Spicy British Tomato, Chickpea and Avocado Salad
This lively, colourful British tomato salad is full of good things and great flavours.
Serves 4 Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes
100g bulgur wheat
2tsp vegetable stock powder (or ½ vegetable stock cube)
400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
200g British cherry or baby plum tomatoes, halved
2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and sliced
80g bag spinach, rocket and watercress salad
1tsp cumin seeds
2tbsp mixed seeds
3tbsp olive oil
2tbsp lemon juice
1tsp Dijon mustard
Pinch of salt, pepper and sugar
1 Cook the bulgur wheat according to pack instructions, flavouring the cooking water with the vegetable stock powder or cube.
2 Meanwhile, mix together the chickpeas, tomatoes, avocados and pepper. Rinse the cooked bulgur wheat with cold water and drain well. Add to the tomato mixture and season.
3 Share the salad leaves between 4 serving plates and top with the tomato mixture. Toast the cumin seeds and mixed seeds in a dry frying pan until lightly browned. Sprinkle over the salads.
4 For the dressing, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice and mustard. Season with a pinch of salt, pepper and sugar. Sprinkle over the salads and serve.
Cook’s tip: Use couscous or quinoa instead of bulgur wheat if you prefer. For extra colour why not add a few British yellow or orange cherry tomatoes to liven up the plate.
Parma-wrapped Fish Tray Bake with British Vine Tomatoes
Try this tasty, colourful, easy-to-make dish for a stylish weekend meal.
Serves 4 Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 20-22 minutes
12 small peppers, halved
1 lemon, cut into wedges
2tbsp olive oil
4 cod loin fillets (weighing about 150g each)
8-12 basil leaves, plus extra to garnish
4 slices Parma ham
4 sprigs of British baby plum or cherry tomatoes on the vine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/ Gas Mark 6.
2 Put the pepper halves and lemon wedges into a roasting dish. Drizzle with olive oil, season and then roast for 10 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, arrange 2-3 basil leaves on top of each piece of cod, then wrap each fillet with a slice of Parma ham. Arrange on top of the peppers, then add the sprigs of tomatoes. Roast for a further 10-12 minutes.
4 Serve, garnished with extra basil leaves.
Cook’s tip:
Try using different types of fish, such as haddock, halibut or hake.
Banging Korean Chicken Kebabs with Tomato Chilli Sauce
These amazing chicken and British cherry tomato kebabs are given a fabulous flavour of Korea – perfect served with a spicy tomato chilli sauce
Serves 4 Prep time: 10 minutes, plus marinating Cook time: 15 minutes
4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Approximately 30 British cherry tomatoes
3tbsp toasted sesame oil
2tbsp light soy sauce
2tbsp rice or white wine vinegar
15g fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4tsp dried chilli flakes
4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
Pinch of salt, pepper and sugar
Toasted sesame seeds, spring onions and lime wedges, to garnish
Tomato Chilli Sauce:
300g British classic tomatoes, finely chopped
1 shallot, very finely chopped
1tsp finely chopped fresh red chilli
1tbsp rice or white wine vinegar
2tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1 Thread the chunks of chicken onto soaked wooden kebab sticks, alternating the pieces with the cherry tomatoes.
2 In a shallow dish, mix the sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, chilli flakes and spring onions. Season with a pinch of salt, pepper and sugar. Add the kebabs, turning to coat. Cover and marinate for 30-40 minutes, turning occasionally.
3 Meanwhile, mix together the sauce ingredients. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar.
4 Grill the kebabs for 8-10 minutes, turning often. Serve with the tomato chilli sauce, garnished with toasted sesame seeds, spring onions and lime wedges.
Cook’s tips:
Make the meal more substantial by serving the kebabs in warm wraps.
The best way to peel fresh ginger is to use a teaspoon – it works!
HALLOUMI AND BRITISH TOMATO TOASTS WITH MINT PESTO
Enjoy char-grilled sourdough, topped with grilled Halloumi and sliced British tomatoes, given a fresh twist with quick-to-make mint pesto.
Serves 2 Prep time: 10min Cook time: 5min
Suitable for vegetarians
4 slices sourdough bread
2tbsp olive oil
150g Halloumi cheese, sliced
4 large British vine tomatoes, sliced
Mint pesto:
Small bunch of mint
5tbsp olive oil
1tsp white wine vinegar
50g ground almonds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 First, make the mint pesto. Pick the mint leaves from the stalks and put them into a small blender with the olive oil, vinegar and a splash of water. Blitz together for a few moments. Add the ground almonds and blend for a few more seconds. Season with a little salt and pepper.
2 Brush the slices of sourdough with olive oil, then char-grill or grill until lightly browned.
3 At the same time, dry-fry the slices of Halloumi in a frying pan, turning them over once and cooking until golden brown.
4 Arrange the slices of sourdough on two serving plates. Spread with mint pesto, then add the sliced tomatoes and Halloumi cheese. Serve, drizzled with a little more pesto sauce.
Cook’s tip: You could use basil or parsley instead of mint in the pesto.
BRITISH TOMATO SHAKSHUKA
Perfect for breakfast or brunch, this British tomato recipe tastes fantastic with crusty bread to mop up all the delicious juices.
Serves 4 Prep time: 20 minutes Cooking: 25 minutes
Suitable for vegetarians
500g British medium vine tomatoes
2tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 red peppers, deseeded and sliced
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and sliced
1/2tsp cumin seeds
1tsp mild chilli powder
1tbsp tomato puree
2tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus extra to garnish
4 large eggs
50g feta cheese, crumbed
150g thick Greek-style yogurt
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crusty bread, to serve
1 Halve the British tomatoes and set to one side.
2 Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan that has a lid. Gently fry the onions, garlic and peppers in the covered pan for about 10 minutes, or until very soft.
3 Add the cumin seeds, chilli powder, tomato puree and parsley, stirring well. Season. Add the tomatoes and cook over a medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, uncovered, adding a splash of water if it begins to look too dry.
4 Stir well, then make 4 spaces among the ingredients. Crack the eggs into these spaces and cook gently for a further 8-10 minutes, until set. If you like, grill the top for a few moments to set the surface of the eggs.
5 To serve, crumble the feta cheese on top and sprinkle with extra parsley. Season with a little extra black pepper. Put the yogurt into a bowl and sprinkle with a little chilli powder. Serve alongside the Shakshuka with crusty bread.
Cook’s tip: This is great as a sharing dish, where everyone just eats straight from the pan!
TOMATO CHEESE SCONE PIZZA
Ingredients
225g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
1/2tsp salt
50g chilled butter, cut into small pieces
100g mature Cheddar cheese, finely grated
4tbsp low fat plain yogurt
100ml milk
Topping
4 British cocktail tomatoes, sliced
6 British plum on the vine tomatoes, halved
1tsp mixed dried Italian herbs
50g mature Cheddar cheese, grated
Basil leaves, to garnish
Method
In this recipe, the pizza base is made with scone dough, flavoured with grated mature Cheddar. It’s topped with juicy British tomatoes, herbs and grated cheese for an Italian inspired dish with a truly British twist.
Serves 4 Prep time: 20min Cooking: 20min
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan oven 180°C, Gas Mark 6.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the cheese.
3. Combine the yogurt and milk, then stir just enough into the scone mixture to make a soft, but not sticky dough. Draw the dough together with your hand, turn onto a surface sprinkled with a little flour and knead lightly for a few moments.
4. Roll out the dough to a circle about 30cm in diameter. Place onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Top with the tomatoes, herbs and grated cheese, then bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.
5. Serve, sprinkled with basil leaves.
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