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2 egg whites
Shortbread biscuits (see below), to serve
1 Place the apple chunks and sugar in a large saucepan with 100ml (3½fl oz) water, cover with a lid and simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes or until the apples are quite soft. Remove the lid and continue to simmer for another 3–4 minutes or until the apples are quite mushy and all the liquid has evaporated.
2 Remove from the heat, allow to cool a little, then whiz in a blender or food processor for a few minutes to make into a purée. Taste the purée to make sure it is sweet enough, adding a little more sugar if needed. It should be slightly sweeter than you want it to be eventually as its flavour will be diluted by the egg whites. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool.
3 When you are ready to serve, whisk the egg whites in a spotlessly clean bowl until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the apple purée. Serve in glass bowls or glasses with the shortbread biscuits on the side.
Shortbread biscuits
MAKES ABOUT 25 BISCUITS VEGETARIAN
150g (5oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
50g (2oz) caster sugar
100g (3½oz) butter, softened
Icing sugar, for dusting (optional)
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4.
2 Place the flour and sugar in a large bowl, rub in the butter then bring the mixture together to form a stiff dough, or just whiz all the ingredients together briefly in a food processor until almost combined.
3 Pat out the dough into a round about 2cm (¾in) thick, then cover with greaseproof paper or cling film and chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes. On a work surface lightly dusted with flour, roll out the dough to about 5mm (¼in) thick and cut into shapes — round, square, rectangular, heart-shaped, whatever takes your fancy. Place carefully on 2 baking sheets (no need to grease or line) and cook in the oven for 6–10 minutes or until pale golden.
4 Take out of the oven and allow to sit on the baking sheets for a few seconds to firm up slightly (don’t leave them any longer or they will stick). Transfer to a wire rack to cool, then dust with icing sugar if eating with the Apple Snow.
Mango and raspberry Bellinis (#ulink_59e466ae-e7d9-50f7-9f0b-af88e3c856d7)
The classic Bellini cocktail — a divine combination of sparkling wine (normally Prosecco) and fresh peach juice — was invented in the 1940s by Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of the celebrated Harry’s Bar in Venice. The cocktail’s particular shade of pink supposedly reminded Cipriani of the colour of the toga worn by a saint in a painting by Renaissance artist Giovanni Bellini-hence the name.
SERVES 6 VEGETARIAN
1 × 750ml bottle of sparkling wine, such as Prosecco or Cava
For the fruit purée
1 mango, peeled, stone removed and flesh chopped
100g (3½0z) fresh or frozen and defrosted raspberries
3 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp caster sugar
6 champagne flutes
1 Place all the ingredients for the fruit purée in a food processor and whiz for 1–2 minutes, then push through a sieve.
2 Mix in a jug or fill glasses with one-third purée and two-thirds sparkling wine, stirring gently to combine. Serve chilled.
VARIATIONS
Mango Bellinis: Purée the flesh of 1 large mango with 3 tablespoons of lime juice and 3 tablespoons of caster sugar, then mix with the sparkling wine, as above.
Raspberry Bellinis: Purée 250g (9oz) fresh or frozen and defrosted raspberries with 5 tablespoons of caster sugar and 5 tablespoons of lemon juice, then mix with the sparkling wine.
Apple and blackberry bread and butter pudding (#ulink_bea50c32-c648-5b90-a665-c99082c8e956)
This is a really comforting, autumnal dessert, delicious with a dollop of whipped cream. It’s also a great excuse to get the family out picking blackberries. These can be substituted with raisins, however, if you prefer.
SERVES 6–8 VEGETARIAN
Butter, for spreading
12 slices of white bread, crusts removed
200g (7oz) cooking apples, such as Bramley
150g (5oz) blackberries
450ml (16fl oz) single or regular cream
225ml (8fl oz) milk
4 eggs
150g (5oz) caster sugar
1 tbsp granulated sugar
Pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)
20 × 25cm (8 × 10in) square, round or oval ovenproof dish
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4.
2 Butter the bread, cut into smaller pieces and arrange 6 in the ovenproof dish, butter side down. Peel and core the cooking apples and cut into 2cm (¾in) chunks. Place the pieces and blackberries in a layer on top of the bread. Then arrange the remaining bread, again butter side down and overlapping if necessary, to cover the fruit.
