Vegetable frittata with roasted baby potatoes

Well Christmas cooking this year has not been well represented on KitchenFairies.  There are a number of reasons for this … KitchenFairies HQ had more then its normal number of keen cooks, so the meal prep was shared … and I don't have details of all recipes;  a number of us were struck by the lurgy, so were not on top our game; we were too greedy to wait for pics to dive into the delicious food which was put in front of us … ho hum, normal service will be resumed.

This recipe is a great one for using up all sorts of vegetables and cheese which are loitering in the fridge - and any cheese which is hanging about.  I used mainly cheddar, but also some nice soft French cheese (I have forgotten the name - it wasn't brie or camembert … but along those lines …) and a little feta.

Olive oil
Potatoes
Onions
Leeks
Garlic
Mushrooms
Red pepper
Courgette
Parsley (optional, or use a pinch of dried herbs)
Leftover cheese (see above)
Butter
Eggs
Cheddar - grated

1.  Toss the potatoes in olive oil and roast (at 180ish) for about an hour.
2.  Chop and sautee onion, leeks, garlic … in olive oil - add chopped mushrooms, pepper, courgette … and whatever else needs using up in olive oil, until almost done.  Turn of the heat.
3.  Stir bit sized chunks of leftover cheese into the mixture and top with a handful of baby spinach.  Leave to wilt.  Stir in gently after a minute or two.
4.  Butter an oven dish - transfer the veg into it when the spinach is nearly fully wilted.
5.  Whisk eggs (8 in this case) vigourously to get some air into them.  Pour onto the veg mixture - prod and shake to get the egg into all the gaps.  Top with grated cheddar and bake for about 30 minutes.
6.  Serve, scoff

Pork with mustard and cider, mash with leeks, roast sprouts, mushrooms and onions

Dinners have taken a definite wintery turn.  This was easy, and lovely.  Roast sprouts have a sweetness which can be missing in the boiled/steamed versions - try them!

Leeks
Potatoes
Butter
Onions
Mushrooms
Olive oil
Garlic
Sprouts
Pork steaks
Dry cider
Wholegrain mustard
Pork stock cube

1.  Slice and rinse leeks, put into a steamer and steam over the boiling potatoes.
2.  Peel potatoes and cut into chunks, boil in salted water.
3.  Chop onions and mushrooms and toss in olive oil, add crushed garlic - roast in an oven dish for about 30 minutes.
4.  Prepare sprouts by removing scruffy outer leaves and toss in olive oil, roast for about 30 minutes.
5.  Mash the potatoes, beat in leeks and butter - put into the oven with everything else.
6.  Fry the pork in a little olive oil, turn and fry on the other side.  Then add a big spoonful of wholegrain mustard, a pork stock cube and half a bottle of dry cider.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.
7.  Serve, scoff …. yum

Roast venison

Sometimes Bracewell's butchers have venison … they have some red stag available now.

So - roast venison, roast cauliflower with hazelnuts, braised red cabbage with apple, mashed potatoes and a mushroom and onion gravy.  Roast halloumi for the veggie too.

All ingredients sourced from Todmorden market - The Mediterranean Pantry (garlic, olive oil, bouillon, red wine vinegar, hazelnuts, tomato puree, sea salt), Bracewell's butchers (venison), The Crumbly Cheese (halloumi, butter), Kevin (vegetables)

Start with the cabbage, then potatoes, then cauliflower and gravy - finally the meat.  Takes about an hour and a bit.

Onions
Red cabbage
Garlic
Apple
Red wine vinegar
Vegetable stock
Olive oil
cauliflower
Mushrooms
Tomato puree
Hazelnuts
Potatoes
Butter
Venison - loin

1.  Season the venison with salt, leave at room temperature to cook at the end.
2.  In olive oil, sweat down chopped onion and a clove of crushed garlic, add shredded red cabbage, a splash of red wine vinegar, a chopped apple and about half a pint of vegetable stock (I also chucked in a cup of red wine - totally optional).  Simmer gently for about an hour - taste to check for seasoning, and don't let it burn by drying out too much.
3.  Peel potatoes, boil in salted water to make mash.  When they are done mash with a good knob of butter, and put into an oven dish, in the oven, to brown on top.
4.  Break cauliflower into florets, toss in olive oil and roast - takes about 30 minutes - add roughly chopped hazelnuts 10 minutes before serving.
5.  Make gravy - soften chopped onion and crushed garlic in olive oil - add tomato puree and veg stock - simmer gently for 10 minutes - add water/wine to get the consistency right.
6.  Fry venison on each side for about 2 minutes, roast for about 15 minutes, leave to rest for 5-10 minutes.
7. Serve, scoff … have seconds.  Sunday perfected.

