Chicken and Broad Bean Pilaf

Yum, yum, yum, super simple one pot dish packed with flavour.

Chicken and Broad Bean Pilaf (from Hairy Dieters
(Serves 4)

75ml low fat natural yoghurt
juice 1/2 lemon
pinch cinnamon
15g chunk ginger, finely grated
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
1 tsp oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small courgette, diced
1 small piece of cinnamon stick
5 cardamom pods
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
175g basmati rice
300ml veg stock
250g broad beans, double podded
large bunch parsley, chopped
small bunch dill, chopped

Mix together the yoghurt, lemon juice, cinnamon and ginger in a bowl. Season the chicken with, then add the pieces to the marinade in the bowl and leave for an hour.

Heat the oil in a sauce. Add the onion, courgette and spices then cook over a medium heat for a few mins until you can smell the spices. Add the chicken and stir for a couple of mins until it mixes well and starts to brown.

Add the rice and stir until well coated. Pour in the stock and season with salt. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat to a gentle simmer, cover the pan and leave for 10 mins.

When the rice has been cooking for 10 mins, add the broad beans. Leave to cook for 5 mins, then turn off the heat and leave to stand for 5 mins. Fluff up the rice with a fork and turning it over gently so the broad beans mix well with everything else. Stir in the herbs, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Mixed Beans with Many Spices and Lovage

My Mum saved me some runner beans from her last crop, just so I could make this recipe! It was lovely and fresh and full of well, beans! 

Mixed Beans with Many Spices and Lovage (from Plenty by Ottolenghi)
(Serves 4)

3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp tomato purée
½ tsp each ground cumin, turmeric and coriander
1 tsp each ground ginger and cardamom
pinch of ground cloves
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp caster sugar
150g sugar snaps, halved at an angle
200g runner beans, sliced at an angle
250g shelled broad beans
2 tbsp chopped lovage salt and black pepper

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion. Sauté on medium heat for 3 mins, stirring frequently; add the garlic and cook for 1 more min. Now add the tomato paste, spices and some salt and pepper and keep on cooking and stirring for another min.

Next, add the tomatoes, sugar and all the peas and beans. Stir to mix. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for 15 to 20 mins, or until the sugar snaps are cooked through but are still crunchy. Season. Stir in the lovage and then served.

Sausage and Veg Casserole

I love this casserole. It's packed full of spring veg and feels much lighter than a winter casserole. I actually used asparagus and sugar snap peas instead of broad beans. I used this to clean out the fridge of veg and creme fraiche, which is why it has way too much sauce, I had more creme fraiche than I realised! The taste of this is just so good. I served it with cauliflower mash. 

Sausage and Veg Casserole (from Good Food Magazine July 2013)
(Serves 4)

1 tbsp olive oil
12 sausages
1 small onion, chopped
1 fennel bulb, quartered, then sliced
2 garlic clove, crushed
½ red chilli, finely chopped
2 tsp fennel seed
2 tbsp plain flour
150ml white wine
500ml chicken stock
200g pack green bean, halved
300g broad bean, double podded
300g pea
200g pot half-fat crème fraîche
zest 1 lemon, juice of ½
handful parsley, chopped
handful basil, chopped

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the sausages, cook for a few mins until browned all over, then transfer to a plate.

Tip the onion and fennel into the pan and cook for 10-15 mins until soft, then add the garlic, half the chilli and the fennel seeds. Cook for a few more mins, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the flour and cook for 1 min. Pour in the wine, let it bubble for 1 min, give everything a good stir, then add the stock and return the sausages to the pan, seasoning well.

Cover and simmer for 30 mins. Add the green beans, broad beans and peas, then cook, uncovered, for 2 more mins. Stir in the crème fraîche, lemon zest and juice, and herbs. Serve.

Jamie's Brilliant Veggie Burgers

I've decided I'm not a massive fan of broad beans, even though I grow them every year. It's a texture things rather than taste, so mushed up in a burger like this is perfect and these burgers are brilliant, super tasty and filling and very very green, so they must be healthy right?!

