Mushroom Beanotto

An interesting and tasty twist on risotto, this delicious and filling ‘beanotto’ is made with beans, swiss chard, a variety mushrooms and thyme in a base of stock and mascarpone. 

Ingredients: 2 cloves of garlic, 2 shallots, 90g button mushrooms, 60g oyster mushrooms, 200g swiss chard, 6g thyme.

From the Larder: glug of oil, 175g mascarpone, 200ml stock, tin of cannellini beans or otherwhite beans, juice and zest of ½ lemon.

Instructions:

  • Dice garlic and shallots and begin sautéing in a knob of butter.
  • Slice mushrooms and add to the sauté pan and continue to sauté for 5-10 minutes until soft and browned.IMG_1633
  • Finely Chop the chard and add to the pan and continue to cook.
  • Prepare the stock and then add to the sauté pan and allow to cook for a further 5 mins.cooking mushroom and chard 600px
  • Drain, rinse and add the cannelini beans.
  • Strip thyme leaves off the stems and add to the pan.
  • Mix in the marscapone, reduce heat, squeeze in juice of ½ lemon, season to taste, stirring while it gets hot again.IMG_1646
  • Serve with lemon zested over,
  • And for hungrier tummies, crusty bread or a baked potato.

Spinach and Mushroom and Lychee Pancakes

Pancake Day is around the corner and we are excited! Pancakes are super easy to make using just a few staple ingredients from your cupboard along with whatever is in your fridge. Try these pancakes use spinach, mushrooms and a combination of mint, chervil and creme fraîche. And to finish things off, slice up a few little lychees and mix with brown sugar and any left over mint as a sweet treat to end the feast.  

Ingredients: 2 shallots, 120g button mushrooms, big handful of spinach, 8g chervil, 1 stem of mint and 3-4 lychees.

Larder: 150ml milk, 125g flour, 150ml water, 1 egg, pinch of salt, 150ml of crème fraîche or greek yoghurt, 1tsp brown sugar (optional: lemon or lime juice).

Instructions:

  • Make the pancake batter: combine in a bowl flour, milk, egg, water and a pinch of salt. Beat with a whisk until smooth and runny, set aside while you make the filling.
  • Chop the shallots and slice the mushrooms. Sauté in oil until soft and then add the spinach, stir and cook until mostly wilted.

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  • As the filling sautés use another frying pan to make the pancakes. Or set the filling aside and use the same frying pan. Add approximately 1 tsp oil on a medium heat, swirl around so it covers the pan. Pour a ladle of pancake batter into the pan swirling as you pour so that it covers the pan in a thin layer approximately 3mm thick. Cook for about a minute until the bottom sets and then flip and cook for another minute or so. Place the pancake on a plate and spread a dollop of crème fraîche or yoghurt on the pancake followed by a spoonful of the spinach and mushroom mix. Use scissors or tear chervil (stems and all) and most of the mint leaves on top. Repeat for a second pancake and serve. If you use a small pan, you should be able to make approximately 4 savoury pancakes.

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  • For a sweet end to the meal, make 2 more pancakes. Pierce the lychee skin and cut the flesh away from the stone into little pieces, mix together with 1tsp brown sugar and an optional squeeze of lime or lemon. Spread over the pancake with any remaining mint leaves and optional squeeze of lemon, dollop of crème fraîche or yoghurt. Fold up and enjoy!

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Jerusalem Artichoke Risotto

With purple carrots in the mix, this risotto takes on their colour and creates a beautiful meal, containing tasty jerusalem artichokes, mushrooms and spinach. We think it’s a winner!

Ingredients: 2 shallots, 1 clove of garlic, 150g Jerusalem artichoke, handful of spinach, 70g mushrooms, 1 purple carrot, 4g lemon thyme.

From the larder: 20g butter, 170g Arborio rice, 700-800ml stock, salt and pepper, (optional: chicken pieces and 30g grated parmesan).

Instructions:

  • Chop the shallots, a garlic clove, finely chop the carrot and strip lemon thyme leaves from their stem. Sauté gently together with a knob of butter in a heavy bottom pan for about 5-7 minutes until shallots are soft.
  • Add the Arborio rice and cook for 2 minutes, until the rice looks slightly translucent.
  • Prepare 700ml stock (use some white wine if you like). Add it to the rice ladle-by-ladle until it is all fully absorbed. Stir and allow stock to absorb between each ladle. Add more water if you run out of stock before the rice is cooked. This process can take up to 20 mins, so be patient, while enjoying it turn purple!cooking-risotto-600px
  • While the risotto is cooking, halve and thinly slice the mushrooms and jerusalem artichoke. Fry the mushrooms in a small frying pan on their own and then add to the risotto. Then fry the jerusalem artichoke (and chicken pieces if using) gently until the jerusalem artichoke is soft and slightly crispy in places. Once the stock is absorbed and the risotto al denté, add the spinach leaves, stir to wilt, and then add the jerusalem artichoke and chicken. Remove from the heat, season and add a knob of butter and optional grated parmesan.
  • Leave risotto to rest for approximately 5 minutes before serving.

Roasted Squash and Mushroom Pasta

A comforting and easy January supper, this dish is perfect on a busy night as you can chop it all up, pop it in the oven and come back to it for the finishing touches before tucking in.

Ingredients: 200g Butternut squash, 1 clove of garlic, 50g button mushrooms, 40g oyster mushrooms, small sprig of thyme, 70g kale.

From the larder: 175g pasta, 25g Parmesan, 25g breadcrumbs, 3 tbsp crème fraîche and olive oil.

