Sides Recipes

Sides and Salads

My Travelling Kitchen Kimberly Parsons

Sides

Sides and Salads


Sides and Salads


Perfect Roast Potatoes Baked Potatoes with Wild Rocket Potato Rosti Hasselback Potatoes Sweet Potato Mash with Tamari, Maple Syrup & Chilli Roasted Sweet Potato with Pecan & Maple Syrup Butternut Squash with Pecans & Blue Cheese Char-Grilled Vegetables Lemon Braised Vegetables Cannellini Bean Puree Parsnip Mash with Thyme, Mustard & Crème Fraiche Fennel Gratin Roasted Fennel with Parmesan Crust Warm Vegetables with White Beans The Creamiest White Beans & Leeks Zucchini, Prosciutto & Mint Marinated Tomatoes & Zucchini with Fresh Mint Tomatoes Stuffed with Rice Herb & Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes Oven Roasted Vine Tomatoes Eggplant Parmigiana Carrots with Thyme, Cumin & Orange Butter Crunchy Sweet & Sour Carrots & Peas Green Peas cooked with Prosciutto Green Beans cooked in Tomato Lentils Braised in Red Wine

Sides and Salads


In my opinion, choosing a side dish to accompany your main meal can be quite difficult. It’s not as simple as

‘meat and three veg’ these days. And quite often a side dish can make or break your main meal. Everything

should compliment each other on the palate. The flavours, textures, colours and presentation are all so

important to providing a perfectly delicious meal. So my advice is to be adventurous when it comes to side

dishes. Vegetables are one of our richest sources of nutrients and should be used in abundance. So embrace

the ‘greens’, go with it and enjoy!

Sides and Salads


Sides and Salads


Perfect Roast Potatoes

Is there anything more perfect than a

good roast potato? An essential

accompaniment to any roast dinner. I love

the crispiness of these roast potatoes. If

you don’t have duck fat to hand then use

copious amounts of good quality olive oil

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 kg small Dutch cream or small Sebago

potatoes, scrubbed and halved

100 gm duck fat

1 garlic head, cloves separated

2 tbsp rosemary leaves

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 200C. Place potatoes in a large saucepan of cold salted water, bring to the boil over high heat

and cook until just starting to soften (8-10 minutes), drain immediately and return to saucepan. Shake pan

vigorously to roughen edges of potato.

Heat duck fat in oven in a roasting pan large enough to hold potatoes in a single layer until very hot (4-5

minutes). Add potatoes, garlic and rosemary to pan, shake carefully to coat in duck fat, season generously and

roast until dark golden and crisp (25-30 minutes), serve immediately.

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Baked Potatoes with Wild Rocket Serves 8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

150ml cream

500g small pontiac or desiree potatoes, scrubbed and halved


100g wild rocket leaves, stems trimmed

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the garlic and cook until golden,

20-30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream. Place the potatoes in an oven proof dish

and pour the cream mixture over the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and cover with aluminium foil.

Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for a further 20 minutes or until soft. To serve, transfer

the potatoes to a serving dish, sprinkle the rocket leaves over the top and serve.

Potato Rosti Serves 4

Ingredients

1kg potatoes, whole and unpeeled.

1 onion, very finely sliced

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

125ml olive oil

Method

Put the whole potatoes into a large saucepan of salted water. Allow the potatoes to cool, and then grate them

into a large bowl. Add the onion, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Heat some of the oil – about 1 cm – in a

frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add 1 heaped tablespoon of the mixture and press down to form a

little cake. Fry until the rosti are golden on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm in a low oven.

Add the next batch to the frying pan and follow the same method until you have used all the mixture. As you

fry, add more oil and adjust the heat as necessary. Arrange on a platter. Serve hot with cured meats or cheese.

