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.

Sausage paella

 Maybe I should have called it a very British paella.  It's the night before the new veg box, so it's very much - use what you have, it'll still be tasty, dinner.

Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Carrots
Sausages
Red pepper
Green beans
Paella rice
stock
wholegrain mustard
Kale


1.  Sautee chopped onion and crushed garlic in olive oil.  Add finely chopped carrot and fry gently for a few minutes.
2.  Add sausages and turn a few times, until they start colouring.
3.  Add chopped red pepper and green beans, stir in.
4.  Add paella rice, stir everything around until every grain of rice has a bit of a coating, then pour in stock, and a spoonful of wholegrain mustard.
5.  Simmer, check stock level, adding more if it goes too dry.  When the rice is nearly cooked add finely chopped kale, put the lid on and let it steam.
6.  Stir in the wilted kale, let it rest for 5 minutes.
7.  Serve, scoff

Veg dodger 2 "complained" about kale - grown by the devil, or something - but ate it nonetheless.

Roast gammon, potatoes, carrot and swede, courgette frittata and some steamed kale

OK - I'll not pretend that shortages have begun to bite yet - but I though it was still worth sharing the basic timings of a good roast dinner.  This was our Mother's Day tea (not my Mum, sorry Mum - we couldn't risk visiting) - which is slightly hilarious, as the Mum in question is veggie - but this was to cater for all!

The ingredients were all sourced from Tod market - which is doing its best in these troubled times.

The ham joint is a big 'un - so that it can be used for sandwiches and other stuff, over the next few days.  All the left over veg will go into "leftovers soup" so there is zero wastage.

Start the ham early - it needs to poach for 3 hours, then get a glaze on and bake for another hour or so.  It was so worth it!





Baked, glazed ham

Ham joint
Mustard (english and wholegrain)
Honey
Olive oil

Potatoes
Olive oil
Carrots
Swede
Butter
Courgette
Eggs
Kale

1.  1 o'clock - put the ham in a large pot of water, boil for 3+ hours - topping the water up as necessary, but otherwise ignore and get on with the rest of your day.
2.  About 4pm - take the ham out of the pan, transfer to an oven dish.  Leave to settle for 30 minutes.
3.  Make the glaze - mix mustards, a small spoon of honey, salt and pepper and olive oil - paste over the joint.
4.  About 5 ish - pop the ham in the oven - turn to 180.
5.  5:30ish - start the veg prep - cut potatoes into even sized pieces (these were baby potatoes, so I just halved them).  Toss in olive oil and salt and roast - check them after about 50 minutes - if they are doing too fast - take them out and put them back in for the last 10 minutes to heat through again.
6.  Peel and chop carrots and swede - boil for about 20 minutes - when cooked mash them with butter and seasoning and pop in the oven.
7.  Chop courgettes into small cubes, whisk eggs.  Mix the eggs and the courgette and pour into an oiled baking dish - bake for about 25-30 minutes.
8.  Take the ham out of the oven to rest for about 20-30 minutes.
9.  Prep the kale by removing the hard stem, shredding, and steam for 15 minutes.
10.  serve, scoff - delish

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.

Chickpea casserole with baked potato

Another open the fridge and see what's there sort of dinner ... and there were mushrooms, squash, kale and tomatoes - add a tin of chickpeas - and there you go.  Delicious and nutritious. (If not very pretty).

Potatoes
Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Fennel seeds
Chili flakes
Acorn squash
Mushrooms
Kale
Jar of chickpeas
vegetable stock
Tomatoes

1.  Prick potatoes with a fork, rub on oliev oil, sprinkle on salt and bake for about 45 minutes.
2.  Sautee chopped onion and garlic in olive oil, add fennel seeds and a pinch of chili flakes and stir in.
3.  Peel and dice squash, add that, stir, slice mushrooms, add them, stir.
4.  Prep the kale by removing hard stem and shred finely - add to the veg.
5.  Add chopped tomatoes and about a pint of veg stock, stir and simmer until veg are done.
6.  Drain and rinse a jar of chickpeas, add these to the mixture and simmer gently until the casserole has reduced a little.
7.  Serve, scoff ... it was actually very tasty.

Truffle and vegetable risotto

Autumnal, with a deep foresty almost mustiness - the authentic italian risotto mix was livened up with some fresh onion, red pepper, mushrooms and cavolo nero.

Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Red pepper
Mushrooms
Truffle risotto mix
cavolo nero


1.  Sautee onion in olive oil until soft, add crushed garlic.
2. Add red pepper and mushrooms and continue to fry gently until they are soft.
3.  Tip in the risotto mix and about a cup of hot water, stir.
4.  When the water has mixed in, add another cupful and stir again - keep adding water until rice is just about done.  Then add shredded kale.
5.  Add another cup of water and stir until rice is done, and most of the water is absorbed.
6.  Turn off the heat and stand for a few minutes, this will allow the rest of the water to absorb, so the dish is silky (and not a watery ricey mess)

Smoked haddock, colcannon with a poached egg

Friday night is fish night at our house ... and today it was smoked haddock.  This always reminds me of my Mum as, when I was growing up, if ever we were home alone we would have spinach with cheese melted into it, smoked haddock and a poached egg .. nobody else liked it, the fools!  However, today we had kale to use up, so I made colcannon with lots of leek and chopped kale mashed into the potato ... ha!  that was two extra vegetables into the veg dodger with no argument whatsoever.  On the table in 40 minutes easily - and that was giving time for the mash to crisp up on top - could've been done in 20.  All ingredients can be found on Todmorden Market, particularly the fish as Paul has the best fish for miles around.

About £3.50 per greedy portion

Potatoes
Carrots
Kale
Leeks
Butter
Smoked haddock
Olive oil
Eggs
vinegar
Black pepper

1.  Peel potatoes and cut into pieces.., boil for the mash.
2.  Peel carrots and steam above the potatoes,  chop leeks into rings and shred the kale, steam them together above the carrots.
3.  When the potatoes are cooked drain them and mash them with butter.  Beat in the steamed green veg.
4.  Transfer the colcannon to an oven dish and put into the oven for the top to crisp.  Put the carrots in the bottom of the oven to keep hot.
5.  At the same time drizzle the fish with a little olive oil and bake that for 15 minutes.
6.  Poach egg for 2 minutes in water at a rolling boil, with a dash of vinegar - which helps the egg hold its shape.
7.  Serve, scoff - watch veg dodger have seconds of green veg.

Vegetable cheese with mini roasties

How do you get veg into a veg dodger?  Particularly "but it's not even Christmas" sprouts.  Smother it in cheese sauce, that's how.

Mini "roasties"

Chop potatoes and roast in hot oil for about 50 minutes.

For veg

Kale
Cauliflower
Sprouts
Butter
Flour (gf for us)
Milk (Soya for us)
Wholegrain mustard
Cheddar

Steam the veg.
Make a roux by melting the butter, then stirring in the flour until smooth.  Gradually add milk, keep stirring until sauce thickens and is smooth - using a whisk helps reduce lumps.  Add a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard and shed loads of grated cheese.
Put the veg in an oven dish, top with even more grated cheese and bake while the potatoes finish.
Serve, scoff, watch veg dodger have thirds.

Kale, spinach and feta tumble top pie, with cumin carrots and herby courgettes

Couldn't think what to do for tea today - but knew we had a load of leafy greens in the fridge so I invented this kind of cottage pie with a Greek-ish twist.  I also added some greek meatballs for the carnivore.

Onion
Olive oil
Kale
Spinach
Potatoes
Feta
Nutmeg
Carrots
Cumin
Courgettes
mixed herbs
GF flour
Meatballs

1.  Chop onion and soften in olive oil.  Add shredded kale.
2.  Dice potatoes and par boil.
3.  When the kale is a little soft add handfuls of spinach to wilt.
4.  Peel carrots, toss in olive oil and cumin seeds and roast for 30 minutes or so.
5.  Add chopped feta to the wilted greens, grate on a little nutmeg, mix through and put into an oven dish.
6.  Drain the potatoes and tumble onto the spinach mixture.  Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 30 minutes, until the top goes golden.
7.  Bung meatballs in the oven.
8.  Slice courgettes and toss in seasonned, herby flour.  Grill on both sides for a couple of minutes.
9.  Serve, scoff.

A touch of sunshine on an autumnal evening.

Qorma-e-Maash

This recipe is adapted from Sally Butcher's 2011 book "Veggiestan".

I made up a spice mix, and then made the casserole.  I used vegetables which I had in the fridge, others could easily be substituted.

The spice mix is HOT, so my advice, if you would like to make something similar is to treat it with caution.  The spice mix would also be good for a chicken casserole.

So, ...

Baked potatoes

Stab potatoes with a fork, and coat lightly with olive oil - these were huge, so 20 minutes in the microwave, then 1 hour in the oven.

Mung bean casserole

Olive oil
Chopped onion
Qorma-3-Maash spice mix
Carrot
Red pepper
Turnip
Mung beans - 2 handfuls
Stock/water
Kale
Tomatoes


1.  Sautee the chopped onion in the oil, until it is softenned.
2.  Add no more than 1 tbsp spice mix .... this will be quite hot ...!
3.  Add prepared root veg and stir in.  Add chopped pepper.
4.  Chuck in the mung beans and cover with stock or water.  Simmer for about 30-40 minutes.  Add more liquid if it looks like it is getting dry.
5.  When the mung beans are cooked - (squash them between your fingers) - add about 4 chopped tomatoes and some shredded kale (I think spinach would be more authentic, but I had kale).  Simmer for about another 10 minutes.
6.  Serve - we had baked potatoes, but you could put potatoes in the casserole and serve with rice or bread.

