Elly Pear’s Let’s Eat: Simple, Delicious Food for Everyone, Every Day

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves (optional)

¼ red chilli, finely sliced (optional)

Make sure the egg is at room temperature. Fill a small saucepan with boiling water and bring to a continuous boil over a medium heat – this is for the egg. Stick the dhal in another small saucepan and place over a medium-low heat until piping hot; stir occasionally.

Gently lower the egg into the boiling water and immediately set your timer for 6 minutes. While the egg cooks, heat the oil in a small frying pan, add the breadcrumbs and toast for about 1 minute until golden brown, shaking the pan often. Remove from the heat and keep to one side.

When the timer goes off, remove both pans from the heat. Pour away the hot water, holding your egg back with a spoon. Sit the (now dry) pan in the sink and turn the cold tap on, blasting the egg until totally cold. Roll the egg on the counter, pressing down gently, until the shell cracks all over. Peel very carefully and use a very sharp knife to cut it in half, lengthways.

Put the dhal into a bowl, sit the egg on top and sprinkle over the breadcrumbs, chopped coriander and sliced chilli (if using, which you totally should), then serve.

Lentil, tomato and coconut dhal

With wilted greens, lemon and yoghurt (#litres_trial_promo)

I adore spring greens. They’ve been 99p for a huge bag in my greengrocer’s for as long as I can remember. Does inflation not affect greens? I take off the outside leaves if they’re grotty and then cut the whole cabbage up into ribbons, widthways. Dump them in a sinkful of water, as hot as a bath, and swish them around a bit. When they hit the butter in the pan, they’ll already be half-cooked.

Serves 1

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25g salted butter

1 lemon, ½ juiced, ½ left whole

1 big handful of chopped spring greens or any other greens you like (approx. 250g)

1 portion of Lentil, Tomato and Coconut Dhal (#ulink_5381550a-45b3-5b96-b595-fd08d75fe044)

1 heaped tbsp Greek-style yoghurt

1 pinch of pul biber (mild Turkish chilli flakes)

½ spring onion, finely sliced

flaked sea salt

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over a low heat, along with the juice of half a lemon. Wash the greens but do not shake dry, then add to the pan, along with a big pinch of flaked sea salt. Cover with a lid and cook over a medium heat for a few minutes until al dente, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, reheat the dhal in a small saucepan over a medium-low heat until piping hot, stirring occasionally.

Put the warmed dhal into a bowl and using tongs, add the buttery, lemony greens. Add a dollop of yoghurt and sprinkle with the pul biber flakes and sliced spring onion. Wedge of lemon on the side and you’re done.

Lentil, tomato and coconut dhal

With seared tofu, avocado, pickles and seeds (#litres_trial_promo)

Smoked, marinated tofu is what I would call ‘beginners’ tofu’ – you can’t screw it up (see here (#ulink_9f2fb120-816b-5f44-8926-e9be51c94171)). It doesn’t need pressing, it is ready to eat (hot or cold) and it is already flavoured by the smoking, so if you’ve never cooked with tofu, here is where you should start. All those benefits mean it is a bit more expensive than other tofus, so once you’ve tried it, move on to other types and learn how to use them. There’s a whole world of tofu out there!

Serves 2

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2 portions of Lentil, Tomato and Coconut Dhal (#ulink_5381550a-45b3-5b96-b595-fd08d75fe044)

1 tbsp mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, poppy and nigella)

1 tbsp olive oil, ghee or coconut oil

1 x 200g packet of smoked marinated tofu, sliced (see my guide to tofu (#ulink_9f2fb120-816b-5f44-8926-e9be51c94171))

1 ripe avocado

a few pickles (any kind, homemade or shop-bought. Middle Eastern pickled turnips are particularly good for this)

Reheat the dhal in a small saucepan over a medium-low heat until piping hot, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, toast the seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until starting to burst, shaking the pan often, then tip into a bowl and return the pan to the heat. Add the oil and turn the heat up to high. Once hot, add the tofu slices and cook for a couple of minutes until browned on both sides.

Peel, stone and slice the avocado. Stick the hot dhal in a bowl, add the tofu slices, avocado and pickles, then sprinkle over the toasted seeds.

Mean feat no-meat meatballs (#ulink_779cce15-31c1-5b67-a728-d7944af7acce)

In a wrap with hummous, soft herbs, toasted pine nuts and yoghurt (#ulink_63755ad6-b6ed-5931-ab71-49810cbd4ba0)

With tomato-butter sauce and pasta (#ulink_315cf886-4044-5cfb-b18f-a8263c25a902)

Squished into a burger, in a bun with Dan’s fry sauce (#ulink_1e3a6e36-61cc-537d-aa4c-1ae20c041802)

Baked with tomatoes, basil and lemon ricotta (#ulink_50d623e1-1cf8-5a32-9817-b13f8ce9d272)

Mean feat no-meat meatballs (#ulink_0966a566-78ff-51a7-9480-8f08ea6c1a84)

I wanted to create a veggie meatball recipe that would be really versatile. The flavourings go well with Italian-style dishes like the first two serving suggestions, but are also happy in a more Middle Eastern setting (inside a wrap with hummous and lots of fragrant toppings) or made into a burger with my mate Dan’s special Fry Sauce.

By the way, I tried frying them and they fell apart. Baked on an oiled tray, they cooked evenly and stayed perfectly spherical. So, learn from my experience. Baked balls. Now, that’s an alternative title idea …

Makes 22 balls

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2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing

1 aubergine, cut into 3cm chunks

½ tsp chilli flakes

1 heaped tsp chopped rosemary leaves