Black Kale and Chickpea Pot Pies

I do miss growing my own Black Kale.  It was only when I started growing my own that I learned Black Kale had so many interesting names.  Dinosaur Kale, Palm Tree Kale, Palm Tree Cabbage, Black Cabbage, Cavolo Nero, Tuscan Kale translated Toscana di Nero.

I was hoping to sow some more seeds this weekend, but the weather forecast halted our gardening plans once again. I have the sniffles and did not particularly want to be out in the garden being hit left right and centre by the gusty winds that was furiously rattling the greenhouse threatening to damage it further and the drip dripping of rain falling in every direction.

So instead, I stayed indoors and pottered about in the kitchen,something I have to admit I have not done much of this week.  

I made some Pot Pies with Black Kale that I picked up from the supermarket.  Its actually quite nice to find Black Kale in supermarkets now, a few years back, kale crisps and kale smoothies made it a food trend.  Its refreshing to now see the normalisation of Black Kale and Curly Kale in the vegetable section.

I adapted a recipe for Pot Pies I made a long while back, this time with a different filling: carrots, black kale, mushrooms and chickpeas

I am sharing these Black Kale and Chickpea Pot Pies with Eat Your Greens challenge that I co-host with The VegHog; This month it is my turn to host.  If you want to join in - please see this link, there is still plenty of time and participation is really easy.  I am also sharing this recipe with My Legume Love Affair hosted by Lisa's Kitchen; and with Healthy Vegan Fridays by Rock My Vegan Socks and V Nutrition.

Winter Greens Shepherds Pie

D has been wanting me to make vegetarian Shepherds Pie for the past month, I have been putting it off for one reason or another, well today with the blustery wind keeping us firmly indoors he finally persuaded me to make one.

I was going to make one of my old fashioned tried and tested Shepherds Pie or Shepherdess Pie recipes made with beans and lentils, but he expressed that he didn't want one made with lentils and beans, as we have been feasting on lots of pulse based dishes recently such as the Black Eyed Pea and Lemon Hot Pot and Red Kidney Bean Schnitzels.  

The only issue I had with this was that we haven't been out to the shops to stock up on fresh vegetables, so I was having to make do with what we had in our kitchen cupboards.  And there seems to be an awful lot of dry ingredients: flours, grains and beans.  Well, I kept hush and just got on with it and decided the vegan Shepherds Pie base was going to be made with soya mince which I often use for my Mexican Tamale Pie.  And yes I know soya mince is a legume, but minced up D is none the wiser.  Shu.  Lets keep it hush between us.  

Winter Greens Shepherds Pie part covered with mashed potatoes

Another thing, this particular Shepherdess Pie is made with shredded winter greens not peas which is traditional simply because I did not have any in the freezer either, so I had to make do with what I had, He was beginning to be a bit of a grump about it, saying it wouldn't be the same without peas. 

Verdict, he really loved it.  It was very, very paprikarey, yes I was a little heavy handed with the smoked paprika!  

Vegan Winter Vegetable Pot Pie with Puff Pastry

Snow, chill, ice and rain please go away and let the sunshine radiate its warmth and heat, and that is coming from a person who is not so keen on hot weather.  I just want to stop wearing layers of clothing and worrying about the electricity bill warming up a place that is never going to warm up. 

One thing that will warm us all up is this Winter Vegetable Pot Pie.  All the vegetables are available right now, even the peas direct from your freezer.  The thick gravy sauce in this Winter vegetable pot is what makes the dish rich and rib sticking.  If you want more vegetables on your plate, serve this with sauteed green and mash potatoes for comfort. 

A number of people who have tried these have asserted their pleasing with a smile and one simple comment: Delicious!   And the meat eaters utter in surprise - I can't believe its vegan, its so flavourful.  I've also made this Vegetable pot Pie with butternut squash, red pepper and slender green beans. 

