Spiced Paneer, Spinach and Pea Grain Bowl with Mint Yoghurt Sauce

The big trend for cookbooks this year is vegetarian food and no-one is better able to hold your hand and give you inspiration than my pal Elly Pear. This delicious weekday recipe, which can be rustled up in 20 minutes, comes from her new book Green.

Elly writes: The spicy cubes of fried paneer cheese are strong competition, but I reckon it’s actually the sauce that is the star of this show. Inspired by Indian restaurant yoghurt sauce (perfect for dipping shards of poppadum into while you neck a cold beer and deliberate over what to order), it was one of the most popular things I’d made in ages when I first served it up. Everyone loved it. I was then tempted to put it on everything, of course. For a real feast, this dish goes particularly well with Cauliflower and Spinach Pakoras (also in the book)

Serves 4

2 tbsp coconut oil (coconut is best for flavour, but any oil is fine)

2 x 225g packs of paneer, cut into 2cm cubes

1 garlic clove, peeled and grated or crushed

2cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated or crushed

1 tsp cumin seeds

2–4 tbsp tandoori curry paste (according to taste)

250g frozen peas, defrosted

4 tbsp boiling water

2 x 220g pouches of mixed rice and grains (I use brown rice and mixed grains)

130g baby leaf spinach

Lemon wedges, to serve

Red chilli slices, to serve

Naan bread, to serve

For the yoghurt sauce

250g Greek-style yoghurt or plain coconut yoghurt

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp lemon juice

3 tsp mint sauce

1 tsp caster sugar (or to taste)

2 heaped tbsp finely chopped

fresh coriander

½ tsp flaked sea salt

Heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan over a medium–high heat. Add the paneer cubes to the pan and fry until golden, in batches if necessary. Allow the paneer to form a crust on each side of the cubes before turning them over.

This takes about 10 minutes, but it stops the paneer from breaking up and also adds a lot of important flavour and texture. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium–low then gently fry the garlic, ginger and cumin seeds for 1 minute. Return the paneer to the pan, add the curry paste, stir and fry for 1 minute over a medium heat. Add the peas along with 4 tablespoons of boiling water and stir everything together.

If you have a microwave, you can speed things up a little by warming the pouches of rice and mixed grains according to the packet instructions. If you don’t have a microwave, never fear. (Neither do I!) Simply add the rice and grains to the pan, separating them with your fingers to break up any clumps as they tumble in.

Add the spinach to the pan, toss it all together, then cover with a lid and cook for 2–3 minutes until the spinach has wilted and everything is piping hot. Meanwhile, make the mint yoghurt sauce. Place the yoghurt in a small bowl and stir in all the other ingredients.

Divide the rice and grains mixture between 4 bowls. Serve with lemon wedges, red chilli slices and naan bread, alongside the bowl of mint yoghurt sauce.

What to drink: Elly mentions a cold beer in her introduction which sounds spot on. A fruity rosé would also be good.

Green by Elly Pear (Curshen) is published by Ebury Press (£22.00). Photo credit Martin Poole.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Flageolet Beans with Preserved Lemon Mayo

Many of this year's most appealing cookbooks are vegetarian which should be welcome to all of us who are looking for new ways of cooking and serving veg. This delicious recipe comes from Vegetarian Sheet Pan Cooking by food writer and private chef Liz Franklin.

Liz writes: This easy-peasy combo of crispy, lightly charred broccoli, soft garlicky beans, crunchy lemony crumbs and zippy, unctuous preserved lemon mayo makes a fabulous light lunch.

SERVES 4

for the mayo

1 egg

1 garlic clove, grated

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

juice of 1/2 lemon

250 ml/1 cup plus 1 tbsp sunflower oil

1/4–1/2 preserved lemon

350 g/12 oz. purple sprouting broccoli

1 x 400-g/14-oz. can flageolet beans

3 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

a large handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped

3 tbsp panko crumbs

zest of 1 lemon

To make the preserved lemon mayonnaise, put the egg, grated garlic, Dijon mustard and lemon juice into a jug/pitcher. Whiz everything together using a stick blender. Slowly add the oil, keeping the blender going and pouring in a steady stream, until all the oil is incorporated and the mixture is thick and light.

Rinse the salt from the preserved lemon, remove the inner flesh and discard. Finely chop the softened skin and add it to the mayonnaise. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 180ËšC (350ËšF) Gas 4. Trim the broccoli. Leave the stalks quite long, but peel away any tough bits using a vegetable peeler. Lay the broccoli over a sheet pan and cook for 10–15 minutes, until the broccoli is al dente, but starting to crisp on the florets. Drain and rinse the beans. Pop them into a bowl and add the oil, chopped garlic and parsley. Remove the broccoli from the oven and spoon the beans over. Mix the panko crumbs and lemon zest together and scatter this over

the top. Return the sheet pan to the oven and cook for a further 5 minutes, until the beans are warmed through. Take care not to leave the pan in for too long, or the beans will dry and crack – they just need to be warm rather than super-hot. Serve with the preserved lemon mayo.

What to drink: It would depend a bit on what else you serve with it but I'd be inclined to serve a crisp dry Italian white like a verdicchio or vermentino with this dish.

Extracted from Vegetarian Sheet Pan Cooking by Liz Franklin published by Ryland Peters & Small at £14.99. Photograph © Steve Painter.

Artichoke and preserved lemon dip

This brilliant storecupboard dip was taught to me by my friend cookery writer Trish Deseine who rustled it up in no time when I was staying with her recently.

I’ve made it - or roughly how I think she made it - twice since then and everyone has loved it

You need to be flexible about the quantities which will vary depending on the ingredients you’re using. Keep tasting!

