Spinach and cheese roulade

"One day my log will have something to say about this. My log saw something that night." Log Lady, Twin Peaks

I was looking for cooking inspiration in my cookbooks, not so much in Twin Peaks, and found an interesting roulade idea. This recipe is from Yotam Ottolenghi's vegetarian cookbook Plenty More: Taleggio and spinach roulade (p. 290-291). I changed some things in my recipe, and have written down my version below, but you can find the original Ottolenghi recipe also here. I really think that you should try this recipe, and just maybe the log will have something to say to you.

I made some minor adjustments to the dough by using slightly different type of ingredients, but didn't change anything else about it. It was very easy to work on and made a nice smooth ball after the kneading. For the filling I made the semi-dried tomatoes myself, as I love that sort of tomatoes. They are just so fragrant when made in the own oven. The most major change was using havarti and mozzarella instead of pecorino and taleggio, as those were just easier to come by. I think they worked well too.

I initially thought that my roulade was a bit dry, but my partner assured me it wasn't. Of course I left out the crème fraiche, so that would have made it more moist anyway. The roulade was quite tasty in the end, and it held very well together in the oven. I'm tempted to make a similar roulade with different kind of filling. Don't you think that the cut pieces look a little bit like hedgehogs?

Spinach and cheese roulade

Ingredients

Dough

160 ml milk

2 tsp dry yeast

350 g wheat flour

1 tsp sugar

50 ml vegetable oil

1 egg

1 egg yolk

Filling

150 g spinach

20 g basil

100 g havarti cheese

250 g mozzarella

200 g semi-dried tomatoes

1 egg

2 tsp poppy seeds

Method

If you are making the semi-dried tomatoes, better start with them, as they can be in the oven for a few hours. Cut the tomatoes in halves, sprinkle with a little salt and possibly oregano, and bake at about 50 C for a few hours until they start drying slightly. The temperature can be increased at times, if necessary.

Mix all dough ingredients together apart from the milk. Warm the milk up slightly and mix it into the other ingredients and knead for a good while. I probably kneaded the dough for about 10 minutes. Once the dough is a smooth ball, it's good. Let it rise in a bowl for about 45 minutes. Then roll it out thinly on a baking tray that has been lined with baking paper. Let rise for another 30 minutes under a tea towel.

Put the filling onto the dough and shape a large log from it. Let rest once again 30 minutes under a tea towel.

Pre-heat the oven to 200 C. Brush the roulade with a beaten egg, and sprinkle the poppy seeds on top. Bake for 10 minutes, and then reduce the temperature to 160 C and bake for another 25 minutes.

Let it cool down a bit before slicing.

Enjoy!

Your VegHog

Spinach and lentil curry with coconut rice

How has your week been? I've been busy and had little time for blogging, which is always annoying. However now I'm going to dedicate more time for it over the weekend. I have today off from work, which means it's a long weekend for me. I got up bright and early today to enjoy the day fully and I'm soon heading to town to see what's going on in there. Tonight there's a gathering from my partner's work place, which could be quite nice as well.

And now to the recipe itself. A vegan curry is always a lovely lovely thing. I decided to make a nice and comforting curry full of good things. I used spinach, green lentils and potatoes as the main ingredients and spiced the curry with garam masala and turmeric. I served fluffy coconut rice on the side. I rarely use white rice, but sometimes this sort of “proper” basmati is so lovely to have. This is just the sort of dish that I could keep eating all autumn and winter, and why not also spring and summer. Have a look at the recipe below, which should serve four.

Ingredients

1 cup green lentils

8 potatoes

3 onions

3 garlic cloves

3 cm fresh ginger (similar amount to the garlic)

2 small chillies

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp garam masala

160 ml coconut cream

2 bay leaves

1 tsp ground turmeric

Sprinkle of salt

200 g spinach

1 cup basmati rice

2-4 tbsp desiccated coconut

1 tbsp coconut oil

Method

Pre-cook the lentils and the potatoes separately. They don't have to be fully cooked, as they will cook further in the final curry mix.

Chop the onions, garlic, ginger and chillies finely. Cook the onion first in oil until slightly browned and caramelised. Then add the garlic, ginger and chilli and keep frying for a while.

Make the garam masala mix or use a pre-made variation and add about one tablespoon of the spice mix and stir it in to the pan. Here is for example one of my own garam masala instructions, but nowadays I just randomly add the ingredients and grind.

Then add the coconut cream, bay leaves, ground turmeric and salt. Also add the pre-cooked lentils and potatoes and let simmer. Stir the spinach in only just before serving, as it doesn't need long until it wilts.

Cook the rice while the curry is simmering. Dry toast the desiccated coconut in a pan and stir it into the cooked rice. Also add some coconut oil to the rice.

