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INTRODUCTION

Our LEON Happy series of cookbooks is all about nourishing the soul with food that nourishes the body. And making us happy as a result.

The truth is that, for many of us, time is short and when we need something now, like right now, we’re guilty of reaching for food that’s not as good for us: greasy takeaways, sad microwave meals, and someone pass the biscuit tin while you’re at it.

But at LEON, we’ve always believed fast food doesn’t have to be bad food. Since 2004 we’ve been serving up food that tastes good and does you good in double quick time. And now here’s a cookbook that helps you do the same.

We’ve eaten our way around the world, gathering the best fast food recipes as we go, to give you a book of all our favourites made good-for-you. And we’ve played fast and loose with the definition of fast food: yes you’ve got burgers and fries and wraps, but you’ve also got food that you can make fast (and that’ll make you happy) like pastas and salads and ice creams. Because every meal deserves to be an adventure in flavour, we’ve got the classics and we’ve got a few surprises: a Courgette, Walnut & Mint ‘Cheese’ Toastie, a Paneer & Beetroot Wrap, and Roast Garlic Hummus.

Let’s celebrate food that’s colourful, delicious and full of micronutrients. And fast.

Rebecca, Jack and John

LOSE THE PLASTIC

Sustainability is important to us at LEON, and we are always looking for ways to cut down waste and recycle more – we recently launched a programme to recycle coffee cups (as well as selling reusable ones). Rebecca, who co-authored this book, and her husband became equally obsessed after watching a documentary about plastic, and this book marks the first (of her eight cookbooks) written using as little plastic packaging as possible.

The process was a long way from perfect – there are plenty of things, like ready-made breadcrumbs or frozen peas, which you just can’t get without plastic – but we have cut waste by buying loose wherever possible. While it seemed difficult at first, we all feel that it is really important to do our bit, and have some suggestions for how you can too. Remember, every change, however small, can make a difference:

• Get a load of tough, lidded tubs and use permanent ink to mark the tops and bottoms so you can always match lids to tubs. Then, carry some with you to fill up, along with a reusable shopping bag.

• Find a packaging-free shop and visit every week or two. Rebecca would take her tubs and bulk-buy dried goods like rice, flours, breakfast cereals, lentils and pasta, plus oils, vinegars and soy sauce, rinse aid and washing up liquid.

• Stick a white board to the fridge and make weekly shopping lists, rather than buying what you need from expensive express supermarkets every day.

• Although some are catching up and moving to loose, avoiding supermarkets when buying meat, fish, vegetables and cheese helps you to cut down on packaging as you can take your own boxes to the local butcher or greengrocer. Perhaps the best bit of this it that it allows you to reconnect with your local high street and the people who work there. We found that we also ended up buying smaller quantities of things rather than being forced into buying big plastic trays of a fixed size.

STORECUPBOARD

HERBS & SPICES

dried oregano

cumin

coriander

nigella

nutmeg

allspice

Chinese 5-spice

cinnamon sumac

chilli powder & chilli flakes

paprika & smoked paprika

red pepper flakes

cayenne pepper

turmeric

garlic & onion powders

fennel seeds

FREEZER

burger buns

flatbreads & wraps

good-quality naan

English muffins

peas

swee tcorn

edamame

mixed berries

fish fingers

fries

FRIDGE

capers in brine

burger pickles

Indian pickles & chutneys

ho t sauces

chipo tle paste

harissa

butter or vegan butter

milk or plant-based milk

yoghurt

Cheddar

fe ta

paneer

parmesan

American mustard

English mustard

Dijon mustard

tofu

mayo

FRESH

sourdough bread

eggs

red & white onions

spring onions

garlic

ginger

chillies

fennel

bee troo t

cabbage

carro ts

tomatoes

cucumber

radishes

crisp le ttuce

soft salad leaves

fresh herbs (in po ts if possible)

avocado

pomegranate

unwaxed citrus fruit

fresh fruit

CUPBOARD

neutral cooking oil (like rapeseed)

extra-virgin olive oil

black pepper & flaky sea salt

rice vinegar

red wine vinegar

apple cider vinegar

sherry vinegar

canned black beans

canned chickpeas

canned kidney beans

lentils

passata

ke tchup

soy sauce

tahini

curry pastes

good-quality pasta

sushi rice

black rice

basmati

jasmine rice

quinoa

ready-made breadcrumbs

plain/gluten-free flour

chickpea flour

oats

ground almonds

crispy fried onions

nut & seeds

dried wakame & hijiki seaweeds

canned unripe green jackfruit

agave syrup

honey

dark chocolate

A super simple beef burger

Love at-home vegan burger

Thai-spiced sweetcorn burger

Spiced lamb burger

Leon’s chicken burger

Beetroot, carrot & onion bhaji burgers

Stuffed mushroom burgers

Steak burrito

Falafel & harissa wraps

Sabich

Chicken shawarma

Gozleme

Paneer & beetroot wrap

Lamb souvlaki with tzatziki

Harissa chicken kebabs with herby yoghurt & pomegranate

Spiced cauliflower naan

Cajun-style fish wrap with slaw

Asian fish finger wrap

Crab & fennel sandwich

Smoked mackerel sandwich with pickles & chives

Baked meatball sub

Bragg’s fried sweetheart cabbage sandwich

Leftover turkey sandwich with homemade cranberry sauce & brie

Banh mi

Sardine bocadillos

Black bean tacos

How to build a tasty taco

Spiced lamb flatbreads

Super fast pizza

Crispy cavolo nero & tenderstem wrap

Grilled ‘cheeses’

Courgette, walnut & mint

Fontina, sage & prosciutto

Feta, honey & almond

ComtÉ, thyme & caramelized onion

Leon bacon & egg muffin

Huevos rancheros

Nell’s jazzy beans

A SUPER SIMPLE BEEF BURGER

We did a lot of (onerous, back-breaking) research, trying to figure out how to make the kind of burger you get in posh burger restaurants, at home. But in the end, we realized: you can make brilliant burgers with nothing but beef. No breadcrumbs. No herbs. No egg. No onion. (Which is not how we’d been making them at home. Oops.) Have a go. We think you will see what we mean.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINS * COOK TIME: 5–10 MINS

DF | NF | SoF

FOR THE BURGERS:

500g very good-quality minced beef (not low fat)

a little sunflower or rapeseed oil (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO SERVE:

4 large or 8 smaller burger buns, split and warmed or toasted

Mayo (of your choice), Carolina Mustard Mayo or LEON Burger Sauce, or all three

shredded or whole crisp lettuce leaves

slices of beef tomato

burger relish or Thom’s BBQ Sauce

Burger Pickles, sliced

Crispy Baked Fries and Slaw, to serve

Before cooking the burgers, get all your fillings and sides ready.

Divide the minced beef into four or eight equal portions, depending on the size of your buns. Shape into patties about 1.5cm thick, working the meat as little as possible – overworking the mince makes burgers which are tight and bouncy in texture, rather than juicy. Press a dimple into the centre of each one, which will help the meat keep its burger shape, rather than doming into a meatball during cooking.

Just before cooking, season each burger generously with salt and pepper (don’t add salt to the mince before shaping). You can barbecue, griddle or pan-fry the burgers. If you are using supermarket mince, cook the burgers until well done. Only cook burgers rare or medium if the meat has been freshly minced by a butcher you trust.

Cook the burgers briskly over a high heat, with a little oil if using a pan, until done to your liking (about 2 minutes on each side, for us), turning so that both sides are deep brown. Don’t press them with the spatula as that squashes out the lovely juices. Remove the patties from the heat and allow to rest for a couple of minutes.

Meanwhile, start building the burgers: lay your warmed or toasted burger buns out, place some mayo or burger sauce on each bottom half, then add some lettuce and a slice of tomato. Top this with a rested burger, relish or bbq sauce and pickles, and the top of the bun. Serve with fries and slaw.

LOVE AT-HOME VEGAN BURGER

A make-at-home version of our much-loved vegan LoVe burger. This version uses tofu, which isn’t in our restaurant recipe but works to bind the burgers for pan-frying, along with chickpea flour, walnuts and flaxseeds.

SERVES 6 (UNLESS STACKING DOUBLES!)

PREP TIME: 20 MINS * COOK TIME: 40 MINS

DF | V | Ve

225g extra-firm tofu

2–3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 raw beetroot (about 100g), peeled and finely grated

1 onion, very finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds/linseeds

15g walnuts, ground to a sandy texture

3½ tablespoons panko breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons cooked black rice (optional)

2 tablespoons chickpea flour

1 tablespoon soy sauce

½ teaspoon Marmite

½ teaspoon vegan gravy powder

TO SERVE:

6 vegan burger buns, split and warmed or toasted

Vegan Mayo or Vegan Carolina Mustard Mayo

Burger Pickles, sliced into rounds

1 large ripe tomato, sliced into 6 rounds

6 vegan American-cheese-style slices

6 Cos lettuce leaves

burger relish or Thom’s BBQ Sauce

Crispy Baked Fries, to serve

Wrap the tofu in a clean tea towel and gently squeeze out some of the excess liquid, then place it on a plate and put another plate on top, to squeeze out some more. Place a wide frying pan over a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. When hot, add the beetroot and onion. Cook, stirring often, for about 6–8 minutes. At this point, the vegetables may start to caramelize – turn the heat down to stop them scorching and cook for a further 6 minutes, until the beetroot has darkened and the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring.

Meanwhile, mix the ground flaxseeds with 2 tablespoons of water and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Whizz the tofu in a food processor until it becomes the texture of soft pâté. Place it in a bowl with the walnuts, soaked flaxseeds, breadcrumbs, rice, if using, chickpea flour, soy sauce, Marmite and gravy powder. When the vegetables in the pan are done, tip them into the bowl, then mix everything together thoroughly.

To cook, wipe out the frying pan, set it over a medium heat and add a tablespoon of oil. When hot, divide the mixture into six and shape into patties, about 1½cm thick. Cook in the hot oil for about 4–5 minutes, until deep golden on the bottom. You might have to do this in batches. Don’t move them around too much as they are fragile at this point. Once browned, carefully flip over and cook the other sides.

Assemble each burger in this order: warmed bun base, mayo, pickles, tomato, lettuce, burger, cheese. Spread some burger relish or sauce on the top half of the bun, then rest it on the cheese. Serve with baked fries.

Don’t be tempted to make thicker patties, as they will be squidgy, and not in a good way. The cooked burgers can be frozen for up to a month.

THAI-SPICED SWEETCORN BURGER

Here we are stealing the spices (and most of the ingredients, in truth) from Thai fish cakes but making them into vegan sweetcorn burgers.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 15 MINS * COOK TIME: 15 MINS

DF | V | SoF

FOR THE BURGERS:

125g frozen sweetcorn kernels

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1½ tablespoons Thai red curry paste

6 fresh lime leaves, very finely chopped

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

50g green beans, in ½cm pieces

1 teaspoon finely chopped red chilli

50g chickpea flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice

neutral cooking oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO SERVE:

thinly sliced cucumber

1 small carrot, sliced into thin matchsticks

1 teaspoon finely chopped red chilli

1 small shallot, as finely sliced as possible

freshly squeezed lime juice

a generous pinch of caster sugar

mayo or kewpie mayo

4 burger buns, split and toasted

1 tablespoon chopped unroasted peanuts

sweet chilli sauce or Sriracha

a small bunch of fresh coriander

crisp lettuce, chopped

Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the sweetcorn, bring back to the boil, then drain. Set aside about a third of the sweetcorn in a bowl and put the remainder into a food processor. Add the cumin, curry paste and lime leaves and blitz, scraping down the sides once or twice, to form a paste.

Add the spring onions, coriander, green beans and chilli to the sweetcorn bowl and mix, then add the sweetcorn paste into the bowl. Add the chickpea flour, baking powder, lime juice and 2 tablespoons of water. Season well and mix together into a thick batter that drops off a spoon, adding a dash more water if needed.

Pour about 1½ tablespoons of oil into a wide frying pan over a medium-low heat. When shimmering hot, cook a nugget of the batter for a minute or two on each side. Taste to check the seasoning and heat level.

Divide the mix into four patties, each about 10cm across. Add two to the hot pan, then cook for 3–4 minutes, until deep golden on the bottom – turn the heat to low if they are browning any faster. Carefully flip them over and cook the other side until deep golden, about 3 minutes. Remove, keep warm and repeat to cook the remaining two burgers, adding more oil as needed.

Place the cucumber, carrot, chilli, shallot, lime juice and sugar into a small bowl and toss together.

Spread a little mayo or kewpie on the bottom of each bun, then add a quarter of the dressed veg and a pinch of the chopped nuts. Add a patty, then drizzle over a little sweet chilli sauce or Sriracha. Finish with coriander, lettuce leaves and the bun tops.

SPICED LAMB BURGER

We’ve nicked the spicing from Eastern Mediterranean-style kofte, and made them into a tasty burger instead. If you love the lamb kofte we sometimes have on the menu, then look out for the full recipe in our 2017 book, ‘Fast & Free’.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 20 MINS * COOK TIME: 15 MINS

NF | SoF

olive or vegetable oil

½ small onion, very finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, crushed

600g good-quality minced lamb (choose one that contains more than 10% fat)

1 slice of bread, crusts removed if crunchy, soaked in water or milk for 5 minutes, then liquid squeezed out

1 teaspoon tomato purée

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon paprika (optional)

a generous pinch of sumac (optional)

½–1 teaspoon dried red chilli flakes

1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill or ¼ teaspoon dried dill

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO SERVE:

your choice of a smear of harissa or burger relish, Pink Pickled Onions, crumbled feta cheese, Tzatziki, cucumber, finely sliced chopped tomatoes or crisp lettuce

4 burger buns, split and warmed or toasted

Pour a splash of oil into a wide frying pan set over a medium heat. When hot, add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, for about 6–8 minutes, or until the onion is just beginning to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Tip the lamb into a large bowl and add the onion and garlic. Crumble the bread into the bowl. Add the tomato purée, oregano, ground spices, chilli flakes, dill, parsley, ½ teaspoon of salt and a liberal dusting of black pepper. Mix everything together well, but don’t be too vigorous, otherwise the burgers will lose their meaty texture.

Wipe out the frying pan and add a little more oil, swirling it about to coat the base. Place over a medium heat to warm up. Take out a little nugget of the burger mix and fry until cooked through. Taste and add more seasoning, herbs or chilli flakes, if needed. Divide the lamb mixture into four, then shape into patties, each about 2cm thick and about 10cm across. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until the bottoms of the burgers are thoroughly browned. (Try not to move the burgers around too much, and don’t press them with a spatula as this squeezes out their delicious juices.)

Gently turn the burgers over. Cook for a further 4 minutes, or until the burgers are dark brown on the bottom, and just cooked through. If possible, let the burgers rest, out of the pan, for a couple of minutes before you serve.

Assemble the burgers, bottom bun half first, then whichever combo of garnishes you like, but in this order: harissa and/or relish, pickled onions, burger, feta and/or tzatziki, cucumber, tomato, top bun half. Eat immediately.

You can make the burgers and freeze them raw, separated by pieces of greaseproof paper. Defrost thoroughly before cooking.

LEON’S CHICKEN BURGER

If you love our grilled chicken burger, we hope you will love this version, too. To change things up, head to where we’ve collected our favourite meaty rubs (Cajun Rub, Tandoori Rub, Lebanese 7-spice Rub and Ras El Hanout Rub), and then look at sauces to complement each one (see Sauces).

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 5 MINS * COOK TIME: 15 MINS

DF | NF | SoF

neutral cooking oil

4 boneless chicken thighs

4 burger buns, split and warmed or toasted

LEON Tarragon Mayo

12 slices of fresh cucumber or sliced Burger Pickles

1 beef tomato, sliced into 4 rounds

a big handful of rocket

salt and freshly ground black pepper

your favourite sides, to serve

Remove the skin from the chicken if you like. Place a wide frying pan over a medium heat and add a splash of oil. Season the thighs generously all over with salt and pepper. If they are very thick, make a few deep cuts into the thicker parts with a sharp knife, to help speed up the cooking. Place the meat in the hot pan. Cook, turning often, for up to 15 minutes, until browned all over and cooked through. Check by piercing a thick piece, the meat should be cooked through – with no pink remaining, and the juices should run clear. Cover the pan with a lid to hurry things along, if necessary, but don’t let the meat burn.

Lay the burger buns out in front of you. Place a dollop of tarragon mayo on each half, then place three slices of cucumber or burger pickles on the bottom bun halves, then a slice of tomato, then some rocket. Pop the chicken on top, then finish with the tops of the buns.

Eat immediately, with your favourite sides.

The Avocado and Butter Lettuce salad is the perfect side for this burger.

BEETROOT, CARROT & ONION BHAJI BURGERS

These are insane. A rainbow of good-for-you vegetables in a delicious chickpea batter, spiked with chilli and nigella seeds. Be sure to get really good-quality, fresh fluffy naan. If you can’t get good ones, use regular burger buns.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 25 MINS * COOK TIME: 20 MINS

V | NF | SoF

vegetable oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

4 curry leaves, crumbled

1 large onion, very finely sliced

2 carrots (100g), peeled and finely sliced into thin matchsticks

1 medium-sized beetroot, peeled and finely sliced into thin matchsticks

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

1 teaspoon finely chopped deseeded red or green chilli

½ teaspoon nigella seeds

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

150g chickpea flour

25g rice flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO SERVE:

8 mini naan, or cut up a large naan or 8 burger buns

Indian pickles or chutney

8 tablespoons Garlic Yoghurt (optional)

thinly sliced cucumber

pomegranate seeds

Pour a tablespoon of oil into a small pan over a medium heat and add the mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add the cumin seeds and curry leaves. Cook for 1 minute, making sure the cumin doesn’t burn. Remove from the heat and scrape the pan out into a large bowl. Add the onion, carrots, beetroot, coriander, chilli, nigella seeds, lime juice and turmeric, along with a generous pinch of salt and pepper.

Stir together the flours and baking powder. Add to the bowl and then slowly add up to 175ml of cold water, stirring all the time, until everything is coated in a smooth batter, about the thickness of single cream.

Heat about 1cm of vegetable oil in a wide frying pan set over a medium heat. Line a plate with kitchen paper. Place the naan or burger buns in a low oven to warm up. Have ready all the pickles/chutneys and garnishes, plus garlic yoghurt, if using.

Use a large spoon to scoop a little of the burger mixture into the pan. Cook until golden, turning once, then lift out carefully using tongs. Cool a little, then taste and add more seasoning to the batter if needed. When happy, use the spoon to make a bhaji burger about 8cm across and about 1.5cm thick. Cook two or three at a time until they turn a deep golden, 3–4 minutes. (Keep an eye on how hot the oil is – if you use a pan thermometer 180°C/350°F is ideal). Then turn and repeat. Remove from the pan and drain on the lined plate. Keep warm while you cook the rest.

Assemble the mini naan burgers quickly (two per person) and eat immediately.

If freezing the cooked burgers, defrost thoroughly before reheating, then microwave on high for 1½ minutes per burger, until hot throughout. Crisp up briefly in a frying pan (you won’t need more oil).

STUFFED MUSHROOM BURGERS

These burgers are meaty, tangy and juicy (and you won’t miss the beef). They are a bit fiddly to prepare but are definitely worth it.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINS * COOK TIME: 35–45 MINS

V | SoF

4 large Portobello mushrooms

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving

5 large sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked

zest and juice of ½ unwaxed lemon

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons pine nuts

500g baby spinach leaves

200g rinded goats’ cheese log, sliced into 4 thick discs

4 good-quality burger buns, split and warmed or toasted

a small bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

Cut the stems off the mushrooms and discard, then place the mushrooms on a baking tray, gill-side up. Drizzle the mushrooms with the extra-virgin olive oil, then scatter over the thyme leaves, some salt and pepper and a pinch of the lemon zest.

Bake for about 20 minutes, then flip over, spoon over any juices and bake for another 10–15 minutes, until the mushrooms have roasted, shrivelled, softened and intensified in flavour. Remove from the oven and set aside.

While the mushrooms are in the oven, prepare the spinach and pine nut filling.

Place a frying pan over a medium heat. While it is coming up to temperature, finely slice the garlic. Add the olive oil to the pan and fry the pine nuts for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the garlic and fry briefly, about 1 minute. Finally, add the spinach and fry until wilted down – not more than a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper and a splash of lemon juice to wake up the flavours. Set aside.

Divide the spinach and pine nut mixture between the mushrooms (let any excess liquid drain back into the pan) and top each with a slice of goats’ cheese. Return to the oven for 5–10 minutes, or until the cheese melts and bubbles.

To serve, place one stuffed mushroom in each burger bun, topping with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, a pinch each of salt and the remaining lemon zest, and the freshly torn basil leaves. Eat immediately.

Make sure the mushrooms are a good size, at least as big as your palm.

STEAK BURRITO

Many burritos are made with wonderfully tasty slow-cooked meats, which goes against this book’s speedy ethos. So we invented a reverse-engineered way to max out flavour, by flash-cooking skirt steak – an especially tasty cut – until rare and tender, then dressing it with lime and garlic as it rests. (You could treat cooked chicken or fish the same way, or swap the steak for fried chorizo, or alternatively make this vegetarian by using the black beans in the Black Bean Tacos recipe.)

SERVES 2

PREP TIME: 15 MINS * COOK TIME: 18 MINS

NF | SoF

40g long-grain or basmati rice

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ clove of garlic, crushed

juice of ½ lime

200g skirt steak, fat trimmed away

neutral cooking oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE BURRITOS:

2 large wraps/flatbreads, warmed

100g cooked black beans, hot or warm

30g feta cheese (ideally a mild one)

4 tablespoons Guacamole, or 1 avocado, peeled, stoned and mashed (optional)

½ spring onion, sliced, or about 1 tablespoon Pink Pickled Onions, or both

pickled jalapeños, sliced or chopped

4 cherry tomatoes, finely chopped

a handful of fresh coriander leaves

American-style hot sauce, to taste

Measure the rice in a mug, then work out what twice its volume of water would be (that is, 1 mug of rice needs 2 mugs of water) and place both in a pan. Bring to the boil, then cover and cook for about 12 minutes, until tender. Remove from the heat, drain if necessary, and set aside (covered) while you prepare the rest of the fillings.

Mix together the cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, garlic, lime juice and some salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

Season the steak all over. Pour a little oil into a frying pan set over a high heat. Once it’s really hot, quickly cook the steak until deep brown on both sides but still fairly rare, just 2–3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and place in a bowl. Pour over the lime juice mixture and set aside to rest.

When ready to assemble, slice the steak into 1.5cm-thick strips. Arrange half the rice in a line on each wrap/flatbread, leaving space at the bottom to fold up and enclose the fillings later. Divide the black beans, feta, the steak strips and guacamole or avocado, if using, between the wraps. Arrange all the remaining vegetables and coriander leaves on top. Douse everything generously with hot sauce, then tightly wrap up each burrito, tucking up the spare wrap/flatbread at the bottom before rolling from the side, so that the filling doesn’t fall out or drip. Dig in.

FALAFEL & HARISSA WRAPS

Traditionally, chickpea falafel are deep-fried, which makes them very crisp. These are shallow-fried, so they’re both easier to cook and richer in texture, making them perfect for wrapping in flatbreads. (LEON’s restaurant falafel are made with sweet potato, and baked, so these are a little different.)

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 15 MINS * COOK TIME: 25 MINS

V | NF | SoF

FOR THE FALAFEL:

400g canned chickpeas, very well drained and rinsed

1 small onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

½ teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

a pinch of cayenne pepper

generous pinch of ground cinnamon

dusting of freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons plain flour

5 tablespoons chickpea flour

olive oil

TO SERVE:

4 flatbreads/wraps, warmed

harissa

Tahini Sauce

crisp lettuce leaves, slices of cucumber, pickled green chillies

optional extras: crumbled feta cheese or strips of fried halloumi, Tzatziki, Pickled Radishes, Pink Pickled Onions or finely sliced spring onions

For the falafel, place the chickpeas, onion, garlic, salt, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, pepper and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until you have a thick, rough paste. Tip this mixture into a bowl, then add the baking powder and both flours and stir well to combine. The mixture should be scoop-able, but not sloppy. If it seems wet, add another tablespoon (or two) of chickpea flour.

Set a large frying pan over a medium heat and add about ½cm of olive oil. When shimmering hot, add a little of the falafel mixture to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, turning, then cool and taste. Add salt or any more of the other flavourings, to taste.

When ready to cook, use a dessertspoon to portion 3–4 falafel into the pan and flatten them into patties, each about 8cm across. Cook gently for about 4 minutes, or until deep golden brown – turn the heat down if they cook too fast. Gently flip each one over and cook until both sides are crisp, about 3–4 minutes more. Remove from the pan and drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper while you cook the rest in the same way, adding more oil as needed (you’ll make about 12 falafel in total).

To assemble, lay out the flatbreads/wraps and place three falafel on each one, leaving some room at the bottom to turn up the wrap later. Drizzle over some harissa and tahini sauce, making sure it hits each falafel. Arrange the lettuce, cucumber and pickled chillies next to the falafel, and add any extra fillings, if using. Turn the bottom of each wrap up to enclose, then roll the sides inwards. Scoff immediately.

You can of course use ready-made falafel here, but do warm them before you assemble the wraps.

SABICH

Sabich is an incredibly popular Israeli street food. It was introduced by Iraqi Jews who, on the Sabbath when no cooking was allowed, ate pre-fried aubergine slices, hard-boiled eggs and pitta bread. This modern formulation is an unusual combination of flavours, but it really works.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 30 MINS * COOK TIME: 10–15 MINS

DF | V | NF | SoF

FOR THE SALAD:

3 plum tomatoes, cored and diced

½ large cucumber, diced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

a handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

juice of ½ lemon

½ teaspoon each ground cumin and sumac

salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE CABBAGE:

½ head of red cabbage, shredded

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

FOR THE TAHINI SAUCE:

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 tablespoons tahini

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

FOR THE AUBERGINE:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large aubergine, in 1cm-thick discs

salt

TO SERVE:

4 pitta breads

8 tablespoons any hummus (Roast Garlic Hummus, Beetroot Hummus, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Avocado & Basil Hummus)

4 hard-boiled eggs, cooled, peeled, sliced

4 tablespoons quality mango chutney

a handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl, mix thoroughly and check the seasoning.

Combine the cabbage ingredients together in a bowl with ½ teaspoon of salt.

For the tahini sauce, blend the garlic and lemon juice together in a small food processor first to remove some of the harshness from the garlic. Then add the tahini, cumin and 2 tablespoons of cold water and blend until smooth and drizzleable, adding more water if too thick. Season with salt to taste.

When ready to cook the aubergine, heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat until shimmering. Fry the aubergine until golden brown and tender, turning once, about 5 minutes on each side. Place on a tray lined with kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little salt.

