Feed a Crowd

FEED A CROWD

ROASTED NECTARINES WITH GOAT’S CHEESE, ALMONDS, WATERCRESS & CROUTONS (V)

BAKED FETA CHEESE WITH FIGS, PINE NUTS & BASIL (V)

ROSEMARY & GARLIC ROASTED LAMB WITH ARTICHOKES & OLIVES

SESAME & THYME ROASTED CAULIFLOWER PILAF WITH FETA CHEESE & WATERCRESS (V)

SICHUAN PEPPERED PORK CHOPS WITH APPLES & CABBAGE

ROASTED HALLOUMI WITH AUBERGINES, TOMATOES & PINE NUTS (V)

TANDOORI-STYLE SALMON WITH SPICED, ROASTED SWEET POTATOES, TOMATOES & RED ONION

SPICED LAMB MEATBALLS WITH SUMAC ROASTED CAULIFLOWER & POMEGRANATE

CHARRED TENDERSTEM WITH BLACK BEANS, AVOCADO & PEANUTS (VEGAN)

MASALA ROASTED CORN WITH QUICK CORIANDER CHUTNEY (VEGAN)

SPICED ROAST CHICKEN WITH PEPPERS, AUBERGINE & ONION

ROAST SWEET POTATO WITH OREGANO, FETA CHEESE & CHARRED LEMON (V)

ROASTED NECTARINES WITH GOAT’S CHEESE, ALMONDS, WATERCRESS & CROUTONS

VEGETARIAN

This is one of the nicest dinner-party starters I can think of, the nectarines and goat’s cheese work perfectly with the roasted almonds and sweet, sticky balsamic dressing. You could also use peaches – or even flat peaches – when in season. (If your nectarines are on the unripe side of ready, don’t panic, they’ll soften up in the oven. Don’t use very ripe fruit, they’ll turn to mush.)

Serves: 4 as a starter

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 25–30 minutes

4 just-under to just-ripe nectarines, quartered
100g whole blanched almonds
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
1 tablespoon honey
150g rosemary focaccia, torn into chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil
100g watercress
125g goat’s cheese log with a rind, sliced

FOR THE DRESSING

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/gas 6. Tip the nectarines and almonds into a large roasting tin. Scatter over the rosemary, drizzle over the honey, then cover with the torn focaccia. Drizzle the olive oil over the focaccia, then transfer to the oven and roast for 25–30 minutes, until the bread is toasted and the nectarines are cooked through.

Meanwhile, whisk the extra virgin olive oil, honey and balsamic together for the dressing.

If serving in the tin, gently stir the watercress and dressing through the salad and top with the goat’s cheese before serving.

If you’re making a plated starter, divide the watercress between 4 plates, then arrange the nectarines and focaccia over them. Add the goat’s cheese and the almonds, then drizzle the dressing over before serving warm.

ROASTED NECTARINES WITH GOAT’S CHEESE, ALMONDS, WATERCRESS & CROUTONS

BAKED FETA CHEESE WITH FIGS, PINE NUTS & BASIL

VEGETARIAN

This dish is so lovely that I would have it for breakfast. Feta cheese works so well with the figs and honey that it’s perfect as a light dinner party starter, or as part of a more informal sharing table. If you use a shallower tin, the cheese will crisp and turn golden brown, while the deeper tin we used for the photo here will give you a softer finish.

Serves: 4 as a starter, or as part of a spread

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 20–25 minutes

2 × 200g blocks of feta cheese
8 figs, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
Freshly ground black pepper
50g pine nuts
½ lemon, zest and juice (use 1 lemon if your lemon isn’t very juicy)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
20g fresh basil, leaves finely sliced
Good crusty bread or sourdough, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/gas 6. Cut each block of feta in half, then pop the pieces into a roasting tin with the figs surrounding them. Drizzle everything with the olive oil and honey, add a good grind of pepper, throw over the pine nuts, then transfer to the oven and roast for 20–25 minutes, until the figs have softened.

Just before the traybake is ready, mix the lemon zest, juice, extra virgin olive oil and basil. Pour it over the figs and feta as soon as they come out of the oven, then serve hot with good crusty bread on the side.

