Sweet potato, black bean and kale chilli‏

Ingredients 1 large sweet potato, 1 can black beans, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1/2 glass red wine, 100ml passata, 100g kale, 1 red onion, 1 stalk celery, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, olive oil, 2 cloves garlic.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 30 minutes

In the past, I have shared recipes on this blog using Quorn as a meat substitute but since I made the lifestyle choice to no longer eat any kind of processed/pre-prepared foods I have been replacing this occasional protein source with more beans and pulses and grains. Much healthier, a nicer texture, simple to prepare and utterly delicious. This chilli is the most magnificent comfort food and is wonderful served with rice, tortilla chips or in a flour or lettuce leaf burrito.

1) Peel and dice the sweet potato and roast in the oven for 15 minutes.

2) Finely dice the onion and add it to a pan along with the olive oil. Sizzle until soft, then add the garlic (minced). Add the herbs, spices and wine and cook off the liquid.

3) Add the passata, beans and sweet potato and stir through. Remove the hard stalk of the kale, discard, then blitz the leaves in your food processor. Add to the pan and cook until softened.

4) I like my food spicy, so I like to add a couple of teaspoon of chipotle chilli paste, but there should be enough kick from the paprika for those who value the skin on their tongue...

Beetroot, olive & broccoli bolognaise‏

Ingredients 1 small onion, half a stick of celery, a handful of fresh or oil marinated olives - never the rubbery brined ones! 1/2 a head of broccoli, 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1 small beetroot, spaghetti, red wine, 100ml passata, 1 clove garlic.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 20 minutes

I have always been rather excited by raw foodism. Partly due to OCD (the idea that I am not getting EVERY SINGLE POSSIBLE nutrient from my food ALL THE TIME can be somewhat crippling during my wiggier moments) and partly because HEY SO DELICIOUS. Baby Led Weaning meant that my son had a good grounding in the individual flavours of different ingredients before he experienced more complex meals and I learned to appreciate how gorgeous simple food could be. This isn't actually a raw recipe, but it's inspired by no-fuss, simple flavours working so very well together.

1) Blitz the celery, onion and garlic in your food processor and tip into a pan. Add a little olive oil and sizzle until soft) 

2) Add the broccoli and olives to the food processor and blitz until reduced to the size of breadcrumbs. Grate the beetroot (I just pull out the blade spindle and add the grater blade to my food processor so it's all contained in one bowl.) and then add to the pan of softened onions and celery.

3) I like to add a little red wine along with the passata tomatoes and herbs, but this is entirely according to taste. Cook for just as long as it takes for your spaghetti to boil (8-12 minutes depending on the type of spaghetti) and drain.

4) Add the pasta to the pan and stir through. Serve hot (with a sprinkle of parmesan if you aren't vegetarian)

Spinach, feta & beetroot cannelloni

Ingredients 1 beetroot, 200ml passata, 1 leek, 1 small white onion, 1 carrot, 400g spinach, 150g feta, 50g cheddar, 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg, 12 cannelloni tubes, olive oil, 1/2 tsp rosemary, 1/2tsp basil, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 glass red wine.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 30 minutes (plus overnight)

Words fail me to describe just how luscious this dish was. Spinach, as you know, is my absolute favourite and I would genuinely eat it three times a day without ever getting remotely bored of it. Mmmm spinach. But even those without my passion for it, will love the combination of tangy feta and fresh juicy spinach, smothered in a rich tomato and beetroot sauce. For best results, prepare a day in advance. By allowing the pasta to rest overnight, the juices from the spinach will begin to soften it, meaning it can cook for less time in the oven and avoid that horrible "leathery" texture that can happen when the sauce isn't sufficient enough to "boil" it, as dried pasta really does require this.

1) Combine the fresh spinach, nutmeg and feta in a food processor until a thick puree has formed. Fill the cannelloni tubes using a teaspoon and a little patience and transfer to an ovenproof dish. 

2) Use the grate option on your food processor to blitz the onion, leek, carrot and beetroot together, then transfer the soffrito/mirepoix to a pan with a glug of olive oil and allow to sizzle for 5 minutes until soft and juicy. I like to add a glass of red wine for extra flavour and cook it off at this stage, but this is entirely optional.

3) Add the herbs and passata, then simmer for a further 10 minutes and set aside to cool down to room temperature before pouring over the cannelloni. Allow to rest in the fridge overnight.

