Sausage, Tomato and Potato Bake

This is a really easy bake, pop it in the oven, forget about it for 15 mins, add some stuff, forget about it for another 15 mins, stir in the some pesto, dinner! I made it when I got back from a trip and was more concerned about getting stuff done around the house whilst it was cooking. It's damn delicious too!

Sausage, Tomato and Potato Bake
(Serves 2)

4 sausages, cut in half
200g new potatoes
1 onion , cut into 8 wedges
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
150g mushrooms, chopped
4 sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
2 tbsp basil pesto
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Put the sausages, onions and potatoes into a roasting tin and spray with cooking spray. Put in the oven.

After 15 mins add the cherry tomatoes and mushrooms, stir and continue to cook for another 15 mins.

Removed from the oven and stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and pesto. Serve with a green salad.

Brussel Sprout and Mushroom Hash

One use for those leftover brussels sprouts!

Brussel Sprout and Mushroom Hash (from Closet Cooking)
(Serves 2)

1 tbsp oil
1 small onion, finely diced
225g mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp thyme, chopped
450g brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced
salt and pepper
4 eggs

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, add the onions and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms release their moisture, it evaporates and the mushrooms start to go brown, about 15 mins.

Add the garlic, thyme and brussels sprouts, saute until tender, about 5 mins, let sit until the bottoms start to caramelise, about 5 mins, then mix everything up and season. Make small wells in the hash, add the eggs and cook until you're happy wth them.

Chicken, Bacon and Mushroom Potato Pie

I made this for my parents a couple of weeks ago. I liked it but the sauce split. I'm not sure why. It was pretty tasty though, I like potatoes as the pie crust.

Chicken, Bacon and Mushroom Potato Pie (from Let The Baking Begin)
(Serves 4)

1.35kg potatoes, sliced thinly
2 chicken breasts
300g button mushrooms, quartered
4 strips thick cut bacon, cut into ⅓ inch pieces
½ large onion, chopped
30g grated cheese
125ml stock
60ml single cream
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic powder

Heat a frying pan over medium heat, add the chopped bacon and render the bacon until it crisps up. Add the chopped onions to the bacon and continue cooking until the onion is golden in colour. Tilt the frying pan to the side allow the fat to drip to the bottom and remove the onion and bacon to a separate bowl.

Heat the frying pan on high with the bacon fat in it, add the mushrooms and brown them over high heat, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat. Add the salt, pepper and garlic powder, mix to coat.

Cut the chicken breast into 1 inch pieces. Add the salt, black pepper and garlic powder and toss to coat.

Layer the ingredients in the following order: chicken, half of bacon and onion mixture, light sprinkling of cheese, mushrooms, bacon and onion mixture, a little bit of salt and pepper to season the mushrooms, light sprinkling of cheese and lastly arrange most of the potatoes on top.

Mix the chicken stock and cream and pour on top. Cover the baking dish with foil or lid. Place into preheated to 220C oven and bake for 15 mins, then reduce the heat to 180C and bake for another 40 mins. Remove the foil or the lid and cook for additional 20-30 mins or until the top is golden brown. Serve.

Sausage, Cheddar and Mushroom Pasta Bake

I made this delicious pasta bake for dinner a couple of weeks ago. It was fab, really easy to make. I made a couple of changes, I added green beans to the recipe and I put tomatoes on top before the finally bake as I love tomatoes in macaroni cheese!

Sausage, Cheddar and Mushroom Pasta Bake (from Sainsbury's Magazine)
(Serves 6)

8 sausages
2 tbsp oil
2 red onions, chopped into wedges
300g mushrooms, halved or quartered
400g macaroni
200g green beans, chopped in half
400ml crème fraîche
200g mature cheese

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Cut each sausage into three and put in a large roasting tin. Drizzle over the oil, season with black pepper and toss. Roast for 15-20 mins until the sausages are starting to colour.

Mix in the red onion and mushrooms and cook for a further 20 mins or until they are tender and the sausages are golden.

Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta for 10 mins adding the green beans for the last 3 mins of cooking time. Drain and toss in the tin with the sausages, onions and mushrooms. Spoon over the crème fraîche and stir it through, along with half of the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake for 10-15 mins until golden and crusty.

Creamy Parmesan Mushroom and Spinach Tortellini Soup

This was a delicious creamy soup. Perfect for these cold winter evenings.

Creamy Parmesan Mushroom and Spinach Tortellini Soup (from Closet Cooking)
(Serves 4)

2 tbsp butter or oil
225g mushrooms, quartered or sliced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp thyme, chopped
30g plain flour
125ml white wine
1.5l vegetable broth or chicken broth
225g cheese tortellini
40g parmesan, grated
280g baby spinach, coarsely chopped
125ml cream or milk
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a pan over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and onion and cook until they start to go golden, about 10-15 mins.

Mix in the garlic, thyme and flour and cook, stirring, until the flour starts to turn a light golden brown, about 2-3 mins. Add the wine and deglaze the pan.

Add the broth and tortellini, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the tortellini is tender, about 10 mins. Add the parmesan, let it melt, add the spinach, let it wilt, add the cream, season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Serve.

Veal Chop with Mashed Potato and Sautéed Mushrooms

I got some veal chops cheaply in Waitrose and then this recipe popped up in my Mum's copy of the Telegraph magazine. It was lovely and tasty, I love the combination of the veal and mushrooms.

Veal Chop with Mashed Potato and Sautéed Mushrooms (from The Telegraph)
(Serves 4)

4 veal chops
4 tbsp oil

For the mash
1.4kg potatoes, peeled and quartered
60g unsalted butter
50g milk

For the mushrooms
240g mixed mushrooms
1 tbsp oil
knob butter
1 garlic clove, chopped
100ml white wine
1 tbsp chopped parsley

Rub the chops with the oil and season. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 190C.

Meanwhile, cook the potatoes until tender.

Heat a frying pan over a medium high heat and add a splash of oil. Add the chops and cook until golden brown on one side, about 5 mins, then turn and cook for another 5 mins.

Remove the chops to a roasting dish and roast for 15 mins. Leave to rest for 10 mins.

Meanwhile, drain the potatoes, return to the pan and mash with the butter and milk. Season.

Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and add the oil and butter. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are golden brown. Then add the wine and reduce until the liquid disappears. Remove from the heat, season and toss in the parsley.

Divide the mash between 4 plates, top with the veal and the mushrooms. Drizzle any mushroom juices round the plates.

Mushroom, Wild Rice and Feta Salad

I apologise for the slightly haphazard nature of posting currently. I am on school holidays and things tend to get slightly erratic over the summer, I've been to Spain and I am currently in the Isle of Wight (this post is scheduled) and then Northumberland. Other things have also conspired against me and I haven't been doing a lot of cooking, I've sort of lost my mojo a bit. I'm hoping once things get sorted and at least a semblance of normality returns that normal service will resume, until then bare with me.

I made this salad right at the beginning of the holidays. It's one I have been wanting to make for ages but I had to wait until British asparagus season rolled around. It's a lovely flavourful salad, which takes a bit of effort but not too much, perfect for a lazy weekend. I topped it with a poached egg that needed using but it's just a lovely without.

Mushroom, Wild Rice and Feta Salad (from Closet Cooking)
(Serves 4)

200g basmati and wild rice
2 tbsp oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
225g mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
salt and pepper
450g asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
2 tbsp chopped dill
3 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette
salad leaves
40g feta or goat cheese or blue cheese, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Bring a an of water to the boil and add the basmati and wild rice. Cook according to packet instructions.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3-5 mins. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a min. Add the mushrooms and saute until just going golden brown, about 10-15 mins, season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, toss the asparagus in the oil along with some salt and pepper. Spread the asparagus out in a single layer on a baking tray and roast in the oven for about 10 mins or until tender.

Mix the rice, mushrooms, asparagus, dill and balsamic vinaigrette together.

