Red Fried Rice

This vibrant rice dish owes its appeal as much to the bright colours of red onion, red bell pepper and tomatoes as it does to their flavours.

Serves: 2

Basmati rice - 3/4 cup

Peanut oil - 2 tbsp

Small red onion - 1, chopped

Red bell pepper - 1, seeded and chopped

Cherry tomatoes - 8 ounces, halved

Eggs - 2 beaten

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Wash the rice several times under cold running water to remove starch. Drain well. Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add the rice and cook for 10-12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wok until very hot. Add the onion and pepper and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and continue stir-frying for 2 minutes more.
3. Pour in the beaten eggs all at once. Cook for 30 seconds without stirring, then stir to break up the egg as it sets.
4. Drain the cooked rice thoroughly. Add to the wok and toss it with the vegetable and egg mixture over the heat for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Wild Mushroom Soup

Wild mushrooms are expensive, but when reconstituted, the dried porcini have an intense flavour, so only a small quantity is needed.

Serves: 4

Dried porcini mushrooms - 1 ounce

Olive oil - 2 tbsp

Butter - 1 tbsp

Leeks - 2, thinly sliced
Shallots - 2, roughly chopped
Garlic clove - 1, roughly chopped
Fresh wild mushrooms - 8 ounces

Vegetable stock - 5 cups

Dried thyme - 1/2 tsp
Heavy cream - 2/3 cream
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Sprigs of fresh thyme to garnish

1. Put the dried porcini in a bowl, add 1 cup of warm water and let soak for 20-30 minutes. Lift the mushrooms out of the liquid and squeeze over the bowl to remove as much of the soaking liquid as possible. Strain all the liquid and reserve for use later. Finely chop the porcini.
2. Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan until foaming. Add the sliced leeks, chopped shallots, and garlic and cook gently for about 5 minutes. stirring frequently until softened but not coloured.
3. Chop or slice the fresh mushrooms and add to the pan. Stir over medium heat for a few minutes, until they begin to soften. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Add the porcini, soaking liquid, dried thyme, and salt and pepper. Lower the heat, half cover the pan and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Pour about three quarters of the soup into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Return the processed soup to the soup remaining in the pan. Stir in the cream and heat through. Check the consistency and add more stock if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot, garnished with thyme sprigs.

Breakfast Tortilla

A tortilla is a thick, flat omelette and is a popular dish in Spain. This is a twist on the classic combination of eggs, onion, and potatoes and makes a filling breakfast or a perfect after-school snack for kids.

"Tortilla" is a Spanish word for omelette. In Italy it is called "frittata." However, in Mexico, "tortilla" means a thin (unleavened) bread, usually made from corn.

Mushrooms - 8 oz, sliced
Asparagus - 4
Potatoes - 2 medium, peeled, cooked, and left to cool.
Sunflower oil - 1 tbsp
Cherry tomatoes - 4, halved
Eggs - 3
Salt
Pepper

1. Cut off any woody ends from the asparagus. Peel the lower half of the spears by inserting a knife under the thick skin at the base and pulling up toward the tip. Wash the asparagus in cold water. Cut into inch long pieces. Preheat your oven broiler.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan and cook the mushrooms slices until they shrink and are completely cooked. Remove the mushrooms from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. In the same pan add the asparagus and cook for about 4 minutes or until the asparagus soften and are completely cooked. Remove the asparagus pieces from the oil and set aside.
4. In the meanwhile cut the cooked potatoes into bite-sized chunks. Add the potatoes and fry them over medium heat for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Crack the eggs into a small bowl and beat them together. Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms and asparagus to the frying pan.
6. Add a little more oil to the frying pan if necessary. Pour the eggs into the pan, and cook, without stirring, for 5 minutes until the base of the tortilla is set.
7. To cook the top of the tortilla, carefully place the pan under the broiler and cook another 3-5 minutes, or until the top is set.
8.  Carefully remove the pan from the broiler and leave to cool slightly before sliding the tortilla on to a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Fruit Fresh

The bright flavours of this frozen fruit blend are highlighted by the fresh lemon juice.

Grapes contain flavonoids such as resvertrol that protect the skin from environmental damage, and the banana provides potassium, a key electrolyte in hydrating tissue. Well-hydrated skin is younger looking and less prone to flaking and breakouts.

Serves: 1

Frozen grapes - 1/4 cup

Frozen peeled banana - 1/2

Milk - 1/2 cup

Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Cottage cheese - 2 tbsp

1. Blend all ingredients together until smooth.

Curried Chickpeas

Serves: 6 to 8

Chickpeas - 1 1/2 cups, washed and drained
Water - 5 cups
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Ground Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Ground Coriander - 1 tsp
Cayenne Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Butter - 3 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Onion - 1 medium, chopped
Garlic - 1 clove, chopped
Grated fresh ginger - 1 tbsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Fresh coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, chopped

1. Put chickpeas in a bowl, examine for inedible objects. Add enough  cold water to cover and soak overnight
2. To cook, drain the chickpeas. Place chickpeas, 5 cups water, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and cayenne in a heavy saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover pan, and simmer for about 1 hour.
3. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cook for 1 minute. Add onion, garlic, and ginger and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until onion turns golden brown.
4. add chickpeas and cooking liquid to onion mixture. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cover pan, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, or until chickpeas are tender but not mushy.
5. Add garam masala and mix well.
6. Place chickpeas in a serving dish and sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves.

For speedier preparation, purchase canned, rather than dried, chickpeas at the supermarket. Using two 14-oz. cans of pre-soaked chickpeas eliminates the first step and reduces the cooking time in the second and fourth steps by half.