National vegetarian week: Day 3: Broccoli and cashew, szechuan kidney bean and vegetables

An oriental feel to english vegetables for day 3 of national vegetarian week ,,, this is one step further in being totally vegan - also GF if you use GF soy sauce.

Rice
Peanut oil
Spring onion
Garlic
Ginger
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Cashew nuts
Black bean sauce
Carrots
Pepper
Courgette
Kidney beans
Tomato puree
szechuan pepper
soy sauce
rice wine
sesame oil
sesame seeds

1.  Cook rice - cover with water - to an inch over the rice, bring to the boil, slam on tight fitting lid and turn right down.
2.  Prep all the veg - spring onion chopped, garlic finely chopped and ginger into tiny slivers,  broccoli into small florets and thinly chopped stem, slice mushrooms.  Peel and chop carrots into skinny batons, cut pepper and courgette into similar shapes.
3.  In 2 woks, or similar, start both dishes with spring onion, garlic and ginger in hot oil.
4.  Add mushroom and broccoli to one, and carrot, pepper and courgette to the other - stir fry.
5  To mushrooms and broccoli add a spoonful of black bean sauce and a drop of water, stir fry.
6.  To other veg add a squeeze of tomato puree, crushed szechuan peppers, a splosh of soy sauce and a splosh of rice wine, a tin of drained kidney beans, and half a cup of water.
7.  Keep both on a high heat, tossing about until done - it doesn't take long.
8.  Sprinkle sesame seeds on the szechuan mixture.
9.  Serve, scoff ... we all managed chop sticks!

Spanish omelette packed with veggies

I like broccoli - really I do, but sometimes I don't want BROCCOLI, if you see what I mean - we also have a bit of a glut of red peppers from the veg box, so I wanted to do something tasty but quite quick.  Purists probably wouldn't call it a spanish omelette, possibly a fritatta but they tend to be potato free.  Lots of delicious slaw left over from last night, so a good big serving of that too - that's got to be 7 of my 5 a day, at least!




Veg packed spanish omelette

Olive oil
onion
red pepper
Mixed herbs
Potato
broccoli
eggs (lots)
grated cheese

1.  Sautee onions in olive oil, when softened a little add red pepper, and continue to soften, add a pinch of mixed herbs.
2.  Meanwhile boil sliced potatoes, steaming broccoli florets on the top.
3.  Beat together lots of eggs, season with salt and pepper.
4.  When the veg is cooked drain and leave to cool slightly - then mix into the eggs.  (Allowing them to cool slightly stops them scrambling the eggs as soon as you mix them in, which gives the omelete a peculiar texture.)
5.  Tip the mixture into a spoonful of olive oil in a big deep frying pan, fry gently for about 5 minutes.
6.  Put under the grill to cook from the top.  When the top is set add grated cheese, put back under the grill until its bubbling and delicious.

Crunch slaw

Red cabbage
Green cabbage
Onion
Carrots
Radish
Lemon juice/ cider vinegar
Olive oil

1.  Shred cabbages and chop carrots into slivers.  Chop onion into fine half moons, and radish into slivers.
2.  Mix veg, add a good pinch of salt, and mix again.
3.  Add a spoonful of vinegar or lemon juice and a slosh of olive oil, mix again.
If you like creamy coleslaw you could add mayonnaise and/or natural yogurt at this point.

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.

Broccoli and tofu stir fry with noodles

I only stock three of tonight's ingredients at the market (garlic, tofu and chilli) - but I'm sure that everything else could be picked up from the veg stall outside, and the oriental stall inside - so this is a real Tod dinner.  It is quick to make and vegan as well.  Happy days.

Vegetable/peanut oil
onion
garlic
ginger
tofu
green beans
carrot
mushrooms
black bean and garlic sauce
chinese rice wine
soy sauce
ketchup
broccoli
chilli flakes
brown rice noodles


1.  Heat oil in a frying pan and fry tofu on all sides.
2.  While the tofu is doing prepare and chop all veg into smallish pieces.
3.  When the tofu is done take it off the heat, and put on a pan of water to boil for the noodles.
4.  Start the stir fry with the onions in hot oil, followed quickly by garlic and ginger.
5.  Keep veg moving and add the other bits of veg - except the mushrooms, stick them in a bit later.
6.  Toss the veg about a bit, then add a big spoon of black bean sauce, a splosh of rice wine, a splosh of soy sauce and a pinch of chilli flakes.
7.  Add a little water, and keep it all moving so that it steam-fries.
8.  At this point stick the noodles in the water.
9.  About 6ish minutes later the veg will be done, and the noodles will be soft.  Drain the noodles and swish under cold water.
10.  Add the noodles and the tofu back into the veg, toss about a bit.
11. Serve, scoff

This is absolutely on everybody's "do again" list, which is very pleasing, as I am not always totally confident with oriental stuff - and it's entirely seasonal UK veg.

