by Jamie Oliver
Meanwhile, soft-boil the eggs in a pan of boiling water on a medium-high heat for 5½ minutes, drain, cool under cold running water, then peel and halve. Trim and finely shred the spring onions, finely slice the chilli, and pick the coriander leaves. Divide the congee between warm bowls, discarding the star anise. Top each with an egg, mushrooms, spring onions, chilli and coriander, and scatter over the sesame seeds. Serve drizzled with soy, to taste.
Hot, comforting congee is particularly good with a quick pickle, made by scrunching shredded carrot and cabbage with a little rice wine vinegar.
SPEEDY SPICED POCKET BREAD
SOFT-COOKED EGG, FETA & PEAS, CHUNKY TOMATO SALSA
SERVES 1 | 10 MINUTES
¼ of a red onion
1 fresh green or yellow chilli
1 large wholemeal tortilla
1 large egg
15g feta cheese
30g fresh or frozen peas
curry powder
100g ripe mixed-colour cherry tomatoes
½cm piece of ginger
extra virgin olive oil
1 lime
2 sprigs of fresh coriander
1 tablespoon natural yoghurt
Peel the onion and very finely slice with the chilli. Lay the tortilla flat, crack the egg on top, then gently move the yolk around with your fingers (without breaking it) to spread the white to the edges, ending up with the yolk back in the middle. Crumble the feta over one half, then scatter the onion, chilli and peas over the feta. Dust with ½ a teaspoon of curry powder, then fold in half. Carefully transfer to a large non-stick frying pan on a medium-low heat, and cook for 3 minutes on each side for a soft, runny egg – cook for longer, if you prefer.
Meanwhile, finely grate 2 tomatoes into a bowl. Peel and finely grate in the ginger, drizzle in 1 teaspoon of oil, then quarter and stir through the remaining tomatoes. Squeeze over half the lime juice, then mix and season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper. Pick and stir through the coriander leaves.
Cut or tear the sandwich in half, and serve with the tomato salsa, yoghurt, a flick of curry powder and an extra squeeze of lime juice.
A brilliantly flexible dish for the whole family – feel free to halt the chilli and curry powder if making for little ones, or indeed to ramp up the heat if (like me!) you’re a bit of a chilli fiend.
BEAUTIFUL BUCKWHEAT PANCAKES
ROASTED RHUBARB & PLUMS, CREAMY YOGHURT & BASHED HAZELNUTS
SERVES 4 | 30 MINUTES
2 large eggs
180g buckwheat flour
300ml semi-skimmed milk
300g rhubarb
8 ripe plums
2 blood or regular oranges
4 tablespoons runny honey
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
40g blanched hazelnuts
unsalted butter
4 heaped tablespoons Greek yoghurt
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the flour, milk and a pinch of sea salt, whisk until smooth, then chill until needed.
Trim the rhubarb, slice into 4cm pieces and place in a 25cm × 35cm baking dish. Halve and destone the plums, then place cut side up in the dish. Finely grate over the orange zest, squeeze over the juice, then drizzle with the honey. Add the rosemary sprig to the dish (this will add a delicious subtle perfume) and roast for 30 minutes, or until softened and starting to caramelize.
Lightly bash the nuts in a pestle and mortar, then toast in a large dry non-stick frying pan on a medium heat until golden, and tip into a bowl. Place the pan back on the heat, and rub with a little butter. Loosen the batter with a splash of water, if needed, then pour in a ladleful, swirling it up and around the edges of the pan. Cook until lightly golden on both sides, then slide on to a plate. Serve as and when ready, with a dollop of yoghurt, a quarter of the fruit, a scattering of nuts and a drizzle of juice from the fruit tray, then repeat. What a treat!
The buckwheat flour will give you a really interesting flavour, but feel free to use regular wholemeal flour, if you prefer.
RIPPLED SMOOTHIE BOWLS
CRUNCHY GRANOLA, BLUEBERRY COMPOTE, LIME-SPIKED BANANA
SERVES 4 | 25 MINUTES
50g mixed unsalted nuts and seeds
150g rolled jumbo oats
olive oil
runny honey
1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded, dried or desiccated coconut, plus extra to serve
300g frozen blueberries
3 ripe bananas
300g natural yoghurt
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
½ a lime
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Roughly chop the nuts and seeds, then place in a large bowl with half the oats. Drizzle in ½ a tablespoon each of oil and honey, then mix well. Spread out evenly on a lined baking tray and roast for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden, then remove and stir through the coconut.
Meanwhile, heat the blueberries and ½ a tablespoon of honey in a small pan on a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water to loosen, if needed. Peel two of the bananas, then whiz in a blender with the yoghurt, vanilla and the remaining oats until smooth. Divide three-quarters of the smoothie between 4 shallow bowls, then add half the blueberry compote to the blender and whiz again. Ripple into the bowls, then spoon over the remaining compote. Peel and slice the remaining banana, toss with the lime juice, then add to the bowl with the warm granola and an extra pinch of coconut.
I always peel, chop and freeze bananas that are on the turn – frozen bananas will give you a slightly thicker and more refreshing result.
