Courgettes and Onions with Quinoa (v)

I have a large collection of cookery books. Some might argue too many. And often I admire them in my living room and then head to the kitchen to create something myself. But I am on a mission to cut my shopping bill in half, and to use up everything we buy along with getting out of the food rut we are currently in. My recipe book of choice at the moment is therefore River Cottage Veg Everyday as we are working our way through our weekly veg box and I am already bored with some of the contents (namely courgettes!!).

This recipe is very easy to do and tastes delicious hot, warm or cold. It makes a lovely light lunch on its own, or a yummy side dish. If you're not vegan, add some feta to it for a salty tang. It'd also be delicious served up alongside a lamb cutlet or similar.

For two people you need
2 medium courgettes, sliced on the diagonal in 5mm thick slices
2 red onions, finely sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-3 sprigs of thyme leaves (not the stalks!)
juice 1/2 lemon
100g quinoa
25g pine nuts
salt and pepper
large handful of roughly chopped flat leaf parsley

Begin by sauteeing the thyme leaves, onions and courgettes in a pan with the oil. Keep the heat medium so that after 20 minutes or so the onions and courgettes are nicely golden. Add the garlic at this stage and cook for another 2-3 mins.

Meanwhile cook the quinoa in 200ml of water. Bring to the boil and then simmer gently for about 8 mins. Turn off the heat and leave to steam until all the water is absorbed (about another 10 mins).

Toast the pine nuts until golden.

Toss everything together in a large bowl, season to taste and then eat hot, warm or cold. Nom nom nom.

Rice and Peas (v)

This is proper Indian kichiri, with none of the Anglo-Indian trimmings. Just rice and peas and spices. It's a fab side dish to any curry and the pulses in boost the protein content making it a good whole meal in itself.

For 6 portions you need
1/2 cup moong dhal, rinsed clean and soaked in cold water for 4 hours
2 cups basmati rice, rinsed clean and soaked for an hour in cold water
3 tbsp butter or oil
2 indian bay leaves
2 cloves
1 tsp whole coriander
1 tsp whole cumin
3 cardamon pods, crushed to release the seeds
1" piece of cinnamon bark
1 medium onion, finely sliced
1 tsp salt

Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the spices for 2-3 mins until the aromas are released. Add the onion and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until browned and crispy. Add the drained rice and peas and stir fry to coat in the oil and spices.

Add 2 and 2/3 cups of water and bring to the boil. Cover with a tightly fitting lid and reduce the heat to very low. Cook for 20-25 mins until the rice is light and fluffy and the peas are cooked.

Mixed Vegetable Makhanawala (v)

I am slowly working my way through Rick Stein's India, a very fine book on curries and Indian food. This recipe caught my eye as I was meal planning over the weekend, and Abel and Cole obliged by providing most of the ingredients for it in their weekly box this week. The curry is delicious, rich and creamy but not heavy. Spiced and fragrant with a little kick of heat but not searingly hot. It might look complicated but it's not, it was very easy to make and was definitely worth the effort.

For 4-6 portions you need
800g mixed vegetables - I used potatoes, carrots, cauliflower and french beans
50g butter or oil
1 medium onion, sliced
5 large garlic cloves, finely minced
5cm stick of ginger, finely grated
400g fresh tomatoes pulverised to make passata (don't use tinned or a jar, you want the lightness of fresh tomatoes)
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp each of ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cinnamon, garam masala and tumeric
1 tsp desiccated coconut
1.5 tsp salt
25g cashew nuts
1/2 tsp sugar
75ml yogurt/soya yogurt
4 tbsp double cream/soya cream (or coconut cream)
Handful of fresh coriander leaves to finish

Begin by boiling the carrots and potatoes until just cooked. Drain and leave to one side.

Melt the butter in a large heavy based pan and add the onion. Cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes until the onions are soft and golden. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a further 5 mins. Add the tomatoes, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 mins. Add the spices, salt, coconut and 100ml of water and cook for a further 10 mins.

In a mini food processor blitz the cashew nuts with a little water until smooth. Add this to the pan along with all the vegetables apart from the potatoes. Add another 100ml of water and simmer for 10 minutes until the veggies are cooked. Add the yogurt, cream and potatoes and heat through for 2-3 mins. Serve garnished with the coriander. It's truly delicious.