Divide the salad leaves between 4 bowls. Top with the mushrooms and wild rice followed by the roasted asparagus. Sprinkle the feta on top.

Mushroom Galettes

I made these lovely mushroom galettes a little while ago, the recipe below is for one large pie but I made 4 smaller ones instead. I simplified the original recipe as I didn't have time to make caramelised onions but these are still very tasty.

Mushroom Galettes (adapted from Circle B Kitchen)
(Serves 4-6)

For the pastry
160g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
113g cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
60g plain yogurt or sour cream
2 tsp lemon juice
60 ml cold water

15g dried porcini mushrooms
1 onion, thinly sliced
300g mixed mushroom, cleaned and sliced
1 tbsp butter,
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme)
50g blue cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper
1 9-inch pie crust dough
1 egg, beaten with a little water

Preheat oven to 200C.

Put the flour and salt into a bowl and add in the butter. Using your fingertips rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.

In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add this to the flour mixture. Mix in the liquid until you get something that resembles dough. Wrap in clingfilm and put in the fridge for 1 hour.

Put the dried mushrooms into a bowl and cover with boiling water, pushing them down to make sure they’re all submerged. Leave them to soak for about 15 to 20 mins, then drain. Chop the mushrooms and set aside.

Melt the butter and oil in a frying pan over a high heat and add the onion and fresh mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms until they are softened and any liquid has mostly evaporated. Add the herbs, season and sauté for another 5 mins. There should be no excess liquid in the pan. Leave the onions and mushrooms to cool and mix with the porcini mushrooms.

Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Roll the pie dough out to an 27-30cm circle and place on the lined baking sheet. Place the mushroom mixture in the centre of the dough, leaving a 5cm border all the way around. Fold the pie dough towards the center, overlapping where necessary. The mushrooms should be exposed in the centre. Sprinkle over the blue cheese.

Brush the crust with the beaten egg and sprinkle over a little salt. Place the galette in the oven and bake for 30 mins or until the crust is just golden brown.

Secret Recipe Club: Creamy Brown Rice, Mushroom, Chicken, and Spinach Bake

It's time for Secret Recipe Club! This month I had Jessie, from Jessie Weaver: The Vanderbilt Wife. She is a stay at home mum to 3 kids in Chattanooga and she also works as a freelance writer. She says that she is an awful housewife but her blog is full of useful information and delicious recipes.

I decided to make her Creamy Brown Rice, Mushroom, Chicken, and Spinach Bake. I made a few tweaks adding in asparagus as it's in season and using mozzarella instead of parmesan. The dish was delicious and I have never cooked rice this way before, so it was new and fun experience for me and it came out perfectly. Yum!

Creamy Brown Rice, Mushroom, Chicken, and Spinach Bake (from Jessie Weaver)

(Serves 4-6)

830ml chicken stock, divided 

280g uncooked brown rice 

450g chicken, cooked and shredded or cubed 

1 tbsp butter 

1 onion, diced 

450g chestnut mushrooms, sliced 

4-5 stems fresh thyme, leaves stripped 

salt and pepper 

100g spinach leaves 

2 tbsp cornflour

250ml cream or creme fraiche

1 ball mozzarella, sliced 

Preheat the oven to 180C. 

Spread the uncooked rice in the bottom of a 23 x 33 cm pan. 

Bring 580ml of stock to a boil in the microwave or on the stovetop; pour over the rice. Cover the dish tightly with a double layer of foil. Bake for 30 mins. 

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the onion and cook for five mins, until soft. Add the mushrooms and cook a few more mins, until golden brown. Then add the salt, pepper, and thyme leaves and stir to combine. Add the spinach leaves to the mushroom mix and cook until they are wilted. Pour in the remaining 250ml of stock and add the chicken to the frying pan and simmer for a few mins. 

In a small bowl, mix together the cornflour and 1 tbsp of cream. Add the remaining cream to the frying pan, stirring well, then add in the cornflour slurry. Bring to a low boil and let it cook for a few mins until the sauce is thickened. 

