Cauliflower, bacon and cheese tart with dukkah crust

Horray! It looks as though we’re through the ‘hungry gap’ where the last of the winter vegetables are running low and the first of the spring veggies are not quite ready. If you subscribe to a veggie box or community agriculture scheme the hungry gap can play havoc with your menu plan: unexpected frosts can spoil crops, supplies can run out early and you end up with the occasional unexpected substitution. Last week was one such occasion when I had made planned to make pumpkin falafels and ended up with a cauliflower. Granted, it was a lovely cauli but I struggled to come up with an interesting idea for dinner that went beyond the standard cheese pairing.

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Sweetcorn chowder

I’m calling time on this miserable, chilly month with some sunshine in a bowl. January has seen me trying out various ways of transporting my soup to work without it leaking all over the inside of my handbag; my thermos has given up the ghost after one to many bumps. I’m quite pleased with my bargain (£3.49!) bento-type box, it doesn’t keep food hot very long but can go straight in the microwave, no decanting required. Unfortunately it’s quite bulky and won’t fit in my bag like the thermos did and, since it’s white, everyone thinks I’m toting around a loo roll. I’m tempted by one of the uber-cute Fuel flasks, complete with dry section for crackers or crûtons, but the price is rather high and they look a tad small. Does anyone out there in the blogosphere have any recommendations?

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Roasted vegetable risotto cake

Over the past few months I’ve been trying to introduce more vegetarian meals into our weekly menu; no mean feat when you’ve got a vegetable-shy husband! Whilst we have what I’d call a fairly healthy diet; eating vegetarian a few times a week feels more balanced. Also, by cutting back a bit, I can afford to buy better-quality, local meat which we both prefer. The only problem is finding recipes that are substantial enough for my husband not to notice the lack of meat. I tend to fall back on pasta dishes or quiche but am on the look out for new ideas. Does anyone out there have any suggestions? I’d love to hear them!

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Blue cheese burgers

In preparation for the party season along with giving myself a mani/pedi, getting a hair cut and buying a cute dress, I needed to prepare for the onslaught of food by getting my stomach used to bigger meals… Ok, so that’s a complete lie. In reality, I was just hungry for a burger. Hmm, maybe I should have bought a dress with more tummy room.

So, we’ve established that these burgers aren’t exactly going to help with the pre-Christmas diet but they really are tasty. Rather than using breadcrumbs to help keep the burgers moist I used a small amount of oats soaked in milk. A dash of mustard adds some zing and the melty cheese hidden in the middle takes the ordinary burger to delicious new heights. 

 These burgers scored 9/10 on the husband-ometre, the extra point was lost on the bun which was too soft. Oh well, that’s what you get for buying fresh bread…  Mix things up by using cheddar or goat’s cheese and different toppings; I went for tomato, pickles and BBQ sauce, husband went for bacon and brown sauce.

Blue cheese burgers

Makes 4 pretty big burgers

• 600g minced steak
• 1 onion
• 40g rolled oats
• 100ml milk
• 2tsp Dijon mustard
• a handful of parsley
• 100g blue cheese (I used gorgonzola)
• salt and pepper

In a large bowl mix the oats, milk and mustard and leave to soak for 5 mins. Finely chop the onion and parsley and stir into the oats. Add the minced steak, salt and pepper and mix well.

Divide the mix into eight fairly even portions. Flatten one portion in your hand and place a quarter of the cheese in the middle. Take another portion and flatten over the cheese forming a pattie. Repeat until you have 4 burgers. If you have time, leave to firm up in the fridge for a few hours and bring to room temperature before cooking.

Put a griddle/frying pan on a medium heat. Brush the burgers with a little oil and cook for 10 minutes until the juices run clear, flipping halfway through. Serve on toasted buns with your favourite toppings.

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