A word about the puff pastry topping - I have to admit, not out of laziness, although that is how it may be perceived by some, but the truth is I hate waste even with scraps of left over pastry.  I made square - almost rectangular puff pastry tops, which puffed up like pillow case.  I guess I could use the scraps of pastry to make shaped on top of the puff pastry, but sometimes I do not have the patience.  Anyway, aesthetically round ones are much better. 

Vegan Vegetable Pot Pie topped with Puff Pastry
Serves 6
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
I large onion, minced
chestnut mushrooms, sliced
4 carrots, sliced
3 celery stalks, sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and black pepper
Plain flour
vegetable stock
Handful of frozen peas
Packet of ready rolled puff pastry, cut out into  6 circles to fit your pie dish.
Method
Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Saute the onions until transluscent, then stir in the celery,  carrots, thyme,  salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are beginning to soften about 10 - 15 minutes. Then stir in the mushroom and saute.  Add the flour and cook, stirring to prevent it from sticking for 30 seconds or so. Pour in the vegetable stock and peas, bring to a boil and simmer for a few minuted.  Turn off heat and transfer the vegetable mixture into ovenproof dishes or an 8-10 inch square baking dish. Lay the pastry circles on top. Bake until the puff pastry is puffed and golden - about 25 to 30 minutes.Bookmarked and adapted Mushroom Pot Pie recipe from Real Simple: Life Made Easier website.  

Cumin-Roasted Root Vegetables with Pearl Barley

We are due to be driving down South on New Years eve.  This wasn't planned, but welcomed by both our families.  Our first stop will be with my parents in Wales.  Whilst there we will be checking out our new rental accommodation and signing the lease to move in etc.  After that, it onwards to D's mothers, then back up to Scotland to make plans of our official home move.  

In an effort to use up fresh vegetables left over from Christmas (minus the sprouts) I decided to roast some root vegetables and garlic  in cumin seeds.  The combining of the root veg with the pearl barley was quite accidental, as my Basmati rice and Brown rice containers are bordering on empty.  So it was between couscous, to which D wrinkled his face or pearl barley. which also didn't get a good reaction - but that wasn't to last as his first mouthful saw him give the thumbs up. Although he did add it was a tad dry, to which I responded by placing a tub of soured cream on the side.  It was a good compliment to the roasted root veg.

I actually felt positively healthy eating this, a good sign for post Christmas. 

If you have any left, it will be absolutely fine to eat at room temperature too. Just think of it as a Winter Root Veg Barley Salad.

Cumin-Roasted Root Vegetable with Pearl Barley
Serve with soured cream..
Serves 4
200g pearl barley, cooked
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch of salt
Method
Cook the pearl barley in water according to packet instructions, when cooked, drain.  Add salt and oil and combine.  Set aside until required.

For the Cumin-Roasted Root Vegetables

1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 medium swede,
3 – 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 – 3 parsnips, peeled and sliced
1 bulb garlic, halved
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, whole
1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
200ml vegetable stock
Fresh coriander or parsley for garnishing.
Serve with optional : soured cream
Method
Preheat oven to gas mark 6.
In a large bowl, combine all the vegetables and spices and then drizzle on the olive oil.  Mix well, then tip onto a large tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes for the vegetables to caramelise, stirring from time to time.  After 20 minutes, pour in the vegetable stock, stir and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes until the stock has reduced.  Remove from the oven and stir in the cooked pearl barley, return to the oven for a further 5 minutes.  Then serve with a garnishing of freshly minced coriander or parsley.

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.

Cumin Chickpea flat cakes

If you take a look closer, you will see some Cumin chickpea flat cakes, albeit well hidden under the roasted winter vegetables. These Cumin chickpea flat cakes are both soft and crisp. The softness on the inside reminds me of hummus, and the crispness on the outside is a bit like chickpea pakoras or chickpea chips.

