Walnut & lentil burgers with carrot jam & vegan aioli Serves 6–8 • Vegan I like to serve these burgers with a platter of thinly sliced salad vegetables, cheese and pickles or jalapenos, ready for people to assemble their own bun. The carrot jam is such a fun way to use up a bunch of carrots; it’s delicious, vibrant and super easy. The recipes for both the carrot jam and vegan aioli will make at least double of what you need for this meal, so store the leftovers in jars in the fridge to eat with just about everything and anything for up to a couple of weeks. You can also make all the elements of these burgers ahead of time, and simply reheat the patties before serving. Start with the carrot jam. Whisk the ingredients, except the carrots, along with 375 ml (1½ cups) of water, in a saucepan to combine. Add the grated carrot and stir, then push the carrot down so it’s completely submerged in the liquid. Place the saucepan over medium–low heat and cook for about 1 hour, returning to the jam occasionally to stir and push the carrot down again. The jam is ready when most of the liquid has evaporated, but you can still push down the carrot and some bright-orange liquid remains. Transfer half the jam to a bowl, to serve, and the rest to a jar to store in the fridge, ensuring that you distribute the remaining liquid evenly between the two. Store in the fridge to cool until ready to serve. Next prepare the patties. Rehydrate the couscous according to the packet instructions in a large mixing bowl. Blitz the remaining ingredients except the flour and oil in a food processor until the carrot and onion are finely chopped and the lentils are mostly paste-like. Transfer everything to the bowl with the couscous and stir to combine well, adding a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Add the flour and stir to evenly distribute, but don’t worry about mixing it in completely, some little remaining streaks are fine. Roll the burger mixture into 6–8 balls, then use your hands to flatten the balls into thick, tight patties, to ensure they won’t break up when frying. Heat 2–3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Working in batches, cook the patties for 2 minutes each side or until cooked through and golden. Repeat with the remaining patties, adding more oil as needed. To prepare the vegan aioli, place the ingredients except the oil in a food processor or blender. Blitz for a few seconds to combine, then very slowly trickle in the oil in a steady stream while blending. This should take 1–2 minutes, and towards the end you’ll notice it begin to thicken. Once all the oil is added, taste the aioli and adjust the seasoning if needed. Depending on how quickly you added your oil and the type of blender you’re using it won’t be quite as thick as store-bought aioli, but you can continue adding more oil to get it there if you like. You can also make the aioli in a bowl with a hand whisk – just crush the garlic well beforehand, or use garlic powder or roasted garlic instead, and note that you might not get as thick an aioli. Serve the burgers, carrot jam and aioli with the buns and salad toppings. ✻ 95 g (½ cup) couscous 100 g (1 cup) walnuts 2 x 400 g (14 oz) tins lentils, rinsed (reserve 125 ml/½ cup of the liquid for the aioli) ½ onion, roughly chopped 1 carrot, roughly chopped 1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tbsp thyme leaves) 1 heaped tsp smoky paprika salt and pepper 75 g (½ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour vegetable oil (or another neutral oil), for shallow frying Carrot jam 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp mustard seeds 140 g (2/3 cup) granulated sugar 60 ml (¼ cup) apple cider vinegar ½ tsp salt 4–5 carrots, grated (about 3 loosely packed cups) Vegan aioli 125 ml (½ cup) liquid from the lentil tins 80 ml (1/3 cup) apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp dijon mustard 2 garlic cloves, peeled ½ tsp white pepper ½ tsp salt 375 ml (1 ½ cups) vegetable oil (or another neutral oil) 112 • Carrot To serve 6–8 burger buns sliced salad toppings (I use tomato, red onion, lettuce, pickles and avocado) Swaps Gluten free – couscous: 185 g (1 cup) cooked brown rice, added to the blender; plain (all-purpose) flour: cornflour (corn starch) Carrot • 113Walnut & lentil burgers with carrot jam & vegan aioli Serves 6–8 • Vegan I like to serve these burgers with a platter of thinly sliced salad vegetables, cheese and pickles or jalapenos, ready for people to assemble their own bun. The carrot jam is such a fun way