Leek and potato soup

It's very wintery again, and I'm on a mission to finish up all the Christmas veg - so leek and potato soup, why not?

olive oil
3 leeks
2 onions
2 cloves garlic, crushed
vegetable stock
wholegrain mustard
marmite
chilli flakes
cream for drizzling (optional obviously)

1.  Sweat down chopped and cleaned leeks and onion.
2.  Chop potatoes into smallish cubes and add them to the onions, when a little soft add crushed garlic and keep sweating down.
3.  Add about a litre of veg stock and simmer.
4.  Add a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard and a teaspoon of marmite, taste for seasoning.
5.  When potatoes are soft zizz and adjust to the right texture.
6.  Serve, drizzle with cream if you wish ... would be vegan without the cream - and is gluten free.

Stuffed mushrooms with steamed veg and watercress sauce

This was delicious, the photo does not do it justice at all... I will be working on my presentation!

Anyway, I started with the rice and lentils, and got them on the way,  then I chopped the veg for steaming.  Then I prepped the mushrooms.  Then I made the watercress sauce.

When all that had happened -the rice was cooking gently in the oven, the lentils were 2/3rds cooked ... so I started off the mushrooms in the oven.

Brown rice
Lentils
Leek
Carrot
Green beans
Field mushrooms
basil
Rape seed oil
Crushed garlic
lemon juice
Watercress
Zatar spice
Spring cabbage
sesame seeds.

1.  Cook the brown rice, follow your favourite method - I do ... put in heavy pot, cover with water to 1 inch over the surface.  Bring to the boil.  Cover and leave in a medium oven for at least 20 minutes
2.  Boil lentils in loads of water for 20+ minutes.
3.  Chop veg (leeks, carrot, beans) and steam over boiling water for about 20 minutes.
4.  Drizzle rape seed oil in a baking tray, add mushrooms, stem side down, drizzle over a little more oil, grind over black pepper and bake for about 20 minutes.
5.  Chop an onion, and fry gently until golden brown, add garlic and zatar spice - stir in drained lentils and rice.
6.  Turn mushrooms over, layer in basil leaves and spoon rice mixture onto the top.  Pop back into the oven for 5 minutes.  At this point add the shredded cabbage to the steaming vegetables.
7.  Zizz together 1 small gherkin, large handful of watercress, 2 chopped garlic cloves, juice of half a lemon and good splosh of oil.
8. Serve ... sprinkling the vegetables with sesame seeds.

Scoff

Roast cauliflower, jersey royals and vegetable medley

Once again the photo doesn't do it justice ... but this was lovely.  The cauliflower was roasted whole, the jersey royals were par boiled and roasted (yes, yes, I know ... should be boiled/steamed and served with butter .. but they were absolutely sweet and delicious roasted).

So, what did I do....?

1.  Take the big floppy leaves from the outside of the cauliflower.  Leave the nice cuddly soft leaves, they are delicious.  Drizzle with oil oil and sprinkle with salt, sumin seeds and sumac.  Squeeze on juice of half a lemon.
2,  Stick the cauliflower in a hottish oven - for an hour(ish)
3.  Boil the jersey royals, for 5 mins, and then stick in hot olive oil, in a roasting tray, in the oven.
4.  The veg ... in olive oil gently fry 1 chopped and washed leek, 1 celery stick, a small handful of green beans, a peeled and chopped carrot and some crushed garlic.
5.  Add some water to the frying veg and simmer until al dente ... add shredded spring greens.

Twas delish innit.

Leek and fennel risotto

Quite late home.  Cold again, but mostly salady things in the veg box - but you can do all sorts of things with a risotto.

Olive oil
Leek
1/2 fennel
Celery
Garlic
White rice
White wine
Stock
Frozen peas
Grated parmesan
Salt and black pepper
Roccolo

1.  Sautee chopped leek, fennel and celery in olive oil.
2.  After a couple of minutes add crushed garlic, and continue to sautee gently.
3.  Add a mugful of white rice, and turn over in the oil.
4.  Chuck in white wine and some stock.  Simmer, add more until the risotto is nearly done.
5.  Add frozen peas and cheese.  Simmer gently.

