I am addicted to eating fruit in savoury dishes at the moment so when Chris brought home some baby bass he had spotted going cheap at the end of the day, I immediately looked for a fruity accompaniment. I had a pineapple patiently waiting to meet its fate and decided to give it a good grilling on the BBQ and then use it in a tropical, chilli spiked salsa.

I rarely cook by any method other than BBQ in the ’summer’ and so needed a way of protecting the bass on the grill. The huge bunches of banana leaves decorating many of the shops in Peckham Rye seemed just the ticket – a bit more exciting than foil anyway.

When I went down to buy some they were nearly all gone and it dawned on me how these shops work; they receive huge gluts of produce, which can sometimes be sold out the same day and not seen again for weeks. When the fresh callaloo comes in, which is exactly what had happened on banana leaf day, bunches are stacked into towering piles on every corner of every stall, around which throngs of people are jostling, rifling and grabbing for the best bunch. It’s usually all gone in the space of a day.

I snagged my banana leaves unscathed and looked to ingredients for the salsa – finely chopped red onion, chilli, coriander and mint to mix with the grilled pineapple. It’s my favourite fruit to BBQ by a mile – either brushed with chilli-lime syrup or ginger or straight up savoury like this, I just love slapping fat slices on the grill. Juicy, sweet, charred and fragrant.

The banana leaves worked a treat too – the bass steamed perfectly inside, stuffed with lime, slivers of scotch bonnet, ginger and herbs, releasing a poof of fragrant steam when unwrapped. Only thing is, now I have a load of leftover banana leaves – those things are pretty massive and I’ve about eight of them – any ideas for other uses?

BBQ Bass in Banana Leaves with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

2 sea bass or other white fish suitable for stuffing and steaming
2 banana leaves
Skewers or cocktail sticks to seal the leaves (soaked for 20 minutes in cold water)
4 slices lime + extra juice of 1 lime
4 slices ginger
Handful coriander
Handful mint
4 slivers scotch bonnet or other chilli (use more or less depending on the heat of the chilli)
Oil
Salt and pepper

For the salsa

1 pineapple, cut into thick slices
Small handful coriander leaves picked and roughly chopped
Small handful mint leaves finely shredded
1 small red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
Black pepper

- Light the BBQ. When hot add the pineapple slices until charred in places on both sides.
- Open out a banana leaf and oil the part which will come into contact with the fish. Stuff the belly of the fish with 2 ginger slices, 2 lime slices and half the herbs and chilli. Squeeze a bit of lime juice in and season all over. Wrap the leaf up as best you can to contain the fish and secure with skewers or sticks. Repeat with the second fish and put on the BBQ, lid on. The cooking time will depend on the size of your fish. I cooked mine for about 20 minutes.
- While the fish is cooking, dice the pineapple and mix with the other ingredients.
- Serve fish with salsa and enjoy!

The phrase I’ve probably used most often in the past week or so (apart from, ‘I think I’m lost’ and ‘nom nom nom’), is, ’detox schmeetox’. Yes, I have been predictably unsuccessful in making more ‘healthy choices’ after the Christmas period, I’ve just been exercising like mad instead. Which, quite frankly, works for me. I mean, if I can exercise enough, then I can eat pretty much what I want, right? OK, so I stil need to rack up the requisite portions of fruit and veg and keep the saturated fat down but, apart from that, this is a plan I can see myself sticking to.

My exercise ‘regime’ consists of this – as much cardio as I can bear (varies between 30-60 minutes), followed by weights, as often as I can manage it. My chosen cardio exercise is alternating stints on a cross-trainer with…skipping. Now, now, don’t laugh. It’s not just for kids alright? Boxers do it and everything. Apparently, it’s a massively effective cardio workout. So there. I do have a pink rope, but that’s beside the point.

