Tag: winter

Quorn & Spinach Casserole

350g Quorn pieces

1 large onion roughly chopped

2 large carrots cut into cubes

1 large glass of dry white wine

2 bay leaves

1 large potato cut into small pieces

300ml boiling water

2 Kallo chicken stockcubes (or veggie)

1 dessert spoon corn flour

6 leafy stems parsley

– stems finely chopped

– leaves roughly chopped

4 large handfuls of spinach leaves, finely chopped

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

 

Heat a tbs of olive oil in a Le Creuset casserole pan on 7. Add the quorn and brown it off, stirring from time to time, add more oil if necessary. Once brown, reduce the heat to 5 add the onions and a large pinch of salt and cook until the onions are soft.

 

Add the white wine and bay leaves, using a spoon to scape the bottom of the pan and reduce by half. Add the carrots and potato, the stock cubes and boiling water and the parsley stalks. Reduce the heat to 4, add some black pepper and cook with the lid off stirring from time to time until the potato is cooked (about 30 mins).

Mix the corn flour with a little cold water so it is runny. Pour in half to the casserole and stir well, if it is still not thick enough add the rest and stir again. Add the parsley and stir.

Add the spinach on top and cover for a couple of minutes until wilted. Stir well and check the seasoning and serve.

Goes well with roast turnips and some green veg.

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Lentil, Pumpkin, Spinach & Chickpea Soup/Dahl

250g red lentils

1700ml cold water

1 chicken or veg stock cube

1.5 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp black mustard seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tbs olive oil

1 medium white onion, finely diced

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 red chilli finely chopped (or 2 tsp dried flakes)

200g of pumpkin/squash peeled and diced into small cubes

1 small tin chickpeas (or about 2/3 jar) rinsed

1 tbs tomato puree

Black pepper and salt

Fresh spinach (4 large handfuls) washed and chopped

Put the lentils, water, stock and turmeric in a large pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and skim off any scum that forms. (use a black pan so the turmeric doesn’t stain and don’t use wooden spoons).

Heat a frying pan on a medium heat for a few mins and add the mustard and fennel seeds, toast until they start moving/jumping around the pan. Add the olive oil, a good pinch of salt and the onion and fry until soft. Add the ginger, chilli flakes and the puree and cook for a couple of mins. 

When the lentils are cooked add the onion and spice paste to the pan with the squash and cook for another 10-15 mins until the squash is cooked through and then add the chickpeas and warm for a couple of minutes. Turn off the heat, add the spinach and stir well and check the seasoning. 

Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and or some natural yoghurt on top.

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Pumpkin & Courgette Soup

Serves 4-6 

1 large white onion roughly diced

3 courgettes, roughly sliced

1 small butternut squash or a large chunk of pumpkin, peeled with seeds removed and diced

3 chicken stock cubes

Boiling water, around 1.5 litres

Salt and pepper

Put the onion and pumpkin in a pan (Le Creuset is big enough) and add the stock cubes and enough boiling water to cover the veg plus a few heavy handed grinds of black pepper. Stir to break down the stock cubes and bring to the boil. Add a lid and simmer until the pumpkin is nearly cooked (about 20 mins).

Add the courgette and some more water if there is not much left and replace the lid. Cook until everything is soft, about 5-10 minutes depending how big the courgette slices were. 

Turn off the heat and using a stick blender blend the soup until it is all smooth. If it is too thick add some more hot water and blend again to mix well. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper and blitz one more time with the blender before serving. 

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Sticky Toffee Pudding

Taken from Nigella…

Serves 6 greedy Jamie’s or 8 normal people

FOR THE CAKE

100 grams dark brown muscovado sugar

175 grams self-raising flour

125 millilitres full fat milk

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

50 grams unsalted butter (melted)

200 grams chopped dates

FOR THE SAUCE

200 grams dark brown muscovado sugar

approx. 25 grams unsalted butter (cut into little blobs)

500 millilitres boiling water

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C fan and butter a 1½ litre capacity pudding dish.
  2. Combine the dark muscovado sugar with the flour in a large mixing bowl. Pour the milk into a measuring jug, beat in the egg, vanilla and melted butter and then pour this mixture over the sugar and flour, stirring – just with a wooden spoon – to combine. Fold in the dates then scrape into the prepared pudding dish and smooth down to level. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look very full: it will do by the time it cooks.
  3. Sprinkle over the top of the mix the 200g of dark muscovado sugar and dot with the butter. Pour over the boiling water (yes really!) and transfer to the oven. Set the timer for 45 minutes, though you might find the pudding needs 5 or 10 minutes more. The top of the pudding should be springy and spongy when it’s cooked; underneath, the butter, dark muscovado sugar and boiling water will have turned into a rich, sticky sauce. Serve with vanilla ice cream, creme fraiche, double or single cream as you wish.

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Vegetable Soup with Chickpeas

Serves 4

1 large white onion

5 large sticks of celery

4 large carrots

2 medium potato

2 chicken stock cubes

1 parmesan rind (optional)

1 bay leaf

1 jar of chickpeas

Grated parmesan and olive oil

Peel and roughly chop the onion. Wash the celery, carrots and potato and chop into chunks. Put everything in a large pan and cover with enough boiling water to just cover the veg. Add the stock cubes and bay leaf (and the parmesan rind if using). Season with pepper, no salt at this stage and cook until the veg is soft. 

Remove the bay leaf and parmesan rind.

Using a stick blender, blend until smooth and if too thick add some more water. 

Add the jar of chickpeas and allow to warm though. 

Serve in pasta bowls and grate over fresh parmesan and drizzle with a little good quality olive oil.

amyLeave a comment