Season and top with roccolo.

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 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.

potato, turnip and leek bake, steamed carrots and spring greens with grilled haloumi

A beautiful day today, and a quick ready steady cook rifle through the fridge - and ta dah!

Potato, turnip and leek bake

4 potatoes
2 turnips
1 leek
olive oil
garlic
stock

1.  Slice potatoes and turnips and par boil for about 7 minutes.
2.  Slice and soften leek in olive oil - add crushed garlic.
3.  Splosh a little olive oil in an oven dish - layer in a third of the potato and turnip, add half the leeks, the next turnip and potato, drizzle of olive oil, black pepper, the last of the leeks and the rest of the potato and turnip.  Drizzle with olive oil, pour in about a pint of stock and bake for 40 minutes or so.

Steamed vegetables

1.  Peel carrots and cut into batons, steam.
2.  Add shredded cabbage after about 8 minutes, steam for a further 5.

Halloumi

Grill halloumi in a dry frying pan from 1-2 minutes on each side.

Scoff.

Veg gratin, roast tomatoes and groats

The veg box came today, and was full of lovely stuff. So lovely gratin, roast tomatoes and some groats.  Ta da.







Veg gratin

1 leek, chopped and washed
Celery
carrots
turnips
cabbage
garlic
white wine
grainy mustard
herbs
Stock
cornflour
cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

Cherry tomatoes
olive oil

Groats.

The tomatoes and groats are easy - stick tomatoes in oven dish, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and roast for 45 minutes-ish.  Groats - boil in the bag for 15 minutes - is. the last thing you do.

Gratin

1.  Sautee leek and celery in olive oil.
2.  When a bit soft add garlic, herbs and mustard.
3.  Add diced carrot, turnip and potato - and white wine and stock.
4.  Simmer for about 20 minutes until veg goes a bit soft.
5.  Add shredded cabbage, and soften.
6.  Add water to cornflour, and mix to form a paste - add to veg mix and stir in to thicken.
7.  Add grated cheese and transfer to an oven dish.
8.  Top with the rest of the cheese and bake for 40 minutes or so.

Scoff - have seconds!

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!

Leek, cavolo nero, pea and blue cheese risotto

Fresh, tasty and very easy.

olive oil
1 leek, chopped and rinsed
2 stalks celery, chopped
garlic
risotto/paella rice
white wine
vegetable stock
cavolo nero
frozen peas
blue cheese (rocquefort in this case)
lemon juice & black pepper

All the measurements are vague - because it's done by eye - but enough for 4 I would say - 2 small handfuls of rice and about 3/4 litre of stock.

1. Saute leeks and celery in olive oil, gently - let them go a bit soft.
2. Add rice and stir until every grain is coated in oil.
3.  Add a glass of white wine and let it simmer in.
4.  Add vegetable stock - a bit at a time, until rice is al dente - each time simmer and stir until it gets soaked in - then add some more (.
5.  When nearly ready, add shredded cavolo nero and frozen peas, turn into risotto and leave to cook for 3-4 minutes.
6.  Turn off heat, add in blobs of cheese and let them melt in.  Lid on, rest.... and for another 2 minutes after that, so that it's oozy and comforting, and not watery.
7.  Squeeze on lemon juice (optional), grind on black pepper (NOT optional, in my opinion).

Scoff :)

Greek(ish) chickpea casserole, cabbage and leek and lemon rice

The veg box is coming to the last ingredients - and they're mostly lettuce and cabbage.  I really didn't fancy lettuce (so will have to work hard on that tomorrow) - but I love cabbage, so this actually wasn't too hard to contemplate.

