SIPIDI! ~ January

I've been having a rethink of the way we eat as a family and myself in particular. I was a vegetarian before I had my children and really it's just laziness that has kept me eating meat. The effort of cooking two separate meals became too much, with a challenging toddler and a small baby to look after as well as a part time job.

We've had "Meat Free Monday" for several years now and we quite often have a second meal during the week that is vegetarian and fish on at least one day. The Mechanic cooks home made chips on a Saturday. I have egg and mushrooms with mine, while everyone else has a meatier option.

That's four days covered and it doesn't seem quite so daunting any more. There will be some days when I'll eat vegetarian and the rest of the family will have their usual fare and other days when we will all have the same. To that end I'm looking for meals that I think my hardened carnivores will love. The Sweet Potato Quesadillas above were a big hit.

As was the Ultimate Chilli from The Happy Pear. I've also made this soup, found on their YouTube channel, to use up my vac-packed chestnuts. I only added 2/3rds of the stock suggested as I like my lunch soups nice and thick. On the strength of these two recipes I've ordered the cook book and I'm looking forward to trying a few more new things this month. I'll keep you posted.

All these recipes are on my Meat Free Meals board and you can find more information about SIPIDI! here.

Me on Monday ~ The Meat Free Edition

After a very gloomy end to the week, I had to pick myself up, dust myself off and find a project to focus my energies on.

On Saturday I took a detailed set of measurements and tried to fathom out which size to cut. A welcome break from revision for my girl. A bit of a puzzle for me. Maths was never my strong point, but 3 1/2” of ease seems like far too much in a close fitting princess seamed bodice. I’ll figure it out, I’m sure.

I didn’t feel like cooking a roast on Sunday. The weather turned a bit dismal mid afternoon and a comforting cottage pie seemed like a good choice. This is my Quorn mince version. I was never really one for fake meat when I actually was a vegetarian, but this goes down well with the horde of carnivores in my house.

As for me on Monday? Still feeling a bit fragile. Spent the afternoon prepping lots of veg. Mushroom stroganoff for dinner tonight and a big pot of pasta sauce to split and freeze. Very satisfying. Waving to Sian on this sunny afternoon.

Time for a Recipe Tuesday ~ Stroganoff

I cook an evening meal from scratch pretty much every day. However, I’m no domestic goddess and if there’s a shortcut to be taken, I’m there. I guess what I’m saying is, if you’re after a traditional stroganoff then you’ll need to look elsewhere. But, if you want simple and tasty, then you’ve come to the right place.

Mushroom Stroganoff

1 red onion chopped

4 cloves of garlic crushed

400g mushrooms*

2tsp paprika

100-150ml vegetable stock

1tbsp tomato puree

1tsp dijon mustard

100g cream cheese

freshly ground black pepper

Heat a good glug of olive oil in a pan and sweat the onions with a lid on. Once they have softened, add the garlic and mushrooms, stir and replace the lid. Leave to cook for about 10 minutes. Add the paprika and mix well. Stir in the tomato puree and mustard. Pour in the stock. The amount you need will depend on how much juice there is from the mushrooms. Simmer for a few minutes** and stir in the cream cheese, just before you’re ready to serve.

*I prefer chestnut mushrooms and leave them whole if they are small, otherwise I quarter them.

**I usually make it up to this stage earlier in the day, then heat up at dinner time and stir in the cream cheese once the rice is cooked.