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

Butternut squash, mushroom, onion and mozzarella tarte tatin, tiny roast potatoes and steamed vegetables.

 

I'm trying to use the autumnal vegetables, and not just make soups and stews (not that there is anything wrong with that), so a savoury tarte tatin with Sunday dinner veggies.  It was delicious.

Onions
Olive oil

Garlic

Butternut squash

Mixed herbs - sage, rosemary a bit of chilli

Leftover (?) wine!  rosé today

Mushrooms

Potatoes

Green beans 

Savoy cabbage

Mozzarella

Puff pastry

Soya milk

1.  Sautee chopped onion in olive oil, with a pinch of salt, in a tarte tatin pan - or heavy frying pan which can go in the oven..

2.  When quite soft add crushed garlic.

3.  Peel and chop butternut squash and add to the onion, fry off for a minute or so, then add a splash of wine and water, simmer for 10 minutes.

4.  Stir and add herbs of your choice - sage, rosemary and chilli work well.

5.  Simmer until squash is nearly soft, and most of the liquid has disappeared, add chopped mushrooms and continue cooking.

6.  Peel and cube potatoes, roast in olive oil at about 180.

7.  Prepared extra vegetables for steaming - I used green beans and cabbage - could be almost anything.

8.  When the mushrooms have cooked enough to release their moisture and the mixture has become quite dry again - turn off the heat.

9.  Sprinkle grated cheese onto the squash and mushroom mixture, cover with puff pastry.

10.  Tuck the pastry into the pan to form a rustic seal, stab the top a few times to let out steam, and brush the top with soya milk.

11.  Put the pie in to bake for 25-20 minutes.  Steam the vegetables.

12.  Chat, set the table, faff.

13.  Turn the pie out, serve the potatoes and veggies.

14.  Serve, gloat, scoff.  

Root vegetable and butter bean hot pot

The veg box was full of root vegetables, and there was a nip in the air after a beautiful autumnal walk - so a lovely, slightly spicy veggie hot pot with chapatis fitted the bill for us.  I also had some kale left over, so shredded it quite finely, so that it was soft and not challenging - that's a bonus veg, and no complaints.

Onion

Olive oil

Garlic

Piri piri spices

Swede

Carrot

Parsnip

Sweet potato

Kale

Dijon mustard

Italian herbs

Tin of tomatoes

Tin of butter beans

Salt and pepper

Flatbreads or crusty bread to serve - we happened to have chapatis.

1.  Chop onion and sweat down in olive oil.

2.  Add peeled and diced root vegetables, stir into the onion mixture.

3.  Add minced garlic and a good pinch of piri piri spice.

4.  Finely shred kale and add to the mixture, stir in.

5.  Add a tin of chopped tomatoes, a tin full of water, a teaspoon of mustard and a pinch of herbs,  simmer for at least 30 minutes.

6.  Drain the butter beans and stir in, simmer again.

7.  When the veg are tooth soft it's ready to eat.

8.  Serve, scoff, be soothed.

 

Mushroom and kale stroganoff

 All the seasonal vegetables are flooding the shelves and veg boxes now - so I combined mushrooms and kale and came up with this lovely autumnal stroganoff.

Olive oil

Onion

Garlic

Mushrooms

Kale

Green beans

Cream cheese

paprika

Tagliatelle

1.  Sweat chopped onion in olive oil, then add in crushed garlic.

2.  Add chopped mushrooms, shredded kale and green beans chopped into pea sized peices, fry off for a minute or so.

3.  Add a cup of water to boil up until the veg are softened.

4.  Cook pasta.

5.  Add cream cheese and a good pinch of paprika to the veg.  

6.  When the pasta is nearly cooked, lift it from its cooking water, transfer to veg and stir in - add a little pasta water if it's too dry.

7.  Serve, scoff.

Tofu veg stir fry

 

The veg dodger is away this week - so the veggie and I are indulging in veggie fare.  Infact, we are going towards entirely plant based - though reserving the right to go off piste if we fancy.

This veggie stir fry was chock full of veggies and tofu, with soba noodles.

Vegetable oil

Leek

Garlic

Ginger

Chilli flakes

Carrot

Red pepper

Green beans

Broccoli

Tofu

Chinese 5 spice

Vegetarian mushroom sauce

Soashing rice wine

Soy sauce

Spinach

Soba noodles

Sesame seeds

1.  Chop all vegetables into quite small pieces - particularly leeks, as these are tougher than the sping onions which I would normally use for stir fries.

