Pea and Spinach Risotto with Mint, Cottage Cheese and Parmesan

This is one of the best risottos I have had in a while. It's packed full of veg and wonderfully tasty. It comes from Jamie's Super Food Family Classics, a book which I am really enjoying diving into. The recipes are super easy, always seem to work and taste fab to boot!

Pea and Spinach Risotto with Mint, Cottage Cheese and Parmesan
(from Super Food Family Classics - Jamie Oliver)
(Serves 4)

1 onion, finely chopped
2 leeks, finely chopped
oil
1.2l vegetable stock
300g arborio rice
350g frozen chopped spinach
350g frozen peas
300g cottage cheese
1/2 bunch fresh mint
15g parmesan

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and leek and cook for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until softened.

Stir the rice and spinach into the veg for 2 mins, the gradually add the stock a ladleful at a time, stirring and waiting for each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. Repeat for about 20 mins or until the rice is cooked, adding the rest of the peas for the last few mins.

Blitz the cottage cheese with the rest of the peas and most of the mint leaves in a food processor until smooth. Stir most of the cottage cheese mixture through the risotto, taste and season. The divide between four plates. Serve with a spoonful of cottage cheese mixture, a grating of parmesan and some chopped mint leaves sprinkled over.

Leek Rostiflette

This was so good, I've been raving about it to everyone. Proper comfort, stick to your ribs food. Yum!

Leek Rostiflette (from Sarah Beattie)
(Serves 4-6)

1kg potatoes, peeled
2 leeks
25g butter or 1 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
5 sundried tomatoes, sliced
200ml milk or white wine
2 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper
few gratings nutmeg
1 250g camembert

Preheat the oven to 200C. Parboil the potatoes for 10 mins.

Meanwhile, clean the leeks and cut into 5cm lengths. Cut each length into matchsticks. Melt the butter or heat the oil and fry the leeks with the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes until starting to soften.

Drain the potatoes and coarsely grate. Add them to the leeks with the wine or milk, and parsley. Season well. Toss together and put into a shallow baking dish.

Slice the Camembert in half horizontally to give two rounds. Cut each round into quarters and arrange over the top of the leek and potatoes. Put in the oven for 20–25 mins, until the cheese is bubbling and golden.

Mediterranean Garlicky Fish Stew

This is a wonderful garlicky fish stew. Really flavourful and tasty.

Mediterranean Garlicky Fish Stew (from The Times)
(Serves 4)

2 tbsp oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 leek, halved and sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
5 sprigs of thyme
½ tsp fennel seeds
50ml white wine
1 400g can chopped tomatoes
50ml freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tsp grated orange zest
pinch saffron strands, finely ground and soaked in 1 tbsp hot water
pinch chilli powder or dried chilli flakes
500ml fish stock
salt and pepper
handful chopped parsley, plus extra to serve
500g fish fillet, skinned and chopped into chunks
200g raw prawns
150g squid rings

Heat the oil in a deep sauté pan. Add the shallots and fry gently, stirring often, until softened and lightly browned. Add the leek, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and fennel seeds and fry, stirring continuously, for about 2 mins until fragrant.

Pour in the white wine and fry, stirring, until the liquid is largely reduced. Mix in the chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until thickened and reduced. Stir in the orange juice and zest, saffron and soaking water and chilli powder or flakes. Add the fish stock. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the parsley.

Bring to the boil and cook for about 5 mins. Add the fish, prawns and squid rings and simmer until they are just cooked through – this will take only a matter of mins. Garnish with parsley and serve at once.

Cheese and Onion Topped Vegetable Pie

This was a yummy veggie pie.

Cheese and Onion Topped Vegetable Pie (from Waitrose Autumn)
(Serves 4)
(9 WW SmartPoints per serving)

800g potatoes, peeled and chopped
splash milk
1 tbsp oil
1 carrot sliced
1 pepper, diced
300g leeks, washed and thickly sliced
40g butter
40g plain flour
400ml milk
1 tsp mustard
80g cheddar cheese, grated
1 bunch spring onions, sliced

Put the potatoes into a saucepan and over with water. Bring to the boil and cook for 10-15 mins until tender. Drain and return to the pan.

