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Posted on March 2, 2016 by gorgefood

A dish I always order at Wagamama although I think theirs is with chicken. You could add chicken instead of prawn to this though or both if you are feeling generous! This is an easy 15 minute tea and not too bad for you (just don’t use loads of oil)

I doubted the sauce in this recipe when I saw the ingredients and even after I made it I doubted it but once it is mixed into the noodles you will be surprised that you cannot really taste the HP sauce!

You could just buy some Yakisoba sauce from the asian supermarket though to make it easier if you like.

Ingredients
Serves 4

10 mushrooms – washed and sliced
8 – 10 raw king prawns per person
Olive oil
2 onions thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 red pepper sliced into thin strips
3 large garlic cloves – sliced
2 inches of fresh ginger – grated
1/2 white cabbage sliced into similar sized pieces as the carrot
2 packs of soft noodles – straight to wok.
2 spring onions sliced
1 tbsp sesame oil
Optional – Pickled ginger, chilli oil, toasted sesame seeds and nanami togarashi to garnish

Sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp HP sauce or worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp Oyster sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp soft brown sugar.

 

Season the prawns with salt.

Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a jug and set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok and put on a medium to high heat and stir fry the carrot, red pepper,oonions, garlic ginger and cabbage for 2  minutes then add the mushrooms and fry for a further 2 minutes.

In a seperate frying pan add a little oil and fry the prawns until pink.

Add the noodles to the vegetable mix and add a tablespoon of sesame oil and fry until soft.

Add the prawns back in and add the sauce a tablespoon at a time, checking as you go to see if it is enough and cook until everything is hot. You dont want to overpower the noodles with the sauce.

Serve in a bowl topped with the spring onions, sesame seeds and pickled ginger.

I added a drizzle of chilli oil and some nanami togarashi to my bowl for a bit of spice! just like at wagamama!

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Posted on February 23, 2016 by gorgefood

 

I decided to set myself a challenge last week, I was cooking for 2 friends on Saturday evening so decided to try something a bit more sophisticated as it is much easier to do good quality food for a smaller amount of people. My dinner parties are usually for 6 – 8 people so getting these dishes timed right would have been very difficult and VERY expensive too!

I had a lot of recipes from the “Nopi” cookbook that I had been wanting to try so I put a few of these together to make a bit of a taster menu. I started with the chicken meatballs that I wrote about on my last post washed down with a few prosecco cocktails 😉  Then served the Beef brisket fritters. I loved these fritters but a lot of work is involved and I only made a couple each, I would suggest making a much bigger batch of these if you try it at home. I started the preparation on Wednesday where I made the  Master Stock that the beef cooks in. Then on Friday evening I cooked the beef in the stock for around 3 hours, then let it cool in the stock for a further hour and then reduced the remaining liquid into a thick sauce to dip the fritters in. By the time it was done it was bedtime.

Saturday afternoon involved ( as well as many other things) pulling the beef apart and mixing with some fried celery, carrot and shallot and coating in panko breadcrumbs and chilling before shallow frying just before serving. A lot of effort for 2 little balls… but well worth it.

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My next course was the “Spiced Buttermilk Cod with Urid Dhal“ I did a trial run of the lentil element of this dish on the Tuesday before but I didn’t have the right type of lentils – I used yellow lentils and although tasty they were a bit too crunchy so I remade it with the correct lentils on Saturday morning. The first version is now in my freezer awaiting another piece of cod!

I marinated the cod in buttermilk with some ground spices for about 5 hours before cooking ( any longer and the fish will fall apart) and then cooked in the oven for around 10 minutes. This was honestly the best cooked cod I have ever served, I usually over cook it as I am scared to under cook fish as I am not very experienced with it.I followed the instructions to the minute though and it flaked away nicely as it should and really took on the spices without them overpowering the fish.

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The next course was one of the favourite things I have ever cooked, although I can’t take the credit as I didn’t invent it , I just executed it. Preparation for this dish started a few days before with roasting aubergines stuffed with garlic slices then mixing with lemon and tahini. Making a pickling liquid to pickle some kholrabi, that I searched high and low for but with no joy – apparently it is in season next week. I ended up using turnip instead as it seemed to be the closest thing. A Jalapeño sauce consisting of Jalapeño chilli’s and capers was also prepared about 5 days in advance!

