The Recipe Room

This simple Lima bean soup is sweet and savoury and very satisfying.  The starchy Lima beans help to give the broth the perfect thickness and also provide a sweet counterpoint to the kale and spices.  The soup also freezes well, so don’t worry if you can’t finish it all in a few days. (Why not also have a go at this red lentil and sweet potato soup?)

 

This delicious and nutritious vegetable and legume soup is traditionally served to break the Muslim fast of Ramadam.  It’s called harira and is usually accompanied by dates, but as I don’t really like them, I’ve left them out of my recipe.  However, feel free to include them if you want the truly authentic experience. I also recommend this Moroccan hummus!

 

A great appetiser or party food, these Greek stuffed grape leaves have a more subtle and mellow flavour than the pre-made variety. For more Greek goodness, try these lamb kebabs with cucumber and feta relish.

You Need:

• 60ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 250g long-grain white rice
• 375g gluten-free chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
• 2 teaspoons fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 1 can (about 200g) grape leaves
• Juice of 2 lemons

Steps:

1. In a medium heavy pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the rice and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add 125ml of the broth.
5. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is just tender, about 10 minutes.
6. Transfer the rice mixture to a bowl and stir in the dill, parsley, mint, oregano, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
7. Fill a deep, heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid with water and bring to the boil.
8. Reduce heat to medium-low and blanch the grape leaves in the hot water 5 for minutes.
9. Drain the leaves on paper towels and trim away the stems and hard veins. Pat the leaves dry with paper towels.
10. Lay a grape leaf on a work surface, shiny-side down. Put 2 tablespoons of the rice filling near the stem end of the leaf.
11. Fold the stem end over the filling, fold both sides toward the middle, and roll up into a cylinder. (Don’t roll too tightly as the rice will expand as it cooks.)
12. Repeat with the remaining grape leaves and filling placing the rolled leaves in the pot, seam-side down in a single layer.
13. Pour the remaining broth, olive oil, and lemon juice over the stuffed grape leaves.
14. If the liquid doesn’t reach at least halfway up the rolls, add more water.
15. Cover the pot and simmer 30 to 40 minutes over low heat, or until tender when pierced with a fork.
16. Can be served warm or cold.

 

Ready In:  60 minutes

Serves:  6

Difficulty:   3 out of 5

This turkey and sun-dried tomato loaf with onion gravy makes for a great Sunday afternoon roast replacement, like this lamb roast with garlic and rosemary.  I like to use turkey mince, but it should work fine with whatever mince you prefer, or even textured vegetable protein if you want to make it vegetarian-friendly.

You Need:

For the loaf:

• 250g sun-dried tomatoes
• 500ml boiling water
• 65g cornflakes, crushed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• ½  medium-size green bell pepper, chopped
• 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2tbsps mushroom or vegetable broth
• 2 large eggs
• 125g creamy Havarti cheese, shredded
• 2tsps dried basil
• 1tsp dried parsley
• 1tsp dried oregano
• ½tsp dried thyme
• ½tsp freshly ground pepper
• ½tsp salt
• 700g  turkey mince
• Vegetable oil spray

For the gravy:

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 stock cube (vegetable or chicken)
• 2tsps thyme
• 500ml water
• 4tbsp cornflour + 2tbsp water, mixed together to form a thick paste 

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 175ºC.
2. Submerge the sun-dried tomatoes in the boiling water for a few minutes to soften and then drain. Chop into small pieces and place in a large bowl.
3. Add the crushed cereal and mix to coat. Set aside.
4. Over medium heat, sauté the onion and green pepper in the olive oil until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
6. Add to the sun-dried tomato and cereal mixture.
7. Next pour in the broth and mix well.
8. Beat the eggs and then add them to the mixture,  jumbling it all together.
9. Add the cheese, herbs, seasonings and meat and stir until well-blended.
10. Lightly coat a 23cm x 13cm loaf pan with the vegetable oil spray and then press the mixture firmly down into the pan.
11. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until the temperature of the loaf, when measured with a roasting thermometer, reaches 80ºC.
12. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 to10 minutes before removing from the loaf pan.
13. While the loaf is baking, prepare the gravy:

• Sauté the onions in the vegetable oil until translucent, about 3 minutes.
• Add the stock cube, thyme and 500ml of water and bring to the boil.
• Add the cornflour paste a little at a time until desired thickness is reached.

