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

1 ripe avocado

50g toasted white or black

sesame seeds

FOR THE DRESSING

½ a ripe avocado

4 tablespoons coconut milk

a squeeze of runny honey or agave syrup

1 green chilli

a small bunch of fresh basil

a small bunch of fresh coriander

2 tablespoons tamari or light soy sauce

4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

Fill and boil a kettle and get all your ingredients and equipment together.

Put a frying pan on a high heat. Chop the asparagus stalks into 1cm coins, leaving the tips intact. Add a little oil to the pan and add all the asparagus. Cook for a couple of minutes to take off the raw edge, then take the pan off the heat.

Place the sugar snaps in a bowl (I like to cut them in half down the middle, but you can leave them whole to save time) with the edamame beans. Cover with boiling water and leave to one side.

Now make the dressing. Scoop half an avocado into a blender (or use a deep bowl and a stick blender). Add the coconut milk, honey, chilli, half the basil and coriander (stalks and all), the soy and vinegar and blitz until smooth and green. Taste, and add more soy, vinegar or honey, if needed.

Put the spinach into a serving bowl. Drain the sugar snaps and edamame well and add them to the spinach with the asparagus. Cut the avocado in half and take out the stone, then use a knife to criss-cross both halves all the way to the skin. Using a spoon, scoop the avocado flesh into the bowl. Finish by topping with the dressing, the rest of the basil and coriander leaves and the sesame seeds.

Butter beans with fennel, lemon and tomato

20 MINUTES

I buy Greek gigantes beans – tomato-and-dill-spiked buttery beans generously coated in olive oil – in jars from my local shop and feast on them with flatbreads when I’m feeling lazy. This is how I make them at home, more of a quick stew, with heady lemon, caramelised fennel and some fennel seeds, which is my nod to the traditional shot of ouzo. I haven’t added as much oil as the Greeks often do, but if you like things richer you can add a generous drizzle at the end. I often serve this with feta, warm flatbreads and some leaves.

SERVES 4

1 large bulb of fennel

olive oil

a small bunch of spring onions

2 cloves of garlic

200g cherry tomatoes

1 lemon

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

1 tablespoon dried oregano, or a small handful of chopped fresh oregano

a pinch of dried chilli flakes

1 tablespoon runny honey

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 × 400g tins of cooked white beans, or 250g home-cooked beans (see here (#litres_trial_promo)–here (#litres_trial_promo))

a small bunch of fresh dill

First prepare the fennel. Remove the bulb’s tough outside layer, then trim and slice along the length of the bulb through the root into 1cm slices.

Heat a large heavy frying pan over a medium-high heat and add a good drizzle of olive oil. When the pan is hot and the oil starts to ripple, add the fennel, spreading it out so one flat side hits the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, until browned and caramelised, then turn over and cook for another 2 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the spring onions and garlic. Once the fennel is browned, add the spring onions and garlic to the pan and stir for a couple of minutes.

Chop the tomatoes and cut the lemon into wedges, then add both to the pan with the fennel seeds, oregano, chilli flakes, honey and vinegar. Let the liquid heat and reduce for a minute or so before adding the beans and 100ml of water. Cook until the beans are warmed through – about 5 minutes.

Chop the dill and scatter over to finish, along with a drizzle of good olive oil.

Smoky beans and sweet potato hash browns

20 MINUTES

Nothing fancy here. Just a good quick dinner, which doubles as a favourite brunch too. If you like, add a fried egg to top it off.

If you are vegan or don’t eat eggs, you can use 2 tablespoons of chia seeds mixed with 6 tablespoons of water to bind the hash browns instead of

the eggs.

SERVES 2

1 shallot or ½ a red onion

a little olive oil

2 sweet potatoes (about 500g)

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

2 free-range or organic eggs

½ teaspoon smoked paprika