Hello Fresh - Food and Recipes Delivered to your Door

I love both cooking and food shopping but today I was introduced to Hello Fresh, a new way to combine both.  Intrigued by the idea of a simpler life, I was ready to give it a go.

Each week Hello Fresh can send you a box of recipes, together with all the ingredients you need to prepare them, straight to your door. They promise that each dish will take less than 30 minutes to prepare.

The concept is brilliant for anyone who usually buys ready meals but would like to cook, if only they had the time to shop and the necessary ingredients at home. Each recipe uses fresh produce from local suppliers and the recipe cards are simple to follow with pictures and instructions to help you along the way. 

Vegetarian Warning  

Currently, Hello Fresh says it offers a vegetarian option in the box but I didn’t receive one so the Vegetarian was unable to fully sample the recipe. He popped out for some quorn instead. I hope they  extend their vegetarian option soon or their healthy speedy recipes may not prove healthy for our relationship.

Baby Asparagus Salad

This evening I tried out the Baby Asparagus Salad with Chicken, Pea shoots and Smoked Paprika.

The balance of flavours was good: the refreshing Greek yoghurt dressing with a hint of parmesan and smoked paprika was exactly what I wanted, having eaten way too many bagels today!

Unfortunately I was let down by the tomatoes and asparagus – neither is in season and both lacked flavour. Having said that, the ingredients used are clearly much healthier than the average ready meal from the local supermarket. The box arrived just as I’d returned home after a busy day. It was like receiving a surprise birthday present – a box of beautifully presented goodies to play around with over the stove and enjoy with a glass of wine.

At £39 for three meals for two people it’s not a bad deal, especially on a busy working week when you just don’t have time to think about shopping and cooking.

http://www.hellofresh.co.uk

Spiced Tomato and Potato Stew: Salmon or Butterbean

Salmon Stew

I was on my way to my mum’s house this evening expecting a night off from cooking and looking forward to a feast. I called on my way to check if I could pick anything up.  It turns out she wasn’t home yet, was exhausted after a stressful day and hadn’t even thought about cooking. I let myself in with the spare key and had a rummage in the fridge. I saw two lightly smoked salmon fillets, tomatoes and a sack of potatoes on the side. A quick trip to the local shop for a few more ingredients and I had everything I needed for this stew. The Vegetarian soon arrived asking what was on the menu. After locating a tin of butterbeans in the cupboard I adapted the recipe for him too (he eats more than the average person so this would normally serve two vegetarians).

Serves: 2 vegetarians, 2 pescatarians

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into thick slices

3 medium tomatoes, skinned and quartered

Juice of half lemon

Handful parsley, chopped

Handful coriander, chopped

Olive oil

P: 2 salmon fillets, skin removed, cut into large chunks

V: 1 tin of butterbeans, drained

In a large pan heat the cayenne pepper, cumin and paprika in a little olive oil for a minute or until fragrant. Add the potatoes, garlic, tomatoes, lemon juice and cover with water (about 2 litres). Bring to the boil, cover and turn down to simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Divide between two pans.

P: Add the salmon to one pan and simmer for 10 minutes.

V: Add the butterbeans to the other pan and simmer for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with coriander and parsley before serving.

Yotam Ottolenghi's Suprise Tatin

Yotam Ottolenghi's Suprise Tatin

Yotam Ottolenghi's Suprise Tatin

Yotam Ottolenghi's cooking never fails to excite me. I look forward to reading his recipes in the Guardian each week and I have used his cookbook ‘Plenty’ for want of a better word, plenty of times!

Ottolenghi inspires me in the kitchen and has helped me be more and more creative with vegetarian food. The Vegetarian of course gives him credit too as he has had the pleasure of eating his dishes along the way.

This savoury Surprise Tatin is another great creation. The tomatoes are oven baked at a low heat giving the dish a sweet but slightly sour taste. I didn’t follow the recipe exactly this time, caramelising the onions separately instead of making a caramel base first. I also added capers for a salty crunch.

Not only does it look great but it tastes delicious too. Today I served it as the vegetarian option at a family party and was surprised to see that all the meat-eaters decided to have a slice  – good job I made double as everyone came back for seconds.

I managed to locate the recipe online and you can view it on the Telegraph website here. The recipe notes that you can use sun-blushed tomatoes but I really would recommend that you oven bake the tomatoes yourself.

Red Lentil Dhal

Red Lentil Dhal

This is a very simple dahl recipe that’s cheap and doesn’t take long to cook. The garam masala adds a delicious sweet taste to the red lentils. Dahl is a great accompaniment to most curries but can be eaten as a main too.

