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350 g English cucumber (that’s 1 small or 1⁄2 large)
250 g smooth, low-fat cottage cheese (fat-free if preferred)
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) thick, low-fat Bulgarian yoghurt
2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) each sea salt and sugar
5 ml (1 tsp) Dijon mustard
22.5 ml (41⁄2 tsp) gelatine
60 ml (1⁄4 cup) cold water
30 ml (2 Tbsp) each finely chopped fresh parsley, chives and mint
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) thick cream, softly whipped
2 XL free-range egg whites, stiffly whisked
2 avocados, thinly segmented
milled black pepper for topping
Pare and grate the cucumber coarsely, and leave to drain in a colander – put a weight on the top to help squash out excess juice. Leave for about 30 minutes then, using your hands, squeeze as dry as possible. You should have 250 ml (1 cup). Whisk together the cottage cheese, yoghurt, salt, sugar and mustard. Sponge the gelatine in the water and dissolve over simmering water. Slowly dribble it into the cheese mixture, whisking all the time. Stir in the cucumber and herbs, then fold in the cream and egg whites. Check seasoning, then pour into six individual ramekins (rinsed for easy unmoulding) – they should be wide in diameter so that once unmoulded there will be a flat surface for the avo. Refrigerate for several hours until firm, or overnight. Just before serving, arrange the avocado in overlapping circles to cover the tops, and dust with a few grinds of pepper. Serves 6.
* Dress the salad leaves simply with olive oil and balsamic vinegar or verjuice, or make a CREAMY MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE by whizzing the following in a blender:
2 spring onions plus a bit of the tops, chopped;
1 clove garlic, chopped;
30 ml (2 Tbsp) each white balsamic vinegar and fresh lemon juice;
250 ml (1 cup) oil (at least half olive);
10 ml (2 tsp) wholegrain mustard;
a small handful of parsley tufts;
5 ml (1 tsp) runny honey;
5 ml (1 tsp) dried tarragon;
a pinch of salt.
This makes a lovely, thick, pale green dressing. Refrigerate in a glass jar and shake before using.
Tomato Tartlets with Olives, Pesto & Pecorino
The popularity of tomato tarts never seems to wane and in this recipe they simply burst with Italian flavours and make super little cocktail snacks. A bit fiddly to prepare, but once you’ve got the bases made and the tomatoes grilled you can just line them up, stuff them and that’s it. You’ll need a small muffin tin for these, with the cups no more than 5 cm in base diameter and 2 cm deep. The pastry will do 12.
400 g puff pastry (buy it, and defrost in the fridge)
12 bella tomatoes (these are the size of a very large acorn)
olive oil, sea salt, sugar and dried oregano
walnut pesto* (or pesto of choice)
12 black olives, pitted and quartered
pecorino cheese, finely grated pine nuts
Roll out the pastry and cut out 12 circles, using a 7 cm cutter. Line the bases of the muffin tin cups with rounds of baking paper. Press a pastry circle firmly into each, prick the bases several times with a fork, and bake at 200 °C for 15–20 minutes or until risen, puffy and a light golden brown. Gently press down the centres to form a ‘nest’ and leave until cold before lifting out carefully. You can do these in advance and store in a cake tin overnight.
For the filling, slice the tomatoes in half but not right through – open out, place cut sides up in a flat oven dish or on a baking tray, sprinkle each with a few drops of olive oil and a pinch of salt, sugar and oregano, then grill until soft and juicy, beginning to shrivel, and smelling lovely. Nestle two halves in each pastry shell, top each with 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) pesto and one quartered olive. Sprinkle with pecorino and gently press a few pine nuts into the top. Drizzle 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) olive oil over each and place on a grill pan well below the griller, so that they will heat through gently without anything scorching. Remove when the nuts and pastry are lightly browned – be careful, they are soft and hot. Leave to cool a little before serving warm, or at room temperature. (They can also be reheated.)
