Spinach & mushroom soup

Ingredients 1/2 pint ham stock, 1 medium potato, 400g spinach, 250g chestnut mushrooms, 50ml sherry (I use amontillado for cooking), 1 tbsp butter.

Serves: 2 Preparation: 30 minutes

Despite being allergic to mushrooms, I do dearly love chopping them up. My husband loves eating them so I get the opportunity to lay into them with my big bad chef's knife on a regular basis. The challenge with cooking mushrooms though, is that obviously I cannot taste them because DEATH, so I rely on my sense of smell. This soup smells nothing short of INCREDIBLE. There is nothing like the combined scent of mushroom and sherry - it's so rich and fragrant and yet earthy all at the same time. This soup was very silky in texture and my husband assured me, absolutely delicious. Let me know what you think!

1) Slice the mushrooms and peel and dice the potato. Melt the butter in the pan and stir in the mushrooms. After 5 minutes, stir in the spinach. It may seem like it won't all fit in the pan but once it begins to wilt the volume will decrease don't worry!

2) Once the spinach has wilted, add the potatoes and stir through, allowing the combined juices from the mushrooms and spinach to begin to soften the potatoes. Add the sherry and stir through - try not to begin frothing at the mouth with lust at the rich, raisiny smell.

3) Add the ham stock and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Blitz through in a food processor or using a stick blender until a smooth consistency is reached and serve hot.

Pancetta & Mushroom scramble

Ingredients 100g Pancetta, 3 eggs, 3 chestnut mushrooms, bread, butter

Serves: 2 Preparation: 10 minutes

I am allergic to mushrooms, so they very rarely feature in this blog. I do however cook them for my husband from time to time, and this is one of his favourite breakfasts.

1) Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk them. Season lightly with salt and black pepper and set aside. Good scrambled eggs should never be diluted with milk.

2) Finely slice the mushrooms and add to a pan along with the pancetta and a generous knob of butter. Stir through for 5 minutes on a low heat, then add the eggs.

3) Turn up the heat a little and continually stir the eggs to prevent them sticking to the bottom of the pan. Within about 5 minutes the eggs should be firm but not dry. Serve on toasted bread and eat immediately.

Cupcake Burgers: Beetroot, chilli & ginger

Ingredients Burger: 400g beef mince, 1/2 white onion, 2 portobello mushrooms, butter Frosting: 4 Maris Piper potatoes, 1 small beetroot, ginger, chilli flakes

Serves: 6 Preparation: 1 hour 30 minutes

This is possibly one of the weirdest of my creations, but I'm actually really proud of the way it has worked out! Cupcakes persist in being ridiculously hot in popular culture and ever more elaborate flavour combinations and decorations come flooding in. But what about people who don't like cake, or can't have sugar? Why should they suffer? Enter... the Cupcake Burger.
I have done a series of different "frostings" - this fabulous coloured and zingy mash is wonderful. If you'd rather try a different burger, including one of my vegetarian or vegan options... check out these ideas.

1) To prepare the beetroot, wash it and slice off the stalks and leaves. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. 

2) Peel and cut the potatoes, then boil in hot salted water for 20 minutes and strain away the water.

3) Finely dice the onion and mushroom and fry off in a very little butter until the juice from the mushrooms has evaporated. Add the mixture to a blender along with the beef mince. Pulse to combine and then separate into rough patties.

4) Press firmly into the cupcake tins, remembering the burgers will shrink a little when cooked, so be generous and pack it in tight. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees.

5) Carefully peel the beetroot with the nick of a knife and grate into your blender along with a teaspoon of powdered ginger and dried chilli flakes to taste

6) Spoon the mash into a piping bag and top the burgers with a swirl of "frosting" just like a cupcake!

