Hello Fresh Vegetarian Box

Hello Fresh Vegetarian Box

Following my recent blog post about Hello Fresh, they contacted me to say they were now adding vegetarian options to their delivery service. The Vegetarian and I were delighted when they offered to send us a box to sample.

Last week was so hectic for me (moving house and busy working late) that I really did appreciate the Hello Fresh concept. It was a blessing to know that I had a delicious dinner waiting for me to put together at home – especially as each meal was hassle free and ready within 30 minutes. The six-step recipe was simple to follow, and each dish was full of fresh ingredients.

Roasted Aubergine, Peppers and Couscous

My favourite of the three was the baked aubergine with roasted Romano peppers and couscous. A squeeze of limejuice was added to the couscous at the end, bringing the flavours together.

Warm Mushroom Salad with Avocado and Croutons

I was also very impressed with the ripe avocado I received for the salad option as I have had a real trouble locating good avocados recently.

  

Wild Mushroom Risotto

I’m not a huge mushroom fan so I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the wild mushroom risotto. I am happy to have discovered a liking for an ingredient that I wouldn’t usually buy.

Of course, the Vegetarian was over the moon: there were no meaty smells filling the house and he got to eat three very satisfying meals.

Spiced Tomato and Potato Stew: Salmon or Butterbean

Salmon Stew

I was on my way to my mum’s house this evening expecting a night off from cooking and looking forward to a feast. I called on my way to check if I could pick anything up.  It turns out she wasn’t home yet, was exhausted after a stressful day and hadn’t even thought about cooking. I let myself in with the spare key and had a rummage in the fridge. I saw two lightly smoked salmon fillets, tomatoes and a sack of potatoes on the side. A quick trip to the local shop for a few more ingredients and I had everything I needed for this stew. The Vegetarian soon arrived asking what was on the menu. After locating a tin of butterbeans in the cupboard I adapted the recipe for him too (he eats more than the average person so this would normally serve two vegetarians).

Serves: 2 vegetarians, 2 pescatarians

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into thick slices

3 medium tomatoes, skinned and quartered

Juice of half lemon

Handful parsley, chopped

Handful coriander, chopped

Olive oil

P: 2 salmon fillets, skin removed, cut into large chunks

V: 1 tin of butterbeans, drained

In a large pan heat the cayenne pepper, cumin and paprika in a little olive oil for a minute or until fragrant. Add the potatoes, garlic, tomatoes, lemon juice and cover with water (about 2 litres). Bring to the boil, cover and turn down to simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Divide between two pans.

P: Add the salmon to one pan and simmer for 10 minutes.

V: Add the butterbeans to the other pan and simmer for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with coriander and parsley before serving.

Red Lentil Dhal

Red Lentil Dhal

This is a very simple dahl recipe that’s cheap and doesn’t take long to cook. The garam masala adds a delicious sweet taste to the red lentils. Dahl is a great accompaniment to most curries but can be eaten as a main too.

Serves: 2 as a main, 4 as a side

250g red lentils

1tsp turmeric

1 onion, grated

2 garlic cloves, grated

1cm ginger, grated

1tsp chilli flakes

1tsp garam masala

Groundnut oil

Put the lentils and turmeric in a pan and add water to cover with about an inch of water. Season and simmer for about 20 minutes until the lentils are tender. The lentils soak up the water quite quickly so keep an eye on them and add more water if necessary.

Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a pan and cook the onion, garlic and chilli for a few minutes. Add the garam masala, and cook for a minute.

Stir the onion mix into the cooked lentils.

Serve with lemon rice and raita.

Pasta with a Spanish twist: Manchego cheese or Serrano ham

Pasta with a Spanish Twist

After a long day at work this is a very simple dish to make and a great way of adding a Spanish twist to your evening meal. I absolutely love both Manchego cheese and Serrano ham so will often add both to my bowl.

Serves: 1 vegetarian, 1 meat-eater

Orecchiette (little ears) pasta (Approx 100g per person)

2 handfuls spinach, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 red chili, de-seeded and chopped

Handful pine nuts

¼ juice of lemon

Sea salt and black pepper

Olive oil

V: Shavings of Manchego cheese

M: Slice or two of Serrano ham, torn into strips

Boil the pasta in lots of salted water until al dente (approx 1o minutes). Drain.

Meanwhile, dry pan fry the pine nuts for a few minutes, until golden brown and set aside.

