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  Cook the butternut in the minimum of salted water – use a wide frying pan, spread it out in a single layer, sprinkle with cinnamon, drizzle with honey, and simmer until just tender. Set aside. Blend the stock and cooked Swiss chard in a blender (probably in two batches) until smooth and about as green as lucerne. Heat it. Soften the onion in the oil and butter in a large, deep saucepan, add the rice and nutmeg, toss to coat, then add the hot stock slowly, in small doses, waiting until each dose is absorbed before stirring in another. Don’t hurry the process – be prepared to stand there for about 30 minutes, by which time the rice should be creamy. Carefully fold in the butternut plus any juices left in its pan, then, off the heat, fold in the cheese and salt to taste. Cover with a cloth and leave for a few minutes before ladling into deep bowls or soup plates. Pass the asparagus and pine nuts in separate bowls. Extra parmesan makes a good but optional addition. Serves 6, with a salad.

  Quick Chilli Beans with Corn & Avocado

  This is one of those speedy suppers that doesn’t fall down on flavour despite the haste. You simply mix the ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan, and while they’re in there simmering you open the beans and slice the avocado. Best served on couscous, but brown rice is also good.

  1⁄2–2 red chillies, chopped*

  1 small green pepper, seeded, ribs removed, and diced

  1 × 400 g can chopped tomatoes in juice**

  1–2 cloves garlic, crushed

  30 ml (2 Tbsp) soft brown sugar

  1 small onion, finely chopped

  125 ml (1⁄2 cup) water

  15 ml (1 Tbsp) red wine vinegar

  a large pinch of sea salt

  1 × 400 g can choice-grade butter beans, drained and rinsed

  250 ml (1 cup) cooked corn kernels (use fresh or frozen)

  1 avocado, thinly segmented

  milled black pepper to taste

  To make the sauce you’ll need a large, deep frying pan as the beans get added to it and butter beans are voluptuously plump. Combine the chillies, green pepper, tomatoes, garlic, sugar, onion, water, vinegar and salt in the pan. Stir to mix, bring to the boil, immediately reduce the heat, cover and simmer very gently for about 30 minutes until slightly thickened. Add the beans and the corn and simmer for 5–10 minutes, until very hot. Check seasoning, turn into a heated serving dish, top prettily with the avo (which is not a garnish, it is important to the dish), grind over the pepper and serve. I also like a splosh of yoghurt on the side – it cools the chilli and the colour contrast is pleasing. Serves 4, easily doubled.

  * Chillies differ enormously with regard to heat – it depends on the colour, the size, and whether you add the seeds or not. The amount and type of chilli used here depends on the choice of the cook, so it’s a good idea to swot them up.

  ** These differ slightly in density from cans of whole peeled tomatoes – they are interchangeable, but you might have to adjust the quantity of liquid in the recipe.

  Simply Splendid Vegetable Curry

  This one would feel right at home in the Karoo – simple country cooking, using pumpkin and sweet potatoes and spices and chutney – all adding up to a fragrant supper dish on one of those winter evenings when, if you set foot outside, the air will bite your nose and freeze your fingers off.

  45 ml (3 Tbsp) oil and a pat of butter

  1 large onion, chopped

  3 cloves garlic, chopped

  15 ml (1 Tbsp) finely chopped, peeled root ginger

  30 ml (2 Tbsp) curry powder

  5 ml (1 tsp) each ground cumin and turmeric

  300 g peeled, cubed pumpkin or butternut (peeled weight)*

  300 g peeled, cubed sweet potatoes (peeled weight)

  1 × 410 g can whole tomatoes, chopped, plus juice

  45 ml (3 Tbsp) chutney

  250 ml (1 cup) vegetable stock

  1 fat stick cinnamon

  a handful of chopped parsley

  sea salt to taste

  250–300 g small broccoli florets

  fresh lemon juice

  roasted cashew nuts and garam masala for topping

  Heat the oil and butter in a very large, deep frying pan (about 28 × 7 cm) and sauté the onion, garlic and ginger. Add the spices and cook for a minute, then add the pumpkin (or butternut) and sweet potatoes, and toss to mix with the spices – add a dash of water if the mixture seems dry. Add the remaining ingredients except the broccoli, lemon juice, cashews and garam masala. Stir to mix, then cover and simmer over very low heat for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are nearly cooked. Gently stir in the broccoli and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, but holding their shape and the juices reduced and slightly thickened. Much depends on the size of your pan – you might have to add extra stock – up to 250 ml (1 cup). Add a dash of lemon juice to bring out the flavour, remove the cinnamon, spoon the curry into a large, heated serving dish and top with the nuts and a sprinkling of garam masala. Serves 6.

