Kale, sweet potato & tahini bowl

January 7, 2019January 21, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ 2 Comments

Some might say that starting the New Year with a large Burger King meal and a side of chilli cheese bites was a little ill-advised, but I disagree. Start as you mean to go on – and, to be fair, I was dangerously hungover at the Newport Pagnall services off the M1.
It’s a very cruel place – you have to walk over the motorway to get to the Burger King – but desperate times call for desperate measures, and Jamie and I were in no state to settle for a Waitrose sandwich. So, over the bridge we went on that New Year’s day, and dined on cold burgers on plastic trays surrounded by screaming children. It was magical.
Come to think of it, I’ve never been all that keen on New Year’s Eve. Much like Burger King, it always promises so much but ultimately leaves you unsatisfied and with a bit of a dodgy tummy.
Anyway, new year, new you, right? So, in an attempt to redeem myself, I’ve made deliciously nutritious raw kale, sweet potato and tahini bowls. Happy 2019 – let the games begin!

Kale, sweet potato & tahini bowl
Serves 2/ Hands on time 45 mins / Total time 45 mins / V
Rapeseed oil spray
1 large sweet potato, cut into wedges
100g bulgur wheat
250ml cold water
½ vegetable stock pot, I use Knorr
2 large handfuls of kale, chopped
½ lemon
½ can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
125g halloumi, thickly sliced (optional)
Dressing
1 tbs tahini paste
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
½ lemon
½ tsp sea salt flakes
1 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbs boiling water

Method
1. Preheat an oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400F/gas mark 6. Slice the sweet potato into wedges and place in a non-stick oven tray. Spray with rapeseed oil and sprinkle generously with salt and black pepper. Give the potatoes a good mix to make sure the wedges are evenly coated. Roast in the oven for 20 mins.
2. Meanwhile, measure out the bulgur wheat and pour into a small saucepan along with 250ml of cold water and half a stock pot. Place over a medium to high heat until boiling before turning down and simmering for 8 minutes. Once the water has absorbed, remove from the heat, give it a quick stir and cover with a lid. Put to one side.
3. To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl until you have a smooth and silky dressing before passing it through a sieve to get rid of the raw garlic pulp (sieving the dressing is optional). Rinse and drain the chickpeas and put both to one side.
4. After 20 minutes, remove the wedges from the over, give them a good shake before returning to the oven for a further 15 minutes.
5. In a large bowl, add 2 large handfuls of kale along with a good pinch of salt, the juice of half a lemon and 1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil. Using your hands, give the kale a toss and a good massage for about a minute to help break down the tough fibres. Add the chickpeas and mix in half of the tahini dressing.
6. Place the halloumi slices in a non-stick frying pan with a bit of oil over a high heat and sizzle on both sides for a couple of minutes until golden brown.
7. Finally, divide the bulgur wheat into bowls and top with the kale, chickpeas, roasted sweet potato, halloumi and a good drizzle of the remaining dressing.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V – Vegetarian

Winter ribollita

December 17, 2018February 19, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ 7 Comments

Because we can’t all survive on mince pies this December… Or can we?

Winter ribollita
Serves 4 / Hands on time 10 mins / Total time 50 mins / V Vn Gf Df ❄
1 tsp olive oil
1 white onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
½ tsp salt
1 can plum tomatoes
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 litre vegetable stock, I use 2 Knorr stock pots
Handful fresh parsley, chopped
100g cavalo nero or kale, roughly chopped
Extra virgin olive oil to serve

Method
1. In a large saucepan or pot with a lid, add 1 tsp of olive oil over a low to medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, celery, parsnip, carrot and the salt. Give it a good stir, cover with a lid and leave to soften for 20 mins, stirring occasionally.
2. Add a can of plum tomatoes and break them up with a spoon. Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas and the vegetable stock before upping the heat and bringing to the boil. Simmer uncovered for 15 mins before adding the cavalo nero and parsley. GIve it a stir and cook for a further 5 mins.
3. Take off the heat, ladle into bowls and top with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and serve with crusty bread and good crack of black pepper.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V– Vegetarian Vn– Vegan Gf– Gluten free Df– Dairy free
❄ – Suitable for home freezing once cooled. Consume within 3 months.