One of the things I've been trying to do over the past few months is go through my store cupboards in an attempt to (empty it and) use up some of the ingredients. My store cupboard is an extension of my kitchen cupboards. I have a tiny kitchen that is not able to accommodate my dried goods such as flours, spices, lentils as well as tins of tomatoes, beans and pulses - chickpeas being one of them. I have a lot of chickpea tins in my cupboard.
This morning I had also picked up some parsnips and Jerusalem artichokes from the farmers market. So along with the green garlicky kale, these fresh, local and seasonal vegetables formed part of our meal this evening. It was all good, very good in fact.

There is one thing I should mention though, especially if you decide that you wish to attempt these. When I turned the flat cakes out onto the plate, I noted the top was lovely and crisp, but the bottom not so much (see below). So if you wish for both sides to be crispy, I recommend halfway through the cooking process to remove from the tin(s). Flip them onto a non stick baking tin. Coat with a little olive oil and bake further until lightly crisp. I will definitely be doing this later in the week, as I have four Chickpea flat cakes left to consume. These will be good for a mid week working supper.
Cumin Chickpea flat cakes
Serves 6 – 8
Makes one 12 inch or 8 x 4 ½ inch round flan tins
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for coating
3 medium onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
3 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Heat the oil in a wide pan, add the onions and cover and fry gently for 10 - 15 minutes. Stirring every now and again to stop from sticking to the pan. Add the garlic and cumin seeds and cook for a few minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chickpeas and some salt and pepper. Mash thoroughly. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Put the mixture into a lightly oiled 12 inch round loose base flan tin and smooth the top. I actually used 8 individual round flan tins measuring 4 ½ inch. Gently baste the top with a little olive oil and bake in oven for 15 – 25 minutes or until golden – but don’t let it dry. Remove from the oven. Turn the flat cake out of the tin and slide it on to the dish.

NOTE: If you wish for both sides to be crispy, halfway through the cooking process remove from the tin(s) and flip onto a non stick baking tin. Coat with a little olive oil and bake further until lightly crisp. Slightly adapted from Rose Elliots Veggie Chic. Veggie Chic has also been released in paperback under the title of Sumptuous Suppers.

Winter Vegetable and Ale Stew

I made this Winter Vegetable stew for my mother in law at the weekend. She flew back to England last night. Whilst she was here, she described herself as a 'Southern Softy' as the cold weather in Scotland was a little too much for her to bare. She said she felt like the Michelin Tyre woman all wrapped up and unable to move for all the thick layers she had on.
This stew is very similar to the Winter Root Vegetable Stew I made early this year. The main difference with the stew is the choice of alcohol. In the previous stew I used cider and in this one it was Ale. I have to admit I am not a beer drinker at all and was actually going to substitute the alcohol content with additional vegetable stock, but D encouraged me to give it a go. I obliged as we don't eat many dishes that contain alcohol.

Well I thought if I was going to put Ale into my Stew, as an 'honorary Scot' it should be made with a Scottish ale. I chose one charmingly called Old Jock Ale. It is said here that the soldiers of the Highland and Lowland Regiments of Scotland had been referred to as "Jocks", a term of endearment.
The Stew certainly had layers of flavour. Sweetness from the swede and carrots, 'meaty' texture from the Portobello mushrooms and the ale which gave the sauce more body and depth. On top of this the soft fluffy dumplings that just melted in your mouth. Although I did not mind eating this stew, the alcohol content is something I have to get used to as D has said he'd be happy to eat this again. The way the snow is still falling here, I have a feeling I will be making this stew again - soon too. I served this stew with some Brussels sprouts and shredded green cabbage.

If you decided to make this stew. Please ensure that the vegetables are chopped to a similar size, so that they cook well.