Wipe out the pan, return to the heat and toast the pitta breads for 30 seconds on each side. Slit a little pocket in the top of each. Smear 2 tablespoons of hummus inside each pitta, stuff in 3–4 fried aubergine slices and one sliced egg, top with the salad and cabbage, dollop on a tablespoon of mango chutney, drizzle over as much tahini sauce as you want, and scatter over the parsley.

Eat immediately, with lots of napkins.

CHICKEN SHAWARMA

This is our pan-cooked version of the late-night, kebab-shop classic. You can serve this with Garlic Yoghurt, rather than tahini, if you prefer, or Tzatziki. Turkey or lamb would also work in this recipe.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 20 MINS, PLUS MARINATING * COOK TIME: 20 MINS

DF | NF | SoF

FOR THE CHICKEN MARINADE:

1 teaspoon garlic powder or granules

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

a pinch of ground allspice

½ teaspoon sumac (optional)

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

juice of ½ lemon

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil, plus extra for cooking

½ teaspoon fine salt

600g skin-on, boneless chicken thighs

TO SERVE:

1 small clove of garlic, crushed to a paste

1–2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon tahini

a generous pinch of salt

4 flatbreads or pitta breads

garnishes: your choice of crisp lettuce, Pink Pickled Onions or finely sliced red onion, pickled green chillies, finely chopped tomatoes, chopped fresh parsley

American-style hot sauce or harissa

Mix all the marinade ingredients together, except the chicken, in a large bowl. If the chicken pieces are very chunky, make a few small cuts to open up the meat, or cut the thighs into smaller pieces to help speed up the cooking process later. Add the chicken to the bowl and massage the marinade into the meat. Cover and place in the fridge for as long as possible: 15 minutes is fine, but an hour or more would be better.

Just before you are ready to cook, mix together the garlic, 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice, the tahini and pinch of salt. Stir until smooth, adding a little water if necessary, until you have a pourable sauce. Taste and add more lemon or salt, if needed.

When ready to cook, add a splash of oil to a wide frying pan set over a low-medium heat. Add the chicken and cook gently, to ensure it cooks through evenly without burning, for 15–17 minutes, turning once or twice. When the chicken is cooked through (check a thick piece to see if the meat is done and the juices run clear), set the pan aside and allow to rest. Meanwhile, warm or toast the flatbreads either under a grill or better, over a gas ring, using tongs. Pitta breads are best toasted under the grill or in the toaster.

Transfer the chicken to a board and thinly slice, cutting diagonally across the grain of the meat. Save any juices and add to those in the pan. Arrange the meat with your chosen garnishes on the warm flatbreads. Drizzle over the tahini sauce, hot sauce or harissa and some of the pan juices – but don’t make it too wet. Wrap up, tucking the bread in at the bottom to prevent drips, and eat immediately.

GOZLEME

Although this is a quick version of the famous Turkish stuffed flatbreads, you could make it even quicker by using ready-made flatbreads. Place one in a hot, dry pan, cover one half with the filling, then fold over to enclose. Cook for a couple of minutes, until the bottom is golden, then flip and cook the other side.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 20 MINS * COOK TIME: 40 MINS

V | NF | SoF

250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

5 tablespoons full-fat plain yoghurt

olive oil, for cooking and brushing

1 courgette, coarsely grated

200g feta cheese, crumbled

125g halloumi, finely diced (or extra feta)

a pinch of mild red pepper flakes

2 spring onions, very finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

10 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix the flour and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk the yoghurt with 100ml of water, then gradually mix it into the flour, using only as much as you need to make a soft, but not sticky, dough. Knead on a clean, floured surface for a couple of minutes. Then set aside to rest.

Pour a splash of oil into a large frying pan set over a low-medium heat. Add a tiny pinch of salt to the courgette and spread thinly across the pan, to remove moisture from the courgette without browning it. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Meanwhile, mix together the remaining ingredients. Once the courgette is cooked, add it to this mixture, along with a good dose of black pepper.

Divide the dough into eight equal pieces and shape into balls. Flour your work surface and a rolling pin. Wipe out the frying pan and return to a low heat.

Roll out one of the balls as thinly as possible to a 25cm disc, until almost translucent. Keep dusting with flour and turning the pastry so it doesn’t stick.

Evenly spread about 2 tablespoons of the filling across half of the disc, then fold over to form a semi-circle. Press the edges together, then trim away the excess dough, making sure the two layers remain sealed. Brush the top with olive oil then place, oiled-side down, into the hot pan. Cook for 4–5 minutes, until little brown dots appear all over the bottom. Brush the top with oil, then flip over and cook the other side. The gozleme is cooked when both sides are covered in golden brown dots, and you can’t see any more raw dough (you may need to flip it again, and press sections of the dough onto the pan, to ensure it is all cooked). Repeat to assemble and cook the other gozlemes, keeping the cooked ones warm on a plate or wrapped in a clean tea towel.

Serve the gozleme immediately, cut into wedges or strips.

PANEER & beetroot WRAP

Jack’s dad hates cheese. ‘What’s paneer?’ he demanded as Jack put this down in front of him. ‘It’s sort of like an Indian halloumi…’ ‘No. Absolutely not,’ he barked. ‘Just try it. Please.’ Well, he loved it. And you will, too.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 20 MINS * COOK TIME: 10–15 MINS

V | NF | SoF

FOR THE PANEER:

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

500g paneer, cut into 1.5cm cubes

salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE BEETROOT PURÉE:

300g cooked beetroot (not in vinegar)

30g desiccated coconut

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt

FOR THE CURRY YOGHURT:

200ml full-fat Greek yoghurt

2 teaspoons mild curry powder

freshly squeezed lime juice, to taste

salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO SERVE:

4 naan breads, warmed

3 tablespoons Pink Pickled Onions or finely sliced red onion

a big handful of fresh coriander leaves

1 lime, cut into wedges

For the paneer, in a large bowl, mix together 4 tablespoons of the vegetable oil and all the spices and seasonings with ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the paneer and mix thoroughly, making sure each piece is well coated. Set aside.

For the beetroot purée, put the beetroot and a splash of water in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add a splash more water, if necessary. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt. Lightly toast the desiccated coconut in a dry frying pan over a low heat, stirring often, until light golden. Add to the beetroot, along with the oil, and pulse to combine. Set aside.

To make the curry yoghurt, whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl. Taste for seasoning and lime, and adjust if needed.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. When it is shimmering, add the spice-coated paneer cubes and fry until golden brown, about 3–4 minutes, then flip over and fry the other side until golden brown, another 2–3 minutes.

To serve, smear a generous amount of beetroot purée on each naan, then top with the paneer cubes. Drizzle over some curry yoghurt, and top with a generous amount of onions and coriander leaves. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

LAMB SOUVLAKI WITH TZATZIKI

A Greek-style skewer and hugely popular street food dish. This is usually made with meat, but you can make it vegetarian by threading the kebabs with chunks of halloumi instead.

SERVES 6

PREP TIME: 15 MINS, PLUS MARINATING * COOK TIME: 8–12 MINS

NF | SoF

FOR THE LAMB:

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon

3 large cloves of garlic, crushed 1½ teaspoons salt

10 twists of freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped

1kg lamb neck, trimmed of any fat and cut into 3cm cubes

1 large red onion, chopped into 3cm segments

1 large red pepper, deseeded and chopped into 3cm squares

6–12 metal skewers (or if using wooden/bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 20 minutes before use)

vegetable oil, for greasing

TO SERVE:

a small bunch of fresh parsley leaves

6 pitta breads

Tzatziki

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, cumin and chopped rosemary. Add the lamb cubes and mix thoroughly, ensuring every cube is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

To assemble the skewers, thread alternating pieces of lamb, red onion, red pepper, lamb, red onion and red pepper onto the wooden/bamboo skewers, until each skewer is full.

Heat a barbecue or grill to a high heat. Oil the grates with vegetable oil. Cook the skewers for 2–3 minutes on each side, basting with the remaining marinade, until golden and charred on the outside and light pink in the middle, about 8–12 minutes in total.

Just before you’re ready to serve, toast the pitta breads for a few minutes in a dry pan. Transfer the skewers to serving plates, scatter over the parsley leaves, and serve each portion with a generous dollop of tzatziki and a pitta bread alongside.

HARISSA CHICKEN KEBABS
WITH herby YOGHURT & POMEGRANATE

Jack grew up in Haringey, North London, where there is an abundance of Greek and Turkish kebab houses (if you’re in the area, E. Mono in Kentish Town is the undisputed king of kebabs). This is his version of a favourite childhood dish.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 15 MINS, PLUS MARINATING * COOK TIME: 10–15 MINS

SoF

FOR THE CHICKEN:

4 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts

4 tablespoons harissa

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

a splash of olive oil, if needed

4 metal skewers

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

FOR THE YOGHURT:

200ml full-fat Greek yoghurt

1 clove of garlic, grated

zest and juice of ½ unwaxed lemon

a small bunch of fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

a small bunch of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO SERVE:

2 lemons

4 flatbreads (khobez or naan breads work really well), warmed

a handful of toasted pine nuts

a handful of pomegranate seeds

Cut the chicken into 3cm cubes, place in a large mixing bowl and rub with the harissa, cumin, salt and pepper. Add a splash of olive oil if the mix is a bit sticky. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour (4–6 hours would be ideal).

Put the yoghurt, grated garlic, lemon zest and juice, basil and mint into a bowl and mix well until everything is combined. Season with a little salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.

Thread the chicken pieces evenly onto the skewers. Heat the vegetable oil in a griddle pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, place the skewers in the pan and griddle until a golden char appears on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Resist the temptation to keep turning them. Turn over with some tongs and griddle on the other side until the meat is fully cooked. Transfer to a plate while you grill the lemons.

Cut the lemons in half and remove any visible seeds with the tip of your knife. In the same pan as you cooked the chicken, place the lemons, cut-side down, and cook for 3–4 minutes, or until a lovely brown crust appears on the cut sides. Set aside.

To assemble the wraps, place a flatbread in the palm of your hand and use it to pull the chicken off one skewer. Slather on some yoghurt, sprinkle over some pine nuts and pomegranate seeds, and serve each with a charred lemon half, for squeezing.

SPICED CAULIFLOWER NAAN

This is a delicious wrap inspired by the one Jack and Rebecca shared at Flank in Victoria when we were initially planning the book. The spiciness of the cauliflower is offset wonderfully by the nutty sauce and yoghurt. You can also serve this without the naan as a warm salad, with a few big handfuls of watercress dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 20 MINS * COOK TIME: 15–20 MINS

V | SoF

FOR THE CAULIFLOWER:

1 large cauliflower

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon medium chilli powder

salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE MINT YOGHURT:

200ml full-fat Greek yoghurt

a handful of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, grated

zest and juice of ½ unwaxed lemon

salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE HAZELNUT SAUCE:

100g blanched hazelnuts

25g freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or use vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese)

juice of ½ lemon

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra if the sauce is a bit thick

salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO SERVE:

4 naan breads, warmed

a big handful of pomegranate seeds

a big handful of fresh coriander leaves

about 4 tablespoons Pink Pickled Onions

Heat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.

Cut the cauliflower into small florets. Place in a roasting tray and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle over the spices, some salt and a few twists of black pepper and toss well to combine. Roast for 15–20 minutes, or until browned.

While the cauliflower is in the oven, make the mint yoghurt. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and season to taste.

Next, make the hazelnut sauce. Toast the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan for a few minutes until fragrant and light golden. Allow to cool, then, in a food processor, blitz together the hazelnuts, Parmesan and lemon juice with 2 tablespoons of water. Slowly drizzle in the oil with the blades running until you get the consistency you want. It should look more like a hummus than a pesto. Taste for seasoning and acidity, adjust if necessary, then blitz one last time.

Now assemble the wraps. Spoon a generous amount of hazelnut sauce into the middle of each naan bread and smear evenly lengthways. Top with some roasted cauliflower and mint yoghurt, then scatter over some pomegranate seeds, coriander leaves and pink pickled onions. Serve immediately.

CAJUN-STYLE FISH WRAP WITH SLAW

Blackened fish is a Cajun favourite. It is white fish – traditionally grouper, but that is hard to find in the UK – rolled in the distinctive Cajun seasoning, then ‘blackened’ in a pan. We’ve put it in a wrap, served with creamy avocado and a tangy slaw.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINS * COOK TIME: 10–15 MINS

NF | SoF

FOR THE FISH:

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons dried thyme

4 tablespoons butter

4 small firm white fish fillets, such as cod, haddock or plaice

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 lime, cut into wedges

TO SERVE:

4 tortilla wraps, warmed

4 big spoonfuls of slaw (either Classic Coleslaw, or Grazka’s Fennel Slaw)

1 large ripe avocado, peeled, stoned and thinly sliced

extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1 lime, cut into wedges

a few sprigs of dill, roughly chopped (optional)

salt

For the fish, mix the salt, spices, garlic and onion powders and herbs together in a bowl, then place on a plate.

Add 3 tablespoons of the butter to a large, heavy-based frying pan and gently melt, then pour it into a shallow bowl.

Dip each fish fillet in the melted butter, then dredge in the spice mix.

Place the same frying pan back over a medium-high heat and add the oil. Once it is shimmering, place the fillets in, one by one, laying them away from you to avoid being splashed by hot oil. Cook until browned, about 3–4 minutes. Turn the fish, add the remaining butter, breaking it up and placing it in various spots around the pan, and cook until the other side is brown and the fish flakes easily, about another 3–4 minutes. Remove the fillets onto a plate and squeeze a little lime juice over each one.

Assemble the wraps: place a layer of slaw on each wrap, followed by a fish fillet, then top with avocado slices, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Serve each with lime wedges on the side and dill scattered over, if liked.

If you are short on time, you can buy ready-made Cajun seasoning. But we like to make a big batch of our own and store it in an airtight container for future use.

ASIAN FISH FINGER WRAP

A fresh take on the fish finger sandwich and one to try if you like LEON’s fish finger wrap. Crispy breaded fish with a spicy Sriracha mayo and tangy slaw.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 20 MINS * COOK TIME: 10 MINS

DF | NF

FOR THE SLAW:

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons runny honey

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon minced garlic

½ head of red cabbage, thinly sliced

2 medium or 1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

2 radishes, thinly sliced

FOR THE FISH:

75g plain flour

2 eggs, beaten

150g panko breadcrumbs

4 small white fish fillets (cod, halibut, pollock, haddock), cut into fish finger-sized rectangles

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO SERVE:

4 tortilla wraps, warmed

1 avocado, peeled, stoned and thinly sliced

Sriracha Mayo

1 lime, cut into wedges

flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the slaw, in a large bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, ginger and garlic to make the dressing.

Add the red cabbage, carrot, spring onions and radishes. Mix thoroughly and leave to marinate while you prepare and cook the fish.

Place the flour, beaten eggs and panko breadcrumbs in three separate shallow bowls. Season each fish finger with a pinch of salt and pepper, then place in the flour bowl and coat thoroughly, dusting off any excess. Do the same with the egg, then the same with the breadcrumbs. Place on a tray and repeat until all the fish fingers are coated.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. When shimmering, add the fish fingers and fry until golden brown on the underside, about 3–4 minutes. Flip and repeat, frying until the other side is golden brown, another 3–4 minutes. Remove onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain off any excess oil.

To assemble each wrap: place a handful of slaw on a tortilla wrap, top with a quarter of the fish fingers and avocado slices, spoon over some Sriracha mayo, squeeze over a lime wedge, season to taste, then roll up and eat.

CRAB & FENNEL SANDWICH

This takes us back to sunny seaside holidays on the British coast.

SERVES 2

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

NF | SoF

4 slices of good-quality bread (sourdough is good here, or quality white bread), or brioche

about 3 tablespoons good-quality mayonnaise

100g fresh white crab meat, or a mixture of white and brown crab meat

15 very thin slices of cucumber

¼ fennel bulb, finely sliced

freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste

freshly ground black pepper

If your bread is soft, it’s a good idea to lightly toast it before building the sandwich.

Spread the bread slices lightly with the mayonnaise, then top two slices with the cucumber and fennel and squeeze over some lemon juice. Divide the crab meat between the two slices, season with lots of black pepper (you probably won’t need any salt), then top with the remaining slices of bread.

Eat immediately.

We like to keep the crab and mayo separate, but if you prefer, you can mix them together before spreading over the bread.

SMOKED MACKEREL SANDWICH
WITH PICKLES & CHIVES

Mackerel is good for you and it’s rich in heart-healthy fats which most of us don’t get enough of. But more to the point, smoked and paired with pickles, it tastes amazing. This is also great with ribbons of very thinly sliced fennel.

SERVES 2

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

DF | NF | SoF

4 large slices of crusty bread (ideally proper sourdough)

about 1 tablespoon good-quality mayonnaise

2 good-quality skinless smoked mackerel fillets, torn into 3–4cm pieces

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh chives

thinly sliced Burger Pickles or gherkins from a jar

about 20 thin slices of cucumber

freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste

freshly ground black pepper

You need the bread to have some crunch, otherwise this sandwich can feel squishy, so toast it lightly if necessary.

Assess how dry or oily the mackerel is. If it’s quite fatty, be very sparing with the mayo, but if it’s quite dry, be a bit more generous. Spread two of the bread slices with mayo. Top with the sliced cucumber – you need quite a bit as it’s the only thing giving the sandwich crispy texture. Next, arrange the pickles, chives and mackerel on top. Squeeze over a little lemon juice and dust the whole lot with plenty of black pepper.

Top with the remaining slices of bread and eat immediately (standing at the kitchen counter, if you’re anything like us).

BAKED MEATBALL SUB

The classic American sandwich. For a somewhat richer version, once you’ve assembled the bottom half, top the meatballs with sliced mozzarella, provolone, Cheddar or American-style cheese, and grill until melted.

SERVES 4 (WITH A FEW MEATBALLS LEFT OVER FOR THE FREEZER)

PREP TIME: 15 MINS * COOK TIME: 20 MINS

NF | SoF

400g good-quality minced beef

1 spring onion, very finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve

2 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs

1 egg, beaten

2 sprigs of fresh basil, leaves from 1 sprig finely chopped

½ teaspoon salt

200ml passata

a splash of olive oil

a pinch of dried red chilli flakes (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 sub rolls (or any kind of long, sturdy roll or baguette), split open and warmed, to serve

Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

Mix together the minced beef, spring onion, half the garlic, the Parmesan, breadcrumbs, egg and the finely chopped basil, along with the measured salt and lots of black pepper. Make sure everything is evenly mixed, but don’t work the mix too much or the meatballs will be dense and bouncy, when cooked.

Divide the mix into 12 equal amounts and firmly shape each one into a ball, using your hands. Place on a wire rack set inside a baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked, turning the balls once.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Place the passata, olive oil, the rest of the garlic, the chilli flakes, if using, and some salt and pepper into a small pan, and bring up to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside.

When the meatballs are done, set the split sub rolls out in front of you. Halve the meatballs (or not, if you prefer, but halving stops them falling out of the sandwich). Spread the cut sides of the bread with a little of the sauce, then stuff with meatballs and pour over a little more sauce. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan and the remaining whole basil leaves, then eat immediately.

BRAGG’S FRIED SWEETHEART CABBAGE SANDWICH

Bragg Liquid Aminos is a glorious ingredient and tastes a bit like soy sauce. When fried, it deepens into a warm, sweet, slightly sticky marinade. It pairs perfectly with crispy, garlicky fried sweetheart cabbage and lashings of pine nut paste. Serve in a naan or between two slices of white toast. Or try the cabbage as a side dish with your roast dinner.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINS * COOK TIME: 15 MINS

V

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 small or 1 large sweetheart cabbage, halved, cored and thinly sliced

3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced

2–3 tablespoons Bragg liquid aminos spray (depending on how salty you like things)

4 naan breads, to serve

FOR THE PINE NUT PASTE:

150g pine nuts

1 clove of garlic, grated

juice of ½ lemon

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons tahini, well stirred

1 teaspoon ground cumin

a pinch of sumac

a pinch of cayenne pepper

salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the paste, add all the ingredients, except salt and pepper, to a food processor. Blitz everything until smooth (at least 1 full minute). Taste, season, taste again. If the mixture is a bit sticky, add a splash of cold water. It should have the consistency of smooth hummus. Blitz again and set aside.

For the cabbage, heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat until hot, then add the oil. Add the cabbage and garlic together (this should stop the garlic from burning during cooking). Add the Bragg liquid aminos after a couple of minutes. Taste for seasoning. Add more Bragg if your taste buds tell you to. Toss regularly and fry until soft, golden and crispy on the ends, about 15 minutes.

Assembly time: slather each naan with pine nut paste and pile high with crispy cabbage. Roll up and tuck in.

LEFTOVER TURKEY SANDWICH
WITH HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE & BRIE

This is a great way to use leftover meat from Christmas day. Or use roast chicken – it works just as well. Do make your own cranberry sauce though. It is infinitely nicer than anything you can buy and so easy. In December, we serve the Christmas wrap – a three-meat triumph of ham hock, turkey and pork-and-sage stuffing.

SERVES 2

PREP TIME: 15 MINS, PLUS COOLING * COOK TIME: 15–20 MINS

NF | SoF

FOR THE CRANBERRY SAUCE:

100g light soft brown sugar

100ml freshly squeezed orange juice

250g fresh or frozen cranberries

zest of 1 clementine or satsuma

FOR THE SANDWICH:

1 tablespoon butter

2 handfuls of leftover cooked turkey

4 slices of currant bread (if you can’t find this, use any sliced or slice-able bread)

a small handful of baby spinach

100g brie, thinly sliced

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce, combine the sugar and orange juice in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Stir in the cranberries and clementine or satsuma zest. Simmer until the cranberries are tender but not falling apart, about 5–6 minutes for frozen, 8–10 minutes for fresh. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

For the sandwich, melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the turkey meat and gently reheat for 5–6 minutes, until piping hot. Season to taste, then place in a bowl.

In the same pan, without wiping it clean, toast the bread slices for a couple of minutes on each side, until light golden. Remove to two plates.

Assemble the sandwiches. Divide the spinach between two slices of the toasted bread. Top each with half the sliced brie and turkey, then add a generous spoonful of the cranberry sauce. (Any leftover sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.) Close the sandwiches with the remaining slices of bread, then cut in half and eat immediately.

BANH MI

Banh mi started life as a legacy from the French colonization of Vietnam (not in itself a cause for celebration). The pâté is obviously a classic French ingredient and the bread is a softer Vietnamese version of the French baguette, made with rice flour, but you can use an ordinary baguette. If you don’t want to use pork, try the Crispy Tofu, the panko-crumbed chicken, roast duck or grilled sliced aubergine, all of which work with the sauce below.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 20 MINS * COOK TIME: 10 MINS

DF | NF

a splash of neutral cooking oil

3 pork chops, fat trimmed off

FOR THE PICKLES:

150g carrots, peeled and julienned into thin matchsticks or ribbons

about 300g daikon, peeled and julienned into thin matchsticks or ribbons

100ml rice vinegar

1 tablespoon caster sugar

salt

FOR THE PORK SAUCE:

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 clove of garlic, crushed

¼ teaspoon caster sugar

½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice

TO ASSEMBLE:

4 small French-style baguettes (or use Vietnamese baguettes if you can find them)

good-quality mayonnaise

100g chicken or pork liver pâté

Sriracha sauce

12 thick slices of cucumber

2 spring onions, thinly sliced on an angle

fresh coriander leaves

First, make the pickles. Place the carrots and daikon into a colander and scatter over a pinch of salt. Toss, leave to stand for a few minutes, then make the brine by stirring together the vinegar, sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt and 100ml of boiling water. Squeeze out the vegetables, then place in a clean jar or bowl (see Tip) and pour over the brine. Leave to stand while you make the sandwiches, or store in the fridge until ready to use – the longer you leave them, the more intense the flavour.

Place a wide frying pan over a medium heat. Add a splash of oil, then when shimmering hot, add the chops and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side, depending on their thickness.

While the pork cooks, mix all the pork sauce ingredients together with a tablespoon of water. Remove the pork from the pan and cut into 1cm strips, then return to the pan along with the sauce and cook for 1 minute. Tip into a bowl while you make the sandwiches (if the pork strips overcook in the pan, the meat will be tough).

Split the baguettes and spread one side of each with mayo and one side with the pâté. To the mayo side, add a good squirt of Sriracha sauce, 3 cucumber slices, a spoonful of the pickles and some spring onions and coriander leaves. Add a quarter of the pork per baguette, and a little of its sauce, then tuck in.

The pickled carrot and daikon will keep in the fridge for several weeks, sealed in a spotlessly clean and sterilized jam jar.

SARDINE BOCADILLOS

Bocadillos are long, filled crusty rolls from Spain. Often they contain nothing more than a whisper of thinly sliced jamon, or some slivers of chorizo, but others are more substantial and contain slices of leftover onion-and-potato omelette (tortilla), or fried calamari rings and aioli.

SERVES 2

PREP TIME: 2 MINS

DF | NF | SoF

1 stone-baked/sourdough baton, halved

1 small clove of garlic, halved crossways

1 ripe tomato, finely sliced or diced

2–4 pickled hot or mild green chillies, ideally piquillo, sliced

95g can sardine fillets in olive oil (choose the best quality you can find, Spanish if possible)

extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Split the bread baton in half lengthways. Rub each cut side with the cut side of the garlic clove. Pile the bread with the tomato pieces, then the pickled chillies.

Top with the sardine fillets. If the sardines are in excellent-quality oil, or happen to be salty, you may not need any more oil or any salt, but we love a little of both on top of the fillings, along with some black pepper.

Eat immediately.

A famous version of this bocadillo adds a handful of potato crisps on top of the fish. You could also add finely sliced spring onion or slices of lightly pickled onion.

BLACK BEAN TACOS

We love a legume at LEON, as you probably already know. Black beans have been on our menu, in the form of a Brazilian black bean stew, over brown rice, since 2016. Ready-cooked black beans are such a versatile ingredient that they often feature in our books.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 15 MINS * COOK TIME: 30 MINS

V | NF | SoF

a splash of olive or vegetable oil

1 onion, finely diced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons tomato purée

2 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped

½ red chilli, hot or mild, finely chopped 2 × 400g cans black beans in water (do not drain)

a pinch of dried oregano

1 heaped teaspoon cocoa powder

a pinch of caster sugar

a pinch of ground cinnamon

1 heaped teaspoon sweet (not hot) smoked paprika

freshly squeezed lime juice, to taste

salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO SERVE:

8 small corn or wheat tortillas, warmed

100g feta cheese, crumbled

fresh coriander leaves

optional sides/toppings: Guacamole, slaw of your choice (Classic Coleslaw, Grazka’s Fennel Slaw, Red Slaw), Pink Pickled Onions, soured cream

Set a large pan over a medium heat. When hot, add a splash of oil and the onion. Cook, stirring, for about 8 minutes, until translucent and just beginning to brown. Add the garlic and tomato purée along with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes, until neither the tomato purée nor garlic smells raw (the salt is to help prevent the garlic burning).

