oil into a large saucepan on a medium heat and, when nearly hot, add the onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook, uncovered, for 25–30 minutes, stirring regularly and scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge the caramelised pieces and mix them in, until the onions are a deep golden brown.
* Add the lentils, rosemary and stock. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for about 25 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
* Shortly before the soup is ready, preheat the grill to high to make the croutons (if using).
* Toast the bread on both sides, then cover each slice with a thick layer of grated cheese. Place back under the grill and toast until bubbling and melted.
* Season the finished soup with salt and pepper to taste and divide between bowls to serve. Place a whole crouton on top of each bowl of soup and add a grinding of black pepper. (If the slices of bread are too large, you may want to cut them into squares before serving.)
Rachel’s tip
I always like to cook using extra virgin olive oil as I think it provides a divine depth of flavour. Throughout these recipes I've just called for olive oil but I recommend using extra virgin if you can, especially when used in a dressing.
Artichoke hearts in a tin or jar are one of the more luxurious preserved foods. Combined with semi-sun-dried tomatoes and preserved roasted red peppers, this is a really wonderful dish.
Serves 4
PREPARATION TIME
5 minutes
125g (4½oz) preserved artichoke hearts (from a jar or tin), cut into bite-sized pieces
75g (3oz) preserved roasted red peppers (from a jar or tin), cut into 2cm (¾in) dice
50g (2oz) semi-sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
½ red onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp pesto
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* Simply mix everything together in a big bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
The intense flavours of sun-dried tomatoes and pesto can transform a tin of tuna into something really special. You can make this 2–3 hours ahead – store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Serves 4–6
PREPARATION TIME
5 minutes
4 tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 x 400g tins of haricot beans, drained and rinsed
4 small spring onions, trimmed and sliced at an angle
120ml (4½fl oz) olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp pesto
2 x 185g tins of tuna, drained and broken into chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients apart from the tuna, then carefully stir in the tuna, keeping it in chunks. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
I generally have a few mushrooms in my fridge – they are quick to cook and this is a great way of serving them. The anchovies dissolve in the butter, imparting a lovely depth of flavour to this dish.
Serves 4
PREPARATION TIME
10 minutes
COOKING TIME
20 minutes
110g (4oz) butter
12 tinned anchovies, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
800g (1¾lb) mushrooms, sliced
4 tsp chopped thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices of bread
25g (1oz) butter
100ml (3½fl oz) single or regular cream
* Melt the butter in a large frying pan on a medium heat and, when foaming, add the anchovies and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes or until the anchovies have disintegrated and the garlic is lightly browned.
* Add the mushrooms and thyme, season with salt and pepper and reduce the heat to medium–low. Stir well, then cook, stirring occasionally, for 10–15 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft and browned.
* Meanwhile, toast the bread and butter it, then place on plates.
* Stir the cream into the mushrooms, increasing the heat to allow it to bubble for 1–2 minutes, then taste for seasoning and serve on the buttered toast.
Here’s a slightly different way of serving eggs, and one that’s incredibly easy, too. As the eggs cook gently in the oven, they take on the flavour of the spices and the silkiness of the cream. They’re perfect with toast.
Serves 4 (v)
PREPARATION TIME
5 minutes
COOKING TIME
8–12 minutes
2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp smoked paprika
Good pinch of cayenne pepper
4 eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp single or regular cream
To
