bag or box the chopped mushrooms and
set aside until ready to marinade
if you're using a large strong food or freezer bag you
can mix the marinade directly into it, instead of a box -
cuts out the middle man!
looking good
allow the mushrooms to cool
Assembly up next and the baked snacks!
It's stating the obvious that they don't look particularly appetising but I wouldn't let that put me off. You can eat them straight away but warming is always best, which is exactly what it says on the packet. 160fan/180c/Gas 4 for 10/12 minutes.
My supper treat is ready – not all six I should add – served with a side of coleslaw. I'm disappointed - I expected more of that umami punch which I didn't get.
I've been here before – although in fairness they weren't as disappointing as the ready-made cheese & onion pasties from M&S.
Not to be a clever clogs this could definitely come back to bite me and land me on my backside but I think I can do better, so here goes!
For this experiment I'm using a puff pastry sheet – here's my recipe for the filling :
Miso Mushroom Snacks
14 snack size pastries
3 x Portabello mushrooms - 275g peeled, stalks trimmed
then sliced and chopped into small pieces, bag or box and set
aside until ready for use
3 tbsps brown rice miso paste*
2 tsps soy sauce*
2 tbsps mirin*
1 tbsp dark soft brown sugar*
puff pastry sheet
1 egg, beaten for egg washing
Nigella seeds to sprinkle
Mix the ingredients marked “*” thoroughly into a paste – box and fridge, or, you may find it more convenient to mix the marinade directly into a large strong food bag – e.g. Bacofoil SafeLoc. Add the mushrooms to the marinade an hour before roasting to give them time to infuse.
When you're ready to roast, pre-heat your oven 150fan/170c/Gas 3.
Empty the marinaded mushrooms into a foil tray and roast for 15-20 minutes.
Your mushrooms should not be too wet – there will be marinade left over – freeze it or set aside to use as a drizzle if you wish.
Photo guide up next ...
I always keep a look out for tempting morsels and this week I found these snacks on offer :
I'm immediately attracted – it ticks all the boxes and whilst I'm not a vegan it matters not – I love miso, mushroom, crispy kale seaweed and pastry – what's not to love.
A little background – Higgidy began in West Sussex in 2003 with pies and has since grown massively producing a whole range from quiches, ready-meals, snack items and veggie and vegan options too.
You might feel that it was an expensive treat - £2 for six snack size pastries, reduced from £2.80, so I suppose just over 33p each is over the top. My justification is they definitely won't get wasted and it's for research purposes too!
Here they are, unwrapped :
Stand by for the verdict!
What?! Tartare Sauce?! Yep – it's not exclusively served with fish.
First up an explanation. Tartare sauce is an emulsion sauce, that is to say it's made by mixing two ingredients that don't easily comply which is why they can split and spoil. There are hot and cold emulsion sauces. For those out there who have struggled with a Hollandaise Sauce you'll know what I mean about splitting and spoiling. It's fair to say therefore that emulsion sauces are by their nature tricky.
A smidge of culinary history. Back in the 1950s a classic tartare sauce was made with mayonnaise, adding capers and gherkins, followed by hard boiled egg yolks and the white of a boiled egg, shredded and herbs such as chives and parsley too.
You could of course resort to a shop bought jar. It's my experience that they are either too sloppy or too vinegary. Solution – make your own, here's my fast-ish recipe.
If you want to make your own mayo, use the Stick Blender recipe – here it is for ease of reference :
Stick blender mayonnaise
1 egg
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
pinch of salt
juice of half a lemon – 2 tbsp
350ml of grapeseed oil
Break an egg into the stick blender jug. It's important that the yolk doesn't break. Add the mustard, salt and lemon.
Add the grapeseed oil again being careful not to break the yolk. Insert the stick blender, be sure that the blades completely cover the yolk.
Blend – after a couple of seconds you'll see white ribbons rising through the oil. Slowly pull the blender up through the oil so it amalgamates and push down again to incorporate all the oil.
