Mixed Mushroom Risotto with Spring Greens

4 05 2012

Mushroom risotto can be a bit bland at times, and not particularly healthy. Just carbs and cheese – something my daughter loves. The addition of finely sliced spring greens gives this a new edge. It would probably work well with a little blue cheese or taleggio added. I used a mixture of fresh, dried mushrooms and those from a jar so it takes less than half an hour to make including preparation.

If you have any leftovers, roll into balls, stuff a little mozarella in the middle and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Serves 4

1 onion – finely chopped
2 cloves garlic – finely chopped
1 glass white wine
200g – 250g risotto rice
4-6 mushrooms – cut into chunks
1 x 290g jar of mixed mushrooms in oil
1 handful of dried mushrooms – soaked in boiling water then chopped
vegetable stock – not sure how much so I used a stock cube then added water from the kettle
2-3 large spring green bunches – finely sliced
salt and black pepper
large knob of butter
60g or so of finely grated fresh parmesan or vegetarian alternative

Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat. When hot, drain the oil from the jar of mushrooms into the pan, then fry the onion and garlic in this oil until soft. When soft and translucent add the wine, stir, give it a couple of minutes to bubble and for the alcohol to evaporate off, then add the rice, the stock cube and a cup or so of boiling water. Stir gently to get the starches working in the rice. As the rice absorbs the stock, add more water a little at a time and keep stirring. Now add the fresh mushrooms, the soaked dried mushrooms with the water they were soaked in, and the drained jar or mushrooms. Add the greens, stir well and add more water from the kettle if required. Stir occasionally now until the greens are cooked through. Turn off the heat, add the butter and grated parmesan, salt and pepper. Stir, put the lid on and leave for 10-15 minutes during which time it will go nice and creamy.

Serve hot perhaps with a sliced red chilli to add a kick.


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Buttery Pilaf with Purple Sprouting

2 01 2012

Based on Simon Hopkinson’s recipe. As he says in his book, one of my favourite dishes from the book (The Vegetarian Option).

This dish is made in three stages, but in spite of this it still quite simple.

Start with the green paste

bunch Coriander
bunch Mint
2-3 green chilis
2-3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
juice of 1 lime

Roughly chop all the solid ingredients and place in a blender/food processor with all the other ingredients. If the mixture is a little dry add some olive oil. Once blended into a paste, put to one side.

Now cook the purple sprouting

Take a few stems of purple sprouting and simmer in boiling water for about 10 minutes until tender. Drain and put to another side.

For the main dish

60g butter
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
400g basmati rice
2 medium onions – finely chopped
400ml vegetable stock
1x400g can of coconut milk
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of the green paste above
3 spring onions finely sliced
zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 180C.

Heat butter and olive oil in a large saucepan. When hot and melted add the onion and fry until soft and staring to brown. Now add the rice nd stir to coat the rice with the butter and oil. Now add the stock, coconut milk and lemon zest. Bring to boil then remove from heat, cover and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Take out of the oven, add the green paste, salt, pepper, finely sliced spring onion and cooked purple sprouting, stir well and put the lid back on. Leave for about 10 minutes then serve.


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A Day with Ottolenghi

15 09 2011

And what a day!!!

I spent Tuesday cooking with Ottolenghi at the Vegetarian Cookery School in the beautiful city of Bath.

Here are my creations – with credit to my cooking partner for the day, Abi.


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Vegan month – part 3 (More from the Middle East)

26 03 2011

Middle Eastern food seems to have become my staple diet of late. Here is the first of two recipes. This one is for rice and lentils which can be served cold or warm with a good helping of hummus. As to whether it is working – I don’t think so!

About 2 handfuls of green lentils
About 4 handfuls of rice – long grain or basmati
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic – finely chopped
1 heaped teaspoon whole cumin seeds
2 medium onions – halved then thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika powder
1 teaspoon ground sumac
½ teaspoon salt

Place the lentils in a pan, cover with water, bring to the boil then simmer for approximately 20 minutes until tender. Drain and set to one side.