Goldilocks Tarka Dhal (v)

So called because I have made it three times... The first time we used scotch bonnet chillies and it was too cold. The second time I used thai chillies in quantities as per the recipe and it was too hot. The third time I used Indian chillies and it was juuuuuuust riiiiiiiight. You do need to soak the chana dhal for a good couple of hours beforehand or it will take ages to cook. This recipe is from the very fine Rick Stein's India, a fabulous book about Indian food!

For 4-6 portions you need
For the dhal
200g chana dhal, rinsed and soaked in cold water for 1-2 hours
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 whole cloves garlic, peeled
1 onion, chopped
2 green chillies, left whole and slit, seeds left in
1tsp salt
1/2 tsp tumeric

For the tarka
1 onion, thinly sliced
large knob of butter/vegan spread
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp asafoetida
Small handful of fresh curry leaves
Fresh coriander leave to serve

Place the soaked chana dhal in a pan with the rest of the dhal ingredients. Cover with water to about 2cms above the level of the chana. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about an hour until the chana is cooked. Mash a little to break up some of the dhal but leave some texture in.

For the tarka heat the oil and butter/spread until hot. Add the mustard seeds and asafoetida and cook until the seeds pop. Add the onion and cook over a medium heat until brown and crispy, but take care not to burn it!

Pour the tarka into the dhal and serve with bread or rice or whatever you fancy.

Quick Tomato and Mozzarella Brushchetta

This was a simple, quick and tasty Sunday lunch thrown together to use up some leftovers and lagging ingredients.

For two portions you need
2 thick slices of bread
1 clove garlic
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
Fresh tomatoes
Basil
Red onions
Mozzarella cheese

Begin by placing the bread on a baking sheet and drizzling with a little olive oil. Bake in a hot oven for about 5 mins. Remove, and rub with the garlic clove. Place back in the oven for a further 5 mins until lightly golden brown.

Meanwhile slice the tomatoes and onions and place in a shallow bowl. Drizzle over about 1 tbsp red wine vinegar and 2 tbsp olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper and sprinkle over some chopped fresh basil.

Once the bread is toasted, slice the cheese and place on the bread. Top with the tomatoes and serve. Summer on a plate!

Christmas Soup

So called as it's a taste of Christmas in a bowl :) A very quick and easy dish to throw together in seconds but tastes like you've spent ages making it!

For one hungry person you need
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 sticks celery, roughly chopped plus the leaves of some, finely chopped for decoration
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 tbsp veggie stilton
1 tsp Gourmet Garden crushed garlic
400ml vegetable stock
salt and pepper
1 tsp vegetable oil

Begin by sauteeing the celery, carrots and onion in a pan with the oil for 8-10 mins until tender. Add everything else, apart from the celery leaves and stilton, and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 mins until the veggies are all cooked then add the cheese and blitz until the soup is lovely and smooth. Reheat, season and serve decorated with the celery leaves. Perfect December fare.

Vegetable and Bean Cheesy Gratin

OK OK so it's another variation on an old favourite but it tastes goooooooood!

For 4-6 servings you need
Leftover cooked veggies (we've got cabbage, broccoli and carrots)
1 tin pulses - black eyed beans here tonight
1 quantity thin cheese sauce (30g butter, 30g flour, 500ml soya milk, 1 cup grated cheddar)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
3 tbsp grated parmesan

Layer the veggies and beans in a gratin dish. Make up the sauce and pour over. Top with breadcrumbs and parmesan and then bake in a hot oven for 25 mins till bubbling, crispy and browned on top. Scoff with leftover roast potatoes and cold quorn roast. I love leftovers!

Pasta Mozzarella Tomatoey Thing

I am sure there is a better name for this, but this is the name it has had in our house for years! It's a simple tomato and garlic sauce, which pasta is added to and then it's topped with fresh mozzarella and baked in the oven till it's crispy and crunchy on top. Lovely.

