Menu Plan Week 3 and Vegetarian Ghormeh Sabzi

Once again I have failed to get the menu up on here until the week is over! Some good stuff, though, so it might still be worth it... Next week's menu may or may not make it up here this evening - I'm promising nothing!

Friday

Vegetarian ghormeh sabzi (see below) and rice; strawberries and cream

Saturday

Gnocchi with roasted squash, goat's cheese and spinach. This was my first time cooking gnocchi (bought, not hand-made) and it was lovely. One to repeat. 

Sunday

At my parents'.

Monday

Aubergine and chickpea pasta. This was amazing - the spices make it a bit tagine-y and the harissa is a good addition. The best thing is that you add the harissa at the table, so can leave it out for small people if they're not keen. We found about a teaspoon was right for an adult portion to give it just enough kick. 

Tuesday

It was a long day. We got fish and chips. 

Wednesday

Went completely off-piste and invented a vegetable pasta dish that is going straight into my book of recipes, and onto here in case the book ever gets lost! See below :-)

Here are the two best recipes:

Vegetarian/Vegan Ghormeh Sabzi (serves 4)

Ghormeh sabzi is a Persian stew usually made with lamb. My mother-in-law taught me how to make it and I do occasionally but it does take hours. I made up this version a couple of years ago and it has the character of the original but takes a fraction of the time. Plus, obviously, it's vegetarian (and vegan, come to that)!

Ingredients:

1-2 potatoes, diced

2 medium onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1tsp turmeric (approx)

1/2 cup puy lentils (or any dark green variety)

1 tin chickpeas

Ghormeh sabzi herbs (available as a dried herb mix in lots of Middle Eastern/Indian shops). If you can't get them or prefer to use fresh, use a mix of parsley, coriander, chives and fenugreek - around 1/4 cup of each if possible. You might want to add some chopped spinach and some finely chopped spring onions too.

1l vegetable stock

1/2 cup pearl barley

2-3 dried limes or dried lemons (get these in shops selling Indian spices)

Salt

Method: 

Fry the potatoes in vegetable oil until golden brown. Set aside.

Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil and turmeric until soft, then add the potatoes.

Add the lentils, chickpeas and herbs and cook for 2 mins.

Add the stock and pearl barley. Simmer for 10 mins, then add the dried limes. Simmer for a further 20mins, adding more water if needed (it shouldn't be sloppy, but add more liquid if needed to stop it burning on the bottom).

Season well and serve with rice.

Summery Vegetable Pasta

Leeks, sliced

Chestnut mushrooms, sliced

Courgette, grated

Peas (optional)

Thyme (dried or fresh)

Cream cheese

Pasta

While the pasta is cooking, gently cook the leeks and mushrooms in a little oil (any kind; I used coconut). 

After a few minutes, add the grated courgette, peas and thyme and continue to cook down. 

Just before the pasta is ready, add a few spoonfuls of cream cheese and season well. 

Mix the pasta into the vegetable mixture and serve.