Socca Pizza

A yummy pizza made with socca (chickpea) bread. 

To make the base: serves 2 

128g of chickpea/ gram flour 

235ml of water 

Olive oil

Whisk little by little the water into the flour and season with salt and pepper. Set aside for 30 minutes for the chickpeas to absorb the water. Put a little olive oil in a frying pan and fry half the mixture per pizza like a pancake until golden brown on each side.

To top the pizza base:

The quantity and type of ingredients are to your taste but it is nice to spread a tblsp of tomatoe paste on each pizza and top with cheese. I used tomatoe, tuna, olives, basil and Parmesan on my pizza. Grill for 5-10 minutes at 200oc or until golden brown and cooked throughly.

Broccoli and Stilton Soup

A warming winter soup made with chickpeas as a thickener. 

To make the soup: 2 portions 

1 small head of broccoli chopped

Water

Half a stock cube

2/3 of a tin of drained chickpeas

60g of Stilton cheese 

Cover the chopped broccli with water and sprinkle the stock cube. Microwave for 10minutes until soft. Add the stilton cheese. Stir until melted. Add the chickpeas and blend until smooth. Season to taste and serve with warm bread. 

Egg Fried Brown Rice

A very fragrant dish that uses lots of Asian flavours.

To makes the fried rice: serves 1 

1/4 of a sliced onion 

1 tblsp of sunflower oil 

Half a chopped small brocklie 

200g of cooked, cold brown rice 

50g frozen peas

50g frozen prawns 

1 egg 

1 small chopped clove of garlic

An inch cube of grated ginger 

Half a red chilli (de-seeded)

A handful of chopped fresh coriander

Soy sauce to taste 

Fry the onion and brocklie in the oil until cooked. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli. Fry until softened. Add the rice, peas, prawns and coriander stiring frequently. When the rice is slightly fried, add the egg while stiring. Season to taste with soy sauce, salt and pepper. Serve with more fresh coriander and a wedge of lime. 

Smoked Salmon and Cherry Tomato Omelette

A really simple but delicious lunch. The classic combination of smoked salmon and eggs works so well. I have used dried mixed herbs but fresh parsley would work much better if you have it.

To make the omelette: serves 1

A tbsp of olive oil 

1/4 of a sliced onion

3 eggs 

100g of smoked salmon

1 heaped tsp of mixed herbs or a handful of fresh chopped parsley 

11 small cherry tomatoes 

3 tblsp of milk 

First, fry the onions in a frying plan with the olive oil. Meanwhile beat the eggs with the milk and a little salt and pepper (not too much salt as the smoked salmon is quite salty) in a large bowl. Add the herbs, tomatoes and chopped smoked salmon. When the onion is soft add the omelette mixture and cook until half cooked on a medium heat. Heat the grill to 200oc and finish the omelette off for 5mins or until golden brown.

Sweet Potato Fish Pie

 

A warming hearty dish that is lovely served with peas or green salad.

To make the pie: serves 1 

1/4 white onion 

A little olive oil

1tsp of corn flour 

Half a cup of milk

Water

1/4 of a fish stock cube 

5 king prawns 

1 small fillet of white fish 

1/4 of a handful of fresh parsley 

200g of sweet potatoe 

Fry off the onion once finely chopped in the oil. Once soft add the corn flour and crumbled stock cube. Stir throughly. Add the milk and water little by little until a creamy white sauce has formed stiring constantly. Add the chopped parsley, chopped fish and whole prawns. Season to taste. Pour into a oven proof dish. 

Simply steam or boil the sweet potatoe. Mash and season to taste. 

Top the filling with the mash and bake at 180oc for half an hour or until golden brown. 

Chicken Satay Noodle Stir Fry

A very sweet and sovory stir fry. It's one of my favorites, made in minutes. 

To make the stir fry: serves 1 portion 

Half an onion 

Olive oil

A handful of frozen peas

1/4 of a brocklie 

A tablespoon of peanuts

1/2 a chopped chicken breast

35g of coriander 

1 tsp grated ginger 

1/2 a clove grated garlic 

1/2 a red chilli 

1 heaped tsp of crunchy peanut butter

1 heaped tsp of honey 

2 tbsp of dark soy sauce 

First put your noodles to boil in water for around 5 mins until nice and soft. Put a little oil in the pan and fry the onion, chicken and brocklie once roughly chopped until stightly soft. Add the peanuts, ginger, garlic and diced chilli and toast them off until golden. Add the peas until defrosted. In a seperate small bowl add the peanut butter, soy sauce and honey and microwave for 30sec so you can stir and combine together. Add the sauce and chopped coriander. Stir throughly. Serve with the noodles and garnish with extra coriander and a wedge of fresh lime.