I ordered a rack of lamb from my butcher but was quite surprised how small it was, so if I made this again I would order 3 pieces per person. I was happy to see that they had trimmed it nicely for me though as my knives are not too sharp at the moment.

The lamb was cooked at the last minute on a griddle pan for about 3 minutes which left it perfectly pink and was served on top of the warm aubergine pureé, jalepeno sauce and pickle. Even as I was plating up this dish I really did not know how on earth these flavours were going to work together – but they did.. they REALLY did!

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The recipe did actually have a method for smoking the lamb first but I am afraid I cheated and skipped this stage as I did not have the equipment.

Dessert was not from the book but a previous recipe of mine that had been requested – Salted caramel pannacotta.

After dessert one of my guests made us some Espresso Martini’s and we were up til 5am… maybe we should have had these at the beginning of the night!!

I don’t feel like I can write out all these recipes on my blog as they are not actually mine and that would be cheating – but I really do recommend  checking the book out if you can.

I have learnt a lot of new flavour combinations and techniques from this little challenge so will be incorporating some of the ideas into my own recipes in the near future!

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Posted on February 18, 2016 by gorgefood

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I saw 10 minutes of a cooking programme last week as I was flicking through a sea of rubbish channels and saw this little beauty being made.. 3 days later it was in my belly! This is not my recipe at all and I have not tweaked it apart from cheating a bit with the corn as I didn’t have corn on the cob, but I think its worth sharing.

The soggy bread tip is a great one for making meatballs too and I have already applied this to another dish.

I got Yotam Ottolenghi’s latest book for Christmas and will be cooking 3 more dishes from it this weekend so watch this space. The flavour combinations are very interesting and he uses the kind of ingredients I love.

This recipe comes from here – Source

Ingredients 

Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a starter

1 whole corn cob,  ( I didn’t have any so cheated with a tin of Green Giant ;))
35g crustless white bread, roughly torn, soaked in water for a few minutes, then drained and squeezed
500g minced chicken. ( I just minced up a packet of chicken thighs.)
1 small onion, grated 
1 clove of garlic, crushed
15g coriander, chopped
7g parsley, finely chopped
1½ tsp ground cumin
1 small red chilli, finely diced
1 medium egg, lightly beaten
Salt and black pepper

Lemon and harissa relish
2 preserved lemons, flesh and skin sliced into thin strips
1 tsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Harissa paste

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Heat your oven to 180c

If using corn on the cob, heat a griddle pan until very hot and then brush the corn with oil and char grill it for up to 10 minutes until the skin has lots of dark charred specks. If not fry some sweetcorn in a pan until getting slightly charred.

When the cob is cool slice off the kernels and put in a mixing bowl then add all the meatball ingredients, combine well and shape into medium sized balls.

For the lemon relish – which I LOVED as it reminds me of lime pickle, just mix all the ingredients and take out the pips.

Reheat your griddle pan and cook the meatballs for a minute or 2 on each side to get char marks and seal the meat, then put on a baking tray and put in the oven for 10 minutes until cooked through.
12748146_10153232831497890_906460160197728752_o I served with flat bread, sour cream and coriander dip and the lemon relish. You could even serve them as kofta’s in a light curry sauce.

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Posted on February 11, 2016 by gorgefood

I am not usually squeamish about touching raw meat but I must admit this did feel a bit wrong, maybe just because its not a meat I have used before. I have always wanted to give this a go though as I love beef that has been cooked until it is falling apart I spotted cheeks for £1 each in Morrisons last week so bought a couple, looking back I should probably have bought 2 cheeks per person as they do get smaller during the cooking process.

Do not cook this on too high a heat or it will not work. Low and slow…. is the key

Ingredients

Serves 2/3

4 beef cheeks 
2 tbsp olive oil
8 mushrooms halved
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 large onions – 1 diced and one sliced
4 large cloves of garlic
2 sticks celery chopped
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
Black pepper
3 tbsp tomato purée
½ bottle red wine
1 litre beef stock
a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce
Salt

Cut the cheeks in half and season well with salt and pepper. Brown the cheeks on all sides in a frying pan with oil and set aside.

