We are all working very hard, on the home front to keep hungry folk fed. After nearly five weeks of cook and repeat and repeat and….., recipe repertoires are becoming a bit jaded. Lots of you have asked Stirring Stuff for inspiration for tasty and simple dishes. Preferably ones using easy to procure, and quick to prepare, ingredients. On Toast… is the first in a series for this week. Mushrooms, cheese, spinach, tomatoes, avocados and more.
Each post will have several recipes requiring very little preparation, and only a few ingredients. I hope you enjoy. And please do share your own ideas too. We love your comments and suggestions.
Keep Safe Keep Well
Creamy Mushrooms on Toast
Ingredients
Serves 2
2 chunky slices fresh bread.
1 tablespoon butter and extra for spreading
1 tablespoon oil
150g cup mushrooms, cleaned and sliced, or button mushrooms, quartered
3 tablespoons cream cheese or crème fraiche
3 tablespoons milk if using cream cheese
½ teaspoon wholegrain or Dijon Mustard
1/2 teaspoon sweet Paprika
1/8 teaspoon sweet Smoky Paprika
Salt and black pepper
A few chives, thyme or parsley
Method
Toast the bread and keep it warm.
Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan. When the butter froths add the sliced mushrooms, and cook, stirring to ensure they cook evenly.
Mix together the cream cheese, milk (if using) mustard and the Paprikas and stir into the mushrooms. Stirring, Bring the sauce to the boil and allow it to thicken slightly.
Butter the toast and put it onto warm plates. Spoon over the creamy mushrooms, snip over the chives or parsley, thyme leaves and serve.
*Spinach on Toast two ways
As an alternative to mushrooms wilt 100g fresh spinach in a little butter. Add the creamy mustard sauce and cook as above. you could combine the spinach and the mushrooms in one recipe too.
Spicy spinach with Beans and Preserved Lemon
serves 2
2 slices of ciabatta, toasted
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, sliced
½ teaspoon ras -al -hanout or dried chilli flakes
200g spinach leaves
100g borlotti beans, drained
1/2 preserved lemon, finely sliced.
Extra virgin olive oil for serving
Method
Cut the garlic clove in half and rub the cut side over one side of the ciabatta. Place the slices onto a serving dish and drizzle with a little of the extra virgin olive oi.
Cook the onion in the oil until just beginning to colour. Add the ras or chilli flakes and coot for 20 seconds more. Stir in the spinach and drained beans and cook until the spinach is wilted and the beans hot through. Stir in the finely diced preserved lemon. Season with freshly ground black pepper and divide between the prepared toasts. Drizzle over additional olive oil and serve.
Stirring Stuff’s Cheese on Toast
The ‘best ever’, cheese-on-toast recipe.
Ingredients
Serves 2
2 slice of bread
100g finely grated cheese
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon grainy mustard or horseradish sauce
Method
Heat the grill and toast the bread on one side only. or very lightly toast the bread in a toaster.
in a bowl, mix together the grated cheese, mayonnaise and mustard.
Spread the cheese mixture onto the non-toasted side of the bread. put onto the griddle pan or if cooking in the oven onto a baking tray and grill or cook for 10 minutes or until the cheese is brown and bubbling.
Served with:
Fresh Tomato and Dill Salad
Roughly chop several ripe tomatoes. Drizzle with good olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle over a good pinch of caster sugar, salt and ground black pepper. Chop a few sprigs of fresh dill and stir into the tomatoes. Serve at room temperature.
Baked Balsamic Tomatoes on Toast
Ingredients
serves 2
1-2 large tomatoes per person or 2-3 vines of about 8-12 tomatoes each.
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
75ml mild olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 fresh basil leaves, sliced, to serve
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 190c/gas 5
Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise, and place them cut side up on a baking tray. If using vine tomatoes, leave them on the vine and scatter the vines into the baking tray in one layer.
Scatter the garlic evenly over the tomatoes and dust liberally with freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, (depending on the size of the tomatoes). The tomatoes are cooked when they are soft and sizzling and the oil and vinegar have amalgamated into a delicious sauce.
Toast the bread. Spoon the tomatoes, and their sauce, over the warm toast.
Links to other on-toast ideas:
Sourdough baby tomato toasts
Chilli Avocado and Blood Orange Bruschetta
Stirring Stuff 