Coconut, Raisin and Lentil Curry

This is a lovely mild and slightly sweet curry which suits my taste. If you like yours a bit hotter just add some fresh chilli. I served mine with basmati rice and spicy chutney. 

To make the curry: serves 2 small portions

1/3 onion 

140g of red split lentils 

1 1/2 tblsp of mild curry paste 

70g of raisins 

Half a small tin of coconut cream 

A tsp of coconut oil

Water

In an oven proof dish fry off the sliced onion in the coconut oil until soft. Add the curry paste and fry the spices a little. Then add all the other incredients and stir. Pour in enough water to cover two inches above the lentils. Cook on at 180oc for 1-2 hours or until the lentils have soaked up most of the liquid. Alternatively you could cook at a higher heat for less time but I think this curry is best slow cooked. 

Tuna Frittata

This is a delicious dish that can be changed according to what you have in the fridge. 

To make the frittata: serves 1 

3 new potatoes (cooked) 

4 cherry tomatoes 

2 eggs 

Half a regular tin of tuna 

3 slices of goats cheese or to taste 

A tblsp of olive oil 

Heat the oil in a small omelette pan until very hot. In another bowl chop the potatoes into small cubes, half the tomatoes, add the eggs, tuna and season with salt and pepper. Mix throughly. Pour into the pan and fry until half cooked. Add the goats cheese on top and grill for 5-10mins at 200oc or until golden brown. 

Loganberry and Apple Pie

This is a delicious pudding served with sweet vanilla custard or cream. 

To make the pastry: 

100g of margarine or butter

200g of plain flour

Water  

Put all the ingredients in a blender and add water until it forms a soft dough. Roll out and line a greeted pie tin. Bake at 180oc for 10mins lines with baking beans. Take this off half way through and bake until a white colour. 

For the filling: 

1 large diced cooking apple 

3 large handfuls of loganberrys or berrys of your choice 

Granulated sugar

1 tsp nutmeg 

1 tsp cinnimon

Mix all the filling ingredients together in a large bowl adding sugar to cover the fruit to your taste. I like it a little sharp. Pour into the pastry case and add more pastry to cover. I did a lattice pattern but you can alternatively cover the pie traditionally. Use egg wash to bind and glase the pie. Sprinkle sugar on top and bake for 25mins at 180oc until golden brown. Dust with icing sugar. 

Courgette, Spinach and Cheese Soup

A delicious soup full of green goodness. I serve mine with lots of finely milled oatcakes. 

To make the soup: serves 1 large portion

1 large courgette 

1/6 of an onion 

1/2 a clove of garlic 

3 cubes of frozen spinach 

1/2 an organic vegetable stock cube 

3 tblsp of cottage cheese 

Roughly chop the courgette and onion. Add everything else except the cottage cheese. Steam until soft (about 10mins in the microwave with a little water or 7mins in a steamer). Blend everything together adding 2 tblsp of cottage cheese and hot water until you reach your desired consistency. Finally add seasoning to taste and serve with an extra tblsp of cottage cheese. 

Pesto Stuffed Aubergine with Goats Cheese

A really nice vegetarian dinner. I like to serve this with wholemeal pasta. 

To make the stuffed Aubergine: makes 1 portion 

1/2 an Aubergine 

2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves

50g of frozen peas 

1 1/2 tblsp of pesto 

2 slices of goats cheese 

Bake the Aubergine until soft (25 mins at 180oc). Spoon out the flesh into a seperate bowl. Meanwhile steam the spinach until soft. Add the spinach leaves, frozen peas, pesto and crumble 1 slice of the goats cheese into the bowl. Mix and re fill the Aubergine skin. Top with the other slice of goats cheese. Grill for approx. 7mins at 200oc or until golden brown. 

Avocado on Toast with Fragrant Salsa

A really simple and healthy lunch. I mash half an avocado and top 2 slices of wholemeal toast. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

To make the salsa: 2 portions

1/6 red pepper

1/6 yellow pepper

1/6 green pepper 

1/2 a large tin of sweet corn

1/6 red onion 

1 tsp grated ginger 

1/2 tsp grated garlic 

1/2 a handful of coriander 

1/2 red chilli de-seeded 

1/2 green chilli de-seeded

2 tblsp of olive oil 

2 tblsp of malt vinegar 

Finely chop the peppers, red onion, coriander and chillis. Add all other ingredients and season to taste.