Grilled fennel salad with apricots & goat cheese

For ➍

2 fennels

4 large apricots

2 tbs roasted hazelnuts*

1 handful of basil

200 g fresh goat cheese

lemon

salt

olive oil

Heat the barbecue.**

Slice half a fennel into thin slices using a mandoline or a sharp knife. Pour the juice of a lemon over it and add a generous pinch of salt. Mix briefly and let it marinate. Cut the rest of the fennel into slightly thicker slices. Rub with olive oil and salt, and grill on the barbecue**. Use a grill with small openings for this, so that the fennel does not fall through. When the fennel is slightly charred and a little soft, remove it from the barbecue. Cut the apricots in half and remove the pits, then rub with oil. Place them on the grill** with the cut side down for a moment, until they soften slightly and develop black stripes.

Assemble the salad by mixing the roasted and marinated fennel (and the lemon juice in which they marinated) with the grilled apricots. Place the goat cheese on top and finish with the basil leaves and hazelnuts*.

Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with some good olive oil.

*Replace with walnuts.

**Use a grill pan for small quantities if necessary.

Gnocchi with mushrooms & sage

For ➍

2 ts ground black pepper 

olive oil 

1-2 tbs white balsamio vinegar 

300 g mixed mushrooms, torn into large pieces 

15 sage leaves 

sea salt 

250 g gnocchi 

100 g Parmigiano, finely grated 

50 g Pecorino, finely grated 

Toast the peppercorns in a large, hot, dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Then crush them coarsely in a mortar and set aside. Place the skillet back on the heat and heat a deep layer of olive oil in the skillet. Add the sage leaves and fry for 1 m, until nice and crispy. 

Remove the sage leaves from the pan and add the mushrooms. Fry them for about 5-10 m. Season with salt. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook them for 2-3 m until they float to the surface. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and reserve 10 cl of the cooking water. 

Add the roasted ground peppercorns to the mushrooms. Add the white balsamico vinegar. Also add (part of) the pasta water and let simmer for 2 m, until the liquid has reduced by half. 

Add the drained gnocchi to the pan and toss them in the sauce. Also add the cheeses immediately and mix until the sauce is smooth. Divide the mushroom gnocchi among the plates and finally sprinkle with extra cheese. Serve the mushroom gnocchi with a salad. 

Smoked trout with oyster mushrooms

For ➋

200 g smoked trout / or trout fillets*

½ bunch chives

piece of ginger / 1-2 ts ginger powder

150 g rice

150 g oyster mushrooms

2.5 tbs sunflower oil

4 tbs soy sauce

½ tbs chili sauce

Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Cook the rice according to the package instructions.

Peel the ginger and cut into 3 cm matchsticks. Place the fish on a piece of aluminum foil and distribute the ginger over it. Fold the package closed and place on a baking sheet or rack. Cook the fish for 6 to 8 m in the (preheated) oven.*

Slice the oyster mushrooms.

In the meantime, fry the oyster mushrooms in half of the sunflower oil for approx. 3 m. Mix with half of the soy sauce and the chili sauce and fry for another 1 m.

Finely chop the chives. Place the fish on a plate and scatter the chives over it. Heat the remaining half of the sunflower oil in a small pan until the oil starts to smoke. Pour the hot oil, along with the rest of the soy sauce, over the chives on the fish. Serve the fish with the oyster mushrooms and some rice.

*Or rub the trout fillets with a light seasoning made from ½ tbsp oil and 2 ts ginger powder. Microwave for 1 m in a closed container.