Pour the mushroom mixture evenly over the rice and lay over the mozzarella. Recover with the foil and cook for another 30 mins, until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Remove the foil for the last 10 mins of cooking time to allow the cheese to go golden. Serve.

 

An InLinkz Link-up

Stuffed Swordfish

This was seriously one of the most flavourful dishes I have made in a while. It was a little bit of a faff to make but it just was so so good. I served it with crushed potatoes and salad.

Stuffed Swordfish (from Cooking Channel)
(Serves 1)

1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
2-3 cubes butter
60g wild mushrooms (shiitake, oyster), finely chopped
30g raw prawns, chopped
90ml white wine
1 tsp chopped spring onions
30g crabmeat
30g toasted breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
1 200g piece swordfish
40g plain flour
3 tbsp butter
60ml fish stock
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Heat the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add the garlic (minus a pinch) and red pepper flakes and sauté for 5 mins. Then add the mushrooms and prawns and continue sautéing until the prawns turns pink.

Add half the wine and simmer for a couple of mins before adding the spring onions. Add the crabmeat and the breadcrumbs, to tighten up the stuffing, and season with salt and pepper. Leave the mixture to cool for about 5 mins before stuffing the swordfish portions.

Sprinkle the swordfish steak with salt and pepper and lightly dust with the flour. Then, once the stuffing is cool, cut a slit in the side of the fish and make a pouch with your fingers. Fill the pouch with the stuffing.

Heat the remaining butter in a frying pan and saute the swordfish a over medium-high heat. Cook for 3 mins until lightly browned, then turn it over and put the frying pan in the oven for about 8 mins to finish cooking.

Once the fish is done, take the pan out of the oven, add the pinch of minced garlic to the pan and lightly brown over medium-high heat. Then deglaze the pan with the remaining wine. Add the fish stock and lemon juice to the pan and a knob of butter, stir until melted. Season the sauce with a little salt and add the parsley.

Take the swordfish out of the pan and place on a serving dish. Pour over the sauce and serve.

Mushroom Stroganoff with Garlic Chives

I have been getting a lot of mushrooms in my veg bag, so I decided to make a mushroom stroganoff and serve it over baked celeriac. I love the use of garlic chives in this recipe as they are now starting to come back in my garden. You could also add sour cream to make it creamy but I didn't have any so I just left it out. 

Mushroom Stroganoff with Garlic Chives (adapted from Allotment2Kitchen)
(Serves 3 - 4)

2 tbsp oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
250g mushrooms, sliced
200ml vegetable stock
1 tbsp soy sauce
handful of garlic chives, chopped
salt and pepper

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and garlic and fry over a medium heat until soft and golden.

Add the mushrooms and continue to saute for about 5 mins until cooked through. Add the vegetable stock, garlic chives and soy sauce to the mushrooms, and leave to simmer gently. Season and add the garlic chives. Serve.

Secret Recipe Club: Mushroom and Camembert Pasta

It's Secret Recipe Club time again! One of my favourite times of the month where I get a to pick a recipe from a my assigned blog. This month I had Susan from My Whole Food Family. She is an Aussie Mum with 3 boys and it studying Naturopathy. How she fits it all in I have no idea!! She focuses on a whole food diet doing away with the processed food and I am completely with her on that, so this assignment was perfect for me.

I could have made any number of recipe from her blog, lots of them sound delicious! I was looking for something simple and quick to make and as I already had camembert ripening on the side in the kitchen this recipe was perfect. I only changed the recipe by adding in some spinach that was about to go over in my garden and I hadn't realised what an amazing sauce camembert makes. This was just so good and I will definitely be using camembert as a pasta sauce again.