To start, I put the rice on - then started the leeks for the cabbage bit, then the onion for the chickpea casserole - and with juggling in between pots the whole thing was on the table in 30 minutes.

Lemon Rice

Basmati rice
1 lemon
water

1.  Put basmati rice into cast iron pot, grate on zest of 1 lemon, add juice of I/2 lemon and pinch of salt.
2.  Add water to 1 inch above surface of rice - bring to boil on the hob.
3.  Put lid on pot and transfer to oven, it will be ready in about 20 minutes (or when you are).

Leek and cabbage in yoghurt

olive oil
1 leek, sliced and washed
Crushed garlic
1/2 cabbage, shredded
1/2 glass white wine
sprinkle of thyme
1 bay leaf
water
natural yoghurt

1.  Sweat leek in olive oil, add crushed garlic when soft.
2.  Add shredded cabbage, stir in - add the thyme, bay leaf and wine. Cover and simmer (add water if it looks like it might catch).
3.  When all cooked, turn the heat off and let it cool down slightly - then stir in 2 tbsps good greek yogurt.
(don't add yogurt and it is vegan and lactose free)

Red pepper and chickpea casserole

onion
olive oil
crushed garlic
mixed herbs
10 black olives
1 red pepper
tin of chickpeas
tin of chopped tomatoes

1. Sweat chopped onion in olive oil.  Add chopped pepper and crushed garlic when onion is soft, cook for about 5 minutes.
2.  Stir in herbs and garlic, add drained tin of chickpeas.  Warm through on medium heat.
3.  Tip in tomatoes, simmer.  Serve when you are ready.

There was loads - I think it would easily have served 6.

Price per portion: 70p - ish.  lemon 15p, leek 20p, cabbage 40p, pepper 70p,  chickpeas 50p, tomatoes 35p, extras £2 altogether (?guessing because I buy oil, rice, yogurt, olives etc in bulk - of you use them all they're cheap, to buy in small volumes they are more expensive).

Warming kale and mushroom casserole with leek mash

Needed comfort food.  Got comfort food.  It was good for us too.  You don't need the parmesan - I just had some left, it added a nice savoury edge.

The mash
olive oil
1 leek
1/2 celeriac
3 largish potatoes
knob of butter
tablespoon of parmesan

The Casserole

olive oil
1 onion
Crushed garlic
6 big mushrooms
5 tomatoes
red wine
italian herbs
Kale
Tin of chickpeas

1.  Saute leek in olive oil, it can go a little caramelised around the edges.
2.  Peel and chop into 1 inch chunks the celeriac and potatoes.  Boil in salted water until mashable.  Drain, mash, add seasoning, leeks, cheese and butter.  Put into hot oven to crisp up the top.
3.  Saute onion in olive oil, add chopped tomatoes, mushrooms and garlic.  Soften a little - splosh in red wine and add herbs.  Simmer.
4.  Chuck in chopped kale and a little water or stock.  Then tin of drained chickpeas.  There should be enough liquid in the pan to let if cook without catching, but not so that it is swimming in it.
5.  Bung it in the oven with the potato.
6.  Wait 20 minutes.  Take out of oven, scoff.

Delicious, really warming, really filling, does you loads of good.

Turnip, potato and leek pie with greens - gluten free

 Well - I bought some lovely looking turnips (yes, I did write that) and was wondering what to do with them - and I thought I'd try some gluten free pastry - so, a few google moments later and I found this http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/05/30/turnip-leek-pie/ ... so spent the next 30 minutes wandering around the very interesting blog.

The pie, itself looked lovely, so I have adapted it a bit - but in essence I have stolen the leek, turnip, rosemary and cheddar idea - and added potatoes.  The pastry is made with gluten free flour - which makes it more difficult to handle - roll out on greaseproof paper so that you can lift it accross.

In order of what to do - start with the pastry, put it in the fridge while you start the filling, turn on the oven.  When the filling is ready, make the pie, put it in the oven, put tomatoes in at the same time - then prep and steam the vegetables.  It can then all be ready within an hour.

