Tag: ideas

Ready, steady… PICNIC!

~ Corrie ~ 4 Comments

With lockdown restrictions easing and spring in the air, it’s time to dust off the picnic blanket and dig out the old hamper. It’s time to picnic. Come April, the rule of six will be back in earnest, with gardens and parks sure to be brimming with alfresco dining. So, forget soggy potato salads and bland quiche’s, it’s time to up your picnic game and I have just the recipes to get you started.

Minimum effort, last minute picnic
“You can’t go wrong with a fancy bottle of red wine, a freshly baked baguette and a couple of good tapenades.”

Black & green olive tapenape
Black & green olive tapenape

Black & green olive tapenade
Serves 6-8 / Hands on time 10 mins / Total time 10 mins / V Vn Gf Df ❄
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 
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.

The impressive picnic offering
“Been invited to a picnic and need to bring a dish? Then pop this loaf in your handbag along with a good quality butter for an easy, yet impressive offering.”

Leek and cheddar loaf

Leek and cheddar loaf
Makes 1 loaf / Hands on time 20 mins / Total time 1hr 20 mins + cooling / V ❄
You’ll need: 2lb/900g loaf tin, baking paper
Rapeseed oil or butter for greasing
150g leek (1 medium leek) finely chopped
75g strong mature vegetarian cheddar, grated
250g self-raising flour
50g wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt flakes
250ml semi-skimmed milk
2 eggs
Few springs of thyme, leaves picked
Black pepper
40g vegetarian Italian hard cheese or Parmesan*, grated
Small handful pumpkin seeds

Method
1. Preheat an oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ 350°F/gas mark 4. Grease a loaf tin with oil or butter and line the bottom with baking paper. Put to one side.
2. Finely chop the leek and grate the cheddar. Mix together in a medium sized bowl and add the Italian hard cheese, keeping a handful a side for later.
3. In a larger mixing bowl, measure out the flours, baking powder, salt and mix until combined. Add the leek and cheese mixture, thyme leaves and a good crack of black pepper and mix well until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
4. In a mixing jug, measure out 250ml of semi-skimmed milk and crack in 2 eggs. Beat with a fork until fully incorporated. Pour straight into the dry mixture and mix quickly until combined – adding the wet ingredients to the dry activated the baking powder so the sooner you can get it in the oven the better.
5. Pour into a loaf tin and top with the remaining cheese and a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds. Bake in the oven for 1 hr.
6. Remove and cool in the tin for 10 mins before turning out and cooling fully on a rack. However, if you’re desperate to eat it warm feel free, just bear in mind the loaf will be a little soft so slice carefully. Serve on its own or spread with butter. Wrap in foil and keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.

The picnic for two
“Simply add a large bag of crisps, a bottle of fizz and a punnet of fresh strawberries and clotted cream. Done!”

Smokey Sweet Potato Bean Wraps
Smokey sweet potato bean wraps

Smoky sweet potato & bean wraps
Serves 4 / Hands on time 25 mins / Total time 45 mins / V
Filling:
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium sweet potato, baked
½ medium onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbs tomato puree
Pinch of chilli flakes
2 cans of mixed beans, washed and drained
1 corn on the cob or 1 can of sweetcorn, drained
To serve:
4 large wraps
2 handfuls fresh spinach
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
4 tbs Greek yogurt
40g cheddar cheese, grated

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°fan/400°F/gas mark 6. Score the sweet potato carefully with a knife and stab it through the middle a couple of times. Bake in the oven on the middle shelf for 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make your bean filling. In a large pot, sweat the chopped onion in the oil for about 5 minutes on a medium heat (add a dash of water to help them steam). Once softened, add the garlic and the smoked paprika and cook for a further minute. Add the tomato puree and the chilli flakes and give it a good stir.
3. Cook for a few minutes before adding the beans. Stir and cook for a further 5 minutes before seasoning well with salt and pepper. If using a fresh corn on the cob, remove the kernels by standing on its head and running a sharp knife, carefully down the sides slowly (they tend to go everywhere, so proceed with care). Add the corn to the beans and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes.
4. Take the beans off the heat, cover with a lid and put to one side. Slice the cheese and the avocado ready to fill your wraps.
5. Once your sweet potato is soft, carefully remove from the oven and cut into quarters to cool it down a bit. Lay your wraps out and spread one half with a tablespoon of warm sweet potato and the other half with plain yogurt. Top evenly with a couple of spoons of the bean mixture and a layer of sliced avocado and cheese. Season well with salt and pepper and top with a layer of fresh spinach.
6. Fold the top and bottom of the wrap in on itself and carefully roll it until you have, well a wrap. Serve straight away or wrap up in foil and take to work for lunch.