14. Cut into slices, cover with gravy and serve.

Ready In:  90 minutes

Serves:  8

Difficulty:   3 out of 5

Smooth and creamy, sticky and cheesy, what’s not to like about risotto?  This Asparagus Risotto is my take on the classic Italian dish which is traditionally made using Arborio or Carnaroli rice due to their high-starch content (that’s what makes it sticky and creamy).  However, if you can’t find these kinds of rice at your local supermarket, then any short-grained rice will work well.  I’ve personally had a lot of success with whole, short-grain organic rice, although this does add almost double the time to the cooking process.  Either way, don’t skimp on the cheese, or try to rush the cooking process, as these two points are key to prepare a delicious authentic-tasting risotto. If you decide that you like your rice with more vegetables, try a squash and garlic risotto. Simply delicious.

You need:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup finely chopped onion
• 2 cups fresh asparagus cut into inch-long sticks
• 1 large garlic, minced
• 2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 5 – 7 cups vegetable broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

1. Heat up the broth in a saucepan and leave it on a back burner at the lowest setting in order to keep it warm.
2. Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet.
3. When the oil is hot, but before it starts to smoke, stir in the onion and sauté until translucent, but not browned.
4. Stir in the garlic and asparagus and keep cooking until the onion is nice and tender, making sure it doesn’t brown.
5. Stir in the rice and sauté for a minute or two, making sure that each grain of rice gets coated with oil and toasted.
6. Add around ¾ of a cup of the broth to the rice and stir continuously until most of the liquid is absorbed.
7. Continue adding the broth ¾ of a cup at a time, letting the liquid get absorbed each time.
8. Continue cooking and adding broth until the rice is creamy and just slightly al dente, around 30 minutes.  There may be some broth left over.
9. Remove from the heat and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
10. Stir in the parsley and parmesan cheese.
11. Serve while it’s still hot, with a fresh bowl of Parmesan cheese on the side so your guests can add more as they desire.

Ready In:  45 minutes

Serves:  4-6

Difficulty:  Out of 5, it’s a 3!

This easy-to-prepare Spinach and Lentil Soup makes a great starter or first course, and if you combine it with whole grain rice it provides a complete meal.  I find it is the perfect thing to warm me up when I come in from a run on a cold winter’s day, especially with the heat of the red chilli peppers.  In fact, I’ve toned down the spiciness of this version quite a lot as I know a lot of people don’t like it too spicy.  If you’re like me though, and you do like it hot, then I recommend increasing the quantity of red chili pepper significantly, anywhere from  ¾  of a teaspoon up to 1½ or even 2 teaspoons.

As always, the best results are obtained if you try and get the best possible quality fresh ingredients you can find – nobody likes wilted, damp spinach, not even in a soup!  So make sure it’s fresh, organic if possible, and be sure to wash it well under running cold water to clean off all the dirt.

For a bit of an exotic touch, try substituting the parsley for fresh coriander.  If you do this, add it just before serving so that it maintains its aroma.  Enjoy!

You need:

• 2 cups of dried lentils
• 9 cups of water
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 150g of tomato paste
• 2 bunches of spinach, cleaned & chopped
• ½ cup of fresh parsley
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp. crushed red chili peppers
• ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice

Steps:

1. Put the water, bay leaf and salt in a large pot and bring to the boil.
2. Add the lentils, cover, and cook for 30 minutes over a medium-low heat.
3. Add the onion, tomato paste and garlic and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
4. Add the spinach, parsley, ground pepper and red pepper.
5. Mix well and cook for another 10 minutes.
6. Add more salt to taste.
7. Add the lemon juice, mix well and serve at once.
8. Garnish with a bit of fresh ground nutmeg and a sprig of fresh parsley.

Ready In:  75 minutes

Serves:  3-4

Difficulty:  Out of 5 (most difficult), it’s a 2!