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!

True Grit

Film night at KitchenFairies HQ again.  Tonight the choice was True Grit.  The only food mentioned in the film is sofkee - which seems to be some kind of sweetcorn porridge, sometimes made with bacon and chillies.  However, none of us are fans of sweetcorn - and that just sounds like really, really earnest - so, I chose a maize product that we do like - nachos and paired it with veggie chilli - with sour cream, cheese and guacamole, as I thought that was wild west enough.  I also did some burgers for the veg dodger.  It was delicious.

Chilli

Olive oil

Onion

Garlic

Cumin seeds

Chilli flakes

Courgette

Mushrooms

Red pepper

Bouillon

Oregano

Red kidney beans

Butter beans

Tin of chopped tomatoes

Dark chocolate

Lime juice

Sour cream, grated cheese and tortilla chips to serve.

Guacamole

Avocado

Red onion

Tomato

Lime juice

1.  Chop onions, crush garlic and fry gently.  Then add a pinch of cumin seeds, some crushed chilli and the rest of the chopped mushrooms, courgette and red pepper.

2.  Drain and rinse the beans and add them to the softened vegetables.  Add a pint or so of vegetable stock and simmer, add a pinch of oregano.

3.  Add a tin of chopped tomatoes, and simmer.

4.  Five minutes before serving add dark chocolate and allow to melt in, then spritz with lime juice just before serving.

5.  Make the guacamole by chopping the avocado flesh, half a red onion and a ripe tomato.  Mix and add the juice of half a lime.

6.  Heat tortilla chips by covering in foil and putting in the oven for 5 minutes.

7.  Serve, with sour cream and grated cheese.  Scoff.

Roast gammon, with hasselback potatoes, butter bean leek and mushroom casserole and stir fried celeriac slaw.

Some days you fancy something just a little bit different … ie. a tiny bit different... so I hasselbacked the potatoes - other than that it really is a pretty standard roast gammon dinner.

Gammon
Potatoes
Garlic
Olive oil
Leeks
Mushrooms
Veg stock
White wine
Butter beans
Leftover celeriac slaw
Apple juice
Coleslaw
Chicken stock cube

1.  Roast gammon - 25 minutes plus 20 minutes per 500g - in foil, then another 20 minutes without foil.  10 minutes to rest.
2.  Wash potatoes, cut slices that don't go all the way through the potatoes by cutting between two chopsticks, or on a wooden spoon.  Brush the potatoes, into the gaps with crushed garlic mixed with olive oil.  Roast for an hour.
3.  Sautee leeks and mushrooms for a few minutes, then add a splash of white wine and a cup of veg stock.  Simmer, add butter beans, transfer to oven dish and keep warm while everything finishes.
4.  When you uncover the gammon pour in a glass of apple juice.
5.  After 20 minutes make the gravy using the apple juice and meat juice, chicken stock - simmer this and then thicken with cornflour (slake cornflour in water, add it to gravy, stir as it thickens).
6.  Stir fry left over celeriac slaw  (or prepare whatever veg you are using, obviously)
7.  Serve, scoff, have seconds

… loads of gammon left for tomorrow's lunch.

Proper roast Sunday dinner

Sometimes you feel like a proper roast Sunday dinner.  This was one of those days.  Around the table we had nearly every possible dietary requirement … vegetarian, veg dodger, gluten free, lactose intolerant … but we all had a damn good dinner.  Obviously the vegetarian didn't have the chicken, but we managed to get 3 of his 5 a day into the veg dodger via the root vegetable mash (don't let on!) … and then another couple in pudding Rhubarb, apple and pear nutty crumble.