2.  Cut tofu into cubes and fry gently in sunflower oil, flipping so that each side are golden brown.  Turn off heat.

3.  In a wok heat sunflower oil - add leek and fry for a few minutes.  Add crushed garlic, ginger and chilli flakes.  Stir.

4.  Add remaining hard veg and stir fry.  Add a little water to steam fry.

5.  Add spices, sauce, rice wine and stir in.  Cook for a minute or two.

6.  Boil noodles in salted water.

7.  Add drained noodles, fried tofu and spinach - toss together.

8.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds, serve and scoff.

Vegan moussaka

 

I have got a glut of aubergine from the veg box - and I don't really like aubergine - so they have to be enhanced!

This was delicious, though the photo is a bit scruffy.  There are four layers - a spiced lentil ragu, griddled aubergine slices, a white sauce and potatoes - possibly not an authentic moussaka, but my take on it today.

It is jam packed full of vegetables - use what you have.

Ragu sauce

Olive oil

Leek

Garlic - crushed

Carrot

Aubergine

Red pepper

Kale

Green lentils (tinned)

Tomatoes

Italian herbs

Harissa

Dried mint

Cinnamon

Yeast extract

White sauce

Soya milk

Bay leaf

Nutmeg

corn flour

Potatoes

Aubergine

Olive oil

1.  Finely chop leek and sautee in olive oil.

2.  Add peeled and chopped carrot, chopped red pepper, aubergine and 2 cloves of crushed garlic.

3.  Finely chop kale, and stir in, cook for a few minutes

4.  Slice aubergine, and griddle in olive oil for a few minutes on each side.

5.  Add drained green lentils, chopped tomatoes (I used fresh, but a tin would be fine) to the vegetables.

6.  Add a teaspoon of yeast extract, a good pinch of italian herbs, a small pinch of mint, a teaspoon of harissa and a pinch of cinnamon to the veg mix - with salt and pepper - taste and adjust if necessary.  Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, add water if it's getting dry.

7.  Make white sauce by simmering soya (or other) milk with bay leaf and a sprinkle of nutmeg.  When it boils remove bay leaf and thicken with slaked cornflour (cornflour dissolved in water) - keep stirring as it thickens.

8.  Chop and boil potatoes in salted water.

9.  Layer an oven proof dish - lentil mixture, aubergine slices, white sauce - then tumble the potato on top.  Drizzle with olive oil, and bake for 30 minutes.

10.  Serve, scoff - have seconds.

Quick mushroom and pepper stroganoff

 

Quick, tasty and economical.  It can be made vegan by using Elmlea plant based (or other plant based cream), but I used elmlea double cream, which cuts down on the dairy, rather than cutting it out altogether.

Olive oil

Chopped shallots (onion or leeks)

Crushed garlic

Red pepper

Mushrooms

Basmati rice

Paprika

Spinach

Frozen peas

Elmlea (cream/ plant based cream)

1.  Sautee chopped shallots, add chopped red pepper and mushrooms, and crushed garlic - soften for about 5 minutes.

2.  In a saucepan/heavy pot cover basmati rice with water, to about an inch over the rice, add salt - heat until it starts to boil.  Slam on the lid and turn the heat right down - let it a cook gently and absorb the water for 12-15 minutes - turn heat off, and let it just sit there.

3.  Meanwhile, when veg are softened chuck on a couple of handfuls of spinach, a cup of frozen peas and stir in.

4.  Add a cup of water and bring up to simmer.  

5.  When the spinach is wiled the peas will be nearly done.  Now add the cream, stir in to make a sauce and sprinkle on paprika.  Stir gently.

6.  Serve, scoff ... finish seconds.

Sweet potato and mushroom cheesy bake

I had a load of sweet potatoes, and a carton of mushrooms - and, found a recipe for a bake on Abel and Cole's website - so I nicked it... and adapted it to what I have got in.  The result was delicious - even the veg dodger was satisfied.

Shallots

Olive oil

Sweet potato

Potato

Garlic

Stock

Plain flour

Soya milk

Cheddar

Wholegrain mustard

Spinach

Breadcrumbs

1.  Sautee chopped shallots in olive oil, add garlic.

2.  Add peeled and cubed sweet potato and potato, then add chopped mushrooms.

3.  Sautee briefly, then add stock and simmer until the vegetables are nearly tender, add spinach and allow to wilt, stir in.

