Indo Cymru Leek Stew with Dumplings that give you a Cwtch

Some of you will have noticed that in the past week or so, I have been gravitating towards Welsh recipes and Welsh things.  This is for the simple reason that next week many of us in Wales will be celebrating St David's Day, even the daffodils are coming out to celebrate, though to be honest they have been out posing by the side of the roads a month earlier.

As we enjoyed the Curried Root Vegetable Stew a couple of weeks back, I thought I would make it again, but enhance it further with the addition of spices and leeks and make it somewhat Fusion Welsh - yes we do like our leeks here in Wales, well I do.  Even though the daffodils are confused and finding the British weather warm, some of us are still finding it, so stew-like meals have been on the menu quite a bit.   

Cwtch means hug in Welsh and it a word you will hear and see a lot in Wales. And these light cloud like dumplings definitely give you a big warm welcome hug, who doesn't love a good hug. 

The topping of Welsh cheddar or Caerphilly cheese is purely optional.  

Curried Root Vegetable Stew with Chilli-Coriander Dumplings

I made this Indo-Anglo Curried Vegetable Stew on Sunday for the working week ahead, the recipe serves 6, but D is a greedy man and can eat for 2, so it ended up being a meal for 2 days (including this evening), rather than 3.  

Stews have been on our evening menu quite a bit lately.  Some of you may remember that I made one early on in the month with Butternut Squash and Kale.  Another reason its been on the menu is that we have both been enjoying the lightness of the dumplings.   This time thought I wanted to give the stew an Anglo-Indian twist with chillies, curry powder and coriander!

Of course you can make your own curry powder, but there are plenty of brands about and if there is one that you like, use it.  I have to be honest, I don't make my own curry powder at all.  My mother or sister in laws give me some when they make it, which in fact is not that often as they don't really use curry powder in their cooking, so I rely on those packets from South Asian and Oriental grocers.  

Anyway, I found the Curried Root Stew was mild for my taste, a little more chilli would have been desired on my part, but it was good none the less.  For me though, the zingy lemony coriander dumplings were the stars as they managed to elevate the stew flavours further.  

The root vegetables were tender, but not quite falling apart melting in your mouth.  I prefer that - had they been over-cooked they would be erring on baby food for me and i am not into mushy food that much. 

D liked this Curried Root Vegetable Stew but suggested serving with something like pickled onions, I'd probably serve it with some mango or lime chutney! 

Sweet Parsnip, Apple, Berry and Hazelnut Crumble

A couple of weeks back I made a Parsnip Pie with Edible flowers, I have also been tucking into a bowl of Parsnip Porridge for those days when I have been home alone for breakfast.

This time I am sharing with you home-made Parsnip, Apple, Blueberry and Hazelnut Crumble. On one of the evenings we had this with custard, on the other it was simply with cream.

What I love about this Root vegetable crumble recipe is its versatility.  You can easily swap some of the ingredients to reflect the seasons or your taste.
In place of the carrots you can have Swede, beetroot or carrots.
The golden caster could be demerara sugar, coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup
Nuts - walnuts, pecan, almonds 
Additional spices, nutmeg, ginger, mixed spices, 
And of course you can veganize it too.
Just experiment. 

Winter Vegetable Tagine

This Winter Vegetable Tagine is a super duper recipe for making the most of winter vegetables and chances are if your a cook that likes to dabble in spices from around the world, then you may already have Ras el Hanout in your kitchen cupboards too.  So what's stopping you - make this hearty  flavour packed dish.  

The winter vegetables include: carrots, mushrooms, parsnips, turnip aka swede, new potatoes and  some dates which melted into the thick sauce.  To finish off some nutty chickpeas and harissa.

D said this is perhaps one of the best Tagines I have ever made and that is high praise indeed as I have made many in the past.  I have to agree with him and I am not that into sweet root vegetables either, but here I was totally swayed.  I think the slow cooking benefited the dish big time as the flavours infused the vegetables.  Its best to serve this Tagine with couscous, but I didn't have any at home, so it was served with Basmati rice - twice!   