As this was a proper Sunday dinner we had (unusually) a proper pudding too.  The recipe is listed separately here but I have suggested where the prep might happen in this recipe, so the dinner is all ready at about the right time.  (Thank me later)

Chicken
Olive oil
Lemon
Garlic
Baby potatoes
Carrots
Swede
Parsnips
Green beans
Leek
Courgette
Sundried tomatoes
Vegetable stock
Butter beans
Cornflour
Chicken stock
Green beans
Butter

1.  Stuff a halved lemon and a few garlic cloves into the chicken.  Rub olive oil, salt and pepper over all of the skin.  Roast (breast side down fist) at 180 for as long as it takes (1 hour for a very small chicken - 2 hours for a large one).   Remove from the oven to rest for about 15 minutes when done.
2.  Toss baby potatoes in olive oil and roast for about an hour.
*** start pudding - stage 1
3.  Peel and chop root vegetables (in this case carrots, parsnips and swede - but could also use celeriac, turnips, sweet potato or even butternut squash).  Boil until mashable - about 12-15 minutes depending on size of pieces.  Mash with lots of butter and black pepper, bake in the oven to get a crispy top.
*** pudding - stage 2
4.  Sweat down chopped leeks with some crushed garlic, add chopped courgette (and any other veg you fancy) and a mugful of vegetable stock, simmer for a couple of minutes.  Add sundried tomatoes, simmer again.  Add a tin of drained, rinsed butter beans and heat through.  Keep warm in the oven.  Chop green beans and boil water ready for stage 8.
5.  (about 30 minutes after the chicken has gone into the oven) Carefully drain the fat from the chicken pan.  Turn the chicken over onto its bottom, continue roasting.
*** pudding - stage 3
6.  Spoon off the top layer of fat from the chicken juices.  Pour the rest into a saucepan and heat through.  Slake a spoonful of cornflour in cold water.  (Slake just means mix to a paste)  Add this to the chicken juices and bring to a boil - stirring continuously.  Add about half a pint of chicken stock (from a cube is fine).  Simmer as it thickens.
7.  Take chicken out of the oven - put pudding in to bake.
8.  Steam  chopped green beans.  Carve chicken.
9.  Serve, scoff …. every gathered person picking to their tastes/requirements.
9.  Have seconds ...

Leftovers pies ...

I don't know about you, but we always overstock for Christmas … so today was about using as much as poss of the leftovers from the festivities, to make way for the new veg box etc tomorrow.

I didn't want to just resort to big bowls of "whatever" as it was also first week back at work and very cold, so some comfort was needed.

We had left over roast chicken and roast potatoes … the ends of two punnets of mushrooms (chestnut and shitake), a bag of tarragon, and some emmental.  We also had the veg dodger and the veggie, so needed tasty food to suit all needs.

Olive oil
Onions
Garlic
Mushrooms
Cornflour
Soya milk
Tarragon
Chicken (cooked and stripped)
Butter beans (tin)
Emmental (or other melty cheese)
Roast (or cooked another way) potatoes
Carrots
Courgettes
Cornmeal
Italian seasoning (herbs and a pinch of chili)
Fennel seeds
Baby Spinach
nutmeg

1.  Start the pies with the mushroom sauce which will go into both of them by sauteeing the chopped onions, crushed garlic and chopped mushrooms in olive oil.  Toss gently until the onions have softened and the mushrooms have released their water, and this has gently simmered away.
2.  Sprinkle in a tablespoonful of cornflour, stir in to coat the mushrooms, then add soya milk to make a sauce.  Stir until it boils, keep stirring and let it simmer for a minute or two as the cornflour cooks and the sauce thickens, stir in finely chopped tarragon (not too much, or it will taste medicinal).
3.  In one oven dish - empty a tin of drained and rinsed butter beans - top with half of the mushroom sauce.  Layer on emmental cheese.
4.  Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces and add to the other half of the mushroom sauce.  Mix together and transfer to an oven dish.
5.  Top both pies with sliced, cooked potato (or mash if that's what you have) … drizzle with olive oil and bake for 25 minutes or so.
6.  Mix together cornmeal, Italian seasoning and fennel seeds in a bowl.  Slice courgettes and toss in the herby mixture.
7.  Peel, chop and steam the carrots for about 15 minutes.
8.  Fry the courgette slices in a little olive oil - in batches - keep warm in a serving dish while you finish the rest.
9.  Add steamed carrots to the serving dish.
10.  Put a splash of olive oil and a small drop of water into the hot pan from steaming the carrots - add the baby spinach and put the lid on.  The residual heat will wilt the spinach.
11. Stir the spinach (put it over a low heat if necessary, to wilt it) … grate in a small pinch of nutmeg, stir in.
12.  Serve, scoff …

Butter bean and root vegetable hotpot

Easy, warm, wintery stew ... just what we needed on a cold night.  Cheap too!

