Quick and easy self-catering recipes by The Needy Greedy
The holiday is booked… but what are you going to cook?
Bloom Stays invited food writer Charlotte from The Needy Greedy to Waters Edge, Greatstone on Sea to cook up a few of her favourite recipes that are perfect to recreate in your self catering holiday home this summer. They are all quick and easy recipes, simple but still look impressive for your guests and taste delicious too! The kitchen at Waters Edge serves well as a dinner party prep spot, not to mention the incredible dinner table that can seat up to 14 people and looks right over the garden and seaside.
Take a look at what Charlotte (The Needy Greedy) prepared with the full recipes below and enjoy cooking them on your next getaway!
Sun-dried Tomato, Rosemary & Cannellini Bean Dip
Holidays call for chips, dips, wine and chat, so here’s a great recipe for you. Goes beautifully with Kent Crisps and a delicious pale pink Rose from Biddenden Vineyard. This gorgeous vegan dip can be whipped up in 5 minutes (and be kept for 3 days) with simple store cupboard ingredients – you’ll be wanting this for those al fresco drinks all summer. It’s actually pretty healthy too, those gorgeous beans are not only super creamy but full of fibre too.
400g tinned cannellini beans – drained
8 Sun-dried tomatoes (in oil)
1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove – crushed
2 tbsp olive oil from the sun-dried tomato jar
Salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon for seasoning
Approx 100ml water.
Add all the ingredients to a food processor, and blitz. Add the water while the blade is running. You need to add enough water for the right consistency, and thickish to ensure maximum dipping enjoyment, no one likes a runny dip.
Taste, and season as required (with more salt, lemon or vinegar). Then chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. Great with crisps, pita bread, or crudites for a super healthy option. Watch the video here.
Spanish Chicken Traybake
Love an easy one-pan dish? Here’s a Spanish Chicken Traybake from The Needy Greedy. This one is so simple to throw together, to maximise the fun times spent on holiday. This self-catering dish serves 4 – but can be doubled easily
700g chicken mini fillets
3 peppers – cut into chunks
2 red onion – cut into thin wedges
1 jar of butterbeans
2 cloves of garlic crushed
Olive oil
2 tsp mixed dried herbs
5 Chopped fresh tomatoes
2 tsp Smoked paprika
Chilli flakes (optional)
Generous handful of black olives
Chopped fresh parsley
In a large roasting dish pour a large slug of olive oil. Add the crushed garlic, dried herbs, smoked paprika and chilli flakes if using. Add the chicken, peppers, and red onion. Add the butterbeans with their liquid. Season and mix well then cover with foil or similar. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 180C, and when hot, put the dish in the oven. After 20 mins, remove the foil and continue to cook in the oven uncovered for approx 20 mins.
Remove from the oven, add the black olives and fresh parsley. We enjoyed it with a dressed green salad and wraps but orzo would be delicious too! Watch the video here.
Apple Flapjack Crumble Pudding
Apple crumble – a super quick and utterly delicious pud that’s always a crowd-pleaser on self-catering holidays! You can use whatever fruit you like – such as frozen raspberries and cherries or a mix of all. As we’re in Kent, we’ve used local apples.
600g apples – cored and roughly chopped
200g butter
200g oats
200g flour
110g sugar
1 generous teaspoon of cinnamon
While the butter is melting, weigh and mix all the dry topping ingredients in a bowl. Pour in the melted butter and mix until the mixture resembles large breadcrumbs. We chopped the apples with an apple corer, no peeling (lots of goodness in the skin) Put them in an oven-proof dish. Cook in a preheated oven at 180C, for 30 mins until the topping is crispy and golden. Then serve with cream, creme fraiche, custard or vanilla ice cream.
Goats Cheese & Sun-dried Tomatoes Frittata
Liven up your picnic or brunch with this goats cheese frittata with sun-dried tomatoes. Delicious hot or cold, it’s perfect for holiday cooking as it’s quick and easy summer dish to prepare. Serves 2-4
1 onion, finely sliced
6 eggs
5/6 Sun-dried tomatoes – chopped into smallish pieces
Approx 60g of your favourite creamy goat’s cheese (you can use another cheese, such as blue or cheddar if you prefer)
A couple of tablespoons of cream or creme fraiche
2 tbsp of chopped fresh herbs such as parsley and thyme or 1 tsp of dried mixed herbs
1 tablespoon of grated parmesan.
Grease and line 20cm tin with nonstick baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 180C.
Pop some olive oil in a frying pan. Add the onions, and saute gently until soft. Meanwhile, break the eggs into a bowl, beat with a fork and season generously. Break in the goats cheese, grate in the parmesan, and add the sun-dried tomatoes and herbs. When the onions are soft, add those in too. Give it all a good stir and pour it into the prepared tin. Bake for around 25 minutes until firm and golden. Allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes before removing and cutting into squares.
Pack it for a picnic and enjoy those sea views! Watch the video here.