Butternut squash & goats cheese nut roast

December 10, 2018December 22, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ 4 Comments

Butternut squash & goats cheese nut roast

It is no secret that I hate nut roast. I hate it for the same reason I hate stuffed peppers, mushroom stroganoff and risotto – because they’re the dishes that were stuffed down my throat as a child in the late ’80s.

But times have changed, and so have these dishes (or so I hear) and therefore, so must I – although actually, I’m pretty sure stuffed peppers are still pretty awful.

Anyway, nowadays, ‘I’ll have the risotto,’ is a phrase being uttered across the country, and not just out of necessity but choice! By choice, I tells you! And the same can be said for my ultimate nemesis – the nut roast, AKA – dry, flavourless, nutty gravel.
Want a way to ruin a lovely plate of roast vegetables? Simply add a big, ugly door-stopper-sized slice of nut roast. Horrible. Or so I thought.
Recently, I took a chance and ordered the nut roast at our local pub and it was (dare I say it) rather tasty. Like a rare and exotic specimen, I expertly dissected it with a fork as Jamie and his friends tried to ignore my terrible table manners – I practically face-planted into my plate in order to give it a good old sniff. In the end, I couldn’t figure out what was in it (and I was being being incredibly rude) so I just scoffed it.

So, with that in mind, and not having a clue what was in it, I decided to try and make it – not at all challenging. What I came up with in the end was this butternut squash, goat’s cheese and chestnut concoction. It’s nothing like the one I had at the Brave Sir Robin, but wrapped in cabbage leaves it’s lovely and moist and scarcely resembles the nut roast that used to end up on our Christmas table in the ’80s.

Butternut squash & goats cheese nut roast
Serves 6 / Hands on time 45mins / Total 1hr 45 mins / V ❄*
You’ll need: Food processor, hand blender, 2lb (21cm x 11cm) loaf tin, ice cubes and kitchen roll.
7 savoy cabbage leaves
50g unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
100g parsnip (1 medium) cubed
150g butternut squash, peeled and cubed
150g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
100g cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped (I used Merchant Gourmet)
75g cashews,
50g walnuts
100g brown breadcrumbs
100g vegetarian goats cheese*, roughly cubed
2 Sprig rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
1 tsp salt

*FREEZING: The filling is suitable for home freezing. Avoid step 3 entirely and stop before the goats cheese is added (step 7). Cool the mixture fully before spooning into a plastic bag or airtight Tupperware. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost fully before stirring in the cheese. Start at step 3 before jumping to step 8 of the recipe to finish.

*Don’t like vegetarian goats cheese? No matter. Stilton makes a great substitute but if you’re more of a cheddar lover, grate in your choice of hard cheese – the stronger the better though so opt for mature varieties.

Method
1. In a large heavy bottomed pot or large saucepan, sweat the onions in 50g of unsalted butter and ½ tsp of salt, on a medium heat with the lid on. Put a filled kettle on to boil and start preparing and chopping the butternut squash and parsnip.
2. Add the butternut squash and the parsnip to the softening onions, give it a stir and replace the lid. Turn the heat down from medium to a low heat and stir occasionally.
3. Line a loaf tin with foil and grease the foil with butter and put to one side. Pour the boiling water from the kettle into another large saucepan and and bring to the boil. Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice cubes and put to one side. Remove 7 cabbage leaves from the savoy cabbage and drop them carefully into the boiling water and cook for 2 mins. Once cooked, remove with a slotted spoon and place straight into the ice cold water bath. Put to one side.
4. Using a food processor, now is a good time to make the breadcrumbs by simply wizzing a couple of torn slices of brown bread in a blender. Put to one side. Preheat an oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ 350°F/gas mark 4
5. Uncover the butternut squash and onion mixture and using a hand blender, blitz half the mixture straight in the pot. Give it a good mix and add the chopped mushrooms before stirring again and covering with the lid once more.
6. In a large dry frying pan over a high heat. Once hot, toast the cashews and the walnuts together for a few minutes moving constantly in the pan to avoid burning (you want them to get a bit of colour but not too much). Turn out onto a chopping board and using a large knife, roughly chop them along with the cooked chestnuts.
7. Take the butternut squash and mushroom mixture off the heat and add the breadcrumbs and the chopped nuts. (If you plan on freezing the mixture, cool and do so now before adding the cheese. Please see full freezing tip above).
Add the roughly chopped gooey goats cheese along with a ½ tsp of salt, a good crack of black pepper and the chopped rosemary. Give it all a good stir and put to one side.
8. remove the cabbage leaves from the water bath and blot each leaf with kitchen roll or a clean tea-towel to dry it off a bit. Line the tin with overlapping cabbage leaves, leaving any excess hanging over the sides (you will want a fair amount of cabbage leaves hanging over the sides in order to fold in on themselves to seal the roast. See images below for reference). Spoon in the mixture and pressing it down well with the back of a spoon. Fold the overhanging cabbage leaves back over the top and use any spare cabbage leaves to fill any holes. Cover with foil and bake in the oven 40 mins. After 40 mins, remove the foil and continue to cook uncovered for a further 15 mins.
9. Once cooked take out of the oven and put a chopping board over the top of the tin. Holding the tin with oven gloves, turn the plate over and turn the nut roast out. Peel off any foil and cut into generous slices and serve as part of a roast dinner.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V – Vegetarian

