Beetroot Patties

I randomly took The Nordic Diet by Trina Hahnemann out of the library awhile back. The book annoyed me with the way she constantly bangs on about smaller portions, healthy eating, no dessert (well, few desserts), exercise, etc, as though we didn’t already know all that. But nonetheless, a couple of the recipes struck me as new and interesting.

 

So I made my own version of her beetroot patties (which she serves with barley, which probably tells you all you need to know!). They’re great with mayonnaise, served with watercress and over couscous.

 

It helps to wear gloves when working with beetroot – we keep a stock of disposable plastic gloves, which we use when cooking with beetroot and other vegetables that stain easily.

 

Ingredients:

500 g beetroot

1 shallot

4 tbsp parsley

½ cup oatmeal

3 eggs

1 tsp salt

1 dash sesame oil (or other oil)

 

Instructions:

1. Peel and grate the beetroot.

2. Peel and dice the shallot. Wash and chop the parsley.

3. Mix all the ingredients together. Shape into patties (this recipe makes about 8).

4. Bake for 15 minutes at 180 C. Turn over and bake for another 5-10 minutes.

Butternut Squash Soup

M and I were both ill, and we’d had colds for over a week. Soup – and lots of it – was what we needed. So I made butternut squash soup. It’s really soothing and flavourful, especially when served with fresh bread.

 

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash

2 shallots or 1 onion

oil

1 vegetable stock cube

1 tbsp maple syrup, plus extra

2-3 cups water

1-2 cups milk (I used rice milk)

cream (I used Oatly)

 

Instructions:

1. Roast the squash in the oven at 180 C for 40-60 minutes. Halve it halfway through so the inside gets fully cooked.

2. Peel and slice the shallots/onion and fry lightly in oil. Add the stock cube and maple syrup and caramelise slightly.

3. Peel and de-seed the squash. Put in chunks into the pan. Add the water and cook for 10-15 minutes.

4. Add the milk and cook over medium heat for another 10 minutes.

5. Puree and then swirl in a little more maple syrup and some cream.

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.

Aubergine and Shallot Quinoa

This is good as a main course or a side dish. It’s easy and healthy, too.

Ingredients:

2-3 shallots

oil (I used some coconut oil and some sesame oil, for a nice combination of flavours)

1 aubergine

quinoa

water

Instructions:

1. Dice the shallots and fry them lightly in oil.

2. Dice and add the aubergines and brown in the oil.

3. Cook the quinoa in the water according to the instructions on the package.

4. Serve the quinoa with the vegetables.

Mushroom Wellington

This is great when you’re having guests for dinner as it’s hearty and tasty, and it looks pretty.

Ingredients:

400 g spinach

2 garlic cloves

2-3 shallots

oil

300 g mushrooms (I used two different types for a nice combination of flavours)

1 tbsp parsley

1 package puff pastry (500 g)

1 egg

Instructions:

1. If the spinach is frozen, defrost it. If it is fresh, wilt it.

2. Dice the garlic and shallots and fry lightly in oil. Brush and chop the mushrooms and add them to the frying pan.

3. Mix in the spinach and chop and add the parsley.

4. Roll out the pastry and then fill it with the mushroom mixture. Since this is a wellington-style dish, you want it to look like a thin log of pastry (i.e. the mixture is completely surrounded). You can also make individual portions rather than one large one.

5. Beat the egg and brush it over the pastry.

6. Bake at 220 C for 35-40 minutes.

Vegetable Stew

This was a hearty meal, especially served with the dumplings and bread I posted in the last two posts. You can easily vary the amounts and the vegetables.

Ingredients:

oil

5 shallots

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 vegetable stock cube

1 pinch rosemary

2 tbsp flour

3 parsnips

4 carrots

½-1 sweet potato

4-8 little new potatoes or 2-3 medium potatoes

1 apple

water

½ cup orange juice

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large oven-safe casserole.

2. Dice the shallots and sauté them for a few minutes over low heat.

3. Add the honey, tomato puree, stock cube, rosemary, and flour, and cook for a couple of minutes.

4. Peel and dice all the vegetables and the apple. You can choose how large to leave the pieces. Small pieces cook more quickly but large ones might look nicer to you.

5. Add the vegetables to the pan and cover with water and orange juice.

6. Roast in the oven, covered, at 180 C for about an hour.

7. Stir, add the dumplings (if using them), and cook for another 20-30 minutes.

Red Rice and Lentils

This sounds plain, but the flavours work together well and this has a sweet finish. You can, af always, add other herbs, spices, or vegetables.

Ingredients:

olive oil

2 shallots

2 tsp honey

1 stock cube

¾ cup red rice

water

¾ cup puy lentils

2-4 tsp tomato puree

watercress

mint

Instructions:

1. Warm the oil in a saucepan.

2. Dice the shallots and add them and the honey to the pan. Fry lightly for a few minutes.

3. Add the stock cube and rice and mix everything for a moment or two.

4. Add the water (about twice as much as the rice) and simmer for about 10 minutes.

5. Add the lentils and more water. Cook for another 25-30 minutes, checking for the tenderness of the lentils.

6. Stir in the tomato puree, watercress, and mint.

Chestnut Stir-Fry

I posted about roasted chestnuts last time and I just want to add that I’ve started including them in stir-fries. It’s delicious and adds a subtle, full flavour to the stir-fry. A great combination was red pepper, shallot, chestnuts, and mange tout. I seasoned it with tamari sauce and sour plum juice (but lemon juice would be fine). We liked it so much that we had it again just a few days later. And yes, you can use ready-prepared chestnuts if you prefer.

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.