One pot of grains, two tasty meals

Investment cooking to make a zesty, punchy salad with the last of the blood oranges, and little spiced fritters which pack in big flavours

I like a kitchen task that gives you some bang for your buck. Maybe it’s cooking a big tray of roasted veg to be whizzed into soup, simmered into sauces, or used as a sandwich filling. Or perhaps it’s a pot of ragu that’s eaten with pasta for Sunday dinner then spiced up and served with baked spuds or in tacos on Monday. This is the kind of smart cooking I’m here for right now.

A case in point: this week, I cooked a batch of grains – in my case it was brown rice and quinoa, but I’d wager bulgur wheat, farro, or any grains you fancy would work. First I made a hearty winter salad, with the last of the season’s blood oranges and fennel and a punchy, mustardy dressing. I also threw in some winter greens – cavolo nero and kale.

The greens were grown by a local mum, Chloe, who runs Sitopia, an incredible modern, urban farm in Greenwich. The farm is a social enterprise where Chloe and her team of volunteers use regenerative techniques that help to nurture the environment, growing an incredible array of fruit, vegetables and flowers. Check out their website if you want to find out more – it’s inspiring stuff.   

After we’d eaten the salad, the leftover grains were combined with grated courgette and spices, fried in little fritters and served with a lemon-dressed salad and easy harissa yogurt dip.

Greens, grains and blood orange salad

A salad that’s a meal in itself

This would totally work with normal oranges, but when the pink-fleshed beauties are around, it’s a treat to make it with blood oranges. This is a meal in itself, or you could serve alongside roast chicken, fish or other veggie sides as part of a bigger spread.

Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side

• 200g grains (uncooked weight – I used M&S brown rice, red and black quinoa)

• 2 blood oranges

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard

• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

• 1 tsp honey

• 1 fennel bulb, core removed, finely sliced, fronds reserved

• A big handful kale, cavolo nero or a mix, woody stalks removed, larger leaves roughly torn

The oranges are served in the salad, and their juice used to make a punchy dressing. This beautiful platter is by Late Afternoon

1. Prepare the grains according to the pack instructions.

2. Meanwhile, set a sieve over a big bowl or platter (this is what you’ll serve the salad in). Cut the peel from the oranges. Then holding each orange over the sieve, cut into rounds. Squeeze any excess juice from the peel through the sieve too. Set the orange segments aside.

3. Add the olive oil, mustard, vinegar and honey to the orange juice, season generously and whisk to combine. Toss the fennel in the dressing (reserving the green fronds to garnish) and set aside.

4. Steam the greens for 1-2 minutes in salted water until just tender.

5. Combine half the grains and the greens with the fennel. Top with the oranges, scatter with the fennel fronds and drizzle over a little more olive oil to serve.

Spiced courgette fritters

A useful veggie fritter recipe that you can make to use up whatever you’ve got in the fridge

These tasty little fritters are endlessly adaptable (see ‘switch it up’ below), and pack a flavour punch. Eat them for lunch or serve with a side like roast potatoes for a heartier dinner.

Serves 2

• 1 medium courgette (approx. 270g)

• 1 tsp mustard seeds

• 1 small red onion, finely diced

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• ½ tsp chilli powder

• ½ tsp turmeric

• 150g cooked leftover grains (cooked weight)

• 3 tbsp flour (I used wholemeal)

For the yoghurt

• 2 tbsp natural yoghurt

• 2 tsp rose harissa paste

1. Grate the courgette over a clean tea towel, then squeeze over the sink to get rid of excess moisture (it’s quite tempting to skip this step but it’s important to avoid sogginess).

2. Heat a splash of oil in a medium non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add the onion and a pinch of salt. Fry until the onion has softened then combine with the courgette. Wipe the pan clean with kitchen towel.

3. Stir the egg, spices, grains and flour into the courgette mix. Season generously.

4. Heat a splash more oil in the pan and drop tablespoonfuls of the fritter mix into the pan. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, working in batches (keep the cooked fritters warm in the oven).

5. To make the yoghurt, combine the harissa and yoghurt. Season.

6. Serve the fritters with the yoghurt and some lemon-dressed salad leaves.

Switch it up

• The salad would work with spinach or spring greens instead of kale, and clementines or oranges in place of the blood oranges. You could add crumbled feta or torn mozzarella, too.

• Swap the courgettes for grated carrot or blitzed cauliflower in the fritters. Switch up the spices to take them in a different flavour direction – chipotle paste, paprika and a pinch of cinnamon for a more Mexican vibe, preserved lemons, cumin and za’atar for flavour that skews Middle Eastern, and so on.

• Add grated halloumi, crumbled feta or a tin of tuna to the fritters.

Use it up

• Leftover salad is great in lunchboxes.

• Squish leftover fritters into pitta bread with the remaining harissa yoghurt and some crunchy salad.

• Blood orange peels can be added to vodka with sugar then left in a jar to steep. Sieve for a homemade blood orange vodka – delicious topped up with prosecco.      

• Wilt the remaining kale or cavolo nero then pan-fry for a minute or so with chilli and garlic. Serve on toast with a fried egg.