VEGETABLES WITH PIZZAZ

Kasha is an Eastern European dish that’s like a buckwheat risotto. Accompanied by pickled rhubarb, Medjool dates, fiery ginger and honeycoated walnuts, this is a blissful veggie bowl. Serves 2 2 sticks of rhubarb 1 lemon 1tsp + 1 tbsp honey 2 shallots 2 garlic cloves a thumb of ginger 2 carrots 150g buckwheat 35g walnuts a bunch of radishes 50g Medjool dates 100g baby leaf spinach a pinch of cayenne pepper 150g yogurt sea salt 1tbs olive oil 400ml boiling water freshly ground pepper

Thinly slice the rhubarb. Add a pinch of salt and scrunch. Squeeze over the juice from half the lemon with 1tsp honey. Leave to pickle.

Peel and finely chop the shallots. Peel and grate the garlic and ginger. Trim and peel the carrots. Finely chop them.

Place a pan over a medium heat. When warm, drizzle in 1 tbsp oil. Add the shallots and carrots and fry for 3 mins till just soft. Add the ginger and garlic. Cook for 1 min.

Pour the buckwheat into the pan and cover with 400ml boiling water.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-17 mins till just softened but with a slight bite. Add a splash more water during cooking if needed.

Warm a frying pan over a medium heat.

When hot, tip in the walnuts. Toast for 2-3 mins till darkened and nutty smelling.

Pour in the honey and cook for 1 min till bubbling. Tip on to a plate.

Check the buckwheat is cooked. Drain off any remaining water.

Add half the spinach and fold through till it’s just wilted.

Add the chopped dates and half the honeyed walnuts.

Taste and season the buckwheat. Add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper.

Spoon into warm bowls. Top with the pickled rhubarb, sliced radishes, spinach and walnuts.

Dollop on the yoghurt. Sprinkle over a little more cayenne and serve with lemon wedges. – abelandcole.co.uk This is a vegetarian version of the Mediterranean summer classic. It uses capers in place of anchovies for saltiness – although you could use both. Marjoram is a similar herb to oregano, but slightly sweeter and with a floral aroma.

Serves 4 600g new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into halves or quarters depending on size 8 eggs 300g French beans, topped and

tailed 250g cherry tomatoes, cut in half

crossways 2 large spring onions, very finely

sliced 150g mixed salad leaves about 20 pitted black olives 2 tbs capers (if they are in brine, drain then soak in cold water for 20 minutes then drain) small handful of basil, shredded. For the dressing 4 tbs olive oil 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or

crushed 2 tsp Dijon mustard ½ lemon 3 or 4 fresh marjoram leaves or

oregano sprigs, finely chopped salt and black pepper

Put the potatoes in one pan with a good pinch of salt. Put the eggs in another pan.

Cover both with water and put on a medium heat. Once the eggs come to the boil, cook Hello, yellow! Sunny turmeric and golden egg yolks make this as ‘spring-timey’ as the seasonal asparagus in this gorgeous warm and spicy salad. 500g potatoes 250g asparagus 1 lemon 2 leeks 1tbs cornflour ½ tsp turmeric 1tsp cumin seeds a pinch of chilli powder 1 tsp garam masala 4 eggs sea salt freshly ground pepper 100ml + 1tbs olive oil for 8 minutes, drain and put in a bowl of cold water.

Once the potatoes come to the boil, cook for 10-12 minutes, until easily pierced with a sharp knife.

Scoop the potatoes out of the water with a slotted spoon.

Add the beans to the potato water. Boil for 5 minutes, until they’re tender but still have a “squeak”.

Drain and refresh in cold water, then drain again.

To make the dressing, whisk the olive oil, garlic, mustard and a squeeze of lemon juice together in a large salad bowl.

Stir in the chopped marjoram or oregano, then season with salt, pepper and Serves 2

Halve or quarter any large potatoes. Pop them in a pan. Cover with boiling water. Simmer for 10-15 mins till tender. Drain.

While the potatoes cook, snap the woody ends off the asparagus (if you bend them they will snap where the woody part of the stem ends) and discard. Trim the asparagus into 3cm long chunks. Finely grate the zest from the lemon. Juice it.

Trim the leeks. Slice a cross in the end and rinse out any grit. Slice extra lemon juice or oil to taste.

Add the potatoes, beans, tomatoes, spring onion, salad leaves, olives and capers to the bowl and toss together in the dressing.

Peel the hard-boiled eggs, then cut them lengthways into quarters.

Using a wet knife will help keep the yolk and white together.

