Butterbean & chickpea soup with pesto broth

December 9, 2021 ~ Corrie ~ 2 Comments

Butterbean & chickpea soup with pesto broth

It’s that time of year again, and I don’t know about you, but I already feel sick as a dog. I’ve prematurely eaten my weight in chocolate and cheese but then that’s really all a vegetarian can eat in Belgium. So if like me, you need an injection of wholesome goodness, I prescribe a bowl of my chickpea and butterbean soup – it doesn’t get much healthier than this… Now, where did I put the Toblerone.

Chickpea and butter bean soup with pesto broth
Serves 4 / Hands on time 25 mins / Total time 50 mins / V Vn Gf Df ❄
You’ll need: Food processor, Nutribullet or hand blender for the broth
1 tsp rapeseed oil
½ tsp sea salt flakes
1 white onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and diced
½ stick of celery, diced
½ de-seeded red pepper, diced
2 medium sized tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 can chickpeas washed and drained
1 can butter beans washed and drained
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
1 litre of vegetable stock
 For the pesto broth:
30g fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
Extra virgin olive oil to serve

Method
1. In a large pot, sweat down the onion, carrot, celery and red pepper along with a good pinch of salt over a medium heat for 5 mins. Add a dash of water, give it a stir and continue to cook with the lid on for a further 5-10 mins until the vegetables have softened.
2. Add the roughly chopped tomato, drained butter beans, chickpeas and vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Season with black pepper and add the dried herbs before turning the heat down and simmering for 30 mins, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, add the basil to a food processor along with two roughly chopped garlic cloves. Add 8 tbs of the soup broth and blitz until you have a runny pesto. Put to one side.  4. Once the soup has thickened, ladle into bowls and serve drizzled with the pesto broth and extra virgin olive oil.

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 Gf – Gluten free Df – Dairy free
To freeze: Cool the soup fully and transfer to an airtight container. Consume within three months.

Broccoli fusilli with kale & walnut pesto

August 11, 2020April 25, 2021 ~ Corrie ~ 4 Comments

Broccoli fusilli with kale & walnut pesto

In the back of the vegetable crisper it waits patiently. Its bushy green head turning ever so slightly yellow, it’s pine coloured leaves wilt and shrivel whilst its branches begin to soften. But it doesn’t have to be this way! Liberate your head of broccoli by chopping it up (stalk and all) and serving it al dente stirred through wholemeal pasta with a vibrant kale and walnut pesto. Delish! Alternatively, leave the dish to cool fully before refrigerating and serving as a summery accompaniment to any barbecue. Adding crumbled feta or parmesan shavings add a bit of extra indulgence or leave it as it is to please any plant-based guests you may be entertaining.

Broccoli fusilli with kale and walnut pesto
Serves 2 / Hands on time 15 mins / Total time 20 mins / V Vn Df
You’ll need: A food processor
50g walnuts (about 2 handfuls)
½ regular sized 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
150g wholemeal brown fusilli
1 head of broccoli

TIP: This recipes makes enough pesto to serve 4. Refrigerate any leftover pesto for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Method
1. Put a full kettle on to boil and pour the pasta into a large saucepan (big enough to accommodate an entire chopped head broccoli).
2. Meanwhile, make the pesto by peeling and roughly chopping 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). Put to one side.
4. Pour the boiling water from the kettle over the pasta and add a half a tsp of salt to the water. Use more water than you would usually as you will need to boil the broccoli in it too. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions until 4 mins before the end of the cooking time. Meanwhile, pull he florets off the broccoli with your fingers and chop into big chunks include the stalk and the leaves.
5. Four minutes before the pasta is cooked add the broccoli florets to the pasta pan and boil for the remaining cooking time.
6. Strain the pasta and the broccoli well before transferring back into the saucepan off the heat. Add half the pesto and stir well until evenly distributed. Divide onto plates and serve immediately with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a crack of black pepper. Any remaining pesto can be used another day or frozen (see tip).

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

Gnocchi with pea pesto, asparagus & watercress

March 11, 2019February 1, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ 3 Comments

I haven’t really had much time for gnocchi in the past, as it tends to be one of those dishes that gets thrust upon me in restaurants. Squidgy gummy potatoes laden with blue cheese sauce? Er, no thank you, Mr Carluccio.
But perhaps I’m being a bit judgemental. After all, what’s not to like about a little potato dumpling? Perhaps my beef was never with the dumpling at all, but with the heavy cheese sauce – it was simply too rich and bad-dream-inducing.
However, I decided to push aside my reservations and give gnocchi another chance, so off I trotted to Tesco to buy a lovely fresh packet – please don’t expect me to make it from scratch, I’ve tried and it was a messy, unmitigated disaster. I did however make this rather springy pea pesto to go with it which was very tasty and can be in your belly within fifteen minutes. It’s official, gnocchi and I are friends again.