* WALNUT PESTO
Place 30 g each basil and flat-leaf parsley (rinsed and thoroughly dried); 1 clove garlic, chopped; and 8 walnut halves in a processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse finely and slowly dribble in about 100 ml (2⁄5 cup) olive oil. Remove and add a pinch of sea salt and 45 ml (3 Tbsp) finely grated pecorino cheese. Spoon into a glass jar, run a thin film of olive oil over the top and refrigerate. (You won’t need all this for the tartlets, so save the rest for pasta.)
Asparagus with a Choice of Dressings
Asparagus must surely be one of the world’s most popular starters. Hot or cold, in soup, with mornay sauce, smothered in melted butter or with a delicious dressing for dipping, it’s hard to go wrong. Buy the asparagus (slender and green, not thick and white) not more than one day in advance, and keep refrigerated. Before poaching, rinse well and snap off the bases, then place in a single layer in a wide-based, shallow saucepan with a little lightly salted boiling water and cook briefly, uncovered, until tender-crisp. Refresh under cold water to set the colour, drain on paper towels and serve with dressing of choice.
Quick Mustard Dressing
125 ml top-quality, off-the-shelf mayonnaise
125 ml low-fat Bulgarian yoghurt
15 ml (1 Tbsp) wholegrain mustard*
15 ml (1 Tbsp) pale, runny honey
1 ml (1⁄4 tsp) dried tarragon, crushed
Gently mix all the ingredients with a spoon, turn into a glass jar, cover and refrigerate for a few hours at least.
* Wholegrain mustards differ in density – you may want a little more.
Orange-Mustard Dressing
1 whole XL free-range egg plus 1 yolk*
50 ml (1⁄5 cup) fresh orange juice
2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) finely grated orange rind
a pinch of sea salt
10 ml (2 tsp) pale, runny honey
250 ml (1 cup) oil
15 ml (1 Tbsp) wholegrain mustard
5 ml (1 tsp) brandy
Place the egg and yolk, orange juice and rind, salt and honey in a blender and blend until thoroughly combined. Very slowly, while blending, dribble in the oil. When all the oil has been used, the mixture should have a medium-thick consistency. Stir in the mustard and brandy, and refrigerate for several hours to thicken the mixture and to mature the flavour. To serve, arrange about six cooked and chilled asparagus spears on individual plates and spoon a generous dollop of dressing across the middle. Serves 8–10.
* Be very careful with uncooked egg yolks – keep the dressing refrigerated until the moment of serving, and if you wish to cut the richness of this dressing, gently fold in 1 part thick Bulgarian yoghurt to 3 parts dressing.
Chilled Spanspek Soup
It’s slightly spicy, slightly sweet, most unusual and quite delicious. Make it in the hot summer months when spanspeks (sweet melons) are at their peak.
30 ml (2 Tbsp) oil
5 ml (1 tsp) butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 leeks (white parts only), sliced
7 ml (11⁄2 tsp) mild curry powder
2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) turmeric
a tiny knob of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
1 stick cinnamon
1 whole star anise
1 small, ripe and bright spanspek, peeled and cubed (500 g prepared weight)
500 ml (2 cups) lightly seasoned chicken stock
250 ml (1 cup) milk
fresh lemon juice
thin, pouring cream and fresh coriander to garnish
Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and leeks and allow to soften without browning. Add the spices and stir for a minute over low heat. Add the melon cubes, toss to mix, then add the stock. Cover and simmer over very low heat for about 15 minutes, until the melon cubes are very soft. Set aside to cool. Remove and discard the cinnamon and anise, t
hen add the milk and purée in a blender until smooth – do this in batches. Check the seasoning and add a little lemon juice, just enough to sharpen the flavour. Pour into a fridge container, cover and refrigerate until icy cold, or up to 24 hours. To serve, pour into individual chilled soup cups, add a drizzle of cream to each – swirl into a cobweb, using a skewer – then scatter with a few fresh coriander leaves. Serves 6.
Aromatic Dhal Soup
A delicious mix of textures and spicy flavours mingle exuberantly in this ochre-coloured soup. It’s both easy and economical, and looks really inviting served in white soup bowls.
