Orange and Pistachio Pilaf from Food from Plenty by Diana Henry

-Put 1½ cups of basmati rice in a sieve and rinse until water runs clear.

-Cut the zest off of 1 orange avoiding/cutting off the white pith.

-Cut the zest into fine julienne.

-Squeeze the juice of the orange and set aside.

-Finely chop 1 fennel bulb.

-Heat 1 TBS of butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.

-Add the fennel and sauté until pale gold, about 7-10 minutes.

-Chop up 4 cloves of garlic and add to the fennel, sauté another 2 minutes.

-Add the drained rice and stir until beginning to toast.

-Pour in 3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth and the orange juice, cover and bring to a boil.

-Simmer for 15 minutes, then let sit off the heat for 10 before uncovering.

-Grate 3 carrots.

-Melt 2 TBS butter in a saucepan and sauté the carrots for 2 minutes until slightly softened.

-Stir in the orange zest and 2 tsp honey.

-Chop up ¼ cup unsalted pistachios.

-Cook until slightly caramelized and then add the pistachios and 3-4 TBS chopped cilantro or basil.

-Fork the carrot mixture into the rice and serve immediately.

Indian Spiced Carrot and Beetroot Salad from Plenty by Diana Henry

-Soak 2 TBS raisins in some boiling water.

-Peel and grate 1 carrot, 1 beet and ½ a watermelon radish.

-Put the grated vegetables in a medium sized bowl.

-Add 1 tsp ground cumin, a drop of chilli sauce, 2 TBS walnut or olive oil, 1 tsp red wine vinegar and a couple of squeezes of lemon juice. Toss well.

-Add 1 TBS blanched almonds, ½ TBS sesame seeds, 1 TBS pumpkin seeds and 2 TBS chopped cilantro or parsley.

-Drain the raisins and add them along with a pinch of sea salt.

Beetroot Soup with Goat’s Cheese from Plenty by Diana Henry

-Chop the following; you are going to be pureeing all the vegetables so you don’t have to be that exact.

-2 chopped leeks

-1 fennel bulb or 4 stalks of celery, chopped into smallish pieces

-1 bunch unpeeled beets, chopped into smallish pieces

-6 cloves of garlic, chopped

-Melt 3TBS butter in a large, heavy bottomed saucepan and add in everything you just chopped up.

-Add a splash of water, cover and sweat the vegetables for 10 minutes over medium low heat.

-Stir, add a little more water and sweat for another 15 minutes.

-Pour in 5 cups of chicken stock and add some salt and pepper.

-Bring to a boil and then simmer until the beetroot is tender.

-Serve hot or cold with a dollop of sour cream on top and some crumbled chevre.

-If you have any leftover cooked salmon you can add some flakes to each serving or if you have some raw salmon, you can moisten it with some olive oil and lemon juice and add some to each bowl as you serve the soup.

Beans with Feta, Chili and Tarator Sauce

From Plenty by Diana Henry.

-To make the Tarator sauce:

-Soak 1 oz crusty white bread in 4 TBS milk for 30 minutes.

-Zest 1 lemon, then squeeze the juice and set aside.

-Puree the bread/milk in a food processor along with the following:

2 ounces blanched almonds or hazelnuts

1 fat garlic clove

3 ounces olive oil

2-3 TBS of the lemon juice

-Add water if you want it thinner.

-Season to taste salt and pepper.

-Top and tail 1 pound of beans.

-Steam and until just tender, about 7 minutes.

-Chop up about 1/4 cup cilantro or basil.

-Place the beans in a shallow bowl and top with the following:

6 ounces feta

3 TBS extra virgin olive oil

A few red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp of the lemon juice

Half the chopped cilantro or basil

-Drizzle with the tarator sauce and scatter with the following:

The lemon zest

The rest of the chopped cilantro or basil

Some more chili flakes.

-Serve warm.