Add the milk and mash well. Season.

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the veg for 5 mins. Transfer to an ovenproof dish.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 min. Gradually add the milk stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in the mustard and 20g cheese, season and pour over the veg.

Mix the remaining cheese and spring onions into the mash and spoon on top of the veg. Bake for 30 mins until golden.

Sweet Leek and Fennel Tuna Pasta Bake

Yummy, yummy pasta dish full of veggies. Bit of a different version of a tuna pasta bake! I didn't have any olives so I used 2 tsp of capers instead. Anything slightly salty would do!

Sweet Leek and Fennel Tuna Pasta Bake (from Super Food Family Classics - Jamie Oliver)
(Serves 4)

4 black olives, torn up
4 cloves garlic, sliced
oil
2 leeks, sliced
1 bulb fennel, sliced
2 400g tins plum tomatoes
2 tins tuna in spring water
300g wholewheat pasta
1/2 parsley, chopped
150g cottage cheese
20g parmesan, grated

Add the olives and garlic to a large pan over a medium heat with 1 tbsp of oil. Add the leeks and fennel and cook with the lid on for 15 mins or until softened, stirring regularly.

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta for 5 mins, drain.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C. Tip the tomatoes into the pan, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, then just over half fill one of the empty tins with water, swirl around and pour into the pan. Drain and flake in the tuna, then simmer for 10 mins.

Add the pasta, cottage cheese and parsley to the tomato pan, season. Tip into a baking dish, sprinkle over the parmesan and bake for 25-30 mins until golden and bubbling. Serve.

Swede and Leek Soup

This came out the newsletter that comes with my veg bag. It's a delicious veg soup, lovely and warming for this chilly weather.

Swede and Leek Soup (from Organiclea)
(Serves 4-6)

2 tbsp oil
700g swede, peeled and diced
225g potatoes, peeled and diced
450g leeks, sliced
1 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 tsp mixed herbs
1.5l vegetable stock
salt and pepper
150ml milk

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and saute the swede, potatoes, leeks and garlic for 5 mins.

Add the mixed herbs, veg stock and season.

Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 mins or until the veg are soft.

Using a hand blender, puree the soup until smooth. Stir in the milk, reheat and serve.

Smoked Salmon and Spelt Kedgeree

This is absolutely delicious. I had it for lunch, so I left the spelt to cool before topping with the salmon and egg. It's a great big hit of vitamin D too.

Smoked Salmon and Spelt Kedgeree
(Serves 2)

1 leek, sliced
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp curry powder
100g pearled spelt
500ml chicken or veg stock
2 eggs
100g green beans, chopped
juice 1/2 lemon
handful chopped dill
100g smoked salmon

Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the leek, cook for 10 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the curry powder and cook for 1 min. Add the spelt and stock and simmer, stirring occasionally for 15-20 mins, until the liquid has been absorbed.

Meanwhile, put the eggs in a saucepan full of water bring to the boil and boil for 9 mins, adding the green beans for the last 2 mins of cooking time.

Peel and quarter the eggs. Season the spelt and stir in the juice 1/2 lemon, the beans and the dill. Top with the smoked salmon and eggs. Serve.

Chicken and Leek Pie

The original title for this recipe is Chicken and Leek Shepherd's Pie - but to my mind you can't call anything shepherd's pie unless it has lamb mince in it. It's the lamb that makes the shepherd's bit not the mash potato. Anyway, enough of my English semantics!

Despite my quibble over it's name it is a delicious pie and a bit lighter than a traditional mince filled one. 

Chicken and Leek Pie (from Healthy Seasonal Recipes)

(Serves 6)

1 tbsp butter
2 large leeks, chopped leek
1 tbsp plain flour
185ml chicken stock
60ml cream or milk
4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 small tin sweet corn
salt and pepper
3 baking potatoes, cooked and mashed.

Preheat oven to 180C.

Heat the butter in a large saucepan over a medium high heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring often until softened and starting to brown, 3 to 5 mins.

Sprinkle the flour over the leeks and stir to coat. Stir in the stock followed by the cream and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often until the sauce is thick, about 5 mins.