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Hasselback Potatoes Serves 6

Ingredients

18 medium oval-shaped potatoes, about 125g each, or 36 new potatoes, approx. 60g each

45g butter



Method

If you’re using the larger potatoes, preheat the oven to 210°C/gas mark 7; for roasting new potatoes, preheat

to 200°C/gas mark 6. Put each potato, in turn, in the bowl of a wooden spoon, like you would carry an egg in

an egg-and-spoon race, and cut across at about 3mm intervals. When you’ve cut them all, put the baking tin

on the hob with the butter and oil and heat up till sizzling. Turn the potatoes well, putting them in upside

down (ie, cut side down) first, then the right side up, and spoon the butter and oil over them.

Sprinkle each potato well with salt and freshly ground black pepper and put in the oven: cook the large

potatoes for about an hour and 10 minutes, testing to see whether the flesh is soft (you may need another 10

minutes for this); 40 minutes should be fine for the new potatoes. Transfer to a warmed plate, and serve.

Roast Potatoes with Garlic & Rosemary

Serves 6

Ingredients

About 1.5kg potatoes


2 peeled crushed garlic

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

2 sprigs fresh sage

Salt and pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C. Peel the potatoes, rinse and cut them into chunks about the size of an unshelled

walnut. Put them into an overproof dish and add the herbs and olive oil. Mix well to coat al the potatoes and

put into the hot oven. Roast for about 45-60 minutes, tossing them over a couple of times. The potatoes

should be golden and crispy outside and soft inside. Remove from the oven and scatter with a little salt and

pepper. Serve immediately.

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Sweet Potato Mash with Tamari, Maple Syrup & Chilli

Sweet Potato in my opinion far outweighs normal potatoes in every way. I love their flavour, soft texture and

ability to blend with so many rich flavours. Roasting them whole in their skins is one of my favourite

accompaniments to a roast meal. These 2 recipes are used regularly in my kitchen. I love the flavour of Maple

syrup with sweet potato; it creates an amazing sweet velvety flavour which compliments Moroccan flavours

perfectly.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes

1 small red chilli, halved


Small bunch of coriander, washed

50g unsalted butter

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)

2 tbsp maple syrup

Method

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into rough chunks, then place in a saucepan and add the chilli. Pour in enough

cold water to cover, add a good pinch of salt and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Lower the heat and

simmer for about 15 minutes until the sweet potato is really tender and falling apart. Drain in the colander.

Tip the sweet potatoes and chilli into a blender or food processor. Add the coriander leaves and stems, butter,

olive oil, tamari and maple syrup and puree until very smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning. The puree

should have a deep, sweet, hot velvety flavour. If necessary, return to the pan and reheat gently, stirring to

serve.

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Sides and Salads


Roasted Sweet Potato with Pecan & Maple Syrup Serves 4

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes (about 850g in total)

3 tbsp olive oil

35g pecan nuts

4 spring onions, roughly chopped

4 tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander

¼ tsp dried chilli flakes

35g sultanas

Salt and pepper

Dressing:

4 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp sherry vinegar

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp orange juice

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

½ tsp ground cinnamon

Method

Preheat the oven to 190. Start with the sweet potatoes. Don’t peel them! Cut them into 2cm cubes, spread

them out on a baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with some sea salt and pepper, mix well with

your hands and then roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, until just tender. Turn them over gently half way

through cooking. In a separate baking tray, toast the pecans for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and chop

roughly. To make the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl with some salt and pepper.

Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. When the sweet potatoes are ready, transfer them to a large bowl

while still hot. Add the spring onions, parsley coriander, chilli pecans and sultanas. Pour the dressing over and

toss gently to blend, then season to taste. Serve at once or at room temperature.

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Sides and Salads


Butternut Squash with Pecans & Blue Cheese

This recipe can easily be turned into a lovely salad. Just add some chard or rocket leaves and toss through and

serve with a drizzle of olive oil.

Serves 6–8

Ingredients

2kg butternut squash

3 x 15ml tablespoons olive oil

6 stalks fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

100g pecans

125g Roquefort or other blue cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Halve the squash, leaving the skin on, and scoop out the seeds, then cut into

2.5cm cubes; you don’t need to be precise, just keep the pieces uniformly small. Put the squash into a

roasting tin with the oil. Strip the leaves from 4 stalks of thyme, and sprinkle over the butternut squash. (If you

can’t get fresh thyme, use dried.) Roast in the oven for about 30–45 minutes or until tender. Once out of the

oven, remove the squash to a bowl and scatter the pecans and crumble the cheese over it, then toss

everything together gently. Check seasoning and add the last of the thyme, torn into small sprigs to decorate.