I have absolutely no doubt that Sarah Beattie would be gracious and grant me permission to share the recipe for this Winter Vegetable Tagine on my blog, but the cookbook: Meat Free Any Day is reasonably priced, not like those glossy hardback coffee table cookbooks.  This is one cookbook you will use if your a down to earth home cook like me, as its real proper food that you really want to eat.  You can find the full recipe in Sarah Beattie Author of Meat-Free Any Day: Food For All Reasons. Check out Sarah Beatties Facebook Page too.  I sharing this with Cook Once, Eat Twice hosted by Searching For Spice. 

Root Vegetable Terrine with Chestnuts

If you have any carrots and parsnip left over from the festive week then I have a recipe for you, just don't make a soup with it.  I actually made this Root Vegetable Terrine on Christmas Eve for Christmas Day.  

This was my only contribution to our Vegetarian Christmas Dinner plate as D took charge in the kitchen.  Over the years, cooking up Christmas dinner has become his responsibility, I am not sure when or why this happened, but I am quietly pleased as it gives me a deserved break and it always feels like a treat when he cooks for me, just does.   

D is not keen on overly keen nut roasts and didn't care either way if it made an appearance on our plate, so as a compromise, I decided to make a Parsnip Terrine recipe that I have made in the past. 

I introduced a few different elements to it in an attempt to make it more festive, namely the inclusion of earthy nuggets of chestnuts.  Though it was not necessary, slices of terrine  made an appearance on our Roast dinner plate.  We also had it on Boxing day served at room temperature with some tangy pickle.

Root Vegetables with Chickpeas and Cobblers

I started writing this blog post yesterday, but got sort of caught up with the howling weather.  Its the worst storms for a decade in Scotland. At one point, I was too afraid to look out of the window, and when I did take a peek - the back of the flat where the commuter train passes.  I noticed the neighbours kids trampoline has been uplifted by the ferocious winds and flung onto the rail tracks, of course we rang the Scotrail.  The only damage in our garden: the bird table knocked down and a scattering of pots.  It was not the same for the front - the fencing that separates ours and the neighbours car parking has come down. Typically landing on our driveway. I guess I should be thankful that no slates have come sliding down or a new leak in the roof.   Its not over yet, more snow and blizzards are predicted.   

Anyway, yesterday I made this simple .  The root vegetale broth is extremely light, so to give it more oomf - substance I made some cheesy cobblers in the shape of bushy tailed foxes.  I've been dreaming of friendly foxes lately. 

You don’t have to make these cobblers and could easily serve this with mashed potatoes, or even rice.  But I liked the delicate aspect of these cobblers that were golden and puff, and almost melted in your mouth.  I think suet dumplings would work wonders too.

I am sharing this frugal recipe with Frugal Food Thursday, Fight Back Friday and Fresh Bites Friday.  
Root Vegetables with Chickpeas and 'Foxy' Cobblers
Serves 4 – 6
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks of celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and cubed
2 medium parsnips, peeled and cubed
½ swede, peeled and cubed
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon of fresh
Salt and pepper to taste
60ml soy sauce or Tamari
400g cooked chickpeas
Method
Saute the onions in the oil until soft and translucent, then stir in the garlic, celery, carrots, parsnips, and swede cubes, along with the seasoning and Tamari and simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.  Add the chickpeas, simmer for a couple of minutes.  Then turn off and allow to cool, before transferring into a casserole dish.  Adapted from Ken Bergeron Professional Vegetarian Cooking.

Ingredients for the Cobbler Topping
225g self raising flour
60g butter
125g Cheddar cheese, grated
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 egg, beaten
150ml milk
Salt
To make the cobbler topping
Preheat oven to gas mark 6.
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Rub in the butter, then stir in the cheese and the thyme. Beat together the egg and milk and add enough to the dry ingredients to make a soft dough. Knead lightly, roll out to 1 cm thick and cut into 2 inch rounds.
Arrange the rounds on top of the root vegetables in the casserole dish, brush with the remaining egg and milk.
Bake in the oven for 12 – 15 minutes, until the topping is risen and golden. Serve immediately.

Indian Style Brussels Sprouts Curry

The sliced carrots, cubed potatoes and halved Brussels sprouts are dyed turmeric yellow and coated in an Indian style spicy sauce.

