Plat du Jour

Chickpea and Tomato Soup

 

This is so easy to make and requires very little attention once it gets going. It's also a very quick dish to cook, so it's a good one to make if you're in a hurry. And it's heartwarming, which is just what's needed in this bitterly cold weather we're having at the moment. It will feed six and is lovely with a nice bit of warm ciabatta bread.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 leeks, thinly sliced

2 courgettes, sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 x 14 oz (400 g) tins chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato purée

1 bay leaf

1½ pints (900 ml) hot vegetable stock (from Marigold Swiss bouillon powder)

14 oz (400 g) tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

8 oz (250 g) spinach, finely shredded

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 oz (50 g) Parmesan, cut into shavings

 

Cooking Instructions:

Begin by heating the oil in a large pan. Add the onion, leeks and courgettes and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes (see photo below).

Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato purée, bay leaf, vegetable stock and chickpeas. Bring everything to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes (see photo below).

Add the spinach and a seasoning of salt and pepper, then boil for 2 minutes (see photo above). Remove the bay leaf, transfer the soup to a tureen, sprinkle over the Parmesan and serve with warmed ciabatta. 

Bon appétit!

Spicy Vegetable & Lentil Casserole

 

We had snow here this week, so it's been pretty cold. The blanket of whiteness and bitter cold put me in the mood for two things this weekend... listening to Bing Crosby and cooking with potatoes. So, this afternoon, to the sounds of my Christmas is Comin' CD, we got to work in the kitchen and cooked this filling casserole, which is adapted from one that I found in the vegetarian Christmas edition of the BBC's Good Food magazine. This recipe is simple to make and will feed six people if served with some basmati rice or naan bread.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp ground nut oil

2 onions, finely chopped

1 lb 8 oz (700 g) potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

4 carrots, thickly sliced

1 parsnip, thickly sliced

10 oz (280 g) cauliflower florets

3 large garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

2 tbsp curry powder (we used Schwartz medium curry powder)

1 tbsp tomato purée

1¾ pints (1 litre) vegetable stock

7 oz (200 g) red lentils

a medium-sized bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Cooking Instructions:

Begin by heating the oil in a large pan/casserole. Throw in the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the potatoes, carrots, parsnip and cauliflower florets (see photo below), and then cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the vegetables are golden.

Next, add the garlic, ginger, curry powder and tomato purée. Give everything a good stir about, then pour in the stock and bring it to the boil (see photo below).

Reduce the heat, pop in the lentils, cover the pan and then simmer for around 20 minutes, until the lentils and vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened.

Stir in the coriander and season with salt and pepper to taste (see photo above), then continue cooking for a couple of minutes. And you're done! Serve with basmati rice or naan bread, and add a dollop of soured cream or natural yoghurt if it takes your fancy.

Bon appétit!

Chickpea Curry

 

We've had a very busy week and have been rushed off our feet, so I fancied a quickie today (don't we all, I hear you say). This dish takes just over half an hour to cook, and there's very little preparation to do beforehand, so it's perfect when you don't want to slave over a hot stove for a week. You can adjust the hotness by using a chilli powder to suit your own taste, and you could add a blob of natural yoghurt if the mood took you. Oh, and it will feed four. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

 2 x 14 oz (400 g) tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 tbsp vegetable oil (ground nut or a similarly flavourless oil)

2 medium onions, finely chopped

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 inch (2.5 cm) piece of ginger, chopped finely

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp chilli powder (we used a hot one)

1 tsp garam masala powder

½ tsp ground black pepper

½ tsp ground cumin

14 oz (400 g) tin chopped tomatoes

bunch of fresh coriander

 

Cooking Instructions:

Begin by heating the oil in a large pan. Throw in the chopped onion (see photo below) and cook until it begins to brown, which should take about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and continue cooking for 2 more minutes.

Next, add the turmeric, ground coriander, chilli powder, garam masala, black pepper and cumin, give everything a good stir, then cook for 1 more minute (see photo below).

Add the tomatoes, cover and continue cooking for 5 minutes, then throw in the chickpeas and cook (still covered) for about 10 more minutes, stirring now and then (see photo below).

Add the chopped coriander leaves (see photo above) and you're ready to serve it with some basmati rice or naan bread. I told you it was easy!

Bon appétit!