The basil I got from the greenhouse was a bit smeggy, so I threw it in the compost, the photo is rubbish, but this dish was lovely. Perfect for a summer’s evening in the garden.

For a better photo and for the recipe (which includes basil), go to the BBC Good Food website.

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When my running’s going well and I’m feeling fit and healthy, that’s when I usually reach for Anita Bean’s Food for Fitness book that has a load of delicious, healthy recipes (not all vegetarian but plenty that are) that are quick and easy to make. Tonight’s was no exception.

Spicy bean lasagne (serves 4)

1 onion, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp each of cumin and ground coriander
2 tins (2 x 420g) borlotti beans (or other variety [I used black eye beans]), drained
1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes
12 sheets lasagne (I actually only used 6)
350g (12 oz) cottage cheese (I used cheddar)
40g (1 1/2 oz) reduced fat mozzarella, grated

1. For the spicy beans, heat the oil in a pan and saute the onions and spices for 5 minutes
2. Add the beans and tomatoes, bring to the boil and cook for a few more minutes
3. Spray a baking dish with oil spray or coat lightly with a little oil
4. Place 3 sheets of lasagne in the bottom of the dish and cover with one quarter of the cottage cheese. Repeat the layers, finishing with the beans and cottage cheese
5. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and bake at 180C/gas mark 4 for 30 minutes

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I wanted to cook something tonight instead of heating up something frozen from a packet (like I often do on Fridays) but I didn’t want to go shopping for ingredients and so I looked in the fridge and there was a red pepper, a bag of spinach, some green beans and a savoy cabbage. I couldn’t think of anything to do with them and so I decided to have the meatfree balls that were in the freezer and make a tomato sauce and chuck in the red pepper and spinach. So that’s what I did. I also chucked in a red chilli.

Meatfree balls in a spicy tomato and spinach sauce (serves 4)
1 packet of meatfree balls (I used Sainsburys own)
Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red chilli, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 tins chopped tomatoes
Half a bag of spinach, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper

Cook the meatfree balls according to the instructions on the packet.

Meanwhile, fry the onion and garlic in the oil for a few minutes, then add the red chilli and fry for another couple of minutes.

Add the red pepper and fry for a bit longer.

Add the tins of tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes.

Add the meatfree balls and spinach and warm through until the spinach has wilted.

Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with spaghetti.

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As I was making this dish, I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out as I thought it might be a bit bland.  At the first mouthful, I did think it was a bit bland and needed ‘something’ but the more I ate of it, the more I liked it.  Very nice indeed.

It’s another dish from the BBC Good Food website, but ignore what it says about being on the table in ten minutes, they are lying.

The ingredients call for 400g penne or macaroni but in the cupboard I had about 80g of macaroni and 140g of conchiglie, so I made up the difference with spaghetti that I snapped into pieces.  Also it said to boil the onion but I didn’t like the sound of boiled onion, so I fried it.  Another instruction I took no notice of was to grill it; I put it in the oven on about 200C for about ten minutes.

I won’t be blogging next week as I’m off to Naples on Monday to eat pizza for my birthday on Tuesday when apparently my life will be beginning.

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A nice, chunky, warming dish made with potato, beans and pasta for these cold evenings from Good Housekeeping Step by Step Vegetarian Cookbook. It came out thicker than I expected, as in the colour index it says it’s somewhere between a stew and a hearty soup which I suppose it is, but you only need a fork to eat it, not a spoon.

Pasta e fagioli (vegan if the cheese is omitted)
Serves 6

1 onion
1 leek
1 carrot
1 large potato
2 celery sticks
60ml (4 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
10ml (2 tsp) chopped fresh thyme
5ml (1 tsp) finely chopped fresh rosemary
500g (1 lb 2 oz) carton passata
600ml (1 pint) vegetable stock
225g (8oz) small conchiglie or ditali pasta
two 400g (14oz) cans borlotti beans, drained
60ml (4 tbsp) chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper

TO SERVE

75g (3 oz) Parmesan-style cheese, freshly grated
a little extra-virgin olive oil

1. Peel and chop the onion; slice the leek; peel and dice the carrot and potato; dice the celery.
2. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan, add the onion, leek, carrot, potato, celery, garlic and herbs and fry gently for 10 minutes until softened slightly, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking.
3. Add the passata and stock.  Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile add the pasta to a large pan of lightly salted boiling water and cook for 5-6 minutes until al dente (tender but firm to the bite).  Drain and immediately refresh under cold water.  Drain well and toss with a little olive oil.
5. Add the beans to the stew.  cover and cook for a further 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.  Stir in the pasta and basil, heat through and season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Spoon into warmed bowls and sprinkle generously with Parmesan-style cheese.  Drizzle with olive oil to serve.

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