Brilliant Veggie Burgers (from Jamie Oliver)
(Makes 4)

200g frozen sweetcorn
200g frozen peas
200g frozen broad beans
½ bunch coriander
75g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
good pinch ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
sea salt freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds

Remove the veg from the freezer, then set aside to defrost slightly for around 15 mins. Add the veg, coriander (stalks and all), flour, cumin and cayenne to a food processor. Season well, then blitz to a rough paste. Add the sesame and sunflower seeds, then pulse to combine. Divide and shape the mixture into four equal-sized patties, roughly 2cm thick. Add the patties to a lightly flour-dusted tray, turning them over in the flour to coat. Place in the freezer for around 10 mins to firm up.

Heat a splash of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, then add the burgers. Cook for 10 to 12 mins, or until cooked through and golden, turning halfway and pressing down with a fish slice to get them nice and crispy.

Braised Rabbit with Broad Beans, Bacon and Mint

I bought some wild rabbit from the farmers market in Walthamstow to make this beautiful dish using up the last of the broad beans from my garden. It was delicious and the sauce was just perfect.

Braised Rabbit with Broad Beans and Mint
(from Grains, Seeds and Legumes by Molly Brown)
(Serves 6)

12 wild rabbit joints
15g butter
40ml oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
500g broad beans, podded weight
150g bacon, cut into chunks
5 mint sprigs, leaves picked and torn

Season the rabbit joints well with salt and pepper. Heat the butter and half of the oil in a saute pan over a high heat, add the rabbit and brown well. Remove the rabbit from the pan and set aside. Add the onion and saute over a medium heat until soft and pale gold. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 mins.

Return the rabbit to the pan, then add the stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to very low, cover and gently cook the rabbit until it is tender, about 1 hour 40 mins. MAke sure the rabbit stays moist and add a little more stock if you need to. Meanwhile, cook the beans in boiling salted water until tender, then drain. When cool enough to handle, slip off the skins and set aside.

Once the rabbit is cooked, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and reduce the cooking liquid if you need to - there should be enough to just coat the rabbit. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and fry until the bacon is golden. Add the beans, bacon and rabbit to the pan with the reduced cooking liquid. Heat through and check the seasoning. Add the mint leaves and serve.

Fish-rizo with Broad Beans

Apparently this dish is called fish-rizo because the seasoning resemble chorizo! I'm not sure that's try but it was a very flavourful dish. I couldn't keep my fish chunks whole, they rather disintegrated, if anyone knows how to keep them whole let me know, but this was till a lovely dish

Fish-rizo with Broad Beans
(from River Cottage Light and Easy - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall)
(Serves 4)

700g white fish fillets - pollack, coley, whiting haddock, cut into chunks
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp smoked paprika
small pinch cayenne pepper
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 garlic clove, sliced
2 tbsp oil
150g cooked broad beans
juice 1/2 lemon
salt
chopped mint

Put the fish into a bowl with the spices, garlic and oil. Add a pinch of salt and mix so that the fish is covered. Leave for up to half an hour in the fridge if you have time.

Heat a large frying pan over a medium high heat. Add a little oil, then the fish, cook tossing often, for 4-5 mins, until cooked through. Stir in the broad beans and cook for another min. Squeeze over the lemon juice and remove from the heat.

Divide between bowls and sprinkle over the mint. 

Multi Vegetable Paella

I realised when I got back from Paris that I hadn't had any veg at all whilst I was there. Plenty of salad but no veg. They don't really do veg and it's hard to get in restaurants anywhere unless you pay extra for a side dish. So when I got home I really went for the veg. I made Ottolenghi's multi veg paella which was so so good. Packed full of veg from peppers and fennel to artichokes and olives and it was just scrummy. I have had so much luck with this cookbook, all of the recipes I've made so far have worked out perfectly.

Multi Vegetable Paella (from Plenty - Ottolenghi)
(Serves 2-3)

3 tbsp olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
1 small red pepper, deseeded and cut into thin strips 
1 small yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into thin strips
1 small fennel bulb, cut into strips 
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne
150g paella rice 
100ml sherry
1 tsp saffron strands
450ml boiling vegetable stock
salt
12 mini plum tomatoes 
5 small grilled jarred artichokes, quartered 
200g podded broad beans, blanched and skinned
15 pitted black olives
2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
4 lemon wedges, to serve


Heat up the olive oil in a paella pan, or a large shallow frying pan, and gently fry the onion for 5 mins. Add the peppers and fennel and continue to fry on a medium heat for about 6 mins, or until soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook for a further min.

