This spinach and warm veggie salad recipe, smothered in a delicious creamy mustard sauce, makes a great starter or side dish for any occasion. The warm vegetables make a welcome change to a typical cold salad and provide the perfect contrast to the bed of tender fresh spinach leaves.
I remember loving the meatballs in tomato sauce that my mother used to make when I was growing up, so the other day I decided to try and make a vegetarian version.  This chickpea falafel with tomatosauce recipe was the result.  The texture is, of course, slightly different than the lamb-based or peri-peri meatballs my mother specialised in, but the lemon, garlic and Italian parsley give them a subtle flavour that  is offset nicely by the tomato and thyme sauce.  Enjoy!
What you’re going to need:
For the falafel:
400g cooked chickpeas
1/2 medium onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 bunch fresh Italian parsley
1tsp grated lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste
3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For the tomato sauce:
500g tomatoes
1/2 bunch fresh thyme
1tbsp pine nuts
170ml crème fraîche
Salt and pepper to taste
What you have to do:
Drain the chickpeas well.
Peel and mince the onion and the garlic.
Wash the parsley and finely chop the leaves.
Place the chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, and lemon zest in a food processor and blend to a paste.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Let the mixture stand for about 30 minutes.
Form the mixture into walnut-sized balls.
In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat.
These potato and Gruyère cakes are a satisfyingly filling starter that are sure to delight the whole family, young and old alike.  The tangy crème fraîche offsets the earthy flavour of the potatoes in just the right way, making for a true taste sensation.  For a sweeter presentation, try serving them with an added dollop of raspberry jam, or any other jam you like.  These were initially intended as an appetiser, but I have found they make for a great breakfast too.
If you are a fan of Indian food, you might want to try out this Malai Kofta recipe as well. They are special potato dumplings with cheese in a special gravy. The texture isn’t as delightfully crunchy as with my cakes, but the flavour of the gravy is amazing!