Come on in, the watercress is fine...

So Hugh FW has decided to go on about watercress this weekend. As well he should - it's coming into it's own this time of year, and - in contrast to just about everything else green and seasonal in March - it's got a striking flavour all its own.

I personally love a bit of peppery watercress, though I'm not a big fan of it in a salad on it's own. The bitterness can be just a bit too much. Where it's at it's yummiest is in a sandwich with fish (as Hugh FW mentions in the link above) or in a straightforward honest soup.

Two weeks ago for Mothering Sunday I served watercress soup as a first course and it went down a treat. There are many good versions out there (I quite like Delia's to use to get you thinking), and I've settled on these proportions, with the addition of silky natural yogurt at the end.

Watercress soup 

(serves 4 as a starter, serves 2 as a lunch)

2 bags of watercress, with stalks removed (use in a stock later ideally)
30 g reduced fat butter + 1 tbsp olive oil
2 large/3 medium leeks, chopped (with dark green/yellow parts removed)
500 g potato, peeled and chopped into cubes
2 tbsp bouillon powder + 1.25 l freshly boiled water (or 1.25 l of your own stock)
100 g natural low-fat yogurt 

a few reserved leaves for garnish
salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Do all the ingredient prep before you start cooking - time will then fly by. Heat the butter/oil in a large pot and add the watercress, potato and leeks. Season with pepper and allow to cook over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes.

Like in Delia's recipe, add the stock and bring to a simmer (a light simmer) and let continue like that for about 15 minutes. Use a hand-blender to puree the soup.

Now, you could eat the soup like this, but on special occasions, I like to strain the soup, and this one's an easy one to do. In batches, put the soup through a strainer (a fine metal colander will do) and use the back of a wooden spoon to get all of the liquid through.

Return it all to the pot (making sure it's off the heat) and mix through 3/4 of the natural yogurt and season well. Put the pot back on a very low heat and serve immediately. (If you aren't ready to serve immediately, do the yogurt at the last minute.)

Garnish with a last daub of yogurt, a few leaves of watercress, and a last grind of pepper.

Calories: I didn't add them up, but it's got to be pretty low. And if it's good enough for Liz Hurley and John Lydon, it's good enough for you.

Salmon frittata with roasted parsnips

A very contemporary egg and chips, this one. If you haven't been reading the blog, check out this post first to get up to speed.

I was a bit nervous about it - not sure if the result would end up really claggy and horrid. But luckily, it came out just as I wanted it - fresh, sweet and herby. I think this would make a lovely Saturday lunch with friends.

Salmon frittata with roasted parsnips
(serves 2: either 2 medium sized portions or 1 large and 1 small portion)

300 g fresh salmon, peeled and chopped into 1-2 cm cubes
450 g parsnips, peeled and chopped into largeish matchsticks
3 eggs
juice of one lime
1 large handful of parsley, chopped
3 spring onions, chopped finely
1 tbsp olive oil
20 sprays of olive oil
100 ml skimmed milk
salt and pepper
2 tbsp half-fat creme fraiche

Preheat the oven to 230 C. Roast the matchstick-sized parsnips with 1 tbsp olive oil and salt to taste in a foil-lined baking tray for 35 minutes.

Set salmon cubes to marinate in lime juice.

With 15 minutes left to roast, start the frittata: Heat 10 sprays of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and add the spring onions. After about 3-4 minutes, add the salmon cubes, ensuring that they are evenly distributed around the pan.

Combine the eggs, milk and chopped parsley into a jug and whisk with a fork. Season with salt and pepper.

Over medium heat, pour the egg mixture over the salmon and spring onions, ensuring that it is also evenly distributed around the pan. Allow to cook over medium/medium-low heat for about five minutes. The top of the eggs shouldn't yet have set.

With five minutes left to go, put the saute pan under the grill (it's fine if your grill/oven are combined and your parsnips are at the bottom). AFter five minutes, the eggs should have puffed up slightly and the frittata should have cooked through.

Serve the frittata (half and half for two equal servings, or 2/3 for a large serving and 1/3 for a small serving) and the roasted parsnips (1/2 each, either way) with a tablespoon of creme fraiche.

Calories: for a small serving of the frittata with half of the parsnips - 640.

I can see myself eating this recipe on a lovely late-spring afternoon on the balcony with a glass of white wine. I shall be revisiting it again - the sweet salmon, tangy lime, fresh egg, herby parsley, and perfumed parsnips make for an excellent meal.

