Nothing wrong with lentils and rice, but go one step further with spinach and chickpeas, chard and borlotti beans, or mushroom and edamame

Apple, borlotti and chard cassoulet (pictured above)

Perfect as a main dish for Sunday lunch, or as a midweek dinner served with crusty bread. If you have any left over, blend with vegetable stock for a smooth, flavourful soup. This cassoulet is a great way to use up apples, even if they are bruised or wrinkly, and it’s also suitable for freezing.

Prep 10 min

Cook 15 min

Serves 4

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 stick of celery, diced

6 large leaves chard, roughly sliced

1 tsp dried sage

½ tsp dried rosemary

Generous glug red wine (ensure it is vegan)

4 eating apples, cored and sliced

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

250ml hot vegetable stock

1 x 400g tin borlotti beans, drained and rinsed

Salt

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onion, carrots, celery and chard for three minutes, until the onion begins to soften but not brown.

Sprinkle in the sage and rosemary, then pour in the wine and reduce for two minutes. Stir in the apples, then add the tomatoes and stock. Stir in the borlotti beans, loosely cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season and serve hot.

Lebanese rice, lentils and caramelised onions

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Katy Beskow’s Lebanese rice, lentils and caramelised onions

Simple, budget-friendly comfort food that will become a classic in your kitchen. This dish is also delicious served chilled as a sharing pilaf.

Prep 10 min

Cook 15 min

Serves 4

180g basmati rice

2 tbsp sunflower oil

3 large red onions, peeled and finely sliced

2 tsp soft brown sugar

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp mild chilli powder

1 x 400g tin green lentils, drained and rinsed

Salt

Small handful flat‑leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped

2 tbsp unsweetened soya yoghurt

Juice of ¼ lemon

Put the rice in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the water is absorbed and the rice appears fluffy. Set aside.

In the meantime, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat and cook the onions for five minutes. Add the brown sugar and cook for a further five minutes until caramelised, stirring frequently.

Add the cumin, cinnamon, turmeric and chilli powder to the onions, then cook for a further minute. Tip the spiced onions and any remaining oil into the rice, along with the lentils. Season, return to the heat and stir through for a minute.

Divide into warmed bowls. Scatter over the parsley, spoon on the soya yoghurt, squeeze over some lemon juice and serve.

Spinach, chickpea and lemon pilaf

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Katy Beskow’s spinach, chickpea, and lemon pilaf

This simple one-pot dish makes a warming lunch, or serve it cold as a sharing side dish. If you have no fresh spinach available, frozen works just as well, but add it in step 2, to cook with the rice and stock.

Prep 5 min

Cook 15 min

Serves 4

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garam masala

¼ tsp dried chilli flakes

250g basmati rice

600ml hot vegetable stock

1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

4 generous handfuls spinach leaves

Juice of 1 lemon

1 generous handful coriander leaves, finely chopped

Salt

Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium–high heat, and cook the onion for two minutes, until softened but not browned. Add the turmeric, cumin, garam masala and chilli flakes, and stir through for a minute.

Pour in the rice and stock, reduce the heat to medium, then simmer for eight minutes, stirring frequently to stop the rice sticking.

Add the chickpeas and spinach, cook for a further two minutes, then remove from the heat and stir through the lemon juice and coriander. Season and serve.

Korean-style bibimbap bowls

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Katy Beskow’s Korean-style bibimbap bowls

Eat through a mountain of hot, sweet vegetables to a base of crisp, fried rice. There’s no need to purchase pricey precooked rice for this recipe; simply simmer basmati rice for 12 minutes, drain, then allow to cool completely. Or just use some leftover rice.

Prep 10 min

Cook 10 min

Serves 2

3 tbsp sunflower oil

6 tbsp cooked or leftover basmati rice

10 button mushrooms, brushed clean

4 radishes, finely sliced

1 carrot, peeled and very finely sliced

1 small courgette, very finely sliced

2 tbsp frozen or fresh podded edamame beans

1 handful spinach leaves

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

½ tsp soft brown sugar

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced

1 spring onion, finely sliced

1 tbsp sesame seeds

Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a medium frying pan over a medium-high heat, then add the rice, pushing it down to form a flat rice cake. Cook for five minutes, until the base of the rice becomes crisp. Remove and separate into two bowls.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large wok over a high heat and stir-fry the mushrooms, radishes, carrot, courgette, edamame beans and spinach for two to three minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and sugar, then fry for a further two minutes.

Spoon the vegetables over the rice, then scatter with the chilli, spring onion and sesame seeds.