It’s cold outside, I’m craving comfort food and that’s damn well what I’m gonna have. Before my ‘hardcore exercise’ decision, I’d been scorning myself for ’slipping up’ and finding myself purchasing chorizo and rocket sandwiches and having full on blow outs at the always superb New Tayyabs *sigh*. It was amazing, as usual. Myself and the blogging crew (including Chris, Lizzie, Niamh and Charles and Joel from Tipped) congregated there on Thursday for a feast. We managed to work our way through….

…(clockwise from top left) the famous Tayyabs lamb chops, grilled meats, some rather fine ales and towering stacks of puffy, warm breads, liberally doused with ghee.

I was also very pleased with how my favourite Tayyabs dish went down among my blogging mates. It could have been embarrassing. As it was, everyone loved it! The ‘Tindi Masala’ is made with baby pumpkins, highly spiced yet fresh tasting, those juicy little pumpkins are a joy. A Twitter conversation yesterday revealed that Lizzie is going to try and re-create the dish. I am crossing my fingers and toes for her.

Above is the temptingly named, ‘dry meat’. Don’t let that put you off though, it’s another must order. Meltingly tender slow-cooked lamb. It literally falls apart in the mouth. Very rich and very good.

This minced chicken dish was delicious too, I’ve not tried this before and I can’t remember what it’s called. How useful.

Masala fish -  gorgeous crispy coating of spices and flaky fish within. This was another new one on me – I loved it. Can they do no wrong? Did I mention it was a mere £15 a head each? They can do no wrong.

And finally, a dessert! I’ve never tried the sweet things at Tayyabs and these ice lollies were a lovely cooling way to finish – just like mini milks but with more exciting flavours (mango and pistachio). Anyway, that was Thursday, this is today and, despite all that exercise and detox schmeetoxing, I found myself craving something light. After all, there’s only so much fat and meat one woman can eat, apparently. A quick survey of available ingredients revealed some rice vermicelli – good for a fresh and punchy noodle salad. Preferably containing prawns, most definitely with lots of lime and chilli and some thai basil, if I could lay my hands on it, which I did.

So it turns out my body doesn’t want to eat fatty foods all the time – who knew? If I let myself eat what I like, eventually I start craving lighter dishes anyway. Which begs the question why I worried about the whole thing in the first place. I’ve clearly got self-regulation all sewn up. As long as I keep really active, of course – and therein lies the challenge…

Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Prawns

100g rice vermicelli noodles
1 red chilli, finely sliced
1 handful coriander leaves
1 handful Thai basil leaves, shredded
2 fat spring onions, finely sliced
1/4 cucumber, finely diced
1 large mushroom, finely sliced
180g prawns
Handful peanuts, crushed lightly

Dressing

Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 inch piece ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon sugar

- Cook the noodles in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, drain and refresh under cold water.
- Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl.
- Mix everything in a bowl. Scatter the peanuts on top.

Like many people who do a hefty amount of cooking, I don’t often follow recipes in books (which is not to say I don’t have a massive collection!). Instead, I prefer to use them for inspiration, to check techniques or sometimes just to look at the pretty pictures, quite frankly. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule and Ottolenghi is most definitely one of them. I adored the ‘New Vegetarian‘ series, I now adore the book and I hope that soon I shall adore the restaurant/deli too.

There is a bold simplicity to these recipes, which are based around a set of ’star ingredients’, (listed in the front of the book) – essential flavours in the Ottolenghi repertoire, for example, yoghurt, tahini, sumac and pomegranate molasses. These ingredients I am already in love with, particularly since the release of books such as Moro East and Persia in Peckham.

This roast pumpkin with burnt aubergine and pomegranate molasses is a current favourite. Soft, sweet squash scattered with crunchy toasted seeds and nuts, accompanied by an aubergine sauce which is pure genius. I know I will continue making this sauce for many years to come. The aubergine is charred until wrinkly and often bursting – the smoky flesh then scraped and combined with natural yoghurt, parsley, garlic, lemon juice and that sticky, fragrant molasses. Great sweet and sour flavours and contrasting textures.

