Category Archive for ‘recipes’ at spacekadet blog

Archive for the 'recipes' Category

Sloe and crab apple hedgerow jelly

Published on November 29, 2009 in Country Life, food and recipes. 0 Comments

If you’ve been keeping up with this blog, then you know I’ve been increasingly obsessed with the idea of “living off the land.” One of the best places I’ve found to forage for free food is in the hedgerows, particularly those lining the fields behind our cottage.

My American friends might be wondering - what the eff is a hedgerow? A hedge or hedgerow is a line of closely spaced shrubs and tree species, planted in such a way as to form a barrier or to mark the boundary of an area. According to Wikipedia, many English hedgerows are estimated to have been in existence for more than seven hundred years, originating in the medieval period.

As it turns out, many of the shrubs, trees and bushes used to create hedgerows bear edible fruit. For example, our nearby hedges have offered blackberries, nettles, rosehips, hawthorn berries, crab apples and sloes. And I’ve heard rumors of sweet chestnuts, hazelnuts, damson plums, gooseberries and wild garlic lurking in hedges I haven’t yet discovered.

Let’s be honest: I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to actually buy sloes and crab apples, but since they’re available, I feel compelled to use of them. Sloe berries are similar to small plums, but are a too tart and astringent for eating. Crab apples are also not exactly munching food. But boil the two together with a bunch of sugar and leave to mature for a couple weeks and something quite magical happens. The sloes’ astringency subsides and their plummy flavor really comes through. The seeds in the crab apple act as a natural pectin, which gels the mixture into a nice, deep purple jelly that goes particularly well with blue cheese, as well as almond butter and (I’m guessing) regular butter, too.

I used Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s template for hedgerow jelly, which can also be made with rowan berries, rosehips, haws or a mixture. Making hedgerow jelly isn’t a quick process. It takes time to pick the sloes and the crab apples, and anyone who’s made jam or jelly knows that it’s a slightly delicate affair involving things like jelly bags and sterile jars. But it’s all time well spent, and rewarding too: collecting food from nature and turning it into something extremely delicious, experiencing the whole process of food creation from start to finish.

Sloe and Crab Apple Hedgerow Jelly

Adapted from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s crab apple and rowan jelly.

Around 1kg sloes
Around 1kg crab apples
At least 1.5kg granulated sugar
Jelly bag (or a clean cotton cloth and a big sieve)

Wash the sloes and crab apples. Cut the crab apples in half, but leave in the cores - they contribute lots of pectin, which helps set the jelly.

Put all the fruit into a large, heavy pan, along with enough water (at least 500ml) to come about halfway up the fruit. Bring to the boil and simmer, stirring occasionally and crushing the fruit against the side of the pan, until the whole mass is soft and pulpy. Tip the mixture into a jelly bag (or a large sieve lined with a cotton cloth) suspended over a bowl, and leave to drain. If you want a clear jelly, just let the liquid drip through, but if you want to get the maximum yield and don’t mind if your jelly is a little cloudy, squeeze the pulp to extract every last drop of juice.

Measure the juice, then transfer it to a clean pan and add 750g sugar for every litre of juice. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then boil rapidly, skimming off any scum that might rise to the surface, until you reach setting point - you can measure this with a sugar thermometer: it’s 106C. Alternatively, after about 10 minutes of hard boiling, take the pan off the heat and drop a teaspoon of the jelly on to a cold saucer, put this in the fridge for a couple of minutes, then push your finger through the jelly. If the surface wrinkles, your jelly is ready. If not, boil for five minutes longer, then repeat the test.

As soon as setting point is reached, remove the pan from the heat and pour the jelly into warm, sterilised jars. Cover with a disc of waxed paper, then a lid. Leave for a few weeks to mature before eating. The jelly should keep for up to a year.

Roasted Carrot and Fennel Soup

Published on November 24, 2009 in food and recipes. 0 Comments

Crossposted to SmarterFitter.com

It’s been a while since I last posted. I’m not sure what’s been getting me down - maybe it’s the weather. We’re heading into a typically wet English winter. Wet. And dark. Sunset is at 16:06 today, which tends to eliminate all possibilities of pre- or post-dinner strolls. And the wind has been howling for days, bringing with it rain, farm smells and shifting food cravings.