Char-Grilled Vegetables

Ingredients

1 aubergine

3 courgettes

2 yellow peppers & 2 red peppers

2 garlic cloves

Handful of torn basil leaves and a small handful chopped parsley

2 tbsp baby capers

Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Method

Slice the aubergine and courgettes lengthways, about 3mm thick. Brush with oil and char-grill in a pan or on

coals then set aside. Grill the peppers in the oven or over coals until blackened almost all over. Put in a plastic

bag and seal for a few minutes. When the peppers are cool enough to handle remove from the bag and peel

off the skin. Top and tail the peppers and remove the seeds and pith, then slice thinly lengthways. Put all of

the veg into a large bowl and toss with the garlic, herbs, capers and a good drenching of oil. Leave to marinate

for a couple of hours and then drizzle with balsamic before serving.

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Lemon Braised Vegetables Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients

12 small kipler potatoes

1 bunch baby carrots, trimmed of tops

6 sticks celery, chopped

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 lemons, juiced

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic chives

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C. scrub the potatoes and carrots and remove any blemishes. If the carrots are too

large, cut them in half. Put them into a casserole dish with the celery, olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and 125ml

(1/2 cup) of water. Cover and put in the oven for 2 hours. When cooked, scatter with the garlic chives. Serve

with roasted chicken or baked whole fish.

Cannellini Bean Puree Serves 6-8 as a side dish

Ingredients

400g dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight in cold water

1 small carrot

1 small celery stalk

1 small onion

3 or 4 sage leaves

125ml olive oil

1 garlic clove, lightly crushed with the flat of a knife

2 small sprigs of rosemary

Method

Drain and soak beans and put them into a large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Remove the

scum that rises to the surface with a slotted spoon and lower the heat slightly. Add the whole carrot, celery,

onion and sage leaves. Cook for about 1 ¼ hours, or until the beans are tender. Remove the beans from the

heat and remove as much of the carrot, celery, onion and sage bits as you can manage. Meanwhile, put the

olive oil in a saucepan with the garlic, rosemary sprigs and some ground black pepper. Heat until the oil is well

flavoured and you can smell the garlic and rosemary taking care that they don’t burn. Leave to cool. Drain the

beans, keeping the water. Puree the beans and about 125-250ml of the bean water in a blender or with a hand

held mixer directly in the saucepan. You should land up with a very smooth, thick puree that is not too dense.

If it seems to be too liquid, put it back over the heat in a saucepan to thicken it a bit, stirring all the time.

season to taste and serve warm, drizzled with the flavoured oil.

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Parsnip Mash with Thyme, Mustard & Crème Fraiche Serves 4

Ingredients

1 kg parsnips


4 thyme sprigs

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

50g unsalted butter

2 tbsp crème fraiche

Pinch of finely grated nutmeg

Method

Peel and roughly chop the parsnips. Place in a saucepan, cover with cold water and add a good pinch of salt

and the thyme sprigs. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, then turn down the heat and simmer for 15

minutes until the parsnips are really tender when pieced with a fork. Remove from the heat and drain in a

colander. Discard the thyme sprigs. Tip the hot parsnips into a blender of food processor and add the

mustard, butter, crème fraiche and nutmeg. Whiz to a smooth puree. Check for seasoning – you’ll probably

need to add a little salt and a generous grinding of pepper. If the puree needs to be warmed through, return to

the pan and stir over a low heat to reheat before serving.

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Sides and Salads


Fennel seems to be an acquired taste. I personally love fennel. I love its smell, aniseed flavours, even the way it

grows! It is easily my favourite vegetable and I often eat it raw as a snack. My mother used to send me off to

school with a baby fennel bulb in my lunchbox. It didn’t bother me when my lunchbox became the laughing

stock of the playground in my school days. Everyone would glance into my lunchbox to examine what

interesting and seemingly disgusting treats my mother had packed up for me each day. But I loved my

lunchbox. I devoured dried figs, whole halved avocados and the bulb of fennel, saving the sweet centre parts

for the very end.

