Spiced, leftover potato cakes with aubergine and tomato curry sauce

Left over mash is not a frequent occurrence our house - but all sorts of other leftovers are ... in this case leftover dhal (not this exact recipe, it's not been leftover since 2012!) - so I thought I'd make some fresh mash, and chuck together these potato cakes - with an aubergine curry sauce.

Potatoes
Butter
Spinach
Dhal

Onion
Garlic
Olive oil
Fennel seed
Cumin seed
Mustard seed
Chili
Aubergine
Tin tomatoes

1.  Peel and boil the potatoes for mash.
2.  Sautee chopped onion and garlic and the spices in olive oil until soft, then add finely diced aubergine.
3.  When the potatoes are done, mash them with a little butter, then put the spinach on top to wilt - put the lid on the pan to keep the heat in.
4.  Finish the sauce by adding a tin of tomatoes and simmering.
5.  Mix the wilted spinach and left over dhal into the potato - shape into "cakes" and fry for a few minutes on each side - finish in the oven if necessary.

Courgette frittata, pesto gnocchi with tomato salad

The veg box often leaves us with challenges at the end of the week - but, as the bantams a re laying again, this challenge of onions, courgettes and cherry tomatoes was easily handled.  Also, had a packet of pesto gnocchi in the fridge, so that was easy too - and quick.


Red onion
Olive oil
Garlic
courgette
pesto gnocchi
eggs
tomatoes

1.  Chop a red onion - some very finely - reserve this for the salad,  sautee the rest with crushed garlic in olive oil.
2.  Add finely sliced courgette to the softened onion.
3.  Whisk together a number of eggs (7 bantam eggs in this case, but depends how hungry you are).  Add to the courgette mixture, cook on the hob for a few minutes (about 3), then finish under the grill/in a medium oven.
4.  Boil the gnocchi until they float, drain.  (You can then toss them in a little melted butter/olive oil if you wish).
5.  Put the salad together, chopped tomatoes, the reserved red onion and a sprinkle of salt.
6.  10 minutes after starting - serve, scoff, carry on with your day.

Seafood and asparagus risotto

It's not a very good picture, but it was a very tasty standby dinner.

Onion
Olive oil
Risotto rice
White wine
Asparagus
Stock
Pack of frozen seafood (from frozen)
Frozen prawns (defrosted)

1.  Finely chop onion and sautee in olive oil until soft.
2.  Add risotto rice, and turn in the oil until every grain has a light coating fo oil.
3.  Splash in half a glass of dry white wine.
4.  Add the chopped stems of the asparagus - keep the tips until the last 5 minutes.
5.  Add stock, stir and simmer, add seafood mix from frozen.  Keep adding stock, a bit at a time and cooking out until rice is nearly done.
6.  Make sure that prawns are defrosted, and add them.
6.  Now add the asparagus spears, and a little stock.  Cook for a further few minutes.
7.  After a final stir, let the mixture sit, so that the rice can soak up the moisture, so that it doesn't seep out to a watery puddle in the bowl.
8.  Serve, scoff ... have seconds.

Spaghetti "carbonara"

Dead easy, dead quick - and a visit to Todmorden indoor market can supply all of the ingredients.  Vegetables from Traynor, pasta (gluten free for us) from The Mediterranean Pantry, bacon and chicken from Bracewell's or Fielden's butchers.  We had some left over chicken from a roast, but you could get some ready cooked from Brian's.  An egg from all over the place, and parmesan from The Crumbly Cheese.

Olive oil
Leeks
Mushrooms
Peas
Spaghetti
Bacon
Cooked chicken
Egg

1.  Sweat the chopped, washed leek in olive oil for a few minutes, then add chopped mushrooms.
2.  Boil the pasta in plenty of salted water.
3.  Fry off chopped bacon and then add cooked chicken.  Add the leeks etc to the meat.  (I was doing a veggie version and a meat eaters version, so then split the leeks etc between the two frying pans).
4.  Chuck in a handful of peas.
5.  Drain the pasta, and add it to the vegetables.
6.  Lightly whip an egg.  Let the pasta cool for a minute, then quickly turn the egg through, forming a silky "sauce".
7.  Serve, top with shards of parmesan and a good grind of black pepper.
8.  Scoff, watch veg dodger have seconds!

Cheese and onion potato bake, lentil ragu, braised celery and cabbage

Olive oil
Potatoes
onion
cheddar
gorgonzola
stock
red peppers
courgette
garlic
red lentils
tomatoes
celery
cabbage

1.  Thinly slice potatoes, onions and cheese.
2.  Splash a little olive oil in an oven dish and layer potato, onion, cheese - repeat - one layer of cheddar, one of gorgonzola, and a final one of cheddar - finish with a layer of potato, a mug of stock and a drizzle of olive oil.
3.  Bake for 1 hour ...
4.  Chop celery, add a splash of olive oil, and a cup of water - put in the oven.
5.  Make the lentil rage - start by suateeing chopped onion, then add pepper, courgette and garlic.  Then a good handful of red lentils and some stock - add tinned tomatoes after 5 minutes.  Simmer.
6.  Steam shredded cabbage for about 7 minutes.
7.  Serve, scoff - hope for some left for tomorrow's work lunches...

Work lunches were sandwiches, as all of the potato bake was taken by the veg dodger as a midnight snack.

Cauliflower cheese, sausages and roasties

It all looks a bit pale and wan on this pic - but it was delicious.  Again, everything from Todmorden Market, except the soya milk.  Chipolatos from Fielden's family butchers, cauliflower, cabbage and potatoes from Traynors veg and good strong cheddar from the crumbly cheese ...

Olive oil
potatoes
saausages
Cauliflower
cabbage
soya milk
corn flour
grainy mustard
bay leaf
onion

1.  Chop potatoes and roast in olive oil.
2.  Steam cauliflower florets and shredded cabbage.
3.  Put sausages in oven to cook.
4.  Make cheese sauce - heat soya milk with onion and bay leaf - fish out onion and bay leaf and thicken with slaked cornflour.  Add a big spoonful of mustard and grated cheddar.
5.  Put the veg in an oven dish, cover with sauce - put in the oven to bron on top,
6.  Serve, scoff, watch veg dodger have thirds of cauliflower and cabbage.

Veggie had veggie sausages, but the rest was the same as ours.