This is what I order every time I eat in an Indian restaurant. I always have the intention of trying something new, but I don’t like change. So, when the waiter looks at me, pen poised, I always utter the same words. “…And I’ll have a saag paneer, taka dhal and a chapati, please. Oh and I’ll just share Jamie’s rice.” (Jamie scowls.)
This isn’t the first time I’ve had a go at making saag paneer, though – I’ve made it once before the more traditional way, using a ton of fresh wilted spinach, drained and squeezed by hand – but I ain’t got time for that these days, far too hungry. So I came up with this quicker, less labour-intensive version (#storyofmylife).
Saag paneer with kale Serves 4 / Hands on time 50 mins / Total time 50 min /V❄
You’ll need: A hand blender or food processor, kitchen roll
1 tbs rapeseed oil
500g paneer, cut into chunks
1 white onion, peeled and chopped
½ tsp sea salt flakes
Knob of ginger (1 inch), grated
5 garlic cloves, peeled roughly chopped
1 green chilli, de-seeded
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground fenugreek
½ tsp garam masala
500ml vegetable stock, I use 1 Knorr vegetable stock pot
150g spinach leaves
150g kale, roughly chopped
Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped To serve Lime wedges, chapatis, brown basmati rice
Method 1. Slice the paneer into chunks and fry in batches in the rapeseed oil over a medium to high heat in a casserole dish with a lid (the paneer can spit a bit so you may need to cover with the lid). Once the paneer has browned on all sides, remove from the pan and leave to drain on kitchen roll. Put to one side.
2. In the same casserole dish, add the chopped onion and a dash more oil and the salt. Give it a mix before covering with a lid and cook on a medium heat until soft – around 10 mins. Add a dash of water to the onions if needed halfway through to help them steam.
3. Add the garlic, fresh ginger and the chopped green chilli. Cook for a further few minutes before adding all the spices. Add a dash of water to help loosen the spices a bit and to stop them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook for a further 5 mins.
4. Add the stock and give it a good stir before adding the spinach in batches. Once wilted, add the kale and continue to cook until the kale has softened. Remove from the heat and blend with a hand blender until smooth.
5. Return the sauce to a medium to high heat and add the paneer. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 mins or until the paneer has softened. Serve immediately with rice, chapatis and lime wedges.
Saag paneer
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V– Vegetarian❄– Freeze the fried paneer and curry sauce separately. Defrost before combing and heating through until piping hot. Consume within 3 months.
So, this was supposed to be a peach and gooseberry cobbler, but Morrisons ran out of peaches and gooseberries (let’s be honest, it’s unlikely Morrisons stock gooseberries, but I live in hope). So my peach and gooseberry cobbler turned into an apricot and blackberry cobbler – but guess what? No blackberries. However, to my amazement, they had apricots. YES! But what goes with apricot other than peach? Plum? That old classic combination of plum and apricot. Is that a thing? Probably not, but I decided to give apricot and plum cobbler a chance.
So, after wrestling with a rather elderly but scrappy lady* for the last two packets of plums, I returned home only to realise my apricots were rock hard, so I settled for a plum and ginger cobbler – it was clearly meant to be.
*Don’t worry about the elderly scrappy lady, she could clearly look after herself and had a whiff of Stella Artois about her.
Plum & ginger cobbler
Serves 6 / Hands on time 35 mins /Total time 1 hr /V ❄
You’ll need: Deep casserole dish For the filling
12 ripe plums, each sliced around the stone in 4 big chunks
80g light brown sugar
Juice and zest of a lemon
Juice of an orange
1 tbs self raising flour
1½ tsp ground ginger
For the topping
250g self-raising flour
100g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ginger
60g caster sugar
90g cold unsalted butter, cubed
150g full fat Greek yogurt
4 tbs semi-skimmed milk
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Handful flaked almonds
2 tsp soft brown sugar
Crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream to serve (optional)
Method
1. Start by taking each individual plum and standing it upright on a chopping board. Using a sharp knife as close to the stone as possible, slice in a downwards motion on all four sides of the plum leaving you with four chunks. Discard the stone and repeat this process with the rest of the plums.
2. Tip the plums into a deep oven dish and squeeze over the juice of an orange and a lemon along with the lemon zest. Sprinkle over the soft brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of flour and ground ginger and give it all a good mix. Put to one side.
3. Meanwhile in a bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, milk, vanilla extract and egg yolk. Put to one side and preheat an oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400F/gas mark 6.