BAKED FETA CHEESE WITH FIGS, PINE NUTS & BASIL

ROSEMARY & GARLIC ROASTED LAMB WITH ARTICHOKES & OLIVES

This stunning traybake delivers on all fronts: the artichokes, olives and lamb work beautifully together, while the cannellini beans soak up all the wonderful flavours from the tin at the end. Perfect for easy entertaining. If you’re prepping in advance, just stick everything in the tin, pop it into the fridge and take it out 15 minutes before you’re ready to cook, bearing in mind that if it’s all super cold, it’ll take a little longer in the oven.

Serves: 4

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 20–25 minutes

350g cherry tomatoes on the vine
1 × 290g jar of artichokes, drained, plus 1 tablespoon oil from the jar
165g pitted black olives
8 free-range lamb loin chops (allow 150–200g lamb per person)
2–3 sprigs of fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1 × 400g tin of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 lemon, juice only
A handful of fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/gas 6. Tip the cherry tomatoes with their vines, the artichokes and olives into a roasting tin. Rub the lamb chops with the artichoke oil, then scatter them with the rosemary, crushed garlic and a pinch of salt before nestling them in the tin along with the artichokes and olives.

Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes for lamb that is blushing pink. If your steaks are quite thick, leave them in for a little longer, just under 25 minutes.

Stir the cannellini beans and lemon juice through the tomatoes and olives. Leave the steaks to rest for 5 minutes before scattering over the basil or parsley and serving hot.

CHANGE IT UP: Think your guests won’t like lamb? Follow the recipe above but with chicken breasts, leaving them in the oven for 25–30 minutes, until cooked through.

ROSEMARY & GARLIC ROASTED LAMB WITH ARTICHOKES & OLIVES

SESAME & THYME ROASTED CAULIFLOWER PILAF WITH FETA CHEESE & WATERCRESS

VEGETARIAN

Za’atar is one of my favourite spice mixes. It’s usually made with toasted sesame seeds, salt, sumac, dried thyme, marjoram or oregano. It’s readily available in big supermarkets, but if you can’t find any for this recipe, use a tablespoon each of dried thyme and sesame seeds. This pilaf makes a lovely side dish when entertaining, but paired with the charred broccoli on page 152 or the masala corn on page 156, it works perfectly as part of a vegetarian sharing feast.

Serves: 4 as a side

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 20–25 minutes

200g bulgur wheat, rinsed
400ml hot vegetable stock
1 red onion, roughly sliced
2½ cm fresh ginger, grated
Leaves from the cauliflower, roughly chopped
1 large cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 heaped tablespoons za’atar
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 bag of watercress (85–100g), roughly chopped
100g feta cheese
5 radishes, finely sliced

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C/gas 7. Tip the bulgur wheat, stock, onion, ginger and cauliflower leaves into a roasting tin and stir, making sure the bulgur is covered with the liquid. On your chopping board, rub the cauliflower with the oil, za’atar and crushed garlic, then scatter it over the bulgur wheat.

Transfer the tin to the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the cauliflower is charred and just cooked through. Remove from the oven and stir through the lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and watercress. Top with the feta cheese and radishes and serve hot.

CHANGE IT UP: You can easily veganise this dish by leaving out the feta cheese and adding a good handful of toasted almonds. (If you aren’t vegan, you can still add extra almonds.)

SESAME & THYME ROASTED CAULIFLOWER PILAF WITH FETA CHEESE & WATERCRESS

SICHUAN PEPPERED PORK CHOPS WITH APPLES & CABBAGE

Sichuan peppercorns are possibly my favourite kitchen ingredient and I use them in almost everything. This is the only time in the book where I’d encourage you to buy a bag of peppercorns from a Chinese grocery shop or online, as they’re so much more aromatic than those you can get at the supermarket.

