June 2019

So June has arrived already! Although it doesn't look much like June where I am, it's currently pouring with rain! I am so excited this month as I have purchased two new recipe books. I haven't bought any recipe books for months, and anyone that knows me knows that this is not like me. I usually keep my eye on new releases but I've had to cut back whilst on maternity leave. However, when I saw that Rukmini Iyer was releasing another in 'The Roasting Tin' series, I couldn't resist buying it. I've decided this month to feature these books in a meal plan-come-review/recommendation. I have featured recipes from both The Green Roasting Tin and The Quick Roasting Tin in this months plan. I have previously featured recipes from the first in the series 'The Roasting Tin' which have been delicious. All recipes featured in this month's meal plan can be found in the below recipe books.

All three are essential books for any family who want ideas for quick, no-nonsense, family friendly recipes. Aside from the fact that all recipes are one-pot wonders and save on washing up, all recipes are also so simple. There are no strange ingredients and a lot of the recipes can be made using store-cupboard ingredients! If you're not already convinced, most recipes are so easy and require hardly any effort to prepare! If you don't already own these books then you must get them - you won't regret it!

I have however been lucky enough to have been in touch with Rukmini Iyer and she has so kindly allowed me to publish 4 of her recipes on this blog! See below for 4 special recipes which are all featured in this month's meal plan!

This month's meal plan is also inadvertently largely vegetarian. Steve and I have been trying to reduce the amount of meat we eat and whilst browsing the recipes in The Green Roasting Tin (all veggie or vegan recipes) and The Quick Roasting Tin, many of the veggie recipes appealed to me. We have made one meal so far from The Green Roasting Tin - Crispy Gnocchi with roasted Squash, Mushrooms, Sage - and Steve (who has always been a big meat eater) said "If all meals tasted this good I could easily be vegetarian!".

Here are the gorgeous featured recipes from The Green Roasting Tin and The Quick Roasting Tin for you all to enjoy!

STICKY SOY & HONEY ROASTED SALMON WITH ASPARAGUS & SUGAR SNAP PEAS

From the The Quick Roasting Tin

Serves: 4

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 25 minutes

200g Tenderstem broccoli

125g asparagus spears

200g sugar snap peas

200g frozen peas

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Quick cook noodles or rice to serve (optional)

FOR THE SALMON

4 salmon fillets

1⁄2 tablespoon good soy sauce

1⁄2 tablespoon sesame oil

1⁄2 tablespoon honey

FOR THE DRESSING

6cm fresh ginger, grated

1 lime, juice only

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 spring onions, finely chopped

A handful of peanuts, roughly chopped

1 red chilli, finely sliced

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/gas 6.

Put the broccoli into a large bowl, pour over a kettleful of boiling water, leave to stand for

1 minute, then drain well. Mix the broccoli, asparagus, sugar snaps, frozen peas, sea salt and sesame oil in a roasting tin. Put the salmon fillets in around the veg, then mix the soy, sesame oil and honey and spread this over each fillet. Roast for 20–25 minutes until the salmon is cooked through.

Meanwhile, whisk the ginger, lime juice, sesame oil and spring onions together. Once the salmon is cooked, pour the dressing over the vegetables. Scatter over the chopped peanuts and chilli. Taste and adjust the lime juice and salt as needed and serve hot.

NOTE: I’ve said to blanch the Tenderstem as it improves the texture on roasting, but you can use ordinary broccoli instead if you prefer and skip this stage.

QUICK CHICKEN, LEEK & CHORIZO PIE

Serves: 4

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 25–30 minutes

2 leeks, very finely sliced

4 small free-range chicken breasts, cut into large chunks

120g chorizo, diced

300g creme fraiche

1⁄2 a juicy lemon, zest and juice

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes (optional)

Freshly ground black pepper

1 free-range egg, beaten

1 x 320g ready-rolled puff pastry sheet

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/gas 6.