Serves: 2 as a main, 4 as a side

250g red lentils

1tsp turmeric

1 onion, grated

2 garlic cloves, grated

1cm ginger, grated

1tsp chilli flakes

1tsp garam masala

Groundnut oil

Put the lentils and turmeric in a pan and add water to cover with about an inch of water. Season and simmer for about 20 minutes until the lentils are tender. The lentils soak up the water quite quickly so keep an eye on them and add more water if necessary.

Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a pan and cook the onion, garlic and chilli for a few minutes. Add the garam masala, and cook for a minute.

Stir the onion mix into the cooked lentils.

Serve with lemon rice and raita.

Lemon rice

Lemon Rice

Why have plain boiled basmati rice when you can have lemon rice instead?

Lemon rice is a delicious south Indian dish. The lemon zest gives a very refreshing and tangy flavour while the mustard seeds and cardamom pods add fragrance to the rice.

Serves: 2

200g basmati rice

400ml water

1tsp mustard seeds

4 cardamom pods, crushed

Zest of 1 lemon, juice of half

Groundnut oil

1tsp table salt

Heat a little oil in a pan, add the lemon zest, mustard seeds, cardamom pods and cook for a minute or until fragrant.

Stir in the rice, pour over the water and add the salt. Bring to the boil, stir well, turn down the heat and cover tightly. I usually use tin foil, a lid and if it still doesn’t seem secure enough I put weights on top too!

Cook on a low heat for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes.

Serve with a wedge of lemon each.

Aubergine, Pea and Potato Curry with Butter beans or Lamb

Aubergine, Pea and Potato Curry

After a long and exhausting day moving house and driving all over the place, my friend Bert offered this soul-saving, heart-warming dish. It was so delicious and just what we needed; I immediately asked for the recipe.

The best curry is always cooked in advance so that the spices mingle with the food and the flavour is full. This is a mild curry, add more chili if you like it hot.

Serves: 2 Vegetarians, 2 Meat-eaters

4 tbsp sunflower oil or knob of ghee (clarified butter)
4 potatoes, cubed
1 small aubergine, cubed
1 handful peas
1 tsp brown sugar
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
½ tsp fennel
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp chili powder
1 bay leaf

Sea salt

V: 200g pre-cooked butterbeans

M: 200g shoulder of lamb, cubed


Fry the spices in the oil until the mustard seeds start to sputter.
Add the cubes of potato and aubergine and fry for just a few minutes. Divide between two pans.

M: Meanwhile stir-fry the lamb for a few minutes until it browns all over. Add the lamb to one of the pans and just cover with water. Stir in half the sugar and season with salt. Simmer until the lamb is soft and tender (around an hour). Add half the peas for five minutes at the end.

V: Add the butter beans to the other pan. Add enough water to just cover the vegetables and simmer until the vegetables are soft and tender. Add the remaining peas for five minutes at the end.

Serve with chapatti, yoghurt and homemade chutney.

Pasta with a Spanish twist: Manchego cheese or Serrano ham

Pasta with a Spanish Twist

After a long day at work this is a very simple dish to make and a great way of adding a Spanish twist to your evening meal. I absolutely love both Manchego cheese and Serrano ham so will often add both to my bowl.

Serves: 1 vegetarian, 1 meat-eater

Orecchiette (little ears) pasta (Approx 100g per person)

2 handfuls spinach, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 red chili, de-seeded and chopped

Handful pine nuts

¼ juice of lemon

Sea salt and black pepper

Olive oil

V: Shavings of Manchego cheese

M: Slice or two of Serrano ham, torn into strips

Boil the pasta in lots of salted water until al dente (approx 1o minutes). Drain.

Meanwhile, dry pan fry the pine nuts for a few minutes, until golden brown and set aside.

In a separate frying pan, fry the garlic and chili in a glug of olive oil for one minute. Stir in the spinach until it starts to wilt, then season.

Add the drained pasta to the pan, squeeze over the lemon, fold in the pine nuts and mix the ingredients together. Include extra olive oil, sat and black pepper if necessary.

V: Serve with a sprinkle of Manchego cheese

M: Serve with torn Serrano ham

Sea Bass or Aubergine with Olives and Roast Tomatoes

Baked Wild Sea Bass with Potatoes and Tomatoes

The Autumn weather is pretty confusing this year, with sunny days but chilly nights, so here is a light Mediterranean dish that will keep you warm but make you feel that summer isn’t quite over yet. The aubergine takes a little longer to cook so get the vegetarian version of this dish in the oven first.

Serves: 2 vegetarian, 2 pescatarians

6 tomatoes, halved

3 garlic cloves, crushed and sliced

1 slice wholemeal bread, toasted and made into breadcrumbs

Handful basil leaves

Handful parsley, torn

Handful black olives, pitted

1 glass white wine

2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced

Juice of 1 lemon

1-2tsp sugar

Olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

V: 2 small aubergines
P: 1 medium sized wild sea bass, de-scaled and gutted (I usually ask the fishmonger to do this for me.)