Serves: 4

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 30 minutes

1 large sweetheart cabbage, quartered, then cut into ½ cm slices
4 apples, each cut into 8
4 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
2 teaspoons sea salt flakes
2 tablespoons sesame oil
20g unsalted butter, sliced
4 × 200g free-range pork chops (about 1½ cm thick)
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 lemon, juice only
Hot basmati rice, to serve

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C/gas 7. Mix the sweetheart cabbage, apples and 1 teaspoon of Sichuan peppercorns, 1 teaspoon of sea salt and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a roasting tin, and dot with the sliced butter. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, get your pork chops and rub them with the rest of the Sichuan peppercorns, the crushed garlic, another teaspoon of sea salt flakes and another tablespoon of sesame oil.

Once the cabbage has had 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 180°C fan/200°C/ gas 6, remove the tin from the oven, lay the pork chops over the top and return it to the oven for a further 20 minutes, until the chops are just cooked through.

Squeeze the lemon juice over the pork and veg and taste a bit of cabbage to assess if you need a pinch more sea salt. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then serve the chops hot, with the apples and cabbage alongside. This is lovely with buttery white rice.

NOTES: You can use ordinary white cabbage if you can’t find sweetheart. If you’re using salted butter, don’t add salt with the apples at step 1.

SICHUAN PEPPERED PORK CHOPS WITH APPLES & CABBAGE

ROASTED HALLOUMI WITH AUBERGINES, TOMATOES & PINE NUTS

VEGETARIAN

This is a wonderful celebratory dish and I love the mix of colours and textures: golden baked halloumi, crisp pine nuts, soft aubergines and a little kick from the chilli flakes. Fresh oregano, if you can get it, adds an incredible flavour to the aubergines; it’s quite unlike dried, so use fresh rosemary as an alternative if you need to.

Serves: 4

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 30 minutes

400g cherry tomatoes on the vine, halved
2 medium aubergines, cut into 1cm half moons
400–500g halloumi, cut into 1cm slices
7–8 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves only
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
40g pine nuts
100g rocket, roughly chopped
1 lemon, juice only

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C/gas 7. Tip everything except the pine nuts, rocket and lemon juice into a roasting tin and mix well with your hands. Use a tin large enough to have the aubergines all in a single layer. Now arrange the ingredients so the halloumi sits on top.

Transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes, then scatter the pine nuts on top before roasting for a further 10 minutes until the halloumi is golden brown and the aubergines are cooked through.

Stir through the rocket and lemon juice and serve hot.

SERVE WITH: This is lovely with a pile of warm flatbreads and some yogurt.

ROASTED HALLOUMI WITH AUBERGINES, TOMATOES & PINE NUTS

TANDOORI-STYLE SALMON WITH SPICED, ROASTED SWEET POTATOES, TOMATOES & RED ONION

This is my all-in-one dinner version of my sister Padmini’s tandoori salmon, one of our favourite weeknight dinners when we were flatmates. It works beautifully with the lightly spiced sweet potato and tomatoes, just make sure you use one or two tins big enough to get all the sweet potatoes in a single layer, and cut the sweet potatoes into very small pieces so they cook in 30 minutes.

Serves: 4

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 30 minutes

3 cloves of garlic, grated
4cm fresh ginger, grated
75g natural yogurt
1 lemon, zest only
2 scant teaspoons ground cumin
1 scant teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon mild chilli powder
A large pinch of sea salt flakes
4 salmon fillets
Natural yogurt, to serve

FOR THE SWEET POTATOES

650g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
400g cherry tomatoes on the vine
1 red onion, roughly sliced

Mix the garlic, ginger, yogurt, lemon zest, spices and salt together and gently turn the salmon fillets over in this mixture. (This can be marinated in the fridge if you are preparing this ahead.)

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 210°C fan/230°C/gas 8. Tip the cubed sweet potatoes into a roasting tin large enough to hold everything in a single layer, mix them with the oil, cumin and salt, then transfer to the oven and roast for 10 minutes.

Once the sweet potatoes have had 10 minutes, tip the cherry tomatoes, their vines and the sliced onion into the tin, and mix well. Use a wooden spoon to make 4 spaces for the salmon fillets and gently pop them into the tin. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C fan/200°C/gas 6, then return the tin to the oven for a final 20 minutes.

Serve the salmon and vegetables with the natural yogurt alongside.

MAKE IT VEGGIE: Leave out the fish. Tear up large chunks of shop-bought paneer into roughly 5cm pieces, marinating them as above, and stir through some lime-dressed chopped spinach at the end.