Add the bay leaves, paprika, turmeric and cayenne to the vegetables and stir well. Then add the rice and stir thoroughly for 2 mins before adding the sherry and saffron. Boil down for a min, then add the stock and teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat to the minimum and simmer very gently for about 20 mins, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Do not cover the pan and don't stir the rice during the cooking. 

Meanwhile, pour plenty of boiling water over the broad beans in a bowl and leave for a minute, then drain well and leave to cool down. Now squeeze each bean gently to remove the skin and discard it.

Remove the paella pan from the heat. Taste and add more salt if needed but without stirring the rice and vegetables much. Scatter the tomatoes, artichokes and broad beans over the rice and cover the pan tightly with foil. Leave to rest for 10 mins. Take off the foil. Scatter the olives on top of the paella and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with wedges of lemon.

Pan-Fried Sea Bass with Saffron Braised Peas and Broad Beans

This is a Waitrose recipe card from June when broad beans were in season. I picked all of mine and then froze them as I had so many it was a bit overwhelming. This dish was delicious, the flavour was just wonderful. The original recipe recommends serving it with crusty bread but I served it alongside Ottolenghi's new potatoes with horseradish and sorrel.

Pan-Fried Sea Bass with Saffron Braised Peas and Broad Beans

(From Waitrose Recipe Card)

(Serves 4)

pinch saffron

2 tbsp oil

1 shallot, sliced

1 garlic clove, finely sliced

2 tsp thyme leaves

200ml white wine

200g peas, defrosted

200g broad beans, defrosted

4 sea bass fillets

Soak the saffron in 300ml of hot water. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan, add the shallot and cook over a medium heat for 3-5 min, until starting to brown. Add the garlic and cook for another min.

Stir in the thyme, pour in the wine and season. Simmer for 5-7 mins until reduced by half. Tip in the peas and broad beans and pour in the saffron water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 3 mins, until the peas and beans are tender.

Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan. Season the fish and fry skin side up for 2-3 mins. Turn over and cook for a further 2 mins. Spoon the braised peas and beans and their liquor into a 4 shallow bowls and top each with a sea bass fillet. Squeeze over some lemon juice and serve.

Broad Bean Burgers

These were wonderfully tasty. I shoved it in a bun, which is totally the wrong thing to do. These should be eaten elegantly with a nice salad, although they were very nice with blue cheese and barbecue sauce, it didn't show the burgers off to their full potential.

The original recipe called for the burgers to be fried in 125ml sunflower oil but I made them a little bit more healthy by baking. I also made them bigger than suggested as I wanted them for a main meal rather than a snack.

Broad Bean Burgers (from Plenty - Yotam Ottolenghi)

(Serves 4)

3/4 tsp cumin seeds

3/4 tsp coriander seeds

3/4 tsp fennel seeds

225g spinach

2 tbsp olive oil

500g shelled broad beans

350g potatoes, peeled and roughly diced

1/2 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

3 tbsp chopped coriander

40g breadcrumbs

1 egg

salt and pepper

Put the whole seeds in a pan and dry-roast on a high flame for 3-4 mins or until they start releasing their aromas. Grind to a powder in a pestle and mortar.

Wilt the spinach I'm a hot pan with a splash of water. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out any liquid, then chop roughly and set aside.

Blanch the broad beans in boiling water for about a min, drain and refresh under cold running water. Once cool enough to hand remove the skins and discard.

Cook the potatoes in boiling water for about 15 mins or until tender. Drain and tip into the a large mixing bowl. Immediately add the skinned broad beans, crushed spices, chilli, garlic, tumeric, olive oil and some salt and peppers use a potato masher to mash it all up roughly. Next add the wilted spinach, coriander and breadcrumbs. Check seasoning and mix in the egg.

Wet your hands and shape the mix into fat patties. Chill for 30 mins. 

Preheat the oven to 200C and cook for 20-30 mins.

Crushed New Potato, Broad Bean and Hot Smoked Salmon Salad

This was something I came up with on the spur of the moment and the beans were picked literally minutes before I cooked them, you can't get fresher than that! This was a lovely salad and the vinaigrette was lovely and light. The recipe makes more dressing than you will need but it's hard to get the proportions right in a smaller quantity, so you can always use the rest of the dressing on a green salad.