to use up a bunch of carrots; it’s delicious, vibrant and super easy. The recipes for both the carrot jam and vegan aioli will make at least double of what you need for this meal, so store the leftovers in jars in the fridge to eat with just about everything and anything for up to a couple of weeks. You can also make all the elements of these burgers ahead of time, and simply reheat the patties before serving. Start with the carrot jam. Whisk the ingredients, except the carrots, along with 375 ml (1½ cups) of water, in a saucepan to combine. Add the grated carrot and stir, then push the carrot down so it’s completely submerged in the liquid. Place the saucepan over medium–low heat and cook for about 1 hour, returning to the jam occasionally to stir and push the carrot down again. The jam is ready when most of the liquid has evaporated, but you can still push down the carrot and some bright-orange liquid remains. Transfer half the jam to a bowl, to serve, and the rest to a jar to store in the fridge, ensuring that you distribute the remaining liquid evenly between the two. Store in the fridge to cool until ready to serve. Next prepare the patties. Rehydrate the couscous according to the packet instructions in a large mixing bowl. Blitz the remaining ingredients except the flour and oil in a food processor until the carrot and onion are finely chopped and the lentils are mostly paste-like. Transfer everything to the bowl with the couscous and stir to combine well, adding a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Add the flour and stir to evenly distribute, but don’t worry about mixing it in completely, some little remaining streaks are fine. Roll the burger mixture into 6–8 balls, then use your hands to flatten the balls into thick, tight patties, to ensure they won’t break up when frying. Heat 2–3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Working in batches, cook the patties for 2 minutes each side or until cooked through and golden. Repeat with the remaining patties, adding more oil as needed. To prepare the vegan aioli, place the ingredients except the oil in a food processor or blender. Blitz for a few seconds to combine, then very slowly trickle in the oil in a steady stream while blending. This should take 1–2 minutes, and towards the end you’ll notice it begin to thicken. Once all the oil is added, taste the aioli and adjust the seasoning if needed. Depending on how quickly you added your oil and the type of blender you’re using it won’t be quite as thick as store-bought aioli, but you can continue adding more oil to get it there if you like. You can also make the aioli in a bowl with a hand whisk – just crush the garlic well beforehand, or use garlic powder or roasted garlic instead, and note that you might not get as thick an aioli. Serve the burgers, carrot jam and aioli with the buns and salad toppings. ✻ 95 g (½ cup) couscous 100 g (1 cup) walnuts 2 x 400 g (14 oz) tins lentils, rinsed (reserve 125 ml/½ cup of the liquid for the aioli) ½ onion, roughly chopped 1 carrot, roughly chopped 1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tbsp thyme leaves) 1 heaped tsp smoky paprika salt and pepper 75 g (½ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour vegetable oil (or another neutral oil), for shallow frying Carrot jam 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp mustard seeds 140 g (2/3 cup) granulated sugar 60 ml (¼ cup) apple cider vinegar ½ tsp salt 4–5 carrots, grated (about 3 loosely packed cups) Vegan aioli 125 ml (½ cup) liquid from the lentil tins 80 ml (1/3 cup) apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp dijon mustard 2 garlic cloves, peeled ½ tsp white pepper ½ tsp salt 375 ml (1 ½ cups) vegetable oil (or another neutral oil) 112 • Carrot To serve 6–8 burger buns sliced salad toppings (I use tomato, red onion, lettuce, pickles and avocado) Swaps Gluten free – couscous: 185 g (1 cup) cooked brown rice, added to the blender; plain (all-purpose) flour: cornflour (corn starch) Carrot • 113Spiced pumpkin cinnamon scrolls Makes 16–20 This recipe makes a large quantity of cinnamon scrolls, because they are too good (and a little too much effort) not to share. Can you think of a better doorstep gift than a plate of warm cinnamon scrolls? Nope. Mashed or blended pumpkin adds a beautiful moisture and lovely colour, and complements the classic pumpkin-spice flavours well. If you have an active sourdough starter you could substitute 100 g (3½ oz) for the yeast, reduce the milk by a few tablespoons and leave the dough overnight in the fridge (or on your kitchen bench if the weather is cool) to ferment. Whisk the warm milk and yeast together in a very large bowl. Set aside for 5–10 minutes for the yeast to activate. Add the remaining ingredients except the flour to the yeast mixture and stir well to combine. Fold in the flour and bring the mixture together to form a shaggy dough. Using lightly floured hands, knead the dough for 5–10 minutes by lifting it up and pressing it onto itself, until it is stretchy and smooth. Add a little extra flour if the dough is too sticky to work with, but try to avoid adding too much as the wet dough makes for a nicer scroll. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and set aside to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size. This will take anywhere between 1 and 3 hours on your kitchen bench, or 12–24 hours in the fridge if you’re making it a day ahead. When the dough is almost ready, combine the filling ingredients in a bowl, adding enough warm water to create a spreadable paste. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and use your hands or a rolling pin to stretch it out to a large rectangle, about 1 cm (½ in) thick. You can do this in two batches if it’s easier. With a long edge facing you, spread the filling across the surface of the dough, then gently roll it into a long log. Cut the log into 16–20 pieces, about 2 cm (3/4 in) wide. Line a large deep baking tray with baking paper and add the scrolls, spaced 5 mm (¼ in) apart so they have room to rise. Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm spot for 15–30 minutes, until slightly risen. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) fan-forced. Transfer the scrolls to the oven and bake for 25–35 minutes, until risen and turning dark brown. Set aside to cool for 5–10 minutes. To make the cream-cheese icing, use electric beaters to beat the butter and cream cheese together in a bowl until smooth and silky. Add the icing sugar, maple syrup and a pinch of salt and beat until soft and light. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use. Once the scrolls have cooled a little, spread the icing over the top and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days, warming them for 20 seconds in the microwave before eating. ✻ 435 ml (13/4 cups) warm milk 1 tsp instant dried yeast 150 g (5½ oz) unsalted butter, melted 2 tsp salt 300 g (10½ oz) roasted pumpkin (winter squash) (from 450 g/1 lb raw), mashed or blended until smooth 1 egg 95 g (½ cup) brown sugar 1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground ginger 900 g (6 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour or bread flour (1.05 kg/7 cups if using the sourdough method), plus extra for dusting Spiced sugar filling 200 g (7 oz) salted butter, softened 230 g (1 firmly packed cup) brown sugar 2 tbsp maple syrup 2 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg (ideally freshly grated) ½ tsp ground ginger 2 tsp vanilla essence pinch of salt 1–2 tbsp warm water Cream-cheese icing 75 g (23/4 oz) salted butter, softened 150 g (5½ oz) cream cheese, softened 60 g (½ cup) icing (confectioners’) sugar 1 tbsp maple syrup 266 • PumpkinSpiced pumpkin cinnamon scrolls Makes 16–20 This recipe makes a large quantity of cinnamon scrolls, because they are too good (and a little too much effort) not to share. Can you think of a better doorstep gift than a plate of warm cinnamon scrolls? Nope. Mashed or blended pumpkin adds a beautiful moisture and lovely colour, and complements the classic pumpkin-spice flavours well. If you have an active sourdough starter you could substitute 100 g (3½ oz) for the yeast, reduce the milk by a few tablespoons and leave the dough overnight in the fridge (or on your kitchen bench if the weather is cool) to ferment. Whisk the warm milk and yeast together in a very large bowl. Set aside for 5–10 minutes for the yeast to activate. Add the remaining ingredients except the flour to the yeast mixture and stir well to combine. Fold in the flour and bring the mixture together to form a shaggy dough. Using lightly floured hands, knead the dough for 5–10 minutes by lifting it up and pressing it onto itself, until it is stretchy and smooth. Add a little extra flour if the dough is too sticky to work with, but try to avoid adding too much as the wet dough makes for a nicer scroll. