Pasta, Spinach and Three-Cheese Frittata

What do you do when you've got loads of food in your fridge but you really can't decide what to do with it? I had that dilemma this weekend - I had the ingredients for loads of recipes I'd planned earlier in the week but didn't fancy any of them; I was in the mood for pasta or eggs. I decided to compromise and put together a truly amazing pasta frittata with spinach and ricotta. Result? It's now officially a 'favourite'. Unfortunately it's not exactly the most health-tastic, so it'll probably be a short while before I do it again...

Oh, I also want to say that I've found the most AMAZING GF pasta! Rizopia make theirs from brown rice and unlike most other GF pasta I've tried, this has the right 'mouthfeel', tastes great and doesn't disintegrate into a sloppy mess in the pan when you cook it. Really, really good!


Pasta, Spinach and Three-Cheese Frittata

150g Pasta
200g Frozen Spinach
1 medium Onion (chopped finely)
4 large Eggs (lightly beaten together)
2 heaped tbsps Ricotta
1 tbsp grated Parmesan
Mozzarella (sliced)
1 handful Fresh Basil (chopped very finely)
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Butter
1 clove Garlic (minced)
1 pinch Nutmeg
Salt & Pepper

Does 4 servings

1) Start cooking your pasta in slightly salted water.

2) Fry the garlic and onion until just going golden. Add the spinach and nutmeg and continue to cook until softened. Stir through the basil, ricotta and parmesan and season to taste.

3) Drain the cooked pasta and add the spinach mixtures - stir well.

4) In a clean frying pan, melt the butter until it just starts to froth. Tip in the pasta and arrange so it is reasonably level but not over-flattened.

5) Carefully pour in the egg mixture so it is evenly distributed through the pasta. Arrange slices of mozzarella on the top and finish with salt, pepper and a little grated parmesan.

6) Allow to cook slowly on the hob for approximately 5 minutes before finishing under the grill to cook and brown the top.

I had mine with a garlic seafood medley and salad.

Missy's Ma's Watercress Soup

Spring time = Watercress = SOUP!
Hannah and I have been on a bit of a soup binge at work recently, and with the warm, sunny weather we've been having recently, I just had to show her my mother's amazing watercress soup.

Ma's watercress soup is infamous. Sworn vegetable 'haters' love it. Soup 'haters' love it. It's wonderful both hot and cold and is great as a starter or a main course. Personally I prefer it cool with crackers and slices of crumbly, white Cheshire cheese on the side for lunch. Also, it's incredibly simple to make! There's just 5 (with an optional 2 more) ingredients and it takes just 30 minutes from start to finish.

Watercress contains significant amounts of iron, calcium and folic acid, as well as high levels of vitamins A and C. It's also just in season now, and will be through until October.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter break!


500g Watercress (with thickest stems removed)
2 Medium Potatoes (peeled and chopped into 1" cubes)
1 Medium Onion (chopped)
Approx 500ml Chicken Stock
1 tbsp Oil
Salt & Pepper
Wholegrain Mustard (optional)
Cream (optional)

1) Sweat the onions in a large pan until transparent.

2) Add the potatoes and enough chicken stock to cover them. Simmer for 15 minutes.

3) Add the watercress and mustard (optional) and continue to simmer until the potatoes are tender and the watercress is fully wilted (approximately 5 minutes). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4) Remove from the heat and blend in a food processor or with a hand blender.

5) Return to the pan and reheat if serving hot, or allow to cool. Stir through 2 tbsps cream (optional) and garnish with a little more to serve..

Cauliflower With Spinach, Mixed Sprouts and Garam Masala

In last week vegetable box, I got something I'd never seen before; mixed sprouts. I mean, I'd heard about them on various tv shows and in diet books, but this was the first ime I'd seen them 'face to face'. Sprouted beans, including aduki, lentil, mung and chickpeas are a favourite of those on raw diets as they are an excellent source of protein and more importantly, when raw they are also rich in phytochemicals; compounds found in plants that are not required for normal functioning of the body but that have a beneficial effect on health.

Because curry was on the menu last week, I figured that as the likes of lentils and chickpeas feature frequently in Indian cooking, an Indian-style recipe would work well - and it did. This recipe is a 'jazzed up' version of my spiced cauliflower and spinach one that I regularly make to go with curries. It uses Garam Masala spice powder although you could use general purpose curry powder mixes. To make the most of the nutrients the raw sprouts were thrown in at the last minute before serving.


1 Half Head of Cauliflower (cut into 1" florets)
8 Blocks of Frozen Spinach (defrosted and squeezed to remove excess water (or a couple of good handfuls of fresh leaves))
1 Medium Red Onion (chopped)
2 Handfuls Mixed Sprouts
3 tsps Garam Masala
1 tsp Sugar
1" Piece Fresh Root Ginger (finely chopped)
1 Clove Garlic (minced)
Oil

1) Blanch the cauliflower florets in boiling water for approximately 5 minutes and drain

2) Fry the onion, ginger and garlic in a little oil until golden.