Stir the chicken, parsley, sweetcorn, salt and pepper into the leek mixture, and remove from the heat. Transfer to an oven-proof dish and top with the mashed potatoes.

Put into the oven and bake for 30 mins until the potatoes are starting to brown and heated through and the sauce is bubbling. Serve.

Ham and Veg Crumble

This would be great for that leftover ham from Boxing Day. In any event it used up lots of veg from my veg bag. I thought it lacked a pop of green so I added in some chard, but you could add in pretty much any green you like.

Ham and Veg Crumble (from Good Food Magazine December 2014)
(Serves 4)

100g butter
2 leeks, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 parsnips, chopped
½ celeriac, chopped
200g plain flour
500ml hot chicken or vegetable stock
400g cooked ham, cut into chunky slices from a joint, then shredded
200g tub low-fat crème fraîche
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a large frying pan, chop the remaining butter into small chunks and put it in the fridge. Add the leeks, carrots, parsnips and celeriac to the pan with a splash of water, season, cover with a lid and cook for 10-15 mins, stirring now and then, until the veg is beginning to soften.

Stir in 2 tbsp of the flour, then add the stock a bit at a time, stirring as you go, until all incorporated and smooth. Cover with a lid and simmer for 10 mins until the vegetables are tender.

Heat the oven to 200C. Add the ham, all but 2 tbsp of the crème fraîche, and the mustard to the veg, season with pepper and transfer to an ovenproof baking dish.

Put the remaining butter and flour in a bowl and season. Rub together with your fingers to fine breadcrumbs. Add the remaining crème fraîche and mix with a cutlery knife until the crumble clumps together in places.

Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the filling, then bake for 30-40 mins until crispy and golden on top.

Jamie's 12 Hour Rabbit Bolognese

This makes a lot of sauce! I made half the recipe and got 6 portions out of it! It is however absolutely delicious and takes very little effort just very long slow cooking.

12 Hour Rabbit Bolognese (from Jamie Oliver)
(Serves 12)

1 tbsp oil
3 rashers smoked streaky bacon, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 whole rabbit, skinned, including offal
1 bulb garlic, left whole, white skin peeled away
2 leeks, washed, topped and tailed
2 carrots, washed, topped and tailed
2 red onions, halved
20g dried porcini mushrooms
2x400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
500ml light smooth beer/ale
2 tbsp tomato purée
salt and pepper
1 whole nutmeg
½ lemon
few sprigs of fresh thyme

Optional serving method: serves 6
500 g dried pasta , optional
Parmesan or Cheddar cheese , optional
extra virgin olive oil , optional
a few sprigs of fresh thyme , optional

Preheat the oven to 110°C. Put your largest casserole dish on a medium heat and add the oil and the chopped bacon. Once it’s lightly golden, add the bay leaves and rosemary sprigs and lay the whole rabbit and the offal on top. Drop in the whole garlic bulb, leeks, carrots, celery and onions, then add the dried mushrooms, tinned tomatoes, beer, tomato purée, and just enough water to cover everything (roughly 1 litre). Bring to the boil, and season with salt and pepper. Finely grate in half the nutmeg, put the lid on. Put the casserole into the oven and leave to cook for 12 hours.

Once cooked, let the stew cool down. Using your hands pick through small handfuls of the stew at a time, taking out any bones or vegetable skins. Discard the herbs, and flake the meat off the bones. Scrunch the vegetables and offal in your hands as you go and break them into smaller pieces. Pour any juices left behind back into the pan, then go back in and have another rummage to make sure you haven’t missed anything. Finely grate in the zest of half the lemon and pick in a few thyme tips.

To serve, reheat the sauce and serve over cooked pasta with some grated parmesan.

Salmon Hash

I made this delicious salmon hash a couple of weeks ago. You could, by all means, use fresh or smoked salmon but I used tinned. It was delicious.

Salmon Hash (from Kahakai Kitchen)
(Serves 4)

2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 leek, halved and sliced
500g potatoes, cooked and cut into chunks
2 tins salmon
200g spinach leaves, coarse stems discarded and shredded
salt and pepper
squeeze lemon juice
small bunch of flat leaf parsley or dill, chopped

For the mustard sauce
300g Greek yogurt
1 1/2 tbsp whole-grain mustard
squeeze lemon juice
salt and pepper

Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan and add onion, leeks and potatoes. Fry over a medium heat until the onion and leek are soft and the potatoes are golden. The potatoes will be brown in places.

