Wednesday 18 December 2013

Rocket & Roses Vegetable & Basil Skillet (Or Pre Compost Stew)

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Chopin: Cello Sonata In G Minor
Leo Delibes ~ Flower Duet From Lakame
Feist ~ The Park
W.A.S.P ~ Scream Until You Like It (Live)
Natalie Cole ~ Paper Moon
Global Journey ~ Lagoon Of Sighs
Dev ~ Bass Down Love (Tinie Tempah Remix)
Bob Marley ~ Satisfy My Soul
Adam Ants ~ Puss N Boots
Buckcherry ~ Whiskey In The Morning
Carly Simon ~ In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
Heart ~ What About Love 
The Thompson Twins ~ You Take Me Up
Styx ~ Babe 

I hear you asking...Pre-Compost Stew? Well..you know those days when you have to clear the contents of your fridge and veggie boxes..you have put it off for a while because you know that somewhere in there, there will be nasties. You do? Phew...not just me then. lol.  I have been getting my kitchen ready for the mass cooking operation for the Friends Christmas Dinner Party on Friday but before I could store the groceries needed I wanted to have a sort through of everything else. Once I get started I actually quite enjoy the job...quite cathartic. Yes I'll admit there was some casualties that headed straight for the compost bin but I also had a good stash of veggies sat awaiting attention on my chopping board. I actually like the 'head scratching' process of thinking up ways of using them. I enjoy the challenge. 

So my stash included: potatoes, onions, garlic, basil, parsley, green chillies, carrots, sprouts, courgettes, green beans and some baby plum cherry tomatoes. Nice, eh? Not bad for a salvage operation into the back of the fridge and veggie stock drawers. My mind filled with frittatas, spanish omelettes and of course curries and chilli's. But today I wanted something basic...not overly spiced or rich in sauce. So my favourite skillet came out and I got chopping and soon I had a good wholesome skillet of vegetables cooking away. And my results were a clean, herbed skillet of veggies and I enjoyed tasting each individual vegetable. It was everything I hoped it would be. And only the veggie scraps ended up in the compost bin...very satisfying. 

Rocket & Roses Vegetable & Basil Skillet (Or Pre Compost Stew)


Rocket & Roses Vegetable & Basil Skillet (Or Pre Compost Stew)   Serves 2-4
(Original recipe from Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen)

1 tbsp canola/rapeseed oil
2 onions, quartered and sliced
2 potatoes, scrubbed and small diced
3 small carrots, peeled and chunked
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
2 green chillies, deseeded and roughly sliced
handful green beans, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
12 Brussel Sprouts, trimmed and quartered 
2 large courgettes, trimmed and sliced into thick half moons
6 baby plum tomatoes, quartered
8 fl oz light, low sodium veggie stock 
1 14oz tin of butter beans, rinsed and drained
a good handful of fresh basil, cut into thin ribbons
small handful of fresh curly parsley, cut into tiny piece for dressing

Heat the oil in a large deep sided skillet over a low heat. Add the onions and stir to coat in the oil and then leave to cook for 10 minutes or until the onions have softened. Stirring often. 

Add the potatoes, carrots and garlic slices. Stir well to combine and cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Stirring often. Then add the chilli and stir in and cook, covered, for another 5 minutes. 

Add the beans, sprouts and courgettes and stir well. Cook, covered for 10 minutes, stirring often. 

Add stock, stir in and season to taste. Add the tomatoes. Cook uncovered until the stock boils and then simmer for 8 minutes. Add the butter beans and the cut basil and stir to combine. Heat until the beans are warmed through. Check the harder veggies but they should be just perfect by this point. Re-season and serve, garnished with the parsley. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Wednesday has been a very good one...

~Red~