Gnocchi with pea pesto, asparagus & watercress
Serves 2 / Hands on time 20 mins / Total time 20 mins / V Vn* ❄
You’ll need: A food processor or blender
Handful fresh mint leaves
2 tbs pine nuts
½ a lemon
200g frozen garden peas
30g vegetarian Italian hard cheese or Parmesan* grated plus extra for serving (optional)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 tbs Pomora lemon extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp sea salt flakes
300g fresh gnocchi
125g asparagus, woody ends removed and cut into thirds
Handful cherry tomatoes, halved
2 handfuls watercress

*Make it vegan: Vegan gnocchi is relatively easy to find but always check the label just in case. The pesto tastes just as delicious without Parmesan so simply leave it out.

Tip: This recipe makes enough pesto for 4 servings. Any remaining pesto can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze on the day of making.
Tip: This pesto also works well with pasta if you’re not a gnocchi fan.

Method
1. Start by boiling a kettle and put your frozen peas in a sieve. Pour the boiling water over the frozen peas to thaw them a bit and put to one side. Fill the kettle again and boil – you’ll need this for the gnocchi and asparagus later.
2. To make the pesto pour the peas into a food processor along with the chopped garlic, lemon juice, pine nuts, grated cheese, mint leaves and salt. Blitz for about a minute before adding the extra virgin olive oil and blitzing again until you have a smooth paste.
3. Pour the boiled kettle into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the chopped asparagus spears and cook for 2 minutes before adding the gnocchi and cooking for 2-3 mins (check packet instructions). Drain and pour back into the saucepan and stir in half of the pesto and the tomato halves. Serve immediately on a bed of watercress topped with a sprinkle of cheese, a drizzle of olive oil and a crack of black pepper.

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 – Forgo the Parmesan and use vegan gnocchi
❄ The pesto is suitable for home freezing in an airtight container. 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.

kale & walnut pesto

August 6, 2018July 29, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ 1 Comment

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 Vn Gf Df ❄
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!

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 Gf– Gluten free Df– Dairy free ❄– Suitable for home freezing in an airtight container. Consume within 3 months.

Sicilian sun-dried tomato & caper pasta

May 16, 2016January 21, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ 1 Comment

Okay, so this is pretty embarrassing and very shameful to admit, but I didn’t know Sicily was a country until Jamie told me yesterday. I’d always assumed it was just another Italian city like Rome or Venice. Although I don’t blame myself entirely for this lack of knowledge. For some reason, it was compulsory to study German geography if you studied German at my school. To this day, I still don’t know if we were studying the geography of Germany taught in German or simply geography taught in German. Either way, I couldn’t and still can’t, speak German so it made no difference. Thanks for nothing Edwin Gruber.
Anyway enough about Germany, let’s talk about Sicily. By chance I wondered into a small Sicilian deli on my lunch hour last week called Casanova & Daughters. It was marvellous. A beautiful shop with shelves laden with imported pasta, jars of sun-dried tomatoes, handsome bottles of olive oil and neat rows of dried basil flowers wrapped in brown paper. I didn’t even know basil plants had flowers. Anyhoo, if you ever find yourself in Covent Garden I urge you to pop in, if only to say hello to the nicest man in London.
Feeling a little tired and uninspired of late, I asked the smiley shop owner to recommend a vegetarian Sicilian dish to make this weekend. He practically jumped out from behind the counter and started sweeping the shop for ingredients. He returned with a bag of capers, sun-dried tomatoes, white fennel seeds, capers and almonds in their actual shells! I’ve only ever seen almonds de-shelled so was shocked when the deli owner crushed one on the counter with his palm and revealed the biggest almond I had ever seen. Why were the almonds in Sainsbury’s so small?
Getting increasingly carried away, I bought everything he put in front of me, including some beautiful pecorino cheese and some pasta called Busiate that look like big dried up mealworms. They tasted delicious. Best fifteen pounds I ever spent – although my combat trousers I bought from Tammy Girl in the 90’s come a close second.

Sicilian sun-dried tomato & caper pasta
Serves 4 / Hands on time 25 mins / Total time 25 mins / V Vn* ❄
You’ll need: Food processor
300g dried pasta
15-20 sun-dried tomatoes (if you can’t find the dry ones, substitute for jarred ones in oil)
1 tbs capers
1 large or 2 regular garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
30 almonds
Pinch fennel seeds
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Italian hard cheese or Pecorino* to serve (optional)

*Make it vegan: Forgo the cheese in the recipe altogether.

Method
1. If using dried sun-dried tomatoes, soak them for 1 minute in a bowl of boiling water. Keep the boiled water but fish out the tomatoes and put straight into a food processor. If using jarred oiled ones, simply give then simply squeeze off some of the excess oil and add to food processor. Add the almonds, capers, fennel seeds, garlic and the extra virgin olive oil – forgo the oil if using the jarred variety in oil.
2. Add 6-8 tablespoons of the tomato water and blitz until you have a thick pesto. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
3. Drain the pasta and return to the pan but take off the heat. Stir in the pesto and serve immediately topped with your choice cheese and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

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 – Make it vegan and leave out the cheese
❄ – The pesto is suitable for home freezing in an airtight container. Consume within 3 months.
*Pecorino must be made with lamb rennet from animals raised in the same production area, and is consequently not suitable for vegetarians.