Butternut squash & cashew nut roast

Image courtesy of all recipes.co.uk

The nut roast is probably one of the more popular vegetarian dishes, comprising mainly a loaf type of arrangement of roasted vegetables, nuts, herbs and several other ingredients. This recipe makes no exception, although the utilisation of butternut squash and cashew nuts provides a wonderful sweet element to the dish, with the mellow aromatics of garlic and sage providing a hearty warm flavour.

You will need (makes a loaf):

1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic choppid very finely
Olive oil to hand for saute work
2 large deseeded butternut squash, cut into 1cm cubes
225g raw cashew nuts (optionally half anf half pistachio nuts) roughly chopped
pinch nutmeg
6 leaves sage chopped finely
salt and pepper

The doing bit:

Preheat oven to 220 C and roast for about half an hour until it begins to caramelise. While this is cooking in a pan saute the onion until it begins to colour / soften, add the garlic and cook on a low - moderate heat until the garlic begins to soften. Set to one side.

Take the finished squash and all other ingredients and mix well. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper, then press into a lined loaf tin. Bake for 60 minutes at roughly 200C, cover with foil for the fist 40 minutes then remove for the last 20.

Allow to cool a bit then cut into slices. Serve and devour.

Butternut squash & Red Pepper Tartlet / Parsley & Chive dressed salad

image courtesy of cookstr.com

*Part of the sizzling-staffordshire menu series*

This dish is similar to a dish I used to do several years ago when working in a small hotel. Granted back then it was as a main course, in this case it will serve extremely well as a starter or a side dish viable for a light lunch.It uses ingredients that available year round, although seasonally it would be better suited from late autumn to early springtime.That said it is mainly all down to viability, and as a result it can be easily and cheaply produced whenever.

You will need (per tartlet):

1/4 butternut squash, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thickness.
1/2 red pepper, de-cored and trimmed, and sliced into 1/4 inch thickness..
1/2 an apple decored and sliced 1/4 inch thickness(any eating apple will do)
6'' x 2.5 inch pliece of rolled out puff pastry
3 tbsp Seasoned soft white breadcrumbs
2 tbsp grated parmesan
Tbsp roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 tbsp roughly chopped chives
Handful of rocket
tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
cracked black pepper

The doing bit:

In a pan add a little butter and moderately heat until the butter melts. Sear the butternut squash slices with the apple until they are coloured and begin to soften. Remove from the pan and layer on the puff pastry sheet, alternating each slice. Repeat the same for the peppers and also lay evenly onto the tartlet.

In a small bowl mix the breadcrumbs and the parmesan and add a little black pepper. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on the top of the tart and place on a baking tray in a moderate oven (180C) until the pastry has risen and golden brown, and the breadcrumbs are of similar colour. Remove from the oven and serve with the salad.

For the salad: In a bowl combine the rocket, chives, and parlsey and dress with the olive oil and lemon juice. season with pepper if necessary.

Wild mushroom / puff pastry / smoked cheese gateaux

image courtesy of frenchforfoodies

Although a bit loose on the definition i suppose in respect this pays homage to both the definition of a geatux and a mille fuille - providing multi"tonal" layers in the form of a gateaux and remaining true to the millefuille aspect with the pastry. If you wish you can substitute melba toast for the pastry in each layer.

It's pretty simple as a dish, suitable for a starter and as a main course or even a halfway measure between the two. The use of a wild mushroom fricasse approach as the filling utilising smoked cheese also gives a wonderful depth of flavour, whilst maintaining armoatic tones from herbs and garlic also. Strictly speaking, in supposition this is definitely a vegetarian dish, but can incorporate meats such as bacon for a base flavour where neccesary.

You will need (per portion):

1 portion mushroom fricasse
1 10cm x 10cm cooked section of puff pastry, cut into 3 layers horizontally (giving you 3 thin slices)
finely chopped parsley and tarragon 1 tsp each.
1tbsp Vinaigrette dressing
1 tsp truffle oil
handful of rocket, for garnish.

The doing bit.

Gently warm the mushroom fricasse in a pan, adding the smoked cheese in the last few minute. We dont want the cheese to melt entirly only to heavily soften and become malleable. In a low heated oven (about 160C ) warm through the pastry layers gently. Brush the pastry with a little butter or milk if requiring further gloss or colouring.

Upon service layer as follows: fricasse / cheese mix, pastry and repeat. Dress the rocket with the vinaigrette and truffle oil and place on top of the stack. Garnish the plate with the fresh herbs and serve.

Devour.

Blinis

Image provided courtesy of thefishsociety.co.uk

Blinis are a wonderful bread that are an excellent accompaniment to all kinds of dishes - they provide a hearty and sturdy texture, whilst remaining light enough to have with lots of other dishes. They go very well with small fish and meat dishes and also provide a good vehilve for vegetarian dishes such as mushroom fricasse and stroganoff. They can also be enjoyed on their own with butter much like muffins and cumpets, and whatever else you can put with them :)

Standard batch (makes about 12-15)

Ingredients

250g of plain flour
250g of Brown flour
3 Egg yolks
3 Egg whites
600ml of Milk
30g of Yeast

Mix the two flours together
Add a pinch of salt
Warm milk and the yeast, once active add the egg yolks
Then add to the flour mix
Leave to prove for two hours in a warm place (but not too warm)
Whisk up the egg whites until stiff
Fold into the mix

Cook on a medium heat in a blini pan, turning when one side becomes solid. once cooked allow to cool, and can be reheated for further enjoyment.

Red pepper mousse

This recipe comprises all the things i love about peppers, their sweetness their texture and their wondrous flavours that complement such a wide spectrum of accompanying ingredients. When experimenting with this recipe and mousses in general i was trying to move away from the standard "salmon" and similar mousses that everyone uses for starter and side dishes. Instead the use of a red pepper gave opportunity to the vegetarian frontier - which are often as an audience can be found to be neglected or offered "token" gestures. 


This recipe makes a large batch (about 14 portions so feel free to divide by two or three for a more family size. 

*** (Makes about 14 timbales)

Ingredients.

5 Red bell peppers

4 egg whites

300g cream cheese

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp chopped parsley

1 Tsp paprika

1 clove peeled garlic

Pinch Salt

Pinch Pepper

Preparation: 

Grease and line with cling film about 8 timbale moulds (metal!).

Cut cheeks from peppers and place in small roasting tin. Add water to tray (just enough to cover the peppers half way up) and cover tray with tinfoil. Cook peppers in oven until the flesh begins to soften. Allow peppers to cool then peel cut away the flesh from the skin. We are going to use the skin for a decoration so do not discard. Instead, put the skin (shiny side down) into the bottom of each mould. Any skin left over add to the food processor.

Whip up egg whites until foamy.

Combine in food processor pepper flesh, and all other ingredients. Add the egg whites last.

Pour mixture into moulds, leaving about ½ centimetre from the top

.

Cover moulds with foil tightly. Poach timbales in bain marie until mixture is firm to touch. Allow to cool and refrigerate.