Cupcake Burgers: Avocado, cheddar & bacon

Ingredients Burger: 400g beef mince, 1/2 white onion, 2 portobello mushrooms, butter Frosting: 1 avocado, 4 Maris Piper potatoes, 50g cheddar, black pepper, pancetta

Serves: 6 Preparation: 30 minutes

This is possibly one of the weirdest of my creations, but I'm actually really proud of the way it has worked out! Cupcakes persist in being ridiculously hot in popular culture and ever more elaborate flavour combinations and decorations come flooding in. But what about people who don't like cake, or can't have sugar? Why should they suffer? Enter... the Cupcake Burger.
I have done a series of different "frostings" - this fabulous coloured and fabulous tasting avocado mash is exquisite. If you'd rather try a different burger, including one of my vegetarian or vegan options... check out these ideas.

1) First make the avocado mash, then finely dice the onion and mushroom and fry off in a very little butter until the juice from the mushrooms has evaporated. 

2) Pour away the juices from the mushroom and add the mixture to a blender along with the beef mince. Pulse to combine and then separate into rough patties.

3) Press firmly into the cupcake tins, remembering the burgers will shrink a little when cooked, so be generous and pack it in tight. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees.

4) Spoon the mash into a piping bag and top the burgers with a swirl of "frosting" just like a cupcake! I topped this with crispy fried pancetta for decoration.

Cupcake Burgers: Roast pepper & goats cheese

Ingredients Burger: 400g beef mince, 1/2 white onion, 2 portobello mushrooms, butter Frosting: 150g goats cheese, 1 bell pepper

Serves: 6 Preparation: 30 minutes

This is possibly one of the weirdest of my creations, but I'm actually really proud of the way it has worked out! Cupcakes persist in being ridiculously hot in popular culture and ever more elaborate flavour combinations and decorations come flooding in. But what about people who don't like cake, or can't have sugar? Why should they suffer? Enter... the Cupcake Burger.
I have done a series of different "frostings" - this roast pepper and goats cheese being the richest. Just be warned, the heat of the burger will begin to melt the "frosting" if you don't let it stand just a little before serving. If you'd rather try a different burger, including one of my vegetarian or vegan options... check out these ideas.

1) Finely dice the onion and mushroom and fry off in a very little butter until the juice from the mushrooms has evaporated. 

2) Add the mixture to a blender along with the beef mince. Pulse to combine and then separate into rough patties.

3) Press firmly into the cupcake tins, remembering the burgers will shrink a little when cooked, so be generous and pack it in tight.

4) Slice the top from a bell pepper and remove the core and seeds. Slice into slivers and roast on a foil tray at the top shelf of the oven, with the burgers on the middle shelf at 200 degrees for 15 minutes.

5) Take out the peppers and leave to cool for 2 minutes, turning off the oven to keep the burgers warm, but not allowing them to overcook.

6) Add the peppers and goats cheese to the blender and pulse until a mousse is formed. Spoon into a piping bag and top the burgers with a swirl of "frosting" just like a cupcake!

Boursin mushrooms

Ingredients 3 slices of bread, 200g chestnut mushrooms, 50g garlic and herb Boursin, pumpkin oil, butter

Serves: 1 preparation: 5 minutes


This recipe is The Boy's favourite breakfast - crispy melba toast topped with gooey, rich mushrooms - tangy with garlic and herb cheese and a nutty pumpkin oil finish. Being deathly allergic to mushrooms I can only promise that the sauce is magnificent, but magnificent it is.


1) Slice the crusts from the bread and press flat with a rolling pin. Toast lightly  and set aside.


2) Finely slice the mushrooms, then sautee in a frying pan for 3-4 minutes with a little butter and a drizzle of pumpkin oil. Finish by stirring through the boursin and serve, spooned onto the melba toast.

Fig, feta & pistachio stuffed mushrooms

Ingredients Mushroom, fig, feta, pistachio

Serves: 1 Preparation: 10 minutes


1) Wash the mushroom and stuff with crumbled feta and crushed pistachios.