  * Be sure to use a pumpkin that has firm, bright orange flesh – if yours is pale and watery, put it away – and reach for a butternut instead.

  Roasted Vegetable & Pasta Party Salad

  A magnificent party salad: a medley of vegetables, marinated in oil with fresh herbs, roasted until succulent, then tossed with pasta. It can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Serve mounded on a platter, dotted with black olives and crumbled feta, with a warm flat bread on the side.

  500 g brinjals, cubed and dégorged

  3 large yellow peppers (300 g), seeded, ribs removed, and sliced

  500 g baby marrows, pared and julienned

  250–300 g brown mushrooms, wiped and chunkily chopped

  2–4 slender leeks, wiped and sliced into 4 cm pieces

  100 ml (2⁄5 cup) each olive and canola or sunflower oil

  3 cloves garlic, crushed

  45 ml (3 Tbsp) fresh lemon juice

  5 ml (1 tsp) each sea salt and sugar

  4 large sprigs each fresh rosemary, thyme and marjoram

  250 g broccoli florets

  375 ml (11⁄2 cups) elbow macaroni

  Place the brinjals, yellow peppers, baby marrows, mushrooms and leeks in a very large porcelain baking dish, about 27 × 22 × 7 cm. Mix the oils, garlic, lemon juice, salt and sugar and pour over. Tuck in the herbs and toss to mix everything together, then cover and leave to stand for about 2 hours, tossing when you think of it. Roast, uncovered, at 220 °C for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss to mix, then reduce the temperature to 180 °C and bake for a further 20 minutes or until the vegetables are juicy and tender. Discard the stalks of herbs – most of the leaves will have fallen off, adding their flavour to the juices. Steam the broccoli until just tender, and drain. Cook the pasta, then drain. Mix these with the vegetables and set aside to cool. Garnish as suggested above and serve at room temperature, or refrigerate (in glass) overnight, then garnish just before serving. Serves 8–10.

  Pasta Puttanesca Salad with Basil Oil

  This zesty pasta dish is usually served hot, but it also makes a vibrant salad – great at a summer buffet or patio supper. Puttanesca sauce is a rather strange mixture – plenty of the ubiquitous tomatoes, but with anchovies, chillies and olives making it rather different from most pasta sauces, while the dark, dense basil oil is a personal twist that adds both richness and flavour.

  30 ml (2 Tbsp) olive oil

  1 × 50 g can flat fillets of anchovied sardines, drained and briefly soaked in milk*

  1 bunch of spring onions or 6 baby leeks, sliced

  2 cloves garlic, crushed

  2 × 400 g cans chopped tomatoes in juice

  12 black olives, pitted and slivered

  1–2 fresh chillies, seeded and chopped

  1 large yellow pepper, seeded, ribs removed, and thinly sliced

  a handful of flat-leaf parsley

  a little sea salt and about

  10 ml (2 tsp) sugar**

  250 g fusilli tricolore

  BASIL OIL

  30 g fresh basil l
eaves, washed, dried

  250 ml (1 cup) oil – half olive and half canola or sunflower

  a small pinch each of sugar and salt

  Using a wide-based frying pan, heat the olive oil with the oil from the drained anchovies. Add the spring onions or leeks and garlic and stir for a minute, then add the remaining ingredients, except the pasta. Simmer over low heat, uncovered, stirring often until it has thickened. Taste. If not hot enough, add a sprinkling of crushed dried chillies. Simmer 10 minutes more. Meanwhile, cook the pasta, drain and turn into a large serving dish. Add the sauce, toss to combine well, then stand uncovered to cool – the sauce will gradually be absorbed. Cover and leave for up to 2 hours, or turn into a glass bowl and refrigerate overnight.

  Blend all the basil oil ingredients well – the result will be a dark, strongly flavoured oil, which really adds something special to the salad. Pass round in a jug, to be trickled (sparingly) over each serving. (Can also be refrigerated overnight.) You could also pass a bowl of grated pecorino, which would make the meal really rich and robust. Serves 6.

  * Used for convenience as these cans are readily available.