♥︎Sheet-pan salmon & broccoli with sesame & ginger

For ➍
4 tbs toasted sesame oil

2 tbs soy sauce or tamari

1 tbs rice vinegar

1 tbs honey

1 5 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled & finely grated (about 1tbs)

1 garlic clove, finely grated

450 g broccoli, trimmed and cut into florets, thick stems discarded*

2 scallions, trimmed & cut diagonally into 3 cm-inch segments, plus thinly sliced scallions for garnish

1  tbs olive oil, plus more for brushing the salmon

salt & black pepper

4 170 g skin-on salmon fillets

½ lime, for serving

sesame seeds, for serving

Heat the oven to 220°C. In a small bowl, whisk 3 tbs sesame oil with the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, ginger and garlic until smooth. Set the glaze aside

Place the broccoli florets* and 1½-inch scallion segments on a sheet pan. Drizzle with 1  tbs olive oil and the remaining 1tbs sesame oil. Sprinkle with ½  ts salt and ¼  ts black pepper, toss well and roast for 5  m.

While the broccoli and scallions roast, place the salmon fillets on a plate and pat dry with paper towels. Brush all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Toss the broccoli and scallions and move to the edges of the pan, clearing spaces in the center for the salmon fillets. Place the salmon fillets, evenly spaced, on the center of the pan. Brush the fillets generously with the glaze.

Return the pan to the oven and roast until the salmon is cooked through but still slightly rare in the center, about 12  m.

Squeeze the lime over the broccoli and sprinkle with salt. Scatter the sliced scallions and sesame seeds over the salmon, and serve hot.

*Boil or microwave the broccoli until semi-soft, ensuring it does not remain hard. Optionally, add the spring onions and oil for 1 m. Then add the fish and fry for 12-15 m.

♥︎Skrei & leek

For ➍

4 pieces of skrei (180-200 g each)

3 leeks 

1 shallot 

20 cl oat cream 

10 cl white wine saffron 

1 tbs olive oil 

20 g butter 

salt & pepper 

Peel the leeks and cut them into pieces. Melt the butter and oil in a sauté pan. Add the chopped shallot. Simmer for 2 m without browning. Add the leeks and let them melt for 10-12 m. Deglaze with white wine and reduce for 2-3 m. 

Add the oat cream and saffron. Mix and simmer gently for 5 m. 

Add the leeks to the sauce. 

Cover and simmer for 8-10 m over low heat. 

Do not boil again after adding the fish. The fish should remain pearly.

Risotto & oyster mushrooms

For ➋

120-180 g risotto rice

200 g small oyster mushrooms

1.5 shallots

1 clove of garlic

10 g sage

30 g flaked almonds

10 cl almond milk

20 g grated Parmigiano

75 cl vegetable stock (or poultry stock)

4 cl white wine (or mirin)

2.5 cl soy sauce

2 tbs butter/olive oil

Salt & pepper

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan. Fry half the sage leaves in the olive oil for 1 minute until crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Bring the vegetable stock to a boil and season with the soy sauce. Peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic. Sauté them together in hot butter until translucent. Deglaze with the white wine and add the rice. Cook briefly, stirring well. Gradually add the chicken stock, stirring regularly. Add a ladleful of stock each time the previous one is absorbed. Remove from the heat when all the stock has been absorbed and the rice is al dente. Stir in the almond milk, a little butter, and the Parmesan cheese. Stir in the remaining sage. Clean the mushrooms and sauté them in a little olive oil in a separate pan. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the risotto with the sage and the sautéed oyster mushrooms. Toast the flaked almonds in a pan without oil and garnish the risotto with them.

Read the tip on making a quick risotto.

Herb-crusted cod

For ➍

4 cod fillets (180 g each)

20 cherry tomatoes (preferably with a sprig)

1 garlic clove

2 tbsp parsley

2 tbsp dill (chopped)

1 tbs capers

3 tbs panko

olive oil

butter

pepper

fleur de sel

800 g potatoes (boiling)

½ lemon zest

80 ml buttermilk (unsweetened)

30 g butter

salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Peel and crush the garlic. Mix it with the herbs. Finely chop the capers and add them. Add 3 tbsp olive oil and stir. Season with salt, pepper, and the panko and mix until crumbly.