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and set aside to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size. This will take anywhere between 1 and 3 hours on your kitchen bench, or 12–24 hours in the fridge if you’re making it a day ahead. When the dough is almost ready, combine the filling ingredients in a bowl, adding enough warm water to create a spreadable paste. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and use your hands or a rolling pin to stretch it out to a large rectangle, about 1 cm (½ in) thick. You can do this in two batches if it’s easier. With a long edge facing you, spread the filling across the surface of the dough, then gently roll it into a long log. Cut the log into 16–20 pieces, about 2 cm (3/4 in) wide. Line a large deep baking tray with baking paper and add the scrolls, spaced 5 mm (¼ in) apart so they have room to rise. Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm spot for 15–30 minutes, until slightly risen. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) fan-forced. Transfer the scrolls to the oven and bake for 25–35 minutes, until risen and turning dark brown. Set aside to cool for 5–10 minutes. To make the cream-cheese icing, use electric beaters to beat the butter and cream cheese together in a bowl until smooth and silky. Add the icing sugar, maple syrup and a pinch of salt and beat until soft and light. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use. Once the scrolls have cooled a little, spread the icing over the top and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days, warming them for 20 seconds in the microwave before eating. ✻ 435 ml (13/4 cups) warm milk 1 tsp instant dried yeast 150 g (5½ oz) unsalted butter, melted 2 tsp salt 300 g (10½ oz) roasted pumpkin (winter squash) (from 450 g/1 lb raw), mashed or blended until smooth 1 egg 95 g (½ cup) brown sugar 1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground ginger 900 g (6 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour or bread flour (1.05 kg/7 cups if using the sourdough method), plus extra for dusting Spiced sugar filling 200 g (7 oz) salted butter, softened 230 g (1 firmly packed cup) brown sugar 2 tbsp maple syrup 2 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg (ideally freshly grated) ½ tsp ground ginger 2 tsp vanilla essence pinch of salt 1–2 tbsp warm water Cream-cheese icing 75 g (23/4 oz) salted butter, softened 150 g (5½ oz) cream cheese, softened 60 g (½ cup) icing (confectioners’) sugar 1 tbsp maple syrup 266 • PumpkinTomato & haloumi galette Serves 4–6 In this Middle Eastern–inspired galette, toum and za’atar combine beautifully with haloumi and tomato, encased in an easy homemade puff pastry. The tomato hides all these secret additions, so when you eat it there are heaps of unexpected flavours and textures that make it a delight to eat. It’s a perfect vegetarian main or addition to a spread. It can be made ahead and eaten at room temperature, and it’s pretty sturdy too, so can be easily transported to the park for a picnic. To make the pastry, place the butter, flour and salt in a large bowl and use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour until well distributed but with some large chunks remaining. This can also be done in a food processor using the pulse function. Add the ice-cold water and bring the dough into a rough ball with your hands, working it just enough so that it smooshes together, adding a little extra water or flour as needed. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll it out to a large square, about 2 mm (⅛ in) thick. Fold the dough over itself a few times to form a rough cube (this creates layers of pastry, which will help it puff up when cooked). Wrap the pastry in a clean tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside in the fridge for about 1 hour, until very firm. You can make the dough up to 2 days ahead. Meanwhile, transfer the tomato to a colander set over a large bowl. Sprinkle over the salt, toss gently to combine and leave to drain for 15–20 minutes – this will prevent your galette having a soggy bottom. Once your dough is firm, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) fan-forced. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to a 45 cm (18 in) large circle. Gently roll it up onto the rolling pin, then unroll onto the prepared tray. Don’t worry if the pastry is bigger than the tray, as you’ll fold in the edges. Spread the toum across the centre of the pastry, leaving a 5 cm (2 in) border. Place the haloumi on top and sprinkle with the za’atar and fennel seeds. Give the tomato a gentle toss to extract any final liquid, then arrange on top of the haloumi. Fold over the pastry edge to form a galette and brush with the beaten egg. