Meals for spring evenings
Asian crispy beef, broccoletti with pulses and more fakes
Hello!
I’ve been writing these weekly menu plans for a few weeks now, so some of the same things are starting to crop up. I guess it becomes clear when a particular recipe is a hit or not. If it all gets horribly repetitive I’ll have to - I don’t know - go on a research trip to the Greek Islands or something! There should always be a couple of new recipes or ideas in the mix, cause that’s how I keep things interesting for myself.
I’ve shared a flatbread recipe below that has become a real staple in our house. I even weaned the boys on it. I thought I might as well explain why I always mention spelt.
Ten years or so ago a brilliant gynaecologist suggested that the symptoms of endometriosis I was experiencing might be improved by forgoing wheat. I looked at her in horror as if she were mad. I was working on a food magazine. My job was to eat. But I followed her recommendation and cut it out. I felt better. I also read a book all about the modern hybridisation of wheat and how it may interact with hormones. I reintroduced spelt, an ancient grain with all sorts of good things going for it, not least it hasn’t been modified. I felt fine and have basically carried on in this way ever since.
The best thing about this experience was that it taught me to eat a range of different grains. I remember the doctor saying our Western diet can quite easily lead to toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and pasta for tea. That is a lot of wheat. What about buckwheat, rye, spelt, pulses, quinoa, pearl barley, potatoes and rice? I’m wholly grateful for her intervention and that’s why I mention spelt a lot.
If you’re interested in reading more about the hybridisation of wheat, there is an amazing series on Farmerama called Cereal.
Spring #7
Friday: Broccoletti with pulses
Saturday: Nutty roast chicken, brown rice and greens
Sunday: Leftover chicken salad, jersey royals, asparagus and green beans
Monday: “The quick & easy one” Fakes with feta & olives
Tuesday: Asian crispy beef with noodles
Wednesday: “Another quick & easy” Leftover Asian crispy veg stir fried with leftover chicken
Thursday: Made-up Thai prawn curry with black rice
Find tips for each one below with links to recipes where possible (click the name):
Anna del Conte’s Broccoletti with pulses. If you click on the link it takes you to a sample of the book on Amazon and you can see the full recipe with image there. I used dried Puy lentils and tinned chickpeas and cannellini beans, as Anna suggests, which makes things nice and easy. Using some of the cooking liquor from the puy lentils really adds to the flavour of the dish. I also used a tin of peeled cherry tomatoes (as last week), since tomatoes aren’t super flavoursome at the moment. And I omitted the chilli flakes - adding them to my own dish at the end.
Nutty roast chicken. Since discovering this method for roasting chicken, I haven’t done it any other way. I played with the nut butter mix, blitzing in some lemongrass and galangal paste I had in the cupboard but it’s quite delicious as it is. I add slightly less water than Hugh and sometimes a splosh of wine.
Chicken salad - my new favourite accompaniment is Belazu’s harissa mayonnaise, which went very nicely with this.
I wrote about Fakes from new Greek grandma recipe book Yiayia the other week, and now find myself craving it. The kids quite happily spoon this down too - B doesn’t like feta so has his with a dollop of yogurt instead. It has to be the most economical, simple yet flavoursome meal. Makes me think of Greece too which is a bonus. B was out this week at a friend’s house so as a treat for C I made him flatbread, which we ate warm and buttered with the fakes.
Asian crispy beef - I love frying up minced beef like this. Such a fresh, zingy meal from Jamie Oliver and relatively quick. Super quick if you buy a pack of stir fry veg. I sliced radishes, carrots, cucumber, red pepper and spring onions. I used brown rice noodles, which B was cross about because he has fallen in love with the softer udon style. A good use of my ginger and garlic paste hack.
Slice enough veg to use the next day and it’s great stir fried in sesame oil with rice or noodles again and I had some leftover chicken to use. I just added a little soy, fish sauce and lime.
For a quick made-up Thai prawn curry, I cooked some leftover black rice (not strictly Asian but it works and cooks in 12 minutes from simmering), fried frozen pre-chopped shallots in sesame oil with frozen Thai green herb portions and one of my ginger and garlic blocks. I added chopped mixed mushrooms and cooked them down for a bit. Then spinach, prawns (I used cold water prawns but any type would work) and a tin of coconut milk and bubbled for a minute or two. I then added a splash each of fish sauce, soy sauce and squeezed a bit of lime over the finished bowls.
The delicious hack - quick flatbread
I swear by this Nigel Slater recipe for flatbread. They are not strictly flat (and contain yeast) but they prove in one hour and go with everything. Turkish menemen, soup, fakes, soup, dips, split in half and buttered with honey - you name it. I make mine with stoneground spelt flour - sometimes Bakers Blend - so half half wholegrain and white. The mixture is quite sticky but bear with it. Knock and bash about for five minutes and it will come together.