Rinse the cod fillets and pat dry. Cover them with the crumble. Butter a baking dish and place the fish in it.

Rinse the tomatoes and add them to the fish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with pepper and fleur de sel. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Mash them through a food processor. Add the lemon zest, buttermilk, and butter. Stir with a wooden spoon until a creamy, smooth purée is formed. Add more buttermilk if you prefer the purée a little thinner. Season the purée with a little salt.

♥︎Roasted pumpkin & fregola

For ➋

2 small round pumpkins* (Hokkaido type) or 1 large one (approximately 1 kg unpeeled weight)

3 white onions

200 g pearl couscous*** or fregola Sarda

100 g Parmigiano

20 sage leaves

olive oil

lemon juice

salt & pepper

chili flakes (optional)***

Preheat the oven to 210°C. Meanwhile, cut the pumpkin(s) into wedges about 2 cm wide, after scooping out the seeds. You don't need to peel the pumpkin; roasting softens the skin, making it perfect to eat.

Toss the pumpkin wedges with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Peel the onions and cut them into six wedges. Toss the onions with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast the onion and pumpkin in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the pieces are tender and browned at the edges. Place the pumpkin pieces far enough apart in the oven so they roast well (and don't steam through). Keep the onions separate: they can go on the same baking sheet, but don't mix them with the pumpkin; we'll use them separately later.

For the pasta sauce, blend half the roasted pumpkin with 65 g grated Parmigiano. You can do this with an immersion blender or a food processor. Deglaze the empty pumpkin baking sheet with a splash of water and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add this juice to the sauce, along with a squeeze of lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Set the other half of the roasted pumpkin pieces aside.

Simmer the pearl couscous in salted water for about 8 minutes, until tender. Taste regularly (and reserve a cup of the cooking liquid when draining the pearl couscous). Meanwhile, heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large pan. Sauté the sage leaves over medium heat (not too hot, otherwise the leaves will brown and become bitter). Turn them over and season with salt. Remove them from the pan and place them on a paper towel to drain and cool.

Mix the pearl couscous into the pumpkin sauce. Add a little more cooking liquid, if necessary, to loosen the sauce. Serve with the remaining roasted pumpkin and the onion on top, and garnish with the sage leaves and the remaining Parmigiano cheese.***

*Don't use butternut squash for this dish; that silky squash is delicious in soups or stews. But for roasting, I prefer a firm, round squash. It holds its shape better and roasts beautifully brown.

**Other small pasta such as shells, spiralized or short macaroni, or nutty whole wheat pasta.

***the sweet, mild flavors of pumpkin and onion are enhanced by a bit of heat. A generous pinch of mild chili flakes (like Aleppo flakes) is also delicious.

Gnocchi with pumpkin & spinach

For ➍

butternut squash (peeled, deseeded, cubed)

800 g baby spinach

1 onion (peeled & chopped)

1 tbsp fresh sage (chopped)

500 g gnocchi

50 g grated Parmigiano

2 tbs olive oil

pepper

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the pumpkin cubes and sage and cook for about 12 m, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin cubes are soft.

Add 50 cl water and bring to a boil. Add the gnocchi. Cook uncovered over low heat for 3 m.

Rinse the spinach and add it to the pan. Let the spinach wilt.

Stir in the Parmigiano, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Fregola Sarda alla vongele (fregola with clams)

For ➋

200 g fregola Sarda

500 g vongele clams

3 cloves of garlic, pressed or chopped

1 sweet onion, finely chopped

2 stalks of celery, finely chopped

15 cl white wine

100 g Parmigiano

2 tbs mascarpone

zest of 1 lemon

handful of parsley, finely chopped

salt & pepper

olive oil

Fry the onion and garlic in a dash of olive oil over medium heat until they start to colour. Add the celery and let it stew a little. Rinse the clams well under cold water and let them drain. Add them to the pan and deglaze with the white wine. Let them cook for 3-4 m with the lid on until the clams open. Remove them with a slotted spoon, so that the cooking liquid remains in the pan. 

