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© William Lingwood/Duncan Baird Publishers

Chargrilled Moroccan Chicken, Sprouting Broccoli and Couscous Salad

John Gregory-Smith

(Taken from Mighty Spice Cookbook, £20 HB, Duncan Baird Publishers)

Serves 4
50g/13/4oz/ 1∕3 cup almonds500g/1lb 2oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs
150g/51/2oz/heaped 3/4 cup couscous
150g/51/2oz sprouting broccoli, roughly chopped
2 large handfuls mint leaves, roughly chopped
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the spice paste
1 garlic clove
1 red chilli, deseeded
2.5cm/1in piece root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large handful mint leaves, roughly chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt

1. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the almonds and gently toast, shaking the pan occasionally, for 4–6 minutes, or until the almonds are a beautiful golden brown. Transfer the nuts to a plate to cool.
2. To make the spice paste, put all the ingredients in a mini food processor and blend to a smooth paste. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the chicken to the spice paste and mix well, making the sure the chicken is completed coated. Cover and leave to marinate for 30 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator if time allows.
4. Heat a griddle pan over a high heat and griddle the chicken for 5–6 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through. Set aside for a few minutes to rest and then slice into thin strips.
5. Tip the couscous into a large mixing bowl and pour over 250ml/9fl oz/1 cup warm water. Cover with cling film and leave for 10 minutes, or until tender, then fluff with a fork to separate the grains.
6. Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 3–4 minutes, or until just tender. Drain in a colander, then refresh in cold water and drain again.
7. Put the prepared chicken, broccoli, toasted almonds, mint, lemon juice and oil into the mixing bowl with the couscous and season with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Toss everything together until well combined and serve immediately.

© Noel Murphy/Duncan Baird Publishers

Confit of Pollack with Clam Chowder

Jun Tanaka & Pearl

(Taken from The Real Food Cookbook, £20 HB, Duncan Baird Publishers)

Serves 4
600g/1lb 5oz clams, well soaked
400g/14oz pollack fillet
500ml/17fl oz/2 cups olive oil, plus 2 tbsp to drizzle
1 thyme sprig
100g/31/2oz smoked bacon, diced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 celery stick, diced
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 leek, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp plain flour
500ml/17fl oz/2 cups
chicken stock, hot
2 tbsp creme fraiche
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp chopped parsley
toasted ciabatta, to serve
freshly ground black pepper

1. First clean and check the clams. Discard any that do not close at once when tapped sharply on the work surface.
2. To confit the pollack, season the fish with pepper and leave it to stand for 10 minutes. Gently warm the olive oil in a pan with the thyme. Place the fish in the oil and leave for 8–10 minutes, off the heat.
3. Meanwhile, make the chowder. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan, add the bacon and cook together for 1 minute. Add the diced potato, celery, garlic and leek and cook them for a further 4 minutes. Add the flour, cook for 1 minute, and then add the clams and chicken stock.
4. Cover with a lid and boil for 4 minutes until the clams open. Discard any that fail to open. Add the creme fraiche, squeeze in the lemon juice and sprinkle with the parsley.
5. Serve the chowder in bowls with flakes of the pollack and some toasted ciabatta on the side.

© William Lingwood/Duncan Baird Publishers

Blueberry and Lime Cheesecake

Grace Cheetham

(Take from Simply Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Recipes, £14.99 HB, Duncan Baird Publishers)

Serves 4 -
Preparation time 25 minutes, plus making the biscuits and at least 3 hours setting
Cooking time 40 minutes

 100g/3½oz dairy-free margarine, melted, plus extra for greasing
1 recipe quantity Ginger Biscuits (see below), broken into pieces
300g/10½oz/2 cups blueberries
550g/1lb 4oz soya cream cheese
175g/6oz/1 cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
zest and juice of 2 limes
4 eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Lightly grease a deep 20cm/8in springform cake tin with dairy-free margarine and line the base with baking parchment. Heat the dairy-free margarine in a saucepan over a low heat until melted. Put the biscuits in a food processor and blend until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the crumbs to the melted margarine and mix well. Using the back of a spoon, press the mixture evenly into the base of the cake tin. Cover with the blueberries and leave to chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, blend the soya cream cheese, sugar, and lime zest and juice together in a food processor until smooth. Add the eggs and blend until smooth and creamy.
3. Pour the cheese mixture over the blueberries and bake for 30–35 minutes until pale golden brown and the top feels firm to the touch. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake to rest in the oven for another 30 minutes.
4. Ease the cheesecake out of the tin and leave to cool completely, then chill in the fridge for 3–4 hours until completely set before serving.

Ginger Biscuits

Makes 12 -
Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 20 minutes

175g/6oz dairy-free margarine
125g/4½oz/¾ cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
100g/3½oz/heaped ½ cup rice flour
50g/1¾oz/scant ½ cup gram flour
50g/1¾oz/¹⁄₃ cup maize flour
2 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp gluten-free baking powder
scant ½ tsp xanthan gum
1cm/½in piece of root ginger, peeled and grated

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Put the dairy-free margarine and sugar in a saucepan and heat over a low heat until the margarine has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 4–5 minutes until the mixture has caramelized slightly and become syrupy.
2. Sift the flours into a large mixing bowl and stir in the ground ginger, gluten-free baking powder and xanthan gum. Add the root ginger and, using your fingertips, rub it into the flour mixture until well mixed. Add the margarine and sugar syrup, and stir well with a wooden spoon.
3. Spoon the mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, onto the baking sheets. Using your hands and the back of a metal spoon, shape each mound into a round biscuit shape about 3mm/1∕₈in thick.
4. Bake for 8–12 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before serving.