Creamy Garlic Mushroom & Herb Gnocchi

Just made this. And its so simple to make and it was really tasty.

Dinner for one

Ingredients

Vegetarian

∙ Makes 3

Produce

• 500 g Chestnut mushrooms
• 1 handful Flat leaf parsley, fresh
• 2 cloves Garlic

Canned goods

• 50 g Vegetable stock

Pasta & grains

• 500 g Gnocchi

Baking & spices

• 1 good grinding Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook the gnocchi according to the packet instructions, drain and pat dry in a clean tea towel, then fry the gnocchi in a frying pan in one tablespoon of olive oil
   until crisp and golden.
2. While the gnocchi is frying saute the mushrooms and garlic in a large frying pan with one tablespoon of olive oil until the mushrooms are tender, seasoning well with salt and pepper.  
3. Add some of the herbs (reserve some for decoration), the wine and stock and continue cooking gently until most of the liquid is almost gone.
4. Add the yogurt and cream and stir well, until the sauce is warmed through. Taste for seasoning and add more if it needs it.
5. Mix the gnocchi through the sauce and serve topped with a sprinkle of herbs. Serve with a side salad and garlic bread. It might not seem like a big portion, but it’s very filling.
6. Enjoy

Oils & vinegars

• 2 tbsp Olive oil

Dairy

• 250 ml Single cream
• 3 tbsp Yogurt, plain

Beer, wine & spirits

• 1 Slosh of white wine

Vegetarian Tagine

We have made this in work and have to say it was lovely 

Ingredients

Vegetarian

∙ Makes 6

Produce

• 1 Aubergine, medium
• 1 Butternut squash, small large
• 2 Carrots, large
• 1 400 g (14 oz) tin Chickpeas
• 2 tsp Coriander, ground
• 1 Courgette
• 10 Dried apricots
• 5 cloves Garlic
• 1 Lemon, juice of
• 1 small handful Mint, fresh
• 1 Red bell pepper, large
• 1 Red onion
• 1 400 g (14oz) tin Tomatoes
• 1 Yellow bell pepper, large

Canned goods

• 2 tbsp Tomato puree
• 400 ml Vegetable stock
• 480 ml Vegetable stock, hot

Condiments

• 4 tbsp Harissa spread
• 1 tbsp Honey/agave nectar

Pasta & grains

• 300 g Couscous, dried

Baking & spices

• 1 tsp Cinnamon, ground
• 2 Salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric

Oils & vinegars

• 2 tbsp Olive oil

Nuts & seeds

• 1 large handful Almonds, toasted flaked
• 2 tsp Cumin, ground

• Instructions

  1. To make the tagine, heat the olive oil in a large, wide pan over a medium heat; add the onion, aubergine, carrots, peppers, butternut squash and courgette. Cook, stirring regularly, for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables have started to soften and are lightly browned.
  2. Add the garlic, tomato purée, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and turmeric and cook for 2 more minutes whilst stirring.
  3. Add the harissa, honey, chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock and apricots. Give it a good stir then put the lid on the pan, turn the heat down to low and leave to cook gently for about 45 minutes to 1 hour until all of the vegetables have softened.
  4. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in a handful of chopped mint.
  5. To make the couscous, place the dry couscous in a large bowl; add the vegetable stock, chickpeas and harissa and give it a stir. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave for 15 minutes.
  6. Add the lemon juice to taste, some toasted flaked almonds and salt and pepper to taste.

STICKY SESAME CAULIFLOWER BITES

After the success of the last couple of day I wanted to try STICKY SESAME CAULIFLOWER BITES. 

They were so easy to make. I didn't put too much sauce on them though as i'me taking them to work for my lunch with some salad. 