Crushed New Potato, Broad Bean and Hot Smoked Salmon Salad
(Serves 1)

150g new potatoes
50g broad beans
1 small hot smoked salmon salad
3 tbsp hazelnut oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp chopped tarragon
salt and pepper
handful salad leaves

Put the potatoes into a saucepan, cover with water bring to the boil and cook for 10-15 mins until tender. Add the broad beans for the last 2-3 mins of cooking. Drain.

Meanwhile, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard and tarragon to make the dressing.

Return the potatoes to the pan and crush lightly with a fork, add the beans, salmon and a quarter of the dressing and mix gently.

Put the salad leaves into a bowl and add a quarter of the dressing, toss to coat. Top with the potato salmon mixture and serve.

Chicken with Broad Beans, Lemon and Mint

I made this recipe using the first broad beans from the garden. It was so delicious, the creamy flavours and the veg were perfect. I added in courgettes as I have hundreds of baby ones that seem to refuse to grow any bigger. Apparently it's because it's been too cold at night, so fingers crossed for some warmer nights.

Chicken with Broad Beans, Lemon and Mint (from The WW Foodie)
(Serves 4)
(8 ProPoints per serving)

400g chicken thigh fillets, skinless and boneless, cut into chunks
3 tsp light oil
1 onion, chopped
1 courgette, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
50ml vermouth or white wine
2 large bay leaves
500ml chicken stock
100g frozen broad beans
4 tbsp half fat creme fraiche
zest and juice of half a lemon
1-2 tbsp chopped mint

Heat 2 tsp of oil in a large saucepan. Season the meat and then add to the pan to brown - in batches if necessary. Remove to a plate.

Heat the final tsp of oil. Add the onion and courgette and cook for 3-4 mins until it starts to soften and then add in the garlic and cook for a further 5 mins or so until all the vegetables are softened.

Pour in the vermouth or white wine and deglaze the pan. Reduce the wine to almost nothing, then return the chicken to the pan and combine everything well.

Now add three quarters of the chicken stock and the bay leaves. Bring up to a simmer then cover and cook for around 30 mins.

Meanwhile, combine the creme fraiche with the lemon and mint and weigh out the broad beans.

After half an hour has passed, remove the lid and add the broad beans.  If it looks a little dry, add more stock - you want a decent amount of sauce.  Cook for 5 mins until the broad beans are cooked.

Turn the heat down and stir through the flavoured creme fraiche. Season and serve over rice or with potatoes.

Marinated Lamb Steaks with Barley Salad

This was a really delicious salad, with the lamb juicy and tender and the barley salad adding a bit of bite. A lovely summery dish and really worth a go.

Marinated Lamb Steaks with Barley Salad (adapted from Good Food Magazine June 2010)
(Serves 2)

2 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

pinch dried chilli flakes

small bunch mint, chopped

2 lean lamb leg steaks, trimmed of any fat

100g pearl barley

200g broad beans, fresh or frozen, podded

100g frozen peas

1 small red onion, finely chopped

zest and juice 1 lemon

lettuce leaves

 

Mix together 1 tbsp oil, the garlic, chilli, half the mint and some salt and pepper. Rub all over the steaks, then if you have time, leave to marinate for up to 2 hrs.

Cook the pearl barley in boiling, salted water until tender, but not too soft, about 20 mins, adding the beans and peas for the last 2 mins. Drain really well, then tip into a large bowl. Add the red onion, remaining mint, lemon zest and juice, remaining oil, salt and pepper. Toss everything together.

 

Heat a griddle or frying pan and cook the lamb for 4 mins on each side for pink, or longer if you prefer your meat well done. Divide the lettuce between 2 plates and top with the barley salad. Serve with the grilled lamb, drizzled with any pan juices.

Broad Bean and Mint Soup

This is a very tasty soup. It seemed a bit better after being put in the fridge for a couple of days. The flavours seem to come together better. It went really well with a ham and mustard sandwich.

Broad Bean and Mint Soup (from www.weightwatchers.co.uk)
(Serves 4)
(3 WW ProPoints per serving)

cooking spray
6 spring onions, chopped
2 tbsp mint, chopped
350g broad beans
600ml vegetable stock
150ml skimmed milk

Heat the low fat cooking spray in a large saucepan, add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until just softened. Add the beans and stock. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in the milk and mint and blend with a hand blender until smooth. Cook for 2-3 minutes until piping hot. Season and serve.