Use two heaped tablespoons of mayo, then add :
1 tsp of capers – finely chopped
1 tsp of cornichons – finely chopped
1 tsp of black olives – pitted, sliced and finely chopped
optional drizzle of double cream
celery salt and white pepper
Stick Blender Mayo is not as stiff as shop bought since it does not contain preservatives so the consistency should be spot on – if you think it's too stiff for your taste then add a drizzle of double cream.
The Stick Blender Mayo recipe includes lemon juice and Dijon mustard, an excellent “good to go” base. All that's needed is extra seasonings – celery salt and white pepper and finally incorporate the capers, cornichons and black olives - you're done!
An added bonus - you get 425g from a batch of mayonnaise and it will keep in the fridge for 3 days, so loads left over for other stuff!
A couple of photos …
I make no apology for repeating the Spiced Halloumi recipe, it's much easier when you've got all the elements for an idea at your fingertips!
Spiced Halloumi
Serves 4
225g/8oz Halloumi sliced into 4 pieces
45g/2oz plain flour mix with
1 tbsp of seasoning of your choice
Rapeseed oil for shallow frying
The 225g pack will give you four portions, sliced lengthways – 8x7cms/3x3½ inches approximately. Open the pack and discard the liquid, pat the cheese dry with kitchen roll and then slice into four. Pat each slice dry, then box and fridge ready for cooking.
The seasoning for the Halloumi is your choice – a good quality shop bought version is fine and on that note here are a couple of suggestions :
the Chip Seasoning is suitable for vegetarians,
it is mild in flavour, a blend of paprika, onion & garlic
Old Bay is “bolder” in flavour but does not blow
your head off!
Both seasonings are versatile and excellent store
cupboard additions to zhuzh your veggies, particularly
over roasted new potatoes or wedges
Next up – another mushroom deal …
I appreciate that not everyone wants to make their own mayo, which is just fine – use a good quality brand – two heaped tablespoons as mentioned previously – you'll need to add lemon juice and Dijon mustard and I'd suggest you begin with 1 teaspoon of each. You may need a little more – it's a matter of personal taste, together with a little celery salt and white pepper. All that remains is to add your capers, cornichons and black olives! Don't forget a drizzle of double cream to loosen the consistency.
A note of caution with seasonings, as I'm fond of saying, add gradually and taste as you go, you can always add a little more, you can't take it back!
If you'd like a vegan version, use a vegan mayo and a vegan plant alternative to double cream.
Now for the burger!
A few of my favourite ingredients :
Brioche buns – warmed in the oven or toasted
Spiced Halloumi – shallow fried in a drop of rapeseed oil
Roasted sliced onions – made ahead
Sliced avocado
shredded lettuce
sliced beef tomatoes
This is just my take on a burger stack, filled with stuff I love – it's whatever floats your own boat – I'd probably include beetroot too in some form – either sliced and added to the stack or a relish on the side.
It's important how the burger is assembled – a brioche bun, split and warmed – or toasted if you prefer – a generous spread of dressing on each side, add the avocado, lettuce and tomato to the bottom half, add spiced Halloumi to the top, add another spread of dressing and fold together!
This is not set in stone – it's just an example of what you could “build”, the world is your “Big Veg”.
I'm thinking that by calling this “burger dressing” a version of tartare sauce everyone will have the thought of scampi and chips in their heads! It began life as an homage to the dressing in the Big Mac and so I think it deserves a name of its own so, I name this sauce Quasi-T - it seems appropriate since its meaning is partly or almost a tartare sauce!
Finally the Spiced, Sliced Halloumi …
Here are the capers, cornichons and
black olives, finely chopped – whilst it's not
compulsory, it's worth taking the time to achieve
as fine a result as you can
ta dah! Here's the sauce, now all you need
is ideas for creating your own version of
the “Big Mac” - could this be a “Big Veg”?!
Coming up, an even faster recipe just in case you don't want to make your own mayo!
