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  • Quesadilla

    Ingredients

    Method

    • STEP 1Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion and garlic for 2 mins. Add the cumin and cook for 1 min more. Tip in the beans, paprika and a splash of water. Using a potato masher, break the beans down as they warm through to make a rough purée. Season generously.
    • STEP 2Spread the refried beans onto 4 of the tortillas and scatter over the cheese and coriander. Spoon over the salsa, then top with the remaining tortillas to make 4 sandwiches. Wipe the frying pan with kitchen paper and return to the heat or heat a griddle pan. Cook each sandwich for 1-2 mins on each side until the tortillas are crisp and golden and the cheese is melting. Serve warm, cut into wedges, with extra salsa and soured cream for dipping.

  • Hummus

    Ingredients

    Method

    • STEP 1Thoroughly rinse the chickpeas in a colander under cold running water. Tip into the large bowl of a food processor along with 60ml of the oil and blitz until almost smooth. Add the garlic, lemon and tahini along with 30ml water. Blitz again for about 5 mins, or until the hummus is smooth and silky.
    • STEP 2Add 20ml more water, a little at a time, if it looks too thick. Season and transfer to a bowl. Swirl the top of the hummus with the back of a dessert spoon and drizzle over the remaining oil. Serve with crunchy crudités and toasted pitta bread, if you like.

  • Baked Onion Bhajis

    Ingredients

    • 4 medium onions (750g / 26oz)
    • vegetable oil
    • salt
    • 100g / 3.5oz chickpea (garam) flour
    • 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
    • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
    • 1 tsp paprika
    • 1 tsp ground coriander
    • 1/2 green chilli

    Toppings

    • fresh coriander
    • mango chutney
    • vegan plain yoghurt
    • lemon

    Instructions

    1. Peel, halve and roughly slice the onions. Add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil to a large pan over a medium heat. As soon as oil is hot, add the onions and a pinch of salt and fry for 10-12 minutes or until soft (but do not caramelise).
    2. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 356°F and line a large tray with baking paper.
    3. Transfer the onions to a large mixing bowl, then add the chickpea flour, ground cumin, garlic powder, paprika, ground coriander and 1 tsp of salt. Finely chop the green chilli and add it to the mixing bowl along with a drizzle of vegetable oil, then use a couple of spoons to give everything a mix until the onion is fully coated in the flour and spices.
    4. Using a couple of spoons, place 2 tbsp of the mixture onto the baking tray and lightly flatten it down with the back of the spoon. Repeat until you have 12 bhajis on the tray. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until crispy and slightly charred around the edges.
    5. Either top with or serve with fresh coriander, mango chutney, vegan plain yoghurt and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

  • Darren’s Low Carb bread.

    Wheat Gluten 1 1/4 cups
    Oat Fibre 1/2 cup
    Flax seed (Golden) 1/3 cup
    Flax Seed (Brown) 1/3 cup
    Salt 1 tsp
    Butter 2 Tbsp
    Dried yeast 2 Tbsp
    Honey 1 tsp
    Eggs 2
    Erythritol or truvia 2 Tbsp
    Xantham Gum 1/2 tsp

    Oat Fibre, Wheat Gluten, Flax Seed, salt, erithrytol and xantham gum in a big bowl.

    crack the eggs and whisk slightly, warm the butter and add to the eggs.
    One cup of water needs to be around 50-55 celsius – add one teaspoon of honey to that and stir until dissolved
    Once the honey has dissolved, add the yeast, stir well and leave to activate for 4 or 5 minutes
    Once its activated, add it to eggs and butter, stir a little bit and then add the bowl of dry ingredients

    mix very well for 3 minutes in a mixing machine or 5 minutes by hand.

    then knead for 8 minutes in a mixing machine or 15 minutes by hand

    prove for 45 minutes to and hour

    knock back (flatten out and knead again).

    Stick in your bread tin or make cakes and leave to prove for another 45 minus

    Bake in the oven for 14mins at 180 Celsius for bread cakes, about 16-17 mins for bread loaf

  • The best crusty cobs ever

    Ingredients

    • 500g/1lb 2oz unbleached strong white organic bread flour, plus extra for dusting
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 2 tsp dried yeast
    • 30g/1oz butter or lard, softened
    • 75ml/2½fl oz milk, warmed
    • 225ml/8fl oz warm water
    • oil, for greasing
    • rice flour, for dusting
    • butter, to serve

    How-to-videos

    Method

    1. With your fingers, mix the white flour, salt and dried yeast in a bowl.
    2. Rub the softened butter or lard into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
    3. Mix the warm milk with the water. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix together with your hands until the dough is well combined. Bring the dough together into a ball.
    4. Using floured hands, knead the dough on a clean, floured work surface for 20-25 minutes, or until the dough is elastic and smooth. If necessary add a little more warm water to loosen the dough.
    5. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with a clean damp tea towel or cling film. Set aside for 1-1½ hours in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size.
    6. When the dough has risen, return it to a floured work surface and knock it back.
    7. Separate the mixture into eight parts and roll each into a ball. Flatten each slightly with the palm of your hand and transfer the rolls to a baking tray, placing them close together. Cover the tray with cling film and set aside for another hour, or until the rolls have doubled in size again.
    8. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
    9. When the rolls have expanded, dust them with the rice flour and transfer them to the oven. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden-brown and cooked through.
    10. To serve, separate the rolls and serve warm with butter

    Well done you hairy biker people.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/basicwhiterolls_89612

  • Scotch Pancakes – Alternative

    Makes 10 pancakes

    You will need:

    • 200g plain flour
    • 1 tbsp baking powder
    • pinch of salt
    • 1 tbsp caster sugar
    • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1 large egg
    • 300ml milk
    • vegetable oil, to fry

    Add the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl. Beat the egg and milk into the mixture with a handheld or electric whisk. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add some oil.