Place the rice in a saucepan, cover with water. Bring to boil then when holes appear place the lid on and turn the heat off. Leave to stand for around 20 minutes until the water has been absorbed.

Take a large frying pan and heat the oil. Gently fry the onion, garlic and whole cumin seeds until the onion begins to caramelise. Now add the rice, lentils, ground cumin, salt, sumac and stir gently until everything is heated through.


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“Cabbage is Dirt”

8 11 2010

Or so says my son. Somehow my assertions that it is healthy and good for a teenagers’ skin and vitality fall on deaf ears and he is adamant that it is indeed “dirt”.

Even when I stuff the cabbage with a deliciously cheesy risotto with juicy, sweet morsels of pumpkin, the sight of green things in a pan is enough to ensure a torrent of grunts and moans fills the kitchen.

He eats a pasty and chips…..and a few peas…..then heads upstairs to apply face scrub.

So here is a way of taking a starchy, carb loaded meal and adding a little bit of green to remove the guilt factor.

Pumpkin Risotto stuffed Cabbage Leaves

Start by making the risotto

Take half a pumpkin or a small butternut squash. Peel, deseed and cut into smallish cubes. Then roast, boil or steam until just tender.

Now take
1 Onion – finely chopped
1 Stick celery – finely chopped
1 Clove garlic – finely chopped
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 glass white wine – optional
200g arborio or carnaroli rice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
About a pint of stock
Large knob of butter
A good sized chunk of Parmesan or vegetarian alternative

Heat the oil in a large pan then add the garlic, onion and celery and fry gently until soft. Now add the oregano then the rice. Stir so the rice is coated in the oil then add the wine.

Now add the stock a ladle at a time stirring, almost massaging, the stock into the rice so the starches are released. Each time the stock is absorbed add more until all the stock has been absorbed. Now add the diced, cooked pumpkin or squash, butter, cheese and season with salt and black pepper. Cover and turn the heat off. Leave to cool.

Bring a large pan of water to boil then take the large outer leaves of a savoy cabbage and plunge them in the boiling water for 30 seconds until just softened. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop them cooking.

Cut out the toughest part of the stem from each leaf.

Oil a large oven proof dish then take a cabbage leaf, place a spoonful of risotto in the centre then gently warp the leaf around the filling and place, seam side down in the dish. You should get 8-10 good sized leaves stuffed with the amount of risotto.

Heat the oven to 180C. Make up 500ml of stock and pour over the stuffed cabbage leaves. Cover with a lid of foil then bake in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour.

Serve with a tender leaf salad and a balsamic dressing.


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Gozitan Lentil Salad with Rice

14 08 2010

Holiday food. Bread and cheese. Sometimes with tomatoes. Sometimes with figs. The trouble with Gozo is local cheese is hard to come by. The villages are too small for markets and the supermarkets are full of Cheddar, Double Gloucester and Feta.

So to break with tradition I thought I’d try and make a lentil salad – something resembling the lentil salad I bought for lunch from Green Valley a couple of weeks ago. My family never cease to spring surprises on me and everyone wanted some. One tin of lentils doesn’t feed five hungry people and having been to the supermarket twice a day every day I wasn’t going back a third time.

So I started by cooking a couple of cupfuls of long grain rice.

Place the rice in a pan, rinse with water a few times. Then, leaving about 1cm of water above the rice, bring to the boil. When peaks form, turn the heat off and put the lid on. Leave until cool.

Now for the rest of the salad

1 onion – halved then finely sliced
½ red pepper – finely sliced
½ green pepper – finely sliced
1x400g tin of green lentils – drained
olive oil
salt
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon paprika

Heat about 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan. When hot add the cumin seeds and onion, then turn the heat to medium and fry gently until the onion is soft and starting to brown. Now add the rest of the ingredients and cook slowly until the pepper starts to soften. Remove from heat.

When cool, add to the rice, mix well and serve with feta cheese, olives and red wine.


