A tale of two curries

Sunday, a confirmed meat eater, a vegetarian and assorted random veg in the fridge ... so - Sunday night curries.

Start the curries off at the same time, and follow the steps.  Takes about a hour start to finish.

I had some curry mixes, so based the spicing on those ... could have used individual spices obviously.

Onions
Olive oil
Garlic
Celery
Malaysian fish curry mix
Tikka masala mix
Chilli
Mushrooms
Red pepper
Butternut squash
Pork loin steaks
Water
Pork stock
Apples
Apple juice
Pilou spice mix
Basmati rice

1.  Chop onions and start 2 decent sized sautée pans going with the onions in olive oil.
2.  Add crushed garlic.
3.  Chop celery and add some to both pans.
4.  Stir in spice mixes - Malaysian for the veg and tikka masala for the pork.
5.  Chop mushrooms and add to both pans.
6. Chop red pepper and add to veggie curry.
7.  Chop pork into bite sized pieces and add to meat curry.
8.  Prep butternut squash and add to veggie curry, and stir in.  Add veg stock.
9.  Keep turning posh until lightly browned, then add cored and chopped apples.  Then add pork stock and a cup of apple juice.
10.  Simmer both curries, if they are going dry add more water - taste to check seasoning.
11.  Add pilou spices to a little olive oil and cook them for a minute or two.  Add basmati rice and water to an inch above the surface of the rice.  Stir once and bring to the boil.
12.  When rice boils turn right down and slam on the lid - it will be ready in about 15 minutes.
13.  Add a drained, rinsed, tin of chickpeas to the veggie curry.
14.  Add half a cup of coconut milk to each curry, stir in and simmer.
15. Serve, scoff ... obviously taking which option you prefer.  I had some of each ... yum

Sunday dinner ... vegan -> veg dodger

 On Sunday I fancied a proper Sunday roast dinner with gravy etc... but had to cater from vegan to veg dodger, so decided on a nut roast for one end of the spectrum, and lemon garlic chicken for the other - with pick and mix vegetables for all to share.

Onion
Garlic
Olive oil
Aubergine
Roast squash
Walnuts
Pistachio nuts
Ground almonds
Rolled oats
Vegan stock
Potatoes
Swede
Carrot
Soya spread
Kale
Red wine
Passata
Petit pois

1.  Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil.
2.  Mix pre-roasted squash, nuts and oats in a bowl, add a slosh of olive oil and some stock.  Let it sit to absorb the liquids.
3.  Slice and grill the aubergine.
4.  Peel potatoes, toss in oil and roast for about 50 minutes.
5.  Peel and chop carrots and swede and boil until soft.
6.  Roughly shred kale and boil in salted water for about 20 minutes.
7.  Build the nut roast by putting half the mixture in an oven dish, top with aubergine slices, finish with the rest of the nut mixture.  Roast with the potatoes for about 30-40 minutes.
8.  Drain and mash the carrots and swede and add black pepper and soya spread.  Mix, and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.
9.  Make the gravy by sauteeing chopped onion and crushed garlic in olive oil - when soft add red wine and half a cut of passata with about half a pint of stock.  Simmer.
10.  Drain the kale and fry in olive oil with a little water and season.
11.  Cook petit pois.
12.  Serve, take the bits you want, scoff.

Cauliflower, hazelnut and gorgonzola bake, roasted squash and tomatoes. Potatoes with onions and mushrooms

Bring on the autumnal flavours with all of these vegetables bang in season.  Cauliflower and hazelnuts go really well together, and this time I added some gorgonzola for extra smoothness and a slightly sharp flavour.  Roasted squash and tomatoes added an earthy sweetness - and you can't go wrong with sautéed potatoes, onion and mushrooms.  (Leave out the gorgonzola and the butter and it's vegan too).

Olive oil

Butter

Cauliflower

Squash

Cherry tomatoes

Gorgonzola

Red onion

Mushrooms

Cooked new potatoes

1.  Prep the squash, splosh over olive oil and roast at 180 … for about 45 minutes.

2.  Toss the tomatoes in a little olive oil and a pinch of salt, roast alongside the squash.

3.  Cut the cauliflower into "steaks" .. ie. slices top to core, about 2cm thick - there will be some larger florets which "fall" off - I cooked these in the same way as the steaks.  

4.  Fry the cauliflower in olive oil and butter for a few minutes each side - panne the steaks to keep them succulent (with a spoon, keep lifting the fats from the pan and pour them over the cauliflower).

5.  When the cauliflower is about half cooked - ie. still a little resistant to a sharp knife, but a bit golden brown around the edges - transfer to an oven dish.

6.  Add bite sized chunks of gorgonzola and roughly chopped hazelnuts to the cauliflower.  Put it in the oven with the squash and tomatoes.

7.  In the same pan, using the same oil, sautee chopped red onion, chopped mushrooms and sliced (precooked) potatoes.

8.  Serve, scoff … seconds

Pasta with cauliflower, peas, feta and hazelnuts

I couldn't get the lighting right for the picture, and I wanted to eat my dinner … so, very substandard picture of a delicious dinner.

Pasta - I used pea fusilli to keep it GF, but could be any short pasta
Cauliflower
Baby spinach
Red onion
Frozen peas
Feta
Hazelnuts
Mint
Olive oil




1.  Break cauliflower into small florets.
2.  Boil pasta in salted water, steam the cauliflower over it.
3.  Mix a couple of big handfuls of baby spinach with a small, finely diced, red onion.
4.  Add some frozen peas to the steaming cauliflower and continue cooking.
5.  Roughly chop half a cup of hazelnuts.
6.  When the pasta is done drain it and chuck it on top of the spinach to wilt it.  Stir it around a little to help it, then add the cauliflower and peas, stir it again.
7.  Break on the feta, add the nuts - turn over gently.
8.  Add a little finely shredded mint and a drizzle of olive oil.
9.  Serve, scoff …

Done in 10 minutes flat (if the water is boiling already).  The veg dodger had some salami, but otherwise very quick very tasty veggie dinner.