The other reason the photograph is awash with an orange tinge is the lack of natural lighting in the evening.  The winter brings with it darkness, so it is no longer conducive for the home food blogger/amatueur photographer to take reasonable picutres for his/her blog.  Saying that though, the natural light outdoors is not good either.  Its dark when I wake up and its dark when I go to bed.    Regardless of the lighting, the dish was surprisingly okay, not delicious - just okay. 

This recipe is based on my Green Bean Salan.  I don't think I've eaten any green beans this year.  Fingers crossed next year will be different and better.  I will once again be enjoying home grown veggies, even if they are found to be growing in pots.  Oh I really can't wait to move now - we've been living under a permanent dark puddle the last few months, literally and metaphorically, surely something good must be due to happen to one of us now, if not the both of us.   
Brussels Sprouts Indian Style Curry
Serves 4
Ingredients
150g full fat butter or ghee
2 medium onions, minced
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 inch of ginger, grated or minced
1 teaspoon of salt or to taste
1 teaspoon chilli powder or to taste
½ teaspoon of turmeric powder
2 fresh chillies, sliced
1 x 400g tinned tomatoes, chopped
Vegetable of choice: I used about 300g Brussels sprouts, a couple of carrots and on large potato, all chopped up into bite size pieces
Method
In a large wide pan, melt butter then add the minced onions, garlic and ginger and cook until transparent, add the spices and the fresh chillies and cook until the fat of the butter comes to the surface. Add the tomatoes and cook until well integrated. Then add your chosen vegetable, stir and turn heat down until the vegetables are well cooked. Keep stirring to stop the vegetables from sticking to the pan, when vegetables are cooked. 
You can either just serve it as a dry curry (best eaten with roti or naan bread); Or add 150ml - 250ml water to the pot, bring to the boil, let it simmer until the flavours have infused into the water. Serve with rice.

Thai Green Root Vegetable Flan

I know this sounds like an unusual recipe; and it is  - its effectively a Thai -style Green Curry in a pastry base, still I was still a little curious to try it out and see if it worked.  What's more its made with root vegetables.  This is not  an egg set flan, but a little oozy when you slice into it.

Now having made this, I am not completely convinced it works well in the pastry base, so I am not going to try and persuade you to try it, unless of course you want too.  I will say this though, it tasted okay.  I particularly liked how the Thai curry flavours infused the parsnip.  I served this flan simply with some rice and green peas. 

Recipe for the Pastry
For a 8 - 9 inch round tin
Ingredients
For the shortcrust pastry
170g plain flour
A pinch of salt
85g cold butter
2 tablespoons cold water
Method for short crust pastry
Sift the flour with the salt into a large bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add 2 tablespoons cold water to the mixture. Mix to a firm dough. It may be necessary to add more water. Chill, wrapped for at least 30 minutes before using.
Preheat oven to gas mark 6.  Roll out the pastry and use to line a 8- 9 inch round dish, then back blind.  Set aside to cool.  Now make the filling.

Thai  Green Root Vegetable Filling
Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients
2 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, sliced
2 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoon plain flour
1 – 2 tablespoon Thai green curry paste
300ml vegetable stock
200ml milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: 2 tablespoon fresh coriander, minced
Method
Preheat oven to gas mark 6. 
Bring water to the boil and parboil the root vegetables until just tender.  Drain and set aside to cool. 
In a wide pan, heat the oil, then cook the onions until very soft.  Add the flour to make a roux, stirring well.  Add the curry paste, the stock and the milk.  Bring to a gentle boil, until the mixture begins to thicken a little.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and then stir in the vegetables and coriander if using. 

Pour this into the pastry case and bake for 30 minutes. Adapted from Another Dinner is Possible.

Spiced Root Vegetable And Lentil Stew

Well the weather here has certainly turned, I think winter has officially arrived in Scotland as I pull on my gloves, hat and scarf.  All day the air has been cold and heavy with smoky fog.

It definitely is time for casseroles, ragouts and stews, such as this one.  Its bountiful in winter root vegetables and rib-sticking red lentils.   

