Truffle and vegetable risotto

Autumnal, with a deep foresty almost mustiness - the authentic italian risotto mix was livened up with some fresh onion, red pepper, mushrooms and cavolo nero.

Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Red pepper
Mushrooms
Truffle risotto mix
cavolo nero


1.  Sautee onion in olive oil until soft, add crushed garlic.
2. Add red pepper and mushrooms and continue to fry gently until they are soft.
3.  Tip in the risotto mix and about a cup of hot water, stir.
4.  When the water has mixed in, add another cupful and stir again - keep adding water until rice is just about done.  Then add shredded kale.
5.  Add another cup of water and stir until rice is done, and most of the water is absorbed.
6.  Turn off the heat and stand for a few minutes, this will allow the rest of the water to absorb, so the dish is silky (and not a watery ricey mess)

Vegetable cheese ... and stuff

Today's unappetising looking pile of mush, was actually extremely delicious cauliflower, squash and cavolo nero with a cheese sauce, with roasty potatoes and spicy chicken for the meat eaters.

Squash
Garam masala
Potatoes
Olive oil
Cauliflower
Cavolo nero
Chicken thighs
Garlic
Blackened cajun seasoning
Soya milk
Cornflour
Mustard
Cheddar

1.  Roast squash in olive oil, sprinkled with garam masala (actually we had this roasted already, so just added it to the other veg before putting in the oven in the cheese sauce, but if you are doing it from scratch if you put it in with the potatoes it should take about 40 minutes, so time enough to add straight away.)
2.  Chop potatoes into cubes, toss lightly in olive oil, sprinkle with salt and bake, for about a hour.
3.  Steam cauliflower florets and shredded kale for about 15 minutes.
4.  Put chicken thighs in an oven dish and massage with olive oil a sprinkling of cajun seasoning - roast for about 25 minutes.
5.  Make the cheese sauce - simmer soya milk, add slaked cornflour and stir to thicken.  Add a teaspoon of mustard and the grated cheese - stir until melted.
6.  Transfer all veg to an oven dish, top with sauce, and a handful more grated cheese, put in the oven for about 20 minutes, until top is golden brown.
7.  Serve, scoff

Sausage and mash, with braised red cabbage

You can't beat sausage and mash, particularly when it's cold and drizzly outside.  Lots of choice of sausages available in Todmorden Indoor market - these are your classic pork sausage - but lot's more available from the three excellent butchers - Bracewell's, Stanfield's and Fielden's.

Also, extras like butter from The Crumbly Cheese, tomato puree and wholegrain mustard from The Mediterranean Pantry, and veggies from Todmorden fruit and veg outside.

There were also veggie sausages fro the veggie.

Red cabbage
Olive oil
Clementine
Chilli flakes
Potatoes
Butter
Sausages
Onions
Tomato puree
Wholegrain mustard
Vegetable stock

1.  Shred cabbage and braise in a little olive oil and a cup of water - I added some clementine juice and a pinch of chili flakes.  Simmer gently, adding more liquid when it looks a bit dry.
2.  Peel potatoes and put onto boil for the mash.
3.  Prick the sausages with a fork and put in the oven for 15 minutes - then turn them.
4.  Make the onion gravy - sautee chopped onion in olive oil until soft, squirt in some tomato puree, add a teaspoon of grainy mustard and a cup of water, simmer.  You might want to add more water/vegetable stock to keep the correct consistency.
5.  Mash potatoes with butter - you could put them in the oven to crisp up.
6.  Serve, scoff

Smoked haddock, colcannon with a poached egg

Friday night is fish night at our house ... and today it was smoked haddock.  This always reminds me of my Mum as, when I was growing up, if ever we were home alone we would have spinach with cheese melted into it, smoked haddock and a poached egg .. nobody else liked it, the fools!  However, today we had kale to use up, so I made colcannon with lots of leek and chopped kale mashed into the potato ... ha!  that was two extra vegetables into the veg dodger with no argument whatsoever.  On the table in 40 minutes easily - and that was giving time for the mash to crisp up on top - could've been done in 20.  All ingredients can be found on Todmorden Market, particularly the fish as Paul has the best fish for miles around.

About £3.50 per greedy portion

Potatoes
Carrots
Kale
Leeks
Butter
Smoked haddock
Olive oil
Eggs
vinegar
Black pepper

1.  Peel potatoes and cut into pieces.., boil for the mash.
2.  Peel carrots and steam above the potatoes,  chop leeks into rings and shred the kale, steam them together above the carrots.
3.  When the potatoes are cooked drain them and mash them with butter.  Beat in the steamed green veg.
4.  Transfer the colcannon to an oven dish and put into the oven for the top to crisp.  Put the carrots in the bottom of the oven to keep hot.
5.  At the same time drizzle the fish with a little olive oil and bake that for 15 minutes.
6.  Poach egg for 2 minutes in water at a rolling boil, with a dash of vinegar - which helps the egg hold its shape.
7.  Serve, scoff - watch veg dodger have seconds of green veg.

Baked potatoes with assorted fillings

I reckon I please most of the people, most of the time, with my culinary efforts - but as we all know it's impossible to please all of the people all of the time - and we didn't actually want dinner to take all night.  So - baked potatoes - always a crowd pleaser , and assorted toppings to suit the carnevore, the lactose intolerant, the vegetarian and the veg dodger ....

Potatoes
Olive oil
Onion
Mushrooms
Garlic
Brandy
Bacon
Baked beans
Tuna
Fennel
Salad leaves
Sherry vinegar
Cheese

1.  Pierce the potato skins with a fork a few times, rub with olive oil and microwave for 20 mintues.
2.  Transfer the potatoes to the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes.
3.  Assemble the other fillings:-
- mix tuna with finely diced onion and fennel, salt and a spritz of lemon juice
- fry 2 lots of chopped onion, one with bits of bacon and the other with garlic and chopped mushrooms.  finish the mushrooms with a splash of brandy, evaporate off the alcohol.
- heat the beans
- put out the cheese
4.  Make a simple salad with salad leaves tossed in a little olive oil and sherry vinegar.
5.  Serve, scoff - everyone's a winner

40 minutes front door to table

Leek and potato soup

It's very wintery again, and I'm on a mission to finish up all the Christmas veg - so leek and potato soup, why not?

olive oil
3 leeks
2 onions
2 cloves garlic, crushed
vegetable stock
wholegrain mustard
marmite
chilli flakes
cream for drizzling (optional obviously)

1.  Sweat down chopped and cleaned leeks and onion.
2.  Chop potatoes into smallish cubes and add them to the onions, when a little soft add crushed garlic and keep sweating down.
3.  Add about a litre of veg stock and simmer.
4.  Add a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard and a teaspoon of marmite, taste for seasoning.
5.  When potatoes are soft zizz and adjust to the right texture.
6.  Serve, drizzle with cream if you wish ... would be vegan without the cream - and is gluten free.