4. In a larger separate bowl, combine the self-raising flour, ground almonds, caster sugar, salt, ground ginger and the baking powder. Add the cubed cold butter and start rubbing it into the flour mixture using your hands until you have breadcrumbs.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well with a wooden spoon until you have a sticky dough. Using wet hands (this prevents the dough sticking to your hands) take small handfuls of dough, roll in-between your palms before topping the plums. Repeat this process until the plums are covered in an even layer of dough (don’t worry if the top looks a bit messy and you have a few holes, the dough will rise and expand in the oven disguising your shoddy workmanship). Sprinkle over a handful of flaked almonds and couple of teaspoons of soft brown sugar.
6. Bake in the oven for around 20-25 minutes or until the top of your cobbler is well risen and golden in colour. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. Spoon into bowls and top with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.
Plum and ginger cobbler
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V– Vegetarian❄–Once cooled, suitable for home freezing in an airtight container. Consume within 3 months.
I don’t know why I thought that making my own pesto would be such a chore, but even in my hungover state it only took 10 minutes. Good thing, too, as I’d spent the previous evening dancing the night away – along with 60,000 other people – to Britney Spears at Brighton Pride. The last time I saw Britney thrust her way across a stage in her knickers was back in 2003, and she hasn’t changed a bit. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for me, although I did manage to squeeze my rather soft 34-year-old self into a corset and some fishnets – classy.
Anyway, so Sunday morning was a bleak affair, waking up with panda eyes and covered in other people’s glitter. I couldn’t face leaving the house’ so made do with what I had – a bit of kale, a handful of walnuts and an overactive basil plant. I hope you enjoy the results stirred through some delicious pasta.
Kale and walnut pesto Serves 2-4 / Hands on time 10 mins / Total time 10 mins / V VnGfDf❄ You’ll need: A food processor 50g walnuts (about 2 handfuls) 1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly sliced 1 handful of kale, heavier stems removed and discarded 20-30g fresh basil 4 tbs Pomora extra virgin olive oil
Method
1. Roughly peel and chop the garlic before adding it to a food processor, along with the walnuts and a handful of kale (heavier stems removed). Blitz on full for about 10 seconds or until you have a rough paste.
2. Add the fresh basil, a good sprinkle of salt and pepper and give it another blitz – this time for a bit longer until you have a slightly smoother paste.
3. Lastly, add 3 tbs of extra virgin olive oil before blending for a final time (how long you blend is up to you depending on how smooth you like your pesto).
4. Spoon into a jar and top with 1 tbs of extra virgin olive oil. Store in the fridge for up to a week and enjoy stirred through pasta, drizzled on salads or simply spread on toast. Tasty!
Kale and walnut pesto
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V– Vegetarian Vn– Vegan Gf– Gluten free Df– Dairy free ❄– Suitable for home freezing in an airtight container. Consume within 3 months.
The last time I made a rosti was in a home economics lesson at school when I was nine. I wasn’t such a fan of cooking back then, partly due to this particular rosti-making experience. I added far too much oil and heat to my pan, resulting in my rosti spitting hot oil at me like an angry llama. The results were abysmal, my arms were flecked with burns and my rosti scorched on the outside and raw in the middle.
Well, not this time, you rosti bastard – this time I will win and you will lose and I will spit on your arms. How do you like that? Anyway, turns out that rostis are pretty easy to make, and I was clearly a young fool with a rubbish home economics teacher.
Smoked paprika rosti with asparagus Serves 1 / Hands on time 20 mins / Total time 25 mins / VGfDf❄ You’ll need: A small, non-stick, frying pan
1 tsp rapeseed oil
1 large baking potato (300g) peeled and grated
½ small red onion, peeled and grated
½ tsp smoked paprika
Pinch of chilli flakes
2 eggs – one yolk for the rosti and one egg for poaching
Handful of asparagus
Method 1. Combine the grated potato, red onion in a bowl and give it a good stir. Tip out onto a clean tea-towel before gathering up the corners and squeezing out the excess moisture. Once squeezed, discard the water and pop back in the bowl. Add the chilli flakes, smoked paprika, egg yolk and season well with salt and pepper before giving it a good stir. Put to one side.
2. Fill a small saucepan three-quarters of the way up with boiling water and put on a medium heat to simmer (bear in mind this saucepan needs to be big enough for the asparagus and a poached egg). Trim your asparagus to the appropriate size for your pan and crack the egg into a small teacup or ramekin. Put to one side.
