Herby asparagus & bacon tart
    Foto Herby asparagus & bacon tart

    Ingredients

    • 250g rough puff pastry or use bought puff pastry
    • little flour, for the tray
    • 1 egg, beaten
    • 2 tsp olive oil
    • 100g bacon lardons
    • 100g ricotta
    • 85g mascarpone
    • zest 1 lemon
    • 2 tbsp each snipped chives and chopped curly parsley
    • 1 tbsp chopped mint
    • 2 tbsp grated parmesan
    • bunch asparagus, trimmed

    Method

    1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Roll out the pastry to about 15 x 30cm, the thickness of a £1 coin, and trim the edges. Transfer to a lightly floured baking tray. Score a 1cm border, making sure you don’t go all the way through the base. Prick all over the base with a fork, brush the edges of the tart with beaten egg and bake for 15 mins.
    2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small pan and fry the lardons until golden and crisp. Mix the ricotta, mascarpone, lemon zest, herbs and half the Parmesan in a bowl with salt and lots of black pepper.
    3. Remove tray from the oven, squash down centre of the tart and spread with cheese mixture. Scatter over the bacon, reserving the oil. Place asparagus along length of the tart, alternating direction of the tips. Brush with a little bacon oil, scatter over the remaining Parmesan and bake for 20 mins more. Serve warm.

    Source: BBC FOOD


    Asparagus & cheese tart

    Foto Asparagus & cheese tart

    Ingredients

    For the pastry

    • 140g plain flour
    • 85g butter, cubed
    • 85g cheddar (such as Montgomery or vegetarian alternative), or other hard cheese, finely grated

    For the filling

    • 5 eggs
    • 175ml milk
    • 100g cheddar (such as Montgomery or vegetarian alternative), or other hard cheese, grated
    • 300g asparagus, trimmed and cut in half lengthways

    Method

    1. Put the flour in a bowl, add the butter to the flour and rub in with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the grated cheddar into the pastry and mix. Add 3 tbsp cold water and mix until the pastry forms a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill for 5 mins. Butter a 20 x 6cm deep loose-bottom tart tin, or a 35 x 12cm rectangular tart tin.
    2. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Lightly dust the work surface with flour, roll out the pastry and line the tin. Chill in the freezer for 20 mins, then line the pastry case with baking paper, fill with beans and cook for 15 mins. Remove the beans and paper, then return the pastry case to the oven for 10 mins.
    3. Crack the eggs into a jug, whisk, then add the milk and whisk again. Sprinkle half the grated cheese over the pastry case, then add the asparagus, egg mix and remaining cheese (if using a rectangular tin, you may not need all the mixture, so add it gradually). Bake in the lower half of the oven for 30-35 mins or until the egg mix is set.
     Source: BBC FOOD

    Foto Beetroot falafel

     

    Ingredients

    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 2 onions, chopped
    • 2 tsp ground cumin
    • 2 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained
    • 500g raw beetroot, peeled, trimmed and coarsely grated
    • 100g fresh breadcrumbs
    • 1 egg
    • 1 tbsp tahini paste
    • vegetable oil, for brushing or frying

    To serve

    • 1 tbsp tahini paste
    • 2 x 150ml pots natural yogurt
    • pinch of sugar
    • flatbreads
    • few pickled golden beetroot, diced (see 'Goes Well With')
    • 3 handfuls beet leaves or a bag of beet salad

    Method

    1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onions until softened but not coloured. Add the cumin and cook for 1 min, then scrape the mixture into a food processor with the chickpeas, two-thirds of the grated beetroot, the breadcrumbs, egg and tahini. Whizz to a rough paste, then scrape into a bowl and stir in the remaining grated beetroot with plenty of seasoning.
    2. With damp hands, shape into about 20 balls and space on baking parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until ready to serve.
    3. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Brush the falafels with a little vegetable oil and bake for 20-25 mins until crisp and hot through. Alternatively, heat 2.5cm oil in a deep wok and fry in batches, turning, until crisp and hot.
    4. To serve, mix the tahini with the yogurt, sugar and some seasoning, then dollop onto the flatbreads with the warm or room-temperature falafels, diced beetroot and beet leaves or salad.
    Source: BBC FOOD


     
    Foto Creamy beetroot risotto

    Ingredients

    • 500g fresh beetroot
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • knob of butter
    • 1 onion, finely chopped
    • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
    • 250g risotto rice
    • 150ml white wine
    • 700ml hot vegetable stock
    • handful grated parmesan (or vegetarian alternative)
    • 4 tbsp soured cream
    • handful chopped dill

    Method

    1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Peel and trim the beetroots (use kitchen gloves if you don’t want your hands to get stained) and cut into large wedges. Place on a large sheet of foil on a baking sheet. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, season, then cook for 1 hr until the beets are soft.
    2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil with the butter in an ovenproof pan with a lid. Tip in the onion and garlic, then cook for 3-5 mins until translucent. Stir in the rice until well coated with the butter and oil. Pour over the white wine, then let the mixture bubble away for 5 mins.
    3. Stir well, then pour over the stock. Stir again, cover and place in the oven. Cook for 15 mins until the rice is soft. Remove the beetroots from the oven. Whizz ¼ of them to make a purée, then chop the remainder into small pieces. Stir most of the Parmesan, the beetroot purée and chopped beetroot through the risotto, then serve with some soured cream dolloped over and the dill and extra Parmesan scattered on top.
    Source: BBC FOOD