Olive oil
Onion
Tuscan mix
Potatoes
Tomato puree
Swede
Carrots
Parsnip
Mushrooms
Marmite
Grainy mustard
Butter beans (tinned, drained)


1.  Sautee chopped onions is olive oil.
2.  Add a teaspoon of tuscan mix (herbs, garlic and chilli) and continue to fry.
3.  Add diced root vegetables, and chopped mushrooms - I didn't peel the potatoes, but did peel the others before dicing.
4.  Squueze in a spoonful of tomato puree and add some water.  Simmer for 10 minutes.
5.  Add a teaspoon of marmite, and a a big one of mustard.  Simmer with the lid on.
6.  Drain a tin of butter beans and add to the mixture.  Simmer until beans are heated through.
7.  Serve, scoff.

Cauliflower and cabbage cheese, butter bean ragu and roast potatoes

Sometimes you just have to use up a load of veg which are sitting in the bottom of the fridge - this was one of those days.  I liked it, but then I like "school" cabbage ... other people didn't like the cabbage in with the cauliflower, saying it was overcooked ... but, actually, it was still pretty darn good - and cheap too.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Chilli flakes
Mushrooms
Red pepper
Vegetable stock
Butter beans
Cauliflower
Cabbage (obvs, optional, see commentary)
Soya milk
cornflour
Cheese (assorted leftover bits, including some blue)
Mustard

1. Chop potatoes and roast in olive oil.
2.  Chop onion and sautee in olive oil, add crushed garlic and chopped pepper and mushroom.
3.  Add a sprinkle of chilli flakes, and a cup of veg stock, simmer.
4.  Steam cauliflower and shredded cabbage - when done move to am oven dish.
5.  Add drained butter beans to the mushroom and pepper mix, transfer to an oven dish and keep warm in the oven until the rest is ready.
6.  Make the cheese sauce by heating soya milk, add slaked cornflour and cheese.  Stir in a spoonful of mustard.  Stir and heat until cheese is melted and its think and lovely.  Pour over the caulifloer and bake for about 15 minutes.

Butter beans and mushrooms

I had some porcini mushrooms languishing in the fridge (in a jar, not the dried ones) so I thought I'd use them up.  Mixed with some field mushrooms, and butter beans this was a very satisfying vegan dinner, served with crispy roast potatoes

Potatoes
Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Rosemary
mushrooms (field)
porcini
white wine
lettuce
avocado oil

1.  Dice potatoes and roast in olive oil, for about 45 minutes.
2.  Sweat chopped onion and crushed garlic in olive oil, add sliced mushrooms and porcini mushrooms, stir until a bit soft.
3.  Add a spinkle of chopped rosemary and a glass of white wine, simmer.
4.  Add a drained, rinsed tin of butter beans and simmer a little, until the sauce is the right consistency.  Keep warm until potatoes are done.
5.  Simple salad of kos leaves drizzled with avocado oil.
6.  Serve, scoff

Simple, cheap, easy ...

Fabada

Deliciously rich and smoky Spanish casserole, made with ingredients from Todmorden Market - mostly from The Mediterranean Pantry itself, but also veg from Garry outside.  Also, a vegetarian version was required ... so a similar stew with butter beans spiced with smoked paprika and a pinch of chilli.

Rice
Onion
Garlic
Olive oil
Pancetta
Chorizo
Morcilla
Red pepper
mushrooms
Butter beans
Tinned tomatoes

1.  Cook the rice.
2.  Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil.
3.  Cut pancetta and sausages into bite sized pieces, and add to the onion - fry off.
4.  Add chopped red pepper and mushrooms.
5.  Add tinned tomatoes, and a little water, simmer for a few minutes.
6.  Add butter beans, simmer again until cooked.
7.  Serve, scoff ... deep and delicious.

