A great way to eat your greens. Slightly adapted from a recipe in PLENTY by Yotam Ottolenghi. Soak 150g (5⅓ oz) of couscous in 160ml (5½ fl oz) 0f boiling water or stock. While it’s soaking, heat some olive oil in a frypan. Fry 1 finely sliced onion and ¼ of a teaspoon each of…… Continue reading green couscous + roasted tomatoes
Category: grains
leek, butternut and pea risotto with tarragon
One of France’s fines herbs, tarragon is traditionally used with fish, chicken or eggs. Fragrant, bittersweet and with a mild anise flavour it shines in this vegetable risotto. I like to make my risotto in a pressure cooker. To cook the rice, first toast it lightly in a good olive oil before adding double the…… Continue reading leek, butternut and pea risotto with tarragon
warm vegetable and quinoa salad
Here’s a quick, delicious and satisfying meal. Rinse some quinoa allowing approximately ½ a cup per person. In a medium saucepan bring some water to boil. Add the quinoa and cook until it still has some texture but is no longer crunchy. Meanwhile prepare the vegetables of your choice – I cooked leeks, pumpkin, parsnip,…… Continue reading warm vegetable and quinoa salad
kohlrabi, quinoa, radish and apple salad
This lovely crunchy salad goes well with any smoked meat or fish and is an excellent addition to any smorgasbord. We ate it with smoked duck. Rinse ½ – ¾ of a cup of white quinoa and boil in a generous amount of water until cooked but still retaining some texture. Rinse with cold water and…… Continue reading kohlrabi, quinoa, radish and apple salad
hainanese chicken rice
Adapted from early Chinese immigrants from Hainan province in Southern China, Hainanese Chicken Rice is a popular street food in Singapore and Malaysia. There are many different cooking methods and the dipping sauces seem to be a personal choice. I chose to follow Rosemary Brissenden’s recipe from her book South East Asian Food. The chicken is steeped…… Continue reading hainanese chicken rice
barley, lentils and mushrooms with fried onions
Once again Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipe imparts amazing flavours to a vegetarian meal. In a small bowl cover 20g (¾ oz) of dried porcini with 1¾ cups of boiling water and leave to stand for an hour. After an hour, remove the mushrooms and strain the liquid through a very fine sieve to remove any grit, then return…… Continue reading barley, lentils and mushrooms with fried onions
blue corn tamales
Tamales originated as early as 8000 to 5000 BC. The Aztec and Mayan civilisations, as well as the Olmec and Toltec before them, used tamales as portable food, often to support their armies, but also for hunters and travellers. Tamales are generally wrapped in corn husks or plantain leaves before being steamed. In Mexico they are a favourite…… Continue reading blue corn tamales
cauliflower pilaf + fried root veg + spinach and yoghurt
This vegetarian meal is loosely based on a Jordanian Maqluba which normally includes meat, rice, and fried vegetables placed in a pot, which is then flipped upside down when served. The recipe is adapted from one by Henry Dimbleby and Jane Baxter which appeared in The Guardian. Preheat your oven to 200ºC (º400F). Heat 1 litre (34 fl oz)…… Continue reading cauliflower pilaf + fried root veg + spinach and yoghurt
freekeh salad with lamb
Freekeh (or farik) is roasted green wheat which derives it’s name from being rubbed (farīkor) or threshed. The wheat is harvested when the grains are yellow and the seeds soft and is first sun-dried then carefully set on fire so only the straw and chaff burn. The high moisture content of the seeds prevents them from burning.…… Continue reading freekeh salad with lamb
prawns in almond sauce + mexican rice
Nuts have been used to enrich sauces in Mexican cooking since Pre-Columbian times. Peanuts, or cacahuate, are thought to be indigenous to South America and were widely cultivated in Mexico. Almonds were introduced into the cuisine later, after the Spanish conquest in the 16th Century. This way of cooking prawns (shrimp) is quite simple and absolutely delicious. Soak 1 dried…… Continue reading prawns in almond sauce + mexican rice
michelle picker cooks 