4.  When the veg are tender and the stock has been reduced add a couple of spoons of flour and stir to coat the vegetables.

5.  Add the soya milk and simmer as it thickens, then stir in grated cheese and a spoonful of wholegrain mustard.

6.  Transfer to an over dish.

7.  Mix breadcrumbs with grated cheese and sprinkle over the top.

8.  Serve, scoff - we had a rocket salad with it.

Smoked mackerel pilau

 

Another - what's in the fridge/cupboard? dinner.  

This was really tasty, really easy to make and really economical.

I happened to have fennel, golden beetroot, courgette and spinach - but you could equally well use celery, carrot, mushrooms, frozen peas etc etc

Olive oil

Spring onions

Garlic

curry spices (whatever you have got)

Fennel

Golden beetroot

Courgette

Basmati rice

Spinach

Smoked mackerel 

1.  Chop and gently fry onion in olive oil, add crushed garlic.

2.  Chop other firm vegetables - fennel, golden beetroot, courgette - and fry gently until nearly soft, for about 15 minutes, add curry powder and cook for another minute.

3.  Add basmati rice, turn over a few times until everything is coated.

4.  Add water/stock to cover the rice with a generous layer of liquid - at least 1 cm above the level of the rice.

5.  Turn heat up and bring to the boil.  As soon as it boils slam on the lid and turn the heat down to the minimum possible.

6.  Leave to sit - do not stir - for 10 minutes.

7.  Add generous handfuls of spinach and the flaked mackerel over the rice - slam lid back on, and leave for another 5ish minutes, for spinach to wilt and fish to heat through.

8.  Stir through, serve, scoff.

Parsnip, cabbage, cannelloni bean and gorgonzola pie

You know that feeling - you know you have a glut of assorted vegetables, but they don't necessarily go together.  Well, I had parsnips, cabbage and some mushrooms - and some gorgonzola which needed using.  I remembered a recipe from Prue Leith using parsnips and cabbage in a pie, so I developed it from that.

Covered it in shortcrust pastry, and served with potato wedges and steamed broccoli.

Olive oil

Onion

Mushrooms

Parsnips

Garlic

Vegetable stock

Apples

Flour

Shredded cabbage

Cannelloni beans

Gorgonzola

Short crust pastry

Broccoli

1.  Sweat down chopped onion in olive oil.

**    chop potatoes into wedges and toss in olive oil - roast at 180 for about 1 hour.

2.  Add chopped mushrooms and peeled and chopped parsnips.

3.  Add crushed garlic and stock to cover the vegetables.  Simmer.

4.  Add chopped apples and cook until parsnips and apple are tender, simmer off most of the stock.  Thicken sightly with flour.

5.  Stir in shredded cabbage and simmer for another 5 minutes.

6.  Stir in a tin of cannelloni beans.

7.  Melt in gorgonzola.

8.  Cool a little and put mixture into a pie dish,

9. Cover with shorty crust pastry, stab steam holes in the top, and brush with milk/soya milk.

10.  Bake at 180 for about 35 mins,

** steam broccoli for about 12 minutes.

11. serve, scoff .... delish

Smoked salmon linguine

 

It might seem a bit summery for an autumnal Sunday tea - but I added a bit of zing with chilli, and it was fresh and tasty, but also filling and satisfying - and very quick to make.  If you started with water boiled in the kettle I think it could be on the table in 15 minutes.

I made it with linguine - but it would also be good with shorter pasta - which would be ideal packed into a tub for work lunches.

Linguine (or pasta shapes)

Olive oil

Onion

Red pepper

Mushrooms

Frozen peas

Chillli flakes

Cherry tomatoes/baby plum tomatoes

Smoked salmon 

1.  Put salted water on the boil for the pasta - bung it in when it's a a rolling boil (follow instructions for timings on the packet).

2.  Sautee chopped onion in olive oil until translucent.

3.  Add the other vegetables to the softened onion, with a pinch of chilli flakes, and sautee gently for a few minutes.

4.  When the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the vegetables, add chopped up smoked salmon, and toss around to mix thoroughly.

5.  Serve, scoff ... it was really delicious.