Sweet Potato Ravioli with Sage and Brown Butter

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (Spring 2021) and taken from The Shortcut Cook by Rosie Reynolds.

This is a great shortcut for making your own pasta. Boiled lasagne sheets form ravioli with a rich sweet potato filling.

Serves : 2

Ingredients :

1-2 sweet potatoes, about 500g, cut into 1 cm cubes
50g Parmesan, finely grated
Fresh nutmeg, for grating
Pinch of ground cinnamon
6 dried pre-cooked lasagne sheets
Olive oil, for cooking and drizzling
4 tblsp butter
24 sage leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the sweet potato into a bowl with 1 tablespoon of water, cover with cling film and cook in the microwave on high for 3-5 minutes until tender. Drain and mash.
Add two thirds of the Parmesan to the bowl, along with a generous grating of nutmeg and cinnamon. Season to taste.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and a drizzle of oil to stop the sheets sticking. Cook for 12 minutes, or for 2 minutes longer than the packet instructions. Drain and separate the sheets, then allow to cool.
Cut each lasagne sheet in half with kitchen scissors, so you have 12 square. Dollop 1 tablespoon of the potato mix into the middle of each square and top with a sage leaf. Fold the pasta over the filling to form a triangle and press to seal the edges. Leave to cool on a lightly oiled tray.
Dry the pan and return it to a high heat, adding the butter and a splash of oil. Add the remaining sage and cook until crisp. Remove and set aside.
Add the cooled ravioli to the pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side until golden. Divide between 2 plates and serve with the Parmesan, sage leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.

Make ahead : The filling can be made 2 days in advance and chilled. The assembled ravioli will sit happily in the fridge on a lightly oiled tray for 2 days.

The shortcut : These ravioli can be whipped up speedily in advance, while the filling is made in minutes in the microwave.

Cream of Tomato Soup

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (August 2016)

Serves : 4

Ingredients :
1 tblsp ghee or coconut oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
1 tblsp tomato puree
2 x 400g tins of tomatoes or 800g fresh tomatoes chopped
1 x 400g tin of cannellini or butter beans, drained and rinsed
400ml bone broth or water
1 tsp maple syrup (optional)
Sea salt and black pepper

To serve (optional) :
1 large handful fresh basil leaves, chopped, or pesto
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Method :

Melt the ghee in a large saucepan, add the onion and fry on a medium heat for 8 minutes, until softened.

Add garlic, carrots, tomato puree and a big pinch of salt and pepper, and cook for a further minutes.

Tip in the tomatoes and the drained beans, followed by the broth or water. Turn up the heat, cover with a lid and cook at a medium simmer for 10 minutes until the carrots are tender.

Puree the soup until smooth in the pan using a hand-held stick blender, or in batches in a food processor, and then taste for seasoning, adding maple syrup (if using). You can also add more broth to get the consistency you want.

Ladle into bowls. Stir through the basil and drizzle the oil.

Carrot and Ginger Soup

Carrots Serves: 6-12

Ingredients:
225g onions, finely chopped
100g butter; 900g carrots, finely chopped
4 pieces ginger in syrup
1 glass of dry cooking sherry
900ml chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
Single cream (optional)
Parsley to garnish

Step One : Cook onions in butter until golden brown. Add carrots, ginger and sherry. Cover and simmer for 35-40 mins ensuring they do not dry out.

Step Two : Add stock and liquidise. Then sieve carefully back into pan. Season to taste and slowly add single cream (optional) until it turns the colour you prefer.

Step Three : Garnish with parsley. Serve hot or cold.

Cauliflower Soup with Blue Cheese and Chutney

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (April 2014) and taken from The Ginger & White Cookbook by Tonia George, Emma Scott & Nicholas Scott.

When cooked for a long time, cauliflower has a beautiful velvety texture with a nutty and slightly spicy flavour. It goes excellently with blue cheese, but needs some sharpness to stop the whole thing getting too cloying, so add some lemon and a dollop of chutney as a garnish.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
2 large potatoes, cubed
1 onion, diced
Sprig of fresh thyme
50g butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 medium cauliflower (about 600g), trimmed and broken into 3-4 cm florets
1 litre vegetable stock
200ml double cream
Juice of 1/2 lemon
250g Dorset blue or Stilton cheese
4 tblsp chutney (pear or apply chutney)
Freshly ground black pepper
Slices of toasted granary bread, to serve

Step One : Place the potatoes and onion in a large saucepan. Add the thyme and butter, cover and cook over a low heat until the potato is tender and the onion, translucent. Add the garlic and cauliflower, stirring to coat in the butter, and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the stock, then cover and simmer very gently for 30 minutes – or until the cauliflower is tender.

