Joe Woodhouse says: “This is great cooked on a barbecue, where the vegetables take on a lovely smokiness. Or this recipe can be adapted to transform leftover vegetables from yesterday’s barbecue. Space depending, it also works extremely well inside on a griddle, so all is well if the weather turns. This dish is reminiscent of a caponata but a bit lighter.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 yellow peppers (red are also fine)
• 3 aubergines
• 2 courgettes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 celery sticks, cut into roughly 2cm lengths
• 100g cherry tomatoes, halved across the equator
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained (rinse if salted)
• 240g cooked cannellini beans (120g dry weight)
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine, or to taste
• Sea salt flakes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.

Place the peppers on a tray and roast in the oven for 40 minutes until collapsed and the skin is lifting from the flesh. Remove and place in a bowl with a plate snuggly fitted on top. Allow them to steam and cool down as the skins release.

Heat a griddle pan over a medium-high heat and place the aubergines and courgettes on whole. Cook for 20-30 minutes, turning them a quarter of a time every now and then until slightly charred on the outside and cooked through. They will be done at different times, so when each is ready pull them off and reserve until all the others are done. Peel the aubergines of their blackened skins, then slice the aubergines and courgettes down the centre and into large chunks.

Peel the peppers: by now the skins will easily slip off the flesh like jackets. Also remove the stalks and seeds, but don’t drive yourself mad getting every seed: a few aren’t an issue. Tear the peppers into strips.

Add the oil to a pan big enough to hold everything over a medium heat. Follow with the celery and cook gently for 5 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the tomatoes along with 125ml water, and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the capers and beans and warm through for 2 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables and stir gently to combine everything. Remove from the heat and add salt and vinegar to taste. Spoon into bowls and dress with the extra-virgin olive oil.

From Your Daily Veg by Joe Woodhouse (£22, Kyle Books), out now      

Theo Michaels says: “I’m very lucky to work with some amazing people who are as passionate about food as I am. I’ve had many a long conversation with my editor, Julia Charles, discussing recipes and techniques. So I am delighted that Julia has allowed me to include her delicious cannellini bean and artichoke gratin recipe (she also said that if I didn’t include it she’d make me sound unedjamacated…).”

Serves 4

Ingredients

• A splash of olive oil
• A knob of butter
• 1 large leek, halved lengthways, then finely sliced widthways
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 400g can artichoke hearts, drained and halved
• 400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• Finely grated lemon zest and freshly squeezed juice, to taste
• 125ml white wine
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme or a pinch of dried herbes de provence
• 300ml single cream
• 150g grated any mild semi-hard cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve:

• Rustic bread
• A tomato and chive salad

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C/350°F/Gas 4.

Add a splash of olive oil and a knob/pat of butter to a heavy-based pan and sauté the leek and onion for 5-6 minutes until they soften, then stir through the garlic for a minute and remove from the heat. Decant the contents of the pan into a large mixing bowl along with the halved artichoke hearts and cannellini beans, season with salt, black pepper, a grating of lemon zest and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Set aside.

Give the pan a wipe and return to the heat; pour in the wine, add the thyme leaves and reduce by a quarter, just to burn off the alcohol. Remove from the heat and pour in the cream, stirring as you do. Return to the heat and bring back to a simmer for a few minutes to thicken the sauce slightly. Add the contents of the mixing bowl into the pan with the sauce, fold everything together, then pour into a shallow gratin dish (or leave in the pan if ovenproof ) and scatter the cheese over the top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, remove and leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with rustic bread and a side dish of lightly dressed sliced ripe tomatoes and a scattering of chives. 

From Canned by Theo Michaels (£18.99, Ryland, Peters & Small), out now      

Leah Itsines says: “Cannellini beans are a high-protein option for this dish, but you could also use shredded chicken, meatballs or chickpeas. It’s also lovely topped with a little crumbled feta cheese.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 small chilli, finely diced
• 500g (baby spinach
• ¼ cup tomato paste (concentrated puree)
• ⅔ cup (135g) long-grain rice, rinsed
• 2½ cups (625 ml) chicken stock
• 400g tin cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Method

Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat.

Cook the onion, garlic and chilli for 3-4 minutes or until the onion is translucent.

Add the spinach and tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the spinach has wilted.

Stir in the rice, stock and cannellini beans and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve immediately, sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper.

Good Food Made Simple: Healthy Recipes To Eat Well And Feel Incredible by Leah Itsines (£20, Murdoch Books), out now