For the veggie version - add chopped veggie burgers at stage 3, also add smoked paprika and a pinch of chilli as these flavours are introduced by the lovely sausages in the non-veggie version.

I made enough for 6 - but it was all finished by 3 of us ....

Butter bean cornbread cobbler, with steamed veg and salad

The pic over emphasises the salad - which was just a few leaves with red pesto garlic dressing, left over from yesterday ... I was trying to be arty  tsk.

A hearty veggie dish, with a little spice.

Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Jerk seasoning
mixed herbs
potatoes
red pepper
mushrooms
courgette
butter beans
stock
dijon mustard

cornmeal
baking powder
eggs
soya milk

carrot
broccoli
green beans

1.  Make a casserole base by sauteeing onion and garlic in olive oil, add spice mix and herbs, then add in vegetables and stock.  I used those listed above, but it's really look in the fridge and see what you have time.
2. Add a tin of drained butter beans, simmer gently for a few minutes.
3.  Make the cornbread by mixing seasoned cornmeal with baking powder, eggs with soya milk, and combining to form a batter.
4.  Make the cobbler by putting vegetable mix into a baking dish, top with the batter, and bake for 25ish minutes.
5.  Steam vegetables.
6. Serve, scoff ...

Even the meat muncher had seconds!

Butter bean cottage pie, with root veg mash and cumin, emmental cabbage bake

The day started really sunny, but got somewhat cooler.  What I fancied was comfort food, but a little bit different.  So, a bit of a rummage in the fridge and the cupboard...

Once again, all available from Todmorden market

Veg outside
Cheese and butter from The Crumbly Cheese
Butter beans, bits and bobs from The Mediterranean Pantry



Sweet potato
Carrots
Potatoes
Olive oil
Red onion
Garlic
Cajun seasoning
Tomato puree
Bouillon powder
Butter

Cumin seeds
White cabbage
Emmental
Chives

1.  Peel the root veg and boil until mashable.
2.  Sautee red onion and garlic in olive oil.  Add cajun seasoning, butter beans, tomato puree and a cupful of stock made from bouillon powder.  Simmer for a few minutes.
3.  When the veg is soft, mash with butter and plenty of black pepper.
4.  In an oven proof dish, plonk in butter bean mix, and top with the root veg.  Bake for 20 minutes.
5.  In a frying pan add cumin seeds to a tablespoon of olive oil, fry gently until the seeds start to release their aroma.  The add chopped white cabbage and half a mug of water.
6.  Simmer gently until water has reduced, then stir in grated emmental until it melts.  Stir in a small handful of chopped chives.
7.  Serve, scoff ...

Cajun butter bean pie with asparagus

This is Cajun because I used blackened cajun seasoning - I claim no other level of authenticity.  It was quite spicy, but tasty and good for you.

I used coconut oil for the first time, after hearing so much about the health benefits.  It works well, and does not impart any coconuttiness.  I did give in and drizzle olive oil over the potatoes to get them to crisp up a bit.



Potatoes, skin on, chopped into bite sized pieces

Coconut oil
Chopped onion
Crushed garlic
Chopped celery
Cajun seasonning
Peeled and chopped carrot
Chopped red pepper
Butter beans
Tin of chopped tomatoes
olive oil
Asparagus

1.  Put the potatoes in salted water to boil.
2.  Sautee onion in coconut oil.
3.  Add chopped carrot and celery, with the crushed garlic and the spice mix to the onion.  Let soften briefly, then add red pepper.
4.  After about 10 minutes add butter beans and tomatoes, with about half a tin of water.  Simmer briefly.
5.  The potatoes will now be par boiled, drain them.
6.  Tip the butter bean mixture into an oven dish.  Tumble on the potatoes - gently pushing them to cover the mix.  Drizzle with olive oil and bake, in a hottish oven, for about 30-40 minutes.
7.  15 minutes before you want to serve, take the woody ends off the asparagus, and steam it.

