Veggie Sausages with Baked Beans

Looking for something for the weekend..?

This recipe works as both a fantastic veggie breakfast/brunch or lunch. Packed with protein and low in fat, this meal will keep hunger at bay and provide you with energy. It may not look the most appetising, but it tastes fantastic...

Of course, if veggie sausages are not your thing, this works perfectly with meat sausages too :-)

Serves 1

2 veggie sausages (I use the Linda McCartney range)
1 small tin baked beans
6 cherry or baby plum tomatoes, halved
2 thick slices wholemeal/wholegrain bread
Freshly ground black pepper

Turn on the grill and cook the sausages as per pack instructions. I use a George Foreman grill for this and it cooks the sausages faster - usually in 4-5 minutes.

When the sausages are nearly cooked put the beans into a pot and put on a low heat. Then put the tomatoes and bread under the grill too.

Remove the sausages when cooked. Cut in bite-size pieces and stir into the beans.

Remove the tomatoes from under the grill when they have softened. And don't forget to turn the bread!

Stir the tomatoes into the beans too.

Remove the bread from the grill and spoon the bean and sausage mixture on top. Season well with freshly ground black pepper.

Spicy Tomato Salsa

Salsa is so easy to make and there are so many recipes, with several possible ingredients to include or exclude. I like to keep things pretty basic for salsa, but most importantly, I really want to taste the tomatoes, and not let the other flavours dominate. This means that using good quality, fresh tomatoes is really important. I like to use cherry or piccolo tomatoes as I find them the most flavoursome.

One crucial aspect of a salsa recipe is the spiciness. It's really easy to alter the spice level, although it may take a few attempts to get it right. Personally, I go for a pretty hot flavour but the milder varieties taste great too.

There are many salsa recipes to choose from, but the recipe below is very quick and easy to make. Serve on a Mexican dinner night, alongside burritos or fajitas.

10 cherry tomatoes, diced
Half tsp chopped coriander
1 tbsp lemon juice
Half red chili, chopped finely
Half spring onion, chopped finely
Salt/Ground black pepper

The best way to do this is to dice the tomatoes then place them on a chopping board. Add the chopped chili, spring onion, and coriander. Now with a sharp knife, chop quickly across the mixture until all the ingredients blend together, without it becoming mushy.

Then, place in a bowl, add the lemon juice, and mix well. Season to taste.

If you prefer a milder taste, you can omit the chili, or simply add less.

Halibut Steak with Tomato and Garlic

I need some variety when it comes to white fish, I usually go for haddock but halibut makes a great alternative (although a little bit more expensive...but worth it). Halibut has a meatier texture but like all white fish it is great for cooking alongside lots of delicious flavours. See the recipe below.

Serves 2

2 Halibut steaks
About 25-30 cherry tomatoes on the vine
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp good olive oil
1 tbsp chopped basil
Salt and ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 190C

Keep about half the cherry tomatoes on the vine, as in the picture above. Remove the rest from the vine and cut into quarters. Place in a bowl along with the garlic, oil, and basil, and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.

Place the halibut steaks in a roasting dish and spoon the tomato mixture onto the top of the steaks. Place the remaining cherry tomatoes on the vine alongside the halibut.

Cook in the oven for 15 minutes.

Roast Beef Tomatoes with Garlic and Basil Topping

I find I use cherry tomatoes and baby plums in cooking a lot because I love the sweetness they add to dishes. But I feel that I have neglected the other tomato varieties! Good beef tomatoes can be hard to get as they are often lacking in flavour, but a good, ripe beef tomato can be roasted to make a great side dish. I add a little topping to it in this dish for some added oomph.

Serves 2

2 ripe beef tomatoes
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp of breadcrumbs
1 tsp of chopped basil

Preheat the oven to 180 C

Slice the tops of both tomatoes and discard.

Mix the breadcrumbs, garlic, and basil in a bowl. Press down onto the top of each tomato.

Place in a oven dish and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

Makes a delicious accompaniment to roast chicken or baked fish.

Mussels and Courgette Pasta

This recipe is a quick and light dinner with lots of goodness packed in. I buy mussels from the fish counter that have already read been removed from their shells - this speeds up the preparation and eating process!

Serves 2

150-160g mussels (without shells)
1 courgette, sliced into strips about 1 and a half inch long
20 cherry or baby plum tomatoes, cut into quarters
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp good quality olive oil
1 tbsp basil
1 tsp crushed chili
200g pasta - preferably spaghetti or linguine

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pot over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute.

Add the courgette slices. Cook for 5 minutes constantly moving the slices around the pan so they do not burn. When you add the courgette also bring some water to the boil in a large pot and cook the pasta as per instructions on the pack.

Add the tomatoes and mussels and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes. The tomatoes should become soft but   make sure the pieces stay whole rather that turn into a sauce (like in photo above).

Add the basil and crushed chili and stir.

When the pasta is cooked, drain and return to the pot. Then add the mussels, courgette, tomatoes, and garlic to the pot. Stir all together and add an extra tablespoon of good quality olive oil.

Moroccan Chickpea Soup

This is a delicious and light soup that works well in all seasons. If you are wary of spicy food just omit the chili from the recipe below.

Serves 1-2

1 small onion, chopped finely
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
1 red chili, sliced
Pinch of ground cumin
200g tin of tomatoes
200ml vegetable stock
100g chickpeas (drained)
1 tbsp chopped coriander
5 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and Black pepper
Chopped parsley, to garnish

Sweat the onion, chili and garlic for 10 minutes on a low heat.

Add the cumin and stir well.

Add the tinned tomatoes, stock, chickpeas, rosemary and salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and then simmer with the lid off for 10 minutes.

After 5 minutes, add the cherry tomatoes.

With a minute to go add the lemon juice.

Serve in a bowl and sprinkle the chopped parsley on top. Enjoy!

Ragu

There are so many varieties of ragu, but this one combines most of the classic elements! Give yourself plenty of time to cook this so that it can simmer for a few hours and really develop its flavours.

Serves 4

200g minced beef
200g minced pork
2 400g tinned tomatoes
1 red onion, chopped finely
1 carrot, chopped into small pieces
1 stalk of celery, chopped into small pieces
2 cloves garlic
12 mushrooms, finely chopped
50 ml red wine
1 tbsp tomato puree
Pinch of ground cumin
2 tbsp chopped rosemary
1 tbsp chopped thyme
Salt/Black pepper

400g pasta of your choice


Make the soffritto first. Put the onion, carrot and celery in a pot with a good dash of olive oil. Sweat for about 10-15 minutes on a low heat. I like to use a hand blender to puree this a little after it has sweated. I don't cream it completely but I think it blends into the sauce better if it is somewhat pureed.

Add the meat and cook on a high heat until all the juices from the meat have evaporated. This should take about 15 minutes. Then add the red wine and continue to cook on a high heat until the wine evaporates too - about another 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the garlic and cumin and stir for a minute. Next, add the mushrooms and cook for another two minutes.

Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, rosemary, thyme and salt and pepper. Bring to the boil then simmer, with the lid off, for about three hours, stirring occasionally. The amount of liquid should reduce and the sauce will develop a nice, thick consistency.

Cook the pasta as per instructions.

Enjoy with a glass of red wine and some bread to mop up any left-over sauce!