Bitesize peppermint creams

December 3, 2018October 31, 2019 ~ Corrie ~ 6 Comments

Peppermint creams are the kind of weird recipe you get forced to make at school. “Mmm, they’re delicious Corricles,” my mum would say dutifully to my eight-year-old face, as she nibbled on the corner of a giant, crusty peppermint cream. Satisfied with her praise, I would scamper away while, unbeknownst to me, my peppermint creams swiftly made their way into the bin.
So, why have I decided to make peppermint creams after all these years? Two reasons. One: I can’t remember what they taste like and I’m curious. Two: it’s December, and you know what that means – it’s edible gift time, yay! I wonder which lucky friend or family member will draw the short straw this year?
Although actually, these were quite lovely and unlike my eight-year-old effort – the 34-year-old variety are perfectly bite-sized, dipped in delicious dark chocolate and taste just like an After Eight. Sorry, Mum, but I think it’s time for round two.

For more edible gift ideas, check out my salted sultana rum fudge, vanilla shortbread or last years Christmas offering softly spiced lebkuchens.

Bitesize peppermint creams
Makes 20-30 mini rounds / Hands on time 20 mins / Total time 40 mins + setting time / V Gf
You’ll need: Baking paper, rolling pin and a small round cookie cutter
300g icing sugar (plus extra for dusting)
¼ tsp peppermint flavouring
1 egg (the white separate from the yolk)
1 tsp of lemon juice
90g Green and Black’s Organic 70% dark chocolate

Method
1. Separate the egg yolk from the egg white in a small bowl and discard the egg yolk. In a large mixing bowl, sieve the icing sugar before adding half the egg white along with a ¼ tsp of peppermint flavouring and a tsp of lemon juice.
2. Mix slowly with a wooden spoon to avoid the icing sugar flying everywhere. The mix will seem very dry but keep mixing until the icing sugar comes together to form a firm dough. If you need more liquid add more egg white.
3. Once the dough has formed, remove the spoon from the bowl and knead the dough with your hands – like you would a bread dough. If the dough is too sticky you may need to add more icing sugar.
4. Line a large chopping board with a piece of baking paper and sprinkle with icing sugar, put to one side. Cut out another large piece of baking paper and place on a clean dry surface. Sprinkle with icing sugar and turn the dough out onto it before sprinkling with more icing sugar. Roll out the mixture with a rolling pin to roughly 1 centimetre thick.
5. Insert the cookie cutter into the dough, give it a twist and extract a little round of dough. Place the round onto the lined chopping board and repeat (gathering up and rolling out the dough if necessary). Cover the peppermint creams loosely with cling film and leave to set for at least 3 hours or preferable over night.
6. Once set, it’s time to melt the chocolate. Fill a small saucepan halfway with water and bring to the boil. Once boiling, take off the heat and place a small heat-proof bowl over it. Break in the pieces of chocolate and wait for it to melt (try not to stir it until nearly all the chocolate has melted). Meanwhile, line a baking tray or cooling rack with baking paper sprinkled with icing sugar.
7. Once melted, tilt the bowl slightly to the side to allow a deeper pool of chocolate for you to dip your peppermint creams into. One by one, dip each peppermint cream into the chocolate, wait for the drips to stop and place on your newly lined cooling rack. Repeat until all of your peppermint creams are coated.
8. Leave in a cool dry place for the chocolate to set. Once set, carefully peel the peppermint creams off the baking paper before boxing up and gifting to a lucky family member or friend.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V – Vegetarian Gf – Gluten free

