Mushroom "roast" dinner

 

This was massively more delicious than it looks!

A gorgeous field mushroom, fried in olive oil, mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables , with onion gravy.

Do not knock it until you have tried it!

Field mushroom

Olive oil

Potatoes

Onions

Green beans

broccoli

Cabbage

Gravy granules

White wine

1.  Peel potatoes and put on to boil.

2.  Prep veg for steaming.

3.  Chop onions and sweat down gently in olive oil.

4.  After about 5 minutes add mushroom to pan with onions, and fry - for about 5 minutes - stir the onions every now and again.

5.  Put the veg on to steam.

6.  When the mushroom is cooked put it to one side.

7.  Make gravy with the onions and gravy granules and an optional splash of white wine and drop of hendersons relish (I know, I know, give me a break, I could have used cornflour and veg stock etc etc ... but gravy granules are handy)

8.  Mash the potatoes with vegetable based spread (vitalite today). 

9. Put the mushroom back into the gravy to warm back through.

10.  Serve, scoff, smirk

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 …

Fish curry

Fish on Friday, as usual, but a bit of a change this week.  Lovely haddock from Paul, and a trawl through the veg in the fridge, and we had this delicious, but not very authentic, version of Malaysian fish head curry.  There were no fish heads involved, or any Malaysians for that matter.

Jasmin rice
Peanut oil
Spring onion
Garlic
Curry paste (Malaysian fish head for us, but could have been red thai, or something similar)
Courgette
Mushrooms
Tomato puree
Coconut milk
Haddock (or other white fish)

1.  Cook the rice - I used a rice ball - those things really work - put rice in ball, put into pan of cold water - bring to the boil, boil for about 15 minutes - done!
2.  In a wok, heat peanut oil, then add chopped spring onions, curry paste and crushed garlic.  Stir fry briefly.
3.  Add chopped veg to the wok, and stir fry, then add water/stock and a squirt of tomato puree, simmer until veg a nearly done, stirring occasionally.
4.  Add coconut milk, and taste for seasoning.
5.  Add fish pieces and simmer gently for about 5-6 minutes.
6.  Serve, sprinkling more chopped spring onion on top, scoff.

Turnip colcannon, with mushroom and romanesco

So, today we have vegetarian, gluten free and lactose intolerance ... and a veg box (with no onions), and potatoes to use up.  I think I did really well.  Those who came with their dietary requirements seemed to think so to, as thirds were eaten!

Potatoes
Turnip
cabbage
olive oil
garlic
mushrooms
romanesco
vegan bouillon
tuscan seasoning (available from the Mediterranean Pantry)
olive oil spread

30 minutes, start to finish.

1.  Peel and chop potatoes and turnip, boil until cooked (about 15 minutes, depends how small you chop the potatoes.
2.  Shred the cabbage and steam it.
3.  In a good few tablespoons of olive oil, chop mushrooms and sautee.  Add crushed garlic, gently cook off some more.
4.  Cut florets from the romanesco, and add to the mushrooms, add a teaspoon of tuscan seasoning.
5.  Make about half a pint of stock with veg bouillon and add to the mushrooms and romanesco.
6.  When the potatoes and turnip are cooked mash them, with a couple of spoons of olive oil spread (or similar) - season.
7. Serve, scoff .....

And apparently, scoff again - thirds! at least!

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

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.

Mushroom and courgette crumble

No pic because we were hungry, and I forgot.  However, it was tasty enough to record.  The bottom was chopped and sauteed - onion, garlic, mushrooms, courgettes and tomatoes - with a teaspoon of mixed herbs chucked in.  The topping was rolled oats, mixed seeds and crispy fried onions (from an Asian supermarket) mixed with olive oil to form a crumble.  It was all healthy and vegan - and then I added grated cheddar.  Bake for 25 mins (ish).

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.

Mushroom and onion pasta, chopped salad - oh, and some steak

After making the carnivores suffer yesterday I relented and made them steak.  However, also needed the extras to be gluten free and go with salmon for the pescatarean.  So, I thought - some tasty mushroomy pasta for carbs and a fridge full of veg just begged to be eaten - best way, chop it all up and mix it togther, American's would call it chopped salad, so lets go with that.

It all went down extremely well.



Chopped salad

Celery
Cucumber
Radish
Carrot
Tomato
Frozen petit pois
Cress
olive oil
orange juice

Chop everything up into 1/2 cm dice - squeeze on juice of half an orange (I didn't have any lemons or limes) and a slosh of olive oil, season, stir.

