Lentil, tomato & spinach soup.

Adapted from Healthy lentil, tomato & spinach soup - Jamie Oliver | Features

The Ingredient List:
1 tsp olive oil
1 white onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 sticks of celery
1 small bunch of fresh coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
80g spinach
2 medium (about 350g) sweet potatoes
6 large vine tomatoes, (about 300g), roughly chopped
100g red lentils
1 litre organic vegetable stock
4 tbsp natural or 0% Greek yoghurt
Wholemeal bread, to serve

Preparation Method:
Place a large pan on a medium heat, along with a little oil.
Peel the onion and garlic, then roughly chop with the celery and add to the pan.
Finely chop the coriander stalks and throw them in too, then cook for 8-10 minutes, or until soft and golden, then add the spices and keep cooking for a further couple of minutes, stirring until combined and smelling lovely.

Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and roughly chop them, as well as the tomatoes.
Add both to the pan, along with the lentils and vegetable stock.
Bring to the boil and then turn down to simmer for 25-30 mins, until the potatoes are soft and the soup has thickened (feel free to add more water if you feel it needs it).
Stir through the spinach if using, then season with salt and pepper.
Now you can blitz up the soup, keep it chunky, or take out a few ladlefuls and blitz that then add it back to the chunky mix to create a mix of textures.
Serve up into bowls with a dollop of natural or Greek yoghurt, top with the picked coriander leaves and serve with some toasted wholemeal bread.

Spinach and courgette cake.

Inspired by Rosamund’s recipe and adapted liberally from David Tanis’s recipe in a Platter of figs – I can’t seem to find a site for the publisher and I am boycotting bloody monopolizing amazon, so please excuse the lack of a link.

Serves 4 as lunch, 8 as a starter.

2 tbsp olive oil
30g butter
1 medium-sized leek
2 medium courgettes
salt
100ml white wine/water
300 g spinach
5 eggs
250 ml fresh cream
50 g grated parmesan
freshly grated nutmeg
black pepper
Preheat the oven to 170°

- Trim the leek and peel off the tough outer layer.
Cut the leek into small dice, fill a bowl with water and add the leeks.
Agitate the leeks with your hand.
Let the dirt and sand settle in the bowl and then scoop the leeks from the water and pat the dry in a clean tea towel.
Warm the oil and butter in a heavy based frying pan and then sauté the leek until it is soft and translucent.

- Top and tail the courgettes and then slice them into 1/2cm thick rounds.
Add the courgette to the leek and stir so each round is well coated with butter.

- After a few minutes, raise the heat a little and add the wine/water.
Allow it to bubble enthusiastically.
Now reduce the heat again and allow the onion and courgettes to bubble and cook gently – half frying/ half braising, giving a stir and nudge every now and then and adding a little more water if the pan looks dry – for about 15 minutes or until the courgettes are very soft tender and collapsing and all the liquid has evaporated.
Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.

- Soak the spinach in several changes of water and discard any wilted or bruised leaves and trim away any very thick, woody stalks.
Put the spinach in a large pan with nothing but the water that clings to the leaves, cover the pan and cook on a low flame until the spinach has collapsed and is tender.
This should take about 2 minutes depending on the freshness and age of the spinach.

- Drain the spinach and once it is cool enough, squeeze and press it gently with your hands to eliminate as much water as possible.
Chop the spinach roughly and transfer to a bowl.
Add the cooled leek/ courgette mixture to the spinach and then using a hand blender blitz the mixture into a smooth green paste.

Add the cream and eggs to the bowl and blitz again before stirring in the parmesan, a grating of nutmeg, salt and black pepper.

Pour the batter into in ovenproof sauté pan, buttered baking dish or 10-12 inch deep-pie dish and then slide into the oven. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until the cake is set but still with a slight tremble/wobble at the center.

Allow the cake to sit, cool and settle for at least 40 minutes before serving in wedges.

More recipe with courgettes!

Pearl barley with spinach and pork mince.

This is a filling pork and spinach orzotto - like a risotto, but with pearl barley instead of rice.

Recipe: