Leek, Mushroom and Pistachio Nut Roast with Kale, Roasted Carrots and Potatoes

I'm always running so late. I went out to get some veg for the roast and ended up shopping for Christmas presents. And, the house is still such as tip as it hits 6.30 and Andrea and Ameer arrive. Great. Not even started the cooking yet. 

This week is a nut roast with pistachios, leeks and mushrooms. So, amongst the chaotic kitchen I lay pout far too many nibbles (to keep us going for a long time before we eat dinner) and crack open the rioja. Asda were doing a deal on Campo Viejo which is our favourite. It was £5 instead of the usual £8 so during the week we got a delivery of twelve bottles. That could be dangerous!

For the nut roast, I got Billy to deshell the bag of pistachios. Meanwhile I fried some leeks in butter with a little lemon juice, white wine and seasoning. In another pan I fried mushrooms with garlic and oregano. Then in a mixing bowl I put all of the ingredients together:  the nuts, leeks, mushrooms, a good helping of feta, bread crumbs, 2 eggs and seasoning. I then put this mixture into a greased baking tin and baked in the oven (180 degrees) for about 40 minutes. I took it out just before the potatoes to rest.

From the veg shop I got some gigantic chard leaves.  I couldn't resist. So, we had our nut roast with potatoes, carrots and chard. 

What a lovely evening catching up with friends. And empty plates are always a good sign!! Again I somehow managed to use up almost every pan in the kitchen. I think I'm going to have to leave that to my chief washer-upper. 

My Recipe for the Nut Roast

100g pistachios

3 leeks

3 field mushrooms

75g (roughly) of bread crumbs. I lazily bought some from Waitrose

Feta cheese. One third of a packet

2 large eggs

Fresh Oregano

Salt and peper

Aubergine stuffed with Spinach, Mushrooms and Black Eyes Beans, served with Bright Red Sauce.

Depression has descended upon North London. The wintry chill  and lack of daylight is bringing me down a bit. I am desperate to inject a bit of sunshine into my life this Sunday and so this week my roast is going to be a Mediterranean affair.

I have also discovered a lovely crisp fresh white wine which I got from Asda. Initially it was the hilarious label which attracted me: two naked men running through a field.  But Marlborough Sun Sauvignon Blanc is a truly scrummy wine which went well with this meal.

Anyway, I start by halving and scoring my aubergine. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes and take out ready to stuff a bit later. Meanwhile I make the aubergine filling: a stew with back eyes beans, mushrooms and spinach.

For the stew I fried onions and garlic in a pan with seasoning. Add the mushrooms. Add a splash of white wine, stock and the spinach. Then add a can of black eyed beans. I cooked this for about half an hour until the onions were soft. I'm a lemon obsessive and use lemons in everything. So a squeeze of lemon also went into the mix as well as a few chilli flakes.

Fill the aubergines with the bean mixture- it will be watery. I strained it a bit but wanted some of the juice to spill into the tray so that the Aubergines are really moist when cooked. Sprinkle some cheese on the top. I used a bit of soft goats cheese and some cheddar. Then bake for around half an hour until the cheese on top is brown and bubbling.

To make this dish much more Mediterranean, I made a bright red sauce with a bit of a chilli kick. I fried onion and garlic in a pan. Added some tomato puree and chilli sauce, a dash of lemon, sugar, and some seasoning. Delish. 

I served it with a handful of rocket. Very much more summery than it is outside and enjoyed eating it whilst watching Michel Roux Jr. on telly :)

My Recipe (serves two)

1 Large Aubergine
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 bag of spinach
1 can of black eyed beans
1 lemon
1 dash of white wine or two
2 large field mushrooms
1 vegetable stock cube
handful of grated cheese

For the sauce:
the remainder of the onion
1 garlic clove
tomato puree
chilli sauce
sugar 
squeeze of lemon juice and some zest
salt and pepper and chilli flakes

Spinach and Pumpkin tartlets with Cream Cheese and Pine Nuts

There's a great new organic food shop which has opened up on Stroud Green Road just around the corner and I got completely carried away with the colours of the vegetables. I bought a pumpkin, as it's the Halloween season, carrots, spinach, beetroot, parsnips and potatoes. 

