Summer vegetable spaghetti with feta and black olives

 

End of the veg box again - onions, courgette, lemons and red pepper - added a few green beans, feta and olives and this was the delicious result.  Summery, but also filling, saltiness from feta and olives, sharpness from lemon. Fab. Quick too.

Olive oil

Onion

Garlic

Salt

Courgette

Red pepper

Green beans

Italian herbs

zest and juice of a lemon

spaghetti

black olives

Feta

Basil

1.  Sweat down chopped onion in olive oil, with a pinch of salt, then add crushed garlic.

2.  Add chopped red pepper, courgette and green beans (I would have added spinach if there was any available, so add/substitute with what you have available).  Let them soften for a few minutes.  Add a pinch of italian herbs.

3.  Cook spaghetti in boiling, salted water, as per packet instructions.

4.  When pasta is al dente, add a couple of spoons of pasta water to veg and toss in drained pasta, stir.

5.  Add chopped zest and juice of a lemon, black olives, shredded basil and crumbled feta.

6.  Serve, grind on black pepper, scoff, bask in smugness.

Mushroom and cashew nut stir fry

 

It might look like a long list of ingredients - but it's incredibly quick, easy and tasty as soon as you have got yourself organised.

Chop all veg in advance, heat the oil to hot and off you go.

Peanut (or other veg) oil

Spring onion

Crushed garlic

grated ginger

Sweet chili sauce

Courgette

Broccoli

Mushroom

Pak choi

Tomato ketchup

Soy sauce

Cornflour, slaked in water

Wok noodles

Cashew nuts

Beansprouts

1.  Heat peanut oil in a wok, add chopped spring onion and stir fry quickly.

2.  Add other chopped veg, ginger, and garlic - stir fry a little longer - add a dash of water to steam fry until veg are less raw.

3.  Stir in sweet chili sauce and a splodge of tomato ketchup.

4.  Stir fry a bit longer, then add soy sauce, a little more water and cornflour to start the sauce.

5.  Add cooked noodles, cashew nuts and the pak choi leaves, stir fry again add beansprouts.

6.  When everything is heated through you are ready.

7.  Serve, scoff, seconds

Curry - vegan - cauliflower, chickpea, potato and mushrooms etc

 

Plant based and very tasty.  Generally planet friendly as the veg are in season - the rice and chickpeas were imported.  Also, I used curry paste from the cupboard, because it was there, but you could make your own or use a curry powder you have hanging around!

Sunflower oil

Leek

Crushed garlic

Curry paste (korma)

Cauliflower

Potato

Mushrooms

Water

Tinned chopped tomatoes

Basmati rice

Chick peas

1.  Sweat chopped leeks in oil, add crushed garlic and a couple of tbsp of curry paste.

2.  When the leek is a bit soft add cauliflower florets, chopped potato and mushrooms, turn in the spice mixture.

3.  Add water to the veg and simmer gently.  After 5 minutes add a tin of chopped tomatoes.

4.  After about 20 minutes add drained rinsed chickpeas - don't add too soon as the skins will toughen up.

5.  Put the rice on - I use the adsorption method - 1 part rice, 2 parts water, salt ... bring to simmer, slam on lid and turn down the heat to minimum - should be ready in about 12 minutes.  Turn off heat after about 10 and it can just sit there for a while.

6.  Cook until veg is soft.

7.  Serve, scoff ... smug

Mushroom "roast" dinner

 

This was massively more delicious than it looks!

A gorgeous field mushroom, fried in olive oil, mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables , with onion gravy.

Do not knock it until you have tried it!

Field mushroom

Olive oil

Potatoes

Onions

Green beans

broccoli

Cabbage

Gravy granules

White wine

1.  Peel potatoes and put on to boil.

2.  Prep veg for steaming.

3.  Chop onions and sweat down gently in olive oil.

4.  After about 5 minutes add mushroom to pan with onions, and fry - for about 5 minutes - stir the onions every now and again.

5.  Put the veg on to steam.

6.  When the mushroom is cooked put it to one side.

7.  Make gravy with the onions and gravy granules and an optional splash of white wine and drop of hendersons relish (I know, I know, give me a break, I could have used cornflour and veg stock etc etc ... but gravy granules are handy)

8.  Mash the potatoes with vegetable based spread (vitalite today). 

9. Put the mushroom back into the gravy to warm back through.

10.  Serve, scoff, smirk

Minestrone - or something akin to it

 

It's butter bean soup with an italian accent - I'm not sure it counts as real minestrone - but it is delicious..

Olive oil

Onion

Garlic

Carrot

Green beans

Mushroom

Roasted red pepper

Tin of butter beans

Yeast flakes

Italian seasoning

Chilli flakes

Tinned tomatoes

Pasta

Black olives

1.  Sweat chopped onion in olive oil.

2.  Add other chopped vegetables - I used carrots, green beans and mushrooms - but whatever you have really.

3.  Add crushed garlic and italian herbs, and a pinch of chilli flakes.  Fry off gently for a couple of minutes.

4.  Add chopped roasted red pepper (in this case from a jar).

5. Pour in a cup of water and simmer gently for a few minutes.

6. Tip in a drained tin of butter beans and a tin of chopped tomatoes, and another cup of water, keep simmering.

7.  Add soup pasta, and sliced black olives.  Season to taste.

8.  Simmer until pasta is cooked.

9.  Serve, scoff, smile.

Cheap, nutritious and tasty - beat that!