For more foodie blogs like this, visit learningwithexperts.com

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.

Want to get the most out of your veg? Then why not learn from expert Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and up your five-a-day game.


Up your breakfast game

~ Corrie ~ 3 Comments

Grabbing a Pret muffin on my way to work now feels like a distant memory. Like many, my daily commute now consists of rolling out of bed, occasionally getting dressed and opening my laptop. I spend my days in and out of virtual meetings, taking lunch time strolls and preparing the most important meal of the day. Breakfast! Shoving a breakfast bar in my mouth whilst running for the tube has been replaced with gentle porridge stirring and egg sizzling. So, enjoy lockdown while it lasts and start your day the right way by upping your breakfast game.

Chocolate pear porridge

Chocolate pear porridge
Serves 1 / Hands on time 10 mins / Total time 10 mins / V Vn Df
1/3 of a mug of porridge oats (any regular sized mug will do)
2/3 of a mug of milk
1 heaped tsp cocoa powder
Pinch of sea salt flakes
Handful dried fruit and nuts
1 tsp maple syrup + extra to serve
Drop of vanilla extract (optional)
½ a pear, sliced

TIP: Don’t wait to soak your pan after cooking. Do it immediately or your porridge will turn to cement.

Method:
1. In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients together apart from the pear. Cook over a medium heat stirring continually until the porridge is thick and creamy.
2. Serve immediately topped with sliced pear and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Spicy Bean & Tomato Eggs

Spicy bean & tomato eggs
Serves 1 / Hands on time 10 mins / Total time 15 mins / V Df
You’ll need: Non-stick frying pan
1 tsp rapeseed oil
2 spring onions, sliced
¼ tsp smoked paprika
Dash of Tabasco sauce (optional)
1 or 2 eggs
1 large or 2 regular tomatoes, chopped
½ can kidney beans
Handful fresh coriander, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil to serve
Toast to serve (optional)

TIP: If making for 2, use a large frying pan and double the recipe.

Method:
1. Fry the spring onions in the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat for 2 mins. Add the chopped tomatoes, Tabasco and smoked paprika and cook for a further 2 mins. Season well with salt and pepper and add the beans. Cook for 5 mins.
2. Using a spoon, make a well in the mixture and crack in your egg/eggs. Cover the pan with a lid or with sheet of foil and cook for 2-4 minutes or until the whites have set but the yolks are still soft. Serve in the pan topped with a handful of chopped coriander, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and toast for dunking.

Blueberry Dutch baby

Blueberry Dutch baby
Serves 2 / Hands on time 5-10 mins / Total time 30 mins / V
You’ll need: Oven-proof dish, roughly 22cm x 28cm
30g unsalted butter
100g plain flour
3 eggs
300ml semi-skimmed milk
2 tsp caster sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 handfuls of blueberries
To serve
Granulated sugar and maple syrup
Icing sugar for dusting (optional)

Method:
1. Preheat an over to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7. Measure out the butter and add to the over-proof dish. Place in the oven to heat up.
2. Meanwhile, measure out the flour in a large bowl and mix in the salt and the sugar before making a well in the centre. Crack in the eggs, add the milk and the vanilla before beating the eggs into the milk, slowly incorporating the flour. Once you have a smooth batter put to one side.
3. Remove the dish from the oven (by now the butter should be melted and bubbling). Sprinkle the blueberries straight into the dish followed by all the pancake batter. Return to the oven and bake for 20-25 mins. Once the pancake has puffed up and the edges are golden brown, remove from the oven.
4. Serve immediately sprinkled with sugar and lashings of maple syrup.

Want more? Take your breakfasts to the next level by enrolling on the ultimate sourdough and wild yeast baking course with And Tyrrell. Wild yeast is all around us, the joy of foraging into flour and water to create your natural starter can be a life-long journey. Start yours now.

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.

 


Three warming vegan soups for cold winter nights

~ Corrie ~ 3 Comments

Veganuary may be coming to an end… but that doesn’t mean we should start loading up on the bacon butties. Incorporating more plant-based meals into our everyday repertoire can only be a good thing, so let’s get started with these tasty vegan soups to warm the body and soul.

