Roasted red pepper & feta bites

With the festive season fast approaching it’s lovely to kick back and relax with a glass of fizz and some yummy nibbles. I’ve been experimenting with creating some vegetarian snacks and I’m pretty pleased with how these came out – they even got the thumbs up from my little one who is a tough critic at the best of times!

Ingredients
1 pack of ready rolled puff pastry
200g block of feta cheese
2 red peppers
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
A small cup of milk for brushing
Poppy or sesame seeds to decorate

Method
Preheat your oven to 200oc
Cut your peppers into strips, coat with a little vegetable oil and roast in pre-heated oven for around 20mins
Once your peppers are cooked leave to cool slightly, then cut into small pieces and add to a bowl
Crumble in your feta, add oregano and mix well to combine
Lay out your pastry flat width-wide on your worktop and cut into 8 squares
Add a spoonful of mixture along the middle of each square , edge to edge.
Fold the square in half and firmly press the edges together to join
Turn the pastry over cut into your desired size of bites (they will rise a little in the oven)
Repeat with the remaining mixture and pastry squares.
Arrange your bites on a pre-lined baking tray with a little space between each one, brush with a little milk and top with poppy seeds.
Bake in the oven for around 12-15mins until golden.

Makes about 16 bites

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Butternut Squash & Coconut Soup

Ingredients
1 butternut squash cut into small chunks
1/2 can coconut milk
2 pints of vegetable stock
1 onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method
Lightly fry the onion in the oil on a low heat for around 4/5 mins or until it has softened.
Add the garlic and butternut squash and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the stock, bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer and cover. Leave to cook down for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes add the coconut milk remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
Once slightly cool blend to a smooth consistency
To serve, top with chilli flakes and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

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Roasted Winter Veg with fennel, puy lentils & goats cheese

A warming, winter salad with the sweetness of roasted vegetables and the distinctive flavour of goats cheese. The addition of puy lentils brings a deepness to the flavour. I tend to make up a big batch that will last a couple of lunches. Wholesome and comforting.

Ingredients
1 bulb of fennel
2 large carrots
2 large parnips
100g of puy lentils
50g of cubed goats cheese (I used a hard goats cheese but soft will work perfectly if you prefer)
Handful of coriander
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
A quarter of lemon to serve

Method
Preheat your oven to 200oc/gas 6
Thoroughly wash your vegetables (I like to leave the skins on my root veg but peel if you prefer) and cut into even chunks.
Rub the veg in good glug of olive oil, spread out on a baking tray and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
Roast in the oven for about 40 mins or until soft, golden and cooked through.
Place your lentils in a bowl, top with veg, goats cheese, a handful of coriander and a squeeze of lemon.

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My current soupy favourite is a bit of a variation on Minestrone in taste but with the addition of some lovely sausage meatballs. It’s a really adaptable recipe so you can add in any root veg you like. And for a healthier version you can substitute the pork by making meatballs from some turkey mince. Just add some seasoning and herbs of your choice to give the turkey meat a bit more flavour.

You will need
6 good quality pork sausages
1 clove of garlic
2 stalks of celery
2 large carrots
1 large onion
1 large white potato
2 bay leaves
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
A quarter head of savoy cabbage
1.5 litres of vegetable stock (heated)
2 teaspoons of sunflower oil

Method
1.) Cut up your veg into small chunks
2.) Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large saucepan
3.) Gently fry your onions until they soften, then add the garlic and the other vegetables. Fry for around 3 or 4 minutes.
4.) Add your vegetable stock, tomatoes and bay leaves.
5.) Bring to the boil and then allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
6.) Remove the skin from your sausages and place the meat in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper.
7.) Roll small amounts of the sausage meat into ball and set aside on a plate.
8.) Heat the oil in a frying pan and then fry your sausage meatballs on a medium heat until cooked through and browned on the outside. Once cooked, set aside until your soup is cooked.
9.) Add some chopped savoy cabbage to your soup a couple of mintues before you are ready to serve and remove the bay leaves.
10.) Ladle the soup into bowls, add meatballs and top with grated parmesan cheese.

This recipe will serve around 6 people.

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My seasonal favourite this month is Purple Sprouting Broccoli, and I’ve been merrily scoffing it in a wide variety of dishes recently from a cashew nut and sesame soba noodle stir fry to serving it lightly steamed with a grilled salmon and a lime butter dressing. Next on my list is this Chargrilled fillet steak with smoked chilli butter, mushrooms and PSB recipe from Paul Rankin – it sounds totally delicious!

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This is my twist on potato rosti, making use of one of my favorite root vegetables: the good old parnsip.

I’ll be honest, there is a bit of faffing about in the prep for this recipe, but once you’re done the rest of the dish is really quick to prepare.

You will need
250g parsnips, grated.
Half an onion, grated.
1 egg, beaten
Salt & pepper
A little butter for frying

Method
Preheat the oven to 120C/250F/Gas ½.

1.) Place the grated parsnips and onion in a clean tea towel or a sheet of muslin and squeeze out the juice over a bowl.

2.) Next, place the parsnips and onion in a large bowl, add the egg, a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.

3.) Heat the butter in a frying pan and then gently shape small patties from the parsnip mixture, add to the pan, pressing the patties down lightly.  Cook for about 4 minutes on each side or until golden on the outside.

4.) Place the cooked rosti on a baking tray and keep warm on a low heat the preheated oven while you fry your egg.

Serves 2 as a really nice weekend brunch.

All photography © Heather Elizabeth Wilkinson 2014

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Our ancestors had no choice but to be seasonal eaters. From their fruit and vegetables to their meat and fish, they were limited to what they could grow and rear from season to season. To carry them through the months when food was scarce, they became adept at pickling, salting, drying and preserving everything they could.

Nowadays in Britain, most of us have fridges and freezers so we can easily preserve our own food, and we can pop into the supermarket and buy our favourite fruit, vegetables, meat and fish all year round.

So what is all the fuss about seasonal eating and why should we bother with it?

Because when food is naturally in season it is cheaper, fresher and, ultimately, it tastes better! If you’ve ever tasted a tomato picked fresh from its vine and slightly warm from the sun, or the sweet crunch of a home-grown carrot, then you’ll know exactly what I mean. If you haven’t, you don’t know what you’re missing!

In the UK, we grow sublime seasonal treats, asparagus, apples and berries to name but a few. But if you want to enjoy these foods at their very best (and cheapest) then you’ll need to equip yourself with a bit of seasonal food knowledge. A seasonal food chart, such as this one, is an excellent reference point and a great place to start on your seasonal food adventures.

All photography © Heather Elizabeth Wilkinson 2014

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I love all the colours of summer, especially when in the form of gorgeous fruit and veg. These tomatoes are some of my Mum’s homegrown beauties, the very last of the season. So vivid and totally delicious served with fresh basil and torn mozzarella.

The post Last of the summer veg appeared first on Breakfast by the sea.

I’ve tried to grow figs myself but I’ve found that you really need an extended period of lovely hot weather for them to ripen properly, inside and out. And in England, the only thing you can pretty much guarantee are long periods of rain, wind and cold.

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