STICKY TOFFEE WAFFLES
CARAMELIZED BANANAS, CREAMY YOGHURT, FLAKED ALMONDS & POMEGRANATE
SERVES 4 | 30 MINUTES
150g wholemeal self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 Medjool dates
3 ripe bananas
2 large eggs
250ml semi-skimmed milk
olive oil
20g flaked almonds
2 tablespoons maple syrup
½ a pomegranate
4 tablespoons natural yoghurt
Place the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and dates in a blender. Peel and add 1 banana, then crack in the eggs, pour in the milk and whiz to a thick, smooth batter. Get your waffle machine switched on and ready to go, rubbing it with a little oil. Once super-hot, ladle in the batter and seal, following the machine instructions until the waffles are golden and cooked through (usually around 7 minutes), then repeat. Waffle machines vary slightly – both in size and temperature – so you’ll need to use your instincts and adjust accordingly.
Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a dry non-stick frying pan on a medium heat until lightly golden, then tip into a bowl, placing the pan back on the heat. Peel and slice the remaining bananas 1cm thick, then place in the pan with the maple syrup. Cook gently until golden and caramelized, turning to coat. Holding the pomegranate half cut side down, bash the back of it with a spoon so all the seeds come tumbling out. Place each cooked waffle on a plate, dollop with yoghurt, then top with the caramelized banana, toasted almonds and pomegranate seeds.
Unsurprisingly, these waffles are delicious served with chocolate – use a fine grater and you’ll find that a little goes a long way but looks and tastes amazing!
FRIDAY NIGHT NIBBLESPLEASE SELECT A RECIPE
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FRIDAY NIGHT NIBBLES
BRILLIANT BANG BANG CUCUMBER
CHEESY KIMCHI TOASTIE
GO-TO HOUMOUS
CRISPY TORN TACOS
POLENTA CHIPS
TORTILLA CHIPS & DIPS
PLOUGHMAN’S NACHOS
SIMPLE PICKLE
SUPERCHARGED BABA GANOUSH
SPEEDY DOUGH BALLS
CRUNCHY SUMMER ROLLS
EXCITING CRUDITÉS
GNARLY BLACK BEAN TACOS
CRISPY MOROCCAN CARROTS
BRILLIANT BANG
BANG CUCUMBER
TOASTED SESAME SEEDS, SOY, CHILLI FLAKES & LIP-SMACKING SZECHUAN PEPPER
SERVES 4 | 10 MINUTES
1 large cucumber
½–1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
½–1 teaspoon Szechuan pepper
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons low-salt soy sauce
2 tablespoons black rice or balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Scratch the outside of the cucumber with a fork to create grooves. With your fist, ‘bang bang’ the cucumber flat, then roughly slice up and place in a bowl with a really good pinch of sea salt. Scrunch up aggressively and leave for 5 minutes.
Bash the chilli flakes and Szechuan pepper in a pestle and mortar until fine, then muddle in and lightly crack the sesame seeds. Tip into a dry non-stick frying pan and toast on a medium heat until beautifully golden, tossing regularly.
Grab the cucumber with your hands and squeeze hard to remove any salty liquid, then transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the soy, vinegar and oil, then scrunch together and sprinkle over the hot sizzling seeds.
Wonderful with simple crisps and your favourite beer or spirit.
This method is also brilliant with bashed-up carrots (use a rolling pin), mooli or radish. Love it!
CHEESY KIMCHI TOASTIE
EPIC BRITTLE CRUNCHY CHEESE CROWN
SERVES 1 | 10 MINUTES
2 slices of soft bread
40g mature Cheddar cheese
40g quality kimchi
Place one piece of bread on a board and grate over a third of the cheese. Finely chop the kimchi and spread it over the cheese, right to the edges of the bread, then grate over half the remaining cheese. Place the second piece of bread on top, then transfer to a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until beautifully golden, then remove from the pan. Grate the remaining cheese and scatter over the surface of the pan, then place the toastie back on top. After around 30 seconds (or when the cheese is nicely golden), confidently lift the toastie up using a fish slice – the cheese from the sides will hang down and will harden after about 20 seconds – then carefully turn it over to reveal your handsome cheese crown.
Of course you can serve this for one, but I usually cut it up into soldiers and share it as more of a nibble, with a cold beer.
Sometimes I serve this with a little bowl of finely bashed unsalted nuts and dip the cheesy exposed sides for extra flavour and crunch.
GO-TO HOUMOUS
LOTS OF DELICIOUS WAYS
SERVES 6 | 5 MINUTES PLUS TOPPINGS
1 × 400g tin of chickpeas
2 tablespoons tahini
½ a clove of garlic
½ a lemon
extra virgin olive oil
4 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
smoked paprika
Drain the chickpeas and tip into a blender with the tahini. Peel and add the garlic, squeeze in the lemon juice and drizzle in 4 tablespoons of oil, then whiz until super-smooth or still with texture, depending on your preference. Loosen with a splash of water, if needed. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper, then transfer to a plate or bowl. This is my basic go-to houmous – it’s the plate at the bottom of the picture. To garnish, pick, finely chop and add the parsley in 4 little pinches, alternating with pinches of smoked paprika.
