Chickpeas

Chana masala

200g chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked until tender

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 onion roughly chopped
1 tomato roughly chopped
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled & grated
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 inch piece fresh turmeric, peeled & grated
1 green chilli pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon ground chilli
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala
pinch salt
handful of fresh coriander roughly chopped

Pulse the onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, turmeric and chilli pepper together in a food processor into a paste. Gently warm the bay leaves in the olive oil until fragrant add the paste and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the ground chilli, cumin & garam masala. Season with a pinch of salt; tip in the chickpeas and enough water so the mixture makes a sauce that coats the chickpeas. Cook until the chickpeas are heated through, stir in the fresh coriander and serve.

Warm chickpea salad

200g chickpeas.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
12 fresh sage leaves finely shredded
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper to taste
4 handfuls rocket
2 tablespoons basil pesto
4 tablespoons yeast flakes

Soak the chickpeas overnight, strain, rinse tip into a pan cover with water and cook until tender.
Gently heat the olive oil and soften the garlic, tip in the tomatoes, sage, and thyme; increase the heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain the chickpeas and add to the tomato mixture, season with salt and pepper, and continue cooking until the beans are heated through.
Divide the rocket between 4 plates, spoon the chickpeas on top, add a swirl of basil pesto and top with yeast flakes.

Falafel with hummus & red sauerkraut
serves 4
250g chickpeas, soaked in water for 18 hours
4 heaped tablespoons red sauerkraut (or any delicious fermented veg)

Falafel
½ the raw, soaked chickpeas
1 small onion, very finely chopped
1 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 dessertspoon olive oil
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp chopped coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp gram flour
¼ tsp salt

Hummus
½ the raw, soaked chickpeas
1 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tbsp lemon juice
pinch of ground cumin
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp tahini

First make the hummus, cook half the soaked chickpeas until tender.
Strain the chickpeas, reserving about 150ml of the cooking liquid, and place in a food processor with the garlic, lemon juice, cumin, 1½ tbsp of the cooking liquid, salt and tahini. Purée until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more cooking liquid. To make the falafel, place the raw chickpeas in a food processor and pulse until lightly broken. Add the remaining ingredientsand continue pulsing until you have a smooth but distinctly grainy purée.
Gently form the mixture into about 20 small patties, making each roughly the size of a 50p piece. Place on an oiled baking tray and bake in a hot oven. Serve the hot falafel with hummus and sauerkraut.

Wilted greens with chickpeas garlic & thyme

serves 3

150g cooked chickpeas

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 red onions thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic thinly sliced

3 large handfuls of greens shredded (kale, spinach)

1 chilli seeded and chopped

1 dessert spoon thyme chopped

salt, pepper, lime

Cook the onions for 2-3 minutes in the coconut oil add the garlic, chilli, chickpeas & thyme and cook for a further 2 -3 minutes. Add the greens & cook for a further 2 minutes until they wilt. Season with salt, pepper and a splash of lime.

Lentils

Red lentil dahl

serves 4

2 onions diced

2 leeks sliced

3 cloves garlic chopped

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon fresh turmeric grated

1 teaspoon ground cumin

200g red lentils

1 tin chopped tomatoes

500ml vegetable stock

salt pepper

Gently cook the onions, leeks & garlic in coconut oil for 5 mins

Add the ginger, turmeric and cumin and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add the lentils, tomatoes and stock, stir well, season with salt & pepper and cook on a medium low heat for 15/20 minutes, until reduced and thick.

Remove from the heat, cool and refrigerate for 24 hrs

Gently bring to the boil, adding a little water if necessary, cook for 2 minutes and serve with steamed greens

Sprouted lentil, kale & hazelnut salad

serves 4

4 handfuls kale, thick stalks removed and finely shredded

1/2tsp salt

juice of half a lemon

4 handfuls sprouted green lentils

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 finely diced large shallot
2 finely diced cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons hazlenut butter
1 tablespoon tamari
splash of water

1 tablespoon hemp seeds
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds

Massage the kale with the salt for a minute then stir in the lemon juice

Mix together the olive oil, shallots, garlic and cumin and mix into the lentils. Add the kale and divide between 4 bowls.

Mix the hazelnut butter and tamari together with enough water to make a thickish pouring consistency

Top each salad with the hazelnut sauce hemp and sunflower seeds

Aromatic spiced lentils

serves 4

200g brown lentils

1/2 litre veg stock

2 red onions chopped

1" piece of ginger, grated

2 cloves garlic chopped

6 ground cardamom seeds

olive oil.

juice of half a lemon.

handful chopped coriander

Wash lentils well, pop in a pan, cover with water and cook until tender and strain.

Gently heat the olive oil and cook the onion until soft add the ginger, garlic & cardamom seeds. Strain the lentils. Purée 2/3rds of the lentils with enough stock to make a smooth not too thick sauce. Tip in the remaining lentils. Warm through add the lemon juice, stir in coriander and serve with pasta or jacket potato.

Black beans

Black bean salsa

6 tablespoons cooked black beans

2 red chillies

1 clove garlic

1 red pepper, roasted & peeled

1 yellow pepper, roasted & peeled

4 spring onions

2 tomatoes, skinned & seeded

juice of 1 lime

5 tablespoons olive oil

handful coriander

Finely dice the chillies, garlic, peppers, onions and tomatoes.

