Mushroom and cashew nut stir fry

 

It might look like a long list of ingredients - but it's incredibly quick, easy and tasty as soon as you have got yourself organised.

Chop all veg in advance, heat the oil to hot and off you go.

Peanut (or other veg) oil

Spring onion

Crushed garlic

grated ginger

Sweet chili sauce

Courgette

Broccoli

Mushroom

Pak choi

Tomato ketchup

Soy sauce

Cornflour, slaked in water

Wok noodles

Cashew nuts

Beansprouts

1.  Heat peanut oil in a wok, add chopped spring onion and stir fry quickly.

2.  Add other chopped veg, ginger, and garlic - stir fry a little longer - add a dash of water to steam fry until veg are less raw.

3.  Stir in sweet chili sauce and a splodge of tomato ketchup.

4.  Stir fry a bit longer, then add soy sauce, a little more water and cornflour to start the sauce.

5.  Add cooked noodles, cashew nuts and the pak choi leaves, stir fry again add beansprouts.

6.  When everything is heated through you are ready.

7.  Serve, scoff, seconds

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!

Mackerel paella

 

Tasty and cheap, a portion of oily fish and 5 veggies - what's not to like?  I haven't calculated exact figures, but I think this is about £1 a portion for 2.

Shallot

Olive oil

Garlic

Red pepper

Mushrooms

Spice mix (paella mix or paprika based)

Risotto rice

Veg stock

Tomatoes

Spinach

Tinned mackerel

1.  Sweat chopped shallot (or onion, or leek) in olive oil.

2.  Add chopped pepper and mushrooms and a clove of crushed garlic, sautee for a few minutes.

3.  Add risotto rice (a small handful per person), a little spice mix and stir until all grains of rice are coated.

4.  Add veg stock to cover and simmer gently.  Add more stock if it's going too dry.

5.  Add chopped fresh tomatoes, or a tin of chopped tomatoes, simmer.

6.  When the rice is nearly done - after about 12-15 minutes - taste it - if it's still chalky in the middle it needs a couple more minutes.

7.  Layer a handful of spinach over the top and allow to wilt for a couple of minutes.  The  stir in.

8.  Add a tin of mackerel in tomato sauce, stir in gently - you don't want to break the fish up completely.

9.  Leave to cook on low for a couple of minutes. rest to allow the rest of the liquid to absorb.

10.  Serve, scoff, gloat ... with a good grinding of black pepper.

Mac and cheese etc

Comfort food is the order of the day - but so is getting some vitamins as well as the carbs and protein - so I ramped up mac n cheese with some vegetables.  It didn't take any longer, and was delicious.

Cauliflower

Mushrooms

Soya milk

Cornflour

Macaroni

Cheddar cheese

Peas

Tomatoes

1.  Chop cauliflower into florets, place in steamer part of steamer pan.  Add a good handful of sliced mushrooms.

2.  Grate quit a lot of cheddar cheese.

3.  Put steamer pan on top of pan of water, heat until boiling.

4.  Add pasta to water, stir once, and replace cauliflower pan above it.

5.  Heat soya milk until simmering, then add slaked cornflour to make a sauce, as it thickens add grated cheese, stir until all melted - season with salt and pepper.

6.  Boil pasta for 10-12 minutes, until it is nearly done. stir occasionally to make sure it's not sticking together.

6.  Add frozen peas to steaming veg.

7.  Slice tomatoes.

8.  In a baking dish add steamed veg and drained cooked pasta, add sliced tomatoes.

9.  Pour on cheese sauce.

10.  Bake for 20 minutes or so.

11. Serve, scoff

Butternut squash, mushroom, onion and mozzarella tarte tatin, tiny roast potatoes and steamed vegetables.

 

I'm trying to use the autumnal vegetables, and not just make soups and stews (not that there is anything wrong with that), so a savoury tarte tatin with Sunday dinner veggies.  It was delicious.

