parsley

Summer Kale and Pepper Pasta

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There’s not much we like more than a simple pasta and a good kick of garlic, oil and salt. When summer kale gets involved along with a sweet red pepper and invites parsley and lemon to the party it makes this a corker of a comforting mid-week meal.

Ingredients: 50g kale, 1 romero pepper, small bunch of parsley, 4 garlic cloves.

Larder: 200g spaghetti, generous glugs of olive oil, pinch of salt, pepper, juice of a lemon (optional extras: parmesan cheese). 

Instructions:

  • Bring a large sauce pan of water to the boil.veggies on chopping board 1600px
  • Finely shred the kale, deseed and finely chop the pepper, mince the garlic and finely chop the parsley.
  • Add the pasta to the boiling water.
  • Meanwhile, add a generous glug of oil to a sauté pan and sauté the veggies, starting with the garlic for a minute and then add the pepper and kale for another 3-4 minutes.
  • Stir in the parsley, the juice of a lemon, a healthy pinch of salt, and pinch of pepper.
  • When the pasta is ready, drain, add a glug of olive oil and then combine with the veggies.
  • Serve in bowls with grated parmesan on top and add more lemon juice, salt and/or olive oil if desired.

Rainbow Tabouleh

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Serves 2

Ingredients: 100g red cherry tomatoes, a few stems of small curly parsley, a few stems of flat parsley, 2-3 stems of mint, 1 romero pepper, 1 carrot, 1 baby cucumber.

From the Larder: 100g couscous, 5 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 200g halloumi, pinch of salt and pepper, (optional lamb or grilled chicken).

Instructions:

  • Gather all the veg and herbs. Quarter the tomatoes, chop the pepper into 1cm squares, grate or finely chop the carrot. Quarter the cucumber lengthways and slice it. Finely chop the mint and parsley.chopped herbschopped veg
  • Place all in a salad bowl.
  • Whisk olive oil, lemon juice salt and pepper and pour over salad.
  • Make the couscous according to packet instructions and grill meat.
  • While waiting for the couscous to cook, slice the whole block of halloumi into thin slices ½ cm thick and fry on each side until turning golden.frying halloumi
  • Mix couscous into the salad and mix well so that dressing is mixed through.chopped veg landscape
  • Serve tabouleh with halloumi and optional meat, adding more oil or lemon if desired.angle tabouleh landscape 2

‘Shroom Pasta with Gremolata

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This is a great quick mid-week meal with delicious mushrooms and gremolata, a wonderful mix of parsley, garlic and lemon zest.

Ingredients: 40g Oyster, 100g chestnut and button mushrooms, 60g cavolo nero, bunch of parsley and 3 garlic cloves.

From the larder: 200g fettuccine or other pasta, olive oil, zest and juice of ½-1 lemon, salt and pepper (optional: 2 tbsp white wine, dollop of crème fraîche).

Instructions:

  • Make the gremolata: finely mince the garlic and the parsley. Add the lemon zest and chop together.

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  • Start cooking the pasta in a large saucepan of salted water.
  • Slice the mushrooms and heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan. When hot, add the mushrooms and fry for a few minutes until browning and starting to sweat. If you have it, add 2 tbsp of white wine and continue cooking until wine has evaporated and mushrooms glazed.
  • Add another tbsp of olive oil and the gremolata and cook for another minute or so.

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  • Finely shred the cavolo nero and add it to the pasta water for the last 4-5 minutes of cooking.
  • When pasta is al denté, remove ½ cup (approx. 50ml) of pasta water before draining and add ¼ cup (approx. 25ml) to the mushrooms and stir together along with the juice of ½ a lemon.
  • Drain the pasta and cavolo nero and toss with the mushrooms. If it seems dry, add 2-4 tbsp of the reserved pasta water.
  • Serve in warmed bowls with optional Parmesan grated on top and a dollop of crème fraîche.