    Foto Asparagus, broad bean & smoked salmon pasta

     

    Ingredients

    • 25g butter
    • 6 spring onions, sliced
    • 6 tbsp dry white wine or vermouth
    • 200g carton crème fraîche
    • pinch freshly grated nutmeg
    • 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill (optional)
    • juice ½ lemon
    • 700g young broad beans in pods (to give about 175g/6oz shelled beans)
    • 175g young asparagus
    • 350g spirali or spaghetti
    • 100g smoked salmon, cut into small pieces

    Method

    1. Melt the butter in a pan, then fry the spring onions for 1 minute, until softened. Add the wine and boil hard to reduce to about 2 tbsp. Stir in the crème fraîche, season well and add the nutmeg. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in the dill, if using, and squeeze in a little lemon juice. Set aside.
    2. Blanch the shelled broad beans in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes. Drain into a sieve and hold under running cold water to cool. Drain again and peel off the outer hard skin – make a nick in the tops and pop the beans out.
    3. Trim the asparagus – if it’s young, it won’t need much cut off the stems. Cut into halves or thirds. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water as per pack instructions, adding the asparagus 3 minutes before the end of cooking time. Cook until “al dente”.
    4. Drain well, reserving a little pasta water. Toss the hot pasta and asparagus with the drained broad beans, smoked salmon and sauce, loosening with a spoonful or two of pasta water, if necessary. The heat of the pasta should reheat the sauce and slightly cook the smoked salmon, but stir over a gentle heat to warm through if necessary. Serve immediately.
    Source: BBC FOOD



    Foto Farfalle with chicken, asparagus & pancetta

    Ingredients

    • 500g asparagus
    • 2 lemons
    • 100g thinly sliced pancetta
    • 500g farfalle
    • 50g butter
    • 284ml carton double cream
    • 2 cooked skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 250g/9oz total weight), torn into strips
    • a few gratings of fresh nutmeg
    • 50g parmesan, freshly grated, plus extra for serving

    Method

    1. Trim the asparagus and cut into short lengths on the diagonal – keep the tips separate. (If you like, peel the stems to give a more vibrant colour when cooked.) Cook the stems in salted boiling water for about 4 minutes, then add the tips and cook for 1 minute more. Drain and refresh under cold running water.
    2. Peel the lemons with a serrated knife, remove all the white pith, then cut into segments by slicing each side of the pieces of membrane. Now cut the segments into small pieces (flick out any pips) and put them in a bowl with any juice. Grill the pancetta for 3-4 minutes until crisp – keep an eye on it because it can burn easily.
    3. Meanwhile cook the pasta in plenty of well-salted boiling water until al dente.While it’s cooking, put the butter and half the cream in a large pan and let them bubble together over a low heat for 2-3 minutes until thickened slightly. Tip in the lemon segments and juice, the chicken, asparagus and a few pinches of salt. Turn off the heat.
    4. Drain the pasta and add it to the contents of the pan along with the rest of the cream. Toss well, adding black pepper and nutmeg to taste, and the grated parmesan. Toss again, top with the pancetta and serve immediately.



     

    Ingredients

    • 3 aubergines
    • 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
    • 1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
    • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 8 ripe tomatoes, peeled
    • small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
    • 12 lamb chops or cutlets
    • paprika, for seasoning
    • 1 lemon, halved

    For the tzatziki

    • 150g tub Greek yogurt
    • ½ cucumber, seeds scooped out, grated
    • 2 tbsp chopped mint

    Method

    1. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Halve the aubergines lengthways and score the flesh side deeply, brush with a good layer of olive oil and put on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 mins or until the flesh is soft enough to scoop out.
    2. Fry the onion in a little oil until soft, add the garlic and cinnamon and fry for 1 min. Once the aubergines are cool enough to handle, scoop out the centres. Roughly chop the flesh and add it to the onions. Halve the tomatoes, scoop the seeds and juice into a sieve set over a bowl, then chop the flesh. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan and cook everything for 10 mins until nice and soft. Add a little more oil if you need to. Stir in the parsley, leaving a little for scattering at the end.
    3. Lay the aubergine halves in a baking dish and divide the tomato mixture between them. Pour over the juice from the tomatoes, drizzle with more olive oil and bake for 30 mins until the aubergines have collapsed.
    4. Meanwhile, mix the tzatziki ingredients together and put in a small serving bowl.
    5. Season the lamb with salt, black pepper and a pinch of paprika. Griddle, grill or barbecue for 3 mins on each side or until the fat is nicely browned, then put in a serving dish and squeeze over the lemon halves. Scatter the aubergines with parsley, then serve with the lamb and tzatziki.
    Source: BBC FOOD



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