Mushroom and Camembert Pasta (from My Wholefood Family)
(Serves 6)

500g pasta
1 tbsp oil
500g mushrooms, chopped
1 red onion, sliced finely
2 cloves garlic, crushed
200g spinach
500ml vegetable stock
3 or 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
250g camembert, as ripe as possible, chopped into small chunks

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta according to packet instructions.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Add the oil to a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions, mushrooms and thyme leaves and fry until the onion is translucent and the mushrooms are almost cooked. Add the garlic and spinach and toss to combine, stir until the spinach is wilted.  Add the stock a little at a time, scraping to deglaze the pan.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the camembert. Stir until the camembert has melted. It will thicken the stock slightly.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the mushroom sauce pan. Stir to combine. Serve, scattered with thyme leaves.

An InLinkz Link-up

Squash Gnocchi with Creamy Mushrooms

I made a whole pile of squash gnocchi a little while ago and froze them. Now I'm starting to use them in dishes. I have never tried fried gnocchi before, but it totally works, these were absolutely delicious. The sauce didn't go creamy but it was a passable sauce and the mushrooms an squash mad a lovely combination. You could, of course, use normal gnocchi.

Squash Gnocchi with Creamy Mushrooms
(Serves 2)

25–30 gnocchi
120gr mushrooms, roughly chopped
1/2 onion, sliced
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
4 tbsp Greek yogurt
4 tsp oil

Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the gnocchi and cook until they all float, about 1–2 mins. Drain.

Heat 2 tsp oil in a medium frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the gnocchi and sauté until light brown, stirring occasionally, 12–15 mins.

Heat the remaining 2 tsp oil in a medium frying pan. Add the onion, mushrooms and paprika and sauté until mushrooms start to brown. Add the mustard and stir to combine.

Remove from heat and stir in yogurt. Arrange gnocchi on small plates. Spoon over the sauce and serve.

Hash Brown Pizza

So I have a lot of mushrooms in my fridge at the moment and in looking for something to do with them I came across this hash brown pizza which fitted in perfectly with afternoon tea on Mother's Day. This was really tasty and I will definitely be making it again. You can always change the topping to whatever you have in the fridge.

Hash Brown Pizza (from Slimming Eats)
(Serves 1)

1 large potato, peeled and grated
3 large mushroom, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 slices of bacon, chopped
40g mozzarella cheese, broken up into small pieces
1 egg
1 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 200C.

Place the grated potato into a clean tea towel and squeeze out the excess liquid. Put into a bowl and season well with salt and pepper.

Spray a baking tray with cooking spray and flatten out your grated potato on the tray, making it into a circular shape. Spray the top with cooking spray and place in the oven. Carefully turn over with a spatula when the underside is golden to repeat the process with the other side.

Meanwhile, spray a frying pan with some cooking spray and add you onions, mushrooms and bacon and cook for a few minutes until golden.

Remove the hash brown from the oven and arrange the mushroom, onion and bacon mixture on top, leaving a space in the centre. Put the halved tomatoes and mozzarella on top of the mushroom mixture. Crack the egg into the space in the centre. Return it back to the oven and continue to bake until the egg is cooked to your liking, about 7 mins for a runny yolk. Serve topped with the parsley.

Foodie Reads 2016: The Umbrian Thursday Night Supper Club by Marlena Di Blasi - Whole Roasted Cheese and Wild Mushroom-stuffed Pumpkin

Every week on a Thursday evening, a group of four Italian rural women gather in a derelict stone house in the hills above Italy’s Orvieto. There – along with their friend, Marlena – they cook together, sit down to a beautiful supper, drink their beloved local wines, and talk.

This is the second book about Italy that I have read so far this year. I found this one a bit rambling and confusing. It is apparently a memoir but it reads more like fiction, the characters don't feel quite convincing as real people. It's also not very fast paced so might be good to take on holiday.

There is a section of recipes in the back of the book and I went for the Whole Roasted Cheese and Wild Mushroom-stuffed Pumpkin. I made a mini version and stuffed a small squash. It was delicious and after taking a while to cut some of the flesh out of the squash actually really easy to make. I can see how it would make a good sharing dish if done in a whole pumpkin.