Warm Broad Bean and Ham Pittas

Using more produce from my garden I made broad bean and ham pittas. I love finding new sandwiches and things to make for lunch. I'm on a big panini and warm pitta kick at the moment and I bought a lovely paninis, sandwich and wrap book from France which I have been using a lot. I find it difficult to think of things for lunch, especially when trying to maintain variety and making it portable for work, but it's always fun trying to adapt recipes and menu planning makes it much easier, as I have a dedicated time to sit down and work out the lunches and dinners for the week.

Warm Broad Bean and Smoked Ham Pittas
(Serves 4)
(7 WW ProPoints per serving)

300g broad beans
cooking spray
1 onion, sliced finely
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
50g smoked ham, cut into small strips
small bunch fresh mint, chopped
2 tbsp virtually fat free fromage frais
4 pitta breads
salt and pepper

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the broad beans and cook for about 5 mins or until tender. Drain.

Heat a frying pan and spray with cooking spray. Add the onion, chilli and garlic and cook for a few mins, until softened and golden.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the balsamic vinegar, ham, broad beans, mint and fromage frais. Season and mix together gently.

Warm the pitta breads in the oven or toaster. Spoon the ham and bean mixture into the pittas and serve

Summer Risotto with Trout

I always thought I didn't like trout. Salmon yes, but trout always seemed a bit bland. I'm coming round though, just like I'm coming round to cauliflower as a vegetable too! This lovely risotto includes broad beans from my garden, which seem to have gone a bit mad! The trout broke up a little more than expected but the aniseedy flavour of the fennel complemented the trout and broad beans.

Summer Risotto with Trout (adapted from WeightWatchers Members Favourites)
(Serves 2)
(11 WW ProPoints per serving)

500ml vegetable stock
100g broad beans
1 fennel bulb, sliced
cooking spray
1 onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tbsp dill, chopped
125g risotto rice
4 tbsp dry white wine
150g poached trout, flaked into bite size pieces
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Spray a saucepan with cooking spray and warm over a high heat. Add the onion and fennel and cook for 5 mins, stirring often until softened and starting to colour. Mix in the garlic and dill and continue to cook for a further minute.

Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the rice and cook for 1 min. Add the wine and continue stirring until the liquid has been absorbed. Add in the broad beans and the stock and bring to the boil. Put a lid on the pan and transfer to the oven. Cook for 30 mins in the oven until the rice is tender. Fold in the trout and put back into the oven for 1-2 mins. Garnish with more dill and serve.



Southern Baked Chicken with Roasted Potato and Okra Salad

I have a love of the cooking of the Deep South, I would love one day to go over there and eat proper barbecue, shrimp and grits, mac and cheese, collard greens, gumbo etc. I have been watching episode after episode of Diners, Drive Ins and Dives to pick up tips for the best places to go! I've also been watching Cooking For Real and although I find Sunny Anderson really really annoying the food looks so good!

I thought I would have a go at making something vaguely Southern in my own kitchen. Now we all know how terrified I am of deep fat frying so I looked for an alternative to Southern Fried Chicken and it seems you can bake pretty much anything. This chicken is cornflake crumbed, ew right? Nope, it was delicious and crunchy, totally worked. I then served this with a roast potato and okra salad and an old bay and sour cream dip and it was fantastic. Will definitely be making the chicken again.



Southern Baked Chicken (from www.simply-delicious.co.za)
Serves 4

4 chicken drumsticks
4 chicken thighs
500ml (16.91 fluid ounces) buttermilk
1tsp salt
2tsp paprika
1tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 cups cornflake crumbs (process the cornflakes in your food processor or place in a Ziploc bag and bash them with a rolling pin)
1/2 tsp salt
1tsp paprika

Coat the chicken with the buttermilk and spices and cover the bowl with cling-wrap. Allow to marinade in the fridge for up to 3 hours but no less than 20 minutes.

Heat the oven to 220°c.

Remove the chicken from the buttermilk mixture but don’t take off all the buttermilk, leave enough on so that the crumbs have something to stick to.

Combine the crumbs with the salt and paprika and coat the chicken.