Add any more seasoning to the curry to taste and serve it with the rice.

This recipe will be my Eat Your Greens entry, which I'm hosting this month, taking turns every other month with Shaheen. Remember that you still have plenty of time to submit your entries!

I also want to share this recipe with My Legume Love Affair cooking challenge that concentrates on vegetarian dishes that contain legumes. This month's event is the 100^th edition hosted by Siri from Cooking With Siri and co-hosted by Lisa from Lisa's Kitchen. Many congratulations for making it to the 100^th edition, that's amazing!

Enjoy your weekend!

Your VegHog

Pasta with spinach pesto and roasted gem squashes

What can be better than a little mid-week pasta! I really enjoy one or two pasta dishes every week, as it's so easy, yet so good. So here's another pasta dish of mine that I cooked yesterday. Many of these items were in my last shopping bag and now they are here on the plate. I was quite keen to use the chunky Paccheri Rigati pasta I got. The different pasta type added something new to a fairly basic pesto and vegetable combination. I also roasted gem squash rings to add to the dish and they made a nice impact indeed.

Here is my easy recipe for Pasta with spinach pesto and roasted gem squashes

Pesto ingredients

1 cup baby spinach

Handful of basil leaves

4 tbsp pine nuts

1 garlic clove

4 tbsp olive oil

Other ingredients

2 gem squashes

Olive oil for brushing the squashes

Paccheri Rigati pasta or pasta of your choice

Vegetarian pasta cheese

Method

Make the pesto by puréeing the pesto ingredients into an even paste.

Cut rings from the gem squashes. I removed the centre with a small cookie cutter. Brush the rings with olive oil and roast in the oven until nicely roasted.

Cook the pasta, combine it with the pesto and serve with the squash rings. Enjoy!

I want to share this dish with Chris from Thinly Spread and Pasta Please! cooking challenge, which is co-hosted by Jacqueline from Tinned Tomatoes.

Your VegHog

Spinach and mushroom gnocchi

I really like the combination of earthy mushrooms with potato gnocchi. To this dish I added spinach and white wine to go with the mushrooms and gnocchi and it was so nice. My partner started making this sort of a gnocchi dish a few years ago and in the meanwhile I have also adapted it. There are still little differences when each of us makes this, but it's always tasty. I like this as a refreshing change to the normal kind of pasta and gnocchi combinations and can only recommend it. Have a look at the recipe below. Here I made a large batch for four people.

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves

300 g chestnut mushrooms

2 tbsp olive oil

Handful of toasted pine nuts

100 ml dry white wine

Salt to taste

Ground black pepper to taste

1 tbsp vegetable stock powder

100 g aged Havarti

200 g spinach

700 g potato gnocchi

Method

Chop the garlic finely and slice the mushrooms. Start cooking them in olive oil. Cook them for a few minutes and add the pine nuts and white wine.

Season with salt, ground black pepper and vegetable stock powder.

Grate the cheese in the meanwhile and cook the gnocchi.

Add the spinach leaves to the mushrooms, just until they wilt. Then also add the gnocchi to the pan.

Serve the dish with cheese and enjoy!

Your VegHog

Chickpea, spinach and potato curry

Today I made this chickpea, spinach and potato curry as planned as the Wednesday meal for this week. It was quick to make, as my partner had recently made a brilliant garam masala spice mix. Therefore I could luckily fully skip the spice mixing phase, which is fun, but also takes time and now I just wanted an easy weekday curry. Here is my chickpea, spinach and potato curry recipe.

Ingredients

½ cup dried chickpeas

500 g potatoes

2 shallots

2 garlic cloves

1 tbsp vegetable oil

100 g cherry vine tomatoes

160 ml coconut cream

100 g spinach

1 vegetable stock cube

1 tbsp garam masala

Ginger powder to taste

Chilli flakes to taste

Curry leaves to taste

Ground cumin to taste

Method

Soak the chickpeas overnight and then boil them in water until they are done.

Cut the potatoes in halves or quarters depending on the size. Boil them in water until they are almost done. You can save some of the potato cooking water to be added later to the curry.

Chop the shallots and garlic finely and start cooking them in the vegetable oil. Add the finely chopped cherry tomatoes and then the garam masala. Stir for a while and add the potatoes and chickpeas and the coconut cream.

Let simmer slowly and season with vegetable stock cube, ginger powder, chilli flakes, curry leaves and ground cumin. Add a little water if needed.

Once the flavours have blended nicely and the potatoes are fully cooked, add the spinach towards the end and let it wilt in the mix.

I served the curry on its own, as it contains quite wholesome ingredients. I didn't think it needed rice or anything else with it. Enjoy!