Mushroom Pasta Salad

1 onion, chopped
6 large mushrooms, chopped
garlic
olive oil
pasta shells (gluten free, or otherwise!)
oregano

Fry onion in olive oil,  just as it is starting to caramelise add chopped mushrooms and garlic.  Fry until mushrooms are just soft.
Boil water, add pasta ... when cooked, drain.
Add splosh of olive oil, mushroom mix and fresh oregano and mix through.  Grind on plenty of black pepper.

Steak

Oil the meat, not the pan - grinding of black pepper.  Fry, in hot pan for a minute or so each side.

Scoff - one person had 4 helpings of the pasta!

Roast root vegetables, lentil casserole and cumin cabbage

End of veg box again - but this was really good.  Instructions are brief because I'm tired - but this was actually Sunday's dinner - tonight's was the leftovers made into a delicious shephard's pie thingamebob.

Roast root vegetables

Parboil prepped carrots, turnip and potatoes.  Put into oven proof dish, pour over vegetable stock with a teaspoon of grainy mustard.  Bake for 45+ minutes.

Lentil casserole

Sautee onions in olive oil, add chopped mushrooms and courgette.  Add crushed garlic and mixed herbs.  Add some lentils and some stock - simmer.  Then add some red wine, simmer.  Then add passata and lots of black pepper - simmer.

Cumin cabbage

When other stuff is about 20 minutes off simmer shredded cabbage and a teaspoon of cumin in a centimetre of water and a tablespoon of olive oil.

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!

Jordanian pilau ... kinda, sorta, maybe...

I knew I fancied lentils and rice, and there were loads of mushrooms - and I bought myself "Veggiestan" for Christmas (oops) - so I thought I would go there for a bit of inspiration - and I found it, then adapted it, a bit, and this is what we had.

I started with the lentils, and put the rice on - then made the casserole - and transferred the rice to the oven.  Then carried on with the casserole - made the yogurt sauce - shredded the kale - drained the lentils - put the kale on to steam - put the seeds in the oven for a minute - mixed the rice and lentils etc - then served.  This scheduling of stuff made it possible to complete - start to finish just within an hour (with some chatting and wine drinking as I progressed).

The proper recipe is in this here book - buy it - http://foratasteofpersia.co.uk/shop/books/veggiestan/  (or from elsewhere... this is the author's blog link, I believe)


But this is what I did.

Rice and lentils

Big handful of lentils - in this case small brown lentils
Big handful of brown rice
olive oil
turmeric
cinnamon
fried onions

1.  Put lentils on to boil in plenty of water (NOT salted)
2.  Put rice on to boil - when it hits boiling point - lid on, in a medium oven to finish.
3.  When lentils are done (keep an eye on the water, add more if necessary) drain.
4.  Five minutes before serving, heat olive oil in big frying pan add cooked rice - turn over quickly add turmeric and cinnamon - about a teaspoon for 4 servings - and a big handful of of fried onions and the drained lentils.
5.  Stir them all together and tip onto serving plate.

Casserole

olive oil
large onion
fennel seeds
cumin seeds
garlic, crushed
chili flakes
red pepper
aubergine (4 yummy small ones from the asian supermarket, but 1 standard one would be fine)
about 12 mushrooms
4 large tomatoes, in chunks

1.  Sautee onions in olive oil, until a bit soft, chuck in spices and garlic (not chili, add that just before you add water/ stock, so that you don't get the pungent smoke).
2.  Chop veg into bit sized pieces and keep adding them to the onions and stir in.
3.  Stir around now and again - add water and stock so that it looks like a stew - this is when the chili should go in.
4.  lid on  - simmer - check it doesn't go too dry - should take about 30-40 minutes.

Yogurt sauce

olive oil
chopped mint
loadsagarlic
natural yogurt
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Mix together, taste ... put in fridge until you are ready

Seeds

I had a bag of mixed seeds - so I sprinkled a layer onto a baking tray and put into the oven for about 2 minutes.

Kale

well, kale .. shredded and steamed for about 6 minutes (from the water boiling)

It is, in some ways, a bit faffy - as you progress through the dishes to get them all to finish up together - but the result is absolutely worth it.  I wasn't slaving the entire hour - I was chatting and checking.. I've had seconds, and am now very very full.
(have put vegan on labels - vegans know perfectly well that they can omit or substitute the yogurt :)  )

Leek, mushroom and cabbage creamy pasta

Decisions, decisions, decisions - and frankly not hugely warming to the veg box - it's alright - but I didn't fancy tackling parsnips or kholrabi tonight.  There was, however, cavolo nero, which I LOVE (regular readers will know this) - so greens and mushrooms in a slightly creamy sauce with pasta.  Done!

