Food & Drink

Food & Drink Me Come Dine With

Spicy root and lentil casserole

Prep: 10 mins Cook: 35 mins Serves: 4

e potatoes in this recipe take on the spicy avours beautifully and make or our idea of the perfect veggie dinner.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp sun ower or vegetable oil • 1 onion, chopped • 2 garlic clove, crushed • 700g potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks • 4 carrot, thickly sliced • 2 parsnip, thickly sliced • 2 tbsp curry paste or powder • 1 litre/1¾ pints vegetable stock • 100g red lentils • a small bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped • low-fat yogurt and naan bread, to serve

Method

STEP 1

Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion and garlic over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Tip in the potatoes, carrots and parsnips, turn up the heat and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables are golden.

STEP 2

Stir in the curry paste or powder, pour in the stock and then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, add the lentils, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the lentils and vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened.

STEP 3

Stir in most of the coriander, season and heat for a minute or so.Top with yogurt and the rest of the coriander. Serve with naan bread.

One-pan smoky beans & sausage meatballs

Prep: 15 mins Cook: 40 mins Serves: 4

Cook our smoky beans and sausage meatballs dish in one pan – it’s ideal tasty food. is recipe mostly uses cupboard ingredients.

Ingredients

• 6 pork sausages • 2 tbsp sun ower oil • 1 onion, nely chopped • 2 garlic cloves, nely chopped • 2tbsp fajita spice mix (see tip, below) • 1 tbsp vinegar (any you have) • 400g chopped tomatoes • 2 x 400g cans cannellini beans, drained (or any other canned beans you have) • handful of coriander or parsley, roughly chopped (optional) crusty bread or jacket potatoes, to serve (optional)

Method STEP 1

Squeeze the sausagemeat from one of the sausages, then roll into four balls. Repeat with the rest of the sausages. Heat half the oil in a ameproof casserole, shallow saucepan or deep frying pan over a medium heat and fry the sausage balls for about 8 mins, stirring occasionally until browned all over.

STEP 2

Scatter in the onion, drizzle in the remaining oil and cook for 5 mins until the onions are golden. Add the garlic and cook for 2 mins more. Scatter in 1 tbsp sugar and the fajita spice mix, cooking for a minute or two until the mixture has thickened. Splash in the vinegar, tip in the tomatoes and a can of water, then add the beans. Season, stir, bring to a simmer and bubble gently for 15-20 mins until the sauce is thick and rich. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

Jessica rabbit cocktail

Cook: 5 mins Serves: 1

Plenty of fresh ingredients lift this simple mezcal cocktail to create a sweet, light and wonderfully balanced drink.

Ingredients

• 2 strawberries • 2 cherry tomatoes, plus 1 extra, to garnish • 10ml agave syrup • 20ml fresh lime juice • 30ml espadin mezcal • 20ml blanco tequila • 20ml pineapple juice • ice • fresh mint sprig, to garnish

Method STEP 1

Put the strawberries, tomatoes, agave and lime juice in the bottom of a cocktail shaker and muddle together. Add the mezcal, tequila and pineapple juice and ll with ice.

STEP 2

Shake hard to create a nice foam head on the drink and ne strain into a martini glass or coupette. Garnish with a mint sprig inserted into a cherry tomato.

Gluhwein

Prep: 5 mins Cook: 15 mins Serves: 8-10

Fill your kitchen with the delicious scent of red wine, brandy, orange and spices in gluhwein. It’s the perfect grown-up drink to help you warm up on wintery days and nights.

Ingredients

• 1 orange, halved and sliced • 1 bottle red wine • 200g caster sugar • 5 cloves • 1 cinnamon stick • 2 star anise • 3 slices fresh ginger (peeled) • 150ml brandy, rum, amaretto or schnapps

Method STEP 1

Put the orange slices, wine, sugar, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and ginger in a large pan. Warm gently for 10-15 mins, being careful not to let the mixture boil. Add the alcohol, pour into glasses and serve warm.