Hugh's Beetroot & Cumin Soup with Stilton & Leek Tart

By Chris

Main Ingedients:

• Beetroot and Cumin
• Vegetable Stock
• Leeks and Stilton
• Double Cream
• Eggs and Pastry

So for my first Veggie Lent, I thought I'd go ambitious - I've never cooked a quiche from scratch and I've only ever cooked with beetroot once before. Admittedly, I did cheat and use pre-rolled pastry, but it was still quite a faff and took two hours from start to finish.

For the soup, I fried onions, garlic, oil and butter, then chucked in some cumin seeds and a massive 750g of chopped beetroot. The whole mixture was simmered for 30 minutes and then blended with my trusty hand-blender, before being served with spiced yoghurt.

The quiche was more of a challenge, especially when I realised that I knew nothing about blind baking and had no idea what baking beans were (they're kinda like magic beans, right?). In the end, I used rice and greaseproof paper to weigh down the pastry for the blind baking, but not enough to stop it from swelling up to an alarming size.

Nonetheless, I stabbed the quiche bubble and mashed it down, making it ready for the yummy filling. Three leeks were chopped up roughly and sweated down with some butter and black pepper.

To this I added 100g of Stilton, two eggs, two egg yolks and an artery-stopping 300ml of double cream. The whole concoction came out rather nicely after 30 minutes at 170 degrees. 

This was served with a green salad (natch) and mashed sweet potatoes. All in all, a challenge that was worth the effort, and I didn't even miss the meat all that much! And I'm starting to see another reason for going veggie - at £2.07 per person, this was easily the cheapest meal we've made so far.

Best for... A springtime dinner which is half wintery and half summery.

Taken from... Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - River Cottage Every Day

Helen says...A surprisingly subtle and eggy tart beautifully complemented by the tangy mash. And the soup was lovely too!

Jamie's Steak Sarnie with Beetroot Salad

By Chris
Main ingredients:

• 10oz Rump Steak
• Horseradish Sauce
• Ciabatta Loaf
• Jarred Peppers
• Rocket, Parsley, Feta and Beetroot

I've been wanting to do this recipe ever since I got the 30-minute meals book and it did not disappoint.  What's more, this was the first recipe that I managed in 30 minutes flat, with none of the steps posing much of a challenge.

The beetroot was grated into a bowl then dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and parsley, then finished off with a few cubes of feta. I've never really tried beetroot before, but it made for a sweet refreshing salad to balance out the monster of a sarnie that was to come.

Jamie has a knack of making a small steak go a long way and this was no exception. If you're eating steak and chips, then a 10oz-er between two is a bit stingy, but in this context it was more than enough. Season the steak with salt, pepper, olive oil and thyme, then fry it quickly in a searing hot pan.

The ciabatta was prepped with plenty of horseradish, rocket and jarred peppers, then the steak was layered up and it barely fitted into the bread! This beastly sandwich was served with garlic and rosemary new potatoes and cheesy stuffed mushrooms.

If I was to do this again, and I almost certainly will, I would have fried the steak for slighty longer than the 4 minutes recommended and been a bit more brave with the horseradish application, but overall this was a hearty meal that left me feeling full to the brim and like it was £4.32 per head well spent.

Best for... Your first al fresco lunch of the year

Taken from... Jamie Oliver - 30 Minute Meals

Helen says... If you actually like mushrooms it goes even further - I had two and could barely finish a third of the sandwich.