Humble Pie

This is a great vegetarian version of cottage or shepherd’s pie, but made with seitan. This is my vegetarian son’s recipe, and he has requested that I not change the text.

Ingredients >  2 good onions >  4 largish carrots, or 5 smallish ones >  3-4 stalks of celery >  1 pack of minced seitan >  4 medium or 3 large potatoes >  ~50g margarine >  1 small pack tomato concentrate >  1 tsp Baharat >  1 tsp Paprika >  0.5 tsp Cumin >  salt and pepper >  some olive oil for cooking >  water >  Optional: a flat teaspoon of Marmite Equipment >  Big frying pan for the vegetables >  Medium pot to cook the potatoes >  Medium oven dish (I like single-use tin foil ones) >  Potato masher >  Fork, wooden spoon >  Chopping board and a good knife

Steps 1.   Peel the potatoes, and cut them into cubes. They don't need to be too small, but they should be more or less the same size. 2.   Put the potato cubes into the pot, add some salt and cover with water (about a cm above the potatoes), then put on the fire. 3.   Finely chop the onions. Remember to wash your hands before you wipe your eyes. 4.   Put some olive oil in the frying pan, put it on the fire and add the onions. 5.   Peel the carrots. Once the carrots are peeled, turn the flame down under the onions. 6.   Finely chop the carrots. I usually do half across the length, then 4 across the length of each half, and finely chop. Add the carrots to the onions in the pan. Stir things around a bit. 7.   Clean the celery, removing the wide bit at the bottom and the leaves at the top. 8.   Finely chop the celery, also into very small bits. All the fine chopping is so that people don't notice you're putting celery in their food. Everyone loves the taste of celery, they just don't like knowing it's there. Celery is the big trick in soup powder. 9.   Add the celery to the onions and carrots in the pan. Stir occasionally. 10. At some point, the potatoes will boil. When they do, turn down the flame underneath them. 11. Chop up the seitan so that it's in smaller bits and add it to the vegetable pan. Turn the heat back up and let it all fry a little. 12. Check the potatoes with a fork to see if they're ready. If they are, turn the flame off and leave them to sit there while you do more important things. 13. After a minute or two, turn the heat back down and add the spices, salt and pepper to the pan. Stir around for a little more, until they're all mixed in nicely. 14. At this point, the vegetable mixture may seem a bit dry. That's normal, and we'll add water in a minute. Add the tomato paste, and add the Marmite if you want to. Mix it in and add a little water. The mixture shouldn't be watery, but it should be a little sticky. 15. Let it sit on a low flame while you sort out the potatoes. Mix it occasionally and add some more water if needed. 16. Drain the water from the potatoes. Be careful, steam goes up. 17. Put the margarine in the pot with the potatoes and mash. Add salt and pepper and continue to mash until it's all nice and smooth. 18. Turn the flames off under the vegetables. 19. Taste the mashed potatoes and the contents of the pan (separately) to see if they need anything else. Fix if needed. If something is missing and you don't know what, it's either salt or tomato paste. 20. Pour the entire vegetable mixture into the oven dish. Even it out so that the top is flat, and there are no hills. 21.  Spoon the mashed potatoes over it, and even that layer out as well. 22. Put in the oven at about 200 degrees for about 25 minutes, until the top is a nice light brown. 21. Remove from the oven when done, and enjoy.

Cottage Pie

This is a wonderful Delia Smith recipe. It is called cottage pie because it is made with beef and not lamb (which would make it Shepherd’s Pie). My vegetarian son has given me a very tasty vegetarian version, made with seitan, which will be posted soon.

Ingredients >  2 medium onions, chopped >  25 gm (1 oz) olive oil >  1 large carrot, chopped very small >  500 gm (1 lb) fresh minced beef >  Salt and freshly ground black pepper >  ½ teaspoon cinnamon >  ½ tsp mixed herbs >  1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley >  1 level Tbsp plain flour >  1 Tbsp tomato puree >  275 (10 fl oz) ml hot beef stock Topping >  1 kg potatoes, peeled >  2 medium leeks, washed and chopped >  50 gm butter or olive oil

Steps 1.  Heat the oven to 200°C (gas mark 6, 400°F) 2.  Fry the onions in the olive oil until they are soft. 3.  Add the carrot and minced meat and continue cooking for 20 minutes. Important: At the beginning, keep stirring and breaking up the bits of meat, so they you do not end up with big chunks. 4.  Season with salt and pepper, then add the cinnamon, mixed herbs and parsley. 5.  Stir in the flour; mix the tomato puree into the stock and add to the meat mixture, and bring to simmering point. 6.   Make the topping: a.   Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 20 minutes. b.  Cook the leeks gently in the butter or olive oil. c.  Mash the potatoes and add the leeks with their fat, and season to taste with salt and pepper. 7.  Put the meat mixture into a well-greased baking dish. 8.  Spread the potato mixture on top. 9.  Put in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the top is gaining colour. Serves four.

