
We’re trying to avoid Cheese at the moment as Sue is having a serious issue with Lactose. So this was a recipe Sue found on-line and then hacked to death. Who doesn’t use the gills and stems from the Mushroom? Dreadful waste……
Ingredients:-
4 Medium Flat Mushrooms, cored
Olive Oil
2 Tsp of Sumac
The Juice of ½ a Lemon
A drained Tin of Chickpeas, half pureed
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp of Tahini
1 Tbsp of Dried Thyme
2 Tsp of Sesame Seeds
½ An Onion, finely chopped
1 Tsp of drained Capers, chopped
1 Tbsp of Garlic Butter
Salt to season
Method:-
(1) Remove the stem from the Mushroom and scrap out the brown part of the gills.
(2) Add to a pan with a little Oil, Garlic Butter and the Onion.
(3) Fry over a low heat until the Onion has softened.
(4) Drain and allow to cool.
(5) Mash half of the drained Chickpeas in to a paste.
(6) Add the Garlic, Salt, Sumac, Lemon Juice, & Capers to the paste and combine.
(7) Stir the Tahini and Thyme into the remaining whole Chickpeas.
(8) Pour a little Oil into the hollow Mushrooms.
(9) Combine the fillings and spoon into the Mushrooms.
(10) Sprinkle with Sesame Seeds.
(11) Cook at 180c for minutes.
We had ours with some Steaks I cut from a discounted lump of rump we had in the freezer, peas, battered Prawns etc. Realistically these would make a really good meat substitute. They were vary tasty but also very filling…...

We’d planned a simple cold salad for yesterday after I finished dragging a heavy bike around York. But temptation got the better of me and I bought a pack of raw King Prawns to go with it. Now normally we’d make a Caper dip to go with battered Prawns, but maybe the heat got to me?
Here was my logic:-
The astringency of Capers works really well with Seafood. King Prawns remain tender when you batter them because the batter stops the moisture from frying out of them. So cut out the middle man and just add the Capers to the batter.
Ingredients:-
250g of raw shelled King Prawns
½ a small jar of drained Capers
50/50 mix of Gram Flour and Cornflour to make the batter base
Salt & fresh ground Black Pepper to season
¼ of a Tsp of Asafoetida
½ a Tsp of Turmeric for colour
Soda Water
½ a Tsp of Baking Powder
Method:-
(1) Heat a fryer to 160c.
(2) Mix the batter with enough Soda Water to make a very sticky batter.
(3) Coat the Prawns individually making sure that the Capers stick.
(4) Fry in small batches until the are golden brown.
(5) Set aside to drain.
Drizzle with Tonkatsu Sauce if you wish?
Strangely morish as these were and certainly not unpleasant, there was something missing. We could taste the Capers in the Batter and the Prawns were succulent. But somehow it didn’t quite pull together as I would have liked. Maybe I’ll swap the Salt for Garlic Salt next time?

I’ve never understood why in the age of Shrink-flation, when the package sizes of everything are quietly reducing, that we still have to buy Spinach in industrial quantities. I bought a pack of Spinach for the Shakshuka with Spinach and Lamb Meatballs, we made the other night. But as usual we ended up with half of the pack in the fridge. So…….
Ingredients:-
250g of Spinach, wilted in salted water
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
Cornflour and Gram Flour, enough to make a stiff batter
½ Tsp of Turmeric
Salt & Pepper to season the batter
Method:-
(1) When your Spinach has wilted squeeze as much waters as you can from it.
(2) Mix the Garlic in and set aside.
(3) Mix the Batter ingredients but don’t add water.
(4) Form the Spinach into balls and roll in the dry Batter mix.
(5) Heat a fryer it 160C.
(6) Add water to the batter until you have a very stiff batter.
(7) Coat the Spinach balls in Batter and fry individually until the Batter is golden brown.
These made a surprisingly good side and we don’t have half a bag of Spinach learning philosophy in the bottom of the fridge, which has to be a bonus!

The recipe we originally found had no Onions in it. This dish was outstanding after we tinkered with it a little.
Ingredients:-
For the meatballs:-
400g of Minced Lamb
1/2 a Tsp Fennels Seeds
1/4 a Tsp Paprika
1/4 of a Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 of a Tsp Coriander
A Pinch Chilli Flakes
2 Tbsp of chopped fresh Parsley
Salt & Pepper to season
For the Shakshuka:-
1 Medium Onion, finely chopped
2 of Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp of Tomato Puree
1 Tbsp of Paprika
1 Tsp of Cumin
A pinch of Fennels Seeds
A Tin of Chopped Tomatoes
4 Large Eggs
225g of fresh Spinach
Salt & Pepper to season
Method:-
(1) In a medium bowl, combine spices for Lamb meatballs. Add Lamb and mix very well. Roll Lamb into small meatballs.
(2) Add 1 Tbsp oil to a large pan over medium heat. Brown meatballs on all sides, for around 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. (Leave liquid and lamb bits in the bottom of the pan for flavour).
(3) Add another Tbsp Oil to the pan. Add the Onion and Garlic and cook 1 minute, scraping brown lamb bits off the bottom. Add tomato paste and the Spices and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes until fragrant.
(4) Add the tin of Tomatoes and Meatballs and simmer covered over low-medium heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, add the Spinach on top and cook for another 3-4 minutes until spinach has wilted completely, stirring occasionally.
(5) When sauce has thickened slightly, crack your Eggs and gently add over tomato sauce. Cover and cook 3-5 minutes, until whites have set and yolks are still runny.
(6) Drizzle tahini over the top and sprinkle with fresh parsley.
We understand that the foundation of the dish was created in North Africa in the mid-16th century, as a breakfast meal. It’s been adopted and modified by many cultures and not without good reason. We’ll certainly be doing this one again!

Sounds very extravagant I know. But the Truffles in Oil were a Christmas present and we are treating them as Gold!
Ingredients:-
2 Large Baking Potatoes, cut into wedges
2 Tbsp of Truffle Oil
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
1 Tbsp of Chopped Parsley
3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
50g of Italian style Grated Cheese
1 Tsp of Salt
½ of a Tsp of Garlic Powder
¼ of a Tsp of Paprika
¼ of a Tsp of Onion Powder
½ of a Tsp of Black Pepper
½ of a Tsp of Dried Basil
Method:-
(1) Combine the Oil with the Salt & Pepper.
(2) Toss the Wedges in the Oil and ensure they are fully coated.
(3) Cook in a pre-heated oven at 180c for 15 to 20 minutes.
(4) Remove and allow to cool.
(5) Combine the remaining ingredients and coat the Wedges.
(6) Return to the oven on a tray and cook for a further 30 minutes until crispy.
These make an outstanding side dish served with a hot meat and Salad.
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