Although spiced, this is not a  blow your head off 'spicy hot' stew.  Its not curried in flavour either, just body warming, perfect for the weather. 

You can easily serve this stew with mashed potatoes, but I actually fancied some more herby dumplings which of course I had to shape individually into flower petals.  I think if I had guests, it would have been cool to have brought the casserole pot to the table, but hey instead I had myself to amuse - sometimes I'm easily pleased. 

The red lentils in this stew make this post suitable for My Legume Love Affair 41, the current edition of the popular, legume-centered event created by Susan, The Well-Seasoned Cook, and hosted this month by Simona of briciole.  I am also sharing a bowl of this stew with Laura who is hosting Just Another Meatless Monday #83 at hey what's for dinner mom?

Fellow blogger Ajax made a variation of this stew recently, please follow this link; and so did The Cookie Jar, please go by and check them out!
Mildly Spiced Root Vegetable And Lentil Stew
Serves 6
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced
2 sticks celery, sliced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
700g mixed root vegetables – swede, celeriac, parsnips, potatoes, turnips and carrots, peeled and chopped in even size bites
175g red lentils
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400g x tinned tomatoes, chopped
700ml vegetable stock
salt and black pepper to taste
fresh parsley, minced
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onions until tender, then stir in the spices and allow to infuse for a few minutes, before adding in the root vegetables and celery. Sauté for about 5 minutes, without browning, then stir in the lentils and garlic and cook for a few minutes further.  Mix in the tomatoes and stock, put a lid on the pan and leave it to simmer gently for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the lentils are soft. Stir in the minced parsley.  Adapted from Rose Elliot's Complete Vegetarian Cookbook.

For the optional parsley dumplings
Makes around 8 - 12
Ingredients
110g self-raising flour
50g vegetable suet
1 tablespoon of minced fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Cold water to combine
Method
The dumplings need to be added 15 minutes before the stew is ready.
In a bowl add flour, vegetables suet, parsley and seasoning to taste. Add enough water to combine and make a firm, not sticky dough. Then with floured hands, break the dough into 8 – 12 pieces and roll them into rough round dumplings. Add them gently to the stew, pushing them down into the liquid. Simmer gently for 15 minutes or until the dumplings have doubled in size.

Root Vegetable Casserole with Chive Dumplings

We seem to be locked in between seasons here in Scotland.  Its no longer autumn, but its not quite yet winter either.  Still nothing stopping us from tucking into some hearty rooty food: carrots, turnips and parsnips; and listening to the fireworks going off early in the distant background. 

Other than the roasting of the parsnips in the oven, this is pretty much a one pot meal.  The vegetable stock becomes a thick flavour packed gravy.  Most of the vegetables still have a bit of bite, except for the shallots and the dumplings that just melt.  The vegetable stock becomes a thick flavour packed gravy. Serve this casserole in large bowls with extra garnishing of freshly chopped chives.

There is a similar recipe on my blog which comes from Rachel Demuth, however this one is adapted from Nadine Abensur.  The chive herb dumplings here are made with cheese and extremely comforting, but if you wish you can also make them vegan, see here.  I am linking this to this weeks Friday Food hosted by Mom Trends.

Root Vegetable Casserole with Chive Herb Dumplings
Serves 4
Ingredients
300g medium parsnips, cut length ways into 4.
6 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
12 small shallots
4 garlic cloves, sliced
350g carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
300g baby turnips, cut into half
200g chestnut mushrooms, cut into half
550ml flavourful vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 ½ teaspoon cornflour
For the chive dumplings
125g self-raising flour
60g Cheddar, grated
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (or parsley)
60g butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Pre-heat the oven to its highest setting.  Toss the parsnips with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with a little salt and pepper and roast for about 25 minutes, until golden brown.  When they are down, , take them out and set them aside.
Heat the remaining oil in a large, heavy bottomed casserole pan.  Add the shallots and garlic and fry for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the carrots and turnips and sauté for about 6-8 minutes, then add the mushrooms and sauté for a couple of minutes. 
Meanwhile, make the dumpling mixture.  Lightly mix all the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper.  Add about a tablespoon and a half of water to bring it together to make a soft dough.  Form into 12 – 16 small balls and set aside.
Add the vegetable stock to the vegetables, along with the bay leaf, and let the stew bubble steadily for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Now dissolve the cornflour in a little hot water, then add it to the stew and boil to thicken.
As soon as it has thickened, place the dumplings in gently , so that they are about three-quarters immersed.  Cover with a lid and simmer slowly for 20 minutes, until the dumplings are risen and the stew looks rich and the vegetables are meltingly soft.  Scatter the parsnips over the top and serve.  Adapted from the brilliant The Cranks Bible by Nadine Abensur.

