Rainbow Food

Brighten up dull winter days or exploit the bounty of summer by creating a rainbow of colourful food on your plate

A variety of colour not only gives a strong visual impact, it also means you will most likely be getting a good nutritional balance. If it excites the eye it will excite the palate so try and think of food as three dimensional: a combination of colour, texture and taste.

Colourful food doesn't have to go into hibernation for the winter. The colder months can offer a cornucopia of rich and attractive colours and tastes that will stand up to the demands of slow-cooked, comfort casseroles or brighten up winter salads. And you don't have to resort to fruit and vegetables that have been flown thousands of food miles. However, if you're feeling indulgent, a lovely ripe mango can brighten up even the greyest day.

Think salad and you normally think of summer, but in the later months of winter our bodies are often crying out for some fresh green leaves. Rocket and spinach are sold all year round while raw spinach is full of cancer-fighting antioxidants, and both have a stronger, more interesting flavour than plain lettuce.

But vegetables aren't just limited to green. Slice a red cabbage in half and you have a design worthy of a modern art exhibition. And don't forget the small, finishing touches like fresh herbs. What looks more inviting than a steaming jacket potato with a dollop of soured cream and a sprinkling of vibrant green chives?

Spinach, Pink Grapefruit and Walnut Winter Salad
Grapefruit aren't grown in this country in any season, but is still a fruit associated with winter. Segments of pink grapefruit add a refreshing tartness to this salad and contrast wonderfully with the dark green leaves. For a more substantial salad, add strips of Serrano or Parma ham.

Serves 4

250g fresh baby spinach leaves
2 large pink grapefruit or 1 x approximately
300g drained weight can, juice reserved
100g walnut pieces

For the dressing
1 tbsp French walnut oil
3 tbsp reserved grapefruit juice
2 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
salt and pepper

Wash the spinach well and remove any thick stalks.
Segment the grapefruit using a sharp, preferably serrated knife. Do this over a bowl to catch the segments and juice.
Shake the dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar and season to taste.
To serve, toss the spinach leaves in the dressing (with the Parma or Serrano ham if using) and pile onto large salad plates with the grapefruit segments and scatter over the walnut pieces.

Spiced Red Cabbage with Gammon Steaks
Switch from green to red, add some apple and spices and slow cook a luscious cabbage casserole. It has so much flavour you only need to season the gammon steaks with salt and pepper. Serve with peeled, steamed potatoes sprinkled with finely chopped parsley.

Serves 4

500g red cabbage (about half a large head)
2 dessert apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 red onion, sliced
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
a pinch each of ground nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves
5 tbsp full bodied red wine
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
100ml water
4 x gammon steaks
oil for brushing
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 170C/gas mark 3.
Remove the hard stalk of the cabbage and using a large knife or the slicing attachment of a food processor shred finely.
Place half of the cabbage in an oven proof casserole dish then add half of the apple and onion slices, the sugar and spices.
Layer with the rest of the cabbage, apple and onion and season well with salt and pepper.
Pour in the wine, vinegar and water and cover with a lid or tin foil.
Bake for 1½ - 2 hours, stirring occasionally during cooking. If it looks a little dry, add a little more water. Likewise if it is too wet remove the lid for the last half hour of cooking to allow it to reduce.
Brush the gammon steaks with a little oil, season with salt and pepper and grill or pan fry for 3-4 minutes each side until done.

The cabbage can be kept in the fridge for three days and will mature in flavour. It also freezes well.

Fish tails Grilled Haddock with Salsa Verde
You can use any white fish for this. The salsa is packed with such vibrant colour and flavour it works best against a plain background. Serve with simply roasted, red-skinned potatoes.

Serves 4

4 x 200g haddock fillets or any other white fish
large bunch of flat leaf parsley, about 75g, stalks removed
about 20 large basil leaves
1 large clove of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
juice of half a lemon
6 anchovy fillets
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

If you have a food processor, simply place the parsley, basil, garlic, mustard, lemon juice and anchovies in the bowl and whiz until blended.
Slowly pour in the olive oil until it emulsifies and becomes slightly creamy.
Preheat the oven to 220/gas mark 7.
Season the haddock with salt and pepper, place in a lightly oiled baking dish and roast for 8-10 minutes or until the fish is opaque and flaky. The timing will depend on how thick the fillets are.

Pan-Fried Chicken Breasts with Herb and Tomato Relish
It's true, tomatoes aren't at their best in mid winter but organic and vine-ripened ones are better than the 'battery' variety. This relish is teaming with so many other tangy flavours you won't notice if the tomatoes are having an off day. If you like an extra kick, add some finely chopped chillies.

Serves 4

4 x free range chicken breasts
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 small garlic clove, crushed
salt and pepper
lime wedges, for garnish

For the relish
6 medium size ripe tomatoes
4 spring onions, sliced, including part of the green stem
1 small red or green chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped, optional
1 bunch of fresh coriander, about 75g, roughly chopped
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Lay the chicken breasts in a large shallow dish.
Mix together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper and pour over the chicken. Marinate while you prepare the tomato relish.
Cut the tomatoes into quarters, scoop out the seeds and cut the flesh into small dice. Place in a bowl and combine with the other ingredients.
When ready to cook, heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Take the chicken out of the marinade and allow it to drip off a bit.
Lay the chicken in the dry pan, top side down (it will have enough oil from the marinade) and fry for 4-5 minutes on each side until done, depending on thickness. Try and get a nice golden colour by not moving it around for the first couple of minutes' cooking time. If you have a ridged grill pan, so much the better as it will pick up the grill lines when left alone.
Serve with the relish spooned generously over the chicken and garnish with lime wedges.

Kiwi Ice Cream and Fruit with Mango Puree
Pureed mango is the colour of liquid sunshine and will brighten up even the simplest fruit salad. A scoop of ice cream or sorbet makes this recipe worthy of a dinner party dessert.

Serves 4

1 large ripe mango
2 passion fruits
juice of one small orange
a selection of fresh fruit, for example 150g strawberries; 2 kiwi fruits peeled and sliced; 2 crisp red apples, skin-on, cored and thinly sliced; dark red grapes cut in half; cherries with the stems left on
4 large scoops vanilla ice cream or orange sorbet fresh mint sprigs, to garnish

Peel the mango, remove the large pip and cut the flesh into pieces.
Halve the passion fruits and scoop out the seeds and pulp.
Place the mango, passion fruit pulp and orange juice in the bowl of a food processor and whiz. Pass through a sieve to remove the black seeds.
Place a scoop of ice cream or sorbet in the middle of a dessert plate and arrange the fruit around it.
Pour over the mango puree and garnish with the mint sprigs.

A few simple ideas to brighten up:

For a chic starter to serve four, lightly steam 275g purple sprouting broccoli and serve with bernaise sauce.
Make some pitta pizzas for the kids by slicing wholemeal or white pitta bread in half and spreading with tomato ketchup, mixed with a little crushed garlic. The sky's the limit with the toppings: miniature sliced rings of chorizo, salami, pepperoni or cooked sausage; ham and pineapple; chopped green or yellow peppers, olives, red onion, fresh tomato slices, mushrooms, sweetcorn, etc. Finish with grated Danish mozzarella and Cheddar cheeses and bake in a 200C/gas mark 6 oven for ten minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bases crispy(wholemeal pitta makes a softer pizza base while white pitta produces a crisper base).