Minestrone Soup

Or Mr. Strone as we know it (gro-o-o-an). My better half doesn't really like this so I didn't make it yesterday when I was trying to use up the last of the veg box. However the new veg box came today full of perfect ingredients for this recipe and he's out so L and I tucked in.

I used:
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
6 large leaves of calvero nero, cores removed and roughly shredded
1/2 large red pepper, roughly chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 mushrooms, sliced
1 can toms
1 can butter beans
about 1 litre of stock
1/2 tsp of sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
handful fresh basil, roughly shredded
2 large handfuls soup pasta

Start by sweating the onions in some olive oil. Then add the carrots and garlic and continue to sweat with the lid on over a gentle heat for about 10 mins. Then add everything apart from the basil and mushrooms. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 mins or so until the pasta is done. About 3 mins before the pasta is cooked add the mushrooms. When it's ready, stir through the basil and serve in large bowls with lots of crusty bread. It's nice to add a generous shaving of fresh Parmesan over the top too. Perfect winter central heating!

Chestnut Roast

I adore nut roast and think it should be obligatory for veggies to have one at Xmas. None of that soggy filo pastry and goats cheese nonsense for me! A roast is all about a roast. And a good nutty one at that. This recipe is from my mum and it's delicious :) Amounts are loose as it depends on what you like in terms of balance.

You need:
6oz dried chestnuts, soaked overnight and cooked for 30 mins (am not sure on equiv amounts for vacuum packed ones, but I'd guess about 3-4 tins/packs)
8oz breadcrumbs
250g mushrooms, chopped small and sauteed in butter
1 onion, chopped small and sauteed with the mushrooms

Lob everything into a food processor and blitz roughly along with dried herbs, 1tbsp tom puree, a couple of cloves of garlic some stock powder and an egg.

Pop into a lined loaf tin and bake for about an hour at 180 degrees. Can be made up to 3 days before hand and kept in the fridge. Also works as a nice stuffing for meat eaters. If you're vegan then ditch the egg and maybe add some stock/wine/water to get it to the right consistency.

Yum yum.

Pancakes I didn't make today

But I have done in the past! Blogging this to avoid a repeat of this morning: flicking through umpteen magazines trying to find a recipe and then giving up!!

Oaty Hotcakes (Bill Granger)
You need:
* 185g plain flour
* 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
* 1 tsp ground Cinnamon
* pinches freshly grated Nutmeg, (optional)
* pinch sea salt
* 1 tbsp caster sugar
* 25g oats
* 375ml Buttermilk
* 1 medium Egg
* 35g Butter, plus extra for greasing

Mix all together and then pour, a ladle at a time on to a hot griddle pan or frying pan. Cook till bubbles appear on one side (about 30-60 secs) then flip over for another 30 secs or so. Serve with maple syrup. Yummy.