Tip the leeks into a bowl, pour over a kettleful of boiling water, and leave to steep for 2

minutes while you get on with prepping the other ingredients. Drain the leeks well in a colander, then tip into a roasting tin along with the chopped chicken, chorizo, creme fraiche, lemon zest and juice, salt (if using) and a good grind of black pepper. Give everything a good mix, then brush the edges of the roasting tin with a little beaten egg and lay the pastry on top. Use your thumbs or a fork to press the edges of the pastry against the edges of the tin – don’t worry about any overhang, it’ll just mean there’s more to eat later. Brush with the beaten egg, then cut a cross in the middle for steam to escape. You can add cut shapes from the excess pastry and stick them on top with a little beaten egg, if you’re feeling artistic. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25–30 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and golden brown. Let the pie sit for 5 minutes before serving hot.

CHANGE IT UP: This pie is also excellent without chorizo, as leeks pack in so much flavour. Consider adding a couple of teaspoons of Dijon mustard instead.

LEEK & PUY LENTIL GRATIN WITH A CRUNCHY FETA TOPPING

From the Green Roasting Tin

This filling gratin, with its crisp feta topping, is perfect comfort food – the dining equivalent of sitting cosily on the sofa under a blanket. It’s good for batch cooking for the week ahead, as any leftovers will keep well for a couple of days in the fridge. This dish is a favourite among the various friends who helped try out the recipes.

Serves: 4 generously

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 40 minutes

30g butter

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

500g leeks, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

500g vac-packed cooked Puy lentils

300ml crème fraîche

125g feta cheese, crumbled

50g panko or fresh white breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/ gas 6. Put the butter and garlic into a roasting tin and pop into the oven to melt while you get on with slicing the leeks. Mix the sliced leeks with the melted garlic butter, season well with the sea salt and black pepper, then return to the oven to roast for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, stir through the Puy lentils, crème fraÎche and another good scatter of sea salt, then top with the feta cheese and breadcrumbs. Drizzle with the olive oil, then return to the oven for a further 20–25 minutes, until golden brown on top. Serve the gratin hot, with a mustard or balsamic dressed green salad alongside. Here's my meal plan for June...

THE MOST INDULGENT QUICK COOK QUICHE: BROCCOLI, BLUE CHEESE, CHILLI AND WALNUT

Serves: 4

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 30 minutes

320g ready-rolled puff pastry sheet

300g broccoli florets, halved

½ red onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

30g walnuts, chopped

125g blue cheese e.g. stilton

100ml single cream

4 free-range eggs

1 lemon, zest only

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 clove of garlic, crushed

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/ gas 6 and line a small deep roasting tin with baking paper. Now cover the base of the tin with the puff pastry – you want it to come up the sides and hold all the filling in. Scatter the broccoli florets, red onion, chilli flakes, walnuts and blue cheese evenly over the pastry. Beat the cream, eggs, lemon zest, sea salt and garlic together, then pour over the broccoli and cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, after which the pastry should be cooked and the centre of the quiche just wobbly. Leave to sit in the tin for 10 minutes to cool down, then serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: You can use the baking paper that the pastry comes wrapped in to line the base of your roasting tin.

And here is the meal plan for June ...

