Full of goodness: Comforting and healthy home-made food
HOME-made food can be comforting and healthy, as cookery writer Rachel de Thample shows...
Coconut-creamed cavolo nero
Love creamed spinach? You’ll adore this healthy twist on the comfort-food classic.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
400g (14oz) cavolo nero or kale
2 garlic cloves
1 thumb of ginger
½ chilli
1x400g (14oz) tin of coconut milk
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
A handful of cashews
Strip the cavolo nero or kale from its stalks. Chop as finely as you can or just pile it all into a food processor and pulse until it’s finely chopped.
Peel and finely chop the garlic and ginger. Thinly slice the chilli. Set a frying pan over high heat then add the garlic, ginger and chilli with 1 tablespoon of coconut milk.
Stir until the spices are softened.
Add the remaining coconut milk and simmer for 5 minutes or until it’s warmed through.
Swirl in the cavolo nero or kale then simmer for about 5 minutes until it’s tender but still bright green. Season to taste.
Toast the cashews in a frying pan set over a medium heat until golden. Add a pinch of salt then scatter the nuts over the kale before serving.
Roast chicken with cinnamon and cumin rub
Classic roast chicken is jazzed up with a cinnamon, cumin and chilli butter. Halved clementines, roasted alongside, create gorgeous citrussy pan juices that act as an effortless gravy.
Serves: 4-6
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
A 1¾kg (4½lb) chicken
3 tbsps butter
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tsps ground cinnamon
¼ tsp chilli flakes
¼ tsp sea salt
A good pinch of freshly ground pepper
4 clementines
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6. Unwrap the chicken, pat it dry and bring it up to room temperature. Set the butter out to soften.
Toast the cumin seeds in a frying pan over a medium heat until fragrant. Mix the cumin with the cinnamon, chilli flakes, salt and pepper. Fold this mixture through the softened butter.
Lift the skin of the chicken over the breast. Tuck half the spiced butter under the skin so it sits over each chicken breast. Rub the remaining butter all over the outside of the bird.
Halve the clementines and tuck two halves inside the cavity of the bird. Arrange the rest around the chicken. Pop in the oven to roast for 1 hour. Turn the oven off then let the chicken rest and continue to cook in the residual heat for 15 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the oven and rest for 30 minutes before carving. Squeeze the juice from the clementines into the pan juices then warm through and spoon over the chicken as a simple gravy.
Bombay beetroot
Roasted wedges of beetroot are elevated to star quality when glossed with orange dressing and toasted Indian spices.
Serves: 4-6
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
500g (1lb 1¾oz) beetroot
2 tbsps coconut or olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 orange
2 tsps sesame seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsps cumin seeds
¼ tsp chilli flakes
½ tsp turmeric
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6.
Set a large roasting tin on the top shelf to heat up.
Peel the beetroot and cut into 3cm (1¼in) cubes. Toss into the roasting tin with 1 tablespoon of oil and season well. Roast on the top shelf for 25 minutes or until tender and caramelised around the edges.
Zest the orange and set aside. Squeeze 1-2 tablespoons of the orange juice over the beetroot. Pop back in the oven for 2 minutes or until the juice creates a sticky glaze.
Set a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the sesame, coriander, cumin and chilli then lower the heat and toast until just golden. Fold in the turmeric, orange zest and a good pinch each of salt and pepper.
Scatter the spices over the roasted beetroot and finish with an extra squeeze of orange.
Almond cupcakes with melting mango
These are gluten-free, light and airy with a fruity treat in the centre.
Serves: 12
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Butter, for greasing, if using
Flour, for dusting, if using
6 large eggs, separated
250g (8¾oz) icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
Seeds from 1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp extract
½ tsp ground cinnamon
175g (6oz) ground almonds
2 ripe mangoes
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4.
Grease a 12-hole cupcake tin, preferably non-stick, with butter and dust it with flour – or use paper liners.
Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in one large bowl and whites in another big bowl. Beat the yolks with the sugar until smooth, thick and pale. Beat in the vanilla and cinnamon then fold the almonds through.
With a clean whisk or beaters, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Fold them into the egg and almond mixture. Be careful not to over-mix – keep it as light and airy as possible.
Divide the mixture evenly between the tin holes and bake for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cakes comes out clean.
Peel the mangoes, cut the flesh into chunks and blend until smooth in a food processor. Spoon the purée into a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Cook down until the mixture reduces to a fairly thick compote.
Let the cakes cool a little before removing them from the tin. Use a teaspoon to scoop a small hole out of the centre of each cupcake. Spoon a little mango into the centre of each. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Layer the scooped-out bits of cake and any leftover mango with ice cream to make a sundae, or you can freeze both for later use.
Espresso and date brownies
These sugar-free treats are gorgeously gooey and good for you.
Makes: 1 tin of brownies
Preparation time: 25 minutes plus 10 minutes’ soaking and 1-2 hours’ firming
300g (10½oz) dates
100ml (3½fl oz) freshly brewed coffee
2 tsps ground cinnamon
Ground seeds of 5 cardamom pods
1 tbsp vanilla extract or the seeds from 1 pod
150g (5¼oz) walnuts
150g (5¼oz) almonds
De-stone the dates if needed.
Put the dates in a saucepan with the coffee, cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla then soak for 10 minutes.
Place all but a handful of the walnuts in a food processor with all the almonds. Blend until you have a pretty fine powder, add the spiced coffee dates and blend until smooth.
Line a small baking tin with foil or greaseproof paper then spoon the mixture in. You want it about 2-3cm (¾-1¼in) deep. If your tin is too big, use a doubled-over piece of foil or greaseproof paper as a makeshift side for your tin.
Sprinkle the remaining walnuts over the top then press the mixture into the tin. Place a piece of foil or greaseproof paper over the top, smooth over the top and put in the fridge to firm up for 1-2 hours.
Remove from the tin, cut into squares and tuck in. The brownies will keep in a cool place for up to 1 week and also freeze well – just defrost before serving.
Recipes written and devised by Rachel de Thample, food editor for the organic box scheme Abel & Cole – visit abelandcole.co.uk.