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!

veg box victory

The veg box doesn't come until Tuesday - and there was an odd mixture of stuff - a cucumber, some celery, a red pepper, a courgette, a red cabbage, a white cabbage, a black radish, two teeny tiny carrots and a bulb of garlic - so this is what I came up with - with olive oil, vinegar, rice, mung beans, tinned tomatoes spices and herbs from the cupboard.  I was impressed (and full now).

Four dishes - rice and mug beans, "ratatouie", Tzatziki(ish) and crispy slaw.

Rice and mung beans

1.  Cook rice - I did the start off on hob, bring to boil then lid on and let settle in gentle oven until you are ready approach - but what you need is cooked rice.
2.  Cook mung beans - they take about 30 minutes boiling from scratch - or zero minutes if you open a tin - I boiled mine with a bay leaf, and then drained them.
3.  In a splash of olive oil heat mustard seeds and cumin seeds, then add rice and lentils and mix together with a pinch of cinnamon and salt and pepper.

Crispy slaw

1.  Shred cabbages (about equal amounts).  Julienne carrot and radish.
2.  Splash on olive oil, a spoonful of cider vinegar and a sprinkle of berbere spice (sumac, thyme and toasted sesame seeds mostly)
3.  Toss, put in fridge for flavours to meld and cabbage to soften very slightly.

"Ratatouie"

1.  Chop red pepper and courgette, soften in olive oil.  Add crushed garlic.
2.  Add tin of chopped tomatoes, italian herbs and a splash of water.
3.  Simmer until veg are soft - season.

Tzatziki(ish)

1.  Crush a clove of garlic, add splash of olive oil, splash of cider vinegar and pinch of oregano (or mint if you have it).
2.  Finely chop cucumber.
3.  Mix cucumber and dressing, add 8 big spoonfuls of natural yogurt
4.  Season to taste and stick it in the fridge until ready to eat.

All elements were very tasty - they all went with 2 of the other 3 dishes! all in all a success.
 

beetroot and carrot burgers with crispy, herbed courgette

Veg box surplus of beetroot and carrot - yay!  these burgers are delicious.

No, really, I promise - delicious!

Some beetroot
Some carrots
an onion or more
garlic, crushed
rolled oats
olive oil
herbs
cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

courgette
cornmeal (polenta)
salt and pepper, and herbs

1.  Grate cleaned carrots and beetroot.
2.  Add crushed garlic, herbs, seasoning (chili if you fancy) oats, a good glug of olive olive oil and mix well.
3. slice courgette, toss with polenta - with salt pepper and herbs.
4.  Heat olive oil in 2 frying pans - start frying burgers first, then courgette..
5.  Turn burgers over, put sliced/grated cheese on top.
6.  Start frying courgette slices in hot olive oil - dont keep tossing - turn when done on one side..

when done - scoff - with mayonniase to taste

Don't add the cheese or mayonnaise and it's vegan and lactose free too.

No duck pancakes

Peking duck pancakes, from an Asian supermarket, freezer section
Hoisin sauce
Onion
Carrot
Fennel
Cucmber
Sesame seeds


1.  Steam pancakes for about 10 minutes.
2.  Julienne vegetables
3.  Scoff - by smearing sauce on pancake, topping with veg and sesame seeds - roll up

Delish - quick and healthy

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!

Thai chickpea curry

We have been away for a few days, and there was no veg box last week, so the veg has been running really low.  I picked up a couple of red peppers cheap, so they supplemented the absolute end stages.  So - thai red chickpea curry with red peppers it was... and very scrummy too.

Vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
3 potatoes, diced
1 tsp red thai curry paste
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1 tin chickpeas, drained
1 tin coconut milk

Brown rice
waterr

So....

1.  Cook rice - I put rice in a cast iron pot - cover with water to an inch or so above the surface - bring to the boil, cover and stick in a warm oven while everything else cooks.
2.  Sautee onion in oil, add pepper and carrot, soften.
3.  Add potatoes, stir in, add curry paste and garlic, stir in.
4.  Tip in chickpeas, coconut milk and some water - simmer.
5.  After about 20 minutes (stir now and again) taste... adjust - you might need more water.

