Anna says: “What’s great about this is that you can prepare it a day before you need it, leave it in the fridge and have it when you get home. It’s also a good dish to bring on a picnic, or take for a lunch at work. Making the dressing in a jam jar also makes it great for travelling. I’ve kept this version vegetarian, but cooked chicken or prawns would be a nice addition.”

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons hummus
• 200g canned mixed beans (drained weight)
• ½ cucumber, deseeded and cut into half moons
• 200g cherry tomatoes (about 10), halved
• ½ yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 carrot, grated
• 40g baby spinach, rocket and watercress, or your favourite salad leaves
• 1 teaspoon mixed seeds

For my house vinaigrette: 

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• pinch of sea salt

Method

Place all the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar, seal the lid and shake it well together.

Spoon the hummus into the centre of 2 bowls and then arrange all the salad ingredients except the seeds around it, each one separately so they have their own ‘zones’. Sprinkle the seeds on top of it all.

Shake the vinaigrette jar once more to re-emulsify, then pour it over the bean bowl and tuck in.

Tricks of the trade

When you’re thinking of making a salad, stop and ask yourself some questions. What will give it texture? How can I add colour to the plate? What extra ingredients have I got to hand that will enhance it, such as toasted nuts, crunchy croutons, edible flowers, or the beginnings of shooting herbs and salads? All these will create a salad that really catches the eye and sings to the palate. 

Anna says: “My restaurant Myrtle is closed on Mondays. Usually, after a weekend, I want to eat something light and on the healthy side, but I never want to spend ages in the kitchen, as I’ve still got a lot of admin to do while the restaurant is closed. So it has worked out that I make a version of this recipe most Mondays!”

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 × 100g salmon fillets, skin on or off, as you prefer
• 200g canned chickpeas (drained weight)
• 40g (about 2½ tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil
• 100g frozen peas
• finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
• 80g watercress or rocket
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.

Season the salmon with salt and pepper and place on a baking tray. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes. Check it is cooked by doing the skewer test.

Meanwhile, pour the chickpeas on to a large plate and crush with a fork.

Put the extra virgin olive oil in a pot with a pinch of salt and add the chickpeas and your frozen peas. Set over a low heat and slowly warm up, adding the zest and juice of 1 lemon. Give it a mix and taste to see if it needs more salt (see below).

Take a handful of watercress or rocket and place it in the centre of the plates.

Spoon your chickpea and pea mix over and flake the salmon on top. Add the remaining lemon zest and a squeeze of the juice and you’re ready to go. 

Anna says: “I created these for a guest who I hadn’t realised was vegetarian. When I found out, I looked in my cupboards and pretty much all I had was a bag of frozen peas and some cheese! It didn’t look like a meal, but when I put it together it turned into a burger.

“These are completely delicious: not only satisfying in flavour, but the texture of the seeds, the spicy horseradish kick and the sweet peas all really complement each other.”

Makes 4–6

Ingredients

• 150g canned butter beans (drained weight)
• 200g frozen peas, defrosted
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
• 2 heaped tablespoons self-raising flour
• 60g grated mature Cheddar cheese
• vegetable oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve:

• bread rolls (I used blaa rolls for the photo, traditional in Ireland)
• horseradish sauce
• sliced tomato
• lettuce leaves

Method

Tip the drained butter beans into a large bowl and mash with the end of a rolling pin. Tip in the defrosted peas and do the same. Season the mixture.

Crack the egg into the mashed pea and bean mixture, add the poppy seeds and sunflower seeds and mix well.

Stir in the flour, season again with salt and pepper, then add the cheese and give the mixture a good final mix.

Heat up a dash of oil in a frying pan, then, using a tablespoon, spoon a big dollop of the bean mixture into the hot pan. Depending on how big you have formed them, this recipe should make 4–6 patties.

While the patties are cooking, build your burger bun. Cut the bread rolls in half and dollop on some horseradish sauce straight out of the jar. Pile on the sliced tomato and lettuce.

Keep checking the burgers, flipping, until golden brown on both sides. Use a spatula to transfer out of the pan straight into the bun, then serve.