Sweet Potato Casserole

I saw a similar recipe in the Sainsbury’s magazine, but it had a lot of dairy and various spices we didn’t want, so I adapted it quite a bit. It was nice for a cold day.

 

Ingredients:

oil

1 leek

2 shallots

1 tsp sugar or maple syrup

4 sweet potatoes

75 g margarine (I used Pure spread)

75 g flour

500 ml milk (I used rice milk)

2 eggs

1 tbsp parsley

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp mustard

2-3 tsp other herbs and spices (I used a bit of ginger and a bit of curry powder; I think tikka spice, mint, etc could work too)

1 tbsp lemon juice

 

Instructions:

1. Oil the pan.

2. Wash and dice the leek and shallots and cook over low heat. Add the sugar or maple syrup to get a sweeter flavour.

3. Peel and slice the sweet potatoes.

4. Melt the margarine. Add the flour, whisking.

5. Let cool, then add the milk and eggs, whisking until smooth. Season with the various herbs and spices and lemon juice.

6. Put the leek, shallots, and sweet potatoes in the pan, and pour in the sauce.

7. Bake at 180 C for 45-60 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the top is slightly golden.

Bulgur Salad

This salad is easily varied according to what vegetables you have on hand. It would be good with carrots, celery, or watercress/other greens, and can be topped with pumpkin or sunflower seeds and/or fresh herbs.

 

Ingredients:

100 g bulgur (or another grain, such as buckwheat)

water

1 fennel

5-7 cherry tomatoes or 2 plum tomatoes

approximately 10 black olives

1 tin sweet corn

1 garlic clove

1-2 tsp mustard

3 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tsp maple syrup or honey

 

Instructions:

1. Cook the bulgur in the water according to directions. Then set it to cool.

2. Wash and dice the fennel and tomatoes. Chop the tomatoes and the olives. Mix all the vegetables with the bulgur.

3. Mince the garlic clove and mix it with the mustard, oil, and maple syrup. Mix the dressing in with the salad.

Sweet Potato and Spring Greens Pie

I saw a recipe in <a href=" http://www.vegetarianliving.co.uk/themagazine.php?issue=18">Vegetarian Living magazine</a> for a pithivier and thought I’d use some of the ideas from the recipe. A pithivier is a sort of round pie, with filling between two circles of puffy pastry. The recipe was for sweet potato, onion, cheese, and French beans.  I like sweet potato, so I took that and added spring greens and herbs to make it more our taste, plus I dispensed with the circle part, as that just seemed a bit fussy.

This was a good recipe for a chilly winter night. As usual, we had leftovers, so it was perfect for the next day, when we just had time for a quick bite before going out for drinks and nibbles at a friend’s place.

You can vary the veg (use regular potatoes, for example, or add spinach, or corn) and the herbs/spices (parsley or coriander, for example, or chilli pepper).

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato (or half a large one – M could only get a massive one at the store, and it weighed in at 800 g)

water

1 onion

1 fennel

oil

1 tsp honey or coconut palm sugar or regular sugar

100 g spring greens

nigella seeds (onion seeds)

2 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp dried mint

500 g puff pastry

2 eggs

1/8 cup milk (I used rice milk)

Instructions:

1. Peel and slice the sweet potato into thin slices. Boil it in the water until soft, about 10 minutes, then drain.

2. Dice the onion and fennel and brown in oil in a frying pan. Add the honey or sugar and cook a few more minutes,

3. Wash and slice the spring greens, then add them to the pan.

4. Season the onion and greens mixture with nigella, mustard, and mint (or other herbs/spices).

5. Roll out the pastry into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Oil an oven-safe dish and line with the larger piece of pastry.

6. Put the sweet potatoes and greens in the pastry.

7. Beat the eggs with the milk and add most of it to the pie.

8. Put the smaller piece of pastry on top as a lid and crimp the edges. Brush the rest of the eggs on top as a glaze.

9. Bake at 200 C for 30 minutes.

Honey and Mustard Stir-Fry

Obviously, you can use any vegetables you like, but the combination of honey and mustard (and, for a touch of tartness, add some lemon juice or sour plum) works really well with greens and potatoes.

Ingredients:

6-8 new potatoes (or 2 larger ones)

water

2-3 shallots

oil

1-2 carrots

1-2 parsnips (or a piece of swede)

honey

mustard

spinach or spring greens

100 g tofu

lemon juice, if desired

Instructions:

1. Wash the potatoes, then boil them for 15-20 minutes in the water.

2. Peel and dice the shallots, then fry them lightly in the oil.

3. Peel and dice the carrots and parsnips and add them to the pan.

4. Add honey and mustard and let the vegetables caramelise a bit.

5. Wash and dice the spring greens. Add them to the pan.

6. Chop the tofu and add it as well. Stir-fry everything together for another 5-10 minutes.

7. Sprinkle with lemon juice, if desired, and serve.

Creamy Salmon Flan

Any fish can be used instead of the salmon, as could prawns or tofu. I used this filling in the lemony pie crust I wrote about in my last post.

