Frittata with Quick Pickled Salad

September 4, 2017August 30, 2017 / thuddirect / 1 Comment

This is a super September supper, great for a busy school night. It’s an easy frittata which you can throw together accompanied by a delicious quick pickled cucumber and radish salad.

Serves 2

Ingredients: 30g Samphire, 50g purple potatoes, 100g jersey royals, 1-2 shallot, 100g peas, 50g radishes, 1 baby cucumber, 1 tbsp chopped dill.

From the larder: 25g butter, 5 eggs, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp water, 2 tsp sugar, salt and pepper (optional extra: goats cheese).

Instructions:

Preheat the grill to 200 degrees C.
Slice the potatoes, place in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Cook for 10 mins to par boil.
After 10 mins, blanche with the samphire, by placing in the boiling water for 30 seconds and then drain along with the potatoes and running under cold water.
Shell the peas and chop the shallot. Fry the shallot in butter and if using bacon, cut into pieces and fry in the pan. When soft, add the potatoes, peas and samphire and fry gently for about 5 mins. Beat 5 eggs and pour into the frying pan and then crumble in the goats cheese.
Cook for about 5 minutes, pulling up the edges and letting the soft egg run underneath. Pop under the grill for another 5 or so minutes until the top sets, puffs up and starts to brown.
While the frittata cooks, make a quick pickling brine by mixing white wine vinegar, water and sugar in a small bowl. Thinly slice cucumber and radishes, chop a tsp of dill and mix it all into the brine.
When frittata is puffy and browned, serve with pickled salad and optional toast.

Quinoa Salad

May 24, 2017May 24, 2017 / thuddirect / Leave a comment

A spring salad to boot. Cook the quinoa and everything else is raw- packed with nutrients, vitamins, minerals and flavour!

Ingredients: 50g kale, 5 multi-coloured heritage radishes, 120g cherry tomatoes, 1 baby cucumber, 1 carrot, 2 stems of tarragon and 2 stems of parsley.

From the larder: 160g quinoa, 5tbsp olive oil, 1tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp honey, juice of ½ a lemon, salt and pepper (optional: any grilled meat or fish).

Instructions:

Place the quinoa in a saucepan, cover with double the volume of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Roughly chop the kale, place in a salad bowl and squeeze over the juice of ½ a lemon and a pinch of salt. Massage for a minute or so that the kale breaks down and becomes slightly softer. Leave in the bowl while you prepare other veg.
Slice the radishes, quarter the tomatoes, quarter the cucumber length ways and then slice it, peel and grate the carrot and chop the parsley leaves.
Make a dressing by whisking together the oil, vinegar and honey and mix in chopped tarragon leaves.
Test the quinoa and if ready (soft but still with a little bite), remove from the heat and drain any remaining excess water.
Add the veggies and quinoa to the salad bowl with the kale and then stir in the dressing and mix well to ensure salad is fully dressed.
Serve on it’s own or with any meat/fish accompaniment and enjoy this raw bowl of goodness.

Spring Goodness Bowl

April 20, 2017April 24, 2017 / thuddirect / 1 Comment

A goodness bowl that is here to delight. New potatoes, green beans, radishes and more, this salad is a springing singing super supper!

Ingredients: 200g potatoes, 4 spears of asparagus, 100g broad beans, 50g radishes, 1 spring onion, 40g rocket, 10g coriander, 10g basil, 5g fresh turmeric or 1 tsp powdered turmeric.

From the larder: 100g green lentils, or tin of cooked lentils, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp apple cider or white wine vinegar, 5 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp honey (optional extra: grilled salmon or a poached egg).

Instructions:

If cooking lentils, place in a large pot of cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 mins. 10 mins into cooking, halve the potatoes and add them to the lentils. When potatoes are nearly cooked, remove the beans from their pods, add to the pot and cook for 5 mins.
If using tinned lentils, warm them in a saucepan or the microwave.
Combine the following in a jar or bowl: grated turmeric, chopped basil and coriander, lemon juice, vinegar, honey, pinch of salt and if you have it, a pinch of cumin powder. Whisk well to combine.
Slice radishes and spring onion, and place in a salad bowl with the rocket.
Cut asparagus into quarters, heat a glug of olive oil in a skillet and sauté the asparagus on a medium heat until charred and starting to soften, but not soggy.
When lentils, potatoes, beans and asparagus are cooked, add to the salad bowl and mix in the dressing. If using, serve with grilled salmon or a poached egg.

Spring Salad

March 28, 2017March 28, 2017 / thuddirect / Leave a comment

This is a celebration of Spring in a bowl. When Spring springs, the birds sing and blossom arrives, we find it hard to think about anything other than delightful greens and salads galore. This scrumptious salad is packed with spring greens, pretty pink radishes and more…

Ingredients: 60g radishes, 200g new potatoes, 100g green beans, 1 courgette, 1 shallot, 1 clove of garlic clove, 10g basil and 10g tarragon.

From the larder: 150g rice (red, wild or brown), 5tbsp olive oil, 3tbsp white wine vinegar and 1tbsp Dijon mustard (optional: poached eggs, or grilled meat).

Instructions:

Start cooking the rice. Cover with water in a saucepan. Cover, bring to the boil and then simmer for 15 or so minutes until soft.
Top, tail and halve the green beans and roughly chop the potatoes.
Boil the potatoes in a saucepan of water for 10 minutes until soft when poked with a knife.
Cook the green beans by adding them to the potatoes for the last 5 minutes of their cooking.
Meanwhile, finely chop the shallot and garlic clove, and chop the tarragon leaves. Combine in a small bowl along with the mustard and white wine vinegar and set aside.
Grate or finely slice the courgette, thinly slice the radishes and chop the basil and place in a salad bowl. If you have a mandolin, use it to slice the courgette and radishes.
When the rice, potatoes and green beans are cooked, add to the salad bowl and then mix in the salad dressing. Serve the salad with optional poached egg or a grilled meat addition of your choice.