Whole Roasted Cheese and Wild Mushroom-stuffed Pumpkin
(from The Umbrian Thursday Night Supper Club)

1 large pumpkin
105g butter
2 large onions, finely chopped
300g mushrooms
salt and pepper
720g mascarpone
300g emmental cheese, grated
100g Parmesan, grated
3 eggs, beaten with 80ml cognac
2 tsp nutmeg, grated
8 slices day-old bread, cut into 2cm squares

Slice the top of the top of the pumpkin, remove the seeds and strings, then carve away a cm or so of its interior flesh with a thin, sharp knife. Cut the flesh into small chunks and set aside.

In a medium frying pan, melt 45g of butter and saute the onions, reserved pumpkin flesh and mushrooms until they are soft. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl combine the cheeses, eggs and cognac and nutmeg. Beat with a wooden spoon and then stir in the onions, pumpkin and mushroom mixture.

Melt 60g butter in a frying pan and brown the bread, tossing the pieces about until they are golden and crispy.

Preheat the oven to 190C. Place the pumpkin in a large heavy baking dish or baking tray. Spoon 1/3rd of the cheese mixture into the pumpkin, add half the bread, another third of the mushroom mixture, the remaining bread and then the last of the mushroom mixture. Put the top back on the pumpkin and roast for 1 1/2 hours until the pumpkin flesh is soft.

Serve cut into chunks.

Kielbasa, Sauerkraut and Mushrooms

I have an enormous jar of sauerkraut. They only seem to come in huge jars! Then you have to find things to do with it! So this is one idea, it's actually really scummy, I loved this recipe and the coolness of the sour cream just helps to set all the flavours off.

Kielbasa, Sauerkraut and Mushrooms (from Nigel Slater in The Guardian)
(Serves 2)

1 onion, chopped
200g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
200g kielbasa, sliced
2-3 tbsp oil
200g sauerkraut, rinsed
2 tbsp dill, chopped
2 heaped tbsp soured cream

Heat a tbsp of oil in a large frying pan then add the onion and let it soften over medium heat for 5 mins, then add the mushrooms and kielbasa.

Continue cooking until the mushrooms are starting to turn golden brown. Add the sauerkraut to the pan, tucking it among the mushrooms and onions. Season with salt, pepper and the chopped dill. Divide between 2 bowls and top with the soured cream

Green Barley and Mushroom Salad

This a really simple but really flavourful salad. You could also add some feta to it but I was very satisfied without it. 

Green Barley and Mushroom Salad (from Allotment2Kitchen)
(Serves 1)

50g pearl barley
1/4 onion or 1 spring onion, chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
100g mushrooms, sliced
half bunch kale
3 sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
8 olives, halved

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the barley according to packet instructions.

Steam the kale and then puree in a blender.

Heat a little oil in a frying pan and add the onion, cook for about 5 mins until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more min. Add in the mushrooms and cook until golden.

Add the barley, kale, sun-dried tomatoes and olives to the pan and stir to combine. Either eat hot or leave to cool an pack into a lunchbox,

Alice Springs Chicken Casserole

This casserole was really yummy. The original recipe called for a jar of alfredo sauce, but that doesn't exist in the UK so I made my own. I did have to make it twice though, the first time it just wouldn't thicken!

Alice Springs Chicken Casserole (from Kalyn's Kitchen)
(Serves 4-6)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
stock or water for cooking chicken, enough to cover
1/4 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp onion powder
450g mushrooms, washed and thickly sliced
2 tsp oil
113g bacon, diced small
1 quantity alfredo sauce
67g sour cream
50g mozzarella, grated
25g cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 190C. Grease an oven-proof dish.

Cook chicken breasts in barely simmering stock with the thyme, sage and onion powder until the chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 mins. Let the chicken cool, then pull apart into bite sized pieces and put in bottom of the ovenproof dish.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and saute the mushrooms until the mushrooms are golden, then put the mushrooms on top of chicken in the ovenproof dish. In the same frying pan, saute the bacon for a few mins until starting to go brown. Put the bacon on top of the mushrooms.

Whisk together the alfredo sauce and the sour cream, and pour over the mixture in the casserole dish. Sprinkle over the Mozzarella and Cheddar.