Turn down the heat to low and add the chopped tomatoes and chilli. Cook, stirring often, for up to 5 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to break down. Add the beans and most of their liquid, along with the oregano, cocoa powder, sugar, cinnamon, paprika and some pepper. Bring up to a simmer, and leave to bubble gently for 10 minutes, keeping an eye on the liquid levels and adding a little dash of water if needed.

When ready, the beans should be saucy, but not soupy, so turn the heat up to finish if too wet. Remove from the heat. Taste and add more salt, if needed (remember the feta will add salt in a moment, too) and a squeeze of lime juice – be sparing to start with, as it’s just there to brighten up all the other flavours.

Serve piled onto warm tortillas, with the feta, coriander leaves and your favourite extras/toppings alongside.

HOW TO BUILD A TASTY TACO

Traditionally soft corn tortillas are used for tacos (although you can use hard shells if that’s your thing), but they can be hard to find in Europe. If so, look for mixed corn and wheat, but whatever you find, don’t buy massive wraps. Warm them as you serve. Leave a little space around the edge of the tortilla, and then the fillings won’t fall off – as much – when you lift it to eat. Make sure you’ve got some crunch, especially if everything else is soft. We love slaws of all sorts (see Classic Coleslaw, Grazka’s Fennel Slaw, Red Slaw), which also make meals better for your gut biome, as well as oven-roasted, popped pumpkin seeds. Look for some tart, sharp ingredients to cut through richer ones like cooked meats, avo or cheese: pickled chillies or Pink Pickled Onions, freshly squeezed lime juice, fresh salsas like Pico de Gallo or sour hot sauce will all do the trick.

FILLING OPTIONS

Leftover roast chicken, shredded, heated and tossed in chipotle paste, with chopped spring onions, chopped red chilli and freshly squeezed lime juice, topped with crumbled feta cheese or Mexican queso fresco.

Chunks of chorizo fried in the same pan as cubes of cooked potato, topped with pickled onions, or finely chopped shallot and freshly squeezed lime juice.

Flash-fried skirt steak, sliced and dressed with Chimichurri Sauce and shredded cabbage.

Leftover roast lamb, warmed in a little stock, with crushed garlic, chopped red chilli, ground cumin and smoked paprika, finished with a squeeze of lime and Pink Pickled Onions.

Cheat’s fish tacos: use ready-made fish fingers (or vegan fish-style fingers), cooked and sliced, then top the tacos with shredded white cabbage or slaw of your choice (see Classic Coleslaw), soured cream or good-quality mayo of your choice (see Aioli Mayo, Sriracha Mayo and Leon Tarragon Mayo) and Pico de Gallo. Or switch the fish for freshly cooked prawns.

Use the Crispy Tofu recipe to top tacos along with Guacamole, canned (drained) sweetcorn kernels, Pico de Gallo, sliced radishes and lashings of hot sauce.

Drain and rinse a 400g can of chickpeas, then toss in a little olive oil, ground cumin, salt, freshly ground black pepper, smoked paprika and mild or hot chilli powder, before roasting at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 15 minutes. Then pile onto tacos with shredded crisp lettuce, chopped tomatoes and Guacamole.

In our Fast Vegan book, we have a recipe for crunchy fried avocado wedge tacos, with almond feta (see Tip), spicy cabbage slaw and roasted pumpkin seeds.

Any leftover roasted vegetables can be reheated, then dressed in ground cumin, freshly squeezed lime juice, crushed garlic and chopped fresh coriander, before being piled onto a tortilla, maybe with some roasted chickpeas. You could even cover the tacos with grated or sliced cheese and then melt it under the grill...

To make almond feta, mix 75g ground almonds, 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 tablespoons plain vegan yoghurt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon fine salt, a pinch of garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon vegan cider vinegar, to form a crumbly paste. Squeeze out any excess liquid, if necessary, before serving.

SPICED LAMB FLATBREADS

These topped flatbreads are our version of lahmacun, a Turkish street food which Rebecca fell in love with when she was working in Istanbul. We’ve used the dough from our Super Fast Pizza, so it only needs a short rise (but you must use fast-acting easy-blend dried yeast). A little tomato, cucumber and onion salad on the side would be just right.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 15 MINS * COOK TIME: 11–44 MINS

SoF

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon tomato purée

1 ripe tomato, deseeded and chopped

1 roasted red pepper from a jar, drained and rinsed if in brine, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

6 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped

500g good-quality minced lamb (not low fat)

¾ teaspoon salt

polenta/cornmeal, for dusting

2 tablespoons pine nuts (optional)

freshly ground black pepper

Tzatziki and lemon wedges, to serve

FOR THE DOUGH:

250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

250g ‘00’/pasta flour

2 teaspoons fast-acting easy-blend dried yeast

1 teaspoon each caster sugar and salt

250ml lukewarm water

1½ tablespoons olive oil

As early as possible, heat the oven to its highest setting and place a pizza stone or a couple of up-turned baking trays in to heat up.

Mix together the dough ingredients with a spoon in a large bowl. Then knead, using your hands, for about 5 minutes, into a smooth and elastic dough. Place back in the bowl and set aside somewhere warm for 10 minutes, or until puffy.

For the topping, use a food processor to whizz together the spices, onion, tomato purée, raw tomato, roasted pepper or pepper paste and garlic, until you get a rough purée. Then tip into a bowl and add the parsley, lamb, salt and some pepper. Use your hands to combine everything until you have a paste-like mixture.

Divide the rested dough into four balls and roll or stretch out one or two (depending on how many you can cook at a time) to 20cm discs. Remove the pizza stone or baking tray(s) from the oven and dust with polenta/cornmeal to prevent sticking, then slide the discs on top. Working quickly, dot a quarter of the topping thinly across each base. Scatter over a quarter of the pine nuts, if using.

Place the lahmacun in the oven and cook for 11 minutes, until the crust turns golden, the topping is bubbling, the meat is cooked through and the bottom is pale gold. Remove from the oven. Repeat to make the remaining lahmacun in the same way.

Serve hot, each with Tzatziki and a lemon wedge for squeezing over.

SUPER FAST PIZZA

When we heard about pizza with a ten-minute rise, we were dubious, but this honestly works. The trick is using fast-acting easy-blend (or instant) dried yeast.

MAKES 2

PREP TIME: 20 MINS * COOK TIME: 20–28 MINS

NF | SoF

175ml passata

1 clove of garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons olive oil

a pinch of salt

a pinch of dried oregano

about 2 balls of mozzarella, drained and sliced or torn into small chunks

toppings of your choice: sliced chorizo or pepperoni and pickled chilli peppers; goats’ cheese with walnuts; artichokes (from a jar) with capers

polenta/cornmeal, for dusting

extra-virgin olive oil, to serve

FOR THE DOUGH:

250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

250g ‘00’/pasta flour

2 teaspoons fast-acting easy-blend dried yeast

1 teaspoon caster sugar

1 teaspoon salt

250ml lukewarm water

1½ tablespoons olive oil

As early as possible, heat the oven to its highest setting and place a pizza stone or a couple of up-turned baking trays in to heat up.

Mix together the dough ingredients with a spoon in a large bowl. Then knead with your hands for 5 minutes, into a smooth, elastic dough. Place back in the bowl and set aside somewhere warm for 10 minutes. It should feel slightly puffy when ready.

Make the sauce by mixing together the passata, garlic, olive oil, salt and oregano. Prepare any toppings.

When ready, divide the dough into two equal balls, then either stretch one out, using your knuckles under the dough to gently shape and thin the dough, or roll out into a 30cm disc (rolling means less-to-no crust, so stretching is better, but requires practice; ours are often wonky).

Remove the hot stone or one of the baking trays from the oven and dust it with polenta/cornmeal. Slide the dough base onto the stone using your hands and a large spatula. Working fast, use the back of a spoon to smear 3–4 tablespoons of sauce very thinly over the base (too thick and the base will be soggy). Dot the cheese sparingly over the sauce and add any remaining toppings over the top. Cook for 10–14 minutes.

Remove from the oven and check the base is firm and pale gold. Transfer the pizza to a board, before repeating with the remaining dough and toppings. The crust may be crunchy, so we like to brush it with a little extra-virgin olive oil before serving.

CRISPY CAVOLO NERO & TENDERSTEM WRAP

When Jack was testing recipes on his friends, this was the runaway winner. Harissa yoghurt goes with (almost) anything that has been grilled or roasted, including this delicious roasted cavolo nero and tenderstem broccoli.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINS * COOK TIME: 15–20 MINS

V | NF | SoF

FOR THE VEG:

250g tenderstem broccoli

200g cavolo nero

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes

a couple of pinches of salt

5 cranks of freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE HARISSA YOGHURT:

200ml full-fat Greek yoghurt

4 tablespoons rose harissa paste

salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO SERVE:

4 flatbreads

100g crumbled feta cheese

a big handful of pomegranate seeds

a big handful of Pink Pickled Onions

Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

For the veg, slice the tenderstem broccoli lengthways so that they are all a uniform size. Remove the cavolo nero leaves from the thick stalks, and place everything in a roasting tray. Drizzle over the olive oil, sprinkle over the chilli flakes, salt and pepper and mix well. Roast for 15–20 minutes, turning occasionally and making sure the ends of the vegetables don’t catch.

While the veg are in the oven, make the harissa yoghurt. Combine the yoghurt and harissa paste in a bowl and season to taste.

Toast each flatbread in a smoking hot, dry, nonstick frying pan for approximately 30 seconds on each side, stacking them up on a plate to keep warm.

To assemble the wraps: spoon a generous dollop of harissa yoghurt into the middle of each flatbread and smear evenly lengthways. Pile up the roast veg, and top with crumbled feta and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds and pink pickled onions. Roll up and eat.

GRILLED ‘CHEESES’

COURGETTE, WALNUT & MINT

Jack’s girlfriend is a committed cheese lover and never thought a vegan grilled ‘cheese’ would work. But she took one bite of this and reluctantly admitted, ‘Yeah, this is actually quite tasty’.

SERVES 2

PREP TIME: 5 MINS * COOK TIME: 15 MINS

DF | V | Ve | SoF

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1 courgette, halved lengthways and cut into ½cm-thick semi-circles

4 slices of sourdough bread

4 tablespoons tahini, well stirred

a large handful of walnuts, roughly chopped

a large handful of fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

agave syrup, to serve (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place a large, nonstick frying pan over a medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of the oil. Add the garlic and fry until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the courgette slices, season with a pinch of salt, then cook until softened, about 8–10 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Wipe out the pan and place over a medium heat with another tablespoon of oil. When hot, add the bread and cook until light brown underneath, about 1–2 minutes.

Transfer to two plates, cooked-side up, and spread the tahini over two slices of toasted bread (one slice for each sandwich). Season each with a pinch of salt and a few twists of black pepper. Top each with half the fried courgettes, then scatter over the walnuts, chopped mint and lemon zest, and add a drizzle of agave syrup, if using. Close each sandwich with the remaining slices of bread, cooked-side down.

Heat one more tablespoon of the oil in the frying pan over a medium heat and add the sandwiches. Cook until the bottom of each sandwich is golden brown, about 3–4 minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, flip the sandwiches and cook until the other side is golden brown, about 3–4 minutes.

Remove from the pan, cut each sandwich in half and serve immediately.

FONTINA, SAGE & PROSCIUTTO

Jack loves this grilled sandwich, especially the way the sage leaves go crispy in the melting cheese (unreal).

SERVES 2

PREP TIME: 5 MINS * COOK TIME: 10 MINS

NF | SoF

3 tablespoons butter

4 slices of sourdough bread

8 slices of prosciutto

8 large fresh sage leaves

150g fontina cheese, thinly sliced

a few twists of freshly ground black pepper

Place a large, nonstick frying pan over a medium heat and add a tablespoon of the butter. Swirl it around the pan until it stops foaming. Add the bread and cook until light brown on one side only, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate, cooked-side up.

Layer two slices of the bread (one slice for each sandwich) each with 4 slices of prosciutto, 4 sage leaves and half the cheese, then season with pepper. Close each sandwich with the remaining slices of bread, cooked-side down.

Melt one more tablespoon of butter in the pan over a medium heat and add the sandwiches. Cover with a lid to help the cheese melt quicker and cook until the bottom of each sandwich is golden brown, about 3–4 minutes. Remove the lid, add the remaining tablespoon of butter, flip the sandwiches and cook until the other side is golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 3–4 minutes more.

Remove from the pan, cut each sandwich in half and serve immediately.

Another way to make a vegan grilled cheese sarnie is to follow some of the other recipes in this section but use a meltable vegan cheese.

FETA, HONEY & ALMOND

Nutty tahini, tangy feta and sweet honey combine to create this very tempting grilled cheese sandwich.

SERVES 2

PREP TIME: 5 MINS * COOK TIME: 10 MINS

V | SoF

3 tablespoons butter

4 slices of sourdough bread

4 tablespoons tahini, well stirred

2 tablespoons runny honey

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

150g feta cheese

a handful of roasted almonds, roughly chopped

Place a large, nonstick frying pan over a medium heat and add a tablespoon of the butter. Swirl it around the pan until it stops foaming. Add the bread slices and cook until light brown underneath, about 2 minutes.

Transfer to two plates, cooked-side up, and spread the tahini over two slices of toasted bread (one slice for each sandwich). Drizzle over the honey. Pick the thyme leaves and scatter over, then top with crumbled feta and the chopped almonds. Close each sandwich with the remaining slices of bread, cooked-side down.

Melt one more tablespoon of butter in the pan over a medium heat and add the sandwiches. Cover with a lid to help the cheese melt quicker and cook until the bottom of each sandwich is golden brown, about 3–4 minutes. Remove the lid, add the remaining tablespoon of butter, flip the sandwiches and cook until the other side is golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 3–4 minutes more.

Remove from the pan, cut each sandwich in half and serve immediately.

For an oozy, tangy, cheesy treat, we also love fig jam, goats’ cheese and thyme. Perfect for a lazy brunch.

COMTÉ, THYME & CARAMELIZED ONION

This is inspired by internet food legend J. Kenji López-Alt. It’s decadent and rich and tastes like a French onion soup sandwich. Glorious.

SERVES 2

PREP TIME: 5 MINS * COOK TIME: 1 HOUR

V | NF | SoF

4 tablespoons butter

3 red onions, thinly sliced

½ tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon soft brown sugar

4 slices of sourdough bread

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

150g Comté cheese, grated

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onions, season and cook, stirring frequently, until a rich brown, about 45 minutes. Halfway through, add the vinegar and sugar. Taste for seasoning.

Transfer the onions to a bowl, wipe out the pan and place back over a medium heat with another tablespoon of butter. Swirl it around the pan until it stops foaming. Add the bread and cook until light brown on one side only, about 2 minutes.

Transfer to two plates. Spread the onions over two slices of the toasted bread, scatter with thyme leaves, then top with the cheese. Close each sandwich with the remaining bread, cooked-side down.

Melt one more tablespoon of butter in the pan over a medium heat and add the sandwiches. Cover with a lid and cook until the bottom of each sandwich is golden brown, about 3–4 minutes. Remove the lid, add the remaining tablespoon of butter, flip the sandwiches and cook until the other side is golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from the pan, cut each sandwich in half and serve immediately.

LEON BACON & EGG MUFFIN

This is possibly the best way to start any day. On the LEON menu since 2004.

SERVES 2

PREP TIME: 5 MINS * COOK TIME: 15 MINS

NF | SoF

a dash of vegetable oil

4 rashers of unsmoked back bacon (nitrite-free if possible)

2 English muffins, split in half

2 knobs of butter

2 eggs

tomato ketchup, to taste

a handful of baby spinach

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Restaurants have egg rings to make perfect, muffin-sized eggs, but if you don’t have one, fashion two from two long strips of foil about 10cm wide. Fold over on themselves to make two flat strips about 3cm wide, then form each into a neat ring.

Set a large frying pan (with a lid) over a medium heat. Add a dash of oil and cook the bacon until done to your liking. Remove, set aside and keep warm. Toast the muffins and keep warm.

Wipe out the pan, place it back on the heat, set the two rings inside it and place a knob of butter into each one. When the butter bubbles fiercely (it needs to be quite hot), break an egg into a mug, then gently pour it into a ring. Repeat with the other egg and ring. Pour 2 tablespoons of water into the pan around the rings and cover with the lid. Cook the eggs for 2½ minutes – the aim is to have a soft, but not runny yolk, so that it doesn’t ooze out of the muffin.

While the eggs cook, squirt a little tomato ketchup onto each muffin bottom half, then load a few spinach leaves and two rashers of bacon on top.

Use a spatula to lift the cooked eggs out of the pan, trimming off any white which has leaked out of the foil rings, and place on top of the bacon. Season with salt and pepper, then top each with the other muffin half. Eat immediately.

HUEVOS RANCHEROS

We owe much of this recipe to food writer Patrick Calhoun and his excellent ‘Mexican Please’ website. (Of course, there are dozens of variations: some say beans and cheese are unnecessary; others would baulk at our lack of avo or lime. Whatever works for you.)

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 15 MINS * COOK TIME: 15 MINS

V | NF | SoF

neutral cooking oil

8 small corn tortillas, or 4 larger ones

8 eggs

400g can refried beans (or make your own – see Vegetarian Nachos)

about 1 tablespoon chipotle paste, or less to taste (optional)

4 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

fresh coriander leaves, to garnish

FOR THE SALSA ROJA:

4 ripe tomatoes

1 shallot or ¼ onion, cut into chunks

¼–2 hot green chillies (ideally fresh jalapeños), deseeded or not, to taste

1 clove of garlic, cut into chunks

½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar (optional, add if you want to store the salsa)

a pinch of salt

First, make the salsa: place the tomatoes in a dry pan and let them dry-roast, turning often, until they are charred in a few places, about 5 minutes. Remove with tongs, then cut them into quarters and place in a sieve to cool and drain, pressing gently with the back of a spoon to remove some of the excess liquid.

When cool enough to handle, scoop out and discard the seeds and core. Place the tomato pieces in a blender with all the other salsa ingredients (only include the vinegar if you plan to store it – see Tip), starting with the ¼ chilli and then adding more, or all of them, to taste. The sauce should be spicy, tart and a little bit chunky. Try to avoid blending it so much that it becomes pale and frothy. Pour into a small pan, set over a medium heat, and simmer gently until ready to serve.

Place a large frying pan over a high heat. Add a splash of oil and when it’s really shimmering hot, add 2–4 tortillas, or as many as will fit in a single layer. Cook for 20–30 seconds, until lightly browned, then flip and repeat. Drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Repeat until all are cooked. Keep warm.

Turn the heat down. When the pan is no longer scorchingly hot, fry the eggs to your liking, adding more oil as needed. Meanwhile, warm the refried beans in a pan and stir in the chipotle paste. To serve, spread each tortilla with some of the refried beans, then top with a fried egg. Spoon about a tablespoonful of the salsa over each egg (don’t use too much or it will make the tortillas soggy). Scatter over the feta and coriander. Eat immediately.

This makes more salsa than you will need, but it keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze it in small portions for up to 1 month, so you always have it available for a quick weekend brunch. Defrost (if frozen) and warm through gently before use.

NELL’S JAZZY BEANS

Baked beans on toast is the ultimate fast food, but can be a little dull. Rebecca (a freelance writer who is often working alone for long periods) makes this spiced-up version all the time. When she put a picture of this recipe on Instagram, her friend Nell commented saying that in her house, it’s known as jazzy beans. And they are very jazzy. If you don’t like baked beans, use canned plain haricot beans and use some of the water from the can to make a sauce with the chipotle paste.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINS * COOK TIME: 5 MINS

DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

200g can baked beans in tomato sauce

1 teaspoon chipotle paste

1 slice of good-quality bread (like sourdough), toasted

butter or vegan alternative, for spreading

2 teaspoons very finely chopped shallot, spring onion or fresh chives

¼–½ avocado, peeled, stoned and diced (see for method)

a few fresh coriander leaves

freshly squeezed lime juice, to taste

American-style hot sauce, to taste

Warm the beans in a small saucepan. Stir through the chipotle paste, then taste and decide if you’d like more smoky heat. When you’re happy, toast the bread and spread with butter or a vegan alternative. Pour the bean mixture onto the toast, then sprinkle over the chopped shallot, spring onion or chives, the avocado and coriander leaves.

Squeeze over a little lime juice (don’t go crazy though) and a splash of hot sauce. Eat immediately.

Not niÇoise

Baked paneer & warm chickpeas

Pea & quinoa kisir

Avocado & butter lettuce

Koshari

Rocket, pine nut & parmesan

Little gem & blue cheese

Burrata with balsamic strawberries, basil & mint

Classic coleslaw

Grazka’s fennel slaw

Red slaw

Pear, walnut & blue cheese

Samphire & fennel

Tomato kachumber

NOT NIÇOISE

In an attempt to cook more sustainably, Rebecca doesn’t eat meat or fish on weekdays, so is often to be found fiddling with recipes to make them vegetarian – this is one of her successful experiments.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 12 MINS * COOK TIME: 17 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | NF | SoF

175g new or baby potatoes, quartered

250g broad beans, podded, blanched and shelled, or 175g long green beans, trimmed, or a mixture

4 eggs

250g cucumber, deseeded and diced

250g cherry tomatoes, quartered 1 green pepper, deseeded and diced

15 black olives, stoned and roughly chopped

400g canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 big handfuls of mixed, soft salad leaves, roughly chopped or torn if large

4 sprigs of fresh basil, leaves picked and torn if large

FOR THE DRESSING:

2 tablespoons capers in vinegar or brine, rinsed, drained and finely chopped

3 sprigs of fresh parsley, leaves picked and very finely chopped

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove of garlic, crushed to a paste with the flat of a knife blade

2 teaspoons sherry vinegar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the quartered potatoes in a pan of boiling, salted water and cook for about 12 minutes, or until tender. About 2 minutes before the end of cooking, add the green beans, if using. Drain and set aside.

Bring another pan of water to the boil and gently add the eggs. Cook for 7½ minutes – for a slightly soft, creamy yolk, and fairly firm whites. Drain and cool immediately in cold water. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut each egg into six wedges.

Place all the salad ingredients, except the eggs, but including the warm potatoes and broad or green beans, into a large mixing bowl.

Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Add about half the dressing to the salad bowl and gently toss everything together.

Tip the salad onto a large serving platter and spread out. Arrange the egg wedges on top and drizzle over the remaining dressing to taste.

Eat immediately.

BAKED PANEER & WARM CHICKPEAS

A big salad, full of big flavours. Usually paneer is pan-fried, but baking it like this stops the spices burning. This goes brilliantly with the Bhaji Burgers.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 20 MINS * COOK TIME: 20 MINS

WF | GF | V | NF | SoF

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons garlic powder

½ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes, or to taste

½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

½ teaspoon fine salt

3 tablespoons vegetable or coconut oil

400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

225g paneer, cut into 1.5cm cubes

2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

about 125g kale or hispi cabbage, shredded into ½cm-thick strips

FOR THE SALAD:

6 radishes, very finely sliced

50g watercress, washed and woody stalks removed

1 spring onion, finely chopped

freshly squeezed lime juice, to taste

1 small raw beetroot, peeled and very, very finely sliced (use a mandolin if you can)

FOR THE YOGHURT DRESSING:

4 tablespoons full-fat Greek yoghurt

freshly squeezed lime juice, to taste

a pinch of ground cumin

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

Mix all the spices and salt together in a large bowl and season with pepper. Grease two nonstick baking trays with a little of the oil, then add the rest of the oil to the spices to form a paste. Add the chickpeas and paneer cubes, and toss gently, making sure not to break the paneer, until everything is well coated.

Tip this mixture out onto the two baking trays and spread out in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove the trays from the oven and add the pumpkin seeds and shredded kale or cabbage. Toss gently, turning each piece of paneer – use a spatula if any have stuck. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool a little.

Prepare all the salad ingredients, then the dressing – whisking together the yoghurt, ground cumin and a teaspoon or so of lime juice with a pinch of salt and some black pepper. Add a tablespoon or so of water to thin it enough so that you can pour it. Taste and add more lime juice or salt, as needed.

To serve, toss together the radishes, watercress and spring onion with a little lime juice in a bowl. Separately, squeeze a little lime juice over the beetroot (or toss it all in one go, but the beetroot will dye the salad pink). Spread the salad vegetables out on a big, wide platter. Scatter the warm paneer and chickpeas over the top, then either drizzle over the dressing, or serve it on the side. Eat immediately and don’t leave any leftovers! (Cooked paneer doesn’t benefit from time in the fridge.)

Chaat masala spice mix is now easy to find in large supermarkets – if you have some, sprinkle a tiny pinch over the salad, just before serving. Swap the chickpeas for cooked lentils or beans, if you like, but don’t roast them.

PEA & QUINOA KISIR

The LEON Original Salad has been pea and quinoa since before people knew how to say quinoa. Rebecca makes this and keeps it in the fridge, grazing over a couple days. Which is the definition of fast food, no?

Great as a side with sandwiches (grilled or otherwise) or on its own topped with more nuts, feta or any of our hummuses (hummi?) (see Roast Garlic Hummus, Beetroot Hummus, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and Avocado & Basil Hummus).

SERVES 5–6 AS A SIDE

PREP TIME: 15 MINS, PLUS COOLING * COOK TIME: 15 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | SoF

120g uncooked quinoa

125g frozen peas (you can use fresh, in season, but they will need 5 minutes more cooking)

100g cucumber, finely chopped

1 spring onion or a handful of fresh chives, very finely chopped

50g walnuts, chopped

3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

a bushy sprig of fresh mint, leaves picked and finely chopped

3–4 stalks of fresh parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped

½ teaspoon pomegranate molasses

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the quinoa in a fine sieve under running water. Bring 600ml of water to the boil in a large pan and add the quinoa. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender, adding the peas for the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Drain in the fine sieve again, then set the quinoa and peas aside to cool.

Once cool, place in a serving bowl. Add the cucumber, spring onion or chives, walnuts, pomegranate seeds, mint and parsley. Separately, mix together the pomegranate molasses and olive oil with a pinch of salt and a little pepper (it won’t mix well; don’t worry too much).

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly. Taste, adding more salt if needed, then serve.

If quinoa isn’t your thing, this works with bulgur wheat (which is what kisir usually contains) or couscous.

