Girls' lunch
Carrot and coriander fritters
Beetroot and yogurt salad
Fennel, apple and radish salad
Oranges with olive oil, mint and cayenne
Here's a quick post for a quick, girlie lunch I made last week for KC. A light, vegetarian meal with possibly my favourite winter dessert. Ideal for catching up in the kitchen about the latest cooperative supermarkets or zero waste plans for 2020. You can invite boys if you like, but you might need to give them a plate of chips.
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Carrot and coriander fritters
Serves 2 - 4, as a starter or main, takes 20 minutes
perennial / vegetarian / detox / easy peasy / ready in a jiffy / quietly smug / gluten free / starter / main / on a budget / date night
Fritters are a tasty and reasonably quick way to snazz up a carrot, cauliflower, courgette or broccoli. You could adapt this recipe to any of those vegetables, depending on what you have to hand. If you're using courgette, add an extra spoonful of flour and remove an egg, as there will be much more liquid in the veg. A light meal in themselves, as a starter before a nice dinner, or even as part of a lunch box salad. Munch and enjoy.
* Garlic – 1 clove, crushed
* Egg – 4, beaten
* Buckwheat (or plain) flour – 2 tbsp
* Cumin – 1 tsp
* Ground coriander – 1 tsp
* Ground cayenne – ½ tsp
* Ground turmeric – ½ tsp
* Lime – zest of 1
* Salt – ½ tsp
* Black pepper – a few grinds
* Coriander – A big handful, chopped (with stalks)
* Carrots – 500g finely grated
* Feta (optional) – 50g
* Vegetable or coconut oil – for frying
Combine all the ingredients except the oil in a large bowl. Mix well. Heat a couple of tbsp of oil in a non-stick frying pan on a high heat. Spoon the mixture into the pan, allowing a couple of tablespoons of batter for each fritter. Fry for five minutes, then flip the fritters and cook for a few more. They should be golden brown and crispy on the outside. Serve immediately, with an optional side of hot sauce, for dipping.
Quick beetroot salad
For two, takes 5 minutes
perennial / salad / side / easy peasy / ready in a jiffy / baby / party / nothing fancy / vegetarian / gluten free / detox / on a budget / date night
Beetroot, ah, I love thee. Here's an easy way to serve it. This simple yogurt dressing would also be lovely with cucumber in the summer.
* Cooked beetroot – 1 large
* Natural or greek yogurt – 3 tbsp
* Lime – juice of half
* Olive oil – 1 tbsp
* Sumac – 1 tsp
* Fresh parsley, mint, dill or coriander – a small handful, chopped
Roughly chop the beetroot. Mix the yogurt, lime, olive oil and sumac in a small bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss the beetroot in the dressing and the fresh herbs.
Lambs lettuce, apple and fennel salad
Serves two, takes 5 minutes
winter / spring / salad / side / easy peasy / ready in a jiffy / party / nothing fancy / vegetarian / gluten free / dairy free / detox / date night
Fennel in a salad is always welcome, to me. This is crunchy, sweet and peppery all at once, a reliable go to salad for the colder months.
* Apple – 1, cored and finely sliced
* Fennel – half, finely sliced (preserve the tops and bottom for stock)
* Lambs lettuce – a couple of handfuls
* Radish – a handful, thinly sliced
* Walnuts – a handful, roughly chopped
* Lemon - juice of 1/2
* Extra virgin olive oil - a generous glug
Place the salad ingredients in a large bowl, then toss in the lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Oranges with mint, honey, olive oil and cayenne
Serve 2, takes 5 minutes
winter / dessert / easy peasy / ready in a jiffy / hands free / party / nothing fancy / vegetarian / gluten free / dairy free / detox / on a budget
I first had this many moons ago at a supper hosted by LC. It has since become one of my very favourite light, wintry and instant desserts. Have the oranges on their own or with a spoonful of greek yogurt.
* Oranges - 2
* Olive oil - a drizzle
* Honey - 1 tsp
* Fresh mint or rosemary - a few leaves, finely sliced/chopped
* Cayenne - a pinch
Remove the skin from the oranges with a sharp knife, removing all of the pith along with the peel. Slice the fruit into horizontal slices, about 1cm thick. Remove and discard any excess central pith and seeds. Toss the orange slices with the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Serve immediately, or if you have time, leave to marinate in the fridge for a while.