Bottom of the fridge veggie lasagne

So called because I needed to use up the veg box... I've been craving a nice veggie lasagne for a while now and this was a total success. My new lasagne dish triumphs again (I never used to be able to make a decent lasagne!).

For 4-6 servings you need
Tomato sauce
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 can chopped tomatoes
150ml red wine
2 tsp veggie stock powder
salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp mixed herbs
1 tbsp veggie worcester sauce
1 tbsp tomato ketchup

9-12 sheets lasagne pasta
1/2 tub mini mozzarella balls
4 slices jarlsberg cheese
1/2 head broccoli cut into florets
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 red pepper, diced

You can use whatever veggies you want in this, but I like carrots and broccoli in mine.

Begin by making the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion until soft. Add the garlic and heat through. Add the tomatoes and all the seasoning ingredients along with the red wine. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer until slightly thickened. You want a tasty sauce but which is wet enough to cook the pasta whilst in the oven so adjust with some water if you need to.

Layer up the lasagne by placing sheets in the bottom of a dish, covering with 1/3 of the sauce and then topping with some chopped mozzarella. Continue with the next two layers, finishing with sauce over the top. Cover with the sliced cheese and the remaining mozzarella.

Bake in a hot oven for 40-50mins until the pasta is cooked and the cheese is melted and yummy. Serve with a green salad. Yummo.

Probably The Most Awesome Vegan Pie Ever (v)

OK, OK, I am feeling rather smug after tonight's dinner marvel, but it was delicious. Really, really delicious. And it was also very easy to make, and used up some of the veg that has been looking sadly up at me from the bottom of the fridge for the last week. Because it's vegan, there's no cream in the recipe, just some soya milk which makes a lovely creamy sauce. And this makes it a healthy choice too if you're watching the calories, what more do you need to convince you to try it ;-)

For 4-6 portions you need
1 sheet puff pastry, rolled out to .5cm thickness
1 leek, finely sliced
2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
2-3 parsnips, ditto the carrots
4-5 mushrooms cut into chunky slices
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1/2 pint soya milk plus a little extra for glazing the top of the pie
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp stock powder
2 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsely
salt and pepper

Begin by sauteeing the vegetables in the oil in a large pan. Cover with a lid and allow the veggies to steam fry for 5 mins or so. Remove the lid and increase the heat a little to evaporate off the mushroom juices.

Sprinkle over the flour and stock powder and allow to cook out. Add the mustard and slowly add the soya milk until it's all absorbed and the sauce is nicely thickened. Season and add the parsley.

Place the vegetables and sauce in a pie dish. Put the puff pastry on the top and seal the edges. You don't have to use a pie funnel but it will help to cook the inside out if you have one and prevent a soggy pastry lid. Crimp the edges of the pie and brush the top with a little extra soya milk.

Bake the pie in a hot (180 degree) oven for 30-40 mins until the pastry is golden, crispy and cooked through. Serve with baby jacket potatoes, steamed cauliflower and lashings of yummy gravy. Nomtastic.

Cowboy Stew (v)

I don't know where the name Cowboy Stew comes from I have to confess. I first made this as a student so I think it's probably something to do with the fact that it contains beans and sausages and everyone knows that's what cowboys eat. Whatever, the etymology of the name is less interesting than the recipe. It's the perfect sort of dish for horrible weather like what we had today: wet, soggy, cold, blustery. This warms you from the inside and tastes lovely at the same time. Result.

For 4 portions you need
1 pack Linda McCartney sausages
1 tin baked beans
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin drained black eyed beans
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 punnett mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 red and 1 green pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chilli powder
salt and pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp each of hendersons relish (veggie worcester sauce), soya sauce and mushroom ketchup

Begin by sautéing the onion in the oil for about 5 mins. Add the mushrooms and cook till the juices have come out. Add the peppers and garlic and fry for another 1-2 mins. Add everything else apart from the sausages and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 5 mins. Meanwhile fry the sausages until browned. Add the sausages to the pan of stew and cook for a further 10 mins till steaming hot. Serve with mounds of buttery mash, or whatever carb you feel like. Perfeck.

Veggie Dawgs

I love veggie hot dogs. I used to love normal meaty hot dogs but I think veggie ones are even nicer as there's no lips and arseholes to worry about in the sausage. And L declared today that "nothing beats a hotdog on a Saturday" so what more excuse do you need...?

This might not seem like a particularly challenging recipe but I plead with you to do the onions as directed below. This way you'll end up with perfect burger van onions (minus the e-coli). And you have to use French's mustard. Or else.