2) Top with quarters of feta and bake for 5 minutes

Chicken & pancetta sartu

Ingredients Risotto rice (arborio, carnaroli or vialone nano - I would recommend carnaroli), white onion, vegetable stock, butter, basil oil, sherry, mushrooms, chicken, garlic, double cream, old bread.

Sartu is a sort of kiev made from risotto - baked in a bowl to form a crust on the outside and a soft gooey filling.

1) Prepare the bowl by rubbing butter on the inside, then coating with breadcrumbs (blitz old bread in a blender to form crumbs). Put the bowl in the fridge.


2) Crush 4 cloves of garlic and mix with butter and a tablespoon of parsley. Add into a pan with the strips of chicken. Sizzle the chicken for 2 minutes and then add a handful of finely chopped mushrooms and a drizzle of double cream. Stir through and simmer for 5 minutes before taking off the heat and setting aside. Stir through the pancetta once cool.


3) To make the risotto crust, finely dice a white onion and sizzle in a pan with some basil oil. Add the rice and stir until the rice becomes transparent, revealing a white dot in the centre. Pour in a glug of sherry and stir as it cooks off.


4) Add the first ladle of vegetable stock and stir through. Continue to stir the risotto, adding stock one ladle at a time as it cooks off. Once the risotto is ready, stir through 2 tablespoons of double cream and set aside to cool.


5) Take the crumbed bowl from the fridge and spoon a layer of risotto over the crumbs. Press firmly against the sides and imagine you're building an igloo! This has to stand up under its own weight so it needs to have firm sides.


6) Spoon the chicken, mushroom and pancetta mixture into the centre, then pack more risotto down over the filling. This will form the base of the sartu so make sure it is flat.


7) Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn it over onto a plate and cut into it to serve.

Stuffed tomatoes

Ingredients   2 Beef tomatoes, cheddar, 2 mushrooms, parsley

1) Slice the top from the tomatoes and set aside.


2) Run the knife around the inside, stick a fork into the core and turn it until the core comes out. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds and juice.


3) Finely chop 2 chestnut mushrooms, mix with grated cheddar and finely chopped parsley and stuff the tomato - packing the mixture down tightly.


4) Bake in the oven for 20 minutes and serve.

Cream of mushroom soup

Ingredients White onion, mushrooms, vegetable stock, sherry, sage, double cream, butter, potato, parsley.

1) Finely dice one white onion, some sage and sautee in butter. 


2) Add a finely diced small potato and the chopped mushrooms and stir through. Cook off 2 tablespoons of sherry.


3) Add a pint of vegetable stock and leave to simmer for 20 minutes.


4) Blitz in your blender with a glug of double cream, then return to the hob.


5) Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Chicken & mushroom linguine

Ingredients    Chicken breast, linguine, mushrooms,   double cream, sherry, white onion,dill, garlic, butter.

1) Finely dice a small white onion and sautee with butter and a little finely chopped dill until soft. Add a tablespoon of sherry and cook off.


2) Slice wafer thin pieces of mushroom and razor thin slices of garlic and stir through the butter, take off the heat and pour through some double cream. Pour the sauce over a chicken breast and bake in the oven.


3) Serve over linguine.

Whore's carbonara

Ingredients brandy, hazlenut butter, courgette, cream cheese, linguine, thyme, mushrooms, bacon, brie, almond butter, garlic,

1) Drop your linguine into a pan of boiling water.

2) Crush some garlic and chopped thyme and sautee in a second pan with a knob of butter and a teaspoon of hazlenut butter.

3) Dice a handful of mushrooms (I used shitake) and 3 slices of bacon into lardons and stir into the butter. Add a shot of brandy and stir through.

4) As the mushrooms begin to soften stir in a tablespoon of cream cheese.

5) Using a potato peeler, shave razor thin strips of courgette and drop into the pan of pasta

6) Drain the linguine (separating the courgette) and add to the pasta sauce along with a generous knob of brie (I used Coeur De Lyon - fabulous honeyed taste) and stir through.

7) Serve topped with the courgette