Lentil Loaf

This is totally vegetarian. It is based on a Delia Smith (wonderful cookbooks) recipe, but as I am currently not eating solaniums, I have adapted it. 

Ingredients >    425 ml vegetable stock >    75 gm dried split peas >    50 gm red lentils >    50 gm brown lentils >    1 carrot, peeled and chopped >    1 small stick of celery, finely chopped >    1 small leek, rinsed and shredded >    1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed >    2 Tbsp olive oil >    2 tsp freshly ground garam masala >    1 large egg, beaten >    2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped >    Salt and freshly milled black pepper >    450 gm loaf tin. I use a silicone version so that the loaf is easy to extract

Steps 1.   Bring the vegetable stock to the boil, add the split peas and lentils, and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the pulses are soft. 2.   In the meantime, prepare all the vegetables. 3.    Pre-heat the oven to 190°C. 4.   Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, and use some of it to grease the loaf tin. 5.   Add all the vegetables and the garlic to the frying pan and fry for 10 minutes, or until soft and golden. 6.   Stir the pulses into the vegetables and turn off the heat under the pan. 7.    Add the garam masala, beaten egg and parsley. 8.   Mix well and season. 9.   Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and press it down firmly. 10.  Cover with tinfoil and bake for 40 minutes. 11.  Let it stand for 15 minutes before you slice and serve it. This goes well with a salad. I love it with potato salad.

Children’s Meat Loaf

We all love this – nothing sophisticated about it. I also have a vegetarian lentil loaf and that will be added soon.

Ingredients >    ½ kilo minced beef >   50 gm breadcrumbs >    4 fl. oz. (120 ml) soy milk >   1 egg >   1 small onion, chopped >   1 clove garlic, crushed >   1 Tbsp ketchup >   ½ rounded Tbsp chicken soup powder >    Salt and pepper

Steps 1.    Light the oven at 180°C. 2.    Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly together. I find it best to use my hands. 3.    Put the mixture into a 1IB loaf tin and level the surface. 4.    Put into the oven and bake for 1 ½ hours. 5.    Remove from the oven and let the meat loaf stand for 5 mins at room temperature. 6.    Pour off the excess fat. Goes great with potato salad. Serves 4

Chicken with Vermouth

We all love this dish.

Ingredients >    350 gm skinless chicken breasts (= 3 chicken schnitzels pre-prepared by the supermarket), cut into bite-sized cubes >    Flour, seasoned well with salt and freshly ground pepper >    4 Tbsp oil >    1 onion, finely chopped >    3 fl. 0z (100 ml) sweet vermouth >    1 tsp tomato puree >    Pinch of mace

Steps 1.   Toss the cubes of chicken breast in the seasoned flour. I find it easiest to dump them into a bag and shake. 2.    Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the chicken and fry until brown. 3.   Remove the cubes from the pan. 4.   Add more oil, if required, and gently cook the onion until soft and golden. 5.   Add the vermouth, tomato puree and mace, stir well and simmer on a low flame until the sauce is syrupy. This takes about 3 minutes. 6.   Return the cubes to the pan and heat through until warm. 7.   Serve immediately. This goes well with a green salad. Serves 3- 4

Gingered Chicken Noodles

This is one of those really tasty dishes. Its the ginger that does the trick.

Ingredients >   2 Tbsp rice wine >   2 tsp cornflour >   350 gm skinless chicken breasts (= 3 chicken schnitzels pre-prepared by the supermarket), cut into bite-sized cubes >   175 – 200 gm egg noodles >   2 Tbsp oil (I use olive) >   1 medium onion, thinly sliced or chopped >   3 cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely diced >   5 Tbsp frozen peas >   125 gm fresh cashew nuts, dry roasted in a small frying pan and then chopped. (You can put them in a bag and bash them with a rolling pin.) Sauce >   100 ml chicken stock >   2 Tbsp soy sauce >   1 Tbsp (about ½ lemon) freshly squeezed lemon juice >   1 Tbsp sesame oil >   2 tsp soft brown sugar

Steps 1.  Put the rice wine and cornflour into a bowl and mix well. Add the chicken cubes to the bowl, stir well and set aside to marinate. 2.  Prepare the remaining ingredients and the sauce. 3.  Prepare the noodles, according to the instructions on the packet; drain and shake dry. 4.  Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok, add the onions and ginger and fry until soft and golden. 5.  If necessary, add a little bit more of oil. Add the chicken and stir-fry until golden all around. 6.  Add the peas and fry for about 3-4 minutes, until the peas are just cooked. 7.  Add the drained noodles and the sauce, stir well and heat through thoroughly. 8.  Add the cashew nuts and stir. This has its own built-in carbohydrate. Serves 3 to 4