Sauteed potatoes, smoked haddock, steamed purple-stemmed broccoli - and a poached bantam egg.

This is not really a recipe, as the title is the basic instruction!  It takes about 30 minutes, start to finish...

Chop potatoes into 1cm cubes - sautee in olive oil - cover if you need them to speed up on cooking through - take the lid off to crisp them up.
10 minutes later put the water on to steam the broccoli, and the broccoli in the steamer.
10 minutes later, pan fry the fish - quite gently.
6 minutes later break eggs into the water under the broccoli, and turn the heat off.
3 minutes later - serve.

Mushroom risotto

Another gorgeous dinner featuring products available from Todmorden market. OK - the wine isn't, but you can get that across the road.  You could even get the pan and a salad bowl from Tony in the hardware shop if you haven't got them already!

This dish showcases some new dried mushrooms - these are French, instead of the usual Italian - "melange forestier" - ie. mixed forest mushrooms, and bring a lovely earthy depth to the finished risotto.

Anyway:-

Available from The Mediterranean Pantry

Melange Forestier/Dried mixed forest mushrooms
Olive oil
Garlic
Risotto rice - a small handful per pserson.
Bouillon powder
Mixed herbs
Maldon sea salt
Black pepper

Available from Garry the veg

Onion
Mushrooms
Spinach

Available from the Crumbly Cheese

Parmesan

Also, white wine .... (optional)

1.  Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for 45 minutes.
2.  Sautee chopped onion in olive oil, gently, until translucent.
3.  Add crushed garlic to the onion, and continue to fry gently.
4.  Add rice to the onion and garlic and stir until every grain is coated, add half a teaspoon of mixed herbs.
5.  Add a glass of white wine to the rice, and simmer until it is absorbed.
6.  Remove the mushrooms from the soaking water, rinse, and chop, add to the rice.  Retain the soaking water.
7.  Make stock with the bouillon, about 3/4 litre.
8.  After the soaking water has stood for 5 minutes pour most of it into the rice - carefully, leaving the sediment behind!
9.  Chop some fresh mushrooms and chuck them into the risotto too.
10.  Let the rice soak up the mushroom juice, then add some stock, stir and cook until its nearly absorbed.. then start adding stock a bit at a time, stir in, and then add some more as it absorbs ... for about 12-15 minutes ... taste it - the rice will taste chalky until it's cooked, add seasoning to taste.
11.  When the rice is nearly cooked turn off the heat and leave to stand as the rice sucks in the remaining stock.  The mix should be creamy and gloopy, and delicious.
12.  In a salad bowl drizzle olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a turn of seasoning ... add baby spinach leaves and toss at the last minute.
13.  Serve and scoff - grate parmesan onto risotto.

Gammon in a mustard and cider sauce, with purple mash and cumin cabbage and carrots

It messes with your head a little bit does purple mash, but it's just purple potatoes, mashed ... and it's delicious.

The gammon is organic and came with the veg box - and was really good.

So, ...

Potatoes (they don't have to be purple!)
Olive oil
Onion
Grainy mustard
Cider
Cumin
Carrots
Cabbage
Bouillon powder (well, stock of any sort really)
Gammon
Butter

1.  Peel potatoes, chop into chunks and boil in salted water.
2.  Peel and chop onion, sautee in olive oil.
3.  Add a spoon of mustard to the onions, and about 1/2 pint cider.  Simmer.
4.  In another pan, heat a little olive oil and add a teaspoon of cumin seeds.
5.  Peel and slice carrots, shred cabbage.  Add to cumin and oil, and mix around.  Add half a cup of water, put a lid on and cook on a medium heat for about 12 minutes.
6.  When the potatoes are done, drain, add a good knob on butter and mash.  Put in a hottish oven to keep warm and/or if you have long enough get a crunchy crust on top.
7.  Add the gammon to the cider sauce, lid on simmer for about 5 minutes, turn over, and do the other side for 5 minutes or so.

Should all be done ... serve and scoff.

The veggie option was grilled haloumi with the onion sauce - removed before the meat was added.  Also delicious.

Veggie sausage and mash

Sometimes it's the only thing which will hit the spot.  Not really a recipe, but I have included it as I did the sausages in a nice tomato and onion gravy (with peas), and added cabbage to the mash.