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25–35 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature, topped with oregano and basil leaves, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of za’atar. ✻ 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) tomatoes (mix of colours and sizes if possible), sliced (or halved if using cherry tomatoes) 1 tsp salt 200 g (7 oz) toum (Lebanese garlic dip) 250 g (9 oz) haloumi, sliced into 5 mm (¼ in) thick slabs 2 tsp za’atar 1 tsp fennel seeds 1 egg, beaten Simple puff pastry 150 g (5½ oz) salted cold butter, cut into cubes 260 g (1¾ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra if needed and for dusting ½ tsp salt 80 ml (⅓ cup) ice-cold water, plus extra if needed To serve handful of oregano and basil leaves olive oil extra za’atar Swaps Vegan – simple puff pastry: store- bought vegan puff pastry; omit the haloumi or use vegan cheese, caramelised onions or roasted eggplant (aubergine) slices Toum – 80 g (⅓ cup) garlicky aioli or 60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil blended with 3 garlic cloves and a pinch of salt 292 • TomatoTomato & haloumi galette Serves 4–6 In this Middle Eastern–inspired galette, toum and za’atar combine beautifully with haloumi and tomato, encased in an easy homemade puff pastry. The tomato hides all these secret additions, so when you eat it there are heaps of unexpected flavours and textures that make it a delight to eat. It’s a perfect vegetarian main or addition to a spread. It can be made ahead and eaten at room temperature, and it’s pretty sturdy too, so can be easily transported to the park for a picnic. To make the pastry, place the butter, flour and salt in a large bowl and use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour until well distributed but with some large chunks remaining. This can also be done in a food processor using the pulse function. Add the ice-cold water and bring the dough into a rough ball with your hands, working it just enough so that it smooshes together, adding a little extra water or flour as needed. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll it out to a large square, about 2 mm (⅛ in) thick. Fold the dough over itself a few times to form a rough cube (this creates layers of pastry, which will help it puff up when cooked). Wrap the pastry in a clean tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside in the fridge for about 1 hour, until very firm. You can make the dough up to 2 days ahead. Meanwhile, transfer the tomato to a colander set over a large bowl. Sprinkle over the salt, toss gently to combine and leave to drain for 15–20 minutes – this will prevent your galette having a soggy bottom. Once your dough is firm, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) fan-forced. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to a 45 cm (18 in) large circle. Gently roll it up onto the rolling pin, then unroll onto the prepared tray. Don’t worry if the pastry is bigger than the tray, as you’ll fold in the edges. Spread the toum across the centre of the pastry, leaving a 5 cm (2 in) border. Place the haloumi on top and sprinkle with the za’atar and fennel seeds. Give the tomato a gentle toss to extract any final liquid, then arrange on top of the haloumi. Fold over the pastry edge to form a galette and brush with the beaten egg. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25–35 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature, topped with oregano and basil leaves, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of za’atar. ✻ 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) tomatoes (mix of colours and sizes if possible), sliced (or halved if using cherry tomatoes) 1 tsp salt 200 g (7 oz) toum (Lebanese garlic dip) 250 g (9 oz) haloumi, sliced into 5 mm (¼ in) thick slabs 2 tsp za’atar 1 tsp fennel seeds 1 egg, beaten Simple puff pastry 150 g (5½ oz) salted cold butter, cut into cubes 260 g (1¾ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra if needed and for dusting ½ tsp salt 80 ml (⅓ cup) ice-cold water, plus extra if needed To serve handful of oregano and basil leaves olive oil extra za’atar Swaps Vegan – simple puff pastry: store- bought vegan puff pastry; omit the haloumi or use vegan cheese, caramelised onions or roasted eggplant (aubergine) slices Toum – 80 g (⅓ cup) garlicky aioli or 60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil blended with 3 garlic cloves and a pinch of salt 292 • TomatoNext >