Your VegHog

Mushroom and spinach lasagne with roasted tomato sauce and fried halloumi

I haven't made a good veggie lasagne for a while, but now I made one. Let's face it, it has to be made at least once in a winter no matter how much a cliché it is. Especially a spinach lasagne I haven't made in ages, so I thought it would be a nice change. Halloumi has become one of my standard lasagne fillings as it adds additional cheesy goodness to the dish. This time I made a roasted tomato sauce for the lasagne. Have a look at my recipe below.

Mushroom and spinach lasagne with roasted tomato sauce and fried halloumi

Ingredients

600 g tomatoes

2 tbsp olive oil

200 g spinach

2 shallots

2 garlic cloves

250 g halloumi

1 tbsp vegetable oil

150 g chestnut mushrooms

1 tbsp tomato purée

Salt, black pepper, nutmeg and oregano to taste

300 g lasagne sheets

200 g mature Cheddar

Method

Roast the tomatoes in the oven brushed with olive oil until they are bursting open.

Wilt the spinach in a medium hot pan with little added water.

Chop the shallots and garlic finely and slice the halloumi and the chestnut mushrooms.

Fry the halloumi slices in the vegetable oil until golden brown.

Cook the shallots and garlic in olive oil until soft and add the roasted tomatoes to the pan.

Season the sauce with tomato purée, salt, black pepper, nutmeg and oregano.

Layer the components in to an oven dish with the lasagne sheets and top with the grated Cheddar.

Bake at 180 C for about 45 minutes or until fully done.

I served the lasagne with a side salad, cottage cheese and garlic knots (recipe here).

How do you like your veggie lasagne? And am I the only one who enjoys cottage cheese as a neutral balancing agent with a lasagne?

Have a great week!

Your VegHog

Spinach and mushroom gnocchi

Monday is almost over and I feel like a winner already, as it was a very long and a very busy day. I just want to relax now. Anyway the recipe that I'm posting today is for an easy meal for weekdays, and I find myself quite often making such dishes. It's quick and convenient after a long day, but also very tasty and made with fresh ingredients. I used of course ready made gnocchi, as couldn't be bothered to make my own. Maybe I'll make some soon again, who knows.

Okay, so here's the recipe for easy spinach and mushroom gnocchi.

Ingredients

1 kg gnocchi

200 g baby leaf spinach

250 g closed cup chestnut mushrooms

2 shallots

3 garlic cloves

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt

Black pepper

Nutmeg

Fresh basil

Vegetarian pasta cheese

Method

Chop the shallots and garlic and slice the mushrooms.

Start cooking the shallots and garlic in olive oil until soft and add the mushroom slices to the pan.

Cook for a further 5 minutes at medium heat.

Add the spinach and cook until the leaves are wilted.

Season the mix with salt, pepper, nutmeg and basil to taste.

Cook the gnocchi in salt water for a couple of minutes until they float on the surface.

Serve the gnocchi with the spinach and mushrooms and some veggie pasta cheese shavings on the top. You can add a side salad, if you wish. I just served some cherry tomato halves on the side.

Enjoy your week!

Your VegHog

Spinach hedgehogs and hoglets

 

I think that November has progressed far enough to publish the first possible Christmas recipe! I got the idea for these puff pastry and spinach canapés in a recipe by Valio, but I added my own hog twist to it, and also changed the filling recipe slightly. These small snacks are a lovely item for example for your autumn and Christmas celebrations. Here is my version of the easy recipe. 

Ingredients

150 g spinach

2 garlic cloves

1 tbsp garlic infused olive oil

Ground nutmeg

Ground black pepper

Sea salt

50 g emmental

40 g pine nuts

2 eggs

500 g puff pastry

Method

Chop the garlic finely and cook it soft in the olive oil. Add the spinach to the pan and wilt them.

Season the mix with nutmeg, black pepper and salt to taste.

Purée the spinach with the grated cheese and toasted pine nuts. Add one egg to the mix.

Cut hedgehog shapes from puff pastry with a cookie cutter. Obviously any other shapes can also be made.

Brush them with beaten egg and place some of the spinach mix on the top.

Bake at 200C for about 15 minutes.

Done!

With this post I will also take part for the first time in Shaheen's Eat Your Greens Challenge from the A2K - A seasonal veg table blog - very exciting! I'm so happy that she pointed out that possibility to me.

Your VegHog

Spinach, garlic and pine nut pasta salad

September has started really warm here in southern England. That means I'm having a small break from all the roasted vegetable dishes, pies etc. and making just a fresh pasta salad today. This is an ideal lunch to take with you to work or studies, I find. This is also an easy one to variate depending on what you have in your cupboards. Have a look!

