vegetables | mushroom and herb provençal

Serves 3-4, if served with rice and/or chicken and vegetables. Or if 2 of you had ravenous monster appetites one night, you could simply serve it with chunks of bread.

This is one of those dishes that I can't help dipping bread in whilst it's cooking! It's gorgeous and works really well in the summer or winter, with rice or pasta or potatoes. It is lovely with fresh herbs, and tarragon is my favourite in this particular dish, but don't worry too much if you don't have any. I have made it many, many times without any.

Wheat free, dairy free, nut free, meat free version...

Method...

1. In a pan, sauté the onions in the oil for about 5 minutes until softened.
2. Add in the chopped garlic and stir in (if you are using dried herbs, add them now).
3. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 5-10 minutes.
4. Add the wine or water and simmer for a few minutes with the lid on, until mushrooms and onions are cooked through.
5. Add the can of tomatoes, tomato puree and paste and bring to the boil.
6. Add the fresh herbs and stir through.
7. Add in the garlic puree if using.
8. Squeeze in the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
9. Simmer for a few moments and then serve. You can get away with simmering for up to 20 minutes or put it in the oven covered with foil if people are late arriving home. This dish also reheats quite quickly.

Maybe serve with...

For speed, this is lovely with wheat free spaghetti or rice. But it is equally lovely served with new potatoes or roasted new potatoes with garlic and rosemary and green beans. You can turn it into a bake with pastry rondelles on top or sliced potatoes, brushed with oil and sprinkled with herbs (170°C for 25-30 minutes).

For those able to eat fish ...

This could be served with fresh tuna steak, or maybe a drained tin of tuna flaked into it.

For those able to eat dairy ...

You could add a splash of cream or crème fraiche, to make it even richer. Or if you transformed it into a bake, you could always grate a little cheese on top of the potatoes before baking.

For those able to eat wheat...

As with many dishes, for a quick meal, serve with toasted wholemeal pittas or a French stick.

For those who can eat meat...

This would be a perfectly suited to chicken or pork. If everyone ate meat, you could add a chicken breast or pork fillet, cut into strips after the onions are softened and then proceed as above. Or, if not, you could simply bake a chicken breast or pan fry a pork fillet for those who want to eat it and add the sauce separately.

If you have any mushrooms leftover, try the mushroom pate or the mushroom and sherry soup. If you have tarragon leftover, try the multipurpose salmon. Or if you have tarragon, tomatoes and mushrooms leftover, try the chicken parcels

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