Tag Archives: Mushroom

Quorn, mushroom and red pepper curry – tastes great.

25 Jul

As I have got older I have eaten less meat and more vegetarian dishes.  I have to say that I am still persevering with Quorn but dishes like this one are so tasty it is difficult to detect the Quorn.  It isn’t the flavour, it’s the texture I am having to come to terms with, although there is no doubting, it is much healthier than eating meat for every meal.  I made this recipe up as I went along, using tips I had picked up from some of my favourite chicken curry recipes.  I was delighted with the outcome.  It might even make me a convert!

I used a curry paste in the recipe.  As the Quorn readily absorbs flavours I chose a medium strength paste but, off course, you can vary this to suit your palate.  Here is a bit of information that may help you make an informed choice.

Curry pastes are a mist blend of herbs and spices and are used as a base for many curry recipes.  There are a number of different Thai curry pastes, each imparting their own specific flavour to the dish.

Red curry pastes usually include red chillies, shrimp paste, lime leaves, shallots, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, coriander and seasoning.

Green curry paste is the same as the red except it uses green chillies.

Yellow curry paste gets its colouring from turmeric and, occasionally, yellow chillies.  The other ingredients are as above.

Massaman curry paste is based on Indian cuisine and includes a number of dried spices such as cumin, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom.

All the above are quite spicy so take care how much you add if you don’t like your food too hot.  Phanaeng curry paste is milder though.

Patak make curry pastes with a wide range of heat ratings.  Mild pastes include Korma, Tandoori and Tikka.  Medium are Balti, Bhuna, Jalfrezi, Rogan Josh and Biryani.  Hot are Garam Masala, Madras, Vindaloo and Kashmiri Masala.

Quorn, mushroom and red pepper curry                             Serves 4  (can freeze)

  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp medium curry paste (I used Patak’s Balti paste)
  • 6 fresh baby plum tomatoes, quartered
  • 150g button mushrooms
  • 1 red pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
  • 350g Quorn chicken style pieces
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 4 tbsp full fat Greek yogurt
  • 3/4 pt hot water
  • 1 level tsp salt
  • 1 tsp fresh mint, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
  1. Heat the oil in a large pan and gently fry the onion until soft and turning golden (should take about 10 minutes).  Stir in the curry paste, lemon juice  and tomatoes and cook for 1 minute more.
  2. Add the mushrooms, pepper and Quorn pieces  and gently mix so they are all coated with the spice mix.  Cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, in a measuring jug, whip the yogurt then gradually add the hot water then the salt.
  4. Gradually add the yogurt mix to the quorn, stirring continually.  Bring to the boil then simmer for 20 minutes.
  5. Add the herbs then serve with rice or naan bread. 

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Mushroom hash – perfect with a fried egg!

21 Apr

I have been making corned beef hash for years  (see recipe on blog) and thought how great it would be to make a vegetarian hash.  This mushroom hash is so simple and yet so delicious.  I served it with a fried egg to make it a complete meal, they went really well together.  I’ve included a little chopped chilli but this is optional as I know some of my friends don’t like spicy food.  I try to include at least one day a week when I only eat vegetarian food, but of late I have tried so many great vegetarian recipes I have found I am eating them more frequently.  I have to say I am no expert on vegetarianism so I thought I would see what I could find out.

The Vegetarian Society Defines a vegetarian as ‘Someone who lives on a diet of grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits with, or without, the use of dairy products and eggs. A vegetarian does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or by-products of slaughter.” 

in the early 1800’s, there were a number of groups in Britain considering adopting a meat-free diet. They varied considerably but one key group involved in the setting up of the Vegetarian Society were the followers of Reverend William Cowherd, known as the Cowherdites. Reverend  Cowherd was the founder of the Bible Christian Church who believed that eating flesh was unnatural and was likely to make people aggressive.  He would preach abstinence from eating flesh to his congregation in Salford, and worked with them, encouraging self-improvement through education.  It was probably the practical support he gave that swung them around to his way of thinking, by providing warm food, medical help and free burial. His followers continued his work after his death and the wife of one of these, Martha Brotherton, published the first vegetarian cookbook in 1812.

If anyone is interested and wants to know more about the history of vegetarianism it is worth visiting the Vegetarian Society’ website. Just click on the link below:

https://www.vegsoc.org/

Here is the recipe.

Mushroom hash                               Serves 2

  • 12 oz floury potatoes (Desiree are good), peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
  • 2 oz butter
  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 small handful chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced (optional)
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 10 oz mushrooms, thickly sliced
  1. Simmer the potatoes in boiling salted water for about 4-5 minutes until just tender.  Drain and reserve.
  2. Heat half the butter with a little of the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the potatoes over a medium to high heat, turning occasionally, until they are starting to go crisp and golden (about 10 minutes).
  3. In a separate frying pan heat half the remaining butter with a little olive oil and fry the onion over a low to medium until it is golden (about 10 minutes).  Tip into the potatoes, mix well and cook together for a couple of minutes.
  4. In the empty pan, melt the remaining butter and olive oil and cook the mushrooms and chilli (if using) over a high heat for a couple of minutes until they are lightly coloured on all sides.  Add the mushrooms, parsley and garlic to the potatoes.  Mix well and cook over a high heat for 1 minute to allow the flavours to meld.  Season to taste and serve with a fried egg. 

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