Only a month ago I was a fiend for raw salads, but these days I seem to be looking for any excuse I can to turn on the oven. Roasted vegetables, hot stews and warming soups are the order of the day (and fresh baked bread to go with them). In fact, the cold season’s hearty vegetables almost make the English winter worth tolerating.

I was reminded of this a few weeks ago at The Bridge in London, where a former workmate was having a lunchtime birthday party. Like most English pubs, The Bridge’s lunch menu was a bit sparse on the vegetarian options, so I went for the soup: carrot and coriander. I have to hand it to the Bridge - their soup surprised me. It was perfect, bursting with fresh carrot and a lemony (I think) broth. It was simultaneously light and fresh but very satisfying.

The next day, I set out to recreate their carrot and coriander soup with my oodle of carrots from the Riverford Organic Box. But while searching for recipes, I found this one for Carrot Fennel Soup, which seemed to be a calling for the fennel bulb in my fridge that desperately needed a home.

Frankly, I can’t think of a better use for a fennel bulb and a surplus of carrots: this soup is dynamite! Roasting caramelizes the carrots and fennel, making for a sweet, rich soup that’s perfect for a cold winter’s day. Other bonuses: it’s easy to make, super healthy and unquestionably vegan.

Roasted Carrot and Fennel Soup

The olive oil drizzle isn’t totally necessary, but it does kick things up a notch!

2 medium fennel bulbs with fronds
1 pound carrots, quartered lengthwise
1 medium onion, quartered
1 garlic clove
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 1/2 cups water

Olive oil drizzle:
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in lowest position.

Chop enough fennel fronds to measure 1 tablespoon and reserve. Discard stalks and remaining fronds. Slice bulbs 1/4 inch thick and toss with carrots, onion, garlic, olive oil, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread in a 4-sided sheet pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

Blend half of vegetables in a blender with broth until very smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Repeat with remaining vegetables and water. Thin to desired consistency with extra water and simmer 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, finely grind fennel seeds in grinder and stir into remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Serve soup drizzled with fennel oil and sprinkled with reserved fronds.

Serves 4. Per serving (without olive oil drizzle): 174 Calories, 11.3g Fat, 14.8 g Carbohydrates, 4.4g Protein, 3.7g Fiber

Malted Grain Loaf: Best Loaf Ever?

Published on November 5, 2009 in food and recipes. 0 Comments

Crossposted to SmarterFitter.com

I’ve recently become hooked on the Channel 4 series River Cottage, a program featuring Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s adventures as a downshifted cottage smallholder. One of the show’s main aims is to inspire people to live a more sustainable lifestyle by making simple changes to their eating habits. A recent episode featured baker “Ted” who demonstrated to busy mom “Sarah” how easy it is to bake bread.

I’ve been baking my own bread for a while, but my technique primarily relies on the no knead method which, while delicious, doesn’t quite reach the crusty, artisanal heights that I want it too (it also doesn’t toast well for some reason). Ted’s malted grain loaf caught my attention - it looked crusty and delicious, with lovely slashes on top and a dark, but light and fluffy interior. Last Tuesday, I decided to attempt this recipe for myself, and already I’m on to loaf #2: this stuff is incredible.

I’m posting the recipe here, but I highly recommend watching the video to get an idea of how it should look at the various stages of the baking process. It’s really simple. And if you wonder if you have time to spend 10 minutes kneading dough - you do. It takes more time to go to the store and buy crappy bread. This stuff toasts like a dream. Is it the flour? Is it the balance of ingredients? Is it the oven temperature? I’m not sure, but I’m looking forward to experimenting with different flours to find out.

Malted Grain Loaf

From The River Cottage.

500g malted grain flour (I used Doves Farm Organic Malthouse Bread Flour)
5g dried yeast
10g fine sea salt
300ml warm water
About 1 tbsp melted butter, or rapeseed or olive oil
Rye flour, for coating (optional)

Combine the flour, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the water and mix to a rough dough (I recommend using your hands). Add the butter or oil and mix well. Adjust the consistency if you need to with a little more flour or water to make a soft, easily kneadable, sticky dough.

Turn the dough out on to a work surface and knead until smooth and satiny - roughly 10 minutes (or if you have a blender with a dough hook, use that). Cover the bowl with cling film and leave until doubled in size - anywhere from 45 minutes to 90 minutes, possibly even longer (here’s a picture of what it should look like when ready).