Winter Vegetable Stew with dumplings
Serves 4
For the StewIngredients1 large onion, peeled and finely sliced
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 – 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium swede or rutabaga, peeled and chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

200g Portobello or chestnut mushrooms
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon plain flour
350ml Ale
600ml vegetable stock

1 tablespoon Marmite or alternative yeast extract

1 tablespoon sun dried tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
MethodIn a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add all the chopped vegetables and stir fry for a few minutes until the vegetables are beginning to look translucent around the edges. Add the mushrooms and the flour. Stir to combine, then pour in the ale, vegetable stock, tomato puree, rosemary and yeast and bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Season to taste. Whilst the stew is simmering, make the dumplings.

For the (cheesy) dumplings
Ingredients120g self-raising flour
50g vegetable suet
1 teaspoon mustard powder

80g cheddar, grated (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cold water to combine
MethodThe dumplings need to be added 15 minutes before the stew is ready.
In a bowl add flour, vegetables suet, cheese 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. Slightly adapted from Rachel Demuths Green Seasons Cookbook.

Cauliflower, broccoli and leek gratin

This is not the prettiest of dishes, but this vegetable gratin was packed with flavour, texture and bite. I especially liked the herby-seedy bread crumbed topping. It was light, crisp and very satisfying.

I don't have a recipe for this gratin, but it is quite straight forward. Either steam or boil the chopped vegetables: cauliflower, carrot and broccoli until tender. Drain and set aside. Saute the leeks in some oil, then mix into the cooked vegetables. Tip into a large ovenproof dish. Now make some béchamel sauce. Pour over the béchamel sauce. Top with some grated cheddar cheese (optional) and a breadcrumb topping.

For me it’s the topping that makes this dish. D made some bread at home, before you get all impressed, it was in a bread maker! He is a better bread maker than me. Whether its been from scratch or in a bread maker, many of my previous attempts have resulted in 'hit and miss' loaves. His have been consistent. I nabbed the butt ends and whizzed them in a food processor.

Added a mix of sunflower, pumpkin seeds, linseed, a little seasoning, minced fresh parsley and then drizzled over some olive oil, before scattering over the veg and béchamel sauce. Bake at gas mark for about 30 minutes. Serve with some new potatoes or brown rice if you wish, but I think its quite substantial as it is.

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.

A vegan North AfricanTagine

When people think of Moroccan tagines or tajines, they generally associate them to be made with Summer vegetables that echo of Mediterranean holidays or Autumnal vegetables, such as this one I made last year. However, this version includes a vegetable associated with cold wintery nights, the Savoy cabbage. I came across this vegan version of the Tagine recipe, whilst looking for inspiring ways to enjoy eating the seasonal Savoy cabbage.
I know the green wrinkly Savoy cabbage in a tagine may not sound as appealing as golden nuggets of butternut squash, but trust me this really works. And please, please don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients, they do all compliment each other. Another thing, please don't think this recipe is not for you just because you don't have a tagine. Although a tagine would be good, it is not necessary. You can still make this at home tagine-style, I often do.

This tagine is neither too sweet or spicy, until of course you top it with harissa and then your tongue is transported for a few moments to another place, but taken with a spoonful of sweet delicate couscous the flavours are mellowed.
This recipe comes from one of my well thumbed cookbooks New Food for Thought by Jane Noraika. Food for Thought is a vegetarian restaurant in Covent Garden that I have yet to frequent should I find myself in London again, but I have been fortunate to try out some of the recipes in the comfort of my home. The book does not have any photographs, this may hinder some people from picking it up, but not me. I like the ‘down to earth’ homely appeal of the recipes. What I also like about this particular book was it makes an occasion of the meal with recommended accompaniments, many of the other cookbooks I have at home fail to do this and you are left wondering what else to put on the plate so it is a proper meal.

