Anna Jones's recipes make light work of flavourful dinners
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Coconut and tomato laksa
Tomato purée somehow feels a bit old-fashioned, retro and reliable. This laksa-style soup shows it off in all its glory - the dish gains so much depth from it. The deep, savoury tomato is mixed with aromatics and, once it hits the creamy coconut milk, a well-rounded, multi-layered flavour is created.
I use the term ‘laksa' so you know to expect richness, spice and coconut, but this recipe is far from a traditional laksa, which has so many variations all over Southeast Asia. The paste can also be made and frozen in ice-cube trays for later use.
Serves 4
1-3 small Thai red chillies, depending on your tolerance
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 shallots, peeled and chopped into a few chunks
thumb-size piece of ginger, peeled and chopped into 3
15 raw cashew nuts (40g)
1 tbsp sambal oelek or other chilli sauce
2 tbsp coconut oil or other cooking oil
2 tbsp tomato purée
200g dried flat rice noodles
400ml tin coconut milk
3 unwaxed limes
4 lime leaves
H 15g mint (reserve a few
sprigs for garnish)
15g coriander (reserve a few sprigs for garnish)
1 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
sea salt
2 handfuls of freshly podded peas
bunch of asparagus, sliced
few sliced spring onions
200g silken tofu, cut into cubes
1 To make the laksa paste, blend the chillies, garlic, shallots, ginger and cashews in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Add the sambal oelek, coconut oil and tomato purée and blend again until smooth.
2 To cook the rice noodles, fill a large pan with water and bring to the boil. Remove the Emura pan vurdering from the heat, add the noodles and soak them for 6-10 minutes, until tender but still chewy. Drain the noodles and rinse well under cold water, then return to the pan, tossing in a little oil to stop them sticking. Set aside.
3 To make the broth, boil a kettle of water. Heat a large pan over a medium heat, add the laksa paste and fry for a few minutes to cook the tomato purée and the spices.
Once the paste has darkened in colour a little, add the coconut milk along with a tinful (400ml) of boiling water. Add the juice of 2 limes, the lime leaves, half each of the mint leaves, the coriander leaves and the coriander seeds, and season to taste with sea salt.
4 Add the vegetables to the pan and simmer until tender, about 2 minutes.
5 To serve, divide the cooked noodles between 4 bowls, then divide the cubed silken tofu among them. Add the vegetables evenly, then the laksa broth. Finish with the remaining mint, coriander and wedges from the remaining lime.
Cauliflower caponata
Caponata is a masterclass in balancing sweet, sour and salty. It's often made with aubergine, which you fry first in lots of olive oil. This buttery cauliflower version is done in the oven and to me is as good as aubergine. It has the texture of a stew and can be eaten warm as an antipasto, as is most common in Italy, on toast or tossed through pasta.
Serves 4
1kg cauliflower, broken into roughly 4cm florets
3 red onions (350g), peeled and cut into eighths
3 sticks of celery, cut into
2cm pieces
extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes
100g stone-in green or
black olives (or a mix), stones removed
3 tbsp capers
50g raisins
20g or a large handful of parsley, leaves picked
1 Preheat the oven to 220C/ 200C fan/gas 7. Put the cauliflower florets, red onions and celery into a large, high-sided baking tray with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp of the white wine vinegar and a little sea salt and black pepper.
Toss the vegetables to coat, then roast them for 25 minutes, or until everything is slightly charred and starting to soften. Turn the oven down to 200C/ 180C fan/gas 6.
2 Remove the dish from the oven and add the plum tomatoes, breaking them with your hands as you do so, along with the olives, capers and raisins.
Give everything a good mix, mashing slightly with a fork, and return the dish to the oven for another 40 minutes, or until everything is soft and sticky.
3 Once ready, and while the mix is still piping hot, add the remaining white wine vinegar and toss through a handful of parsley leaves. Finish with a very generous dousing of extra virgin olive oil to bring it all together and serve.
