Blanche Vaughan’s spinach, marjoram and ricotta sformata
Sformata is an Italian dish, similar to a souffle or rather like a baked flan but without the pastry shell – the word sformata means misshapen. Leafy greens like spinach or chard have a real affinity with the soft, fragrant taste of marjoram or oregano.
Total cost: £9.04
Serves 4
unsalted butter 1 tsp, plus extra
to butter the dish
parmesan 50g, grated
spinach 500g, washed and large stalks removed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
ricotta 300g
eggs 6
creme fraiche 300g
nutmeg a few gratings
fresh marjoram or oregano 2 tbsp chopped – or 1 tbsp of sage, shredded really finely, preferably fried, or 1 tbsp thyme fried briefly in butter so it becomes crisp before being added
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Butter an oval 30×20cm ovenproof baking dish and dust all over with a tablespoon of the grated parmesan.
Melt the teaspoon of butter in a large, lidded pan and throw in the spinach with just the water clinging to its leaves. Season with salt and pepper, stir briefly then put on a lid so it steams and wilts, this should take about 2 minutes.
Tip the cooked spinach into a sieve and squeeze any excess moisture out, before chopping roughly.
In a bowl, whisk the ricotta to break up any lumps, add the eggs and continue whisking so that bubbles form. Stir in the creme fraiche, a few gratings of nutmeg, the marjoram and remaining parmesan. Finally stir in the chopped spinach and pour into the prepared dish.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the top is slightly risen and browned and the centre of the sformata feels slightly firm to the touch.
From Egg by Blanche Vaughan (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £22). To order a copy for £18.04, go to guardianbookshop.com or call 0330 333 6846
Felicity Cloake’s baked lamb and cannellini beans with white wine, garlic and herbs
Well marbled and robustly flavoured, cheaper cuts of lamb are made for slow cooking. This hearty bean dish spiked with Mediterranean sunshine is just the thing to warm up a winter evening, whether you’re in Provence or Preston. You’ll need to soak the beans overnight.
Total cost: £9.03
Serves 4
dried cannellini beans 300g
olive oil 2 tbsp
bone-in stewing lamb 800g
garlic 1 head, cut in half laterally
dried thyme ½ tsp
lemon 1, halved
white wine 185ml
chicken stock 500ml
savoy cabbage 1, shredded and steamed, to serve
Soak the beans overnight, then drain and put into a large pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, skimming the top if necessary, then simmer for about 40 minutes, until just tender.
After the beans have been cooking for 30 minutes, heat the oven to 160C/gas mark 3. Pour the oil into a large ovenproof casserole over a medium-high heat. Season the lamb well, then brown well on all sides in batches. Set aside.
Add the garlic to the pan, cut-side down, and cook briefly until beginning to colour. Stir in the thyme and the drained beans until coated with oil. Squeeze over the lemon then add the halves to the beans with the wine and stock.
Bring to a simmer, add the lamb, tucking it into the beans slightly, then cover and bake for about an hour and a half, until the lamb is tender and the beans cooked through; the liquid should have reduced to a broth. Season and serve with steamed cabbage.
Felicity Cloake is a food writer
Simon Hopkinson’s thyme, onion and gruyère tart
Total cost: £9.68
Serves 4-6
For the pastry
cold butter 65g, cut into cubes
plain flour 100g
salt a pinch
iced water 1-2 tbsp
For the filling
butter 50g
white onions 750g, peeled and very thinly sliced
large egg 1
large egg yolks 2
double cream 200ml
dijon mustard 2 tsp
thyme leaves 1 tsp
salt and white pepper
gruyère 60g, freshly grated
nutmeg freshly grated
To make the pastry, in a food processor, briefly process the butter, flour and salt together until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Tip into a large bowl and gently mix in the water with cool hands or a table knife, until well amalgamated. Knead the dough lightly, then put into a plastic bag and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before rolling.
For the filling, melt the butter in a wide, shallow pan. Tip in the onions and very gently sweat over a moderate heat for 40 minutes, or as long as 1 hour, until pale golden and completely soft. Cool.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4, and place a flat baking sheet inside to heat.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface as thinly as you dare, then use to line a 20cm tart tin, 3cm deep. Prick the base with a fork. Line the pastry case with foil and dried beans, slide onto the hot baking sheet and bake “blind” for about 15–20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans and return the pastry case to the oven for a further 10 minutes or so, until it is golden, crisp and well cooked through, particularly the base.
