300g quinoa
50ml vegetable stock or water
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 x 85g bags of watercress
25g fresh coriander
25g fresh chives
1 tablespoon salt
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
50g butter
2 tablespoons Bengali spice mix (panch phoran – see p. 237)
2 large red chillies, sliced
240g smoked trout flakes
6 hard-boiled eggs
paprika, to serve
Start by washing the quinoa and setting it aside to drain. Put the stock into a blender with the garlic, watercress, coriander, chives, salt and 2 tablespoons of oil, and blend to a smooth paste.
Heat the other 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium non-stick pan on a high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until they turn a dark brown. As soon as they do, turn the heat down and add the butter and Bengali spice mix – when the spices start to pop, add the quinoa and 1 litre of water and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Then lower the heat and leave to simmer until all the liquid has evaporated. Take off the heat and stir in the watercress mixture, sliced chillies and smoked trout flakes.
To serve, dish up the kedgeree and serve with the quartered eggs and a sprinkling of paprika. Any leftovers can be cooled and frozen (remove any hard-boiled eggs from these portions as they’ll go rubbery when frozen).
PIZZA PARATHA
MAKES: 12 TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR
We never really ate flatbreads or chapatis when I was growing up, so I didn’t know how to make them until my husband expressed a keen interest when we got married and told me his maximum was 14 in one sitting. That is incentive enough to make these delicious flatbreads. They look like parathas but taste like pizza, and they’re even better with a garlic and herb dip on the side.
For the parathas
600g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
8 tablespoons vegetable oil
280–300ml boiling water
150g butter, melted
For the pizza filling
80g tomato purée
1 tablespoon dried oregano
40g grated hard cheese (the kind you can find in pots to top your pasta with)
1 clove of garlic, grated
For the dip
100g cream cheese
50g yoghurt
1 clove of garlic, grated
a small handful of fresh chives, finely chopped
a squeeze of lemon
a pinch of salt and pepper
Put the flour, salt and sugar into a bowl and stir in the oil. Make a well in the centre and add the boiling water. Using a palette knife, because the water is still very hot, roughly bring the dough together.
Drop the mixture on to a work surface and knead until you have a smooth dough. This should take a few minutes. Pop it into the bowl again and leave to rest, covered.
Meanwhile you can make the filling and dip. To make the filling, put the tomato purée, oregano, cheese and garlic into a bowl and give it a mix. To make the dip, put the cream cheese, yoghurt, garlic, chives, lemon and pepper into another bowl, mix and leave in the fridge.
Roll the dough out into a long sausage shape and cut it into 12 equal portions. Roll each one into a ball and leave them in a pile on the side. Take one ball and roll it out to a circle as thin as you can get it – you should be able to see the work surface through the dough in places.
Take a teaspoon of the tomato mixture, which should be like a paste, and spread it lightly all over the dough. Roll the dough inwards like a Swiss roll, making sure to pinch and stretch it at the ends as you go along. Set aside and repeat with all of the balls of dough.
Take each dough sausage and roll inwards to create what looks like a cinnamon swirl, tucking the end into the base. Melt the butter and have a pastry brush at the ready. Now lightly flour the work surface and roll each paratha out to about a 3mm thin round circle.
Pop a non-stick pan on a medium heat. Place one paratha at a time in the pan and cook gently for 3 minutes on each side. Brush both sides with melted butter and leave on a plate, with a piece of foil over the top to keep them warm while you make the rest. Serve straight away with the dip, as a light lunch.
These parathas are best frozen uncooked, layered with baking parchment in between so they don’t stick.
These are delicious cooked and served immediately, but if you have more than you need, they freeze perfectly with a sheet of kitchen paper placed between each paratha. They will freeze for up to 6 months.
PIZZA PARATHA
Recipe List
TERIYAKI SALMON WITH MANGO SALSA
THAI RED PEPPER SOUP
COD ROE PTÉ
MUSHROOM MOZZARELLA BURGER
BENGALI BANGERS AND HASH SMASH
ROAST CHICKEN WITH LEMON COUSCOUS
HOOP FISH BAKE
PIRI DRUMSTICKS, CHIPS AND PEA SALSA
POUTINE
FISH FINGER ENCHILADA
MARMALADE HADDOCK
ONE-TRAY PEANUT CHICKEN
LAMB DANSAK
SHORTCUT BEEF PASTY
LAVA FRIES
BUTTERFLIED LAMB LEG WITH A RHUBARB AND ROSEMARY GLAZE
SLOW COOKER MUSHROOM LASAGNE
GRANDMAMA’S CURRY
BAO BUNS WITH SPICY TUNA
JACKFRUIT CURRY WITH NO-YEAST NAAN
PANEER KOFTA WITH VERMICELLI RICE
CHORIZO FISH STEW WITH GARLIC BREAD
TING MOMO WITH SOYA CABBAGE
CHICKEN SHAWARMA
‘TANDOORI’ OVEN CHICKEN WITH BURNT BUTTER RICE
HASSELBACK SQUASH WITH BURNT GARLIC RICE
TERIYAKI SALMON WITH MANGO SALSA
SERVES: 2 TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES
A good teriyaki is made even more delicious when the fish is left to sit in the sauce overnight in the fridge, but there is nothing to say that it can’t be instant. It can, and it should be. We can have delicious food and eat it straight away. Best of all, you can make this, have your dinner and put some fillets into the freezer for another day. And while the fish cooks you can mix up a quick mango salsa to go with it.