Cheese and pickle roast potatoes with chilli-dressed leaves
A tray of these for dinner is just about the best thing I can think of to eat - squashed crisp-edged potatoes, tossed and baked in pickle brine to give them a subtle but important chip-shop-vinegar appeal. Once hot and crisped, the potatoes are topped with cornichons and cheese, and finished with a chilli and bitter-lettuce salad.
Pickle brine is often thrown away but it is highly seasoned gold. It is acidic, a little salty and usually a little sweet, so it instantly adds depth, like a splash of vinegar but more mellow.
Serves 4
1kg new potatoes, scrubbed clean
10 cornichons (35g), roughly chopped, plus 100ml of brine from the jar
100ml extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 fresh red chillies
juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
100g comté cheese or vegan mature cheddar-style cheese
1 head of radicchio or other bitter lettuce
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the new potatoes and cook for 10-20 minutes, depending on their size, until they are just cooked. Drain and leave to steam-dry in a colander.
2 Tip the potatoes into a roasting tin, toss them with 50ml of the cornichon brine, 2 tbsp of the olive oil and salt and pepper, then roast for 15 minutes. Remove the tin from the oven and, using a potato masher, squish the potatoes until they crack and expose some of the soft, fluffy insides.
Pour over another 2 tbsp of the olive oil and return to the oven for another 30-40 minutes, turning the potatoes halfway, until golden and crispy.
3 For the chilli dressing, prick the chillies with the tip of a sharp knife to stop them exploding when they are cooked. Using a pair of metal tongs, hold the chillies one at a time over a gas flame until they're blackened and blistered all over.
If you don't have a gas hob, do this in a dry frying pan. Once they are all blistered, put them in a small bowl, cover and leave them for 15 minutes to steam in their own heat so the skins will peel off easily. Once cool enough to handle, peel the chillies, open them up and scrape out and discard all the seeds.
Finely chop the flesh, put it in a mixing bowl with the remaining olive oil and the lemon juice and mix well. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4 Once the potatoes are golden and crisp, add the remaining cornichon brine, then toss with the cornichons and a generous grating of the comté or vegan cheddar-style cheese. Serve with radicchio or other bitter leaves, tossed in the chilli dressing.
Spiced aubergines with cucumber salsa
Cooking aubergines in a good amount of decent olive oil and a little water is an easy route to the most buttery results I have ever tasted.
It's all done in a tray, and you layer the flavours as you cook. The olive oil brings a warm golden richness to the aubergine.
Serves 4
150ml extra virgin oil, plus 2 tbsp
3 medium aubergines (about 750g), trimmed and sliced lengthways into wedges
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and very thinly sliced
small thumb-size piece of ginger (15g), peeled and sliced into thin matchsticks
1 cucumber, peeled and roughly diced
zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
small bunch of mint, leaves picked
pinch of Aleppo/Turkish chilli flakes, plus extra for sprinkling
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 warm flatbreads, to serve
200g greek yogurt (or oat greek yoghurt)
drizzle of pomegranate molasses (or honey)
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/ 160C fan/gas 4. Pour the 150ml extra virgin olive oil into a large, deep roasting tin and put it in the oven to heat.
2 Salt the aubergines generously. Remove the roasting tin, add the cumin, coriander and turmeric, and lay the aubergine wedges in a single layer on top so they sizzle a little. Carefully add 150ml cold water (the oil will spit) and return the dish to, the oven for 15 minutes.
3 Remove the tin from the oven and turn the aubergines, so they cook evenly, then scatter the garlic and ginger around them. Return the tin to the oven for a further 15 minutes, or until the ginger and garlic are lightly golden and cooked.
4 For the cucumber salsa, put the diced cucumber in a bowl with the lemon zest and juice and the 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Roughly chop the mint leaves and stir into the cucumber with a pinch of the chilli flakes. Season to taste with the sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5 Divide the warm flatbreads among 4 plates and spoon over the yogurt and aubergine equally. Add a spoonful of cucumber salsa to each plate. Finish with the drizzle of pomegranate molasses (or honey) and the extra chilli flakes. Serve.
Lemon, green chilli and cheddar tart
This tart is fresh, with the richness of the pastry countered by the zip of lemon, the sweetness of onion and the pep of green chilli. Then it's rounded out with the bite of the cheddar.