Onions
Olive oil

Garlic

Butternut squash

Mixed herbs - sage, rosemary a bit of chilli

Leftover (?) wine!  rosé today

Mushrooms

Potatoes

Green beans 

Savoy cabbage

Mozzarella

Puff pastry

Soya milk

1.  Sautee chopped onion in olive oil, with a pinch of salt, in a tarte tatin pan - or heavy frying pan which can go in the oven..

2.  When quite soft add crushed garlic.

3.  Peel and chop butternut squash and add to the onion, fry off for a minute or so, then add a splash of wine and water, simmer for 10 minutes.

4.  Stir and add herbs of your choice - sage, rosemary and chilli work well.

5.  Simmer until squash is nearly soft, and most of the liquid has disappeared, add chopped mushrooms and continue cooking.

6.  Peel and cube potatoes, roast in olive oil at about 180.

7.  Prepared extra vegetables for steaming - I used green beans and cabbage - could be almost anything.

8.  When the mushrooms have cooked enough to release their moisture and the mixture has become quite dry again - turn off the heat.

9.  Sprinkle grated cheese onto the squash and mushroom mixture, cover with puff pastry.

10.  Tuck the pastry into the pan to form a rustic seal, stab the top a few times to let out steam, and brush the top with soya milk.

11.  Put the pie in to bake for 25-20 minutes.  Steam the vegetables.

12.  Chat, set the table, faff.

13.  Turn the pie out, serve the potatoes and veggies.

14.  Serve, gloat, scoff.  

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.

Quick mushroom and pepper stroganoff

 

Quick, tasty and economical.  It can be made vegan by using Elmlea plant based (or other plant based cream), but I used elmlea double cream, which cuts down on the dairy, rather than cutting it out altogether.

Olive oil

Chopped shallots (onion or leeks)

Crushed garlic

Red pepper

Mushrooms

Basmati rice

Paprika

Spinach

Frozen peas

Elmlea (cream/ plant based cream)

1.  Sautee chopped shallots, add chopped red pepper and mushrooms, and crushed garlic - soften for about 5 minutes.

2.  In a saucepan/heavy pot cover basmati rice with water, to about an inch over the rice, add salt - heat until it starts to boil.  Slam on the lid and turn the heat right down - let it a cook gently and absorb the water for 12-15 minutes - turn heat off, and let it just sit there.

3.  Meanwhile, when veg are softened chuck on a couple of handfuls of spinach, a cup of frozen peas and stir in.

4.  Add a cup of water and bring up to simmer.  

5.  When the spinach is wiled the peas will be nearly done.  Now add the cream, stir in to make a sauce and sprinkle on paprika.  Stir gently.

6.  Serve, scoff ... finish seconds.

Sweet potato and mushroom cheesy bake

I had a load of sweet potatoes, and a carton of mushrooms - and, found a recipe for a bake on Abel and Cole's website - so I nicked it... and adapted it to what I have got in.  The result was delicious - even the veg dodger was satisfied.

Shallots

Olive oil

Sweet potato

Potato

Garlic

Stock

Plain flour

Soya milk

Cheddar

Wholegrain mustard

Spinach

Breadcrumbs

1.  Sautee chopped shallots in olive oil, add garlic.

2.  Add peeled and cubed sweet potato and potato, then add chopped mushrooms.

3.  Sautee briefly, then add stock and simmer until the vegetables are nearly tender, add spinach and allow to wilt, stir in.

4.  When the veg are tender and the stock has been reduced add a couple of spoons of flour and stir to coat the vegetables.

5.  Add the soya milk and simmer as it thickens, then stir in grated cheese and a spoonful of wholegrain mustard.

6.  Transfer to an over dish.

7.  Mix breadcrumbs with grated cheese and sprinkle over the top.

8.  Serve, scoff - we had a rocket salad with it.

Spiced lamb, mushroom and pea curry, dhal and rice

Oops - I forgot to take a picture of this dinner before people dived in - but there were some leftovers, so I took a quick snap of them.  The thing which really was a shame to miss were the lovely spiced lamb steaks - but hey ho!

