The Independent Cook (eBook)

SNACKS & SIDES

GUACAMOLE

INGREDIENTS

1 large ripe tomato

1 lime

3 ripe avocados

1 small red onion

1 chilli (red or green)

Salt and pepper

Handful of coriander (cilantro)

METHOD

1 Finely chop the tomato on a chopping board, then tip it into a mixing bowl.

2 Squeeze the lime to extract as much juice as possible.

3 Carefully halve the avocados and remove the stones, then use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Cut it into rough 1cm (½ inch) cubes, then add to the bowl with the tomato.

4 Pour the lime juice over the avocado to prevent it from going brown.

5 Peel and finely chop the onion and add it to the bowl.

6 Deseed the chilli, chop it into tiny pieces and add it to the mixing bowl. (Do not touch your eyes when doing this and make sure you wash your hands thoroughly once you have finished chopping the chilli.)

7 Mix it all together and add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. If you prefer it less chunky, either mash it with a fork or put it in a blender or food processor and blitz it a little using the pulse button.

8 Chop the coriander and scatter it over the guacamole.

If you’re not serving straight away, cover the dip with cling film (plastic wrap) and chill until needed.

TZATZIKI

INGREDIENTS

200g (7oz) natural Greek yoghurt

½ cucumber

1 garlic clove

3 sprigs of mint

Salt and pepper

METHOD

1 Put the yoghurt into a small bowl.

2 Wash the cucumber and cut it in half lengthways. Scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon, then chop it into small pieces and add it to the yoghurt.

3 Peel and crush the garlic and add it to the bowl.

4 Take the mint leaves off the stalk and chop the leaves finely – discard the stalks. Add the chopped mint to the mixture and stir it gently with a metal spoon.

5 Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6 The dip will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

HUMMUS

INGREDIENTS

1 x 400g (14oz) can of chickpeas

1 garlic clove

1 lemon

5 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra if needed

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons tahini

Salt and pepper

METHOD

1 Pour the chickpeas into a sieve and rinse them with cold water. Save 1 tablespoon of whole chickpeas to garnish the hummus. Put the rest into a food processor.

2 Peel and crush (or finely chop) the garlic and add to the chickpeas in the food processor.

3 Squeeze the juice from the lemon and add it to the food processor.

4 Add the remaining ingredients (except the saved whole chickpeas) and blend together. Keep adding extra oil, a tablespoon at a time, if needed, until you get a smooth paste. You may need to pause the food processor several times and scrape down the sides of the bowl using a spatula or spoon.

5 Taste and add a pinch of salt and pepper if needed.

6 Tip the hummus into a bowl and garnish it with the saved whole chickpeas.

7 The dip will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

You can add extra ingredients to the food processor such as roasted red peppers. It is delicious with hot pitta bread or thin sticks of carrot, cucumber and celery for dipping.

SALSA

INGREDIENTS

200g (7oz) cherry tomatoes

1 garlic clove

½ red onion

1 green or red chilli

1 x jar of roasted red peppers (200g/7oz drained weight)

1 slice of crustless bread

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

METHOD

1 Wash the tomatoes and chop them into halves.

2 Peel and chop the garlic and red onion.

3 Deseed the chilli and chop it into tiny pieces. (Do not touch your eyes when doing this and make sure you wash your hands thoroughly once you have finished chopping the chilli.)

4 Tip the tomatoes, garlic, red onion and chilli into a food processor.

5 Drain the peppers in a sieve, then chop them roughly. Tear up the bread into rough pieces.

6 Add the peppers and bread to the food processor along with the vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend the ingredients by using the pulse button a few times to make a rough purée (it is not meant to be smooth).

7 Tip the salsa into a small bowl, cover it with cling film (plastic wrap) and chill until ready to serve.

If you don’t have a food processor, you can chop everything by hand into very small pieces and leave the bread out.

SAUSAGE ROLLS

INGREDIENTS

1 egg

8 sausages/vegetarian sausages, or 350g (12oz) sausage meat

1 small onion

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon thyme, fresh or dried (optional), plus extra to sprinkle

½ teaspoon caraway seeds (optional), plus extra to sprinkle

Flour, for rolling out pastry

2 x quantity shortcrust pastry (see here) or 1 x quantity rough puff pastry (see here), or 500g (1lb 2oz) shop-bought pastry

METHOD

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 7 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.

2 Crack the egg into a cup and beat it with a fork. If using sausages, remove and discard the skin of the sausages by cutting down the length of the sausage and peeling back the skin. Put the sausage meat in a bowl. Peel and finely chop the onion and add to the bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add half of the beaten egg, as well as the thyme and caraway seeds if using.

3 Lightly sprinkle a work surface with flour and use a rolling pin to roll the pastry into a large rectangle, measuring approximately 40 x 30cm (16 x 12 inches). Cut the pastry in half lengthways to make two smaller rectangles, about 40 x 15cm (16 x 6 inches) each.

4 Mix together the sausage filling with your hands or a fork. Divide the mixture in half and form each half into a 40cm (16 inch) long sausage shape using your hands.

5 Place a long sausage onto a piece of the pastry. Wet the long side with a little bit of cold water and fold the pastry over the sausage meat to make one long sausage roll. ‘Seal’ the pastry properly by pressing the edges together or crimping the edge with your fingers or a fork. Cut into 4 even-sized sausage rolls (or cut them in half again to make 8 little sausage rolls).

6 Repeat step 5 with the remaining sausage and pastry so that you end up with 8 large sausage rolls (or 16 little sausage rolls) in total. Place them onto the baking tray.

7 Cut a slit in the top of the sausage rolls to allow steam to escape. Brush with the remainder of the egg and sprinkle with thyme and caraway seeds if using.

8 Bake the sausage rolls for 25–30 minutes (or 20–25 minutes if you have made 16 smaller rolls), or until the pastry is golden brown.

Instead of thyme and caraway, you could sprinkle them with poppy or sesame seeds, or just leave them plain if you prefer.

Photographed with puff pastry, caraway seeds and thyme

CHEESE STRAWS

INGREDIENTS

75g (2½oz) Cheddar or Parmesan cheese

Flour, for rolling out pastry

500g (1lb 2oz) rough puff pastry (see here) or shop-bought puff pastry

1 egg

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, roughly chopped (optional)

½ teaspoon salt (optional)

1 teaspoon paprika or mustard powder (optional)

METHOD

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. You may need to use two baking trays or cook them in two batches depending on the size of the baking tray.

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