  ** This might seem like a lot of sugar, but canned tomatoes are tart and really need long, low simmering to mellow them. As the cooking time in this recipe is relatively short, you will need a little extra sweetness.

  Pasta, Bean & Rocket Salad with Pine Nuts

  A bright, succulent mixture of colourful fusilli tossed up with stir-fried vegetables; added substance comes from the borlotti beans, and lots of flavour from the rocket, cheese and nuts. Super for lunch, with a leafy salad and a hunk of flat bread.

  75 ml (5 Tbsp) olive oil

  4–6 spring onions, chopped

  2 cloves garlic, crushed

  1 red pepper, seeded, ribs removed, and julienned

  125 g baby marrows, pared and julienned

  125–250 g button mushrooms, wiped and chunkily chopped

  sea salt and milled black pepper

  15 ml (1 Tbsp) balsamic vinegar

  200 g fusilli tricolore (mixed pasta screws)

  1 × 400 g can borlotti beans, drained and rinsed

  30 g (about 500 ml/2 cups) rocket, torn

  75 ml (5 Tbsp) grated parmesan or pecorino cheese

  45–60 ml (3–4 Tbsp) roasted pine nuts*

  Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the spring onions, garlic, red pepper and baby marrows and stir-fry for a few minutes before adding the mushrooms. Toss until softening, then remove from the stove, season, and add the vinegar. Tip the just-cooked and drained (not rinsed) pasta into a large bowl, add the beans, the stir-fry mixture with all its juices, and the rocket. Toss gently until combined, cool, then cover loosely and leave for an hour or so.** Just before serving, fork in the cheese and check the seasoning. Serve on a big platter, topped with the nuts. Serves 6.

  * The pine nuts are not listed as a garnish as they are an integral part of the salad, but because they’re so expensive you want to see them, and that is why they’re on top. When roasting, do it properly – that is, let them get really nut-brown – it makes a huge difference to the flavour.

  ** This salad should be served at room temperature. If you have to make it in advance, it can be refrigerated (covered) for up to a day, but it will lose out on the fine flavour.

  Pasta Stroganoff

  Also known as Slimmer’s Stroganoff because the sour cream used in traditional stroganoff has been left out, but it’s actually nowhere near a slimming dish – what mix of fried steak in a thick, creamy gravy can possibly be? Nevertheless, it has its virtues: it stretches a little fillet to feed a lot, it’s a change from bolognaise, and the flavour is good. Serve on tagliatelle or fettucine, with a big green salad for a no-frills party dish.

  600 g fillet of beef

  20 ml (4 tsp) Worcestershire sauce

  3–4 cloves garlic, crushed

  2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) dried thyme, crushed

  30 ml (2 Tbsp) oil

  250 g brown mushrooms, wiped and sliced

  1 large bunch of spring onions, chopped

  500 ml (2 cups) low-fat milk

  30 ml (2 Tbsp) tomato paste

  25 ml (5 tsp) soy sauce

  a pinch each of sea salt and sugar

  20 ml (4 tsp) cornflour

  45 ml (3 Tbsp) medium-dry sherry

  Slice the beef across the grain into wafer-thin strips – most easily done if the beef is semi-frozen. Place in a large, shallow dish, add the Worcestershire sauce, garlic and thyme, toss to mix, then cover loosely and leave to stand for 45 minutes. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and stir-fry the steak briefly, until just browned, tossing all the time. Add the mushrooms and spring onions, and keep tossing over medium heat until softening, then turn the heat to very low and add the milk, tomato paste, soy sauce, salt and sugar. Stir to mix, then cover and simmer very gently for 4–5 minutes. Mix the cornflour with the sherry, stir into the pan and allow to boil up, stirring, until the sauce has smoothed out and thickened. Serves 6.

  Pasta with Smoked Salmon, Mushrooms & Cream

  I’m not a fan of smoked foods, but salmon is my downfall. Eat it with pasta in a restaurant, however, and it is often so richly extravagant one would not consider making it at home – not often, anyway. Now this recipe was devised with an eye to scaling the whole lot down – mushrooms to pad it out and milk and cornflour (I blush, I blush) to dilute the cream – and it really works rather well despite the liberties taken.

