Nigel Slater's Roasted Peppers with Pasta and Basil

We have been getting some wonderful long 'ramiro' peppers from Riverford this Autumn.  They are sweeter than traditional 'bell' peppers, and when I saw this recipe on Nigel's recent 'Simple Cooking' series, I knew I had to make it.  It is a variation on Piedmontese Peppers, where the halved peppers are stuffed with cherry tomatoes and garlic.  You make basil oil by blitzing a lot of fresh basil with olive oil, spoon over the peppers and tomatoes, and bake for 20 minutes or so, until the peppers are soft and juicy.  Serve with orechiette pasta, dressed in the remaining basil oil and the juices from the baking tin.  A delightful dish.  It would work with regular peppers, I'm sure, but do try to get the ramiro ones

Roast Pork Loin with Black Eyed Beans

This is a fabulous recipe from Jamie Oliver, and I knew I had to make it after my boss talked about it last weekend.  He came in with a magnificent French-trimmed loin of pork from Hedges, the organic butchers in Oxford's Covered Market and described the recipe to me.  It is simplicity itself - in a roasting tin, prepare a bed of lots of sliced red onion, red and green peppers, celery, bay leaves, garlic, chilli (some wonderful fresh ones from Riverford), chorizo, tinned black-eyed beans and tinned tomaotes, along a with a couple of glasses of wine.  Nestle the loin of pork on top, cover really well with strong foil, and roast slowly for 3 hours at around 160C.  Towards the end, remove the foil and turn up the heat to 220C to allow the skin to crisp and the liquid to reduce.  Being French-trimmed, you still have the bones attached, and this helps keep the shape and adds depth to the delicious sauce.  To serve, cut through the bones to give each person a tender, melthing chop and serve with generous spoonfuls of the beany vegetables and fresh green veg - runner beans and spinach in our case.  I don't think it needs potatoes, but don't let me stop you.  Marvellous recipe - thanks Jamie!  (Oh, and thanks Graham for alerting me to it)

Cajun Cod with Broad Bean Succotash

This was such an excellent low-fat and low calorie dish, and delicious, too - around 350 calories for the lot.  Broad beans are bang in season, and we love them.  They are a bit of a faff to prepare properly, as they need the tough skin removed to reveal the tender emerald bean - simply blanch in boiling water for a minute, cool under running water, and squeeze from the softened skin.  What is succotash, I hear some of you ask?  It was originally a Native American dish combining corn and beans, and there are endless variations.  Mine consisted of onions and garlic sauteed in a teaspoon of oil and - yes! - about 10g of butter.  Add your beans, a tin of good-quality sweetcorn (fresh would be best, but it isn't in season) or some frozen ones, some chopped fresh tomatoes and about 60ml of veg stock.  Simmer for a few minutes until all has amalgamated and become tender.  Add parsley if you have it, and serve with grilled chicken or, in this case, more of Waitrose's delicious cod loins, sprinkled with Cajun seasoning, for a version of blackened cod.  We also had mounds of amazing fresh chard, bursting with flavour.  Feeling very virtuous!

Spaghetti Puttanesca

Now, this is a challenge.  Puttanesca needs oil and olives and cheese and plenty of pasta.  Something's gotta give!  I decided that we needed the carbs and have been good all week, so it is the full 100g portion each of pasta for us tonight, not the measly 75g that most books say - my hubby could put 150g away in one serving.  I also used a full tablespoon of oil - this seems quite a shocking amount now, even after just a week.  So, 1 tablespoon of oil in which you saute some sliced onion and a couple of cloves of garlic - keeping the lid on during this process creates steam and helps the cooking process.  I also added some fresh fennel bulb, very finely sliced, the remains of a tin of tomatoes from last night's chilli, some fresh cherry tomatoes, about 10 olives and some rinsed salted nonpareilles capers.  I don't use anchovy in my puttanesca, as I think it makes it smell like cat sick.  Simmer until all the veg are tender and the sauce has reduced a little, add some fresh oregano if you have it, and serve up with the pasta and just a little grated parmesan.  Dunno how many calories, but this isn't a diet, rather it is a healthy eating regime!