For 2 people you need:

4 finger rolls, split
4 veggie hot dog suasages
tomato ketchup
proper american french's mustard
1 onion
A little vegetable oil
A small knob of butter
Freshly boiled water

Begin by preparing the onion. Peel and then cut in half through the poles. Slice finely and place in a frying pan (preferably not a non stick one) with about 1-2 tsp vegetable oil. Cook gently for 10 mins or so. Once the onion starts to soften add the butter and 1=2 tbsp boiled water and bring to the boil. Immediately reduce the heat and leave them to cook out. Add a little more water if the onions aren't that soft. After about another 10mins add the butter and turn up the heat slightly to brown them.

Meanwhile heat the sausages in a pan of boiling water for 3-4 mins. Drain and place in a hot dog bun. My preferred serving suggestion is a layer of ketchup, a layer of mustard, the sausage, some more ketchup and mustard and finally the onions. Enjoy.

Fruit with Toffee Fondue Sauce

This is an easy way to use up any leftover sauce from a sticky toffee pudding.

For 4 people you need:
Assorted fruit - we used melon, mango, apple and clementine

Toffee Sauce made from
275g golden syrup
225ml double cream
275g light soft brown sugar
100g butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Boil the sauce ingredients for 5 mins till golden and bubbling. Chop the fruit roughly and dip in to the sauce. This is an excellent way to get children (and adults!) to each fruit :)

Speedy Microwave Syrup Sponge Pudding

I felt all Jamie last night as I managed to get a two course meal on the table in under 30 mins. Go me...

For 4-5 portions you need:
125g margarine, self raising flour and sugar
2 eggs
splash milk
3 tbsp golden syrup

Blitz together the marge, milk, flour, eggs and sugar. Place the golden syrup in the bottom of a pudding basin/pyrex bowl and scrape the batter on top. Cover with cling film and nuke on high for 3 mins 30 secs. Serve with lashings of custard.

Pasta Bake with Three Cheeses

Another one to use up the milk glut...

For 2-3 people you need:

200g pasta
1 pint milk
1.5oz butter
1.5oz flour
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp french mustard
1 cup mature cheddar, grated
4 slices emmental
1/4 cup grated parmesan
4-6 cherry tomatoes, halved

Cook the pasta. Meanwhile make the cheese sauce by placing the milk, butter and flour in a pan and heating gently. Bring to the boil and mix thoroughly to ensure a smooth sauce. Add 2/3 of the cheddar and the mustards. Season to taste. Drain the pasta and mix in the sauce. Pour into a gratin dish and top with the remaining cheeses and tomatoes. Bake in a hot oven for 30 mins or so till golden and bubbling. Serve with a simple green salad.

Fruit Flan

I have always scorned those ready made sponge flan bases in the supermarket but for some reason I brought one last week along with a carton of creme patisserie. Lex was delighted. Apparently this is one of his favourite puddings (who knew...). For mummy and daddy I raided M&S for the last of the British berries.

For 6-8 slices you need:
1 ready made sponge flan base
1 carton proper posh creme patisserie
Assorted seasonal berries (we had strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries)

Place the custard on the base and then decorate with the berries to make a pleasing pattern. Leave some flan and custard bare for Mr Fussy Pants.

Sunday Lunch with Friends

We have some friends coming over tomorrow for a bike ride and lunch, and this is what I've made to tickle our taste buds and replenish our energy levels. Hope they like it!!

Potato wedges
Blue cheese dip
Cheddar and Spinach Muffins
Bean salad
Green salad
Crudites (for the kids ;-))
Pain de Semolina

And for pudding:
Mississippi mud pie
Apple and nut loaf
Gulab Jamans (at Lex's request, we didn't really need three puddings...!)

Eggy Bread/French Toast

A cupboard staple for breakfast or supper usually. I like it sweet with cinnamon and maple syrup. N likes it savoury with ketchup. Lex likes two slices with one of each!

For one person you need:
1 egg, lightly beaten in a shallow dish
1 slice bread
small knob butter
1 tsp veggie oil
whatever you fancy to serve with it e.g. 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon and 1 tbsp maple syrup

Begin by placing the bread in the egg. Allow to soak for a few mins on one side before turning over and letting the remaining eggs soak in to the other side. Heat a frying pan and melt the butter/oil till the butter froths. Add the soaked bread and any remaining egg and cook over a moderate heat till it puffs up and is lightly golden brown. Flip over and cook the other side. Serve hot :)

Bangers and Mash (v)

I love traditional English food, and this is a fab meal for those who want to enjoy all the tradition with none of the slaughter.

