Pork'n'beans

At Kitchen Fairies HQ at the moment we have 4 people - all with particular dietary requirements.  1 pescatarian, 2 lactose intolerant, 1 gluten free and 1 "salad dodger" carnivore.  This makes dinner preparation an interesting experience.  Tonight I thought - cowboy dinner - but the pork can't touch the beans, and there was some lovely haddock - so the unifying element for everyone was a hearty veggie beanie sauce!  Also, there was cabbage in the fridge which needed using up, so a side dish of cabbage and cumin was included.

It took about 40 minutes start to finish.

Brown rice

Olive oil
Onion
Carrot
Celery
Garlic
Yellow pepper
Turkish beans
Paprika
Chopped tomatoes

Pork
White wine
Quince jelly
American mustard
Chicken stock

Haddock

Cumin
Cabbage

1.  Start the rice - I use the adsorption method - rice + water to about an inch above the rice, bring to the boil.  Lid on tight and keep hot in the oven while everything else finishes off.  It's quite a forgiving method, and the rice can sit there for quite a while as you sort everything else out.
2.  Now for the veg casserole - sautee chopped onion, carrot and celery in olive oil.  Add crushed garlic and chopped pepper, and a pinch of paprika.  Sautee until veg is a bit soft, but not done - then add a tin of beans (I used turkish beans because we had them - but butter beans or haricot would also work - even good old baked beans!) - and a tin of chopped tomatoes. Simmer.
3.  Fry the pork in olive oil, add a splosh of white wine (or apple juice), a spoonful of quince jelly (or apple jelly) and a squirt of american mustard.  A cup of chicken stock will stop it going too dry.
4.  Pan fry the haddock.
5.  Stir fry shredded cabbage in hot oil and cumin.
6.  Gather troops, serve, scoff.

Sprouts are not just for Christmas

Brown rice risotto - with leeks, mushrooms and broccoli - with brussels sprouts and hazelnuts

It all sounds very worthy - but bloody hell, it tasted fabulous.

Brown rice leek and mushroom
risotto

olive oil
leeks, washed and chopped
brown rice
mushrooms, chopped
vegetable stock
garlic
broccoli
fried onions

Brussel sprouts and hazelnuts

Butter
Sprouts shredded
hazelnuts, roughly chopped

1.  Sautee leeks in olive oil, until soft.
2. Add rice (I used brown rice, which means about twice the time of white rice) and some stock, simmer.
3. Add chopped mushrooms and garlic, simmer - keep on a medium heat.
4.  Keep an eye on the pan, add some water/stock when it is going dry.
5.  After about 20 minutes, add broccoli florets to steam on the top.

Brussel sprouts

1,  In a frying pan - melt a good know of butter, with a tbsp of olive oil
2.  Add shredded brussel sprouts, toss for a minute of two.
3. Add chopped hazelnuts.
4. Toss mixture together - don't burn it - but dont serve it cold :)

Caribbean vegetable stew and rice

Raging sore throat and really spiky earache (you'll understand if you have had it like this) ... and otherwise rotating cold symptoms have kept me off work and indoors all day.  I tried to make something both comforting and spicy to help clear the tubes for tea.

I was still feeling grim at teatime so wanted something to basically cook itself... this did, once the veggies had been chopped and it was sitting in the oven waiting.

So, what I did was....

2 leeks, chopped and washed
Rape seed oil
caribbean spice mix
mixed herbs
crushed garlic
chopped mushrooms
chopped green beans
tin of kidney beans
peeled and chopped butternut squash
tin of chopped tomatoes
Spoon of peanut butter
water
seasonning

Brown rice
water

1.  Sautee leeks off in oil.
2.  Add herbs, spices and garlic - stir around.
3.  Add in other veg, drained tin of beans and squash.  Turn over in the oil.  Add water and bring to simmer.
4. Add spoon of peanut butter and tomatoes, stir in, simmer and taste - adjust seasoning if necessary- I added chili (but i think that's because this cold is preventing me tasting things).
5.  Add water and bung in the oven with the rice until ready to eat.

Dinner was great, and I thin the spice has helped a bit - but my ears still hurt... ho hum.

Chickpea and vegetable curry with brown rice

Cook rice in your normal way.  I put it in a pot, cover it with water to an inch above the level of than the rice, and bring it to the boil ... then put it in a medium oven (150ish) to soak up the water.

Curry:-

olive oil
1 leek
1 courgette
Big handful of mushrooms
2 potatoes
garlic
curry spices (I used a gosht mix)
4 tomatoes
water, cup or so
tin of chickpeas
big handful of spinach
3 tbsp natural yoghurt

1.  Sweat chopped leek (or onion) in olive (or other light falvoured) oil until a little soft.
2.  Add chopped courgette, mushroom, potatoes and tomatoes, stir, add crushed garlic and spice mix, stir again.
3.  When everything is mixed add a cup or so of water, so that the veg are boiling, rather than frying.
4.  After 10 minutes add tin of chickpeas and stir in, cover and simmer.
5.  Simmer for about 15 minutes, chuck spinach on the top, put the lid back on and allow to wilt for a minute or so, then stir in.
6.  Turn the heat off for about 5 minutes, spinach will be wilted in, and stir in natural yogurt. **
7.  Rice should be done, serve, scoff.

** I didn't leave mine quite long enough, it was a bit hot, that's why it's just about to curdle, you can help prevent this by adding a spoonful of double cream at the same time.