Really feel-good recipes for boring and miserable climate

When it’s getting colder outdoors and spring’s lighter evenings are nonetheless simply out of attain, it may be exhausting to really feel impressed within the kitchen. Warming soups and stews lose their attraction after some time, nevertheless it’s additionally not fairly time for the crisp and contemporary salads we have been having fun with just some months in the past.

These “really feel good” recipes created by chef and creator Olia Hercules for Maldon Salt are good for filling that seasonal hole, whereas nonetheless profiting from winter veg.

Count on relishes, crispy toppings and fermentations to jazz up these dishes you’ve received on repeat, as properly beautiful aspect dishes that expend these greens you at all times have left on the finish of the week.

Fennel, blood orange and shallot relish

The fennel provides crunch, the orange lends sweetness and acidity, and the shallot offers this relish a mignonette sort of really feel. It retains properly within the fridge and is nice with so many issues together with mackerel and pork stomach and it could additionally work properly in a sandwich. It’s equally good with roast greens similar to pumpkin, particularly if it’s been charred on some coals.

Components:

1 banana shallot

1 fennel bulb

1 blood or common orange

1 handful of chopped inexperienced olives

2 tbsp good-quality vinegar

1 tbsp Maldon salt

1 tbsp honey

A number of sprigs of contemporary marjoram or oregano

Technique

1. Peel and cube the shallot as finely as you may. Reduce the fennel in half, then lower it into very skinny strips, then throughout into small cube.

2. Section an orange by slicing the peel and the pith with a pointy knife, then draw the knife in-between the membrane to launch the orange flesh. Attempt to catch the orange juices, swipe them right into a bowl. Chop the orange up into small items.

3. As a result of this relish has fruity notes and in addition honey, it is very important season it correctly, to push it into that savoury realm. Pour the vinegar into the bowl with the orange juice, then add the salt and honey, whisk properly – the vinegar will assist dissolve each salt and honey (this can be a good tip for any dressing making, first dissolve salt tin the vinegar, then whisk within the oil).

4. Style the dressing, it needs to be nearly on the verge of being over-seasoned with an excellent sour-sweet stability, regulate it to your palate however keep in mind will probably be diluted by the orange.

5. Stir the fennel, orange, shallot and olives by way of the dressing and add the herbs earlier than serving.

Charred cabbage with almond cream and spiced salt

It is a easy but additionally a really spectacular and scrumptious dish that has a spot each on a weekday and a cocktail party desk.

As at all times, I encourage to make use of and substitute no matter you may simply discover and that is smart to you. The cabbage may be white cabbage, and even purple cabbage. The sauce and salt would additionally work properly with roast cauliflower, swede, pumpkin or carrots. You may simply want to regulate roasting occasions. I exploit walnuts and almonds lots, however cashews or pecans would work very properly too, simply be certain that, particularly for those who use walnuts, that the nuts are contemporary and attractive – there’s nothing worse than a barely rancid nut. When you don’t have caraway seeds however have and love cumin and need to go Center Japanese quite than Japanese European, add cumin as a substitute! Ditto the acid: decide any good tasting vinegar or citrus. It’s also possible to blitz some caramelised onions or confit garlic into the nut cream – then it can very a lot resemble a Georgian sauce known as satsivi. Simply observe the proportions and the strategy within the recipe as a blueprint of kinds. In case you have by no means roasted cabbage wedges earlier than, I can not advocate it sufficient, it’s such sport changer. This recipe can be by accident vegan, however it could be additionally good with garlic yoghurt for those who don’t fancy the nut cream.

Serves: 4-6

Components:

1 sweetheart cabbage

3 tbsp olive or sunflower oil

For the cream:

250g nuts (I used almonds right here)

70ml water

1 tbsp good vinegar or lemon

1-2 cloves garlic, peeled

For the salt:

2 tbsp Maldon salt

½ tbsp caraway seeds

½ tbsp coriander seeds

¼ tsp sumac

Technique:

1. Soak the nuts in loads of water, for a minimum of 5 hours, or higher in a single day within the fridge.

2. Preheat the oven to 220C. Reduce the cabbage in half by way of the core. Then, relying in your cabbage’s dimension, lower it into wedges. the thinner the wedges the faster they are going to cook dinner.