1 leek
garlic
olive oil
white wine
mushrooms
cavolo nero
mixed herbs
veg stock
pasta (gluten free for us)
natural yogurt
creme fraiche

1.  Sweat off chopped leeks in olive oil, when a bit soft add crushed garlic and a sprinkle of mixed herbs.
2.  Add chopped mushrooms and a small glass of white wine, simmer for a bit, add veg stock when it looks like its going a little dry.
3.  Add shredded cabbage and simmer steam for another few minutes.  Take off the heat.
4.  Cook pasta, drain and chuck into vegetables.  Add a spoonful of yogurt and a spoonful of creme fraiche.  Season with a lot of black pepper.

Delish - about 3 servings - gluten pasta is more expensive than gluten full - but I estimate this at £1.00 for the veg, £1 for the pasta, 75p for the wine and £1 max for the other bits so £1.25 a portion.

Vegetable, butterbean hazelnut crumble

Visiting people and a full veg box.  What glee.  So mushroom and pepper hazelnut crumble with roast potatoes and steamed carrots and broccoli.  It was declared "better than my average" - which I took, though back-handed, as a compliment.  Thanks mis-behaving sectagenarian for the elegant presentation of serving implements.

Crumble

olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 giant field mushrooms
1 red pepper
garlic
grainy mustard
tin butter beans
white wine
water

Topping

rolled oats
gluten free flour
hazelnuts
olive oil
seasoning

olive oil
potatoes
carrots
broccoli

1.  Sautee onion in olive oil.
2.  Add chopped mushrooms and red pepper, soften slightly.
3.  Add garlic and grainy mustard, drained butterbeans and splash of white wine.
4.  Simmer, don't let it dry out.
5.  Parboil bite sized pieces of potato, drain and cook in olive oil in hot oven.
6.  Mix oats, a little gluten free flour, zizzed up hazelnuts, season and mix with olive oil - enough to make it look like crumble.
7.  Transfer mustardy mixture to oven dish, top with crumble and bake for about 30 minutes.
8. Prepare and steam carrots and broccoli for about 12 minutes.

Roast mushrooms, lentil casserole and cabbage

The BEST thing in today's veg box .. 2 lovely field mushrooms ... delish.  So, kinda, sorta, stuffed mushrooms innit? but not quite.. It really is very simply roasted mushrooms with a lentil stew and some cabbage.  It was really, really easy.

onion
red pepper
garlic
olive oil
carrot
puy lentils
1/2 tin chopped tomatoes
herbs


1. Start "ragu"/ stew by gently frying onions, and the adding veg... and some wine if you have it.
2. Add lentils or other beans (if they REALLY needed soaking you should have started this yesterday), simmer for a bit, add tomatoes, simmer again until done.
3. Stir fry chard with a sliver of garlic in olive oil.
4.  Steam cabbage.
5.  Grill mushrooms on both sides, with a drizzle of olive oil and a good grind of black pepper.

Kholrabi salad with mushroom, spinach and hazelnut pasta

Well, much debate about what to call tonight's dinner - without just listing ingredients!  It is Monday - the veg box arrives on a Tuesday morning.  This is the time when you look at what you have got, and try to find something tasty, which is not just "chuck it in and hope for the best".

So, two dishes, either of which could have stood alone, but actually were delicious together.

Kholrabi, apple and watercress salad

Olive oil
1 lemon
1 kholrabi
2 small apples
2 carrots (mine were yellow, but that's because that was what we got)
1 onion, very finely sliced
cider vinegar
1 small bunch watercress, leaves picked off
salt and pepper

1.  Squeeze half a lemon to catch its juice in a bowl add about as much olive oil - this is to stop the kholrabi and apple oxidising and turning brown - so bear this in mind as you grate the other ingerdients in, and make sure you turn them over in the lemon juice and oil as you prepare the veg.
2.  Grate in kholrabi, apples and carrots.  Finely (as finely as you can) slice onions into half moons. I would have used red onions if I had some, but I didn't so VERY carefully finely sliced a white onion.
3.  Turn over to make sure veg and fruit have a film - you may wish to add more juice/oil - and/or a drop of cider vinegar to make a tangy, tasy mix.
4.  Strip watercress and gently stir in leaves.
5.  Taste, and adjust seasoning.

