Tabbouleh

TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp is best known as one half of the Location, Location, Location double act – and we already know she’s talented at scouring for properties and giving straight-talking advice. But now her debut cookbook, Kirstie’s Real Kitchen, has just hit the shelves and she’s on a new mission, to inspire people who think they can’t cook to give it a try.

“It’s a book for people who are not that confident about themselves as a cook. There is a big ‘can-do’ part of my life, which I’ve only recently realised,” she says. “The fun bit is doing things in a certain way that people then say, ‘You know, I didn’t think I could do this, and now I can’. And then you think, actually, this is really a job worth doing.”

Here are three recipes from Kirstie’s Real Kitchen for you to try. SERVES 4

Here’s a quick and easy taste of the Middle East. It’s one of Kirstie’s all-time favourite dishes. She says it’s easy to mix your own spices for the recipe: “Simply use a pinch each of coriander, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg to make a teaspoonful of flavouring.”

25g bulgur wheat

50ml boiling water 300g ripe tomatoes 2 large bunches of flat-leaf parsley Small bunch of mint 6 spring onions 3tbsp lemon juice 4tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1tsp mixed ground spices Salt and freshly ground black pepper TO SERVE

At least 8 small Romaine or Little Gem lettuce leaves 4 ready-made flatbreads

● Put the bulgur wheat in a small bowl and add the boiling water. Stir, then set aside for 20 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed. Drain in a sieve to be sure.

● Meanwhile, use a sharp knife to remove the stalk and hard core from the tomatoes. (You can also skin the tomatoes and remove the seeds if you like, but I don’t usually bother.) Quarter what’s left, then cut into dice and put into a large serving bowl.

● Pick the parsley and mint leaves, discarding the stalks or saving them for a stock. Chop the leaves finely, and do the same to the spring onions. Add them all to the tomatoes and mix well. When the bulgur wheat has absorbed all the water, use a fork to fluff it up and separate the grains. Add it to the tomatoes. Drizzle the lemon juice and olive oil into the tomato mixture and season to taste with salt, pepper and your chosen spices. Mix well.

● To serve, arrange the lettuce and flatbreads on four serving plates. Offer the tabbouleh in its bowl and ask people to help themselves, scooping tabbouleh into the leaves.