The creative people at Food for Thought restaurant have kindly granted me permission to reproduce the original recipe on my blog. I would like to Thank them, especially Vanessa Garrett for permitting me to share it with you all. Please enjoy making this recipe in your home too.
Marrakesh Tagine with Harissa sauce and almond flecked couscous
Serve 4 – 6
Ingredients
2 tablespoons oil
½ red onion, thinly sliced
½ white onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly roasted and ground
2 teaspoons coriander seeds, lightly roasted and ground
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped
2 x 400g tin tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato puree
50g dried apricots, cut into strips
25g raisins
75g black olives, pitted
1 x 400g tin chickpeas,
1 large potato, cut into wedges
225g carrots, cut into rounds (I used home grown baby carrots)
½ medium Savoy cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
Handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
Method
Place the oil in a large saucepan with the onions, all the spices and the chilli. Cook gently until the onion is soft. Add the tinned tomatoes and tomato puree and cook for a further 10 minutes. Add the apricots, raisins, olives and potato wedges. Continue cooking until the potato is tender.
Cook carrots in boiling salted water until tender. Drain.
Heat a little oil in a large pan and stir fry the cabbage until it just starts to go limp.
Combine all the vegetables and chickpea with the sauce. Gently bring to the boil and stir in the fresh herbs. Serve immediately with Harissa and couscous

For the Harissa
Ingredients
3 large fresh red chillies
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons coriander seeds, roasted and ground
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, roasted and ground
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon tomato puree
Pinch of salt
Method
Place the whole chillies in a frying pan without any oil. On a gently heat, dry until the skin begins to blacken and blister. Remove from the heat, allow to cook, then de-seed. Wash your hands immediately afterwards. (I have to admit, because I was impatient, I just added the whole chilli, yes seeds included to the food processor).
Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Transfer the harissa to a jar with a lid. It will keep for 2 – 3 weeks in the fridge.
Serve with couscous and preserved lemons if you have some.

Almond flecked couscous

Ingredients

50g sultanas

100g couscous

50g flaked almonds

Juice 1/2 lemon

50g flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

salt and pepper

Method

Cover the sultanas with boiling water and leave to become plump. Drain.

Add enough water to the couscous so that the grains are just moist.

Place the almonds in a frying pan and dry fry until golden.

Fluff up the couscous and gently stir in all the ingredients. Season to taste.

The original recipe has some melted butter added to it, but I have to admit I omitted this as I thought there would be enough moisture and flavour from all the other components.

Clay Pot Spiced Vegetable Stew

I don't rave about many stews, but this one I shall. The carrot and parsnip were perfectly cooked, the chick peas melted in the mouth and the Bulgur wheat gave it that extra texture and the fat red fiery looking chillies gave it that background heat. I can't believe its only taken me two yeas to make it again.

This is one of those stews that you should 'Eat as it is'. I don't think it needs an accompaniment like bread, as the Bulgur wheat, little as it is, does bulk up the stew and fill you up.
I made this in my black clay pot, so it could be served straight from the oven to the table. It can also be made in an ovenproof casserole dish, even a slow cooker if you have one. It is really a straight forward recipe and one to make when you have other things to be getting on with, indoors or outdoors. Just place all the ingredients into the pot, give it a stir now and again, and then add the final ingredients 30 minutes before serving. As the domestic goddess Nigella Lawson would say 'how easy is that!.

Clay Pot Spiced Vegetable StewServes 4 - 6
Ingredients
900ml or 1 ½ pint vegetable stock
1 onion, finely sliced
2 – 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 parsnip, peeled and sliced
1 x 400g tin of tomatoes, roughly chopped
50g bulghur wheat
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 - 4 fat red chillies, pierced
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 tablespoon tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 x 400g tin of chick peas

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Optional: drizzle with some good olive oil

Method
In a oven proof casserole dish or clay pot add the vegetables, tomatoes, olive oil, bulghur wheat, whole red chillies, herbs and spices and pour over the hot stock. Cover with a tight fitting lid and bake in the oven at mark 4 for 2 hours. Remove the lid and stir in the beans and tomato paste. Cover and return to the oven for a further 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Remove the stew from the oven and season to taste. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving sprinkled with the chopped parsley and optional drizzling of good olive oil. Adapted from Vegetarian Good House-keeping.

