Potato-topped, white bean pie

I'm sorry, there simply is no way to photograph this and make it look pretty....
Then again, often the sloppy-messy dinners are the most delicious!
We definitely think this is one of those dinners!!! :-)
This eventuated when a lentil shepherd's pie was on the cards, but no tins of lentils were in the pantry. Alas, potato-topped white bean pie came about :-)
I haven't given this recipe the usual make, try, try again process. However, it's quite a simple dish that is versatile and you basically can't go wrong!

POTATO-TOPPED WHITE BEAN PIE

You'll need:
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
2 stalks celery
1 zucchini
2 carrots
1 green capsicum
120g fresh spinach leaves
2 tins white beans
1/2 large jar of tomato passata
1 Tablespoon mixed Italian herbs

For the potato topping:
6 medium sized potatoes
1/2 cup motherless milk of choice
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 Tablespoon dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon dried chives

Chop the potatoes into little pieces and place in a microwave safe dish and cover with water. Heat in the microwave for 10 minutes (or until totally soft).
Combine all the vegetables except for the spinach in a food processor and pulse a few times until desired size. 
Put chopped veggies into a frying pan and dry-fry until then begin to soften.
Add the drained white beans, the passata, spinach and herbs.
Stir frequently until warmed through and spinach has wilted.
Transfer to a large lasagne size baking dish and press down evenly.
Drain the potatoes and mash with the other ingredients needed for the topping.
Spread the potatoes over the top of the bean/veggie mix.

Place in a preheated 180C oven for 30minutes until lightly browned on top.
Serve :-)

Filo Fillers

Confession time:
I've had this post sitting in my drafts folder since February.... waiting for me to re-do the recipes and take better pictures. However, since filo pastry is such a rare treat in our home it hasn't happened! And we have refined our diet even more in the last few months so the chances of filo making a re-appearance are now even more rare than previously!
So you'll just have to trust me when I say that even though the pictures are not the greatest, that each of these is totally delicious!!!!!

Filo Fillers - Tasty Pastry Options

There is something tremendously comforting for me about rolling up filo pastry. 
I don't really know what it is..... 
Perhaps it's having to be so tender so the pastry doesn't tear.
Perhaps it's experimenting with the many different types of fillings. 
Perhaps it's the excitement of feeling like we're having something a little bit fancy for dinner even though it's really easy to make.
Perhaps it's the fun of brushing over them knowing that their pale skin is going to come out brown and blistered when it's baked.
Perhaps it's just knowing they are a real treat....

Whatever it is, I recommend you try these fillings! 
And be sure to let me know if you find rolling filo pastry just as comforting as I do!!!

Although they reheat well, the pastry is never quite the same as when they are fresh from the oven. 

For each of these recipes I will give quantities to make 4-5 pastries depending on how generous you are with your fillings.
The instructions are the same for each filling - just different ingredients are used. 
I recommend using 2-3 sheets to roll each pastry. I find that using just one sheet will tear and/or get soggy. And no-one like a soggy bottom ;-) 


Basic Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. 


Place approximately a 1/2 cup of the filling onto 2-3 sheets of the filo pastry in the center and roll the pastry up, being sure to tuck the ends in to minimalise leakage. 





Place on a lined baking tray and brush with plant milk. 

Bake in a preheated 200C oven for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Tomato and Bean Filo Rolls
4 chopped fresh tomatoes
1 tin drained borlotti beans
1 teaspoon salsa spice mix

Curried Pumpkin Filo Rolls
1/4 small pumpkin - cut into cubes and cooked til tender
1 tin 4 bean mix, drained
1/2 cup corn kernels
1 zucchini, chopped and cooked
1 teaspoon curry powder

Potato and Pea Filo Triangles
2 cups mashed potato
1/2 cup frozen peas, cooked
1 teaspoon Rogan Josh spice blend

(I boil the potatoes and peas together to make life easier. I also like to wrap these ones into triangle shapes just to be different!)

(This is an example of what happens if you overlook the milk-brushing part, still delicious but the pastry ends up really dry.)

Question of the day:
Do you use filo pastry?
What are some of your favourite fillers?

4th July Celebrations and Basic Vanilla Cake

For this month's In My Kitchen I decided to share with you our 4th of July celebrations.
We aren't American but my husband is a *tad* obsessed with all things American so I thought I'm make it a special night for him!

Here's how it turned out:

I had debating making veggie burgers but my husband isn't usually a fan, so I decided we would try carrot dogs instead! For those who haven't heard of this idea, it's where you use a carrot in place of a meat hot dog. I boiled the carrots first and then marinated them for a few hours before dry-frying them! They were quite tasty :-) 

The addition of liquid smoke meant that they definitely didn't taste like plain boiled carrots! I topped them with water sauteed onion and capsicum, along with sauerkraut and sauce. Served with corn cobs and baked home fries.
I was SO SO excited with the fries because I had purchased a new kitchen gadget to make crinkle cut chips! I was so pleased that it worked out so well for just a few dollars :-) 

All celebrations need a cake!!!
I made a basic vanilla cake (recipe to follow) and spread with jam and decorated with fruit to 'mimic' the US flag (yes I do realise there is not enough stripes or stars!).