Step Two : Remove from the heat, blend the soup to a smooth puree, then return it to the saucepan and loosen with a little water if necessary. Add the cream and heat through. Season well and add lemon juice to taste.

Step Three : Set out your soup bowls. Crumble a little bit of blue cheese or Stilton into each one, then spoon on the chutney and pour the soup around it. Add a twist of black pepper on top and serve with slices of toasted granary bread.

Light Seafood Tartlets

Recipe courtesy of Prima Magazine.

Quick to make and deliciously light to eat, these airy little tartlets are a perfect overture to a rich main course. Crisp layers of filo pastry hold a fluffy prawn and salmon filling, delicately flavoured with dill, chives and lime.

Serves : 8

Prep time : 20 mins Cook time : 12 mins

seafood tartlets

Ingredients:
8 sheets filo pastry
2oz (50g) butter, melted
9 fl oz (275ml) hollandaise sauce
2 eggs, separated
4oz (125g) cooked peeled prawns
4oz (125g) smoked salmon trimmings, chopped
1 lime
1 tblsp (15ml) chopped fresh dill
1 tblsp (15ml) chopped fresh chives
salt and pepper

Step One : Preheat the oven to Mark 4 (350oF / 180oC) and place a baking sheet in the oven. Cut the pastry into 4in (10cm) squares and use it to line eight 4 in (10cm) flan tins. Overlap the pastry and butter between each layer.

Step Two : Place the hollandaise sauce in a bowl, add the egg yolks, prawns, salmon, grated rind of the lime, herbs and plenty of seasoning. Whisk the egg whites until they just stand in soft peaks and fold into the fish mixture using a large metal spoon. Divide between the tins.

Step Three : Place the tins on the hot baking sheet and cook for 10-12 minutes or until just set and golden brown.

Tip: For a vegetarian alternative, saute 8oz (225g) mushrooms in garlic butter and use them instead of the seafood. When using the mushrooms replace the fresh dill with tarragon.

Other seafood recipes can be found here …

Lobster Thermidor

Lobster Thermidor is a rich and delicious dish that is luxurious enough to serve at Christmas-time. Serve one lobster per person as a main course or one filled shell each for a starter.

Ingredients:
Lobster Thermidor

2 live lobsters, about 675g (1 1/2 lb) each
20g (3/4 oz)butter
30ml (2 tblsp) plain flour
30ml (2 tblsp) brandy
120ml (4 fl oz) milk
90ml (6 tblsp) whipping cream
15ml (1 tblsp) Dijon mustard
lemon juice, salt and white pepper
grated Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling
fresh parsley and dill, to garnish.

Serves: 2-4

Step One : Boil the lobsters in a large saucepan of salted water for 8-10 minutes.

Step Two : Cut the lobsters in half lengthways and discard the dark sac behind the eyes, then pull out the string-like intestine from the tail. Remove the meat from the shells, reserving the coral and liver, then rinse the shells thoroughly under running water and wipe dry. Cut the meat into bite-size pieces.

Step Three : Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over a medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring until slightly golden. Pour in the brandy and milk, whisking vigorously until smooth, then whisk in the cream and mustard.

Step Four : Push the lobster coral and liver through a sieve into the sauce and whisk briskly to blend. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until thickened. Season the sauce with salt, if needed, then add pepper and lemon juice.

Step Five : Preheat the grill. Arrange the lobster shells in a gratin dish or shallow flameproof baking dish.

Step Six : Stir the lobster meat into the sauce and divide the mixture evenly among the shells. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and grill until golden. Serve piping hot, garnished with fresh herbs.

Other lobster recipes can be found here …

Recipe from the Ultimate Christmas Cookbook

Tapas of Almonds, Olives and Cheese

Recipe taken from The Ultimate Christmas Cookbook

These three simple ingredients are lightly flavoured to create a delicious Spanish tapas medley that is perfect for a casual starter or nibbles to serve with pre-dinner drinks.