For the tarts, I used ready made puff pastry which I cut into little (actually quite big)  squares and scored around the edge. I piled  my ingredients on top, starting with the cream cheese and ending with toasted pine nuts.

I made an onion gravy: I fried onions, garlic and some herbs in a pan. A little sprinkle of sugar and a dash of white wine were added. Then some Marmite. Trust me you cannot hate Marmite in a gravy- even if you're a Marmite hater!! Its delicious.

My Recipe for the tartlet 
(serves two again this week even though there was enough food for four):

1 Sheet of Ready made puff pastry
1 packet of spinach- cooked with some butter, nutmeg and salt
1 tub of cream cheese- spead a dollop onto each tart's base
1 pack of pine nuts- toast them lightly in a pan
1 pumpkin- cut into chunks and roasted in the oven with olive oil, garlic and seasoning

If I were to cook this again, I'd probably not include everything. The tart would be nice just with the spinach, pine nuts and cream cheese actually. I think with all of the root vegetables I bought, it did turn into a bit of a carb fest but it was still tasty. Maybe swapping some of the root veggies for some greens like kale or cabbage would be nice as well as a bit lighter.

Mushroom, Chestnut, Barley and Sage Crumble

Obviously with all the Trimmings: 

Yorkshire puddings, Roast Potatoes, Greens and a rich Sage, Onion and White Wine Gravy

I've always loved cooking and take real joy in creating all sorts of dishes for friends and family. Cooking to me is a way of life and always has to be shared to be fully enjoyed, and of course it has to be with a glass of wine or two.

I love a good old traditional meat roast, but living with Billy, I take pleasure in coming up with new ideas and tastes as a meat alternative, or as an addition to any meal. I hope you'll join me in my cooking fun and piggery each Sunday. Suggestions are most welcome.

My Recipe (serves a rather greedy two this week):

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

2 field mushrooms

8 fresh chestnuts

1 big handful of fresh sage

1 lemon- zest and juice- to be split between the crumble and gravy

1 vegetarian stock cube

white wine- a glug or two for the main and gravy plus a glass to drink while you cook

salt and pepper to season

For the crumble topping:

1 fresh slice of brown bread

1 good chunk of cheese, grated. I used Vegetarian Pasta Cheese today

salt and pepper to season

I used a basic Delia recipe for the Yorkshires (minus the beef dripping of course and olive oil instead).

Week One: The crumble. 

This week I'm just cooking for Billy and myself. Helping sizes are pretty generous ;)

To start I roasted and peeled my Chestnuts for around 30-40 minutes. Then in a frying pan I fried onions and garlic, added the mushrooms, then the sage and barley. I put in a good glug of white wine and stock and let it all simmer for about 20 minutes.

I added the chestnuts to the mix and assembled my crumbles in little baking dishes. The crumble topping is so easy. Just grate a slice of brown bread, add grated cheese, salt and pepper. I also sneakily added some goats cheese into the topping which is not necessary. Just experimentation and indulgence. I baked the crumbles for half an hour.

For my gravy I gently fried a shallot with garlic, added another glug of white wine and seasoned, added zest of a lemon, a teaspoon of sugar and then stock and sage. I whizzed it all up in a hand blender and thickened with flour and let bubble away to reduce slightly.

Finally a bit of jiggling around in the oven was in order to cook the yorkshires. I steamed some greens and we were ready to eat...

The verdict? I think my gravy was perhaps slightly bitter- maybe I was a bit too generous with the sage and lemon. But all in all I'm pleased with this one. Very full right now after second helpings of yorkshire pudding dipped in gravy. I think the crumbles worked really well. Mushrooms, chestnuts and sage are great together- especially now there's a bit of a chill in the air. It only took an hour and a half in total which is pretty good for me. This meal has really got me into the winter mood :) and Billy's potatoes rocked. Try it!!