Leek and Mushroom Cottage Pie

November 27, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

Recipe by David Tanis

Traditionally, shepherd’s pie is made with minced lamb and vegetables, and topped with mashed potatoes instead of pastry. If made with beef, it is called cottage pie. So it should follow that a vegetable version could be named gardener’s pie. Filled with a saucy, savory leek and mushroom stew, it’s a pie that will please vegetarians and carnivores alike.

Serves 6-8

FOR THE FILLING:
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
Salt and pepper
4 medium leeks, tender green and white parts, split lengthwise and cut in 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb medium-brown or white mushrooms, quartered
½ lb shiitake mushrooms, caps only, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
2 small garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp white miso (optional)
2 cups whole milk
2 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water
FOR THE TOPPING:
3 lbs russet or yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and cut in 2-inch chunks
6 tbsp unsalted butter
½ cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
1 cup homemade coarse dry bread crumbs

Heat oven to 350 F.
Put butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to color, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add leeks, a little more salt and stir to combine. Cook mixture for about 5 minutes more, until leeks have lost their crunch, but are still green. Turn off heat.

Cook the mushrooms separately (work in batches if necessary): Put olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is wavy, add both kinds of mushrooms and sauté 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly browned.
(Alternatively, you can roast the mushrooms rather than fry them. Roasting mushrooms at a high heat makes them chewy and meaty-tasting, plus one can do them all at once, so it’s less work, and there are fewer pans taking up stove space.
Slice them, toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar and roast at 500 for 20-25 minutes, turning once. While they are in the oven, you can get the rest done while the mushrooms are cooking.)
Season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat and stir in thyme, garlic and parsley, and toss to coat.

Add mushrooms to onion-leek mixture, and turn heat to medium-high.
Add miso and milk, and bring to a simmer.
Stir cornstarch and water, add to mixture and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring, until sauce thickens. Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and leave at room temperature.

Meanwhile, boil potatoes in salted water until very soft, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes and mash with 4 tablespoons butter, then stir in cream and beat until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread mashed potatoes evenly over surface of vegetable mixture.
Sprinkle with bread crumbs and dot with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Bake for 45 minutes, until bubbling and nicely browned.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Vegetable sides

Creamy, cheesy leeks with parmesan, cheddar and brie

December 15, 2020September 7, 2022 Belinda

Recipe from Jamie Oliver

This is a really super but simple side dish and if you want to take this dish to the next level, invest time in cooking your leeks super-slowly until sticky and sweet.

Serves 8-10

6 large leeks
2 cloves of garlic
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
olive oil
1 knob of unsalted butter
4 fl oz (100 ml) single cream
4 oz (100 g) Cheddar cheese
3 oz Parmesan cheese
4 oz (100 g) brie

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.

Trim, wash and slice the leeks, about 3/4″(2cm) thick, at an angle. Peel and slice the garlic, then pick the thyme leaves.
Put a large cast iron braiser (ideally one you’d be happy to serve in) on a medium heat and add a drizzle of oil, the butter, thyme leaves and garlic.
Cook until it begins to bubble and fry, then stir in the leeks. Continue cooking and checking on it every few minutes to stir and make sure it doesn’t catch.

At this point, you have two choices: one is good, one is great. You can either stir the rest of the ingredients into the leeks, grating in the Cheddar and Parmesan, and tearing in the brie, then put it into the oven to cook for 45 minutes uncovered, or, if you want the sweetest leeks in the world (and I think you do), do the following…

Turn the heat under the pan down a little and cook the leeks for about 35 minutes, or until soft and intensely gorgeous, stirring every now and then.
Season, then spoon it all into a dish, or leave in the pan.

Stir in the cream and splash of water, grate over the Cheddar and Parmesan, then pull the brie into parts and bomb those on top.

Pop in the oven for 15 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.

Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Nuts · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related · Whole30 compliant

Leeks in Vinaigrette with Walnuts and Tarragon

September 9, 2020September 7, 2022 Belinda

Recipe from Bon Appetite

Cutting the leeks into rounds is an update on the classic presentation—and makes them easier to serve to a crowd.I adore leeks and this is a super recipe that’s not as rich as creamed leeks

1 cup walnuts
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
6 large leeks, tough outer layer removed
1 garlic clove, finely grated
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp whole grain mustard
⅓ cup coarsely chopped tarragon
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Transfer to a small bowl and toss with oil; season with salt.

Trim root ends of leeks and 1″ from the dark green tops. Cut leeks into ½”-thick rounds (the dark green parts won’t be rounds, but that’s okay). Rinse well.

Cook leeks in a large pot of boiling salted water until meltingly tender, 12–15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and pat dry.

Whisk garlic, vinegar, and Dijon and whole grain mustards in a small bowl; season vinaigrette with salt.

