Ninoo Smoothie

No, I don't know who Ninoo is or was, but I suspect he is/was employed at the café across the road where I first came across this delicious drink.  It is lovely, but at £5 a go, rather expensive for every day, so I thought I would have a go at making my own, and it seems to be very successful!

Blend together in a blender or smoothie maker:

1 banana

1 shot espresso (if you don't have an espresso maker, just make very strong coffee!  You need about the amount you would have in an espresso)

1 heaped tsp drinking chocolate

About 200 ml oat milk.

I didn't know I liked oat milk until I tried this - certainly a great deal nicer than cows' milk, which I am not fond of.

Inspired by Five Guys veggie cheese sandwich

 

The Five Guys veggie cheese sandwich is one of the best vegetarian (or vegan, you can have it without the cheese) options that I've ever had at a burger bar.  Their burgers are okay, but this - basically, all the toppings without the burger - is delicious.  Anyway, Becca at Easy Cheesy Vegetarian has a recipe for a copycat version, and I thought I would make it this evening, but I didn't have any burger buns, so I thought I would put it on a jacket potato.  And then I added some extra veggies.....

Butter

Olive oil

2 medium/large potatoes

1 medium onion

1 yellow pepper

Chunk of butternut squash

1/2 punnet mushrooms

1/2 medium (or 1 small) courgette

Chunk butternut squash

1 chilli pepper

Squoosh of garlic paste, or a couple of cloves of crushed garlic

2 spoonfuls Greek yoghurt (or butter, or non-dairy spread)

2-3 slices cracked black pepper cheese (or Mexican, or grated cheese, or whatever), omit if vegan

Rub the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt - rosemary salt is brilliant if you have any.  Stick a skewer in them, and cook at mark 6 for about an hour.  Or pierce several times and microwave for about 10-12 minutes, but you won't get the crispy skin that way.

While the potatoes are cooking, chop the vegetables (peeling the onion and the squash), and place in a pan with a knob of butter and the olive oil.

 Cook on a medium/low heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Season with herbal salt.

When cooked, open the potatoes and add the yoghurt, butter, or whatever you are using.  Pile the vegetables on top, and top with the cheese.  I love that stuff, but do find it sticks together rather, so I ended up tearing it roughly.  

It was delicious, and I am full!

Butternut squash fritatta with bacon, potatoes and spinach

 This time of year it's all about the squashes!  Or pumpkins.  I had a lovely white squash which we had half of roasted with a sachet of pre-cooked curried chickpeas, which we had on its own, and the second half with jollof rice which we had acquired from church lunch, and which was served with sea bass and a roasted pepper. All very good, and we had the jollof rice twice more, stretched with mushrooms, onions and lardons, served once with roast vegetables (including butternut squash) and once as egg fried rice!  

However, that was the end of the rice, and tonight's meal was inspired by something I saw on Facebook this morning.  It will do us twice, as it was very filling!

3 potatoes, thinly sliced

Chunk of butternut squash, cubed

Packet pre-washed spinach

Packet lardons (smoked or unsmoked, as you prefer)

A couple of spoonfuls of grated cheese

4 eggs, beaten

Seasoning - apart from salt (it doesn't need much because bacon) and pepper, I used a little dried sage and rosemary.

Spritz of neutral cooking oil

Take a large sauté pan with a lid and add a spritz or so of cooking oil into it.  Heat over medium heat, and then add the sliced potatoes. 

Cover, and allow to cook in their own steam while you peel and chop the butternut.  When the potatoes are nearly done (about 5-10 minutes) add the cubed butternut and the herbs,

if using, stir, cover again and continue to cook for several more minutes. Then add the lardons, and cook them, stirring all the time, and then the spinach (I did it in two lots) and stir until it is completely wilted down.

Finally, sprinkle with grated cheese, and then pour over the beaten eggs. 

Leave it to cook, covered, for a few minutes until the cheese has melted, and then put under a pre-heated grill for about 5 minutes until it is all brown and gorgeous!   

To make vegetarian: Omit the bacon, and perhaps use veggie Parmesan or a stronger cheese to make up the lack.

To make vegan: Omit the bacon and cheese, and instead of the eggs, use a gram flour batter, as in this recipe.  I think I might try this.....