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

Potato, brie and other veg bake

 

The veg box is still full of sweet potatoes and carrots, but also a couple of good sized spuds this week.  There was brie in the fridge, and apples in the fruit bowl - so ... ta dah ...

olive oil

potatoes (2 large)

onions (2 medium)

carrots (3 medium)

sweet potato (1 large)

apples (2 medium)

Brie

garlic

vegetables stock

salt and pepper

1.  Slice all veg in to thin slices - as thin as you can manage.

2.  Drizzle olive oil into a baking dish.

3.  Layer the veg etc - potatoes, onion, carrot, sweet potato, onion, apple, brie, potato.

4.  Mix garlic into veg stock and pour onto the layers.

5.  Season well with salt and pepper.

6.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for at least an hour at 180.

7.  Steam vegetables as a side.

8. Serve, scoff, show off.

Delicious

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.

Potato and gruyere bake with stir fried cavolo nero and red pepper

The humble spud can be elevated to something really quite delicious with a little bit of chopping and the application of heat.  The cheese in the bake provides the protein, and a little goes quite a long way making this quite a budget tea.  Cavolo nero is still bang in season and full of iron (and flavour).

Olive oil
Potato
Onion
Gruyere
Tomato
Bouillon (or veg stock cube)
Cavolo nero
Spring onions
red pepper
Garlic
Sesame seeds

1.  Thinly slice potatoes, onions and tomatoes as finely as you can.  Cut gruyere into small cubes or thin slices.
2.  Drizzle olive oil in an oven dish.
3.  Layer potato, onion, cheese, tomato, potato, onion, cheese, tomato, potato.
4.  Drizzle the top with a little more olive oil, pour in a mug full of vegetable stock.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes.
5.  Chop spring onions into rounds and red peppers into small batons.  Shred cavolo nero.  Crush garlic.
6.  Remove the foil from the bake, to allow the top to brown.
7.  In a wok, heat olive oil.  When hot stir fry the chopped veg and garlic.  Add a small cup of water to allow it to steam, fry.  Keep it moving for 5 minutes or so - until the water has evaporated and the veg is cooked enough for you.  I like it still a bit crunchy.
8.  Sprinkle sesame seeds onto the veg.
9.  Serve, scoff … tasty!

Eggs, potatoes and red peppers

Drawing inspiration from shashuka, but driven by the practicalities of a limited kitchen and limited ingredients ... eggs, with potatoes and red peppers ... it was delicious, actually.  Made even more delicious as our own pekin bantams provided the eggs.

Olive oil
Red onion
Garlic
Mixed herbs
New potatoes
Red pepper
Water
Cherry tomatoes
Eggs


1.  Sautee sliced red onions and crushed garlic.
2.  Slice the potatoes to about the thickness of a £1 coin and add to the onions, stir in.
3.  Chop the red pepper, add to the potatoes with a pinch of mixed herbs.  Add a glass of water and simmer/fry/steam for about 20 minutes.   Add chopped cherry tomatoes.  Keep an eye on it, add more water if it looks like it'll start sticking, turn the heat up if its too liquidy.
4.  Test the potatoes with the point of a sharp knife.  When they are done crack in the eggs.  Cover and cook for about 8 minutes.
5.  It's done when the whites are set ... serve, scoff ... yum

National curry week: Day 2. Veggie curry with rice

A fairly disappointing start to this year's national curry week - with fish fingers and chips!  Well, it was a very busy day fo getting things fixed - tumble dryer, van (aka the moneypit) ... and domestic sorting.  Day 2 was not particularly inspired - though it was, infact, delicious ... it was basically cauliflower and potato curry, with some extras.

Olive oil
Garlic
Onion
Mustard Seeds
Cumin seeds
Coriander seeds
Chilli flakes
Potatoes
Cauliflower
Tomatoes
Baked beans
Garam masala
Spinach

Basmati rice

1.  Sautee onion and garlic, add spices.
2.  Chop potato into smallish dice, stir in.
3.  Split cauliflower into florets, stir in.  Add water and simmer.  Cook rice.
4.  Add chopped tomato.
5. Chuck in left over baked beans (optional ;p), and 1 tsp garam masala.
6.  Stir and simmer until just about done, add more water and seasoning as needed.
7.  Add shredded spinach.
8.  Serve, scoff ... it actually is very tasty.