Add the vegetables and garlic into the pan and cook for about 5 minutes until going soft. Add the fresh thyme and a few grinds of black pepper and mix  together. Cook for a few minutes then add the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with the red wine and then cook until the liquid reduces to around a quarter.

Put the cheeks back into the pan and add the stock and a teaspoon of salt.

Bring to the boil, then cover and cook the in the oven at 150C/130C fan/gas 2 for 2 hours 30 minutes until the meat is falling apart.

If the sauce isn’t thick enough. remove the meat and cook the sauce in a pan over a high heat until it thickens then replace the meat.

When done, check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary then add a splash of Worcestershire sauce and serve with creamy mashed potato and seasonal veg.

 

Beef Cheek (28)

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Posted on February 4, 2016 by gorgefood

This is a pretty simple and effective curry that anyone could make! When I first started trying to make a curry I used to use way too many spices by just chucking them all in, then I found a really complicated recipe that took hours to prepare. With lots of trial and error I have discovered that it really is a simple dish to make if you know the basics and less is more with the spices!

Curry is always looked at as an unhealthy option as the takeaway curries come floating like an island in ghee but you can use as much or little oil as you need really as long as things are cooking. I do always add a knob of butter at the end though.

The veg (beans and peppers) in this is optional, I just wanted to add a bit more texture and had some green beans that needed using up so don’t feel like you have to add them. You could also use a different type of meat if you would prefer.

Make sure you start quite early as you need time to marinade.

Ingredients

Serves 2/3

1 packet of chicken thighs – skinless and boneless cut into chunks. ( or breast if you prefer)
3 cloves of garlic peeled
4cm ginger peeled
1 tsp turmeric
2 onions, one diced and one sliced
1 small red pepper cut into squares
1 small green pepper cut into squares
a handful of green beans trimmed and cut in half.
2 red chillis – de seeded and chopped
1 tbsp Tomato pureé
3 tbsp dessicated coconut
1 small cinnamon stick
300 ml chicken stock
Salt and black pepper
Fresh coriander to garnish
Knob of butter

Spices

1.5 tsp Fennel seeds
1.5 tsp Cumin seeds
1.5 tsp Corriander seeds
1 dried chilli
1/2 a star anise.

Toast the spices in a dry frying pan for a minute and then crush with a pestle and mortar or grind.

Add a splash of water and blend the garlic and ginger together into a past ( you could buy garlic and ginger paste if you wanted to make it easier.) Pu the chicken in a bowl and add the paste along with the turmeric and a good grind of black pepper and salt and leave to marinade for at least 1 hour if not overnight.

When you are ready to cook, heat some oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onion, peppers, green beans, and chilli until going soft. Season with salt and put aside.

add a splash more oil and then fry the chicken for a few minutes to seal then add all the vegetables back into the pan and add the cinnamon, spice mix, tomato pureé and coconut and fry for around 5 minutes making sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add the stock and simmer for 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the sauce has thickened then stir through some butter and check the seasoning and add salt if required.

Sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve with rice and naan or chappati.

I was too hungry and my mouth was watering so there isn’t a very good photo this time just an iphone snap! I may update next time I make this which will probably be very soon!

 

ps – I ALWAYS use Tilda basmati rice..

 

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Posted on January 25, 2016 by gorgefood

Topped off my dinner party this weekend with this little beauty – It didn’t go exactly to plan as I was making it.. I burnt the first caramel so it tasted bitter, I followed the recipe from my Olive magazine for my 2nd batch that is for 6 people.. 6 not very hungry people maybe!!! So then had to make another bath to top up the very measly portions I was left with.

You should really turn out this pannacotta onto a plate but I knew I’d have had a few bottles of wine by the dessert so thought I would play it safe and serve in glass.

As I said this recipe is from Olive magazine but this is why I test them for you! serves 6?? no chance, the recipe needs another 3rd adding on if not doubling.

The ice cream was my own invention though and the trimmings so its half my dish and half pinched. There was not a scrap left in the glass…

Pannacotta

Ingredients

to serve 4.
Needs a long time to chill so best made the night before.

2 leaves of gelatine
100g Golden caster sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt flakes
300ml Double cream
100ml milk
1/4 vanilla pod seeds.

Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water.

Mix 25ml of water and the sugar in a plan and heat gently until the sugar melts. Then boil until it starts to go brown. If it goes too brown it will taste bitter and burnt so keep you eye on it. It can take about 5 minutes to start turning.

Take the pan off the heat and add the salt and slowly start to trickle in the cream whisking all the time. If it cools too quickly it will go solid so add the cream a little at a time – the cooler it gets the quicker you can add the cream. If it goes solid just reheat.

Add the milk and drained gelatine leaves and the vanilla pod seeds.

Strain the mixture through a sieve and then put into 4 ramekins or glasses and put in the fridge and chill for at least 5 hours.

 

Popcorn and salted caramel chocolate ice cream.

Serves 4 with some left over!

You could cheat with this if you wanted and just put the popcorn in bought ice cream but I had a go at making my own. I didn’t use an ice cream make for this because to be honest mine is temperamental and I don’t trust it! So this is a recipe for no churn ice cream.

Ingredients
2 large egg whites
100g icing sugar – sieved.
350ml double cream
1 small packet of caramel popcorn
1 bar of salted caramel chocolate.

Start by making a meringue. Whisk the whites until peaks start to form.

Then slowly add a few tablespoons of the sifted icing sugar and whisk until it starts to thicken. Gradually add the rest of the sugar and keep whisking until there are stiff peaks.

Fold the cream into the meringue but try not to lose all the air.

Chop half of the chocolate bar into small pieces and fold through the ice cream.

Put 3/4 of the popcorn into a food processor/chopper and blend up the popcorn to make a fine dust and then stir this through the cream leaving a bit to scatter over the top.

Then freeze for a least 6 hours.

To serve put a spoon full of ice cream on top of the pannacotta and then decorate with the reserved popcorn and chocolate.

Dig in!

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Posted on January 22, 2016 by gorgefood

Wag-Mac (13)

It’s that time again – Aldi bring back the wagyu burgers and people start buying in bulk so that they are all gone within a day! I had to stop myself at 4 packets as it looked a bit greedy!

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The first time I tried and even heard of Wagyu beef was in Japan at a teppanyaki  restaurant. When they got this piece of meat out to cook I thought they were joking! We were sat in an expensive restaurant and they pulled out the fattiest piece of meat I have ever seen! The chef then went on to explain to us that we should not be alarmed and this was a special type of Japanese beef and the cows are fed beer and massaged! I wasn’t sure how true that was but it what we were told!

I am not really sure how “Wagyu” these burgers actually are after reading a copy of Time Out that I found on a Japanese train last month that described in detail what Wagyu beef actually was. According to the article real Wagyu can only be  found in Japan and the cow even has to have an ID number to verify that it is indeed a Wagyu cow.

I found the article! – http://www.timeout.com/tokyo/restaurants/what-makes-wagyu-the-worlds-best-beef

“‘Wa’ means ‘Japanese’ and ‘gyu’ means ‘cow’. So wagyu literally means Japanese cow. If it’s called wagyu outside of Japan, it’s not the real thing.”

But regardless of the authenticity of an Aldi wagyu burger.. they are bloody nice!

Burgers are everywhere at the moment, donut burgers, 10 foot high burgers, you name it it’s on a burger.. but there is one burger that is my favourite always has been and always will be – the BIG MAC! So therefore I decided to make a Wagyu mac!

I have a bit of an advantage here as I was actually a burger flipper many moons ago! ( we all start somewhere) I got my first job aged 16 at McDonalds and also worked there whilst at Uni and surprisingly I enjoyed it and I look back quite fondly at it. Because of this I know EXACTLY what goes on a big mac, how long it takes to cook, how many shots of sauce are in one bottle and why there are 2 pickles and only one slice of cheese on one side 😉

You can cheat here and buy Mayo but I am going to try and make it as authentic as possible.

Ingredients

If making home made mayo,

1 egg yolk 
1tsp mustard
1tsp white wine vinegar
100 ml rapeseed oil
400 ml vegetable oil ( you can use 500 ml if you don’t have rapeseed)

(Don’t use olive oil – I tried this in the past thinking it would be better and it was disgusting!  The taste of olive oil is way too strong)

Or just cheat and use a good quality shop bought Mayo.

