Grated courgette, fennel and avocado salad

I ate this salad the other day and it was so delicious, I'm always looking for interesting new salads and this is one of my new favourites. Its incredibly fresh, crunchy and simple.

3 courgettes, grated
2 fennel bulbs, shaved thinly with a mandolin
2 avocados, diced
sunflower seeds
3 lemons, juiced
any oil, unflavoured or olive oil
salt and pepper

Grate the cougettes into a big bowl with the shaved fennel, add the diced avocado and pour over the lemon juice, this is important or the fennel and avocado might start to brown. Season and add oil and stir in seeds then its ready to serve. It's a great side salad otherwise you could have it for dinner with fish on or something.

Raw beetroot salad

This is a super simple salad, you hardly have to do anything with it because it's so tasty already. I make it as a salad to go with lots of other things at lunch. Beetroot is one of those superfoods which is supposed to be incredible for you, its a big antioxidant so I always eat it after I've drunk too much, makes me feel like I'm curing myself, and I read somewhere that it makes you skinny too...amazing!

4 raw beetroot peeled and grated,
small bunch coriander/parsley, roughly chopped
juice of 1 lemon
a few glugs of good olive oil, any other oils fine too
plenty of sea salt and pepper

Peel and grate the beetroot, if you have a magimix you can use the grater setting and it takes seconds. Season and stir in the chopped coriander, oil and lemon juice. Season and you can add anything else you fancy, goats cheese, nuts, seeds to jazz it up.

Mini pea and leek quiches

If you are having a party and need an easy canape which makes you look like you have made more of an effort than you actually have these are pretty good, also a great vegetarian option.
You can buy mini pastry cases in lots of places now which are great, or you can make the pastry yourself.
I used pea and leek but you can use whatever fillings you like, other good ones are caramelised onion and goats cheese, Mediterranean veg, bacon and Stilton and whatever else you might fancy.

Makes around 25

2 leeks, quartered and sliced thinly
large handful of peas fresh or frozen
1 small shallot, diced finely
Pastry cases
Parmesan

2 eggs
284ml double cream

Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
On a very gentle heat sweat the onions and leeks with a knob of butter and a drizzle of olive oil for around 15-20 mins until nice and soft and season, you don't want them to get any colour so just make sure there is enough butter and the heat is low. Put aside while you make the quiche mix.

Crack both eggs into a jug and using a fork or a small whisk beat together with the cream until mixed well, season.

To put together just add the peas to the leek mix and spoon into the cases about ¾ full and fill with the egg, cream mix till as full as you can get them without spilling.

When they are all ready put them on a baking tray and cook for about 15-20 mins, they are done when the egg mix is set and they look a little golden.

Leave aside to cool and using a microplane grate some parmesan over the top.