3. Put the wedges on a baking tray (line it to make cleansing simpler). Drizzle the oil over the cabbage and therapeutic massage it on and between the leaves. Put it within the oven and examine after about quarter-hour. It’s possible you’ll want to show the wedges over and provides them one other 10-20 minutes or till the cabbages look beautiful and charred.

4. In the meantime, drain the nuts and save the nut water if there’s any. Put the nuts and 70ml of (nut or common) chilly water right into a blender and blitz right into a easy cream. Finely grate the garlic and add that in too together with the vinegar and a beneficiant pinch of Maldon. Blitz once more, then style. It needs to be gently seasoned – keep in mind there’s spiced salt that is happening prime when served. The feel needs to be that of a thick yoghurt.

5. For the salt, toast the caraway and coriander seeds in a pan till aromatic and bash them in a pestle and mortar together with the Maldon salt. The salt will assist all the things grind down simply. Stir by way of the sumac.

6. To serve pour the nut sauce on the underside of a serving plate or small platter and put the cabbage on prime (which by the best way is nice both scorching or heat/room temp). Sprinkle over the spiced salt and serve alongside different dishes or a easy inexperienced salad or watercress.

Immune-boosting, fridge foraged soup

I at all times have bits of ginger, chilli and turmeric lurking within the fridge and within the winter months, there’s at all times a pumpkin too. I roast it complete, both within the wood-fired oven or the common oven till it’s delicate inside. I don’t trouble to peel the ginger; I would like the vitamins within the pores and skin, plus it’s undetectable. However if you wish to peel yours, scraping the pores and skin off with a teaspoon works greatest!

Serves: 4

Components:

Vegetable offcuts together with onion peel, carrot peels, celery

1 medium pumpkin or squash

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 onion, peeled and diced

1 giant knob ginger

A number of items of contemporary turmeric (or 1 tsp turmeric powder)

50g pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp honey

Maldon salt

Some chilli flakes

Technique:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Rub the pumpkin with some oil and place it within the oven and cook dinner for about an hour. When it’s delicate, take it out and let it calm down sufficient to have the ability to deal with, then peel off the pores and skin, lower in half and do away with the seeds. Put the flesh right into a meals processor.

2. To make the inventory, place your vegetable offcuts right into a inventory pot and add about 1L of water. Deliver to a boil and cook dinner for about half-hour. Swap off the warmth and let it stand.

3. For the pumpkin seeds, line a tray with some foil or baking parchment. Toss the pumpkin seeds within the honey, then sprinkle over Maldon salt. Bake within the oven at 180C for about 10 minutes. Add the chilli flakes for the final 3 minutes of cooking.

4. In the meantime, soften the coconut oil in a giant pan and add the onion and a giant pinch of salt, cook dinner over a medium-low warmth till delicate and translucent. Grate the ginger and turmeric and add them to the onion.

5. Prepare dinner for about 5-10 minutes. Add the pumpkin flesh and a number of the inventory to the pan and blitz utilizing a stick blender.

6. Serve with the sweet-salty-spicy pumpkin seeds sprinkled excessive.

Grated carrot with herbs and poppy seeds

Two issues I can at all times discover in my fridge are carrots and herbs. Typically the herbs should not at their greatest, however minced finely with some salt, they make for an excellent foundation for a dressing. Nearly any delicate herbs work, and you’ll range the spices and seeds that you just add. Being Ukrainian, I at all times have an extra of poppy seeds, however sesame and nigella seeds would work rather well too. This may be eaten as a salad or as a relish of kinds – assume cheese or leftover roast pork or hen stuffed right into a pitta bread. It retains very properly within the fridge, changing into a pickle after 24 hours.

Serves: 2

Components:

500g carrots

Unhappy, fridge herbs (I’m utilizing coriander, tarragon and dill)

1 small clove of garlic

1 lime, juice solely

1 tbsp gentle vinegar (cider works properly)

Maldon salt

1 tbsp poppy seeds

Black or white pepper

Technique:

1. I hardly ever peel carrots, however I’ll do right here as a result of I need to save the peels to make vegetable inventory for different dishes. Grate the carrots on the tough aspect of the grater.

