Winter vegetable stacks with lentils and horseradish dressing
You can make all of these components ahead of time and just rewarm them for serving.
Serves 2
For the vegetables
2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp olive oil
1 small celeriac, peeled
1 large sweet potato, peeled
1 large beetroot, peeled
1 cauliflower, trimmed
Black olives, to serve
Roughly chopped parsley, to serve
For the lentils
2 tsp olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
100g brown, green or puy lentils, rinsed
250ml water
Salt
For the dressing
60ml apple cider vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1½ tbsp maple syrup
2 heaped tsp grated horseradish
Salt and black pepper
50ml olive oil
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Line three baking trays with baking paper.
2 Combine the rosemary, lemon juice and oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
3 Slice the celeriac and sweet potato about 2cm thick, and the beetroot 1cm thick. Brush on both sides with rosemary and lemon oil and season with salt and pepper, then lay the potato and celeriac on one baking tray and the beetroot on another. Cover the beetroot with foil and bake both for 35-40 minutes, taking the foil off the beetroot for the final 15 minutes.
4 Slice the cauliflower into 2cm-thick cross sections with the core intact. Lay slices on the last baking tray and brush with the oil on both sides. Season and put in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. Remove and set aside.
5 Meanwhile, for the lentils, heat 2 tsp oil over a medium heat. Cook the shallots for 3 minutes until soft. Add the lentils, then the water, topping up as necessary. Cook until tender – about 25-30 minutes. Stir in a glug of olive oil.
6 Whisk the dressing ingredients together, thendivide the lentils between two plates. Stack the vegetable on top, drizzle with the dressing then scatter with olives and parsley. Serve warm.
Recipe supplied by Laura Wright, thefirstmess.com
Brisket with turnips
Brisket is an underused cut. When marinated and cooked carefully it tastes fantastic.
Serves 4-6
1.2kg beef brisket, rolled and tied (ask your butcher to do this for you)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 litre chicken stock
2 large onions, cut into wedges
2 large turnips, cut into wedges
10 garlic cloves, unpeeled
50ml balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and black pepper
For the marinade
½ bottle red wine
A few thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp honey
½ garlic bulb
1 carrot, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 Put the brisket and marinade ingredients in a bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge for several hours, preferably overnight, turning several times to ensure the marinade is absorbed evenly.
2 Take the brisket out of the marinade, then separate the liquid and vegetables and set aside. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a casserole dish and brown the brisket quickly on all sides. Set aside.
3 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. In fresh oil, brown the vegetables from the marinade for about 2 minutes. Add the brisket and then the marinade liquid and bring to the boil. Add the chicken stock and bring back to the boil. Cover the pot with a lid and braise in the oven for 2–3 hours.
4 Mix the onions, turnips, garlic cloves, salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil in a roasting tin. About 30–35 minutes before the meat is due to be ready, put the roasting tin in the oven to cook with the meat. The brisket is ready if the meat offers no resistance when pricked with a knife.
5 Set the meat aside; strain the cooking juices, discarding the marinade vegetables. Put the juices and the vinegar in a pan and reduce to a thick sauce over a medium heat for 8–10 minutes. Check the seasoning.
6 When the veg are roasted, cover with 2 tbsp sauce to glaze, then add choppedparsley. Serve with the meat.
Angela's Kitchen by Angela Hartnett (Ebury Press)
Jerusalem artichoke and feta bread
This creates a wet dough and can be a little difficult to handle. If too wet, knead a little more flour into the dough before plaiting.
Makes 1 loaf
300g Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and chopped, plus 1 extra thinly sliced
60ml single cream
300g self-raising flour, sifted
Salt
60g cold butter, chopped, plus extra to serve
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary, plus extra sprigs fortopping
50ml buttermilk, plus 1 tsp extra for brushing
100g feta, crumbled
1 Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2 Boil the chopped artichokes for 20–30 minutes till tender. Drain and mash in the panwith the cream, then cool.
3 Put the flour and a pinch of salt into a large bowl. With your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour till it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the artichokes and the rosemary and stir to combine.
4 Create a well in the centre of the mixture, add the buttermilk and stir using a flat-bladed knife till a dough forms.
5 Turn on to a lightly floured work surface and knead gently to form an oval-shaped loaf. Divide into three equal pieces and roll each into a log.
6 Plait together, put on the tray, and top with the sliced artichoke, rosemary sprigs and feta, pressing lightly into the dough. Brush with the extra buttermilk. Bake for 30–40 minutes, until the bread sounds hollow when tapped. Serve with the extra butter.
Grow Harvest Cook by Meredith Kirton and Mandy Sinclair (Hardie Grant)
Celeriac, saffron and sardine gratin
The saffron gives an amazing colour and musty spice flavour to this dish.