Potato, brie and other veg bake

 

The veg box is still full of sweet potatoes and carrots, but also a couple of good sized spuds this week.  There was brie in the fridge, and apples in the fruit bowl - so ... ta dah ...

olive oil

potatoes (2 large)

onions (2 medium)

carrots (3 medium)

sweet potato (1 large)

apples (2 medium)

Brie

garlic

vegetables stock

salt and pepper

1.  Slice all veg in to thin slices - as thin as you can manage.

2.  Drizzle olive oil into a baking dish.

3.  Layer the veg etc - potatoes, onion, carrot, sweet potato, onion, apple, brie, potato.

4.  Mix garlic into veg stock and pour onto the layers.

5.  Season well with salt and pepper.

6.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for at least an hour at 180.

7.  Steam vegetables as a side.

8. Serve, scoff, show off.

Delicious

Dhal and rice

 

Still skint after Christmas and a never ending January?  I know the feeling.  This, however, is cheap, filling and nutritious.  And has used up stuff from the bottom of the fridge.

Vegetable oil

Onion

Tomatoes

Plum

Red lentils

Turmeric

Chilli flakes

Garam Massala

Water

Spinach

Rice - Brown Basmati today

1.  Sautee chopped onion in oil, gently.

2.  Put rice on to cook - I use a heavy bottomed pan, add cold water to one inch above the surface of the rice, and a pinch of salt.  Bring to the boil, slam the lid on and turn down to the absolute lowest possible.

3.  Add chopped tomato and chopped plum (both optional, use what you have) to the onions.

4.  Add red lentils and water, then add spices, simmer for a while.

5.  Check that its not going too dry, and continue to simmer until lentils are soft.

6.  Add a handful of spinach leaves to wilt through.

7.  Serve, scoff, count spare pennies...

Cabbage spaghetti

Got home from a weekend away and looked into the fridge - sighed ... and looked around again.  

OK - half a cabbage, frozen sliced ham from Christmas, a drop of elmlea left from last week, the end of the parmesan ... and some frozen peas  ... voila!  Cabbage carbonara.  

It was surprisingly tasty - and cheap ... needs a good grind of black pepper to give it some zing.

Olive oil
Onion
Garlic

Spaghetti

Savoy cabbage

ham

parmesan

chilli flakes

frozen peas

1.  Sautee chopped onion in olive oil until soft, add crushed garlic and a tablespoon of water, continue to cook slowly.

2.  Shred cabbage and chop ham into small pieces.

3.  Cook pasta according to packet instructions.

4.  Add shredded cabbage to onions, with a little more water, and a handful of frozen peas, a few chili flakes, and steam/fry for a few minutes.

5.  Add ham and cream to heat through.

6.  Drain pasta and add to sauce, with grated cheese.  Stir in

7.  Stir, serve, scoff, seconds ...

Cheap, delicious, uses stuff up.

Mackerel paella

 

Tasty and cheap, a portion of oily fish and 5 veggies - what's not to like?  I haven't calculated exact figures, but I think this is about £1 a portion for 2.

Shallot

Olive oil

Garlic

Red pepper

Mushrooms

Spice mix (paella mix or paprika based)

Risotto rice

Veg stock

Tomatoes

Spinach

Tinned mackerel

1.  Sweat chopped shallot (or onion, or leek) in olive oil.

2.  Add chopped pepper and mushrooms and a clove of crushed garlic, sautee for a few minutes.

3.  Add risotto rice (a small handful per person), a little spice mix and stir until all grains of rice are coated.

4.  Add veg stock to cover and simmer gently.  Add more stock if it's going too dry.

5.  Add chopped fresh tomatoes, or a tin of chopped tomatoes, simmer.

6.  When the rice is nearly done - after about 12-15 minutes - taste it - if it's still chalky in the middle it needs a couple more minutes.

7.  Layer a handful of spinach over the top and allow to wilt for a couple of minutes.  The  stir in.

8.  Add a tin of mackerel in tomato sauce, stir in gently - you don't want to break the fish up completely.

9.  Leave to cook on low for a couple of minutes. rest to allow the rest of the liquid to absorb.

10.  Serve, scoff, gloat ... with a good grinding of black pepper.

Mac and cheese etc

Comfort food is the order of the day - but so is getting some vitamins as well as the carbs and protein - so I ramped up mac n cheese with some vegetables.  It didn't take any longer, and was delicious.

Cauliflower

Mushrooms

Soya milk

Cornflour

Macaroni

Cheddar cheese

Peas

Tomatoes

1.  Chop cauliflower into florets, place in steamer part of steamer pan.  Add a good handful of sliced mushrooms.

2.  Grate quit a lot of cheddar cheese.

3.  Put steamer pan on top of pan of water, heat until boiling.

4.  Add pasta to water, stir once, and replace cauliflower pan above it.

5.  Heat soya milk until simmering, then add slaked cornflour to make a sauce, as it thickens add grated cheese, stir until all melted - season with salt and pepper.

6.  Boil pasta for 10-12 minutes, until it is nearly done. stir occasionally to make sure it's not sticking together.

6.  Add frozen peas to steaming veg.

7.  Slice tomatoes.

8.  In a baking dish add steamed veg and drained cooked pasta, add sliced tomatoes.

9.  Pour on cheese sauce.

10.  Bake for 20 minutes or so.

11. Serve, scoff