3 Pour the cream and milk into a saucepan, bring to just under the boil and remove from the heat.
4 While the milk and cream are heating up, whisk together the eggs and caster sugar in a large bowl. Add the hot cream and milk and whisk to combine, then pour this custard over the bread and leave to soak for 10 minutes. Sprinkle the granulated sugar over the top and the cinnamon (if using).
5 Put the dish in a bain-marie (a roasting tin filled with just enough boiled water to come halfway up the side of the dish). Place in the oven and bake for about 1 hour until the top is golden and the centre set.
RACHEL’S TIP
This can be prepared in advance and left in the fridge overnight, uncooked. If making it this way, don’t heat up the milk and cream but add them cold to the whisked eggs and sugar.
MENU IDEAS FOR BRUNCHES AND LUNCHES
Citrus honeyed fruit
Skirt steak with spicy potatoes
Lazy weekend Bloody Mary
*
Spinach soup with rosemary oil
Venison sausage with celeriac purée
Apple snow with shortbread biscuits
*
Clams marinara
Penne with asparagus and Parma ham
Almond meringue with apricot purée
*
Salade Niçoise
Oven-baked courgette tortilla
Polenta, orange and almond cake
CASUAL MEALS (#ulink_f578ece2-8f0e-51c6-b9b8-6acea2a24930)
Sometimes you just want to get together with your friends for no reason in particular. It might be a spontaneous thought, and next thing you know you’re on the phone to all your friends asking if they can come over. Poker night? Movie night? Just because it’s Friday? There are so many reasons just to get a big pot of something on the go. Here you’ll find great ideas for simple but delicious meals that you can serve at any time and to just about anyone — including many which kids love. You won’t find starters here because this is ‘tuck-in’ food. Instead you’ll find plenty of hearty and comforting mains and desserts!
MAIN COURSES (#ulink_0c0658e0-c015-5906-8560-508e14842f2a)
Chilli sin carne (#ulink_ccb39fa3-569c-5de4-906f-cb1dbb32cafb)
This vegetarian chilli is so bursting with flavours that even the most ardent meat lover will be impressed. Make sure to serve it with all the traditional chilli accompaniments, rice, guacamole and tomato salsa, sour cream and tortilla chips.
SERVES 8–10 VEGETARIAN
4 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
8 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
4 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
4 sticks of celery, trimmed and finely chopped
Salt and ground black pepper
2 large red chillies, deseeded and finely diced
2 tsp coriander seeds, ground
2 tsp cumin seeds, ground
200g (7oz) soya mince or TVP (textured vegetable protein), covered in cold water and soaked for 45 minutes
2 × 400g tins of red kidney or pinto beans, drained and rinsed, or 125g (4½oz) dried beans, soaked and cooked (see right)
2 × 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
200ml (7fl oz) vegetable stock
150ml (5fl oz) red wine
3 tbsp chopped coriander, to serve
Large casserole dish or saucepan
1 Pour the olive oil into a large saucepan or casserole dish on a medium-low heat and add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are softened and golden. Stir in the chillies and spices and cook for a further 5 minutes.
2 Add all the remaining ingredients and taste for seasoning. Increase the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until thickened. Scatter with the chopped coriander and serve.
RACHEL’S TIP
To cook dried beans and pulses, soak them overnight in plenty of cold water, enough to cover the beans by a few centimetres, then drain and cook in fresh water until soft. It is best not to add salt to the cooking water as this toughens the beans.
Cooking time varies according to the type of bean and also how old they are:
Chickpeas = 45–75 minutes
Haricot or cannellini beans = 40–60 minutes
Pinto or kidney beans = 45–60 minutes
Note: 1 × 400g tin = 250g (9oz) drained, cooked beans or 125g (4½oz) dried beans.
Sweet potato and chickpea tagine (#ulink_6f2e005b-c3b2-5ab2-8ed3-028d5f783179)
I absolutely adore this vegetarian tagine recipe; it has a spicy, sweet complexity that might be bullied out of the way were any meat added. Chickpeas are better friends with the canning process than any other pulse, though they are also delicious cooked from dry (see tip opposite).