Courgette and broccoli spaghetti

Courgette, onions and broccoli at the end of the veg box ... so, here goes:-
 1.  Sautee chopped onion and crushed garlic in olive oil.
2.  When a little softenned add diced courgette, and the broccoli stem, diced.
3.  Add a little water, so that it doesn't get too dry, and a few chili flakes, season.
4.  Make pasta (GF spaghetti in this case) according to packet instructions.
5.  5 minutes from serving add small broccoli florets and juice and zest of half a lemon.
6.  Drain pasta, toss together ... turn of black pepper
7.  Scoff - with, or without parmesan.

Delicious and under 20 mins to make.

Broccoli, bean and anchovy pasta

It's quick, it used the veg from the veg box ... yum.

Olive oil
Leek
Garlic
Anchovies
Broccoli
Green beans
Spinach
Black pepper

Pasta

1. Put your pasta water on to boil.  When it's ready put in your pasta.
2.  Chop and rinse your leek, soften in olive oil.
3.  When a bit soft add garlic, anchovy fillets and stir in.
4.  Add chopped beans and broccoli spears, broken into bite sized pieces.  Cook through, adding water to boil and steam to cooked.
5.  Drain pasta, add to sauce, add a handful of spinach and grind on black pepper.  Turn over and spinach will "melt" into the pasta.

Serve, scoff.  Really healthy and very tasty.

Mushroom, brocolli and roquefort pasta

It's been very busy at Kitchen Fairies HQ recently, so very little opportunity to update here.  Hopefully things will settle now for a while.

Made this last night, it was great.

1 onion
Garlic
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Roquefort
Gluten free pasta

1.  Sweat onions and garlic.
2.  Chop broccoli stem and mushrooms into smallish pieces and seat them down too.
3.  Cook pasta according to packet instructions.
4.  Five minutes to go add broccoli spears and roqueforte.

Mix and scoff.

Autumnal "spanish" omelette, with roasted vine tomatoes

Start with the tomatoes ... put them in the oven in an oven dish with a splash of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.

Omelette

1 leek, chopped and washed
Mushrooms, chopped
8 medium potatoes
cavolo nero, shredded
broccoli, florets separated and stalk peeled and chopped
8-10 eggs, whisked

1.  Soften leek in olive oil, then add mushroom pieces, fry gently in a big frying pan, which you can put in the oven.
2.  At the same time boil chopped potatoes, and steam cavolo nero and broccoli.
3.  When the potatoes are done, and the greens are soft - add them all to the frying pan, and mix together.
4.  Add the eggs, shake the pan to even out and cook in a medium oven for about 20-30 minutes.

This was a fabulous use of the end of the veg box.  Filling, delicious and quite easy. "First class is too trite" was my provided quote.

Mushroom rarebit

Busy, busy day.  Work stuff, and family stuff.  But also yummy stuff in veg box.  So, my solution here was quick and easy stages, with some time for phone calls in between the cooking.

Olive oil
Garlic
Mushrooms, field
4 eggs
Cheddar, grated
Tomatoes
Brocolli
Runner beans


So, whack oven up to HOT.

Put mushrooms into a baking dish which has had a splosh of olive oil to lubricate it.
Roast mushroom (stem side down) for about 15 mins
Meanwhile, prep and chop vegetables for steaming.

Put veg on to steam.
grate cheese, stir in mustard - stir cheese and seasoning into lightly whisked eggs.
Stick egg & cheese mix onto upturned mushrooms - bake for 20 mins.
Realise there is too much egg and cheese, and that you forgot to put the sliced tomatoes on the mushrooms - so make tomato rarebit as well - egg& cheese on tomatoes - baked for 20 minutes

It was absolutely delicious.  No really!

Broccoli pasta with anchovy and corn on the cob

Sautee chopped onions in olive oil.  When soft add chopped sun-dried tomatoes, crushed garlic and a few anchovies - keep turning around in the pan.  Stick corn on the cob in a pan of boiling water.  Then chop broccoli into florets.  Bring a pan of water to the boil - simmer the pasta underneath and the broccoli steaming on top for about 9 minutes.

Drain pasta and toss with onion mixture and broccoli - dish up - scoff.  Gluten free, lactose free - but anchovies are fish, so really not vegetarian.