When done - scoff.  Gluten free, vegan and cheap - what's not to like!  If it was too hot when tasted add sugar (half a teaspoon at a time).

Potato with peppers, egg and paneer

Potatoes
Turmeric
Olive oil
cumin
2 onions
Red peppers
garlic
stock
peas

Spring onions
eggs
paneer

1.  Boil peeled and chopped potato with turmeric.
2.  Sautee onion in olive oil, add cumin seeds, turmeric and garlic.  Add peppers.
3.  Drain potatoes and add to softenned onions.  Add stock and simmer for a while.
4.  Tip into gratin dish and stir in chopped paneer and peas.  Crack eggs on top.
5.  Bake, covered with foil for about 15 minutes, until egg whites are set.

Delicious.  Adapted from something I saw in the Observer.

Broccoli souffle with braised red cabbage and spicy potato wedges

1 red onion
1/2 red cabbage
celery
garlic
white wine
fennel seeds

Potatoes
Olive oil
caribean seasonning

6 eggs - separated and whipped
broccoli
parmesan
mustard

1.  Saute onion, red cabbage and celery with fennel seeds in olive oil.
2.  Add white wine and stock and simmer for 40+ minutes or so.
3.  Chop potatoes into wedges and parboil.
4.  Put roasting tin with a layer of olive oil into the oven.
5.  Drain potatoes and toss (carefully) in hot oil.  Sprinkle with caribean seasoning.  Roast for about an hour.
5.  Whip separated eggs.
6.  Steam broccoli - whizz into small pieces.
7.  Mix broccoli into whipped egg yolks, add a teaspoon of mustard and a handful of grated parmesan.
8.  Fold into egg whites.  (Fold in one spoonful of whites to yolks first to slacken slightly - then fold the rest in).
9.  Butter souffle dish and coat with grated parmesan,  fill with egg mix and sprinkle parmesan on the top.
10.  Bake for about 35 minutes.

Scoff, receive considerable praise.

Okra curry, Tara dhal, onion bhajis. And some other stuff

These instructions are quite vague, because I got a new phone, and had to prioritise playing with it - so have forgotten exactly what I did... but you get the gist ;)

Turn the oven on, and then set to ... some is opening packets, but there is some chopping and stuff too - I started the dishes in the following order, to get them to get to the table at the same time

Tarka dahl - boil lentils until done - just before ready to serve - fry spices in oil, chuck into lentils - scoff

Okra curry - oiol, chopped onion, chopped veg, garlic, spice mix... fry - add frozen okra and some water - simmer - add tin of chopped tomatoes - simmer - scoff (keep warm in oven if done and waiting for other stuff)

Yogurt garlic sauce - natural yogurt, garlic, olive oil, lemon, seasoning ... stir - keep in fridge until ready to scoff

Samosas - open frozen packet - cook in oven for 12 minutes (splash of oil) - scoff

Onion bhajis - chopped onion, and I added some shredded cabbage, salt and pepper and chili flakes.  Stir in gram flour, and at the minute a teaspoon of bicarb and some cold water - mix quickly and fry in hot oil.  Drain and scoff ... with ... yogurt garlic sauce, sweet chili sauce and chutney.

Potato parathas - open frozen packet - follow instructions (dry fry on each side for 2 minutes) scoff

Popadoms - break up - spread on plate - microwave on full for 1 and a half minutes - scoff

Sweet chili sauce - take top off bottle - pour into small bowl - scoff ;)

Mushroom risotto fritters

Leftover Thursday win.  We are both often home late on a Thursday, and tonight was past 8 o'clock. So it was risotto fritters for starter- assorted leftovers (potato and swede mash, brocolli, butter bean stew, dhal, vegetable casserole)  heated up for dinner.

Olive oil
Cooked risotto (this was mushroom)
Cheese
Spinach
Sweet chili sauce

Mold rice into patties around small chunks of cheese.  Fry on olive oil.  Serve with spinach leaves and sauce.

Fan-bloody-tastic!

The other leftovers were tasty too - but not photogenic.