Time to get back in the game, with two new (and easy) recipes:
Winter Salad
- 1/2 celeriac
- a tasty, firm-ish pear
- a medium sized beetroot
- chopped roasted hazelnuts and/or pumpkin seeds
- juice and zest of one lemon
- walnut or hazelnut oil (olive is fine)
- handful of curly parsley
- optional extras: red endive, fennel, red cabbage, rocket or watercress
With the oil, lemon juice and zest, finely chopped parsley, and some salt and pepper, make a basic dressing in the bottom of your salad bowl.
Using a mandolin or very sharp knife, slice the vegetables as thinly as possible. Combine and toss to coat in dressing. Sprinkle with hazelnuts/pumpkin seeds, and serve.
NYE Pie
- shortcrust pastry, either from the shops or home made – approximately 450g
- one small butternut, diced
- 300g shiitake mushrooms
- brown onion, roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 cups mixed red quinoa, white quinoa, and cracked wheat
- small block smoked tofu, cubed (optional)
- sage (fresh is best but dried will do)
- vegetarian stock
- vegetable oil, olive oil, or butter
- soy sauce
- one egg
Roast the butternut until cooked through but still firm. In the meantime, grease a pie dish and line with the shortcrust pastry, leaving enough in reserve for the pie lid.
Fry the onions and sage in the fat, adding the chopped mushrooms for a few minutes when they’re almost done. Stir in the quinoa mix, add some vegetable stock and a dash of soy sauce, and let simmer for about ten minutes, or until most (but not all) of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the butternut and tofu, season further if necessary, and then pour into the pastry case. Fit the pie lid, and glaze with the beaten egg.
Make a few small holes in the pie lid before baking at 180 C for 50 or so minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden brown. Leave to cool for about ten minutes before serving.