Week 1

1. Crispy Gnocchi with Mushrooms, Squash and Sage (pictured above), The Green Roasting Tin.

2. Sticky Soy & Honey Roasted Salmon with Asparagus & Sugar Snaps, The Quick Roasting Tin.

3. Cherry Tomato, Leek & Artichoke Bake with Feta, The Quick Roasting Tin.

4. Chicken, Leek and Chorizo Pie, The Quick Roasting Tin

5. Roasted Broccoli & Bacon Conchiglie Bake with Lemon Creme Fraiche, The Quick Roasting Tin.

Week 2

1. Quick-cook Quiche: Broccoli, Blue Cheese, Chilli and Walnut, The Green Roasting Tin.

2. Beetroot Orzotto with Sour Cream, Pine-nuts & Dill, The Quick Roasting Tin.

3. Chilli Peanut Beef with Red Peppers, Sweetcorn and Spring Onions, The Quick Roasting Tin.

4. Baked Gnocchi with Ham Hock & Peas, The Quick Roasting Tin.

5. Crispy Baked Cod with Herby Broccoli, Peas and Beans, The Quick Roasting Tin.

Week 3

1. Leek & Puy Lentil Gratin, The Green Roasting Tin.

2. Lightly Roasted Chickpea, Halloumi, Red Onion Salad with Coriander & Giant Cous Cous, The Quick Roasting Tin.

3. Pomegranate Duck with Walnuts & Rainbow Tabbouleh, The Quick Roasting Tin.

4. Pine Nut Crusted Salmon with Shallots & Puy Lentils, The Quick Roasting Tin.

5. Toad in the Hole.

Week 4

1. Jewelled Pearl Barley with Squash, Pomegranate & Feta, The Green Roasting Tin.

2. Cauliflower Cheese with Creme Fraiche, Mustard & Kale, The Quick Roasting Tin.

3. Nigella Spiced Tomato Dhal, The Quick Roasting Tin.

4. Giant Cous Cous with Chorizo, Artichokes, Spinach & Lemon, The Quick Roasting Tin.

5. Tandoori Salmon with Spiced Roasted Sweet Potato, Tomato & Red Onion, The Quick Roasting Tin.

Shopping Lists

Week 1

Gnocchi

Butternut squash

Chestnut mushrooms

Basil

Sage

Pine Nuts

Garlic

Lemons

2 x salmon fillets

Tenderstem broccoli

Asparagus

Sugar snap peas

Honey

Sesame Oil

Spring Onions

Red Chilli

Ginger

Limes

Eggs

Feta

Cherry Tomatoes on the vine

Jar artichokes

Leeks

Dill

2 x chicken breasts

2 x small cooking chorizo sausages

Creme Fraiche

Puff pastry sheet

Conchiglie pasta

Broccoli

160g bacon lardons

Spinach

Parmesan

Breadcrumbs

Week 2

Puff pastry sheet

Broccoli

Red onions

125g Blue cheese

Walnuts

Single cream

Eggs

Lemons

Orzo

Fresh beetroot

Pine nuts

Sour cream

Dill

400g rump steaks

Green beans

Baby sweetcorn

1 red pepper

1 red chilli

Garlic

5cm ginger

Peanut butter

Spinach

Spring onions

Quick cook noodles or rice

Salted peanuts

500g gnocchi

Frozen peas

Creme Fraiche

180g Ham hock

Lemons

Parsley

Tenderstem broccoli

2 x courgettes

2 x cod fillets

Green pesto

Breadcrumbs

Tinned butterbeans

Basil

Week 3

Garlic

Leeks

500g puy lentils in pouches

Creme fraiche

Feta cheese

Breadcrumbs

Wholewheat giant cous cous

Halloumi

1 x tin chick peas

1 red onion

Spinach large bag

Coriander

Bulgur wheat

Fresh ginger

Fresh beetroot

1 leek

2 duck breasts

Walnuts

Pomegranate Molasses

Parsley

Pomegranate

Mint

1 lime

2 x salmon fillets

Shallots

Pine nuts

Parsley

1 pouch cooked puy lentils

Watercress

Lemons

Single cream

Sausages

Milk

Eggs

Week 4

Butternut squash

Pearl barley

Garlic

Watercress

Limes

Feta

Pomegranate

Cauliflower

Kale

Creme Fraiche

Eggs

Cheddar cheese

Feta

Breadcrumbs

Cherry tomatoes on the vine x 2 packs

Red lentils

Nigella seeds

Onions

Lemons

Naan breads

Wholewheat giant cous cous

1 jar artichokes

2 red onion

Chorizo

Spinach

2 x salmon fillets

Fresh ginger

Natural yoghurt

Sweet potatoes

Happy cooking! :-)