Mushroom, spinach and hazelnut pasta

Pasta (this is a gluten free version, so it was a corn rice mix penne pasta.. but any shortish pasta would be fine)
olive oil
8 (well, 8ish) mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
splosh of brandy (optional really, but does give a depth of flavour)
big handful of spinach leaves
3 tbsps creme fraiche
75g gorgonzola (or other blue cheese)
water
black pepper
a handful of hazelnuts

1.  Cook pasta in boiling water, according to packet instructions - don't over cook, as it will be heated through with the mushroom mixture.  Drain when cooked.  If a little while before needed, drizzle over a tiny hint of olive oil and stir so that it doesn't stick together.
2.  Chop mushrooms and sautee gently in olive oil (and butter, if you like butter).
3.  Chop spinach leaves into ribbons - not tiny pieces, just so that when they wilt they keep some shape but are not stringy.
4.  Add crushed garlic to mushrooms, stir in.
5.  Add a splosh of brandy - flame it (turn pan slightly into gas flame/ a match) to burn off the harshness of the alcohol but retain the flavour (this step is entirely optional, but does add a depth of flavour otherwise un-achievable)
6.  Add ribbons of spinach and stir/toss until wilted.
7.  Meanwhile roast hazelnuts, briefly, in a dry frying pan - about 2 minutes shaking much of the time.  Once roasted  - either pulse in processor or smash a bit in pestle and mortar.
7.  Chuck in pasta, remove from heat.
8.  Let cool for a minute, add crumbled cheese and creme fraiche.  Stir through until cheese is melted.

Serve - I sprinkled the hazelnuts on the pasta, and served with the salad - and we both had seconds... and thirds.

Lentil fritters, mushroom "biryani", roast tomatoes and yogurt dressing

Left over dhal and rice.  Excellent!  In 20 minutes flat they became this, which was delicious.  The lentil patties were gently flavoured, the rice as spicy and complex, the roast tomatoes added sweetness and the yogurt sauce was garlicky, minty and had a bit of a chili kick in the background.  An absolutely brilliant combination if I say so myself.  Only one other witness, who agreed with me completely and had seconds of rice and sauce - we were both too full for another fritter.

For the dhal:-

Big handful of red lentils - boiled in water for about 20-30 minutes.  Left to cool - kept in fridge over  night.

Cooked basmati rice.

peanut (or other light) oil
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
big handful of mushrooms
2 baby aubergines
small handful methi (fenugreek leaves - not essential, coriander or parsley would also be good, but the methi was delicious)
biryani (or whatever) spice mix
olive oil
red chili
juice of a lemon
natural yogurt
small handful mint
seasoning

1.  Chop onion and sweat in peanut oil.  Add chopped mushrooms and aubergines.
2.  Stick vine tomatoes in a pan with a little olive oil in the bottom, add sprinkle of sea salt and put on tightly fitting lid and heat on hob for 15-20 minutes.  Shake occasionally, but resist opening pan and prodding too often.
3.  To softened veg add half of the crushed garlic, the biryani mix and the cooked rice.  Stir and keep on a low heat (you may need to add a little water if it looks a bit dry.
4.  Form lentils into patties, and fry in a hot pan in peanut oil for about 3 minutes on each side.
5.  Mix yogurt, the rest of the garlic, mint, chopped chili, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
6.  Stir chopped fenugreek into rice - leave to stand as you serve out patties and tomatoes, then serve with good spoonful of dressing.
7. Scoff.
8.  Have seconds.

Mushrooms on toast

Kitchen fairies has been quiet for a while because of an injury.  Straining your right hand is not a good plan for a right handed cook.  It is getting better, though some kitchen tasks are still a challenge - peeling vegetables, anything requiring strength eg. mashing and whipping - but at least I can chop again.  Typing and picture taking (my hand shakes on pushing the shutter) have also suffered.

Thankfully my habit of preparing far too much food meant I had an overstocked freezer, so have managed not to have to rely on take-aways - though I have been frustrated by it being painful and difficult to make fresh food.

But this morning, I will take it no longer... so made mushrooms on toast.  Chop and fry half a small onion and fry gently in olive oil, when softened add chopped mushrooms (1 field and 3 closed cup) and 1 clove crushed garlic.  Fry gently until water comes out of mushrooms, add 1 tsp grain mushroom, and toss around until it starts to fry again.  Take off the heat, stir in 1 tbsp natural yogurt, small handful chopped parsley and season.  Serve on hot buttered granary toast.  Yum.

Hand hurting too much to hoover (shame!).

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.