For 4 portions you need:
1 pack vegan sausages (we usually have Linda McCartney)
3 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cauli, cut into florets
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
2 tbsp vegan marg
100ml soya milk
1/2 pint vegan gravy
salt and pepper

Begin by boiling the potatoes until tender. Drain and mash with the vegan marg and milk. Season to taste. Meanwhile roast the sausages till done and steam the veggies. Make up the gravy. Serve with mustard or cranberry sauce and sigh with contentment when stuffed full.

Pasta Bake with Cauliflower

Apparently the cauliflower is in danger of dying out because we don't eat enough of it. Bonkers! I love cauli, and it works especially well with cheese. This recipe brings together the best of macaroni cheese and cauliflower cheese by combining cauli with pasta in a rich cheese sauce. Perfect comfort food. Love your cauli!

For 4-6 portions you need:
250g pasta
1 large cauli, cut into florets
1 pint milk
2 oz butter
2 oz plain flour
150ml single cream
1 cup grated strong cheddar
1/2 cup mixed grated gruyere and parmesan
1 tsp french mustard
1 tsp english mustard

Begin by making a mornay sauce: melt the butter in a pan and then stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook out for a few mins before adding the milk. Stir well to avoid lumps and then heat to boiling, reduce the heat and simmer till thickened. Add seasoning, the mustards and take off the heat. Add the cream and 3/4 of the cheddar and half of the gruyere and parmesan mixture. Stir well. Meanwhile cook the pasta and steam the cauli. Drain and tumble into an ovenproof dish. Pour over the sauce and top with more cheese. Bake in a hot oven for 30 mins till crispy, bubbling and perfect. Eat more cauli!

Savoury Mince

I know it's passe to admit this, but I actually really miss not eating meat. I don't eat it cos I don't agree we need to kill animals in order to survive. But that doesn't mean that I don't have pangs for some of my childhood favourites sometimes. This recipe is an attempt to recreate the delicious savoury mince my mum would make when I was little. She would serve it with home made chips, triple cooked to crispy and golden perfection, and peas. And I would sigh in contentment as I tucked in. Of course this can't taste the same, but it comes pretty close. I guess it could also be called unami mince as it contains so many different things with unami...!

For 4-6 people you need:
1 packet quorn mince
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp plain flour
350ml boiling water
1 tsp dark veg stock paste (e.g. vecon)
1 tsp veg stock powder
2 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp each hendersons relish and mushroom ketchup
1/2 tsp marmite
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp brandy
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano
pepper (NO salt!)

Begin by sauteeing the onion in the oil for about 10 mins until golden. Add the flour and garlic and cook out the flour for a few mins. Add the quorn mince and the water and stir thoroughly. Add the remaining ingredients, checking carefully for taste and adjusting as necessary. Cook for about 20 mins till thickened and tasty. Serve with sautee potatoes and some vegetables. Feel nostalgic...

Quick Coconut and Tofu Laksa

Another easy after work recipe and one which N declared was waaaaaaaay better than the sweet potato and chard stew from Saturday!

For 3-4 portions you need:
2 large tbsp curry paste (I used pataks tikka masala)
1 can coconut milk
about 750ml stock
2 large carrots, sliced
1 head broccoli
about 200g thick rice noodles
beansprouts
chopped corriander and mint
half a lemon, squeezed
soya sauce to serve
1/2 pack marinated tofu chunks
2 leeks, shredded

Begin by frying the curry paste for a few mins, then add the coconut milk, stock, leeks, broccoli, carrots and noodles. Cook for about 5 mins till the veggies are tender and the noodles are cooked. Add the tofu and cook for 1 further minute. Serve garnished with beansprouts, corriander, mint and soya sauce. Squeeze the lemon juice over the top. Scoff.

Pizza

Whilst I do like a Pizza Express pizza, I also like a home made one from time to time.

Today we made mushroom and blue cheese;


onion relish, goats cheese and pepper pizza



anchovy and olive



along with a plain cheese pizza for Mr Fussy. Oh and some dough balls with garlic butter.



From start to finish it took about 90 mins to make the dough, prove it, top them and cook them.

You need:
700g plain flour
2 sachets easy blend yeast
about 350 ml warm water
3 tbsp olive oil

Mix together and knead for 10 mins (or cheat and use a food mixer) then leave to rest for about 15 mins. Roll out and top.

Toppings:
2 cans Provencal tomatoes (or don't cheat and make a sauce by sauteeing an onion and some garlic in olive oil for 10 mins then adding a tin of chopped toms, some sugar, some balsamic vinegar, a sprig of rosemary, salt and pepper. Simmer for 20 mins till thickened then remove the rosemary and blitz to a puree.
Cheese
Vegetables

Bake the pizzas in a hot oven for about 30 mins.