You need to use a cold baking tray at the start so the pastry holds its nice layers when it goes into the oven.
Serves 4
1 organic egg, beaten (or a little oat milk)
320g ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry (or vegan pastry)
1 unwaxed lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
150g good-quality mature cheddar or vegan cheddar-style cheese, grated
½ an onion, peeled and very thinly sliced
1 fresh green chilli or jalapeño chilli, finely sliced
small bunch (15g) of parsley and/or coriander, leaves picked
small bunch (15g) of mint, leaves picked
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Beat the egg, if using, in a small bowl or pour in the oat milk. Lay out the pastry on the cold baking tray. Working quickly (to keep it cold), score the pastry to form a rim about 1cm around the edge of the rectangle - this will create the edge of the tart once cooked.
Prick the middle of the base all over with a fork and lightly brush with the beaten egg or oat milk. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
2 As soon as the pastry comes out of the oven, press down on the middle of the base (which will have puffed up a little), flattening it ready for the toppings and leaving a nice risen border around the outside. Turn the oven up to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
3 Slice three-quarters of the lemon, leaving a final quarter for later. Slice it really thinly here, discarding the ends, seeds and any slices that have too much pith as you go. A mandoline can be helpful. Toss the slices in 1 tbsp of the extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.
4 Scatter the grated cheese evenly over the baked pastry base, followed by the sliced onion, the dressed lemon and the sliced chilli. Return the pastry to the oven for 15 minutes and bake until it is deep gold in colour and the cheese is bubbling.
5 Put the parsley and/or coriander leaves and the mint in a small bowl. Add the juice from the remaining lemon quarter and 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Season to taste and toss to ensure the leaves are dressed.
6 Remove the tart from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before serving with the dressed herbs.
Miso banana caramel whip
Imagine banoffee pie but ready in 15 minutes and spooned into a glass like a sundae.
I'm on the fence about bananas but I love them in this caramel. If you are into them, some sliced bananas with a little lemon squeezed over could be a nice addition. Here, miso adds a salty back note that offsets the richness of the banana and caramel. I think miso and banana are one of the best sweet combinations.
Serves 4
2 medium ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
75g soft light brown sugar
1 tbsp white miso paste
200ml organic double cream (or whippable vegan cream)
200g thick greek yogurt (or oat yogurt )
4 ginger nuts or digestive biscuits
2 tbsp white sesame seeds, toasted
a little dark chocolate, grated, to serve (optional)
1 To make the banana caramel, put the mashed bananas and brown sugar into a small pan over a medium heat and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and caramelised and the mixture is thick and glossy.
Stir in the miso paste, remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool.
2 Use a hand-held whisk or stand mixer to whip the cream a little shy of soft peaks, so you are beginning to see the trail of the whisk but before it feels ‘whipped'. It's best to underwhip it slightly, as the yogurt will make it thicker.
Now gently fold in the yogurt, taking care not to mix it too much. Put to one side.
3 To make the sesame crunch topping, crumble the biscuits with your hands into a bowl and add the sesame seeds.
4 To serve, spoon 1 tbsp of the banana caramel into the bottom of each of 4 glasses (or on to 4 plates), then add a layer of the pillowy cream. Repeat the layers, ending with the sesame crunch topping, and finish with a little grated chocolate, if liked.
Sticky shallot pasta
This pasta came from a craving for a rich pappardelle ragù, but mine obviously has to be made with veg, and I wanted it to cook quickly, as I was making it for a weeknight dinner.
Here, shallots cook down to form a super-sweet and rich ragù, backed up by tomato purée, woody herbs and garlic. The sauce tastes like it's taken much more work than it has. If you are cooking for fewer than 4, the ragù will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
Serves 4
8 banana shallots (600g), peeled and finely sliced
75ml olive oil
a knob of butter (optional)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
4 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
a small bunch of woody herbs (1 sprig each of thyme, rosemary and sage)
400g pasta (I like tagliatelle or pappardelle)
100g parmesan cheese, grated, to serve
a small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
1 Peel and finely slice the shallots. If you have one, a mandoline or a food processor with a slicing attachment can be useful here.
