Potato and Halloumi Bake

Serves 2-3

1 large sweet potato, the orange-fleshed American variety
1 large Desiree potato or other red/firm potato
1 red onion
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
Half a head of garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil
Black pepper
125g halloumi cheese, sliced as thinly as you can
Oven proof baking dish, 25 x 15cm

1.Preheat the oven to 200C/ gas mark 6.

2.Cut the sweet potato into rough 4 cm cubes and the Desiree slightly smaller (2.5cm) as the sweet potato will cook more quickly. Halve the red onion then cut the half into 4-6 segments, discarding any tough outer skin. De-seed the peppers and cut into 2.5 cm squares, and separate the cloves of garlic.

3.Put everything into a large roasting tin or whatever you want to use (it should be big, otherwise use two dishes) and, using your hands, give the vegetables a good coating of olive oil. Season with black pepper, but no salt as the cheese will make it salty (and anyway, the salt will make water leech out).

4.Cook for 45 minutes, by which time the vegetables should be cooked through and here and there tinged with brown.

5.You'll need to turn the oven up to maximum, or light the grill for the endgame: so place the thinly sliced cheese on top of the bake, and put it back in the very hot oven or under the grill until the cheese has melted and turned slightly brown on top, about 5-10 minutes. Serve straight out of the roasting tin.

Beetroot Hummus

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Total cooking time: 40 minutes

Serves 8

Difficulty: Easy

500g (1lb) beetroot, trimmed
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
400g (13oz) can chickpeas, drained
1 tablespoon tahini
90g (3oz) plain yoghurt
3 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ cup (60ml/2 fl oz) lemon juice
½ cup (125ml/4 fl oz) vegetable stock

1. Scrub the beetroot well. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook the beetroot for 40 minutes, or until soft and cooked through. Drain and cool slightly before peeling.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion for 2 minutes, or until soft. Add the cumin and cook for a further 1 minute, or until fragrant.

3. Chop the beetroot and place in a food processor or blender with the onion mixture, chickpeas, tahini, yoghurt, garlic, lemon juice and stock, and process until smooth. With the motor running, add the remaining oil in a thin steady stream. Process until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Spoon the hummus into a serving bowl and serve with Turkish bread.

Nutrition per serving

Protein 5g; Fat 11.5g; Carbohydrate 12g; Dietary Fibre 4.5g; Cholesterol 1.5mg; 725kJ (175kcal)

Note

Beetroot hummus can be a great accompaniment to a main meal or is delicious as part of a meze platter with bruschetta or crusty bread. Its vivid colour sparks up any table.

Variation

You can use 500g (1lb) of any vegetable to make the hummus. Try carrot or pumpkin.