3) Add the cauliflower florets and fry until they start to develop browned spots, before adding the spinach.

4) Stir in the Garam Masala, Sugar and a little water if necessary. Stir until well mixed and the spinach is warmed through.

5) Turn off the heat and stir in the mixed sprouts. Serve immediately.

Stir-Fried Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Credit for this recipe goes to my work-friend Hannah's brother-in-law (thank you!), although I was using the basic idea and its been slightly Zoe-ified!

Brussels sprouts are often vilified thanks to many people's childhood memories of bitter green, round blobs that appear on their plates once a year for traditional English Christmas dinners, and indeed it wasn't until I went to university that I actually developed a taste for them. Closely related to cabbages, Brussels sprouts are rich in many valuable nutrients. They are an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin K. They are a very good source of numerous nutrients including folate, vitamin A, manganese, dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin B6 and thiamin (vitamin B1) and a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, iron, phosphorous, protein, magnesium, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin E, copper and calcium. In addition to these nutrients, Brussels sprouts contain numerous disease-fighting phytochemicals.

Pine nuts have a wonderfully mild, nutty flavour which goes really nicely with the sprouts and bacon. As with many other nuts, pine nuts contain heart-healthy alpha-linolenic acid, as well as vitamin B1 (thiamine) and loads of vitamin E. They are also a great source of protein, containing many amino acids.

Approximately 500g Brussels Sprouts (roughly chopped)
2 Rashers Back Bacon (chopped into thin strips)
1 Small Onion (chopped finely)
40g Pine Nuts
2 tbsps Cream
1 tbsp Oil (as usual, I used groundnut)
Salt and Pepper

1) Fry the onion in the oil until golden; add the bacon and cook until crispy. Set aside.

2) In the same pan, fry the chopped sprouts until just tender and slightly browened at the edges and turn off the heat.

3) Add the onion and bacon and pine nuts, season well and stir in the cream. Serve immediately - I did mine with GF sausages and mashed potato.

Braised Red Cabbage with Apple and Cranberries

This is another favourite recipe to use up veggie-box items and is even more brilliant because it freezes well so you can make up batches and keep them for later. This is based on a recipe that my sister Roz found, but was tweaked to use more of what I had in my cupboards and to make it slightly 'fruitier'. I find braised red cabbage is wonderful with game meats and because this version is quite 'appley', it would go really nicely with pork as well.

1 Medium - Large Red Cabbage (sliced finely)
2 Eating Apples (Such as Cox's, peeled and grated)
1 Red Onion (sliced finely)
2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
50g Dried Cranberries
2 tbsp Light Brown Sugar
1 Bay Leaf
1 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Mixed Spice
150ml Cider Vinegar
100ml Water
1 tbsp Oil


1) Blanch the cabbage for 2 minutes in lightly salted, boiling water; drain and set aside.

2) Heat the oil in a large pan and gently fry the onion, garlic, bay, thyme and mixed spice until the onions are softened.

3) Add the cabbage to the pan along with the cider vinegar, water, sugar and grated apple. Stir well before covering the pan and allowing to simmer for approximately 15 minutes.

4) Stir in the cranberries, stir again, cover and simmer for approximately 10 more minutes until the cabbage is tender and the liquid is nearly gone.

Mushroom Stroganoff

"Beef stroganoff is a dish consisting of strips of lean beef sauteed and served in a sour-cream sauce with onions and mushrooms. The reicpe, which is of Russian origin, has been known since the eighteenth century, but its name appears to come from County Paul Stroganoff, a nineteeth-century Russian diplomat." An A-Z of Food & Drink, John Ayto

While I would usually make this recipe with beef as is traditional, I wanted something really quick after the gym last week that would also do me for lunch the next day, so I threw this mushroom version together. Although traditional stroganoff recipes call for a sauce comprising bouillon and sour cream, I like mine with tomato puree (as served by my mother and apparently Brazilians) and a little wholegrain mustard. This dish is wonderful with creamy mashed potatoes or rice and mine is pictured here with stir-fried cabbage as well.

To make this recipe with beef, you can use cheap cuts of stewing or braising steak, sliced very thinly and fried, a little at a time in the pan and allowing the whole dish to simmer for at least an hour before adding the sour cream.

500g Chestnut Mushrooms (sliced to about quarter of an inch thick)
1 Medium Onion (chopped finely)
500ml Beef Stock
1 Heaped tsp Wholegrain Mustard
1 Heaped tsp Tomato Puree
Sour Cream to Taste
Salt & Fresh Black Pepper
A Little Oil (As usual, I used groundnut oil)

Serves 2

1) Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onions until just going brown.

