Chickpea, Chard and Porcini Soup

Another lovely winter warmer from Hugh F-W's 'Veg Everyday' book, although I varied it by adding some shredded ham hock which turned it into a real rib sticker.  Even though you have to splash out on a packet of dried porcini (two quid from Tesco!) this still comes in well under a fiver and is so rich, mushroomy and warming.  If you don't have chard, kale or spinach or savoy cabbage would do just as well - just make sure it is dark green and full of iron!  Start the usual way by sweating a large chopped onion in a tablespoon or so of oil over a low heat for 10 to 15 minutes.  Whilst this is happening, soak a 25g pack of dried porcini in 800mls boiling water in a jug.  Prep your chard by stripping the leaves from the stalks, slicing the stalks finely and then shredding the leaves.  When the onion is done, add a couple of stalks of rosemary and 2 cloves of crushed garlic, and cook for a couple of minutes.  Fish out the soaked porcini using a draining spoon and put on a wodge of kitchen paper - keep the soaking liquid.  Chop the porcini on a board, as finely as you can, then add to the pot.  Empty in a tin of drained, rinsed chickpeas, half a tin of chopped tomatoes and the chard stalks.  Stir well.  Now, place a sheet of kitchen paper in a sieve and carefully strain the mushroom liquid into the pan, to filter out any grit.  Bring to the boil, add a teaspoon of tomato puree and some marigold veg stock powder or a veg stock cube, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Return to just under the boil and add the chard leaves. Add the shredded ham hock (or some cooked chicken, maybe, or cooked chorizo). Simmer for about 8 minutes until the leaves are cooked but still lovely and green.  Adjust the seasoning, fish out the rosemary stalks and serve piping hot in big bowls with crusty bread and some cheese slices on the side.

Mexican Shepherd's Pie

I have no ide whether a Mexican Shepherd would eat this!  It just seemed like the best name for an improvised dish that will be cooked again and again, it was so delicious (and simple and cheap, other qualities to recommend it by).  It is, essentially, chickpeas, tomato and spinach or kale cooked with chilli, cumin and paprika, then topped with a coriander and Parmesan mash - great for veggies if you use a suitable cheese alternative.  All you do is saute an onion, chopped (I used a red one, but go with whatever you have) in a tablespoon of oil until softening, then add 2 cloves of crushed garlic, a finely chopped red chilli, a heaped teaspoon each of ground cumin, sweet paprika (not the smoked kind) and dried oregano.  Stir for a moment then add a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes and a tin of drained, rinsed chickpeas.  Season,, bring to a simmer and let it cook and reduce a little until thick - around 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, boil or steam about 750g to 1K of mashing potatoes (Maris Piper of King Edward's for me).  When the chickpea mix has reduced, cram in either a 200g bag of spinach or in my case, a head of Cavalo Nero kale that had just arrived in the Riverford box, well washed and thinly shredded.  Allow this to cook and wilt - a matter of moments for spinach but for around 5 minutes if you use the kale.  Tip the saucy mixture into a pie dish (see photo).  Now, mash the spuds, and mix in about 30g of butter and a couple of tablespoons of milk, and season well with salt and pepper.  Grate 50g of Parmesan or veggie equivalent, and stir 30g into the potato, along with some chopped coriander leaf - about 20g should do.  Don't miss this bit out, the flavour combo is divine!  Spread over the chickpea mix.  Now, mix the remaining Parmesan with a tablespoon or so of breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top.  Bake at 180 for 25-30 minutes until piping hot, crisp and bubbling.  This was soooooo good and would easily feed four with a salad, some extra veggies on the side or even some crusty bread and butter for a carb overload!  Qualifies for Under a Fiver easily.

Roasted Squash with Merguez-Spiced Chickpeas

I am so in love with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's "Veg Every Day" cookbook - a constant source of inspiration for using up the veg from my Riverford box.  We've eaten much more healthily (and cheaply) with the arrival of both these essentials in our lives!  The party last night gave us another opportunity to try out one of the recipes, and this was a delicious, cheap and filling dish to plonk on the table alongside all the other goodies.  I was so busy yesterday, I forgot to take pictures of most of the food, so I will simply link to the channel 4 website which gives both the recipe and a nice picture of the finished dish.  There is no meat in this - the reference to merguez relates to the classic seasoning for the North African sausage, which is put to use in a seasoned oil to dress the veg and pulses - a heady blend of garlic, caraway, fennel seed, cumin, smoked paprika, rosemary and Cayenne pepper.  I used tinned chickpeas rather than cook my own (I never seem to be able to get the chickpeas soft when I prep them from dry, and the 'East End' brand provides lovely soft, yielding peas) and I also cheated massively by using a bag of frozen butternut squash from Waitrose - what a BRILLIANT timesaver!  Anyway, a really nice dish, and one for the under a fiver thread too.