  500 g button mushrooms, wiped and thinly sliced

  6–8 spring onions, chopped

  250 ml (1 cup) fresh cream

  250 ml (1 cup) milk

  125 ml (1⁄2 cup) off-dry white wine

  30 ml (2 Tbsp) tomato paste

  a little sea salt

  30 ml (2 Tbsp) cornflour

  about 320 g smoked salmon, sliced into thin strips

  400 g pasta screws

  Put the mushrooms and spring onions into a large saucepan. In a separate bowl, stir together the cream, milk, wine, tomato paste, salt and cornflour until smooth, then mix into the mushrooms. Bring to the boil, then simmer, covered, over low heat for about 10 minutes until thick and creamy. Stir in the salmon and heat through. Cook the pasta while the sauce is simmering, then drain and place in a large, heated serving dish. Pour the sauce over the top, toss until combined, and serve immediately with a dressed salad, passing a pepper mill at the table. Serves 6.

  Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes & Butternut

  This pasta dish is a real treat. Only a few ingredients required, and little effort involved, but the result is brilliantly flavoured, colourful, and quite different from most pasta and veg combinations.

  500 g Roma tomatoes, quartered*

  500 g peeled and cubed butternut (prepared weight)

  45 ml (3 Tbsp) olive oil

  5 ml (1 tsp) dried oregano

  5 ml (1 tsp) sea salt

  a sprinkling of light brown sugar

  200–250 g fusilli tricolore or pasta screws

  about 100 ml (2⁄5 cup) walnut pesto, or to taste**

  shaved pecorino or parmesan and toasted pine nuts for serving

  Place the tomatoes and butternut in a baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer – 32 × 25 × 6 cm is just right. Moisten them with the olive oil, and sprinkle with the oregano, salt and sugar. Roast at 200 °C for about 30 minutes – the tomatoes should be wrinkled and the butternut soft. Meanwhile, cook the pasta, drain well, mix in the pesto, then tip into the roasted vegetables in the baking dish and combine everything gently. Top each serving with shaved pecorino cheese and roasted pine nuts, and if you pass a flat bread and some olive oil for dipping, you’ll have a hugely satisfying meal. I also add a bowl of undressed salad leaves – the crunchy freshness is welcome, as the rest of the meal is very generous with oil. Serves 4–6, depending on the amount of pasta and pesto you wish to use.

  * This variety of plum tomato has a deep red colour and is the size and shape of a hen’s eg
g.

  ** See page 27, or use your favourite pesto.

  Saucy Pasta in a Bowl

  There are times when you have a craving for pasta but you have done pasta with pesto, pasta with olives, pasta with garlic and oil and herbs so often that you can taste everything in your head without going near the kitchen. There are times when you just want to put everything into a pot and go away. That’s when this fuss-free dish comes in useful. It’s not a mean or a lean meal – it can’t be, seeing it requires pecorino and pine nuts – but the chunky vegetable sauce is a simple doddle.

  500 g brown mushrooms, wiped and chunkily chopped

  2 onions, finely chopped

  4 cloves garlic, crushed

  400 g baby marrows, pared and diced

  1 large red pepper, seeded, ribs removed, and chopped

  250 ml (1 cup) red wine

  400 ml (13⁄5 cups) vegetable or chicken stock

  10 ml (2 tsp) dried oregano

  5 ml (1 tsp) sea salt

  30 ml (2 Tbsp) each flour and butter

  250 g pasta screws, cooked at the last minute

  grated pecorino, toasted pine nuts and olive oil to accompany

  Put the mushrooms, onions, garlic, baby marrows, red pepper, wine, stock, oregano and salt into a large saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat immediately, stir to mix, then cover and simmer very gently for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft and mingled into a succulent, dark sauce. Mash the flour and butter to a paste and add it in small pats, stirring – you might not need all of it, it depends on how much of the liquid has simmered away – use just enough to thicken the sauce to just coat the pasta. Serve in deep bowls – first the pasta, then a ladleful of sauce, with the cheese, nuts and olive oil passed separately. The end result is hugely satisfying, so no bread required, but an undressed green salad with rocket is good. Serves 6.

  Robust Tomato Sauce with Herbs

  A simple tomato sauce is the starting point for hundreds of pasta dishes and anyone who loves pasta won’t need a recipe for the basic mix of tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil and olive oil. The following recipe, however, takes this mix a step further, with the addition of extra herbs and Italian white beans. Canned tomatoes and dried herbs are often used in these sauces, but fresh ingredients have a very special appeal. I also toss in a few mushrooms because I think they enhance almost everything, and although the result is still a basic tomato sauce, it has a lot more personality and flavour than the simpler version.