Greens inna pan

 If you have a profusion of greens you can't use up in a recipe, or you're just looking for a side dish to increase your intake of greens, this is a delicious option. It goes well as a base for eggs in a brunch or breakfast plate.

Number of portions 2 

Serving size ~244 g

~295 calories per serving

QUICK

Experienced cook 15 minutes

Novice cook 22 minutes

LHSS Score 7.1 / 10

1 bunch greens (8oz) (beet tops, chard, spinach, and turnip greens), stems sliced thin, leaves cut into strips

1 small onion (4oz/115g)

¼ cup vegetable oil (olive, whatever)

Pinch of salt

½ cup stock (chicken, vegetable, whatever)

Juice from ½ lime

OPTIONAL a pinch of red pepper flakes

1. Poach the onion in the oil until it becomes soft. Add the sliced stems (if there are any).
2. Note that any browning at this stage is good - it will add flavour.
3. Once the stems are soft add the leaves and the pinch of salt. Sautée until the leaves wilt, then add the broth. Keep stirring until a quarter of the broth has evaporated.
4. Squeeze over the lime, toss one last time, then serve immediately.

Dahl Makhani (curried bean and lentil dal)

A very flavorful dal, served with savory rice. Excellent on the second day with an egg on top.

2 Tbsps mild oil

1 medium onion (6oz/170g) chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated 

1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and membranes removed, minced (or a pinch of red pepper flakes)

1 ½ tsp garam masala

1 tsp fennel seeds

½ tsp ground cumin 

½ tsp ground coriander 

1 tsp salt 

Ground black pepper

1 can (14oz/398mL) diced tomatoes, with their juices

1 cup uncooked French lentils

19oz/540mL cooked pinto beans, rinsed and drained 

5 cups water or light vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

2 lightly bruised cardamom pods

1 Tbsp lime juice, plus additional lime wedges for serving

Serve with:

Plain yogurt

Chopped fresh cilantro

Lime wedges

1. In a large pot heat the oil and gently cook the onion for about 5 minutes, until just softening.
2. Add the ginger and jalapeño and cook for another minute.
3. Finally include the garlic and cook for about a minute or until fragrant.
4. Stir in the garam masala, fennel seeds, cumin, coriander and salt. Season generously with black pepper. Cook, while stirring, for 1 minute.
5. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring, or until they soften and start to fall apart. 
6. Add the lentils, water or broth, bay leaf and cardamom pods. 
7. Bring to a simmer and continue cooking, uncovered,  until the lentils are tender. Stir occasionally. About 35 minutes or until the beans and lentils are very thoroughly cooked.
8. Add the beans and cook another 10 minutes.
9. Remove the bay leaf. 
10. Either mash roughly with a potato masher or ricer, just enough to thicken the broth OR; transfer 2 cups of the mixture to a blender and process until smooth, being careful to avoid the hot steam escaping from the blender lid. Transfer the blended mixture back to the pot and stir to combine. 
11. Add the lime juice and adjust the seasoning. 
12. Serve in bowls.
13. Pass around the yogurt, chopped cilantro and lime wedges. 

NOTE: Good make-ahead dish, the flavors mellow very nicely. Very good as a lunch with a soft fried egg or a soft poached egg on top.

Onion Flatbread

These make a tasty snack on their own, or go well with hummus. It's tricky to get an even layer of the batter onto the cookie sheet, which is why you'll get gummier parts that might need a bit more time. You should do this only after cutting up the sheet of baked flatbread since the parts that are done will over crisp.

1¾ cups (410g) water 

¼ cup (50g) olive oil + extra for drizzling 

1⅔ cups (200g) flour 

1 tsp salt

2 onions (17oz/500g), sliced thin

⅓ cup (40g) grated parmesan 

2 Tbsps. (20g) cornmeal 

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (or 400?).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the water, flour, olive oil, and salt until the mixture is smooth and forms a fairly liquid batter.
3. Stir in the onions to coat. Let sit for a half hour, up to overnight.
4. SEE NOTE 3 ABOVE Line a baking tray with parchment paper, and pour the batter into the tray, holding back or setting aside the onion (I used a collander). Use a spatula for spreading the batter out evenly.
5. Arrange the onion pieces evenly across the pan.
6. Combine the parmesan and the cornmeal in a small bowl and evenly sprinkle on top.
7. Drizzle a little olive oil on top to give extra flavor and crispness.
8. Bake for 60 to 90 minutes or until golden and crispy on the edges.
9. Serve warm (not hot!), cut into wedges or rectangles.
10. NOTE: if there are any pieces still too squishy, put them back in the oven for 15 minutes or until the desired doneness is achieved.

Potato Leek Soup

This is my favorite potato and leek soup! The flavours are rounded and soothing, a real comfort food for blustery cold days. It's easy to increase for larger groups - I've added the quantities below.

