Coconut grain salad

Ingredients 1 can chickpeas, 1 cup pearl cous-cous, 150ml coconut cream, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 can puy lentils.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 20 minutes

It is a truth universally acknowledged that coconut is one of the best things ever. In a world where I do not give my family refined sugar and limit dairy products; coconut palm sugar, coconut blossom syrup and coconut oil, water and milk are constantly on our grocery list. When I was pregnant I consumed so much coconut water that I am not remotely surprised that my son is hopelessly addicted to it. That and it tastes like breastmilk.  
ANYWAY! This salad is subtle and lovely, an extremely lazy nod to rice and peas (one of my favourite dishes at Soul Kitchen - my review here) and super quick to make. Do excuse the slight grey tone of the picture, it was a VERY gloomy day!

1) Add the pearl cous-cous to a pan along with the coconut milk, cumin and thyme.

2) Bring to the boil and after about 8 minutes, turn off the heat, stir through and add the drained puy lentils and chickpeas.

3) The liquid should have cooked off, leaving just a gloss of coconut but if not, drain through a sieve before serving. I like to add a little black pepper and salt 

Roast tomato & sweet potato soup

Ingredients 1 lb tomatoes, 1 can coconut milk, 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 sweet potatoes, coriander, chilli flakes, 1 orange, butter.

Serves: 6 Preparation: 1 hour

This soup was a sort of Frankenstein's monster, I'll be honest, but whilst the majority of time I plan to create a specific recipe - sometimes something evolves from a "bung it" and turns out to be spectacular! I've been all about pistachios this week and whilst roasting some tomatoes to make bruschetta with my pistachio pesto I had a glut of roast tomatoes left over and also some baked sweet potato so decided to make soup. To make the juicy tomatoes go further and add a silky feel to the thick sweet potato I combined it with coconut milk and then suddenly this scrumptious spicy warm Autumn soup emerged!

1) Add the tomatoes, whole, to a lidded ovenproof dish and roast at 200 degrees for 25 minutes. This keeps every bit of that luscious tomato juice and has a completely different flavour from just boiling the tomatoes in stock. Bake the sweet potatoes in their skins for the same amount of time.

2) Peel and slice the onion and sautee in a little butter. When the onions are soft, add the garlic cloves, crushed, then take off the heat before they begin to brown.

3) Add the onions and garlic to a food processor along with the tomatoes - juice and all - and blend thoroughly. Pass through a sieve and back into the pan, then peel and blitz the sweet potato and add the smooth puree to the concentrated tomato flavoured juice in the pan.

4) Add the coconut milk, season and taste. At this point I added the juice and zest of an orange but depending on the variety of tomato you use, your soup may not need this additional tang. It's a judgement call! Simmer for a further 20 minutes.

5) Serve with crushed chilli flakes and chopped coriander.

Roast beetroot & carrot curry

Ingredients 1 can coconut milk, 1 can chickpeas, olive oil, 1 white onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 beetroot, 2 carrots, 1 tbs cumin, 1 tbs turmeric, 1 tbs coriander, chilli powder to taste.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 1 hour

Autumn to me means a glut of roasted vegetables and beetroot with its luscious silky purple juices is never far from my mind. Using roasted vegetables in curry is somewhat unusual, I know, but that magical alchemy gives a better flavour and texture and they look so beautiful without all the colour leaching away. I like to roast a job lot at the beginning of the week to put in the fridge for salads, pasties, and to make stews and soups. They're incredibly cost-effective and this curry is utterly delicious.

1) Peel the carrots and beetroot, drizzle with a little oil and roast in a covered dish for 40 minutes.

2) Peel and dice the onion and sautee in the oil until soft. Add the garlic, spices and chickpeas and stir through.

3) Spoon the thick cream which will have risen to the top of your can of coconut milk (discarding the water below) into the pan and stir through. Allow to simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes (or until the chickpeas are soft) then add the carrot and beetroot and garnish with coriander. Serve with rice or naan.