3. In a small non-stick frying pan over a medium to high heat, add a teaspoon of rapeseed oil. Once hot, tip your rosti mixture into the centre and then using the back of a spoon, spread it out to the edges by pushing gently down on it. Leave to sizzle for around 5 minutes. To help flip the rosti without breaking it, I use a plate. Simply place a large plate over the frying pan and carefully turn the frying pan upside down, transferring the rosti to the plate. Return the frying pan to the heat before easily sliding the uncooked side of the rosti into the frying pan from the plate.
4. Cook the other side of the rosti for around 5 more minutes whilst you boil the asparagus and cook the egg. In the simmering water, slowly tip your egg out from a teacup or ramekin. Give it few seconds to settle before carefully adding the asparagus to cook next to it for around 2-3 minutes, before removing carefully with a slotted spoon.
5. Slide your rosti onto a plate and top with the boiled asparagus and soft poached egg. Season with salt and pepper and devour.
Smoked paprika rosti with asparagus
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– VegetarianGf– Gluten freeDf– Dairy free ❄– Once cooked and cooled, the rosti is suitable for home freezing for up to 3 months.
Let’s be honest, it’s too damn hot to cook this week, so I’ve been living off a nutritious diet of fresh tomatoes and gin and tonics. I was hoping to save this recipe for when my tomato plant started to produce fruit, but insultingly, he (my plant) has only produced two tiny green tomatoes so far, and that does not a bruschetta make. Selfish. Just remember who waters you, mate. So instead, I scampered off to Waitrose and came back with a big bag of overpriced tomatoes, sourdough and enough tonic water and ice to sink HMS Belfast. Within 10 minutes I was chomping on delicious bruschetta and sipping ice cold G&Ts while staring daggers at my tomato plant. I’m not angry, just disappointed – he hangs his head in shame.
Bruschetta Serves 2 as a starter / Hands on time 10 mins / Total time 10 mins /V VnDf 2 pieces of sourdough (I used a rye variety)
4 ripe tomatoes, de-seeded and roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled
Handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped
1 tsp balsamic vinegar Pomora extra virgin olive oil
Method
1. Start by de-seeding and roughly chopping your tomatoes – I do this by halving my tomatoes, removing the core and spooning out the seeds. Roughly chop and place in a bowl before sprinkling with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped basil, balsamic vinegar and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Put to one side.
2. Toast 2 large pieces of sourdough on either a grill pan or in a toaster. Meanwhile, cut the end off the garlic clove and peel. Once toasted, rub the toast with the cut side of the garlic to give it a gorgeous flavour. Finally sprinkle the toast with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil before topping with the tomato mixture. Tasty.
Bruschetta
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It may have escaped your attention, but I have well over 150 recipes on this blog, and not one of those recipes is a risotto. Even just the word fills me with a despair, one which can only be trumped by the even-more-disappointing ‘stuffed pepper’. There’s nothing worse than a pepper stuffed with whatever scraps the restaurant chef can find – which, more often than not, is last night’s vegetarian option: risotto. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Don’t get me wrong, a risotto can be a wonderful thing – but frankly, it rarely is. It’s the lazy vegetarian option that graces pub menus throughout the land, and has been given all the love and attention of some over-steamed veg at a carvary.
On a few occasions (and I know this sounds silly), I’ve been close to tears when I’ve looked up from my sickie bowl of stodge to see plates piled high with tender-looking roast beef, golden Yorkshire puddings, glazed carrots, crispy roast potatoes and glossy gravy. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I want to eat my boyfriend’s roast dinner, I just crave the same love and attention that went into making his meal. And, in my experience (and I’ve eaten a lot of risotto), that is rarely the case… Until recently.
After a day of exploring the Derbyshire countryside and eating our weight in Bakewell pudding, my boyfriend and I booked a table at The Manners in Bakewell. Starving, my eyes quickly devoured the menu only to fall upon the word I had been hoping not to see: ‘risotto’. My heart sank, and so did Jamie’s (he knows how upset risotto makes me).
“Maybe there’s a special on?” he said apologetically, turning in his chair to look for a board.
“There isn’t,” I replied glumly, looking at the starters to see if one could double up as a main. “They have a burrata salad – maybe I could have that with chips or something?” I added weakly, but Jamie could see my disappointment.