Deflate (’knock back’) the dough by tipping it on to the work surface and pressing all over with your fingertips. Then shape the dough into a loaf, dusting it with a little rye flour if you have some (the video demonstrates this very well). Transfer to a well-floured board, linen cloth or proving basket, lay a plastic bag over it and leave to prove, until almost doubled in size again.

Preheat the oven to 250°C/Gas Mark 9 (or at least 220°C/gas 7, if that’s your top limit), then put a pizza stone or baking tray in to heat up. Have ready, if possible, a clean gardener’s spray bottle full of water - you’ll be using this to create a steamy atmosphere in the oven, which helps the bread to rise and develop a good crust. (You can achieve the same effect with a roasting tin of boiling water placed on the bottom of the oven just before you put the loaf in - but the spray bottle is easier.)

Transfer the loaf to the hot tray, removed from the oven. Slash the top, if you wish, with a serrated knife. Put the loaf into the hot oven and give a few squirts from the spray bottle over and around it before closing the door as quickly as you can.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 200°C/gas 6 and continue baking until well browned and hollow-sounding when tapped - around 30 minutes.

Leave to cool completely on a rack before slicing.

Leek and Mushroom Tofu Tart

Published on October 17, 2009 in food and recipes. 0 Comments

Crossposted to SmarterFitter.com

I’ve recently become obsessed with pies and tarts. Is it because I own both a pie tin and a tart pan and I feel like I should use them? Is it because I like to eat food encased in pastry (a h3 possibility)?

Whatever my reasons, I’ve been particularly keen on making nice vegan tarts - a tough order when most pastry shells are based on butter. But practice makes perfect, right? So I’d like to report on my latest experiment in creating this vegan mushroom and leek tofu tart with millet crust.

This was my most successful tart yet (Tim’s words, not mine) and we ate it all up in a day. I think that means it was a success, though admittedly, it still needs some work.

What I liked about this tart:

The creamy leeks
The roasted tomato on top
The simplicity of the herbs and spices in the filling (only thyme, salt, pepper and a little lemon juice)
The texture of the filling - it held it’s shape nicely without being too dry
The crispy edges of the millet crust

What I didn’t like:

There was little contrast between crust and filling - I couldn’t really tell the crust was there unless I was eating the edge
Only one tomato - the tomato really shined in this dish but the sporadic slices left me wanting more

I won’t post a precise recipe, because it still needs some work, but I will describe my process for making it.

The crust

I wanted a wholesome crust with some bite and texture. Mark Bittman has a recipe for a Pinto Bean Tart with Millet Crust in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. The crust is dead easy to make, and the technique is easily adaptable to other grains like polenta and quinoa:

Heat up 1 tablespoon of neutral oil (like grapeseed or corn) on medium heat. Add the millet and, stirring constantly, toast until it is golden and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Add one cup of water and a good pinch of salt. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat, cover and simmer until its cooked.

Bittman says it takes 20-30 minutes to cook the millet, but it took mine quite a bit longer. You really want the millet to break apart so you end up with a porridge-like consistency. Its okay to have a few whole grains in there, but again, it should be more like oatmeal than rice.

There wasn’t quite enough of the crust to fill my tart pan, so I added a tablespoon of polenta and a splash of water to the mix. Finally, I let it cool a bit then pressed it into an oiled tart tin to form a crust.

Overall, it’s a nice crust, and probably better suited for a bean tart than a tofu tart. I also think it could benefit from being baked on its own for a while before adding the filling. An experiment for next time!

The filling

The inspiration for this was the growing pile of leeks in our fridge (courtesy of the organic veg box) along with some mushrooms that desperately needed to be used and an open bottle of white wine. I also took some inspiration from a few quiche recipes I found on the interwebs.

Here’s a summary of its parts:

3 Tbsp olive oil (give or take)
3 leeks, thinly sliced
5 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp dry white wine
8oz firm tofu
2 Tbsp soy milk
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp lemon juice
thyme
salt and pepper
1 tomato, sliced thinly

I heated the olive oil in a pan on medium heat then added the leeks and sauteed these for about 10 minutes until they were really soft. Then I added the mushrooms and cranked up the heat to max and cooked until the leeks started to caramelize. Then I added the white wine and cooked until it evaporated.