4) Top with the cheddar cheese, cover with foil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 200 degrees. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes, then serve hot.

Panzanella

Ingredients 1 tbs Passata, 2 tbs basil oil, 1 tsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp honey (or agave syrup if vegan). Cherry tomatoes, cucumber, basil, old bread, kamalata olives.

Preparation: 5 minutes

Panzanella goes back to the 16th century, but it wasn't until the 20th century that this Florentine version emerged: stale bread soaked in oil, vinegar and tomato with herbs and mixed with salad. Back in the day - only onions were used, not tomato. And given that I loathe uncooked onions with a fiery passion, I am very glad indeed that it's no longer the 16th Century! You know, that and smallpox. I serve mine with cucumber, olives and cherry tomatoes but you can of course use salad leaves or other fruits and vegetables if you wish. I save my heels of bread and make this for a quick supper or a scrummy lunch.

1) To make the dressing, combine the oil, vinegar and passata and season to taste. I like to add a little honey to cut the acidity of the vinegar but this depends on what you are mixing into your salad of course! If you're vegan, you can use an alternative.

2) Tear the bread into bitesize chunks. I have done this with the leftover heel of ciabatta, spelt bread, you name it - any crusty loaf will do. If all you have is sliced bread or you don't bake your own, then I would recommend toasting the bread first.

3) Stir the bread into the dressing and stir in the other ingredients. Serve immediately. If you'd like this as a packed lunch, make up a little jar of dressing, a foil wrap your chunks of bread and keep them in your box of salad to prepare just before eating.

Bean & aubergine ravioli

Ingredients 2 aubergines, 1 can cannellini beans, 1 bulb garlic, basil oil, dried basil, passata.

Serves: 2 Preparation: 45 minutes

Given that I find it intensely irritating when people, upon discovering that I am a vegetarian, suck air in through their teeth, grimace and say "oooh I could never be a vegetarian" or worse still ask "what do you EAT!?"... I feel a little guilty for the exclamation which will follow this absurdly long sentence.
I could never be a vegan. 
There I said it. I'm sorry. Mainly for the lack of dairy, because we all know that I am a filthy cheese whore, but mostly for pasta. Oh pasta, how I love thee.
But I don't want to alienate my lovely vegan followers by being so closed minded, so here you are darlings - a way to make ravioli without using eggs.
The aubergine squidges together and seals perfectly (as long as the aubergine slices are the same size - not all of mine were!) and the wonderful bean paste in the centre gives this a substantial feeling without the dreaded bloat that pasta causes. So hurrah all round for aubergines!

1) Slice the aubergines to half centimetre thick discs and sprinkle with salt. Leave to rest until you see dark juices beading the surface, then wipe away with kitchen towel.

2) Rinse the beans and put on the hob to boil for 5 minutes. Strain and add to the blender.

3) Put the entire bulb of garlic in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Squeeze the puree from 3 cloves into your blender along with a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of basil. Pulse until smooth and set aside to cool.

4) Melt a little basil oil in a frying pan and add the aubergine slices (I cook 4 at a time), turning immediately to allow them to soak up the oil evenly. Sizzle until the oil is completely soaked up by the aubergine before turning again - then continue turning until the surface of the aubergine colours and the skin changes to a vibrant, shiny purple. Set aside to cool.

5) Squeeze the rest of the garlic bulb into the passata and warm through on the hob before serving.

6) Fill the centre of half of the slices of aubergine with the bean puree and top each with another slice. Pinch the edges to seal and add to the sauce.

Cucumber, lime & mint linguine

Ingredients Linguine, cucumber, mint, lime, passata.

Preparation: 10 minutes

Lime and mint are a magical combination. Mix it with ginger and vodka and you have a fabulous cocktail, mix it with tomato and you've got the base for a fabulous dinner. This evening, after putting my son to bed and cleaning the house I was too hot and bothered to face dinner, yet knew that I'd need some fuel if I didn't want to pass out in the middle of breastfeeding! This fresh, cool pasta was an inviting solution.

1) Drop the linguine into hot, salted water and cook for 8 minutes.

2) Finely chop the mint leaves and add to a pan along with the lime juice and passata. Slice the cucumber into centimetre thick discs and quarter each slice. Stir into the sauce and season with salt and black pepper.

3) Strain the pasta and add to the sauce, stir through and serve.

Halloumi & roast vegetable cous-cous

Ingredients 1 bell pepper, 1 courgette, 1/2 lemon, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 50ml passata, 100g halloumi, 1/2 cup giant cous-cous (I bought mine from Millie's Organic in Leeds).