To make your mayo into wagyu mac sauce

2 gherkins finely chopped
2 tsp Heinz mild mustard pickle ( I used this but its hard to find) or onion relish.
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp icing sugar
1tsp white wine vinegar
pinch of salt.
2 tsp paprika (not smoked)

 

4 Wagyu Burgers from Aldi – if you are lucky enough to beat the rush. 
2 packs of Aldi brioche buns – The only place I know that sells them all year round.
1/2 shredded iceberg lettuce
8 sliced gherkins
4 slices of cheese
1 small onion very finely diced.

First of all make your mac mayonnaise, if making the real thing mix the egg yolk, and mustard with a whisk and very slowly add the rapeseed oil whilst still whisking. Then slowly add the vegetable oil in a thin trickle whisking all the time until it starts to thicken, add the vinegar and carry on whisking and adding oil until it is at a mayo consistency.

To the mayonnaise ( home made or shop bought)  gradually add the chopped gherkins, garlic powder, vinegar, paprika, icing sugar, lemon juice, salt – tasting as you add to get the balance right – you are looking for a tangy and slightly sweet taste nothing should be overpowering anything else.

Sear your burgers in a pan and then grill for 10 – 15 minutes turning halfway through. When almost done, slice your burgers in half ( as 2 of these burgers on a wagyu mac would be way too big!!) and make sure they are cooked through.

Separate your brioche buns and lightly toast 2 “bottoms” per burger under the grill ( 8 bottoms)

Put a tablespoon of sauce on each brioche bun slice, a pinch of finely chopped onion and a handful of lettuce . Then add a slice of cheese on the one that will be on the bottom and 2 slices of gherkin side by side ( pickle in every bite!) on the other.

Wag-Mac (5)

Add a 1/2 burger to each of the slices and stack on top of each other with the cheese on the bottom layer.

Lightly toast 4 burger tops and place on top.

SCOFF!!!

Wag-Mac (12)

Wag-Mac (23)

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Posted on January 10, 2016 by gorgefood

This was a long process which also included a trial run for my xmas day starter, thankfully the only course I was in charge of this year! I found a recipe for ham hock terrine in Delicious magazine which I used for my trial run but altered it slightly for the final product as I didn’t like the overwhelming taste of parsley in the first dish and I wanted more corriander seeds and some fennel. If I do say so myself.. my version was better 😉

I coupled my terrine with the pea soup recipe previously posted on my blog and topped with a quails egg, just to make it look pretty if I am honest!

2 day process.

This made a terrine that served 8 people as a starter.

If you are going to attempt this make sure you read the instructions first as it does take a lot of time including overnight soaking – 2 days altogether. If you are local to the Tameside area I would recommend getting your hocks from Mettricks butchers, give them a call to order them and pick them up – cost me £10 for 4! It is a very inexpensive but impressive dish. No wonder lots of restaurants serve ham hock terrine!

Ingredients

2 ham hocks on the bone, soaked overnight in cold water then drained
2 bay leaves
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 large onion, quartered
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
30g gherkins, finely chopped
A couple of sprigs of fresh tarragon, chopped. Not too much as it can be quite strong.
Salt
A handfull of pea shoots for decoration.

Soak the ham hocks in cold water and put in the fridge overnight.

The next day rinse the hocks and place in a very large pan with the bay leaves, thyme, coriander seeds, peppercorns, onion, 1 tbsp salt and the vinegar.

Pour over cold water to cover and bring to the boil.

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Simmer very gently, uncovered, for about 2-2½ hours, until the hocks are tender and the meat flakes away easily. If you have the heat too high or put a lid on the meat will not flake off very easily and you won’t get enough meat ( which I learnt from my trial run)

Leave the hocks to cool in the liquid for around 1 hour, then take them out and set aside to cool further.

Strain the liquid into another pan and boil for 1 hour to reduce by three-quarters.

 

Line a loaf tin with a double layer of cling film or greaseproof paper.

Remove the fat from the hocks and discrad then shred the meat into a bowl with the chopped gherkins and chopped herbs. Mix well and season with salt and plenty of black pepper. Pack into the tin tightly and press down firmly.

