Special equipment • wok

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

handful of hazelnuts

1 tbsp sesame oil or vegetable oil

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 fresh green jalapeño chile peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp Chinese rice wine

1–2 heads bok choy, quartered lengthwise

handful of fresh spinach leaves or Swiss chard

2 handfuls of sugar snap peas or snow peas, sliced into thin strips

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1 Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet. Toast under a hot broiler until golden brown, shaking the pan frequently. Put the hazelnuts in a clean dish towel and rub off the skins. Chop coarsely and set aside.

2 Heat the oil in a wok over mediumhigh heat, and swirl it around to coat the pan. Add the garlic and chiles and cook for 10 seconds, then add the soy sauce and Chinese rice wine, and cook for a few seconds more.

3 Add the bok choy and spinach, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the sugar snap peas, and stir-fry for 1 more minute. Toss well, then season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with the hazelnuts scattered over the top. Serve with rice.

Cheat:

Don’t be put off by ready-made stir-fry sauces; there are some great-tasting Asian-inspired onesavailable.

Spicy garlic green vegetable medley

Special equipment • wok

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp sesame oil or vegetable oil

2 fresh red chile peppers, seeded and finely chopped

2in (5cm) piece of fresh ginger, sliced and cut into thin strips

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 bunch of scallions (green onions), cut into 2in (5cm) lengths

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips

1 head broccoli, about 10oz (300g), cut into florets

1 bunch of thin asparagus, trimmed and halved crosswise

1 tbsp granulated sugar

handful of fresh mint leaves

Method:

1 Heat the oil in a wok over mediumhigh heat, and swirl to coat the surface. Add the chiles, ginger, and garlic, and toss for a few seconds, then add the scallions. Stir-fry for 3–5 minutes until shiny.

2 Now add the bell pepper and stir-fry for a few minutes. Add the broccoli, and stir-fry for a few minutes more, before adding the asparagus. Continue stir-frying for another minute or two until all the vegetables are crisp-tender.

3 Sprinkle in the sugar and season well with salt and pepper. Stir-fry for a few seconds until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the mint leaves. Serve immediately, either alone or with fluffy rice.

Cook’s NoTEs:

Stir-frys require quick work; have all ingredients prepared, chopped, or sliced before starting. You can use your own selection of vegetables just remember to add them in the right order, with the ones that require longer cooking going in first.

Asparagus, broccoli, ginger, and mint stir-fry

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

1lb (450g) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into thick slices

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 x 14oz (400g) can diced tomatoes

splash of balsamic vinegar

1 x 14oz (400g) can butter beans, drained and rinsed

handful of Swiss chard or spinach leaves

2/3 cup Greek-style plain yogurt

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

handful of fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Method:

1 Cook the sweet potatoes with the maple syrup in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 10 minutes until just barely tender. Drain well and set aside to keep warm.

2 Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan or deep frying pan over low heat. Add the onion, cumin seeds, and a pinch of salt, and cook for 5 minutes until the onion is soft. Stir in the tomatoes, including the juices, and the balsamic vinegar, and cook for about 10 minutes. Taste, and season with salt and pepper.

3 Add the butter beans, and simmer for 5 minutes, then stir in the Swiss chard. Cook for a couple of minutes more until the leaves just wilt.

4 Remove from the heat, and top with the sweet potatoes. Spoon the yogurt over the top, and sprinkle with the mint leaves.

Sweet potato and butter bean stew

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

8 zucchini

1 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, finely chopped

pinch of sea salt

pinch of hot red pepper flakes

handful of pine nuts, toasted

handful of golden raisins

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Method:

1 Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). First, prepare the zucchini by cutting in half lengthwise. Scoop out the flesh, and chop it coarsely. Set the chopped zucchini aside with the zucchini shells.

2 Heat the oil in a large frying pan over low heat. Add the onion and a pinch of sea salt. Cook for 5 minutes until soft, then stir in the chopped zucchini and pepper flakes, and cook for a couple minutes longer.

