A COOK’S PLEDGE
Charred broccoli is the new avo toast and a curried veg pie that’s better than a shepherd’s? Just two revelations from Anna Jones’s all-veg cookbook One: Pot, Pan, Planet.
In One: Pot, Pan, Planet, award-winning British cook and food writer Anna Jones serves up 200 easy, all-veg recipes that are as good for the planet as they are for you. These are five of our favourites, plus some waste-free tips to make you feel even more virtuous
I have long been an advocate of a diet of seasonal fruit and veg, nuts and seeds, pulses and legumes, and a healthy scattering of treats. But now, a landmark study by Oxford University has proven that this is the best way to eat, for our health as well as for the planet. The researchers assessed the health and environmental impacts of 15 foods common in Western diets and found fruit, vegetables, beans and whole grains were best for both avoiding disease and protecting the climate and water resources. Conversely, eating red and processed meat excessively causes the most ill-health, emissions and pollution.
There were a small number of foods that bucked the trend, however. Fish is considered by some a healthy choice but has a bigger environmental footprint on average than plant-based diets. High-sugar foods – such as biscuits and sweetened drinks – have a relatively low impact on the planet but are bad for health. So while environmental measures, such as our carbon footprint and water use, are important in considering food choices that are better for environmental health, we need to take a common-sense approach and create a balance of foods that benefit our own health, too.
• How not to waste food (and money)
Along with eating mostly plants, reducing the amount of food we waste is one of the most impactful things we can do to reduce our food footprint, and will also save us money. I have tried to shift how I think about food waste and to view some of the things I usually throw away as ingredients. I freeze veg peelings as I go (to make a stock), use up soured dairy (which adds welcome acidity and is usually better in some recipes) and use chickpea water in cakes and vegan mayo. Here’s how to extend the life of some of the most commonly wasted foods.
• Cheese
STORING: Always double-wrap cheese in waxed paper, parchment or a beeswax wrap, then put it in a glass or plastic container lined with damp kitchen paper. Cover and put it in the top of the fridge, where the temperature is the most constant. It’ll keep for as long as it takes to eat it.
CHEESE TRICK: I learnt this tip from cheese queen Patricia Michelson of La Fromagerie. Put two sugar cubes in the plastic box with the cheese, then seal and refrigerate. The sugar helps to regulate the atmosphere inside the box, keeping the cheese fresher.
BEST-BEFORE DATES: I largely ignore the best-before dates on cheese. I use my nose, taste buds and instinct to tell if it’s okay. If mould forms it can be cut off and if the rest of the cheese still looks and tastes good, it’s okay to eat. Cheese rarely goes off. If the flavour gets too intense as the cheese ages, use it to cook with or mix with other milder cheeses to temper it.
GRATE AND FREEZE: Grated or crumbled cheese freezes well and is ready to use immediately. Freeze in small portions so you can use what you need.
• Leftovers
COOKED VEG: Almost any veg can be made into a frittata or omelette.
SOUP/STEW: To stretch it further add a can of drained, cooked pulses, or a couple of handfuls of greens or croutons.
COOKED RICE: Fried rice is one of our go-to dinners. It’s a great vehicle for leftover veg, too. Fry ginger and garlic until starting to brown, turn the heat up, add a few chopped spring onions or thinly sliced red onion and any roughly chopped slow-to-cook veg and cook for a couple of minutes. Then add the rice and any quicker cooking veg and stir until the rice is piping hot. Beat 2 eggs in a cup with a splash of soya sauce, clear space in the pan for them, then add and cook until set before stirring into the rice. Serve with more soya. Be careful when reheating rice: it must be piping hot so it’s safe to eat.
• Bagged salad
If you do buy bagged salad, store it at the top of a salad drawer or in the fridge with nothing on top of it and eat it quickly once open. If your salad does wilt, remove any brown or mushy leaves, then refresh the rest in a bowl of cold iced water for 5–20 minutes with a few slices of lemon and a sprinkle of salt. Lift the leaves out of the water and allow them to drain or spin in a salad spinner before serving. If it’s past its best but still okay to eat you can use it as follows.
FREEZE: You can freeze bags of salad and use them directly from the freezer for adding to soups or stir-frying. Obviously, they’re not good for eating raw once frozen.
SOUP: All green lettuces/watercress/ rocket can be added to soup (blended or chunky); you can even make them the hero of the dish. Transform watercress or rocket by blending with a little cooked potato, hot water and a dash of cream to make a simple watercress soup.
“I have shifted how I think about waste and view things I usually throw away as ingredients”
“This is one of those recipes that made me do a victory dance when I got it out of the oven”
BROCCOLI ON TOAST
“This is a humble soup lifted by the unexpected hit of orange”
“We have reached peak avocado on toast. While I will always love it, the time has come for something else. Good toast and leafy stemmed broccoli are key here, although standard (Calabrese) broccoli will work if you slice it thinly enough. If you are using a grill rather than a griddle pan, be sure to turn the broccoli regularly: the result will be charred, crisped leaves that soften when they cool.”
