Baked Gingered Rhubarb

Rhubarb and ginger go perfectly together in this super easy pudding to have with ice cream or yogurt.

Serves 4

500g rhubarb

50g caster sugar

1 tsp ground ginger

1. Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas6
2. Cut the rhubarb into finger length pieces, put into an oven proof dish with the sugar and ground ginger. Toss everything together and spread the rhubarb out in a single layer.
3. Cover the dish with foil and roast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until just starting to soften.
4. Remove the foil, turn the pieces of rhubarb over and return to the oven to bake for a further 5 minutes or until the rhubarb is tender and the juices are beginning to run.
5. Divide into bowls and serve with ice cream or yogurt.

Leek & Arbroath Smokie Soup

Arbroath smokies are delicious, use undyed smoked haddock if you can’t get them.

Serves 6

400g potatoes

2 large leeks

2 Arbroath smokies

15g butter

1 ½ ltrs whole milk

2 tsp vegetable stock powder

Handful of parsley, chopped

1. Clean and cut the leeks into 5mm slices, cut the potatoes into 1cm cubes.
2. Melt the butter in a heavy based pot and add the leeks and potatoes. Fry gently to soften, stirring from time to time.
3. Pour the milk into the pan, add the stock powder and bring to a simmer. Put a lid on the pan and simmer for 20mins.
4. Remove the meat from the smokies, pick through it carefully to remove the bones, trying to keep the fish flesh in bite size chunks. Set aside the flesh and discard the skin and bones.
5. Once the soup has simmered for 20 mins, mash well with a potato masher, or blitz to smooth with a blender.
6. Add the smokie flesh to the pan and simmer on a low heat for 10 mins.
7. Taste and add salt & pepper if needed. Stir through the chopped parsley.

Butternut Squash Hummus

I had a butternut squash in the fridge and wanted to make a change from soup for lunch. This is a winner!

Serves 4

600g butternut squash

2 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp ground cinnamon

Salt & pepper

2 tsp harissa paste

40g tahini

70g Greek yogurt

1 clove garlic, smashed & peeled

50g feta cheese

Coriander leaves to garnish

1. Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas6
2. Peel, deseed and dice the squash into approx 2cm pieces. Put into a roasting tin, sprinkle over the ground cinnamon, season with salt & pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and toss everything together well. Put into the oven and roast for 30mins.
3. Remove from the oven and tip the roasted squash into a food processor, add the harissa paste, tahini, yogurt and garlic. Pulse until you have a coarse puree. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
4. Tip onto a serving plate, swirl with the back of a spoon, crumble over the feta cheese & finish with a few coriander leaves. Serve with flat bread, vegetable sticks or savoury biscuits.

Hoisin Marinated Salmon with Edamame Rice

This is delicious, the hoisin sauce is slightly sweet, while the lime adds a sour note.

Serves 1

1 salmon fillet

1 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Zest & juice of 1 lime

Rice

¼ mug fragrant or basmati rice

¼ mug water

½ mug edamame beans

1 spring onion

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp black onion seeds

1. Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas6
2. Mix the hoisin & sweet chilli sauces with the zest & juice of the lime. Put the salmon into an oven proof dish, brush or smear the marinade all over the salmon. Set aside for 10 minutes.
3. Wash the rice, put into a small pan with the water, cover with a tight fitting lid, bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and cook for 10minutes.
4. Boil a kettle and pour boiling water over the edamame beans. Drain and set aside. Slice the spring onion finely.
5. Once the rice is cooked, put the edamame beans, spring onion, salt and black onion seeds into the pan. Stir well, then cover with a lid and allow to sit.
6. Put the salmon into the oven and roast for 10 to 12 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven, pile the rice onto a plate, top with the salmon and serve.

Cream of Roasted Squash, Carrot & Rosemary Soup

I don’t often make a cream soup, but sometimes carrots need something to give them body and make them less ‘carroty’. I don’t particularly like carrot & orange or carrot & coriander soup, so I cooked them here with squash to give thickness and rosemary for flavour. The cream just finishes the soup nicely.

Serves 6

600g squash, peeled & cubed

600g carrots, scrubbed & sliced

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 ltr vegetable or chicken stock

10g rosemary leaves, chopped

100ml double cream

Salt & pepper

1. Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas6
2. Put the onion, squash & carrots into a roasting tin, drizzle with oil, sprinkle over salt & pepper and toss to coat everything. Put into the oven and roast for 20mins. Remove stir everything round and roast for another 10mins.
3. Tip the roasted vegetables into a large pot, add the stock and rosemary. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins.
4. Puree with a blender, add the cream, bring back to the boil and check the seasoning before serving.

Steamed Cabbage & Quinoa

Very quick and easy to make a nice accompaniment to the Spice Crusted Chicken

Serves 4

1 mug quinoa

1 mug water

1 tsp vegetable bouillon

1 medium onion, sliced

½ cabbage or spring greens, sliced

1 tbsp oil

1. Put the quinoa, water and vegetable stock powder into a small pan with a lid. Bring to the boil, turn down to a low simmer and cook for 10mins. Once time is up, allow to sit with the lid on the pan until needed.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and fry gently to soften and brown a little. Add the cabbage or spring greens, mix the with onions and add a splash of water. Put a lid on the frying pan and steam for 2 – 4 mins, just until the cabbage is tender but still bright green.
3. Tip the quinoa into the cabbage mixture. Mix everything well, adjust the seasoning and serve.