Cheddar Apple Walnut Salad
Creamy cheese, crisp and sweet apples, toasty walnuts and a tangy dressing. This Cheddar Apple Walnut Salad is a simple and tasty crowd-pleaser!
Tag: cheese
Black Bean Breakfast Enchiladas
These vegetarian black bean breakfast enchiladas make a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs weekend breakfast! I hope you had a lovely weekend. What did you do? A little breakfast? A little biking? A little brewery action? We rarely go out for breakfast at the moment, our little nugget …
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Healthier Homity Pie
A lightened up version of the classic British vegetarian dish, this healthier Homity Pie is a guaranteed crowd pleaser!
Poor old St George. He doesn’t get much air time does he? Especially compared to his colleague St Patrick. Even St Andrew and St David get more attention than old Georgie Porgie, and why is that? Is it because he is not even English? Well, we could debate all day, but that would prevent us from talking about pie. I want to talk about pie.
I wanted to give a nod to the Motherland with something a little traditional, so I recreated the British vegetarian classic- Homity Pie. Homity Pie apparently originated in 1940’s Britain as a result of rationing, and it was made popular in the 60’s by veggie pioneers Cranks. There are hundreds of variations of Homity Pie, some healthier than others, but they will usually include potatoes and cheese nestled into a pastry case.
I wanted to make mine as healthy as possible, while still retaining the signature elements. I bumped up the veg content with some carrots, spinach, mushrooms, and fresh parsley, then I replaced the double cream with a little greek yoghurt. This pie is SO GOOD and absolutely worthy of an under celebrated Patron Saint.
Enjoy!
Healthier Homity Pie
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Author: Emma
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- Pastry:
- 11/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or whole wheat flour)
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp cold water
- Filling:
- 1 large potato cut into 1 inch chunks (I don't peel mine but you can if you wish!)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 leek, diced
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 1 cup mushrooms, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 handful of baby spinach, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp greek yoghurt
- ½ tsp dijon mustard
- 1 cup grated cheddar, divided
- salt and pepper to taste
Method
- First, make the pastry: I like to use a food processor. Pulse together the flour and butter until the mixture has a crumbly consistency. Add the salt and water and process on low until the pastry forms a ball of dough. Remove from the processor and put in the fridge to rest. If you don't have a food processor, you can do this by hand instead. Rub the butter into the flour, and knead in the water to form the dough. Use chilled butter and water for best results.
- Next, place the potatoes in a large pot of water and bring to the boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender but still retaining their shape. Remove from the pot and drain well.
- Meanwhile, you can prepare the rest of the filling. Heat olive oil over a medium heat in a large frying pan or skillet. Add the leek and carrot, and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes more. Finally hold in the spinach and parsley and turn a couple of times in the pan until the spinach is beginning to wilt. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the cooked potatoes to the bowl along with the other veg. Then stir in the yoghurt, mustard, half of the cheese, and season generously with pepper, and maybe a little salt. Set Aside, and preheat oven 425F/215C.
- Remove the chilled pastry from the fridge, and roll out dough as thinly as possible on a floured surface. Carefully transfer the pie to a greased pie dish and press the edges down
- Tip the filling into the pastry case, and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top
- Cook for about 30 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly, and the pastry is cooked through. Rest of a couple of minutes before cutting it into slices and devouring. This is also fantastic cold.
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Linguine with Roasted Cauliflower, Yoghurt and Lemon
Whole wheat linguine tossed with roasted cauliflower, yoghurt, lemon, and almonds to make a quick and delicious weeknight meal. Alternative Post Title = Roasted Cauliflower: A Love Affair. The first time I roasted cauliflower I was forever ruined, for I can never go back. Like …
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Spinach Artichoke Quiche
This creamy spinach artichoke quiche is perfect for a make ahead brunch! Most likely you have already decided what you are making this Easter Weekend. Or perhaps, you are like me. Perhaps you’ve had some bad kitchen karma, or perhaps you are woefully disorganized and …
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Cheesy Lentil Jacket Potatoes
Introducing you to my new favourite comfort food: cheesy lentil jacket potatoes!
Happy Friday Friends! We made it through another week, rejoice! How has yours been? I tried something a bit different this week and woke up slightly earlier to spend ten or fifteen minutes doing a little yoga before the rest of the house was awake. So, I’m writing this to you from a smugly zen state. Seriously though, taking those few minutes has made a big difference to how I feel for the rest of the day. Perhaps I will keep it up, perhaps not. Do you have any “zen” habits like this?
Ok, onto todays recipe. Yummy jacket potatoes! We probably eat jacket potatoes for an easy dinner about once a week. Usually we will top it with baked beans and cheese (you can take the girl out of Britain…), but this is a variation I’ve been enjoying lately. It’s so simple, just cook red lentils on the stovetop, stir in some strong cheddar, and top your jackets with it. So hearty, so filling, so EASY.