Blueberry & coconut pancakes

Ingredients 1 1/2 cup plain flour, 3 tsp baking powder, 2 tbsp caster sugar, 1 egg, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/4 cup dessicated coconut, 1 cup coconut cream

Serves: 4 Preparation: 1 hour

Coconut and blueberry go so well together and these Scotch/American-style pancakes are a wonderful way to combine them. Sharp juicy blueberries that burst with flavour, the toasted texture of dessicated coconut and the rich sweetness of the coconut milk. I like to serve these with yoghurt and honey but they're lovely on their own.

1) Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar along with the coconut, coconut milk and egg into a bowl and whisk into a batter. Leave to puff up and rest for at least 20 minutes. Add in the blueberries.

2) Stir through and ladle a spoon full of batter into a hot pan. Using a spatula, work round the edges, then when bubbles begin to appear in the surface of the pancake batter, flip over.

3) Each side should cook in about 2 minutes, giving you light, fluffy pancakes. These can be eaten immediately or toasted later.

Lavender curry

Ingredients 400g Coconut milk, 1 tsp lavender, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 1 white onion, 400g spinach, 1 courgette, butter or ghee, 2 cloves garlic

Serves: 2 preparation: 30 minutes

My personal curry tastes appeal more to the Thai style "soupy" green curries, but lavender could be used in a thicker Indian style Korma sauce if you prefer.
The exotic fragrance and flavour works in the same way coriander or mint does to cut the spices, and as in previous recipes - lavender is a perfect partner to coconut.

1) Grind the lavender with the spices in a mortar and pestle and set aside.

2) Finely dice the onion and add to the pan with the butter or ghee. Cook until the onions are soft, then add the garlic and spices and stir through.

3) Slice the courgette and cut each slice into quarters. Add to the pan and stir through, before adding the coconut milk.

4) Turn down the heat and allow to simmer gently until the courgette has begin to soften. Add the spinach and stir through until it has wilted, though not begun to lose its colour. Serve with rice or naan bread.

Carrot & coconut soup

Ingredients   10 carrots, 1 pint vegetable stock, 1 can coconut milk, coriander, 1 leek, butter

Serves: 4 Preparation: 1 hour

"The carrot has mystery. Flowers are essentially tarts. Prostitutes for the bees. There is a certain je ne sais quoi - oh, so very special - about a firm, young carrot." ~ Uncle Monty (Withnail & I)
He may be a terrible... but he's right you know! Carrots are wonderful, so sugary sweet and surprisingly juicy for such a firm, woody vegetable and are perfect combined with the sweetness of coconut milk and the savoury leek. A definite comfort soup!

1) Peel the carrots and dice - the smaller the chunks the quicker it cooks obviously, but the less cooking time, the more colour and nutrients are kept in the carrots so put in a bit of extra prep!

2) Slice the leek and fry off in a little butter, stir in the carrots to glaze a little before adding the stock.

3) Simmer until the carrots are soft, then strain the carrots from the stock and puree thoroughly in a blender.
Pass the carrot flesh and leeks through a sieve and back into the stock.

4) Return to the hob, adding the can of coconut milk and some chopped coriander and warm through. Season to taste and serve.

Carrot & cranberry soup

Ingredients 250g cranberries, 5 carrots, 1 pint vegetable stock, 1 can coconut cream, 1 white onion, 1 clove black garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp cumin, handful of coriander.

Serves: 5 Preparation: 1 hour

I love cranberries - whether the sweetness is brought out or whether the dry taste is enhanced I think they are a fabulous ingredient in sweet and savoury dishes. This is a hearty winter soup with a velvet texture and rich flavour.

1) Peel and finely dice the white onion and sautee in the olive oil in a stock pot.

2) In a seperate pan, put the cranberries on to cook in hot water for 5-10 minutes.

3) Peel and slice the carrots into chunks and add into the pan of onions along with the vegetable stock and the black garlic, peeled and finely sliced.

