Lazy Day Pasta
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
- 1 large bunch of kale, any variety, roughly chopped (cavolo nero is also great)
- 1 large shallot/white onion, finely chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic: 4 crushed or finely chopped, 2 thinly sliced
- 2-4 tbsp olive oil
- 2-4 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 4 tbsp white wine
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 lemon, juiced, plus a dash of zest
- Approximately 340g dried pasta of choice (penne, macroni, rigatoni, cannelloni, fusilli, etc)
- 200g mushrooms, sliced thinly
- Salt and pepper
Method
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add your chopped kale and cook for 5-7 minutes, until wilted and cooked through. You can also steam it. Once cooked, drain and blanch in cold water briefly to stop the cooking process.
Transfer the kale to a blender and add your chopped shallot/onion, the 4 crushed or finely chopped cloves of garlic, the olive oil, nutritional yeast, mustard, white wine, chilli flakes, lemon juice and zest. Season with salt and pepper and blend until you have a relatively smooth but thick sauce mixture. You can add water to loosen if necessary. Season to taste, then pop to one side while you make the rest of the dish.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and add your desired pasta. Cook until al dente, about 10-12 minutes. Drain, then put back into the pot and cover.
While your pasta is cooking, heat up about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan. Once hot, add the 2 sliced cloves of garlic and sauté until golden and fragrant. Make sure you stir frequently to prevent them burning. Add your sliced mushrooms to the garlic and sweat until soft. You can add a dash more olive oil or water to the pan if it is a little dry. Season with salt and pepper. The mushrooms will sweat and wilt very quickly.
Go ahead, pour in your kale sauce and heat up over a low heat, again stirring frequently. Heat until cooked through. Pour the sauce over the pasta in the pot and stir well. You can do this over a low heat if your pasta has cooled too much. Season with extra salt and pepper, chilli flakes and olive oil to taste. Dish up accordingly and enjoy!
Coconut, White Bean, And Celery Soup
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
- 1 tsp oil of choice (coconut, sesame and olive all work well)
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 large white or brown onion, cut in half lengthways, then diced
- 1 bunch of celery, approximately 250g, thinly sliced, leaves included
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
- 1 apple, chopped, seeds removed, core included
- 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 × 400g tins of white beans (cannellini, navy, lima), drained and rinsed well
- 1-1.5 litres vegetable stock
- 1 × 400ml tin of full-fat coconut milk
- 1 large handful of fresh greens (kale, spinach, chard)
- 1 lime, juiced and zested
- Salt and pepper
- Dried chilli flakes (optional)
Method
Put the oil into a large pot over a medium heat, add the coriander and cumin seeds, and fry until fragrant. I like to bash the seeds slightly with the top of a wooden spoon to allow the flavours to deepen once you add the rest of your ingredients.
Add the chopped onion and cook until soft and slightly translucent. Add the sliced celery, celery leaves, garlic, apple and ginger, and continue to sauté until the vegetables become soft and fragrant. Add your beans and stock and bring to the boil, then lower to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste, adding a pinch of chilli flakes if you want a slight kick.
Once your soup starts to thicken, add the coconut milk and half your greens. Keep the heat low while the greens cook, adding the lime juice and zest as you go. Season with salt and pepper again to taste, and continue to simmer the soup to allow it to thicken even more. Serve with croutons.
Whole Roasted Celeriac
Serves 4 to 6IngredientsFor the celeriac:
- 1 medium celeriac
- 2 cloves of garlic, skins removed, bashed with the back of a knife and roughly broken up
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- a few sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- salt and pepper
For the gravy:
- Olive oil, for frying
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped or diced
- 250g mushrooms (chestnut, button, variety, etc), sliced
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
- Approximately 500-750ml vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1½ tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- A few fresh sage leaves, rubbed to release their flavour and roughly chopped
- 2-4 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp sherry or white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 65ml unsweetened plant-based milk
- Salt and pepper
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C fan. Wash and scrub your celeriac well, removing excess dirt. Using a sharp knife, pierce it all over its whole surface, about 1cm or so deep.
Place the celeriac on a baking tray. In a small bowl, combine your garlic, olive oil, thyme, turmeric and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Using a pastry brush or your fingertips, cover the celeriac with the oil mixture, spreading the garlic pieces on the celeriac to roast too.
Place in the oven on a low shelf and roast for about 2½ hours. It may take slightly more or less depending on your oven. Check on the celeriac throughout, spooning over any juices that appear in the bottom of the tray. Once it’s cooked you want a knife to be able to go through easily and for the outside to be a lovely golden brown. Once the celeriac has roasted, remove it from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
While the celeriac is cooking, you can make your gravy. Drizzle a tablespoon or so of oil into a wide pan and start to fry your onions until soft and translucent. Add the mushrooms and garlic and continue to fry for a few minutes – the mixture will become quite moist, due to the mushrooms. Once cooked and fragrant, add about 500ml of the stock, the thyme, rosemary and sage, and stir well. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the nutritional yeast, mustard, vinegar, coconut aminos, flour and plant-based milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Slowly stir on a low heat to get rid of any lumps, allowing the liquid to thicken. For a thinner gravy, you can go ahead and add the rest of the stock here. Turn off the heat, then remove a third of the mushroom mixture and put to one side. Either pour the rest of the gravy into an upright blender, or use a hand blender to blitz it until smooth. Season to taste, then put the blended liquid and the reserved mushrooms back into a saucepan. On a low-medium heat, begin to warm the mushroom gravy, stirring to combine.
To serve, place the celeriac, whole, on a serving plate. Score a cross on top and prise it open ever so slightly, pouring over the gravy and allowing it to seep through the gaps. Place the lemon wedges around the dish and season with extra salt and pepper if necessary. You could also plate up individually, cutting the celeriac into ‘steaks’ or any other way you like. Pour over the gravy and serve with lemon wedges, as above.
