May 31, 2023
Our Mushroom, Leek and Chicken Pie is hearty, nourishing and sure to warm you up on these colder, wintry nights.
Ingredients
400 g cup mushrooms, sliced
1 large brown onion, roughly diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ bunch parsley
1 kg chicken thighs, roughly chopped
550 ml full cream milk, plus extra for brushing over pastry
1 ½ tsp whole-grain mustard
1 chicken stock cube
2 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
3 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves
80 g plain flour
1 large leek, thinly sliced
2 knobs of butter
½ cup frozen peas
200 ml creme fraiche
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted
cracked black pepper
olive oil for cooking
Directions
Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200°C.
Sauté the diced onion and minced garlic with a good dash of olive oil in a large deep pan on medium heat. Once the onions start to become translucent, add in the parsley stalks finely chopped (set aside the parsley leaves), and sauté for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add another good drizzle of olive oil to the same pan, turn up the heat to high and sauté the chicken in 2 batches until the chicken is lightly browned.
Add the cooked onion/garlic mixture back into the pan, adding the milk, mustard, stock cube, tarragon, fresh thyme leaves and a good pinch of cracked pepper. Stir through, turn the heat down to medium and place a lid on slightly ajar. Allow the heat to come up to a low simmer then turn it down to low heat while it simmers for a further 15 minutes.
Drain off ½ cup of liquid into a cup, add the flour and stir to combine until all lumps are removed. Pour the mixture back into the main pan and stir through.
In a separate frypan sauté the leeks on medium heat with a knob of butter until they become translucent. Remove from the pan and set aside. Repeat the sauté process with the mushrooms and another knob of butter until they are also softened. Add both sautéed vegetables to the main pot along with the frozen peas, creme fraiche and parsley leaves and stir through.
Adjust the seasoning to your taste depending on the saltiness of the stock cube.
Spoon out the mixture into a large family-size pie dish, lay the pastry sheet over the top and lightly tuck it in around the sides. With the tip of a sharp knife, make two indents in the middle of the pastry.
Place in the back of the oven for 30–35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and puffed up.
May 31, 2023
Mushroom Wellington is a vegetarian twist on a classic dish – rich, tasty and packed with flavour that rivals the OG Beef Wellington.
Ingredients
450 g Swiss brown mushrooms
2 Portobello mushrooms
2 cups walnuts
2 tbsp olive oil
2 puff pastry sheets, depending on size, defrosted
300 g thinly sliced onions
60 ml vegetable stock
1 tbsp thyme leaves
1 tsp tarragon
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
120 g spinach leaves
1 egg, beaten
Directions
Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180°C. Arrange the Portobello mushrooms on a baking tray, remove stalks and set them aside to use in mushroom mixture. Spray or brush the mushrooms all over with olive oil, then season with salt. Cook for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and dab gently with a paper towel to remove excess liquid. Set aside to cool.
To make the mushroom mixture, place the Portobello stalks, Swiss brown mushrooms & walnuts in a food processor. Pulse, blitzing until broken into small pieces – be careful to not overprocess.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes, until softened and caramelised. Add the vegetable stock and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Now add the herbs, along with the garlic. Sauté for a further 3 minutes, then add the mushrooms & soy sauce and sauté until most of the liquid has released from the mushrooms and evaporated, 10-12 minutes.
Add the spinach and sauté until wilted. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
Take a large piece of cling film, slightly wider than the length & width of the Portobello mushrooms. On it, spread out half of the cooled mushroom mixture. Layer the Portobello mushrooms on top, then cover them with the remaining mushroom mixture. Shape into a cylinder and then tightly wrap the cling film. Allow to firm up in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the fan-forced oven to 200°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Place pastry on the tray, then unwrap the mushroom cylinder and place in the middle of the pastry. Brush the border of the pastry with egg wash
Carefully fold one side of the pastry over the filling, then the other side. Seal the top & bottom ends over the filling, flip over to the seams at the bottom. Score the top of the Wellington diagonally with a sharp knife.
Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180°C and bake for another 40 minutes, or until the pastry is deep golden.
Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving.
Apr 21, 2023
Ever thought of cooking noodles in the air fryer? The satisfying crunch pairs perfectly with wok-fried mushrooms and vegetables.
Ingredients
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 ½ tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
½ tsp sesame oil
1 ½ tsp sugar
40 g cornflour
white pepper, ground
280 ml beef stock
Noodles
500 g fresh egg noodles
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Stir fry
3 tbsp vegetable oil
200 g Swiss brown mushrooms
300 g flat mushrooms
½ small white onion, thinly sliced
1 bunch Chinese broccoli, stems & leaves separated
100 g red capsicum, sliced
100 g carrot, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
fresh sliced chilli to serve
Directions
Add all of the gravy ingredients, excluding the cornflour & beef stock, to a large jug. Mix and set aside.
