RECIPE TIME.... Sunday dinner for veggies!

My household may consist of a bunch a vegetarians, but I don't mind saying, we do love a family Sunday dinner as much as anyone.  With all the usual trimmings. Crispy roast potatoes with rosemary, creamy mash (I like to mix it up with spinach, but recently I've taken to making carrot and potato mash since my teen daughter decided she doesn't like cooked carrots anymore), peas (with a little garden mint) and a home made onion gravy.  

This recipe evolved yesterday as I was making a nut roast.  I wanted to make the main feature protein rich and nutritious, as I've been feeling a bit neglectful of my family's diet (and probably my own).  Nut roasts can often be a little dry, so I've tried to counter that with plenty of succulent vegetables, and replacing half the amount of nuts with chestnut mushrooms, and half of the breadcrumbs with quinoa.  When I tasted the filling, it felt like it needed something sharp to cut through the sweetness of the veg and the earthiness of the nuts and mushrooms.  Hence the Cheshire cheese, but you could use any tangy cheese such as feta or perhaps stilton. Don't be put off by the savoy wrapping.  I simply removed the thick part of the lower stem, and blanched it in the potato water.  Be generous with the overlapping layers to ensure it holds together. 

CASHEW & QUINOA VEGGIE ROAST

Ingredients - serves 6

150g cashews, lightly toasted

100g quinoa (or couscous)

1 red onion, diced, pref 1/2 cm pieces

1/2 courgette, diced 

1 carrot, diced

1 leek, finely sliced

5 chestnut mushrooms, diced

1 thick slice of brown/seeded bread

1 free range egg (or use silken tofu if vegan)

120g Cheshire cheese (or feta, Lancs, blue etc)

Savoy cabbage, 6 outer leaves, trim thick stalk end

Oil or butter for frying & greasing

Salt & white pepper for seasoning

1 tbsp fresh or 1/2 tsp dried herbs, I used fresh thyme & marjoram

To prepare:

1. Grease a loaf tin with butter or oil.  Heat oven to 190 degrees.
2. Add onion, courgette, carrot, leek & mushrooms to pan with a little oil or butter, and cook for 8-10 mins until vegetables are soft.
3. Simmer quinoa for 4-5 mins in veg stock (or hot water with a smidge of marmite).
4. Toast cashews in a pan, then blitz in food processor into small pieces.  Avoid blitzing into a powder or you will lose the texture.

5. Blitz bread into crumbs.
6. Blanche cabbage leaves in hot water for 2 mins and set aside.
7. Mix the vegetables, nuts, breadcrumbs and egg (or tofu if using).  Add fresh or dried herbs and season to taste with salt and white pepper.
8. Line the loaf tin with the cabbage leaves, using five large leaves to cover bottom and saving one leaf to seal the top.
9. Half fill the loaf tin with mixture, firmly pushing down with back of spoon to ensure shape.

10. Crumble the cheese over the filling. Then add remaining filling on top, again pushing down to make a firm shape. If you're vegan, omit this layer and add squeeze of lemon to veg mixture.
11. Fold over edges of cabbage leaves to cover top of roast, and then layer final leaf over top and tuck into sides.
12. Cover loaf tin with foil and place on baking tray.
13. Bake in over for 15 mins, then turn over, foil side down on tray, and continue baking for another 10-15 mins.
14. Remove from oven, turn right way again and remove foil lid.  Turn onto chopping board and remove tin.

Hope you enjoy it!  Here's to family time :0)

My big fat veggie cottage pie recipe...

What we need to warm up our little cockles during this oncoming freeze are some satisfying and tasty recipes to fill up the whole family.  This recipe is not about MasterChef standard food, it’s about hearty and delicious vegetarian home cooking.  As much as my children love Asian cooking, they also hanker for traditional British style food and I think it’s time to share some of our favourites.  First up….

Recipe for my big fat veggie cottage pie:

Ingredients:

2 large carrots, diced

2 leeks, slices & washed

2 large onions, diced

1 stick of celery, diced

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

3 large field mushrooms, diced (or whichever mushrooms you prefer)

450g vegetarian mince

You can use soya, quorn or even tofu mince (a new product from Cauldron Foods).  You could also omit any vegetarian mince and use several different kinds of mushroom or use puy lentils instead, to keep the dish vegan.  Make sure you cook the lentils for at least an hour from the end of step 3, and add plenty more water as it reduces.  I would also add a little more seasoning if using puy lentils.

1 large cup of frozen peas

Dark soy sauce, 1-2 tbsp

Vegetable stock, 1.5pt, good quality vegetable bouillion works best

1 tsp marmite

Sprigs of fresh thyme & rosemary – rub between fingers first to release flavour or chop

2 bay leaves

Black pepper, white pepper & sea salt

Maris piper potatoes

Knob of butter or margarine

50g grated cheese (optional but mature cheddar works best)

1 large tomato, sliced

Red cabbage (optional)

Method:

1. Peel and boil potatoes for mash.  Once soft, leave to drain for five minutes then mash with butter, a splash of milk or cream, and season with salt and white pepper.
2. Sauté onions until start to soften then add remaining vegetables, apart from mushrooms.  Once vegetables start to soften add mushrooms and vegetarian mince (if using) and cook for further 2 to 3 minutes. 
3. Add stock, soy, marmite, fresh herbs and bay leaves.  Bring to simmer, add salt and pepper to taste and simmer to reduce slightly. (If using puy lentils, add more stock and cook for further hour). Add large cup of frozen peas.
4. Layer mixture in a large deep over proof dish.  Aim for at least 2 inch depth of mixture at bottom, then layer creamy potato over top.  Lay tomato slices over top of potato and sprinkle with cheese if using.
5. Bake at 190 C until bubbling and top is golden and crispy. 
6. Serve with sauted red cabbage.  Finely slice & wash cabbage and add to pan with splash of olive oil, splash of balsamic vinegar and a little salt & pepper.  Cook on a high heat for 4-5 mins keeping the lid on pan so the cabbage slightly frys and slightly steams at the same time.