Ingredients

250 g farfalle pasta

100 g spinach

2 garlic cloves

2 tbsp olive oil

40 g pine nuts

30 g vegetarian pasta cheese

A few fresh basil leaves

Salt

Ground black pepper

Grated nutmeg

Method

Boil the pasta soft. I normally boil it a little bit softer than I would for a warm bowl of pasta. Otherwise when cooled, the pasta might be too firm. After boiling rinse the pasta with cold water and drain.

Chop the garlic finely and cook it soft in one tablespoon olive oil. Add the spinach and one or two tablespoons water and wilt the spinach. This takes only a few minutes. Let the pan contents cool.

Toast the pine nuts in the oven or on a dry pan.

Combine the pasta with the spinach garlic mix and the pine nuts. Season the salad with the rest of the olive oil, fresh basil leaves, salt, ground black pepper and grated nutmeg. Grate the vegetarian pasta cheese and add it to the salad.

Done!

Your VegHog

Gnocchi bake

This recipe is quite good for a weekday meal. It's not too much work and the result is a nice hearty meal that has the comfort food element for me. I like making this sort of dishes after a long day at work.

1kg gnocchi

100g spinach

3 shallots

2 garlic cloves

3 frozen pesto cubes / 3tbsp pesto 

1tbsp olive oil

1tsp salt

½tsp grated nutmeg

150g grated mozzarella

Chop the shallots and garlic and cook them in olive oil until soft. Add the spinach and then the pesto (I used my convenient frozen pesto cubes) and cook until the spinach has wilted. Season with salt and nutmeg.

Boil the gnocchi in water until they float on the surface and mix them with the spinach.

Place it all in an oven dish, cover with mozzarella and bake at 180C for about 20 minutes until the cheese is golden brown. And it's all done!

Stay hungry!

Your VegHog

Spinach, sundried tomato and pepper pasta

I thought I'd post a quick weekday pasta dish. Basically just throw everything into the pot and enjoy a nice pasta. This is how it's made.

4 sundried tomatoes

1 onion

1 yellow pepper

2-3 garlic cloves

50g baby spinach

2tbsp olive oil

2 dried red chillies

1tsp salt

½tsp black pepper

100g grated mozzarella

250g rigatoni pasta

Chop and soak the sundried tomatoes for about 15 minutes. Chop the onion, pepper, chilli and garlic.

Heat the olive oil in a pan and lightly fry the vegetables for about 15 minutes (first add onions, then pepper, garlic, chilli, sundried tomatoes and spinach). Onions should be glassy, spinach wilted and pepper tender and slightly sweetened.

Cook the pasta al dente. Add the cheese to the vegetables, and then the pasta. Just stir through and serve. That's it!

Your VegHog

 

Green pancakes with lime butter

This January feels like the longest month ever, and I have been quite busy. It's nice to be able to relax with cooking and blogging a bit, and thank goodness it's Saturday. 

I have been looking for inspiration and ideas in my cook books and online, and have been reading Yotam Ottolenghi's vegetarian cookery book Plenty a lot. I have tried quite a few recipes from that book, and none of them have disappointed so far. A recipe that I saw in this book and altered slightly, Crusted harlequin squash wedges, is at the moment my most read post, so it must be a sign.

Also today I decided to try out one of his recipes, and this one is a real winner. Today's recipe is for absolutely fabulous green pancakes with spinach, spring onions and chili. (The recipe is also online here.) You know that I'm quite cautious with spices, so I reduced the chili amount from Ottolenghi's original a bit, and I didn't have any fresh coriander leaves handy either. Otherwise I followed the original instructions pretty closely. If you're planning to cook this, definitely also read through Ottolenghi's recipe and tips.

Lime butter:

100 g butter

1 lime (zest grated and 2 tbsp lime juice)

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp white pepper

1 small garlic clove

¼ tsp chili flakes

This lime butter is a spectacular one! Remember this for the future as well when you need a seasoned butter, and when wouldn't you? Only a couple of simply steps are needed for making it.

Grate the lime zest and press the juice, also chop the garlic. Beat the butter at room temperature and then add the other ingredients to it.

Shape a sausage shape of the butter and let it rest in the fridge. This is that one done, and you can advance to pancake making.

Pancakes:

250 g spinach

110 g self-raising flour

1 tbsp baking powder

2 eggs

50 g butter

½ tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin

150 ml milk

6 spring onions

1 green chili

Olive oil for frying

Chop the spring onions and chilies finely, and wilt the spinach in a pan with little water. 

Drain the spinach and chop it small as well.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, eggs, melted butter, salt, cumin and milk into a batter, and then also add the spring onions, chili and spinach and whisk some more.

Heat olive oil in a pan and fry the pancakes for a few minutes on each side until they are crispy and golden brown and cooked fully through.

For serving place some of the lime butter on the top and enjoy this goodness! I love it!

Your VegHog