AVOCADO & BUTTER LETTUCE

This is the classic side to brasserie-style burgers. Try it with either the Super Simple Beef Burger or the LoVe At-Home Vegan Burger. The easiest butter or butterhead lettuce to find in the UK is called round lettuce, but any lettuce with soft and floppy, rather than crisp, leaves will work.

SERVES 4 AS A SIDE

PREP TIME: 10 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

1 head of round lettuce, leaves separated, core trimmed away, washed, leaves left whole or chopped

1 avocado

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chives

FOR THE DRESSING:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

a pinch of salt

Place the lettuce into a large serving bowl. Cut the avocado in half and remove the stone. Then – with the flesh still in the skin – cut the flesh into cubes, letting the knife press against the skin but without cutting through. Run a spoon between the flesh and the skin, allowing the cubes of avocado to fall into the bowl. Add the chives.

Whisk together the oil, lemon juice and salt for the dressing in a small bowl. Taste and add more lemon juice or salt, if you think it needs it. Pour half the dressing over the salad and gently toss. Add the rest, as needed.

Serve immediately, otherwise the avocado will go brown.

Try this with flakes of shaved Parmesan or crumbled feta on top.

KOSHARI

Koshari is a street food dish from Egypt made with lentils, chickpeas, a tangy, spiced tomato sauce and crunchy onions. Rebecca first learnt about it from one of her heroes, food writer Anissa Helou. It’s excellent with the Spiced Lamb Burger.

SERVES 2

PREP TIME: 15 MINS * COOK TIME: 20 MINS

DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

150g long-grain white rice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

150g dried ditalini or macaroni

400g can of green or brown lentils, drained and rinsed

400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

about 100g crispy fried onions (from a packet)

salt

FOR THE SAUCE:

a splash of olive oil

1 onion, very finely diced

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

350ml passata

1 teaspoon dried red chilli flakes, or to taste, plus an extra pinch to serve

2 teaspoons baharat spice mixture, or 1 teaspoon each of paprika and ground cumin, plus an extra pinch of each to serve

2 teaspoons sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar (Ve if needed)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Measure the rice in a mug so that you can measure twice its volume of water, for cooking. (For example, half a mug of rice equals 1 mug of water.) Rinse the rice in cold running water.

In a large pan for which you have a lid, add the oil and set over a medium heat. Add the cumin and toast briefly, then add the rice and twice its volume of water. Add a pinch of salt and the lid. Bring to a simmer and cook for 9 minutes. Add the pasta and 100ml of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the lentils and chickpeas, stir through, then cover with a lid and leave the pan to stand for 5 minutes. The pulses will heat through and the pasta will finish cooking in this time.

While the rice is cooking, make the sauce. Pour a splash of oil into a saucepan set over a low-medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook for about 6 minutes, until beginning to soften. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then add the rest of the sauce ingredients, including some pepper to taste, and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

To serve, stir half the crispy onions into the rice and pulse mixture (which shouldn’t need draining), and reserve the rest as a garnish. Divide the rice between two shallow bowls, then top with the sauce and the remaining crispy onions. Tuck in.

If you want to make your own crispy onions, finely slice 2 onions. Add 3 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil to a wide pan over a low-medium heat, add the onions and cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring often and adding more oil if needed, until deep brown and crisp (but not charred). Remove to a plate lined with kitchen paper and leave to cool before using.

ROCKET, PINE NUT & PARMESAN

A proper posh salad – brilliant at making burgers or nuggets fancier, or if you want to impress someone.

SERVES 4 AS A SIDE

PREP TIME: 10 MINS

WF | GF | V | SoF

FOR THE DRESSING:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons good-quality balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon runny honey

1 small clove of garlic, grated

a pinch of salt

FOR THE SALAD:

200g baby rocket leaves

4 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

100g Parmesan cheese (or use vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese), shaved

finely grated zest of ½ unwaxed lemon

In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary, and whisk again. Set aside.

In a large salad bowl, combine the rocket leaves and pine nuts. Stir through the dressing and top with the shaved Parmesan and lemon zest. Serve immediately.

LITTLE GEM & BLUE CHEESE

SERVES 4 AS A SIDE

PREP TIME: 10 MINS

WF | GF | V | SoF | NF

FOR THE DRESSING:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

a pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SALAD:

3 small heads of Little Gem, quartered

100g blue cheese, crumbled

Whisk together the dressing ingredients.

Place the lettuce in a serving bowl or on a platter and drizzle over half the dressing, then gently toss. Scatter over the cheese, then drizzle over a little more of the dressing. Serve the salad straight away.

BURRATA
WITH BALSAMIC STRAWBERRIES, BASIL & MINT

This is a lovely way to eat strawberries as a summer starter or salad. The tartness of the strawberries and vinegar is balanced by the rich creaminess of the burrata. If you can’t find burrata, buffalo mozzarella works almost as well.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 15 MINS, PLUS MARINATING, IF YOU HAVE TIME

WF | GF | V | NF | SoF

250g fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered

2 tablespoons good-quality balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon white sugar

3 × 100g balls of burrata

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

a small handful each of fresh basil and mint leaves

a couple of pinches of flaky sea salt, or more to taste

a few twists of freshly ground black pepper

Mix the strawberries in a bowl with the vinegar and sugar. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for a few hours, if you have time.

When ready to serve, put the strawberries on a serving platter. Split open the burrata balls and dollop the creamy cheese over the strawberries. Drizzle with the olive oil, tear over the basil and mint leaves, and sprinkle over the salt and pepper.

The strawberries, vinegar and herbs also go very well over vanilla ice cream or frozen yoghurt as a dessert.

CLASSIC COLESLAW

Slaws not only taste delicious in wraps and alongside burgers, nuggets or jackwings, adding crunch as well as flavour, but they also introduce a welcome hit of raw veg, which can help maintain a healthy gut biome.

If you’re in the US, you’ll know our coleslaw there has kale in it: kaleslaw.

SERVES 4 AS A SIDE

PREP TIME: 10 MINS, PLUS DRAINING, IF YOU HAVE TIME

WF | GF | DF | V | NF | SoF

150g red or white cabbage, or a mixture, cored and shredded

1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin strips, or coarsely grated

2 spring onions, finely chopped

2–3 tablespoons good-quality mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

If you have time, place the cabbage and carrot in a colander and sprinkle over a pinch of salt. Toss, leave to drain for 5–10 minutes, then discard the liquid. If you don’t have time, don’t worry.

Place the vegetables in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the mayo with the mustard, if using, and then use this to dress the coleslaw. If it looks at all dry – it should be rich and creamy, but not wet – add the remaining mayo and mix again. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Eat immediately.

GRAZKA’S FENNEL SLAW

Rebecca’s friend Grazka is the kind of person who invites you for a casual barbecue, then whips out four kinds of meat, a vegan option and seven salads. This is her version of an Ottolenghi salad and it’s even better than her beef ribs (which are awesome).

SERVES 4 AS A SIDE

PREP TIME: 10 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

1 fennel bulb

2 celery sticks

about ¼ tart green eating apple (like a Granny Smith), cored

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chives

a generous pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper

Ideally, slice the fennel, celery and apple using a mandolin, but if not, slice them as thinly as possible, then mix together in a serving bowl.

Mix together the lemon juice, olive oil and mustard, if using (the mustard is delicious but equally, without it the vegetables all come through in their own right), then pour about half over the slaw. Toss well (the dressing stops it all going brown).

Add the herbs to the bowl, along with the salt and some pepper. Toss again, then taste and decide if you’d like the rest of the dressing, or more salt.

Eat immediately.

RED SLAW

This is our version of a Lexington or North Carolina red slaw – it’s hot, tangy, crunchy and delicious in burgers, as well as with pork dishes, or as a side.

SERVES 4 AS A SIDE

PREP TIME: 10 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

200g white cabbage

1 carrot, peeled

3 tablespoons tomato ketchup

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (Ve if needed)

1½ tablespoons American-style hot sauce (or less, to taste)

lots of freshly ground black pepper

Trim the cabbage and carrot, then shred the cabbage finely and chop the carrot finely, too (a trick is to cut the carrots into skinny strips with a julienne peeler, then chop the strips).

Mix the tomato ketchup, vinegar, hot sauce and black pepper together in a bowl, then toss the slaw with the sauce. Taste – it should be hot, sweet and tangy, and shouldn’t need any salt at all.

Eat immediately.

PEAR, WALNUT & BLUE CHEESE

Perfect as a starter or a side. The tartness of the blue cheese is balanced nicely by the sweetness of the pear and cranberries. Pecans or toasted hazelnuts also work really well with this tasty salad.

SERVES 4–6

PREP TIME: 15 MINS * COOK TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | V | SoF

FOR THE DRESSING:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons good-quality balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon runny honey

juice of ½ orange

a pinch of salt

FOR THE SALAD:

100g walnuts

50g dried cranberries

2 ripe pears

200g mixed salad leaves

100g crumbled blue cheese (Stilton or Roquefort both work well)

In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary, and whisk again. Set aside.

To make the salad, toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until fragrant, about 4–5 minutes, turning often. Set aside to cool.

Roughly chop the walnuts and dried cranberries. Core and slice the pears.

In a large bowl, combine the salad leaves, walnuts, cranberries, pears and crumbled blue cheese. Arrange on a platter and drizzle with the dressing. Serve immediately.

SAMPHIRE & FENNEL

This is a light and refreshing salad, great served with grilled, barbecued or baked fish. Alternatively, wrap it up in a flatbread with grilled salmon or monkfish, or – and why the heck not? – fish fingers, or any of our fried chicken alternatives (see Oven-baked Buttermilk ‘Fried’ Chicken, GFC Nuggets, Baked Chicken Nuggets).

SERVES 4 AS A SIDE

PREP TIME: 5 MINS * COOK TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | NF | SoF

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ teaspoon unwaxed lemon zest

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon runny honey

a pinch of salt

100g samphire

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (save the fronds for garnish)

freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, mustard, honey and salt in a small mixing bowl.

Bring a small pan of water to the boil and blanch the samphire for 1 minute. Drain and refresh in a bowl of iced water. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Discard the tough outer leaves and core of the fennel and slice the rest as thinly as possible (ideally using a mandolin).

Place the samphire and fennel in a bowl and stir through the dressing. Garnish with fennel fronds, sprinkle with black pepper and serve.

Don’t make this too far in advance, otherwise the fennel will go brown.

TOMATO KACHUMBER

Tart and tangy, this Indian salad goes well with any grilled meat or fish. Serve this alongside the Bhaji Burgers, the Spiced Lamb Burgers, or the Falafel & Harissa Wraps. Usually, this contains cucumber, so feel free to add some if you fancy.

SERVES 4–6 AS A SIDE

PREP TIME: 10 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

500g fresh plum tomatoes

2 red onions

a handful of fresh parsley

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra if necessary

about 1 teaspoon salt

5 cranks of freshly ground black pepper

Halve and deseed the tomatoes, getting rid of the watery cores. Slice lengthways into thin strips and place in a large bowl.

Peel and thinly slice the onions (use a mandolin if you have one). Add to the tomatoes along with the parsley leaves.

Add the cumin, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper and stir to combine. If the salad looks a bit dry, add a splash more oil.

Taste for seasoning, adjust and mix again. Serve immediately.

Skirt steak with chimichurri

Mackerel with caper brown butter

Salmon with herb tahini

Linguine with clams

Wild mushroom pappardelle with thyme & crispy sage

Rigatoni with easy tomato sauce

Orecchiette with broccoli & chilli sauce

Bucatini with spinach & garlic sauce

Spaghetti aglio e olio

Paccheri with spiced tomato sauce

Asparagus carbonara

Trofie pasta with pesto & green beans

Fresh tagliatelle with courgettes & herby pangrattato

Kentucky fried cauliflower

Leon jackwings

Chicken donburi

Bian dang

Chicken, chorizo & prawn jambalaya

Poke

Crispy tofu with black rice

SKIRT STEAK WITH CHIMICHURRI

Skirt or hanger steak is known as the butcher’s cut because they always used to keep it behind for themselves. It’s cheap, but incredibly flavourful. It needs to be cooked quickly and over a very high heat, preferably a ripping hot barbecue. If not, a smoking hot cast iron griddle pan will do but don’t forget to turn your extractor fan on. If you can’t find skirt steak, go for steak with a bit of texture, like rump.

SERVES 4–6

PREP TIME: 5 MINS, PLUS RESTING * COOK TIME: 10 MINS

WF | GF | DF | NF | SoF

1kg skirt steak, trimmed of any excess fat and connective tissue, at room temperature

4 tablespoons olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chimichurri, to serve

Make sure the steak has come up to room temperature – remove it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking.

Heat the barbecue, grill pan or griddle pan until smoking hot.

Rub the steak with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Halve the steak if it’s too big for your pan.

Place on the grill, or in the pan, and cook for 4–5 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Resist the temptation to touch it, and turn it only once. This will allow a beautiful, crunchy char to develop on each side.

Remove and place on a chopping board, cover with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Slice thinly, against the grain, and spoon over some chimichurri to serve.

MACKEREL WITH CAPER BROWN BUTTER

Brown butter is made by almost, but not quite, burning butter in a small pan – the end result is a nutty, caramelized butter sauce. Adding capers turns it into an elegant sauce for any richly flavoured fish, especially mackerel.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINS * COOK TIME: 12 MINS

WF | GF | NF | SoF

100g butter, cut into small pieces

3 tablespoons capers in vinegar, rinsed, drained and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

a splash of neutral cooking oil

4–8 skin-on mackerel fillets, depending on their size and your hunger

salt and freshly ground black pepper

lemon wedges, to serve

Although we usually love multitasking in the kitchen, with brown butter it’s best to focus on just the pan it is in, because it goes from perfect to ruined in a matter of seconds – and anyway, it only takes 5 minutes to make. Place a small pan over a low-medium heat. Add the butter and allow to melt. Next, allow the butter to foam up, stirring more or less constantly, so the solids don’t catch and burn. Once the bubbling has subsided and a thick creamy foam has settled on the top, watch closely as it is almost ready – use the spoon to push back the foam to check the colour of the butter. Once golden, remove from the heat and pour into a bowl straightaway, otherwise it will burn.

Add the capers and parsley and set the sauce aside while you cook the fish.

Place a large wide pan over a medium heat. Add a splash of oil and tilt the pan to spread it evenly across the base. Pat dry and then season the mackerel fillets all over with salt and pepper, then place them, skin-side down, in the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, depending on thickness, until just cooked through (the fish will be just about flaking) and the skin is slightly browned and puckered.

Serve the mackerel on warmed plates with a little of the caper sauce spooned over and wedges of lemon on the side.

If you prefer whole (gutted and cleaned) mackerel, as we used here, then season all over and either grill under a hot grill for 5 minutes on each side, or oven-bake at 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5 for 20–25 minutes.

SALMON WITH HERB TAHINI

This herb-and-sesame sauce is also good with roast chicken, steamed broccoli or griddled asparagus, or spooned over grilled halloumi. You can also use it as a dressing over a hearty Middle Eastern or Mediterranean salad, either as it is or with a couple of tablespoons of yoghurt stirred through. Or try adding fennel fronds, dill and/or tarragon to this summery green sauce. You do need to like the slightly bitter nuttiness of tahini to like this sauce (and Rebecca’s husband certainly doesn’t).

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINS * COOK TIME: 10 MINS

WF | GF | DF | NF | SoF

vegetable oil, for cooking

4 skin-on salmon fillets

salt and freshly ground black pepper

lemon wedges, to serve

FOR THE TAHINI SAUCE:

6 tablespoons tahini, well stirred

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chives

a sprig of fresh dill, leaves picked and finely chopped

a sprig of fresh parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped

a bushy sprig of fresh basil, leaves picked and finely chopped

8 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste

1 small clove of garlic, crushed to a paste (blanch for 3 minutes in boiling water for a milder flavour)

a generous pinch of salt

To make the tahini sauce, mix everything together in a small blender or jug of a stick blender, checking no stalks find their way in (otherwise, the sauce will be hard to blend and can be bitter or woody in flavour). Blitz, gradually adding 2–3 tablespoons of water until you get a smooth texture, about as thick as double cream. Taste and add more lemon or salt, as needed – it should be pretty tangy to cut through the rich salmon.

Pan-fry the salmon. Pour a little oil into the bottom of a wide pan set over a medium heat. Season the fish all over with salt and pepper. Cook the salmon, skin-side down first, then, once the skin is a deep golden colour, turn and cook the other side. Depending on the thickness of the salmon, it will take 3–5 minutes on each side. Cook the uncooked fillet sides briefly, too, if you like your salmon quite thoroughly cooked through.

Serve immediately with lemon wedges and the tahini sauce on the side, or drizzled over.

LINGUINE WITH CLAMS

A classic seafood pasta from Campania, this is easy to make and bursting with flavour. It’s made in a similar way to Spaghetti Aglio e Olio but with the addition of clams and white wine. Some people use spaghetti, but we prefer linguine because it has more surface area to soak up the sauce.

Pasta isn’t generally thought of as a fast food, but we disagree – what are you most likely to cook when you need something quick and nourishing? (And remember, pasta was served as street food in places like Naples back in the 1800s.)

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINS * COOK TIME: 12 MINS

DF | NF | SoF

400g dried linguine

4 tablespoons good-quality extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for drizzling

4 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1kg fresh clams in the shell, rinsed (discard any with broken shells and tap any with open shells on the work surface – if they don’t close immediately, throw them out)

150ml dry white wine

juice of ½ lemon

a large bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

crusty bread, to serve

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water up to the boil. The water should be as salty as the sea. Add the linguine and cook for 1 minute less than the packet instructions.

While the linguine cooks, place the olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in a cold frying pan (one with a fitted lid) and bring up to heat over a medium-high heat. Slowly cook the garlic until softened, fragrant and just starting to turn golden on the edges, about 4 minutes. Add the clams and white wine and immediately put on the lid. Give the pan a good shake and cook for 3–4 minutes, shaking every minute, until all or most of the clams have opened. Discard any that don’t open.

When the pasta is ready, drain it, reserving a cupful of the cooking water, and transfer the pasta to the frying pan. Add the lemon juice. Cook for another 1–2 minutes, tossing and stirring vigorously until a sauce starts to form and coat the linguine. If it is too dry, add a splash of the reserved pasta water. If it is too wet, raise the heat briefly and cook it off. You should be left with a glossy sauce.

Season to taste and stir through the parsley. Transfer to four bowls, drizzle with a little extra olive oil, and serve with crusty bread to mop up the juices. Trust us on that last bit. You don’t want to waste them.

This is the bianco version of this dish. For the rosso version, add 100g chopped cherry tomatoes along with the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes.

WILD MUSHROOM PAPPARDELLE
WITH THYME & CRISPY SAGE

The mushrooms add a deep, rich flavour and crispy sage just makes everything better. Well, maybe not everything. But a lot of things.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 5 MINS * COOK TIME: 15 MINS

V | NF | SoF

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

400g mixed fresh wild mushrooms, roughly torn into large chunks

a few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

400g dried pappardelle pasta

12 large fresh sage leaves

80g freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or use vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese)

a large handful of fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water up to the boil. The water should be as salty as the sea.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms and season with a teaspoon of salt. When the mushrooms start to release their water, after 4–5 minutes, add the thyme and garlic. Keep tossing as the mushrooms, garlic and thyme start to caramelize, another 5–6 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook for another 3–4 minutes, until everything is a nutty brown. Remove from the heat, check the seasoning, then add the lemon juice.

Meanwhile, cook the pappardelle in the pot of boiling salted water for 1 minute less than the packet instructions. While the pasta is cooking, heat the remaining butter in a small frying pan until it stops foaming. Add the sage leaves, then cook until crispy and fragrant, about 1–2 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Drain the pasta, reserving a cupful of the cooking water. Add the pappardelle to the mushroom pan and place over a medium heat. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water and half the Parmesan. Toss and stir constantly for 1–2 minutes, or until a sauce begins to form and cling to the pasta. It should be creamy, but without the need for cream. Add a little more pasta water, if necessary. Stir through the parsley.

Serve in four bowls, drizzled with the remaining oil and sprinkled with the remaining Parmesan and a few twists of black pepper. Finish with the crisp sage leaves.

RIGATONI WITH EASY TOMATO SAUCE

There’s a reason this remains one of the most popular pasta dishes in the world. It’s incredibly easy, tasty and quick. A classic. You can use any pasta you like – penne or spaghetti are popular – but we like rigatoni because it is a bit chunkier and traps the sauce nicely.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 5 MINS * COOK TIME: 20–25 MINS

V | NF | SoF

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 red onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

a bunch of fresh basil, stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped

2 × 400g cans good-quality chopped tomatoes (don’t skimp, it’s not worth it)

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

500g dried rigatoni

50g Parmesan cheese (or use vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place a saucepan over a medium heat and add the olive oil, onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until softened and just starting to turn lightly golden, about 5–7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and basil stalks and cook for another 2–3 minutes until fragrant.

Pour in the tomatoes, add the vinegar and continue cooking for 12–15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add some salt and pepper. Stir in the basil leaves then turn the heat down to low.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of heavily salted water up to the boil. The water should be as salty as the sea. Add the rigatoni and cook for 1 minute less than the packet instructions.

Drain the pasta, reserving a cupful of the cooking water, and add the pasta to the tomato sauce. Cook for another 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce is glossy and coating the pasta evenly. If it becomes a bit thick or claggy, add a splash of the reserved pasta water. Taste for seasoning one last time and adjust if needed.

Transfer to four bowls, drizzle with a little extra olive oil, and grate over the Parmesan. Eat immediately.

ORECCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLI & CHILLI SAUCE

This is one of Jack’s favourite pastas and an excellent way to get more plants into your diet. The trick is to steam the broccoli in seasoned olive oil and pasta water until mushy. It emulsifies into a wonderful sauce – sounds weird, but it really works. Make sure you use a frying pan that has a lid. Orecchiette means ‘little ears’ in Italian, and is the perfect pasta for this dish because little puddles of sauce pool in the middle of each one.

SERVES 2

PREP TIME: 5 MINS * COOK TIME: 20 MINS

NF | SoF

200g dried orecchiette pasta

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

2 canned anchovy fillets, drained

4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced, or a generous pinch of dried chilli flakes

1 large head of broccoli, broken into very small florets of equal size

50g freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus a little extra for garnish

a large handful of fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water up to the boil. It should be as salty as the sea. Add the orecchiette and cook for 1 minute less than the packet instructions.

Meanwhile, place 3 tablespoons of the oil, the anchovies, garlic and chilli in a cold frying pan and bring up to heat over a medium-high heat. Mash the anchovies with a wooden spoon as they cook and they will dissolve into a lovely paste – no need to chop them before cooking. As soon as the garlic starts to sizzle, add a ladleful of the pasta water, the broccoli florets and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Give it a stir and cover with a lid. Steam for 10–15 minutes until the broccoli is completely mushy. Check every now and then to make sure the pan hasn’t gone too dry. If it does, add another splash of pasta water. Remove from the heat.

Drain the pasta, reserving a cupful of the cooking water. Pour the orecchiette into the frying pan containing the mushy broccoli and place back over a medium heat. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water and the Parmesan, and toss for 1–2 minutes, or until a sauce begins to form and cling to the pasta. Add more of the pasta water, if necessary. Stir through the parsley.

Divide between two bowls, drizzle over a little extra olive oil, grate over some extra Parmesan and crack over a few twists of black pepper. Eat immediately.

BUCATINI WITH SPINACH & GARLIC SAUCE

Trust us, you will make this more than once. Sometimes the best things in life are the simplest.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 5 MINS * COOK TIME: 12 MINS

V | SoF

400g dried bucatini or spaghetti (we prefer bucatini because it is more like a chewy noodle)

5 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

5 tablespoons good-quality extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving

600g baby spinach leaves

a small bunch of fresh basil leaves

60g pine nuts

90g freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or use vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese), plus a little extra for serving

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water up to the boil. The water should be as salty as the sea. Add the bucatini or spaghetti and cook for 1 minute less than the packet instructions.

Meanwhile, place the garlic in a cold frying pan with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Heat over a medium-high heat and just as the garlic starts to sizzle and become fragrant, add all the spinach. Fry until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Scoop out a mugful of the pasta cooking water. Place the spinach, basil leaves, pine nuts, Parmesan, remaining oil and some pepper in a food processor, along with a splash of the reserved pasta water, and purée into a smooth sauce. If it is too dry and claggy, add a splash more of the pasta water until you are happy with the consistency. It should be like a very thick, smooth soup. Place the sauce back in the spinach frying pan and keep warm over a low heat.

When the pasta is ready, drain, reserving another cupful of the cooking water, then transfer the pasta to the spinach pan. Cook for another 1–2 minutes, tossing and stirring continuously, until the sauce starts to cling to the bucatini. If it becomes too thick, add some more pasta water. But equally, it shouldn’t be wet – the final consistency should be such that if you held a strand of bucatini up in the air, the sauce would stick to it and not slide off.

Transfer to four bowls, drizzle with a little extra olive oil and grate over a little extra Parmesan. Crack over a bit more black pepper just for good measure. Eat immediately.

SPAGHETTI AGLIO E OLIO

The pasta that Jon Favreau makes for Scarlett Johansson in a famous scene from the film ‘Chef’. Devastatingly simple. Incredibly tasty. It also just happens to be vegan. Don’t be afraid of the amount of garlic. It’s the main flavour of the dish and it really needs it.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 5 MINS * COOK TIME: 12 MINS

DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

400g dried spaghetti

8 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced (or add more to taste)

6 tablespoons good-quality extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

juice of ½ lemon

a large handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water up to the boil. The water should be as salty as the sea. Add the spaghetti and cook for 1 minute less than the packet instructions.

Meanwhile, place the garlic and olive oil in a cold frying pan and bring up to heat over a medium-high heat. Slowly cook the garlic until softened, fragrant and just starting to turn golden on the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and a splash of the pasta cooking water to slow down the cooking process. Reduce the heat to low.

When the pasta is ready, drain, reserving a cupful of the cooking water, and transfer the spaghetti to the frying pan. Add the lemon juice. Cook for another 1–2 minutes, tossing and stirring constantly until a sauce starts to form and coat the spaghetti. If it starts to dry out, add a splash of the reserved pasta water, but equally it shouldn’t be soupy, so cook off any excess liquid. The sauce should be shiny and smooth.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir through the parsley. Transfer to four bowls and serve immediately.

