VEGETARIAN SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE / MUSHROOM STYLE MEATLESS BOLOGNAISE

With the colder weather approaching the need to each comforting bowls of warmth has drastically grown!
I then realized that our move to eating meat free and mostly animal product free too that I would have to come up with a dish to replace my usual spaghetti bolognese  I used to make  (filled with mince etc).  I can confidently say that we are 97% vegetarian and indulge in meat maybe once a month. (yay us! ;)
Replacing the meat with good quality mushrooms worked beautifully and I still got my lovely tomato pasta fix I wanted.

Autumn has been particularly beautiful this year and I couldn't help but photograph the leaves :) the seasons are changing fast and the cold is setting in!

INGREDIENTS
2 medium onions
2 cloves of garlic
1 and a half punnets of mushrooms (i used porcinni ) 
2 teaspoons balsamic glaze or balsamic vinegar
1 large jar of organic tomato puree 
2 teaspoons brown organic sugar
salt 
pepper
some fresh herbs - basil, oregano, thyme
Pasta (cooked) I use rice pasta



METHOD
Fry onion in some olive oil and season with salt. Once it starts to change colour add a teaspoon of sugar. then add garlic and lightly brown then remove all from the pan. In the same pan fry chopped up mushrooms and then add some balsamic glaze or balsamic vinegar and cook the mushrooms through. Now add the cooked onion and garlic back into the pan with the mushrooms. Add a jar of tomato puree and add sugar, salt, pepper and fresh herbs (basil, thyme and oregano) and simmer until flavors infuse. serve over cooked pasta :) I use a rice pasta.
Sprinkle with cheese if you eat dairy

So what warmer foods have you been making lately now that winter is here?

 

GNOCCHI GLUTEN FREE

 

I have been eating very little meat for the last 2- 3 months. Reserving to eat meat for special occasions or a treat. Doing this I find that I have so much more energy and feel more awake. Weird cause I didnt feel asleep before.
Anyway when eating out I find it hard to find something on the menu that I like that is meat-free and wheat free. *I don't eat sea food either.
Even though Gnocchi isn't wheat free I decided that because it has quite a lot of potato in it I'd give it a try as I was tired of eating lettuce filled salads at restaurants.
After enjoying a few I decided I needed to give it a try myself

I read through some recipes and I found this one to be the most comprehensive and helpful here on www.finecooking.com

I converted my recipe to gluten free and just used a rough read through of the recipe to make my own version.

INGREDIENTS
6 medium potatoes
Gluten Free Flour +/- 1 and a half - 2 cups (i just added until i had the right consistency)
1 egg
a generous pinch of Salt

METHOD
wash your potatoes and place in a pot of boiling water so that potatoes are covered by the water and turn down to a simmer.
Simmer until soft. I tested by inserting a knife and it went in easily.
Turn off and throw off the water and allow the potatoes to cool down until warm.
Peel the potatoes by hand and roughly cube.
Mash the potatoes WELL! you want it to be lump free and smooth.
Let the mash potato cool then add 1 egg and a generous pinch or 2 of salt and stir in thoroughly.
Now add flour a bit at a time until you feel you have reached a soft dough consistency - not super sticky but not to stiff either. Mix with your hands. DO NOT work with it to much - just enough to mix all the flour in. I felt the success is not over working your dough.
Wash and dry your hands.
Flour your work surface.
Break off fist sized balls of dough 1 at a time and roll into a sausage.
Use a sharp knife and cut into pieces about as wide as your thumb.
Lay the pieces on a baking tray covered with wax paper.
Keep working until you have rolled and cut up all your dough.
Using a large pot bring water to the boil and sprinkle in a little salt. Turn down to a simmer.
Place roughly 10 gnocchi pieces in at a time and when they float remove with a slotted spoon.
If you put to many gnocchi in at once you will end up with a goopy mess.
Place a sauce of your choice on your plate or bowl and place gnocchi on top.
Sprinkle with freshly grated cheese
Serve immediately

 

PS this was a huge hit with my family :)