Roasted Asparagus and Baby Tomatoes with Basil and Parmesan
Serves 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Wheat Free, Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Ingredients:
10 asparagus spears, ends discarded
12 baby plum (or cherry) tomatoes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon (20gm) fresh grated parmesan
1 tablespoon torn fresh basil
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200c / 400f
Place the trimmed asparagus in a single layer in an oven-proof dish and surround with the tomatoes
Drizzle over the balsamic vinegar over the vegetables. Place in the oven for 10-12 minutes (depending on the size of the asparagus spears), turning once
Remove from the oven and sprinkle the cheese and torn basil on the top
Allow the cheese to melt into the vegetables slightly before serving onto warmed serving plates.
Extra Tip:
As asparagus is seasonal, you can substitute the asparagus for fine green beans and use feta cheese instead of parmesan.
Courgette, butter bean & feta cakes
Serves: 2
Preparation time: 15 minutes (including chilling time)
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Wheat free, Gluten free, Vegetarian
Ingredients:
1 large courgette
120g tin butter beans, drained and rinsed
50g feta cheese, crumbled
1 handful fresh basil, finely chopped
1 spring onion, trimmed and finely chopped
2 teaspoons groundnut oil
225g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons half-fat crème fraîche
½ teaspoon tamari soy sauce
½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Basil leaves
Method:
Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas mark 7, and place a non-stick baking tray inside
Coarsely grate the courgette, then scoop up the pieces in your hands and firmly squeeze all of the liquid from them. (It’s important that the courgette is as dry as possible so that the cakes aren’t soggy or bitter.) Leave to drain in a colander and squeeze dry again if necessary
In a large bowl, roughly mash the butter beans, then add the courgette, feta, basil and spring onion. Mix together well
Using your hands, divide the mixture and form into small patties, and place in the fridge for 10 minutes to chill
Coat a non-stick frying pan with oil and remove any excess oil with kitchen paper. Fry the patties over a medium heat for about 1 minute on each side
Transfer the patties to the hot tray in the oven and bake for 10 minutes
Meanwhile, add the tomatoes to a small saucepan and warm on a medium heat to break them up. Once the tomatoes are warmed through, take off the heat and stir through the crème fraîche, soy sauce and vinegar. Then blend until smooth using a hand-held blender or transfer to a food processor
Remove the patties from the oven and serve with the tomato sauce on the side and a garnish of basil leaves.
Extra Tip:
These little cakes can be enjoyed a multitude of ways. As well as being the focal point of a lovely dinner, they also make a delectable sandwich filling.
Blueberry Oat Muffins
Makes: 12
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Wheat free, Vegetarian
Method:
3 free-range eggs
300ml semi-skimmed milk
200g oat bran
1 teaspoon baking powder
100g blueberry fruit jam
200g blueberries.
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6, and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper muffin cases
Mix the eggs and milk together
Place the oat bran and baking powder in a mixing bowl and stir well to combine.Stir in the egg and milk mix, then add the jam
Add the blueberries to the mixing bowl and stir well. The resulting batter will be looser than a usual muffin mix
Spoon the batter into the paper cases, filling each one to the top
Bake in the oven for 18–20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean
Leave to cool slightly before serving.
Extra tip:
This is a great oaty muffin recipe to experiment with. Add a handful of nuts, seeds, a grated apple, or any type of dried fruit. If you don't have blueberries you can swap for banana or chocolate.
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images and recipes are from The Balance Diet book by Jennifer Irvine, The Orion Publishing Group, Dan Jones Photography.
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