Poor Nigella Lawson - she was criticized for her simplified and cooked Caesar Salad recipe. I don't see a problem with it myself - cooked lettuce isn't anything new and it's certainly a novel way of presenting a salad.
It left me wondering what is wrong with simple recipes? Do we really want to cook like a chef every day? Pfft, sometimes beans on toast is the way forward. Here's a few of Street Food Sat Down's favourite super swift suppers (although sometimes breakfast and lunch too):
It left me wondering what is wrong with simple recipes? Do we really want to cook like a chef every day? Pfft, sometimes beans on toast is the way forward. Here's a few of Street Food Sat Down's favourite super swift suppers (although sometimes breakfast and lunch too):
Pa amb tomaquet or pan con tomate is a simple and delicious snack that I didn't leave in Barcelona. It gets eaten at every meal and as a snack - it's also brilliant if you have a cold as the raw garlic will act as a germ killer.
You will need:
Some kind of baguette, ciabatta or similar in slices for toasting/griddling
Garlic cloves
Tomatoes - cut into easy to handle pieces
Rock salt
Olive oil
Toast the bread and while it's still hot, rub the garlic clove all over the bread as generously as you fancy. Use a slice of tomato to do the same, sprinkle rock salt and drizzle olive oil to taste.
For a lazy lunch or substantial snack, try adding cured meats or cheese and antipasti elements like olives, sundried tomatoes or roasted peppers
You will need:
Some kind of baguette, ciabatta or similar in slices for toasting/griddling
Garlic cloves
Tomatoes - cut into easy to handle pieces
Rock salt
Olive oil
Toast the bread and while it's still hot, rub the garlic clove all over the bread as generously as you fancy. Use a slice of tomato to do the same, sprinkle rock salt and drizzle olive oil to taste.
For a lazy lunch or substantial snack, try adding cured meats or cheese and antipasti elements like olives, sundried tomatoes or roasted peppers
'Gourmet beans' works as a great side dish or chucked onto toast are a fancy but quick alternative to the old favourite beans on toast.
You will need (but can tweak):
Chorizo, bacon or similar
Spring onion, sliced or diced onion
Garlic clove
Can of pulses - haricot vert, butter beans or chickpeas especially
Herb of choice - coriander, thyme or rosemary all work nicely
Passata, canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes chopped
Fry your chorizo or bacon until the fat starts to render nicely, add in your spring onion or onion and soften. Add your garlic clove and then your drained can of pulses before the garlic can catch. Now add your herb of choice and any other seasoning you fancy (I quite often use cumin, dried coriander and fresh coriander) and stir well before adding enough tomato in any format to coat the pulses.
Serve however you like - and the beauty is you can throw in extra vegetables like peppers or aubergines if you fancy.
You will need (but can tweak):
Chorizo, bacon or similar
Spring onion, sliced or diced onion
Garlic clove
Can of pulses - haricot vert, butter beans or chickpeas especially
Herb of choice - coriander, thyme or rosemary all work nicely
Passata, canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes chopped
Fry your chorizo or bacon until the fat starts to render nicely, add in your spring onion or onion and soften. Add your garlic clove and then your drained can of pulses before the garlic can catch. Now add your herb of choice and any other seasoning you fancy (I quite often use cumin, dried coriander and fresh coriander) and stir well before adding enough tomato in any format to coat the pulses.
Serve however you like - and the beauty is you can throw in extra vegetables like peppers or aubergines if you fancy.
Store cupboard minestrone is a favourite in SFSD's South Anglesey HQ. Partially due to it being tasty, partially due to my ability to stockpile. It's also great to take to work - just pop the pasta in at the very last minute or be prepared to add extra water when heating.
You will need:
Oil
1 diced onion (or a leek or a few spring onions, whatever you have)
Clove or two of garlic (if you fancy)
2 cans of chopped tomatoes or passata (Keep a can to measure the water)
1 stock cube (or your preferred alternative)
Pesto (add to taste)
Handful of pasta - either mini soup pasta or just break up spaghetti
Can of your favourite pulses (we like butter beans or cannellini)
Two handfuls of green veg (we use frozen green beans or broad beans)
In a large saucepan/stockpot, fry the onion (or allium of choice) in the oil until soft and add the garlic. Before the garlic colours, add the cans of tomatoes. Use a can to measure and add 4 cans of water and the stock cube.
Add a dash of pesto (you can add more later if you really like it) then bring the liquid to a boil.
Put the pasta and pulses in and cook until tender, add the green veg and heat through.
Serve with a little extra pesto. Extra points for serving it with pan amb tomaquet.
Please share any of your favourite simple recipes or quick standby dinners in the comments below.
You will need:
Oil
1 diced onion (or a leek or a few spring onions, whatever you have)
Clove or two of garlic (if you fancy)
2 cans of chopped tomatoes or passata (Keep a can to measure the water)
1 stock cube (or your preferred alternative)
Pesto (add to taste)
Handful of pasta - either mini soup pasta or just break up spaghetti
Can of your favourite pulses (we like butter beans or cannellini)
Two handfuls of green veg (we use frozen green beans or broad beans)
In a large saucepan/stockpot, fry the onion (or allium of choice) in the oil until soft and add the garlic. Before the garlic colours, add the cans of tomatoes. Use a can to measure and add 4 cans of water and the stock cube.
Add a dash of pesto (you can add more later if you really like it) then bring the liquid to a boil.
Put the pasta and pulses in and cook until tender, add the green veg and heat through.
Serve with a little extra pesto. Extra points for serving it with pan amb tomaquet.
Please share any of your favourite simple recipes or quick standby dinners in the comments below.