spinach

Tomato and Spinach Flatbread

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This flatbread recipe is super simple and darn delicious. Simply grab a flatbread and top it with chopped spinach, tomatoes, pepper, grelot onions, basil and mozzarella. What more can you want in the mid-week meal?

Serves 2

Ingredients: 100g yellow and 100g red cherry tomatoes, handful of spinach, 1 baby bell pepper, 2 red grelot onions, 7 or so basil leaves

From the larder: 2 flat breads, 1 ball of mozzarella, olive oil, salt and pepper (optional: 25g pine nuts).

 Instructions:

  • Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C.
  • Slice the tomatoes in half or quarters, deseed and slice the pepper and thinly slice the onion bulb along with about 2 inches of their leaves. Roughly chop the spinach.chopped veg
  • Place the flatbreads or wraps on baking trays. Brush generously with olive oil and then place the tomatoes, pepper, onion and spinach, optional pine nuts on to the flatbreads, spreading out so they are distributed evenly.
  • Tear the ball of mozzarella and distribute evenly across the flatbreads.uncooked flatbread angle
  • Place in the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes until flatbreads are slightly crispy, mozzarella is melted and the tomatoes are looking cooked.
  • Remove from the oven and tear basil over the flatbreads.flatbread cooked angle
  • Slice or tear the flat breads as you eat and enjoy a cutlery free feast!

Garden Fritters

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With spring in full swing, we got excited and packed lots of fresh greens into one deliciously nutritious fritter. It’s accompanied by a sweet, tangy and bright carrot salad.

Ingredients: 100g Purple sprouting broccoli, 2 spring onions, handful of spinach, 4g dill, 2 carrots, 4g chives.

Larder: 3 eggs, 60g cheese (cheddar or feta), juice of ½ a lemon, 1 tsp honey, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper.

Instructions:

  • Finely chop the broccoli, spring onions, spinach and dill.
  • Beat the eggs in a bowl and grate or crumble in the cheese.chopped greens 600pxmixed with greens 600px
  • Mix in the chopped greens and season with salt and pepper.
  • Prepare the salad; grate the carrots and chop the chives. Whisk lemon juice, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1tsp honey. Pour over the salad, set aside.carrot salad 600px
  • To cook the fritters; heat a generous glug of oil in a frying pan and add large spoonfuls of fritter mix to the pan in separate dollops, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry each fritter for a few minutes on each side until golden and slightly crispy.cooking fritters 600px
  • Transfer the cooked fritters to a plate in a warm oven until all are ready to serve.
  • Serve the fritters with the carrot salad.

Pasta Verdé

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An easy way to eat your greens, this pasta dish is a quick mid-week meal of greens, pasta and a speedy yummy mustardy dressing.

Ingredients: 2 shallots, 1 leek, 100g purple sprouting broccoli, handful of spinach, 1 spring onion, 10g basil.

Larder: 180g pasta, 2-3 tsp whole grain mustard, 2 tsp white wine vinegar and 150 – 200ml crème fraîche. (Optional extras: grilled chicken, seeds and cheese.)

 Instructions:

  • Grill meat if using.
  • Bring a pot of water to the boil and cook the pasta in a saucepan of boiling water until al denté.
  • Meanwhile, slice the shallots and leek. Sauté in a glug of oil for 5 minutes until soft and transluscent.
  • Chop the broccoli, add to the pan and cook for 3 minutes, adding a splash of water to create some steam.sauteed veg with brocoli 600px
  • Make the dressing: finely chop the basil leaves and mix with mustard, vinegar and crème fraîche. Adjust proportions to taste.mustard and creme fraiche 600px
  • Chop the spinach and mix into the veg and then stir in the dressing.veggies with sauce 600px
  • When pasta is al denté, drain and toss altogether with the veg and dressing.
  • Serve, garnished with sliced spring onion and optional seeds and/or grated cheese.

Spinach and Mushroom and Lychee Pancakes

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Pancake Day is around the corner and we are excited! Pancakes are super easy to make using just a few staple ingredients from your cupboard along with whatever is in your fridge. Try these pancakes use spinach, mushrooms and a combination of mint, chervil and creme fraîche. And to finish things off, slice up a few little lychees and mix with brown sugar and any left over mint as a sweet treat to end the feast.  

Ingredients: 2 shallots, 120g button mushrooms, big handful of spinach, 8g chervil, 1 stem of mint and 3-4 lychees.

Larder: 150ml milk, 125g flour, 150ml water, 1 egg, pinch of salt, 150ml of crème fraîche or greek yoghurt, 1tsp brown sugar (optional: lemon or lime juice).