Instructions:

  • Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C and bring a pan of water to the boil for the pasta.
  • Chop the squash into small chunks, halve large mushrooms and crush a garlic clove.
  • Place all in a roasting tin with thyme leaves, salt, pepper and a drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 20-25 minutes.
  • Add chopped kale, after about 10-12 minutes, when you start to smell the roasting mushrooms.
  • At this point start cooking the pasta.
  • During the last 5-10 minutes of roasting, sprinkle breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan over roasting veggies and cook until golden and crispy.added-parmesan-and-breadcrumbs-600px
  • Drain pasta and remove the veg from the oven, mix altogether with the crème fraîche.
  • Serve immediately with a little Parmesan grated on top.

‘Shroom Pasta with Gremolata

This is a great quick mid-week meal with delicious mushrooms and gremolata, a wonderful mix of parsley, garlic and lemon zest.

Ingredients: 40g Oyster, 100g chestnut and button mushrooms, 60g cavolo nero, bunch of parsley and 3 garlic cloves.

From the larder: 200g fettuccine or other pasta, olive oil, zest and juice of ½-1 lemon, salt and pepper (optional: 2 tbsp white wine, dollop of crème fraîche).

Instructions:

  • Make the gremolata: finely mince the garlic and the parsley. Add the lemon zest and chop together.

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  • Start cooking the pasta in a large saucepan of salted water.
  • Slice the mushrooms and heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan. When hot, add the mushrooms and fry for a few minutes until browning and starting to sweat. If you have it, add 2 tbsp of white wine and continue cooking until wine has evaporated and mushrooms glazed.
  • Add another tbsp of olive oil and the gremolata and cook for another minute or so.

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  • Finely shred the cavolo nero and add it to the pasta water for the last 4-5 minutes of cooking.
  • When pasta is al denté, remove ½ cup (approx. 50ml) of pasta water before draining and add ¼ cup (approx. 25ml) to the mushrooms and stir together along with the juice of ½ a lemon.
  • Drain the pasta and cavolo nero and toss with the mushrooms. If it seems dry, add 2-4 tbsp of the reserved pasta water.
  • Serve in warmed bowls with optional Parmesan grated on top and a dollop of crème fraîche.

Butternut Daal with Mushrooms

This week, whether you are American or not, celebrating Thanksgiving or not, there’s always time and place for a daal -lop of thankfulness. So, while cooking up a butternut squash flavoured feast and watching it simmer, take a moment or two to ponder something you’re thankful for. We’re pretty sure it’s been proven to be good for you!

Ingredients: 2 banana shallots, 2 cloves garlic, 12g ginger, 10g turmeric, 1-2 stems of fresh curry leaves, roughly 200g butternut squash, large handful of spinach, 60g mushrooms, small sprig of coriander.

From the larder: 75g rice, 120g red lentils, oil (coconut or other), 1 stock cube, 1tsp cumin powder (optional: 1tsp mustard seeds).

Instructions:

  • Chop shallots and coriander stems, peel and mince 1 garlic clove, ginger and turmeric. Sauté the shallots and garlic in oil for 3 minutes until soft and then add the lentils, turmeric, ginger, whole curry leaves, coriander stems, cumin and optional mustard seeds. Sauté for a minute.
  • Cover with 2cm of water (approx. 600ml) and crumble in the stock cube. Bring to the boil and reduce heat to simmer.
  • Peel and chop the butternut squash into 1-2cm chunks and add to the lentils. Cook for 25-30 mins until lentils are soft and butternut squash is tender. Stir regularly and add more water as the lentils and squash cook and absorb the water. The daal should end up like a very thick soup.butternut-squash-daal-with-spinach-600px
  • While the daal is cooking, cook the rice according to packet instructions.
  • Slice the mushrooms and chop the second clove of garlic. In another frying pan, fry both in a knob of butter until soft and juicy.
  • When lentils are ready, stir in the spinach and cook for 1 min to wilt. Season and serve on a bed of rice with mushrooms and chopped coriander leaves popped on top.

Creamy Mushroom and Chard Pasta

The combination of chard, mushrooms and rosemary is too good to be true! This is a delightful pasta dish and tasty to boot!

Serves 2

Ingredients: Chestnut mushrooms, maitake mushrooms, dried mushrooms, swiss and rainbow chard, shallots, garlic, rosemary.

From the larder: 200g Pasta, olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper, 150ml cream, 25g Parmesan or pecorino.

Instructions:

  • In a small bowl place the dried mushrooms and cover with 150ml boiled water.
  • Mince shallots and garlic. Slice the fresh mushrooms, separate chard leaves and stems, chop both. Strip rosemary leaves from their stem.
  • Cook the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 9-11 minutes until al denté.
  • Meanwhile heat 3 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan, and fry rosemary leaves for 2-3 minutes. Remove the rosemary from the oil and set aside on paper towel.rosemary frying 600px
  • Using the same oil and frying pan, fry the fresh mushrooms until soft and browning and then add the garlic and shallots into the same pan, sauté for 2-3 minutes until soft. Keeping the mushroom water, chop the refreshed mushrooms and add to the frying pan.
  • In another sauté pan, cook the chard stems for 2 minutes and then add the leaves and cook until wilted.

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  • While the chard is cooking, add ¾ the dried mushroom water, cream, a knob of butter, rosemary and salt to the mushrooms and garlic.
  • Cook for 4-5 minutes so that it is bubbling and reduces slightly and then mix in the pasta and chard.pasta final 600px
  • Divide between 2 plates and serve with grated parmesan on top.