4) Once the cranberries have softened, strain the water and parse them through a sieve, leaving the skins behind and forming a smooth puree.

5) Once the carrots have softened, strain them from the stock (do not discard this, return it to the stock pot!) and mash or pulse in the blender before passing them through a sieve.

6) Combine the carrot and cranberry puree and add to the vegetable stock along with the cumin and finely chopped coriander. Turn the heat down to allow this mixture to simmer for about 30 minutes.

7) Season with salt and pepper and stir through the coconut cream before serving. This is perfect with my carrot and coriander bread, or with my vegetable crisps.

Coconut & lentil soup with hazelnut & plantain dumplings

Ingredients 1 plantain, hazelnut butter, coconut  milk, vegetable/chicken stock, cumin, paprika, 2 cups lentils, coriander, cayenne pepper, bell pepper, orange.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 1 hour (plus overnight soaking)

The picture really doesn't do this soup justice - the luscious coconut, tangy orange and cumin and the beautiful delicate flavour of the dumplings make this a great soup to bring some sunshine to the winter months.

1) Soak the lentils overnight in cold water and rinse thoroughly under running water in a colander. Add into a pan with half a pint of vegetable/chicken stock with 1 tablespoon of cumin and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Stir through and allow to simmer whilst you prepare the other ingredients.

2) Dice a bell pepper and add into the pan along with a can of coconut milk and the juice of one orange. If you wish to heat things up, add a diced birds eye chilli too.

3) To make the dumplings; bring a pan of water to the boil and drop the entire plantain into it. Boil for 25-30 minutes. You will know it is ready as the skin will split and virtually peel itself! Remove the skin and add the flesh to a blender along with two teaspoons of hazelnut butter. Blend until a ball forms.

4) Pinch off pieces of the plantain mix and form tight balls by rolling between two palms. If you have any left over this makes a fabulous chicken stuffing.

5) Add the plantain dumplings to the soup and leave to simmer for at least 5 minutes. Serve with chopped coriander and a dusting of paprika.

Spicy lentil soup

Ingredients 2 carrots, red lentils, saffron, 4 red chillis, coconut milk, vegetable stock, sultanas, 2 oranges, coriander, cumin, 1 white onion, salt, butter, ginger

1) Soak the lentils in cold, salted water for 8-10 hours, then strain, rinse and set aside.

2) Peel the carrots and ginger and finely dice along with half an onion and 4 chillis. Melt a knob of butter in a stock pot and add the diced vegetables.

3) As the butter sizzles, squeeze the juice of 2 oranges and stir through. Pour in a pint of vegetable stock and add the lentils.

4) Add saffron, cumin, salt and coriander to taste and stir through

5) Add a generous dash of coconut milk and simmer until the vegetables are soft. Pulse in a blender and serve with sultanas soaked in orange juice and a little orange zest. I also like to add dried chilli flakes for extra spice.

Thai green curry

Ingredients Quorn chicken pieces, coconut milk, thai basil, coriander, coriander seeds, peas, shallots, garlic, green and red chillis, lemongrass, lime juice, thai ginger/galangal, cumin.

1) To make Thai green curry paste soften the lemongrass in lime juice, then either blend or grind in a mortar and pestle along with the galangal, coriander seeds, cumin, garlic and finely diced shallots. The number of chillis that you add should be to taste. A true thai curry paste will use about 30 green chillis but if you're not great with spices I would go for 6-8.

2) To make the curry sauce separate the cream from the coconut milk (turn your tin upside down before opening and pour the milk out, or spoon the cream from the top and leave the milk in the tin) and spoon into a hot wok.
Cook on a high heat, stirring continually until it has reduced by 1/4.

3) Add 3 or 4 spoons of the thai paste to the coconut cream and stir through.
Add the Quorn chicken pieces (or real chicken of course!) and some chopped red chilli for contrast. Stir through.

4) Add some peas and the rest of the coconut milk. Simmer for 10 - 15 minutes and stir through the finely chopped coriander and thai basil.

5) Serve with wild rice and naan bread.