Black-Eyed Bean and Vegetable Crumble

As soon as many people hear the word 'crumble' they understandably associate it with the sweet crumble, but here is a savoury crumble made with oats and seeds. 

Beneath this savoury, seedy and oaty crumbly topping you will find black-eyed beans and chunks of vegetables.  The vegetables of course can vary from season to season, but my question to you is 'When do you find yourself really wanting to eat a crumble: sweet or savory?!'  If you are like me, then you answer will be 'when the weather turns dark and you want warmth and comfort'.  Savoury vegetable crumbles are not a new idea, they have been around for yonky years in the Britain.  In fact this recipe is adapted from one of my 1980s second hand skinny cookbooks.  No photographs in it, but plenty of homely grub and illustrations: of people either eating or cooking.

I admit the flavours here are a bit on the tame side, but this way you do appreciate the flavours and bite of the vegetables more.  I liked the topping,  not only  because it was soft and crumbly (obviously), but also crunchy from the seeds.  In the future I hope to spice up this crumble with a little cumin, coriander and chilli, but right now it was good as it was.  I am sharing this rather thrifty recipe with Simple LivesThursday #64 hosted by Gnowfglins.

 
Black eye bean and Vegetable Crumble.
Serves 4 – 6
Ingredients
400g tinned black-eyed beans, drained, rinsed and set aside
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large leek, sliced
½ swede, peeled and diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon thyme
300ml vegetable stock
2 tablespoon Tamari or soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
For the crumble topping
110 g rolled oats
50g plain flour
50g sunflower or pumpkin seeds
¼ teaspoon sea salt
75g butter

Method
Heat the vegetable oil and sauté the onion until soft, then add the garlic, leek, carrots and swede and thyme ad sauté for about 5 minutes.  Then stir in the carrots and pour in the stock , tamari, beans and season to taste. 
Simmer until the vegetables are tender.  Tip into a baking tray.
Preheat the oven to gas mark 6.
Now make the crumble topping.

Now make the crumble topping
Mix the oats, flour, seeds and salt in a bowl and rub in the butter.  Scatter over the beans and vegetable mixture and bake for 30 – 40 minutes.  Serve with gravy.  Adapted from The Wharf Street Vegetarian Cafe Cookbook by Jill Gibbon.

Red Lentil Cauliflower Cobbler

I know this looks like a rather old fashioned looking dish, but please don't knock it. If you had just come out of the snowy cold, I know you'd be happily asking for a bowl. Its what I'd describe as a warm hug in a bowl.

The cauliflower, carrots and baby onions had bite, the mushrooms texture and the tomato and lentils thickened the sauce. For me the real star of the dish was the savory scones. So soft, light and delicate, that they just melted. I mean really melted in your mouth like 'butter'. I know I will be making this 'Red Lentil Cauliflower Cobber' again. Its an excellent dish to make for friends expecting comfort food, not 'posh nosh'.

Roasted Winter Vegetables with Dal gravy

Over the past few days D has been quite content eating the Smoky black beans and has appreciated their versatility enormously, so have I, but I wanted something different on my plate.

We have a load of winter root vegetable that I decided to chop and roast them in the oven.

Its not the first time we’ve had roasted winter vegetables, the difference with this one and the one I’ve made in the past was very slight in that I coated the vegetables with Tamari sauce.

I served the roasted vegetables with some Dal gravy. The Dal gravy was not particularly complimentary. D said it was like a 'currified cappuccino'. I woudn’t go that far, but agree it was not suited to the meal we had in front of us.

