Tagliatelle With Cavolo Nero, Chickpeas And Pecorino

Ingredients

• large handful cavolo nero, or kale
• 100ml/3½fl oz olive oil
• 2 lemons, zest only
• ½ lemon, juice only
• 200g/7oz cooked chickpeas
• 500g/1lb 2oz fresh tagliatelle pasta, or similar
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 100g/3½oz pecorino or other hard cheese, finely grated

Preparation method

1. Bring a deep saucepan of water to a rolling boil and blanch the cavolo nero for one minute. Drain, and when cool enough to handle, chop finely.
   
2. Heat the olive oil in a wide pan and fry the cavolo nero in it for a few minutes, over a moderately high heat, stirring constantly.
   
3. At the same time, bring a pot of water to a boil and drop in the pasta to cook for two or three minutes until just tender.
   
4. Drain the pasta and stir it into the kale with the lemon zest and juice, the chickpeas and half of the grated pecorino. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
   
5. Serve the pasta in deep bowls with more cheese scattered over.
   

Yellow Bean Salad Recipe

Yellow Bean Salad Recipe

Method:

Yellow Bean Salad

I make this salad with yellow runner beans, but you can certainly make it with green beans! Also, if you tend to like a bit more heat, leave (all or some of) the veins and seeds in the chile pepper.

1 pound / 16 oz yellow runner beans

1 serrano chile, stemmed and seeded
5 green onions, green parts trimmed & reserved
a big handful of cilantro
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 cup coconut milk, well mixed

1- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste

2 big handfuls / 1/2 cup toasted pepitas
1 1/2 cups tiny pan-fried tofu cubes, optional
basil flower garnish, optional

Cut the beans into 1-inch segments on a deep bias. Cook in a pot of well-salted water for just 30 seconds, drain, and run under cold water to stop cooking. Drain, and aggressively shake off as much water as possible. Set aside.

To make the dressing, pulse the chile, onions, cilantro, garlic, salt, and sunflower oil into a paste with a food processor. Pulse in the coconut milk in two additions, before adding the lemon juice to taste, a half tablespoon at a time.

Place the beans in a large bowl with most of the pepitas and tofu cubes (if you're using them). Toss well with a generous amount of the dressing (you'll have plenty of leftover), even so, as I mention up above, this is one of those salads that benefits from over-dressing versus under. Serve in a bowl or platter topped with the remaining pepitas and tofu, and basil flowers if you happen to have them.

Bonfire Night baked potatoes

Bonfire Night baked potatoes 

Ingredient:

4 medium baking potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
25g butter
1 large onion , finely sliced
6 slices smoked streaky bacon , chopped
2 tbsp double cream
200g mixed good melting cheese, such as Reblochon, Raclette or Gruyère

Method:

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork, then rub with half the oil, some sea salt and black pepper. Arrange on a baking tray and bake in the oven for about 1 hr 15 mins, until their skins are crisp and they are completely tender when prodded.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil and half the butter in a frying pan. Add the onion and gently cook for 15-20 mins until softened and golden. Remove from the pan and set aside, add the chopped bacon and fry until just crisp. Remove using a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper.
Halve each potato lengthways (watch out, they will be hot), then scoop out most of the potato into a bowl, leaving a potato skin shell with a thin layer of potato. In the bowl, crush the potato with the remaining butter and the double cream. Season with salt and pepper. Fold through the onion, bacon, three-quarters of the cheeses and half the parsley. Spoon back into the potato shells and top with the remaining cheese. Transfer to the baking tray and return to the oven for 10-15 mins, until melting and golden. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve with a sharply dressed crisp salad, if you like.

PER SERVING:

550 kcalories, protein 21g, carbohydrate 39g, fat 36 g, saturated fat 18g, fibre 3g, sugar 4g, salt 2.58 g