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Another old-fashioned classic

2 04 2010

Cheesy red peppers stuffed with rice

I had my mind set on trying out a tofu based veggie type of fish and chip supper but when I got to my local supermarket I found not only did they not sell tofu but they also appeared to be sold out of almost all fresh vegetables. This is the same supermarket that used to consistently sell out of bread and milk. So some quick thinking based on a limited choice lead me to another old family favourite. Red peppers stuffed with a rice mixture then smothered in cheese sauce.

1 Onion – chopped
1 Clove garlic – finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tomatoes – finely chopped (it’s OK to leave the skins on)
Vegetable stock
Basmati rice
4 red peppers – halved and seeds removed
Large knob of butter
1 teaspoon English mustard powder
1 tablespoon plain white flour
Milk – probably about half a litre – not quite sure
Large chunk of mature cheddar

Start by making the rice. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan then add the onion and garlic and fry gently for 5-7 minutes until softened. Add the oregano, then the tomatoes. Cook for a while longer until the tomatoes start to break up. Now add the rice, stir then add the stock. Enough to cover the rice by about 1cm. Bring to boil then simmer until peaks form. Put a lid on the pan and remove it from the heat. Leave to one side for about 15 minutes until the stock has been fully absorbed.

While the rice is cooking, place the halved peppers in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for about 10 minutes to soften slightly.

Now make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a small pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the mustard powder and flour and stir. Cook for 2 minutes or so then add the milk a little at a time, stirring to ensure no lumps. Keep adding milk until you have what you think looks like enough sauce. Continue to heat and stir. When almost boiling add the cheese – grated of cut into small pieces – stir and heat gently until melted.

Drain the peppers and place in a large oven proof dish. Fill each pepper with the rice.

Cover with the cheese sauce then bake in the oven at 200C for about 30 minutes until browned on top.

Serve with salad and french bread – and a generous splash of tabasco.


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Curries

11 10 2009

OK, so not the prettiest photos in the world. I served it up then realised I should take a few snaps. These dishes were delicious. On the plate you can just about make out pilau rice with peas and cashews, paneer in a creamy tomato sauceand spinach with potato. The recipes below should feed about 6 people

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Pilau Rice with Peas and Cashews
3-4 cups basmati rice
½ stick of cinnamon
1 bay leaf
3 cardamom pods
salt to taste
2 cups of peas
50g cashews
sunflower oil – about 2 tablespoons

Wash the rice in several changes of water, then leave to soak.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the cashews until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon. Return the pan with the oil to the heat and add the cardamom, bay and cinnamon. Fry for a few seconds, then drain the rice and add to the pan. Stir so the rice is coated in the oil, then add enough water to sit about 1cm above the top of the rice. Add the peas and some salt then bring to the boil. Once the rice starts being absorbed and peaks begin to form, place a lid over the pan and switch off the heat. Leave for about 20 minutes. Just before serving, fluff the rice up and mix in the cashews.

Paneer in a Creamy Tomato Sauce
200g paneer – cubed
1 onion – chopped
1cm piece of ginger – finely chopped
2 cloves garlic – finely chopped
4-5 tomatoes – skinned and finely chopped
4 black peppercorns and 3 cardamom pods (husks removed) – crushed in pestle and mortar
150ml single cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garam masala
cayenne pepper – the amount depends on how hot you like it
sunflower oil
smallish handful of coriander – chopped

Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a pan. Add the onion and fry until the edges start to brown then add the garlic, ginger, garam masala and crushed spices. Stir briefly, then add the tomatoes and salt and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes or so. Remove from heat and stir in the cream and paneer. Warm through before serving, topped with chopped coriander.

Spinach with Potatoes
8 or so smallish waxy salad potatoes (I used one from the allotment – nicola or charlotte – I forgot to label them)
250g spinach
3 cloves garlic – finely chopped
1 onion – finely chopped
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt

Scrub the potatoes then boil for 10 minutes or so until almost done. Drain, remove skins, cut into 1cm dice and leave to cool.

