Chicken, tomato and beetroot panzanella salad
Traditionally, this Italian salad (pane = bread, zanella = serving dish) is made using tomatoes and stale bread that’s been soaked in dressing. In this version, the stale bread is toasted instead. You can use any combo of vegetables your mum likes; roasted peppers, cauliflower and broccoli all work well with the the obligatory tomatoes.
Ingredients (serves 4)
400g (4 medium) beetroot, washed, trimmed
250g stale bread, cut into bite-sized cubes
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
juice and zest of 1 lemon
½ tsp Dijon mustard
350g cooked chicken, skinless, boneless, cut into bite-sized pieces
handful black or green olives, pitted, halved
150g (around 16) cherry tomatoes, halved
100g fresh mozzarella, drained, torn into bite-sized pieces
handful fresh basil leaves
Method
1 Place the beetroot in a large saucepan of water. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until just tender.
2 Drain and allow to cool, then peel, then cut into wedges.
3 Toss the bread with 1 tbsp oil and season with salt and pepper. Fry in a large, non-stick pan with the rosemary over a medium heat until lightly browned. Remove from heat, discard the rosemary and set aside.
4 In a serving bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and zest, remaining oil and Dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper.
5 Add the beetroot, chicken, olives, tomato and mozzarella to the bowl.
6 Sprinkle the toasted bread and basil leaves on top, then serve.
Nutritional information per serving: 465kcal, 1956kJ, 41.1g protein, 18.1g fat, 36.9g carbohydrates, 7.7g fibre
Gluten-free citrus almond cake
This cake can be prepared the day before. Just warm it up in a low oven for 10 minutes before serving.
Ingredients (makes an 18cm cake, around 12 servings)
3 tangerines, seedless if possible
80g butter, unsalted
100g raw cane sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g cornstarch
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
100g ground almonds
Method
1 Place the tangerines in a large saucepan of water, then bring to the boil over a medium high heat. Cover, and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes, or until the tangerines are soft. Drain, and set aside to cool.
2 Remove the peel from two of the tangerines and discard. Roughly chop all three tangerines, removing any seeds, then blitz to a puree using a stick blender.
3 Preheat the oven to 180C/ 160C fan/ Gas Mark 4. Brush the base and sides of the baking tin with a little oil.
4 Melt the butter and sugar over a low heat in a saucepan, allow to cool slightly, then stir in the tangerine puree, eggs and vanilla extract.
5 Sift the cornstarch, baking powder and salt together in a bowl, then mix in the ground almonds.
6 Fold the almond mixture into the tangerine puree mixture until thoroughly combined. Pour into the prepared tin.
7 Bake in the middle of the oven for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
8 Remove from the tin and serve with chopped fresh or dried fruits if you like.
Nutritional information per 55g slice: 185kcal, 772kJ, 3.2g protein, 11.1g fat, 19.1g carbohydrates, 0.2g fibre
Stay connected: Find Wynnie on Facebook, Instagram or visit her website for more recipes