Parmesan Truffle Polenta with Garlic Wild Mushrooms.

So of all the dishes I have made during the last fortnight, this has to be my absolute favourite. It's so packed with big flavour, indulgent, and elegant enough to be used for entertaining - or humble enough to eat on the sofa with a box-set.

Polenta can be a bit of a tricky ingredient to conquer,
but I promise you that it's worth the persistence. It's
temperamental but divine once you've cracked it - and
like most life-skills, once you've learned how to
do it, it becomes second nature. It's delicious with
chicken / guinea fowl and fabulous with casseroles
and stews. Be brave. 

Polenta is one of our family favourites, but there's no denying that it's a little bit of a tricky beast to master. We like ours soft, just slightly loser than the consistency of cream mashed potato. We also like it heavily loaded with butter and parmesan; so this isn't the best of the healthy eating recipes, although it is all natural ingredients and it is meat free, so it has that going for it. It's also fantastically economical as an entertaining / dinner party dish.

The trick is to fry your mushrooms longer than you think you need to and play Russian Roulette with your chopped garlic pieces so they are just on the cusp of burning. You need them to caramelise but not go bitter.

This is why I'm giving this recipe a MEDIUM-TRICKY level because it's very much about being confident to work organically with the recipe and the instructions, and also because quite a lot could go wrong with this recipe if you don't keep your eye on the ball. It all happens within a slightly hectic 8 minutes - but honestly, the results are more than worth it, and I promise you, the more you cook with polenta, the easier it gets.

If you've never cooked with polenta, I would save this recipe until you've got it down pat. The best way to do this is to cook polenta as a mashed potato replacement with big stews and ragu so that if it goes a little wonky, it doesn't matter too much. I cut my teeth making polenta for Sunday lunch to go with Chicken or Guinea fowl, as it makes a lovely Sunday lunch accompaniment.

LEVEL: MEDIUM-TRICKY (Polenta experience recommended)
COST: £ approx £2 a portion
VEGETARIAN
TIME: 10 minutes start to finish.

INGREDIENTS: (Serves 2-3)
3 cups of Polenta grains
Hot water approx 750ml
35g of butter
truffle oil
Standard Box of mixed wild / exotic mushrooms
3 large cloves of garlic
Good handful of grated parmesan

(I'd serve it with wilted spinach in future, although I served it with Salad this week, which was fine but wilted spinach or black kale would be nicer)

METHOD
Okay, hold your horses, you're going to have to multi-task.

• Each polenta grain mix has ever so slightly different properties so follow the ratios they recommend on the box. The ones I have given above are a rough guide and I sometimes add a little more water as I go along to thin it slightly. 

• Boil water in a sauce pan and add half the butter, then sprinkle the polenta over the top, stirring all the time. It will swell almost immediately, but it's still quite grainy. You need to cook it out until the grains split and it transforms from grainy to floury/ soft. It will thicken rapidly and that's fine just keep stirring. If it becomes so your spoon doesn't move easily through it, add a little more water. 

• Add in the parmesan and the other half of the butter (be as generous as your conscience will allow) turn down to a low heat and continue to stir with one hand - it will take around 8-10 minutes for it to change state. 

• Meanwhile, in a good heavy frying pan, melt a knob of butter and a splash of olive oil (to stop the butter burning) until it foaming. 

• Break the mushrooms apart with your fingers - and for the button mushrooms, slice into 1cm slices. 

• Roughly chop the garlic at least 3 cloves but more if you like. 

• Place the sliced button mushrooms in the butter first and let them start to get brown. Add the garlic at this point and give a good stir / toss of the pan. 

• Add the broken down softer mushrooms and cook out until they are golden brown and the garlic has started to caramelise. This may take a good 6-10 minutes. You don't want them soggy but golden.

• Add about 1-2tbsp of truffle oil to your polenta and spoon onto a warmed plate. It should just hold but sort of sag around the edges.