PACCHERI WITH SPICED TOMATO SAUCE

This is Jack’s favourite pasta dish of all time. It comes from the small Italian town of Amatrice, which was tragically devastated by an earthquake in 2016. The paccheri pasta is perfect because the Amatriciana sauce gets trapped inside to make little sandwiches of deliciousness.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 5 MINS * COOK TIME: 30–40 MINS

NF | SoF

150g guanciale (Italian cured pork), diced

1 red onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon tomato purée

2 × 400g cans plum tomatoes

2 teaspoons dried oregano

400g dried paccheri pasta

a large bunch of fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped (reserving a few small leaves for garnish)

50g Pecorino Romano cheese (or Parmesan cheese, if you can’t find Pecorino)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the guanciale in a cold frying pan and bring up to heat over a medium-high heat. You don’t need to add any extra oil – enough fat will render out of the guanciale because you started with a cold pan. Cook until the edges of the meat just start to go crispy, about 4–5 minutes.

Add the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until softened, stirring often, another 8 minutes or so. Add the tomato purée and cook for about a minute, stirring constantly with a wooden so it coats the onions, garlic and guanciale.

Add the canned tomatoes and their juice and crush them with a wooden spoon. Swish out the cans with a splash of water and add to the pan, then add the oregano. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 15–20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

While the sauce simmers, cook the paccheri in a pot of boiling, heavily salted water for 1 minute less than the packet instructions. Drain, reserving a cupful of the cooking water. Add the paccheri to the tomato sauce and place the pan over a medium heat. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss and stir constantly for 1–2 minutes, or until the sauce clings to the pasta. Stir through the chopped basil.

Serve in four bowls, grate over the cheese and top with the reserved basil leaves.

Try to buy the best pasta you can. It’s not much more expensive but makes such a difference. Look for ‘bronze-died’ on the packet. This means it will have a slightly rougher texture which helps the sauce to stick.

ASPARAGUS CARBONARA

Oh, how the Italians laugh at how the British cook a carbonara (Jack knows only too well, as he was taught to make this in Italy). There should never be any cream added. The creaminess comes naturally from the emulsion of eggs, Pecorino and pasta water. This is a healthier twist, as we’ve added asparagus. If you can’t find guanciale, smoked pancetta will work almost as well. Just add a bit more black pepper.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 5 MINS * COOK TIME: 15 MINS

NF | SoF

2 golden-yolked eggs (Burford Browns are good and readily available)

2 cloves of garlic, grated

100g Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated

12 cranks of freshly ground black pepper (we know – it’s a lot)

500g dried spaghetti

180g guanciale (Italian cured pork), cut into ½cm cubes

300g asparagus, woody ends removed (an easy way to do this is to bend each stalk – they will naturally snap where tender), chopped up into 1cm chunks, tips left whole

salt

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, garlic, cheese and pepper. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water up to the boil. Add the spaghetti, stir, and cook until al dente (1 minute less than the packet instructions).

While the pasta is cooking, place the guanciale in a cold frying pan and bring up to heat over a medium-high heat. You don’t need to add any extra oil because enough fat will render out of the guanciale because you started with a cold pan. Cook until the edges just start to go crispy, about 4–5 minutes.

Add the asparagus to the crispy guanciale and fry in the fat until softened and nicely charred. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Drain the pasta, reserving a cupful of the cooking water, and then tip the pasta into the asparagus-guanciale frying pan. Still off the heat, pour in the egg mixture and toss thoroughly for a couple of minutes, adding the reserved pasta water, little by little, if things get too sticky, until the sauce becomes glossy and creamy and coats the back of the spaghetti. The heat of the pasta will cook the eggs.

Transfer to individual bowls and eat immediately.

TROFIE PASTA WITH PESTO & GREEN BEANS

Trofie comes from Liguria and is the traditional pasta to serve with pesto. If you can’t find this, casarecce or rigatoni work well. As for the pesto, this is our version of the traditional Genovese basil pesto. The great thing about pesto is that you can play around with it. Pesto means paste in Italian, so you can use any flavour combinations you like. The basic principles stay the same, so use whatever you like the taste of: pistachios and mint; sun-dried tomatoes and almonds; red peppers and walnuts.

SERVES 2

PREP TIME: 15 MINS * COOK TIME: 10 MINS

V | SoF

100g pine nuts

150g fresh basil leaves

2 cloves of garlic, minced

100g freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or use vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese), plus an extra handful to serve

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

about 150ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving (choose one that is not peppery)

250g dried trofie pasta

100g green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a dry frying pan over a medium heat and toast the pine nuts until fragrant, about 4–5 minutes, stirring constantly. Leave to cool, then tip into a food processor.

Add the basil to the food processor and pulse several times. Add the garlic, Parmesan and lemon juice and pulse several times more. Scrape down the sides with a spatula and pulse again. Start running the food processor and slowly pour in the olive oil until it emulsifies. Add as much as you want, depending on how wet you like your pesto. Taste for seasoning, adjust and blend one last time. Spoon into a bowl.

Bring a pot of heavily salted water to the boil and add the pasta. Cook for 1 minute less than the time given on the packet. With 3 minutes left, add the green beans. Drain the pasta and green beans, reserving one cupful of the cooking water.

Put everything back in the pot but keep off the heat. Stir in the pesto (bear in mind you probably won’t need it all – just enough to coat everything). If the mixture is a bit thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water, little by little. Keep stirring for a minute or so until everything has emulsified and the pesto is clinging to the pasta.

Serve in two bowls, sprinkle over the extra Parmesan and drizzle over a little olive oil. Crack over some black pepper and eat immediately.

FRESH TAGLIATELLE
WITH COURGETTES & HERBY PANGRATtATO

Pangrattato is Italian for breadcrumbs. They add a depth of flavour to pasta and were used as an alternative to Parmesan cheese by Italians who couldn’t afford the cheese, so make a brilliant sub for anyone who avoids regular Parmesan. Here they add texture to creamy courgettes and crème fraîche.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINS * COOK TIME: 20–25 MINS

NF | SoF

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

¾ loaf of stale bread, such as ciabatta or a small sourdough, crusts removed, processed or chopped finely into breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon salt

8 twists of freshly ground black pepper

4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped

zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

5 canned anchovy fillets, drained

4 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

2 courgettes, halved lengthways and cut into 8mm-thick semi-circles

300ml crème fraîche

a squeeze of lemon juice

500g fresh tagliatelle

a handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large frying pan, add the breadcrumbs, measured salt and pepper and the rosemary and cook for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Stir through the lemon zest, then set aside in a bowl.

Wipe out the frying pan, then heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over a medium-high heat and add the anchovies. Cook for 2 minutes until they start to break up. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Finally, add the courgettes and fry until tender and soft, another 8–10 minutes.

Stir in the crème fraîche, mix thoroughly, add the lemon juice, taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary, then lower the heat.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water up to the boil. The water should be as salty as the sea. Add the tagliatelle and cook for about 2 minutes, or according to the packet instructions. Drain, reserving a cupful of the cooking water, then add the pasta to the frying pan. Cook for another 1–2 minutes, mixing constantly, until the sauce starts to bind to the pasta, forming a thick, glossy coating. Use a little of the reserved pasta water if it needs loosening, but be sparing. Stir through the mint, reserving a little to serve. Transfer to four bowls and top each with a generous amount of the pangrattato and a sprinkling of mint.

KENTUCKY FRIED CAULIFLOWER

This is a properly tasty vegan alternative to fried chicken.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 15 MINS, PLUS CHILLING * COOK TIME: 20 MINS

V | Ve | NF

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon medium chilli powder

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon dried oregano

400ml dairy-free milk (we use soy milk but oat milk also works well)

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (Ve if needed)

2 tablespoons hot sauce (we like Frank’s the best and it is easy to find)

1 large cauliflower, cut into large florets, roughly 3cm in size

2 tablespoons cornflour

250g plain flour

vegetable oil

pickles and your favourite dipping sauce, to serve

In a small bowl, combine all the seasonings and dried herbs and mix well with a fork.

In a large bowl, whisk together the soy milk, apple cider vinegar and hot sauce (this will create a vegan buttermilk). Add half the spice mix and whisk until smooth. Add the cauliflower florets and mix well with your hands until they are well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

In another large bowl, mix the other half of the spice mix with the cornflour and plain flour. Set aside.

Remove the cauliflower from the fridge. Dip each floret in the seasoned flour and place on a tray. Once all have been coated thoroughly, repeat the process but this time dip each floret back in the ‘buttermilk’ mixture, turning to coat, and then again in the seasoned flour.

In a large, deep, heavy-based pan, heat about 6cm of vegetable oil over a medium heat until it reaches 180°C/350°F, or until a cube of day-old bread fizzles and browns in 30 seconds. (If the oil is too hot, the batter will burn; if it’s too cold, the batter will be soggy.)

Fry the cauliflower florets for 5–6 minutes in batches, until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oil using tongs or a slotted spoon and transfer to a wire rack or kitchen paper to cool, and for the excess oil to drain off. Let the oil come back up to temperature between each batch, until all florets are cooked.

Serve with pickles and your favourite dipping sauce.

LEON JACKWINGS

Jackfruit, when unripe and shredded, makes a quite mind-bending vegan substitute for chicken or pork. In 2019, we launched our popular jackwings: crispy coated, cheesy jackfruit nuggets of joy. They’re not wings, obviously but they’re still delicious.

SERVES 4, WITH SIDE DISHES

PREP TIME: 20 MINS, PLUS CHILLING * COOK TIME: 35 MINS

DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

2½ tablespoons vegetable oil, plus extra for shallow-frying

50g plain flour

275ml plant-based milk (NF, SoF if needed), warmed

¼ teaspoon Marmite

1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

½ teaspoon garlic powder

15g finely grated vegan Parmesan-style cheese

½ teaspoon vegetable bouillon powder

a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1½ tablespoons soy sauce

500g (drained weight) canned unripe jackfruit (about 2 cans), drained, rinsed and well-shredded (fish out any hard bits of jelly-like seeds)

200g ready made breadcrumbs

50g cornflour

salt (optional)

your choice of mayo or sauces – try Aioli Mayo or Thom’s BBQ Sauce (either can be Ve), or tomato ketchup, to serve

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. When hot, add the flour and cook, stirring, until you get a smooth, pale gold paste. Add a splash of the milk and cook, stirring, until combined. Add the rest of the milk gradually until you have a very thick béchamel. Turn the heat right down and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until smooth, very thick and almost stretchy, about 6–8 minutes. Add the Marmite, smoked paprika, garlic powder, vegan cheese, vegetable bouillon powder, nutmeg and soy sauce. Stir well, then taste for seasoning.

Mix the jackfruit and béchamel well. Taste again, it should be meaty and very savoury. Place the mixture into the fridge, covered, to chill for an hour or overnight.

When ready to cook, mix together the breadcrumbs and cornflour in a wide bowl. Set a wide pan over a medium heat and generously cover the bottom of the pan with oil. Remove the jackfruit mixture from the fridge and fry a little for a minute or two, then taste to check the seasoning, and correct as needed.

Shape the jackfruit mixture into nuggets, then roll them in the breadcrumbs, coating thoroughly. Shallow-fry 6–8 nuggets for about 2 minutes on each side, moving them gently so they don’t lose their shape. Once cooked on all sides, crisp and a rich dark golden brown, remove from the pan using tongs. Drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper and keep warm, while you cook the rest in the same way.

Eat hot, with sauces for dunking.

CHICKEN DONBURI

Donburi are fast-food dishes served in Japan, usually in bowls, with meat, fish, tofu or vegetables over rice, with soy-based sauce. This is Rebecca’s completely-not-traditional take on it, which she makes at home.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 15 MINS * COOK TIME: 20 MINS

WF | GF | DF | NF

350g sushi rice, rinsed

2 eggs, lightly beaten

about 150g panko or gluten-free breadcrumbs

plain flour (WF, GF if needed)

neutral cooking oil

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1cm slices across the grain

100g fresh mushrooms, ideally shiitake or oyster, sliced or torn if large

salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SAUCE:

2 tablespoons mirin

4 tablespoons soy sauce (WF, GF if needed)

a pinch of caster sugar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO SERVE:

⅛ white cabbage, shredded

1 large carrot, peeled and julienned into thin matchsticks or ribbons

3 spring onions, sliced thinly on an angle

black or white sesame seeds, or a mixture

Bring the rice and 500ml cold water to the boil, then turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to steam, covered.

Fill a bowl with the beaten eggs, another with half the breadcrumbs and another with 3–4 tablespoons of flour seasoned with salt and pepper.

Place a large, wide frying pan over a medium heat and add about ½cm of oil. Taking half the chicken pieces, dip each into the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs, making sure they are completely covered with a layer of each. Place the coated chicken in the pan and cook until golden brown on the bottom, then turn until golden all over and cooked through, about 5 minutes in total. If the breadcrumbs start to burn, turn the heat down. Place the cooked chicken on a plate lined with kitchen paper and keep warm. Repeat with the rest of the pieces, adding more breadcrumbs or flour to the bowls as needed.

While the chicken cooks, pour the sauce ingredients into a small pan with 100ml water, season to taste, and warm through.

When all the chicken is cooked, turn the heat up, scooping out any burnt crumbs, and stir-fry the mushrooms very quickly. (You can also briefly scramble any leftover egg wash and add that to the finished donburi, too, if you like.)

Divide the rice, chicken, cabbage and carrot between four bowls and spoon over some of the sauce. Sprinkle over the spring onions and sesame seeds to serve.

This is also good with flash-fried rare steak, cut into strips, pan-fried fish fillets, like mackerel or bass, or Crispy Tofu. Leftover sauce will keep in a sealed bottle or jar in the fridge for up to a week or two.

BIAN DANG

This is a highly – heretically – Anglicized version of the original dish served in boxes on trains in Taiwan. But it’s delicious. And we hope Taiwan forgives us.

SERVES 2

PREP TIME: 25 MINS, PLUS OPTIONAL MARINATING * COOK TIME: 30 MINS

WF | GF | DF | NF

3 tablespoons soy sauce (WF, GF if needed)

1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice

2 teaspoons caster sugar

1 clove of garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine (optional)

2 free-range pork chops (cut through the fatty rind at 2cm intervals), bashed to about 1cm thick

vegetable oil

cornflour, for dredging

salt

FOR THE QUICK TEA EGGS:

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 black tea bag

2 tablespoons soy sauce (WF, GF if needed), plus extra to serve (optional)

1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon caster sugar

a generous pinch of salt

TO SERVE:

125g Thai jasmine rice

200g mustardy Asian greens (choi sum or, if possible, water spinach), chopped

In a large wide container, mix together the soy sauce, five-spice, sugar, garlic, rice wine and a generous pinch of salt. Add the chops and rub the marinade into the meat. Cover and leave in the fridge for a couple of hours, if possible.

For the quick tea eggs, have ready a bowl of iced water. Bring a pan of water to the boil, and add the eggs. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 7 minutes, then place the eggs in the iced water to cool. Meanwhile, place the remaining tea egg ingredients with 150ml water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Carefully peel the cooled eggs and leave in the cooled tea mixture, turning now and then, until ready to serve.

About 20 minutes before you want to serve, place the rice in a saucepan with twice its volume of cold water and a pinch of salt. Place over a medium heat, bring to a simmer, then cover with a lid and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to stand, still covered, for 5 minutes or so.

Fill a pan with salted boiling water, bring back to the boil, then add the Asian greens. Blanch for 1 minute, then drain and set aside. Keep warm.

Place a wide frying pan over a medium heat and add about 1cm of vegetable oil. Spread some cornflour onto a plate. Coat each flattened chop in the cornflour, then carefully lower into the pan. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until deep brown on the outside and no longer pink within. Remove and drain briefly on kitchen paper.

Remove the eggs from their marinade and serve the rice, greens, chops and eggs with a little extra soy sauce, if you like.

CHICKEN, CHORIZO & PRAWN JAMBALAYA

Donald Gunn is the father of Jack’s flatmate, Henry. He also happens to be an incredible home cook and, while living and working in America, developed and wrote down a bunch of delicious traditional recipes. He kindly wrote out, laminated and sent Jack his now-no-longer-secret jambalaya recipe to be used in this book. Thank you, Donald.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 15 MINS * COOK TIME: 55 MINS

WF | GF | DF | NF | SoF

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 skin-on, boneless chicken thighs

100g chorizo, sliced

1 onion, diced

1 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced

1 celery stick, diced

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

100ml dry white wine

250g long-grain white rice

400g can chopped tomatoes

about 500ml hot chicken stock (you may need slightly more, depending on how long the rice takes to cook)

a hefty pinch of saffron threads

2 bay leaves

12 raw king prawns, peeled and deveined

a large handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped

salt

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based, deep pan with a lid (like a Dutch oven). When it is shimmering, add the chicken thighs, skin-side down. Season with a pinch of salt. Brown the meat for 5–6 minutes, and then flip over and brown for a further 2–3 minutes. Remove from the pan, roughly chop and put in a bowl.

Without wiping the pan, brown the chorizo for 5–6 minutes. Remove and add to the chicken bowl.

Again without wiping the pan, add the onion, red pepper and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic, chilli, cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme, oregano and black pepper. Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring now and then.

Add the white wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping off any brown bits, then leave to bubble for 1–2 minutes. Add the chicken and chorizo back in, along with the rice, tomatoes, stock, saffron and bay leaves.

Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir through the prawns, then cover again and cook for a further 8–10 minutes until the rice is tender and the prawns are pink and opaque. Double-check a piece of chicken to see if the meat is done and the juices run clear. If it is getting a bit dry and the rice has absorbed all the liquid before it has finished cooking, add a bit more hot stock.

Add salt and pepper to taste, stir through the parsley and serve immediately.

POKE

Poke is a Hawaiian unwrapped sushi-style fast-food dish. It is usually made with raw fish, although we included a recipe for beetroot poke in our ‘Fast Vegan’ book. You could add finely sliced raw vegetables like red cabbage, radish or broccoli to this version, or cooked edamame beans or cubes of cooked squash. Feel free to drizzle over kewpie mayo, Sriracha sauce or more soy sauce. If raw fish isn’t your thing, it’s just as good with cooked white fish, salmon or prawns. The two dried seaweeds are easy to find online, as well as in some very large supermarkets and Chinese or Japanese grocers.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 15 MINS * COOK TIME: 12 MINS, PLUS STANDING

WF | GF | DF | NF

400g sushi rice, rinsed

1 tablespoon rice vinegar (optional)

a pinch of salt

½ teaspoon caster sugar (optional), plus an extra pinch

1 tablespoon dried hijiki seaweed

1 tablespoon dried wakame seaweed

2 tablespoons soy sauce (WF, GF if needed) 2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons mirin

400g very fresh sushi-grade tuna fillet (or any sushi-grade fish fillet), chopped into 2cm cubes

1 ripe avocado, peeled, stoned and diced (see for method)

16 slices of cucumber

3 spring onions, finely chopped on an angle

4 tablespoons crispy fried onions (from a packet, or make your own, see Tip)

black or white sesame seeds, to garnish

Bring the rice and 600ml of cold water to the boil, then turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to steam, covered, for 20 minutes. Stir in the rice vinegar, if using, salt and ½ teaspoon of sugar, if using, and fluff up with a fork. If not serving warm, immediately, then chill in the fridge until ready to serve, or set aside while you make the rest of the dish.

Put the dried seaweeds in a small bowl and pour over enough boiling water to just cover them. Leave for 5 minutes to rehydrate, then drain.

Mix together the soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin and the remaining pinch of sugar and place in a bowl with the tuna, avocado and rehydrated seaweed. Toss very gently.

Divide the cooked rice between four bowls. Top the rice with the tuna mixture, then arrange the cucumber next to it. Scatter over the spring onions and crispy fried onions and garnish with the sesame seeds. Eat immediately.

CRISPY TOFU WITH BLACK RICE

Black rice takes a bit longer to cook than white rice, but is so tasty (and nutrient-dense) that it’s worth the wait. If you want to add more to your bowl, try finely sliced carrot, diced avocado, fresh or pickled ginger, sliced radishes, sweetcorn or even marinated Quick Tea Eggs.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 15 MINS * COOK TIME: 45 MINS

DF | V | Ve

a pinch of salt

275g black/forbidden rice (or ordinary long-grain white rice)

1½ tablespoons vegetable oil

1 heaped tablespoon cornflour

300g extra-firm tofu, pressed to remove excess liquid then cut into 1.5cm cubes

200g frozen edamame beans

125g broccoli, sliced

200g green beans, sliced on an angle

3 tablespoons cashew nuts or peanuts, roughly chopped

3 spring onions, cut into 1cm slices on an angle

100g cucumber, sliced into ribbons

black or white sesame seeds (or a mixture), to serve

FOR THE DRESSING:

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1–2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, or to taste

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons good-quality mayonnaise (Ve if needed)

Bring 1 litre of water up to the boil in a saucepan and add the salt. Add the rice and simmer for 30–45 minutes (black rice can be a bit variable in its cook time), until tender, but with some bite.

Towards the end of the cooking time, start cooking the tofu. Place a large, wide frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil. Place the cornflour in a bowl and add the tofu. Toss gently, using your hands, to coat each piece lightly. Place the tofu cubes in the pan and cook for about 2 minutes a side, until golden and crisp all over.

While the tofu is crisping up, prepare the rest of the vegetables. Place the edamame beans, broccoli and green beans in a separate pan of boiling water and bring back to the boil. Cook for 2 minutes, so the vegetables remain crisp. Drain and set aside.

Make the dressing by whisking together all the ingredients in a small bowl, then very gradually add just enough water to make it thin enough to pour – probably only a tablespoon or so.

When the rice is done, drain it thoroughly. Divide between four bowls, then arrange the vegetables on top, to one side. Remove the tofu from the pan and divide between the bowls. Add the nuts to the frying pan over a medium heat, tossing them for just a minute or so, to lightly toast, then tip them into the bowls, along with the spring onions and cucumber. Pour over the dressing, then top each bowl with a pinch of sesame seeds and serve.

Fish kebabs with cucumber raita

Suya

Yakitori mushrooms

Garlicky prawns

Piri piri anything

Denai’s vegan jamaican patties

Oven-baked buttermilk ‘fried’ chicken

Gfc nuggets

Baked chicken nuggets with an almond, lemon & parsley crumb

Spiced-yoghurt chicken wings

Easy jerk chicken

FISH KEBABS WITH CUCUMBER RAITA

Simple and delicious, these make us think of barbecues on a late summer evening. The rosemary skewers are optional – you could just use regular wooden/bamboo ones – but they add a lovely background flavour and look really cool on the plate, too.

SERVES 6–8

PREP TIME: 10 MINS, PLUS MARINATING * COOK TIME: 10 MINS

WF | GF | NF | SoF

FOR THE CUCUMBER RAITA:

1 small cucumber, grated

400ml full-fat Greek yoghurt

2 cloves of garlic, grated

4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

zest and juice of ½ unwaxed lemon

½ teaspoon ground cumin

salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SKEWERS:

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing and drizzling

2 cloves of garlic, crushed or grated

zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

700g firm white fish fillets, such as cod or halibut

6–8 long, woody rosemary stalks, leaves removed, or wooden/bamboo skewers

a small bunch of fresh parsley leaves, chopped, to garnish

If you’re using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 20 minutes before using.

To make the raita, squeeze the water out of the grated cucumber, then combine in a bowl with the yoghurt, garlic, dill, lemon zest and juice, cumin and seasoning to taste. Cover and refrigerate.

For the kebabs, in a large bowl, mix together the oil, garlic, lemon zest and juice, chopped rosemary, salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric and red pepper flakes.

Cut the fish into cubes, about 4cm in size, then place in the marinade. Mix thoroughly with your hands, making sure every piece of fish is coated, then cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (Do not leave it for longer than 2 hours, though, or the fish will start to break down.)

When ready to cook, thread the rosemary (or wooden/bamboo) skewers through the marinated fish cubes.

Cook the skewers on a heated and oiled barbecue (or hot grill pan), turning once, until the edges are lightly browned and the fish is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Place the kebabs on a platter and scatter over the chopped parsley to garnish, drizzle over a little extra olive oil, and serve with the cucumber raita.

SUYA

Grilled meat skewers are a common street-food dish in West Africa. This recipe is our version of suya, Nigerian beef skewers rolled in a spiced peanut crumb, although the crumb is also delicious around chicken or fish. They taste best cooked over charcoal, but a hot grill pan will do the job.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINS, PLUS CHILLING * COOK TIME: 7–8 MINS

WF | GF | DF | SoF

200g roasted peanuts

5 cloves of garlic, crushed or grated

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 beef stock cubes, crumbled up between your fingers (WF, GF if needed)

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon chipotle chilli flakes, crushed or finely chopped

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1kg beef sirloin, trimmed of any fat

10–12 wooden/bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 20 minutes before use)

vegetable oil, for brushing

Pulse the roasted peanuts in a food processor until they become like coarse breadcrumbs – but be careful not to go so far as to get a paste.

Add the garlic, ginger, stock cubes, salt, pepper, onion powder, smoked paprika, chipotle chilli flakes and cayenne pepper. Pulse to combine, but don’t over-blend.

Cut the beef into long, thick strips, about 3.5cm-thick and wide. Thread the pieces of beef onto the skewers with each skewer running lengthways through the meat (a bit like a corn dog!).

Brush the meat with some oil, then press the peanut mixture firmly onto each beef skewer, making sure you coat each and every bit. Place on a plate, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Heat a barbecue or grill pan to a high heat. Oil the grill grates or pan, then cook the skewers until golden and crusty on the outside and pink in the middle, about 7–8 minutes, turning once. Don’t move them around too often or too early because you will knock the coating off.

Remove from the heat, leave to rest for 2 minutes, then tuck in.

YAKITORI MUSHROOMS

Yakitori are incredibly popular in Japan. They are traditionally made with chicken, but this vegetarian alternative packs just as much flavour thanks to the meaty mushrooms and delicious teriyaki-like glaze. Best grilled on a barbecue, they can also be done in a nonstick frying pan on the hob.

It’s important the mushrooms aren’t too small, otherwise they will be difficult to skewer and shrink to nothingness on the grill. Portobello mushrooms work nicely, too, but may be a bit on the large side, so cut them in half if so.

SERVES 6

PREP TIME: 10 MINS * COOK TIME: 25–30 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF

FOR THE GLAZE:

120ml soy sauce (WF, GF if needed)

120ml mirin

4 tablespoons sake (or dry sherry if you can’t find sake)

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

2 large cloves of garlic, grated

2 tablespoons soft brown sugar

FOR THE SKEWERS:

8 spring onions, dark green tips reserved, the rest cut into 6cm batons

6 bamboo/wooden skewers, soaked for 20 minutes in water

18 large fresh shiitake mushrooms

vegetable oil, for brushing

50g white sesame seeds, to serve

For the glaze, whisk together the soy sauce, mirin and sake in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, sugar and two of the reserved dark green spring onion tips. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook, stirring regularly, until the sauce is thick and glossy, about 15–18 minutes.

Thread a skewer lengthways through a mushroom, then widthways through a piece of spring onion, then another mushroom, then another spring onion, continuing until each skewer is full.