    Spoon in a small ladleful of batter to make a pancake about 10cm across. Fry for about 1 min until the edges of the pancake are firm and bubbles have started to appear on the surface. Turn over and fry for another 30 secs till golden on both sides. Serve with your favourite toppings.

    TIP: The other scotch pancake recipe is better than this one, although still very good. This is for when you have only plain flour!

    Original recipe: BBC Good Food

  • Baked Gateaux Piment

    Makes 12 balls.

    You will need:

    • 125g yellow split peas, soaked overnight
    • 1 large or 2 small spring onions, finely sliced
    • 1-2 green chilies, minced
    • Handful of chopped fresh parsley (or coriander)
    • 1 teaspoon dried cumin
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • If required, a paste made from 2 tablespoons gram flour + 1 tablespoon water
    • Olive oil

    Drain and rinse the split peas well, then blitz in a food processor until broken down, still leaving some texture. Add the onions, chilli, parsley, cumin and salt. Blitz again very briefly.

    Turn out into a bowl. Press the mixture into a small ball in your hand. If it doesn’t stick together easily, then make a paste from the gram flour and water and stir into the mix till well incorporated.

    Using your fingers and the palm of your hands, gather the mix into 12 equal sized balls. Place on a plate and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.

    Pre-heat oven to 200C (fan).

    Place the gateaux on a lined baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake in the oven for 18 minutes until crispy and browned, turning over half way.

    Serve warm or cold, ideally with a flavourful dip such as a vegan chive mayo, hummus or coconut raita.

    Original recipe: Ceri Jones

  • Fried Falafel

    Serves 2/3

    You will need:

    • 250g chickpeas from a can
    • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
    • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
    • 2 tsp ground coriander
    • 2 tsp ground cumin
    • 2 tsp paprika (optional)
    • small pack flat-leaf parsley, chopped
    • 2 rounded tbsp plain/gram flour
    • 2 tbsp vegetable oil

    Cook the onion in a frying pan until soft.

    Add the garlic, ground spices and parsley to a food processor and pulse until it looks like a consistent powder.

    Add the chickpeas to the food processor and pulse further until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

    At this stage, the onions should be soft. Add the onions and the flour to the food processor and pulse until it is all mixed together.

    Tip the mixture out onto some greaseproof paper and roll into a long sausage about 3-4cm in diameter. Sprinkle the mixture with a bit of paprika and cumin if desired and put in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.

    When ready to cook the falafel, slice the sausage into individual falafel around 2cm thick. In a large pan, heat the oil and fry the falafels on each side for 2-3 mins or until golden (you may need to do this in batches).

    Serve with flatbread and salad.

    • Lettuce
    • Sliced cucumber
    • Grated carrot
    • Sliced spring onion
    • Sliced peppers

    TIP: Paprika is not essential, but makes a nice change

    TIP: You can cook the mixture without chilling first, but it does work better when chilled.

    Original recipe: BBC Good Food

  • Masoor Dal

    Serves 2

    You will need:

    • For the dal
    • 250g red lentils
    • 2 tbsp ghee or oil
    • 1-2 dried red chillis
    • 1 small onion, finely chopped
    • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp ground turmeric
    • 600 ml warm water
    • For the tempering
    • 2 tbsp ghee or oil
    • 2 dried red chillis
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1/2 tsp nigella seeds
    • 1 garlic clove, cut into slivers
    • 4 fresh curry leaves

    Wash the lentils in cold running water, then place in a bowl and soak for 30 minutes in fresh cold water. (If you do not have time to soak the lentils, then just wash them before adding to the pan – red lentils cook quickly and so do not need long soaking.)

    In a heavy based pan that has a lid, heat 2 tbsp of oil or ghee over a medium-high heat. Add the dried red chillis to the pan, followed by the minced onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until they just start to colour.

    Add the soaked lentils to the pan, then the salt and ground turmeric. Add 600 ml of warm water to the lentils and bring to the boil. When the surface of the water is bubbling, cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure the dal is not sticking to the base of the pan. Once the dal is cooked, place the lid back on the pan and keep warm while preparing the tempering.

    In a small frying pan, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil or ghee over a high heat. Working very quickly so the tempering does not burn, add the dried red chillis, cumin seeds, nigella seeds, garlic slivers and finally the curry leaves. Cook for a few seconds, the pour the tempering oil and spices over the warm dal in the pan. Next, take a spoonful of the dal and place it in the frying pan to absorb any remaining oil – take care whilst doing this as the oil may splutter – then tip the spoonful of dal from the frying pan back into the main dal pan.

    Serve immediately, ladling the dal into separate serving bowls.

    TIP: The recipe has been amended from the original to reduce the serving size. Simply double the lentils and water to take it back to the original recipe for 4 servings.

    TIP: The tempering is essential for the flavours of the dal.

    TIP: This is best served with bread and a vegetable side.

    Original Recipe: Asma Khan – Asma’s Indian Kitchen