2. Roughly chop the herbs and the garlic, then sprinkle over some Maldon salt and chop by way of once more till the herbs and the garlic are fairly past-ie. Put this right into a bowl.

3. Whisk within the lime juice and the vinegar and style.

4. Toast the poppy seeds in a small frying pan. Stir the seeds by way of the carrot and serve.

Mushroom broth

In Ukraine, we might have some type of broth just about day-after-day. There’s something so healthful about it, particularly when it includes mushrooms. One in all my first meals recollections is my dad getting back from a protracted journey (most likely to Germany in early Nineteen Nineties), and he would come again with large containers of Kinder chocolate bars and a large bag of dried ceps he would purchase on the aspect of the street in northwestern Ukraine. Mum would instantly make broth – so darkish in color, it was nearly black. The earthy aroma mingling with plenty of chopped contemporary dill is perpetually imprinted in my reminiscence. As we speak, I make my very own model impressed by hers. This is sort of a lovely canvas – you may at all times add different herbs you want in addition to chillies or crispy ginger and garlic, brown rice or buckwheat groats as a substitute of the noodles; bulked up with kale orchard – so good in your well being and in addition for the soul.

Serves: 4

Components:

50g dried mushrooms

2 onions

2 tbsp olive oil

1 giant carrot, grated on the tough aspect of the grater

100g kale or different darkish inexperienced leaves, finely chopped

200g buckwheat noodles

15g butter

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

A handful of contemporary mushrooms

A lot of dill and parsley, finely chopped

Technique

1. Put the mushrooms right into a bowl and canopy with 500ml of scorching water, cowl with a plate and depart for a minimum of 20 minutes.

2. In the meantime, peel and cube one of many onions. Warmth the oil in a heavy-based pan and sweat the onions over a medium-low warmth till delicate and translucent. Add the carrot and sweat some extra till beginning to caramelise gently. Add the chopped kale and cook dinner for about 3-5 minutes.

3. When the mushrooms look plump, decide them out with a slotted spoon and punctiliously pour the liquid into the pot with the onion and carrot, ensuring to depart any grit behind. Add the rehydrated mushrooms in too, add a litre of water and one complete, peeled onion. Deliver to a simmer and cook dinner for about 20 minutes.

4. I cook dinner the noodles individually, in response to the packet directions and toss them in a tiny little bit of oil as soon as they’re drained.

5. Typically, I additionally fry some mushrooms in butter to make use of as a topping. I roughly chop the garlic after which crush utilizing Maldon salt and the aspect of a knife. Then I merely warmth the butter and add the mushrooms, cook dinner till good and brown, then stir by way of the crushed garlic and cook dinner for a minute.

6. To serve put some noodles right into a bowl and prime with the broth, scatter some fried garlicky mushrooms on prime and end with the herbs.

Layered Savoy cabbage ‘lasagne’

This attracts inspiration from Ukrainian cabbage parcels known as holubtsi. That is principally an easier model that doesn’t require you to kind parcels. You should utilize barley or diced potato, however most of the time I’ve plenty of cooked brown rice (we do a batch each Sunday to make use of for my son’s packed lunch and for our lunches too), so I like to make use of it as a stuffing. The tomato inventory is beautiful and in case you are not vegan, it can even be beautiful with a spoonful of creme fraiche stirred by way of it.

Components

1 savoy cabbage

3 tbsp olive or sunflower oil

1 giant onion, peeled and diced

2 celery sticks, finely diced

1 giant carrot, roughly grated

250g mushrooms, roughly chopped

200g leftover cooked or blanched (for 10 minutes) brown rice

100g cooked chestnuts, chopped

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, sliced

Maldon salt

Black pepper

Technique:

1. To make the savoy cabbage leaves pliable, put them right into a steamer. I exploit a bamboo one, however you may at all times use a big steel colander and a lid. Separate, then steam the leaves for about quarter-hour or till delicate. I have a tendency to not lower out the stalky bit because it softens sufficient by the top of cooking and is nice to eat.