 Now for the cake recipe!

BASIC VANILLA CAKE 

1 1/2 cups wholemeal self-raising flour

1/2 cup coconut sugar (or other unrefined sweetner)

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 cup motherless milk (I used soymilk)

1 Tablespoon vanilla essense

1/2 cup applesauce

Whisk the apple cider vinegar into the milk and set aside to thicken.

In a mixing bowl combine the flour and sugar. Make a well in the centre and stir in the vanilla, applesauce & milk mixture. 

Stir until just combined.

Pour into a lined 18cm square baking dish and tap to even the surface.

Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 25 minutes or until cooked through.

 

 So moist and delicious!

Definitely worth celebrating - but then again, 

I don't need a special day to make cake ;-)

Question of the day:
Do you celebrate the 4th of July even if you aren't in America?

Layered 2 Potato Bake

Today's Meatless Monday food is Potato.

I was a little undecided about what 'type' of potato I would use, then I decided to use two.
I'm a BIG sweet potato fan, and my husband is a big regular potato fan. So this kept us both happy. And it looks pretty too :-)
Super easy to make, its a great dish to serve when guests come over.

LAYERED 2 POTATO BAKE

Peel your sweet potatoes. Slice white potatoes and sweet potatoes into 1cm thick pieces.
In a large roasting dish pour enough stock on the bottom to cover the base with a thin layer.
Arrange the potatoes in rows of each type. 
Sprinkle with rosemary and bake covered with foil in a 200C oven for 45 minutes until potatoes are cooked through.

Question of the day:
DO you prefer regular white potatoes or sweet potatoes?

POTATO AND LENTIL LAZY NIGHT STEW - Easy Mid-week Meal

I have made this 'stew' (for want of a better word) several times.
Its so quick & easy but yet really tasty. That makes it great for those evenings when we are late home from one activity and not long til we need to leave for the next....
The added bonus is that these are simple foods that we almost always have on hand.

POTATO AND LENTIL LAZY NIGHT STEW

To serve 2 you'll need:
1 onion
2 potatoes
1 zucchini
1 cup button mushrooms
1 can lentils
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Chop the onion, potatoes, zucchini and button mushrooms into small pieces. 
Add to a frying pan and lightly saute, adding small amounts of water to stop from sticking to the pan. 
Drain the lentils and add them to the veggies with the tomato paste. Cover for 15 minutes.
Remove lid and stir through the basil.
Serve with black pepper.

*You can sub fresh oregano in place of the basil. 

Equally as tasty, but changes the meal completely!*

Submitted for Healthy Vegan Friday.
You can add your recipe at these blogs:
carrie on vegan

veggie nook

greenthickies 

Blistered Potato "Chips"

Everyone loves potato right?!? This is our version of 'baked' potato without all the added oil.

BLISTERED POTATO "CHIPS"

 

Cut potatoes into thin sliced, about 1cm thick each.

Place on a lined baking tray.

Bake in a preheated 200C oven for 30-45 minutes until blistered, crispy and golden brown. (Time will vary depending on how big and how thick the potatoes are.)

Serve :-)

Can be eaten plain or as part of a meal. We love to have a bean & veggie mix served over the top! Also could be used as a base for nacho's!

WIAW - Split Pea & Leek Stew

Happy Wednesday everyone! :-)
I hope you've all had a wonderful day.

Its been a few weeks since I did a What-I-Ate-Wednesday Post.

Over on the peas and crayons blog, June is sensible snacking month. I find that winter is definitely a time of year when its easy to sit and snack, so its a nice reminder for me to be mindful that I'm only snacking if I really need to eat something. Today I had an apple when I was driving home from work at 6pm. I think that definitely falls into the category of 'sensible snacking'. 

Here's what I ate for meals during the day:

Breakfast - blueberry 'yogurt' and oats.

Lunch - mexican rice & beans with spinach on a grain wrap.

Dinner was Split Pea & Leek Stew - courtesy of the slow cooker!

I reckon I could just about call my WIAW posts "Slow-Cooker Wednesday" since our slow cooker is used almost every Wednesday. Its such a wonderful kitchen appliance for my late-home day! 

Here's today's recipe: 

Split Pea & Leek Stew

 

1 cup green split peas

1 leek

1 onion

2 potatoes

approx 1 1/2 litres of stock

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Chop the leek, onion and potatoes. Place in the slow cooker with the bay leaves and garlic. Pour over the stock (you'll need enough to just cover all the vegetables).