The squash didn’t make it onto a plate, I just plonked the sauce in the middle and we ate the whole lot, from the oven dish, on the sofa. The original sauce recipe calls for olive oil but I left it out (Christmas calorie guilt) and it still tastes amazing. In fact, I may even prefer it.

I picked up two more aubergines on the way home yesterday, to make a double batch this afternoon. I will be munching through it while thumbing through the book, trying to decide which of the ten or so earmarked recipes will be next on my hitlist. This is a true pleasure in itself, for the book is a beautiful thing. Glorious pictures of the Ottolenghi establishment/s, platters towered high with lush, vibrant salads, perfectly cooked meats and decadent cakes and pastries.

Glossy pages, beautiful photography and chef magic aside however, I reckon Ottolenghi is the perfect book for the home cook. The recipes are easy to make yet impressive and (at the risk of sounding a bit Jamie O), sexy. There is a sense of generosity, a celebration of ingredients, the flavour of each being clearly discernable – no fussing. The Ottolenghi passion has jumped right from the chefs to the book to the plate to my belly and – I think I may be in love.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Burnt Aubergine and Pomegranate Molasses (from Ottolenghi – The Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sammi Tamimi).
(I bought a big bottle of pomegranate molasses in my local Sainsbury’s for £2.50 ish. It is also available in delis and middle Eastern food shops).

1 large butternut squash (I used a small pumpkin)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds (I didn’t have any)
1 tablespoon black (or white) sesame seeds
1 teaspoon nigella (black onion) seeds
10g sliced almonds
10g basil leaves (I didn’t have any)
Sea salt and black pepper

For the sauce
1 medium aubergine
150g Greek yoghurt, room temp
2 tablespoons olive oil (I left this out)
1.5 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon roughly choppped flatleaf parsley
1 garlic clove, crushed

- Preheat oven to 220C/Gas 7/425F. Cut the squash into wedges, 2-3cm thick. Remove the seeds and arrange in a roasting tray, skin side down. Brush with half the oil and season well. Cook for 25-30 minutes until soft and slightly brown.

- Reduce the oven to 180C/Gas4/350F. Spread the almonds and seeds on a roasting tray and toast for 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned. Allow to cool.

- For the sauce, either put the aubergine directly onto a gas hob flame, turning occasionally, for 10-15 minutes, until the skin is dried and cracked and the aubergine smells smoky. You can also do this by putting the aubergine under a hot grill. The aubergine often bursts I find, but this is fine. Just be careful not to lose that flesh! It needs to be very soft inside.

- Scoop the flesh from the aubergine and discard the skin. Drain the flesh in a colander for ten minutes, then chop roughly and combine with the yoghurt, oil, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, garlic, parsley and season.

- Arrange the squash on a plate, scatter over the seeds and nuts and serve the dressing alongside. Scatter over the basil and serve.

I orginally intended to post these spiced pumpkin patties for Halloween but the first time I made them, the ratio of pumpkin to chickpea was off and they were too mushy. I wanted a bit more texture and nutty flavour from the chickpeas and so had to hold off until I made them again. This time I cracked it by upping the chickpea content and leaving some of them whole which gave the burgers a lot more bite.

Since making the switch from canned chickpeas to dried, I literally cannot get enough of them. The difference in flavour and texture is staggering. I always thought the humble chickpea was a bit bland and boring, having absolutely no idea what I was missing out on. And really, it’s not that much hassle. OK, so it is (mainly the cooking time), but I think the rewards are well worth it.

You could use any orange-fleshed squash for this recipe – you can see that I didn’t use a ‘traditional’ pumpkin this time around, basically because I couldn’t find one – and I have no idea whether the squash I used was even grown in this country to be quite honest – I know, I know, my bad. I was desperate, desperate I tell you!

I’ve subtly spiced the burgers with a touch of cumin, coriander and a scant teaspoon of smoked paprika, which is great with the sweet pumpkin flavour. Be careful though, not to overdo it with this spice, it’s very easy to sprinkle too far and end up with a smokyness that completely overwhelms everything. For herbage, I tried using coriander the first time around and then basil and parsley the second, both were delicious. Some onion and garlic and they’re good to go, couldn’t be simpler. Chuck everything in a blender then shape as desired. Healthy, easy (pumpin carving aside, I really need new knives) and so satisfying.