Potatoes, peeled and cubed
Cahhage, shredded
Olive oil
Onion
Garlic, crushed
Veggie sausages (these were Linda McCartney's)
Tomato puree
Veggie stock
Butter/Margarine/Olive oil

1.  Boil the potatoes, steam the cabbage on top.
2.  Gently fry the onions in olive oil, then add the sausages and garlic.
3.  After a couple of minutes add a squite of tomato puree to the sausages, and about 1/2 pint of veggie stock - simmer.  Add peas to the sauce after about 10 minutes.
4.  About 12-15 minutes later everything will be ready.  Mash the potatoes, add butter and cabbage.
5.  Serve, scoff, sleep.

Lemon sole - with mediterranean vegetables and baby roast potatoes

Paul the Fish on Todmorden market is fab!  The Mediterreanean Pantry inside Tod market is also fab (well, I would say that, it's mine) ... but the fish from Paul is a Friday night treat we look forward to every week.  Today, lemon sole ... yum.

So, from the beginning - the baby roast potatoes take the most time, so get them on ... the do what you have to do when you get in from work ... then finish the other bits.


Potatoes
Olive oil
Spring onion
courgettes
aubergine
tomatoes
garlic
lemon sole
asparagus
salt and pepper

1.  Wash and chop potatoes - boil in salted water.
2.  In a big baking dish heat some olive oil.  Drain the potatoes - add them to the olive oil - turn over in the oil and roast for about an hour.
3.  Meanwhile - slice the spring onions, courgettes, aubergine, tomatoes and finely sliced garlic and roast in another dish, in olive oil for 30 minutes.
4.  Now add the fish to the top of  the veg, drizzle with olive oil and season - roast for another 30 minutes.  (If I had some black olives to hand I would have chucked some on the top - but I forgot to bring some home from work... tskkk)
5.  15 minutes before serving start steaming the asparagus spears.

Serve, scoff, fight gathered people for thirds!

Spanish omelette

I was really proud of this.  It was LOVELY.

I have made spanish omelettes many times, and, indeed, published them on here a few times - but this one was really good.  The thing I did differently was to cook the veg - then beat the eggs in a big bowl - then tip the veg into the bowl - and pour it all into the frying pan together to finish it.  And, most of the eggs were from our lovely little bantams. ... thanks girls!

Olive oil
Potatoes
Courgettes
Frozen peas
Eggs

1.  Peel and chop potatoes into slices - boil for about 5 minutes in salted water.
2.  Slice courgette and add to potatoes - boil for another 5 minutes.
3.  Add a cup of frozen peas, turn the heat off.
4.  Heat some olive oil in the bottom of a big, heavy frying pan.
5.  Beat together some eggs, gently, season.
6.  Drain the veg and tip into the eggs.
7.  Pour the egg mixture into the frying pan - on a medium heat.  Fry gently for a few minutes.
8.  When the edges are coming away from the sides of the pan - stick under a grill to finish the top off.
9.  Turn onto a big plate.
10. scoff.

Baked potatoes with tuna - 3 ways

Baked potatoes and tuna - a simple supper - one many people have time and time again.  However, take three people, take three different sets of requirements ... and we all had a delicious dinner.

The basic bits were all the same - baked potato (fork the skin, rub with olive oil, then 20 minutes in the microwave, then 40 minutes in the oven).

Salads - 1.  mixed leaves with an olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard and herb dressing (greek salad seasoning mix available from theMediterranean pantry).

2.  Carrot salad - grate carrot, add onion seeds and a splosh of olive oil.

The three tuna fillings:-

1.  Tuna, spring onions and mayonnaise
2.  Tuna, celery, tomatoes, spring onion, olive oil
3.  Tuna, celery, spring onions, celery, capers, gherkin, a tiny splodge of mayonnaise

All easy, all delicious, all to suit our individual tastes.  yum.

Turnip and blue cheese gratin, dolmades and bean medley

 I will not claim that this was a gourmet dinner which would rival international chefs ... it was OK - all of the separate bit were really quite nice, but it is no masterchef entry.  The combination was prompted by i) left overs ... from the stall - the dolmades and bean salad are lovely (you can eat them all hot or cold) ii) the remnants ... of the veg box and some cheese from earlier cheeseboards and iii) it was COLD today so we wanted something warm.

Recipe - very sketchy, because it really is a "whatever you have" kind of a dinner ....

Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil.
Add a pinch of rosemary, and some peeled and diced root veg (turnips, carrot and potato).
Turn over for a minute or so, then add a glass of dry white wine and some stock.  Stir in a spoonfull of mustard.
Simmer for 15 minutes or so, then ad  shredded cabbage.  Simmer again until veg is al dente.
Transfer to oven dish and crumble on a bit of blue cheese, and a bit of cheddar type cheese.
Roast for a bit.
At the same time - put dolmades and bean mix into the bottom of the oven to heat through.

Lentil spaghetti ... another version

There are many versions of lentil spaghetti;  this one is made with semi-dried tomatoes which gives it a depth of flavour without adding tomato puree.  It is also made with "Tuscan Seasoning" from my deli stall on Todmorden market - which adds a bit of chilli kick.

Everything for this recipe can be sourced, if you are local, from Todmorden market - you would have to cross the road to the off licence to pick up a bottle of red - but otherwise all available from the market - the vegetable stall outside, the Crumbly Cheese and The Mediterranean Pantry inside.  (But you will probably have some stuff in your cupboards anyway).

Olive oil
Onion
Celery
Carrot
Tuscan seasoning
Mushrooms
Red lentils
Red wine
Sun-dried/semi-dried tomatoes
Fresh tomatoes
Water
Grainy mustard
Black pepper

Spaghetti (Gluten free here, but does not have to be)

Parmesan

1.  Sweat chopped onion, celery and carrot in olive oil.
2.  Add a tsp or so of Tuscan seasoning (herbs, garlic and chilli)
3.  Stir around, then add chopped mushrooms.
4.  Stir around again, then add a handful of red lentils.
5.  Chuck in a glass of red wine, and a glass of water - simmer.
6.  Whizz the semi-dried and fresh tomatoes with a stick blender (or equivalent)
7.  After the lentils have been in for 10 minutes add tomatoes.  Add water/stock when the mix starts to look a bit dry ... altogether simmer for about 40 minutes.
8.  Taste and stir in mustard and ground black pepper to taste.
9.  Cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions - ours was GF - and took 7 minutes boiling (packet said 8 ... so, as usual, checked before to make sure it was al dente).
10.  Serve, with or without parmesan shavings. (vegan if you don't!)

YUM!

Jewelled rice pilaf

My photography skills do not do this justice - but the spice mix is delicious, and it's actually very easy.

The recipe is a simplification of very sophisticated persian banquet rice.

I served it with grated carrot, roast chicken thighs and asparagus - but it could be served with all sorts of lovely things, or even, with a few extra nuts and veggies on its own as a starter.

Basmati rice - about 250g - enough for 4ish
Water
Olive oil
Onion
Jewelled rice mix (available from The Mediterranean Pantry)
Carrot, grated


If you, like me, are serving with roast chicken (whole or pieces) start with that - I put thighs in a baking dish with olive oil, crushed garlic and the juice of half a lemon.  Drizzle oil over the top - stick into the oven, and let it do its stuff.

1.  Cook your rice - I put it in a heavy pot, cover - plus 1 inch, with water - bring to the boil, lid on and in a lowish oven for 20 minutes.  This is a very forgiving method, but otherwise, just follow the packet instructions.
2.  Chop the onions and sweat down gently in the olive oil.

At this point you might want to start steaming any other veg, eg. asparagus, beans ...

3.  Keep the onions on a medium heat and add the spice mix.  Stir, then add a half cup of water.
4.  Cook through, gently, for a few minutes.
5.  Remove half of the rice to a serving dish, stir the rest of the rice into the spice mix.
6.  Combine the spiced rice, and the plain rice, to give a bit of a marbled effect - and serve.

Serve with grated carrot, salad ... or whatever else you fancy.

Turnip colcannon, with mushroom and romanesco

So, today we have vegetarian, gluten free and lactose intolerance ... and a veg box (with no onions), and potatoes to use up.  I think I did really well.  Those who came with their dietary requirements seemed to think so to, as thirds were eaten!

Potatoes
Turnip
cabbage
olive oil
garlic
mushrooms
romanesco
vegan bouillon
tuscan seasoning (available from the Mediterranean Pantry)
olive oil spread

30 minutes, start to finish.

1.  Peel and chop potatoes and turnip, boil until cooked (about 15 minutes, depends how small you chop the potatoes.
2.  Shred the cabbage and steam it.
3.  In a good few tablespoons of olive oil, chop mushrooms and sautee.  Add crushed garlic, gently cook off some more.
4.  Cut florets from the romanesco, and add to the mushrooms, add a teaspoon of tuscan seasoning.
5.  Make about half a pint of stock with veg bouillon and add to the mushrooms and romanesco.
6.  When the potatoes and turnip are cooked mash them, with a couple of spoons of olive oil spread (or similar) - season.
7. Serve, scoff .....