Serves 4
EASY
GREAT VALUE
stemmed broccoli (purple-sprouting or Tenderstem) 400 g
Greek yoghurt or yoghurt of your choice 4T
tahini 2T unwaxed
lemon 1
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
extra virgin olive oil
sourdough 4 slices
za’atar 1T
toasted sunflower seeds 50 g, for serving
1 Boil a large pan of generously salted water and blanch the broccoli for 3–4 minutes, until it has lost its rawness but still holds its shape. Drain and set aside.
2 Mix the yoghurt with the tahini, a good squeeze of lemon juice, some salt and pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Taste, and balance with more lemon, salt and pepper as necessary. 3 Heat a griddle pan over a high heat, or a grill to its highest setting, and, once hot, char the broccoli on all sides, until the edges are crispy. Once you are happy with the broccoli, take it off the heat, then char the bread on both sides using the same griddle or grill. Add a glug of oil and half the za’atar to the broccoli and mix to coat. 4 Spread the hot toast with a little olive oil and the tahini yoghurt, then top with the warm, charred broccoli, the toasted seeds and the rest of the za’atar.
HEALTH-CONSCIOUS, MEAT-FREE
WINE: Woolworths Terra del Capo
Pinot Grigio
QUICK SQUASH LASAGNE
“This lasagne is the quickest I’ve made, ready for the oven in 10 minutes, yet there is still a rich, deep tomato sauce and those crisp, baked edges to fight over. I don’t precook my lasagne sheets as they cook in the sauce and I like them a little al dente. If you prefer them softer you could use fresh pasta sheets.”
Serves 6
EASY
GREAT VALUE
tomato passata 690 g
extra virgin olive oil 2T
garlic 2 cloves, peeled and chopped
dried chilli flakes a good pinch
green or Puy lentils 2 x 400 g cans, drained (or 250 g home cooked)
butternut ½ (about 600 g), peeled and grated
black olives 50 g, pitted and chopped
capers 2T
unwaxed lemon 1, zested
basil a small bunch, leaves picked
mozzarella (or vegan-style mozzarella) 2 x 125 g
balls dried lasagne sheets 250 g
1 Heat the oven to 200°C. In a large bowl or jug, mix the passata with the oil, ½ t sea salt, the garlic, chilli flakes, lentils, butternut, olives, capers and lemon zest. Tear the basil leaves in half. 2 Spoon a quarter of the sauce into an ovenproof dish roughly 20 x 30 cm (I use an oval roughly the same size), tear over a third of
one of the balls of mozzarella, then cover with pasta sheets. Repeat for another two layers: a quarter of the sauce, a third of a ball of mozzarella, a layer of pasta.
3 Finish with a final layer of sauce, then tear over the whole of the second ball of mozzarella, sprinkle with salt and pepper, top with the basil, and drizzle with a little more olive oil. 4 Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the mozzarella is deeply golden. Serve with a sharply dressed salad (I mix lemon juice, cider vinegar, mustard and extra virgin olive oil, and toss through a bowl of green leaves).
FAT-CONSCIOUS, HEALTH-CONSCIOUS
WINE: Woolworths Bellevue Pinotage
SAAG ALOO SHEPHERD’S PIE
“This is one of those recipes that made me do a victory dance when I got it out of the oven. I could tell before I ate it from the smell and from the bubbling filling and crispy top that it was going to be everything I wanted it to be.”
Serves 6
EASY
GREAT VALUE
For the rajma masala base: ghee or coconut oil 2T
onion 1, peeled and finely chopped
garlic 4 cloves, chopped
ginger a small thumb-sized piece, peeled and finely chopped
green chilli 1, finely chopped
ground turmeric ½t chilli powder ½t
garam masala 1t
cumin seeds 1t
pinto or borlotti beans 2 x 400 g cans
tomatoes 1 x 400 g can
For the saag aloo topping: small new or red-skin potatoes
1 kg, large ones cut in half cauliflower 500 g, broken into small florets, stalk roughly chopped
ghee or unsalted butter 50 g
cumin seeds 1t
ground turmeric 1t
baby spinach 200 g, washed
1 Add a little oil to a large pan, add the onion and cook for 10 minutes over a medium heat until soft and sweet. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the spices to the pan and stir for a couple of minutes until all smells fragrant. Next, add the beans and their liquid, the tomatoes and a tin-full of water. Simmer for 25 minutes until the tomatoes are broken down and you have a thick, flavoursome gravy. 2 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C and put the potatoes into a large pan (leaving enough space to add the cauliflower later). Cover with boiling water, add ½ T salt and bring to the boil. Cook for 15–20 minutes until the potatoes are almost cooked, then add the cauliflower for the last 6 minutes. Drain well. 3 Put the empty pan back on the heat, add 1 T of ghee or butter and the cumin and turmeric, cook for a minute or so then add ½ cup water, the potatoes and cauliflower and half the spinach. Stir to wilt the spinach and use the back of a spoon to crush the potatoes a little.