Instructions:

  • Make the pancake batter: combine in a bowl flour, milk, egg, water and a pinch of salt. Beat with a whisk until smooth and runny, set aside while you make the filling.
  • Chop the shallots and slice the mushrooms. Sauté in oil until soft and then add the spinach, stir and cook until mostly wilted.

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  • As the filling sautés use another frying pan to make the pancakes. Or set the filling aside and use the same frying pan. Add approximately 1 tsp oil on a medium heat, swirl around so it covers the pan. Pour a ladle of pancake batter into the pan swirling as you pour so that it covers the pan in a thin layer approximately 3mm thick. Cook for about a minute until the bottom sets and then flip and cook for another minute or so. Place the pancake on a plate and spread a dollop of crème fraîche or yoghurt on the pancake followed by a spoonful of the spinach and mushroom mix. Use scissors or tear chervil (stems and all) and most of the mint leaves on top. Repeat for a second pancake and serve. If you use a small pan, you should be able to make approximately 4 savoury pancakes.

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  • For a sweet end to the meal, make 2 more pancakes. Pierce the lychee skin and cut the flesh away from the stone into little pieces, mix together with 1tsp brown sugar and an optional squeeze of lime or lemon. Spread over the pancake with any remaining mint leaves and optional squeeze of lemon, dollop of crème fraîche or yoghurt. Fold up and enjoy!

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Jerusalem Artichoke Risotto

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With purple carrots in the mix, this risotto takes on their colour and creates a beautiful meal, containing tasty jerusalem artichokes, mushrooms and spinach. We think it’s a winner!

Ingredients: 2 shallots, 1 clove of garlic, 150g Jerusalem artichoke, handful of spinach, 70g mushrooms, 1 purple carrot, 4g lemon thyme.

From the larder: 20g butter, 170g Arborio rice, 700-800ml stock, salt and pepper, (optional: chicken pieces and 30g grated parmesan).

Instructions:

  • Chop the shallots, a garlic clove, finely chop the carrot and strip lemon thyme leaves from their stem. Sauté gently together with a knob of butter in a heavy bottom pan for about 5-7 minutes until shallots are soft.
  • Add the Arborio rice and cook for 2 minutes, until the rice looks slightly translucent.
  • Prepare 700ml stock (use some white wine if you like). Add it to the rice ladle-by-ladle until it is all fully absorbed. Stir and allow stock to absorb between each ladle. Add more water if you run out of stock before the rice is cooked. This process can take up to 20 mins, so be patient, while enjoying it turn purple!cooking-risotto-600px
  • While the risotto is cooking, halve and thinly slice the mushrooms and jerusalem artichoke. Fry the mushrooms in a small frying pan on their own and then add to the risotto. Then fry the jerusalem artichoke (and chicken pieces if using) gently until the jerusalem artichoke is soft and slightly crispy in places. Once the stock is absorbed and the risotto al denté, add the spinach leaves, stir to wilt, and then add the jerusalem artichoke and chicken. Remove from the heat, season and add a knob of butter and optional grated parmesan.
  • Leave risotto to rest for approximately 5 minutes before serving.

Brussel Sprout Risotto

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You can’t get much more wintry than a brussel sprout focussed meal. This risotto is delicious and made better by buttery brussels sautéed with sage and thyme and optional bacon and almonds, creating the perfect savoury salty combos.

Ingredients: Shallots, garlic, brussel sprouts, lemon thyme, sage, and spinach.

From the larder: Butter, 170g Arborio rice, 600-ml stock, 30g Parmesan, 40g almonds and/or 2 slices bacon chopped into pieces (optional).

Instructions:

  • Chop the shallots and garlic. Sauté in butter for 2 mins then add the Arborio rice and cook until it looks slightly translucent.
  • Prepare stock and add to the rice ladle-by-ladle and cook until rice is al denté and risotto creamy. Stir and allow stock to absorb between each ladle. This process should take about 20 minutes. Half way through cooking, add the lemon thyme leaves stripped off the stems.
  • While the risotto is cooking, slice the brussel sprouts, and chop the almonds and sage leaves. Melt a large knob of butter in a frying pan and fry the sprouts until they are soft and starting to brown. When sprouts are softening, add the almonds and sage and fry altogether.frying-brussel-sprouts-and-almonds-600px
  • If using bacon, start frying that first and add the sprouts followed by almonds and sage.
  • When risotto is ready, take off the heat, mix in spinach and grated Parmesan, allowing Parmesan to melt and spinach to wilt.
  • Stir the brussel sprouts, almonds, sage and optional bacon into the risotto and serve immediately.