Spiced Coconut Greens

Based on a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipe, this was a lovely accompaniment to Thai-chicken in romaine lettuce leaf wraps.  I stir-fried a shredded leek with some grated garlic and ginger for a few moments, then stirred in a quarter-teaspoon each of ground cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli flakes.  I then tipped in a big handful of shredded kale, a 160ml tin of coconut milk and 100ml of veg stock, and half a tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed.  This was stirred over a high heat for 3 or 4 minutes, then the juice of half a lime was added, with some salt and pepper.  This would work with spinach or chard, but the bitter chewy nature of wonderfully fresh green kale was most welcome.  This served 2 but would easily be doubled for more, or doubled and served with rice as a main course.  I think it qualifies for under a fiver.

Toasted Hummus

Well, toasted is taking it a bit far, but several of the components have been toasted so I think the name is justified!  Also, there is a little more texture than regular hummus.  It is simply hummus made the usual way (which for me is a tin of well-rinsed and drained East End chickpeas, 2 tablespoons of tahini paste, a peeled garlic clove, a teaspoon of ground cumin, the juice of half a lemon, about 4 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of boiling water, blitzed in a processor).  After blending, I stir in 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil, a tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds and 2 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts, roughly chopped.  Add salt and pepper to taste, spoon into a bowl, drizzle over more olive oil, sprinkle over some more sesame seeds and pine nuts and some paprika, and tuck in with toasted pitta breads.  We'll have the remainder in a sandwich tomorrow with grated carrot and lots of salad.  Yum!

Spiced Carrot and Chickpea Pitta Pockets

I forgot to take a photo of this simple, flavourful and CHEAP little meal - another from Hugh F-W's 'Veg Everyday' book, so I shall pinch his photo (thanks Hugh and Simon Wheeler) and link to the recipe on The Grauniad.  This is SO 'under a fiver'.  If you have any leftovers, blitz in a processor with a spoonful of tahini and some lemon juice to taste for a quick carrot hummus.  We served these with Quick Tomato and Red Pepper Soup with fresh basil oil swirled in (recipe earlier this year) for a healthy vegan supper, cheap as chips.  But without the chips.  One note on chickpea brands.  I favour the East End brand, as the chickpeas are always soft and creamy, not like the chalky bullets you get with lesser brands - not expensive, either.  Do look out for them.

Aubergine Butternut Squash Curry

I know.  This sounds like knitted nut cutlets and bread made from ground-up rocks and sand, but in fact it was soothing, comforting, sweet and wholesome - a bit like me!  I'd had a butternut squash lurking in the shed for a month, and every time I checked it, I had to knock off a slug or two, hoping desperately to break through the tough skin, but never succeeding.  Well, it got peeled and chopped tonight (minus the slugs!) and added to a curry with chopped, sauteed aubergine, a tin of chickpeas, a small tin of coconut milk, some veg stock, and a masala paste of blended onion, garlic, ginger, tomato puree, garam masala, turmeric, ground coriander and cumin, and chilli flakes.  With a handful of spinach and fresh coriander stirred in at the end, and a spritz of lime juice, it was a great way to despatch a squash!  Serve with Basmati rice and/or naan bread or chapattis, and you have a wonderfully healthy meal for four for under a fiver.

Coconut Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry

I have been scouring the interweb for ideas for cauliflower, as we have been getting a lot in our veg boxes.  Although I love cauliflower cheese, it is an occasional treat because of all the dairy!  So, curry is the next best friend of a cauliflower.  I know I've done a few takes on the curry theme lately but this was a particularly nice variation, based on a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall dish from his excellent River Cottage Veg Every Day book.  He chops and fries an onion, some garlic and some fresh ginger, but I always like to puree them in a mini chopper first.  To this mix, add 2 teaspoons each of ground coriander and cumin, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, a teaspoon of garam masala, a pinch of asafoetida (optional, but it helps counteract the natural sulpherous tendencies of cauliflower) and a teaspoon of hot chilli flakes (or to taste).  Fry this paste in a couple of tablespoons of sunflower or rapeseed oil for about 3 or 4 minutes, then add 200 ml of water and a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes.  Bring to the boil, season with salt and pepper and then add a tin of drained, rinsed chickpeas.  Simmer this for 20 minsutes or so.  Meanwhile, break a large cauli into florets, put in a pot, cover with cold water and salt and bring to the boil.  Allow to boil for around 30 seconds, drain and add to the curry 10 minutes before the end of cooking, along with a 200ml tin of coconut milk or cream.  Once the cauli is tender, but not breaking up, stir in some chopped coriander and a squeeze of lemon juice, and serve in a big bowl with lots of naan bread, chapattis or rice.  This serves four and comes in at well under a fiver.