Heat a barbecue or grill pan to high. Brush both the grill and the skewers with oil, then place the skewers on the grill. Brush them with the glaze using a pastry brush as they cook, turning every now and then. The mushrooms and onions should turn a deep, dark golden brown in 10–15 minutes.

While the skewers are cooking, toast the sesame seeds in a hot, dry frying pan for a few minutes, until golden, then remove from the heat and tip into a small bowl.

Transfer the skewers onto a platter, brush once more with the remaining glaze, and scatter over the toasted sesame seeds to serve.

GARLICKY PRAWNS

So simple, so tasty. This works best on a barbecue because of the smoky flavour, but you can use this butter mix to cook the prawns in the oven or in a pan, if you prefer. As Bubba tells Forrest Gump, ‘Shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it.’

SERVES 6

PREP TIME: 5 MINS * COOK TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | NF | SoF

60g unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 small shallot, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

a pinch of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon caper brine (optional, but adds a lovely tang)

zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon

750g raw king prawns, peeled and deveined

handful of fresh parsley leaves

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the barbecue or grill to medium-high.

Heat the butter with the oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat until the butter melts, then add the garlic, shallot, oregano, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, caper brine, if using, and lemon juice. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant, taste and adjust the seasoning, taste again and then remove from the heat. (If it starts to solidify before you start cooking your prawns, heat gently until liquid again.)

Lay out the prawns on the barbecue, or in a grill pan if grilling, then grill until golden and pink, brushing often with the garlic butter, and turning them once. They will need 2–3 minutes per side.

Transfer to a plate, brush again with any remaining garlic butter and scatter over the lemon zest and parsley. Tuck in.

If you want to make it easier to turn the prawns, thread them onto wooden/bamboo skewers, which have been soaked in water.

PIRI PIRI ANYTHING

This is HOT. In all the ways.

SERVES 4–6

PREP TIME: 10 MINS, PLUS MARINATING * COOK TIME: 20–25 MINS

WF | GF | NF

4–8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs or 4 whole chicken legs or 20 chicken wings

or 400g extra-firm tofu, pressed to remove excess liquid (plus 1 tablespoon cornflour)

or 400–800g prepped vegetables, for roasting

vegetable oil, for greasing

FOR THE PIRI PIRI SPICE SAUCE:

3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

4 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 hot red chillies, deseeded

1–2 small and very hot finger, bird’s eye or piri piri chillies, deseeded

5–6 (or more, to taste – we find the sauce mellows as it cooks) small dried red chillies, crumbled

1 red pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

5 tablespoons olive oil

2½ teaspoons fine salt

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ teaspoon hot piri piri powder or hot chilli powder

1 teaspoon whisky (optional)

For the piri piri sauce, whizz all the ingredients in a blender until smooth.

For piri piri chicken: toss the chicken in 3–4 tablespoons of the sauce in a bowl. Cover and leave in the fridge for up to 2 hours. Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Place the chicken on a large greased baking tray and roast for 15 minutes for large pieces, or 10 minutes for wings. Remove from the oven, baste and drizzle over a little more piri piri sauce. Return to the oven to finish cooking – legs will need a total of up to 55 minutes, thighs 35–40 minutes and wings about 20 minutes. The chicken is done when the skin is golden and glazed with sticky marinade, and when the meat is pierced to the bone, the juices run clear.

For piri piri tofu: add the cornflour to 4 tablespoons of sauce, then toss the tofu in the mixture (400g is enough for 4 people). Cover and leave in the fridge for an hour. Place a lightly oiled, wide-bottomed frying pan over a low heat and fry the tofu very gently on all sides, turning as soon as it’s golden and no longer sticking to the pan. Taste and check for salt, once cooked (since tofu is very bland to start with).

For piri piri roasted vegetables: heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Depending on the size and firmness of the veg, cook them a little in the oven before adding the sauce. Ideally, the sauce will have about 15 minutes in the oven, so work backwards. Sweet potato slices will need up to 30 minutes, whereas courgette, pepper and aubergine chunks or slices will probably only need 20 minutes in total. Once part-cooked, coat the vegetable pieces in the piri piri sauce, return to the oven in a roasting tin and cook until the cut edges are beginning to turn golden, and the vegetables are tender but not mushy. Serve straight away.

Store any leftover (unused) sauce in a scrupulously clean jar or bottle with a lid, in the fridge for up to a week.

DENAI’S VEGAN JAMAICAN PATTIES

Our friend, British-Jamaican musician and chef, Denai Moore, started her Brixton restaurant Dee’s Table after a particularly inspiring visit to Jamaica. There, patties are an easy-to-find street food, but it’s not so easy to find a vegan version, so Denai created this recipe. (You’ll also find plantain gnocchi and mango lime curd tart when you visit her restaurant...)

MAKES 12

PREP TIME: 25 MINS, PLUS RESTING, COOLING & CHILLING * COOK TIME: 1 HOUR 5 MINS

DF | V | Ve

FOR THE PASTRY:

400g white spelt flour, plus extra to dust

1½ teaspoons fine salt

2 tablespoons ground turmeric

340g cold vegan block butter, cubed, plus 5 tablespoons melted and cooled

up to 120ml iced water

2 tablespoons plant-based milk

1 tablespoon maple syrup

FOR THE FILLING:

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 red onion, diced

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon picked fresh thyme leaves

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

½ Scotch bonnet chilli, deseeded and minced (you might want to use gloves or choose a milder chilli if you don’t like heat)

1 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce

2 roasted peppers from a jar, deseeded and diced

3 spring onions, finely chopped

400ml really good-quality, full-fat coconut milk

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pastry, sift the flour into a food processor and add the salt and turmeric. Pulse until completely combined. With the food processor on its slowest setting, slowly drop the butter cubes into the mixture until the consistency is like fine breadcrumbs. Add the iced water slowly, with the machine still running, until the pastry combines into a rough ball (you may not need all the water).

Lightly flour a clean work surface (or a large board, if your worktop is white!) and tip out the dough, then quickly form it into two balls (you don’t want to work the pastry at this point, as your hands may melt the butter). Wrap the dough in clingfilm and leave it to rest in the fridge for at least an hour, or until firmed up.

Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan with a lid over a medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté for 8–10 minutes, until fragrant and translucent. Now add the seasonings: the allspice, thyme, garlic, Scotch bonnet and tamari or soy sauce, cooking over a slightly lower heat so all the flavours can come together, for another minute.

Add the roasted peppers and spring onions, stirring for 30 seconds, then add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Add the sweet potato and mix well, then cover and cook over a low heat, until the sweet potato is tender. Once the sweet potato is cooked through, check and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Leave the mixture to cool in a bowl while the pastry continues to rest.

When ready to assemble, heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Line two baking trays with baking paper.

Take the rested pastry out of the fridge, cut each ball in half and then cut each half into three pieces, leaving 12 pieces of dough. Lightly flour the work surface again, and roll out a ball of dough to 8mm thick. Using a small bowl or pastry cutter, about 8cm across, and a sharp knife, cut out the pastry to make a perfect circle. (Discard the trimmings. Unfortunately, if you re-roll the excess pastry, you will end up with very misshapen patties, so it’s not really worth it.)

Place 3 tablespoons of the cooled melted butter in a small bowl, then use a little to brush each disc. Place a heaped tablespoon of the filling on one half of the pastry circle, slightly flattening out the filling and leaving about 1cm space around the rim. Fold the other half over the filling and press the two layers of pastry together using a fork and your fingers around the edge.

Place the patty on a lined baking tray, and repeat until all of the patties are made. Chill the tray in the freezer for 15 minutes so the pastry will be extra cold when it hits the oven (for extra flaky patties).

Prick each chilled patty with a fork a few times on top to allow steam to escape. Mix the milk, maple syrup and remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter together and then brush each patty with this mixture. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving as they will be piping hot inside.

This recipe uses a shortcut of roasted peppers in a jar, but if you have more time, try charring raw peppers over a gas ring.

OVEN-BAKED BUTTERMILK ‘FRIED’ CHICKEN

Many buttermilk chicken dishes are deep-fried, but this is a tasty, healthy way to get that fried chicken flavour without all the oil. Make sure the oven is screaming hot to get a crispy coating. Serve with Avocado & Butter Lettuce salad, any of the slaws (Classic Coleslaw, Grazka’s Fennel Slaw, Red Slaw), Crispy Baked Fries or Chickpea Panisse and Aioli Mayo.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINS, PLUS MARINATING * COOK TIME: 30 MINS

NF | SoF

200ml buttermilk

juice of ½ lemon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

8 large skinless, boneless chicken thighs

FOR THE COATING:

125g panko breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Whisk together the buttermilk, lemon juice, salt, smoked paprika, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Place the chicken thighs in the marinade, turn until coated all over, then cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, ideally overnight.

Heat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

For the coating, combine all the ingredients in a shallow bowl, mixing well. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade, one at a time, and dredge in the breadcrumb mix to coat all over. Place on the lined baking tray.

Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through, turning halfway through. Check the meat is cooked by piercing a thick piece – it should be cooked through, with no pink remaining, and the juices should run clear.

Eat immediately.

GFC NUGGETS

The gluten-free chicken nuggets in our restaurants are made to a very secret recipe. But these are fantastic, too.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 15 MINS * COOK TIME: 14 MINS

WF | GF | DF | NF | SoF

neutral cooking oil

about 200g gluten-free breadcrumbs, from a packet (NF, SoF if needed)

1 egg, beaten, or 5 tablespoons aquafaba (the water from a can of chickpeas, thickened if very thin, by reducing on the hob – see intro)

gluten-free plain flour, for dredging

6–8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into rough 4 × 2cm nugget-sized pieces (or use chicken breast, if you prefer)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Thom’s BBQ sauce or Aioli Mayo, for dipping

your favourite sides, to serve

Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Brush a baking tray generously with oil.

Pour about half the breadcrumbs into one bowl, the beaten egg or aquafaba into another, and the flour into a third bowl, along with some salt and pepper.

Dip each chicken nugget into the flour, then the egg/aquafaba and then the breadcrumbs, being sure to cover thoroughly in each coating (and topping up the breadcrumb bowl as needed). Place the nuggets on the oiled tray in a single layer.

Bake the nuggets for 14 minutes, turning twice during cooking. When ready, they should be golden brown and very crispy, and the meat should be cooked through with no pink, and any juices running clear.

Serve hot, with sauces for dipping and your favourite sides.

If you only have regular breadcrumbs, they will work here, too.

BAKED CHICKEN NUGGETS
WITH AN ALMOND, LEMON & PARSLEY CRUMB

These are another great, healthy, gluten-free alternative to chicken nuggets. Baked not fried, and with an almond crumb instead of the usual breading, they are almost too moreish.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 20 MINS * COOK TIME: 10–15 MINS

WF | GF | DF | SoF

150g whole, blanched almonds

2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste

1 teaspoon unwaxed lemon zest

1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon garlic powder

2 eggs

100g gluten-free plain flour

8 large skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into nugget-sized pieces

dipping sauces, to serve (see here)

Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Put the almonds into a food processor and blitz until finely ground. Add the salt, lemon zest, parsley, spices and garlic powder and pulse to combine. Pour into a bowl. Taste and adjust for seasoning. It should be salty – as it’s the only seasoning the meat will get – but not overwhelmingly so.

In a second bowl, whisk the eggs until fluffy. Place the flour in a third bowl.

Now set up a nugget assembly line. Dip a chicken piece thoroughly in the flour, shaking off any excess, then dip in the egg, making sure it is completely coated. Finally, dip in the almond mixture, tossing it gently until it is completely covered. Place on the lined baking tray. Repeat with all the remaining chicken pieces.

Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until golden brown and fully cooked, turning halfway through (break open a piece to check that no pink remains). Remove from the oven and serve hot with your choice of sauces.

SPICED-YOGHURT CHICKEN WINGS

Deliciously sticky, spiced chicken wings. For a dairy-free version of this, cook the chicken without the marinade. Omit the yoghurt and mix the other ingredients to form a dressing, then pour over the hot, cooked wings and toss to serve.

SERVES 4, WITH SIDE DISHES

PREP TIME: 10 MINS, PLUS MARINATING, IF YOU HAVE TIME * COOK TIME: 30 MINS

WF | GF | NF | SoF

vegetable oil, for greasing

3 heaped tablespoons full-fat Greek yoghurt

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1½ teaspoons sumac (or zest of ¼ unwaxed lemon)

½–1 teaspoon dried red chilli flakes, to taste

1½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

a pinch of fennel seeds, roughly pummelled in a pestle and mortar (optional)

1½ teaspoons salt

plenty of freshly ground black pepper

12 free-range chicken wings

TO SERVE:

Hummus (see Roast Garlic Hummus, Beetroot Hummus, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and Avocado & Basil Hummus)

flatbreads (WF, GF if needed)

your choice of salad – try Baked Paneer & Warm Chickpeas, Koshari, Tomato Kachumber or Avocado & Butter Lettuce

Grease a large metal baking tin with vegetable oil, one big enough to take the wings in a single layer (or use two tins).

In a large bowl, mix together the yoghurt, olive oil, garlic, spices and the generous doses of salt and pepper. Add the chicken wings to the bowl and use your hands to work the thick, spiced marinade into each one. The aim is to coat each one lightly, but thoroughly.

If you have time, cover the dish and leave in the fridge to marinate for an hour or two. If not, you can cook straightaway, in which case heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

Spread the wings out in the prepared tin(s) and cook in the oven for 30 minutes, basting once or twice with the pan juices (add a little more oil to the pan, if there aren’t enough juices). The wings are ready when they are golden brown on the outside and, if you pierce one to the bone, the juices run clear.

Serve hot with a big, hearty salad, some hummus and flatbreads.

EASY JERK CHICKEN

This is our take on the classic Jamaican dish. A quick and easy marinade that can be rubbed over almost anything, including fish or roast-able vegetables.

SERVES 4–6

PREP TIME: 10 MINS, PLUS MARINATING * COOK TIME: 15–45 MINS

GF | WF | DF | NF

12 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (or chicken legs)

lime wedges, for squeezing

Coconut Rice & Peas, to serve

FOR THE JERK MARINADE:

a bunch of spring onions, roughly chopped

1 small onion, roughly chopped

4cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

4 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 Scotch bonnet chillies

3 tablespoons soft brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lime

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce (WF, GF if needed)

To make the marinade, place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend to make a paste. If it is struggling to blend, turn it off, scrape down the sides, and blend again. Keep doing this until you have a thick, fragrant paste. Taste it for seasoning and adjust accordingly.

Lightly score the skin on the chicken and rub the marinade all over. Place in a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, either bake the chicken on a baking tray in a heated oven at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 40–45 minutes, until the skin is crispy and the meat is cooked through, or cook on a heated hot barbecue or grill pan for 15–20 minutes, turning once. Check a thick piece to see if the meat is done and the juices run clear. Serve with the coconut rice and peas, and with lime wedges for squeezing over.

The (unused) marinade will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Crispy baked fries

Sweet potato wedges with a polenta crust

Vegetarian nachos

Thai bbq corn on the cob

Mexican bbq corn on the cob

Coconut rice & peas

Dirty rice

Baked tempura everything

Chickpea panisse

Quick pickles

Roast garlic hummus

Beetroot hummus

Roasted red pepper hummus

Avocado & basil hummus

Aioli mayo

Leon tarragon mayo

Sriracha mayo

Roast garlic mayo

Carolina mustard mayo

Chipotle mayo

Vegan mayo

Thom’s bbq sauce

Chimichurri

Leon tamarind ketchup

Tartare sauce

Leon burger sauce

Tzatziki

Garlic yoghurt

Guacamole

Pico de gallo

Cajun rub

Tandoori rub

Lebanese 7-spice rub

Ras el hanout rub

CRISPY BAKED FRIES

Crispy fries, but with only a dash of oil. (We’ve found the holy grail.)

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINS * COOK TIME: 40 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

700g large potatoes, peeled and cut into 8mm-thick fries

3 tablespoons neutral cooking oil, plus extra for greasing

1 heaped tablespoon rice flour

1 tablespoon semolina

½ teaspoon garlic powder

a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional, omit if cooking for small kids)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the fries. Parboil for 6 minutes, then drain. Spread out in a single layer on a tray and let dry out as much as possible.

Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Grease two large baking trays. In a large bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Gently tip the fries in and coat. Spread the fries on the baking trays in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the fries. Return to the oven for a further 7–12 minutes, or until golden and crisp.

SWEET POTATO WEDGES WITH a POLENTA CRUST

Rebecca’s friend Grazka put us onto the idea of a polenta/cornmeal coating for extra crispiness and it is a winner.

SERVES 4–6

PREP TIME: 5 MINS * COOK TIME: 35–45 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

1kg sweet potatoes, scrubbed (not peeled) and cut into wedges

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons polenta/cornmeal

2 teaspoons salt

8 twists of freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes with half the olive oil and the remaining ingredients. Transfer the coated wedges onto two baking trays and spread out. Drizzle over the remaining oil.

Roast for 35–45 minutes, shaking the trays once or twice, until tender and crisp.

You can use this method and spice coating on all sorts of root vegetables, such as parsnips or carrots.

VEGETARIAN NACHOS

Pretend it’s the Super Bowl every day. This is a hearty, healthy, tasty platter which will satisfy appetites on any occasion. We love bubbly, crispy, oven-melted cheese any time. Pair with Kentucky Fried Cauliflower, LEON Jackwings or any of our nuggets or burgers.

SERVES 4–6

PREP TIME: 5 MINS * COOK TIME: 45 MINS

V | NF | SoF

FOR THE REFRIED BEANS:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

a small bunch of fresh coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves finely chopped

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

10 twists of freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon crushed dried ancho chillies

a pinch of cayenne pepper

2 × 400g cans red kidney beans or pinto beans, drained and rinsed

zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lime

1 tablespoon butter

FOR THE NACHOS:

300g sturdy tortilla chips

150g Cheddar cheese, grated

100g feta cheese, crumbled

TO SERVE:

150ml soured cream (optional)

Guacamole

4 spring onions, finely chopped

4 radishes, thinly sliced

2 red chillies, thinly sliced

fresh coriander leaves

lime wedges

For the refried beans, heat the oil in a wide, heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and coriander stalks and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, ancho chilli flakes and cayenne pepper and cook for another 5 minutes, until fragrant.

Add the beans to the pan along with a small splash of water and cook, covered, for 20 minutes, until well softened.

Remove the lid, lower the heat and mash about three-quarters of the beans with a potato masher. Add the lime zest and juice, butter and chopped coriander leaves, stir thoroughly, then cook for another minute or so. Taste and adjust for seasoning, then remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

For the nachos, in a large baking tray, lay out the tortilla chips. Spread over the refried beans (you probably won’t need all of them, but add as much as you want), Cheddar and feta. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the cheeses have melted.

Remove from the oven and top with the soured cream, guacamole, spring onions, radishes, chillies and coriander leaves. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

THAI BBQ CORN ON THE COB

Inspired by a recipe by legendary Thai-cuisine chef Andy Ricker, this can be grilled if you don’t want to barbecue. Pandan leaves are available fresh or frozen, from Chinese supermarkets or online.

SERVES 6

PREP TIME: 5 MINS * COOK TIME: 20–30 MINS

WF | DF | V | Ve | SoF

400ml can full-fat coconut cream

1 teaspoon white caster sugar

½ teaspoon salt

zest of ½ unwaxed lime (cut the lime into wedges after zesting, for serving)

1 pandan leaf, fresh or frozen

80g lightly salted, dry-roasted peanuts

vegetable oil, for greasing

6 cobs of corn

a handful of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

Heat the barbecue (or grill) to high.

Combine the coconut cream, sugar, salt, lime zest and pandan leaf in a saucepan over a high heat. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until it has thickened slightly, about 10–15 minutes. Discard the pandan leaf and set the mixture aside.

In a food processor, pulse the peanuts until they become the texture of coarse breadcrumbs. Set aside.

Oil the barbecue grates and place the corn cobs in the middle. Close the lid (if your barbecue has one – if not, you can use foil to capture some of the heat) and cook or grill for 10–15 minutes, turning regularly and basting the cobs with the coconut cream mixture using a pastry brush, until they are cooked through and slightly charred.

Once the cobs are cooked, slather over any remaining coconut cream mixture, then sprinkle over the chopped peanuts and top with the chopped coriander. Serve with a lime wedge to squeeze over each cob.

MEXICAN BBQ CORN ON THE COB

If you’ve only ever had boiled corn on the cob, this might blow your mind (it blew ours). The smokiness from the barbecue and the tanginess of the coating is unbelievable. It’s a popular street food in Mexico where it’s called elote.

PS LEON die-hards might remember when we served corn-off-the-cob in our Canary Wharf restaurant instead of our usual fries (we didn’t have enough space to cook fries in our tiny kitchen, but warm, spicy sweetcorn worked a treat as a replacement).

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 5 MINS * COOK TIME: 10–15 MINS

WF | GF | V | NF | SoF

vegetable oil, for greasing

4 large cobs of corn

3 tablespoons soured cream

3 tablespoons good-quality mayonnaise

2 cloves of garlic, grated

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

zest of ½ unwaxed lime

1 teaspoon medium chilli powder

1 teaspoon crushed dried ancho chillies

1 teaspoon crushed dried chipotle chillies

50g Parmesan cheese or Mexican cotija cheese (or use vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese)

a handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

lime wedges, to serve

Heat the barbecue to high.

Oil the grates and place the corn cobs in the middle. Close the lid (if your barbecue has one – if not, you can use foil to capture some of the heat) and cook for 10–15 minutes, turning regularly, until they are cooked through and slightly charred.

While the cobs are cooking, prepare the coatings. In a small bowl, whisk together the soured cream, mayonnaise, garlic, smoked paprika and lime zest. Season to taste with a pinch each of salt and pepper.

In a separate small bowl, mix together the three chilli powders.

Finely grate the cheese onto a plate large enough to roll the cooked cobs on later.

Once the cobs are cooked, use a pastry brush to slather over the mayo-soured cream mix. Then roll all sides through the grated Parmesan. Finally, sprinkle over as much chilli powder as you can handle and some chopped coriander leaves.

Squeeze a lime wedge over each one and eat as soon as you think it’s cool enough not to burn your mouth.

If you don’t have a barbecue, par-boil the corn cobs for 4 minutes and then char in a smoking hot griddle pan for another 5–6 minutes.

COCONUT RICE & PEAS

Serve this with the Easy Jerk Chicken. (We first wrote this to go with curry goat, in our ‘Happy Curries’ book, but we think it’s essential for jerk dishes, too.)

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 15 MINS * COOK TIME: 12 MINS, PLUS STANDING

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

250g basmati rice

250ml full-fat coconut milk

400g can red kidney beans, black beans or gungo peas, or a can containing a mix of all 3 beans, drained (reserving the liquid) and rinsed

1 spring onion, finely chopped

1 red chilli, with a slit cut down one side

a sprig of fresh thyme or a tiny pinch of dried thyme

a pinch of salt (optional)

freshly ground black pepper

Wash the rice in cold running water and drain. In a large pan with a lid, mix together the coconut milk, the liquid from the can of beans (plus a little water as needed to make up to 250ml), the beans, spring onion, chilli, thyme, salt (unless the bean liquid was already salted) and some black pepper. Bring up to a simmer, then add the washed rice and cover.

Cook for 12 minutes, stirring once or twice at the end of cooking. Remove from the heat and leave to stand (covered) for 5–8 minutes. Discard the chilli.

Fluff up with a fork before serving.

DIRTY RICE

This goes well with the Spiced-Yoghurt Chicken Wings or anything grilled (especially the Skirt Steak with Chimichurri).

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINS * COOK TIME: 40–45 MINS

DF | NF | SoF

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

250g lean minced beef

250g good-quality sausage meat (nitrite-free, if possible)

1 onion, diced

1 green pepper, deseeded and diced

1 celery stick, diced

1 green chilli, diced

5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon Cajun Rub

300g long-grain white rice

1 litre hot chicken stock

2 bay leaves

salt (optional)

3 spring onions, thinly sliced, to garnish

Heat the oil in a heavy-based casserole dish over a medium-high heat. Add the minced beef and sausage meat, using a wooden spoon to crumble and break them up, and cook until well-browned, about 8–10 minutes.

Add the onion, green pepper, celery, chilli, garlic and spice mix. Cook and stir until softened, about 6–8 minutes.

Add the rice, stock and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 20–25 minutes, or until the rice is cooked.

Check for seasoning and add some salt if needed. Garnish with the spring onions and serve.

If you want to turn this into a main meal, serve with a fried egg on top of each portion.

BAKED TEMPURA EVERYTHING

We were really surprised to discover that ready-made gluten-free breadcrumbs crisp up far better in the oven than wheat-based crumbs. If you don’t want to use egg, thick aquafaba works really well – aquafaba is the water from a can of chickpeas, but you do need to make sure it’s gloopy, so if yours is watery, reduce it slightly in a pan on the hob, then cool before use.

You can do both prawns and vegetables, or one or the other. Rebecca worked in Lisbon a few years ago, where tempura green beans are famous – she recommends you try them here, too. Whatever you use, these crispy tempura work really well as an alternative to nuggets, or as a fish replacement for the Asian Fish Finger Wrap.

SERVES 4 AS A NIBBLE OR STARTER

PREP TIME: 15 MINS * COOK TIME: 10–25 MINS

DF | NF | SoF

neutral cooking oil, for brushing

up to 250g gluten-free breadcrumbs, from a packet

1 egg, beaten, or 5 tablespoons aquafaba

plain flour, for dredging

your choice of some or all of the following:

20 large raw peeled prawns

1 courgette, halved and cut into 1.5cm-thick wedges

100g long green beans, trimmed

1 head of broccoli, broken into florets

½ butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 1.5cm wedges

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Roast Garlic Mayo, for dipping (Ve if needed)

Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Brush one or two baking trays (depending on how much/what you’re cooking) very generously with oil.

Pour about half the breadcrumbs into one bowl, the beaten egg or aquafaba into another, and the flour into a third bowl. Season the flour. Dip each tempura piece into the flour, then the egg/aquafaba and then the breadcrumbs, being sure to coat thoroughly each time. Place on the oiled tray(s) in a single layer. Top up with more breadcrumbs as needed.

When ready to cook, place the tray(s) into the oven. Prawns will take 10 minutes, and should be turned once. Courgette, beans and broccoli will take 14–15 minutes, and butternut squash will take 20–25 minutes, to cook through and crisp up, and all should be turned twice.

Serve the crispy tempura with roast garlic mayo, for dipping.

This technique also works for ‘fried’ avocado wedges for tacos, and crunchy ‘fried’ tofu, too.