Butternut squash & sage soup

November 13, 2018January 21, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ 6 Comments

What the hell has happened to my skin? Over the past couple of weeks, my face has gone from practically blemish free to teenage pizza-face. I’m 34 years old, how is this happening? I just assumed adult acne was something made up by people who wanted to blame their bad skin on hormones and not on their diet of Mars bars and oven chips. But alas, I was wrong. My skin has turned on me and I am trying everything in my power to get it back on side. You name it, I’ve smeared it on my face – creams, scrubs, cleansers, serums, lotions, potions, even prayers – but nothing is working. If anything, I’ve angered it.
So, what’s the cause of my hormonal hell? Apparently, everything. From chemicals found in plastics to processed foods; from a bad night’s sleep to a stressful day at work; from pesticides found on our fruit and veg to the milk in our cup of tea. All of these factors like to fuck with our hormones – I was really hoping I could just buy a bottle of Clearasil and be done with it.
Instead, for the past few days, I’ve made a conscious effort to get eight hours sleep a night, do ten minutes of mindfulness a day and swap my cheesy dinners for this rather delightful dairy-free butternut squash and sage soup. The results? My skin is starting to look a little clearer and less itchy – woo-hoo! To celebrate, I got really drunk, ate a giant margarita pizza, went to bed at 3am and woke up feeling stressed… What?

Butternut squash & sage soup
Serves 4 / Hands on time 20 mins / Total time 40 mins / V Vn Gf Df ❄
You’ll need: A food processor or hand blender
2 tsp rapeseed oil
1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped
14 sage leaves (extra for garnish)
600g butternut squash, peeled and cubed
400g sweet potato, peeled and cubed
½ tsp salt
1 litre of vegetable stock, I used 1 Knorr stock pot
Black pepper
Pomora extra virgin olive oil to serve

Method
1. Roughly chop the onion and sweat in a tsp of rapeseed oil in a large pot, over a medium heat. Add half a tsp of salt, give it a stir and continue to cook for 5 minutes with the lid on. Once the onions start to soften, add the 14 sage leaves, give it another stir and return the lid.
2. Meanwhile, de-seed, peel and chop the butternut squash and peel and chop the sweet potato (no need to be to be too perfect about this, the soup will be blended later).
3. Add the butternut squash and sweet potato along with the stock and a good crack of black pepper. Bring to the boil before turning down the heat and simmering for 20 minutes with the lid on a jar.
4. Once the vegetables have softened, take off the heat and blend until smooth either with a hand blender or pour into a food processor.
5. If serving with fried sage leaves, add 1 tsp of rapeseed oil to small frying pan on a medium to high heat. Once hot, add the leaves and fry for a minute or so until slightly crispy and browned. Top your soup with the sage leaves and serve with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V– Vegetarian Vn– Vegan Gf– Gluten free Df– Dairy free
❄ Suitable for home freezing once cooled. Consume within 3 months.

Cheesy baked beans

November 5, 2018October 31, 2019 ~ Corrie ~ Leave a comment

I’ve spent months waiting impatiently for the conditions to be just right, biding my time and anticipating the day – this day – because today is the day I’ve been waiting for. It’s time for me to buy a jacket potato with beans and cheese from the jacket potato man.

I mean, sure, he’s been there all summer – I even walked past his stall several times, my head hanging low in an attempt to hide my identity, but he sees me, another traitorous customer walking straight past his van on their way to Pret. Well, I’m sorry Mr Potato Man, but who wants to eat hot potatoes in stifling heat?

But now that the nights are drawing in and the cold wind is smacking me in the face, I think yes, yes I will treat myself to a jacket potato the size of my head today – the irony being that they’re not even all that nice. Jacket Potato Man starts by ladling copious amounts of beans over a jacket spread with marge (he says it’s butter, but I know it’s marge). He then tops it with grated cheese that starts to sweat rather than melt because the jacket and the beans aren’t quite hot enough to melt the cheese. Back at my desk, though, I’m too hungry to care, so dive right in and instantly burn my mouth and oesophagus with molten hot potato because, for some reason, the middle of the jacket is the only part that’s actually hot – a bit like the centre of the earth. But despite all of this, I hoover it up and instantly fall into a deliciously warm carb coma and am useless at my job for the rest of the day.