Mix all the mustard sauce ingredients together.

Flake the salmon into large chunks and stir in along with the spinach. Stir everything around gently until the spinach is wilted.

Season, squeeze over the lemon juice and sprinkle over the parsley or dill. Serve with the mustard sauce.

Smoked Whiting, Leek and Cheese Gratin

I loved the flavours of this gratin but I did end up with a watery residue at the bottom of the dish, which was slightly annoying. It was a fab way to use up smoked fish and leeks though.

Smoked Whiting, Leek and Cheese Gratin (from Lavender and Lovage)
(Serves 4)

4 fillets smoked whiting, skinned and boned
300ml milk
2 small leeks, trimmed, washed and thinly sliced
25g butter
4 eggs, beaten
50g grated Parmesan cheese
zest and juice 1 lemon
1 tbsp dill, chopped
50g cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 200C. Grease an ovenproof dish.

Poach the fish in the milk for 5 to 8 mins, until it is opaque and flaky. Drain, reserving the milk and allow to cool before flaking the fish into small pieces.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan and fry the leeks for a couple of mins, then cover and cook until soft, 10-15 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the flaked fish to the leeks and gently mix through. Place the leek and fish mixture into the ovenproof dish.

Put the eggs and poaching milk into a bowl, add the Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, dill and season.

Pour the egg mixture over the leeks and fish and then sprinkle the Cheddar over the top. Bake for 25 to 30 mins, until set and golden brown.

Potato and Leek Gratin

I had most of a pot of creme fraiche leftover about to go out of date and I was looking for a recipe to use it so it didn't go to waste, a bit of googling produced this recipe. It isn't as good as a gratin recipe with cream but it was edible and used up ingredients that I already had in the cupboards.

Potato and Leek Gratin (from Vermont Creamery)
(Serves a large number of people)

30g butter
3 leeks, sliced in half lengthwise, cleaned, and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
375ml whole milk
225g crème fraîche
1.8kg potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
100g cheddar or gruyère, grated

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat.

Add the leeks and garlic, stirring occasionally to allow the leeks to soften and caramelise a little. Add the salt, pepper, thyme, and milk, and allow to come to a boil, stirring frequently. 

Lower the heat and stir in the crème fraîche. Add the sliced potatoes and allow to simmer for a few mins. Make sure to gently stir the potatoes so they are all coated. Butter a large gratin or casserole dish, and pour the potatoes and sauce into it. Sprinkle with the cheese, and bake for 1 hour, until the potatoes are soft.

Pearl Barley and Roasted Beetroot Salad with Maple Balsamic Dressing

I have an issue with this salad. The original recipe says to roast the veg for 1 and a half hours but if I'd done that they would have been incinerated, so I changed it to 45 mins and they were perfect. Also all my lovely glaze burnt and stuck to the pan so there were no lovely juices to drizzle over. I'm not sure if it's just that my oven is hotter than most or what but definitely be careful with this recipe.

Pearl Barley and Roasted Beetroot Salad with Maple Balsamic Dressing 
(from Amuse Your Bouche)
(Serves 2)

2 medium leeks, trimmed and cut into 1 inch chunks
5 medium carrots, halved lengthwise then cut into 2 inch chunks
4 fresh beetroot, peeled and cut into wedges
4 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp maple syrup or honey
Salt
Black pepper
100g uncooked pearl barley
salad leaves

Heat the oven to 190°C . Place the vegetables in a large roasting tray, and add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and plenty of salt and black pepper. Mix well with a spoon until evenly coated. Place in the oven and roast for around 45 mins, or until soft and slightly crispy on the edges.

Meanwhile bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the barley according to packet instructions. 

When the pearl barley is cooked, drain it. 

Divide the salad leaves between 2 bowls and then top with the barley followed by the  roasted vegetables drizzled with any excess dressing.

Smoked Haddock, Barley and Spinach Salad

This is an adapted recipe, it's supposed to be eaten hot but it tastes really good cold in a lunchbox as well. It takes a little bit of effort but it's worth it.