Bake for 30 mins until the cheese is slightly browned and casserole is bubbling. Serve.

Kale, Mushroom and Beetroot Lasagne

So whilst this meal is a bit time consuming it is incredibly tasty. It uses layers of veg instead of the pasta to create the lasagne and it goes the most wonderful colour because of the beetroot. So if you have a bit of time I can totally recommend this dish. I served it with a green salad.

Kale, Mushroom and Beetroot Lasagne (from Belleau Kitchen)
(Serves 4-6)

For the tomato sauce
this sauce needs a minimum of two hours, longer if possible
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp oil

knob butter

pinch sugar

fresh basil, rosemary, thyme and oregano
2 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
half tin white wine

half tin stock or water4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

100g kale or cavolo nero
2 or 3 beetroots, thinly sliced
100g mushrooms, thickly sliced
fresh rosemary 

fresh thyme
1 tsp oregano
olive oil and butter
salt and pepper

For the mozzarella béchamel
750ml full fat milk
75g unsalted butter
2oz plain flour
250g fresh mozzarella
salt and freshly ground pepperMake the tomato sauce, heat the oil and butter in a pan and add the onions, gently saute them for about 20 mins on a medium heat, with a pinch or two of sugar and some chopped fresh herbs... keep your eye on them, they want a little golden colour but you don't want them to stick, add the garlic and sauté for another 10 mins.

Add the tinned tomatoes, wine, vinegar and stock to the onions, turn the heat to it's very lowest and let them barely simmer gently for at least an hour and a half if not longer.

Pre-heat the oven to 160C and line a baking tray with parchment or foil.

Lay the sliced beetroot onto the baking tray and either drizzle with a little oil or season well and sprinkle over a little thyme - bake for 30 mins or until beginning to soften, you don't want to over-cook this, you still want a bit of bite.Steam the kale for about 5 mins until al dente then set aside.

In a large pan, heat some oil and butter and then add the mushrooms and a little oregano and saute until soft over a medium heat and let them really gently sweat down, after about 10 mins grind over some pepper and cook for a further 5 mins or until soft and golden.

To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter, then remove from the heat and stir in the flour. Put the pan back on a gentle heat and cook the flour, stirring continuously for about a min.

Take the pan off the heat again and add the milk a little at a time, continuing to stir. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the sauce comes to a boil, season, turn down the heat to its very lowest and cook gently for another 15 mins, making sure to stir often. Add the mozzarella and stir until melted.

To create the lasagne, grease an ovenproof dish and start layering. Start with a layer of kale followed by a layer of tomato sauce, then mushrooms, then béchamel and then beetroot and repeat, finishing off with the béchamel and perhaps a sprinkling of grated parmesan.

Bake in the oven for 20 mins until piping hot and serve.

Beef Chow Fun

I actually used bison in this rather than beef as that's what I had in the freezer. It was a very tasty stir fry. I also chopped up my own veggies rather than using pre-packed stuff but I thought that would make it easier for everyone. Quick and easy to make.

Beef Chow Fun (adapted from Gimme Some Oven)
(Serves 4)

200g rice noodles
2 tbsp oil
2 steaks, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 onion, sliced
2 packs stir fry veg
4 spring onions, sliced into 2-inch pieces
1 tsp sesame oil
salt and white pepper, to taste

MARINADE
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger ( or ½ teaspoon dry ginger)
1 tsp sriracha
1 tsp cornflour
salt


Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Pour half the marinade onto the beef and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 10 mins, or up to 8 hours. Refrigerate the second half of the marinade as well.

Cook the noodles according to packet instructions.

When you're ready to cook the dish, heat oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Remove the beef from its marinade and add it to the pan. cook for 1-2 mins until starting to turn brown. Set aside on a plate.

In the hot pan, add the onions and stir fry veg and stir fry for 2-3 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the second half of the marinade, the noodles and the beef to the pan. Stir fry for 1 min. Add the spring onions and sesame oil and stir fry for 1 more min. Season and serve.