Ingredients:
pie dough (see previous recipe)
200-300 g fish, prawns, or tofu
1 onion
oil
1 tbsp parsley (or basil)
1 handful chives, snipped into small pieces
1 cup cream (I used soy cream)
3 eggs
black pepper
1 tsp mustard
lemon juice

Spicy Tofu

This is really easy and tasty. I like to add it to stir fries. For example, it goes well with aubergine, broccoli, and noodles in a peanut cream sauce.

Ingredients:
1 package tofu
2 tbsp horseradish, or to taste
1 tsp mustard powder, or to taste

Instructions:
1. Drain the tofu.
2. Coat the tofu in horseradish and mustard.
3. Bake it in the oven at 180 C for about 15 minutes, until firm and slightly golden.
4. Use the tofu in any dish you like.

Creamy Couscous

This is a creamy couscous with just a bite of flavour. I had some gravlax sauce on hand, which is mustard and dill, so I used that, but any mustard would work well (not dried mustard but mustard sauce).

Ingredients:
100 g couscous per person
water to cover the couscous
1-3 tbsp yogurt per 100 g
½ tsp – 1 tbsp mustard (or gravlax sauce, if you can get it)

Instructions:
1. Put the couscous in a sauce pan. Boil the water and pour it over the couscous. Cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
2. Mix in the yogurt and mustard.
3. Serve with vegetables or other items.

Leek, Cheddar, and Sun-Dried Tomato Quiche

This is a very rich dish, so I wouldn’t make it too often. It’s loaded with eggs, cheese, and cream, which is what makes it tasty, but I can envision arteries getting clogged with each bite.

Yes, of course you can make your own pastry, but I bought it this time. Sometimes it’s just simpler to purchase the pastry. Shortcrust works better, I think, but I had puff pastry on hand and that was fine. In fact, M said she liked that it was a bit different.

Ingredients:
pastry (500 g) (short crust or puff)
oil
1 leek
2 tsp parsley
1 tsp lime leaves or basil or other herb
6 eggs
1 tbsp mustard powder
300 ml cream (single or double)
100 g sun-dried tomatoes
50 g mozzarella
100 g cheddar cheese
other vegetables (I had asparagus that I threw in, but next time I might use red pepper or spinach)
black pepper

Instructions:
1. Roll out the pastry.
2. Light grease an oven-safe pie dish or casserole dish. Place the pastry in it and use a fork to make a few indentations in the pastry.
3. Pre-bake the pastry for about 5 minutes at 190 C.
4. Meanwhile, dice the leek. Fry it lightly in oil with the parsley and other herbs.
5. Beat the eggs with the mustard powder and cream.
6. Chop the tomatoes, cheese, and any other vegetables. Mix them into the eggs, add the leek, and season with black pepper.
7. Pour the egg mixture over the pastry.
8. Bake for about 45 minutes at 170 C.

Broccoli Soup

Broccoli is the first vegetable I made for M and it’s probably the one I make her most often, as it’s her favourite. I made a flavourful broccoli soup (and it included my fave veg, spinach), which we ate with the sun-dried tomato bread I posted yesterday.



Ingredients:

1 onion

1 head broccoli

1 tbsp butter

2 tsp mustard

1 tsp salt

2 cups water

1 vegetable stock cube

1 cup spinach

100 g cheddar cheese

bread to serve with the soup



Instructions:

1. Chop the onion. Wash the broccoli and break it into florets.

2. Melt the butter in a pan. Add the onion, broccoli, mustard, and salt.

3. After a few moments, add the water and the stock cube. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

4. Add the spinach. Cook another few minutes.

5. Blend the soup with a hand-mixer.

6. Chop the cheddar.

7. Return the soup to the stove and add the cheese.

8. Serve with bread.

Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato Bread

Making bread is soothing; you can knead the dough by hand and work out any stresses you have. And it’s nice to watch the bread rise through the oven door – I find it gives me a sense of accomplishment. I served this one with soup.

Ingredients:
½ cup olives (about 75 g)
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (about 75 g)
100 g cheddar cheese
3½ cups flour (I used 1½ cups spelt and 2 cups plain wheat)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp herbs (I used mint, but oregano, chives, rosemary, and other herbs would work fine)
1 tsp nigella (onion seeds)
1¼ cup yogurt
3 tbsp olive oil
2 eggs
butter or oil for the pan

Instructions:
1. Chop the olives, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese.
2. Blend the flour, baking powder, baking soda, mustard, salt, herbs, and nigella together.
3. Mix in the yogurt, olive oil, and eggs.
4. Mix in the olives, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese.
5. Grease the pan. Pour the batter in.
6. Bake for 40 minutes at 180 C.