Ideas for cooking in March

Okay, let's start thinking about what makes good eating in the lion of a month that is March. It's cold (most likely), windy (I'd imagine) and rainy (isn't it always?), so we're in the mood for something warming. BUT - we're also in the mood for a spark of spring to awaken our senses. Or, at least, I am.

Well, as I said last March (check this post out for some more ideas), we've got a few new seasonal items to choose from, like radishes, mint, parsley and purple sprouting broccoli. Add that to the stalwarts carrots and leeks and some yummy seafood like sardines and mussels, and we're good to go I think. Parsley, mint and lemon will provide us with the hints of spring we're so desperately craving.

Anyway, I'm not going to do that thing anymore where I give you a list of ingredients and some ideas for using them. Instead, I'm just going to tell you what I fancy cooking this month...

Grilled sardines with tabbouleh
Sardines are oh-so-easy to cook - grill them with a little bit of lemon juice and garlic. Meanwhile, tabbouleh is still my top dish of all time. (In fact, I'm making it tonight, with sea bass instead of sardines...)

Leeks vinaigrette with eggs
I told you all about how I made this lovely dish for Valentine's Day. What I didn't tell you is that I loved it so much I'm making it again! Worth a try (or two). See original version here.

Broccoli-cheese soup
I love the idea of cooking up this retro soup. If I'm feeling flush, I might use purple sprouting broccoli - but you can make it easily and cheaply with a couple heads of broccoli, some bouillion, a little garlic and a bit of cheddar. (You could also make it with fusilli pasta - something I'm considering about to prepare before long runs).

Cauliflower and cumin fritters
I haven't yet got around to raving about my newest cookbook, Ottolenghi. It makes me so happy to peruse this book. Most of you know that the brains behind the restaurant Ottolenghi write a column in the Guardian Weekend - but the book far surpasses the column. Cauliflower and cumin fritters are just one of the recipes I can't wait to try.

Ham with swede, leeks, carrot and celery with parsley sauce
For my birthday in January, my lovely friend Sarah gave me Valentine Warner's cookbook What to Eat Now, which is based on his BBC2 show. He's full of fantastic autumn/winter food ideas - one of which is this lovely and rustic idea. I can picture myself eating this on a chilly yet clear Sunday afternoon in March.

Stuffed cabbage
It sounds so dull but it seems so full of potential to me - stuff this brassica with mushrooms, maybe a little bacon, perhaps some walnuts, maybe some breadcrumbs, or some cheese if I'm in the mood. Wrap and steam - or saute then wrap. Either way it sounds a winner.

Pork, anchovy and black olive stew on polenta
Another Valentine Warner dish. I'm cooking this at the weekend and serving perhaps with a Chianti? I can't decide yet...

Spicy cauliflower soup
I have a love-hate relationship with cauliflower, but if anything's going to make it taste good, it would be those earthy spices like cumin and curry. Creamy without the cream, this soup feels ideal for an overcast, rainy day.

Puy lentils with sour cherries, bacon and gorgonzola
Other Ottolenghi brainchild. But doesn't it sound absolutely gorgeous? My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Baked bananas
I've been trying to figure out what to do with the umpteen bananas I have in my freezer, chucked there right before they go off so that I can convince myself I'm not wasting them. Valentine Warner suggests baking them with a little rum. Mmmmm....

Baked eggs with herbs and chopped mushrooms
One from The Pauper's Cookbook. This strikes me as an ideal Saturday brunch dish, to be cooked up in little ramekins.

So what do you think? What sounds good, what doesn't? What are YOU making this March? Do share...

March on, fellow foodies

Blog devotees may remember my rather melodramatic post from a few weeks ago, as I was mired in a pit of despair over the lack of new seasonal foods to eat. Well, my goal is to emerge from that pit this month as best as possible. And in the spirit of Easter, as they say, “always look on the bright side of life.” Brian would be proud.

So, moving from Brian to Tom, what’s new, pussycat? Well, a couple of herbs, for a start – parsley and mint. Now, I absolutely love both of those, and shall be thinking of some excellent ideas. The others aren’t exactly new so much as, well… old, but take heart, my plan is to spice them up with some strong flavours.

On another note, this is my 200th post! Thanks to everyone who reads this labour of love of mine.

Parsley
This Mediterranean herb can evidently hold up against the chill of March, though at the moment all of the parsley in the supermarkets seems to come from either Morocco or Israel. So keep an eye out for some grown a little closer to home.

