STARTER

Ingredients – serves 2

180 g                      oyster mushrooms

200 ml                   vegetable stock

50 ml                     dry white wine

1 Tbsp                   butter/margarine

1                              Shallot, finely chopped

1 Tbsp                   finely chopped fresh parsley

Method

1. Soak the mushrooms in hot water for about 2 hours. Drain and cut into bite-sized pieces.

2. Put into a frying pan with the wine and the vegetable stock. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for about 10 – 15 minutes, or until the mushrooms have absorbed the liquid.

3. Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same pan melt the butter/margarine over a medium heat, then gently fry the garlic, making sure that it does not burn, together with the shallot until soft.

4. Return the mushrooms to the pan and cook until starting to brown. If all the liquid evaporates, just add a little bit more butter/margarine together with a drizzle of wine and stir well.

5. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Serving suggestions

1. Excellent as a starter, served as is or as a bruschetta topping.
2. Can be served as a main together with pasta or rice.
3. You can adapt this recipe and us a variety of mushrooms cooked together.
4. For a gluten free option, cook Quinoa, Polenta or gluten-free pasta and top with the mushrooms.
5. For greater indulges, add 2 tablespoons of cream (for the lactose intolerant use lactose free cream)
6. For vegans replace the butter with vegan margarine.

MAIN COURSE

INGREDIENTS

250 g               Spaghetti or Linguini pasta

60 g                 Samphire

20                    Cherry or small plum tomatoes, cut into halves

1                      Clove of garlic, finely chopped

1                      Small chilli, chopped (optional)

Grated Parmesan cheese

Salt, to taste

2 Tbsp              Olive oil

METHOD

• Take a deep sauce pan and fill ¾ full of water. Add a good tablespoon of salt and bring to a hard boil. Add the pasta and cook until ‘al dente’.
• Whilst the pasta is cooking, in a large frying pan add the olive oil, the garlic and the chilli and gently heat. Make sure the garlic and the chilli do not burn!!
• Add the chopped tomatoes and a pinch of sea salt (to taste) and allow to cook until the tomatoes are soft, but falling apart!
• Chop the Samphire into to approx. 1 inch lengths and add to the tomatoes. Warm through.
• Add the cooked pasta and allow to cook gently for a further 3-5 minutes, so that the pasta can absorb the flavours in the pan.
• Serve with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese over the top.

Suggestions

This dish can be made gluten free, by replacing the normal pasta with gluten free pasta.

For an extra touch of indulgence, add 2 tablespoons of cream to the pasta, at the end, allow to warm for about 30 seconds mixing thoroughly in the frying pan. If someone is lactose intolerant, just use lactose free cream.

The dish can also be made vegan, by using vegan parmesan or any cheese of preference.