4 The beans should be thickened by now. Stir in the remaining spinach, then spoon into a baking dish. Top with the potato, cauliflower and spinach mixture, drizzle with oil or melted ghee and bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the top is brown and crunchy in places.
HEALTH-CONSCIOUS, MEAT-FREE, WHEAT- AND GLUTEN-FREE
WINE: Woolworths Ken Forrester Grenache
CARROT SOUP WITH TAHINI AND ROSEMARY
“This is the first thing John (my husband) learnt to cook, taught to him by his Granny Liz, who at 92 is still making it today. It is a humble soup lifted by the perhaps unexpected hit of orange. The crispy chickpeas, tahini and rosemary are my additions – John likes it straight up, Granny Liz-style.”
Serves 4
EASY
GREAT VALUE
olive oil 2 T, plus extra for frying
large onion 1, peeled and finely chopped
sweet smoked paprika 1t
garlic 2 cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
carrots 500 g,
peeled and chopped into 1 cm-thick rounds chopped tomatoes 1 x 400 g
can unwaxed orange 1, zested and juiced
hot vegetable stock 1
litre chickpeas 1 x 400 g
can rosemary a couple of sprigs, leaves picked sherry vinegar 1½ T
tahini 4T a little extra virgin olive oil
1 Heat the oil in a large lidded pan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes until soft and sweet. Add a good pinch of salt, the paprika and garlic and cook for another minute or so. Add the carrots, tomatoes and the zest and juice of the orange and cook for 3 minutes more, until everything is bubbling, then add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to mediumlow, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the carrots are very tender. 2 While the soup is simmering, drain the chickpeas and pat them dry with kitchen paper.
Put a large pan over a medium heat and add about 4 T olive oil. Once hot, add the chickpeas (be careful as they may spit) and rosemary and cook until the rosemary is fragrant and the chickpeas are crisp and popping. Sprinkle with salt and keep warm. 3 Once the carrots are tender, take the soup off the heat and stir in the sherry vinegar and half the tahini, and purée with a hand-held blender. 4 Serve the soup topped with the fried rosemary chickpeas, with the rest of the tahini and drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil.
FAT-CONSCIOUS, HEALTH-CONSCIOUS, PLANT-BASED
WINE: Woolworths David Nieuwoudt Cinsault Rosé
DOUBLE GINGERAND-APPLE CAKE
“This is such an easy cake, with a double hit of ginger. This way of using the apple to top the cake is inspired by the brilliant cook and writer Anja Dunk. If you’re a ginger-lover like me, you could add another couple of balls of stem ginger.”
Makes 1 cake, to serve about 8
EASY
GREAT VALUE
flour 200 g
baking powder 1t
bicarbonate of soda 1½ t
ground ginger 2t unsalted butter 200 g
(or 150 g coconut oil), plus extra for greasing dark brown soft sugar 150 g
stem ginger 5 balls (75 g), finely chopped, plus 2 T
syrup from the jar for brushing and drizzling free-range
eggs 3
(or ¾ cup sparkling water) small apples 5–6
Demerara sugar 1 T, for sprinkling
1 Grease a deep 23 cm square springform baking tin. Heat the oven to 180°C. Put all the dry ingredients, except the dark brown sugar and 1 t ground ginger, into a bowl. Whisk to combine. 2 To make a non-vegan cake, melt the butter in a pan, then whisk in the dark brown sugar and stem ginger. Leave to cool slightly, then beat in the eggs one by one, until emulsified. Fold through the dry ingredients and pour into the prepared cake tin. 3 To make a vegan version, melt the coconut oil in a pan, then whisk in the dark brown sugar and stem ginger. Add the coconut oil mix to the flour mixture and whisk to combine. Now, with the whisk running, add the sparkling water and mix until the batter is smooth and light. Pour into the prepared cake tin. 4 Peel, halve and core the apples, then very thinly slice about two-thirds of the way down each half, leaving the last third uncut to hold the apple together. It is much like a hedgehog or a Hasselback potato. Arrange the apple halves cut-side up on top of the batter, brush with some of the ginger syrup, then sprinkle over the Demerara sugar and the remaining ground ginger. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 45–50 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Test the thickest part of the cake with a skewer: if it doesn’t come out clean, put the cake back in for another 5 minutes. 5 Remove the cake from the oven and pour over the remaining syrup. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove and serve. This is best eaten on the day but will keep well for up to 3 days, wrapped inside a tin.
“If you’re a ginger lover like me, you could add another couple of balls of stem ginger”