Mushroom Stroganoff

From Easy Vegetarian

Ingredients (serves 2) 

1 medium red onion chopped

2 garlic cloves crushed

350g chestnut mushrooms roughly chopped (not sliced)

Half a cup of veg stock

2 tsp wholegrain mustard

1 tbsp of tomato puree

2 tbsp half fat creme fraiche

Handful of chopped parsley

s&p

Method

Cook the onion and garlic in a half of the vegetable stock until softened. Throw in the mushrooms with s&p and mix well. Simmer for about 5 mins unti the mushrooms release their liquid.

Add the mustard and tomato puree and the rest of the stock. Stir in the parsley and creme fraiche.

👀 I don't know quite why but this goes brilliantly with lightly boiled sweetheart cabbage. Lightly buttered and well seasoned of course. Trust me!

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Lentil Ragu

From Martin Walsh

Ingredients (serves 2) 

1 medium red onion chopped

2 garlic cloves crushed

One medium carrot cut into small dice

I medium green pepper

1 leek halved down centre longways then sliced

A dozen cherry tomatoes halved

80g of green lentils

1tbsp tomato puree

Squirt of tomato ketchup

Shake of Worcester sauce (or soy sauce)

1 tsp dried oregano

Pinch chilli flakes

Heaped tsp of veg stock powder

Parmesan to finish

Method

Gently sweat all the veg (except the tomatoes) in a tsp of olive oil with the lid on. You need to get it all soft and on the edge of carmelising. This is important but don't let it burn.

Add the tomatoes and worcester sace and stir. The tomatoes will release their juices fairly quickly. Add the stock powder, oregano, chilli flakes, puree, ketchup and s&p and stir. Tip in the lentils and coat them well with the sauce and add water to just cover everything.

Simmer for a good twenty mins checking you don't need to add a little more water. You need quite a thick, rich sauce.

Serve with spaghetti or butternut squash noodles.

👀 Worth making a big batch of this, Like everything it improves with freezing.

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Haloumi Burger

From Bills

Ingredients (serves 2) 

6 good slices of haloumi

2 brioche buns

Slices of red onion

Red pepper strips from a jar

2 tbsp of hummus

Roacket leaves

Sweet chilli sauce

Method

Get everything ready and at hand before starting.

Dry fry the haloumi in a non stick frying pan turning before they burn.

Toast the buns lightly (don't overdo) and spread hummus on both sides. Then layer in this order from bottom: rocket  / red onion / haloumi / red peppers / chilli sauce and a little more rocket on top.

Serve with salad and baked sweet potato fries plus a nice glass of cold beer.

👀 DID YOU KNOW? All haloumi has to be made in Cyprus. It must take some doing for this island to cope serving the world demand.

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Grilled Mediterranean Veg with Feta and Harissa Pine Nuts

From Martin Walsh

Ingredients (serves 2) 

300g pack of cherry tomatoes halved 

3 medium red onions cut into eighths 

1 large red pepper chopped into chunks 

A dozen black olives 

30g pine nuts 

1 tbsp harrisa paste 

1 tbsp olive oil 

200g Feta cubed 

Balsamic cream

Basil to dress

Method

Start by getting the grill nice and hot.

Tip the whole tomatoes, roughly chopped pepper and onion into the grilling tray. Add the oil, s&p and a long shake of balsamic cream. Mix with your hands thoroughly.

Grill on a high heat for about 15/20 mins. This time might vary greatly depending on your grill. You will need to stir every ten mins or so to get an even cooking. You want to remove the tray just as the veg is starting to char.

In a non stick pan heat the pine nuts in the harissa paste and stir well for a few mins.  Add to the veg and mix well. Tuck the diced feta and olives into the mixture evenly and grill for a further 5/10 more mins until the cheese is just turning brown. Remove and stir in the shredded basil.

Works well piled over a bowl of broccoli with some crusty bread to mop up the cheesy juices.

👀 Feta works well in a lot of hot cooking. In this recipe it cuts through the strength of the harissa with ease.

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Mushroom Goulash

From Martin Walsh

Ingredients (serves 4) 

2x300g packs of mushrooms roughly chopped

1 large red pepper sliced

2 small leeks chopped

1 large red onion chopped

3 fat cloves of garlic crushed

2 heaped tsp of fennel seeds (or carraway)

Good pinch if chilli seeds

2 tbsp of smoky paprika

2 tsp of dried oregano

1 can of chopped tomatoes

Good shake of Worcester Sauce

Tomato ketchup

 1 heaped tsp of veg stock powder

2 large tbsp of low fat creme fraiche

s&p

Method

Soften the fennel seeds, onion, garlic, leeks and onion in a little olive oil and a tsp of butter. Add in the sliced pepper and roughly chopped mushrooms. Put the lid on and let it all sweat for five minutes. Then add all the other ingredients except the tomatoes and creme fraiche. Stir well and add a tbsp of flour and stir again. 

Then add the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and place in a very low oven for 90 minutes. Add the creme fraiche and pop back into the oven for another 30 mins.

👀 Goes well with kale or cabbage and a grain like bulgar wheat. Coconut yoghurt could go in place of creme fraiche.