Baked halibut - Spanish style

Halibut is an exceptional fish.  Not one we get often, because it is pricey - but Paul had some fantastic looking fresh halibut at a reasonable price - so I didn't resist.  I thought I would give it a bit of a Spanish twist.

Potatoes
White wine
Olive oil
Veg stock
Red onion
Garlic
Courgette
Tomatoes
Red pepper
Parsley
Lemon zest
Black pepper
Dry sherry
Halibut

1.  Peel the potatoes and slice into thick slices.  Place as a layer in an oven dish, with a splash of olive oil, a glass of white wine and about the same of veg stock.  Bake/poach in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until almost done.
2.  Make the sauce - sautee sliced onion and crushed garlic in olive oil, add finely diced courgette and thin strips of red pepper.  After a couple of minutes add chopped tomatoes and a good twist of black pepper.  Simmer, add water/stock if it goes a bit dry, until the veg are soft.
3.  When the potatoes are nearly done, layer the fish on top.  Add 2 tablespoons of dry sherry, a handful of parsley and grated lemon zest to the tomato/pepper mixture, and stir in.
4.  Pour the tomato mixture onto the fish and return to the oven for 20 minutes.
5.  When the fish is cooked, sprinkle on some extra parsley and lemon zest.
6. Serve, scoff.

This was a real treat - I used 2 big halibut steaks, and two of us were eating - there are now 4 portions in the freezer waiting for lunches - I hope it freezes well, because I am already looking forward to pulling it out for work lunches.

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.

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.

Smoked mackerel fishcakes, with roast tomatoes and peas

A store cupboard and fridge satples kind of a day - rooted around, we have too many tomatoes, so need to use them up - also some potatoes and smoked mackerel ... so, fishcakes, delicious.

Onion
Olive oil
potatoes
tomatoes
Smoked mackerel
butter
spinach
frozen peas

1.  Gently fry onion in olive oil.
2.  Boil potatoes for mash.
3.  Chuck tomatoes in the oven drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled with salt.
4.  Skin and flake smoked mackerel.
5.  When potatoes are cooked, mash with butter, add spinach and let it wilt for a minute.  Add flaked fish and mix well, season.
6.  Shape the fishcakes, fry on each side for a couple of minutes.
7.  Cook peas
8. Serve, scoff .... have seconds, no wait thirds ... and the veg dodger had one as a late night snack, so that was a long way to their 5 a day.

Potato pie

Really didn't know what to call this ... omeletta al formo?

Basically it is Greek inspired comfort food at its best.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Onions
Garlic
Spring onions
Cherry tomatoes
Crumbly lancashire
Oregano
Chives
Eggs

1.  Boil sliced potatoes until almost cooked, drain and tumble into an oven dish.
2.  Gently sautee chopped onion and garlic, add to the potatoes.
3.  Chop cherry tomatoes into halves, and chuck them in too.
4.  Crumble over cheese (grate if you're using a more cheddar type cheese).
5.  In another boil whisk the eggs (I used 4, it depends on how many potatoes etc), oregano and chopped chives.  Add chopped spring onion.  Pour over the potato mix.  Drizzle with olive oil.
6.  Turn everything over a couple of times, so that it's mixed and stick it in a hot oven for 45mins (ish)

It's as easy as that!

Sauteed potatoes, smoked haddock, steamed purple-stemmed broccoli - and a poached bantam egg.

This is not really a recipe, as the title is the basic instruction!  It takes about 30 minutes, start to finish...

Chop potatoes into 1cm cubes - sautee in olive oil - cover if you need them to speed up on cooking through - take the lid off to crisp them up.
10 minutes later put the water on to steam the broccoli, and the broccoli in the steamer.
10 minutes later, pan fry the fish - quite gently.
6 minutes later break eggs into the water under the broccoli, and turn the heat off.
3 minutes later - serve.

Baked potatoes with tuna - 3 ways

Baked potatoes and tuna - a simple supper - one many people have time and time again.  However, take three people, take three different sets of requirements ... and we all had a delicious dinner.