3 Stir in half of the pine nuts and the raisins, then remove from the heat. Spoon the mixture into the zucchini shells, and top with the feta. Place on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes until the zucchini is tender and the filling is heated through.

4 Sprinkle the remaining pine nuts over the top, and serve hot.

Zucchini stuffed with raisins, red onion, and pine nuts

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely grated

2in (5cm) piece of ginger, finely grated

pinch of turmeric

pinch of garam masala

1½ cups red lentils

grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

3¾ cups hot vegetable stock

2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

handful of fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves, finely chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1 Heat the oil in a frying pan over low heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic, ginger, turmeric, and garam masala, and cook for 1 minute.

2 Stir in the lentils and lemon zest, pour in the stock, and simmer for about 20 minutes until the lentils are tender.

3 Season well with salt and pepper, and stir in the lemon juice, tomatoes, and cilantro. Serve hot with naan bread or chapattis.

Lemony dal

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1¼ cups whole milk

pinch of paprika

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 head cauliflower, broken into small florets

1 x 14oz (400g) can green beans, drained and rinsed

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1 Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from the heat, and stir in the flour until well blended. Add a little of the milk, and whisk until smooth. Return to the heat, and slowly whisk in the remaining milk. Keep whisking for another 5–10 minutes until the sauce is smooth and thickened.

2 Remove from the heat, sprinkle in the paprika, and season well with sea salt and black pepper. Stir in half of the cheese and the mustard, and set aside.

3 Cook the cauliflower in boiling salted water for 5–10 minutes until tender. Drain.

4 Put the cauliflower in a baking dish with the beans, and toss together. Pour in the sauce, and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 10–15 minutes until bubbly-hot. Serve hot.

Green bean and cauliflower gratin

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

1in (2.5cm) piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped

2–3 fresh hot green chile peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

small handful of dried curry leaves (optional)

6 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1½lb (675g) all-purpose waxy potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 tsp turmeric

1¼ cups hot vegetable stock

½ cup frozen peas

handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1 Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the ginger, chiles, cumin seeds, and mustard seeds, and crumble in the curry leaves. Cook for a couple of minutes until the mustard seeds start to pop. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook for a few more minutes.

2 Add the potatoes and turmeric, and pour in the stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat slightly, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

3 Stir in the peas, and cook foranother 3–5 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper, and stir in the cilantro. Serve hot with rice or naan bread.

Cook’s NoTEs:

This is a fairly dry curry; if you want more liquid, simply add more stock.

Potato and pea curry

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil, plus extra as needed

1 tbsp butter

1 red onion, coarsely chopped

handful of fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked

1lb (450g) russet (baking) potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 x 14oz (400g) can chili beans

2/3 cup hot vegetable stock

handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1 Heat the oil and butter in a nonstick frying pan over low heat. Add the onion, a pinch of salt, and the thyme leaves, and cook for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft.

2 Add the potatoes and cook until lightly browned at the edges you may need to add more olive oil to accomplish this.

3 When the potatoes are nearly tender about 15 minutes stir in the chili beans. Pour in the hot stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and season well with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Spiced bean and herb hash

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 celery ribs, finely chopped

3 carrots, finely chopped

½ cup dry white wine

1 x 14oz (400g) can diced tomatoes

1 x 15½oz (439g) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

2/3 cup hot vegetable stock

handful of fresh green beans, sliced on the diagonal

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook 5 minutes longer.

2 Increase the heat, add the wine, and let bubble until the alcohol has cooked away. Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil, and pour in the stock. Add the chickpeas, reduce the heat slightly, and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

3 Add the green beans, and cook for 5–10 minutes, until tender. Season well with salt and pepper. Serve hot with crusty bread.

Cook’s NoTEs:

This dish tastes even better the next day as the flavors mature. Simply reheat in a pan.

Chickpea and vegetable stew