I could write a book about porridge. It boasts impressive health benefits – it’s proven to lower cholesterol and protect against heart disease (if it’s made the more austere way) and it boasts a low GI. And there are so many ways to make it. Purists will tell you that porridge should contain nothing more than oats, water and salt. But that’s boring. Sure, you can keep it simple with some demerara sugar, or golden syrup, or Greek yogurt and a few berries, which I enjoy regularly. I buy whatever organic jumbo whole rolled oats I see on the shelves, but feel free to buy whatever oat type you prefer. This topping is one of my favourites – and one I look forward to every spring when the first rhubarb starts to appear. The toasting of the oats only takes a couple of minutes and gives a pleasingly nutty flavour to the porridge, though you can skip this bit if you can’t be bothered. The rhubarb compote is also a winner with Greek yoghurt if you’re ever stuck for a pud.
FOR 4 SERVINGS
For the rhubarb and orange compote:
500g rhubarb, cut into batons
1 orange, zested
2 oranges, juiced
50g caster sugar
For the porridge:
200g jumbo whole rolled oats
400 ml whole milk
800 ml water
Good pinch of salt
50g toasted flaked almonds (or hazelnuts also work well)
Place the rhubarb into a pan with the orange juice, zest and sugar. Cook gently until tender, about 8–10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and toast the oats until fragrant, stirring a couple of times (about two minutes). Put the oats in a saucepan along with the milk and water and bring slowly to the boil, stirring frequently. Turn the heat down to
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low and simmer for 6-7 minutes, adding the salt halfway through and stirring regularly. Cover and let it sit for five minutes, then serve with the rhubarb compote and almonds, or toppings of your choice. I also like to add a slug of cold milk to the porridge just before serving.
Naan bread breakfast pizza
Hands up who’s eaten leftover pizza for breakfast? Me! So, why not make a breakfast pizza? Not from scratch, obviously – that’s way too much first thing in the morning. Though let’s be honest, shop-bought pizza bases are generally not great. Shop-bought naan bread on the other hand is always pretty good. Do you see where I’m going with this? I’m not the first, promise – Nigella is a fan. Plus, the bacon naan at cult Indian restaurant chain Dishoom is still one of my all-time favourite breakfasts.
I’ve substituted bacon for Parma ham to speed things up (or you could use pancetta). Sometimes I even use one of those supermarket salad pots
of mozzarella pearls and slow-roasted tomatoes. Feel free to add sliced button mushrooms to complete ‘The Full English on a Pizza’ vibe.
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FOR 2 PIZZAS
2 shop-bought naans
125g mozzarella
50g Gruyère cheese, grated
150g cherry tomatoes, halved (or jar of slow-roasted tomatoes – or both!)
4 slices of Parma ham, torn
2 medium free-range eggs
A few fresh thyme springs, or a pinch of dried thyme (optional)
Preheat the oven to 220°/fan 200°/gas 7. Lay the naans on a baking tray. Dot over the mozzarella and grated Gruyère, leaving a divot on each naan for the egg. Arrange the tomatoes on top, followed by the ham – always leaving a space for the eggs to keep them in one place. Crack the eggs and drop into each divot. Sprinkle over the thyme, if using. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the white is set and the yolk still a little runny.
Wild garlic pesto
QUICK & LIGHT
Wild garlic is the foraged food I look forward to most, carpeting bosky woods with its pretty white flowers and deep green, glossy leaves. It pays to remember that when foraging for wild garlic – or any sort of foraging come to that – do apply the golden rule of taking only a third of the plant (see page 36).
I include wild garlic in everything from scrambled eggs to cheese scones, but pesto is at the top of my list. I chuck it over drained, cooled green beans, and stir it into pretty much any tinned beans I have in the cupboard, plus dollop it liberally on soups. I cut it with parsley to dial down the pungency, but your call. It will keep for at least a week in the fridge. Feel free to replace the pine nuts with any nut of your choice. This amount will fill an old (sterilised) jam jar and is enough to serve four added to pasta, allowing for 75g of pasta per person. I tend to make it at home and bring it on board, though sometimes I get out the pestle and mortar on board and make a chunkier version.
Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a non-stick sauté pan or shallow casserole and brown the chicken with a little salt over a high heat, about five minutes. Transfer to a plate. Lower the heat, add the other tablespoon of olive oil and the onion, and cook for five minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the orzo and the mustard, stirring until coated. Add the stock and the browned chicken, bring to the boil, and season. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Add the lemon juice and zest, crème fraîche or sour cream and, parmesan and stir, then serve.
Prawn and chickpea stew
BIGGER PLATES w ith leeks and lemon
This fresh, vibrant seafood stew is so much more than a sum of its parts. It’s simple to make yet delivers layers of flavour – and is particularly satisfying when you’ve got some fresh crusty bread to mop it all up. All it needs is a bright, zesty white to wash it all down – think Spanish Verdejo, or Italian Verdicchio, and you’ll have this on repeat. Best are those Bold Bean Co chickpeas you get in jars in supermarkets, but regular tinned chickpeas are just fine, or indeed any tinned white beans. To keep costs down, you can use supermarket bags of frozen raw king prawns, letting them defrost as you cart them back to the boat if you’re cooking them that day.
FOR 4 SERVINGS
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tsp smoked (mild) paprika
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Salt and black pepper
450g raw jumbo king prawns, peeled
50g unsalted butter
2 large leeks, trimmed, finely sliced and washed
2 x 400g chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 litre vegetable stock
A handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped Crusty bread for mopping up the juices (optional)
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Combine zest, paprika, garlic, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper in a bowl. Add the prawns and toss to coat. In a large pot, melt the butter over a medium heat, add the prawns and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, about 2-3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the prawns to a plate and set aside. Add the leeks, season with salt and pepper and cook with a lid on over medium heat until the leeks are soft, about eight minutes. Add the drained chickpeas and the stock and bring to a simmer, then cook for five minutes. Stir in the prawns and any juices from the plate, plus the parsley and the lemon juice. Season, then serve with the bread, if using.
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Alphonso mango with coconut SWEET TREATS and mascarpone
Spring brings many delicious treats, but when it comes to fruit, the Alphonso mango is up there. Come April, Asian greengrocers proudly display them (they don’t grow here in the UK), with their sunshine yellow, smooth buttery flesh, and heady peachy, citrus and honey flavours. They have just a short season, from April until late June, so cherish them. In India, where there is a national obsession with Alphonso mangoes, it’s customary to give boxes of them to friends and family to share the love. I buy them online from Natoora when I’m not within grasp of an Asian greengrocer. And if you can’t lay your hands on Alphonso mangoes, then any ripe mangoes will do. I use Rachel’s Greek-style coconut yoghurt for this recipe, which is widely available.
FOR 4 SERVINGS
2 ripe Alphonso mangoes, or 400g ready-diced mango
1 lime, zested and juiced
125g coconut yoghurt
125g mascarpone
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp of peeled coconut, toasted
Peel and cube the mangoes and squeeze over the lime juice. Put half of the mango mixture into a pestle and mortar and pound for a minute to make a rough purée. Combine the yoghurt with the mascarpone and honey and divide
3 tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable or olive oil)
1 tbsp honey
250g rolled jumbo oats
Pinch of sea salt
100g mixed whole nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, almonds, and hazelnuts, roughly chopped
100g mixed dried fruit, such as sultanas, chopped apricots and prunes and goji berries
50g mixed seeds, such as pumpkin and sunflower
Preheat the oven to 180°/fan 160°/gas 4. In a small saucepan, warm the oil and honey, stirring well until combined. Add the oats into a large bowl together with the salt. Pour over the warm sweetened oil, mixing well so the oats are thoroughly coated. Spread the oat mix on a baking tray lined with baking paper and cook for 20-25 minutes or until golden, stirring halfway through. Leave to cool completely. Once cool, mix in the chopped nuts, the dried fruit and seeds, and transfer to an airtight container or jar.