The basic bits were all the same - baked potato (fork the skin, rub with olive oil, then 20 minutes in the microwave, then 40 minutes in the oven).

Salads - 1.  mixed leaves with an olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard and herb dressing (greek salad seasoning mix available from theMediterranean pantry).

2.  Carrot salad - grate carrot, add onion seeds and a splosh of olive oil.

The three tuna fillings:-

1.  Tuna, spring onions and mayonnaise
2.  Tuna, celery, tomatoes, spring onion, olive oil
3.  Tuna, celery, spring onions, celery, capers, gherkin, a tiny splodge of mayonnaise

All easy, all delicious, all to suit our individual tastes.  yum.

Pizza - on World Vegetarian Day

The hens have started laying!  Yay!  and we have some of our own potatoes from the allotment, so wanted to do something a bit different.  Also, experimenting with gluten free pizza bases.  A success all round I say.

So, two different sorts of pizza a "fiorentina" of sorts with garlic, potato, spinach and the egg - and a vegatable one with tomato, courgette ribbons, olives and cheddar.



Pizza bases

I used "Isabel's" - and followed the packet instructions (flour mix, water, egg and olive oil), kneeded.

The difference, in cooking, between this and standard pizza dough is that after kneeding you don't prove them, they are rolled out and then they need pre-cooking for 10 minutes, before adding the topping and baking again for 15 minutes.

"Fiorentina"

Garlic
Olive oil
New potato
Spinach
Egg (pekin bantam egg in this case)

1.  Finely chop/crush the garlic and mix with the oil.
2.  Parboil sliced new potato and steam the spinach.
3.  Drain potato, chop spinach.
4.  Spoon and spread garlic oil onto pizza base, layer with potato slices and scatter on the spinach.
5.  Drizzle with a little more garlic oil, season, and put in hot oven for 5 minutes.
6.  After 5 minutes, crack the egg into the center of the pizza, and return to the oven for 10 minutes.

Vegetable one

Tomato
Courgette
Lemon juice
Onion
Olive oil
Oregano
Black olives
Grated cheddar

1.  Make ribbons of courgette using a speed peeler.
2.  Finely slice about half an onion.
3.  Mix the courgette and onion together, marinade in lemon juice, olive oil, oregano and a pinch of salt (for about 20 minutes as you faff with other things).  You could chuck the olives, sliced or otherwise into this mix too, or keep them separate to sprinkle over the top.
4.  Grate the cheese.
5.  Slice the tomato and layer over the pizza base.
6.  Drape courgette and onions over the tomatoes.
7.  Cover with grated cheese and a grind of black pepper (optional).
8.  Cook in hot over for about 15 minutes.

The crust was really good, a bit hard on exposed edges perhaps, but not that nasty chewiness or dryness that you often get with GF products.

It was nice cold too!

layered potato, tomato and cheese with vegetable ragu

Olive oil
Potato
Onion
Cheese (edam in this case)
Tomato
Garlic
Vegetable stock

Red onion
Olive oil
Mixed herbs
Mushrooms
Courgette
Yellow pepper
Spring greens
Baby kale
garlic

1.  In an oven proof dish, splosh of olive oil.
2.  Layer thinly sliced potato, onion, tomato and cheese.  Season every layer of potato.  End with layer of potato.
3.  Pour in a pint of stock, with crushed garlic.
4.  Drizzle with olive oil.
5.  Bake for about 1 and a half hours, until potato is soft, and top is golden brown.

After 5 above, start the rage.

1. Sweat chopped veg in olive oil, with the herbs.  (onion, mushrooms and courgette)
2.  Add a little water or stock, and simmer.
3.  Cook until soft.
4.  Add shredded greens and cook until soft (about 4 minutes)

Serve, scoff.... have seconds, smile.

Onion bhaji; potato, turnip and pea curry; spinach thingy

There was spinach, and onion, in the fridge from the veg box.  There was a need for comfort food.  I happened upon a delightful asian/eastern european cornershop in Leeds this afternoon which had, in their very beautiful vegetable display, some very beautiful turnips.  So, with a tiny outlay I revamped our dinner.