So what is it about beans and cheese that’s so great? For me, it’s the nostalgia. After one bite I’m transported back to my sofa in Luton. Off sick from school I was allowed to eat my cheesy beans on toast on my lap in front of Supermarket Sweep. Such a simple memory, but one that invokes strong feelings of comfort, love and a longing for Dale Winton. So this is my tribute and homage to cheesy beans, baked in the oven and covered in melted cheese – a breakfast fit for an ‘90s TV show host. RIP Dale Winton.

Cheesy baked beans
Serves 4 / Hands on time 15 mins / Total time 45 mins / V
1 tsp rapeseed oil
1 small red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 can borlotti beans, rinsed and drained
1 tbs tomato purée
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
100g vegetarian medium cheddar, grated
Handful fresh parsley, chopped
Bread to serve

Method
1. Preheat an oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ 350°F/gas mark 4. In a large oven-proof casserole dish, sweat the onions and garlic in a tsp of rapeseed oil on a medium to hight heat with the lid on for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and add ½ a tsp of smoked paprika, a good pinch of salt and a dash of water. Stir and cook for a further 2 minutes uncovered.
2. Add the tomato purée and stir in the chopped tomatoes, beans and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with a tsp of brown sugar and stir.
3. Place the lid on ajar and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Meanwhile grate the cheese and chop the parsley.
4. Remove the beans from the oven and sprinkle evenly with the grated cheese. Pop the lid back on ajar and bake in the oven for a further 5 minutes. Once melted, removed from the oven, sprinkle with chopped parsley and spoon out onto hot buttered toast.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V– Vegetarian ❄– Suitable for home freezing once cooled. Consume within 3 months.

Middle Eastern pita nachos

October 29, 2018May 26, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ 1 Comment

Sometimes when I don’t know what to write about, I refer to a list in my iPhone Notes that is inventively called ‘stories to write about’. This list is made up of a collection anecdotes, stories and quotes that I feel are noteworthy, funny, or just outright weird. The list is ongoing, but I rarely look at it, let alone read it as tend to add to it after I’ve had a few wines. Anyway, after an uncharacteristically dull week, I thought I’d rummage through the archives and found this little gem…
“Jamie ate a woodlouse off his chest after mistaking it for a beansprout.” That was all it said. Not context, no backstory, no nothing… Still, it did the job.

Anyhoo, let’s move on to some beany deliciousness. Inspired by Nigella’s beef and aubergine fatteh recipe I thought I’d have a go at making my own vegetarian equivalent. I loved the idea of using pitta chips as a base and topping them with gorgeous Middle Eastern ingredients and flavours. The result was hearty, wholesome and pretty as a picture.

Middle Eastern pita nachos
Serves 2 / Hands on time 25 mins / Total time 40 mins /
V ❄
1 tbs rapeseed oil
2 wholemeal pita breads
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
Pinch chili flakes
1 medium sized aubergine, cut into small cubes
1 tbs tomato puree
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can cannellini beans (you can use any can of beans), rinsed and drained
2 tomatoes, sliced
To serve
80g vegetarian feta cheese
Pomegranate seeds
Handful, chopped fresh mint
Sumac (optional)

TIP: The bean mixture actually makes enough for four people. This is suitable for freezing once cooled fully and stored in an airtight container.

Method
1. Preheat an oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6 and line a baking tray with baking paper. Cut the pita bread into triangles and place on the baking tray. Add a tbs of rapeseed oil into a small dish and using a brush, paint each piece with oil on both sides, before seasoning well with salt and pepper. Bake the pita in the oven for 5 mins before flipping each pita triangle over and baking for a further 2 mins. Remove from the oven and put to one side.
2. In a large saucepan or cooking pot with a lid, add a drizzle of rapeseed oil over a medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped onions, garlic and aubergine cubes and stir well. Cover with a lid and leave to cook for 5 mins.
3. Meanwhile, slice the tomatoes and drain and rinse the beans. Once softened, stir in the cumin, coriander, salt and chilli flakes. Add a dash of water and stir again, cooking for a couple more minutes.
4. Mix in the tomato puree before adding the tinned tomatoes, cannellini beans, sliced tomato and 3 tbs of water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat slightly and simmer uncovered for 15 mins, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, chop the fresh mint and prepare the pomegranate seeds.
5. Once cooked, take off the heat and divide the pita chips onto 2 plates. Top generously with the bean mixture and crumble over the feta and sprinkle with mint and pomegranate seeds. Serve drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and a dusting of sumac.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V– Vegetarian ❄– The bean mixture is suitable for home freezing once cooled. Consume within 3 months.