Lamb steaks
Natural yogurt
Curry mix (bassar masala in our case)
Rice
Red lentils
Onion
Garlic
turmeric
mustard seeds
fennel seeds
cumin seeds
Mushrooms
water
potato
peas

1.  Marinade the lamb steaks in spices mixed into yogurt.
2.  Put both the rice and lentils on to boil.
3.  Fry chopped onion, crushed garlic and various spices, fry off for a few minutes, then add chopped mushrooms.  After they have fried for a few minutes add some water and some finely chopped potato (the potato softens and helps form a sauce).
4.  When curry is nearly done add the peas, and fry the lamb steaks.
5.  Finally make a tarka for the dhal by frying spices of your choice in oil, chuck over the dhal as you take it all to the table.
6.  Serve, scoff … you might want to blob on some natural yogurt too.

Fritatta

Sunday teatime - no real plans, and the chickens have been laying, so a swoop of leftovers, and a chopping of some veg, a grating of some cheddar and this delicious thing was born.  If you have leftover potato wedges it is very, very easy - but they are optional, or you could boil and chop potatoes to add anyway.

Olive oil
onion
mushrooms
red pepper
frozen peas
cold leftover potato wedges
eggs
cheddar

1.  Sautee chopped onion in olive oil.
2.  Chop the rest of the veg and add them to the onions, then chuck in a handful of frozen peas, stir around until warmed through.
3.  Whisk eggs lightly with a fork and pour onto the vegetables.  Turn the heat down and "fry" gently for about 4 minutes.  Turn the oven on to about 180C.
4.  Grate the cheese and sprinkle over the eggs.
5.  Move the pan to the oven for 10 minutes. The cheese should be bubbling and golden, and the egg will be set through without going dry.
6.  Serve, scoff ... if you are more organised than me you could have a lovely green salad alongside.

Mushrooms on toast

Even the humblest of dinners can be made really quite special with the addition of a tiny twist.  Today I made a simple meal of mushrooms on toast, but made them really garlicky and spread the hot buttered toast with really good whole grain mustard - delicious.  The better the bread, the more delicious the dinner - I only had some wholewheat bloomer, sourdough would have taken it up a notch.

Olive oil

Red onion

Garlic

Mushrooms

Butter

Wholewheat bread

Grainy mustard

Baby spinach

Black pepper

1.  Sautee chopped red onion and crushed garlic in olive oil.

2.  Add loads of sliced mushrooms and a good knob of butter, cook the mushrooms until they release their water, and start to fry again.

3.  Toast the bread.

4.  Add big handfuls of spinach to the mushrooms, and stir in to wilt.

5.  Butter the hot toast and spread with a little good mustard, load on the mushrooms and top with a grind of black pepper.

6.  Serve, scoff ... 12 minutes, start to finish.

Roast cauliflower, with hazelnuts, baby roast potatoes and a mushroom gravy.

I love cauliflower, but I didn't fancy cauliflower cheese (to be honest, I am trying to cut down on lactose containing, as I've been suffering with headaches recently - and cheese is a trigger) ... anyway, to avoid disappointment of it not being cauliflower cheese, I wanted to do something tasty ... so, with some baby roasties and a flavoursome mushroom gravy this hazelnut loaded, herby spicy roast cauliflower was invented - and very tasty it was too.

Baby potatoes
Olive oil
Cauliflower
Moussaka seasoning
Onions
Garlic
Mushrooms
Tomato puree
Veg stock cube
Mustard
Hazelnuts

1.  Cut baby potatoes into pieces, toss in olive oil and roast for about a hour.
2.  Break cauliflower into florets, toss in olive oil, sprinkle with moussaka seasoning and roast for about 45 minutes.
3.  Make gravy by sauteeing onions and garlic in olive oil, add chopped mushrooms, tomato puree and stock cube with water, simmer ... after it has simmered for a few minutes stir in a spoonfulof mustard .. keep an eye on it, if it's getting a bit dry add more water, if it's too watery turn up the heat and reduce it down.
4.  Strew the cauliflower with roughly chopped hazelnuts and put back in the oven for 5 minutes.
5.  Serve, scoff, congratulate yourself.

