spring greens

August. Is. Evil! Sure, the weather’s nice, and for one blissful month, I don’t have to share my commute with hundreds of school children, but just as I’m about to pour myself a well-deserved gin and tonic and plan the weekend ahead, I notice that I don’t have a single weekend free until mid-September. NOOOOOO! Weddings, Christenings, birthdays and reunions clog up my iPhone calendar like virtual turds that just won’t flush. I decide to leave the glass and take the bottle of gin to my wardrobe, where I stare blankly before deciding which outfits I can get away with wearing at least twice.

Four weeks on and I have successfully godmothered, danced and drunk my way through the wedding season. So it will come as no surprise that when I finally get a weekend to do what I want to do, I come down with a disgusting cold.
“At least you’re not an American prisoner of war in Vietnam” Jamie says, rather unsympathetically. Yes, well, I guess there’s always that I think, as I reach for the already empty box of tissues.

And what has any of this got to do with egg-fried rice? Admittedly, not much, apart from the fact that egg-fried rice was the only thing I managed to pull together before I collapsed into my bed for a few days. Top with a fried egg and serve drizzled with soy sauce.

Spring green egg fried rice

Serves 2 / Hands on time 20 mins / Total time 20 mins / V Df

You’ll need: One small and one large frying pan

3 tsp sesame oil

3 spring onions, sliced into strips (keeping a little back for garnish)

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 inch knob of ginger, grated

4 eggs (2 beaten)

80g spring greens, chopped cabbage or kale (roughly two handfuls)

30g frozen peas

250g cooked brown basmati rice

1½ tbs light soy sauce

Method
1. Prepare a large frying and a small frying pan by adding 1 tsp of sesame oil to each. Put the large frying pan on a medium to high heat and allow the oil to warm. Meanwhile chop the spring onions, garlic and grate the ginger. Add these to the pan and cook for a few minutes until they start to soften.
2. Add the beaten egg and allow to cook for 30 seconds before using a spoon to break up the egg. Add the chopped greens and the frozen peas along with a dash of water to help them steam. Allow to cook for another couple of minutes.
3. Meanwhile, put the smaller frying pan on a medium to high heat and crack in both eggs. Fry until the white is set but the yolk is still soft.
4. Whilst the eggs are cooking, add the cooked rice, soy sauce and a tsp of sesame oil to the greens and cook for a further 3 minutes. Finally, divide into bowls and serve topped with a fried egg and a sprinkling of chopped spring onions.

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 Df– Dairy free

Spring Green Linguine with Lemon & Ricotta

‘The Sainsbury’s stone’, that’s what they call it and I fear it’s already started to creep on my face (why does fat always go to my face first? Everyone else gets arse and I get face?! What an unjust world.) Anyway, one week at Sainsbury’s Magazine and I’ve already chomped my way through a slice of cake a day, literally. And we’re not talking Mr Kipling, we’re talking maple syrup layered sponges, blueberry and lemon drizzle cup cakes, Victoria sandwiches topped with edible crystallised flowers. You get the idea, some seriously good cakes (unlike Mr Kipling’s which were not seriously good at all). I’m telling you, cakes just keep appearing and somehow making their way from the test kitchen into my mouth. It’s very curious.
So a stone, a whole stone, is what I’m set to put on if I continue to eat in this way, something must be done. But how can I have my cake and eat it, literally. There’s only one thing for it, I have to cut calories elsewhere so bring on my skinny linguine. Packed with spring greens and ricotta, this creamy dinner manages to taste indulgent without the calories. Yes I know, I really should have cook book. Speaking of cook books, how does Fearne Cotton have one and I don’t? The world really is a messed up place.

Spring linguine with lemon & ricotta
Serves 2 / Hands on time 25 mins / Total time 25 mins / V
1 tsp rapeseed oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ red chilli, de-seeded
1 lemon, juice and zest
4 handfuls spring greens
160g vegetarian ricotta*
140g linguine
Pomora extra virgin olive oil

Method
1. Put a kettle on to boil with enough water to cook your pasta. Place the linguine in a suitably sized saucepan and add a good sprinkle of salt. Whilst the kettle’s boiling, zest and squeeze the juice of a lemon in a bowl. Crush the garlic and chop and de-seed the chilli.
2. In a large frying pan on a medium heat, add the crushed garlic to the oil. Cook for a minute stirring continually to prevent burning. Add the chilli, chopped greens, lemon juice and zest and season well with salt and pepper. Give it a good stir and add a dash of water to help wilt the greens.
3. Pour the boiling water from the kettle over your pasta and cook according to the packet instructions.
4. Once the greens have softened, add the ricotta cheese and stir through, take off the heat. Drain the pasta and add to the frying pan stirring well to incorporate the greens. Serve immediately, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and a good 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
*Ricotta is traditionally made with animal rennet but you can get vegetarian varieties. UK supermarket home brands tend to be, click here.