30 ml (2 Tbsp) each oil and butter
2 medium onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 sticks cinnamon
5 ml (1 tsp) ground cumin
10 ml (2 tsp) each ground coriander and turmeric
500 ml (2 cups) red lentils, rinsed and drained
2 litres (8 cups) chicken stock
a little sea salt and sugar
30 ml (2 Tbsp) tomato paste
1 medium potato (125 g), peeled and coarsely grated
thick Bulgarian yoghurt, garam masala and fresh coriander leaves to garnish
Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions and garlic and, when softening, add the spices. Allow them to sizzle for a minute or two over low heat, adding a dash of water if necessary to prevent scorching. Add the remaining ingredients, except the garnish, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes or until the lentils and potato are soft and the ingredients have cooked almost to a purée. Stir vigorously to combine and, if too thick, add a little more stock. Check seasoning, remove and discard the cinnamon, and spoon the soup into warmed bowls. Top each serving with a dollop of yoghurt, sprinkle with garam masala, and surround with a few coriander leaves. Serves 8–10.
Butternut, Butter Bean, Coconut & Basmati Soup
Surprising ingredients, lots of spices, unexpected textures and the brightest colour all combine to make this one really special. It’s quite different from the usual run of soups, and although the list of ingredients might look intimidating, don’t be fazed because it’s really easy, amazingly good, and you definitely won’t need a main course after this meal-in-one.
cooked yellow basmati rice
30 ml (2 Tbsp) oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large butternut, peeled and cut into small dice (600 g prepared weight)
300 g carrots, diced
7 ml (11⁄2 tsp) ground cumin
5 ml (1 tsp) ground coriander
4 cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and coarsely grated
2 stalks lemon grass, white parts only, bruised (optional)
1 × 400 ml can coconut milk (regular or lite)
250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock
a little sea salt
1 × 400 g can butter beans, drained and rinsed
a large handful of fresh coriander leaves
fresh lemon juice
garam masala
naan bread to serve
Start with the basmati rice – for this recipe, cook 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) as usual, adding 1 ml (1⁄4 tsp) turmeric to the cooking water. When done, cover and leave. You can even re-heat it if working ahead – add a little water, heat gently, and loosen with a fork. For the soup, heat the oil in a very large saucepan, sauté the onion until golden (adding a pinch of sugar helps, as there is no butter to add a little colour), then add the vegetables and spices and toss until aromatic. Add the lemon grass, if using, the coconut milk, stock and salt. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are soft – about 45 minutes. If the vegetables are still a bit chunky, remove the lemon grass and then use a potato masher to reduce the veg – not too much, leave some texture. Add the beans and coriander and heat through, then add just enough lemon juice to sharpen the taste. If the soup seems too thick, add a little more stock. Ladle into deep, heated soup bowls. Gently place a large spoonful of rice in the centre (you probably won’t need all the rice). Dust with garam masala, and serve with hot naan bread. Serves 4 hugely and, if doubling up, use a really enormous saucepan.
Minted Cucumber & Yoghurt Soup with Walnuts
A thoroughly unusual soup, pale and creamy and crunchy all at the same time. In fact, it might cause a bit of a skrik at the first sip, because it’s so different from chilled, creamy soups. But it’s really good, and if you’re looking for something quite different and refreshing with which to start off a meal on a hot summer’s evening, this one could hit just the right spot.
500 g English cucumber
375 ml (11⁄2 cups) plain, stirred Bulgarian yoghurt (not thick yoghurt)
1 small clove garlic, chopped
1 slim spring onion, chopped
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) thin cream
8 small to medium fresh mint leaves (avoid the large older ones)
pinch of sea salt, and sugar to taste
extra cucumber cubes and chopped walnuts to garnish
Pare the cucumber, slice into long strips, flick out all the seeds, then cut into small cubes. You should have 400 g. Poach in a little salted water over low heat – use a wide-based frying pan so that the cubes can be spread out – until soft and translucent. Watch that the water doesn’t boil away, adding a little more if it looks dry before the cucumber is soft. When done, drain if necessary, then purée in a blender with the yoghurt, garlic, spring onion, cream and mint – the mixture should be smooth, creamy and faintly flecked with green. Before removing from the blender, taste – it will need a little sugar and perhaps a pinch of salt or another mint leaf or two. Chill overnight in a glass container, loosely covered. Before serving, check seasoning – if the flavour is too tart, stir in a little runny honey – it makes all the difference. Into each small chilled soup cup place 30 ml (2 Tbsp) cucumber cubes (prepared as above), pour in some soup, scatter with walnuts, and serve. Serves 4–5 and is easily doubled.