And apparently, scoff again - thirds! at least!

Quails eggs with fried rice and cumin cabbage

When you have a veg box once a week you also have the end of the week ... and whatever veg is left.  This week there was white cabbage, and also some quails eggs we bought - just before our bantams had a laying spree - so we have eaten our girls' eggs already.  This is odd, because we were really looking forward to the quails eggs - they are delicious.

Some cooked rice, some frozen peas and a few spices ... ta dah!



Coconut oil
Fried onions
Crushed garlic
Cooked rice
Courgette
Cumin seeds
Turmeric
Cabbage
Quails eggs
Frozen peas
Tomatoes

1.  Plonk some coconut oil in a frying pan and chuck in a handful of fried onions, stir, add crushed garlic.
2.  Add the fried rice, and turn around until every grain of rice is lightly coated.
3.  Add chopped veg - courgette in this case, and a splash of water to keep it moist.
4.  About now ... tiny spoon of coconut oil in a pan - add shredded cabbage, tsp cumin seeds and  1/2 tsp turmeric.  Stir.  Add a half cup of water, lid on, turn the heat down.
5.  Put qualis eggs into a pan with cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 1 minute.  Turn off the heat.
6.  Add peas to the rice mixture ... stir in.
7.  Wait 3 minutes and serve ....

Yum - if you have cooked rice this is on the table in under 20 minutes.  (You can also buy cooked rice in microwavable trays - this can be used from the tray, without microwaving - from 2.)

Cajun butter bean pie with asparagus

This is Cajun because I used blackened cajun seasoning - I claim no other level of authenticity.  It was quite spicy, but tasty and good for you.

I used coconut oil for the first time, after hearing so much about the health benefits.  It works well, and does not impart any coconuttiness.  I did give in and drizzle olive oil over the potatoes to get them to crisp up a bit.



Potatoes, skin on, chopped into bite sized pieces

Coconut oil
Chopped onion
Crushed garlic
Chopped celery
Cajun seasonning
Peeled and chopped carrot
Chopped red pepper
Butter beans
Tin of chopped tomatoes
olive oil
Asparagus

1.  Put the potatoes in salted water to boil.
2.  Sautee onion in coconut oil.
3.  Add chopped carrot and celery, with the crushed garlic and the spice mix to the onion.  Let soften briefly, then add red pepper.
4.  After about 10 minutes add butter beans and tomatoes, with about half a tin of water.  Simmer briefly.
5.  The potatoes will now be par boiled, drain them.
6.  Tip the butter bean mixture into an oven dish.  Tumble on the potatoes - gently pushing them to cover the mix.  Drizzle with olive oil and bake, in a hottish oven, for about 30-40 minutes.
7.  15 minutes before you want to serve, take the woody ends off the asparagus, and steam it.

15 minutes later - it should all be done - serve and scoff.

Qorma-e-Maash

This recipe is adapted from Sally Butcher's 2011 book "Veggiestan".

I made up a spice mix, and then made the casserole.  I used vegetables which I had in the fridge, others could easily be substituted.

The spice mix is HOT, so my advice, if you would like to make something similar is to treat it with caution.  The spice mix would also be good for a chicken casserole.

So, ...

Baked potatoes

Stab potatoes with a fork, and coat lightly with olive oil - these were huge, so 20 minutes in the microwave, then 1 hour in the oven.

Mung bean casserole

Olive oil
Chopped onion
Qorma-3-Maash spice mix
Carrot
Red pepper
Turnip
Mung beans - 2 handfuls
Stock/water
Kale
Tomatoes


1.  Sautee the chopped onion in the oil, until it is softenned.
2.  Add no more than 1 tbsp spice mix .... this will be quite hot ...!
3.  Add prepared root veg and stir in.  Add chopped pepper.
4.  Chuck in the mung beans and cover with stock or water.  Simmer for about 30-40 minutes.  Add more liquid if it looks like it is getting dry.
5.  When the mung beans are cooked - (squash them between your fingers) - add about 4 chopped tomatoes and some shredded kale (I think spinach would be more authentic, but I had kale).  Simmer for about another 10 minutes.
6.  Serve - we had baked potatoes, but you could put potatoes in the casserole and serve with rice or bread.