A couple of weeks ago, I had my first ‘paid partnership’ on instagram which was very exciting! It was in collaboration with Mushroom Miles and also coincided with National Vegetarian Week. The challenge was to create three different dishes using Irish or British mushrooms and showcasing their nutritious qualities. I really like mushrooms so I was more than happy to take part in this challenge! I also wanted to convert my partner, Tom, as he always likes to have meat or fish with his dinner. I wanted to use the week to cook meals I hadn’t done before, or put a spin on a classic.
Since the turn of the year, I feel like I have upped my food photography game. Cooking is one thing I know I can do well. I can get good flavours into food and cook meat and fish perfectly. But I had always struggled with making it look good. Over the festive period, I took some time to research food photography and I think for an amateur I have done a pretty decent job! When I cook something for my blog or instagram, I want to ensure I put 100% effort into all areas and that includes taking pictures. Poor Tom is forever waiting to eat his dinner!
For National Vegetarian Week, I had to swap out meat for mushrooms and come up with some new recipes. I decided to cook; mushroom arancini, a mushroom and chickpea curry, and finally, a mushroom stroganoff. I always enjoy cooking new meals, or dishes we haven’t had for a long time. I think I’ve only ever cooked 1 beef stroganoff before and that was a few years ago! I served mine with mushroom rice, green beans and pickled shallots.
Ingredients:
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250g mushrooms (I used baby button and chestnut), diced and sliced so you have a variety of textures.
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1 large brown onion, finely diced.
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2 cloves of garlic, crushed.
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3 shallots, sliced.
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2 tbsp cider vinegar.
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Fresh thyme
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1 tbsp dried tarragon.
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1 tbsp smoked paprika.
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100ml brandy.
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1 tbsp dijon mustard.
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1 tsp wholegrain mustard.
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50g butter.
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Salt and pepper to taste.
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2 tbsp soured cream.
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200ml vegetable stock.
Method:
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Gently melt the butter in a large pan and add the onion and garlic. Saute over a medium heat for around 10 minutes until they have softened.
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Add the mushrooms, along with the salt, pepper, thyme and tarragon. Stir thoroughly and cook for 5 minutes.
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In the meantime, put the shallots in a bowl along with the cider vinegar. This will pickle the shallots and cut through the richness of the sauce.
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Turn the heat up high and add the brandy. Wait until it has reduced by 3/4 and then add the chicken stock, paprika and both the dijon and wholegrain mustard.
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A few minutes before serving, add the sour cream and stir through.
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Serve with sides of your choosing and with the pickled shallots on top.
Enjoy! X
Gemma and Life 