Arrange leeks on a platter; drizzle with vinaigrette and let sit at least 10 minutes (the longer, the better).

Just before serving, scatter walnut mixture over leeks and top with tarragon and lots of pepper.

Do Ahead: Leeks (without walnut mixture and tarragon) can be marinated 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Potato, leek and sauerkraut gratin

December 11, 2019September 7, 2022 Belinda

Recipe c/o Yotam Ottolenghi

“Sauerkraut brings a welcome acidity to a rich potato gratin. This is a relatively easy side dish, and it reheats well, too.”

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Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 50 min
Serves 6

1/2 oz (15g) unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
22oz (600g) leeks (ie, about 3 large ones), trimmed, cut in half lengthways, then cut into 4cm lengths
Salt and black pepper
1 tbsp thyme leaves, roughly chopped, plus 4 extra sprigs
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
7fl oz (200ml) double cream
7fl oz (200ml) whole milk
10.5oz (300g) sauerkraut, store-bought or homemade
1oz (20g) chives, cut into 1½cm lengths
2.2lbs (1kg) floury potatoes like Maris piper or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch (1cm)-thick rounds
6oz (150g) Gruyère, roughly grated

Heat the oven to 400F/ 200C (180C fan)/gas 6.
Put a large, ovenproof saute pan for which you have a lid on a medium-high heat, and add the butter and oil. Once hot, add the leeks, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks have softened and are just beginning to color – about eight minutes.
Add the chopped thyme and garlic, cook for two minutes more, until fragrant, then turn off the heat and leave to cool slightly, for 10-15 minutes.
When the leeks have sat for 10 minutes, put the cream, milk and 7fl oz(200ml) water in a small saucepan on a medium heat, bring to a gentle simmer, and keep warm on a low heat.

Stir the sauerkraut, chives, potatoes, half the cheese, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and a generous grind of pepper into the cooled leeks, and smooth out the top so the potatoes are lying flat.
Pour over the warm cream mixture, then sprinkle on the rest of the cheese and top with the thyme sprigs. Cover the pan, bake for 50 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for 30 minutes more, or until golden and bubbling.
Leave to rest for about 15 minutes before serving directly from the pan.

Gluten Free · Meat · Nuts · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related · Whole30 compliant

Addictive asparagus

January 8, 2016March 4, 2023 Belinda

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This recipe is really special as it combines the most wonderful melange of flavors that complement asparagus so beautifully

Serves 4

4 oz pancetta or prosciutto cut into 3/8 inch to 1/4 inch dice
1 tbsp butter, ghee or clarified
1lb asparagus, woody ends trimmed and sliced into 2 inch pieces on the bias
1 1/4 cups leeks, thinly sliced crosswise (white and pale green parts only)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts or almonds
1-2 tbsp Italian parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large non-stick pan, sauté the pancetta, stirring frequently, over medium heat, until crisp and lightly golden. Remove onto some paper towels to get rid of some of the oil. Wipe the pan clean and add 1 tbsp of butter to pan. Add the asparagus pieces and leeks and sauté until the asparagus is tender crisp, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the garlic, lemon and orange zest, toasted pine nuts and parsley and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant. At the last minute, stir in the pancetta and heat through for about 1 minute.
Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and salt and serve immediately.

Meat · Pasta

Leek and bacon pasta with creamy Boursin cheese

October 5, 2014February 7, 2016 Belinda

As well as inventing recipes, I love to share ones I find either on the internet, or in my many hundreds of books. The BBC Good Food website is my most favorite source for recipes, and this is a real winner.
There is nothing nicer than the combination of leeks and bacon and with the addition of melted Boursin cheese and pasta, who could want something more tasty and comforting?

Serves 4
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb leeks, halved and finely sliced
8 rashers smoked bacon, sliced
1lb pasta (I used penne)
4oz Boursin cheese, at room temperature

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the leeks and 2 tbsp water, and cook for about 10 minutes until very soft.
Add the bacon, turn up the heat and fry until cooked.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta following the packet instructions. Drain and reserve a mug of the cooking water.
Spoon the cheese into the leek and bacon mix, adding some of the reserved cooking water.
Season and stir gently over a low heat until melted.
Toss through the cooked pasta, adding a little more cooking water, if needed, to help the sauce coat the pasta.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Soup

Spinach, leek and white bean soup

July 16, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda

We are soup fanatics in our house, any time of the year. I made this soup recently because dear friends of ours were having their first baby at the hospital over the road from us, and ended up staying with us for several days before and after. New mom was very anaemic so I was trying to come up with high-iron meals. After some research I read that spinach and white beans are very high in iron.
Well, typical me, I can’t just make a small batch of soup, I made enough for 20 people, but they ended up taking the rest home. If you’re going to make a little soup, you might as well make a lot. That’s my mantra!
This one I made up out of whatever I had in the fridge and pantry and it ended up being really good, so I made it again today and wrote down what I was doing. There are some rather weird ingredients in it, but it all helps to layer the flavors.