Serves 6
4 garlic cloves
600ml single cream
A pinch of saffron strands
50g butter
2 large onions, thinly sliced
750g potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced
750g celeriac, peeled and very thinly sliced
A bunch of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
2 x 115g tins sardines in oil, plain or with chilli(piccante)
Salt and black pepper
Salad leaves, to serve
1 Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Crush the garlic cloves. Pour the cream into a small pan, add the saffron and crushed garlic, bring almost to the boil, and then set aside.
2 Grease a 38 x 28 x 8cm roasting tin with a little butter. Melt the rest in a large frying pan, add the onions with a sprinkle of salt, cover and cook for 5–10 minutes until soft.
3 Put the potatoes, celeriac, onions and parsley in the roasting tin. Add the sardines broken into large pieces, season, and mixtogether. Level the top and pour on the saffroncream. Place directly on the heat, bring to the boil, then cover with foil and bake in the oven for 15minutes.
4 Remove the foil and return to the oven for a further 25 minutes, or until the potatoes and celeriac are tender and the top is golden brown. Serve with salad leaves on the side.
Dinner at Mine by Annie Nichols (Kyle Books)
Caramelised fennel and blue cheese tart
This is an easy puff pastry dish: a little bit quiche, a little bit pie, a little bit tart.
Serves 4–6
3 large fennel bulbs, sliced
2 onions, sliced
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 medium potatoes, sliced to 1cm thick
100g blue cheese, crumbled
1 large sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry
3 eggs, lightly beaten
120ml single or double cream
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
Salt and black pepper
1 Fry the fennel and onion in olive oil over a low heat until golden and caramelised – about 30 minutes – stirring occasionally. In the last minutes add the fennel seeds.
2 Meanwhile, fry or grill the potato slices until golden brown.
3 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark4. Line a large, lightly greased tart tin with pastry, pierce lightly with a fork and trim the edges. Line with baking paper, fill with pastry weights and blind bake for 15 minutes.
4 Carefully remove the paper and weights, return the tart shell to the oven for 5 more minutes and set aside to cool.
5 Fill the tart shell with the potatoes followed by the blue cheese. Top with the onion and fennel mixture.
6 Combine the eggs, cream, parsley plus salt and pepper, and whisk. Pour over the tart and bake for 45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when inserted in the centre.
Recipe adapted from greekvegetarian.blogspot.com
Haddock and parsnip fish caskes with spiced parsnip cream
Thanks to the potato-based coating on these fish cakes, they are great for those with a wheat or gluten intolerance. They should have real texture so make sure they don't end up too mushy.
Serves 4
Vegetable, sunflower or groundnut oil for shallowfrying
1 parsnip (about 100g), peeled
½ tsp red chilli flakes
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp ground turmeric
150g haddock, skinned and cut into 1½cm dice
1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
50ml double cream
1kg Maris Piper potatoes
For the parsnip puree
25g unsalted butter, diced
2 parsnips (about 200g), peeled and chopped into 1cm dice
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
50g root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp curry powder
100ml vegetable stock
50ml single cream
1 For the fish cakes, place the parsnip in a saucepan of salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 5–8 minutes until tender. Drain, place a tea towel over the pan to steam the parsnip and set aside.
2 Put the chilli flakes, cumin seeds and coriander seeds in a pan and dry-fry for 1 minute over a high heat. Remove and transfer the spices to a pestle and mortar and grind to a powder.
3 Place the cooked parsnip in a large bowl, mash it and add the roasted spices. Mix together and add the turmeric, diced haddock and fresh coriander, plus enough double cream to combine. Separate the mixture into 8 and roll each part into a ball shape between your hands. Place in the fridge.
4 For the parsnip puree, melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the diced parsnip, fresh chilli, garlic and ginger. Fry for 2 minutes over a medium heat, then add the curry powder.
5 Pour in the vegetable stock and simmer to reduce the liquid by a third. Pour the mixture into a blender, add the single cream and liquidise until smooth, then set aside.
6 Peel the potatoes and grate them using a fine grater. Wrap in a piece of muslin or kitchen paper and squeeze out any excess water.
7 Place a sheet of clingfilm on the work surface and tip the grated potatoes on to it. Put another sheet of clingfilm on top and use a rolling pin to roll out until you have a very thin layer of grated potatoes. Remove the top sheet of clingfilm.
8 Remove the fish cakes from fridge. Taking each fish cake individually, encase it in the grated potato, covering it completely.
9 Heat about 1cm of oil in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat. Fry the fish cakes for 3-4 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown. To serve, warm the parsnip puree through gently in a saucepan over a lowheat and then spoon the purée over the fishcakes.