The tofu, soy milk, corn starch and lemon juice went into the food processor. I whizzed this up for a while, stopping a few times to scrape the sides of the food processes or adding a touch more soy milk until I achieved a consistency much like thick yogurt. I added this to the leek and mushrooms along with some thyme, salt and pepper. I checked the flavor and it seemed nice enough. Okay, it was delicious… I couldn’t stop taking nibbles of the irresistibly creamy mushroom and leek.

I took this mixture and pressed it into the tart shell, then added the sliced tomato on top. Finally, I brushed a little olive oil on the tomatoes and sprinkled them with salt, pepper and thyme.

I baked the tart for about 30 minutes at 350 F / 180 C. This is what it looked like when it came out:

What I’ll do next time

Either use polenta as the base or give this Easy Olive Oil Tart Crust a try from Chocolate & Zucchini
Cover the top entirely in tomato slices
Add more salt to the filling
Experiment with different herbs and spices in the filling

Inspiration for future tarts

This tart has definitely reinvigorated my pursuit of amazing vegan tart and pie recipes. A few projects I’ve got in mind:

Spinach and mushroom tart
A vegan version of my mom’s sweet potato quiche
Vegan pumpkin pie (though it’s hard to compete with my family’s traditional pumpkin pie recipe)
Some kind of sweet tart involving custard and fruit
More pies using this perfect oil pastry. I’ve used this for apple pie and I can vouch for its flaky goodness.

Really Good Chipotle Tomatillo Salsa

Published on September 6, 2009 in food and recipes. 0 Comments

We had a bbq with the neighbors yesterday and I wanted to serve an appetizer. Guacamole immediately came to mind, followed shortly thereafter by salsa. It all seemed meant to be when I remembered that I had some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and Hatch chopped tomatillos in the cabinet, recent imports from the USA. The guac was good, but the salsa was unexpectedly delicious! My neighbors said I should “bottle it” which made me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. I can’t wait to use the leftovers with some tofu breakfast tacos!

I think this was my first salsa success. I worked off of this recipe on recipezaar, substituting canned tomatoes for fresh and adding one fresh tomato at the end (I won’t do this next time - but it seemed necessary because the salsa was WAY too hot). The tomatoes get roasted with some garlic - I think this really makes this shine, plus the smokiness of the chipotles of course. I want to try this next time with fresh tomatoes, so I can get a bit of charred skin in there.

Word of advice: start with one chipotle chile then work your way up until the desired level of heat is achieved.

Chipotle Tomatillo Salsa

1 14oz can tomatillos
1 14oz can plum tomatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
5 cloves garlic, skins intact
1/2 sweet onion, roughly chopped
3 canned chipotle chiles
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
a small pinch of sugar
a good pinch of salt
1 large tomato, finely chopped
juice from one wedge of lime

Preheat the oven to 200C / 390F.

Pour the olive oil into a baking tray. Add the tomatillos, plum tomatoes and garlic cloves. Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is soft and the tomato juices have reduced a bit.

Peel the garlic and add that and the tomato mix to a blender or food processor, along with the onion, chipotle chiles, cilantro, sugar and salt. Pulse a few times until the salsa is fairly smooth. Poor the mix into a bowl.

Add the fresh tomato and lime juice. Taste and add more salt if necessary.

Let the salsa refrigerate for at least an hour or two to really let the flavors blend.

Vegetarian Red Beans and Rice

Published on September 1, 2009 in food, nutrition and recipes. 1 Comment

Crossposted to SmarterFitter.com

The picture on the left is the design on one of my favorite t-shirts. I love it. It’s a memento from New Orleans and its PERFECT. It really sums up a.) my personal affection for two of my favorite foods and b.) the the magic that can occur between these two simple ingredients. Remember, beans + rice = a complete protein (and a whole lot of love).

So in the spirit of Louisiana creole cuisine, last night I made up a big pot of red beans and rice (actually it was two pots - one for the beans, one for the rice).

Red beans and rice is traditionally cooked with pork bones or other meat such as ham or sausage, but I used a couple dashes of liquid smoke instead. The result? Wow. The two of us ate a four-serving pot with gusto. This is my new favorite comfort food.

The only thing that caught me off guard was the cooking time - almost 3 hours! But that’s what it takes to really blend the flavors and cook down the beans into a nice rich gravy. Plus, the prep time more than makes up for the cooking time - it takes about 10 minutes to chop the veggies, throw them all in a pot with the beans, then bring it to a boil. Then simmer for hours. That’s it! Serve it with some rice and simple steamed veggies and you’ve got yourself a cracking complete meal with very little effort.

