Parsnips in creamy horseradish

OK, this is a bit late posting as it was one of the side dishes we had with the Christmas turkey. It is another of our collection of tasty veggies for special occasions, although it is very quick and easy to do.

Peel and core parsnips then blanch them for a minute or two in boiling water. Drain and place in a casserole dish.

Mix 1/2 and 1/2 creamed horseradish and thick cream and pour over the top. The mixture should just coat the parsnips. Sprinkle over grated Parmesan and bake in the oven for about 1/2 hour.

Creamed spinach

A very easy and tasty side dish, if you like ringing the changes on vegetables.

Fry a sliced onion in butter until golden. Add a handful of chopped spinach. In this case I used some frozen spinach defrosted. Stir and cook for a few minutes, then add a generous dash of cream. Bring to the boil and simmer until the cream is reduced.

Last night's supper - poached halibut with Hollandaise sauce, saute potatoes, carrots and creamed spinach.

Braised red cabbage

This is one of our veggie dishes for special occasions. The cabbage is braised long and slow in red wine and comes out sweet and succulent. The original recipe uses a casserole dish in the oven. We just do it in a heavy-based saucepan on the stove and it works perfectly well.

Melt a good knob of butter in a heavy casserole or saucepan. Add coarsely chopped red cabbage and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring to stop it sticking.

Add a generous cup of red wine, 4 tbsp wine vinegar, 2 tbsp brown sugar, and a pinch of salt, black pepper and nutmeg. Bring to the boil, then simmer very low for about 2 hours.

Chana Saag

A chick pea curry, one of our favorite side dishes.

Fry a chopped onion until golden. Add spices (curry paste, cumin, coriander) then a couple of chopped tomatoes and a drained can of chick peas. Cover and simmer on a very low heat for at least an hour. Stir occasionally - the tomatoes should provide enough liquid for the dish, but it can catch on the pan if you're not careful.

Once the tomatoes have mashed down, add a generous squirt of tomato ketchup for a bit of sweetness. Near the end, stir in a good handful of spinach leaves.

Stir fried beansprouts

We often use this as an easy accompaniment to a stir fry.

Fry a sliced onion until it starts to turn golden. Throw in a handful of fresh beansprouts and a dash of soy sauce. Toss briefly until heated through and serve immediately.

If you want a bit of color, you can add some shredded carrot or other vegetables to the mix.

Sprouts with mushrooms and almonds

Everyone loves sprouts. Don't they? LOL. The vegetable everyone loves to hate, but I suspect part of that is rooted in being served sprouts badly cooked. Soggy? Ugh!

This simple twist won't guarantee perfectly cooked veg - the timing is still in your hands - but it's a great enhancement on the plain old boiled variety to accompany chicken or turkey.

Peel and prepare sprouts as normal. It's important to cut a cross fairly deep into the base to allow them to cook in the middle without the outside going mushy. Boil in salted water for about 5 minutes. A bit of crunch is fine, but overcooking is not good.

Meanwhile cut some button mushrooms into halves or quarters depending on size. You want pieces similar size to the sprouts and about the same quantity overall. Fry them in butter until starting to brown. Throw in a handful of flaked almonds. Drain and add the sprouts to the pan. Toss everything in the butter for a few more minutes, then serve.

Update January 2019: 

We've been doing a few variations on this theme in recent months. Firstly, I've found that it helps to halve the sprouts rather than simply cross the stems. Then, instead of mushrooms you can saute things like finely-sliced red onion or red cabbage instead. I'm sure there are loads of other things you can try to ring the changes.

Cauliflower cheese

A great side dish to go with a roast, when you're feeling in the mood for something a little more special than plain veggies.

Make a Roux sauce (small knob of butter melted in a saucepan, a spoonful of flour mixed in and cooked briefly, then milk whisked in to make a thick sauce) and melt in a few slices of cheese.

Meanwhile, briefly cook cauliflower florets - only a few minutes, you don't want them going soggy. Drain and tip into a casserole dish. Pour over the cheese sauce, then sprinkle a 50/50 mix of grated Parmesan and breadcrumbs. Either fresh breadcrumbs or something like Panko. Pop in the oven for 1/2 hour to brown and crisp the topping.

As an alternative to cauliflower, you can use broccoli or some similar variant. In this case we used broccoflower. 

Carrot & ginger soup

Soups are great additions to the weekly menu and very simple to prepare.

Peel and chop enough carrots - one or two per person - and place in a pan of salted water. There should be enough water to easily cover the carrots, but don't overdo it - you'll see why later :)

Peel and finely chop a piece of ginger - about 1" cubed gives enough for flavor - and add to the pan.

Bring to the boil and simmer until the carrots are soft (about 1/2 hour). Set aside and leave to cool.

In a large saucepan, make a Roux sauce: Melt a generous knob of butter - an ounce or two, add flour to make a crumbly consistency and cook over a low heat for a couple of minutes. Slowly add milk, whisking to remove lumps, until you have a thick sauce. Bring to the boil and cook gently for a few minutes, stirring to ensure it doesn't catch on the pan.

Pour the carrot & ginger plus the liquid (this is why you don't want the carrots swimming) into a blender and blend until fairly smooth. Mix into the Roux sauce. Add more milk if the soup needs thinning.

Serve topped with fried bacon pieces and heaps of fresh bread or toast.

Ratatouille

A great accompaniment to steak.

In a saucepan, fry a finely-chopped onion until soft. Add diced courgette, pepper, and tomatoes. Stir in a spoonful of Italian seasoning and tomato ketchup. Simmer gently for about 1/2 hour until the courgettes are cooked. Timing depends on whether you like them crisp or soft.

Dhal

Place red lentils in a pan and cover well with cold water. Bring to the boil, skim of any scum, then stir in turmeric and a knob of butter. Cover and cook gently.

Dry fry a spoonful of cumin seeds until toasted, and set aside. 

With a knob of butter, fry onion, garlic, green chillies, ginger, and chopped tomatoes. When cooked, mix in the toasted cumin seeds, garam masala and ground coriander.

Stir the lentils. They should have the consistency of porridge. Add more water if necessary, then mix in the aromatic veggies.