Chili Beans

I never eat in front of the telly normally, but it is the final of Strictly Come Dancing tonight (go Matt!) and so it is allowed!  These chili beans are so simple to make, consisting of cans of kidney and cannellini beans, and a tin of tomatoes, onion, paprika, cumin, oregano and chili powder, with fresh coriander at the end.  This will mature as the day goes on, and will be eaten in big bowls with spicy meatballs and rice, with my feet up, in front of the box.  Hubby will be sulking in the kitchen doing the dishes, listening to cricket or something on the radio.

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.

Runner Bean 'Ratatouille'

So simple, yet so very yummy. The runner beans are simmered with onion, garlic and fresh skinned tomatoes for a good hour - they will lose their bright green colour, but emerge sweet and succulent. I could eat these for ever. Check out the recipe at Riverford Organics - while you are there, do yourself a favour and order their 'seasons' veg box for £12.45 - a bargain, no commitment to order anything else ever again and you'll never have better veg unless you grow your own.

Courgette and Roast Tomato Sauce

A lovely simple dish for supper tonight. For 2 people, take 5 or 6 really ripe tomatoes, halve, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with chopped garlic and bake at 160 degrees for 3/4 of an hour. When ready, chop roughly (I do this in a jug with a pair of scissors). Towards the end, saute a couple of diced courgettes in a tablespoon of oil until golden, and then throw in a handful of chopped parsley. Add the roasted tomatoes, and then toss through pasta, whatever shape you like.

Ratatouille

We eat so much of this stuff at this time of year - pasta with ratatouille, baked chicken with ratatouille, salmon with ratatouille, ratatouille fritatta..... I make large quantities and it matures in the fridge and freezes well too. Tonight, we used some to stuff a gorgeous yellow marrow that a neighbour gave us from their allotment. I halved it and scooped out the seeds, then filled the cavities with ratatouille, put in a roasting tin with some veg stock, covered with foil and baked for a good hour and a half until the marrow was meltingly tender. Then, I topped the lot with sliced cheddar and browned under the grill. Delicious with lots of fresh peas and crusty bread.

I make the ratatouille unconventionally - I slowly roast chunks of aubergine, courgette, onion and peppers. In the meantime, I make a sauce with lots of garlic, olive oil and a mix of tinned and fresh skinned tomatoes. When the roasted veg are ready - well cooked but not charred - I gently combine with the sauce. This way, the vegetables stay discrete and identifiable, rather than turning into a mush. It cuts down on the amount of oil you need to use, with no laborious frying at the start - the oven does all the work.

Tomatoes baked with Thyme, Cream and Parmesan [#247]

I have lots of versions of this, but based this one on a Rachel Allan recipe - pure comfort food, as she says, and delicious served with a bowl of tiny steamed Jersey Royals, and some wonderful red oak leaf lollo rosso and cucumber salad to mop up the copious juices. Simply slice ripe tomatoes in half, around their equator. Place in a baking dish and top each half with a teaspoon of creme fraiche, a pinch of chopped thyme and a good sprinkle of grated Parmesan. Bake in a moderately hot oven for 20 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and the cream and cheese has formed a scrumptious golden, bubbling topping. These are also yummy stirred through pasta, or simply on top of some hot toast.

Tharri Wale Anday (Egg Curry) [#218]

I have long been a fan of Delia's Lentil and Egg Curry, so it is very good to have another version of egg curry to fall back on, and this is great. A tomato 'gravy' with finely chopped onion, garlic and ginger, spiced with a little red chilli, turmeric, ground coriander, cumin and garam masala, with fresh coriander added at the end. The hard-boiled eggs go in at the end too to warm through. I served this with a lovely vegetable pilaff - more onion and garam masala, with frozen organic peas, carrot and sweetcorn, all slowly braised with basmati rice and water until fluffy and tender. A very satisfactory Saturay night curry, better than any takeaway could ever be - naturally, this is from Anjum Anand

Spiced Chicken Meatballs and Cherry Tomatoes with Fusilli [#207]

The first Bill Granger recipe of the challenge - I LOVE Bill Granger's food - healthy, simple yet packed full of flavour. This one didn't disappoint - chicken thighs, smoked bacon, breadcrumbs, ground coriander, chilli, garlic, shallot and parsley, all sazzed in the food processor. After forming into small meatballs, they are sprayed with oil and baked in a hot oven for 20 minutes, next to a big dish of baby plum tomatoes. Brought together in a pot with a little stock, and then served with pasta and Parmesan, we had a wholesome, filling supper, with plenty for work tomorrow. Quite a lot of washing-up, but who cares? That's what husbands are for :o)