CHICKPEA PANISSE

Chickpea flour, aka gram flour, contains 10 times as much protein as potatoes (that is, 21g per 100g compared to 2g per 100g). These panisse, crunchy little puffs of chickpea dough with crisp outsides and fluffy innards, come from Marseille and are a great alternative to potato fries, dusted with a little salt, or finely chopped rosemary, or black pepper and lemon zest, or chilli flakes…

SERVES 4–6 GENEROUSLY

PREP TIME: 10 MINS, PLUS COOLING & CHILLING * COOK TIME: 30 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for greasing and cooking

275g chickpea flour, sifted

vegetable oil, for cooking

salt

Grease a large baking dish with oil. Bring a litre of water to just below a simmer in a large pan. Add the tablespoon of oil, a pinch of salt and the flour. Whisk vigorously to form a smooth batter (or remove any lumps with a stick blender).

Cook for 5–7 minutes, continuing to stir – don’t leave it, as it will form a skin and give you more lumps to deal with. Then pour the batter into the prepared dish and smooth over the top, working quickly, as it will begin to set straightaway. Set aside to cool, then place it in the fridge for 4–24 hours to set. Turn out the set batter onto a chopping board. Use a sharp knife to slice it into slim, finger-sized pieces.

When ready to cook, place a wide frying pan over a medium heat and pour in a 50:50 mixture of olive oil and vegetable oil, to a depth of just under 1cm. When the oil is shimmering hot, or about 185°C/365°F, use tongs to carefully place some of the panisse into the hot oil. Don’t overcrowd the pan, otherwise the oil will cool down.

If this batch of panisse puff up and split, losing their shape a little, turn the heat down – it doesn’t affect how they taste if they do, though. Cook for about 6 minutes in total, turning regularly, until golden brown and really crisp all over.

Remove from the oil and leave to drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Keep warm in a low oven while you cook the rest.

Serve hot, sprinkled with salt.

You can batch-make these, or cook in advance, and then reheat them for about 5 minutes in the oven. They’re great dunked into Aioli Mayo.

QUICK PICKLES

This makes enough brine for 3 × 400g jars of pickles, so either make one of each kind here, or triple the quantity of whichever is your favourite vegetable. The pickled onions and radishes are perfect for adding tart crunchiness to Mediterranean wraps, salads and mezze dishes, and the pickled dill cucumbers are the best in beefy or cheesy burgers as well as fish sandwiches (see Crab & Fennel Sandwich, Smoked Mackerel Sandwich and Sardine Bocadillos). Our restaurant pickles are carefully chosen to be sugar free because we want to minimize hidden sugars – so you can of course leave it out here, if you want.

PS. These pickles are not probiotic because they’re not fermented from scratch, but onions, garlic and radishes are all considered prebiotics, which help create a good environment for gut bacteria to thrive, and therefore support gut health.

MAKES 3 JARS

PREP TIME: 15 MINS, PLUS COOLING & STORING * COOK TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

FOR THE BRINE (MAKES ENOUGH FOR 3 × 400G JARS):

200ml white wine vinegar

100ml apple cider vinegar (Ve if needed)

2 teaspoons caster sugar

3 teaspoons salt

FOR PINK PICKLED ONIONS:

1 red onion, very finely sliced

FOR PICKLED RADISHES:

150g radishes, thoroughly washed, each quartered or cut into 6

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole

FOR BURGER PICKLES:

150g cucumber, thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole

2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh dill fronds

Wash and dry three 400g tempered (heatproof) glass jam jars with lids, then place in a low oven for about 15 minutes, to sterilize. Set aside.

Prepare the vegetables and pack them tightly into their jars, along with the garlic and herbs. Bring all the brine ingredients and 200ml of water to the boil in a non-reactive pan. Remove from the heat.

Divide the hot brine between the jars and seal immediately with their lids. Leave the jars to cool, then store somewhere dark. The onions can be used as soon as they’re cool, but all the pickles will be best after they’ve had at least a few days to develop, and ideally a week.

Once opened, keep in the fridge. Use a clean spoon when taking them from the jar (this will help them to keep longer), leaving the brine behind.

ROAST GARLIC HUMMUS

At LEON, we don’t use potassium sorbate in our hummus, which is a preservative often found in ready-made hummus. We just make sure ours is always super-fresh.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINS * COOK TIME: 1 HOUR

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

2 heads of garlic

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to garnish

400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

juice of 1 large lemon

3 tablespoons tahini

1 teaspoon ground cumin

salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO GARNISH:

a large handful of fresh parsley, chopped

a pinch of smoked paprika

a few twists of freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

Slice the top off each garlic head, exposing the cloves. Drizzle each with a tablespoon of olive oil, season and wrap in foil, scrunching the top together into the shape of a teardrop. Roast on a baking tray until soft and fragrant, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven, open the foil and leave to cool.

Squeeze the garlic flesh into a food processor. Add the remaining oil, chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini and cumin and blend until completely smooth. Add more tahini if too thin, a splash of cold water if too thick. Taste for seasoning, adjust and blend again. Serve garnished with a drizzle of oil, the chopped parsley, smoked paprika and black pepper.

BEETROOT HUMMUS

A lovely, tangy hummus that goes a gorgeous pink colour thanks to the beetroot. Don’t leave out the mint – it makes the dish.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

250g cooked beetroot (if buying ready-cooked, choose ones not in vinegar)

1 clove of garlic, minced or grated

400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

juice of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons tahini

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¾ teaspoon ground coriander

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to garnish

salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO GARNISH:

a handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped

a few twists of freshly ground black pepper

a pinch of cayenne pepper

a pinch of poppy seeds

Blitz all the ingredients, except the oil (but including salt and pepper to taste), in a food processor until completely smooth (at least 2 full minutes). Then stream in the olive oil with the blades running until the hummus is light and creamy, about a minute more. Add more tahini if it is a bit thin. If it’s a bit thick, add a splash of cold water. Taste for seasoning and acidity, adjust and blitz again to combine.

Transfer the hummus to a bowl and serve garnished with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, the chopped mint, black pepper, cayenne pepper and poppy seeds.

ROASTED RED PEPPER HUMMUS

This hummus is deliciously creamy, smoky and sweet.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | SoF

2 roasted red peppers from a jar, drained and rinsed if in brine

1 clove of garlic, minced or grated

400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

juice of 1 large lemon

3 tablespoons tahini

1 teaspoon sumac

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to garnish

salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO GARNISH:

a pinch of smoked paprika

a few twists of freshly ground black pepper

a handful of toasted pine nuts

Blitz all the ingredients, except the oil (but including salt and pepper to taste), in a food processor until completely smooth (at least 2 full minutes). Then stream in the olive oil with the blades running until the hummus is light and creamy, about a minute more. Add more tahini if it is a bit thin. Add a splash of cold water if it is too thick. Taste for seasoning, adjust and blitz briefly again to combine.

Transfer the hummus to a bowl and serve garnished with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, the smoked paprika, black pepper and toasted pine nuts.

AVOCADO & BASIL HUMMUS

This is earthy, fresh and a lovely green colour.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

2 medium-sized ripe avocados, peeled and stoned

400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

a small bunch of fresh basil leaves

1 clove of garlic, minced

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

3 tablespoons tahini

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon sumac

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to garnish

salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO GARNISH:

a large handful of fresh parsley leaves, chopped

a pinch of dried red pepper flakes

a few twists of freshly ground black pepper

a handful of pumpkin seeds

Blitz all the ingredients, except the oil (but including salt and pepper to taste), in a food processor until completely smooth. Then stream in the olive oil with the blades running until the hummus is light and creamy. Add more tahini if too thin, a splash of cold water if too thick. Taste for seasoning, adjust and blitz briefly again to combine.

Transfer the hummus to a bowl and serve garnished with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, the parsley, red pepper flakes, black pepper and pumpkin seeds.

AIOLI MAYO

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | NF | SoF

4 heaped tablespoons good-quality mayonnaise (Ve if needed)

1 small clove of garlic, crushed

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Mix everything together in a bowl, then taste and add more garlic, mustard or oil if you want a stronger flavour.

LEON TARRAGON MAYO

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | NF | SoF

5 tablespoons good-quality mayonnaise (Ve if needed)

1½ tablespoons very finely chopped fresh tarragon

1½–2½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste

Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Taste, and add more mustard, lemon juice or oil, if needed.

SRIRACHA MAYO

This is an addictively tasty condiment which can be served with Thai-Spiced Sweetcorn Burgers, LEON Jackwings, Baked Tempura, GFC Nuggets or Baked Chicken Nuggets.

SERVES 6

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

DF | V | NF | SoF

200ml good-quality mayonnaise (Ve if needed)

3 tablespoons Sriracha sauce

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 clove of garlic, grated

salt

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until pink and creamy, adding salt to taste. Check the seasoning, adjust if necessary, and mix again, then serve.

ROAST GARLIC MAYO

Jack’s flatmate Gordon introduced him to the joys of roast garlic (he enjoys it squeezed onto hot buttered toast). This is a rich, punchier version of aioli.

SERVES 6

PREP TIME: 5 MINS, PLUS COOLING & CHILLING COOK TIME: 1 HOUR

WF | GF | DF | V | NF | SoF

1 large head of garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

150ml good-quality mayonnaise (Ve if needed)

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

Slice the top off the head of garlic, exposing the cloves. Drizzle with the oil, season and wrap in foil, scrunching the top together into the shape of a teardrop.

Place on a baking tray and roast for about an hour, or until the garlic feels soft when pressed.

Remove from the oven, open the foil and leave to cool before squeezing the roasted cloves of garlic out of their papery skins into a bowl. Mash with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste and mix until combined.

Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to allow the flavours to get to know each other before serving.

CAROLINA MUSTARD MAYO

We use this in our LoVe At-Home Burger.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | NF | SoF

5 tablespoons good-quality mayonnaise (Ve if needed)

1 teaspoon American mustard

1 teaspoon English mustard powder, or 1½–2 teaspoons wet English mustard

a pinch of salt

a generous pinch of cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (V, Ve if needed)

scant ¼ teaspoon golden syrup or agave nectar

½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar (Ve if needed)

Mix everything together in a bowl, and serve.

All these mayos will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 days.

CHIPOTLE MAYO

This works brilliantly with nuggets (see GFC Nuggets or Baked Chicken Nuggets), chicken wings or Jackwings, in LEON’s Chicken Burger, or even in the LoVe At-Home Burger, if you use vegan mayo. Try using Korean gochujang or American Buffalo-wing-style hot sauce, depending on what you are serving it with.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

4 heaped tablespoons good-quality mayonnaise (Ve if needed)

1 teaspoon chipotle paste (or more, to taste)

Stir together the mayo and chipotle paste in a small bowl until smooth. If using vegan mayo, it may thin slightly, in which case return to the fridge to thicken before serving.

VEGAN MAYO

This works in place of non-vegan mayo anywhere that it is mentioned in this book. A pinch of Indian black salt, which tastes eggy, makes this even more like traditional mayo.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

3 tablespoons thick aquafaba

2 teaspoons vegan apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

a generous pinch of salt

¾ teaspoon English mustard powder

5 canned chickpeas

150ml neutral cooking oil

Aquafaba is the liquid from a can of chickpeas. If yours is thin and watery, reduce it on the hob until it thickens, then cool.

Place everything but the oil in a tall container into which you can fit a stick blender. Whizz it all up until smooth and pale.

Next, very, very slowly drizzle the oil into the container, whizzing all the time. It may take a few minutes, but the mixture should eventually start to thicken and turn creamy. (If it doesn’t, you will need to try a different brand of chickpeas, or thicken the aquafaba further. Use what you have to make a creamy salad dressing, instead.)

Store in a very clean airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

THOM’S BBQ SAUCE

We crowd-sauced the choosing of this, polling our followers about what our next restaurant sauce should be: we got tens of thousands of submissions, and BBQ sauce was the clear winner. The final recipe was created by Thom Malley, from LEON’s food team.

MAKES 250 ML

PREP TIME: 5 MINS * COOK TIME: 12 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

240g tomato ketchup

4 tablespoons soft brown sugar

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (Ve if needed)

1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

2 cloves of garlic, crushed to a paste with the flat of a knife blade

2 teaspoons liquid smoke

salt

Place the tomato ketchup and sugar in a small pan set over a medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then add all the other ingredients, adding salt to taste. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, or until thick and dark in colour.

Leave to cool before serving.

CHIMICHURRI

This is our take on a traditional Argentinian sauce. It’s usually served with steak but is equally delicious spooned over cooked chicken, fish (we love it with seabass) and vegetables. Avoid the temptation to chop the herbs in a food processor as they will go soggy. This is best made a few hours in advance and left to chill in the fridge. But remember to remove 20 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to come up to room temperature.

SERVES 6

PREP TIME: 10–15 MINS, PLUS CHILLING

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

1 shallot, peeled

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 red chilli

a small bunch each of fresh mint, parsley, coriander and dill, finely chopped

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

100ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra if necessary

zest of ½ unwaxed lemon

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Finely mince the shallot, garlic and chilli and place in a mixing bowl with the herbs. Add the vinegar, oil and lemon zest and mix thoroughly. The oil should just cover the herb mixture, so add a little more if necessary. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and leave in the fridge for at least a few hours before serving. Store the chimichurri in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

LEON TAMARIND KETCHUP

We serve this sauce alongside our GFC nuggets in our restaurants, but you can have it anywhere you like – it’s good as an addition to the Beetroot, Carrot & Onion Bhaji Burgers, or when you want a darker, richer, stickier alternative to good ol’ tomato ketchup.

MAKES 1 × 250ML JAR OR BOTTLE

PREP TIME: 5 MINS, PLUS COOLING * COOK TIME: 20 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

50g caster sugar

1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate

½ teaspoon ginger purée

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon garlic powder

a generous pinch of cayenne pepper

a pinch of ground fennel or fennel seeds

1 tablespoon black treacle/molasses

½ teaspoon fine salt

1 tablespoon cornflour

Place all the ingredients, except the cornflour, with 200ml of water into a small saucepan set over a medium heat and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve and mix everything together.

Turn the heat down and simmer for a couple of minutes. (If your tamarind concentrate, ginger purée or fennel seeds have left bits in the ketchup, strain it through a sieve into a jug and then return it to the pan.)

In a separate bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of water and the cornflour, until smooth. Start whisking the ketchup mixture, using a heatproof/pan-safe whisk, and slowly add the cornflour mix. Keep whisking and turn the heat up to bring the ketchup back to a bubbling boil. Once thickened, remove and set aside to cool – it will thicken up some more, so don’t worry if it’s a bit loose. Once cool, serve/use as required.

Alternatively, if you plan to keep it for a while, while still hot, pour the ketchup into a clean, sterilized tempered/heatproof glass jar or bottle, with a lid, and seal, then leave to cool. Once opened, store in the fridge and use within 2 months.

TARTARE SAUCE

If you love our restaurant fish finger wraps, you can make your own with this, good-quality fish fingers (or veggie alternatives), Gem lettuce and cucumber.

MAKES 100ML

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

4 heaped tablespoons good-quality mayonnaise (Ve if needed)

1 tablespoon capers in vinegar or brine, rinsed, drained and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

1 tablespoon finely chopped Burger Pickles or gherkins

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Stir together everything in a bowl, except the seasoning, then taste and add salt and pepper – if the pickles are salty, you may not need salt at all. For a sharper sauce, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice; for a fresher, greener flavour, add 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill and/or tarragon.

Serve immediately or store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

LEON BURGER SAUCE

We originally created this burger sauce for our LoVe Burger and have been using it on everything ever since. The dill makes it a great accompaniment to salmon dishes, and it’s a very good dip for crisps or veg.

MAKES ENOUGH FOR 4 BURGERS

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

5 tablespoons good-quality mayonnaise (Ve if needed)

½ teaspoon garlic powder (or use 1 small clove of garlic, crushed to a paste)

1 teaspoon American mustard

½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ teaspoon tomato purée

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh dill

scant ¼ teaspoon golden syrup or agave nectar

a generous pinch of cayenne pepper

a pinch of salt

Mix everything together in a bowl.

Serve immediately or store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

TZATZIKI

Use in the Spiced Lamb Burger, Falafel & Harissa Wraps, or serve alongside Spiced-Yoghurt Chicken Wings, or as a sauce for nuggets.

MAKES 250 ML

PREP TIME: 10 MINS, PLUS DR AINING & CHILLING

WF | GF | V | NF | SoF

250ml full-fat plain yoghurt, Greek if possible

20cm chunk of cucumber

2 cloves of garlic, crushed to a paste

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill (and/or

1 tablespoon fresh mint, if you prefer)

½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

salt

Line a colander with kitchen paper or muslin, set it over a bowl and pour in the yoghurt. Leave to drain for up to two hours, to thicken the yoghurt (in the fridge if possible).

Grate the cucumber and squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can, then place it and the drained yoghurt into a bowl. Mix in the rest of the ingredients, including a generous pinch of salt. If you can, cover and leave the flavours to develop for an hour or two in the fridge, or even until the next day, as the garlic will mellow. Add more lemon juice or salt, as needed.

Serve immediately or store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

GARLIC YOGHURT

This is also great served with a little paprika (smoked or not) sprinkled on top. For a thicker sauce, use 200ml of yoghurt and strain it (see Tzatziki recipe) before use.

MAKES 100ML

PREP TIME: 5 MINS, PLUS CHILLING

WF | GF | V | NF | SoF

1 clove of garlic, crushed to a paste

6 heaped tablespoons full-fat plain yoghurt

a pinch of salt

Stir the garlic into the yoghurt in a bowl and add the salt. Cover and leave in the fridge for an hour or two, if you can, to allow the flavours to develop, then serve or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

GUACAMOLE

Guac is the quintessential Mexican accompaniment, but we have a soft spot for smearing into burgers, as well as into our tacos and wraps.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1 hot or medium red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

2 spring onions or 1 small shallot, very finely chopped

2 avocados, peeled, stoned and cut into chunks

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander

juice of ½ lime (unwaxed if using zest), plus a pinch of its zest (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place everything in a bowl and roughly mash together, adding salt and pepper to taste – the best guacamole is textured, not smooth. Taste and add more salt or lime juice, if needed. Serve immediately.

PICO DE GALLO

Effectively a raw relish, this tart combo of crunch and sour brings little bursts of freshness to whatever you sprinkle it over or into. It’s good almost anywhere you would use guacamole or sour cream.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

250g ripe tomatoes, deseeded and finely chopped

2 shallots, finely chopped

juice of ½ lime

½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander

Mix everything together in a bowl. Taste and add more salt as needed.

Serve immediately or store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

CAJUN RUB

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

1 teaspoon garlic powder

a pinch of dried thyme

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon paprika

a pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon mild red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon fine salt

neutral cooking oil

Mix all the ingredients except the oil together in a small bowl.

When ready to use, mix with a little cooking oil before coating and cooking your meat, fish, tofu or vegetables.

TANDOORI RUB

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

a pinch of saffron threads

seeds from 6 green cardamom pods

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

a pinch of cayenne pepper

a pinch of ground cloves

¼ teaspoon salt

neutral cooking oil

Grind the saffron threads and cardamom seeds to a rough powder using a pestle and mortar. Add all the other ingredients except the oil and mix well.

When ready to use, mix with a little cooking oil before coating and cooking your meat, fish, tofu or vegetables.

Both the Cajun Rub and Tandoori Rub recipes make enough to coat 4 servings of chicken, fish, tofu or vegetables.

LEBANESE 7-SPICE RUB

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

neutral cooking oil

Mix all the ingredients except the oil together in a small bowl.

When ready to use, mix with a little cooking oil before coating and cooking your meat, fish, tofu or vegetables.

RAS EL HANOUT RUB

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon hot chilli powder

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

a pinch of ground fenugreek

a pinch of ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground mace

a pinch of ground allspice

seeds from 8 green cardamom pods, ground to a powder

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

neutral cooking oil

Mix all the ingredients except the oil together in a small bowl.

When ready to use, mix with a little cooking oil before coating and cooking your meat, fish, tofu or vegetables.

All these rubs will keep, before being mixed with oil, stored in an airtight container and somewhere cool and dark, for several months – but their flavours will gradually fade over time.

Shakes

Strawberry shake

Vegan peach shake

Vegan mango coconut shake

Apricot & vanilla shake

Meghan’s yoghurt sundae

Blueberry frozen yoghurt

Apple pie

Baked vegan chocolate doughnuts

Baked cheesecake

Super fruit muffins

Better biscuits

SHAKES

Shakes are wonderful, but the massive portions we are sometimes served are a bit crazy, especially from a sugar and health point of view. Each of these serves 1, and we reckon they’re a sensible size. We use live yoghurt to max out our chances of introducing vital healthy bacteria into our gut biomes, since they thrive on the plant fibre in the recipes. If you want even more fibre, try adding a spoonful of nut butter, ground oats, oat flour, ground flaxseeds/linseeds or chia seeds (but do be aware that these will all change the texture of your shake, and make it thicker).

STRAWBERRY SHAKE

SERVES 1

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | V | NF | SoF

125g fresh strawberries (use frozen when out of season)

125ml full-fat live plain yoghurt

¼ banana, peeled

½–1 teaspoon agave nectar, maple syrup or honey

Blitz everything together with a splash of water in a blender, until completely smooth. Add sweetness to taste and a little more water as needed, but be sparing. Pour into a glass and serve.

VEGAN PEACH SHAKE

Keeping the skin on the peach means you get more fibre and micronutrients, but it will take longer to blend and give it a thicker texture, so it’s up to you whether you peel or not.

SERVES 1

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

1 peach, stoned and cut into chunks (peeled or not)

juice of ½ orange

½ banana, peeled

4 ice cubes

Blitz everything together with a splash of water in a blender, until completely smooth. Add a little more water as needed, but be sparing. Pour into a glass and serve.

If you want to try adding extra probiotics to your diet, these are a good place to start – Rebecca adds good-quality probiotic powder to all these shakes when she makes them for herself and her kids.

VEGAN MANGO COCONUT SHAKE

Mango and coconut are such good mates. (You can, of course, use dairy yoghurt, if you prefer.)

SERVES 1

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

250g fresh mango flesh, roughly chopped

4 tablespoons live coconut yoghurt

4 ice cubes

Blitz everything together in a blender, until completely smooth. Pour into a glass and serve.

APRICOT & VANILLA SHAKE

SERVES 1

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | V | NF | SoF

3 fresh apricots, stoned, skin on

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon maple syrup

3 tablespoons full-fat live plain yoghurt

Blitz everything together with a splash of water in a blender, until completely smooth. Add a little more water as needed, but be sparing. Pour into a glass and serve.

MEGHAN’S YOGHURT SUNDAE

Meghan Rossi is our gut health guru, and she designed this for the LEON menu. Using live yoghurt introduces good bacteria to the gut, and plant fibre helps those bacteria to thrive. Recent research has shown that having a healthy gut biome is key to both physical and mental health.

To make compote from scratch, place 175g fresh or frozen berries (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, or a mixture), chopped if large, into a small, non-reactive pan with a splash of water and cook over a low heat until the fruit just begins to lose its shape and release its juice. Add a tablespoon or less of sugar, to taste. Cool, then store, covered or in a jar, in the fridge for up to 2–3 days.

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 15 MINS, PLUS COOLING * COOK TIME: 10 MINS

WF | V | SoF

FOR THE GRANOLA:

100g jumbo oats

25g chopped walnuts or hazelnuts

25g chopped almonds

25g sunflower seeds

a generous pinch of sesame seeds

1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil

1 tablespoon golden syrup, agave nectar or runny honey

75g dried fruit (raisins, sultanas, apricots, dates), chopped if large

TO SERVE:

8 tablespoons fruit compote (see intro)

300ml thick and creamy plain yoghurt

100g dark chocolate, grated or very finely chopped

4 fresh strawberries, if in season (optional)

To make the granola, mix together the oats, nuts and seeds, then pour over the oil and syrup, nectar or honey. Toss really well until everything is coated. Place a wide frying pan over a low-medium heat and cook this mixture, stirring constantly, until it smells nutty and toasty and is light gold throughout, about 8–10 minutes. If it starts to catch, turn the heat down.

Remove from the heat and tip onto a plate to cool and crisp up. Add the dried fruit and mix. (Any leftovers will keep in an airtight container for about a week.)

When the granola is cool, make the sundaes in 4 glasses. Place a tablespoon of the compote in the bottom of each glass, then add 3 tablespoons of the yoghurt. Follow with another tablespoon of compote and 2 tablespoons of yoghurt.

Sprinkle a quarter of the grated chocolate over the yoghurt and then cover the chocolate with 2–3 tablespoons of granola, or until it is completely covered. Finish each with a fresh strawberry, if using. Eat immediately.

In the restaurants, we spike this sundae with inulin, a prebiotic which helps good bacteria thrive in the gut. If you want to add it here, you can buy it online, but remember, no more than 3g a day (and it’s not suitable for pregnant women).

BLUEBERRY FROZEN YOGHURT

This is a quick and tasty way to make frozen yoghurt, inspired by a video of Swedish chef Magnus Nilsson making something similar at home. You can use any frozen berries – blackberries and raspberries are both delicious – but remember to adjust the amount of sugar depending on the tartness of the berries used. Always add slightly less, taste, and add more if needed.

SERVES 4–6

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

WF | GF | V | NF | SoF

250ml full-fat plain yoghurt (straight from the fridge)

500g frozen blueberries

50–100g white caster sugar, depending on the sweetness of the berries

Make sure the yoghurt is really cold. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz for 30 seconds. Remove the lid and taste for sweetness. Adjust as necessary. Blitz for another 30 seconds.

Spoon into bowls and serve. This is best eaten immediately as it melts quickly. To freeze, store in a shallow plastic container, or loaf tin, covered, for up to a month. Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before eating.

APPLE PIE

With only 3 tablespoons of added sugar, this pie gets most of the sweetness from fruit and cinnamon. (Use our egg wash alternative, see left, and look for vegan puff pastry to make this vegan.)

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 20 MINS * COOK TIME: 40 MINS

V | NF | SoF

3 large eating apples

2 tablespoons caster sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry

1 egg, beaten (or for a vegan pastry wash, mix 1 teaspoon neutral cooking oil with 1 tablespoon plant-based milk and ½ teaspoon agave nectar or maple syrup – but check the packet to make sure the pastry itself is vegan if necessary too)

1 tablespoon demerara sugar

ice cream or frozen yoghurt, to serve

Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Check the pastry packet to see if it needs to be taken out of the fridge before use.

Peel, core and finely dice one of the apples, then place in a small pan with the caster sugar, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of water. Bring to a simmer, then cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Mash to a smooth purée.

Meanwhile, place a piece of baking paper on a baking tray and place the pastry sheet on top. Cut about a third of the pastry off and return it to the fridge. Roll the edges inwards to form a lip, about 1cm deep, all around the remaining pastry sheet. Prick the base (but not the rim) all over with a fork. Brush with the beaten egg or vegan wash, then bake for 15 minutes. (Keep the remaining egg or vegan wash for later.)