Preheat air fryer to 140°C. Boil a large pot of water, then cook egg noodles for 2 minutes. Drain, then coat evenly with 2 tbsp of vegetable oil.
Add the noodles to the preheated air fryer, frying for 20 minutes, flipping halfway. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to do this in batches. If so, keep the first lot of noodles warm in the oven.
Heat 3 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large wok. Add the mushrooms, stirring occasionally until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Now add the sliced onion and allow to cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the broccoli stems, carrot & capsicum, frying for a further 5 minutes until the mushrooms release their liquid and the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the garlic & broccoli leaves and fry until the leaves have wilted. Remove from the wok.
Whisk the cornflour into the pre-prepared sauce. Pour the beef stock into the wok, then stir in the sauce. Keep cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens into a gravy, about 3 minutes. Add the stir fry back to the wok, then gently mix to coat in the gravy. Remove from the heat.
Arrange the noodles on a large serving platter. Pour the vegetables & gravy over the crispy egg noodles and serve immediately with freshly cut chilli.
Apr 21, 2023
These Meat-Free Meatballs are packed with mushrooms, onion, garlic, chickpeas and parmesan cheese. They can be enjoyed on their own or served with a side of pasta or rice.
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
300 g mixed mushrooms, e.g. Flats, Portobello, Cup and Swiss mushrooms
1 brown onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
400 g tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained
¼ cup parsley
1 cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
1 egg, lightly whisked
Tomato sauce:
1 carrot, finely diced
1 celery stick, finely diced
1 green capsicum, finely diced
400 g tin diced tomatoes
¼ cup red wine
¼ cup vegetable stock
2 tsp tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano
Serve:
Garnish with fresh oregano leaves, grated parmesan and sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Can also serve with your favourite pasta.
Directions
In a medium fry pan over medium high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and the butter. Sauté onions for 2 mins, add mushrooms and cook stirring occasionally for 5 mins; add 4 garlic cloves and the chilli, season with salt and pepper and cook for a further 2 mins. Set aside to cool down.
In a blender, add the mushroom mixture, chickpeas, parsley, breadcrumbs, egg, and parmesan cheese and blend until combined. Alternatively mix in a large bowl.
Spoon out 16 balls. Refrigerate for 10 mins or overnight.
Add remaining oil into the fry pan, over medium to high heat and sauté carrot, celery, capsicum, and remaining garlic, until soft. Add in the tomato paste and sauté for a further 2 mins. Add tinned tomatoes, red wine, vegetable stock, bay leaf and dried oregano. Season with salt and pepper and reduce heat and simmer for 30–40 mins, stirring occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Place meatballs onto the lined baking tray and bake for 20 mins.
Serve meatballs with tomato mixture into bowls, garnish with grated parmesan, fresh oregano leaves, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.
Apr 12, 2023
Give it a go this meat-free Monday and let us know if it lives up to the hype!
Ingredients
300 g Portobello mushrooms (about two large portobellos)
100 g button mushrooms, sliced
2 medium-sized eggplants, halved
2 small garlic bulbs
100 ml olive oil
1 tsp round cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
80 g tomato paste
60 ml water
100 g Greek yoghurt
½ tsp smoked paprika
Salt & pepper to taste
To Serve
Fresh mint leaves
Rocket
Directions
Preheat a fan-forced oven to 220°C. Line a baking tray large enough to fit the eggplant halves with baking paper. Drizzle both sizes of the eggplants with 40mL of olive oil, season and place cut side down on the prepared baking tray.
Slice the top eighth of the garlic bulbs off, revealing the cloves. Place on a foil sheet, season with salt and drizzle with 20mL of the olive oil. Wrap in the foil and add to the baking tray. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the garlic cloves & eggplant flesh are soft.
Meanwhile, roughly chop the Portobello mushrooms into chunks, then pulse in a food processor, until the mushrooms are chopped into small pieces – reminiscent of “mince”.
Unwrap the garlic, and when cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves out of the bulbs. Mash with a fork.
5. Heat remaining 40mL of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the chopped Portobello mushrooms to cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms soften and release liquid, about 6 minutes. Add the cinnamon & cumin, along with half of the roasted garlic and sliced button mushrooms. Cook for a further 6 minutes, or until softened.
Add the tomato paste & water, cooking & stirring until the liquid reduces again.
Combine the remaining garlic with the yoghurt in a small bowl.
Serve the eggplants topped with mushroom mince, garlic yoghurt, smoked paprika, fresh mint leaves & rocket.
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