Shepherdless pie

 Drizzly (again) ... cold (again, but it is January, so that's reasonable) ... and MORE kale in the fridge from the veg box - but this was DELICIOUS!  Really, let me boast, it was great!

This is what I used:-

olive oil

onion

red pepper

garlic

green beans

brown lentils

red wine

potatoes

bouillon powder

grainy mustard

mixed herbs

chilli flakes

Mushrooms

soya spread/butter

1.  Peel and chop potatoes, put onto boil .. for about 12 minutes, ie. until ready to mash.

2.  Chop onion, sautee in olive oil, after a few minutes add chopped pepper, crushed garlic and chopped green beans.  Stir around.

3.  Add brown lentils, and then about a pint of water.

4.  Sprinkle on bouillon powder (or scrunch in a stock cube) add herbs, a spoonful of mustard and a pinch of chilli flakes.

5.  Simmer a little, add mushrooms and keep simmering until done (about 30 minutes)

6.  Test potatoes, when ready, drain and mash.

7.  Put lentils in an oven proof dish, top with potatoes and bake for 30 minutes (its always ish ...) until the top is golden.

8.  Chop kale, removing tough stems, put into oven proof dish with a spoonful of water - cover with cling film and microwave for 2 minutes.

9.  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.

Quick chickpea tagine and spicy couscous

Using another product from the stall, because I felt like something a bit spicy for tea - so quick tagine and spiced couscous.

Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Ginger
Carrot
Red pepper
Chickpeas
Tomato puree
chili
cinnamon
grate of nutmeg
mixed herbs
vegan bouillon
tahini
pomegranate
black pepper

Packet of spiced couscous
Little gem lettuce

1.  Chop onion and sautee in olive oil.
2.  Add grated garlic and ginger.
3.  When soft add peeled chopped carrot and chopped red pepper.
4.  Add drained chickpeas.
5.  Cook for a little while, then add squeeze of tomato puree, chili flakes, herbs, spices and bouillon with some water.  Continue to simmer.  Add tahini after about 5 minutes.  Add chopped kale.
6.  Simmer gently until family get in from work (that'll be about 20 minutes).
7.  Prepare couscous according to packet instructions.
8. Chop salad leaves, bang pomegranate seeds over tagine.
9.  Scoff.

Too be fair, I think I would have prefered not to double spicy - ie.  had plain couscous with the spicy tagine, the double spicy meant I was pleased to have the refreshing lettuce with it.  The spiced couscous, however, would be excellent with roasted vegetables stirred through it.

Parsnip, mushroom and kale pasta

Don't knock it 'til you've tried it, this was surprisingly delicious.

1 red onion
olive oil
garlic
2 parsnips
mustard powder
mushrooms
kale
white wine
stock
parmesan (optional)
pasta (gluten free in our case)

1.  Peel parsnip and cut into bite sized peices, fry gently in olive oil for about 10 minutes, add dried mustard powder and keep cooking gently.
2.  In another pan sautee chopped onion and crushed garlic.
3.  Cook pasta according to packet instructions.
4.  When the onion is soft add chopped mushrooms and fry a little longer.
5.  When the mushrooms are about cooked, add in shredded kale, white wine a little stock - allow to steam/fry for a few minutes.
6.  Drain the pasta, add the parsnips and pasta to the other veg, mix together.

Serve with plenty of black pepper and optional parmesan.

Roasted squash with barley groat and vegetables.

Roast squash in olive oil with garlic and red onion.

 

Sautee onion and garlic, peeled and chopped carrots, green beans and sweetcorn (this was kernals taken off the cob), in a little olive oil.  Add water and simmer gently until veg is nearly done - add shredded kale a little vegetable stock and simmer again until done.  Meanwhile boil groats for 15 minutes, drain and mix with the veg.  Season - quite a lot - add some chopped herbs.

 

It's an earthy dinner, very filling and good for you.