Gluten-Free Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese

On a recent night, comfort food was what was on order. So I went for a simple vegetable and cheese dish, gluten-free in an attempt to help our health, and with a hint of mustard for extra kick.

Ingredients:
1 medium cauliflower
½ half broccoli
50 g butter
1/3 cup gluten-free flour
3 tsp mustard
½ cup cream
2 cups milk
120 g cheddar cheese, or other mature cheese, grated or chopped
1 tsp parsley
black pepper

Instructions:
1. Wash the cauliflower and broccoli, and break them into florets. Then boil them for about 10 minutes.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Stir until mixed.
3. Add the mustard, milk, and cream. Stir.
4. Add about 80 g of the cheese and stir until it is a thick sauce.
5. Season with parsley and pepper.
6. Place the cauliflower and broccoli in one layer at the bottom of an oven-safe dish. Pour the sauce over it.
7. Top with the rest of the cheese.
8. Bake for 30 minutes at 200.

Leek and Butternut Squash Gratin

As the seasons shift, I’m starting to use fewer heavy, wintry ingredients, such as squash, or I combine them with more spring-like things, such as leeks or asparagus or peas, which helps to lighten them up. Here, I’ve made a gratin with squash and leeks. It’s hearty enough for a chilly evening, but not so heavy that it sits in your stomach and makes you want to hibernate.

Ingredients:
3 leeks
oil
salt
pepper
mustard powder
½ butternut squash (roasted – use any leftovers you have from another dish)
150 g Gruyere or similar cheese
150 ml crème fraiche

Instructions:
1. Wash and slice the leeks, then fry lightly in the oil for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt, pepper, and mustard powder.
2. Add chunks of the squash and continue to fry for another few minutes.
3. Oil a casserole dish. Shred or chop the cheese and add it and the crème fraiche to the vegetables.
4. Pour the vegetables into the casserole dish and bake for about 20 minutes at 200 C until golden brown.

Potato, Apple, and Cauliflower Cheese

Last month, I posted my cauliflower cheese recipe. A few days ago, I wanted to revisit it and to do something different with it. So I updated it by adding potato and apple, which varied the cauliflower taste. I also used only soy milk and no cream, and I added a hefty amount of mustard to the sauce. The result was quite tasty; it was still comfort food, but with a flavoursome zip to it.

I made so much that I filled two casserole dishes, so M and I will be eating it for lunch and dinner a couple of days in a row!

Ingredients:
1 medium cauliflower
2 baking potatoes
water for boiling
3 apples
75 g butter
1/3 cup flour
2 ½ cups milk (or soy milk)
175 g cheddar cheese, or other mature cheese, grated or chopped
2 tbsp whole-grain mustard
black pepper

Instructions:
1. Wash the cauliflower and the potatoes. Break the former into florets and cut slice the latter. Boil them in the water for about 10 minutes.
2. Slice the apples and set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Stir until mixed.
3. Add the milk. Stir.
4. Add most of the cheese and stir until it is a thick sauce.
5. Season with mustard and pepper.
6. Place the cauliflower, potatoes, and apples in one layer at the bottom of an oven-safe dish. Pour the sauce over it.
7. Top with the rest of the cheese.
8. Bake for 30 minutes at 200.

Mustard Soup with Vegetables

On a day when I was feeling chilly and grumpy, I thought of minestrone soup. I like the concept of soup with vegetables, beans, and pasta in it, but I wanted to do something different, more filling and more sinus-clearing. After all, this was going to be our entire dinner, so it had better be satisfying.

So I decided on vegetable soup with tortellini, all spiked with a significant dose of whole-grain mustard. With some buttered bread, it was a lovely, simple dinner. And, as with most of my recipes, it can be varied according to what you have in your fridge and cupboard.

Ingredients:
1 red onion
olive oil
3 carrots
5-6 purple spouting broccoli
2 vegetable stock cubes
1 litre water
2 tbsp whole-grain mustard
1 container cannellini beans
1 package cheese tortellini or 200 g spaghetti, broken in pieces
1 tbsp coriander or parsley
black pepper

Instructions:
1. Dice the onion and fry it in oil in a pot. Meanwhile, peel and chop the carrots into small pieces, and chop the broccoli.
2. Add the stock cubes to the pot and mush them up a bit.
3. Add the carrots and broccoli and stir for a minute, then add the water.
4. Bring the water to a boil and cook the vegetables for about 10 minutes.
5. Add the mustard, beans, and pasta, and cook as long as it says on the pasta package.
6. Season with herbs and pepper, then serve.