Serves: 2 Preparation: 20 minutes

Cous-cous is made using semolina which has been sprinkled with water, hand rolled and then passed through a sieve, dusted with more semolina and rolled and passed through again to form the granules that you can buy in the shops. Cous-cous in Israel has a much larger granule and personally I prefer it, the texture is more like the bubbles in a tapioca pudding and it's absolutely delicious, absorbing flavour more intensely than the smaller grains do.
This recipe is a fabulous mixture of soft textures and strong flavours.

1) Pour the cous-cous into a pan of boiling salted water and stir through for 6-8 minutes before straining in a sieve and setting aside to cool.

2) Slice the tops from the bell peppers and remove the seeds. Remove the portions of flesh from between the membranes and slice into strips. Cut the courgette and halloumi into chunks and roast with the pepper on the top shelf of the oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees.

3) Stir the vegetables and cheese into the cous-cous along with the paprika and passata and a squeeze of lemon juice, then serve.

Bean and feta chachouka

Ingredients 1 white onion, 1 can cannellini beans, 2 red bell peppers, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 100g feta, 2 eggs, passata.

Serves: 2 Preparation: 25 minutes

Chachouka is a North-African casserole - I remember strings of melting soft onion, spices and the sharpness of the saffron and tomato under creamy egg yolk the first time I tried it in Paris, years ago. This version contains cannellini beans and feta and is flavoured with smoked paprika flavour.

1) Slice the tops from the bell peppers and remove the seeds. Remove the portions of flesh from between the membranes and slice into strips. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees, drizzled with a little oil.

2) Peel and slice the onion, then break into rings. Sautee in a little butter along with the spices on a medium heat for 15 minutes, then stir in the beans and enough passata to just coat the beans in sauce. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes

3) Stir in the feta and pepper, then transfer to an ovenproof dish. Press wells into the surface with a tablespoon and crack the eggs into them. Bake in the oven until the egg white has just turned opaque, then serve.

Mushroom crostini

Ingredients Bread, mushrooms, vintage cheddar, 4 cloves garlic, 100g tomato passata, 30g basil, butter

Serves: 2 Preparation: 30 minutes

I am allergic to mushrooms, so they feature very rarely in this blog. Recently I bought some to make The Husband a mushroom scramble, and then had some extra to use up - crostini is the perfect quick solution.

1) To make the tomato sauce, crush 4 cloves of garlic and tear the basil. Simmer on the stove for 15 minutes and set aside.

2) Finely chop the mushrooms and sautee in a little butter until soft.

3) Slice the bread and top with a layer of tomato sauce, mushrooms and a little grated cheddar. I used Isle of Mull cheddar - the stronger the better here!

Greek stuffed peppers

Ingredients 2 bell peppers, 1 can cannellini beans, 75g feta, 2 salad onions, 1 tbsp chopped mint, 125ml passata tomatoes.

Serves: 2 Preparation: 30 minutes

As you can probably tell, I'm still obsessed with Greek food. It is entirely possible that I shall be naming my son Stavros at this rate, because I seem to have craved nothing but Greek food since the day I became pregnant! A stuffed pepper is a thing of beauty - the healthy alternative to a pie in my opinion. You can fill them with just about anything successfully, and without pastry most fillings are healthy, delicious and super low maintenance to prepare. A pepper is a marvellous thing. I like to pre-roast them before stuffing them and roasting them again until the skin is almost completely blackened and has infused the centre with luscious tangy juices. There is a special place in my heart for this wonderful tangy mint and bean combination. So simple, so satisfying, so low-carb! 

1) Slice the top from the pepper (do not discard the lid) and scoop out the core and seeds. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes at a high heat.

2) Drain and rinse the cannellini beans and add to a milk pan along with the passata, mint and finely sliced salad onions. Heat for 5 minutes, stirring regularly until the beans are cooked. Season to taste.

3) Dice the feta and set aside.

4) Layer the beans and feta in the pepper, packing it down tightly until it is full to bursting. Replace the lid and return to the oven to roast for a further 10 minutes at 200 degrees, then serve!