For the teriyaki salmon
150ml water
1 teaspoon cornflour
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons runny honey
1 tablespoon fish sauce
½ tablespoon ground ginger
½ tablespoon garlic granules
½ tablespoon chilli flakes
4 salmon fillets
250g ready-cooked basmati rice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying
white sesame seeds (optional)
For the salsa
500g mango chunks or a 420g tin of mango, drained
1 lime, zest and juice
1 tablespoon dried coriander or a small handful of fresh coriander, chopped
1 red chilli, frozen or fresh
Start by making the teriyaki sauce. Put the water into a bowl with the cornflour and stir until the water is cloudy. Now add the soy sauce, honey, fish sauce, ginger, garlic granules and chilli flakes, and stir. Add the salmon fillets and leave them to sit while you make the mango salsa.
Chop the mango into bite-size pieces and put into a bowl. Mix in the zest and juice of the lime and the coriander. If you are using fresh chilli, chop it finely and stir it in, or, if you have some frozen red chillies in the freezer, simply grate one in and mix.
Now cook the rice in the microwave as per the instructions.
Place a non-stick frying pan (ideally one with a lid, but a sheet of foil will do) on a medium to high heat and add the oil. Add 2 salmon fillets, along with half the teriyaki liquid. Leave the rest in the bowl for now.
Cook for 2 minutes on one side, depending on the thickness of the fillet, then flip over and cook for 2 minutes on the other. Make sure
that with all the honey in the sauce it isn’t sticking or getting too thick – if it is, just turn the heat down and give the sauce a stir. Turn the heat off and cover with a lid or a piece of foil. The trapped heat will steam the thickest part of the fillet.
Before serving, put the remaining liquid and the other 2 fillets into a freezer bag and stick it in the freezer ready for the next time you want teriyaki. Serve up the rice alongside the mango salsa, top with the rest of the salmon, and drizzle over the sauce with a small sprinkling of sesame seeds.
TERIYAKI SALMON WITH MANGO SALSA
THAI RED PEPPER SOUP
SERVES: 4 PLUS MORE FOR ANOTHER DAY TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES
Sometimes I want to eat something light and quick, and soup does not have to be laborious or long-winded, and even when you’re doing quick and easy you can plan for the week ahead. This recipe uses bits out of jars that, when put together, can make something altogether delicious. And while you’re making the soup you can be baking some spicy seeds to go on top and to snack on later.
For the soup
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 teaspoons garlic paste
4 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 x 480g jar of roasted red peppers, drained
1.5 litres boiling water
2 slices of bread, stale or fresh, the middle or the thick end
250ml coconut milk
1 tablespoon dried coriander
For the spicy seeds
1 egg white
450g sunflower seeds
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon caster sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic granules
50g desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon dried coriander
Start by making the soup. This is almost an all-in-one, whack-the-lid-on kind of job, but you will notice I said almost – everything benefits from cooking out, especially the Thai red curry paste.
First, preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C, ready for making the spicy seeds later.
Put the oil into a large saucepan and bring the heat up to medium. Add the garlic paste, red curry paste and salt and cook the paste out. If it starts to stick, turn the heat down and add a splash of water to stop it burning.
Meanwhile, drain the roasted red peppers. Chop them up roughly and add them to the curry paste mixture. Pour in the boiling water – this helps to speed up the process. Tear in chunks of the bread and bring back to the boil, then leave it on a rapid simmer.
Now make your spicy seeds. Whisk the egg white in a bowl until the mixture is foamy. Stir in the sunflower seeds, making sure all of them have an even coating. Sprinkle in the salt, sugar, paprika and garlic granules and mix well, without using your spoon (otherwise all the flavour will stick to it!).
Toss in the desiccated coconut and coriander, then spread the seeds on a baking sheet in an even layer. Bake in the oven for 10–12 minutes, but be sure to keep an eye on them – they will need turning halfway. Once the seeds are dry to touch, they are ready to go. Take them out of the oven and set aside.
Meanwhile add the coconut milk to the pan of soup, stir through, then whiz until smooth, using a stick blender.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle over some of those delicious spicy sunflower seeds and a drizzle of oil, if you like. There will be plenty of soup to freeze, and the best way to do this is in individual portions. As for the seeds, you will have plenty of those to sprinkle on whatever you like or just for snacking. Store them in a clean jar.