North African Chickpea and Squash Stew

This tasty wonder comes from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's marvellous book, 'Veg'.  If you haven't got it, buy it, is my advice.  Dare I say (whisper it very softly), it is even better than Nigel Slater's 'Tender: Volume 1' for veggie recipes.  Anyway, this simple yet scrummy dish will feed four people well with couscous (I flavour mine with lemon zest and juice, chopped coriander and ground sumac).  As this recipe is from a book, I shall preserve the copyright, and urge you to consult the book itself, but to give you a gist.........You saute an onion, some chopped garlic and ginger in olive oil.  You add North African spices: chili flakes, ground cinnamon, ground coriander and cumin, saffron and turmeric and I also added some ras al hanout.  You add a tin each of tomatoes and chickpeas and a little water and simmer until all is soft and delicious.  You steam some chunks of butternut squash and add to the stew for the final 5 minutes.  You lift the flavours at the end with chopped coriander and a good squeeze of lemon.  You serve with couscous or rice and, in our case, some fresh chorizo sausages (merguez would be better)  You enjoy with relish and then go and order the book on Amazon for a bargain ten quid.  You do this 'cos Maggie says it is a good idea, and she is always right.

Golden Vegetable Tagine with Couscous

A nice sunny day in the kitchen, making cheap, cheerful and very filling Veggie Tagine with Couscous.  Vegetable tagines are moveable feasts, depending on what's in season.  In the summer, I make them a little like a spiced ratatouille with peppers and tomatoes and aubergines.  In the winter, though, squashes and root veg take very well to warm North African spices so I used up some carrots and a butternut squash in this version.  I peeled and diced a large Spanish onion, 4 cloves of garlic and a 'thumb' of fresh ginger, and chopped them all quite fine.  Then I peeled and diced equal quantities of butternut squash and carrots.  Saute the onion, garlic and ginger in 3 tablespoons of olive oil - do this gently and slowly so it remains sweet and pale in colour.  Now prepare your spices: crumble a good pinch of saffron stamens in a tablespoon of hot water and let it sit for a few minutes to steep.  Measure out a heaped teaspoon each of ground cumin, ground coriander and paprika (not the smoked variety).  Add to this a quarter teaspoon each of Cayenne pepper and ground cinnamon.  Add all the dried spices to the sweated onions and stir for a moment or two to 'awaken' the spice.  Now stir in the squash and carrots, the saffron water and a pint of veg stock (Marigold is fine).  Stir in a dessertspoon of tomato puree and a handful of chopped dried apricots (optional, but I like the sweetness in this dish).  Also tip in a 400g tin of drained, rinsed chickpeas (I like the East End brand). Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes or so until the veg is becoming tender.  Remove the lid and bubble off some of the liquid if it is watery.  Serve with rice, in which case add lots of chopped fresh coriander to the tagine, or I like to serve it with Lemon and Coriander couscous - instant couscous soaked in equal quantity-by-volume of boiling veg stock, into which a clove of garlic has been grated, lots of black pepper and a couple of spoons of olive oil.  Cover well and leave for 10 minutes, then squeeze in the juice of a lemon and masses of chopped coriander.  YUM-MEE!  If you have any ras-al-hanout spice mix, add a teaspoon to the tagine 5 minutes before serving, and if you like it really hot, add harissa to taste.