Smoked Haddock, Barley and Spinach Salad
(adapted from Grains, Seeds and Legumes by Molly Brown)
(Serves 6)

1 tbsp dijon mustard
100ml white wine vinegar
salt and pepper
1 tsp caster sugar
180ml extra virgin olive oil
75ml creme fraiche
220g pearl barley
2 tbsp oil
250g leeks, sliced
350g baby spinach leaves
1 kg smoked cod or haddock, cut into 6 portions

Make the dressing; put the mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper and sugar into a small bowl. Gradually add the extra-viring olive oil, whisking as you go. Stir in the creme fraiche and check for seasoning.

Cook the barley in boiling water until tender about 30 mins. Drain rinse in cold water, drain well and transfer to a bowl and stir in some salt and pepper.

Heat a tbsp of oil in a saucepan, add the leeks and cook until soft. Add to the barley and mix well.

Put the spinach in the bottom of a lunchbox and top with the barley mixture.

Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the fish to the pan. Cook for 2 mins until golden brown. Turn the flesh over, reduce the heat a little and cover the pan. Cook for about 5 mins or until the flesh is opaque. Take the pan off the heat. Leave to cool.

Break the fish into large chunks and place on top of the barley mixture. Pack the dressing separately and pour over and mix at lunchtime.

Kipper Chowder

This soup is from the new River Cottage book Light and Easy, which doesn't seem to have a TV series to compliment it. I was given it for Christmas and I have bookmarked in the traditional sense of the word lots of recipes to make from it. I'm also on a bit of a soup kick with all this cold weather, tis the season and all that! I really enjoyed this kipper chowder, you couldn't feel the bones of the kippers, which is the one thing I hate about them, so that and the lovely smoky flavour made the soup fantastic in my book!

Kipper Chowder
(Serves 4)

1 tbsp oil
1 large leek, quartered lengthways and sliced
250g potatoes, peeled and diced into 1cm cubes
2 garlic cloves, grated
4 kipper fillets
2 rounded tsp cornflour, mixed to a paste with water
850ml milk
2 bay leaves
small bunch parsley, chopped
small bunch chives, sliced
juice 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper

Put a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the oil, followed by the leeks. Season with a little salt and pepper and gently sweat the leeks for a couple of mins, until softened a little. Add the potatoes and garlic and cook for a further 3-4 mins, stirring often.

Meanwhile, carefully skin the kipper fillets and cut into 2cm pieces.

Stir the cornflour paste into the leek and potato mixture, then pour in the milk, add the bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 10-12 mins until the potatoes are almost tender. Add the kipper pieces and stir them in. Bring back to a simmer, then turn off the heat and put a lid on the pan. Leave to stand for 5-10 mins. This will cook the kipper and infuse the soup with its smoky flavour.

Add the parsley, chives, lemon juice and salt and pepper and serve.

Squash Stuffed with Tex Mex Rice and Beans

This was really yummy again. The sweetness of the squash mixed with the spiciness of the chipotle paste worked really well together. This was kind of a southwestern style dish really yummy and filling.

Squash Stuffed with Tex Mex Rice and Beans (from Green Gourmet Giraffe)
(Serves 4-6)

2-3 small squash
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large leek, washed and chopped
250g brown basmati rice, cooked
2 tbsp chipotle sauce
100g cheese, grated
400g tin corn, drained and rinsed
400g tin black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp lemon juice

Bake the squash for about 1-2 hours at 180C until they feel soft, check after 1 hour. Chop off the top and scrape out seeds.

Fry the leek for about 10-15 mins until soft. Mix with the remaining ingredients and taste to check the seasoning.

Stuff as much stuffing as possible into the squash and put back into the oven and bake for about 30 mins. If you have remaining filling, bake in a greased oven dish until top is crispy..

Homity Pie

This is really something I really loved from school dinners at my previous job. The macaroni cheese, Cumberland sausage and mash and homity pie were my favourites. So I decided to recreate the pie in mini form for me and I have to say that my version tasted a lot healthier but still full of flavour.