For the dough balls, roll left over dough into balls and bake for about 10 mins. For the garlic butter mix 1 clove crushed garlic into 100g butter. Season to taste.

Quorn Roast

I love a roast dinner and so does Lex. Plus cooking one gives me leftovers for a quick lunch or dinner after work.

The quorn roast is pretty straight forward - take it from the freezer and put it in the oven for 45 mins! It's being served with steamed veggies (also easy, wash, prep and steam for 10 mins or so) and roast potatoes (peel, cut into chunks, par boil for 10 mins then roast in butter/oil for an hour till crispy). Serve with gravy and feel the warm glow of a Sunday roast.

Birthday Pancakes

Well, pancakes made with a different recipe to normal at any rate. And served on my birthday so therefore birthday pancakes.

This is a tweaked Jamie Oliver recipe.

For about 15 or so pancakes you need:
1 cup milk
1 cup self raising flour
1 egg
1 apple, grated (skin, core and all)
a pinch salt

Mix everything together into a batter and then pour, a ladle at a time, into a hot pan. Cook for about 1 minute before flipping over and cooking the other side. Serve with maple syrup and sit back and hear the moaning that these aren't the usual pancakes, why are there bits in them whilst enjoying them yourself.

Apple Crumble

I had a craving for apple crumble and custard over the weekend. Normally crumble isn't something I make that often as we're not a big crumble family. But I really fancied it and it turned out really well, if a little souffled in the oven as the apples continued to cook down! Proper winter warming fare :)

For 8 generous servings you need:
900g peeled and chopped cooking apples
100g vanilla sugar
225g plain flour
175g butter
175g demerara sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Begin by cooking the apples in a pan over a gentle heat. This will take about 15 mins. You want them mostly pulpy with still with some lumps. Meanwhile blitz the butter and flour in a food processor till it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and cinnamon to it. Pour into a baking dish and top with the crumble mixture. Bake at 180 degrees for about 30 mins. Serve with custard. Ours came from a tin. I don't do making custard and anyway for comfort food like this you need ambrosia!

Quorn Bolognase

Another less than authentic recipe, but seriously I defy any meat eater to know the difference! Even BIL was impressed and liked it when I served it up over the festive season.

For about8 portions you need:
1 packet frozen quorn mince
1 large finely chopped onion
4-6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pack mushrooms, finely diced
3 large carrots cut into a small dice
2 tins chopped toms
1 small tin tom puree
250ml red wine
1 stock cube
2 tsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp each of soya sauce, mushroom ketchup and henderson's relish
1 tsp sugar

Begin by sauteeing the onion in olive oil. After about 10 mins add the carrots and mushrooms. Sautee for another 20 mins or so till the mushrooms have cooked down. Then add everything else. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 mins. Check the seasoning and serve over spaghetti with loads of fresh parmesan and cheddar to top it!

Random Ingredient Lasagne

The veg box delivered a load of courgettes which I have to say are not one of my favourite veggies. So I thought I'd make a lasagne with them where they'd be semi-hidden and there was some ricotta to use up in the fridge too. The ricotta however was sell by 26 June 2009 (yes today *is* September 11th 2009), so despite it tasting OK I didn't want to risk it and ditched it in favour of some quark (which was also past it's sell by date, but only by 12 days this time!!).

I never used to be able to make a decent lasagne and after years of trying decided that maybe it was my lasagne dish that was letting me down. It was! Lasagne now tastes edible in my house and tonight's concoction was pretty tasty.

Tomato and courgette lasagne
Ingredients
Tomato sauce
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tin toms
1 carton passata
spalsh balasmic vinager
1 tsp veg stock powder
pinch sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

Courgette layer
4 courgettes, roughly diced
3 tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and pepper
1 tub quark (ricotta would taste better imho)

Lasagne
6 or so sheets lasagne
2 good handfuls of grated cheddar
1 good handul grated parmesan
either 1 roughly torn mozzarella ball or 10 or so mini mozz balls

First make the tomato sauce. Saute the onions in the oil and then add everything else. Simmer for 10 mins till slightly thickened.

For the courgettes fry them in the oil for a few mins then add the garlic and salt and pepper. Saute for 10 mins or so until tender. Add the quark/ricotta and stir till mixed. Take off the heat.

Assemble the lasagne by putting 2 sheets pasta in the bottom of a dish and then adding a half the tom sauce. Add more pasta then the courgette layer. Add more pasta then the other half of the tom sauce. Top with the cheese and bake in a hot oven (180 degrees) for 30-45 mins till cooked and bubbling.

Serve with salad, crusty bread and lashings of wine. Rather superb for a friday night supper, and at least 4 of your 5 a day portions!