just cook!
A good meal isn't just made with ingredients but with intention”
Hello
Welcome to my easy everyday meal series, Just Cook! especially curated for the families of The Village …
The easiest way to jolly a meal along and give a weekday regular a splash of new life is to liven up the side dishes the vegetables, salads, starches - the stuff we don’t tend to think much about unless we are entertaining and making our fave Ottolenghi inspired salads
A bog standard roast chicken becomes a whole load sexier when the sides are roasted beetroot with orange and mint or a chicken curry finds a new identity when served with a sweet ‘n spicy carrot pickle
So this issue hopes to inspire you to up your game and make sure your ‘bit on the side’ is worthy of the connotation!
For more recipes like these and lots of how to videos follow me on @justinedrakecooks @justinedrake
Sweet Chilli Pumpkin with Soy-Roasted Seeds
Buy a big chunk of pumpkin and, with the help of a very large, sharp knife slice it into thick crescents, use the rest for a gingery pumpkin soup - you can find the soup recipe on my insta page.
INGREDIENTS
About 8 medium thick pumpkin slices
3 Tbsp (45 ml) maple-flavoured syurp (or the real thing if you have it)
About 1 tsp (5ml) chilli flakes
About 45 ml (3 Tbsp) olive oil or seed oil blend
Salt and milled pepper
Seeds
½ cup (125 g) each sunflower and pumpkin seeds
About 1 Tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce
drizzle of olive oil
Serves 4 - 6
METHOD
1 Preheat oven to 200C
2 Arrange pumpkin on a lined baking tray
3 Mix syrup, chilli, oil and seasoning together and brush over pumpkin
4. Pop into the oven and roast for about 45 minutes, until the pumpkin is tender and a bit charred on the edges
5 Once pumpkin is cooked – arrange on a heated platter and scatter with seeds Sometime during the cooking time roast the seeds:
6. Toss seeds with soy and oil, spread out onto a baking tray and roast until crisp keep an eye on them!
Just a thought
* Usually I would roast the seeds at about 160C for 10-15 minutes but in this case, with the oven at 200, you will need to keep a firm eye on them or fry slowly in a pan
* You can use honey – or even brown sugar - instead of syrup for the pumpkin
Swop butterbeans for potatoes
Mediterranean Bean ‘Stew’
Inspiredby2dishes,oneGreekandtheotherLebanese superdeliciousespeciallyifyouserveit withadollopofyoghurt
INGREDIENTS
olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin, optional
1 can (400g) diced tomatoes
350g fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half
1 can (400g) butter beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup (125 ml) vegetable or chicken stock
Salt and pepper, to taste
handful flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped
METHOD
1 Heat a generous glug or two of olive in a large pot over medium heat
2 Add chopped onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened and translucent
3 Stir in garlic and cumin and cook for another minute, until fragrant
4 Stir in remaining ingredients, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes.
5 Season to taste, stir in parsley and serve Remember this is a ‘stew’ so vegetables should we soft not crisp
Serves 4
Make it in the air fryer
Coconut Curry Roasted Cauliflower
Thiscanbealsoservedasamainwithriceandsambals- tossingafewfriedcurryleaves ontopwilltakeitupanotchorthree
INGREDIENTS METHOD
2 heads head cauliflower, about 300 g each
Salt and milled pepper
1 can (400ml) coconut milk
2 Tbsp (30 ml) curry powder or curry paste
3 Tbsp (45 ml) chutney
Juice of 1 lime (1/2 lemon)
Fresh coriander
1 Preheat oven to 200C
2 Season cauliflower and pop into a roasting dish so they fit snugly Too big and the sauce will evaporate too soon
3 Mix remaining ingredients, except coriander together
4 Generously coat the cauliflower with the coconut curry mixture, ensuring every crevice is covered Then pour remaining mixture over cauliflower
5 Roast cauliflower for 50-60 minutes, or until it’s tender and golden brown Baste frequently with the pan juices to enhance the flavour and keep it moist
6 Serve scatted with fresh coriander and a few pomegranate rubies if you have them
Serves 4
Make sure your oven is super hot
Baby Marrow, Feta & Preserved Lemon
Ifpreservedlemonsareabridgetofar,justusethegratedpeelofonelargelemon–notquitethe same,butmorethangoodenough.
INGREDIENTS
about 1kg baby marrows, trimmed
2 wedges (about 3 Tbsp) preserved lemon
¼ Cup ( 60 ml) olive oil
Salt and milled pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 Tbsp (15 ml) honey
2 discs feta
Handful flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped
Just a Thought...