Vegetarian Red Beans and Rice

Simple, nutritious, delicious. Adapted from this recipe on Recipezaar.

1 lb dry red kidney beans, soaked overnight
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 quart water
2-3 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups celery, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups onions, finely chopped
1 green pepper, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
a few dashes of liquid smoke
rice

In a large pot, place all ingredients except parsley and rice.

Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered for 3-4 hours or until beans are tender. Stir occasionally, adding water as needed to make a thick gravy.

Just before serving remove bay leaves and stir in parsley. Serve over rice.

Serves 8. Per serving (w/o rice): 211 Calories; 1g Fat; 39g Carbohydrates; 13.6g Protein; 0mg Cholesterol; 10g Fiber

Vegan Chocolate and Zucchini Cake

Published on August 31, 2009 in food and recipes. 0 Comments

While in Chicago, my family was not only cool enough to throw me a belated birthday party, but my sister even surprised me with a vegan chocolate and zucchini cake served with whipped soy cream and berries. Folks, this cake was incredible. We were all blown away. The combination of chocolate and berries was delicious, and the soy cream really rounded everything out.

She started with the recipe from Chocolate & Zucchini, then veganized it using some special kind of magic intuition I only wish I possessed. Luckily, she sent me the recipe. I hope I get a zucchini in tomorrow’s organic box so I can try making this for myself.

Vegan Chocolate and Zucchini Cake

For Cake:
2 cups Whole wheat flour
1/2 cup Cocoa powder
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Baking powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 cup Canola oil
1/4 cup Unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup Granulated sugar
1/2 cup Light brown sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Instant coffee powder
1.5 bananas (to replace 3 eggs)
4 Tablespoons Water
1/4 cup Soy Milk
2 cups Zucchini, grated
1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

For Topping:
3 Tablespoons Light brown sugar
1/2 cup Slivered Almonds, chopped

Preheat oven to 360F/180c for 15 minutes.
Grease and flour a 9 inch cake pan. You can use cocoa instead of flour.
In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour,cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Mash the bananas. Once mashed, add the water and mix together.
In a medium bowl add oil, applesauce, sugars, vanilla extract and coffee powder. Using a hand mixer beat the mixture at a medium speed for 3-5 minutes.
Add the banana liquid and mix. Now also add the milk and beat until well combined.
Reserving half a cup of the flour mixture, add slowly the remaining flour to the wet ingredients, while beating it in at a low speed. Combine the grated zucchini, chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of flour. Add this to the batter and mix it well. Note that the batter is thick at this stage. So don’t worry.
Pour the batter in the prepared cake pan and smooth it out using a spatula.
Prepare the topping by mixing the brown sugar and almonds. Sprinkle this mixture evenly on the batter. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.

Lentil and Quinoa Salad with Basil and Lemon

Published on August 4, 2009 in food, nutrition and recipes. 0 Comments

Crossposted to SmarterFitter.com

Lunch: Lentil and Quinoa Salad with Basil and Lemon

A quick post for a busy week…

This salad was a random creation inspired by Heather’s Quinoa Recipe. It was outstanding! Colorful and full of texture, and remarkably healthy with loads of protein from the quinoa and lentils plus healthy fat from the seeds and olive oil. It all comes together in one pan for an easy one pot meal that would be great hot or cold.

The quantities given in the recipe aren’t exact - like I said, I threw this together. Just do what feels right; it’s hard to go wrong!

Lentil and Quinoa Salad with Basil and Lemon

olive oil
1 shallot, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 handful of frozen sweetcorn
1/4 zucchini, diced
handful of chard, finely chopped
quinoa, cooked
puy lentils, cooked
handful of basil and parsley
squeeze of lemon juice
salad leaves

Saute the shallot in the olive oil until soft. Add the pepper, corn, chard and zucchini and saute until tender. Add the quinoa and puy lentils and cook until warmed through. Right before serving, stir in a good amount of basil and parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice. Sprinkle with toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds and serve on a bed of lettuce.

Broad Bean and Mint Soup

Published on July 30, 2009 in food, nutrition and recipes. 0 Comments

Crossposted to SmarterFitter.com

Broad beans are a popular summer staple here in Britain, so it’s no surprise they’ve made regular appearances in our weekly veg box from Riverford Organic Veg. I have little experience with these podded beasts, so last night I decided to take the plunge and try a broad bean soup off of the Riverford website.

