
Filling:
4 large floury or 'everyday' potatoes
6 small or 3 large leeks
2 bay leaves
Veggie stock
Salt and pepper
Topping:
2 oz butter
2 oz plain flour
2 oz porridge oats
2 oz cheddar cheese, grated


Heat the oven to 200°C, 400F, gas mark 6


1,  Peel and cut your potatoes into 1 inch sizes. Put them in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and cook until soft, then drain.
2, Trim and clean your leeks, then slice at about 1cm intervals.
3, Heat a frying pan with a knob of butter and fry the leeks until soft.
4, Add the leeks to the potatoes with the bay leaves, veggie stock, and water to cover. Put on a low heat and season after about 15 minutes.
5, To make the topping, rub the butter and flour to form bread crumbs. Add the oats and continue rubbing. Finally mix in the grated cheese, taking care not to damage any of the "bread crumbs".
6, When your filling is the consistency of thick soup, pour into a dish and then shake the topping over.
7, Put in the oven for about 30-40 mins, or until lightly golden on top.


Serve with seasonal veggies of your choice, I did carrots and purple sprouting broccoli drizzled in lemon juice and butter with a sprinkling of black pepper. It was delicious!

Spanakopita Triangles

I love love love the combination of spinach and feta. Actually, I love spinach. I would eat spinach for every meal in some form or another (currently I'm averaging at about 3 meals a week). It has always been my absolutely favourite vegetable, I remember eating it straight from the tin as a teen, to the amusement of my family. My favourite dish as a kid was my Mum's version of ouef florentine... oh, YUM.

Spanakopita is so simple and oh so good. This recipe in the pie form has become one of my friend Rhona's staple dishes. You won't use all the filo pastry for this quantity of filling, so I suggest you wrap the remainder well in clingfilm and refridgerate for another meal (Unless you're making party quantities, in which case triple the filling). It's so easy to make something great with filo pastry.

1 packet of filo pastry
1 bunch of spring onions or 1 leek
400g spinach leaves, washed well
250g greek feta
A generous grating of nutmeg
50g pine nuts
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
Poppy and/or sesame seeds for decoration

Preheat your oven to 180C/gas mark 5. Lightly grease a large baking tray.

1, Slice your spring onions/leek into medium sized dice and fry gently in a large pan until softened.
2, Add the spinach leaves, a handful at a time until wilted. The spinach will reduce in size quite quickly, so just add another handful, stir and leave for a minute.
3, When all the spinach is in the pan and wilted, remove from the heat.
4, Break the block of feta over the pan with your fingers. Don't be too worried about size - stir it well and it will break down.
5, In a dry pan, toast the pine nuts until golden in colour.
6, Add the nutmeg, pine nuts, salt and pepper to the mixture, stir well and taste.

7, Roll out the filo pastry and cut length ways into 3 - this should be about 10 cm in width.
8, Take on sheet of filo and brush lightly with olive oil.
9, Take a tablespoonful of mixture and place at one end of the filo strip.
10, Take one corner of the filo over the mixture to make a triangle. Continue to fold until the filo is over.
11, Brush the top with olive oil and place on the baking tray.
12, When the baking tray is full, sprinkle with the seeds and place in the oven until golden.

Vegetarian Dolmades

A lovely colleague, V, suggested that I post my vegetarian recipe for dolmades. It actually occured to me that I prefer the veggie version, too. They taste more authentic and are lighter in texture.

1 packet vine leaves (I use Cypressa)
300g long grain rice, par cooked (about 5-8 mins)
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
3 tablespoons tomato purée
4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetarian stock


Follow the instructions for the meat version below to make up the dolmades.
When it comes to cooking them, make up the veggie stock to cover and cook them in the oven.

Cauliflower, spinach and potato curry

Every Tuesday and Thursday evening I cook and have a meal with my landlord, MM. MM is a vegetarian, and although I'm not, I was until a few years ago. I rarely eat meat as it is, but on these days I try to make something vegetarian that isn't pasta or risotto - which is what all vegetarian guests are served at dinner parties.
MM isn't a fan of chilli, so a curry isn't something I make for him very often. But this one, although it has a slight kick, is offset by the creamy cauliflower and yogurt base.


1 onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic
1 red chilli, chopped finely, seeds removed
Die sized piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely diced 
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp brown mustard seeds
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp turmeric
3 cardamom pods, bashed with the seeds removed for use
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cauliflower, trimmed and broken into large florets
500ml water
250g whole milk yoghurt
1½ tbsp tomato purée
200g spinach - fresh or frozen
1 small handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1 small handful cashews, toasted


1, Fry the onion in sunflower oil until softened. Add the garlic, chilli and ginger and pinch of salt (to stop it burning too quickly) and fry for another few minutes.
2, Add all the spices to the pan, fry for a minute then add a splash of water.
3, Add the potato and cauliflower and stir well - making sure the veg is covered well in the spice mix. 
4, Add the water and cover with a loose lid. Simmer for 10-15 mins until the veg is tender.
5, Meanwhile, mix the tomato purée with the yogurt until smooth.
6, When the veg is tender, add the spinach and remove from the heat when it has wilted.
7, Mix the yogurt into the curry with half the chopped coriander.
8, Serve on a bed of rice or with naan breads, with a sprinkle of cashew nuts and coriander leaves.