Friday 3 January 2014

Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms with Herb Crust



A simple lunch dish to use up some field mushrooms we didn't eat for breakfast... And a good way to use up some of the cheese mountain left over from Christmas along with some bread that was going stale. Oh I am full of good intentions me.

For two people you need
3-4 field mushrooms
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated cheddar
4 tbsp cream cheese
salt and pepper
fresh herbs of you choice (I used sage)

Peel the mushrooms and place in a baking dish. Cut out the stalk and chop leaving to one side for the moment. Spread 1 tbsp cream cheese inside each mushroom and then top with the reserved chopped stalk and some salt and pepper.

Mix the breadcrumbs with the cheese and herbs (I just blitzed all mine in a food processor for speed). Top each mushroom with some crumbs and then bake in a hot oven for 15-20 mins until the topping is golden brown and crispy and the mushrooms are tender and juice. Serve with a salad. An attempt at healthy(ier) eating in the new year...

Butternut Squash Raviloi with Crispy Sage and Brown Garlic Butter



I went back to work in September, and coincidentally I haven't blogged since. Time to restart I think, and what better than a delicious recipe I've never made before eh?! I adore this ravioli and will always order it if it's on a menu somewhere. We gave Fuz's sister and her boyfriend a pasta machine for Christmas and it inspired us to dust ours off and use it for the first time in yeeeeeears. The pasta itself is a cinch to make. The rolling takes a little time (Fuz makes an awesome commis chef :)) but if you fancy a lazy afternoon in the kitchen, this is a lovely recipe to make. Don't be put off by the different stages, none of it is hard. Stick some tunes on and get stuck in :)

For enough ravioli for 2-3 people you need
Ravioli Dough
3 eggs
300g pasta (type 00) flour
1 tsp salt

Butternut Squash Filling
1 butternut squash cut into 1cm cubes
2 red onions sliced
2-3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Sauce
7-8 sage leaves
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbsp butter

Parmesan cheese to serve.

Begin by making the pasta dough. Blitz the ingredients in a food processor till a dough forms. Knead on a floured surface for 10 mins until it goes all smooth and elastic. Cover with cling film and leave to rest for 30 mins.

Meanwhile roast the squash. Toss the suqash cubes in the oil and seasoning and roast in a 180 degree oven for 25 mins. Add the sliced onion and roast for a further 10 mins until the onions are soft and the squash is nicely coloured and soft. Puree to a rough consistency and leave to one side to cool.

Once the pasta dough has rested, cut it into three sections and roll through a pasta machine until it's on the thinnest setting. Leave to rest for a few mins once rolled and then assemble the ravioli. Place a scant tsp on a piece of dough, wet the edges and then place more pasta on top and stamp out a shape (there are numerous ways to do this, we had a ravioli stamp we used but cookie cutters will work equally well). The trick is to ensure no filling oozes out and the sides are completely sealed to keep the filling in once it's cooked.

Leave the ravioli to rest on a floured surface for a few mins.

When you're ready to cook, heat a pan of boiling water and cook the ravioli in batches for 3-4 mins until the pasta is al dente. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and butter in a pan with the garlic. When the butter foams, add the sage leaves and cook for 3-4 mins over a low heat until the butter browns and the garlic and sage crisp.

Drain the pasta and serve with the sauce spooned over and some cheese grated on top. Utterly delicious and you did it all yourself!