15 minutes later - it should all be done - serve and scoff.

Tuscan bean hot

Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil, add some red pepper if you like.  Add whatever root veg you might have (potatoes, swede, celariac and carrot here).  Chuck in some italian herbs and tomato paste.  Add some water/stock and simmer for 10 minutes or so.  Tip in cannelloni and butter beans.  Simmer gently again.  Add in shredded kale.

When kale is cooked - serve, top with grated parmesan or chedder if you fancy.

Butter bean casserole, barley groats and kale

Lovely wintery casserole, using seasonal veg from the veg box.

Butter bean casserole

Olive oil
1 leek, chopped and rinsed
Garlic, crushed
3 carrots, peeled and diced
Mushrooms, chopped
1 tin butter beans, drained
Splash of white wine
Mixed herbs
Salt and pepper (chili if you fancy)

With:-

Barley groats (boil in the bag - from Polish shops, take 15 minutes)
Kale - shredded and steamed (10 minutes in a steamer on top of the groats)

So, in from work ... do this ...

1.  Chop and rinse leek, put a tbsp of olive oil in a pan on a medium heat, tip in the leek - and gently sautee - about 5 minutes.
2.  Peel and chop carrots into smallish dice - add to leeks, stir through.
3.  After a few minutes, add mushrooms and a glass of dry white wine, crushed garlic and a tsp of mixed herbs. Tip in drained butter beans
4.  Put a pan of water on to boil for the groats, when boiling add groats, put shredded kale in steamer on top to steam.
4.  Add water/stock and simmer.

15 mins later... serve

Yum

Slashed root vegetables, butter beans and cabbage with roast tomatoes

Got home late, and wanted speedy dinner, nut veg in veg box didn't really lend themselves to that kind of concept ... as my immediate idea was spiced roast root vegetables, and that would have been over a hour.  I think I did this in 25 minutes, but frankly, I didn't time it.

1. Bung cherry tomatoes in a roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt,  whack up the oven to its highest setting.
2.  Peel and chop root vegetables (turnip, kohlrabi and carrots), boil.
3.  Chop and sautee onion and celery in olive oil, add rosemary and white wine, sautee until quite soft.
4.  Chop cabbage, steam over root veg.
5.  Add butter beans to onions, heat through.
6.  When root veg are soft, add olive oil spread and lots, no a bit more, lots of freshly ground black pepper.  Slice through quickly and thoroughly with a sharp knife (hence slashed, not mashed).  (Use butter here if you are not lactose intolerant/vegan).
7.  Mix cabbage with butter beans.
8.  Serve, scoff.

Delicious. Nutritious, Seasonal - what more do you want?

Romanesco and butter bean casserole

Well, what a week!  Wedding, music competitions (well done... v proud) ... work pressure, family health issues, back to Uni .... ! phew! It's been a roller coaster.

So, came home late tonight - having forgotten what was waiting - needed tasty filling dinner and to use up the end of the veg box dinner.  Imagine my surprise when I opened the fridge and the romanesco was sitting there!

There was also some colcannon left - so heated that through in the oven ... meanwhile


1 leek
olive oil
1 romanesco
garlic
1 courgette
2 carrots (purple, cos they were in the veg box :) )
Vegetable stock
tin of butter beans
about a dozen pitted black olives
tin of tomatoes

1.  Sweat chopped, washed leek in olive oil.
2.  Add in florets of romanesco and garlic.
3.  Stir around, then chuck in peeled, and chopped into chucks carrots, and then diced courgette.
4.  Stir a bit, add a pint of stock, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
5.  Add in a drained tin of butter beans and some roughly chopped, pitted black olives.
6.  Simmer.  When veg soft-ish (abut another 5 minutes) add in a tin of tomatoes = chop them with a knife in the pan.... simmer again.
7.  Scoff - with whatever you fancy - we have reheated colcannon - could easily have been rice.

This was really, really good.  The romanesco has a lovely, gentle nutty flavour which goes really well with the mediterranean influenced garlic, olive, tomato casserole vibe.  The purple carrots made it all a it more funky.

