smoked

Bog off smoked salmon. This Christmas, why not try topping your cream cheese with my marinated smoked carrot ribbons? I mean, it’s not like we’ve got anything better to do than bake and peel carrots to top our breakfast bagels with, right? In fact, these delicate ribbons can be stuffed into sandwiches, stirred through scrambled eggs or strewn across smashed avocado on toast. I like mine draped over a bagel with lashings of cream cheese but each to their own.

Marinated smoked carrot ribbons
Hands on tine 15 mins / Total time 1 hr + 4-7 days marinating / V Vn* Df
250g carrots (3 medium or 2 large)
Marinade:
250ml boiling water
2 tbs light soy sauce
1 tbs maple syrup
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp smoked salt
To serve (optional)
Bagels, capers, fresh dill and cream cheese

*Vegan: Swap the cream cheese for a vegan alternative or hummus.

Preheat an oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400F/gas mark 6. Wash and peel the carrots before placing them on a baking tray. Season with salt and bake whole for 45 mins.
Once baked leave to cool slightly before handling and put a kettle on to boil for the marinade. Make the marinade in a tupperware box with a lid, stir and put to one side. Using a peeler, peel the strips of carrot until you can peel no more – this can be a little tough to do at first but once the carrot starts to come away the ribbons become cleaner and smoother. Repeat this process with all of your carrots. Any larger chunks left over that you cannot peel, simply slice them as thinly as you can.
Submerge the carrots into the marinade and refrigerate for 4-7 days – the longer you leave them the softer the texture becomes. When ready to use, simply fish out your desired amount of carrot ribbons onto a couple of layers of kitchen roll and pat dry with another sheet of kitchen roll to soak up any excess liquid.
Once marinated, keep the carrots in their liquid refrigerated for up to a week.

Marinated smoked carrot ribbons

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: Replace cream cheese for vegan alternative Df – Dairy free

It’s been 25°C in London this week, so naturally I thought I’d make a nice bowl of refreshing chilli – good one.
I’ve got a bit of a love hate relationship with chilli as it’s often the rubbish vegetarian option I get offered in pubs. Time and time again, it’s a sad, watery can of tinned tomatoes with a few beans floating in it – often reminds me of what you see splattered on pavements outside bars and kebab shops after a night out – mmm, appetising.
However, my version is robust, bold and sexy. So forget nights out, let’s have a night in and curl up with a bowl of the good stuff.

Smoky mixed bean chilli
Serves 4 / Hands on time 20 mins / Total time 45 mins V Vn Df Gf ❄🌶
1 tsp rapeseed oil
½ red onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, grated
1 tbs tomato purée
1 large or 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp chilli flakes (leave out if you like your chilli mild)
1 tsp Marmite
½ vegetable stock pot, I use Knorr
1 corn on the cob, kernels removed or 1 small can drained
28g fresh coriander, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges

Method
1. Fry the onion in the oil over a medium heat until softened (add a dash of water to help the onion steam and cook faster). Meanwhile, peel and grate the carrot and put to one side. Once the onion has softened, add the garlic, smoked paprika and the chilli flakes and give it a good stir. Add a dash more water and cook for a couple more minutes.
2. Drain and rinse the beans, before adding them to the pot along with the tomato puree, tinned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes and grated carrot.
3. Add the stock pot along with the Marmite and give it a good stir before seasoning and bringing to the boil.
4. If using fresh corn, remove the kernels by standing the sweetcorn on its head and running a sharp knife carefully down the sides slowly (the kernels can tend to go everywhere, so proceed with care). Add to the chilli.
5. Turn the heat down and simmer for 20 mins (now is a good time to roughly chop the coriander). Remove from the heat, stir in the coriander and squeeze over the juice of a lime. Serve either on the top of a baked sweet potato, with rice, guacamole and good dollop of sour cream.

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. Consume within 3 months.