Ham and Veg Crumble

This would be great for that leftover ham from Boxing Day. In any event it used up lots of veg from my veg bag. I thought it lacked a pop of green so I added in some chard, but you could add in pretty much any green you like.

Ham and Veg Crumble (from Good Food Magazine December 2014)
(Serves 4)

100g butter
2 leeks, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 parsnips, chopped
½ celeriac, chopped
200g plain flour
500ml hot chicken or vegetable stock
400g cooked ham, cut into chunky slices from a joint, then shredded
200g tub low-fat crème fraîche
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a large frying pan, chop the remaining butter into small chunks and put it in the fridge. Add the leeks, carrots, parsnips and celeriac to the pan with a splash of water, season, cover with a lid and cook for 10-15 mins, stirring now and then, until the veg is beginning to soften.

Stir in 2 tbsp of the flour, then add the stock a bit at a time, stirring as you go, until all incorporated and smooth. Cover with a lid and simmer for 10 mins until the vegetables are tender.

Heat the oven to 200C. Add the ham, all but 2 tbsp of the crème fraîche, and the mustard to the veg, season with pepper and transfer to an ovenproof baking dish.

Put the remaining butter and flour in a bowl and season. Rub together with your fingers to fine breadcrumbs. Add the remaining crème fraîche and mix with a cutlery knife until the crumble clumps together in places.

Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the filling, then bake for 30-40 mins until crispy and golden on top.

Creamy Celeriac Soup

It's not really the weather for soup but I made this ages ago and never got around to posting it and hey you could always pin it to use later on! This is a lovely creamy satisfying and filling soup.

Creamy Celeriac Soup (from WW Seasonally Sensational)
(Serves 4)
(2 WW ProPoints per serving)

600ml boiling water
600g celeriac, peeled and cut into small chunks
200g potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 veg stock cube
1/2 garlic powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
300ml skimmed milk
salt and pepper

Put the veg into a large pan and pour over the boiling water. Add the stock cube, garlic powder and lemon juice, stir and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and simmer gently for 15-20 mins or until the veg is tender, stirring occasionally.

Using a hand held blender, whizz the soup to a thick puree. Add the milk and return to the heat. Gently warm through and season to taste. Serve.

Celeriac, Apple and Chestnut Soup

This is another soup recipe from the River Cottage Light and Easy cook book and although in my picture it doesn't look like anything much being a rather muddy brown colour but flavour is superb. I have made celeriac and apple soup before but this took that to whole new level. The chestnuts added a lovely earthy depth of flavour to the soup.

Celeriac, Apple and Chestnut Soup
(Serves 4-6)

1 tbsp oil
1 onion, sliced
1 tsp thyme leaves
1 medium celeriac, peeled and roughly chopped
2 eating apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
200g vaccuum packed cooked chestnuts
1l hot vegetable stock

Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium-low heat. add the onion and thyme and cook gently for 10 mins or until the onion is soft but not coloured.

Add the celeriac, apples, chestnuts and stock to the onion. bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 15 mins or until the celeriac is tender.

Blend the soup thoroughly with a hand blender adding a little more stock or water if it seems too thick.

Add salt and pepper to taste then ladle into bowls and serve.

Jamie's 15 Minute Meals: Swedish Meatballs with Celeriac and Spinach

I tried another Jamie Meal, I really am whopping though this cookbook, I made a major change to this recipe and left out the rice because I ate so much chocolate during the day that I decided I didn't need the rice too! Nevertheless and despite using 3 pans this was a really tasty meal. My meatballs actually stayed together and resemble meatballs and that must be the first time that's ever happened! Also much cheaper than the crab/smoked trout recipes.

Swedish Meatballs with Celeriac and Spinach (from Jamie's 15 Minute Meals)
(Serves 4)

1 celeriac
olive oil
a few sprigs of fresh lemon thyme
200g baby spinach

Meatballs
200g lean beef mince
200g lean pork mince
1/2 bunch of fresh dill
2 tsp caraway seeds
1 swig of vodka
4 tsp cranberry jam
4 tbsp single cream
4 tbsp fat-free natural yoghurt, to serve 

Carefully trim the knobbly end of the celeriac, remove the skin, then dice it into 1cm pieces. Put into the casserole pan with 1 tbsp of oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, the thyme leaves and a splash of boiling water. Put the lid on, turn the heat to high and cook, stirring regularly. 

Put all the mince into a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper, finely chop and add most of the dill, then mix and scrunch together with clean hands. Divide the mixture into 4, then pinch and quickly roll out 5 balls from each piece with wet hands. Pour 1 tbsp of oil into the hot frying pan, add the meatballs and caraway seeds, turn the heat up to high and toss regularly until the meatballs are golden. 

Stir the spinach into the casserole pan, then season to taste. Add a good swig of vodka to the meatballs, carefully light it with a match (if you want), let the flames subside, then add the jam, cream and a few good splashes of water, and simmer. Season and serve with the rice, scatter with the remaining dill leaves and yoghurt. 