THAI RED PEPPER SOUP
COD ROE PTÉ
SERVES: 4+ TOTAL TIME: 30–40 MINUTES
I don’t always like having a sit-down dinner. I quite like simple things that can be eaten while watching TV. I’m pretty sure that’s the same for most of us. Busy lives sometimes mean quick dinners. This is really easy to make – it’s sweet with a hint of spice, and, best of all, I always make plenty to store in the fridge or freezer for another day. It uses tinned cod roe, something I don’t think we use often enough.
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
150g butter (salted or unsalted, whatever you have)
2 medium onions, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
3 x 200g tins of hard cod roe, cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon chilli powder
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
150ml double cream
To eat
crispbread or crackers or a plate of toast
aubergine pickle (that’s the one I like to eat it with), or a pickle of your choice
This is the simplest thing – at most, all you need is to take some time to cook the onions. Put the oil and butter into a pan and when the butter has melted, add your onions. Cook for 5 minutes on a medium to high heat until the onions are soft, then add the sugar and cook for another 5 minutes. You can also use crisp fried onions. Just omit the oil and use the butter only, on a low heat, as the fried onions already have oil in them and just need warming through.
Once the onions are a deep brown you are good to go. Mix in the cod roe, chilli powder, curry powder and garam masala, then, pressing down with the back of a wooden spoon, cook for another 5 minutes, until the mixture looks bone dry and the spices are well combined.
Put the cod roe mixture into a food processor along with the double cream and blitz until you have a smooth paste. You may need to add another couple of tablespoons of cream to get it really smooth.
The trickiest bit is deciding how much you will eat, how much you will save and what will be frozen. I like to eat my pâté warm with crispbreads and some sweet aubergine pickle. But before tucking in, take the time to decant some into freezer-safe tubs so you have pâté whenever you want – or it can be cooled, kept in the fridge and used as a sandwich spread (bring back to room temperature before serving).
The pâté will keep in the fridge for 3 days. Freeze leftovers in a tub or freezer bag.
MUSHROOM MOZZARELLA BURGER
SERVES: 6 ACTIVE TIME: 10 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 15 MINUTES
Anything eaten between two bits of bread is a winner. I always buy these enormous mushrooms and feel sad when I chop them up. They are so big and bold and it seems natural to keep them as they are. So here these massive mushrooms are grilled whole with loads of butter and loaded with mozzarella. Add some brioche and horseradish cream and you don’t even need any sides.
6 Portobello mushrooms, any long stalks trimmed
125g garlic butter (you can buy this, but to make your own just mix some softened butter with a teaspoon of garlic granules)
salt, to taste
2 large mozzarella balls, sliced into 6 large discs
6 brioche burger buns, halved
6 tablespoons horseradish cream
rocket, to serve
You will need a tray large enough to fit the 12 burger bun halves.
Preheat the grill on the highest setting or preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C. Place the mushrooms on the tray, with the underside facing upwards. This will allow for the butter to be soaked into the little gaps between the gills. Mushrooms are like sponges, and if they are going to soak anything up it should be garlic butter.
Divide the garlic butter between the 6 mushrooms and grill for 5 minutes, until the butter has melted and the mushrooms are slightly shrivelled.
Take off the grill and pop a bun base on top of each mushroom to soak up all that butter. Once the butter has soaked into the bread, remove the bun base and divide the mozzarella slices among the mushrooms. Put the bun base back on and flip over, so that you now have the dome of the mushroom facing upwards.
Put the burger bun tops on the same tray, cut side facing up, and grill for 2 minutes. Watch over them, as the brioche bread can toast very quickly. If you can’t fit them all on, toast the tops on a separate tray for 1–2 minutes.
Take off the grill and spread each bun top with some horseradish crea
m and a small handful of rocket leaves. Pop the top on the base and the buns are ready to eat.
This is a messy eat and loaded with butter, but I wouldn’t have it any other way, so enjoy it with a napkin. If you are saving these or have some left over, which I always do, they make great lunches. Wrap them individually in foil and reheat when you need them.
If you are saving some for the week ahead, be sure not to include the rocket leaves, as they wilt and don’t taste very good.
If you are making your own garlic butter, double the quantity and keep it in the fridge – it’s handy for lots of other dishes.
BENGALI BANGERS AND HASH SMASH
SERVES: 4 ACTIVE TIME: 15 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 25 MINUTES
I never ate sausages until I was about twenty-four. I was always curious, but I could never find any halal sausages, and then, when I did find them, they were always in huge packs of sixteen. So I always cooked more than I needed, even after having a full English. This is a simple cut-corners-type sausage and mash with all the fragrance of Bengali five-spice. I would put the spice in everything if I could, but I won’t. However, it does very well in this recipe, when you occasionally bite into a whole spice. We make two here – one for now and one for your freezer.
2 x 700g packs of frozen hash browns
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon Bengali spice mix (panch phoran – see p. 237)
16 sausages, cut in half lengthways (I like chicken sausages, but you can use your faves)
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