Roasted Winter Vegetables

Ingredients
Garlic cloves, peeled
Chopped leeks

Whole Chestnut mushrooms

Chopped potatoes

Peeled shallots

More vegetables

Chopped potatoes

Chopped carrots

Chopped parsnips

Olive oil

Dried thyme

1 tablespoon Tamari (or soy sauce)

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to its highest setting.

Mix all the vegetables with vegetable oil, a little dried Thyme, Tamari and pepper to taste and place in a large ovenproof dish. Roast in oven for 45 minutes to an hour, or until vegetables are tender. Serve immediately with a good gravy.

Autumnal fritters

These Autumnal fritters can be made with Beetroot, carrot, celeriac, kohlrabi, parsnip, pumpkin, swede, sweet potato, turnip … You choose.

If you do find yourself tempted to make these Autumnal fritters, I'd recommend combining 3 to 4 root vegetables together, but no more than that as the flavours may start fighting each other, rather then complimenting each other.

I also think these are best eaten on the day, but unless your having friends over or have a family who will devour them in moments, you will find yourself with some left overs. In this case, You could also put these in between a bread roll with greens and sauce and treat as a veggie burger, well kind of. I know that is what I’ll be doing tomorrow for my working lunch.

Autumnal fritters: Beetroot, carrot, celeriac, parsnip, potato, pumpkin, sweet potato…
Makes lots
Ingredients
1 medium-sized potato, grated
1 medium-sized beetroot, grated
2 carrots, (pumpkin or butternut squash), grated
1 parsnip (or celeriac), grated
150g gram aka besan flour
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Luke warm water to combine
Cooking oil for shallow frying
Method
Combine the grated vegetables, flour, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir well. Add a little water so that the ingredients begin to stick together, enough to form into fritters. In large frying pan, heat the oil on medium heat. Cook fritters until slightly crisp on bottom; flip and cook other side until crisp, roughly 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from heat and serve immediately with a Green salad and a zingy sauce.

Winter Vegetable Stew with Parsley dumplings

I made my stew yesterday in my Le Creuset Casserole which D got me six years ago from Jenners, a famous department store in Edinburgh. I remembered him carrying the heavy bake ware on the train. Ah that’s love.

D really enjoyed this stew especially the gravy. He said his parents who enjoy their meat with two veg would like it too. For me, it was okay, the flavour of cider in cooking is still new to me. I liked the dumplings though, soft herby scones that melt in your mouth. We have enough left over for another meal. So later in the week we’ll be having it again, but it will be with garlic mash, as this is what Rachel Demuth suggests in her book. I’ll let D make the mash though, he puts a lot more love into mashing the potatoes than me. The reason for this is, he loves his mash more than I do.

If you do decide to make this stew, ensure that you chop the vegetables in the appropriate size as you want them to cook evenly in the casserole dish. Its not particularly nice, chomping on an undercooked potato, a carrot you can get away with, but not a potato.

Winter Root Vegetable Stew with Parsley dumplings
Serves 4
For the StewIngredients
8 shallots, peeled and quartered
4 tablespoon olive oil
2 – 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 leek, sliced
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
½ swede, peeled and chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
400 - 440ml organic cider
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of dried sage
500ml boiling water
1 tablespoon of Tamari or soy sauce
1 teaspoon Marmite
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
In a large casserole dish fry the shallots in the olive oil until they are golden. Add the garlic and the leeks and fry for a couple of minutes. Then add the carrots, parsnip, swede and potatoes and cook until the vegetables are beginning to look translucent around the edges. Add the cider and bring to the boil. Mix in the Tamari and Marmite into the boiling water and add this to the stew, along with the bay and sage leaves. Season to taste and simmer gently for 35 – 45 minutes or until the vegetables are nearly cooked.
For the parsley dumplingsIngredients
110g self-raising flour
50g vegetable suet
1 tablespoon of minced fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Cold water to combine
Method
The dumplings need to be added 15 minutes before the stew is ready.
In a bowl add flour, vegetables suet, parsley and seasoning to taste. Add enough water to combine and make a firm, not sticky dough. Then with floured hands, break the dough into 8 – 12 pieces and roll them into rough round dumplings. Add them gently to the stew, pushing them down into the liquid. Simmer gently for 15 minutes or until the dumplings have doubled in size. Adapted from Rachel Demuths The Green World Cookbook.