Put the lid on and set to high for 5-6 hours.

Remove the bay leaves prior to serving.

Optional: stir through a tablespoon of tomato paste if you like tomato flavoured stews!

 Delicious served with warm crusty bread.... but then again, what meal isn't!!! ;-)

I have been making our own stock lately. Its really easy to make and amazingly tasty. I don't buy veggies to make it because I find that the expense of doing that adds up really quickly. Instead, I save all our 'off cuts' - meaning the ends of carrots, capsicums, zucchinis, celery, beans, broccoli and any other vegetables that would otherwise be thrown in the bin. All the end bits truly make an amazing stock and I'm yet to find a vegetable that seems to spoil the stock! What a great way of making the most of 'all' the vegetable!!!
I just keep the pieces in a container for 5-7 days and then pour them into a large stock pot and cover with approx 2 litres of water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours. Strain the mixture and then its ready to use. The stock also freezes well.

Questions of the day:
Have you ever tried making your own stock?
Do you call it a "slow cooker" or a "crock pot"?

Potato and kale stew

I love a meal that is easy to prepare but also very satisfying. 
I must admit that I don't mind a bit of chopping and stirring - that is my idea of relaxed cooking. This stew is exactly that! :-)

You'll need:
4 potatoes
half bunch of kale (approx 5-6 stems)
1 zucchini
1 can butter beans
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon stock powder
3 cups water
1/4 cup tomato paste


Chop the potatoes into rough 1-2cm cubes - no need to peel them though I do recommend giving them a brush first!
Chop the zucchini into slices.
Remove the leaves from the kale stems. 
Drain the butter beans.
Place all these ingredients into a large stock pot.
Crush the garlic over the veggies, add the stock powder and pour the water over the top. You may need more water depending on the pot size - you need enough to just cover the vegetables but not drown them. 
Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and leave to simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste and serve. 
You may want to add some fresh herbs to serve :-) I recommend parsley.

This is my contribution to Healthy Vegan Friday for the week.
You can add your recipe at these blogs:
carrie on vegan                    veggie nook                    greenthickies  

Potato Lattice Pizza

This has become a favourite for my hubbie recently.
Its such a great way to top a pizza! I love making vegan pizzas that don't use processed vegan soy-cheese.
The smell of this cooking is just so delicious!


Top a pizza base with tomato paste.
I love the Bazaar wholemeal bases.

Sprinkle with torn fresh oregano leaves & chopped spring onions.

Cut a few roasted potatoes in thin slices. **
Layer on top of the pizza.

Squeeze BBQ sauce over the top of the potato slices in a lttice shape.

Bake at 200C for 20 minutes.

Of course you can add other toppings underneath the potato if you desire!


** I find it really handy to roast some extra potatoes when I can and leave them in the fridge. They can be used for so many different things if they are already cooked.
Options like this - potato salad, chopped and added into a leafy salad, they can be warmed up quickly and topped for an easy lunch too.

Potato Waffles

BEST ALTERNATIVE TO HOT CHIPS EVER!!!

These are so easy to make.  They don't take long and they can be served in so many ways.
Enjoy by itself, with tomato sauce, in a bread roll (who doesn't love a hot chip roll!!!???) served with salad, as a side or use them as a 'sandwich' to mix and match your veggies between 2 waffle potatoes!




Place potatoes in the microwave for 10 minutes with enough water to cover them completely. Drain the water and make sure the skin is dry.




Place a potato in a preheated waffle iron.


 






Press the lid til completely closed. The potato will squash down.

Heat for approx 4-6 minutes per potato.
You can press more than one potato at a time if you like. This will depend on the size potatoes you choose. 

Do not lift the lid if you think the potato is going to stick, it means it's not cooked enough yet. This will pull the potato apart. If in doubt, wait a bit longer! 

They will just get more crispy!

Oil-free Home Fries

These fries are so tasty!
And a much healthier version than store-brought or take-away options.

The amounts mentioned are to serve one person for quite a decent size serving, you can make these to serve as many as needed.

Chop a potato into thin slices.







Chop the slices long-ways into thin strips

Here's the fun part!
You know those plastic bags you get when you buy fruit & veg - Don't throw them away!!!
In one of those plastic bags combine 1/4 teaspoon sage, 1/4 teaspoon paprika & 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder.

Place the chopped potato into the bag & hold the bag closed with one hand while you gently toss the potato fries around so that they are completely coated with the mixture.

Layer the potato fries onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Make sure the fries are in a single layer.

Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 35-40 minutes, turning once or twice in that time.

The fries will be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. 
     ~ And wonderfully tasty. 
     ~ And guilt free.
     ~ And very satisfying!