Greek baked beans

Ingredients 1 can butterbeans or cannellini beans, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes, 50g passata tomatoes, coriander

Serves: 2 Preparation: 30 minutes

Last year I worked on a number of Greek inspired recipes, and since creating this, I have eaten it four or five times in the last month - that's how much I LOVE this dish. Butterbeans have long been a favourite of mine for their delicate flavour and yielding texture and they are a fantastic base for this tangy, comforting tomato sauce. Served hot, dolloped with Rachel's Organic Greek Yoghurt,  they make a fabulous side dish.

1) Drain the can of beans and rinse away the brine. Bring to the boil in a pan of hot water, then strain in a colander and set aside.

2) Stir the paprika, chilli flakes and coriander into the passata and then stir in the beans.

3) Transfer to an ovenproof dish and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

To make more of a meal of this, try adding some finely diced, sauteed onions to the sauce and topping with slices of tomato before baking.

Cauliflower cheese pizza

Ingredient 1 Cauliflower, 1 white onion, 1 glass red wine, pinch basil, pinch parsley, pinch oregano, 100g passata, cheddar cheese, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons parmigiano,

Makes: 2 pizzas preparation: 1 hour

I've been working on quite a lot of recipes recently for those who are gluten-free - substituting spelt or polenta for rice or flour, and when I heard about the concept of cauliflower pizza base I just had to try it. I had a suitable guinea-pig in mind: The Husband's best friend who HATES cauliflower and loves pizza.
It worked perfectly - he and The Husband scarfed down the first pizza and asked me to make them a second one. It didn't smell, taste or feel like cauliflower and was utterly moreish! This works best with a thin, crispy base, but if you want a thicker base - eat with a knife and fork as it will be fairly soft!

1) Remove the leaves and slice the stem of the cauliflower right down to the base, leaving a star shaped core.
Cut the florets from the cauliflower, leaving as little stalk as possible, and blitz them all a blender until they resemble fine crumbs.

2) Transfer the cauliflower crumbs to a microwaveable dish and microwave for 3 1/2 minutes. Stir through and then microwave for a further 3 1/2 minutes.

3) Allow the cauliflower to cool enough for you to be able to handle it, then squeeze over a sieve, compressing the cauliflower until as much liquid as possible has been removed. You really do need to get this dry - I achieved this by also squeezing with kitchen roll to soak out more of the liquid.

4) Once the cauliflower crumbs are dry, season with salt, black pepper and stir in the parmigiano and whisked eggs. press onto a baking tray / pizza stone into the desired pizza stone and bake for 15 minutes on high until it begins to turn golden brown. Using a fish slice or pallate knife turn over the pizza dough (it should maintain its integrity, but you can always flip it upside down onto another baking tray) and then bake for a further 5 minutes.

5) Top with pizza sauce (as per previous recipes: sauteed onion, cooked off in red wine, passata and herbs) and a layer of grated cheddar, then return to the oven to bake for a further 5-10 minutes.

Butter roast pepper & aubergine al forno

Ingredients 1 aubergine, 1 bell pepper, 75g passata tomatoes, butter, pasta, cheddar, 1 white onion, 1 glass red wine.

Serves: 4 preparation: 30 minutes

It's possible to make a fabulous pasta sauce with little more than tomatoes and butter - thick and glossy with little need of seasoning. I've taken those principles and applied them to make this unbelievably wonderful, indulgent pasta sauce. Words cannot describe the combination of pepper, tomato, butter and aubergine - made richer with wine and onion this is a feast for every sense.

1) Slice the aubergines to half centimetre thick discs and sprinkle with salt. Leave to rest until you see dark juices beading the surface, then wipe away with kitchen towel.

2) Slice the top from a bell pepper and remove the core and seeds. Roast in the oven until the skin has almost completely blackened and pulse thoroughly - skin and all - in the blender.

3) Peel and finely slice a white onion and sautee with a little butter until completely soft. Add the red wine and cook off, then transfer to the blender with the pureed roast pepper and blend to incorporate.

4) Put the pasta on to boil - the sauce can take 2 cups to serve 4 or 3 cups to serve 6 if you add an extra 15g passata.

5) Melt a little butter in a frying pan and add the aubergine slices (I cook 4 at a time), turning immediately to allow them to soak up the butter evenly. Sizzle until the butter browns and is completely soaked up by the aubergine before turning again - then continue turning until the surface of the aubergine colours and the skin changes to a vibrant, shiny purple. Repeat for all the aubergine slices, then cut them in half.

6) Transfer the roast pepper and onion mixture to a pan along with the passata and stir through on a low heat. When the pasta is cooked, strain and stir into the sauce along with the aubergine slices.