Carrot & ginger soup with cashew cream

Carrot & ginger soup with cashew cream
Serves 4 / Hands on time 35 mins / Total time 50 mins + soaking
You’ll need: A food processor
1 tbs olive oil
600g carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 white onion, peeled and roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and bashed
1 large knob of ginger (roughly 50g), grated
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 ½ litre of vegetable stock, I use 1 ½ Knorr stock pots
Cashew cream
150g cashews
¼ tsp salt
1 small garlic clove, crushed
Squeeze of lemon juice
150ml water

Method
1. The night before, soak 150g of cashews in a bowl of water overnight.
2. Preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C fan/400°F/gas mark 7. Peel and roughly chop the carrots and put them in a large roasting tray, along with the grated ginger, chopped onion, bashed garlic, nutmeg and olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper and give it all a good mix, before roasting in the oven for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the cashew cream. Rinse and drain the cashews and put them in a food processor along with 150ml of water, a crushed garlic clove, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Blitz for around 5-7 minutes or until you have a smooth creamy consistency. Put to one side.
3. Once the carrots are roasted, carefully pour them into a large cooking pot before adding a litre of vegetable stock and a drained can of chickpeas. Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes before blending either in a food processor or with a hand blender.
4. Pour into bowls, top with lashing of cashew cream and serve with bread.

Winter ribollita
Winter ribollita

Winter ribollita
Serves 4 / Hands on time 10 mins / Total time 50 mins 
1 tsp olive oil
1 white onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
½ tsp salt
1 can plum tomatoes
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 litre vegetable stock, I use 2 Knorr stock pots
Handful fresh parsley, chopped
100g cavalo nero or kale, roughly chopped
Extra virgin olive oil to serve

Method
1. In a large saucepan or pot with a lid, add 1 tsp of olive oil over a low to medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, celery, parsnip, carrot and the salt. Give it a good stir, cover with a lid and leave to soften for 20 mins, stirring occasionally.
2. Add a can of plum tomatoes and break them up with a spoon. Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas and the vegetable stock before upping the heat and bringing to the boil. Simmer uncovered for 15 mins before adding the cavalo nero and parsley. Give it a stir and cook for a further 5 mins.
3. Take off the heat, ladle into bowls and top with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and serve with crusty bread and good crack of black pepper.

Fragrant Coconut Soup
Fragrant Coconut Soup

Fragrant coconut soup
Serves 2 / Hands on time 25 mins / Total time 30 mins
2 cans light coconut milk
1 vegetable stock pot, I use Knorr
2 sticks of lemon grass, bashed (I use a rolling pin)
½ white onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and bashed
1 medium sized red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 knob of ginger, roughly grated
2 tsp caster sugar
28g bunch coriander, chopped
145g nest of rice noodles
2 tsp miso paste or light soy sauce
5 chestnut mushrooms, roughly sliced
2 bulbs of pak choy, roughly chopped
3 Chinese leaves or a handful for kale, roughly chopped
Juice of a lime

Method
1. In a large saucepan, add the 2 cans of coconut milk, vegetable stock cube or pot, chopped onion, chilli, garlic, ginger, bashed lemongrass and sugar. Roughly chop the coriander stalks (saving the leaves) and add to the coconut milk. Give it a good stir and bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook your rice noodles in small saucepan according to the packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and cover in a stream of cold water until completely cold (this will stop the noodles from continuing to cook). Drain again and divide the noodles into two large soup bowls. Put to one side.
3. Turn your attention back to the soup and give it a quick stir. Roughly chop the remaining coriander leaves, Chinese leaves, pak choy and mushrooms.
4. After 15 minutes your soup should be well infused and fragrant. Over a large bowl, carefully pour your soup through a sieve. Discard the contents of the sieve and pour the remaining soup back into your saucepan.
4. Stir through 2 tsp of red miso paste and add the pak choy, mushrooms and Chinese leaf. Give it a good stir and cook on a medium heat for a few minutes or until the veg is tender. Take the saucepan off the heat, squeeze over the lime juice and stir. Finally, ladle over the cooked noodles and top with fresh coriander.

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 side salad revamp

~ Corrie ~ 6 Comments

Side salads needn’t be a sad looking lettuce, cucumber and tomato combo. Jazz up your sides with these summery recipes along with a few tips and tricks.  

Courgette carpaccio

Courgette carpaccio
Yes, raw courgette can be delicious thing! Using a potato peeler, peel the 2 raw courgettes into ribbons and put in a large bowl. Squeeze over the juice of a lemon, 2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle over a large pinch of salt. Add a handful of chopped fresh dill and give it a good mix (being careful not to break up the courgette ribbons). Once everything is nicely dressed, pour out onto a large platter and dot with chunks of goat’s cheese. Drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil and serve.