To serve, I topped them with tzatziki (yes, I categorised this post as ‘vegan’ so just skip this or use an alternative) and a quick salsa made from tomatoes, red onion and lime juice. A nice bit of tang and crunch to contrast the soft and sweet burger. One small bit of advice though – despite using a beautifully crafted and truly delicious baguette for the bun, I actually wanted something a bit more wholesome and, ideally, seeded – alas, I could not find anything. I recommend this option if it’s your thing as I think it would complement the burgers much better.

So, there we have it. A Halloween recipe that is 9 days late. Good job these burgers are far too good to eat just once a year anyway.

Pumpkin and Chickpea Burgers
(makes 6 burgers)

500g cooked chickpeas
300g roasted orange fleshed squash (I like it roasted, which you can do while getting the other ingredients ready. Just splash with oil, season with salt and pepper and stick in the oven until tender – mine only took about 20 minutes)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
A good handful herbs of your choice (basil, parsley and coriander all work well), roughly chopped
Salt and pepper

- Add everything to a blender, apart from 150g of the chickpeas. Blend everything together until well mixed, then stir in the whole chickpeas. Adjust the seasoning then shape into burgers.
- Fry the burgers in a non-stick pan in a small amount of oil until golden on both sides.

Apologies for the week-long absence. Food Stories HQ is currently stricken with sickness. This, added to the looming deadline for my masters dissertation and the full-time job thing, well, you could say I’m a bit strapped for time. Anyway, mini-moan over. Let’s talk about the food. Sometimes, I feel like other bloggers and I are completely on the same wavelength. Of course, those of us in the same or closely related parts of the world will be eating similar ingredients due to the changing seasons or current trends. Occasionally though, we find ourselves on the same little foodie quests and journeys.

Right now, my doppelgänger is Allen from Eating out Loud. For my blogiversary, I did a week of posting every day, a mini NaBloPoMo if you will. Last week, Allen did the same – no blogiversary, just some great recipes. I am also currently on a quest to reduce the amount of fat in my diet and explore nutritious alternatives and guess what? Allen’s been on that quest for a while now. In fact, I made his Polenta Tart Crust recently, a wonderfully creative way to avoid the health hazards of eating pastry too often. This past week, Allen has been exploring the joys of watermelon and guess what I can’t get out of my head?

When he posted a recipe for watermelon and feta salad, I commented that this was one of my all-time favourites because well, it is. I’ve added and taken away over the years but here is my current version. I usually make this salad with toasted pumpkin seeds; in fact, it was one of Food Stories’ first ever posts. I didn’t have any today however, so I added poppy seeds – my new food fad favourite.

They also go fantastically well with cucumber, a la Ottolenghi. If you’re not used to eating watermelon with savoury ingredients – I promise, you won’t be disappointed. The combo of salty feta, olives and juicy fruit is a life changer. A touch of mint and a squeeze of lime juice lifts the whole thing nicely. I usually get a slightly puzzled look followed by some oohing and ahhing, munching, sigh of pleasure, that kind of thing…

Watermelon and Feta Salad with Poppy Seeds

1 fat wedge of watermelon, de-seeded and cut into chunks
150g feta cheese, crumbled
1 small red onion, finely sliced
Kalamata olives (10 or so)
Half a cucumber, de-seeded and cut into slices
Small handful mint leaves, finely sliced
Half the amount of parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Extra virgin olive oil (about 2 tablespoons)
Black pepper
Poppy seeds (about a tablespoon)

- If you have a whole watermelon and you need to dissect it, check this out. Cut the wedge into chunks and add to a bowl with the onion, olives, herbs, cheese and cucumber.
- Whisk the lime juice and olive oil together with the poppy seeds and some black pepper and add to the salad. Stir to combine and serve.