Spiced Vegetarian Roast Dinner

on a weekday. I know.
I didn't get round to making a roast vegetarian dinner on Sunday, and one of the nephews who really likes his roasted vegetables almost begged me to make a Roast Veg dinner. How could I ignore his pleas and those big brown puppy eyes. So this is what we had yesterday evening.

So that you don't think I am some kind of wonder woman to present such a full plate of food, especially after a day of running around the city with the young guns and being Aunty. You should know, that there are two things on the plate that are shop bought. Three if your counting the vegetarian gravy. The (sliced) vegetarian roast and the Yorkshire puddings. I know, shameful. I could have easily made the yorkies myself. I don't want to make excuses, but I do have two, if your interested in reading on. One my oven is quite small, I didn't have room to roast and keep warm the carrots, parsnips, sprouts and potatoes especially as all were in their own trays. Secondly, its one of those days when you've been out all day and don't really have much energy to cook in the evening. So something like this, is relatively easy to put together.
I did get some help with the peeling of the vegetables from the youngest, whilst the oldest set the table. He's dab handy with the napkin folding.

Tucking in already. Oi wait for the gravy and the drinks!!!

Roasted vegetables on the plate: cayenne potatoes, cumin carrots and parsnips, and paprika sprouts.

Fifteen minutes before serving the roast potatoes, I sprinkled over some cayenne powder.

I part-cooked the parsnips only, when just tender I mixed them with chopped carrots. Then I coated them in a tablespoon or two of olive oil and a teaspoon of cumin seeds. Then roasted them in the oven until golden.

The Brussels sprouts recipe comes from here. Good it was too. Even the youngest liked them.

Winter Vegetable Cobbler

Leeks are recognised as the national symbol of Wales. Baby leeks used to be worn by patriotic Welshmen and women on St David's Day on the 1st March. But have you ever wondered why the Welsh have embraced this strong smelling Allium plant as their symbol? Yes – No, well as a Welsh born person I had often wondered of the connection between leeks and Wales. There are many legends, some show that the leek was used by the Welsh as a 'cap badge' to distinguish friend from foe. Others state that the leek was associated with St David the Patron Saint of Wales who died in 589 AD and another says it predates this to a time when people praised the medicinal properties of plants, and the leek apparently had a reputation to cure a variety of illnesses. The leek was also given magical and mystic qualities. Apparently, it could offer protection against wounds in battle, ward off evil spirits or be used as a means of fortune-telling, for example it was claimed that by placing a leek under a pillow, in their dreams young maidens could see the features of their future husbands. Awwww.

Back to the present, on St. David's Day the leek is still worn in the cap badges of every soldier in every Welsh regiment. However, outside the army, many Welsh people have replaced the leek with a daffodil, perhaps because it looks more attractive and smells better. I am not 100% sure of the reason, but what is interesting, one of the many Welsh names for a daffodil is Cenhinen Bedr or Peter's leek. So it seems somewhat poetic.
Onto food, the leek is also a delicious and healthy ingredient. In the past, the leek was a common part of the Welsh diet, as it was used in traditional meat based broths such as cawl, but this is not that popular today unless of cause you are a tourist in certain parts of Wales, where it is being served at local pubs and B&Bs. I think leeks make a delicious soup too, for example I would never turn my nose up to a good 'leek and potato' soup, especially on a cold day like today. If this has got your juices flowing for soup, check out my ‘Leek, rosemary and chickpea' soup. I think you will like it. But if you are looking for something a little more substantial, this 'Winter Vegetable cobbler' with leeks should hit the spot.

This is also my entry for this weeks Weekend Herb Blogging, which celebrated its fourth Birthday last year. WHB was started by Kalyn, and now run by Haalo. I think this is a wonderful way to get food bloggers to cook with what is in season and growing locally in their region. This weeks WHB No. 217 is being hosted by Anna from Anna’s Cool Finds.
I made this dish once before in 2004, with red onions as I had no leeks. But not this time, remember those leeks I pulled on Sunday, well this is what I did with them all. I had roasted the vegetables for this dish a day in advance and made the rest including the cobbles when I got in from work.

