THE RECIPES

Puff Pastry Origami Baskets of Garlic Mushrooms with Asparagus Sauce
(Serves 6)

The baskets
6 x 20 cm/8 in thinly rolled vegetarian puff pastry squares (bought ready rolled is perfect)
1 free range egg yolk, mixed with 1 tbsp milk
The filling
75 g/2 3/4 oz unsalted butter
350 g/12 oz button mushrooms, sliced if not tiny
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 heaped tbsp chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
The sauce
24 small/medium asparagus stalks, bottom third, and trimmed away
300 ml/10 fl oz single cream
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 200 c/400 f/gas 6
To make the baskets, brush the pastry squares on one side with the egg mixture. Using a sharp knife, make cuts 2.5 cm/1 in from the edge of each square, stopping short of two opposing corners. Bring one cut edge over and place along the opposite inside corner of the square, and then repeat with the other
side.
Brush the unglazed sides with the egg mixture.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until puffed and golden.Meanwhile heat the butter in a wok or frying pan and stir fry the mushrooms with the garlic and parsley until tender. Season with salt and pepper
Cut the tips from the asparagus and boil in salted water for 2-3 minutes or until just tender.
Boil the remaining asparagus stem portions in another pan of salted water for 6-7 minutes or until really tender, then liquidise with the cream, seasoning with salt and pepper. Return the sauce to the pan and reheat.
To serve, arrange the baskets, filled with mushrooms on warmed plates and surround with the sauce and four asparagus tips.

Roast Cherry Tomatoes with Garlic and Twiggy Herbs
(Serves 6)

This is my second favourite recipe in the whole world as it produces such fabulous results with amazingly little effort. By twiggy herbs I mean things like rosemary, thyme and bay leaves, which will stand up to roasting. Exact quantities don’t matter, but you do need masses and they look so nice in the finished dish. Don’t use less than 12 bay leaves 12 sprigs of thyme and 6 sprigs rosemary

650 g/1 lb 7 oz cherry tomatoes
Lots of twiggy herbs (see above)
4 cloves garlic chopped
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
To serve
shavings of hard, Italian style vegetarian cheese (use a swivel bladed vegetable peeler)

Preheat the oven to 200 c/400 f/gas 6
Put the tomatoes, herbs, garlic and half the oil in a roasting tin or shallow ovenproof dish which fits them quite snugly in one layer. Season well, toss all together and roast for 20-30 minutes or until the tomatoes just begin to collapse slightly. Do not cook until they split. To serve, - drizzle with the remaining oil and serve straight from the oven with crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Stir-fry Noodles with Peppers, Cashew Nuts
(serves 4)

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 chopped red onion
3 chopped seeded peppers (preferably mixed colours)
150 g/5 1/2 oz cashew nuts
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp sweet chili sauce
3 tbsp hoi sin sauce
1 packet of wheat egg-free noodles
2 tsp sesame oil
Chopped coriander (optional)

Heat in a wok or frying pan and stir-fry the onion for 5 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add the chopped peppers and nuts, continue to stir-fry for about another 5 minutes. Meanwhile cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet, drain and toss with the sesame oil.
Add the the noodles and stir fry until hot then serve garnished with coriander if liked

Spicy Sweet Potato, Spinach and Coconut Soup
(Serves 6)

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 chopped onion
1 finely chopped chili (or more to taste) plus extra for garnish if liked
2 .5 cm/1 in cube ginger, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 pts /1.2 L vegetable stock
1 lb 10 oz /750 g diced, peeled sweet potato
9 oz /250 g sliced, button mushrooms
1 x 400 ml tin coconut milk
9 oz /250 g baby spinach
Juice of a lime
Salt and pepper
Chopped chives

Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan and fry until soft. Stir in the chili, ginger and garlic and continue to stir-fry for another minute or so, then dd the vegetable stock, sweet potato, and mushrooms and simmer for about 10 minutes or until tender. Then add the coconut milk and baby spinach and simmer for a couple of minutes or until the spinach has just wilted. Stir in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Serve, sprinkled with chopped chives and extra chilies if liked.

Fruit Stir-Fry in Pancake Baskets
(Serves 6)

The idea of frying fruit might seem a little strange but it works spectacularly well and is a great way of providing a proper hot pud in minutes.

1 tbsp walnut oil
50 g/1 3/4 oz unsalted butter
approximately 750 g/1 lb 10 oz prepared fruit pieces
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp brandy
The pancake baskets
6 small cooked pancakes
To serve
Cream or vanilla vegetarian ice cream (optional)

First make the pancakes, by draping them one by one over a lightly oiled, upturned ramekin dish and micro-waving on full for 2-3 minutes, or until crisp.
Heat the oil and butter in a wok or large frying and stir-fry the fruit over a medium heat for about 5 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add the lemon juice, walnut halves and sugar, turn the heat up to full and continue to stir fry for another 7-8 minutes or until the juices begin to caramelise.
Add the brandy, heat for a moment or two, then set alight to burn off the alcohol. Spoon into the pancake baskets and serve immediately with cream or ice cream on the side if liked.

The pancake batter
115 g/4 oz plain flour
Pinch salt
2 free range eggs
300 ml/1/2 pt milk
oil for frying



Copyright Richard Cawley 2001

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