Halve the remaining apples and cut away the cores and stalks. Finely slice into half moons about 2mm thick.

When the pastry is ready, remove from the oven and gently press down with a spatula if it has puffed up in the middle. Spread the apple purée over the pastry base, avoiding the rim. Arrange the apple slices on top so they overlap each other in two neat rows. Don’t lay them very upright or tightly packed, otherwise they won’t cook through.

Remove the leftover pastry from the fridge and cut it lengthways into six even strips. Lay the strips across the pie in a lattice shape so that each strip interlaces with the strips going in the other direction.

Brush all the exposed pastry with the remaining egg or vegan wash, and dab a little under each strip where it joins the rim to hold them in place while cooking. Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the whole pie, and return to the oven to bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the pastry is deep golden and crisp on top, and the bottom is golden, crisp and flaky looking.

Remove from the oven and eat warm, with ice cream or frozen yoghurt.

BAKED VEGAN CHOCOLATE DOUGHNUTS

A healthy cross between a doughnut and a sweet bun.

MAKES 8, PLUS LEFTOVER HOLES

PREP TIME:20 MINS, PLUS RISING * COOK TIME: 9 MINS

DF | V | Ve | NF | SoF

FOR THE DOUGHNUTS:

300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

2 teaspoons fast-acting easy-blend dried yeast

50g caster sugar

scant ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

100ml plant milk (NF, SoF if needed)

100g vegan butter or margarine or dairy butter (NF, SoF if needed), melted and cooled

¼ teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE:

100g icing sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

2–3 tablespoons plant milk (NF, SoF if needed)

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the doughnuts, mix together the dry ingredients, except for the salt and baking powder, in a bowl then pour in the wet ingredients with the salt. Mix with a spoon until a shaggy dough forms, then knead by hand for 4–5 minutes. Place back in the bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and leave somewhere warm for an hour, to rise.

When risen, line a large baking tray with baking paper. Flour a clean work surface and rolling pin. Tip out the dough and squash it down, then sprinkle over the baking powder. Knead it lightly into the dough, then roll to about 2cm thick. Cut discs using a 10cm cookie cutter, and use a 3cm round cutter (or a shot glass!) to cut a hole in the centre of each disc. Transfer to the lined tray, leaving 2–3cm between each disc. Repeat with the remaining dough (be aware that the doughnuts rolled from offcuts may rise a bit unevenly). If you have holes leftover, place them on the sheet, too. Cover again and set aside in a warm place for a further 15 minutes, to prove.

Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Boil the kettle and place a deep metal baking tin on the bottom shelf of the oven. When ready to cook, first carefully pour 2cm of the boiled water into the hot tin. Then place the doughnut tray on the shelf above. Bake for 9 minutes. The doughnuts will puff up and turn very pale gold. Remove from the oven – they may look under-baked, but if you cook them any longer they will turn into crusty rolls.

While the doughnuts are still warm, make the glaze. Sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl, then slowly add the milk until you have a thick, glossy-looking glaze. Stir in the vanilla. Place a wire rack over a tray. Use tongs to dip each warm doughnut into the glaze, then place on the wire rack for the glaze to set. Eat as soon as possible, ideally while still warm.

BAKED CHEESECAKE

This cooks relatively quickly, so might crack across the top – but don’t worry, just disguise it with lots of lovely compote.

SERVES 8

PREP TIME: 15 MINS, PLUS COOLING & CHILLING * COOK TIME: 32 MINS

V | NF | SoF

sunflower oil, for greasing

300g digestive biscuits, crushed to sand

125g butter, melted

a pinch of salt

1 egg white, lightly beaten

150g fresh seasonal fruit or chilled compote (see intro), sieved for a smooth texture, to serve

FOR THE TOPPING:

600g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

150g caster sugar

zest of ½ unwaxed lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon cornflour, sifted

4 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

Heat the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Thoroughly grease a deep, 19cm springform tin and then line the base.

For the base, mix the biscuits, melted butter and salt, then tip into the prepared tin. Firmly pat flat and press into the edges of the tin until smooth, firm and really tightly packed.

Use a pastry brush to thinly spread egg white over the base. Tip on some or all of the rest of the egg white and brush it out to cover any bare patches.

Cook the base in the oven for 10 minutes, or until you can no longer still see patches of wet egg white.

Meanwhile, thoroughly whisk together all the topping ingredients, except the eggs, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl to prevent lumps. Add the eggs and use a wooden spoon to mix them in thoroughly until fully incorporated.

When the base is ready, remove it from the oven. Fill a large metal baking tin with about 3cm of boiling water and place on the bottom shelf of the oven.

Bang the topping bowl a couple of times to knock out any large bubbles. Pour the topping onto the base and smooth out gently. Place in the now steamy oven and cook for 32 minutes (yes, that precise!). The centre will still be wobbly and the edges just set and slightly puffed up. Turn the oven off, crack open the oven door slightly, and leave to cool in the oven for about an hour.

Remove from the oven and cool, in the tin, for about 30 minutes, to room temperature. Run a palette knife around the cheesecake before opening the tin, in case it has stuck anywhere. Gently remove the cheesecake from the tin and slide onto a plate, then pop it into the fridge for an hour, or until chilled completely, to set firmly.

Top with fresh fruit or chilled compote (or both) and serve in slices. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days.

Don’t use low-fat or non-dairy cream cheese for this, as it won’t behave itself once in the oven.

SUPER FRUIT MUFFINS

These wholemeal muffins are packed with oats, seeds, (optional) almonds and fruit. Perfect for a tasty breakfast, brunch or healthy snack.

MAKES 12

PREP TIME: 15 MINS, PLUS COOLING * COOK TIME: 25 MINS

V | SoF

100g plain wholemeal flour

150g plain white flour, plus 1 tablespoon for coating fruit

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

a pinch of fine salt

125–150g caster sugar (depending on your sweet tooth)

2 tablespoons porridge oats

2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

2 tablespoons ground almonds (optional, omit if NF)

5 tablespoons neutral cooking oil

150ml full-fat plain yoghurt

100ml milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

150g fresh or frozen berries (blueberries, blackberries or raspberries, or a mixture)

1 tablespoon golden granulated sugar

Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with muffin cases. Sift the flours, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large bowl, add the caster sugar, oats, seeds and ground almonds and mix together really well.

Mix all the wet ingredients (except the fruit) together thoroughly in a separate bowl.

Put the fruit into another bowl and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour, then toss it gently to coat – this stops the fruit sinking while the muffins cook.

Mix the dry and wet ingredients together as briskly as you can – but don’t overmix, it doesn’t need to be smooth. Add the fruit and mix once, very gently, so that it doesn’t break up or turn the batter purple or pink (unless you want it to).

Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cases, working quickly – the bicarbonate of soda and yoghurt will have started to react and form bubbles in the batter, which you want to take advantage of and cook quickly, for maximum lift. Each case should be quite full.

Sprinkle the granulated sugar over the muffins, then place the tray in the oven and bake for 22–25 minutes. When done, the muffins should be puffed up and golden on top. To check the muffins are cooked, remove one carefully from its case and check the base – it should be just brown. Return to the oven and cook for another couple of minutes if not. When cooked, leave to cool in the muffin tray for at least 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack.

Serve at room temperature (they may fall apart if you eat them straight away).

Make these vegan by using plant-based milk and yoghurt, and switch the eggs for 2 flax eggs: 2 tablespoons flaxseeds/linseeds soaked in 4 tablespoons cold water for 5 minutes.

BETTER BISCUITS

These ‘better biscuits’ (aka double chocolate chip cookies) can’t exactly be described as healthy, but they are healthier than a lot of the cookies out there – with oats and ground almonds for fibre (plus a little manganese, vitamin E and magnesium). And cocoa is rich in antioxidant polyphenols. So they’re essentially one of our five-a-day, right? Right?

MAKES 12–14

PREP TIME: 25 MINS, PLUS COOLING * COOK TIME: 10 MINS

V | SoF

100g plain flour

2 tablespoons ground almonds

2 tablespoons porridge oats

50g cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

80g caster sugar

75g butter, melted and cooled (or for DF, use melted refined flavourless coconut oil and a pinch of fine salt)

2 eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

50g chopped nuts (we like hazelnuts and almonds – smash them up in a pestle and mortar if yours are whole)

100g dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa solids, chopped into ½cm pieces, or use good-quality dark chocolate chips

1–2 tablespoons dairy or plant-based milk (optional)

flaky sea salt (optional; omit if serving to small children)

Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Line two baking trays with baking paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, ground almonds, oats, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and sugar. In another bowl, beat together the cooled melted butter, eggs and vanilla extract, then pour this mixture into the flour bowl. Add the chopped nuts and chocolate or chocolate chips and stir everything together. If it’s very stiff and fudgy, add up to 2 tablespoons of milk. The mix should be thick, but loose enough to slowly drop off the spoon.

Use a dessertspoon to place dollops of the mixture onto the prepared baking trays, spacing them out and leaving about 3cm between each, as the cookies will spread out as they cook. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt at this point if you wish.

Bake for 6 minutes, then spin the baking trays around by 180° so the cookies cook evenly. Bake for another 3 minutes.

The cookies will be very soft when they come out of the oven, with a slightly cracked appearance, but will quickly firm up as they cool.

Leave on the baking trays to cool a little, then transfer to a wire rack. Eat warm, or at room temperature. The cookies will keep in an airtight container for about 3 days.

The cookies will look squidgy when you take them out, but take them out anyway – over-baked cookies will be too dry.

INDEX

A

aioli mayo

almonds

almond feta 1, 2

baked chicken nuggets with an almond, lemon & parsley crumb

feta, honey & almond grilled sandwich

apples

apple pie

Grazka’s fennel slaw

apricot & vanilla shake

asparagus carbonara

avocados

avocado & basil hummus

avocado & butter lettuce salad

guacamole

Nell’s jazzy beans

poke

B

bacon

Leon bacon & egg muffin

yakitori mushrooms

banh mi

BBQ sauce, Thom’s

beans

black bean tacos

coconut rice & peas

crispy tofu with black rice

huevos rancheros

Nell’s jazzy beans

steak burrito

trofie pasta with pesto & green beans

vegetarian nachos

beef

baked meatball sub

dirty rice

skirt steak with chimichurri

steak burrito

a super simple beef burger

suya

beetroot

baked paneer & warm chickpeas

beetroot, carrot & onion bhaji burgers

beetroot hummus

love at-home vegan burger

paneer & beetroot wrap

berries, super fruit muffins

bian dang

biscuits

blue cheese

Little Gem & blue cheese salad

pear, walnut & blue cheese salad

blueberry frozen yoghurt

Bragg’s fried sweetheart cabbage sandwich

bread

baked meatball sub

crab & fennel sandwich

fresh tagliatelle with courgettes & herby pangrattato

grilled sandwiches

leftover turkey sandwich with homemade cranberry sauce & Brie

Nell’s jazzy beans

sardine bocadillos

smoked mackerel sandwich with pickles & chives

broccoli

crispy cavolo nero & tenderstem wrap

crispy tofu with black rice

orecchiette with broccoli & chilli sauce

bucatini with spinach & garlic sauce

bulgar wheat

burger buns

Leon’s chicken burger

love at-home vegan burger

spiced lamb burger

stuffed mushroom burgers

a super simple beef burger

Thai-spiced sweetcorn burger

burger pickles

burger sauce

burrata with balsamic strawberries, basil & mint

C

cabbage

Bragg’s fried sweetheart cabbage sandwich

chicken donburi

classic coleslaw

red slaw

sabich

Cajun rub

Cajun-style fish wrap with slaw

carrots

beetroot, carrot & onion bhaji burgers

classic coleslaw

red slaw

cauliflower

Kentucky fried cauliflower

spiced cauliflower naan

spiced cauliflower salads

cavolo nero, crispy cavolo nero & tenderstem wrap

cheese

asparagus carbonara

baked meatball sub

black bean tacos

bucatini with spinach & garlic sauce

crispy cavolo nero & tenderstem wrap

gozleme

grilled sandwiches

huevos rancheros

leftover turkey sandwich with homemade cranberry sauce & Brie

Mexican BBQ corn on the cob

orecchiette with broccoli & chilli sauce

rigatoni with easy tomato sauce

rocket, pine nut & Parmesan salad

steak burrito

stuffed mushroom burgers

super fast pizza

trofie pasta with pesto & green beans

wild mushroom pappardelle with thyme & crispy sage

cheesecake

chicken

baked chicken nuggets with an almond, lemon & parsley crumb

chicken, chorizo & prawn jambalaya

chicken donburi

chicken shawarma

easy jerk chicken

GFC nuggets

harissa chicken kebabs with herby yoghurt & pomegranate

Leon’s chicken burger

oven-baked buttermilk ‘fried’ chicken

piri piri anything

spiced-yoghurt chicken wings

chickpea panisse

chickpeas

baked paneer & warm chickpeas

falafel & harissa wraps

hummus

koshari

not Niçoise salad

in tacos

vegan mayo

chillies

Denai’s vegan Jamaican patties

huevos rancheros

Mexican BBQ corn on the cob

orecchiette with broccoli & chilli sauce

sardine bocadillos

chimichurri

skirt steak with chimichurri

chipotle mayo

chocolate

baked vegan chocolate doughnuts

better biscuits

Meghan’s yoghurt sundae

chorizo, chicken, chorizo & prawn jambalaya

clams, linguine with clams

coleslaw

corn on the cob

Mexican BBQ

Thai BBQ

courgettes

courgette, walnut & mint grilled ‘cheeses’

fresh tagliatelle with courgettes & herby pangrattato

gozleme

crab & fennel sandwich

cucumber

burger pickles

crab & fennel sandwich

fish kebabs with cucumber raita

poke

sabich

tzatziki

D

Denai’s vegan Jamaican patties

dirty rice

doughnuts

E

eggs

asparagus carbonara

dirty rice

huevos rancheros

Leon bacon & egg muffin

not Niçoise salad

quick tea eggs

sabich

F

falafel & harissa wraps

fennel

crab & fennel sandwich

Grazka’s fennel slaw

samphire & fennel salad

fig jam

fish

Asian fish finger wrap

Cajun-style fish wrap with slaw

cheat’s fish tacos

fish kebabs with cucumber raita

mackerel with caper brown butter

poke

salmon with herb tahini

sardine bocadillos

smoked mackerel sandwich with pickles & chives

flatbreads

chicken shawarma

crispy cavolo nero & tenderstem wrap

falafel & harissa wraps

gozleme

harissa chicken kebabs with herby yoghurt & pomegranate

spiced lamb flatbreads

steak burrito

fruit

cheesecake

Meghan’s yoghurt sundae

G

garlic

aioli mayo

bucatini with spinach & garlic sauce

garlic yoghurt

garlicky prawns

roast garlic hummus

roast garlic mayo

spaghetti aglio e olio

GFC nuggets

gozleme

Grazka’s fennel slaw

guacamole

guanciale

asparagus carbonara

paccheri with spiced tomato sauce

H

harissa chicken kebabs with herby yoghurt & pomegranate

harissa yoghurt

hazelnut sauce

huevos rancheros

hummus

J

jackfruit, Leon jackwings

K

kale, baked paneer & warm chickpeas

Kentucky fried cauliflower

koshari

L

lamb

lamb souvlaki with tzatziki

spiced lamb burger

spiced lamb flatbreads

Lebanese 7-spice rub

lentils, koshari

Leon burger sauce

Leon jackwings

Leon tamarind ketchup

Leon tarragon mayo

Leon’s chicken burger

lettuce, avocado & butter lettuce salad

linguine with clams

Little Gem & blue cheese salad

love at-home vegan burger

M

mackerel with caper brown butter

mango coconut shake

mayonnaise

Meghan’s yoghurt sundae

Mexican BBQ corn on the cob

mint yoghurt

muffins

Leon bacon & egg muffin

super fruit muffins

mushrooms

chicken donburi

stuffed mushroom burgers

wild mushroom pappardelle with thyme & crispy sage

yakitori mushrooms

mustard mayo, Carolina

N

naan bread

beetroot, carrot & onion bhaji burgers

Bragg’s fried sweetheart cabbage sandwich

paneer & beetroot wrap

spiced cauliflower naan

Nell’s jazzy beans

P

paccheri with spiced tomato sauce

paneer

baked paneer & warm chickpeas

paneer & beetroot wrap

pasta

asparagus carbonara

bucatini with spinach & garlic sauce

fresh tagliatelle with courgettes & herby pangrattato

koshari

linguine with clams

orecchiette with broccoli & chilli sauce

paccheri with spiced tomato sauce

rigatoni with easy tomato sauce

spaghetti aglio e olio

trofie pasta with pesto & green beans

wild mushroom pappardelle with thyme & crispy sage

pea & quinoa kisir

peaches, vegan peach shake

peanuts

crispy tofu with black rice

suya

Thai BBQ corn on the cob

pear, walnut & blue cheese salad

peppers

Denai’s vegan Jamaican patties

dirty rice

lamb souvlaki with tzatziki

roasted red pepper hummus

spiced lamb flatbreads

pickles

banh mi

quick pickles

pico de gallo

pine nuts

Bragg’s fried sweetheart cabbage sandwich

rocket, pine nut & Parmesan salad

trofie pasta with pesto & green beans

pink pickled onions

piri piri anything

pitta bread

chicken shawarma

lamb souvlaki with tzatziki

sabich

pizza, super fast

poke

pork

banh mi

bian dang

in jambalaya

potatoes

crispy baked fries

trofie pasta with pesto & green beans

prawns

baked tempura everything

chicken, chorizo & prawn jambalaya

garlicky prawns

R

radishes, pickled

ras el hanout rub

red onions

comté, thyme & caramelized onion grilled sandwich

pink pickled onions

tomato kachumber

red slaw

refried beans

huevos rancheros

vegetarian nachos

rice

bian dang

chicken, chorizo & prawn jambalaya

coconut rice & peas

crispy tofu with black rice

dirty rice

koshari

poke

steak burrito 1, 2

rigatoni with easy tomato sauce

rocket, pine nut & Parmesan salad

S

sabich

salads

avocado & butter lettuce

baked paneer & warm chickpeas

burrata with balsamic strawberries, basil & mint

classic coleslaw

Grazka’s fennel slaw

koshari

Little Gem & blue cheese

not Niçoise

pea & quinoa kisir

pear, walnut & blue cheese

red slaw

rocket, pine nut & Parmesan

samphire & fennel

spiced cauliflower

tomato kachumber

salmon with herb tahini

salsa roja

samphire & fennel salad

sardine bocadillos

sausage meat, dirty rice

seaweed, poke

slaws

smoked mackerel sandwich with pickles & chives

spaghetti aglio e olio

spinach

bucatini with spinach & garlic sauce

leftover turkey sandwich with homemade cranberry sauce & Brie

Leon bacon & egg muffin

stuffed mushroom burgers

sriracha mayo

steak burrito

strawberries

burrata with balsamic strawberries, basil & mint

strawberry shake

sub rolls, baked meatball sub

super fast pizza

suya

sweet potatoes

Denai’s vegan Jamaican patties

sweet potato wedges with a polenta crust

sweetcorn

Thai-spiced sweetcorn burger

T

tacos

black bean tacos

tamarind ketchup

tandoori rub

tarragon mayo

tartare sauce

Thai-spiced sweetcorn burger

Thom’s BBQ sauce

tofu

crispy tofu with black rice

love at-home vegan burger

piri piri anything

tomatoes

huevos rancheros

linguine with clams

paccheri with spiced tomato sauce

pico de gallo

rigatoni with easy tomato sauce

sabich

sardine bocadillos

spiced lamb flatbreads

tomato kachumber

tortilla chips, vegetarian nachos

tortillas

Asian fish finger wrap

black bean tacos

Cajun-style fish wrap with slaw

huevos rancheros

trofie pasta with pesto & green beans

tuna, poke

tzatziki

lamb souvlaki with tzatziki

V

vegan mango coconut shake

vegan mayo

vegan peach shake

vegetables

baked tempura everything

piri piri anything

vegetarian nachos

W

walnuts

courgette, walnut & mint grilled ‘cheeses’

love at-home vegan burger

pea & quinoa kisir

pear, walnut & blue cheese salad

wraps

Asian fish finger wrap

Cajun-style fish wrap with slaw

falafel & harissa wraps

steak burrito

Y

yakitori mushrooms

yoghurt

blueberry frozen yoghurt

curry yoghurt

fish kebabs with cucumber raita

garlic

harissa chicken kebabs with herby yoghurt & pomegranate

harissa yoghurt

Meghan’s yoghurt sundae

mint yoghurt

shakes 1, 2

spiced-yoghurt chicken wings

tzatziki

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

JACK BURKE is a London-based writer, actor and private chef. He spent his university summers cooking and travelling around Italy and France, and first worked with John on the book Winning No t Fighting. Jack can often be heard on the radio and is the host of several video series for the LEON website.

REBECCA SEAL has written about food and drink for the Financial Times, the Evening Standard, the Observer, the Guardian, Red and The Sunday Times. Her cookbooks include Istanbul: Recipes from the Heart of Turkey and Lisbon: Recipes from the Heart of Portugal, as well as co-authoring LEON Happy Soups, LEON Happy One-po t Cooking, LEON Fast Vegan and LEON Happy Curries with John Vincent. She is one of the food and drink experts on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch. She lives in London with her husband and two small daughters.

JOHN VINCENT is co-founder of LEON, which now has more than 75 restaurants (including in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Oslo and Washington, DC). He wrote LEON Naturally Fast Food with Henry Dimbleby, LEON Family & Friends with Kay Plunkett-Hogge, LEON Happy Salads and LEON Fast & Free with Jane Baxter and LEON Happy Soups, LEON Happy One-po t Cooking, LEON Fast Vegan and LEON Happy Curries with Rebecca Seal. He thinks that our relationship with food should be positive and joyous and that we need to listen more carefully to our gut, eat more good fats and less sugar.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

JACK

Thank you John and LEON for your show of faith. Thank you Rebecca for your guidance and expertise. Thank you Auntie Susan for indulging my interest in food at the start. And thank you to my friends, family and girlfriend for being willing guinea pigs and providing useful feedback: Mum, Dad, Eleanor, Tatiana, Gordon, Henry, Anouk, George, Lizzie, Eli, Grahame and Alex.

REBECCA

Thanks as ever to John Vincent, LEON and Octopus for letting me be part of the Happy team. Thanks to Jack for his brilliant recipes and writing (and for putting up with me cracking the deadline-whip – and meeting them). Once again, Steve Joyce, photographer extraordinaire (and excellent husband!) put together the A-team: Sian Henley, Lauren Law and Tom Groves, assisted by Anna Hiddlestone and Grace Paul. And thanks to all Kemble House Studio’s neighbours, who made sure no burger, no fry, no nugget, no cookie went to waste.

JOHN

My thanks go to Rebecca and Jack. At LEON we ask ourselves two questions before we invite people to work in or with us: are they brilliant and are they people of character? We call it the ‘brilliant/lovely two by two’ (imagine a graph with two axes). Well, Rebecca and Jack are top right on this great graph of life. Creative when they need to be, precise when they need to be. And energizing people to work with when they need to be and when they don’t need to be.

Rebecca has been my cookbook partner multiple times now (for many good reasons) whilst Jack is a cookbook virgin. Rebecca has been generous by taking Jack in hand and recognizing him as a brilliant new kid on the culinary block.

As importantly, thank you so much to all my LEON colleagues. We stand on your shoulders when we write these books, only amplifying the graft and genius you apply every day.

PS may I recommend a book called Winning no t Fighting that I have written with my friend and martial arts master Julian. I think you will like it. It is about how we need to redefine success in life and how we achieve it. It is not so much about food but it might indirectly help you make food faster...

An Hachette UK Company

www.hachette.co.uk

First published in Great Britain in 2020

by Conran Octopus, an imprint of

Octopus Publishing Group Ltd

Carmelite House

50 Victoria Embankment

London EC4Y 0DZ

www.octopusbooks.co.uk

Text copyright © LEON Restaurants 2020

Design and layout copyright © Octopus Publishing Group 2020

Denai’s Vegan Patties © Denai Moore 2020

Chicken, Chorizo & Prawn Jambalaya © Donald Gunn 2020

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

The right of LEON Restaurants to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

eISBN 978-1-84091-814-4

Photography by Steven Joyce

Publisher: Alison Starling

Creative director: Jonathan Christie

Senior editors: Sophie Elletson and Pauline Bache

Production controller: Emily Noto

Food stylist: Sian Henley

Food stylist assistants: Anna Hiddlestone and Grace Paul

Prop stylist: Lauren Law

Photography assistant: Tom Groves

Designer: Ella Mclean

Copyeditor: Anna Sheasby

LEON lead designer: Sean Matthews

LEON head of marketing: Rebecca Di Mambro

Author photo: George Selley

Photography on endpapers courtesy of LEON and Tom Groves

We have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible in all the preparation and cooking times listed in the recipes in this book. However, they are an estimate based on our own timings during recipe testing, and should be taken as a guide only, not as the literal truth.

Nutrition advice is not absolute. If you feel you require consultation with a nutritionist, consult your GP for a recommendation.

Standard level spoon measurements are used in all recipes.

1 tablespoon = one 15ml spoon

1 teaspoon = one 5ml spoon

Eggs should be medium unless otherwise stated and preferably free range and organic. The Department of Health advises that eggs should not be consumed raw. This book contains dishes made with raw or lightly cooked eggs. It is prudent for more vulnerable people such as pregnant and nursing mothers, invalids, the elderly, babies and young children to avoid uncooked or lightly cooked dishes made with eggs. Once prepared these dishes should be kept refrigerated and used promptly.

Fresh herbs should be used unless otherwise stated. If unavailable, use dried herbs as an alternative but halve the quantities stated.

Ovens should be preheated to the specific temperature. All oven temperatures are for a fan-assisted oven. If not using a fan-assisted oven, increase the temperature by 20°C.

This book includes dishes made with nuts and nut derivatives. It is advisable for customers with known allergic reactions to nuts and nut derivatives and those who may be potentially vulnerable to these allergies, such as pregnant and nursing mothers, invalids, the elderly, babies and children, to avoid dishes made with nuts and nut oils. It is also prudent to check the labels of pre-prepared ingredients for the possible inclusion of nut derivatives.

Vegetarians should look for the ‘V’ symbol on a cheese to ensure it is made with vegetarian rennet.

Not all soy sauce is gluten-free – we use tamari (a gluten-free type of soy sauce), but check the label if you are unsure.

Remember to check the labels on ingredients to make sure they don’t have hidden refined sugars. Even savoury goods can be artificially sweetened so it’s always best to check the label carefully.