50p a day til christmas, healthily?!-Weezl's next challenge (part 2)

Lesley_Gaye

Hi FedUp

here is the recipe. It is from the Cranks Recipe Book. I have adjusted it a bit, so here is my version

Mushroom Stroganoff, serves 4
1 large onion
4 celery sticks
350g mushrooms
2 bay leaves
142ml low fat creme fraiche
a little oil to cook in
salt & pepper

Slice the onion and celery. Saute in a little oil until the onion is transparent. Slice the mushrooms and add to the pan. Sizzle until the mushrooms are caramelising. Remove from the heat, allow to cool a little and add the creme fraiche, season to taste.

Can be done ahead until the creme fraiche part. Be careful re-heating after the creme fraiche as it may split.

I have also remembered another recipe that I really like. Mushroom Ragout from Nigella Lawsons How To Eat

Mushroom Ragout
800g mushrooms - she uses wild ones
oil to cook in
1 chopped onion
1 red onion, sliced finely
2 stalks celery
3 cloves garlic
175ml dry red wine
75ml Marsala
bay leaf
1/2 tsp thyme leaves
pinch cayenne
1 tblsp flour
500ml veg stock
3tblsp flat leaf parsley

Again, I have changed the recipe a bit as Nigella uses lots of oil and butter, which I try not to have too much of (calories, calories!)

Slice mushrooms, if using wild ones trim off tough and woody stems. Saute the onions and celery in a little oil until they soften. Add the chopped garlic, cayenne, thyme and mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms caramelise. Add the red wine and Marsala. Cook until the wine has almost cooked away.

In a separate pan, whisk the flour into the veg stock and heat until it simmers to cook out the flour. Add to the mushrooms etc. Simmer gently with a lid on for about 10 minutes. Add the parsley

This is very good with all the things that the Stroganoff is good with (mash, rice, polenta, noodles, jkt pot topping) plus it is fab with a piece of chicken or anything else as a side dish

You don't need to use the red wine or Marsala if you want to frugalise it a bit more (although it does taste better with it) or the parsley if you have to buy it. Plus of course, it's your food, so adjust it however you want!

shaz_mum_of__2

You can chop mushrooms up and freeze ready for use in cooking i usually put them in a bag thats too big then squish them about a bit every couple of hours so they don't all stick together also do the same with peppers and courgettes and cabbage


Shaz

nopot2pin

I quite like a mushroom curry...
Or sometimes a cauliflower and mushroom curry..
I alway add onion to stretch it out a bit.
But I do cheat when it comes to the sauce... I use Pataks paste :shhh: and a tin of tomatoes..
I know thats not very OS... but it always turns out, and is far better than any HM curry sauce I have every made

Seakay

Elfinwings wrote: »

How very interesting! I wonder if blancmange was originally white then? And my personal favourite should be brownmange. Dosen't sound entirely appetising, does it?!? Perhaps chocmange would be better...

E.

Yes - it's basically milk sugar and cornflour and would be served with stewed fruit. Well, that is the 1950's version.

Earlier recipes contain almonds and cream (eg Mrs Beeton, Eliza Acton)

Medieval recipes were rich but savoury and contained minced chicken along with the ground almonds, and were sometimes called a blanc manger (spellings varied, of course!)

Confuzzled

Seakay wrote: »

Medieval recipes were rich but savoury and contained minced chicken along with the ground almonds, and were sometimes called a blanc manger (spellings varied, of course!)

interesting... manger means to eat in french... quite appropriate

Elfinwings

shaz_mum_of__2 wrote: »

You can chop mushrooms up and freeze ready for use in cooking i usually put them in a bag thats too big then squish them about a bit every couple of hours so they don't all stick together also do the same with peppers and courgettes and cabbage


Shaz

ooh, really? Do you have to cook them first, or can you just bung them in raw? Handy tip with the courgettes too - we have three plants and I think there may well be more than we can keep up with eating! Thanks! :T

miss_independent wrote: »

0 point mushroom soup
Alternatives; mushroom stirfry, mushrooms on toast, mushroom carbonara, mushroom pate - you've got LOADS of yummy options!

nopot2pin wrote: »

I quite like a mushroom curry...
Or sometimes a cauliflower and mushroom curry..
... I use Pataks paste :shhh: and a tin of tomatoes..

LOL, don't blame you nopot2pin!

Thanks for the suggestions folks, so far I have made a stir fry with mushrooms, and last night I made a big pearl barley and mushroom risotto - plenty to save as well. This evening I am going to try Lesley's Mushroom Ragu, which sounds fabulous.

Hope everyone has a lovely, frugal day - here's hoping for some sunshine! I want my tomatoes to get going in the greenhouse!!

Elfin. x

Lesley_Gaye

we have had 2 tiny pickings from the runner beans, then yesterday, we had a proper picking. So we had them with some veggie fritters.

They were Yummy.

Had a couple of tiny toms ripened so far, but they are looking good.

Planted some small fruit trees last year and the 2 apples are laden, can't wait to try them. I prob shouldn't have let them crop this year, but I am much too impatient to wait 2 years for the first crop

shaz_mum_of__2

elfin yes just chop up raw no need to cook but make sure you do the squidging or they all stick together

Once frozen i put them into the big catering size ice cream tubs already got 3 tubs of courgettes

Take a look at my blog for a couple of courgette cake recipes too

Confuzzled hope you find somewhere new (and warm)to live soon


Shaz

Elfinwings

Lesley_Gaye wrote: »

we have had 2 tiny pickings from the runner beans, then yesterday, we had a proper picking. So we had them with some veggie fritters.

They were Yummy.

Had a couple of tiny toms ripened so far, but they are looking good.

Planted some small fruit trees last year and the 2 apples are laden, can't wait to try them. I prob shouldn't have let them crop this year, but I am much too impatient to wait 2 years for the first crop

Hi Lesley, you are doing better than me with the tomatoes and beans! Most of my bean plants gave up and died, but we have just about enough on the two that survived to pick some soon! Still no fruit set on the toms...
I didn't try the ragu last night in the end - got back late form work and all I could muster was taking something out of the freezer! Will try tonight instead.

Elfin.

Elfinwings

shaz_mum_of__2 wrote: »

elfin yes just chop up raw no need to cook but make sure you do the squidging or they all stick together

Once frozen i put them into the big catering size ice cream tubs already got 3 tubs of courgettes

Take a look at my blog for a couple of courgette cake recipes too


Shaz

Thank you Shaz, that's really helpful. Will get freezing :beer:
Courgette cake - good idea! I tried one out of Nigella's baking book a couple of years ago, but not done one since.

Elfin.