Pastry

About 125g gluten free flour
About 50g soya spread (I was going down the lactose free route, but then decided to add cheese.. could have been butter)
2 tbsp natural yogurt
pinch of salt
cold water - about 2 tbsp


Rub together fat and seasoned flour, turn into pastry with yogurt and cold water.  Wrap in cling film, and put in the fridge to rest.  When ready pull out of the fridge and roll out (treat it gently, it doesn't have the same resilience as wheat flour pastry) on floured (gluten free of course) greaseproof paper.

Filling

Olive oil
Chopped leek (1 big)
Peeled and diced turnip (1 big)
peeled and diced potato (3 medium/big)
garlic
white wine
dried rosemary (a tsp max)
grainy mustard
vegetable stock
cheddar cheese - grated (200g)
egg - beaten (for egg wash - could be milk)

Saute leek in olive oil, when a bit soft add turnip and garlic, and white wine, simmer for a little then add rosemary and potato and enough stock to simmer.   Stir in grainy mustard.  Simmer until veg is "al dente" (about 15 minutes) don't let it dry out but let it reduce away so that you can just transfer mixture to pie dish.  Top with cheese, and then layer over pastry.  Pierce a few times to let out steam and egg wash.

Bake at 180 for about 25 minutes.

I also chucked some cherry tomatoes in at the same time, with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of rock salt - they worked very well.

Steam chopped vegetables - cavolo nero and broccoli in this case.

Really, really nice.  Great to have the treat of a pie, whilst being entirely gluten free.  Left overs in plastic box for lunch tomorrow.  (not sure how well it would freeze) Yum.

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.

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.  :)

Pheasant, mushroom and cabbage macaroni

One of the great things about being a bit foodie, is that periodically your mates try to challenge you with summat a bit different.  So, as a pressie for a dinner, I was presented with a dressed pheasant.  I have roasted pheasant before, but wanted something more casual, light and tasty but still autumnal, so I thought - pasta with seasonal veg... and it worked!

So, ingredients:-

1 pheasant - meat removed and cut into bite sized pieces.
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large leek, sliced
1 clove garlic
1 glass white wine
10(ish) chestnut mushrooms
Half a small savoy cabbage, shredded

Pinch of chili
Spoonful of creme fraiche

Method

1.  Sweat down leeks in olive oil, over medium heat.
2.  When soft, move to the sides of the pan and increase heat.  Chuck pheasant bits into the middle of the pan.  Brown on one side, then toss mixture together.
3.  Put pasta into boiling, salted water.
4.  Add chopped mushrooms to leek and pheasant - season, add ladle of water from pasta pan, so that mixture doesn't go dry.  Add tiny pinch of chili.
5.  When pasta is nearly done, add cabbage to veg and pheasant, toss about a bit, so that it wilts (add another ladle of water if it looks at all dry.
6.  Drain pasta.
7.  Chuck in pheasant and veg, grind black pepper - big spoonful of creme fraiche.  S
8.  Stir, scoff.

Took 15 minutes - start to finish, including getting meat from pheasant.

Chicken and mushroom stroganoff with cavolo nero

Day 3 of "training" for swimming the "channel" and I did my 40 lengths.  I am swimming the 22 miles of the channel - in a pool - between September and December to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society - see link to the right - and feel free to sponsor me.  (But more of that another time).  The victim, swimming with me, kept banging on about pie for dinner.  No, no, no ... there is no point swimming up and down just to reinsert the calories when you get out.  So, after the usual, spag bog, ricey stuff, pie requests we managed to land on stroganoff - which was good because a number of the ingredients were sitting in the fridge really needing to be used up.  Cavolo nero is just ready for harvesting in poly the tunnel, so I added that to mine.  Victim refuses anything quite so blatently green, so had some beetroot and radishes as a starter... go figure!  Anyway, there is too much cream to be really "diet", "low fat" etc, but I'm sure it's better than pie!