Spinach and Chickpea Curry with Garam Masala Roast Potatoes

Judith Wills wrote a marvellous book, 'Top 200 Low Fat recipes' which is now, sadly, out of print.  I have cooked her superb Bouillabaise from there several times, and this simple and cheap little recipe came up trumps too.  You blend, in a mini chopper, a small onion, a thumb-sized piece of peeled ginger, and rather a lot of garlic - in my case, an entire head of 'wet' garlic.  Add a chopped red chilli, a dessertspoon of turmeric and a heaped teaspoon each of ground cumin and coriander.  Saute in a teaspoon of oil in a non-stick pan for a couple of minutes, along with another small onion, chopped.  Now, add around 250 ml of water and a good teaspoon of tomato puree, and a tin of rinsed chickpeas (I have spoken before of my fondness for the cheap but excellent 'East End' brand).  After simmering for 15 minutes, the liquid will have reduced somewhat - don't take it too far, you want some spicy 'gravy'.  Throw in around 200g of spinach and allow to wilt in the pan for a few minutes.  Now stir in chopped fresh coriander and serve with the potatoes (below) and some 0% fat yoghurt mixed with chopped mint.  An amazing 230 calories per extremely cheap and filling portion - this serves two very generously.  For the carbs, I chopped 300g of new potatoes, tossed them in a teaspoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of Garam Masala ground in a spice mill (Bart's herbs and spices have a Garam Masala mill) and roasted on a non-stick baking sheet for 20 minutes until crisp and brown - this added a further 200 calories per portion - you could reduce this further by just having a little rice or a flat bread.  Cheap as chips!  (Mmmmmmm - chips.......)

Chickpea, Chorizo and Spinach with Poached Eggs

Inspired by a recipe from the wonderful Mark Hix, this is a simple, yet full-on flavoured dish for a quick supper.  You saute a sliced onion in a tablespoon of olive oil, with about 120g of chopped chorizo - let the onion soften and the sausage render its smoky paprika oil.  Add a clove of garlic, crushed, and half a teaspoon each of ground cumin and coriander, along with a pinch of cinnamon.  Tip in a tin of drained chickpeas (I use the dead cheap but brilliant East End brand) and add 200ml of water.  Allow to simmer for 10 minutes to amalgamate the flavours and reduce the liquid a bit.  Now throw in about 100g of rinsed baby spinach leaves and allow to wilt.  Finish with a tablespoon of chopped coriander leaf, and serve with a poached egg per person.  With crusty bread to mop up the oily juices, this is ample for 2 people.

Moroccan Chickpea and Squash Soup

This is a little like the famous Moroccan soup, Harira, which is used to break fast during Ramadan.  I make no claims for its authenticity, but this version, made with odds and ends from the fridge, was most delicious.  It would be great to give to a vegan, but very nice for everyone else, too, especially if you suspect you might be coming down with a cold!  Simply sweat a large onion in some olive oil, and stir in the following spices: ground cumin, ground coriander, ground ginger, paprika and chilli powder - a teaspoon of each, and a half teaspoon of ground cinnamon.  Add a tin of tomatoes and a couple of cloves of garlic, chopped.  Now, add some butternut or other squash - a small one, or in my case, half of a 'sweet mama' squash used in a risotto earlier this week.  Add a tin of drained chickpeas, and a litre of water mixed with a couple of teaspoons Marigold stock powder.  Simmer all nicely for 20 minutes or so, blend half of it and return to the pot, with lots of chopped fresh coriander leaf and a spritz of lemon juice.  Yummy!

Chickpea and Pumpkin Coconut Curry [#253]

We have so much butternut squash in the house, courtesy of Riverford Organics, that I am surprised I don't look like one - oh, hang on, perhaps I do!  Anyway, this was delicious and warming, and would be great for a vegan.  Fry a paste made up of a chopped onion, 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, an inch or so of ginger root, a stem of lemongrass and a de-seeded red chilli - use a tablespoon of oil.  After a minute, add a teaspoon of yellow or black mustard seeds. After another minute or so, stir in a teaspoon each of ground turmeric, ground coriander and cumin.  Then add a 200ml can of coconut milk and 300ml of veg stock.  For non-veggies, splosh in some Thai fish sauce.  Also, add the juice of half a lime.  Add a tin of drained chickpeas and simmer for 15 minutes or so.  Meanwhile, steam some chunks of butternut squash or pumpkin.  Just before serving, add the pumpkin to the sauce with some coriander leaf and more lime if liked.  I like it with sticky rice, or some naan bread - not Thai but still delicious.  This is adapted from a Nigel Slater recipe in 'Tender, Vol. 1' and is plenty for 2 people.