“Why don’t you just try the risotto?” he suggested tentatively.
“Why don’t you try it?!” I snapped accidentally, and instantly regretted it.
“Fine!” he hit back. “Let’s just go somewhere else – forget the fact we’ve been waiting an hour at the bar for this table and it’s almost nine o’clock.”
“Are you ready to order?” the kindly waiter interrupted. He had suddenly appeared by my side, pen poised and expectant look on his face.
“Er, yeah, sorry – I’ll have the burrata and the risotto,” I smiled weakly.
It. Was. Delicious. A creamy, dreamy bowl of perfectly cooked rice with bursts of fresh pea, asparagus and dill. With every mouthful, I discovered pockets of tangy goats cheese rind as well as subtle notes of lemon. Before I know it, Jamie had abandoned his meal and we are both digging into mine – and I didn’t mind one bit. For the first time in living memory, a pub risotto was finally worthy of centre stage. So I did something I thought I would never do – a risotto recipe. Pigs have flown. Enjoy!
Asparagus, pea and goats cheese risotto Serves 4 / Hands on Time 1 hr 10 mins / Total time 1 hr 10 mins /Gf❄
200g asparagus, trimmed and chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
½ tsp salt
30g unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
200g risotto rice
150ml vegetarian white wine
800ml vegetable stock, I use Knorr stock pots
200g frozen peas
40g vegetarian Italian hard cheese or *Parmesan
100g vegetarain goats cheese with rind, roughly chopped
Handful of fresh dill, chopped
½ lemon, juice and zest
Method 1. Start by discarding the woody ends of the asparagus spears and chop into chunks. Put to one side.
2. Prepare all of the other ingredients – making risotto is pretty hands on so you want everything ready to go. Measure out, chop and grate everything you are going to need. Transfer the hot vegetable stock into a suitably sized saucepan on the hob and keep at a very low simmer, with a ladle to hand.
3. In a large non stick pot, or saucepan with a lid, add the butter and sweat the onions down with the salt, on a low heat for around 10 mins, with the lid on. Add the crushed garlic and continue to cook for a further few more minutes. Add the risotto rice and coat well in the buttery onion mixture before upping the heat to high. Stir continually for 3 mins until the rice goes slightly translucent at the edges. Add all of the wine (it should fizz) and cook until the wine has absorbed.
4. Turn the heat down to medium and add a ladle of your simmering stock, stir until absorbed. Continue to add a ladle of stock one at a time and cook until each addition until you have one ladle of stock left. Add the asparagus along with the rest of the stock and cook until all the stock has been absorbed. Take off the heat.
5. Add the peas, lemon juice, lemon zest, fresh dill, Italian hard cheese and the goats cheese. Mix well and cover with a lid and leave for 5 mins. Finally uncover, season with salt and pepper and serve drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.
Asparagus, pea and goats cheese risotto
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.
Gf– Gluten free ❄ Suitable for home freezing once cooled. Consume within 3 months. *Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiani) is always made using animal rennet, therefore it is not vegetarian. Substitute for Italian hard cheese if applicable.
Talk about online food shopping gone wrong. How on earth did I manage to order 4 red peppers the size of my head (no exaggeration). I know I’m relatively knew to the world of online shopping, but who even knew these freaky fruits existed? I stood staring in disbelief at the 4 ‘giant’ peppers lying higgledy-piggledy on my kitchen counter, dwarfing everything in their wake. At first, I laughed, until I checked my order and realised they were £3.95 EACH! Fifiteen effing pounds! I could have ordered a Domino’s pizza for that price.
“I do understand you’re upset, Ms Heale. However, the product name does state that these are giant peppers,” said Ocado.
“Yes, but ‘giant’ to me is just ‘a bit bigger than average’,” I protested. “What you gave me was a monstrosity, a freak of nature! I mean, who even knew peppers came in that size? I want my money back.”
“I will be unable to refund you on this occasion.” “But on your website the picture doesn’t give any idea of scale. If you had photographed one of the peppers next to a small dog or held it up to someone’s face, then I would have realised!”
“I am sorry, we will not be able to offer a refund for these items, as there were no quality or damage issues.”
“Is it too late to say that they’re damaged?”
“Yes.”
“Damn it!” So, I was stuck with them and, to make matters worse, I couldn’t even fit them in my fridge. Time was of the essence, these oafish fruits were not going to stay ripe for much longer, so I roasted the bastards and made this rather delicious puttanesca. Take that, Ocado!