Quick Gazpacho with Whipped Basil Cream
A speedy version of the popular Spanish summer soup, using a method which, although not traditional, puts it within reach of the busiest cook. Normally, gazpacho is served with chopped salad ingredients and croûtons – but a surprising topping of savoury cream gives the old favourite a new look and a smoother flavour.
2 × 2 cm thick slices crustless bread
600 g ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 large English cucumber, pared, seeded and chopped
1 fat clove garlic, chopped
1 large leek (white part only), chopped
400 ml (13⁄5 cups) tomato juice (not tomato cocktail)
5 ml (1 tsp) each sea salt and sugar
15 ml (1 Tbsp) red wine vinegar
30 ml (2 Tbsp) olive oil
1 red pepper, seeded, ribs removed, and chopped
BASIL CREAM
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) fresh cream
about 10 fresh basil leaves, torn
a pinch each of salt and paprika
Soak the bread briefly in a little water and squeeze dry, then mix with the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Spoon into a blender and purée in batches, until almost smooth. Do not expect a velvety result – although the vegetables should be completely pulped, the mixture will appear mushy and rather thick. This is correct, as gazpacho is served over ice cubes, which thin it down a little. Turn into a fridge container and chill. The soup should be served after about 2 hours, but will hold for longer if necessary.
For the basil cream, whisk together all the ingredients until fairly thick, then chill until needed.
Give the soup a good stir before serving, and check seasoning. Pour into chilled bowls over a cube or two of ice, and top each serving with a dollop of basil cream – either left in a big blob, or swirled into a cobweb. Serves 8.
Bean, Pasta & Vegetable Soup
Using a can of beans instead of soaking and cooking haricots is a clever short cut, and means that in just one hour you can have a chunky,
really substantial meal-in-a-soup at very little cost. A teaspoon of pesto swirled into each serving adds a marvellous zip to the flavour, but if you don’t have pesto, pass freshly grated pecorino for sprinkling, a loaf of crusty bread and a carafe of red wine. Perfect for a wintry Sunday supper, and no main course needed after this nourishing soup.
30 ml (2 Tbsp) oil
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3–4 carrots, diced
3 sticks celery, plus some leaves, sliced
2 litres (8 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) tomato purée
a handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
about 5 ml (1 tsp) sea salt
a large pinch of sugar
1 × 420 g can baked beans in tomato sauce
250 ml (1 cup) elbow macaroni
750 ml (3 cups) finely shredded spinach leaves (ribs removed)
2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) dried oregano
Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onions and garlic and soften without browning. Add the carrots and celery and stir-fry briefly. Add the stock, tomato purée, parsley and seasoning. Cover and simmer gently for about 25 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked. Add the remaining ingredients, return to the boil, then cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking – you might have to add a little extra stock. Check seasoning, ladle into deep, warmed soup bowls, and garnish each serving as suggested above. Serves 8.
Spicy Pumpkin & Apple Soup
Despite the unsophisticated ingredients, this soup is amazingly good with its subtle mix of spices and brilliant colour. Be sure to use a bright orange, firm-fleshed pumpkin – if I buy a whole pumpkin and find, when sliced, that I am not altogether happy about the colour or texture, I use half butternut and half pumpkin, but I still call it pumpkin soup. A rose by any other name …
30 ml (2 Tbsp) oil
10 ml (2 tsp) butter
1 large onion, chopped
500 g pumpkin, peeled and cubed (prepared weight)
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
2 medium dessert apples, peeled and sliced