Pieless leek and mushroom pie, with roasted potato wedges and steamed green beans

I think that sometimes half the reason for putting stuff in a pie is that of itself it doesn't look so gorgeous, even though it might taste great.  So, tonight, I thought ... leak and mushroom - they make a great pie, but we don't like pastry that much, so I just made a crustless pie ... it resembles a spoonful of swamp, but it tasted great.

Potatoes
olive oil
Leeks
Garlic
Celery
Mushrooms
GF flour
soya milk
mixed herbs
mustard
edamame beans
green beans

1.  Cup potatoes into wedges, roast in oil for about 45 minutes.
2.  Chop leeks and celery, crush garlic.  Sautee together until the leeks are quite soft, about 10 minutes.
3.  Add mushrooms in chunks.  Sprinkle on some mixed herbs, continue to fry for a few minutes.
4.  Sprinkle on a spoonful of flour, and mix through until it disappears into the mixture, then add soya milk and stir to make the sauce.  Add edamame beans and a spoonful of mustard.  Stir through.  Transfer to oven dish and keep warm until you are ready to serve.
5.  Steam green beans.
6.  Serve, scoff ... it's all vegan and gluten free, but still a comforting dinner.

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 ...

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.

Stroganoff two ways

 Once again two versions of the "same" dish - one made with meatballs for the veg dodger - and the other with chickpeas for the veggie.  I, of course, had both.

Start with 2 pans ... and another to make the rice. I used a rice ball, but you could use a microwave, or just a pan etc...

Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Mushrooms
Paprika
Meatballs
White wine
Tomatoes
Chickpeas
Veg stock cube
Chicken stock cube
cornflour
Sour cream

1.  In two pans sautee onions in olive oil, add crushed garlic.
2.  In the veg pan, add chopped mushrooms.
3.  In the meatball pan, add meatballs and fry until lightly browned, then add chopped mushrooms.
4.  To both pans add a glass of white wine and a sprinkle of paprika.
5.   Simmer for a while, then add halved cherry tomatoes, stir in.
6.  Add veg stock to the veggie version, and chicken stock to the meaty version.  Simmer again.
7.  Drain a can of chick peas and add to the veggie version.
8.  When the rice is done turn off thicken the sauce of the stroganoffs (if required) using cornflour slaked in a little water, then turn off the heat.
9.  Stir a spoonful of sour cream into each stroganoff.
10.  Serve, scoff ..

Pork chop, mushrooms with cheese, potato wedges and tomatoes

As the omnivore of the household I sometimes get a real treat at teatime - catering for the veg dodger and the vegetarian means I can have a bit of everything!  Today was pork chops in apple juice and mustard gravy for the veg dodger, and cheesy mushrooms for the veggie - accompanied by potatoes wedges, courgettes fried with onions and roasted tomatoes... the veg dodger managed some mushrooms - and there were lots of onions and apple juice in his gravy too ... ha - take that veg dodger!

Potatoes
Olive oil
Onions
Garlic
Pork chops
Mushrooms
Cherry tomatoes
Courgettes
Apple juice
Chicken stock
Wholegrain mustard

1.  Cup potatoes into wedges, toss in olive oil and a little salt.  Bake for 45 mins- 1 hour.
2.  Toss tomatoes in olive oil and salt, and bung in the bottom of the oven with the potatoes.
3.  Do the same with the mushrooms - ie.  in a dish in the oven.
4.  Chop onions and crush garlic, sautee in olive oil.
5.  Remove a spoonful of onions to another pan, add the courgettes 5 or 6 minues before serving - then fry them.
6.  Add the pork chops to the rest of the onions and brown slightly on both sides.
7.  Pour apple juice and stock into the pork chops, add a big spoonful of wholegrain mustard and simmer (about 15 minutes).
8.  Turn the mushrooms over, and add a piece of cheese - return to the oven to melt.
9.  Last 5 minutes - fry courgettes, check gravy for seasoning.
10.  Serve, scoff.