Red pepper puttanesca Serves 4 / Hands on time 40 mins / Total time 40 mins / V ❄ You’ll need: A food processor or hand blender
320g spaghetti
80g vegetarian Italian hard cheese or *Parmesan, grated
Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
150g pitted black olives
6 tsp of capers Red pepper sauce
1 tsp olive oil
1 jar of roasted red peppers (drained weight 350g) or 6 red peppers (see roasting tip below)
¼ tsp smoked paprika
1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
¼ tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tbs vegetarian red wine (optional)
125ml vegetable stock, I use ½ a Knorr stock pot
2 tbs Greek yogurt
TIP: To roast your own peppers, simply cut each in half, remove the seeds and stork and place facedown on a lined roasting tray. Brush each pepper with rapeseed oil and season lightly with salt. Roast at 200°C/180°C fan/400F/gas mark 6 for 45 mins. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before removing any overly charred bits of skin with a knife.
TIP: This recipe is easily halved for 2 people.
Method
1. Sweat the chopped onion and salt in a tsp of oil over a medium heat for about 10 mins with the lid on (add a dash of water if required to help the onions steam if needed). Once softened, add the garlic and the paprika and continue to cook for a further few minutes. 2. If using jarred peppers, drain and roughly chop them before adding to the onions. If using your own roasted peppers, simply add them as they are.
Add the wine and cook for a few minutes until the alcohol has cooked off, then add the stock. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, put the spaghetti in a large saucepan of salted boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions. Use this time to roughly chop the olives, capers, parsley and grate the cheese.
4. Once the sauce has thickened, take off the heat and add 2 tbs of boiling water along with 2 tbs of yogurt. Blend with a hand-blender until you have your desired consistency. Stir in the chopped olives and capers. Put to one side.
5. Once cooked, drain the pasta and give it a shake before pouring straight into the red pepper sauce. Mix well and divide into bowls. Top with a sprinkling of cheese, fresh parsley and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Red pepper puttanesca
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.
❄– The red pepper sauce is suitable for home freezing once cooled. Freeze for up to 3 months.
* Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiani) is always made using animal rennet, therefore it is not vegetarian. Substitute for Italian hard cheese if applicable.
Last Saturday, I had so much to do that I decided to do nothing. Instead, I stayed in bed and watched back-to-back episodes of Ally McBeal and ate Marmite on toast. It was the best weekend ever. I laughed, I cried, I even ‘laughied’, which is when you laugh and cry at the same time. Anyway, the next day I managed to peel myself out of bed having achieved nothing – unless you count the new litigation skills I learnt from watching so much Ally McBeal. I do.
Regardless of what an amazing lawyer I’m convinced I would make, it quickly dawned on me that I a) have no money and b) have no food – i.e. not a great start when you’re a food blogger. Luckily, I had just enough money to go to the corner shop and buy a few jars of olives. My friend Anne-Marie had recently asked me if I had a recipe for tapenade on my website, and I said no – so thought I’d do that. Later that day, I found myself back in bed, watching back-to-back episodes of Ally McBeal and eating two different types of tapenade on toast. What? At least I did something!
Black & green olive tapenade Serves 6-8 / Hands on time 10 mins / Total time 10 mins / V VnGfDf❄ You’ll need: A food processor Black olive tapenade
200g (drained weight) pitted black olives in brine. I used a mix of Kalamata olives and black.
1 tsp capers
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tsp red wine vinegar
Juice of half a lemon
Small handful of chopped parsley to serve (optional)
Green olive tapenade
200g (drained weight) pitted green olives in brine
1 tsp capers
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 pickled jalapeño pepper, stalk removed
1 tsp white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
½ lemon, juice
2 tsp pine nuts Small handful of chopped parsley to serve (optional)
Method (For both the green and the black tapenade) Drain the olives and put them in a food processor along with the other ingredients, leaving out the parsley. Blitz until you have your desired texture, I like my tapenade quite coarse so keep the blitzing to a minimum. Serve on toast, sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.
Black & green olive tapenape
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V– Vegetarian Vn– Vegan Gf– Gluten free Df– Dairy free. ❄– Freeze on the day of making, in an air tight container. Defrost fully and consume within 3 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Let’s have one last hurrah before bikini season and pour some salty chocolateyness down our throats. Actually, if you can pour the mousse, then you’ve probably made it incorrectly. The mousse should be nicely aerated and set – perfect for plunging your face and/or spoons into. Personally, I prefer face, but whatever floats your boat.