Fish Finger Pie

I took the basic recipe and poshed it up a bit, out of necessity rather than by design. The original recipe is very simple; Frozen fishfingers, baked beans, potatoes and cheese. Out of those ingredients I only had baked beans and cheese, but what I did have was cod, a box of Special K, celeriac and swede, all viable substitutes. So using my initiative, I made my own fish fingers and made a slightly posher and less carb heavy version. I have to say it was delicious and definitely something I'll be making again.

Fish Finger Pie (adapted from This Mummy)
(Serves 4)

1/2 swede, cut into chunks
1/2 celeriac, cut into chunks
1 egg, beaten

85g Kellogs Special K, crushed

zest and juice 1 lemon

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp olive oil

400g skinless white fish, sliced into 12 strips

2 cans baked beans
50-100g cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Put the celeriac and swede in a saucepan full of water and cook for 20-25 mins.

Meanwhile, pour the beaten egg into a shallow dish. Tip the cereal onto a plate. Mix the lemon zest into the breadcrumbs along with the oregano and some salt and pepper.

 

Dip the fish strips into the egg, then roll them in the breadcrumbs.

Put the fish fingers in the bottom of a deep ovenproof dish and bake for 15 mins.

When the fish fingers are cooked, take the dish out of the oven and pour over the cans of baked beans. Return to the oven to warm the beans through for 3-5 mins.

When the celeriac and swede is done, mash with a knob of butter and a splash of milk and set aside.

Spoon the mash over the fingers fingers and beans and top with the grated cheese.

Return to the oven and cook for about 10 mins until the cheese is melted and going golden on top.

Celeriac Remoulade

This was lovely and refreshing. I served it to my parents with cold cuts and salady bits after we came back from the theatre last weekend.

Celeriac Remoulade (from The Observer)

1 medium celeriac, peeled and shredded
juice half lemon
4 heaped tsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbso fromage frais
2 tbsp chopped pasley
salt and pepper

Put the celeriac into a bowl and toss immediately in the lemon juice.

Mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, yoghurt and parsley. Season with salt and black pepper, then fold into the shredded celeriac. Set aside for 30 mins then serve.

This needs to be eaten immediately, it doesn't keep overnight.

Fake Bakes

I had half a celeriac sat in the fridge staring at me, needing to be used and then I remembered the fake bakes that I'd seen on Slice of Slim, a WeightWatchers blog, that was featured in the magazine a couple of months ago. It's a less pointy alternative to potato for those doing WeightWatchers but doesn't scrimp on the taste. You can also prepare swede in the same way. This was really delicious. I served it with a small tin of baked beans and some cheddar grated over the top for a filling dinner.

 

 

Baked Celeriac (from Slice of Slim) 

(Serves 4)

(0 ProPoints per serving)

 

1 large celeriac

 

Preheat the oven to 220C.

 

Give the celeriac a really good scrub using a vegetable brush, especially if you are going to leave the skin on. Cut into quarters.

Spray with cooking spray and rub into the outside.

Bake for 40-45 mins. Turn a couple of times during cooking so that each side of the celeriac gets a charred appearance.

Cream of Celery Soup

On Saturday I had a vegetarian day. I try to eat at least one maybe two vegetarian meals a week but I don't usually manage a whole day. This cream of celery soup is really easy to make and delicious. I have made this soup before but forgot to take any pictures and it was so good that I decided to make it again. That and I had scored a couple of very cheap celeriac at the supermarket! I served this with a cheese sandwich in a crusty brown roll and it set us up well for an afternoon of wallpaper stripping.

Cream of Celery Soup (from Cook Sister)
(serves 4)

1 tbsp oil
350g celery stalks, chopped
250g celeriac, peeled and cubed
150g leek, thinly sliced
600ml good vegetable stock
120ml single cream
salt and black pepper

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the chopped vegetables and cook for 3 or 4 minutes until everything has started to soften.

Add the hot stock, bring to a boil, cover and allow to simmer for about 25 minutes, until the celeriac is fork tender.

Remove from the heat and use a hand blender to blend the vegetables and stock into a puree. Add more hot stock if necessary to thin the soup.

Stir in the cream, check for seasoning and return to a low heat to heat through.  Serve with crusty bread or a cheese sandwich.

Celeriac and Apple Soup

I seem to be making soup once a week at the moment and eating it at least once a week too. It's fantastic for when I am going out for dinner as I can save the points for the meal. This soup is especially fantastic as it has no points as its pretty much all veg! It is delicious as well and healthier than the Celeriac and Apple Soup that I made a while ago but just as tasty.

Celeriac and Apple Soup (adapted from weightwatchers.co.uk)
(Serves 4)
(0 WW ProPoints per serving)

1 onion, chopped
1 tsp curry powder or paste
850ml vegetable stock
250g celeriac, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and cut into quarters
1 sprig parsley, chopped, to garnish

Spray a saucepan with cooking spray and cook the onion until soft and translucent, about 5 mins. Add the celeriac and the stock, cover and cook for a further 15 minutes.

Add the apple and cook for a further 5 minutes, until the apple has collapsed.