Celeriac baked rice with goats cheese

October 18, 2018March 3, 2021 ~ Corrie ~ 2 Comments

Celariac baked rice with goats cheese — Celeriac baked rice with goats cheese

They say don’t judge a book by its cover, although it’s hard not to when you’re staring down at the misshapen, ugly face of a celeriac. Its knobbly, gnarly and often hairy skin looks like something out of a science fiction film.
Like a lot of people, I am guilty of overlooking this vegetable, but I felt sorry for it sitting on the shelf next to the prettier and cutely named munchkin pumpkin – the celeriac never have a chance. So I took his ugly mug home and lovingly peeled, chopped and roasted him in this delicious rice dish. It’s what he would have wanted.

Celeriac baked rice with goats cheese
Serves 4 / Hands on time 30 mins / Total time 1 hr 20 mins / V Gf
You’ll need: A deep oven-proof casserole dish
2 tsp rapeseed oil
1 white onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
1 medium sized celeriac (roughly 650g), peeled and cut into chunks
½ tsp garlic granules
½ tsp sea salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch chilli flakes
500ml vegetable stock, I use 1 Knorr stock pot
150g brown basmati rice
4 rosemary sprigs
200g vegetarian goats cheese (including rind)
100g black olives, drained and halved
Handful of parsley, chopped to serve

TIP: If making for two, half the recipe and use a smaller baking dish.

Method
1. Preheat an oven to 220°C/200°C fan/428°F/gas mark 7. Add the chopped onion and the garlic to a deep casserole dish along with the rapeseed oil, garlic granules, sea salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and a pinch of chilli flakes. Give it all a good stir.
2. Peel and cut the celeriac into large chunks and add to the dish and mix well. Add the rice and pour over the vegetable stock and stir carefully. Make sure the rice is fully immersed under the stock before adding the rosemary springs. Cover the dish in a layer of tin foil and bake in the oven for 45 mins.
3. Meanwhile, roughly chop the goats cheese, black olives and parsley.
4. Once cooked, remove from the oven and put the foil to one side. Taste the rice to check if it’s cooked – if the rice is still a little tough, cover in foil and return to the oven and cook for a further 5-10 mins. If cooked, sprinkle over the cheese and the black olives and return to the oven, covered in foil for a further 10 mins or until the cheese is melted.
5. Finish sprinkled with fresh parsley and serve with a simple green salad.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V– Vegetarian. Gf– Gluten free

Cheese and onion puff pasties

October 9, 2018January 21, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ Leave a comment

I was shopping in my beloved Sainsbury’s today and got talking to an elderly man in the queue. His trolley was full of cakes, various pastries, walnut whips and a large pack of adult nappies – way more interesting than my own basket. He was quick to explain that the adult nappies were for his 80-year- old boyfriend, but unfortunately one pack only lasts him three days – TMI. When I suggested he go and get another pack, he explained he couldn’t carry the chocolate, cakes and the two packs of nappies on the bus, so I offered to give him and his nappies a lift.
In the car, I learned that not only was this eccentric old man a delight to talk to, but his name was Peter and he used to be a producer at the BBC. He spent the journey recounting all his worldly adventures, dropping casually into conversation that his tutor was none other than David Attenborough.
Sadly, when I pulled up outside his house, I had to say my goodbyes – he had afternoon tea to prepare – so I helped him with his bags and shook his lovely warm hand, only for him to present me with a box of walnut whips that I will treasure forever.

Oh, and so when I got home, I made cheese and onion puff pasties, but they were a total disaster, so I decided to sack off making another batch and retreat to my sofa to eat marmalade on toast for the rest of the afternoon. So, these are my second attempt and the reason you didn’t receive a blog yesterday, apologies.