Chicken and mushroom stroganoff

Serves: 4.  Time: approx 30 minutes:  Calories:  approx 450 per portion  Cost:  approx £1.30 per portion

1/2 tbsp Olive oil
1 Onion
1 Leek
1 Celery stick
Garlic clove
2 skinless chicken breasts
Chicken stock (cube is fine)
About 12 Green beans
About 4 Runner beans
Some Mushrooms
Paprika & black pepper
100ml Half fat creme fraiche
100ml double cream
Chopped parsley

Tagliatelli - about 70g per portion

Method:

1. Chop and sautee in olive oil - leek, onion and celery.
2. Add bite sized pieces of chicken breast, turn over until edges are a bit coloured.
3. Add crushed garlic, and a cup of stock (add more if it looks like it's a bit dry).
4. Cook tagliatelli in salted boiling water.
5. Add chopped beans and mushrooms, and simmer until beg is soft and chicken is cooked, season with salt, pepper and paprika.
6. Just before pasta is al dente add creme fraiche and cream to chicken and vegetables.
7. Drain pasta and  mix into sauce.
8. Chuck in chopped parsley and sprinkling of paprika.
9. Scoff (with or without steamed cavolo nero (about 7 minutes steaming) or crunchy salad.

Leek and potato soup

Slice and wash 2 large leeks, peel and dice 3 large potatoes.  Sautee leeks, garlic and celery, then add the potatoes, some mustard and a litre of stock.  I also stirred in a teaspoon of vegemite and a splosh of worcestershire sauce.  Season.  Simmer until veg is soft, liquidise in blender or using stick blender.  Stir in chopped chives.  Serve with natural yogurt and parsley.

lentil and couscous stuffed butternut squash

Meatless Monday, and butternut squash is one of the few vegetables still in season as we wait for the poly tunnel to start producing lots.  So cut butternut squash in half and scooped out the seeds.  Slash the flesh a little and season, drizzle on olive oil and roast for about 40 minutes.  Meanwhile, boil Puy lentils for 20 minutes until soft, chop and sautee onion, leek, garlic and mushrooms in olive oil.  Pour boiling water on couscous and leave to stand for at least 5 minutes to soak up all the water.  Mix drained lentils, couscous and softened vegetables and season well - you could also add olive oil, or a beaten egg.  Spoon into soft butternut squash and top with grated parmesan.  Back in the oven for 10 minutes.  It was very tasty, but needs the seasoning. A nice fresh salad to go with would be nice. Victim announced the presentation "challenging" but the dinner very tasty - particularly after adding chili ketchup - and scoffed the lot.  Bonus, lots of lentil mixture left to put in the fridge for salad tomorrow lunchtime.

leek and mushroom risotto

Proper risotto - not the usual "ricey stuff", but proper risotto with arborio rice and everything!

So, sautee chopped leeks in olive oil.  When a little bit soft add chopped celery, courgette and garlic.  Turn over in the oil a couple of times (quite gently to not separate the leeks too much) and add risotto rice (or other rice - will still be nice, just not so risotto squishy).  Turn in the oil so that each grain is covered - add glass of white wine.  Simmer for a couple of minutes, when the wine is almost gone add chopped mushrooms, some herbs and chicken stock -a ladle at a time (mine took just under 2 pints).  Add more stock and keep stirring it in and letting it soak in until rice is just cooked.  It should then stand and soak in remaining stock for a few minutes, so stop the cooking with a tiny bit more "wetness" than you think should be in the finished dish. (I wasn't quite brave enough this time and it was just ever so slightly, a bit, dry).  Season well, and stir in.  Take off the heat and stir in handful of grated parmesan.  Leave to stand for 3 minutes (ish).  Serve, grind black pepper on the top, with a drizzle of truffle oil (OK, that's optional - but we have some in the cupboard and it does add a touch of yum).  Victim had seconds.