My Nonna would always produce a bowl of fennel leaves drizzled with olive oil and vinegar to the centre of the

dinner table after our main meal. Fennel is a fantastic digestive, hence the Italians chewing on a few leaves

after their heavy main course. I use fennel in many ways in my kitchen. I equally love it cooked as I do raw.

Roasted fennel takes on a lovely mellowed flavour and raw it sustains it amazing aniseed flavour.

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Sides and Salads


Fennel Gratin Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients

5 fennel bulbs

60g flour

120g butter

375ml milk

Nutmeg

60g grated parmesan

Method

Trim and wash the fennel and then place whole in to a large pan of boiling water until tender. Preheat oven to

180. Drain the fennel and slice in half lengthways and then cut into thick slices vertically so the pieces remain

in tact. Put the flour on a plate and roll each segment on the flour and then place in a buttered baking dish in

a single layer. Season and add the milk. Dot with the butter and sprinkle over the parmesan. Generously grate

a nutmeg over the top and bake for at least half an hour or until golden with a thick sauce.

Roasted Fennel with Parmesan Crust

This is simple and tasty. Prepare when fennel is abundant as it is then very economical. You must invest in

good olive oil and parmesan.

Per Person

Ingredients

1 fennel bulb (according to size and whether you are serving this as part of an antipasto array, as a first

course or as a vegetable accompaniment)

10ml olive oil, approx

10ml lemon juice, approx

Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

20g parmesan, grated

Method

Cut the fennel bulb across the bottom and take the leafy part off the top (keep some of the little leafy tips to

garnish if you wish). Cut into pieces, either quarters or halves, depending on the size of the fennel. Arrange in

a baking dish, or in individual casserole dishes, if serving as an entrée. Pour over the oil, lemon and salt and

pepper. Bake in moderate oven for approx 40 minutes. After ten minutes, baste with pan juices and cover.

Check whilst cooking and baste again. Shortly before serving, coat the top of the fennel with parmesan. Put

under salamander or grill and gratinate the cheese lightly. The subtle taste of fennel is best enjoyed when not

too hot. One method is to precook the fennel, leave until time to serve then gratinate quickly, this means that

the top will be bubbling and hot, but the fennel itself will not be too hot. Extra lemon can be offered.

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Baked Fennel with Cream, Pancetta & Parmesan

This recipe also works well with Potato instead of the fennel

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 large fennel bulbs (or 4-5 small bulbs)

Plain flour for dusting

100g butter, plus extra for greasing

150g pancetta

4 tablespoons double cream

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

150g freshly grated parmesan cheese

Method

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Remove and discard the thick outer layers of the fennel. Cut

the bulbs into 3cm slices – retain a little bit of the stalks. Place the fennel in the boiling water and cook until

tender. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. Preheat the oven to 190. Dust the fennel with flour. Melt half the

butter in a large frying pan, then add the fennel. Cook over a medium heat. Once the fennel is golden on all

sides, add the pancetta and cook for a minute or two. Add the cream, and then season with salt and pepper.

Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for a further 10 minutes. Grease a baking dish with butter. Arrange

the fennel in the dish and drizzle with the remaining cream for the frying pan. Sprinkle the fennel with

parmesan and dabs of the remaining butter. Cook in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the parmesan

melts. Serve immediately.

Sides and Salads


Warm Vegetables with White Beans Serves 4

Ingredients


6 slices pancetta, finely chopped

1 red onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary leaves

2 celery stalks, finely sliced

1 large eggplant, finely diced

2 red capsicums, finely diced

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

1 orange, rind grated and juiced

1 x 400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoon roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tablesppons extra virgin olive oil

Crusty bread

Method

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the pancetta, onion, garlic and rosemary. Cook

until the onion is beginning to soften and then add the celery, eggplant and capsicums. When the eggplant is

beginning to soften add the tomatoes, orange rind and juice. Cover and continue to cook over a low heat for

30 minutes. Add the white beans and cook for a further 1-2 minutes then fold in the parsley and spoon into

as serving dish. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil and serve with warm crusty bread as an easy meal or as a

side to roast lamb.

