Spiced Courgette

This is so quick and simple and tastes great served with my cous cous salad and merguez sausages!

Serves 4

Olive oil
2 courgette, diced
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1x400g tin chopped tomatoes

Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the courgette. When courgette start to soften, add the spices and mix through. Cook for a couple of minutes then add the tomatoes. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15 mins or until sauce has started to thicken.

Cous Cous Salad

Serves 4

240g cous cous
25g butter, cut into cubes
240ml veg stock
handful raisins
fresh mint, finely chopped
fresh chives, finely chopped
200g feta cheese, crumbled

Place cous cous in shallow dish/salad bowl. Add the raisins and mix through. Dot the butter around the cous cous and then add the hot veg stock. Cover the dish and leave for 5 mins. Fork through the cous cous. Once loose throughout, add the chopped herbs and crumbled feta and combine.

I often serve this with spiced courgette and merguez sausages. Or try adding diced cucumber for a refreshing edge.

Apple Galette

Serves 8

1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg yolk, beaten
frangipane (see below)
2 green apples, peeled, cored, quartered, thinly sliced
melted butter, for brushing
1 tbsp runny honey

creme fraiche to serve

Preheat oven to 220C. Place pastry sheet on a greased baking sheet. Score a 1cm border around the edge of the pastry. Prick area within border all over with a fork.
Spread frangipane evenly over pastry within scored area. Layer the apple slices over the top, brush lightly with melted butter and bake for 15 mins. Drizzle with the honey and bake for another 15 mins or until golden. Drizzle with extra honey and serve.

Frangipane:
75g butter, softened
75g icing sugar
75g ground almonds
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream together the butter and sugar. Gradually mix in the almonds, egg yolk and vanilla. Mix until smooth.

Sausage Penne

One of my fave meals!

Serves 4

Glug of olive oil
350g Penne pasta
4 good quality chunky sausages
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 fennel bulb, stalks removed, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
350ml passata
150ml red wine
handful fresh basil, roughly chopped
50g parmesan, plus extra to serve
100g Ricotta (optional)

Put the sausages in a pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins. Remove sausages and set aside to cool. Once cooled, remove skins and crumble the meat with your fingers.
Fry the onion, fennel and garlic in the oil until soft. Add the crumbled sausage meat, wine and passata and cook for 10-15mins. Add the basil and season.
Cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente, then drain. Stir the sauce into the pasta. Add the parmesan into the pasta and stir through.
Place tbsp of ricotta (if using) on each plate. Spoon the pasta over the top of the ricotta, but do not combine. Serve with the extra parmesan.

Honey and Mustard Dressing

4 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp runny honey
2 tsp french mustard
2 tbsp lemon juice (half a lemon)
Pinch salt
Grind of black pepper

Mix oil, honey, mustard and lemon juice together until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Ham and Egg Salad

Serves 6

125g lambs lettuce
2 hard boiled eggs
handful of shredded smoked ham
honey and mustard dressing

Create a bed of lambs lettuce on a large serving platter. Dice the boiled eggs and scatter over the lambs lettuce. Scatter the ham over the egg. Drizzle with the dressing.

Leek and Potato Soup

A variation by Sarah Raven

Serves 8

1 onion, thinly sliced
25g butter
6 large leeks, sliced
3 medium potatoes, sliced very thinly
1 ltr veg stock
500 ml milk
handful fresh basil
5-6 tbsp single cream/creme fraiche

In a large heavy-based pan, saute the onion in olive oil and butter until soft. Add the leeks and potatoes, and cook for 6-7 mins. Add the stock and simmer until the veg are tender.
Liquidise and add enough milk for the desired consistency, then bring to the boil.
Remove from the heat, add the basil and cream. Season to taste.