The recipe appealed for both its inclusion of mint and its short list of ingredients. However, what it lacked in complication it made up for in prep time. The soup itself was a cinch, but podding the beans and then removing their tough outer skins was a beast. It’s definitely an exercise to be completed over a good podcast (or better yet, with the help of a few friends).

How to de-skin broad beans:

Pod the beans.
Cook them in boiling water for 1 minute.
Plunge them into cold water, to cool them.
Make a nick in the top of each bean, with your thumb nail.
Gently squeeze the bright green bean out of the skin.

Fiddly, but worth it. The soup was fab, and everything (except for the mint) was made with ingredients from the box.

Broad Bean and Mint Soup

This recipe comes from Anna Ross’s Green Cuisine, available for purchase on Amazon and Riverford Organic Veg.

500g (1lb) shelled broad beans
2 small onions
2 carrots
2 tbsp oil
1 litre (2 pts) vegetable stock
2 tbsp fresh mint
salt & pepper

Peel and chop the onions and carrots and saute in hot oil for 10-15 minutes
Stir in the broad beans and stock, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in the chopped mint, transfer to a liquidiser and blend until smooth.

At Last, We Have a BBQ

Published on July 24, 2009 in Country Life, food, photos and recipes. 1 Comment

Crossposted to SmarterFitter.com

The Fruit (er, Veg) of Our First Proper BBQ

Now that we have a place with an outdoor patio, I can finally enjoy the grill season in all its blackened glory. We’ve grilled the last four nights in a row, and some of those nights were even warm enough to dine al fresco.

When I tell people how much I like to grill, they often ask “what the hell does a vegetarian put on the grill?” Veggie burgers barely scrape the surface of possibilities. There are endless ways to cook vegetables on the grill and better still, it’s one of the best ways to make almost any vegetable taste really awesomely good. For a well-rounded, nutritious meal, add tofu and spuds to the mix.

At the bare minimum, all you need to grill vegetables is olive oil, salt and pepper. That’s all I’ve been using this week. Here are the results:

Grilled seitan, zucchini, tomato, and eggplant with boiled new potatoes:

Grilled eggplant and mushrooms with pesto and fresh parsley:

Sandwich of grilled zucchini, onion, mushroom, red bell pepper, avocado and tomato with grilled sweetcorn

Dinner: Grilled Veggie Sandwich and Sweetcorn

Chargrilled broccoli with chili and garlic

Chargrilled Broccoli witth Chilli and Garlic

The chargrilled broccoli was a revelation - I found the recipe in Ottolenghi: The Cookbook, a book that makes heavy use of grilled vegetables and I predict will become a regular read now that I have a bbq. The dish is simple to repair and the chargrilling really takes the broccoli to a whole new level. If you’re looking to cram more veggies in your diet but you don’t know how to make them taste good, give this recipe a go, and check out Yotom Ottolenghi’s blog for more ideas.

Chargrilled Broccoli with Chili and Garlic

This is adapated from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook. The only change I made is cutting down the chili to one, but feel free to use more or less according to your spice tolerance.

2 heads of broccoli
115ml olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 mild red chillies, thinly sliced
coarse sea salt and black pepper
thin slices of lemon (with skin) or toasted flaked almonds to garnish

Prepare the broccoli by separating it into florets. Fill a large saucepan with plenty of water and bring it to the boil. Throw in the broccoli and blanch for 2 minutes only. Don’t be tempted to cook it any longer! Using a large slotted spoon, quickly transfer the broccoli to a bowl full of ice cold water. Drain in a colander and allow to dry completely. In a mixing bowl, toss the broccoli with 45ml of the olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Get the grill nice and hot and throw on the broccoli. Turn them over so they get char marks all over. When the broccoli is finished, put them back in the mixing bowl.

Place the rest of the oil in a small saucepan with the garlic and chillies. Cook them over a medium heat until the garlic just begins to turn golden brown. Be careful not to let the garlic and chilli burn - remember, they will keep on cooking even when off the heat.

Pour the oil, garlic and chilli over the hot broccoli and toss together well. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Serve warm or at room temperature. You can garnish the broccoli with lemon or almonds just before serving.

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