Sides and Salads


Sides and Salads


The Creamiest White Beans & Leeks

This combination of medium-rare beef, with all its lovely resting juices, alongside creamy sweet white beans is

a classic and an absolute must if you’ve never tried it before.

Ingredients

4 leeks, washed, trimmed and finely sliced

a small bunch of fresh thyme, leaves picked

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

olive oil

a knob of butter

a wineglass of white wine

500g/1lb 2oz good-quality tinned or jarred butter beans, drained and rinsed

a small handful of freshly picked parsley leaves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon crème fraîche

Method

Sweat the leeks, thyme and garlic with a splash of olive oil and the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan on a

low heat for 20 minutes until they are soft and sweet. Turn up the heat and add the white wine. Let the wine

come to the boil, then add the beans and a splash of water, so that the beans are almost covered. Allow to

simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes until the beans are lovely and creamy. Add the parsley, crème fraîche and a

good glug of the extra virgin olive oil and taste for seasoning.

Sides and Salads


Zucchini, Prosciutto & Mint For 12 as a side

Ingredients

1 kg zucchini

4 garlic cloves, peeled

Olive oil

1 large bunch of mint leaves, chopped

12 slices prosciutto cut in to wide ribbons

Method

Cut the zucchini in to quarters and then again in to 4cm strips if large. Leave garlic whole if small or cut in half

if large. Heat some oil in a large lidded frying pan over a medium heat. Add the zucchini and garlic and

season well and toss. Cook until tender but browned and a little crispy. Remove from the heat. Scatter over a

layer of chopped mint and then the prosciutto. Put on the lid and leave. When serving (ideally at room

temperature) season and toss in olive oil.

Marinated Tomatoes & Zucchini with Fresh Mint Serves 8

Ingredients

650 – 700g large cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 large zucchini, sliced finely lengthwise using a vegetable peeler

Leaves from 4 sprigs of mint

100ml extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar


Method

Put the tomatoes, zucchini and mint (reserving a few leaves) in a large bowl. Put the garlic and olive oil in a

saucepan and place over a low heat until warm. Cool, and then strain the oil over the vegetables, discarding

the garlic. Add the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste and let it sit for an hour, gently stirring

occasionally. Serve topped with the reserved fresh mint and freshly ground black pepper.

Sides and Salads


Tomatoes Stuffed with Rice Serves 6

Ingredients

6 medium red tomatoes

3 garlic cloves

250g long grain rice

250ml water

1 small celery stalk

4 tbsp grated parmesan

Handful of basil

Breadcrumbs

Olive Oil

Method

Preheat oven to 180. Slice the tops off of the tomatoes but keep. Gently scoop out the flesh and seeds without

puncturing the tomato and pop in an oiled oven dish. Season with salt and pepper. Puree the flesh and set

aside. Finely chop and gently fry the garlic and add the rice and 125ml water. Add the finely chopped celery

and tomato puree. Season and simmer for 10 mins. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese and torn basil.

Put this mixture inside the tomatoes, being careful not to overfill and replace the tops. Drizzle with oil and

sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Add the remaining water to the dish and bake for 40 mins or until the rice is

cooked and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Herb & Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients

6 large ripe plum tomatoes

3 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

1 garlic clove

Handful chopped mint leaves

Handful chopped basil leaves

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp grated parmesan

1 tbsp grated pecorino

1.5 tbsp breadcrumbs

Olive oil

Method

Preheat oven to180. Halve tomatoes lengthways and scoop out the flesh and seeds. Chop the pulp and put in a

bowl. Put the tomatoes in a dish, cut side up and season. Add all of the other ingredients to the chopped pulp

and use enough oil to bind together a little. Season the mixture and stuff the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil

and bake for 20-30 mins or until crispy and cooked through.