Winter Vegetable cobbler
Serves 6
Ingredients
4 small leeks or 2 large ones, thickly sliced
4 – 6 small carrots, sliced into coins
6 small parsnips sliced
1 teaspoon of dried sage or 4 fresh sage sprigs
200ml vegetable stock
142ml carton double cream
1 tablespoon of mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
For the cobbles
180g self raising flour
½ teaspoon salt
Generous pinch of cayenne
30g butter
70g mature cheddar, finely grated
1 medium egg
3 – 6 tablespoons milk
Method
Preheat the oven to Gas mark 6. Place the vegetables and age in a roasting tin, drizzle with oil and season to taste. Roast for 30 minutes until the vegetables are done to your liking.
Meanwhile, place the flour, salt, cayenne, butter and three quarters of the cheese either in food processor and whizz until blended, or by hand (which is what I actually did). Beat in the egg and enough milk to form a smooth soft dough. Set aside
Mix together the stock, cream and mustard and pour over the vegetables. Ten with floured hands, roll the cobble mixture into 6 even sized balls and flatten a little with the heel of the hand. Carefully place the cobbles on top of the vegetables and sauce, scatter with the remaining cheese and bake for 20 – 30 minutes until risen and golden brown. Serve immediately. Adapted from Ainsley Harriots Gourmet Express 2
Source: http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/Wales-History/TheLeek.htm

3 Seeds and Root Tartlets

Happy New Year to you all.
I don't know if it is age or just experience, but instead of joining the masses in the snowy cold to welcome the New Year in with noise and fireworks, we decided to stay snug in the warmth of our small flat and celebrate simply together.

On a number of fellow blogger sites I have come across elegantly decorated cakes, 'sweet mince pies' and 'vegetable pies' with stars galore. So in a similar fashion, I decided to made these a little special too, it was New Years eve after all.
The filling is mildly spiced made with carrots, parsnips and seeds: pumpkin, sunflower and sesame. We had these with all our own home-grown potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Really satisfying.
Whoops, in the oven a few minutes too long...but it didn't harm the taste at all.

The original recipe is for a Christmas Roast, but I adapted it a little as I did not have all the ingredients, plus one of the ingredients required: courgettes are out of season, so I replaced them with parsnips. I also made individual tartlets using shop bought puff pastry. I hope Rachel Demuth approves.

3 Seeds and Root Tartlets

Serves 8 - 10

Ingredients

100g green lentils

2 bay leaves

500ml stock made with 1 teaspoon vegetable stock

200g parsnips, peeled and grated

200g carrots, peeled and grated

1 onion, finely sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric

1/2 teaspoon of chilli powder

1/2 ginger powder
80g rolled oats
100g Brazil nuts, coarsely chopped
50g pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted
50g sunflower seeds, lightly toasted
50g sesame seeds, lightly toasted
2 tablespoons Tamari

1 tablespoon tomato puree
Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: Puff pastry

Method

Pre-heat the oven to Gas 4.

Wash the lentils, put them in a small saucepan with the stock and bay leaves. Bring to the boil and simmer until the lentils are tender, drain, remove the bay leaves and set aside.

Fry the onion in the olive oil until soft, add the garlic, spices and fry for 2 minutes. Add the grated vegetables, rolled oats, tomato puree and Tamari and sauté until soft, but still with some bite. Combine the cooked vegetables, lentils, Brazil nuts, two thirds of the toasted seeds. Season well with salt and pepper.

Here you can use the puff pastry as I did as tartlet cases, sprinkle with the remaining seeds and cook for 25 minutes until golden; Or you can simply make this in a loaf tin. In which case you should line the loaf tin with baking parchment paper, sprinkle in the remaining seeds into the tin, then spoon on the mixture. Press down firmly and bake on the middle shelf for 45 minutes or until firm. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out. Serve with gravy.

Adapted from my Christmas present Greens World Cookbook.