Shepherdess Pie without the Shepherds and the sheep

The British comfort food 'Shepherds pie' seems to be making a comeback as its been appearing on a lot of blogs recently. I wonder if Gwyneth Paltrow has got anything to do with it?! Anyway, I thought I'd make some this weekend too. However, mine of course is made without minced meat, it not even made with faux meat, but with some seasonal winter vegetables and aduki beans fondly called "red dragon" or "red wonder" beans. Another thing, this Shepherds pie is actually called Shepherdess pie simply because its meat free. And as its officially spring, I am going to say this Shepherdess has little lambs jumping around her with joy. I'm such a romantic sometimes.
The last time I made this Shepherdess pie was in 2005. How can I remember you may wonder? Well whenever I cook a recipe from a cookbook, I often scribble on it the date and how I found the dish. My scribbles reveal the date 4th January 2005 and my comment next to the recipe was it was very strong in flavour. I think this was because of the yeast extract which I reduced this time. The pie was really good. All the vegetables were cooked well and the flavours of each came though. I was particularly nervous about the swede, but even that was tender. Some of you may know that I am not a big fan of mash either, but this one was actually very good too. I think the reason was the crispness on the top.
This recipe makes a large quantity. Enough to serve 6, maybe even 8 people with accompaniments. So its a dish that is going to feed us at least three times this coming week. This dish had a number of different processes to bring it together, so my recommendation make this pie when you have time on your hands to potter in the kitchen, which is what I did this afternoon when it started raining outside.

Shepherdess Pie

Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients

For the sauce

25g vegan margarine or butter

1 onion, finely minced

Sprig of rosemary, pulled of the stalk and minced

1 small leek, thinly sliced

1 carrot, grated

1 generous teaspoon paprika
2 generous tablespoons of plain flour

1 pint vegetable stock

1 teaspoon yeast extract (I used marmite)

1 tablespoon Tamari or soy sauce

1 generous tablespoon of tomato puree

1 teaspoon mustard

For the vegetables

150g aduki beans, soaked overnight and then cooked for 45 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.

3 leeks, sliced

4 large carrots, sliced into rounds

2 large parsnips, sliced into rounds

1/2 swede, cut into small cubes

For the Topping

1kg - 1.5kg potatoes

Optional 100g cheese, grated

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

For the vegetables: Preheat oven to gas mark 5. Place the swede cubes on a baking tray with oil and salt and cook for 20 minutes, then add the carrots and parsnips and cook for a further 15 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender. Set aside.

Stir fry the leeks in a little olive oil until soft. Set aside.

For the sauce: In a saucepan place the butter, onion, leeks carrots paprika and rosemary. Cook until completely soft. Reduce the temperature and stir in the flour. Cook for a few minutes until the texture of roux changes to that of breadcrumbs. Gradually add the vegetable stock and mustard, yeast extract, tamari and tomato puree. Bring to a boil and season. Set aside.

Combine the cooked aduki beans and all the vegetables with the sauce. Turn out into a deep ovenproof dish.

Prepare the topping: by mashing the potatoes with salt and pepper until smooth and free of lumps (I actually get D to do this as I am a very bad potato masher. I like texture and lumps in my mash). Optional: stir in Cheddar cheese. Top the vegetables with the mashed potatoes and fork over gently if you want it to have that forked effect. Bake in the oven for 35 - 40 minuted until golden brown. Adapted from the brilliant New Food for Thought.

Oven Roasted Winter Vegetables with parsley oil

We have potatoes, carrots, sprouts, shallots, garlic

Other than the preparation work, this dish was a doddle to make. Simply drizzled with olive oil, a little seasoning and then roasted in the oven.

In a separate pan, I also roasted some beetroot as I didn't want it bleeding into the other vegetables. When all the vegetables were ready. I piled them elegantly on a plate and served with some parsley olive oil, sharpened a little with white wine vinegar. I enjoyed all the vegetables, except for the beetroot, which I transferred to Ds plate when he wasn't looking.