Serves 4-6

30g mature parmesan cheese, broken into chunks

1 large clove of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

a small (around 290g) jar of grilled artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped or about 175g loose grilled artichokes from a deli

1 small or 1/2 larger preserved lemon, pulp and pips removed and chopped

A small handful of parsley leaves - about 10g - roughly chopped + a few extra parsley leaves to decorate

Extra virgin olive oil - about 100ml

Good squeeze of lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the parmesan and garlic in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the consistency of coarse crumbs. Add the drained artichokes, the preserved lemon peel and parsley and whizz again. Gradually add the olive oil in a steady stream until the mixture reaches a dippable consistency. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spoon into a bowl or onto a plate and sprinkle with extra parsley. Serve with pitta bread, breadsticks or crisp Italian-style flatbread.

What to drink: artichokes are supposed to be tricky with wine but I’ve already found two that pair well: a citrussy sauvignon blanc and a verdicchio. Other dry Italian whites would work too.

Roast Pumpkin with Savoury Sage & Pumpkin Seed Granola

Those of you who are sceptical about vegan food should try this delicious recipe from Mildreds Vegan Cookbook by Daniel Acevedo and Sarah Wasserman. Yes, it's vegan but omnivores would enjoy it too and the pumpkin seed granola is wonderfully versatile.

Daniel and Sarah write: Since cooking with pumpkin and squash looms large in the USA’s national cuisine, Americans are well acquainted with the strange hinterland in which the pumpkin and squash reside, somewhere between sweet and savoury. Europeans, meanwhile, used to baulk at pumpkin pie one minute and pumpkin risotto the next, but we are adjusting. Although we draw the line at serving squash or sweet potato with marshmallows, we think you’ll enjoy the combination of sweet and savoury in this winter side dish, perfect for serving with a vegan roast or for a holiday meal. Alternatively, this could easily be bumped up into a salad dish in its own right by adding some peppery leaves. Use gluten-free oats for a gluten-free option.

Serves 6–8, depending on the size of the pumpkin/squash

FOR THE GRANOLA

50g (1¾oz) jumbo oats

25g (1oz) pumpkin seeds

½ tablespoon sea salt flakes

4 sage leaves, roughly chopped

½ teaspoon roughly chopped thyme leaves

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 teaspoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon Smoked Chilli Jam (see below) or 1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly and a large pinch of smoked paprika and chilli flakes

FOR THE PUMPKIN

I small pumpkin or butternut squash, de-seeded and cut into wedges 2cm (¾ inch) wide

50ml (2fl oz) light olive oil

½ teaspoon sea salt flakes

6 sage leaves

1 To make the granola, preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F),Gas Mark 3½. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.

2 Mix the oats, pumpkin seeds, sea salt and herbs together in a bowl. Measure out the oil, maple syrup and chilli jam into a jug and whisk with a fork to combine. Add to the oat mixture and mix together well.

3 Turn the granola mixture out on to the lined baking sheet and bake for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

4 To roast the pumpkin, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F),Gas Mark 6. Line a roasting tray with baking parchment.

5 Toss the pumpkin or squash wedges with the oil, sea salt and sage in a bowl. Turn out on to the lined roasting tray and roast for 45 minutes–1 hour until cooked through but still holding their shape.

6 Crumble the granola over the warm pumpkin or squash and serve.

Smoked chilli jam

We use this sweet smoky condiment both as an ingredient and as a dressing. It adds a real depth of flavour to our Savoury Sage and Pumpkin Seed Granola and glazes, and can be thinned with a little water or orange juice and used to marinate tofu or tempeh before cooking. It pairs wonderfully with any chargrilled vegetables but especially peppers and leeks). If you cook up a big batch and jar it up nicely, it makes a great gift too.

GF

MAKES 10–15 SERVINGS

1 red pepper

light oil (such as sunflower,groundnut or light olive oil)

1 chipotle chilli in adobo sauce

500ml (18fl oz) water

350g (12oz) demerara sugar

grated zest and juice of ½ lemon

2½ tablespoons agar agar flakes

½ teaspoon chilli flakes

¼ teaspoon liquid smoke (see below)

½ teaspoon salt

1 Start by roasting or charring your red pepper, either in a hot oven, on the hob over a gas flame or on the barbecue.

2 If using the oven method, preheat to 240°C (475°F), Gas Mark 9. Rub the red pepper lightly with oil, sit on a baking tray and roast for about 15–20 minutes, turning frequently, until the skin is blistered on all sides.

3 Alternatively, place the pepper directly on a gas burner of the hob turned to high, turning frequently with tongs, until the skin blisters, or do the same over a hot barbecue.

4 Transfer the red pepper to a bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to cool, then peel off the skin and remove the stem, core and seeds.

5 Blend the red pepper and chipotle chilli with the measured water in small blender, or in a measuring jug with a stick blender, to a purée. Add the purée to a saucepan with all the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer, giving the mixture a whisk with a balloon whisk every so often to make sure the agar agar dissolves into the liquid.

6 Simmer the jam for 15–20 minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to cool. It should thicken up while cooling until it resembles a firm jelly. Once cool, spoon into clean airtight jars or bottles and store in the refrigerator for 2–3 weeks.

*Liquid Smoke Is simply water that has been filtered through wood charcoal. Try the Living Nutritionals brand (not the kind with additives), which is available from some supermarkets and online.

What to drink: A rich chardonnay or oak-aged chenin blanc would work well with this.

Extracted from Mildreds Vegan Cookbook by Daniel Acevedo and Sarah Wasserman, published by Mitchell Beazley at £25. Photograph © Matt Russell. Mildreds has 4 vegetarian and vegan restaurants in London. For locations see their website