Ingredients: buffet tapas

2.5ml ( ½ tsp) coriander seeds
2.5ml ( ½ tsp) fennel seeds
5ml (1 tsp) chopped fresh rosemary
10ml (2 tsp) chopped fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, crushed
15ml (1 tblsp) sherry vinegar
30ml (2 tblsp) olive oil
115g (4oz) black olives
115g (4oz) green olives

For the Marinated Cheese:-
150g (5oz) goat’s cheese
90ml (6 tblsp) olive oil
15ml (1 tblsp) white wine vinegar
5ml (1 tsp) black peppercorns
1 garlic clove, sliced
3 fresh tarragon or thyme sprigs
tarragon sprigs, to garnish

For the Salted Almonds
1.5ml ( ¼ tsp) cayenne pepper
30ml (2 tblsp) sea salt
25g (1oz/2 tblsp) butter
60ml (4 tblsp) olive oil
200g (7oz) blanched almonds
Extra sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

Serves: 6-8

Step One : To make the marinated olives, crush the coriander and fennel seeds with a pestle and mortar. Or, put them into a strong plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Mix together with the rosemary, parsley, garlic, vinegar and oil and pour over the olives in a small bowl. Cover with clear film and chill for up to 1 week.

Step Two : To make the marinated cheese, cut the cheese into bite-size pieces, leaving the rind on. Mix together the oil, vinegar, peppercorns, garlic and herb sprigs and pour over the cheese in a small bowl. Cover with clear film and chill for us to 3 days.

Step Three : To make the salted almonds, mix together the cayenne pepper and salt in a large mixing bowl. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the almonds to the frying pan and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, until the almonds are golden.

Step Four : Tip the almonds out of the frying pan, into the salt mixture, and toss together until the almonds are coated. Leave to cool, then remove with a slotted spoon and store them in a jar or airtight container for up to 1 week.

Step Five : To serve the tapas, arrange in small, shallow serving dishes. Use fresh sprigs of tarragon to garnish the cheese and scatter the almonds with a little more salt, if desired.

Cook’s tip: If serving with pre-dinner drinks, provide cocktail sticks for spearing the olives and cheese.

A serving dish for Tapas …

Grapefruit, Fennel and Cucumber Salad

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies, taken from CIBI : Simple Japanese-inspired Meals to Share with Family and Friends written by Meg & Zenta Tanaka.

This combination tastes as beautiful as it looks and goes nicely with baked fish, a mild curry or a meat dish.

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

• 100g (about ½) pink grapefruit, peeled and separated into segments
• 100g (about ½) grapefruit, peeled and separated into segments
• 1 Lebanese (short) cucumber or ½ telegraph (long) cucumber, cut into thin rounds, then quartered
• 400g fennel bulb, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf pasley
• 90ml Honey Mustard Dressing

Step One – Cut each grapefruit segment in half at an angle.
Step Two – Cut the cucumber rounds into quarters.
Step Three – In a bowl, combine the grapefruit, cucumber, fennel and parsley. Add the dressing and mix well.

French Country Soup

This classic recipe is nutritious and high in fibre and vitamins.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 tbsp (15ml) olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium leek, sliced
2 pints (1.1 litres) vegetable stock
1 medium potato, weighing about 175g (6oz), peeled and chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
200g (7oz) can chopped tomatoes
25g (1oz) dried pasta shapes
100g (3 ½ oz) french beans, halved
1 large or 2 small courgettes, sliced
100g (3 ½ oz) pre-cooked or drained, canned flageolet or haricot beans
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Step One : Heat olive oil in a large flameproof casserole dish. Add the onion and leek, and soften for 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Add stock, potato, celery, carrots and canned tomatoes, then simmer, covered for 15 mins.

Step Two : Add pasta, French beans and courgettes, and simmer for 15 mins. Stir in flageolet or haricot beans, season well and simmer for 2 more mins.

Step Three : Serve the soup with crusty baguettes.

More yummy soup recipes can be found here …

Get £10 off your first and second boxes on Mindful Chef

Nachos

Serves: 4; Cals per portion: 324; Prep time: 10 mins; Cook time: 7 mins

Ingredients:

4oz (100g) tortilla chips
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
4oz (100g) cheddar cheese, grated
¼ pt (150ml) soured cream
2 green chillis, sliced

Step One – Place a layer of tortilla chips in an ovenproof dish. Top with onion, cheese, soured cream and chillis. Repeat layering process twice more.

Step Two – Heat the grill to medium and cook dish under grill for 5-7 mins. Serve.

Other Mexican Food recipes can be found in