2) Tip in all of the sliced mushrooms (there will seem to be a lot, but they will shrink!) and gently fried until just soft and slightly browned.

3) Pour in the beef stock and stir in the mustard, tomato puree, salt and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes until the stock has reduced by about a third.

4) Stir in sour cream to taste, and serve immediately.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli With Anchovy, Garlic and Butter Sauce

Now's the season for purple sprouting broccoli - one of my all-time favourite vegetables!
Like other cruciferous vegetables, broccoli contains the phytonutrients sulforaphane and the indoles, which have significant anti-cancer effects. It is also incredibly high in vitamins C, K and A, dietary fibre and folate, as well many other minerals and B vitamins.

This is based on a recipe I saw in Country Living this month, and makes a really nice vegetarian lunch or starter. If serving as a starter, make sure it comes before a robust main course, because it is VERY strong-flavoured! I did mine for lunch with buttered, boiled potatoes.

Anchovy, Garlic and Butter Sauce:
3 Cloves Garlic
100ml Milk
6 Anchovy Fillets in Olive Oil
Softened Butter (cut into small cubes)

1) Heat the milk in a small pan with the garlic cloves until the garlic is tender

2) Carefully blend the milk, garlic and anchovy fillets in a food processor (I use the Herb attachment on my funky Braun hand blender set)

3) Add the butter and blend again until the sauce is smooth. Set aside and warm just before serving.


Plus:
A Good Serving of Purple Sprouting Broccoli
- Try to get broccoli with stems no wider than 1cm but it this isn't possible, split the stems lengthways up towards the floret head to ensure even cooking.

1) Bring approximately 200ml water to the boil in a large saucepan and add broccoli stems. Put the pan lid on and boil for 5 minutes before turning off the heat and allowing to continue cooking in the steam until tender.

2) Drain and toss in a little olive oil.

3) Serve with a small ramekin of the sauce or pour a little over the broccoli prior to serving.

Cabbage and Bacon Gratin

One of the great things about having your veggies delivered is that you never quite know what you're going to be having for dinner that week - I struck it lucky this time with red onions and a savoy cabbage. Cabbage is extremely high in Vitamins, especially C, K, B1, B2 and B6. It is also very high in folic acid, omega 3 oils, dietary fibre and a whole host of minerals including calcium and potassium. Using the leftover bacon in the fridge after making soup, this has to be one of my favourite ways of cooking cabbage and it goes really nicely with sausages and gravy - mine were Waitrose gluten-free, 'Cambridge style' sausages!

1 Medium Cabbage (any kind would work, roughly sliced)
1 Red Onion (cut in half and sliced)
4 Rashers Back Bacon (sliced into thin strips)
3 Medium Potatoes (peeled and sliced into discs)
1 tsp Minced Garlic
2 tbsp Oil (I use Groundnut)
1 Handful Cheddar Cheese (grated)
Salt & Pepper

Serves 3-4
Preheat oven to 180 Celcius

1) Boil sliced potatoes in lightly salted water for approximately 5 minutes until slightly softened, drain and put to one side.

2) Fry garlic and onions in a little of the oil, add bacon and cook until just browning. Season and set aside.

3) Fry the chopped cabbage with the remaining oil until just starting to soften, add the onion and bacon mixture and stir well.

4) Tip into a well-buttered oven dish, arrange potato slices on top, sprinkle with cheese and pepper.

5) Bake for approximately 30 minute until the top is golden and the potatoes are tender (oven-bakes sausages should take about the same length of time so put them in together).

Cream of Celeriac Soup with Crispy Bacon

This week I had the most enormous celeriac in my organic delivery box! Because the potatoes I've been getting have been perfect on their own as 'mashers', I didn't fancy making a celeriac mash so I thought I'd make a soup of it! :-D
All amounts in this recipe are guesstimates because it was a real case of 'a little bit of this and a bit of that', so play around with it until you get the right consistency.

1 Large Celeriac (chopped into 1" pieces)
1 Medium Onion (diced)
1 Medium Carrot (chopped into 1" chunks)
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 tsp Thyme
500ml Chicken Stock
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Olive Oil
100ml Milk
3 tbsp Cream
Salt & Pepper
2 Rashers Bacon (cut into thin strips)

1) Fry the garlic and onion in a little of the oil until softened.

2) Add the carrot, celeriac, bay leaf, thyme, chicken stock and lemon juice; cover and simmer for approximately 30 minutes until the celeriac is tender.

3) Transfer to a bowl and blend in small batches, transfering the smooth soup back to the saucepan.

4) Stir in the milk and cream, seasoning, and reheat gently until hot (but not boiling).

5) Quickly fry the bacon in a little of the oil until crispy and pile on top of the soup.