June 2018

As promised, I have returned from my gorgeous holiday in Puglia with more than just a few extra pounds and a sunburnt belly button – believe me, I’m as surprised as you are.
I come bearing gifts and the first one is this utterly delicious braised vegetable orecchiette. I discovered this dish on our last evening in Bari, in a pleasant little restaurant, next to a rather unpleasant fat Australian who moaned about her pasta being ‘too hard’. Philistine.
Anyway, it turned out that most of the vegetarian pasta dishes I had my eye on were unavailable, due to the ingredients being out of season. Eating seasonally is obviously a big part of Italian culture which is nice, but unfortunately for me, this meant that I was left with the rather dubiously named ‘vegetable pasta’. I didn’t want to show my disappointment, so I simply smiled and willed it to be more than just a bowl of vegetables and pasta.

It arrived and it was just a bowl of vegetables and pasta – but it was one of the nicest bowls of vegetables and pasta I had ever eaten. Local orecchiette floating in a salty vegetable broth peppered with seasonal vegetables. Bellissimo!

Braised vegetable orecchiette

Serves 2 / Hands on time 30mins/ Total time 30mins

25g unsalted butter

300g baby mixed vegetables (I used 1 small courgette, 2 chestnut mushrooms, 3 baby leeks, 4 baby carrots, 2 baby parsnips. Although you can use whatever vegetables you like)

100g dried orecchiette* or pasta of your choice

500ml vegetable stock (I used 1 Knorr stock pot)
2 bay leaves

1 tsp dried parsley

Pomora extra virgin olive oil to serve
Handful grated vegetarian Italian hard cheese or *Parmesan

Method

1. Chop your vegetables to your desired size – personally I think the bigger the better, especially when braising. In a large heavy bottomed pot with a lid, add the butter and spread the vegetables out as evenly as you can. Cover with roughly 500ml of vegetable stock (you want to make sure the vegetables are only just covered). Season with salt and pepper and add the bay leaves.

2. Bring to the boil on a high heat before turning back down low and covering with a lid. Let the vegetables simmer for 10-12 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, boil your pasta in slightly salted water and grate the parmesan.
4. Remove the lid off the vegetables, stir in a tsp of dried parsley and turn the heat back up and vigorous boil for another 3 minutes. Meanwhile drain your pasta and put to one side.
5. By now your vegetables will be lovely and soft. Take them off the heat and discard the bay leaves. Pour the pasta straight into the pot and stir through carefully – you don’t want to break the vegetables up too much.
6. Divide into bowls and serve with a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of parmesan.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

*Orecchiette is a pasta that’s popular in Southern Italy and literally translates to ‘little ears’.
*Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiani) is always made using animal rennet, therefore it is not vegetarian. Substitute for Italian hard cheese if applicable.

What could be better than boiling hot soup on a boiling hot day? Well, I apologise, but my cupboards were bare and I couldn’t be bothered to get the bus to Waitrose. So, instead, I sat in the sun and drank wine for nine straight hours, listening to The Little Mermaid soundtrack and crying – I don’t feel very well today.

Anyway, next week I’m off on hollibobs, so alas, you won’t be receiving a recipe from me, but expect something deliciously Italian on my return. In the meantime, let’s head to Asia and enjoy this rather tasty Thai green soup.

Thai green lentil soup
Serves 4 / Hands on time 20 mins / Total time 50 mins /
V Vn Gf* Df ❄🌶
1 tsp coconut oil
1 white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Knob of fresh ginger, grated
50g Thai green curry paste* – I use Blue Dragon which is vegan and gluten free
1 can coconut milk
200g sweet potato (medium sized) peeled and cut into chunks
175g dried green lentils
1 litre vegetable stock*, I use 2 Knorr vegetable stock pots
Large handful of fresh coriander, including the stalks
Stick of lemon grass, bashed

Method
1. In a large cooking pot with a lid, sweat the chopped onions in the oil, over a medium/low heat for 10 mins with the lid on, stirring occasionally – add a dash of water if needed, to prevent burning.
2. Once soft, add the grated ginger, crushed garlic and the Thai green curry paste. Give it a good stir and cook for a further 3 mins. Add the sweet potato, coconut milk, stock, lentils and the bashed lemon grass and bring to the boil.
3. Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 mins, stirring occasionally. Cut the storks off the bunch of coriander and add them to the soup. Cook for 5 more minutes. Finally take off the heat, fish out the lemon grass and blend, either with a hand blender or a food processor. Serve topped with chopped coriander leaves.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V– Vegetarian Vn– Vegan Df– Dairy free. 🌶– Spicy
Gf – I use Knorr vegetable stock pots because they are gluten free but other stock pots/cubes may not be. Always check the label.
❄ – Suitable for home freezing once cooled. Consume within 3 months.
* Some Thai green curry pastes contain crustaceans and fish and may not be gluten free. Always check the label.