2 Add to a cold pan with the oil, a pinch of salt and a knob of butter if you are using it. Cook the shallots slowly over a medium-low heat for 20 minutes until they have softened but not browned.
3 Add the garlic and tomato purée and cook for 5-6 minutes, until the tomato purée is beginning to look sticky and thick. Then add the vinegar and 200ml water. Add a small bunch of woody herbs and cook for another 10 minutes until you have a soft, caramelly ragù.
4 Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, well-salted water for a minute or so less than the packet instructions. You want it just before al dente. Drain it, reserving a mug of pasta water, or use tongs to lift the pasta from the pasta pot into the rag. pan.
5 Remove the woody herbs from the pan and season the ragù with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add enough pasta cooking water to bring it together into a creamy sauce which coats each noodle. If you drained your pasta in a colander rather than using tongs you will need to add a bit more pasta water. Finish in the pan with parmesan. Top with a finely chopped small bunch of parsley.
Lemon, artichoke and butter bean paella
While recognising I am absolutely no expert, I have found paella is best made in a thin-based paella-style pan over a gas flame. Failing that, whatever large shallow (to remove the liquid quickly) sauté pan you have will work, the thinner-based the better.
The rice must be short-grain so it won't dry out when toasted. I have used bomba. I have been told that risotto rice works as well too. Do not stir. The lack of stirring is what gives you the crisp, browned, sticky, chewy layer of ‘socarrat' which is the main reason I eat paella. Don't scrimp on the olive oil - the oil and your generosity with it is what makes this.
Serves 4-6
1.5 litres vegetable stock
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped (keep the trimmings)
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped (keep the trimmings)
good-quality extra virgin olive oil
1 bulb fennel, finely chopped, any herby bits kept for later
1 red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
2 ripe tomatoes, flesh finely chopped, seeds discarded
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped (keep the trimmings)
1 heaped teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1 large pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 50ml warm water
100ml white wine
100ml tomato passata
300g short-grain paella rice (see recipe intro)
700g jar butter beans, drained
400g jar artichokes, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 unwaxed lemon, cut into 8 wedges
a small bunch of parsley (30g), chopped
1 Heat the stock. Put the stock in a pan and add all the trimmings to add some more depth to the stock. You can add a bit more veg here if you have some on hand.
2 Heat about 4 tablespoons of oil in your pan, add the onions, carrot and fennel and sauté for about 10 minutes until really soft and sweet and beginning to brown. Add the red pepper, tomatoes, garlic and paprika and cook for another few minutes. Add the saffron, wine and passata and cook for another few minutes.
3 Add the rice to the pan and stir it well to coat, adding more oil here if you think you need it. Strain the stock. Shuffle the rice into an even layer and add about 800ml of the stock. Simmer hard, no stirring, for 10 minutes, by which time a good amount of the liquid should have been absorbed but it should still feel like there is enough for it to cook for another 10 minutes. If not, add some of the remaining stock. Remember, no stirring.
4 Next, scatter over the butter beans and artichokes and cook, without stirring, for another 8-10 minutes. Again, if the rice looks too dry before it's cooked (check by trying some - it should be just al dente but not too hard or chalky), add a little more stock, but do not stir it in.
5 The key to the crispy bottom (the socarrat) is to let it cook for a while after all the liquid has been absorbed. You should hear a sizzle or an almost rain/popcorn popping-like noise. Leave it for about 30 seconds then turn off the heat - you should begin to see the edges crisp. The thicker the base of the pan you have, the harder this is. If you serve and haven't got a crispy bottom, drizzle a little oil around the edge of the pan and put it back on a high heat for another 5 minutes, or so. Take it off the heat and cover to allow it to rest for 10 minutes then top with lemon wedges, a small bunch of chopped parsley and any fennel fronds.
