October, 2021

Mushroom, dried tomato and black garlic pie; Salt cured salmon; Ottolenghi's dirty rice, aubergine with herb and crispy garlic as well as sweet and sour onion petals with goat's cheese; Brown rice with shiitake congee;

8th October, 2021

Mushroom, sun-dried tomato and black garlic pie Vegan

Ingredients:

Beacause I was making six pies for my granddaughter's Christening, I used shop bought pastry to ease the preparation toll.

400 g Rye based pastry Vegan - (Pirkka Rukiinen vegaani taikina)

250 g of (wild, edible) mushrooms (thawed if frozen)

15 ml olive oil

50 g Sun-dried tomatoes (in oil), drained and finely chopped

2 medium sized onions, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

4 cloves of black garlic, halved

1 dl oat based creme fraiche (Oatly ruokaan fraiche)

½ tsp dried mixed (pizza) herbs

25 g grated vegan parmesan substitute

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C

Roll out the pastry to fit your 25 cm round pie dish. Grease the dish, push the pastry into the dish and up the sides. Prick the pastry through to the bottom all over with a fork. Bake blind for 10 minutes on the oven's lowest shelf. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Fry off any moisture from the mushrooms in a dry pan and then transfer them to a mixing bowl, giving them a liberal grind of pepper.

Fry the onions and garlic(s) in the oil on a medium high heat, until the onions are golden (about 8 minutes). Add them to the mushrooms, along with the tomatoes and creme fraiche substitute. Sprinkle in the pizza herbs and mix thoroughly.

Using a spatula, transfer the filling to the pie case. Bake for 20 minutes in the centre of the oven. Sprinkle over the grated parmesan substitute and bake a further 10 minutes on the top shelf of the oven.

9th October, 2021

Salt cured salmon wth Ottolenghi's Spicy roast potatoes with tahini and soy

See Ottolenghi's Spicy roast potatoes with tahini and soy link

Salt cured salmon

Method:

400-500g fresh salmon fillet

Coarse sea salt

Fresh dill

Swill the salmon under a cold tap and pat dry with kitchen towel.

Lay the salmon on cling film and sprinkle with 2 tbl coarse sea salt. Wrap tightly in the cling film. Place on a plate in the fridge - flesh side up for 12 hrs. Turn the fish skin side up and leave another 8-12 hrs.

Scrape the excess salt off, swill under a cold tap again and pat dry with kitchen towel. Sprinkle with chopped fresh dill before finely slicing and serving.