Banana pancakes
w ith wild blackberries
BREAKFAST
I’ve loved banana pancakes ever since travelling around Southeast Asia post-uni. These are more of an American style pancake. I always use the American cup measurement system, which I’ve included, for this, because it’s so easy, especially on board. Pairing the pancakes with intense, sunripened wild blackberries is even more of a treat, though failing that, use whatever berries you can lay your hands on or just add sliced banana. In America, it’s traditional to serve pancakes with maple syrup, but I love honey, especially as Liz produces her own.
FOR 4 SERVINGS, 8 PANCAKES
1 cup (135g) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
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½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 medium bananas)
1 large egg
¾ cup milk (185 ml)
Sunflower oil cooking spray
Wild blackberries for serving
Honey for serving
Measure out the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl and whisk together. In a large bowl, mash the banana with a fork, add the egg and whisk together until blended. Whisk in the milk until combined, then whisk in the dry ingredients – the batter will be slightly lumpy, but that’s fine. Heat a large nonstick frying pan over a medium heat and spritz with cooking spray (I’ve found this is the easiest way to cook pancakes). Fill the ⅓ cup measure (or a ladle) and pour circles of batter into your pan – I can get two in my pan at a time. Cook until puffed up and golden underneath, about two minutes, then flip and cook on the other side until risen and cooked through – another two minutes. Keep them warm, while you repeat the exercise. Serve with the blackberries or a topping of your choice, and drizzle with honey.
Hot smoked salmon salad
QUICK & LIGHT with watercress and fennel
This is such an easy summer salad – it looks great, too, with its flecks of pink fish against the vibrant green of the leaves. I sometimes serve it with a vinegary potato salad on the side if I want to beef the meal up a bit, or just some crusty bread to scoop up the juices.
FOR 4 SERVINGS
1 head romaine lettuce, leaves torn and washed
80g watercress, washed
300g hot smoked salmon fillets, skin removed, separated into chunky flakes
½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced (on a mandolin if you have one, see Kit page 18)
2 tbsp salted capers, rinsed
4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced 10g dill, chopped
4 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
1 lemon
Black pepper
Combine the first seven ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle over the oil, squeeze over the lemon, add a twist or three of pepper, serve.
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Puy lentils with roasted sweet QUICK & LIGHT peppers, tomatoes and feta
I always have a stash of precooked lentils in my cupboard, whether on board or at home. There’s just so much you can do with them. Ditto a jar of roasted peppers. This dish is one of my favourite ways to dress them up. Pulled together in minutes, it makes for a substantial summer supper. You can also serve it as a side for fish or meat, then I just omit the feta.
Tomato tapenade tart
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I always keep a jar of tapenade in the cupboard. It’s great for impromptu suppers, or when you want a savoury kick to any sandwich. You will find this olive spread all over southern Europe, but best is the classic Provençal black olive tapenade. The combination of black olives, capers, garlic and herbs, and often anchovies, is addictive. You can make your own, but the bought ones are generally good and a worthy addition to your store cupboard –especially when combined with roasted tomatoes and crisp flaky pastry. Use whatever tomatoes you can lay your hands on and serve with a green salad.
FOR 4 SERVINGS
320g pre-rolled puff pastry sheet
170g jar of black tapenade
3 medium tomatoes, sliced
6 cherry tomatoes, halved Maldon salt and black pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
Handful of basil leaves, torn
Preheat the oven to 220°/fan 200°/gas 7. Line a 38 x 25 cm baking tin with baking parchment. Place the pastry on the parchment and score a 2 cm border all around the edges of the pastry. Spoon a generous layer of tapenade inside the scored border then arrange the tomatoes over the top in a single layer, using the smaller tomatoes to fill in any gaps. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with oil. Bake the tart for 25 minutes, or until the pastry borders are puffed and crisp, the base is a light golden brown, and the tomatoes are soft and charring at the edges. Remove the tart from the oven, and scatter over the torn basil. Allow it to cool a little in the tray before slicing into rectangles. Drizzle with a little more oil to serve.