Heat the oven to 200 degrees/gas mark 6.

Roast the tomatoes in a little olive oil and seasoning for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile par-boil the potato slices for 8-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Blend the breadcrumbs together with the garlic, a dash of olive oil and seasoning.

Brush two baking trays with olive oil and divide the potato slices between them, layering each with the basil leaves.

V: Slice a few cuts into both sides of the aubergines. Lay the aubergines on the potato and basil. Place half the tomatoes and half the olives around the outside. Pour over half the wine, drizzle with olive oil and scatter half of the garlic breadcrumbs. Place in the oven for 30 minutes. Squeeze over half the lemon juice and bake for a further 10 minutes.

P: Slice a few cuts on one side of the fish. Lay the wild sea bass, cut side up, on the second dish of potato and basil. Place the remaining tomato halves and olives around the outside. Pour over the remaining wine, drizzle with olive oil and scatter the rest of the garlic breadcrumbs. Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Squeeze over half the lemon juice and bake for a further 10 minutes.

Sprinkle each with torn parsley and serve with a simple salad and crusty bread.

Tapas: Albondigas – Spanish Meatballs or Veggieballs

Albondigas (Spanish Meatballs)

Albondigas (Spanish Meatballs)in Tomato Sauce is a very popular dish, usually served as tapas in bars up and down Spain or cooked as a main meal at home. Albondigas are usually accompanied by fresh bread to soak up the tomato sauce.

Serves: 4 Vegetarians, 4 Meat-eaters, as part of tapas

2 slices stale bread, made into breadcrumbs

2 eggs

Handful parsley, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Sea Salt and Black Pepper

1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped

1 small glass of dry white wine

1 tbsp plain flour

Olive oil

1 can chopped tomatoes

V: 150g mixed nuts, finely chopped or crushed using a pestle and mortar

50g baby spinach leaves

150ml vegetable stock

M: 200g lean minced beef

150ml beef or chicken stock

V: Mix the nuts, spinach, half the breadcrumbs, half the parsley, half the garlic, ¼ of the onion and season with salt and black pepper. Form into small balls and dust with flour. Heat a glug of olive oil in a casserole pan and sauté the veggieballs until browned all over.

M: Mix the meat, half the breadcrumbs, half the parsley, half the garlic, ¼ of the onion and season with salt and black pepper. Form into small balls and dust with flour. Heat a glug of olive oil in a casserole pan and sauté the meatballs until browned all over.

Divide the remaining onion between the two pans. When the onion is translucent, add half of the tomatoes and wine to each.

V: Add the vegetable stock to the pan with the veggieballs.

M: Add the chicken/beef to the pan with the meatballs

Season to taste and cook covered over a low heat for 40 minutes. Give the pan a shake or stir every now and then, to stop anything sticking.

Tapas: Tortilla Espanola - Spanish Omelette

Tortilla Espanola

A display of Tapas wouldn’t be complete without a Tortilla - Spanish omelette. A very simple, inexpensive dish made of just potato, egg and onion.

It’s one of those dishes that crosses all regions of Spanish cooking, it can be served hot or cold but most commonly found cold as part of tapas.

The onions and potatoes are slowly cooked together - sweetening the onions and leaving the potatoes with a gentle crunch as you bite through the Tortilla.

Once you have tried this recipe you can start experimenting by adding extra ingredients like peppers or chorizo too.

The most important ingredient in the Tortilla is the eggs so make sure you use the best eggs you can find as this makes a huge difference to the flavour. I always go for free range organic eggs whenever possible.

Serves: 2 as a main dish or 6 as part of tapas

5 free-range organic eggs
Handful baby potatoes, peeled and sliced into discs
1 medium Spanish onion, sliced
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

On a low heat cook the onion and potato together in a little oil. Season and cover with a lid for about 20 minutes, giving it a shake or stir every now and then to make sure nothing sticks to the pan. The potatoes and onion should be cooked but not coloured. Turn off the heat and leave to cool for 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl beat up the eggs and season. Add the cooked onion and potatoes to the eggs and give it a good stir to coat.

Get a clean frying pan very hot on a high heat, add a glug of olive oil, pour in the mixture and turn the heat right down to the lowest setting.
Leave the egg to cook very slowly; it can take up to 20 minutes. Every now and then use a flat edged knife to score the edge of the pan - ensuring the tortilla keeps a round shape.

When the tortilla is almost cooked to the top you can do two things: either use a plate to turn it over and slide back into the pan (this is what the Spanish do but it can get messy!) or place the tortilla under the grill for a minute or two.

