Cheesy garlic mushroom burgers

A rather unwieldy title but it does what it says on the tin. This was our dinner last night and I swear I'm oozing garlic from every pore this morning. The Husband and I loved them, the kids ? Not so sure. They liked the wedges and the buns but more than that I couldn't comment. I can't even take credit for the wedges as they came courtesy of Waitrose.

The recipe was originally from BBC Good Food and I tweaked it a little, for that read : added A LOT more garlic. They were messy to eat and maybe next time I might add some pesto as I felt there was something missing.

CHEESY GARLIC MUSHROOM BURGERS
serves 4

4 large flat mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic
enough softened butter to mix
pepper
Chopped fresh parsley
Grated mature cheddar cheese
Ciabatta buns
Salad (lettuce, tomato & red onion) to serve

Wash and trim the mushrooms, removing the stalks
Mix the garlic, pepper, parsley and butter together and spread over the gill side of the mushrooms
Sprinkle over the cheese
Bake at 190C for 10 mins until the mushrooms are cooked but still retain their shape
Serve on toasted ciabatta buns with salad

Have plenty of kitchen towel available as these are MESSY !!!

Garlic mushrooms

My cooking mojo has left the building. This is NOT.GOOD.NEWS when you write a food blog.

Tonight I looked in despair in the fridge not sure what I wanted to eat. I'd not got anything out of the freezer and I just had no idea what I fancied. In the end I pulled out a few random ingredients and hoped for the best. Another takeaway wasn't an option.

This was quick, very quick and light but tasty. Maybe not the healthiest supper in the world but it filled a spot. The best bit was I had to open a glass of wine - cheers ! The quantities are a little haphazard so it's very much a "play it by ear" kind of dish.

As it's so haphazard I forgot to take a picture so the evidence that it was tasty will have to do !!

GARLIC MUSHROOMS
serves 2

Olive oil & a knob of butter
Enough mushrooms for 2, remembering they cook down. I used a mix of chestnut and portobello here.
3-4 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp grainy mustard
white wine - about 1/2 a glass
double cream
seasoning
chopped flat leaf parsley
sourdough bread toasted - or other bread, it's not really important what kind

Cut the bread on the diagonal, brush with olive oil and toast on a ridged griddle pan
While you're doing this chop the mushrooms and heat the oil & butter in a pan
Add the mushrooms stirring quickly to coat and leave to cook down until soft.
The add the garlic and mustard and cook on a highish heat for a few minutes
Add the wine and cook off the alcohol before adding enough cream to make a sauce
Reduce briefly, add the parsley and season to taste.
Pile over the toast, sprinkle with parsley and drizzle with more olive oil
Serve immediately.

Spicy chicken couscous with roasted garlic tomatoes

The husband and I have a problem. There is something I love which he really doesn't like. This means one of three things. Either I go without and give in to his fussiness, I only eat it when he goes out (once in a blue moon) or he has to suck it up given the boys like it too.

This mysterious, poisonous substance ? Couscous. That humble grain eaten by millions of people all over the world. Apparently it's too "chewy". I'd call couscous many things but I'd never really considered it chewy.

Anyway, I thought we'd cracked the couscous issue after he voluntarily ordered it in a restaurant a few months ago. Fine, until I cook it at home and he proclaims it "chewy". The recipe in question I totally loved and to be honest ? He can live with it. I'm outnumbered 1:3 by boys in this house and he's outnumbered by the same ratio by people that love couscous !






SPICY CHICKEN COUSCOUS

serves 4 with left over couscous - seriously there is shedloads !

8 skinless boneless chicken thighs or 4 skinless breasts
250ml low fat greek yoghurt
1.5 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2-1tsp of easy chilli
3 garlic cloves crushed

Large punnet cherry tomatoes
3 garlic cloves chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper

300g couscous
500ml chicken stock
2 handfuls raisins

Toasted pine nuts
Fresh coriander
Fresh mint


Mix the yoghurt, curry powder, cinnamon, chilli and garlic together and add to chicken.

Put the couscous in a large bowel, add 1tbsp olive oil and the raisins and mix well. Pour over the hot stock, cover and leave for 10-15 mins.

Halve the cherry tomatoes and put on a tray. Mix the oil and garlic and toss together. Sprinkle over some sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Mix the couscous into the chicken and marinade, dot with butter and put into the oven at 200C. Put the cherry tomatoes on the shelf below and cook for 25-30 mins until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve the couscous onto plates and divide the chicken. Top with the tomatoes and sprinkle over the toasted pine nuts and herbs.

Pot roast chicken

Another long gap from me. I've been rushed off my feet with the new baby and dealing with the 4 year old - they are certainly keeping me on my toes and out of the kitchen ! We've been living mainly off quick and easy meals that don't take alot of time to prepare and old faves such as spag bol and casseroles etc which I can do with my eyes closed.

Today I made this recipe which was a new one for me. Roast chicken must be my favourite food of all time but I've never done it this way before. The result was a lovely moist juicy chicken which tasted amazing. There are loads of leftovers too which I'm going to fashion into a pasta dish tomorrow.

POT ROASTED CHICKEN
serves 3 plus leftovers for the same again

2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
10g rosemary
6 garlic cloves peeled and 1/4ed
300ml white wine
1.5kg chicken - ideally free range or organic
knob butter

In a large casserole dish mix the jelly, rosemary, garlic and wine and mix together
Put the chicken on top, put the lid on and roast for 1hr
After 1hr remove the lid and rub the breast with butter
Put back in the oven for the remainder of the cooking time according to weight of chicken

Simple and tasty. I served this with new potatoes, carrots and brussels plus the strained gravy.