For 2 people you need:
200g pasta, fusilli or rigatoni is best
1 tin chopped toms
pinch sugar
salt and pepper
fresh basil, roughly shredded
2 cloves garlic, crushed
125g mozzarella, diced
2 tbsp olive oil

Begin by putting the pasta on to cook. Meanwhile put the toms into a large, flat based pan and heat with the garlic and olive oil. Season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar. When the pasta is cooked drain and add to the sauce. Stir through the basil then top with the mozz and maybe some fresh grated parmesan if you want. Bake in a hot oven for about 15-20 mins till the cheese has melted and the top layer of pasta has gone crispy. Serve with garlic bread and salad.

Steamed eggs with rice noodles and vegetables

This was my lunch today (Lex had his lunchbox as normal!).

For the eggs you need (per person):
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 mushrooms, sliced
handful chopped corriander
glug soya sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
ground pepper
1/2 onion, finely diced

Mix together and pour everything into a small heatproof bowl. Place in a steamer and steam for about 20 mins till cooked.

For the noodles and vegetables:
Soak 1 bundle of rice noodles per person in boiling water for about 5 mins.

Meanwhile stirfry some veggies (I used courgettes, onion, chinese leaf and sugar snap peas). Add some mirin and soya sauce to the pan to taste. Add the noodles once rehydrated and warm through. Serve with the eggs on the side.

Cheese and Onion Sausage Rolls

I've never made sausage rolls before, I'd always thought they would be tricky and fiddly. These ones aren't however, but they are divine. St Delia comes up trumps as per usual!

The original recipe can be found on St Delia's site.

But in case it gets moved you need:
1 block ready made puff pastry
275g fresh breadcrumbs
225g mature Cheddar cheese, grated
1 large onion, grated
3 tablespoons double cream
1 level tablespoon fresh chopped herbs (chives, parsley, thyme, etc)
1½ level teaspoons mustard powder
pinch cayenne pepper
salt and freshly milled black pepper

Make up the filling by mixing everything aside from the pastry together. Add some more cream if it doesn't bind well enough. Roll out the pastry then decide if you want dainty or chunder rolls. Place the filling in the middle of the pastry strips, brush beaten egg round the sides, roll over and then cut into slices. Brush with egg glaze and the snip the tops a couple of times. Bake in a hot oven for about 25 mins.

Thai Tofu 'fish'cakes

Ever since I saw the F Word a few weeks ago where two Thai restaurants took each other on I have been craving thai fish cakes. This is somewhat of a problem given that I don't really eat fish anymore... So I invented these. They're nothing like real Thai fishcakes of course but they hit the spot and even better everyone ate them. They're nice hot and cold.

For about 12 patties you need:
1 packet firm tofu
2 stalks lemongrass
4 fat cloves garlic
1 egg
about a cup of fresh breadcrumbs (depends on how sloppy the mix is)
1 fat chilli
2 inch piece of ginger
2 large handfuls fresh corriander
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp mirin

Lob everything into a food processor and blitz till mushy. Don't over process or it'll go too sloppy. Once it's done, place in the fridge for a bit to firm up. After at least 15 mins, heat some oil in a frying pan and then form patties about the size of an egg. Put these in the oil and lightly fry until crispy and golden brown. Turn over half way through cooking. Serve with a corriander salad and sweet chilli sauce/soya sauce to dip.

Chestnut Roast

I adore nut roast and think it should be obligatory for veggies to have one at Xmas. None of that soggy filo pastry and goats cheese nonsense for me! A roast is all about a roast. And a good nutty one at that. This recipe is from my mum and it's delicious :) Amounts are loose as it depends on what you like in terms of balance.

You need:
6oz dried chestnuts, soaked overnight and cooked for 30 mins (am not sure on equiv amounts for vacuum packed ones, but I'd guess about 3-4 tins/packs)
8oz breadcrumbs
250g mushrooms, chopped small and sauteed in butter
1 onion, chopped small and sauteed with the mushrooms

Lob everything into a food processor and blitz roughly along with dried herbs, 1tbsp tom puree, a couple of cloves of garlic some stock powder and an egg.

Pop into a lined loaf tin and bake for about an hour at 180 degrees. Can be made up to 3 days before hand and kept in the fridge. Also works as a nice stuffing for meat eaters. If you're vegan then ditch the egg and maybe add some stock/wine/water to get it to the right consistency.

Yum yum.

Cheese and Onion Sausage Rolls

I adore sausage rolls, and cheese and onion rolls, so the thought of combining the two is pure genius imho. This is another St Delia recipe, taken from her Christmas book.