Broccoli souffle with braised red cabbage and spicy potato wedges

1 red onion
1/2 red cabbage
celery
garlic
white wine
fennel seeds

Potatoes
Olive oil
caribean seasonning

6 eggs - separated and whipped
broccoli
parmesan
mustard

1.  Saute onion, red cabbage and celery with fennel seeds in olive oil.
2.  Add white wine and stock and simmer for 40+ minutes or so.
3.  Chop potatoes into wedges and parboil.
4.  Put roasting tin with a layer of olive oil into the oven.
5.  Drain potatoes and toss (carefully) in hot oil.  Sprinkle with caribean seasoning.  Roast for about an hour.
5.  Whip separated eggs.
6.  Steam broccoli - whizz into small pieces.
7.  Mix broccoli into whipped egg yolks, add a teaspoon of mustard and a handful of grated parmesan.
8.  Fold into egg whites.  (Fold in one spoonful of whites to yolks first to slacken slightly - then fold the rest in).
9.  Butter souffle dish and coat with grated parmesan,  fill with egg mix and sprinkle parmesan on the top.
10.  Bake for about 35 minutes.

Scoff, receive considerable praise.

Broccoli and anchovy pasta

Tough old day at work, quite late home - wanted something savoury and tasty.  Fridge raid later, and this is what we had.

Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
celery, chopped
garlic
6 (ish) anchovy fillets
white wine
broccoli
cavolo nero
black olives
feta

gluten free pasta

1.  Sweat the onion and celery off in the olive oil.  Add crushed garlic.
2.  Add anchovies and chuck in a glass of wine.
3.  Simmer a bit, add broccoli florets, cover and steam/fry.  Add more water when it looks like its going a bit dry.
4.  Boil pasta.
5.  Add shredded cavolo nero 5 minutes before ready to serve, and slices of black olive.
6.  Drain pasta and add to sauce, chucking in cubes of feta at the same time.
7. Scoff, with plenty of black pepper.

The broccoli would have been considered over cooked in many presentations, but here it being a bit "soggy" means it makes it ore of a sauce.

Broccoli and leek blue cheese gluten free pasta

Olive oil
2 leeks
1 head of broccoli
some chard leaves
garlic
white wine
about 100g blue cheese (gorgonzola in this case)

gluten free pasta
salt and pepper

Sautee leeks in olive oil.  Add chopped broccoli stalks, and then after a couple of minutes the florets.
Cook pasta according until al dente.
Splosh white wine into veggies.  Simmer.
When veg is nearly done chuck in chunks of blue cheese.
Drain pasta, chuck into veg and season.

It was extremely quick, and extremely tasty.

what's in the fridge? pasta

Literally... home latish, hungry, and not wanting rubbish - what was in the fridge?  Well, leek, mushrooms, broccoli, blue cheese and natural yogurt... and a bit of ham.  So, cooked some pasta, started sauce predictable with leek in olive oil, then added mushrooms until leek a bit soft... then garlic, then broccoli florets... a cup of water to help it steam down.  After about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally added chopped ham and crumbled blue cheese.  Stirred in until "saucy".  Turned down.  When penne was cooked, drained and mixed in with sauce and 2 big spoons of natural yogurt.  Black pepper - scoff.  I had seconds - and there's lunch in a box in the fridge.  :)

Mushroom and broccoli soup

Victim number one wanted mushroom soup, but I knew we had other veggies to use - so invented leek, mushroom, broccoli and parsnip soup.  Recipe is not complicated - start by softening onions and/or leeks with/ or without celery.  Add crushed garlic.  Add chopped veg - mushrooms, parsnips and broccoli in this case - and a splash of brandy (entirely optional - just adds a little zing).  Add water/ stock, season - enough to cover... and a little bit extra - it is soup you know! - simmer until all veg soft (20 mins?).  Zizz.  Plate up and splash of cream (optional) mine sank... scoff ... victims had seconds :)

Broccoli and blue cheese soup

Yes... I know, it's too orange for the title!  We had some left over tomatoes, so I chucked them in too - but, fundamentally - it IS broccoli soup with blue cheese and stuff.  Chopped an onion, squashed and chopped a garlic clove and about 3 inches of celery - fry off for a bit - chopped in 2 heads of brocolli, including most of the stalk.  Simmer, simmer, in stock (and left over tin of tomatoes).  Taste, season - add small cubes of cheese (some cornish blue today - but could be stilton... or other blue cheese) TURN HEAT DOWN... melt cheese and keep warm - zizz (as much as you want).. scoff.  Some people don't like blue cheese much (go figure), but even they will eat a bowl full, and then say - "nice, but would have been awesome without the cheese".  Strangely, none left to bung into freezer! :)

British Baking week: Day 1: Broccoli cornmeal muffins

British Baking week again!  and a glut of broccoli in th veg box - so gave these a go.  Not brilliant, but not bad - fortunately dead easy as I am still pathetic with this flu bug.

Steam broccoli florets and drain.
Mix 1 cup flour, 11/4 cups cornmeal, 2 tsp baking poweder, 1/2 tsp salt, pinch chili flakes.  In another bowl mix 1 cup milk, 1 large egg and 4 tbsp corn oil.
Mix wet and dry ingredients togther and stir in broccoli.  Sprinkle with seeds for extra healthiness.

Spoon into muffin tins and bake for about 18 minutes 180C.