Using a hand blender, blend the soup until smooth. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

Summery Chicken

This is possibly one of the easiest dinners ever but one of the tastiest. I love the combination of pesto, creme fraiche and chicken, it feel deliciously creamy yet you know that it's actually light. The whole recipe is only 5 points! I served it with celeriac mash, watercress and asparagus drizzled with balsamic vinegar. The best of summer flavours.

Summery Chicken (from WeightWatchers Cooking for One)

(Serves 1)
(5 WW ProPoints per serving)

cooking spray
150g skinless boneless chicken breast
100g cherry tomatoes, halved
25g half fat creme fraiche
10g low fat pesto
a lemon wedge
salt and pepper
a few basil leaves to serve

Spray a non stick frying pan with the cooking spray. Season the chicken breast and add to the pan. Cook over a medium heat for about 20-25 mins, turning often, until the chicken is cooked through and golden.

Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan and cook for a further 2-3 mins. Add the creme fraiche and pesto, season, stir to combine, and squeeze over the lemon. Serve immediately garnished with the basil leaves.

Daring Cooks December 2009: Salmon en Croute

The Decemeber 2009 Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Simone of Junglefrog Cooking. Simone chose Salmon en Croute (or alternative recipes for Beef Wellington or Vegetable en Croute) from Good Food Online.

I really enjoyed doing this Daring Cooks, I love eating salmon en croute but usually just get it out of a packet from the supermarket, so it was nice to try it from scratch. I cheated and used ready made pastry and I did have a small problem with the puree. I only have a tiny food processor big enough to make hummus and that sort of thing. So I had to use a hand blender to make the puree, it made the puree really liquid. I tried putting it in the fridge for a bit to see if that would stiffen it up, but that didn't work! So I tried to carefully pour it into the salmon parcels, but lots of it oozed out! So I heated the remainder of the sauce and put it in a jug to pour over, and then it thickened up! Very bizarre.



I made this for my parents when they came for dinner, and they really enjoyed it. I served it with celeriac mash, runner beans and sugar snap peas.

Salmon en Croute
(Serves 4)

Mascarpone or cream cheese 5.2 ounces/150 gr
Watercress, rocket (arugula) and spinach - 0.6 cup/4.2 ounces/120 gr
Shortcrust pastry - 17.6 ounces, 500 gr. Use a butter version such as Jus-rol which is frozen or dorset pastry. or... make your own!
Salmon fillet (skinless)- 17.6 ounce/500 gr
egg - 1 medium sized

1.Heat the oven to 200°C/390 F. Put the mascarpone or cream cheese in a food processor with the watercress, spinach and rocket and whizz the lot until you have a creamy green puree. Season well.



2. Roll the pastry out so you can wrap the salmon in it completely (approx. 2-3 mm thick) and lay it on a buttered or oiled baking sheet (it will hang over the edges). Put the salmon in the middle. If it has a thinner tail end, tuck it under. Spoon half of the watercress mixture onto the salmon. Now fold the pastry over into a neat parcel (the join will be at the top, so trim the edge neatly), making sure you don’t have any thick lumps of pastry as these won’t cook through properly. Trim off any excess as you need to. Make 3 neat cuts in the pastry to allow steam to escape and make some decorations with the off-cuts to disguise the join if you like. Brush with the egg glaze.



3. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and browned. To test whether the salmon is cooked, push a sharp knife through one of the cuts into the flesh, wait for 3 seconds then test it against the inside of your wrist; if it is hot, the salmon is cooked. Serve with the rest of the watercress puree as a sauce.

Celeriac, Leek and Smoked Salmon Dauphinoise

I had a very forlorn looking Celeriac in the bottom of my fridge which kept threatening to go mouldy but never quite got there, so I thought it was time to use it, and this is what I made:



Celeriac, Leek and Smoked Salmon Dauphinoise. I got the original recipe from Good Food Magazine, but adapted it slightly with the addition of leeks. I think this is another case of don't substitute ingredients though. I used half fat creme fraiche rather than the double cream the recipe asked for, and whilst this worked, it isn't as liquid as double cream and so didn't bind the ingredients together in quite the same way. Still delicious but not quite as good as it would have been with double cream.

Celeriac, Leek and Smoked Salmon Dauphinoise (adapted from Good Food Magazine January 2004)
(Serves 6)

1 lemon, juice only
1 small celeriac, about 650g/1lb 7oz, peeled and quartered
2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 x 125g packs smoked salmon
small handful fresh dill, chopped
1 onion, finely sliced
284ml carton double cream

Preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Pour the lemon juice into a large bowl. Slice the celeriac into pieces about the thickness of a £1 coin, tossing them into the lemon juice as you go, then add the potato slices.

In a large ovenproof dish, layer the celeriac and potato with the slices of salmon, sprinkling with the chopped dill and onion and drizzling a little cream over each layer. Season with a little salt and lots of pepper at each stage. You should have three layers of potatoes and celeriac sandwiching two of salmon, onion and dill. Finish with the remaining cream.

Cover the dish with foil and place on a tray. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 30-40 minutes until bubbling and the top is crispy and golden. Test that the vegetables are cooked by inserting a skewer or small knife - it should push in easily. If you like, you can flash it under a hot grill to get the top layer really crispy. Leave to cool slightly then serve straight from the dish.