Prawn, avocado and quinoa salad

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• juice and zest of 1 lime
• pinch of curry powder
• 300g cooked, shelled tiger prawns
• 1 avocado, diced
• 250g cooked quinoa
• 150g rocket or mixed salad leaves
• bunch of spring onions, sliced into rounds
• bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
• handful of mint leaves, roughly torn
• ¼–½ tsp smoked chilli flakes (or to taste)
• salt and black pepper

    METHOD

1. Put the oil, garlic, chilli, lime juice and zest in a bowl with plenty of salt and pepper and the curry powder. Add the tiger prawns and avocado and toss gently to coat them in the seasonings. If you have time, leave everything to marinate for 20–30 minutes so the prawns can absorb all the flavours.

2. Sprinkle the quinoa over a large serving dish. Add the rocket or mixed salad leaves, followed by the spring onions, coriander and mint. Top with the contents of the bowl and toss very gently and briefly, then sprinkle with the chilli flakes.

3. Serve immediately.

 

Red onion and beetroot tarte tatin

INGREDIENTS

• 1 x 320g all-butter puff pastry sheet
• 30g butter
• 2 red onions, sliced into thin wedges
• 1 tbsp light soft brown sugar
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
• large thyme sprig, leaves only
• 400g cooked beetroots, cut into wedges (vac-packed are fine)
• salt and black pepper

To serve

• thyme leaves
• a few slices of goats’ cheese (optional)

  METHOD

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Take the sheet of pastry and cut it to fit an ovenproof or cast-iron frying pan with a diameter of about 20cm. 

2. The pastry should be the size of the edges, rather than the base, and larger rather than smaller. Chill the pastry until you are ready to cook the tarte tatin. 

3. Heat the butter in the pan. When it has melted, add the red onions and cook over a medium to low heat until they have started to soften. Turn up the heat a little and add the sugar and vinegar. Stir to dissolve the sugar – a caramel-like sauce will form around the onions.

4. Sprinkle in the thyme, then add the wedges of beetroot. Season with plenty of salt and pepper, then stir to coat the beetroots with the buttery sauce. Make sure the beetroots are spread evenly across the pan in a single layer, then turn off the heat. Leave to cool to room temperature.

5. Cover the onions and beetroots with the pastry, tucking in the edges if it is a little big. Bake for 20–25 minutes until the pastry is puffed up. Remove the tart from the oven and leave to stand for 10 minutes, then invert it on to a large plate. Sprinkle with more thyme leaves, cut into wedges, and add a slice of cheese to each slice, if using.

Sunblush Tomato Risotto

 

INGREDIENTS  

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 25g butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 100g sunblush tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 rosemary sprigs, finely chopped
• 300g risotto rice
• 100ml white wine
• 1–1.2 litres vegetable stock
• 100g cherry tomatoes, quartered
• salt and black pepper

To serve

• 30g butter
• 50g Parmesan cheese (or vegetarian alternative), grated, plus extra to serve

  METHOD

1. Heat the oil and butter in a large sauté pan or a flameproof casserole dish.
   

2. When the butter is foaming, add the onion and cook gently until very soft, then turn up the heat to caramelise it around the edges. Add the garlic, sunblush tomatoes, rosemary and rice, then stir for a couple of minutes until the rice is glossy with oil and butter. Season with plenty of salt and pepper.

3. Add the white wine and let it boil away to nothing. Turn down the heat and start adding the stock a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly and only adding more when most of the liquid has been absorbed. When you have added at least two-thirds of the stock, add the cherry tomatoes and then continue to add the remaining stock.

4. When the rice is cooked to al dente and is thick enough for you to trace a clean trail along the bottom of the pan with a spoon, add the butter and Parmesan cheese and beat them into the risotto until it looks creamy. Serve with more Parmesan sprinkled over.