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These recipes are from Easy Wins by Anna Jones, with photographs by Matt Russell (HarperCollins, £28). To order a copy for £23.80 until 31 March, go to mailshop.co.uk/ books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over £25
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Tomato purée somehow feels a bit old-fashioned, retro and reliable. This laksa-style soup shows it off in all its glory - the dish gains so much depth from it. The deep, savoury tomato is mixed with aromatics and, once it hits the creamy coconut milk, a well-rounded, multi-layered flavour is created.
I use the term ‘laksa' so you know to expect richness, spice and coconut, but this recipe is far from a traditional laksa, which has so many variations all over Southeast Asia. The paste can also be made and frozen in ice-cube trays for later use.
Serves 4
1-3 small Thai red chillies, depending on your tolerance
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 shallots, peeled and chopped into a few chunks
thumb-size piece of ginger, peeled and chopped into 3
15 raw cashew nuts (40g)
1 tbsp sambal oelek or other chilli sauce
2 tbsp coconut oil or other cooking oil
2 tbsp tomato purée
200g dried flat rice noodles
400ml tin coconut milk
3 unwaxed limes
4 lime leaves
H 15g mint (reserve a few
sprigs for garnish)
15g coriander (reserve a few sprigs for garnish)
1 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
sea salt
2 handfuls of freshly podded peas
bunch of asparagus, sliced
few sliced spring onions
200g silken tofu, cut into cubes
1 To make the laksa paste, blend the chillies, garlic, shallots, ginger and cashews in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Add the sambal oelek, coconut oil and tomato purée and blend again until smooth.
2 To cook the rice noodles, fill a large pan with water and bring to the boil. Remove the Emura pan vurdering from the heat, add the noodles and soak them for 6-10 minutes, until tender but still chewy. Drain the noodles and rinse well under cold water, then return to the pan, tossing in a little oil to stop them sticking. Set aside.
3 To make the broth, boil a kettle of water. Heat a large pan over a medium heat, add the laksa paste and fry for a few minutes to cook the tomato purée and the spices.
Once the paste has darkened in colour a little, add the coconut milk along with a tinful (400ml) of boiling water. Add the juice of 2 limes, the lime leaves, half each of the mint leaves, the coriander leaves and the coriander seeds, and season to taste with sea salt.
4 Add the vegetables to the pan and simmer until tender, about 2 minutes.
5 To serve, divide the cooked noodles between 4 bowls, then divide the cubed silken tofu among them. Add the vegetables evenly, then the laksa broth. Finish with the remaining mint, coriander and wedges from the remaining lime.
Cauliflower caponata
Caponata is a masterclass in balancing sweet, sour and salty. It's often made with aubergine, which you fry first in lots of olive oil. This buttery cauliflower version is done in the oven and to me is as good as aubergine. It has the texture of a stew and can be eaten warm as an antipasto, as is most common in Italy, on toast or tossed through pasta.
Serves 4
1kg cauliflower, broken into roughly 4cm florets
3 red onions (350g), peeled and cut into eighths
3 sticks of celery, cut into
2cm pieces
extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes
100g stone-in green or
black olives (or a mix), stones removed
3 tbsp capers
50g raisins
20g or a large handful of parsley, leaves picked
1 Preheat the oven to 220C/ 200C fan/gas 7. Put the cauliflower florets, red onions and celery into a large, high-sided baking tray with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp of the white wine vinegar and a little sea salt and black pepper.
Toss the vegetables to coat, then roast them for 25 minutes, or until everything is slightly charred and starting to soften. Turn the oven down to 200C/ 180C fan/gas 6.
2 Remove the dish from the oven and add the plum tomatoes, breaking them with your hands as you do so, along with the olives, capers and raisins.
Give everything a good mix, mashing slightly with a fork, and return the dish to the oven for another 40 minutes, or until everything is soft and sticky.
3 Once ready, and while the mix is still piping hot, add the remaining white wine vinegar and toss through a handful of parsley leaves. Finish with a very generous dousing of extra virgin olive oil to bring it all together and serve.
Cheese and pickle roast potatoes with chilli-dressed leaves
A tray of these for dinner is just about the best thing I can think of to eat - squashed crisp-edged potatoes, tossed and baked in pickle brine to give them a subtle but important chip-shop-vinegar appeal. Once hot and crisped, the potatoes are topped with cornichons and cheese, and finished with a chilli and bitter-lettuce salad.