• Place the mushrooms on top 

CHUNKY BEANY BIG SOUP

This week's menu plans are a little all over the place but we're still on track if not a little re-ordered and adapted. Tonight was meant to be Vegetable Green Thai Curry but Jonathan is at the dentist having work done so asked if we could have something a little softer and easier to eat.

Being as I hadn't made the Borlotti Bean soup for lunches (as I've been under a crazy writing deadline and haven't stopped for lunch) I decided to make it tonight for our supper.

The girls had leftovers, being that we unexpectedly had them. One had the courgette penne and the other had the Italian Cottage pie from yesterday - which is where your stock of tupperwear comes in really handy.

LEVEL: EASY
COST: £ (approx £3.50)
VEGETARIAN & VEGAN
TIME: 20 Mins.

INGREDIENTS: Serves 6.
Olive Oil
1 medium onion
Half a courgette grated
2 x garlic cloves
1 x Tinned tomatoes
1 x tin of Borlotti Beans
1 x tin of Kidney Beans
1 small red chilli
2 x vegetable stock cubes
Blanched finely cut Kale or dark green cabbage.
tbsp Paprika
tsp Cayenne Pepper
Salt & Pepper to Season
OPTIONAL: Parmesan cheese to garnish

METHOD:

• Sweat the onions and garlic off, add the courgette. 
• Add the tinned tomatoes and fill the tin 3 x with hot water, stirring in the stock cubes. 
• Add the Borlotti Beans, the Kidney beans and 1/4 -1/2 of a red chilli thinly sliced. 
• Cook for around 15-20 minutes until all softened down and thickened a little. 
• Using a hand blender, pulse the mixture down so that it breaks the beans down a little but keeps some of the texture (you don't want it smooth) 
• Add Paprika and Cayenne and cook for a further 5 minutes (tasting and adding more heat to suit your palate.) 
• Add 3 handfuls of blanched green Kale / collards / spring cabbage.
• Serve with a generous handful of grated parmesan (unless Vegan) 

This is a soup that is even better if it's left to sit for a few hours / overnight to really secure the flavours. 

LOADED BAKED CHEESY POTATO and AMERICAN WEDGE SALAD

Never underestimate the indulgent, comforting
value of a baked buttery potato. Instant sense of
home and self-care

LEVEL: SUPER SIMPLE
COST:  £
TIME: Approx 15 minutes (Oven on for 1.5 hours)
VEGETARIAN


A simple, easy supper as it was Thursday and the first day of the new term and we'd just got back from travels late the night before.

The humble baked potato is one of my all time favourites as it offers an instant warm hug.


NOTES: This was a great dinner as it had all the comforts of buttery potato filling you up warmly and the fresh, lightness of the salad. Was full and slept really well that night as I didn't feel like I was grinding food all night.

I've often relegated Jacket potatoes to side dishes or to the children's menu because they were too simple a dish, but actually, there's a real beauty in the simplicity of it, and as it was a really low time investment, I managed to get some writing done too, leading to a really productive night. The lack of wine helped with that, too.

INGREDIENTS: 
2 good sized baking potatoes
Butter
Handful of grated mature cheddar
Salt and pepper
Iceberg Lettuce
Paul Newman's ranch dressing
Tsp of capers for dressing

METHOD:
Bake the potatoes in the oven until you can slide a knife in (Approx 1-1.5 hours)
Scoop out the flesh (careful not to damage the skins) and mash in a bowl with butter, pepper, salt and a little grated cheese.
Spoon back into the jackets and then place back in the oven until crunchy brown on top.

Cut two good wedges out of an iceberg lettuce, pour on Paul Newman's Ranch dressing (the best we've found of the choices) and sprinkle with a spoonful of capers.


NOTES: This was a great dinner as it had all the comforts of buttery potato filling you up warmly and the fresh, lightness of the salad. Was full and slept really well that night as I didn't feel like I was grinding food all night.

I've often relegated Jacket potatoes to side dishes or to the children's menu because they were too simple a dish, but actually, there's a real beauty in the simplicity of it, and as it was a really low time investment, I managed to get some writing done too, leading to a really productive night. The lack of wine helped with that, too.