TANDOORI-STYLE SALMON WITH SPICED, ROASTED SWEET POTATOES, TOMATOES & RED ONION

SPICED LAMB MEATBALLS WITH SUMAC ROASTED CAULIFLOWER & POMEGRANATE

Think about the best lamb kofte or kebabs you’ve ever had and you’ll have an idea of how flavoursome this dish is. The warming spices in the lamb work perfectly with the pomegranates and lemony cauliflower. Serve with flatbreads or cous cous.

Serves: 4

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 25 minutes

FOR THE MEATBALLS

400g minced, free-range lamb
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon mild chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1 free-range egg
2 heaped teaspoons gram (chickpea) flour (optional)
15g fresh mint leaves

FOR THE REST

1 large cauliflower, cut into medium-sized florets plus the leaves
3 heaped teaspoons sumac
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 pomegranate, seeds only
A handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/gas 6. Tip all the meatball ingredients into a food processor and blitz briefly until everything comes together evenly.

Tip the cauliflower, leaves, spices, salt and oil into a large roasting tin and mix until everything is evenly spiced.

With damp hands (I keep a bowl of water nearby), take walnut-sized pieces of the lamb mix and roll them into small meatballs. Dot them among the cauliflower pieces as you go – you should have about 20–22.

Transfer to the oven and roast for 25 minutes, until the tops of the meatballs are evenly coloured and the cauliflower is cooked through. Whisk the lemon zest, juice and extra virgin olive oil together, drizzle this over the traybake, then scatter over the pomegranate seeds and parsley. Drizzle over the pomegranate molasses (if using) and serve the traybake hot.

NOTE: If you already have some gram or chickpea flour in the cupboard, it adds a really silky texture to the finished meatballs, but don’t worry if you don’t have any in, as they’re still gorgeous.

SPICED LAMB MEATBALLS WITH SUMAC ROASTED CAULIFLOWER & POMEGRANATE

CHARRED TENDERSTEM WITH BLACK BEANS, AVOCADO & PEANUTS

VEGAN

This might be one of my favourite dishes in the book. The combination of crisp, roasted black beans and broccoli with creamy avocado and lime juice is just stunning. Consider having a tray of this to yourself for dinner, then you won’t have to share it with anyone … though if you’re making a vegetarian or vegan grazing feast, it goes very well with the masala roasted corn on page 156.

Serves: 4 as a side

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

400g Tenderstem broccoli
1 × 400g tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red onion, roughly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 scant teaspoon chipotle chilli flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 limes, zest and juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 avocados, peeled and sliced
A large handful of salted peanuts, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C/gas 7. Put the Tenderstem into a bowl and pour over a kettleful of boiling water. Let it sit for a minute, then drain it really well, pat it dry with a tea towel and tip it into a roasting tin. (This blanching stage might seem like a minor faff, but it massively improves the texture of the broccoli when it’s roasted.)

Tip in the black beans and red onion, then mix through the crushed garlic, chilli flakes and olive oil, making sure to work plenty of oil into the ends of the broccoli, as that’ll help it to crisp up. Scatter over the sea salt, then transfer to the oven and roast for 15–20 minutes, until the broccoli is nicely charred.

Meanwhile, whisk the lime zest, juice and extra virgin olive oil together.

Once the broccoli is cooked, stir through the dressing along with the sliced avocados and chopped peanuts. Taste and adjust the lime juice if needed (there should be enough salt from the peanuts). Serve immediately.

CHANGE IT UP: For a weeknight meal for two, stir through roughly chopped lamb’s lettuce or watercress and serve with brown rice.

CHARRED TENDERSTEM WITH BLACK BEANS, AVOCADO & PEANUTS

MASALA ROASTED CORN WITH QUICK CORIANDER CHUTNEY

VEGAN

I love corn on the cob, but to max the flavour on this – and make it slightly easier for you and your guests to eat – it works really well if you slice the kernels off the cob post-cooking. That way they pick up all the flavour from the roasting tin and the chutney. Using those little half-sized corn on the cob makes them easier to slice, though four ordinary sized cobs would work well too. A lovely colourful dish.