Pickle brine is often thrown away but it is highly seasoned gold. It is acidic, a little salty and usually a little sweet, so it instantly adds depth, like a splash of vinegar but more mellow.
Serves 4
1kg new potatoes, scrubbed clean
10 cornichons (35g), roughly chopped, plus 100ml of brine from the jar
100ml extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 fresh red chillies
juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
100g comté cheese or vegan mature cheddar-style cheese
1 head of radicchio or other bitter lettuce
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the new potatoes and cook for 10-20 minutes, depending on their size, until they are just cooked. Drain and leave to steam-dry in a colander.
2 Tip the potatoes into a roasting tin, toss them with 50ml of the cornichon brine, 2 tbsp of the olive oil and salt and pepper, then roast for 15 minutes. Remove the tin from the oven and, using a potato masher, squish the potatoes until they crack and expose some of the soft, fluffy insides.
Pour over another 2 tbsp of the olive oil and return to the oven for another 30-40 minutes, turning the potatoes halfway, until golden and crispy.
3 For the chilli dressing, prick the chillies with the tip of a sharp knife to stop them exploding when they are cooked. Using a pair of metal tongs, hold the chillies one at a time over a gas flame until they're blackened and blistered all over.
If you don't have a gas hob, do this in a dry frying pan. Once they are all blistered, put them in a small bowl, cover and leave them for 15 minutes to steam in their own heat so the skins will peel off easily. Once cool enough to handle, peel the chillies, open them up and scrape out and discard all the seeds.
Finely chop the flesh, put it in a mixing bowl with the remaining olive oil and the lemon juice and mix well. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4 Once the potatoes are golden and crisp, add the remaining cornichon brine, then toss with the cornichons and a generous grating of the comté or vegan cheddar-style cheese. Serve with radicchio or other bitter leaves, tossed in the chilli dressing.
Spiced aubergines with cucumber salsa
Cooking aubergines in a good amount of decent olive oil and a little water is an easy route to the most buttery results I have ever tasted.
It's all done in a tray, and you layer the flavours as you cook. The olive oil brings a warm golden richness to the aubergine.
Serves 4
150ml extra virgin oil, plus 2 tbsp
3 medium aubergines (about 750g), trimmed and sliced lengthways into wedges
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and very thinly sliced
small thumb-size piece of ginger (15g), peeled and sliced into thin matchsticks
1 cucumber, peeled and roughly diced
zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
small bunch of mint, leaves picked
pinch of Aleppo/Turkish chilli flakes, plus extra for sprinkling
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 warm flatbreads, to serve
200g greek yogurt (or oat greek yoghurt)
drizzle of pomegranate molasses (or honey)
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/ 160C fan/gas 4. Pour the 150ml extra virgin olive oil into a large, deep roasting tin and put it in the oven to heat.
2 Salt the aubergines generously. Remove the roasting tin, add the cumin, coriander and turmeric, and lay the aubergine wedges in a single layer on top so they sizzle a little. Carefully add 150ml cold water (the oil will spit) and return the dish to, the oven for 15 minutes.
3 Remove the tin from the oven and turn the aubergines, so they cook evenly, then scatter the garlic and ginger around them. Return the tin to the oven for a further 15 minutes, or until the ginger and garlic are lightly golden and cooked.
4 For the cucumber salsa, put the diced cucumber in a bowl with the lemon zest and juice and the 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Roughly chop the mint leaves and stir into the cucumber with a pinch of the chilli flakes. Season to taste with the sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5 Divide the warm flatbreads among 4 plates and spoon over the yogurt and aubergine equally. Add a spoonful of cucumber salsa to each plate. Finish with the drizzle of pomegranate molasses (or honey) and the extra chilli flakes. Serve.
Lemon, green chilli and cheddar tart
This tart is fresh, with the richness of the pastry countered by the zip of lemon, the sweetness of onion and the pep of green chilli. Then it's rounded out with the bite of the cheddar.