Recipe supplied byRichard Corrigan, Cookery School
Winter caponata
Here parsnips are used to give sweetness to the caponata. Blanching the vegetables first concentrates the taste and makes a real difference to the texture.
Serves 4
6 large eggs, hard-boiled and chopped
100ml white wine vinegar
1 parsnip, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
6 spring onions, sliced
Olive oil
12 small artichoke hearts, thinly sliced
6 medium onions, sliced
60ml tomato puree
Salt
2 tbsp sugar
16 pitted green olives, chopped
60g capers, rinsed and drained
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Hard boil the eggs, then leave to cool.
2 Bring a pan of water to the boil with 70ml of the vinegar. Blanch the parsnip, carrot, celery and spring onions, one vegetable at a time for a minute, remove then drain.
3 Heat about 1½cm olive oil in a frying pan that will transfer to the oven. Gently fry the artichoke hearts, then drain and set aside. Repeat with all the other veg.
4 Finally, put the sliced onions into the pan and fry until golden. Add the tomato puree and salt to taste.
5 Mix the sugar with the remaining vinegar and add to the pan. Stir for a minute, then replace the veg along with the olives and capers. Stir, take off the heat, then bake in the oven for about 5 mins. Scatter with the eggs.
Recipe supplied by Giorgio Locatelli
Carrot cake with bananas and dates
This cake is sweetened with dates and bananas, so doesn't need any sugar.
Makes 1 loaf
200g wholewheat flour
1½ tsp cinnamon
2½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
75g walnuts, finely chopped
50g dates, seeded and finely chopped
115g unsalted butter, melted
3 ripe bananas, mashed
3 medium carrots, grated
140g plain Greek yoghurt
2 eggs, whisked
For the icing
170g cream cheese (at room temperature)
3 tbsp maple syrup (or to taste)
1 Preheat oven to 180C/350F/gas mark4. Butter a 20 x 20cm tin and line with bakingpaper.
2 Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Stir in the walnuts and setaside.
3 Stir the dates into the melted butter.
4 In a separate bowl combine the bananas and carrots. Stir in the date-butter mixture, breaking up any date clumps as you go. Whisk in the yoghurt and eggs.
5 Add the flour mixture and stir until everything comes together. Spoon into the tin and bake for 45-50 minutes.
6 For the icing, whisk together the cream cheese and maple syrup. Wait until the cake has cooled before icing.
Recipe supplied by Heidi Swanson, 101cookbooks.com
Beetroot and lamb curry (chukhandar gosht)
The sweet and earthy beetroots, tender meat and tamarind make this curry a wonderful sweet-and-sour experience. For a vegetarian version try potatoes instead of lamb.
Serves 3-4
Vegetable oil
400g beetroots, peeled and cubed
1 cardamom pod
½ cinnamon stick
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
300g red onion, sliced
500g lamb or mutton, diced
1½ tbsp ginger and garlic paste
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp redchillipowder
2 tsp ground coriander
75g tomatoes, sliced
1 tsp garam masala
10g tamarind pulp, dissolved in 60ml water
Salt
Mint and coriander leaves, to garnish
1 Add 1 tbsp of oil to a frying pan and cook the beetroot until lightly browned. Set aside.
2 Add more oil, then fry the first batch of spices and bay leaf. Once they splutter, add the onion and cook until lightly browned.
3 Add the meat and cook until browned. Tip in the ginger and garlic paste, turmeric, red chilli powder and coriander.
4 Cook the remaining spices until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook until they completely dissolve, then add the garammasala.
5 Add the beetroot and 500ml water, then cook until the meat is tender – about 1-1½ hours. Stir in the tamarind water, then add salt to taste.
6 Garnish with mint and corianderleaves, then serve with rice, roti or naan.
Recipe supplied by Kulsum Kumwa, journeykitchen.com
Roast Jerusalem artichokes, olives and watercress
Jerusalem artichokes seem to come from a different time, with their knobbly rustic look, and then they can turn into something so glamourous (apart from the farting).
Serves 4
12 Jerusalem artichokes
5 garlic cloves, peeled
5 shallots, peeled and cut in half
60ml olive oil
Salt and black pepper
A handful of green olives
2 bunches of watercress, picked and washed
For the dressing
1 garlic clove
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
100ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark4. Scrub the artichokes thoroughly, halve, anddry.
2 Mix the artichokes, garlic and shallots on a baking tray and coat with olive oil then season with salt and pepper. Roast for 40 minutes until tender (but be careful, don't burn the garlic). Add the olives for the final 10 minutes.
3 Leave to cool, then mix with the watercress and a little dressing.
You're All Invited by Margot Henderson (Penguin Fig Tree)