Travelling clockwise in the picture is go-to houmous with a decent dollop of harissa swirled into the middle. Simply delicious!
Above that: it’s quite nice to hold back some whole chickpeas from making the go-to houmous, then simply dress with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, place on top, and finish with a good spoonful of tahini.
And last but not least: go-to houmous topped with crispy black beans. Drain ½ a 400g tin of black beans and fry until popped and crispy, then add ½ a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and ½ a teaspoon of smoked paprika. Serve topped with finely chopped parsley and an extra pinch or two of paprika, sprinkled from a height. Yum!
Whichever option you choose, finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
If you can make the houmous using jarred chickpeas (super-tasty juices and all), they’re normally bigger and creamier, and the flavour and texture are phenomenal – it’s worth searching them out!
CRISPY TORN TACOS
SMASHED SWEET POTATO, APPLE & CHILLI SALSA
MAKES 4 | 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES
1 large sweet potato (300g)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 limes
1 ripe tomato
¼ of a red onion
4 sprigs of fresh mint
½ an eating apple
½ a fresh red chilli
1 large flour tortilla
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Scrub the sweet potato, dust with smoked paprika, and roast for 1 hour, or until tender. Meanwhile, squeeze the lime juice into a bowl. Deseed the tomato, peel the onion and pick the mint leaves, then very finely chop with the apple and chilli, and stir into the bowl.
Pinch off and reserve the sweet potato skin. Tear the tortilla into quarters, then rack up between the domes of an upside-down muffin tray, which will hold the tortillas in shape (they’ll be a bit irregular, but it’s all part of the charm). Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden and crisp, tearing the sweet potato skin on to the tray for the last 5 minutes. Mash the sweet potato and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper, then divide between the hot taco shells and top with the zingy apple and chilli salsa, and the crispy skin. Serve with a cold beer – what a treat!
Feel free to fill the taco shells with other mashed veg – squash, carrots and purple potatoes are all super-tasty.
POLENTA CHIPS
CRISPY ROSEMARY & PARMESAN
SERVES 8 | 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES PLUS SETTING
400g quick-cook polenta
40g Parmesan cheese
olive oil
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Cook the polenta in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. It’s ready when it comes easily away from the edge of the pan – you want a thick consistency. Remove from the heat, grate in and stir through half the Parmesan, then tip on to an oiled baking tray, forking up the top to give great texture. Leave to set.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Tear or cut the polenta into chips or chunky wedges, toss with a little oil, then spread out in a single layer on a couple of large non-stick baking trays. Roast for 50 minutes, or until beautifully golden and crisp, turning them and picking over the rosemary leaves for the last 10 minutes. Finely grate over the remaining Parmesan, then get stuck in.
To make vegetarian: swap Parmesan for vegetarian hard cheese.
Although I love the simplicity of the flavours here, you can add pungent things, such as tapenade, pastes, pesto or chopped herbs, to the polenta before setting, if you like.
TORTILLA CHIPS & DIPS
CHILLI & TOMATO, CHEESE, SPRING ONION & LIME
SERVES 2 | 15 MINUTES
2 spring onions
2 tablespoons light cream cheese
1 lime
2 large flour tortillas
1 fresh red chilli
100g ripe cherry tomatoes
olive oil
2 sprigs of fresh coriander
Trim and finely slice the spring onions and mix with the cream cheese, half the lime juice and a splash of water to give you a nice consistency. Roughly slice the tortillas and place in a large dry non-stick frying pan on a medium heat, ideally in one layer. Turn regularly until golden and crisp, then tip on to a plate.
Meanwhile, finely slice the chilli, quarter the tomatoes and season with sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil into the pan, place back on a medium heat, add the chilli and tomatoes and squeeze over the remaining lime juice. Stir vigorously for 1 minute, then tip over the crispy tortillas. Dollop the creamy dip on top, and pick over the coriander leaves.
Serve with your favourite beer or a glass of chilled white wine.
Smashed avo or a handful of warmed black beans and grated Cheddar make tasty topping alternatives.
PLOUGHMAN’S NACHOS
FLAVOURED BUTTER, MELTY CHEESE & ZINGY PICKLED ONIONS
SERVES 6 | 15 MINUTES
60g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 tablespoon HP sauce
½ a loaf of seeded bread
60g mature Cheddar cheese
6 pickled onions
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Fork up the butter and beat with the HP sauce. Slice the bread as finely as you can, spread with the flavoured butter, and place on a couple of large baking trays in a single layer. Very finely grate over the Cheddar, then bake for 10 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Finely slice the pickled onions and separate into rings, then scatter over the hot toasts.
Delicious served with sliced apple and a glass of chilled cider.
Smashed up, these tasty bites make particularly good croutons for soup, or form the base of a fantastic ploughman’s salad with crunchy lettuce and cress.
SIMPLE PICKLE
BEAUTIFUL SEASONAL VEG, COMPLEMENTARY HERBS & SPICES
MAKES 1 LARGE JAR | 15 MINUTES
500ml mineral water
500ml cider vinegar
500g vegetables, such as carrots, artichokes, radishes, cucumber, celery, mixed beans, asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, beetroot