 

Homity Pie (from Amuse Your Bouche)
(makes 1 large pie)

250g plain flour
150g butter, cut into cubes
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp oil
1 leek, halved lengthwise then sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
450g potatoes
25g butter, softened
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp mild/medium curry powder
3 tbsp milk

Put the flour and butter into a bowl and using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add in the egg and mix until it forms a soft dough. Wrap in cling film and put into the fridge for half an hour.

Flour a board and roll out the pastry. Lightly grease a large flan dish, and lay the pastry on top, pressing gently into the corners of the dish. Trim the pastry to fit. Place some baking beans on top of the pastry and blind bake for around 15-20 mins, until golden brown.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, and cook the leeks and garlic over a medium heat for around 5 mins, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are soft. Meanwhile, chop the potatoes into fairly small chunks, and boil for around 15 mins, or until the potatoes are tender. Drain and set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Use a fork to lightly mash the potatoes. Add the leeks and garlic, butter, parsley, curry powder, egg, milk, and half the cheese. Mix well. Transfer the mixture to the pie crust, and spread out into an even layer. Top with the remaining cheese, and bake for a further 25-30 mins, until the cheese is crispy and the pastry is golden brown. Serve with salad.

Lentil and Leek Kedgeree Salad with Smoked Mackerel

This was such a different salad. Not something I would ordinarily make but it really appealed and it was really tasty and I would assume fairly healthy too. I served it over lettuce.  I also love the A Salad For All Seasons book, it's given me so many ideas for packed lunches.



























































Lentil and Leek Kedgeree Salad with Smoked Mackerel
(From A Salad For All Seasons - Harry Eastwood) (Serves 6)


4 tbsp oil
450g dried puy lentils
6 leeks, finely sliced
8 cardamom, husks removed, bashed to a powder
2 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
4 bay leaves
2 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp medium curry powder
salt and pepper
large handful parsley, roughly chopped
600g smoked mackerel fillets, skinned and flaked
3 hard boiled eggs, quartered
4 spring onions, chopped
1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges
pinch cayenne pepper
8 tbsp sour cream
handful chives, snipped


Heat 3 tbsp oil in a large pan and fry the lentils, leeks, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, allspice and curry powder over a low heat for 20mins.


Add 700ml water to the pan and cover with a lid. Cook for 30 mins until the lentils are cooked and there is no water left in the pan.


Discard the bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and cloves. Adjust the seasoning and a tbsp of oil.


Fork the lentils and leeks to help them cool down before adding the parsley, smoked mackerel, eggs and spring onions.


Squeeze over the lemon juice and sprinkle with cayenne pepper before adding a blob of sour cream and sprinkling chives over each portion.

River Cottage Kale Speltotto with Goat's Cheese

I made this on a bit of a him so that I could use up the spring greens growing in my garden before the slugs or caterpillars got them. I also used barley instead of spelt, which took much longer to cook and much more liquid than the time given for spelt. Nevertheless it was really tasty and well worth my arm falling off from all the stirring!

 

Kale Speltotto with Goat's Cheese

(from River Cottage Veg - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall)

(Serves 4)

1l vegetable stock

50g butter

2 tbsp oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

A few sprigs thyme, leaves chopped

2-3 leeks, trimmed and sliced into 2cm thick slices

150g kale or spring greens, stems removed and leaves shredded

300g pearled spelt or barley

125ml white wine

50g hard goat's cheese

salt and pepper

Heat the stock in a saucepan and keep it at a low simmer over a very low heat.

Heat about half the butter and 1 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and thyme and sweat gently for about 10 mins, until the onion is soft.

Stir the spelt through the softened onions and cook gently for a min or two. Add the wine and let it bubble until all the liquid is absorbed.

Now start adding the stock, about a quarter at the time, as you would for a risotto, stirring often, letting  each addition be absorbed before adding the next. It should take about 25 mins for the spelt (10-15 mins longer for barley) to become tender but still with a bit of bite.

While the spelt is cooking, sweat the leeks in the remaining oil and butter in a small frying pan over a medium heat, tossing and stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the kale or greens for the last 5 mins.

Take the finished Speltotto off the heat and stir through the leeks, kale or greens and grated cheese. Season. Serve topped with more grated cheese or sliced goat's cheese and a grinding of pepper.