Place the chicken on a wire rack over a roasting tray and place in the oven.

Because the heat of the oven is so high, you’ll have to check on the chicken every 7-10 minutes to make sure it’s not burning. If the chicken is browning too much in the first 10 minutes, turn your oven down to 180°c. The chicken should be cooked after approximately 25 minutes, just cut into a piece and make sure the flesh closest to the bone is not pink.

Serve immediately.


Roasted Potato and Okra Salad (from Gourmet Magazine July 2005)
(Serves 6 as a side dish)

2lb small potatoes such as fingerling, red, or yellow-fleshed
1 large bunch scallions, white parts halved lengthwise and remainder reserved for another use
2 large fresh rosemary sprigs, plus 1/2 teaspoon chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
3/4lb small (2- to 3-inch) okra
2 cups shelled fresh broad beans (2 1/2 lb in pods) or shelled fresh or frozen edamame
1 cup fresh corn (from 1 to 2 ears)
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp finely chopped shallot

Roast potatoes and okra:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.

Halve potatoes lengthwise and toss with scallion pieces, rosemary sprigs, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread potato mixture in a large roasting pan and roast, stirring once, 20 minutes. Stir potatoes and add okra to pan, tossing to coat. Continue to roast until okra and potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes more.

Cook beans and corn while potatoes roast:

Cook beans in 1 quart (unsalted) boiling water in a 3- to 4-quart pot 3 minutes, then immediately transfer to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Gently peel off skins.

Return water to a boil and add 1 teaspoon salt, then cook corn until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain corn in a sieve and immediately transfer to bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Drain corn again.

Make dressing and assemble salad:

Whisk together lemon juice, shallot, chopped rosemary, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl until combined. Discard rosemary sprigs, then add hot potatoes and okra to dressing along with beans, corn, and salt to taste, tossing to combine. Cool salad to warm before serving.

Smoked Mackerel, Bean and Pea Spaghetti Frittata

I have lots of eggs that need using after buying way too many for pancakes last week. So one of the things I thought I'd make was frittata, it's a long time since I made one of these but boy am I glad I did, it was delicious! It lasted me for a couple of days with leftovers too and was really good with brown sauce!

I am going to try and enter this into Presto Pasta Nights, which is celebrating it's 5th birthday! However, I think I'm too late for this week but we shall see!



Smoked Mackerel, Bean and Pea Spaghetti Frittata
(Serves 2)

3 medium eggs
just under 1 portion of spaghetti
handful frozen peas
handful frozen broad beans
1 smoked mackerel fillet (I used peppered)
salt and pepper

First cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions, when you are 4 mins from the end of the cooking time, add the beans and peas to the pasta.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and flake the smoked mackerel into the eggs, and also add the spaghetti, beans and peas. Add salt and pepper.

Heat a frying pan with some oil and add the egg mixture to the pan. When the bottom side looks golden, about 5 mins, flip the frittata (this is easiest using a small plate to help) and cook the other side until golden, again about 5 mins. Serve.

Lamb Chop with Broad Bean and Pea Risotto

I am not a bit fan of making risotto on the stove top, all that stirring wears me out! So I have found a really good way of making risotto in the oven which completely leaves out the adding a ladleful of stock and then stirring for ages. I also don't like my risotto too creamy, or with too much liquid and this is drier than some I have had in restaurants. This method is simple add stock and stick in the oven and it produces lovely risotto.

This is a broad bean and pea version, but it works with most risottos. I have tried mushroom, courgette and lemon, and chicken risotto all with very good results. This one went perfectly with some simply grilled lamb chops. Measurements aren't exact as I just added a handful of things.



Broad Bean and Pea Risotto
(Serves 2)

1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
175g risotto rice
375ml hot vegetable stock
handful podded broad beans

handful frozen peas

Heat some oil in an oven proof pan with a lid, and then add the onion and fry until starting to go soft, add the garlic and fry for a minute longer.

Then add the risotto rice and frozen peas and stir well. Add the stock and bring to the boil.

Season to taste, cover and bake for 15 mins, add the broad beans to the risotto and mix, you can also add more liquid at this point if it looks too dry. Put it back into the oven for another 10 mins or until the rice is just cooked and all the liquid has been absorbed.

Grate some Parmesan over and serve.