Sides and Salads


Oven Roasted Vine Tomatoes

Ingredients

500g (about 24) on-the-vine cherry or other baby tomatoes

2 teaspoons sea salt or 1 teaspoon table salt

¼ teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon dried thyme

30ml tablespoons olive oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Cut the tomatoes in half and sit them cut side up in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle

with the salt, sugar, thyme and olive oil. Put them in the oven, and immediately turn it off. Leave the tomatoes

in the oven overnight or for a day without opening the door.

Sides and Salads


Sides and Salads


Eggplant Parmigiana

This is such a delicious and tasty recipe and makes a great vegetarian dish.

Serves 6

Ingredients

6 ripe Roma tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 stalks of Italian parsley

Salt and pepper

26 large basil leaves

30ml olive oil

600g eggplant

2 eggs

Flour for batter

500ml vegetable oil

6 bocconcini (or fresh pecorino or mozzarella, any soft cheese), sliced

150g parmesan, grated

Method

Put the tomatoes into boiling water to loosen the skin, scrape the skin off with a knife; don’t peel the

tomatoes as you will lose the best part. When the tomatoes are very ripe there is no need to blanch them, the

skin can simply be scarped off with a knife. Chop into small pieces and put in the garlic, parsley and basil

(keep some leaves aside for final assembly), salt and pepper and a little bit of olive oil – not too much as the

eggplant is fried in oil.

Cut eggplant in thick slices, about 2cm thick, because you want to feel the texture of the eggplant. Leave the

slices under salt for at least 20 minutes then wash and dry.

Beat egg very well for egg wash. Dip eggplant into egg and then flour. The flour crust is important as it seals

in the juices, so press well into the flour, making sure the slices absorb a lot, then shake off the excess. If you

just roll it in the flour, when you fry the eggplant it will puff up and the coating will peel off.

Heat a lot of vegetable oil in a pan. It has to be very hot and slices should go in and out quickly. If the

eggplant overcooks it becomes mushy like polenta.

To assemble, put a layer of eggplant on the bottom of a baking dish, then a layer of bocconcini slice, grate

parmesan over thickly, and then put a layer of the tomato mixture. Repeat this process to make 2 layers. A

third layer becomes too much because the slices are quite thick. Top the second layer with bocconcini, as you

did previously and finish with parmesan. Cook uncovered in the oven at 250°C for ten minutes. Just before

serving you can use the basil leaves you have put aside and arrange them on top of the layered eggplant.

Sides and Salads


Carrots with Thyme, Cumin & Orange Butter Serves 8

Ingredients

400g baby carrots, scrubbed

for the butter:

Small bunch of fresh thyme

Small pinch of cumin seeds

Zest of 1 orange

250g unsalted butter, softened

Method

Wash the thyme stalks in hot water for 20 seconds. When cool enough to handle, strip the leaves off the stalk.

In a food processor, whizz the thyme leaves, the cumin seeds and orange zest together with the butter. Lay

out a 30cm square piece of greaseproof paper on a work surface and scoop the butter on to the middle. Roll

one edge up over the butter as if you were trying to fold the paper in half, and with your hands shape the

butter into a cylinder shape as best you can. Wrap the butter up in the paper, twist the ends so the package

looks like a Christmas cracker and place in the fridge to set.Steam the carrots for 10 minutes and, once

cooked, toss in a warm bowl with some slices of the thyme, cumin and orange butter.

Sides and Salads


Crunchy Sweet & Sour Carrots & Peas

Ingredients

130ml orange juice

60ml red wine

50g honey

2 cinnamon sticks

4 star anise

1 ½ tbsp coriander seeds

1kg carrots, peeled and cut at an angle into 1cm thick slices

90ml olive oil

3 garlic cloves, crushed

450g shelled peas, fresh or frozen

75g pea shoots (use lamb’s lettuce is unavailable)

Salt and pepper

Method

Start by making the sweet sauce for roasting the carrots. Pour the orange juice, wine and honey into a

saucepan, add the cinnamon and star anise and bring to a simmer. Cook gently, uncovered for 20-40 minutes

(depending on the size of your pan and the heat level), until reduced to about a third. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 230. heat a small frying pan, add the coriander seeds and dry toast them over a high heat

for about 3 minutes. Put the seeds in a bowl and mix with the carrots, olive oil, garlic and some salt and

pepper. Spread the mixture out over a large baking tray and put in the oven. After about 15 minutes (the

carrots should have become very coloured by now), remove the tray carefully, add the sweet sauce (including

the cinnamon and star anise), stir well and return to the oven for about 7 minutes, until the carrots are cooked

through, but still have a bit of bite. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool down. Throw the peas into a

pot containing plenty of boiling salted water and simmer for a minute. Drain at once into a colander, run

under cold running water to stop the cooking and then leave them to drain thoroughly. Before serving, gently

stir the carrots and peas together. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Dot with pea shoots as you

pile the vegetables onto a serving plate.

Sides and Salads


Green Peas cooked with Prosciutto Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients


1 small white onion, peeled

1 garlic clove, peeled

100g unsmoked pancetta (belly bacon) diced

1kg fresh green, shelled peas

½ tablespoon tomato paste puree

Method

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan on a medium heat; add the whole onion, the garlic clove and the pancetta.

Sauté for a couple of minutes, and then add the peas. After about 10 minutes add 500ml of water and the

tomato puree and continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes or until the peas are tender. If necessary add a

little more water, although the finished peas should have only a little liquid. Taste the peas before adding salt

and pepper as the pancetta will flavour the peas. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Green Beans cooked in Tomato

This is a fairly standard Tuscan dish when green beans are in season. Serve with a good chunk of bread.

Serves 6

Ingredients


1 red onion, peeled and chopped finely

3 garlic cloves peeled and chopped finely

1.2kg fresh, ripe tomatoes skinned and chopped or 800g of tinned peeled tomatoes, with their juice, chopped

600g greens beans

A small handful of chopped parsley

About 10 basil leaves roughly torn

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and sauté on a low heat until lightly golden. Add the

garlic and the tomatoes. Simmer for a few more minutes. Add the beans, parsley, basil and about 500ml of hot

water. Season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat to a minimum, cover and simmer for 1-1½ hours or until

the beans are very tender with a bit of thickened tomato sauce. Stir from time to time, to make sure the beans

or sauce doesn’t stick to the bottom. Add a little more water if necessary. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Sides and Salads


Sides and Salads


Lentils Braised in Red Wine

In Italy, sausages and lentils are a traditional New Year's Day feast, as the lentils are supposed to resemble

coins and therefore signal a year of prosperity ahead.

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 carrot

2 cloves garlic

1 stick of celery

1 large onion

100g streaky bacon


500g Beluga lentils

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

300ml red wine

750ml water

Olive oil

Fresh parsley, optional

Method

Peel the carrot and garlic cloves and chop finely with the celery, onion and bacon, or process everything until

finely chopped. Heat the oil in a large pan, and add the chopped or processed vegetables and bacon. Cook

them over a gentle heat until soft, which will take up to about 10 minutes.

Tip the lentils into the pan and stir them around to get slicked with the oil, and then add the bay leaves and

Dijon mustard.

Pour in the red wine and the water, or enough water so that the lentils are just covered in liquid. Bring to the

boil and cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until just tender. One of the good things about the Beluga

lentils is they tend not to turn mushy, so there’s less problem about overcooking.

When the lentils are cooked, check the seasoning and add salt if necessary and dress with a little olive oil as

you serve them. If you are cooking the lentils in advance, simply take them off the heat, and put the pan in a

cool place somewhere (say on a chilly stainless-steel surface or near a window out of the sun). Warm through

the next day by adding a little water and olive oil and keeping them, covered, on a low heat until warm.

Then, by all means, take the lid off and stir through with a wooden spatula to help them get hot throughout.

Transfer to a serving dish, tasting for seasoning and dressing with a little olive oil as you do so. If you want

some freshly chopped parsley on top, scatter as desired. I rather like, however, their uninterrupted muddy

blackness.

Sides and Salads


Date post:	18-Mar-2016
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