Wash the spinach and place in a pan with the water still clinging to the leaves. Cover and heat until wilted. Squeeze out as much water as you can and chop.

Heat the oil then add the mustard seeds. When the seeds sizzle add the onion and garlic and fry until the edges begin to brown. Now add the chopped spinach and stir for 5-10 minutes until nicely cooked. Now add the potatoes, salt and garam masala. Heat for a further 5-10 minutes until the potatoes are tender.


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Rice with Potatoes and Broad Beans

31 05 2009

It’s been a busy weekend down on the allotment. Now that any danger of a frost has gone I got the beans and courgettes in, removed tons of weeds and planted more spinach and tomatoes. Watering is so time-consuming now that there is so much growing and with the hot spell set to last, it looks like I’ll be up at 5am every day this week to water before work. Watering in the morning seems to work well at keeping the slugs at bay. By the time they come out after dark, the soil is too dry for their liking so they tend to stay well away.

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I picked the first crop of broad beans this morning and cooked them with rice, potatoes and herbs from the garden. This is a variation on the rice and potatoes I make with my Mushroom and Tofu Stroganoff

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The quantities you use depend on how many you are serving
White Basmati Rice
2-3 Medium Potatoes
Broad Beans – shelled of course
2 large knobs of butter
Bunch Fresh Oregano or Dill – roughly chopped

Place enough rice in a large pan for the number of people you are serving, Rinse in several changes of water then cover with water and bring to the boil.

As soon as the rice starts to swell, remove from the heat, drain through a seive, rinse with cold water and put to one side.

Peel the potatoes and cut into 3mm slices. Return the pan to a medium heat and add a large knob of butter. When melted, place the potato slices in layers to cover the bottom of the pan.

Now pile the rice on top of the potatoes, then the braod beans and chopped herbs. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water, the other knob of butter and cover. Cook gently over a low-medium heat for about 40 minutes until the rice has puffed up and the potatoes are fried on the bottom.

This method relies on the rice steaming so do not remove the lid during the cooking process.

Serve with home made hummous, natural yogurt and salad.


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Broad Bean, Pea and Edamame Risotto

22 05 2009

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There’s something about risotto. I think it is the smug feeling of eating something wonderfully creamy that doesn’t actually contain cream. Adding lots of green bits can make one feel even smugger as you feel you are eating a healthy, low fat, balanced meal – which you probably are. This one is alcohol free too but you could use a glass of white wine to replace the equivalent amount of stock.

I found a pack of frozen edamame at the back of the freezer. they work well in a risotto, either on their own or as I did here partnered by tender peas and young broad beans. As spring turns to summer so can you ditch the frozen packs of peas and beans for the real thing.

1 clove garlic – finely chopped
1 stick celery – finely chopped
2 teacups full of risotto rice – Arborio is good
1 teacup each of peas, broad beans and edamame (shelled of course)
2 tablespoons good olive oil
large knob of butter
a generous handful of fresh oregano – chopped
as much grated Parmesan as your conscience will allow – you do need a lot to give it flavour
good quality vegetable stock – Marigold Bouillon works well here – about ½ a litre

Start by placing the beans and peas in boiling water and boiling rapidly for about 3-5 minutes until just tender. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop them overcooking.

Now heat the oil in a large pan and at the same time put the stock in another pan and get it up to a simmer. Fry off the celery, garlic and herbs in the oil until soft then add the rice. Stir to coat the rice in the oil then add a ladle of stock. Keep stirring gently to massage the rice, releasing the starch. When absorbed, add another ladle full and continue this way as the rice absorbs the stock. When the rice is al dente (just soft, but with a little bite to it still) add one more ladle of hot stock, then add the beans and peas, stir, then turn off the heat. Throw in a knob of butter and a generous amount of grated Parmesan cheese. Stir again then cover and leave to rest for about 5-7 minutes. This is the important part as this is what makes the risotto deliciously creamy.


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