Here's the recipe 

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2 whole egg whites
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil or vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sweet chili sauce or sriracha
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
• chopped green onions, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
3. Add egg whites to a large ziploc bag; add cauliflower florets, close the bag, and shake it around until everything is well combined. 
4. In a separate ziploc bag combine panko crumbs, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper; add cauliflower florets to the bag, close it, and shake it around until everything is well combined.
5. Transfer cauliflower florets to previously prepared baking sheet; bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned.
6. In the meantime, prepare the sauce.
7. In a nonstick skillet set over medium heat, combine sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce and garlic; bring to a simmer.
8. Simmer for 10 minutes. 
9. In a small mixing bowl combine cornstarch and water and stir until cornstarch is dissolved.
10. Add cornstarch mixture to soy sauce mixture and stir to combine; remove from heat.
11. Remove cauliflower florets from oven and either add them to the sauce OR pour sauce over the florets. Mix until well combined.
12. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and green onions.
13. Serve as appetizer or serve over rice.

A vegetarian recipes

Because Natasha is a vegetarian  we tend to have a few meat free meals a week. Geoff doesn't seem to mind and to be quite honest I much prefer them.


I didn't know what to cook yesterday. I was having a look around instagram and came across Jamie Oliver's post he had just made a pasta dish that looked simple and delicious.


I had all the ingredients in. So I thought I would give it a go.

It was lovely and very filling.

Ingredients

• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 onion
• 1 fresh red chilli
• 15 g fresh thyme
• 250 g chestnut mushrooms
• 320 g cauliflower
• olive oil
• 200 g wholewheat penne
• 15 g fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 100 g ricotta cheese
• 1 lemon
• 20 g Parmesan cheese

TAP FOR INGREDIENTS

Method

1. Fill a large pan with salted water, place on a high heat and bring to the boil.
2. Meanwhile, peel and finely slice the garlic and onion, then halve, deseed and finely slice the chilli. Pick the thyme leaves.
3. Trim and slice three-quarters of the mushrooms. Trim the cauliflower, remove and discard the leaves, then chop the cauliflower florets and stalk into small chunks.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wide saucepan on a medium heat, add the garlic, onion, chilli and thyme, then cook gently for 10 minutes, or until golden.
5. Add the sliced mushrooms and cauliflower, cover with a lid and cook gently for about 10 minutes, or until softened.
6. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until al dente – this means it’s cooked, but still has a bit of bite.
7. Meanwhile, pick and finely chop the parsley leaves. Trim and very finely slice the remaining mushrooms.
8. Once softened, mash the cauliflower mixture with a fork until broken down, but still with a bit of texture. Stir in the ricotta, then season to taste with sea salt, black pepper and the juice from half the lemon.
9. Reserving a cupful of the cooking water, drain the pasta and return it to the pan, off the heat. Tip in the sauce and stir well, adding splashes of the cooking water to loosen, if needed. Taste and season with salt, pepper and the remaining lemon juice.
10. Stir in the sliced raw mushrooms, most of the Parmesan cheese and half of the parsley leaves. Serve with the remaining chopped parsley and cheese sprinkled on top.

Tomorrows dinner is another Vegetarian offering.Apparently it's better the next day.  I can take this to work with me and have it later. 

Ingredients

For the Chickpea Meatloaf

• 2-14 oz. cans or 3 1/3 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup unflavored soy or almond milk
• 3 tbsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce or tamari
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. ground flax seeds
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. liquid smoke
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

For the Maple Glaze

• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 tbsp. maple syrup
• 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tsp. paprika

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly oil a 9 inch loaf pan.
2. Working in batches if needed, place all meatloaf ingredients into food processor bowl and pulse until chickpeas are broken up and ingredients are well mixed, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Do not overblend. If working in batches, transfer each batch to a large mixing bowl when complete and then mix by hand.
3. Press mixture into prepared loaf pan and bake 30 minutes.
4. While meatloaf bakes, stir glaze ingredients together in a small bowl.
5. Remove loaf from oven after 30 minutes and spoon glaze overtop of loaf. Bake another 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Recipe Notes

The longer this sits, the firmer it gets. If it initially feels a bit soft for your liking, let it sit a for a few minutes or prep it a day in advance and reheat the day of serving.

Heres mine cooling.