Steak, with stuffed mushrooms and tiny roasties

Sunday night tea - nice bit of steak.... and with it some mini roasties, stuffed mushrooms, roast tomatoes and speiced squash (leftovers).

Potatoes
Olive oil
Cherry tomatoes
Onion
Garlic
Field mushrooms
spinach
cheddar
steak

1.  Dice the potatoes and roast in olive oil.
2.  Chuck the cherry tomatoes in to roast at the same time.
3. Sweat down chopped onion with some crushed garlic in olive oil.
4.  Roast the mushrooms in olive oil for about 10 minutes each side.
5.  Add spinach to the onion mix, allow it to wilt.
6.  When the potatoes are nearly ready - put cheddar into each mushroom, top with the spinach mix, and stick back in the oven.
7.  Fry the steak for a couple of minutes, on each side, in a hot pan.  Rest for at least 5 minutes.
8.  Serve, scoff ...

... and relax - film night for us.  "Inception" ... I won't do a review - but the others enjoyed it.

Vegetarian week: Day 1: Mushroom and spring green "cake"

National vegetarian week, and the last day of the veg box!  A challenging combination - but a quick think, and scout in the cupboards and I came up with this "cake".  I thought it was going to be a bit more like yorkshire pudding, but it ended up a little more solid - it was tasty still - and gluten free.

Red onions
Olive oil
Garlic
Mushrooms
Spring greens
Eggs
Soya milk
Chives
parmesan
Cornmeal
GF self raising flour

1.  Sautee the chopped red onion in olive oil, when they are softish add chopped mushrooms and crushed garlic.  Let it all soften down gently for about 10 minutes - add a little water if you think it's looking dry.
2.  Start the batter by whisking together eggs and milk - I used 6 eggs and about a pint of milk, add chopped chives and a small handful of finely grated parmesan.  Mix together the dry ingredients.
3.  Lay shredded spring greens on the mushroom mixture for a few minutes until they start to wilt.
4.  Put and oven dish, with some olive oil in the bottom, in the oven to heat up.
5.  Transfer the veg to the hot oven dish, pour on the batter, mix and put in the oven to bake for about 30 minutes.
6.  Steam the carrots, stick the peas in the pan under the carrots for 4 minutes (ish) ...
7. Serve, scoff

Even the veg dodger enjoyed it - infact they went back for a cold snack later on!

Baked potato with romanesco and mushroom cheese

It looks like a mountain of mush, but it was really tasty.

Meat eaters had a bit of chorizo, veggies didn't ...

All ingredients (except soya milk) available from Todmorden Market.  Cheddar from The Crumbly Cheese, olive oil, mustard, gf flour and chorizo from The Mediterranean Pantry.  Veg from Garry outside.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Onion
Mushrooms
Romanesco (or cauliflower)
Wholegrain mustard
Flour (GF for us)
Soya milk
Cheddar ... lots
Chorizo

1.  Prick the potatoes with a fork, rub over with olive oil and bake.
2.  Sautee onion in olive oil, when soft add mushrooms.
3.  Steam the romanesco.
4.  Make the cheese sauce by adding a spoonful of flour to the mushroom mixture, mix until it has disappeared into the veg, then add a a spoonful of mustard and the milk (soya for us), mix until a sauce forms.
5.  Add grated cheese to the sauce, stir in the romanesco and put in the oven until potatoes are ready.
6.  At the last minute fry chorizo for the meat eaters.