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Recipes from my Lincolnshire kitchen

organic garlic mushroom and toasted walnut couscous salad and a casserole dish giveaway!

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… we all have our favourite pot and pans don’t we… some of them are truly glorious, gleaming gems of cast iron or ceramic that gleam and sparkle and perhaps remain on show on our stove tops or shelves whilst others are a little shameful in their grubby appearance, never to be shown to guests or disapproving mother-in-laws but it’s likely that these much-loved items produce the best results and that’s why we keep them… we know the wonderful way they cook… they way they hold the heat just right and the way they deliver the goods… I have an old set of pans that my brother gave me some years back when he purchased a new-fangled ceramic hob that meant he couldn’t use them any more… they are very heavy and very very good quality and I adore them for their effortless ease of use and their versatility. They are in constant use and I worry for the day that they die on me…

… so it’s nice that there are a few producers out there still crafting beautiful pots that look and feel as though they would last a lifetime and when the good people at ProCook offered me a casserole dish to review and giveaway I jumped at the chance to add a future classic to my collection… and it’s a very sturdy pot indeed… the pot itself is a black, cast iron, shallow casserole dish with a lid, 28cm wide and holds 3.5l of liquid and enamelled inside and out… it’s ideal for a multitude of uses such as stews, stocks, casseroles and soups… it’s a hefty beast and feels like it will last a lifetime… I used to it to cook this garlic mushroom couscous and found it incredibly efficient to use and a great size for feeding my hungry dinner guests…

organic garlic mushroom and toasted walnut couscous salad
continuing with my job as an organic food mule I give to you this delightful little dish of sauted garlic mushrooms and couscous… it’s an incredibly easy dish to pull together yet it’s packed with wonderful textures and flavours – I found some stunning and very large loose walnut halves in our local shop the other day plus there’s also a stack of coriander in there which works so beautifully with the mushrooms… i’m calling this dish a salad as I cooked it in the evening but eating it cold from the fridge for lunch.  It seems to be even tastier the next day and it’s so much nicer to bring into work than regular sandwiches or even those really expensive couscous salads from the supermarkets… I also love this dish as it’s just one fabulous pan…

a large handful of walnut halves
1 large onion – finely chopped
3 garlic cloves – peeled and crushed
1 punnet of mushrooms – thickly sliced
1 small glass of wine
250g couscous
300ml vegetable stock
a large handful of torn fresh coriander leaves

gently heat the pan dry and throw in your walnut halves to toast for about 7-8 mins… watch them though as you don’t want them to burn… once they’re done tip them out and set them aside

add some butter and olive oil to the pan and gently saute the onions and garlic till they start to turn golden, then add the mushrooms, spread them out and just leave them for about 8 minutes, untouched until they begin to squeak… then add plenty of pepper, some salt, turn up the heat and let the mushrooms really simmer and cook… there will be a lot of liquid at first but this should soon begin to evaporate

after about 6 or 7 minutes throw in the walnuts and the wine and let that bubble away for a minute or two before add the couscous and the coriander, then the stock

turn off the heat, stir it all around and place the lid on and leave it for about 15 minutes for the couscous to soak up all those glorious juices… you can serve it immediately or leave it for later, just fork it through before serving.

the ProCook Black Cast Iron Casserole 28cm / 3.5L shallow


the lovely ProCook folk have very kindly given me one of these dishes to give away to one lucky reader… all you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is complete the raflecopter entry thingy below… unfortunately this giveaway has to be for UK residents only but any international readers should feel free to enter and nominate a friend or family member in the UK…good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js

eat and of course, enjoy!

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Comments

  10. Choclette says

    At the moment, anything cooked in a cassarole – I'm starving and even more so now looking at your delicious recipe.

    Hmmm, stumped as to what to cook – need food for brain to work. A veggie stew with dumplings sounds pretty grand.

  11. Jane Willis says

    That's a bit like asking me what's my favourite breath. It's hard to beat a good old rich beef stew though, with plenty carrots, mushrooms and peas. And it's getting to the time of year for it too.

  26. Diane says

    Mmm, lamb and parsnip casserole with herby dumplings. Am I the only one who is secretly pleased it is getting colder so I can ditch the salads and head for the comfort food?!

  39. Daisymaebee says

    Beef casserole with dumplings. We also use my antique casserole dish to slow cook pork shoulder on a bed of sweet potatoes,onions,carrots & squash until it is pull apart tender, then blitz the veg and give it a slight BBQ tang to use in a pulled pork sandwich

  41. Shu Han says

    I have 2 favourite pots and I just keep using them for everything even though I have quite a few others! I'm going to leave the rest to fight it out for that gorgeous pot Dom haha, I've got enough I reckon, but just wanted to drop a comment. The couscous salad looks delicious- love all these quick grains, makes dinner so much simpler and so versatile too!

  119. Magnolia Verandah says

    My goodness 118 comments!! I love left over cold food for lunch and this sounds perfect for that, and who doesn't like a little black number. My favourite thing at the moment is lamb casserole in red wine.

  156. Wally Bell says

    Great Pan by the way. I'll be home in the UK for a couple of weeks and I am bringing some of my Cabernet Sauvignon from 2009 and 10. I'd like you to have a bottle or two but need a UK postal address, or an address in London where I can drop it off. Cheers Dom
    Wally

  161. Anonymous says

    I love to cook lots of flavoursome casseroles , which are the perfect warming dinner on cooler nights. My favourite has to be a rich beef chill-con-carne served with fluffy wholegrain rice and garlic bread on the side. hmmm yummy

  190. Jo says

    Oh now you have me,I have to try and pick a favourite of one of my favourite ways to cook and meals toe at! I think a warming beef and ale casserole,ale needs to be good, different ones keep it interesting and the beef has to be a good cut. Dumplings can help!!

  294. Natalie Holland says

    I think beef casserole has to be a favourite, it's always regularly chicken or beef but I think I have greater success with beef! I do like a good chicken tagine which I do in a casserole also.

  315. Emma Clement says

    Ohh I also love to use organic where I can, I love to make a Veggie sausage and tomato based casserole and serve up with creamy colcannon mash potato! Yum – now I'm hungry!
    Emma x (@beachpebble)

  316. lisa says

    my favourite has to be traditional lancashire hot pot. Lovely warming heart meal for winter and loved by all our family

  317. Karen Lloyd says

    It has to be goulash. I love my cast iron cooking pot, I use it all winter long to cook on top of my wood burning stove.

  338. Naomib1980 says

    Left over xmas dinner. We always have either beef or venison then all the leftovers go in a big pan with the leftover gravy. Cook for a few hours, add veggies and dumplings and bingo, hassle free boxing day tea x

  349. Sam Furniss says

    Good quality pork and herb sausages (from my local butcher who uses Packington pork), red onions from my garden and large chestnut mushrooms cooked in Merlot wine.