Beetroot and walnut hummus (pictured above)
Prep 10 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 4
50g walnuts
1 tbsp cumin seeds
15g stale bread, crusts cut off
200g cooked beetroot (not pickled), cut into cubes
1 tbsp tahini (or nut butter, if that’s handier)
A scrap of garlic (no more than half a clove), peeled and crushed or grated
Juice of 1 lemon
A little rapeseed or olive oil
Salt and black pepper
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Put the walnuts on a baking tray and toast in the oven for five to seven minutes, until fragrant, then remove and leave to cool.
Toast the cumin in a small frying pan on a medium heat for a minute or two, just until they start to darken and release their aroma, then tip into a mortar or spice grinder, and crush.
Break the bread into small chunks, put it in a food processor or blender with the walnuts, and blitz to fine crumbs. Add the beetroot, tahini (or nut butter), garlic, a good pinch of the ground cumin, half the lemon juice, half a tablespoon of oil, a little salt and a good grinding of pepper, then blend to a thick paste.
Taste the mixture, and adjust the flavour by adding a little more cumin, lemon and seasoning, blending again, until you are happy with it. Loosen with a dash more oil, if you think it needs it.
Refrigerate the hummus until required (it will keep for a few days), but serve at room temperature with hot flatbread or pitta and raw crudités.
Macaroni peas
Prep 5 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 4
500g frozen peas or petit* pois
300g macaroni (or penne or fusilli)
50g butter
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
25g mature hard cheese, such as parmesan or a vegetarian alternative, grated
Chopped parsley, to serve (optional)
Salt and black pepper
Put a large pan of salted water on to boil for the pasta. Put the peas in a second pan, cover with water, bring to a boil and simmer for a couple of minutes, until tender.
When the peas are almost cooked, add the pasta to the large pan of boiling water and cook until al dente.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan over a low heat, then add the garlic and let it simmer very gently for just a couple of minutes, without colouring, then turn off the heat.
Drain the peas, reserving their cooking water. Put about half the peas in a blender with six tablespoons of the cooking water, the butter and garlic mix, and the cheese. Blitz to a smooth, loose puree, adding a little more water to loosen, if you like. Combine with the whole peas and season to taste.
Drain the pasta and toss immediately with the hot pea sauce. Serve with ground black pepper and a little more grated cheese. Finish with chopped parsley, if you like.
Rosemary polenta with tomato sauce
Prep 10 min
Cook 50 min
Serves 4
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for frying
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1 pinch dried chilli flakes (optional)
1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary leaves
150g quick-cook polenta
100g mature hard cheese, such as cheddar, grated
Salt and black pepper
For the sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 x 400g tins whole plum tomatoes
1 bay leaf (optional)
1 pinch sugar
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan on a medium-low heat, then gently sweat the garlic and chilli (if using) for two minutes; don’t let it colour. Add the rosemary and turn off the heat.
Put 800ml water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the polenta in a thin, steady stream, stirring all the time. Bring the polenta to a simmer, then cook, stirring often, for four to five minutes. Off the heat, stir in the garlic mix and cheese, and season. Tip out on to a cold surface (a plate or marble slab) and smooth out into an even, 2cm-deep disc or rectangle, and leave to cool. Once cold, cut into wedges or fingers.
For the sauce, heat the oil in a wide frying pan on a medium-low heat, then sweat the garlic gently for a couple of minutes; don’t let it colour. Put the tomatoes and their juices into a bowl, then crush with your hands; remove any tough, stalky ends. Tip into the hot pan, add the bay leaf, if using, bring to a simmer, and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring often and crushing the tomatoes with a fork, until you have a thick, pulpy sauce. Season with salt, pepper and the sugar.
Heat a trickle of oil in a nonstick pan on a medium-high heat and fry the polenta wedges/fingers for two to three minutes a side, until they have a light, golden-brown crust all over. Serve topped with the hot tomato sauce.
Oven-roasted roots frittata
Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr 15 min
Serves 4-6
About 600g mixed winter veg – onions, carrots, squash, parsnips, celeriac, beetroot, potatoes etc
1 large garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
8 medium eggs
1 tbsp finely chopped mixed herbs, such as curly parsley, chives and thyme
Salt and black pepper
About 25g mature hard cheese, grated
Heat the oven to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5. Prepare your chosen veg: peel onions and thickly slice; peel carrots and cut into 5mm-thick slices; peel and deseed squash, then cut into 2-3cm cubes; peel parsnip, celeriac and beetroot, and cut into 1-2cm cubes; cut potatoes into 1-2cm cubes.
Put all the vegetables in an oven dish about 23cm square. Add the garlic and oil, season, then toss to coat. Roast for about 40 minutes, stirring once halfway, until all the veg is tender and just starting to caramelise in places.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs with the chopped herbs and some salt and pepper.
Remove the vegetable dish from the oven, pour the whisked eggs all over the top and scatter the cheese over the surface. Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes, until the egg is set and the top is starting to colour. (If your oven has a grill setting, you can use it to accelerate the browning of the top.)
Leave to cool slightly, then slide the frittata out on to a plate or board, and serve warm or cold.
