Just add watercress: Vibrant summer recipe ideas
FRESH and versatile, this peppery veg is the secret ingredient for vibrant summer meals
Surprise your family or friends with these wonderful, delicious and healthy dishes, all made with watercress
Giant couscous salad with roasted vegetables, feta and watercress
Serves 4
175g (6oz) sweetfire beetroot, cut into wedges
Sweet chilli sauce, to taste
1 red and 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into wedges
1 red onion, cut into wedges
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsps olive oil
100g (3½oz) giant couscous
250ml (9fl oz) hot vegetable stock
200g (7oz) feta cheese cubes
100g (3½oz) bag of watercress
¼ lemon
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6.
Marinate the beetroot in the sweet chilli sauce.
Put the peppers, onion and garlic in a roasting tin and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan, add the couscous, fry for a few minutes then pour in the vegetable stock. Stir occasionally for about 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is plumped up and tender.
Mix in the roasted vegetables and divide between 4 plates. Top with the beetroot wedges, feta and watercress, squeeze over the juice of the lemon and add it to the salad. Serve warm or cold.
Salmon, watercress and Boursin en croute
Serves 8
250g (9oz) filo pastry
75g (3oz) butter, melted
1kg (2lb 3oz) side of salmon fillet
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
150g (5oz) Boursin soft cheese
A small bunch of watercress, chopped
2 tbsps thickening granules
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6.
Take a sheet of filo pastry and brush with the butter. Top with another sheet and brush with butter. Fold the top side down and the bottom up, to make a long, thin rectangle slightly smaller than the salmon. Put on a lined baking tray.
Put the salmon on a lined baking tray, season then sprinkle over the lemon zest and juice. Bake the pastry and salmon for 10 minutes.
Cool the salmon for 15 minutes, using kitchen paper to soak up any juices. Spread the Boursin on top of the fish.
Put a large sheet of baking parchment on to your worktop. Take a sheet of filo pastry, brush with butter and scatter with watercress. Repeat with 3 more sheets of filo pastry.
Upturn the salmon on to the centre of the sheets then sprinkle over the thickening granules and top with the cooked pastry. Wrap the filo around the fish to make a parcel. Turn the parcel over on to a parchment-lined baking tray.
Brush with butter and bake for 25 minutes until golden and piping hot.
Lemon, lamb and pepper kebabs with watercress mayonnaise
Serves 4
100g (3½oz) fat-free natural yoghurt
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp English mustard powder
2 tbsps sun-dried tomato paste
500g (1lb 1½oz) lean lamb leg steaks, cubed
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cubed
16 yellow and red cherry tomatoes
For the watercress mayonnaise:
A generous handful of watercress, plus extra to serve
4 tbsps fat-free natural yoghurt
8 tbsps lemon mayonnaise
4 flatbreads
In a large shallow bowl, mix together the yoghurt, lemon zest and juice, garlic, mustard powder and sun-dried tomato paste. Add the lamb and stir to coat well. Season, cover and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
Preheat the grill to medium. Thread the lamb, pepper cubes and cherry tomatoes on to 8 metal skewers (or wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for 20 minutes), brush with the marinade and grill for 5 minutes on each side or until meat is tender and charring.
Whizz the watercress, yoghurt and mayonnaise together in a processor to combine. Serve alongside the kebabs, flatbreads and extra watercress.
Tuna and watercress Niçoise
Serves 4
200g (7oz) baby new potatoes, sliced
4 eggs
150g (5oz) French beans, trimmed
150g (5oz) asparagus, cut into 3cm (1in) lengths
150g (5oz) sugar snap peas
150g (5oz) baby courgettes, halved
150g (5oz) mixed olives
A bunch of basil leaves, torn
200g (7oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
100g (3½oz) watercress
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tbsps light French dressing
400g (14oz) can of tuna in water, drained
Cook the potatoes in boiling, salted water for 10 minutes until tender. Meanwhile, cook the eggs in boiling water for 8 minutes.
Steam the French beans and asparagus for 2 minutes, add the sugar snap peas and courgettes, then steam for a further 3 minutes.
Put the cooked vegetables into a large bowl then add the olives, basil, tomatoes and watercress.
Drain the eggs, put them under cold, running water, then peel and quarter.
Drain the potatoes and gently stir together with the seasoning and French dressing.
Divide between 4 plates then top with the vegetables, tuna and eggs.
Pan-fried garlic prawns with bruschetta and watercress
Serves 4
16 raw tiger prawns, peeled with tails intact
3 garlic cloves
100ml (3½fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
¹/³ cucumber, peeled and chopped
50g (2oz) watercress, leaves separated
1 tbsp sherry red wine vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
4 slices of sourdough bread
Lemon wedges, to serve
Toss the prawns in a bowl with 1 chopped garlic clove and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season then leave to marinate.
Mix the tomatoes, spring onions, cucumber, watercress, vinegar and sugar with 1 chopped garlic clove and 2 tablespoons of oil then season.
Heat a griddle pan to medium-high. Brush the bread with extra oil, then grill for 1-2 minutes on each side until charred. Rub with the remaining halved garlic clove and keep warm.
Griddle the prawns for 2 minutes on each side until they turn pink. Spoon them over the bread, scatter with the tomato mixture then drizzle with more oil and serve with the lemon wedges.
Watercress pesto tagliatelle with pancetta and pine nuts
Serves 4
200g (7oz) tagliatelle pasta
200g (7oz) pancetta
85g (3oz) bag of watercress
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
25g (1oz) Parmesan cheese, grated
50g (2oz) pine nuts, toasted
4 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water according to the pack instructions. Meanwhile, pan-fry the pancetta in a non-stick pan for 10 minutes until crispy.
Put the watercress and garlic in a food processor then blend for a few seconds until finely chopped. Add half the grated Parmesan, half the pine nuts, the olive oil, lemon juice and sugar. Season well then blend until you have a smooth consistency.
When the pasta is cooked, drain, reserving a cup of the water. Return to the pan and pour over the pesto, using a little pasta water to loosen the sauce if necessary. Stir then divide between 2 bowls.
To serve, top with the pancetta then the rest of the cheese and pine nuts.