12 November 2012
From weeknight pastas to comforting Sunday stews, six new winter recipes
from British Leeks will each feed a family of four for under £5 – using
fresh, seasonal ingredients to help you stay healthy and save money at the
checkout.
Devised by Jane Hornby, BBC Good Food Cookery writer and author of 'Good
Food: Budget Dishes', the new British Leeks 'Recipes for Under a Fiver' show
the versatility of this subtle-flavoured vegetable, at its best during the
coldest months of the year.
Says Jane Hornby, "I'm a huge fan of good old British leeks and use them in
all sorts of recipes over the winter months. In season now and great value
for family cooking, leeks are an easy way to add home-grown flavour to your
favourite meals. Better still, they're quick to chop and soften when I'm
short on time. Brilliant."
Check out the easy to prepare recipes by visiting www.british-leeks.co.uk
where you will also find thrifty shopper tips; useful advice and guidance on
preparing and cooking leeks and the history of this delicious and nutritious
seasonal vegetable – full of anti-oxidants to help keep winter colds and flu
at bay.
See below for a taste of Jane's winter warming new suite of leek recipes to
tempt you - Spiced leek, potato and lentil soup and Hearty leek and lamb
cobbler:
Spiced leek, potato & lentil soup
Serves 4
Ready in 25 minutes
Costs 90p per serving
1 tbsp cumin seeds
40g/1½oz butter
4 medium leeks, trimmed and sliced
thumb-size piece fresh root ginger, peeled then grated
handful fresh coriander, stalks finely chopped
1 fat red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 large (250g/9oz) Maris Piper or King Edward potato, peeled and thinly
sliced
175g/6oz split red lentils
1 litre/1¾ pints chicken or vegetable stock
300ml/½ pint semi-skimmed milk
4 tbsp half fat crème fraiche or creamy yogurt, to serve
1 Put a large saucepan over a medium heat then add the cumin seeds. Cook for
2 minutes, or until toasty and fragrant. Set ½ tsp aside for later.
2 Add the butter to the pan, let it melt and sizzle around the cumin, then
stir in the leeks, ginger, coriander stalks and most of the chilli. Cover
and let the flavours sweat together for 5 minutes.
3 Stir in the potato and lentils, then the stock and milk. Bring to a boil
then simmer for 15 minutes, or until the lentils are soft.
4 Blitz the soup in the saucepan using a stick blender, then season to taste
with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, add a swirl of crème fraiche or
yogurt, then scatter with the reserved chilli, toasted cumin and coriander
leaves. Enjoy with warm naan bread.
Hearty leek & lamb cobbler
Serves 4
Ready in about 3 hours
Costs £1.21 per serving
450g/1lb stewing lamb such as shoulder, cubed (or use pork shoulder or
braising beef)
2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
150ml/¼ pint brown ale
4 medium leeks, trimmed then cut into thumb lengths
1 stick celery, sliced
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into big chunks
400g/14oz swede or turnip, peeled and cut into big chunks
a few sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
1 or 2 bay leaves, fresh or dried is fine
500ml/18fl oz lamb or beef stock
For the cobbler topping
250g/9oz self-raising flour
80g/3oz cold butter, cut into cubes
125ml/4fl oz semi-skimmed milk
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
1 egg, beaten
1 Heat the oven to 160°C/fan 140°C/gas 3. Toss the lamb with the seasoned
flour. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a medium casserole, then fry the meat for 10
minutes, until dark golden brown all over. Transfer to a bowl. Splash in the
ale and bring to a boil, scraping up all of the tasty brown bits from the
bottom. Tip this over the meat then wipe the pan with kitchen paper.
2 Heat 1 tbsp oil then gently fry the vegetables with the thyme and bay for
10-15 minutes until turning golden here and there. Return the lamb and
juices to the pan, top up with the stock, then season. Cover the casserole
with a lid, leaving just a small gap to one side, then cook in the oven for
21/2 hours.
3 With 40 minutes to go, make the topping. Add ½ tsp salt to the flour in a
large bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mix looks like
fine crumbs. Combine the milk, mustard, thyme and half of the egg, then tip
into the bowl and bring to a soft dough. Knead a few times on a floured
surface till just smooth, then pat the dough to about 3cm/1in thick and
stamp into rounds. Squash together any trimmings and repeat. Don’t overwork
the dough as it will make it tough.
4 Uncover the meat, stir gently and taste the sauce for seasoning at this
point. Place the cobbler pieces on top, brush them with the remaining egg,
then return to the oven until the topping is golden and lamb tender. Let the
cobbler settle for 10 minutes before serving with your favourite seasonal
greens.
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