Cut the tortilla into wedges and serve warm or cold.

The tortilla should be moist and full of flavour.

Tapas: Butterbean Stew

Butterbean Stew

The soft butterbeans in this Spanish stew accompany a Mediterranean tomato sauce filled with a tantalizing mix of spices. This dish is very easy to make and always popular when part of a tapas feast.

Serves: 2 as a main meal or 6, as part of a tapas dinner.

1 Medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 x 250g can butterbeans
1x 250g chopped tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Fry the onion in a little olive oil until soft, add the garlic for a few minutes and stir in the paprika, cumin and cayenne pepper. Cover the onions with the spices then add the chopped tomatoes and half fill the empty tin with water (adding this to the mix too), bring to boil and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the butterbeans and continue to cook through for a further 5/10 minutes.
I usually cook this dish the day before or a few hours ahead of time to allow the flavours to develop. I then quickly re-heat before serving.

M: If I'm cooking this dish as a main meal and I'm in need of a meat fix, I often separately fry a few slices of chorizo and stir into my portion before serving. 

V: If I'm having chorizo, I sprinkle the Vegetarian's dish with a few cubes of Manchego cheese. 

Tapas - Crispy Aubergine Slices with Honey: Berenjenas con Miel

Berenjenas con Miel

I first tried Berenjenas con Miel during my first week living in Barcelona a few years ago. The Vegetarian and I had spent a gorgeous day on the beach and were slowly walking around town, familiarising ourselves with our new Spanish home, when we found a cute Tapas restaurant off the beaten track on Rambla de Raval. I had never heard of this dish before, and neither of us have much of a sweet tooth, but we were both intrigued to see what it could entail.

The aubergines were crisp and the runny honey drizzled over added a sweet twist, helping this dish stand out amongst the other tapas on the table.

Since that day, whenever I have an evening of tapas, I am sure to make Berenjenes con miel which, always become a favourite amongst my guests too.

Serves 4, as part of tapas

1 aubergine, thinly sliced (use a mandolin if possible)
Plain flour
Corn flour
Table Salt
Runny honey

Table salt
Sunflower oil for deep frying

Lay the aubergine slices on a plate and sprinkle over a little table salt, set aside for about 20 minutes - this will draw out any excess moisture. Use kitchen roll to soak up the moisture.

On a plate sprinkle over a layer of plain flour, then a layer of corn flour and mix together.

Fill a large pan 1/3 full with the sunflower oil and heat until it is piping hot (you can test it’s hot enough by adding a small cube of white bread which should brown within 60 seconds).

Lightly coat each aubergine slices in the flours and give them a shake before placing them into the hot oil. Cook for 1 minutes while the colour turns, scoop out using a skillet or draining spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Cook a handful at a time but don't over-fill the pan. Continue until all are draining.

The aubergine slices will become soggy after just one dip so I give them all a double dip in the oil for no more than 30 seconds to crisp them up. This time try not to pile them on top of each other when draining on the kitchen paper so that they keep their crispness.

When they are crisp and drained, toss them in a bowl and drizzle over the runny honey.

Coca de Trempo – Pepper and Onion Coca

Coca de Trempo

Coca comes from the Balearic Islands: it’s very similar to a slim-line pizza (no cheese!) but served at room temperature and equally delicious. A bread dough topped with traditional Spanish ingredients, makes Coca a great breakfast, lunch, tapas or snack. When I’m on holiday in Mallorca I like to buy a slice from the panaderia (bakery) for brunch to nibble on my long walk down to the beach. There are many different varieties of Coca (both sweet and savoury) and here is a recipe for a simple Coca de Trempo – pepper and onion coca. To mix it up I sometimes add artichoke hearts, olives or anchovies too.

Serves: 4, vegetarians and/or meat-eaters.

For the dough

250g strong plain flour

1 ½ tsp dried yeast

1tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

A pinch of sugar

200ml warm water

A knob of butter, melted

For the topping

1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped

4 tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and chopped

1 large Spanish onion, peeled and chopped

Handful fresh parsley, chopped

Olive oil

Whisk together half of the warm water with the yeast and sugar and leave to stand for about 10 minutes until a frothy head forms.

Mix the flour, salt, yeast mixture, oil and butter, and add a little at a time of the remaining water to make a soft, pliable dough. Knead for 10 minutes and place covered in a bowl in a warm place to rise for an hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees, gas mark 6. 

Meanwhile, mix together the peppers, tomatoes, onions, parsley, a glug of olive oil and season with sea salt to taste.

Roll out the dough to about 5mm thick and curl up the edges to make a border. Place on a greased baking sheet and sprinkle the mixed vegetables over evenly. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Leave to cool and serve at room temperature.