In the meantime, cook the fregola as indicated on the packaging (probably 10 m). 

Let the clam juice in the pan simmer for another 2-3 m for extra flavour. 

Add the cooked fregola to the pan with the reduced clam juice. Stir in the mascarpone, salt and pepper, chopped parsley and grated Parmigiano. Add the clams (either shelled or with shells). Finish with some extra pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and some more parsley.

♥︎Spicy Moroccan carrots

For ➍-➏
500 g carrots

marinade:

juice of ½ lemon (2 tbs)

3 large garlic cloves

¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

¼ cup fresh coriander, finely chopped

4 tb olive oil

1 ts honey

1 ts sweet paprika

½ ts hot paprika

½ ts ground cumin

½ ts salt

Peel carrots. Cut into 1.5cm slices. Cover with hot salted water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 15m. Drain and steam.

Crush garlic with salt to a paste. Thoroughly mix all marinade ingredients in a bowl.

Add warm carrots to marinade. Toss gently to coat

Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 h, stirring occasionally.

Pinsa primavera with anchovy

For ➍ 

2 pinsa bottoms

400 g baby spinach

1 clove garlic

140 g green pesto

125 g marinated artichoke hearts

50 g anchovy fillet

250 g mozzarella

2 tbs dried oregano

spicy olive oil

nutmeg

salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to the highest setting. Rinse the spinach and drain well. Peel and chop the garlic. Stew the garlic and spinach in a pan with olive oil, season with pepper, salt and nutmeg. Scoop them out of the pan and drain well in a colander. Press out all the liquid with the rounded side of a spoon.

Drain the anchovies and artichoke hearts. Halve the artichoke hearts. Spread a layer of pesto on the pinsa bases and spoon the spinach in heaps on top. Finish them off with the halved artichoke hearts and anchovy fillets. Tear the mozzarella into pieces and top the pinsas with it. Season the pinsas with the oregano and bake them in the oven for 10 minutes.

Finish the pinsas with a little (spicy) olive oil and the extra spinach. Cut them into pieces and serve.

♥︎Cod & celeriac brandade

For ➋ 

400 cod fillets without skin or bones, in equal pieces* 

500 g celeriac, peeled, in small pieces (3 x 3 cm) 

6 cloves garlic, peeled 

small bush of fresh thyme 

25 cl fish stock 

olive oil 

Mix the celeriac and garlic in a pan, cover with fish stock. Cover and cook for 15 m. 

Add the cod, and poach for 5 m. 

Scoop the fish, celeriac and garlic out of the stock and mash them in an oven dish. Add a dash of olive oil, pepper and sea salt. 

Place the dish in a preheated oven at 180°C for 5 m. 

If necessary, grill for 1-2 m to brown a bit. 

*Or sea bream. Or  dried stockfish soaked in milk.

♥︎Crunchy tofu with paksoi, leek & mushrooms

For ➍ 

400 g tofu 

marinade: 

4 tbs soy sauce 

4 tbs maple syrup 

1 tbs fresh ginger 

2 cloves garlic 

2 ts sesame oil 

2 ts tap water 

2 ts cornflour 

1 ts Sichuan spices 

wok: 

250 g wok noodles 

300 g paksoi 

2 cloves garlic 

2 shallots or 1 (red) onion 

2 spring onions 

1 stalk leek 

250 g mushrooms 

100 g peanuts or cashews 

½ bunch fresh coriander 

4 tbs fried onions optional, to finish [not heart-friendly]

peanut oil 

salt & pepper 

wok sauce: 

2 tbs soy sauce 

2 ts rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar 

2 ts sesame oil 

Cut the block of tofu lengthwise. Place the slices of tofu on a clean kitchen towel. Fold the towel closed and squeeze out the moisture. Place a weight on top and let it drain for a while. In the meantime, finely grate the garlic and ginger. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a mixing bowl. Remove the tofu from under the weight and cut into cubes of 2 cm. Mix with the marinade and make sure all the cubes are well covered. Put  in the refrigerator. 