Mix together the lime and olive oil.

Chop the coriander.

Carefully mix all the ingredients together.

Black bean soup with walnuts

serves 6

1 onion peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 red onions chopped

2 celery stalks chopped

2 carrots chopped

1 small chilli finely diced

150g black beans soaked for 18 hours

1 strip kombu

1l vegetable stock

1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

1 bay leaf

handful chopped parsley

sea salt & black pepper

75g walnut pieces chopped

Cook the onion and garlic in the oil until soft add the remaining vegetables, the well-drained beans and stir well, pour over the stock add the kombu & herbs and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 1 hour or until the beans are soft.

Cool for 10 minutes, remove the kombu then blitz the soup in a food processor until smooth. You can blitz the kombu or remove, finely slice and add to and add to a grain or salad dish.

Return to the pan. Gently reheat, season if necessary, pour into bowls and top with chopped walnuts.

Haricot

Cassoulet

serves 6
300g dried haricot beans
1 piece of kombu seaweed
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 red onions, finely chopped
4 celery sticks chopped
4 cloves garlic chopped
4 carrots chopped
400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
6 sage leaves finely chopped
500g of winter squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks

1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon seed mustard
1 tablespoon tamari
1 large baking potato
extra olive oil
salt & black pepper

Soak the beans overnight, drain, rinse well, cover with cold water, add the kombu and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes, cover tightly and set aside.
Gently cook the onions, celery, garlic and carrots in 3 tablespoons of olive oil until soft, add the tomatoes and herbs.

Drain the beans reserving the liquid and stir into the tomato mixture adding enough of the reserved liquid to make sure the beans are completely immersed in the liquid. Simmer gently for an hour. Toss the squash in 1 tablespoon of olive oil season with cumin, salt and black pepper and roast until tender and crisp.

When the beans are cooked stir in the seed mustard and squash adding liquid as necessary to make the beans really moist, season and turn into a baking dish. Finely slice the potato, season and toss in olive oil. Arrange overlapping on top of the beans and bake in a moderately hot oven for 45 mins or until golden brown.

Pasta e fagioli

200g dried haricots beans

1 piece of kombu

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 stalks of celery, finely sliced
2 carrots, diced
1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, finely diced

½ teaspoon chilli flakes

½ teaspoon dried oregano
200g tinned chopped tomatoes

½ litre vegetable stock
175g small shaped pasta

small bunch parsley
salt and black pepper

Soak the beans in plenty of cold water for about eight hours, then drain and rinse well. Put in a large pan with the kombu cover with water, bring to the boil, skim the top, turn down the heat and cook until tender. Make sure the beans are always covered with water so top up as necessary.

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. gently cook the celery, carrots, onion & garlic, until soft add the chilli flakes and oregano, stir in tomatoes and stock and simmer on a low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.

Blitz half of the beans, with the kombu and some of the cooking water to a thick paste and tip into the tomato mixture. Add the whole beans and enough of the cooking water to make a thick soup.

the soup simmer gently while you cook the pasta in salted boiling water in another pot until al dente, drain and add to the soup with the parsley. Season to taste and serve.

Haricots mash
350g haricots beans
1 piece kombu
2 chopped cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Soak the haricot beans overnight. Drain, rinse well, cover with water, add the kombu and bring to the boil, simmer until tender, checking the liquid level from time to time. Strain, reserving the cooking liquid and process in a food processor with the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and thyme adding any of the reserved juice as required until you have a creamy purée alternatively you can use a masher to mush the beans, season, warm through and serve with wilted greens, salad or whatever you fancy.

Peas

Yellow pea soup with gremolata
250g whole yellow peas
2 teaspoons bicarbonate soda
strip of kombu
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium leeks, sliced
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
2 sliced sticks celery,
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 litre vegetable stock
teaspoon dried thyme
salt and black pepper.

Place the marrowfat peas in a bowl. Mix the bicarbonate of soda with a little hot water and add to the peas along with enough cold water to cover well. Leave to soak for 12 hours.
Strain the peas and rinse thoroughly. Tip into a pan add the kombu and bay leaves, cover with water, bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer until the peas are tender.

Whilst the peas are cooking gently cook the leeks, carrot, celery and garlic in the olive oil until soft, tip in the stock add the thyme and cook for 10 minutes. Strain the peas remove the bay leaves, roughly chop the kombu and add the peas and kombu to the veg and stock. Tip into a processor and blitz until smooth, return to pan, season with salt and black pepper and serve with gremolata

Gremolata

15g dried dulse
zest of 1 lemon
2 rounded tablespoons chopped parsley

Toast the dulse in a frying pan until crisp but be careful not to burn it.
Cool, then crumble & mix with the lemon zest & parsley.

Mushy peas

250g dried marrowfat peas
2 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon salt

Place the marrowfat peas in a bowl cover generously with water
Dissolve the bicarb in a little hot water and tip into the peas. Leave to soak for between 12 - 18 hrs.

Drain the peas and rinse well. Tip into a pan cover with approx. 750ml water and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer until the peas have fully broken down about 30 mins. Add the salt.
If the peas are too runny, reduce the liquid with the lid off; if the peas are too thick add a little water.