Last of the veg box dinner

Left from the veg box - new potatoes, vine tomatoes, an onion, a few mushrooms and a cabbage - but it was also for a birthday tea, so I wanted to try to make it a bit more special.

Boil new potatoes
Crush in hot olive oil
Chuck in chopped olives and roast for 40 minutes.

Bake tomatoes in olive oil and a sprinkle of salt for 40 minutes

Chop the onion

Fry half with chopped mushrooms and garlic, in olive oil.  Add a splash of white wine and a drained tin of butter beans.

Fry the other half until a bit soft, add cumin seeds, crushed garlic and shredded cabbage.  Toss about a bit.

Scoff - celebrate birthday with nice wine.

Red pepper, Tomato and Butter bean curry

No pic for this one - but it's dead easy.  A glut of red peppers and tomatoes after helping a mate cater for a 600 people bash led to its invention.

Sweat chopped celery in oil, add cumin, mustard and fennel seeds. Add crushed garlic, chopped red pepper, 4 diced potatoes and 6 chopped tomatoes. Stir around for a bit. Chuck in some turmeric and chili flakes, stir around a bit more. Add veg stock if it's going a bit dry. Drain a tin of butter beans and chuck them in too, season to taste. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Add garam masala simmer for a further few minutes - scoff.

Butter bean, leek and mushroom hotpot with spring greens

The veg box is getting a bit more interesting as spring develops.  Today I opened the fridge and pulled out a leek, some celery and mushrooms - and then thought ah, yes ... spring greens,

So a hot pot thingy and steamed spring greens.  yum.



4 big potatoes
Olive oil
Leek
Celery
Mixed herbs
Mushrooms
Garlic
Stock
cornflour
white wine

Spring greens, shredded

1.  Cut potatoes into think slices and boil until nearly done.
2.  Meanwhile sautee leeks and celery int olive oil.
3.  When leeks are a bit soft add crushed garlic and a spinkle of mixed herbs.
4.  Add mushrooms, turn over a few times add stock and white wine.  Simmer for a few minutes, add drained tin of butter beans.
5. Slake the cornflour in a little water.  Add to the vegetables to make a nicely textured sauce.
6.  Turn veg into a oven dish, top with sliced potatoes - sprinkle with salt, drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for about 40 minutes.
7.  About 15 minutes before you think the hot pot is ready, steam the shredded spring greens.

SCOFF!  Lovely!

Butter bean and cabbage casserole with baked root veg, and roasted vine tomatoes

End of the veg box week, but absolutely delicious. The root veg bake has featured before - but this time had no cheese in so totally gluten free and vegan tonight.

So... Start the root veg bake first, then stick the tomatoes is the oven, then - after 10-15 mins ... cup of tea/ glass of wine ... whatever you fancy start the green veg casserole.

Root veg bake

Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 or 2 parsnips, topped and tailed
1 large onion, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 swede, peeled and chopped
6 carrots, top and tailed
garlic paste
Mustard
Olive oil
Seasoning

Casserole

2 leeks
mushrooms
garlic
olive oil
tin of butter beans
white wine
veggie stock cube
shredded cabbage

tomatoes

tomatoes
olive oil
sale

1.  Turn oven on to 180+
2. Grate most of the veg - I use my KitchenAid which obviously makes this much easier - but grate using food processer add ins, or a hand grater will save you time... honestly it will.  Particularly if you make too much, freeze it and have it the following day.
3.  Mix in other ingredients - bake at 180 for about an hour.
4.  At this point splash olive oil onto tomatoes, sprinkle on salt and bung in the oven with the root veg.

Have a cuppa, chat, watch Corrie or whatever... for a bit over half an hour, then...

4.  Sautee chopped, rinsed leeks in olive oil.
5.  After about 5 minutes add chopped mushrooms, garlic, white wine and about a pint of stock.
6.  Simmer briefly and add butter beans, simmer again for about 5 minutes.
7.  Shred cabbage, stick it on top of the leeks and steam until done.  (I put a lid on it and turned off the heat).

Yum.