Millecosedde

Or Thick Bean and Vegetable Soup to you! Now, I could never be a vegan, as I like my dairy too much, but if forced, I could live on this soup for a while (and would probably be much healthier for it). It is an Italian soup, and roughly translated, this apparently means 'thousands of cooks', as, like Minestrone, it has lots of variations. This version, from Italian veggie guru Ursula Ferrigno, is essentially a mix of cooked chickpeas, green lentils, borlotti and cannellini beans, simmered with a lot of fresh, skinned tomato, stock, onion, celery and carrot. Half the soup is blended, and returned to the pot with lots of steamed Savoy cabbage and masses of chopped parsley. It is very healthy and filling, although I wouldn't recommend standing downwind of me after a couple of hours........Some recipes recommend adding pasta but I preferred it with bread instead. A little fresh rosemary is a nice addition too.

Baked Salmon with Spiced Chickpeas and Spinach

I wonder why Alex Mackay isn't better known? He is a Kiwi chef who worked for many years with the legendary Raymond Blanc. He has written a great book on Provencal cooking, and also writes from time to time for Sainsbury magazine. A couple of years ago, I cut this recipe from there and cooked it tonight - simple and delicious! Make a 'papillote' of a big sheet of foil per person, lined with another sheet of baking parchment. On this, lay a handful of spinach leaves per person. Take a tin of chickpeas, rinse, and mix in a bowl with half a tin of good chopped tomatoes, a chopped clove of garlic, a chopped spring onion and a half teaspoon of garam masala powder. Divide this amongst the spinach parcels - this quantity serves two. Place a salmon fillet (organic if possible) on each pile of chickpeas and dot with a wee bit of butter, and some salt and pepper. Scrunch up the parcels, sealing well, and place on a baking sheet. Bake in a really hot oven, 200 C, for 20 minutes, and then unwrap. The smell is glorious as the fragrant steam puffs out.

Chickpea and Chorizo Stew

Delicious, Spanish-style meal tonight, largely inspired by some fabulous recipes and produce from the increasingly wonderful Riverford Organics. What did I do before them? Anyway, this is the first of three dishes, and was a doddle. For 2 with leftovers (erm....that was the plan anyway). I sauteed half an onion with some garlic and finely chopped celery for a few minutes in a little oil, then threw in about 50g of chopped chorizo - make sure it is a good one. I added a teaspoon of hot, smoked paprika for some extra 'poke' (phew-wee!) and carried on sauteeing until the sausage released it paprika oil. Then, just tip in a tin of rinsed chickpeas and pour in a little water (don't swamp the chickpeas) and lots of black pepper - it won't need salt, in my opinion, because of the sausage. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until all is tender. If it is very liquidy, remove the lid and boil hard to reduce. Stir in lots of fresh parsley and - voila! Or whatever the equivalent in Spanish is. Hot stuff but gorgeous.

Bergamo style Cabbage and Chickpea Soup [#216]

This sounds a bit worthy and heavy on paper, but is, in fact a lovely thick vegetable soup to warm the cockles. Dark green leaves from the outside of the cabbage are shredded and simmered with pancetta, carrot, potato, celery, onion and chickpeas in a light stock. I'm not sure whether Marcella Hazan's recommendation to peel the skins off the chickpeas is strictly necessary, though! It took us about 20 minutes to go through a tin of them, and there is no discernible difference to the eating quality, but it does show her fastidious approach to Italian food. Before eating, drizzle over good olive oil and plenty of grated Parmesan.

Hummus [off Challenge]

Some things are so much better made at home.......I find that supermarket hummus is often sharp, with too much tahini in it. Homemade is creamier, cheaper, and you can adjust the seasoning to suit. My recipe:
1 400 g tin of good organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon tahini (or to taste)
2 cloves of crushed garlic
the juice of a lemon
3-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil - a peppery Greek Kalamata works well
salt and pepper, and a little cayenne pepper

Bung it all in a food processor and blend well, scraping the sides of the bowl every now and then. If too thick, add a tablespoon of hot water. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve with a spoonful of reserved whole chickpeas, if liked, with more oil poured over and a sprinking of cayenne.

Moroccan Monkfish and Chickpea Stew [#214]

The second Bill Granger recipe. A lovely, delicately-spiced Morrocan dish - chunks of monkfish gently cooked in a tomato and onion sauce rich with garlic, fresh ginger, turmeric, cumin and cinnamon, with a touch of cayenne to add an echo of heat in the background. Sweetened with honey and sprinkled with chopped coriander at the end, it ate very well with a new ingredient for me - giant couscous. This had a curious texture, a little like eating barley, and not really like standard couscous, but very pleasant all the same. This dish also had the advantage of being really quick - ready in under half-an-hour. You can find the recipe on the BBC website should you be interested. We drank a refreshing Italian Rose with this.