You need to use a cold baking tray at the start so the pastry holds its nice layers when it goes into the oven.
Serves 4
1 organic egg, beaten (or a little oat milk)
320g ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry (or vegan pastry)
1 unwaxed lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
150g good-quality mature cheddar or vegan cheddar-style cheese, grated
½ an onion, peeled and very thinly sliced
1 fresh green chilli or jalapeño chilli, finely sliced
small bunch (15g) of parsley and/or coriander, leaves picked
small bunch (15g) of mint, leaves picked
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Beat the egg, if using, in a small bowl or pour in the oat milk. Lay out the pastry on the cold baking tray. Working quickly (to keep it cold), score the pastry to form a rim about 1cm around the edge of the rectangle - this will create the edge of the tart once cooked.
Prick the middle of the base all over with a fork and lightly brush with the beaten egg or oat milk. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
2 As soon as the pastry comes out of the oven, press down on the middle of the base (which will have puffed up a little), flattening it ready for the toppings and leaving a nice risen border around the outside. Turn the oven up to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
3 Slice three-quarters of the lemon, leaving a final quarter for later. Slice it really thinly here, discarding the ends, seeds and any slices that have too much pith as you go. A mandoline can be helpful. Toss the slices in 1 tbsp of the extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.
4 Scatter the grated cheese evenly over the baked pastry base, followed by the sliced onion, the dressed lemon and the sliced chilli. Return the pastry to the oven for 15 minutes and bake until it is deep gold in colour and the cheese is bubbling.
5 Put the parsley and/or coriander leaves and the mint in a small bowl. Add the juice from the remaining lemon quarter and 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Season to taste and toss to ensure the leaves are dressed.
6 Remove the tart from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before serving with the dressed herbs.
Miso banana caramel whip
Imagine banoffee pie but ready in 15 minutes and spooned into a glass like a sundae.
I'm on the fence about bananas but I love them in this caramel. If you are into them, some sliced bananas with a little lemon squeezed over could be a nice addition. Here, miso adds a salty back note that offsets the richness of the banana and caramel. I think miso and banana are one of the best sweet combinations.
Serves 4
2 medium ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
75g soft light brown sugar
1 tbsp white miso paste
200ml organic double cream (or whippable vegan cream)
200g thick greek yogurt (or oat yogurt )
4 ginger nuts or digestive biscuits
2 tbsp white sesame seeds, toasted
a little dark chocolate, grated, to serve (optional)
1 To make the banana caramel, put the mashed bananas and brown sugar into a small pan over a medium heat and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and caramelised and the mixture is thick and glossy.
Stir in the miso paste, remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool.
2 Use a hand-held whisk or stand mixer to whip the cream a little shy of soft peaks, so you are beginning to see the trail of the whisk but before it feels ‘whipped'. It's best to underwhip it slightly, as the yogurt will make it thicker.
Now gently fold in the yogurt, taking care not to mix it too much. Put to one side.
3 To make the sesame crunch topping, crumble the biscuits with your hands into a bowl and add the sesame seeds.
4 To serve, spoon 1 tbsp of the banana caramel into the bottom of each of 4 glasses (or on to 4 plates), then add a layer of the pillowy cream. Repeat the layers, ending with the sesame crunch topping, and finish with a little grated chocolate, if liked.
Sticky shallot pasta
This pasta came from a craving for a rich pappardelle ragù, but mine obviously has to be made with veg, and I wanted it to cook quickly, as I was making it for a weeknight dinner.
Here, shallots cook down to form a super-sweet and rich ragù, backed up by tomato purée, woody herbs and garlic. The sauce tastes like it's taken much more work than it has. If you are cooking for fewer than 4, the ragù will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
Serves 4
8 banana shallots (600g), peeled and finely sliced
75ml olive oil
a knob of butter (optional)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
4 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
a small bunch of woody herbs (1 sprig each of thyme, rosemary and sage)
400g pasta (I like tagliatelle or pappardelle)
100g parmesan cheese, grated, to serve
a small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
1 Peel and finely slice the shallots. If you have one, a mandoline or a food processor with a slicing attachment can be useful here.