Dry curry with potatoes, kale and paneer - with tarka dhal

 It looks, very much like my last entry - which perhaps says something about how tasty this curry is.  Today it was made with kale, with the addition of fried paneer.  Also, I did a tarka dahl ... cos I can - you know.  I wish I had some chapattis either in the cupboard - or had made some ... because they would have finished it off lovely, innit  - but it was delish as it was.   Oh yeas, can I just say - our potatoes and onions :)



So:-

Dry Curry

2 onions, chopped
Rape seed oil
cumin seeds
Mustard seeds
Chili flakes
Crushed garlic
Turmeric
Potatoes
Water
Kale - shredded
Garam massala

Paneer

Dhal

red lentils
rape seed oil
curry leaves
sliced garlic
chopped chili
fennel seeds
crispy fried onions

1.  Sautee onions in rape seed oil, add spices.
2.  Add potatoes, in bite sized pieces, add water and simmer, keep testing for doneness - add more water when necessary.
3.  Fry pieces of paneer in a dry pan - turn when browned, remove form the heat when ready.
4.  When potatoes are nearly done, add shredded kale.
5.  Simmer some more ... sprinkle on garam massala - cook through.

Dhal

1. Boil lentils.
2.  When boiled, fry spice in oil quickly.
3.  Toss cooked spices onto dhal.

Scoff ... delish.

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

Mustard mash, cavolo nero and kale with pine nuts - and a bit of a vegtable ragu

Quite (!) a busy week, and  need to chill at the weekend - but also some teenage student fetching and carrying (not that I mind, actually) - so by Sunday teatime, some comfort food was in order.  BUT, this isn't just comfort food - this is comfort food with bells on - it is incredibly nutritious and delicious.  There is some butter in the mustard mash - but otherwise - gluten free and without anything processed.

Start with the potatoes, then chop the onion, then the greens.  If you get the onions softening before the potatoes have boiled, you are really on it.  Keep working on the ragu, put the shredded greens on top of the boiling potatoes when they have been boiling for a couple of minutes.

Keep the ragu cooking, adding stock if it gets too dry.

When potatoes are boiled and mashed, stick them under a hot grill to crisp up the top for 5 minutes.  Keep the greens warm and roast the pine nuts at the last minute.

Mustard mash

potatoes, peeled
butter
whole grain mustard

1.  Boil potatoes - chopped into even chunks - in salted water,
2.  When done, drain, and mash with a good knob of butter (olive oil or soya spread for vegans).
3.  Beat in a splodge of wholegrain mustard.

Cavolo nero, kale and pine nuts

1.  Shred cavolo nero and kale, steam on top of boiling potatoes.
2.  Roast pine nuts in dry frying pan.
3.  Toss pine nuts onto steamed leaves

Vegetable ragu

onion
garlic
olive oil
mixed herbs
yellow pepper
mushrooms
courgette
vegetable stock

1.  Sweat chopped onion in olive oil until a bit soft.
2. Add chopped pepper, mushrooms, courgette and herbs and continue to soften.
3. Add a cup of stock and simmer until vegetables are all soft and tasty.

delicious.  Really!  Try it!

Mushroom and kale spaghetti

The veg box arrived today, so possibly too much choice.... but after unpacking all the goodies, couldn't resist the mushrooms, and there was a leek, a courgette and kale to finish up from the last box - so ....

Olive oil
Dried mushrooms (just a few, optional)
Leek
stick of celery
courgette
garlic
dried herbs
chestnut mushrooms
kale
vegetable stock
2 tbsp double cream
2 tbsp grated parmesan
salt and pepper

spaghetti (gluten free in this case)

1.  Soak dried mushrooms in boiling water.
2.  Sautee chopped, washed leek in olive oil.
3.  Add finely diced celery and courgette.
4.  When a bit soft, add crushed garlic and herbs.
5.  Add chopped mushrooms, fry the mixture off for a bit and then add stock so that it doesn't burn.
6.  Put on pasta water - when boiling add pasta to water (8 mins - follow packet instructions)
7.  Stir shredded kale into mushroom mixture with mushroom soaking liquid.  Chop reconstituted mushrooms finely, and add into mixture.
8.  When spaghetti is cooked - drain and add to sauce - add cream and cheese - stir around and serve.

Season as you go - with salt and a lot of freshly ground black pepper.

Scoff.  Flavourful, both earthy and fresh.  I'll do it again.

Lentil, kale and courgette spaghetti

Well, arrived home late-ish.  Interesting bunch of vegetables from the veg box and NO TINNED TOMATOES!! (or even fresh tomatoes)  So, a bit of a think ... and I came up with this.

Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 courgettes, chopped
Garlic
Kale, shredded/finely chopped
Herbs
Stock
Roasted red pepper (from a jar, here)
Spaghetti
Parmesan, shaved

1.  Sautee onion in olive oil.
2.  Boil tiny green lentils in plenty of water.
3.  When it's a bit soft, add courgette and continue frying.
4.  Add garlic, herbs and shredded kale.
5.  Round about now, put pasta on to cook.
6.  Add chopped roasted red pepper
7.  Add some stock and black pepper, tip in cooked, drained lentils.
8.  When its all cooked toss it all together, glug of olive oil, and serve.

Scoff.  This was delicious with, or without, a shaving of parmesan.  I was proud of my invention.