To make this assortment of dishes, start with the potato curry, then chop and mix the bhaji mix - until adding the water stage.  Then, when you are about 10 minutes off, start the spinach - then, fry the bhajis, keep them warm while you fry them all off, and serve.

Potato, turnip and pea curry

Olive oil
Black mustard seeds
Cumin seeds
Fennel seeds
Turmeric
Potatoes, peeled and cubed
Turnips, peeled and cubed (approx the same amount as potato)
Garlic, crushed
Stock
Frozen peas

1.  Heat oil in pan, add fry spices.   When they release their aroma chuck in potatoes and turnip.  Toss them all about so that every piece of veg is coated.
2.  Add crushed garlic, stir in.  Add a cup of stock - put a lid on a simmer gently.
3.  Keep simmering potato mixture, check every now and again, make sure there is enough liquid to help it cook through, but that it is a "dry" mixture. Adjust seasoning.
4.  Tip some frozen peas on top, put lid back on, turn flame off and keep cooking for 5 mins.

Onion bhajis

large onion, chopped into fine half moons
chili flakes
lemon juice
salt
dried herbs
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
gram flour
water
oil, for frying (I used a mixture of olive oil and peanut oil)

1.  In a bowl mix onion and seasonings.  Add salt and leave for at least 10 minutes.
2.  Add bicarb and garm flour, toss together.
3.  When about ready to fry, stir in a small amount of water.  Mix to form a batter around the onion mixture.
4.  Fry, in hot oil, in blobs.
5.  Drain, on kitchen roll, and keep warm.

Spinach thingy

Olive oil
Chopped onion (I used the extra bits which weren't in moons from the bhajis)
Crushed garlic
Spinach, washed, stalks removed and shredded
Black pepper

1.  Sweat off onion in olive oil, then add the garlic.
2. Add spinach and enough water (not much) to let it wilt down.
3. Season

Bring all dishes together and scoff.  I was going to do a raita type thing, but was fine without.

Potato, cauliflower and courgette curry with rice

Stressful day (again) and latish home - but a rummage in the fridge and cupboards and this was on the table in about 45 minutes.

Curry

Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
curry spice mix (whatever sort you have really)
crushed garlic
4 potatoes, diced
1 courgette, diced
1/2 cauliflower
stock
tin tomatoes
frozen peas

rice - cooked according to packet instructions.

1.  Sautee onion, in olive oil, until a bit soft.
2.  Add spice mix, garlic and potatoes, stir around.
3.  Add courgette cauliflower florets, stir around.
4.  Add stock, make sure it's not catching on the bottom of the pan and leave to simmer for a while.
5.  After 20 minutes or so taste and adjust seasoning - add a teaspoon of sugar if it is too hot.
6.  Keep adding stock if it looks a bit dry.
7.  Add a tin of tomatoes, simmer.
8.  a few minutes before serving stir in frozen peas.

Scoff. Delicious.

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.

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!

Root vegetable bake, with cheese and mustard.

This was absolutely delicious, though I say it myself.  The veg box has created a surplus of carrot and parsnip, and I wanted something comforting.  I made this up.

1 onion
6 carrots
1 parsnip
1/3 swede
3 potatoes
olive oil
cheese (cheshire)
grainy mustard
garlic

1.  Grate the onion, carrot, parsnip, swede and potatoes.  You could also grate the cheese, but I just crumbled it.  Mix it all together.
2.  Add big slugs of olive oil, spoonful of mustard and crushed garlic.  Season well - then add more black pepper.  Mix together really well.
3.  Microwave for 6ish minutes.
4.  Put olive oil in baking dish, add in mixture - keep the top a bit rough to get the delicious crunchy browned peaks.  Bake for 45 minutes or so.


I also roasted cherry tomatoes in olive oil, sprinkled with salt - and served with steamed brocolli and cavolo nero.  It would have served 6 easily - so I reckon it's about  94p per portion (including veg) 45p per portion by itself.

Mozzarella might be interesting, to make it stringy - and to make it vegan, just omit the cheese or replace it with that peculiar dairy free stuff, or toasted pine nuts.