The best thing about parsley is that it adds so much flavour without the calories. And it's a breath freshener! Just check your teeth for green bits.Here are some recipes that include parsley:

Tabbouleh - my favourite dish ever.

Gremolata - a dry sauce of lemon, garlic and parsley. It's gorgeous added to anything, as a garnish or as a primary ingredient.

Parsley and eggs is a great combo. Try Ainsley's parsley and garlic frittata: it's very healthy. I'd use skim milk - and you know, I don't think it necessarily needs that much oil. Swap wholegrain for white bread

Chop in the food processor and add to any root vegetable (boiled or mashed) for a fresh taste.

Chop in the food processor (again) and add in droves to soups or sauces.

Mint
Mint may make you think of ice cream and chocolate after-dinner sweets, but it actually takes on such a savoury quality when added to other more savoury ingredients. That's why it's such a classic with meats like lamb. And it's one of the ingredients in my favourite, tabbouleh. But here are some other simple ways to use mint.

Minted peas - just grab some peas from the freezer and steam. Stir through the finely-chopped mint just before serving. Or whiz them with a blender for a yummy minted pea soup. Add some chopped ham to bulk it up.

Minted potatoes - or carrots - are a great way to add that spring zing to your plate.

For a warm drink, infuse ginger, lemon and mint with hot water, and add just a touch of honey at the end. It's a real superdrink, inspired by my friend Sarah's advice when I was suffering from a cold.

Yogurt and mint is a fabulous combination, used for a sauce with lamb, or one of my favourites - falafel. Try this cucumber and mint raita - but eat it with lots of crudites, not poppadums! It's a great pre-dinner dip.

Purple sprouting broccoli
I am loving the purple-sprouting at the moment (as you can see by this month's banner on the site). It's British, it's in season, it's not expensive - I bought it as part of a buy one, get one free offer at Sainsbury's only yesterday. Stock up while you can.

I love purple sprouting broccoli as is, just steamed, but there are plenty of other ways to use it:

With chicken and wholewheat fusilli pasta and an anchovy-chilli-olive oil sauce, inspired by an Italian recipe, Orecchiete ai broccoli, that I found in my latest favourite cookbook, Twelve, by Tessa Kiros. It's a bible of Tuscan food, divided by the months of the year. The only problem is that I get a little jealous knowing that asparagus season starts in March for Italians! But I digress...

Beautiful in a stir-fry with any number of spices and herbs - garlic, chilli, cumin, and so on. Match the herb you use to the rest of your dish.

Use it in a veggie soup with other great British late-winter vegetables, like chantenay carrots and leeks. Top it off with some lovely creme fraiche - and maybe some gremolata - see above in the parsley section.

Sardines
I'm not just talking about those out of the tin (though they're not that bad, come on). I'm talking about the lovely, fresh, silvery ones beckoning to you from the fishmonger's window. Sardines stand up to really strong flavours. Go on, you'll like them...

Grill them after marinating them in lemon, garlic and chilli. Reserve a bit of those flavours in olive oil and drizzle (responsibly) over top. Serve with some dill potatoes - warm or cold.

Delia has a great linguine recipe using tinned sardines (of course), capers and chilli. She is right though; they are a great storecupboard ingredient.

Grill them with cumin and lemon, one of my favourite ways to cook mackerel, originally inspired by the wonderful Nigel Slater.

In a great lunchtime salad - use tinned sardines (boneless and skinless, and drained of olive oil) with baby spinach, julienned carrots, sliced cucumber and reduced fat feta, with lemon juice. I take this to work all the time.

Leeks
We'll miss 'em when they're gone, I'm sure. They truly are the soldier of winter. Thank you, little leeks. You have served us well. Keep it simple in the next month or so:

Steam chopped leeks with other veggies - those beautiful chantenay carrots and purple sprouting gems of broccoli. Serve with roast chicken - perhaps this mouth-watering recipe that I read just last week that uses cream cheese. Use light cream cheese and nix the butter, mind - you don't need it.

Dill is a great way to inject spring into the leeks - try this braised leek recipe, which serves six, so may need reducing.

Leek and potato is a classic combination that I think, to be honest, is a little boring sometimes. Skip the soup, and instead saute leeks and sliced, peeled red potatoes and serve up with some fresh French goats cheese (only about 45 calories per serving). Yummy.


Well, I hope that's enough to get us started in March. Next month will be exciting, I promise: strawberries (hooray!!!!!!), spring lamb (that bit too late for Easter, unfortunately... cook a chicken instead), rosemary and spinach are just a few of the delights on the way.