Macaroni vegetable cheese

I'm not supposed to have too much lactose - but I love cheese.  So, the compromise on this was to make the cheese sauce with strong cheddar and soya milk.

Also, finishing off the end of the veg box meant not cauliflower cheese, but everything else in the fridge cheese.

Steam veg (Leeks, runner beans, carrots, cabbage).  Boil pasta shapes (gluten free).  Make cheese sauce by boiling soya milk, adding slaked cornflower, mustard and cheese.  Mix together with halved cherry tomatoes, sprinkle more cheese on top and bake at a high heat to brown the top.

Delish.  And an end of the veg box victory.  Enough left for tomorrow's lunches, and dinner I think.

Rice & lentils, roast tomatoes and steamed vegetables

There is a "rule" in our house ... use up last week's veg box first - perhaps adding special stuff from the new box, particularly if it's a thing which will go off quickly.  Usually this requires self-control as all the lovely fresh veg comes in ... but tonight it was a bit of a relief, because the mix of new veg is quite a challenge - it's going to be an inventive week.  Something I can tackle tomorrow with a bit of thinking time - but not when I got in at nearly 7pm tonight.

So, from the old veg box - cherry tomatoes, cabbage, lemon.

From the new veg box carrots and runner beans.

From the larder basmati rice, puy lentils, dried fried onions, olive oil, garlic.

From the fridge natural yogurt.

1.  Cook rice & boil lentils.
2.  Roast tomatoes with olive oil and salt.
3.  When the rice, lentils and tomatoes are approaching ready (after about 30 minutes) steam the chopped veg.
4.  Stir crushed garlic, lemon juice and seasonning into yogurt.
5.  When cooked mix together rice, lentils and onions.

Serve all the elements together, and let people mix what they wish to on their plates.  Surprisingly a really well balanced bunch of flavours and textures.  One word of warning - when you squish the tomatoes to get the juice into the ricey mixture the juice is i) very very hot and ii) squirts everywhere.

Now, what do I do with... pak choi, radishes, leeks, carrots, beetroot, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, cucumber, green beans, french beans, onions and potatoes?  Lots of lovely ingredients, but how to make them work together?  (fortunately still some tomatoes and cabbage left to factor in)

Veg box pasta with feta and salami

Yesterday my veg box arrived.  Now, I don't mind a challenge, but this is probably the oddest veg box I have ever had delivered.  (orange peppers, portabello mushrooms, broccoli, courgette, kholrabi,  green cabbage, runner beans, baby spinach) all separately really nice - but an odd mixture I thought - no onions, no spuds!  Anyway, had a leek, cherry tomatoes some feta and some salami - so....


1 tbsp olive olive oil
1 leek, cleaned and sliced.
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 kholrabi, peeled and chopped
6 runner beans, bite sized pieces
1 courgette chopped
1 tsp mixed herbs
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp chili flakes
500ml (+) stock
handful cherry tomatoes
1/2 pack feta, and some left over lancashire
8 slices salami
big handful baby spinach
200g (ish) pasta spirals

1.  Soften veg (leek, carrots, kholrabi, beans, courgette) in olive oil for a couple of minutes.
2.  Put pasta on to boil - follow packet instructions - boil for 2 minutes less than it says.
3. Add garlic, herbs, stock, chili, cherry tomatoes and seasoning to veg, stir, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or so.  (I would have added a glass of white wine if there was any knocking about).
4.  When pasta is cooked (almost) drain and add to veg, squish tomatoes down a bit.
5.  Add in chopped cheese, stir, lid on for a couple of minutes.  Add salami, chopped into pieces.
6.  Put spinach on top, lid back on for a minute, lid off stir spinach in until it is wilted.
7. Lift into bowl, season with more black pepper.
8. Scoff.

Beef burger casserole

Well, I love a bargain - and yesterday it was bargains galore in the supermarket.  If you get there at the right time things which are out of date that day get their second discount... and this particular supermarket doesn't remove the 2 for £4 etc calculation - so you get even more money off - let me explain - 2 lots of 4 burgers at 2 for £4 reduced to £1.25 per pack.  They usually sell for £2.59 so you also get £1.18 extra back - which brings the pack price down to 66p ... chortle.  so, one pack for tea, one pack for the freezer - job's a goodun.  However, I did not fancy burger (per se) for tea, so chucked a load of stuff in a pan and called it casserole.  Most of the other stuff were fantastic bargains too, so it was a casserole dictated by bargains, rather than anything else.  Add the side of sweetcorn cost 2p using the same mechanism.