Tuck the eggs into the salad, scatter over the basil leaves and serve. Variations: * Use roasted tomatoes for extra sweetness

* Add a few anchovies if you’re not vegetarian

– riverford.co.uk the leeks in half, lengthways. Halve again so you have 4 long lengths per leek. Slice them into long, fine, thin shreds. Put the leeks in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp cornflour and a little salt and pepper. Stir to mix them together. Set aside.

Add the turmeric, cumin seeds, chilli powder and garam masala to a small bowl. Add 1 tbsp oil and stir together. Put to one side.

Warm 100ml oil in a deep frying pan or wok for 2 mins over a medium heat. Add the leeks. Fry for 2-3 mins till golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper. Pour the oil out of the pan and wipe it clean with kitchen paper. Stir-fry the spice paste for 1 min. Add the asparagus and boiled potatoes. Stir and fry for 5 mins till the veg are charred and tender. Take off the heat. Stir in the lemon zest and juice.

Bring a pan of water to the boil. Crack 2 eggs into separate cups. When the water is boiling, slide the eggs into the pan. Take it off the heat. Cover. Leave for 2-3 mins to poach the eggs (or cook for a little longer for set yolks).

Pile the spiced asparagus and potatoes on to 2 plates with the crisp leeks. Top each with 2 poached eggs. Serve straight away. – abelandcole.co.uk A colourful and healthy meal. Turmeric and ginger are anti-inflammatory and therefore good for digestion, as is coconut oil, which metabolises well. 1tbs coconut oil 1 onion, finely sliced 1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped, grated or crushed 4cm piece of fresh ginger,

peeled and finely grated 1 red chilli, finely sliced 1 tsp black mustard seeds ¼ tsp ground turmeric 1 x 400ml tin coconut milk 100g yellow mung dal lentils, or

red lentils, rinsed in a sieve 1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted

and ground 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and

ground 200g spring or summer greens, tough ribs removed, leaves finely shredded handful of coriander leaves a squeeze of lime or lemon juice toasted coconut chips or

toasted desiccated coconut salt Melt the coconut oil YOU’VE got crunch, spice and tang – what more could you want? 2 heads of cauliflower florets 2 courgettes, chopped 2tsp nigella seeds 2tsp turmeric 2 onions, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 2 tsp yellow mustard seeds 2 cups basmati rice 2 vegetable stock pot 10tbs coriander, chopped 4 vine tomatoes, chopped 3 spring onions, sliced thinly 1 lime 6tbs pistachios 2tbs raisins Serves 2 Serves 4 Pre-heat oven to 200°C. Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflowers. Separate the cauliflowers into florets.

Chop the top and bottom off the courgettes, cut in half lengthways and then cut lengthways again so you have eight strips. Chop each strip into three pieces.

Put the cauliflower and courgette into a roasting tray and sprinkle on 1tsp of nigella seeds and half of the turmeric. Season with 1/2tsp of salt and drizzle over 2 tbs of oil. Mix well to make sure in a large pan. Add the onion and fry on a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Turn up the heat a little and add the garlic, ginger, chilli, mustard seeds and turmeric. Stir for about 1 minute, until you hear the mustard seeds start to pop.

Stir the coconut milk in the can then pour into the pan with the lentils and ground coriander and cumin. Fill the coconut milk can half full with water and add that too.

Bring up to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Add the greens, stirring in small handfuls at a time, then cook for a further 5-10 minutes, until the lentils are tender and the greens wilted. Add more water if needed.

Season the dal with salt, stir in the fresh coriander and add a squeeze of lime or lemon juice to taste. Serve sprinkled with toasted coconut and a few extra coriander leaves. – riverford. co.uk the veggies are nicely coated with the spices and oil. Roast for 25 mins.

Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add 2 tbs of oil. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, add the garlic, the remaining turmeric and the mustard seeds and cook for another minute. Pour in the rice, give it a stir to make sure it is coated with the turmeric, then pour in 700ml of water. Add the vegetable stock pot and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to mediumlow and pop on the lid. Cook for 10 mins and then remove from the heat. Leave the lid on for another 10 mins for perfectly cooked basmati rice.

Place the coriander and tomatoes in a bowl. Add the sliced spring onions to the tomatoes and mix with a pinch of salt and the chopped coriander. Grate in the zest of the lime and squeeze in its juice. Chop the pistachios.

When the rice is cooked, carefully mix in the raisins and half the pistachios. Serve the veggies on top of a generous amount of rice and then finish the dish with your salsa and a sprinkling of pistachios. – HelloFresh.co.uk

Lizzie is the author of London’s ethical food website, bicbim.co.uk.