A tale of two curries

Sunday, a confirmed meat eater, a vegetarian and assorted random veg in the fridge ... so - Sunday night curries.

Start the curries off at the same time, and follow the steps.  Takes about a hour start to finish.

I had some curry mixes, so based the spicing on those ... could have used individual spices obviously.

Onions
Olive oil
Garlic
Celery
Malaysian fish curry mix
Tikka masala mix
Chilli
Mushrooms
Red pepper
Butternut squash
Pork loin steaks
Water
Pork stock
Apples
Apple juice
Pilou spice mix
Basmati rice

1.  Chop onions and start 2 decent sized sautée pans going with the onions in olive oil.
2.  Add crushed garlic.
3.  Chop celery and add some to both pans.
4.  Stir in spice mixes - Malaysian for the veg and tikka masala for the pork.
5.  Chop mushrooms and add to both pans.
6. Chop red pepper and add to veggie curry.
7.  Chop pork into bite sized pieces and add to meat curry.
8.  Prep butternut squash and add to veggie curry, and stir in.  Add veg stock.
9.  Keep turning posh until lightly browned, then add cored and chopped apples.  Then add pork stock and a cup of apple juice.
10.  Simmer both curries, if they are going dry add more water - taste to check seasoning.
11.  Add pilou spices to a little olive oil and cook them for a minute or two.  Add basmati rice and water to an inch above the surface of the rice.  Stir once and bring to the boil.
12.  When rice boils turn right down and slam on the lid - it will be ready in about 15 minutes.
13.  Add a drained, rinsed, tin of chickpeas to the veggie curry.
14.  Add half a cup of coconut milk to each curry, stir in and simmer.
15. Serve, scoff ... obviously taking which option you prefer.  I had some of each ... yum

Sunday dinner ... vegan -> veg dodger

 On Sunday I fancied a proper Sunday roast dinner with gravy etc... but had to cater from vegan to veg dodger, so decided on a nut roast for one end of the spectrum, and lemon garlic chicken for the other - with pick and mix vegetables for all to share.

Onion
Garlic
Olive oil
Aubergine
Roast squash
Walnuts
Pistachio nuts
Ground almonds
Rolled oats
Vegan stock
Potatoes
Swede
Carrot
Soya spread
Kale
Red wine
Passata
Petit pois

1.  Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil.
2.  Mix pre-roasted squash, nuts and oats in a bowl, add a slosh of olive oil and some stock.  Let it sit to absorb the liquids.
3.  Slice and grill the aubergine.
4.  Peel potatoes, toss in oil and roast for about 50 minutes.
5.  Peel and chop carrots and swede and boil until soft.
6.  Roughly shred kale and boil in salted water for about 20 minutes.
7.  Build the nut roast by putting half the mixture in an oven dish, top with aubergine slices, finish with the rest of the nut mixture.  Roast with the potatoes for about 30-40 minutes.
8.  Drain and mash the carrots and swede and add black pepper and soya spread.  Mix, and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.
9.  Make the gravy by sauteeing chopped onion and crushed garlic in olive oil - when soft add red wine and half a cut of passata with about half a pint of stock.  Simmer.
10.  Drain the kale and fry in olive oil with a little water and season.
11.  Cook petit pois.
12.  Serve, take the bits you want, scoff.

Cauliflower, hazelnut and gorgonzola bake, roasted squash and tomatoes. Potatoes with onions and mushrooms

Bring on the autumnal flavours with all of these vegetables bang in season.  Cauliflower and hazelnuts go really well together, and this time I added some gorgonzola for extra smoothness and a slightly sharp flavour.  Roasted squash and tomatoes added an earthy sweetness - and you can't go wrong with sautéed potatoes, onion and mushrooms.  (Leave out the gorgonzola and the butter and it's vegan too).