In a separate frying pan, fry the garlic and chili in a glug of olive oil for one minute. Stir in the spinach until it starts to wilt, then season.

Add the drained pasta to the pan, squeeze over the lemon, fold in the pine nuts and mix the ingredients together. Include extra olive oil, sat and black pepper if necessary.

V: Serve with a sprinkle of Manchego cheese

M: Serve with torn Serrano ham

Pub Review: The Colonel Fawcett, Camden

The Colonel Fawcett

On Saturday I went to the launch party of The Colonel Fawcett pub located in the back streets of Camden.

The clientele mixed between locals who have lived in the area for years to trendies excited about a new spot in town. The venue was heaving as the night continued until 2am (drinking downstairs and dancing upstairs) and there was a queue of eager punters desperate to get in from as early as 9pm.

As an early bird I got to sample quite a few of the free drinks and a delicious array of canapés which included mini battered fish with pea and mint dip and tartar sauce, fig with nougat and crème fraiche and gorgeous creamy white chocolate balls.

After tasting what was on offer and having a sneak peak at the daily menu (British dishes made from fresh, seasonal produce), I am keen to book a table soon, as I expect it will be a pub meal to remember.

Tapas - Crispy Aubergine Slices with Honey: Berenjenas con Miel

Berenjenas con Miel

I first tried Berenjenas con Miel during my first week living in Barcelona a few years ago. The Vegetarian and I had spent a gorgeous day on the beach and were slowly walking around town, familiarising ourselves with our new Spanish home, when we found a cute Tapas restaurant off the beaten track on Rambla de Raval. I had never heard of this dish before, and neither of us have much of a sweet tooth, but we were both intrigued to see what it could entail.

The aubergines were crisp and the runny honey drizzled over added a sweet twist, helping this dish stand out amongst the other tapas on the table.

Since that day, whenever I have an evening of tapas, I am sure to make Berenjenes con miel which, always become a favourite amongst my guests too.

Serves 4, as part of tapas

1 aubergine, thinly sliced (use a mandolin if possible)
Plain flour
Corn flour
Table Salt
Runny honey

Table salt
Sunflower oil for deep frying

Lay the aubergine slices on a plate and sprinkle over a little table salt, set aside for about 20 minutes - this will draw out any excess moisture. Use kitchen roll to soak up the moisture.

On a plate sprinkle over a layer of plain flour, then a layer of corn flour and mix together.

Fill a large pan 1/3 full with the sunflower oil and heat until it is piping hot (you can test it’s hot enough by adding a small cube of white bread which should brown within 60 seconds).

Lightly coat each aubergine slices in the flours and give them a shake before placing them into the hot oil. Cook for 1 minutes while the colour turns, scoop out using a skillet or draining spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Cook a handful at a time but don't over-fill the pan. Continue until all are draining.

The aubergine slices will become soggy after just one dip so I give them all a double dip in the oil for no more than 30 seconds to crisp them up. This time try not to pile them on top of each other when draining on the kitchen paper so that they keep their crispness.

When they are crisp and drained, toss them in a bowl and drizzle over the runny honey.

Paella de verduras – Vegetable Paella

Paella de Verduras

Paella gets its name from the dish which it is made in - a flat bottomed metal pan. It originated in Valencia as a peasant dish made with rice and left-overs. Gradually vegetables from the garden followed by chicken, rabbit and snails from the countryside helped lift Paella’s reputation into its current international fame.

Paella is the perfect summer lunch-time dish (the Spanish consider it too heavy to eat in the evening) which is eaten outside and always served warm, not hot. The best part of the Paella is the rice that sticks to the bottom. This is known as the Soccorat – named after a town close to Valencia, which was burnt down by the Romans!

There is no official recipe for Paella in Spain, no single agreed upon interpretation of the dish. Paella has nearly as many variations as there are cooks so I cannot give you a master formula but I can give you my tried and tested recipe for Paella de Verduras. The trick is not to add too many ingredients as the main celebration of Paella is the rice.

1tsp sweet smoked paprika

1tsp tumeric

1/2tsp caenne pepper

A pinch of saffron

1 Spanish onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

4 tomatoes, skinned, de-seeded and chopped

800ml vegetable stock

400g paella rice

Handful runner beans, chopped

1 portobello mushroom, sliced

1 tin butter beans, drained and rinced

1 red pepper, de-seeded and chopped

1 lemon, sliced into wedges

Sea salt and black pepper

Olive oil

Place the saffron in a cup and cover with a little boiling water, leave to steep for 10 minutes.