Defrost one 500g pack of puff pastry (or make your own but frankly life is too short...)
Meanwhile make the filling:

grate 225g cheddar
grate 1 large onion
mix together with 275g fresh white breadcrumbs, 3 tbsp double cream, 2 tbsp mustard powder, 1 tsp cayenne, 2 tsp oregano, salt and pepper. Squish into sausage shapes and leave to chill for a bit.

When you're ready to make the sausage rolls, roll out the pastry to about 35x40cms. Trim into 3 lengths and lay the filling on the pastry. Egg wash the sides and roll over to seal. Cut into bite size chunks, egg wash again and snip twice in each to let the steam out.

Place on a greased baking sheet and cook for about 20 mins in a moderate (180 degrees) oven till risen, puffy and golden. Leave to cool on a rack and try not to scoff in one go. Mine are currently residing in the freezer waiting patiently for Christmas Day...

Christmas Cake

I like a traditional, light Christmas cake. Full of fruit, yes, but not too dark and sticky. A lot of my friends rave about Nigella's black cake, and I admit I like the way she soaks her fruit for ages before hand. But I am not a fan of prunes or treacle or dark muscavado sugar all mixed together. I find the combination too heavy. My staple recipe recipe for Christmas cake is usually a last minute Sainsbury's one as I can't be faffed with feeding a cake either. But this year I have decided to try a variation of Delia's classic cake. I'm soaking the fruit for a week or so as per Nigella and using light brown sugar and golden syrup rather than the suggested treacle. The soaking fruit smells divine at the moment ;-)

250g sultanas
250g raisins
300g currants
100g glacé cherries cut in half
50g mixed candied peel
1/8 cup each of brandy, whisky and rum
225g plain flour
½ level teaspoon salt
¼ level teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ level teaspoon ground mixed spice
225g butter
225g soft light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 level dessertspoon golden syrup
grated zest 1 lemon grated zest 1 orange

Put the fruit and booze into a clean plastic tub, mix thoroughly and leave to soak for at least 24 hours, ideally a week or so. Stir every so often to ensure all the fruit soaks up the booze.

Soften the butter and then cream with the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, then the golden syrup, then the flour, spices, zest and finally the soaked fruit. Mix well and pour into a prepared 7" square tin (or 8" round one) and bake at 140 degrees for 4-5 hours. Make sure you place a double layer of baking paper on the top of the cake, with a small hole cut in the top to allow the steam to escape.

Once the cake is cooled, wrap in baking parchment, then foil and store in a cool dark place till you want to ice it. You can feed it if you want but I won't be bothering.

Swede Gratin

Had some swede in the veg box, and no masher to mash it with! So created a gratin to use it up and served it with bangers, potato mash and steamed veggies. Even Lex liked it.

You need:

1 large swede, peeled and finely sliced
2 onions, finely sliced
salt and pepper
1/2 milk
butter for greasing
grated cheese

Begin by greasing an oven proof dish with the butter. Put one layer of swede into the bottom, then add a layer of onions, some salt and pepper and a sprinkling of cheese. Continue until everything s used up, finishing with a neat layer of swede and a sprinkling of cheese. Gently pour over the milk, cover with foil and bake in a moderate oven for 45-60 mins. Remove the foil, turn the temp up a a bit and finish off for another 15-40 mins until bubbling and crispy. Lovely and warming.

Cauliflower Cheese Soup

I made this on Friday and thought it was worth blogging it to remember for next time I have a surfeit of cauli in the veg box.

Sweat 1 large onion in some butter till soft. Add a head of cauli cut into florets and 900ml light veggie stock. Simmer for 30 mins till very tender and then blitz to a puree. Add some milk/more stock if it's too thick. Re-heat with 100g grated cheddar and season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with nutritional yeast and some chopped chives. And lashings of bread of course.

Autumnal Beef Stew

Mmmm beef stew. Beef stew? Yes beef! I love all the veggie substitute meats you can get, and fancied something like Bœuf borgognone for dinner tonight. Unfortunately DH had drunk all the mini bottles of red wine I had stashed away for cooking purposes so I had to raid the beer larder instead! This is what I created, and by gum it was good! I challenge a meat eater to know the difference!