You can add simply sprinkle over fresh feta instead of roasting it, if you prefer
METHOD
1 Preheat oven 220C
2 Cut marrows into large chunks, on the slant, and pop into a bowl
3 Remove and discard flesh from preserved lemon wedges Finely slice the rind of the peel
4 Add peel, oil, garlic and honey to baby marrows and season with salt and milled pepper Toss to mix well
5 Tip vegetables onto a baking tray and spread out
6 Toss feta in remaining vegetable marinade and pop on top of baby marrows
7 Roast for 30-40 minutes, until the baby marrows and feta are starting to brown
8 Arrange baby marrows on a heated platter and roughly crumble over roasted feta
9 Scatter with parsley and serve
Serves 4
Addictive bites of goodness
CrispyParmesanRoastedCauliflower
Panko crumbs (Japanese-style coarse breadcrumbs), as opposed to ordinary breadcrumbs, work wonders here - they’re lighter and crispier - and now happily available at all mainstream supermarkets.
INGREDIENTS
1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
About 2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
Juice of ½ lemon
2 garlic cloves, crushed
About 2 Tbsp (30 ml) finely grated parmesan
About 3 Tbsp (45 ml) panko breadcrumbs
Chopped parsley
METHOD
1 Preheat oven to 220°C
2 Place cauliflower in a bowl and toss with oil, salt, pepper and garlic to mix well
3 Add parmesan and Panko breadcrumbs and toss to coat
4 Spread onto a baking tray and roast 20 minutes
5.Use tongs to turn cauliflower and roast a further 5 minutes until you have golden edges and the florets are tender
6 Serve immediately, sprinkled with parsley
Serves 4 as a side
Roasted Cabbage with Garlic-Peanut Tahini Sauce
The humble cabbage hardly recognises itself, dressed as it is, in layers of flavour and creamy deliciousness.
INGREDIENTS METHOD
1 medium head of cabbage, cut into wedges
2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and milled pepper, to taste
Sauce
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp (15 ml) toasted peanuts
2 Tbsp (30 ml) tahini
1 Tbsp (15 ml) honey
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
2 Tbsp (30ml) cold water
Small handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
Salt and milled pepper
Serves 4 - 6
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C
2 Arrange cabbage wedges on a lined baking tray
3 Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and milled pepper. Rub to make sure cabbage is well coated
4 Roast for about 35-40 minutes, until the edges of the cabbage are golden-brown and slightly charred
5 Remove from oven and set aside, keeping warm
6 Meanwhile place all the ingredients for the sauce in a blender and whizz until smooth
7 Adjust seasoning to taste and thin with more water if you prefer a thinner consistency
8 Arrange the roasted cabbage wedges on a heated platter, drizzle with sauce and serve
Just a Thought ...
Add roasted peanut and pomegranate arils if you feel like a splurge
Stove-top or oven friendly
Broccoli With Anchovies, Lemon & Chilli
Inspired by one of my fave pastas – so if you want to turn this into a main dish, just toss it through hot pasta and add lashings of parmesan, be my guest!
INGREDIENTS
about 1 large head broccoli, broken into florets
2 Tbsp (45ml) olive oil
3 anchovies, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 deseeded red chilli, finely sliced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and milled pepper
METHOD
1 Blanch the florets in rapidly boiling salted water for about 5-6 minutes – they should still be crunchy Remove, cool with cold running water and drain well
2 Heat olive oil in a large pan
3 Add anchovies, garlic and chilli and cook over a low heat to melt and cook aromatics without burning them, about 5 minutes
4 Tip in drained broccoli , add a squeeze of lemon, and toss to mix well
5 Season and serve hot with a grating of Parmesan if you feel that way inclined
Serves 4 as a side
‘Viral’ Cucumber Salad
There isn’t a social media single platform that is not inundated with multiple versions of the ‘viral’ cucumber salad Here’s a simplified one that doesn’t require msg or loads of exotic ingredients…
INGREDIENTS METHOD
1 large English cucumber
2 Tbsp (45 ml) soy sauce
1 Tbsp (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
1 tsp (5 ml) fish sauce
1 Tbsp (15 ml) sweet chilli sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
Small knob ginger, grated
3 spring onions, finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 Tbsp (15 ml) toasted sesame seeds, dry toasted in a pan for a few minutes to make them fragrant
1 Thinly slice cucumber and sprinkle with a little salt Set aside for 10 minutes while you make the dressing
2 Whisk remaining ingredients together
3 Drain excess juice from cucumbers
4 Place in a bowl and pour over dressing
Serves 4 as a side
Just a Thought
Swop sesame seeds for toasted, chopped peanut
Add chunks of avo just before serving. It’s really great made with chilli oil or chilli crisp if you have either
Add a dollop of mayo for a bit of creaminess
Thank you...
With massive thanks to all the talented folk who helped put this issue together
Photographer: Austin Taylor @siraustintaylor (food)
Stylist: Vikayla @Vikayla_g
DesignTemplate: Liezel le Roux @liezelleroux
Food Assistant: Nonzwakazi Spayire @nonzwakasispayire
FOR MORE RECIPES, VIDEOS, HACKS AND IDEAS BE SURE TO FOLLOW ME ON
@justinedrakecooks
@justinedrakecooks