What to make with your box contents w/c 4 March
Be creative and adapt recipes to suit what you have in your fridge and store cupboard. Don’t forget to check out our last few blogs here on box contents use. Recipes are based on the contents of a medium seasonal box.
Aubergine parmiagiana
Cook time: 1 hour 30 mins
Serves 2
By layering aubergines with Parmesan and tomatoes and then baking them you get an absolutely moreish, scrumptious vegetable dish. Great served with all sorts of roasted meats and with roasted fish as well.
Ingredients
- 1 large firm aubergines
- Olive oil
- 1/2 onion
- 1 clove of regular garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 x 400 g tins of quality plum tomatoes , or 500G fresh ripe tomatoes
- Wine vinegar
- 15G bunch of fresh basil
- 1 large handfuls of Parmesan cheese, (freshly grated)
- 1 handfuls of dried breadcrumbs
- A few sprigs of fresh oregano
- 50 g buffalo mozzarella , (optional)
Method
Preheat a griddle pan or barbecue.
Trim and slice the aubergines 1cm thick. Peel and finely chop the onion, and peel and finely slice the garlic.
Place a large pan on a medium heat with 2 lugs of olive oil, add the onion, garlic and dried oregano, then cook for 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft and the garlic has a tiny bit of colour.
If you’re using tinned tomatoes, break them up, and if you’re using fresh tomatoes (which will obviously taste sweeter and more delicious, if they’re in season), very quickly prick each one and put them into a big pan of boiling water for 40 seconds. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and put them into a bowl of cold water for 30 seconds, then remove the skins, carefully squeeze out the pips and cut up the flesh.
Add the tomato flesh or tinned tomatoes to the onion pan, give the mixture a good stir, then put a lid on and simmer slowly for 15 minutes, or until thickened and reduced.
Grill the aubergines on both sides until lightly charred – you’ll need to work in batches.
Season the tomato sauce carefully with sea salt, black pepper and a tiny swig of wine vinegar, then pick in the basil. You can leave the sauce chunky or you can purée it.
Spoon a layer of tomato sauce into a 15cm x 25cm baking dish, then add a fine scattering of Parmesan, followed by a single layer of aubergines. Repeat these layers until you’ve used all the ingredients up, finishing with a little sauce and another good sprinkling of Parmesan.
Pick and finely chop the oregano, then toss with the breadcrumbs and a little olive oil, then sprinkle on top of the Parmesan. Tear over the mozzarella (if using).
Bake at 190°C/gas 5 for 30 minutes, or until golden, crisp and bubbly – it’s best eaten straight away, but it can also be served cold.
Yotam Ottolenghi’s Cauliflower Salad
Prep: 10 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Serves 4- 6
Ingredients
ROASTED CAULIFLOWER:
1 large cauliflower or 2 small, cut/broken into florets
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
SALAD:
1 celery stalk, cut into 0.5cmslices on the diagonal
40g hazelnuts
1/2 pomegranate, seeds only
1 large handful of parsley leaves chopped
DRESSING:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 tsp cinnamon
1/3 tsp allspice
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 1/2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
Method
ROAST CAULIFLOWER:
TOAST HAZELNUTS:
SALAD:
Ratatouille
Total time: 50 mins
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1 aubergines
- 2 small courgettes
- 1 red or yellow peppers
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Small bunch basil
- 2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1.2 tsp sugar
Method
Cut 2 large aubergines in half lengthways. Place them on the board, cut side down, slice in half lengthways again and then across into 1.5cm chunks. Cut the ends off 4 small courgettes, then across into 1.5cm slices.
Peel 2 red or yellow peppers from stalk to bottom. Hold upright, cut around the stalk, then cut into 3 pieces. Cut away any membrane, then chop into bite-size chunks.
Score a small cross on the base of each of 4 large ripe tomatoes, then put them into a heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over, leave for 20 secs, then remove. Pour the water away, replace the tomatoes and cover with cold water. Leave to cool, then peel the skin away.
Quarter the tomatoes, scrape away the seeds with a spoon, then roughly chop the flesh.
Set a sauté pan over medium heat and when hot, pour in 2 tbsp olive oil. Brown the aubergines for 5 mins on each side until the pieces are soft. Set them aside.
Fry the courgettes in another tbsp oil for 5 mins, until golden on both sides. Repeat with the peppers. Don’t overcook the vegetables at this stage.
Tear up the leaves from the bunch of basil and set aside. Cook 1 thinly sliced medium onion in the pan for 5 minutes. Add 3 crushed garlic cloves and fry for a further minute. Stir in 1 tbsp red wine vinegar and 1 tsp sugar, then tip in the tomatoes and half the basil.
Return the vegetables to the pan with some salt and pepper and cook for 5 mins. Serve with basil.
Fried mooli balls
Prep: 10 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Serves 4
These mooli balls are great as a starter served with hot chilli or sriracha sauce. You can also serve these with soy sauce as a main with steamed rice or adding them to a vegetable soup. You can add minced pork or beef to the mixture too and use chicken stock powder instead of vegetable stock also. Add chilli flakes for a flavour punch.
Ingredients
- 400 g mooli
- 2 eggs
- 100 g flour
- Salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon vegetable stock
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste or use a few slices of chopped ginger
- ½ onion finely diced
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
Method
Using a vegetable peeler, remove the mooli skin.
Grate the mooli.
Add salt and let the excess water drain out. Alternatively, use a towel to squeeze out the excess water.
Add in the eggs, flour, pinch of salt and pepper, onion, as well as vegetable stock into a large bowl. Mix well.
With the mixture, make small ball shapes. The smaller the balls, the faster these will cook later.
Add cooking oil to a pan and heat to medium heat.
Add the ball mixture and fry until golden brown.
Serve with desired sauce as a starter or as a main with rice and soy sauce.
Charred hoisin chinese leaf
Total time: 10 mins
Serves 2-4
Ingredients
- 1 head of Chinese leaf
- A pinch of sea salt
- A drizzle of hoisin sauce
- A pinch of chilli flakes
Method
Plum and pistachio frangipane tart
Total time: 2 hours
Serves 8
Squidgy plums and crunchy pistachios are a match made in heaven in this impressive tart.
Ingredients
PASTRY
- 200g plain flour
- 100g unsalted butter, cubed
FILLING
- 200g shelled pistachios
- 200g unsalted butter, softened
- 200g golden caster sugar
- 4 eggs
- 75g plain flour
- 4 plums, stoned and sliced
TO SERVE
- crème fraîche or ice cream
Method
To make the pastry, tip the flour into a food processor along with the butter and a pinch of fine sea salt. Pulse together until it resembles breadcrumbs, then add cold water, 1 tbsp at a time, pulsing in between until a dough forms. Gather it up, wrap and chill for 20 mins.
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured worksurface to the thickness of a £1 coin and use to line a 23cm fluted tart tin. Trim any overhang and prick the base all over with a fork. Scrunch up a piece of baking paper, line the inside and fill with baking beans or uncooked rice. Bake for 18-20 mins or until the edges are lightly golden, then remove the beans and paper, and put back into the oven for 8-10 mins or until the base is golden. Turn down the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
To make the frangipane, put the pistachios in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Put the butter in a large bowl and use electric beaters to whisk until really soft, then add the sugar and beat again until light and fluffy. Crack in the eggs, one at a time, whisking well in between each addition. Tip in the flour, ground pistachios and a pinch of salt, and mix really well. Scrape into the pastry case. Arrange the plum slices across the tart, slightly pushing down into the frangipane.
Bake for 35-40 mins or until risen, puffed and golden. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then remove and cut into slices. Serve with crème fraîche or ice cream.