2. For the filling, warmth the oil in a big, cast-iron pan and add the onions and a giant pinch of Maldon. Prepare dinner for about 10 minutes over a medium-low warmth, stirring typically. You’ll be able to add little splashes of water and deglaze the pan, if at any level it feels dry.

3. Then add the carrots and celery and cook dinner for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook dinner for about 7 minutes. Lastly, stir by way of the chestnuts and the rice and scoop it out right into a bowl. No want to scrub the pan, simply begin layering it with the leaves.

4. Construct the primary layer of savoy cabbage leaves, then scoop in a 3rd of the filling, then layer some extra leaves over, then observe with the fillings once more, then leaves, then filling, then leaves.

5. Preheat the oven to 180C.

6. For the tomato inventory, pour the chopped tomatoes into the identical bowl the place the filling was. Squash them additional with a potato masher. Swirl some water by way of the tomato tin and pour into the bowl with the tomatoes. If you’d like, you may as well whisk in 2 tablespoons of creme fraiche into the combination. Add the garlic and a beneficiant pinch of salt and a few pepper.

7. Pour the combination over the cabbage lasagne, ensuring that not one of the garlic is true on prime (the place it could actually burn). Pop the pot into the oven and cook dinner for about 45 minutes to an hour. The tomato liquid might be lowered, and the highest of the lasagne might be properly charred.

8. Serve and revel in with a giant hunk of crusty, contemporary bread.

Fermented chilli and celeriac

You should utilize just about any vegetable that’s in season, utilizing this brine and technique. A pumpkin works properly, it’s a bit uncommon however works superbly. To hurry issues alongside I’m dicing the celeriac and in addition utilizing a splash of a brine from a ripe ferment. This celeriac can be utilized as a little bit pickle, a relish and even to cook dinner with.

Components:

1 celeriac

7g Maldon salt

500ml water

1 chilli, lower in half lengthways

Technique:

1. To peel the celeriac, put it on the floor flat aspect down after which utilizing a knife slice the pores and skin off. Ensure that to get rid off all of the pores and skin because it harbours soil and also you don’t need that in your pickle! Give the peeled celeriac a wash after which slice into skinny strips after which throughout into small cube.

2. Warmth the water with the salt to assist dissolve it after which let it cool. Put the celeriac right into a 1L jar and canopy it with the brine, pop within the chilli. Cowl with a lid.

3. Depart in your kitchen for a few week, opening the jar lid everytime you keep in mind. The celeriac is prepared each time it turns into barely bitter – style it. When it tastes good, put it within the fridge to decelerate the fermentation course of.

Savoury granola

That is an extremely addictive dish and is so versatile. I take pleasure in it greatest sprinkled it over salads, soups, stews.

Components:

2 tsp sunflower seeds

2 tsp sesame seeds

2 tbsp cashew nuts

1 tbsp almonds, chopped

3 tbsp vegetable oil

5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

20g piece of ginger

1 tbsp tamarind puree

1 tbsp maple syrup

Maldon salt

Technique:

1. Put the sunflower seeds right into a dry frying pan and toast till golden. Do the identical with the sesame seeds after which the cashew nuts and the almonds. Put the nuts right into a bowl.

2. Now warmth the oil within the pan and add the garlic and the ginger, cook dinner over a medium-low warmth till flippantly golden and fragrant. Add this, together with the oil, into the nuts, add the tamarind and maple syrup and stir by way of correctly.

3. Preheat the oven to 160C.

4. Line a baking tray with some non-stick baking parchment or foil and unfold out the nut and seed combination. Sprinkle over the salt and cook dinner for about 8-10 minutes. You wish to dry all the things out with out letting the garlic burn.

5. Keep in mind that it might really feel sticky however will dry out as soon as not noted of the oven. Hold in an hermetic container for as much as per week. Use on all the things or as a snack.

Recipes created by Olia Hercules for Maldon Salt, a part of the ‘Really feel Good Meals’ sequence operating on Maldon Salt socials.