Baked Lamb with Tomato and Rosemary [#135]

If you want a roast for a summer Sunday, this is a great choice. We chose a small half-leg of organic Welsh lamb, rather than the fattier neck chops suggested by Nigel, and have left-overs for tomorrow. You must keep the vegetables chunky so they don't break down in an hour-and-a-half in the oven. I also added some courgettes to Nigel's aubergines, onions, potatoes, and garlic. We accompanied the soft roasted vegetables with mouth-wateringly good spinach and green beans from Medley Manor Pick-Your-own -Yummy! We started the meal with crostini spread with smoked salmon pate, and will finish with Nigel's Raspberry Ice-cream cake.

Bread and Tomato Salad [#134]

A rare warm day this summer, so we tackled one of the salad backlogs - as usual, I fiddled with this recipe - well, added to it really. I thought it was the Italian classic panzanella but Nigel toasted his ciabatta rather than soaking it in water, olive oil and chopped tomatoes, as the Italians would do. I also decided to roast the tomatoes and pepper, along with some onion and courgettes. This created a luscious mass which was spooned over watercress, topped with crunchy cucumber, some really good albacore tuna from a jar, marinated artichokes, black olives and basil. With a simple red wine vinegar and olive oil dressing, this was a fantastic, flalourful salad, full of colour and texture, and perfect for a warm - finally - summer's evening.

Roast Tomatoes with Anchovy and Basil [#120]

While not exactly a total convert to the rather overtly fishy delights of the anchovy, Nigel has at least made me happy to prepare dishes with them in. I do, however, drastically cut down the quantity he uses. Simple dish again, and a juicy accompaniment to the chicken couscous. Roasted tomatoes, with a dressing of chopped anchovy, olive oil and chopped basil.

Phew! After a week of no Nigel, I have him three times in one night (go on, you KNOW what I mean!)

Baked Tomatoes with Garlic, Rosemary and Parmesan [#117]

The recipe title in the book is A Lunch of Baked Tomatoes, but we had these as a side dish with baked Porkinson's Sage and Onion Sausages, (simply the best quality supermarket sausage there is) oven-sauteed anya potatoes and broad beans. I would not normally think of using rosemary with tomatoes - basil, of course, thyme, yes, and tarragon is great too - but the finely chopped fresh rosemary worked really well. The grated parmesan is added at the end of baking, so it melts and toasts into a savoury crust with the garlic and rosemary. Very nice! I am afraid there isn't an online recipe, but I'm sure you get the picture from the description and - well - the picture!

A Soup of Roasted Summer Vegetables [#105]

It turned a bit blustery and chilly today, so I decided on Nigel's soup of roasted vegetables, with a lovely mix including carrots, fennel, courgettes, onions and tomatoes. I diced them quite small and roasted them until they started to singe a bit at the corners. Then they simmered in some Marigold veg stock with a shot of tomato puree, and I also added some tinned cannellini and borlotti beans and orzo pasta. Some shredded spinach went in at the end, and it was served with a big dollop of pureed basil olive oil and toasted pine nuts. Lovely soup, and well worth the initial roasting for a marvellous depth of flavour.

Baked Tomatoes with Saint Marcellin [#96] - HALF WAY!

This recipe marks the half-way point in the challenge - yay! Nice simple recipe, served with several other dishes in a 'help-yourself-and-bung-it-all-on-the-plate' way. Served with toasted ciabatta. This was a new cheese to us, and came in a lovely little terracotta dish - like a cross between Brie and Camembert - very nice.

Grilled Mackerel and Tomatoes [#87]

Well, a bit of a blog blackout as we have been holidaying in North Cornwall, sans IT connectivity. However, I still managed to get a couple of Nigel recipes in, mainly because of the fantastic local fish on sale. Ultra fresh mackerel, rigid and glistening, beckoned us from the fish counter of Stein's Deli in Padstow. Rather than filleting the fish, as in the recipe, I slashed the whole fish and grilled it until the skin blistered. I also grilled the sliced tomatoes and their garlicky dressing for a few minutes. Simple and scrummy, consumed greedily while sitting at our apartment balcony, watching the deep greeny-blue waves of the Atlantic below.