Serves: 4

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 30 minutes

8 half-sized corn on the cob, or 4 full-sized
2 red onions, quartered
1 × 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon mild chilli powder
2 teaspoons sea salt flakes

FOR THE CHUTNEY

50g coriander, finely chopped
100g coconut or natural yogurt
1 lemon, juice only
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/gas 6. Tip the corn, onions and chickpeas into a roasting tin and mix well with the garlic, oil, spices and salt. Transfer to the oven and roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir the coriander, yogurt, lemon juice and sea salt together for the chutney. It’ll be a really thick paste, so let it down by stirring in 1 tablespoon of water at a time, until you have a thick but pourable consistency. Taste and adjust the lemon and salt as needed.

Once the corn is cooked, give it a moment to cool down, then take each cob and stand it upright on a chopping board. Slice the kernels off, then return them to the tin and stir through the rest of the roasted ingredients. Serve with the chutney alongside.

NOTE: You won’t get the same texture from roasting a drained tin of sweetcorn, which is why it’s best to roast the cobs whole, then get the kernels off.

MASALA ROASTED CORN WITH QUICK CORIANDER CHUTNEY

SPICED ROAST CHICKEN WITH PEPPERS, AUBERGINE & ONION

An easy, all-in-one chicken traybake for a casual dinner with friends, packed with flavourful vegetables. Rather than a long list of spices, I like to use ras-el-hanout for this. It’s a readily available Middle Eastern spice mix that adds a lovely warming flavour to the dish. It isn’t hot in the way that chilli is, so if your guests like spicy food, add a teaspoon of chilli flakes as well.

Serves: 4

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 25–30 minutes

1 large aubergine, cut into 1½ cm cubes
2 red peppers, cut into 1cm slices
1 yellow pepper, cut into 1cm slices
1 red onion, roughly sliced
4 vine tomatoes, quartered
3 cloves of garlic
4 heaped teaspoons ras-el-hanout
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
4 free-range chicken breasts (halved if very large)

TO SERVE

A handful of fresh coriander, chopped
Natural yogurt
Cous cous or flatbreads

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/gas 6. Tip the aubergine, peppers, onion, tomatoes and garlic into a large roasting tin along with 2 teaspoons of the ras-el-hanout, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the sea salt flakes. Mix really well with your hands.

Arrange the chicken breasts over the vegetables and drizzle the other tablespoon of oil over them, followed by a good pinch of salt and the remaining ras-el-hanout. Transfer to the oven and roast for 25–30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve scattered with the fresh coriander, with yogurt on the side along with a pile of flatbreads or buttery cous cous.

SPICED ROAST CHICKEN WITH PEPPERS, AUBERGINE & ONION

ROAST SWEET POTATO WITH OREGANO, FETA CHEESE & CHARRED LEMON

VEGETARIAN

Confession – I forgot to put the lemons into the dish here before we took the photograph, because I’d forgotten to write them into the ingredient list – now amended. It happens. You should definitely try to remember to put them in, though, as the baked lemon gives a really lovely flavour to the potatoes and feta cheese, plus you can squash them down and they form a sort of instant, sharp dressing.

Serves: 4–6 as a side

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 30 minutes

750g sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½ cm half moons
2½ tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 bulb of garlic, skin on, halved
1 lemon, cut into wedges
400g feta cheese, roughly broken into large pieces
8–9 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves only
2–3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Freshly ground black pepper
Natural yogurt, to serve

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C/gas 7. Mix the sweet potatoes, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the sea salt in a roasting tin large enough to hold everything in a single layer. (Use 2 tins if your largest one is too small.)

Put the halved garlic and lemon wedges into the tin and scatter over the feta pieces, followed by the herbs. Drizzle the cheese and garlic with the remaining oil, give everything a good grind of black pepper, then transfer to the oven and roast for 30 minutes.

Serve hot, squeezing out the roasted lemons to ‘dress’ the dish. This is nice with a spoonful of cold yogurt.

ROAST SWEET POTATO WITH OREGANO, FETA CHEESE & CHARRED LEMON