7) Spoon the pasta and sauce into an ovenproof dish and top with a layer of grated cheddar. Personally I think a sharp vintage cheddar is perfect here, if you preffer those milder, waxy cheddars this will leave you with a greasy layer on the pasta once it is cooked so I would use grated mozzarella and a sprinkling of parmeggian instead. Bake for 5-10 minutes on a medium heat until the cheese is golden bubbly and serve with salad.

Potato linguine with chorizo‏

Ingredients 1 maris piper potato, 100g passata tomatoes, 50g butter, chorizo

Serves: 4 Preparation: 30 minutes

This recipe is unusual for me in that I am using equipment that few people are likely to have. This blog is aimed at people who want to learn to make very simple, but gorgeous food using ingredients that are widely available and do not require speciality equipment. I recently bought a spiralizer, which cuts vegetables into... you've guessed it... long spaghetti like strands. If you have such a thing - potato makes a wonderful alternative to pasta for those who struggle with intelerancies. The simple buttered tomato sauce is thickened with the starch from the potatoes and works really well with chorizo.


1) Slice the chorizo and sautee in the butter. 


2) Spiralize the potato and blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes. Strain well and transfer into the pan of butter and chorizo.


3) Stir through until the butter has melted, then add the passata tomatoes and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes until the potato is soft enough to eat, but not so soft that it breaks up.

Potato linguine

Ingredients 1 maris piper potato, 100g passata tomatoes, 50g butter, cheddar

Serves: 4 Preparation: 30 minutes

This recipe is unusual for me in that I am using equipment that few people are likely to have. This blog is aimed at people who want to learn to make very simple, but gorgeous food using ingredients that are widely available and do not require speciality equipment. I recently bought a spiralizer, which cuts vegetables into... you've guessed it... long spaghetti like strands. If you have such a thing - potato makes a wonderful alternative to pasta for those who struggle with intelerancies. The simple buttered tomato sauce is thickened with the starch from the potatoes and is delicious with a little grated cheese stirred in.

1) Spiralize the potato and blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes. Strain well and transfer into a pan with the generous knob of butter.

2) Stir through until the butter has melted, then add the passata tomatoes and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes until the potato is soft enough to eat, but not so soft that it breaks up.

3) Season with salt and black pepper, stir through some cheddar and serve.

Quorn Guinness Mole

Ingredients Guinness, 400g kidney beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans and haricot beans, 6 squares 70%-80% dark chocolate, 1 white onion, 1 tbsp cumin, 50g coriander, olive oil, tomato passata, 1 tsp cayenne pepper.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 30 minutes

A mole (rhymes with Ole!) is a traditional Mexican dish but like most Mexican cuisine, it has been cooked for generations according to family tradition, so there are literally thousands of varieties and one would be hard pressed to make it accurately when one person will give you a list of 30 suggested ingredients and the next over 100! The last of my very belated St Patrick's Day Guinness recipes!


1) Peel and finely dice the onion and fry off in a little olive oil with the cumin and cayenne pepper.


2) Add a packet of Quorn mince and half a pint of Guinness. Allow the Guinness to reduce for 4 minutes before adding the squares of chocolate.


3) Once the chocolate has melted, add the beans (Tesco sell "taco beans", 2 cans of which are perfect) and a little passata tomatoes. Stir through some finely chopped coriander and then allow to simmer until the sauce has thickened before serving.


Perfect with rice, nachos, stuffed into taco shells or tortillas.

Guiness & pork tenderloin mole

Ingredients Pork loin, 1/2 pint Guinness, 400g kidney beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans and haricot beans, 6 squares 70%-80% dark chocolate, 1 white onion, 1 tbsp cumin, 50g coriander, olive oil, tomato passata, cayenne pepper.

Serves: 4 preparation: 2 hours


A mole (rhymes with Ole!) is a traditional Mexican dish but like most Mexican cuisine, it has been cooked for generations according to family tradition, so there are literally thousands of varieties and one would be hard pressed to make it accurately when one person will give you a list of 30 suggested ingredients and the next over 100! This recipe was created with someone who loves Mexican food but can't handle hot spices in mind (The Boy) so please do adapt the heat at will. The last of my very belated St Patrick's Day Guinness recipes - I guarantee that this pork will just fall apart and melt in your mouth... enjoy!


1) Add a little oil to a frying pan or griddle big enough to take a loin of pork and seal the meat for about 5 minutes, rolling it frequently until it is just coloured. Remove from the pan and set aside.