Servings: 12

1/2 cup butter (4oz/114gr)

4 large leeks (24oz/680g), white and light green parts only, roughly chopped (about 5 cups)

3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped into ½-inch pieces

7 cups water or chicken or vegetable broth

2 bay leaves

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

3/4 cup buttermilk (OR yogurt) and 1/4 cup heavy cream (OR just 1 cup heavy cream)

Chives, finely chopped, for serving

1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. 
2. Over low heat add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until soft and wilted. This will take a while but it's important that the alliums don't brown but just poach in the butter.
3. Add the potatoes, water/broth, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft.
4. Fish out the thyme sprig and bay leaves, then purée the soup until smooth. 
5. Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If soup is too thin, simmer until thickened. If it's too thick, add water or stock to thin it out. 
6. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.

Double

228 Grams butter

1.36 Kilograms leeks

6 garlic

1.816 Kilograms potato

3.312 Liters broth

4 bay leaves

6 thyme sprigs

12 Grams salt

4.6 Grams pepper

339 Grams yogurt

119 Grams Cream

Triple

342 Grams butter

2 Kilograms leeks

9 garlic

2724 Grams potato

4.968 Liters broth

6 bay leaves

9 thyme sprigs

18 Grams salt

7 Grams pepper

509 Grams yogurt

179 Grams Cream

Ham and bean soup

A hearty, flavorful soup great to use up leftover ham.

1 lb. dry soup beans (or 2.5lbs canned)
3 Tbsps. oil (leftover fat from the skimming when boiling a ham is choice)
1 onion (6oz/170g) chopped
4 carrots (12oz) chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6-8 cups chicken stock
OPTIONAL: ham bone
(14oz/398mL) diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dry oregano

1 tsp dry basil

1 tsp dry thyme 

a generous pinch of hot pepper flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper, to taste
2 cups (5oz/150g) shredded cabbage or kale
2 to 3 cups (350-400gr) diced cooked ham
1 tsp salt, to taste

1. Soak beans overnight then rinse.
2. In a large soup pot sauté the onion and carrots in the oil for 4-5 minutes or until the onion starts to soften. Add the garlic and sauté one more minute.
3. Add the beans, the chicken stock, the ham bone, the tomatoes, bay leaf, herbs and pepper. NOTE: if using kale, add at this point.
4. Bring to a boil then reduce and simmer, covered lightly, for 90 minutes or until the beans are soft.
5. Add the ham and cabbage (if using) and cook for 15-20 minutes more. Adjust the seasoning. Discard the bay leaf and serve.

Coleslaw with vinaigrette

I really like this salad. It is quite tart when fresh, but mellows wonderfully of the next few days if you don't eat it all in one go. The juices from the carrots and the cabbage leach out and blend with the vinaigrette as the flavours meld over time.

1lbs/455g cabbage (recommended is ½ green cabbage and ½ red cabbage), finely sliced

2 large carrots (6oz/170g) grated

2 scallions, finely sliced (30 to 40g)

¼ cup (60g) Tbsps apple cider or white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp (25g) Dijon mustard

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp pepper

½ cup (100g) good olive oil

1. Prepare all the vegetables and mix in a large bowl.
2. Put the remaining ingredients in a small jar, screw on the lid tightly and shake until emulsified, just a few seconds.
3. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix together thoroughly.

Potato and Daikon Curry

Daikon is an easy winter vegetable to grow and it is great for soil building, so I want to keep it around and find ways of using it for food. I came across this little gem, which is surprisingly tasty. The grated daikon kind of melt into a sauce, showcasing the potato and flavoring the dish.

2 Tbsps. almond meal

1” piece of fresh ginger, grated fine

2-3 hot green chiles, seeded and chopped OR ½ tsp chilli flakes

OPTIONAL: 1+2 Tbsps. cilantro, washed and chopped, in all

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/3 cup water

¼ cup veg oil

½ tsp caraway seed

1 tsp cumin seed

¼ tsp asafoetida powder

1 lb. potato, cut into ¼ inch dice

½ lb. daikon, peeled and shredded

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsps. ground coriander

1 tsp salt

2 tsps. lemon juice (subst. 1 tsp white wine vinegar)

1. Start by making a paste by combining meal, ginger, chilli, optional cilantro, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in the water. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a heavy pan over high heat until almost smoking. Add in the caraway and cumin seed and stir fry, stirring constantly, until they begin to brown, about 20 seconds. 
3. Add in the asafoetida resin, stir fry for a few seconds, and then add diced potatoes. Sir fry for 2-3 minutes. 
4. Add the shredded radish and the paste. Stir fry for another 3-4 minutes. 
5. Reduce heat to medium-high and add the turmeric and coriander. 
6. Continue stir-frying until the potatoes are tender. Add in a few tablespoons of water at a time when the spices begin to stick to the bottom of the pan. 
7. Remove from heat and mix in the remaining chopped cilantro and lemon juice.