Pour the reduced liquid into the tin, cover with cling film and put something heavy on top of the meat to press it down and chill overnight.

Serves in slices surrounded by pea soup ( In previous recipe) and top with a quails egg and decorate with pea shoots!

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Or serve with piccallily and crusty bread if you can’t be bothered making soup after 2 days of terrine making!

 

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Posted on January 9, 2016 by gorgefood

I made a beef Wellington for a meal on Christmas eve, crikey that piece of meat was expensive!! But it is one of the most luxurious meals I can think of after all. I served mine with mashed potato, a red wine sauce and glazed carrots.

This will produce a “pink” beef wellington. If you are crazy and want it well done, just cook it for longer and waste all that money you have spent on quality steak 😉

Ingredients

Serves 6 – just about…
You need about an hour and half to prepare and cook.

 12 mushrooms, roughly chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
750g piece of prime beef fillet
1 tbsp English mustard
8 slices of Parma ham
1 pack of ready-made puff pastry
flour
2 beaten egg yolks

First of all season the whole piece of fillet with salt and pepper and heat some olive oil in a pan. Sear the beef all round, ( around 1 minute each side) cool, then brush with mustard.

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Chop the mushrooms finely and whizz in a food processor, season with salt and cook on a high heat for about 10 minutes to draw out the moisture. You do not want this to be too wet or your pastry will have a soggy bottom! Leave to cool.

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Lay a large piece of cling film down and lay the parma ham slices across overlapping long enough to cover the fillet. Then spread the mushroom mixture over the ham ( you may notice that one of my guests was a mushroom hater so I left them off the end!)

place the seared beef in the middle of the ham and mushroom and holding the cling film from the edge, roll the Parma ham and mushrooms around the beef to form a barrel. Twist the ends of the cling film to make it tight.

I watched this video by Gordon Ramsey before I started which is very helpful in seeing how to roll up the beef.

chill the beef for about 20 minutes in the fridge before wrapping in the pastry.

Roll out your pastry on a floured surface – I bought jus -roll – no shame in that! making pastry is a right faff. by buying it like this you can make sure it is even.

Take your beef out of the cling film and place on the pastry, wrap the pastry around the beef, folding the ends over and cutting off any excess. Make sure the seam is underneath and place on a baking tray.

Brush with egg yolk and score the top lightly for decoration and chill for 15 minutes.

Heat the oven to 200, gas mark 6

Cook for 20 minutes then reduce to 180, gas mark 4 for another 15 minutes.

MAKE SURE that you rest the meat for up to 15 minutes before slicing as bloody pastry is not attractive!

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Posted on January 8, 2016 by gorgefood

Started my healthy month with this dish to try and get some goodness back into my body after a crazy December full of food, booze and gigs! You can make variations of this, add more veg, take ones away just stick to the basic principles.. you can also use pasta, quinoa, cous cous or rice instead if you prefer but I really like the giant cous cous. Stick a grilled chicken breast on top for a larger meal or shove inside a pitta.

 

Ingredients

Serves 4 as a healthy lunch
1 large red pepper – diced
1 large green pepper – diced
1 large yellow pepper diced
2 red onions – diced
½ – 1 aubergine – diced
½ pack of cherry tomatoes – quartered
1 small red chilli – chopped finely
1 small green chilli – chopped finely
2 large cloves of garlic – chopped finely
10 black olives – halved
2 small carrots – peeled and diced.
You could also add courgette – I just didn’t have any.
1tsp Oregano
1tsp Basil
1tsp Majoram
Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Half a pack of Feta – crumbled

Add all your chopped veg (apart from the olives), garlic and chilli to a large roasting tray.

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Drizzle with olive oil ( be careful not to use to much if you want a healthy dish!), season with salt and pepper and the dried herbs, mix well and roast in the oven for around 30 minutes at 180 or until the veg starts going soft.

Cook your cous cous, pasta or rice as per the instructions and set aside.

Add a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and the olives to the veg mix and then roast for a further 10 minutes.

When the vegetables are ready pour the cous cous into the roasting tray and give a good stir.

Check seasoning and give a good sprinkle of black pepper.

Put in a bowl and sprinkle with feta.

Not rocket science I know but a bit of inspiration for the January diet!

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