BBBrrrritain

This is what Britain looks like from space.
This is what it looks like in my garden plot.

Even the waterboy feature looks cold and miserable. Every day since Christmas eve D. has gone out to smash a small hole in the water that has iced over by the plummeting cold temperatures, so that the little birdies can wet their beaks.

I haven’t written very much about the allotment since harvesting a Brussels sprout tree on Christmas eve. The truth is with work and the lingering cold weather I just haven’t had much opportunity to go over and do you blame me.

Saying that though, D and me did stop by briefly after visiting one of the local supermarkets nearby, and I wished we hadn't gone as it made my heart sink. At the gate there was a sign. ‘To the heartless B#r*%&$! who burned down huts ** and **. Have a Happy New Year’. We entered the site, and went to check out these two particular huts. They had been burned down professionally, and by professional I mean it wasn’t random, these were specifically targeted. I don’t want to speculate or dwell on it, so will change the subject now.

We wandered over to our plot, where the gate was still frozen, so we couldn’t get in. We just looked a the ice-lolly sprouts and leeks, droopy chard and cabbages all still and cold like an art installation.

Anyway, here is what the ruby chard and cavolo nero looks like in the garden plot.

Even the garden ornaments are getting a hiding from the snow.

It's the birds I feel for, no berries, no apples, no water. Please do try and make an effort to feed the birds. Ds. been ever so good. We've been buying apples from the local supermarket and he's been patiently threading the apples with some jute string and then throwing them up in the tree (poorly) but they are there, so that at the fieldfair can feed off them, until the blackbird comes of course!

Another red curry this time with winter vegetables

I know it's spring, but I still feel the winter in the air. So what is more appropriate than cooking with some of these winter vegetables, including: parsnips (grown in Perth, Scotland), carrots, shiitake mushrooms (grown somewhere in the England) and sweet potatoes (from the USA). One of the supermarkets was also selling Tofu for half price. I bought four packets as the sell by date was very good. I like a bargain now and again.
The recipe is inspired by Nancie McDermott's book Real Vegetarian Thai, but as someone who likes to tamper with recipes I did not follow it to the book and have changed it with two ingredients,mainly tofu in place of wheat balls and shiitake in place of a winter squash.

D's not a fan of tofu, but he said he actually enjoyed it this way as the red curry sauce has penetrated well into it's texture.

Red curry with winter vegetables
Serve 4 generously
Ingredients
400ml can of unsweetened coconut milk
3 - 4 tablespoons of shop bought red curry paste
1 packet of tofu (250g), drained well and cut into cubes
200ml vegetable stock
1 tablespoon of soy or tamari sauce
500g of vegetables made up of parsnips; carrots; and sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into even sized cubes, bare in mind that these vegetables cook at different so cut the cubes accordingly.
75g shiitake mushrooms, halved
Coriander leaves, chopped for garnish
Method
Spoon out 1/3 of coconut milk into a pan and bring to a gentle boil until it starts to release its fragrance, then add curry paste and cook for a few more minutes until it is well blended.

Add tofu cubes and parsnip and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the sweet potato and carrot cubes along with remaining coconut milk, vegetable stock and soy or tamari sauce. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce to maintain gentle heat while winter veg are cooked through, but not mushy. This should take about 15 minutes

A couple of minutes before the dish is ready add the shiittake mushroom and stir thoroughly.

Remove from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes, sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves and serve with plain boiled rice.

Not so nobbly

These Jerusalem artichokes tubers are not so nobbly. I also think the flavour is not as robust and earthy as its sister.
I did not have the sunflower like flowers on mine, not sure why. Other people on the allotment did. Maybe because it’s a different variety fuseau.

This was our dinner a little while ago. Winter vegetables simply roasted in olive oil and sea salt.
Roasted winter dish included pototoes, turnip, jerusalem artichokes, carrots and brussels sprouts all dipped in brown sauce.