A Modern Way to Cook: Over 150 quick, smart and flavour-packed recipes for every day

Cut the avocado in half and remove the stone, then, with the skin still on, use a small knife to make incisions lengthways along the avocado to form slices.

Put a frying pan on the heat and slice the halloumi thinly. Have your seeds standing by. Put the halloumi into the hot dry pan and cook until brown on one side, which will take about a minute, then flip over and brown the other side. Scatter over the seeds and turn the halloumi in the pan until it is coated with them. Take off the heat.

Once the freekeh is cooked, drain it and dress with the lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Chop the mint and dill and mix through the freekeh.

Serve in shallow bowls, topped with all the rainbow vegetables, the seeded halloumi and generous spoonfuls of the harissa dressing.

Green mimosa salad

20–25 MINUTES

My first real job as a chef was at a beautiful local old-world restaurant in Kensington called Daphne’s. It was supposed to be Princess Diana’s favourite – you get the vibe. Starched tablecloths, Chablis, and charming waiters who had been there so long they had become part of the furniture. It was perfectly calm, pretty posh, with clean, simple salads and pastas.

I worked the starters and pastry sections both at once, quite a baptism of fire. One of the things I remember most was a dressing they made, a mimosa dressing of good Chardonnay vinegar, oil and herbs. Through a hot summer I must have dressed a thousand salads with it. In summer I often crave the simplicity of it on some greens.

I’ve made this more of a meal, though, by adding eggs. The eggs are mimosa eggs – I’ve shredded them, which may sound a bit funny at first but it’s super-quick and keeps things really light and clean. If you are vegan you can boil and grate in a few potatoes in place of the eggs – it’s still delicious.

SERVES 4

6 free-range or organic eggs

500g asparagus

200g broccoli stems (purple sprouting or Tenderstem)

½ a shallot

2 tablespoons good Chardonnay vinegar (white wine vinegar will do at a pinch)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 ripe avocado

a good bunch of fresh dill or fennel tops

1 unwaxed lemon

Greek yoghurt or crème fraîche (optional)

TO SERVE

good rye bread

Fill and boil the kettle and get all your ingredients together.

Put the eggs into a small saucepan and cover them with boiling water from the kettle. Put on a medium heat and bring back to the boil, then simmer for 7 minutes.

Next, snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them (you can use them for stock, if you like). Chop the asparagus stems into 1cm rounds, stopping when you get near the top and keeping the tips intact. Chop the broccoli in the same way, stopping when you get close to the floret.

Put the asparagus tips and broccoli florets into a larger saucepan and cover with boiling water. Add a good pinch of salt and simmer for 3 minutes, then add the asparagus and broccoli rounds for a final minute.

Chop the shallot finely and put into a large mixing bowl. Add the vinegar, oil, mustard and a good pinch of salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Once the green vegetables have had their cooking time, drain in a colander and add them to the bowl. While still warm, toss in the dressing. De-stone and cut the avocado into thick slices. Scoop out and add this to the bowl.

Once the eggs are cooked, drain them too and run them under cold water until they are cool enough to handle. Roughly chop the dill or fennel tops. Once the eggs are cool, peel them and grate them into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, grate over the zest of the lemon, scatter over the dill or fennel and mix gently. If you like, you can add a tablespoon of crème fraîche or Greek yoghurt here.

Serve the veg with spoonfuls of the lemon-and-dill shredded eggs, and a little buttered rye bread if you like (see here (#litres_trial_promo)).

Cashew, kale and lime nacho bowl

20–25 MINUTES

Every time I order nachos I am disappointed. They always seem to consist of a pile of over-salted tortilla chips, mountains of rubbery cheese, an afterthought salsa and a scoop of guacamole.