Extra Bites

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's High Fibre Heroes

This week on Cooking the Books, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall joins the fight for more fibre in our diets with his latest book, High Fibre Heroes which shows us how to turn 12 everyday vegetables into 100 joyful, health-boosting recipes.

Here he gives us two of the super simple and utterly delicious recipes from the book.

Leek and Fennel Bruschetta

The alchemy that occurs as leek and fennel slowly cook down together is very special, making this a maximum bang-for-your-buck quick snack meal.

Plant count 8

Fibre count 12g

Serves 2 as a light meal, 4 as a snack or part of a sharing spread

Ready in 30 minutes

1 large or 2 small leeks (about 300g trimmed weight)

1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs

2 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, chopped (plus another, halved, to rub the toast if you like)

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon and a good squeeze of juice

2 large or 4 small slices of wholegrain sourdough

Sea salt and black pepper

To finish

Extra virgin olive oil, to trickle

1 tbsp pumpkin seeds

12 olives, pitted and roughly chopped (optional)

A handful of parsley, chopped (optional)

Clean the leek(s) and slice thinly into roughly 5mm thick slices. Trim the fennel bulb(s), saving any feathery fronds, then quarter and slice each quarter thinly.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leek and fennel slices and season well with salt and pepper. When everything is sizzling nicely, turn down the heat a little and sweat gently for 10–15 minutes, stirring regularly, until the veg are very tender and the leek has lost any squeakiness. Add the chopped garlic and lemon zest and cook for a few more minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the sourdough slices, then rub with the cut garlic clove, if using, and trickle with a little extra virgin olive oil.

Take the frying pan off the heat and add a good squeeze of lemon juice. Taste and add more salt and/or pepper if needed.

Heap the leek and fennel mixture onto the toasted sourdough. Trickle over a little more extra virgin oil and scatter with the pumpkin seeds, olives and/or chopped parsley, if using, or all three chopped together and mixed with a little olive oil – as a kind of tapenade. Finish with any saved fennel fronds, torn into little sprigs.

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Replace the fennel with a handful of kale or spring greens – shred finely and add after the leeks have sweated for 5 minutes.

For a proteinaceous boost, spread the toast with a nut or seed butter instead of simply trickling with oil.

As well as being a great toast topper, the finished leek and fennel mix is also lovely tossed with pasta, especially if you add the seeds, parsley and olives.

Omni/VBNV options: Stir a spoonful of crème fraîche into the leek mixture and/or serve it scattered with shavings of Parmesan (or veggie alternative). The leek and fennel mix is also delicious as a side dish with any simply cooked fish.

Cannellini Beans and Courgettes on Toast

A lovely summer recipe, this is perfect if you – or someone you know – has a glut of courgettes, but it also brings out the very best in shop-bought courgettes.

Plant count 9

Fibre count 14g

Serves 2

Ready in 35 minutes

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

2 firm, medium courgettes (about 350g total weight)

1 garlic clove, slivered

2 tsp baby capers or chopped larger capers

2 tsp finely chopped preserved lemon, or finely grated zest of ½ lemon

400g tin cannellini beans, drained, 1–2 tbsp liquid saved (or from a jar, about 240g drained weight)

2 large slices of wholegrain bread

Sea salt and black pepper

To finish

A squeeze of lemon juice

Extra virgin olive oil, to trickle

A small handful of parsley, chopped (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan (ideally at least 28cm) over a medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and fry, stirring regularly, for about 10 minutes, until soft and golden. In the meantime, slice the courgettes about 5mm thick.

Add the courgettes to the pan and fry for 10–15 minutes, until they are softening and colouring in places, turning up the heat a little if you need to.

Toss in the garlic, capers and preserved lemon or lemon zest and cook, stirring now and then, for a minute or two.

Now add the beans with the saved liquid (a nice way to lubricate them a little). Stir well, then put the lid on the pan and cook gently for a few minutes to heat the beans through. Taste to check the seasoning and add more salt and/or pepper if needed.

Meanwhile, toast the slices of bread.

Pile the bean and courgette mixture onto the hot toast. Spritz with lemon juice, trickle with extra virgin olive oil and scatter with chopped parsley, if you like. Serve straight away.

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You can switch in any tinned bean or chickpeas here. You can also use frozen edamame beans: put them into a pan, cover with boiling water and simmer until tender while you cook the onions and courgettes; drain and add at the end.

For a crunchy finish, toast 2 tbsp pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds in the dry frying pan (see page 20) before cooking anything else; set aside. Scatter the toasted seeds over the courgettes before serving. Or finish with dukka (see page 20) if you have some made.

Omni/VBNV option: A little finely grated Parmesan (or veggie alternative) or Cheddar is a good finishing touch.

Extracts taken from High Fibre Heroes by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (Bloomsbury Publishing, Hardback, £26). Photography © Emma Lee.