Week 5Last weekend we stayed with some friends who have an allotment and we came home with several bags of vegetables - courgettes, broad beans, peas, broccoli, potatoes. So this week I’ve been using them up in lots of recipes some of which I’ve posted here for you to have a go at. Hopefully some of them will appeal to you.

Summer eggsQuite a lot of cultures round the world have a dish of eggs cooked with vegetables that’s usually served as a brunch or light meal. The French have piperade, the Turks have menemen and the Mexicans huevos rancheros to name but a few. This dish is a variant of those. Use whatever veg you have- though think Mediterranean – peppers, tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines. I would serve this with crusty bread (eg baguette, ciabatta, petit pain) to mop up the lovely juices or garlic bread is good too.

Serves 2Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil Small onion chopped 400g courgettes (about 2 large ones), chopped into small chunks 200g/7oz pack cherry tomatoes, halved 1 garlic clove, crushed 4 eggs 1 teaspoons pesto

Method1. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, then add the onion and courgettes. 2. Cook for 5 mins, stirring every so often until they start to soften, add the tomatoes

and garlic, then cook for a few mins more. 3. Stir in the pesto and a little seasoning.4. Make four gaps in the mix and crack in the eggs. Cover the pan with a lid or a

sheet of foil, then cook for 3-5 mins until the eggs are done to your liking.

Summer chickenThis has to be one of my favourite chicken dishes. It’s really quick to pull together, doesn’t have too many ingredients and tastes delicious. What more could you ask for! I add spinach to the original recipe and I usually serve it with potatoes and another veg but it would be good with rice, cousous, pasta or crusty bread. The crème fraiche adds a tangy flavour to this dish and like other dairy foods is a source of calcium, vitamin D and protein - nutrients that keep the body functioning properly and help reduce the risk of certain diseases.

Serves 2Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cherry tomatoes Spinach, washed if fresh and defrosted if frozen 1 tbsp pesto 2 tbsp crème fraîche Few basil leaves, optional

Method

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan, preferably non-stick. Add the chicken and fry without moving it until it takes on a bit of colour. Turn the chicken and cook on the other side. Continue cooking for 12-15 mins until the chicken is cooked through. Season all over with a little salt and pepper.

2. Halve the tomatoes and throw them into the pan with the spinach, stirring them around for a couple of minutes until the tomatoes start to soften and the spinach wilts. Reduce the heat and stir in the pesto and crème fraîche until it makes a sauce. Scatter with a few basil leaves if you have them.

Salmon and potato GrillA classic combination of ingredients in this variation of a fish pie. If you’re not keen on salmon, tuna works just as well. I usually use skinned and boned salmon although you’ll get more calcium from the non-deboned variety. Both this and the summer chicken use crème fraiche so if you’re making both you will use a whole pot. If you only make one of the dishes any leftover crème fraiche is easily used up by dolloping on top of berries. I like to add some mustard to this as I like the subtle warmth it gives but miss it out if you’re not

a fan.Potatoes are a good source of vitamin C and B6 and if you keep their skins on they are also a good source of fibre. Vitamin B6 has several important functions, including contributing to normal red blood cell formation, normal functioning of the nervous system and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, as well as regulation of hormonal activity.

Serves 2Ingredients

6 egg sized new potatoes, skin on, sliced lengthway Couple handfuls frozen peas 170-200g can salmon 200ml tub crème fraîche 1 teaspoon mustard (optional) 50g mature cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

Method

1. To cook the veg, boil the potatoes in salted water for about 10 minutes until almost tender but not breaking up. Tip in the frozen peas and simmer for another 2- 3 minutes. Drain well then tip into a mixing bowl. Turn on the grill to high.

2. Drain the salmon and flake it into chunks, then gently toss with the potatoes and peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper and spoon into a flameproof dish.

3. Dollop the crème fraîche on top, roughly spread it over, and scatter with the cheese. Grill for a few minutes until bubbly and golden

prawn noodle saladThis fresh-tasting, Vietnamese inspired salad is seriously good. It’s quick to pull together and has a great crunch from the vegetables and peanuts. If you use the ready cooked noodles there’s the added bonus that you don’t have to turn the oven on. The colours are fantastic and the dressing is a real flavour boost, with added kick from the chilli. For a variation, chopped up cooked chicken could be used instead of the prawns.

Serves 2Ingredients

100g thin rice noodles or 300g ready cooked rice noodles drizzle of sesame oil 200g mangetout or sugar snap peas 1 large red pepper 1 large yellow or orange pepper 2 spring onions 200g peeled, cooked prawns handful of coriander leaves 2 tablespoon roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Dressing: 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely crushed 1/2 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped Juice of 1 lime 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 2 teaspoons soft brown sugar 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Method1. If using dried noodles: Bring the kettle to the boil. Place the rice noodles in a large

heatproof bowl and pour on boiling water, ensuring that the noodles are fully immersed. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to stand for 5minutes or until the noodles are tender but still retaining a bite. Drain and immediately toss with a drizzle of sesame oil to stop them sticking to each other.

2. In the meantime, blanch the mangetout in a pan of boiling water for 2 minutes until they are just tender but still bright green.

3. Refresh under cold water, then drain well.4. Cut the mangetout on the diagonal into 2 or 3 pieces. 5. Halve, core and deseed the peppers, then cut into long, thin slices. 6. Trim and finely slice the spring onions on the diagonal.7. Put all the dressing ingredients into a bowl and whisk lightly to combine.

8. Put the prawns, spring onions, mangetout and peppers into a large bowl and add the noodles and coriander leaves.

9. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat. 10. Sprinkle over the chopped peanuts and serve.

Grilled chicken and summery veg pasta This recipe used up lots of the veg from my friends. It looked and tasted great. The veg needs to be drained and rinsed in cold water after cooking (what the TV chefs call refreshing) to keep their bright green colour. Very professional! We all enjoyed this and it was fantastic to use the gift from our friends’ garden.If you haven’t used orzo before, it’s a small rice shaped pasta which as well as using in salads like this one it can be added to soup or makes a delicious side dish if cooked in stock or with onions, garlic, oregano and tomatoes.

Serves 2Ingredients

2 chicken breasts Oregano 1 clove garlic crushed Zest and juice 1 lemon 1 Red pepper, quartered and deseeded 4 handfuls orzo pasta Broad beans Green beans, trimmed and halved 100g Feta 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Parsley, finely chopped

Method

1. Put the chicken in a non metallic bowl with the oregano, garlic and ½ the lemon zest and juice. Season well. Leave to marinade.

2. Heat a griddle pan or frying pan or BBQ. Cook the chicken 10-12 mins until cooked through. Cut into chunky pieces.

3. Add the peppers to the grill and cook for 10-12mins until charred then remove and chop

4. Cook the pasta according to the pack instructions adding the broad and green beans for the last 3 mins of cooking. Drain and cool the pasta and beans under cold running water. Tip into a serving bowl and crumble over the feta. Add the chicken and red pepper.

5. Mix together the remaining lemon juice and zest with the oil and parsley. Season well and add to the salad. Gently toss together and serve