Cook the wok noodles until al dente. Cook for 1 m less than indicated on the packaging (the noodles will continue to cook in the wok for a while). Save a cup of the cooking liquid to finish the sauce later. Finely chop the shallot and garlic. Cut the leek into fine rings, the pak choi into coarser pieces. Cut the mushrooms into strips. Finely chop the peanuts and coriander. Put everything to one side. Heat a generous dash of peanut oil in a (wok) pan on a high heat. Fry the tofu cubes on all sides until golden brown and crispy. Then remove them from the pan and set aside. Reuse the mixing bowl from the tofu marinade and mix all the ingredients for the wok sauce in it. Set aside. Heat a little new oil in the pan in which you fried the tofu on a medium to high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and fry. Then add the leek, pak choi and mushrooms and fry for a few minutes. Then add the cooked wok noodles. Mix well. Finally, add the wok sauce and a cup of the cooking water from the noodles. Mix well and season with salt and pepper. Serve the wok together with the fried tofu. Finish with fresh coriander, peanuts and fried onions(optional).

Roast pumpkin soup with walnuts & herb oil

For ➏ 

1 kg pumpkin, such as kabocha 

400 g sweet potatoes, unpeeled 

15 cl olive oil 

5 g sage leaves 

1 red chilli, thinly sliced on an angle (10 g) 

1 leek, trimmed & cut into 2mm rounds (200 g) 

1 large onion, peeled & roughly chopped (240 g) 

10 g piece fresh ginger, peeled & julienned 

fine sea salt 

½ ts smoked paprika 

½ ts ground coriander 

2 small potatoes (200 g) 

60 g walnuts 

1½ tbs maple syrup 

10 g coriander leaves, finely chopped 

10 g parsley leaves, finely chopped 

1 ts finely grated lemon zest 

Heat the oven to 220° C (200° C fan)/425F/gas 7. Put the whole pumpkin and sweet potatoes on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and roast, turning once halfway, for an hour, until soft and golden. Remove and turn down the oven to 180° C (160° C fan)/350F/gas 4. Once they’re cool enough to handle, use a metal spoon to peel off the pumpkin and sweet potato skins, and to scoop out the pumpkin seeds. Meanwhile, put 80ml olive oil in a small saucepan on a medium heat, then add the sage leaves and fry for about 2 m, until deeply green. Use a slotted spoon to lift out the sage, transfer to a sheet of kitchen paper and leave to crisp up. Add the chilli to the hot oil, fry, stirring occasionally, for about 2 m, until deeply red, then transfer to the kitchen paper alongside the sage. 

Transfer the hot oil to a large saucepan on a medium heat, add the leek, onion, ginger and three teaspoons of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 m, until soft and translucent. Add the smoked paprika and ground coriander, cook for a minute, until fragrant, then add the cooked pumpkin and sweet potato flesh, and 1.6 litres of water. Peel and grate the potatoes on to a chopping board, then add to the soup before they discolour. Bring the soup to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 15 m. While the soup is cooking, make the nut brittle. Line a small baking tray with greaseproof paper, top with the walnuts, maple syrup and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and toss to coat. Roast, stirring once halfway, for about 10 m, until toasted and golden brown, then remove, sprinkle the fried sage and chilli on top, toss to combine and leave to cool. 

Once the nut mix is cool, scrunch up the paper to crush the brittle into smaller pieces. Make the herb oil by combining the coriander, parsley, lemon zest, remaining 70 ml oil and a quarter-ts of salt in a small bowl. Once the soup has cooked, take off the heat and blitz with a stick or regular blender until smooth and velvety. Add a splash more water to loosen, if need be, then divide between six bowls. Scatter the maple walnut brittle on top and serve drizzled with the herb oil.