2 tbsp butter and 4 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 x 4oz pack chopped pancetta (you could use 4 rashers (slices) of bacon too)
6 leeks, cleaned and chopped
1 large potato, peeled and cubed small
2 x 15oz cans white kidney or cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
2 x 11oz packs (22 oz) fresh spinach
1 tbsp medium curry powder (If you want a real curried flavor, add 2 tbsp. 1 tbsp just gives it a certain “je ne c’est quoi”)
3/4 tbsp instant chicken Bouillon granules
3 x large (49oz) tins Chicken broth
A little salt and ground black pepper
8 oz cream cheese, at room temp

Get your largest saucepan, preferably a tall stockpot and put in the oil and butter. Heat gently and add the onions, garlic, pancetta, leeks and potato and saute, stirring occasionally.
Add the white beans and curry powder and season with a little salt and pepper.

Add the chicken broth and chicken stock granules and bring to a simmer. Add the spinach and keep pressing it down into the liquid with a wooden spoon until it wilts and shrinks considerably. Stir occasionally and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.

After 30 mins, take the soup of the heat and set aside to cool for an hour or two. this way, when you blend it in the liquidizer, the steam won’t cause it to burst the lid off and cover you and your surroundings with soup!
When cooled a little, start blending it in a blender, add tablespoons of the cream cheese to each batch until you have used it all up. This gives it a really silky, creamy texture. When all is blended, return to the large pan and bring to a simmer and serve
Serve. (You can cool the soup and freeze it in batches at this point)

Do-ahead · Soup

Chilled corn soup with prawns, avocado and tomato relish

May 29, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda1 Comment

This is the season for gorgeous chilled soups, whether you serve them in shooter glasses or bowls like this picture. I will be posting several of these over the next few summer months, as I love starting a meal with a refreshing and zingy flavor. You can make them well in advance so they are ideal for dinner parties or spontaneous lunches. Recently we held a house concert here at our home and I made my chilled cucumber soup (also on this blog) and set out 40 shooter glasses and two large pitchers of the soup. There was a constant group hovering over the pitchers refilling their glasses.

Serves 4
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 large leeks, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
3 ears corn, husked, silk removed
3 cups chicken broth
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
6 oz grape tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
8 to 10 leaves fresh, thinly-sliced basil
8 oz small or medium prawns, peeled and de-veined, tails removed
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp Fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp fresh lime juice

In a large saucepan on low, heat oil until melted. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes or until softened.
Meanwhile, over a large bowl, cut the corn kernels from the corn cobs (A sharp, serrated knife would work well). With a heavy knife, cut each cob into 2 to 3 pieces.
Add the corn kernels and pieces of cob to the pot with the leeks. Add the chicken broth and 1 cup of water, and increase the heat to high. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
Remove the pot from heat and discard the cobs. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes, then purée soup with an immersion blender. (Alternatively, carefully purée soup in batches in a food processor or blender.) Transfer to a large bowl, cover and chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
In a small bowl, toss avocado, tomatoes and basil
Heat a nonstick skillet on medium. Season the prawns with salt and pepper, add to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes, turning once, until just opaque.
Just before serving, chop the prawns coarsely and stir the lime juice into chilled soup. Ladle into bowls and garnish with avocado-tomato mixture and prawns, dividing evenly.

Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Roasted pesto, parmesan vegetable traybake

December 11, 2013January 10, 2016 Belinda

Yesterday, I did another traybake. I was on my own so decided to cut up a whole pile of vegetables, toss them with a container of pesto sauce from Trader Joes, lots of garlic, and when they were 3/4 through with the roasting, I threw at least half a container of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese over everything and roasted it till it was all melted and browned.
It was divine and so healthy!

Preheat oven to 350 F

Vegetables

You can choose whatever is in your fridge, but I used;
3 leeks, sliced into 1 inch slices
1lb Brussel Sprouts, trimmed
1/2 large cauliflower broken into florets
2 large red onions, cubed into 1 “ pieces
2 Delicata squash, unpeeled and cubed into 1” pieces
2 zucchini, cut into 1 “ slices

6 large cloves garlic, crushed

1 container Trader Joes pesto sauce (8oz)

6 oz (at least) grated Parmigano Reggiano

Put all the vegetables into a very large bowl then season well and add the garlic and pesto sauce.

Mix together well with your hands and tip all the contents out onto a large baking tray with shallow sides, like the one in the picture.

Roast the vegetables for 25 mins then turn all the vegetables to avoid burning and continue to roast for another 20 minutes.
Sprinkle with plenty of grated cheese and return to oven, turning the oven up to 400F for another 15 to 20 minutes until toasty and melted.

Serve on it’s own, or with a salad