Spicy tomato, chickpea and spinach stew

A regular: Moro-inspired stew of tomatoes, chickpeas and spinach. Aromatics: garlic, mild Spanish smoked paprika, cumin, ground coriander seeds and a bit of harissa. Sometimes some fennel or caraway seeds as well. With homemade sourdough bread for soaking up the leftover sauce. Really good with some chorizo through the sauce or sharp cheese crumbled on top as well.

King prawns in a Spanish spinach tomato sauce

King prawns again! Spanish this time, after a recipe in Moro (did I mention I love that book?). The Moro recipe uses finely chopped green pepper and caraway seed, but I used spinach, since that’s what my veg box gave me, and fennel seeds plus a tiny bit of cumin, as there was no caraway seed around the house. Tasted great though, especially with a slice of lightly toasted sourdough rye bread.

raw king prawns, peeled or unpeeled

a couple handfuls of fresh spinach

tin of good-quality chopped tomatoes, or homemade tomato sauce (for two persons, use two tins)

plenty of garlic, thinly sliced

fresh parsley

fennel or caraway seeds

dried chillies or chilli flakes

Heat a splash of olive oil and fry the garlic and some dried chillies. When the garlic starts to colour, add the caraway or fennel seeds. Stir in the tomatoes or tomato sauce, season with sea salt and black pepper and, if the sauce needs it, a pinch of sugar, and simmer for a while. (The Moro recipe says discard the juices of the tinned tomatoes before adding them, but I actually like this dish with a bit of thicker and a bit of more watery sauce.) Add the spinach and the prawns and cook for a few more minutes, until the prawns are pink. Serve with a generous amount of fresh parsley.

Pasta with Portobello mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach and chick peas

Just a simple vegetable medley. I stirred some smoked aubergine pesto through the pasta, which rounded things off quite nicely. Celery and carrots in the new box, so the last two Portobello’s will be going into Nigel’s bolognese. Can’t wait!