Salmon and courgette tagliatelle

This is a quick Sunday night feast that is spicy, tangy, and not as naughty as it looks thanks to half fat creme-fraiche and a good serving of veg. Again, this recipe is for two so simply double for four people. 

Ingredients

Dried tagliatette (enough for two people, about 4 balls each), 1 pack smoked salmon, 1 small red onion, 1 small courgette, 1 large handful of baby spinach leaves, 1/2 lemon juiced, 200g pot half fat creme-fraiche, 2 cloves garlic, 2 inch cube feta cheese, 1tbsp olive oil, pinch red chilli flakes, 1tsp ground black pepper, 2tsp salt. 

Boil a large pan of water and add a teaspoon of salt, then the tagliatelle, cover and simmer for 10 minutes (or according to packet instructions) stirring occasionally to keep the strands loose. 

Whilst the pasta is cooking you can make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Skin and finely sliced the red onion, chop the courgette in to small cubes, add to the pot of oil and stir to coat the vegetables in oil. Reduce the heat to gently cook the vegetables until soft and sweet, stirring occasionally. Skin and crush the garlic cloves and add. Next give the spinach a big rough chop, don't worry about getting this even or very small, just break up the leaves a little, add to the vegetables. 

Next add a big serving spoon full of the pasta cooking water and stir well. Add the creme-fraiche, lemon juice, a teaspoon of salt and pepper and the chilli flakes. Stir well to combine. Finely slice the smoked salmon and add last to delicately cook. 

When the pasta is cooked drain well reserving a cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss very well to combine, allow to continue cooking for a couple of minutes to allow the pasta to absorb some of the sauce. If it gets too dry add a small splash of the cooking liquid to loosen it a little. The sauce should be thick and umptuous. 

Crumble in the feta cheese, give the pasta one final toss and serve in steaming piles. Utterly delicious! 

Vegetarian bean and lentil chilli with feta

I am a meat eater and don't get me wrong I love a good juicy steak, however, I make a lot of vegetarian and vegan food, there are so many interesting flavours and textures to be found in vegetables, beans and lentils. This deliciously spicy vegetarian chilli really hits the spot if you are after a warming and hearty dish. With the seas depleting of fish stocks and the rain forests disappearing to make way for ranches I think we could all go veggie a few days a week!

Ingredients

1/2tbsp butter (or oil if you prefer), 1 leek, 1 carrott, 1 stick celery, 170g fine green beans, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tin chopped tomatoes in juice, 1 tin drained red kidney beans, 1/2 stock cube (veggie cube or if you are not a veggie you could use beef), 1/2 cup dried red split lentils, 1tbsp lemon juice, 1tsp each of garam Marsala and chilli flakes, 1/2tsp powdered ginger, 1/4tsp ground clove powder, salt and pepper to taste. 

The topping to sprinkle over the finished dish is 2 finely chopped spring onions and about an inch cube of crumbled feta cheese. 

I served this with potatoes which were boiled until tender, drained, and then loosely smashed with a little salt and butter. However, you could use rice, cous cous or serve with some toasted wholemeal pita bread, it is a super versatile dish. 

Method: Top and tail the vegetables, wash thoroughly and finely dice in to bitesize chunks. Peel and crush the garlic. Heat the butter (or oil) in a large pan and gently fry the carrott, celery and leek on a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently,  until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further 5 minutes. 

Add the tinned tomatoes in juice, the drained kidney beans and the lentils, stir thoroughly to combine. Next add the stock cube and spices and around half a cup of hot water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, then add the green beans and cook for a further 10 minutes until everything is soft and the lentils have absorbed the juices. The chilli should be lucious and thick, if it looks too dry and a small splash of water. Finally add the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Serve scattered with the chopped spring onions and feta cheese, this is really important so don't leave this step out, there is something about this fresh vibrant topping that brings the dish alive!