Olive oil

Butter

Cauliflower

Squash

Cherry tomatoes

Gorgonzola

Red onion

Mushrooms

Cooked new potatoes

1.  Prep the squash, splosh over olive oil and roast at 180 … for about 45 minutes.

2.  Toss the tomatoes in a little olive oil and a pinch of salt, roast alongside the squash.

3.  Cut the cauliflower into "steaks" .. ie. slices top to core, about 2cm thick - there will be some larger florets which "fall" off - I cooked these in the same way as the steaks.  

4.  Fry the cauliflower in olive oil and butter for a few minutes each side - panne the steaks to keep them succulent (with a spoon, keep lifting the fats from the pan and pour them over the cauliflower).

5.  When the cauliflower is about half cooked - ie. still a little resistant to a sharp knife, but a bit golden brown around the edges - transfer to an oven dish.

6.  Add bite sized chunks of gorgonzola and roughly chopped hazelnuts to the cauliflower.  Put it in the oven with the squash and tomatoes.

7.  In the same pan, using the same oil, sautee chopped red onion, chopped mushrooms and sliced (precooked) potatoes.

8.  Serve, scoff … seconds

Pasta with cauliflower, peas, feta and hazelnuts

I couldn't get the lighting right for the picture, and I wanted to eat my dinner … so, very substandard picture of a delicious dinner.

Pasta - I used pea fusilli to keep it GF, but could be any short pasta
Cauliflower
Baby spinach
Red onion
Frozen peas
Feta
Hazelnuts
Mint
Olive oil




1.  Break cauliflower into small florets.
2.  Boil pasta in salted water, steam the cauliflower over it.
3.  Mix a couple of big handfuls of baby spinach with a small, finely diced, red onion.
4.  Add some frozen peas to the steaming cauliflower and continue cooking.
5.  Roughly chop half a cup of hazelnuts.
6.  When the pasta is done drain it and chuck it on top of the spinach to wilt it.  Stir it around a little to help it, then add the cauliflower and peas, stir it again.
7.  Break on the feta, add the nuts - turn over gently.
8.  Add a little finely shredded mint and a drizzle of olive oil.
9.  Serve, scoff …

Done in 10 minutes flat (if the water is boiling already).  The veg dodger had some salami, but otherwise very quick very tasty veggie dinner.

Meals in minutes: stir fries

We needed food fast, so this isn't a recipe as such - as it involved prechopped veggies and ready to wok noodles … however, it gave us two delicious stir fries - one featuring prawns and the other one cashew nuts.

Peanut oil
Garlic paste
Chilli flakes
Soy sauce
Ginger
Rice wine vinegar
Ketchup
Pre-prepared veg stir fry mixes (we had 1 x Chinese veg, 1 x mushroom stir fry & 1 x broccoli and butternut squash …) or chop up veg into bite sized pieces
Frozen prawns
Cashew nuts
Ready to wok noodles

1.  Make a paste from a couple of spoonfuls of peanut oil, garlic and ginger paste, a tablespoon of ketchup and chilli flakes to taste.
2.  Thaw frozen prawns by running hot water over them.
3.  In tow woks heat a little peanut oil until hot.
4.  Fling in veg - I used Chinese type in one wok, and the other two combined in the other one.
5.  Add the prepared mix to the Chinese mix, and a good splash of soy sauce.
6.  Add garlic paste and soy sauce to the mushroom etc mix, and a splash of rice wine.
7.  Toss the veg about for a few minutes, add a little water to help steam the veg.
8.  Add the noodles …. unknit them a bit with your fingers to make them easier to mix in.
9.  Toss around until veg is done and noodles are heated through.
10.  Serve, scoff … add more soy sauce/chilli sauce if desired.

Ten minutes, start to finish.

Smoked salmon salad wrap

Had a late meeting, but wanted a simple, yet tasty snack …. so

Corn tortilla
smoked salmon
red onion
avocado
lime
radish
Lettuce

5 minutes - done!

1.  Finely chop a little red onion.  Finely slice radishes.  Scoop flesh from avocado and slice, squirt with a little lime juice to keep it looking green and to add a little extra sharpness.
2.  Sprinkle corn tortilla with a little water, microwave on full for 10 seconds each side (softens the wrap).
3.  Lay smoked salmon slices onto the tortilla.  Arrange the veg on top, wrap.
4.  Serve, scoff …. so easy, so quick, so tasty.

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!