Organic burgers with melted cheese and tomato salsa
Three secrets to making the best burgers – top quality mince, the onions sautéed till golden brown and cooked ahead of time and a good splash of chilli oil in the mixture.
Ingredients
Basic burger—450g organic minced beef or lamb; one large organic onion, finely chopped, sautéed in oil till golden and cooled; one tablespoon of organic scallions, chopped; one tablespoon of chilli oil, optional but nice; salt and black pepper.
Tomato salsa—approximately 16 organic cherry tomatoes, chopped; one to two organic red onions, finely chopped; handful of chopped coriander; one tablespoon of chilli oil; lemon juice to taste and salt and black pepper.
To serve—four slices of organic cheddar or blue cheese.
Method
Mix the mince, onion, scallions, chilli oil and seasoning well together. With wet hands shape into four burgers. Flatten each one down with the palm of your hand until you have a nice even shape. This way they will cook more quickly and evenly. Keep in the fridge until ready to cook. Grill, barbecue or cook on a black ridge pan, until fully cooked, four to five minutes on each side. Meanwhile mix all the salsa ingredients together. Then place a spoonful of salsa on top of each burger and top with a slice of cheese. Grill, or cover the barbecue or pan and continue to cook for another minute until the cheese has melted. Serve on a bap with some salad leaves and the remaining salsa.
Chilli oil—This is a really useful dressing to have on hand, it will spice up lots of meals. Whizz two to three chillies, chopped, including seeds; one red pepper, chopped; two to three cloves of garlic; handful of coriander; 250ml oil and seasoning in the processor. Store in the fridge for up to a week.
Organic apple and yoghurt pancakes with blackberry and honey sauce
Ingredients
Pancake batter; 300g self-raising flour; 50g sugar; four organic eggs; 150ml of organic natural yoghurt; two organic eating apples, peeled and chopped; milk and butter to cook the pancakes.
Blackberry and honey sauce—200g organic blackberries (or blueberries ); two to three tablespoons of honey; juice of one lemon.
Method
Place all the batter ingredients in the processor. Whizz until well blended. Heat a non–stick pan and add a touch of butter. Add four large spoonfuls of batter, spaced well apart and cook for two minutes until bubbles appear, flip and cook for another minute. Transfer to a plate and keep warm while you cook the rest
(makes about 16. )
To make the sauce – heat the organic fruit, honey and lemon juice until you have a nice thick fruity sauce. Serve warm with the pancakes and extra organic yoghurt if you wish.
Organic chicken breast with fennel and rocket salad
Ingredients
Four organic chicken breasts, skin on; juice of one lemon; one tablespoon of olive oil; salt and black pepper.
Fennel salad—two organic fennel bulbs, sliced as thinly as possible; two tablespoons of olive oil; juice of one lemon; one tablespoon of good quality mustard; handful of rocket leaves per person.
To serve—drizzle of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and black pepper.
Method
Set oven Gas Mark 4, 180°C, 350°F. Cook an hour or two ahead if possible, place the chicken breasts in a shallow dish. Pour over the lemon juice, olive oil and seasoning.
Prepare the salad—put the sliced organic fennel in a large bowl, in another small bowl mix the olive oil, lemon juice and mustard together, taste for seasoning. Mix the fennel and dressing together—set aside. Seal the chicken breasts on a hot pan until well browned. Then finish cooking in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
To serve—slice the chicken, serve with a mound of the salad and the organic rocket leaves on top. Drizzle with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar and a little black pepper.
Organic salmon parcels
Ingredients
Four, 170g portions organic salmon. Sprigs of fresh herbs – choose from dill, parsley, coriander, marjoram, chives. Green peppercorns; four tablespoons of white wine; a little salt and pepper; oil; four large circles each of greaseproof and foil paper.
Method
Place portions of salmon on lightly oiled foil. Scatter herbs and peppercorns on fish, season and pour wine over. Fold over foil and greaseproof paper and seal edges. Bake parcels in a pre-heated moderate oven 190C/375F/Gas 5 for 15 to 18 minutes.