Salted chocolate mousse with olive oil Serves 4 / Hands on time 20 mins / Total time 20 mins + chilling /V Gf You’ll need: A standing mixer with a balloon whisk attachment and an electric hand whisk
150g *Green & Black’s Organic 70% dark chocolate
4 large eggs, separated
80g caster sugar
80ml Pomora extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs brandy
Good pinch of sea salt flakes
Method
1. Start by separating the egg yolks from the whites into two separate bowls.
2. Break your chocolate into pieces and gently melt over a pan of simmering water in a heatproof bowl. Whilst the chocolate it melting, use this time to measure out the sugar and the extra virgin olive oil.
3. Once melted, take off the heat and leave to cool (but not set). Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks with a hand whisk until combined and slightly paler in colour.
4. Add a good pinch of salt to the melted chocolate and give it a good mix before tasting (to get the balance of salt right you need to keep tasting the chocolate). Once salted, beat the olive oil straight into the melted chocolate using an electric hand whisk on a slow setting. Add the oil in a steady, slow stream until your chocolate is lovely and glossy. Add the egg yolks slowly along with a tablespoon of brandy and whisk again, put to one side.
5. In your standing mixer, whisk the egg whites on a high speed until you have white soft peaks. Turn the speed down slightly and add the sugar a tablespoon at a time until incorporated. On a medium speed, beat a third of the chocolate mixture into the egg whites before folding the rest of the chocolate in by hand using a metal spoon (try not to over beat as you’ll knock the air out of the mousse).
6. Pour into four ramekins and chill for at least 3 hours before serving topped with a little sea salt.
Salted chocolate & olive oil mousse
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V– Vegetarian Gf– Gluten free
*The Green & Black’s Organic 70% dark chocolate I use in this recipe is gluten free but some other brands may not be. Always check the label.
This was actually suppose to be a jalapeño mac and cheese, but the ones I had in my fridge had gone all manky, and there appeared to be a jalapeño shortage in north London. I was a bit peeved about this, until I spoke to my friend, Abbie, who informed me that the best mac and cheese she had ever eaten was Delia’s leek and bacon. I pondered for a moment – maybe I didn’t need jalapeños. I certainly didn’t need bacon. Maybe I just needed leeks. Leeks and cheese make excellent bed fellows, so why not throw them together to make hot, passionate cheesy love?
Gosh, where did that come from? Anyway, enjoy – I certainly did.
Leek mac and cheese
Serves 4-6 / Hands on time 30 mins / Total time 50 mins / V
You’ll need: Deep casserole dish and a food processor (if making breadcrumbs)
250g macaroni
2 tbs unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 large leek, roughly chopped
3 tbs plain flour
250ml semi-skimmed milk
250g vegetarian cheeses (you can use a mixture of any cheeses you like as long as it melts easily. I used a mix of Emmental and cheddar) Breadcrumbs
1. Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°fan/400°F/gas mark 6. Cook your macaroni according the the packet instructions, drain and put to one side. Meanwhile, make your breadcrumbs by blitzing up 50g of stale bread in a food processor, put to one side. Add a knob of butter to a large frying pan along with a crushed garlic clove on a medium heat. Once melted add the breadcrumbs and fry until golden brown. Put to one side. 2. In a large saucepan add the butter, crushed garlic cloves and dijon mustard on a medium heat. Add the roughly chopped leek stir until well coated in the mix. Put the lid on and allow to sweat for 10 mins, keeping an eye on the mixture to make sure it doesn’t burn. Meanwhile, use this time to grate the cheese.
3. Once the leeks have softened, add the the flour, stir and continue to cook for a minute stirring continually. Add the milk bit by bit and incorporate into the leeks stirring well until smooth (as smooth as it can be with the leeks in it). Season well with salt and pepper and take off the heat.
4. Add the cheese a handful at a time and stir after each addition, until you have a thick, silky cheese sauce. Stir in the macaroni and pour into an oven proof dish. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs, grate over the Italian hard cheese. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Once cooked, leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving with a simple salad and few pickles.
Leek mac & cheese
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
*Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiani) is always made using animal rennet, therefore it is not vegetarian. Substitute for Italian hard cheese if applicable.
2. If using jarred peppers, drain and roughly chop them before adding to the onions. If using your own roasted peppers, simply add them as they are.
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