Happy Friday, and enjoy!
Cheesy Lentil Jacket Potatoes
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Author: Emma
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 2 potatoes
- ½ cup lentils
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable stock
- ⅔ cup strong cheddar, grated
- 1 tsp dried thyme (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley or chives, finely chopped to sprinkle on top (optional)
Method
- Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Prick the skin of your potatoes a few times with a fork, and put in the oven directly on the rack. Bake for 1 hour to 90 minutes depending on the size of your potato (you want the jacket to be really firm, and the inside to be beautifully tender)
- Towards the end of cooking, place your lentils and vegetable stock in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Gently simmer for about 15 minutes until the lentils have absorbed most of the liquid, and begin to break down. Add a splash more liquid if needed. Stir in the cheddar and thyme, and season with salt and pepper to taste
- Remove the potatoes from the oven, and cut lengthways to create a little filling pocket. Spoon the cheesy lentil mixture onto the potatoes, and top with fresh parsley or chives if desired
- Eat immediately!
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Whole Wheat Welsh Rarebit Muffins
These whole wheat Welsh Rarebit Muffins are addictively cheesy, and make the perfect savoury snack! Last week Kirk and I booked tickets to visit home in the Summer. I’m so excited!! We have decided to make this visit more of a holiday, so along with …
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Portobello Sandwich with Goat Cheese Pesto Spread
This quick portobello sandwich with goat cheese pesto spread is as satisfying as it is delicious! Bear with me, for I am not usually this winey. But. A mere two weeks from my marathon, I had four months of perfect training marred by dual afflictions. ITBS …
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Roasted Root Salad with Goat Cheese
This roasted root salad with goat cheese is perfect for winter- resolution friendly, with a little oomph!
I have always thought that January is unfairly assigned the title of “worst Month”. The reasons are twofold:
- The worst month is obviously February
- My Birthday is in January
Selfish of me yes, but oh to be a January baby! Look, I have nothing against the rigor at which people attack their resolutions, but there is only so many, “I can’t, I’m detoxing”, “I can’t, I’m skint”,”I can’t I’m on the cabbage diet/Beyonce cleanse etc. etc.” that one can take before you begin to get a little resentful.
So I’m meeting you in the middle with this one. I’ll give you some resolution friendly greens, but only if you promise to come out for a cocktail this month. Deal?! Ok, onto the salad Yes, it’s a salad, but it has some oomph. I feel like the universe is playing a cruel joke on us by forcing us to make resolutions in the deep winter, don’t you? Fear not, the robust bed of kale, tossed with roasted root vegetables, and topped with a smattering of creamy goat cheese makes this a satisfying, nourishing, and all round delicious winter salad.
Enjoy!
Roasted Root Salad with Goat Cheese
Prep time
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This roasted root salad with goat cheese is resolution friendly, with a little oomph.
Author: Emma
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- For salad:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large sweet potato, cut into chunks
- 2 parsnips. cut into chunks
- 2 beetroot. cut into chunks (slightly smaller than your other veg as I find they take longer to cook)*
- 1 small bunch of kale, destemmed and finely shredded
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- ⅓ cup goat cheese
- For dressing:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tbsp dijon
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (or honey if you wish)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- large pinch of salt
Method
- Preheat oven to 425F/220C
- Arrange the prepared veg in a roasting pan, and toss with olive oil. Put in the oven to roast until tender, and toss once or twice during cooking to prevent sticking or burning.
- While the vegetables are roasting, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
- Put the kale leaves in a large bowl, and and pour the dressing over the top.
- Spend a few minutes rubbing the dressing on the kale leaves until thy are will coated and beginning to wilt**, and then set aside in the fridge to marinate while the veg finishes roasting.
- When the vegetables are ready, removed the roasting pan from the oven, and throw in the pumpkin seeds so they toast in the pans heat. After a couple of minutes, add the vegetables to the kale leaves and toss everything together.
- Sprinkle the goat cheese on top, and serve!
Notes:
*A cheat for you: I adore precooked vacuum packed beets, because I always feel my roasted ones are hit and miss, and can be messy. So sometimes when I make this salad I will toss the precooked beets in at the end. But your call!
**The longer you massage, the more tender the leaves, and the longer you marinate, the more tender the leaves. My husband has reported that he prefers this salad on the second day for this reason. So you be the judge based on how you feel on the subject of raw kale 🙂
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Apple Cheddar Pita Pockets
These life-affirming apple cheddar pita pockets are ooey-gooey, creamy, tart and crisp all at once. I went the first eighteen years of my life ignorant of this delicious duo. Then one day I was at my friends house for Sunday lunch, when his grandfather uttered …
