New Classics: Inspiring and delicious recipes to transform your home cooking

Tip the risen dough out onto a floured work surface. Cut it into 4 equal pieces and roll each piece out to an oval approximately 25cm in length. Place each dough circle on a piece of floured baking parchment and stack them on top of each other on a baking tray. Cover lightly with clingfilm and leave in a warm place to prove for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl, adding a little water if necessary to give the dressing a drizzling consistency. Season to taste.

Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add one of the flatbreads and dry-fry it for 2 ½–3½ minutes on each side until they are lightly golden and puffed up. Remove from the pan and place on a baking tray and repeat with the remaining three flatbreads.

Sprinkle the flatbreads with the chopped red pepper, cashew nuts and feta. Bake for around 10 minutes then remove from the oven and drizzle the hot flatbreads liberally with the dressing. Scatter over the rocket to serve.

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ROAST CHICKEN, SEMI-DRIED TOMATO, GRILLED GEM LETTUCE AND BASIL SALAD (#ulink_d2a35029-2954-56cd-b660-d61e8349bf29)

This is a great ‘go to’ modern version of chicken salad that works well for lunch or a light summer supper. Grilled gem lettuce is a perfect accompaniment – the smoky sweetness adds even more flavour to the salad.

Serves: 2–4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

2 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (about 220g each)

100g semi-dried tomatoes (from a jar or supermarket deli section), sliced, and 1 tbsp of the oil

2 baby gem lettuces, quartered

1 tbsp olive oil

½ bunch of basil, leaves picked

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp runny honey

100ml extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

Lay the chicken breasts on a roasting tray, skin side up. Drizzle with the semi-dried tomato oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the chicken juices run clear and the skin is crisp. Remove from the oven, covered loosely in foil, and set aside to rest.

To make the vinaigrette, whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl and season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

Heat a large griddle pan until almost smoking. Brush the gem wedges with the olive oil and season them with sea salt and pepper. Grill the gem wedges, in batches, on each cut side, for about 2 minutes, until they begin to wilt slightly. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Assemble the grilled gem lettuce wedges on a serving platter, slice the chicken then place it on top, along with the semi-dried tomatoes and basil leaves. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve.

GREEN BEAN, CRISPY BACON, SHALLOT AND ONION SEED SALAD (#ulink_f0a88164-8b24-5c4d-a56c-17028a63246f)

This recipe is great all year round. It goes really well with any meat, and also more robust fish dishes. Try it with lamb chops or grilled chicken breasts for a simple, tasty dinner. Onion seeds add a lovely savouriness to any dish, so do keep a packet in your cupboard.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

25g butter

8 shallots, thinly sliced

300g green beans, stalks removed

1 tbsp onion seeds

8 streaky bacon rashers, cut into 1cm dice

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

sea salt

Put the butter in a deep frying pan and melt over medium-high heat. When hot, add the sliced shallots, season with sea salt, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook gently for 15–20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the shallots begin to turn a golden brown.

Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the green beans and blanch them for 3–4 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water, until cool. Set aside.

Add the onion seeds and bacon to the shallots and cook gently for a further 10 minutes, until the bacon is slightly golden. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Add the beans to the pan along with the olive oil. Mix well, then remove from the heat. Taste and season with more sea salt if required, then serve.

CHICKEN, BARLEY AND THYME SOUP (#ulink_08bbc78e-6324-5fc4-a452-863c9406cc65)

This is comfort food at its best. It is a great soup to take out in a flask, on a cold winter’s day. I take it when I watch my sons play rugby, to have after their match – it instantly warms me from the inside out. The Marmite really enhances the savouriness of the soup, too.

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 2 hours 40 minutes