You need:
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
3 sticks celery, cut into inch long chunks
4 carrots, cut into inch long barrels, and then sliced diagonally
1 packet beef style pieces (quorn or asda or tescos sell them)
large handful frozen bacon style pieces (NOT dried bacon bits!!)
couple of good glugs of quality olive oil
1 bottle dark beer (I used Manchester Brown Ale)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano
ground pepper
good glug light soya sauce
good glug mushroom ketchup
good glug henderson's relish
good glug mirin
2 tsp vecon vegetable stock (or marmite!)

Start by sauteeing the onions in the olive oil. Add the bacon bits once the onions are lightly browned. Then add the celery, carrots and beef bits. Saute for a few mins before adding everything else. Bring to the boil and then simmmer for 30-45 mins until the veggies are tender and the sauce had developed.

If you want to thicken the sauce I'd recommend using a beurre manié to avoid lumps. But I like a thin sauce to soak into flattened roasted potatoes. I served the stew with roasties and steamed romanesco cauliflower. Yum yum yum!

Vegetarian (or vegan!) Kedgeree

Fancied something different tonight to use up the dhal we had last night, and am in an I Love Lentils phase at the moment, so rustled up an inauthentic but very tasty veggie kedgeree. Leftovers will go down nicely for lunch tomorrow methinks.

You need:
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp curry powder (or you can use individual spices, but hey I said it was inauthentic!)
Leftover cooked rice - about 3-4 cups
Cooked green lentils - 2 tins worth, or again about 2-3 cups
Oil/butter for frying
Hard boiled eggs (1 per person) if you don't want to keep it vegan
Chopped corriander to serve

Saute the onion in the fat gently till it's caramelised. Then add the curry powder and cook for a further few minutes to take out the raw taste. Add the rice and stir thoroughly. Cook for 10 mins or so until the rice is heated through. Then add the lentils and cook for a further 5 mins or so. Serve with chopped corriander to garnish it and the hardboiled eggs (if using) cut in half on the top. If you leave the yolks a little soft/runny it's even nicer imho.

Veggie Tofu Burgers

I wanted a nice veggie burger for lunch. None of that pre-brought frozen stuff today, but rather the 1970's in a bun - all lentils and tofu and earnest-ness so I can pretend that burgers are good for you.

The recipe I came up with was based on something posted on an internet forum:
Ingredients:
100g oats
75g flour
250g tofu
3 carrots grated
1 small onion finely chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
1 tbsp mushroom ketchup
1 tbsp hendersons relish
1 egg, beaten


Directions:

Lob everything apart from the egg into a food processor. Blitz until it's the consistency you want (I like mine smooth to hide the scary bits from Lex!). Add the egg and mix till the mixture comes together. Sometimes you can omit the egg if it's moist enough (or you want a vegan version)

To cook place on a lightly oiled baking tray and bake in the oven at 180C till cooked (approx 10 mins).

Serve in a bun with salad (I feel that alfafa and cucumber and raw onion are obligatory here!) and relish and sweet potato wedges on the side. Sit back in a smug haze of healthy eating induced glow...

Vegetable and Cheese Gratin

A winter staple, also know as "what the heck do I do with all the root veggies that were in the veg box rather than use them to make compost again?!"...

This reminds me of Sunday lunches at home when I was a child - mum would often use up the left over veg in a delicious gratin like this.

What we had:
1 cabbage
6 large carrots, roughly chopped into bite sized pieces
1 head broccoli

Steam the veggies to make them tender. Meanwhile make a mornay sauce from:
1 pint milk (I use soya milk)
2oz plain flour
2oz butter

Either make the sauce using the all in one method (lob it all into a pan and wait for the butter to melt) or use the traditional roux method. Once the sauce has thickened, add:
2 tsp english mustard powder
2 tsp french mustard
100g grated cheddar.

Add a drained can of butter beans to the mornay sauce then layer the veggies into a gratin dish. Pour over the sauce and beans and top with a little more grated cheddar and some Parmesan. You can add some breadcrumbs to it too to make it more crunchy.

Bake in a moderate oven (180 degrees) for about 20-30 mins till browned and bubbling. Serve on it's own or with veggie sausages or just some crusty bread.