Mix the egg, yolks, cream, mustard and thyme. Carefully mix in the onions, season and pile into the pastry case. Sprinkle over the gruyère and generously grate over some nutmeg. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until the filling is a rich golden colour and just firm to the touch. Leave to stand for 10 minutes before eating.
From The Vegetarian Option by Simon Hopkinson (Quadrille, £9.99). To order a copy for £8.49, go to guardianbookshop.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min. p&p of £1.99
Nigel Slater’s rib and rhubarb broth
Total cost: £7.70
Serves 4
small pork ribs
rhubarb
chicken stock
star anise
peppercorns
bay leaves
spring onions
In a large, deep pan, brown 500g small pork ribs on both sides in a little oil. When they are nicely coloured, pour a litre of chicken stock over them, add 2 star anise, 8 peppercorns and a couple of bay leaves and bring to the boil. Lower the heat so the liquor continues cooking at a low simmer and leave for a good 50 minutes to an hour, keeping an eye on the liquid so it doesn’t boil away; you want to end up with a rich, quite concentrated broth. Check the seasoning.
Remove the ribs from the liquid, pull the meat from the bones and cut it into chunks (sometimes I leave them whole). Roughly chop 2 spring onions and drop them, together with the meat, into the hot broth. Pour into bowls. Thinly slice a small stick of slice the rhubarb (you may not need all of it) into long matchsticks and add a few pieces to each bowl. Serve immediately, just as the rhubarb starts to soften.
From Eat by Nigel Slater (Fourth Estate, £26). To order a copy for £21.32, visit guardianbookshop.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min. p&p of £1.99
Olia Hercules’s whole roasted spiced cauliflower
A simple and tasty dish which, depending on the size of your household, could last you a couple of days. If you don’t finish it on the day of cooking it is great chopped and mixed into an omelette or stirred through a tomatoey curry sauce. I find that it pleases both anise flavour lovers and those who think they hate it. If fennel is not your thing, you can always vary the spices: use cumin instead of caraway and double up on coriander. It is a good recipe for using up your spices, which can bring the cost down!
Total cost: £7.95
Serves 4-6
cauliflower 1, including its leaves
mild olive or vegetable oil 1 tbsp
coriander seeds 1 tbsp
fennel seeds 1 tbsp
caraway seeds ½ tbsp
cayenne a pinch
salt
full-fat Greek yogurt 200g
For the turmeric rice
basmati rice 280g
fresh turmeric 4 finger-joint-sized roots
lemon 1, zest peeled
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6.
If your cauliflower leaves look fresh keep them on – they will catch the yogurt marinade, and they taste great. Use half a tablespoon of oil to grease the bottom and sides of a large cast-iron casserole pot. Then pop your cauliflower in pretty side up. You should be able to close the lid. (If you don’t have a cast-iron casserole pot, you can improvise with a deep baking dish or a deep roasting tray and some foil.)
Combine all the spices with a pinch of salt and either bash using a pestle and mortar or blitz in a blender. If the spices don’t grind into a powder, it is not a problem.
Mix the spices and remaining oil through the yogurt. Taste for salt, add more if you think it needs it.
Pour the yoghurt mixture over the cauliflower, gently tease it down the sides. Put the lid on and put it in the oven. After 30 minutes, it should have a deep golden crust. Leave for another 10 minutes if it’s looking pale.
Meanwhile, put the rice into a pot and cover with 560ml water. Bruise the turmeric roots and pop it in with the pieces of lemon peel. Season the rice and cook as per packet instructions.
When the cauliflower is deep golden and ready, take it out and serve with the turmeric rice.
Olia Hercules is a chef and food writer
All recipes serve at least four for dinner
All ingredients, apart from those in the ‘store cupboard’, below, were included in the total cost along with serving suggestions. Costings are based on the full price of a product, not the proportionate cost, ie, if 150g of butter is listed, the cost will be for a full 250g packet of butter.
We checked the cost of each recipe against nationwide online retailers.
All recipes came in at under £10 at the time of checking, but prices are subject to change.
Where possible, free-range produce was used.
Store cupboard
We allowed for the following: salt; pepper; dried herbs and spices (mint, sage, thyme, oregano, bay leaves, chilli, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, coriander, paprika, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves); olive oil up to 50ml; butter up to 50g; garlic up to 2 cloves; stock cubes/powder/paste to make up to 1 litre of stock; plain white flour up to 50g; caster sugar up to 50g; light soy sauce up to 50ml; red wine vinegar up to 50ml