In a paella pan, fry the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until soft. Add the tomatoes, saffron, tumeric, paprika, caenne pepper and seasoning and cook for 1 minute, making sure the spices are distributed evenly. Stir in the runner beans, mushrooms and peppers and cook for a few minutes, adding a splash of the stock if necessary. Pour over the paella rice and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and give it a good stir before turning the heat down to a medium-low setting and leaving to simmer for half an hour. To ensure the dish cooks right though, turn the pan every 5-10 minutes.

Remove from the heat, cover with newspaper or a damp. Folded cloth and leave to stand for a further 5-10 minutes, while the rice continues to cook and absorb the liquid

Serve with a few wedges of lemon.

Oven Baked Aubergine/Fish

Oven Baked Aubergine

I have recently rediscovered the wonderful versatility of the aubergine. With the Vegetarian option of this dish, as you slice open the purple skin of the aubergine, nestling on a bed of vegetables, the white flesh is a great contrast in colour, and the texture is like that of a fish and works as a great alternative. 

The savoury sauce adds great flavour to the fillet of aubergine/fish in this simple dish. The sultanas (if used) give a Mallorcan twist, providing a sweet richness.

Serves: 1 Vegetarian, 1 Pescatarian

 

1 medium onion, diced

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 green bell pepper, deseeded and diced

1 large tomato, skinned and chopped

1 glass dry white wine

Olive oil

Handful fresh herbs – thyme, rosemary, parsley

Sea salt and black pepper

Handful sultanas (optional)

V: 1 aubergine

P: Firm textured white fish fillet – cod, haddock, sea bream

P: Gut the fish and discard the innards, if the fish monger hasn’t already.

Fry the onion and green bell pepper in a little olive oil until soft but not coloured, adding the garlic towards the end of cooking.  Add the wine, tomato, herbs and season to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add water is necessary, to keep the sauce moist. Divide the sauce.

V: Place the aubergine in an oven proof dish and pour over half the sauce. Cook covered in the oven for 40 minutes. 

Wait about 20 minutes before adding the fish version (see below). 

P: Place the fish in an oven proof dish and pour over the rest of the sauce. Cook covered in the oven for 20 minutes. Check it’s cooked before serving as size of fish and temperature are variable.

Italian Sausage and Tomato Pasta Sauce

Italian Sausage and Tomato Pasta Sauce

It's the fennel in the sausage that makes the sausage Italian. Fennel has a very distinctive sweet anise-like flavour that sets these sausages apart. If you can't buy Italian sausages just soak fennel seeds overnight and dry roast or dry pan-fry them before adding to the dish. I learnt this trick from the Raymond Blanc Cookery School – by soaking the seeds and then dry roasting them you increase the flavours and improve the texture.

This Italian sausage tomato pasta sauce is really simple and quick to make and is easily adaptable for both the vegetarian and the meat-eater. Tagliatelle is the perfect accompaniment and you can follow my recipe of how to make your own by clicking here.

Carton of passata (approx 500ml)

1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

A few sprigs of fresh herbs - rosemary, thyme and oregano

Handful of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

1/2 tsp brown sugar

1 red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped

Olive oil

Glug of red wine

Sea salt and black pepper

Parmesan or equivalent, for serving

V: 1-2 Veggie sausages, 1tsp fennel seeds. 

M: 1-2 Italian sausages, or regular sausages and 1tsp fennel seeds.

V: Soak fennel seeds in cold water over night or if in a rush soak in boiled water for 15 minutes. Dry pan fry before adding to dish.

Grill the sausages, turning occasionally, until cooked. Slice into bite-sized chunks.

M: Grill the sausages, turning occasionally, until cooked. Slice into bite-sized chunks.

Meanwhile, gently heat the garlic, chilli and glug of olive oil in a pan for a few minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and season to taste. Leave cooking over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Divide the sauce into two pans.

V: Add the fennel seeds and vegetarian sausages to one pan and continue cooking over a medium heat.

M: Add the Italian sausages or regular sausages with fennel seeds to the other pan and continue cooking over a medium heat.

Cook the tagliatelle in salted boiling water until al dente and spoon on the sauce before serving.

Grate Parmesan or equivalent over each dish.