2 Add to a cold pan with the oil, a pinch of salt and a knob of butter if you are using it. Cook the shallots slowly over a medium-low heat for 20 minutes until they have softened but not browned.
3 Add the garlic and tomato purée and cook for 5-6 minutes, until the tomato purée is beginning to look sticky and thick. Then add the vinegar and 200ml water. Add a small bunch of woody herbs and cook for another 10 minutes until you have a soft, caramelly ragù.
4 Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, well-salted water for a minute or so less than the packet instructions. You want it just before al dente. Drain it, reserving a mug of pasta water, or use tongs to lift the pasta from the pasta pot into the rag. pan.
5 Remove the woody herbs from the pan and season the ragù with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add enough pasta cooking water to bring it together into a creamy sauce which coats each noodle. If you drained your pasta in a colander rather than using tongs you will need to add a bit more pasta water. Finish in the pan with parmesan. Top with a finely chopped small bunch of parsley.
Lemon, artichoke and butter bean paella
While recognising I am absolutely no expert, I have found paella is best made in a thin-based paella-style pan over a gas flame. Failing that, whatever large shallow (to remove the liquid quickly) sauté pan you have will work, the thinner-based the better.
The rice must be short-grain so it won't dry out when toasted. I have used bomba. I have been told that risotto rice works as well too. Do not stir. The lack of stirring is what gives you the crisp, browned, sticky, chewy layer of ‘socarrat' which is the main reason I eat paella. Don't scrimp on the olive oil - the oil and your generosity with it is what makes this.
Serves 4-6
1.5 litres vegetable stock
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped (keep the trimmings)
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped (keep the trimmings)
good-quality extra virgin olive oil
1 bulb fennel, finely chopped, any herby bits kept for later
1 red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
2 ripe tomatoes, flesh finely chopped, seeds discarded
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped (keep the trimmings)
1 heaped teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1 large pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 50ml warm water
100ml white wine
100ml tomato passata
300g short-grain paella rice (see recipe intro)
700g jar butter beans, drained
400g jar artichokes, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 unwaxed lemon, cut into 8 wedges
a small bunch of parsley (30g), chopped
1 Heat the stock. Put the stock in a pan and add all the trimmings to add some more depth to the stock. You can add a bit more veg here if you have some on hand.
2 Heat about 4 tablespoons of oil in your pan, add the onions, carrot and fennel and sauté for about 10 minutes until really soft and sweet and beginning to brown. Add the red pepper, tomatoes, garlic and paprika and cook for another few minutes. Add the saffron, wine and passata and cook for another few minutes.
3 Add the rice to the pan and stir it well to coat, adding more oil here if you think you need it. Strain the stock. Shuffle the rice into an even layer and add about 800ml of the stock. Simmer hard, no stirring, for 10 minutes, by which time a good amount of the liquid should have been absorbed but it should still feel like there is enough for it to cook for another 10 minutes. If not, add some of the remaining stock. Remember, no stirring.
4 Next, scatter over the butter beans and artichokes and cook, without stirring, for another 8-10 minutes. Again, if the rice looks too dry before it's cooked (check by trying some - it should be just al dente but not too hard or chalky), add a little more stock, but do not stir it in.
5 The key to the crispy bottom (the socarrat) is to let it cook for a while after all the liquid has been absorbed. You should hear a sizzle or an almost rain/popcorn popping-like noise. Leave it for about 30 seconds then turn off the heat - you should begin to see the edges crisp. The thicker the base of the pan you have, the harder this is. If you serve and haven't got a crispy bottom, drizzle a little oil around the edge of the pan and put it back on a high heat for another 5 minutes, or so. Take it off the heat and cover to allow it to rest for 10 minutes then top with lemon wedges, a small bunch of chopped parsley and any fennel fronds.
Now buy the book
These recipes are from Easy Wins by Anna Jones, with photographs by Matt Russell (HarperCollins, £28). To order a copy for £23.80 until 31 March, go to mailshop.co.uk/ books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over £25
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