Cheese and onion puff pasties
Makes 4-5 pasties / Hands on time 45 mins / Total time 1 hr 10 mins / V ❄
You’ll need: A rolling pin and a tea cup saucer (roughly 14 cm)
1 medium large baking potato (250g), skin on and chopped into cubes
250ml cold water
½ vegetable stock pot or cube, I use Knorr
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
150g mature vegetarian cheddar, grated
375g chilled ready rolled puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
1 tbs flour for dusting

Method
1. Preheat an oven to 220°C/200°C fan/ 428°F/gas mark 7. In a casserole pot or large saucepan, add the chopped potatoes, stock pot and 250ml of cold water. Put on a high heat and bring to the boil. Continue to boil for 5 minutes.
2. Add the chopped onions and give it a good stir. Turn the heat down slightly and continue to cook for a further 8 minutes, stirring frequently (now is a good time to grate the cheese). Take off the heat, season well with salt and pepper and put the filling to one side to cool.
3. Roll out the ready rolled puff pastry and using a tea cup saucer as a stencil, cut out as many circles as you can before gathering up the trimmings and re-rolling to make more. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper and dust with a little flour. Place the pastry circles on them and using the back of a fork make little imprints along the edges of each circle.
4. Stir the grated cheese into the cooled potato and onion mixture and add another crack of black pepper to taste. Place a heaped tablespoon of mixture down the middle of each circle of pastry. Brush the imprinted edge with a little beaten egg, before folding over to create a half moon pillow. Seal by applying downward pressure with your finger tips and imprinting with the back of a fork. Cut 3 small slits in the top of each pasty with a sharp knife to allow the hot air to escape while baking.
5. Once all your pasties are filled, brush them with beaten egg, space out evenly on the baking trays and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool on the baking trays for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a cooling rack. Serve warm or cool completely and enjoy cold as a snack. The pasties will last up to 3 days refrigerated in an air tight container.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V– Vegetarian ❄ Suitable for home freezing once cooled. Consume within 3 months.

Veggie toad-in-the-hole

October 1, 2018November 29, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ Leave a comment

Not sure why toad-in-the-hole is called toad-in-the-hole. Perhaps it used to be made with real toads – I know the Tudors used to eat all sorts. Although, I guess if you were to consider eating a toad, serving one up in a giant Yorkshire pudding wouldn’t be a bad serving suggestion – especially if you dipped it in mustard.
However, my instincts (and Wikipedia) have informed me that it is much more likely to refer to ‘toads waiting for their prey in their burrows, making their heads visible in the earth, just like the sausages peep through the batter’… How disappointing – although, I did discover that toad-in-the-hole used to have the catchy name of ‘meat boiled in a crust’.
Anyway, rest assured that my recipe for toad-in-the-hole is surprisingly easy, delicious and free from amphibians. What more could you want?

Veggie toad-in-the-hole
Serves 2 / Hands on time 20 mins / Total time 40 mins / V
You’ll need: 20cm oven proof dish and an electric whisk
2 tsp rapeseed oil
6 chilled vegetarian sausages, I use Cauldron
3 fresh thyme or rosemary sprigs
75g plain flour
1 egg
100ml semi skimmed milk
Pinch of ground nutmeg
To serve
Wholegrain mustard, gravy and tender-stem broccoli

Method

1. Preheat an oven to 220°C/200°C fan/ 428°F/gas mark 7. Grease a small oven-proof dish (roughly 20cm) with oil and add the 6 chilled vegetarian sausages, along with 2 tsp of rapeseed oil. Shake the sausages until they’ll evenly coated in the oil before adding 3 sprigs of thyme or rosemary. Cook the sausages in the oven, on the middle shelf for 15 mins.

2. Meanwhile, make the batter by measuring out the flour in a medium sized bowl. Add a good crack of salt and pepper, along with a pinch of nutmeg and give it a stir. Make a well in the flour and crack the egg into it. Using a hand whisk, combine the egg with the flour and slowly incorporate the milk until you have a thick but smooth batter. Switch to an electric whisk and mix for a couple of minutes. Leave the batter to rest while the sausages cook.

3. Carefully remove the sausages from the oven and discard the herbs, leaving any detached leaves. Pour the batter slowly into a corner of the dish and allow it to spread out evenly between the sausages.

4. Return the dish to the oven and bake on the top shelf for 15-18 mins, or until the batter has puffed up and is a lovely golden colour. Spoon out onto plates and serve with mashed potato, gravy and your choice cooked vegetables.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V– Vegetarian