Broccoli slaw with flaked almonds

Raw broccoli slaw
Eating raw broccoli may seem odd but it’s no different than eating raw cabbage in a slaw and it’s very tasty. Prepare a head of broccoli by cutting it into bite-sized florets and discarding the chunky stalk. Pop in a large bowl with a quarter of a finely sliced red onion and put to one side. In a small frying pan, over a medium heat, infuse 1 clove of bashed garlic clove in a tbs of extra virgin olive oil until it starts to sizzle slightly. Take off the heat, discard the garlic clove and put the oil to one side. In a smaller bowl make the dressing by whisking together 150g of Greek yogurt, the juice of half a lemon, 1 tsp of cider vinegar, 1 tsp of Dijon mustard and the warm garlic oil until combined. Season well with salt and pepper before pouring over the raw broccoli.Mix together along with a couple of handfuls of flaked almonds. Pour into a bowl, season and dust with smoked paprika.  Finish with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and serve.

Mango mozzarella salad

Mango and mozzarella
Mango and mozzarella make excellent bedfellows and a refreshing summer salad. Start by making the dressing by mixing the juice of a lime, 1 small garlic clove crushed and a tbs of extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl. Chop the mango into chunks and finely chop 2 spring onions, fresh coriander, half a deseeded red chilli and mix them together in a large bowl along with the dressing. Wash and chop 1 gem lettuce and add to the other ingredients and mix well. Drain 2 balls of mozzarella and tear into pieces with your fingers and add them to the salad. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with a sprinkle of dried chilli flakes.

Not quite ready for raw broccoli and exotic fruit in your salad? Try adding a bit of texture by sprinkling over a handful of seeds or some chopped nuts. Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and pine nuts are a good option as they’re mild in flavour but add a nice bit of bite. You could also try including grains and pulses to make your salads more substantial. Chickpeas and kidney beans work well as do grains such as couscous and rice. Freshly chopped herbs can be a fragrant addition along with flavoured oils used in dressings. So, jazz up those side salads and have a party why don’t you!

For more foodie blogs, recipes and course, visit learningwithexperts.com.

Baked tomatoes & feta on toast

~ Corrie ~ 5 Comments
Baked tomatoes & feta on toast

I went to an insanely overpriced but beautiful health food shop today in Finsbury Park. Sometimes, I like to swish around this shop and pretend I’m a regular customer. I even put three large avocados in my basket knowing they’re £2.50 each without so much as a small grimace on my face – I’m such a good actress. (I quickly put two back without anyone noticing.)
I spend a good 20 minutes picking items off the shelves, pretending to read the labels before returning them to their place – God, I’m having a great time. I eventually reach the counter with a mere five items in my basket all carefully plucked and examined ready for purchase.
“That will be fifteen pounds and twenty nine pence, please,” says the smug man behind the counter with long greasy hair. Shit – he knows! He knows I think this shop is ridiculously overpriced and that I usually shop at Tesco. The bastard! Two can play at this game. I smile sweetly and tap my bank card on the card reader as if I don’t have a care in the world.
I turn to leave, still smiling like a slightly deranged mental patient.
“Would you like a date?” the greasy haired man calls after me. Feeling slightly flattered, but mostly awkward, I turn to say, “Sorry, I have a boyfr….” when I realise he is elbow deep in a giant glass jar of what looks like crusty old turds. My neck is suddenly very hot as I realise my error.
“Err, yes please,” I say quickly, as he drops a large date into my open palm. I take a bite, thinking I can always chuck it away when I get outside, but to my surprise it’s soft, sweet and delicious. I then burst into tears – it’s been a hard month.

Back home, I spread the expensive bread I just bought with the expensive feta and top with baked expensive tomatoes and you know what? When you feel like utter shit, there’s nothing better than glorified cheese on toast to make everything okay again… That and a big juicy date. So weird.

Baked tomatoes & feta on toast
Serves 2 / Hands on time 10 mins / Total time 25 mins / V
Extra virgin olive oil
4 large tomatoes or 6 medium tomatoes on the vine
6 thyme sprigs
100g vegetarian feta
1 small garlic clove, peeled
2 large sliced sourdough bread, toasted
2 poached eggs to serve eggs (optional) 

Method
1. Preheat an oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7. Leaving the tomatoes on the vine, place on a non stick baking tray and spear each tomato with a fresh thyme sprig. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
2. Once the tomatoes are baked, turn the oven off and leave the tomatoes inside to keep warm. If you’re poaching eggs, now is a good time to get them on. Toast the bread and rub each slice with a peeled garlic clove. Split the feta between the 2 slices and squish down roughly with the back of a fork.
3. Remove the warm tomatoes from the oven, discard the thyme sprigs and evenly distribute the tomatoes on top of the feta. Press the tomatoes down using the back of a fork releasing some of the juice. Serve immediately drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, a good crack of salt and pepper and top each with a poached egg (optional).

Baked tomatoes & feta on toast

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