Served 5:  To cook:  45minutes cos I just bunged it in and left it.  Approx price per portion:  28p

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 chopped onion
4 Aberdeen angus burgers
1 pack runner beans, sliced
7 baby courgettes, chopped
1 tin tomatoes
1 pint chicken stock

Steamed rice
Sweetcorn

Method

Sautee onion in olive oil, when a bit soft add chopped up burgers and garlic.  Add veg (whatever you are using), stock and tomatoes - lid on, simmer or stick in medium oven for a while.  I was watching Corrie so it stayed in for half an hour (Tyrone should not be taking Kirsty back IMHO).  Meanwhile I had cooked rice and sweetcorn.  Yum.  Victim looked at it quizzically but did not complain - and the plate was cleared.

Lamb steak, crushed new potatoes with humous with spring veg

Greek inspired dinner - inspired also by fresh new potatoes from Sue, and tiny harvest of veg from the garden - infact we had 2 x runner beans and 10 micro tomatoes - with some chives and mint, so supplemented this with organic veg from the box and some stuff from the fridge.  Thanks Sue for the potatoes - fresh from the garden - delicious.

Method - boil new potatoes for 15 ish minutes, meanwhile chop and saute in olive oil spring onion, garlic, 2 yellow courgettes, about 8 runner beans and a big handful of cherry tomatoes.  Add tbsp olive oil, oregano and a cup of water - simmer for about 20 mins.  Marinate lamb rump steaks in olive oil and greek type herbs and spices - cumin, garlic, mint, black pepper, tiny bit of cinamon, oregano.  Pan fry on high heat for about 4 minutes each side until there is a nice caramelised crust and the centre is still slightly pink.  Mix together tbsp olive oil, I heaped tbsp humous with about the same of greek yogurt and a good squeeze of lemon, grind in black pepper, salt and loads of chopped chives.  Crush boiled potatoes and stir in sauce while still warm.

The best lamb I have ever tasted I think - but victim wanted hers cooked a bit longer.  The lovely new potatoes didn't really need dressing, but this garlicky yogurty sauce rang the changes and moistenned the dish.  A success all round I would say.

Potato bake and vegetable cheese

Why should cauliflower have all the fun?  Sliced, and layered potato, onions and bacon pieces - olive oil on the bottom, seasoned between layers and poured in pint of chicken stock.  In medium/hot oven for an hour or so.  Steamed carrots, runner beans and brocolli florets.  Made cheese sauce with mustard, soya milk, cream cheese, cheddar and parmesan.  Victim had seconds, and then stole a bit more.  Not the most calorie free dinner, but very tasty.

Beef, mushroom and green bean stroganoff

Had a massive 4 bean harvest from pot of runner beans - so while they weren't going to be the main ingredient they featured in the dinner.  Also, veg box is not due for a couple of days, so there were not so many choices - hence curly kale and peas were added instead of more traditional stroganoff main stays.  Still, it was tasty.  So, chop and saute one onion in olive oil, add 1 clove chopped garlic.  Chuck in about 400g of steak, in bite sized pieces,  brown, then add other veg you are including - in this case mushrooms and green beans.  Stir in tsp grainy mustard, a stock cube and about a tsp of paprika.  Season, sprinkle with about 1 tbsp flour - stir until flour coats other ingredients, then add about a pint of water.  Simmer for about 20 minutes, ensuring that it doesn't go dry.  Meanwhile cook pasta according to packet instructions.  Chuck softer veg into sauce mix - ie. frozen peas and chopped curly kale, simmer until pasta is done.  Take off the heat, drain pasta and add to sauce, stir in 2 tbsp creme fraiche and 4 tbsp natural yogurt  (in this order, if the yogurt goes in when it is roasting hot it will curdle).  Served, sprinkled with a bit more paprika.  No comment at all from victim.

This, hopefully, is the first of some more regular posts - the gap being due to holidays, and not having the camera handy, rather than some kind of month long fast.  Some intersting meals were had whilst camping eg. rabbit macaroni and competition picnic-ing at outdoor firework concert, but sitting down to write a blog post was considered as boringly too much like work :) by other holiday maker(s).