2) Add a peeled, diced onion to the pan and fry off in the oil and meat juices until clear and soft. Add the Guinness and reduce for 2 minutes.


3) Add the cumin, pieces of chocolate and stir until they have melted before adding the beans (Tesco sell "taco beans", 2 cans of which are perfect) and a little passata tomatoes. Stir through some finely chopped coriander.


4) Set the pork in a roasting dish and pour the sauce over. Roast, covered in the oven for an hour and a half, stirring every 30 minutes to ensure the beans on the surface do not dry out.


5) The pork will just pull apart and this shredded pork can be served with rice, in tortillas... however you like!

Southern Comfort fajitas

Ingredients 300g Quorn steak strips (or beef steak strips), southern comfort, tomato passata, 1 white onion, iceberg lettuce, soured cream, butter, jalepenos, cumin, cheddar, tortillas, Guacamole: 3 avocados, jalepeno, lime, coriander, soured cream, avocado oil.

Serves: 6 preparation: 20 minutes

I have never been a fan of Southern Comfort - the smell turns my stomach and I find the taste too sweet. Usually when cooking Mexican food I use tequila but a lack of tequila and the dregs of a bottle of SoCo that someone brought to a party recently made me wonder if the fruity, spicy flavour would work well as an alternative. Turns out it did! Enjoy...


1) To make guacamole, see my previous recipe.


2) Marinate the Quorn in Southern Comfort for about 5 or 10 minutes (it's like a sponge and will soak it right up - if you're using beef you might want to make it an hour beforehand).


3) Peel and finely dice the onion and sautee in a little butter until completely soft. Add the Quorn and any excess Southern Comfort and cook off the alcohol.


4) Add a little tomato passata, cumin and some chopped jalepenos to taste


5) Serve with shredded iceberg lettuce, grated cheddar, guacamole and some soured cream in a tortilla.

Turkey orange & stilton meatballs

Ingredients 400g turkey mince, 170g white stilton with orange, 1/2 small white onion, passata tomatoes, juice and zest of 1 orange, linguine

Serves: 3 Preparation: 20 minutes

This recipe evolved as a result of a twitter conversation. I was asked what kind of sauce I'd serve with a stilton-based meatball, creamy or tomatoey and I explained that stilton LOVES fruit. Whether cranberry, orange, apricot or ginger - the more tart the flavour, the better. So for me, the only solution would be a simple sauce of orange juice, zest and the rich warmth of tomato. I made these meatballs with lean turkey mince, all the better to balance the naughty addition of cheese!

1) Peel and slice half the onion and add to a blender. Pulse for a few seconds and then add the turkey mince and crumbled stilton.

2) Keep pulsing until the mixture is thoroughly combined - you will see it form a large ball in the blender when it is ready. Remove and form into meatballs.

3) Using a little splash of oil, fry off the meatballs in a hot pan for about a minute - tossing them to ensure they keep their shape and are evenly coloured. Transfer to an ovenproof dish and set aside.

4) Zest the orange and squeeze out the juice. Add the juice and zest to a pan with about 250g passata and warm through. Season and pour over the meatballs, then transfer to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes at 180 degrees.

5) Boil the linguine in salted water for about 10 minutes and strain. Add the meatballs and sauce to the linguine and toss until the sauce has coated the pasta. Serve with black pepper and a sprinkle of basil or parsley.

Red rice with roast aubergine

Ingredients     150g red Camargue rice, 1   aubergine, passata tomatoes, oregano, coriander, salt, olive oil, 1 pint vegetable stock.

Serves: 1 Preparation: 40 minutes


Camargue red rice is the most recently discovered variety of rice and is very similar to those used in risotto like arborio, carnaroli or vialone nano because it's unmilled which gives it the sticky starch releasing quality. It's grown in in the wetlands of the Camargue in the South of France (hence the name). It has a dark reddy-brown colour with a really intense nutty taste so I complemented this with roast aubergine - the perfect combination.


1) Slice the top from the aubergine, slice it in half lengthways and sprinkle with salt. Drizzle with olive oil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 200.


2) Unlike making risotto, you don't need to make it in three stages, adding a ladle at a time. It can be fully submerged and will still become sticky and create a creamy sauce. Stir the rice as it cooks, then add passata tomatoes and finely chopped oregano once the stock has cooked off.


3) Dice the cooked aubergine and stir it into the rice, then serve.