This month I have got three recipes that are absolutely fabulous to eat - they are so full of flavour, and yet are not expensive. They could be eaten as part of a dinner or as a snack meal

The rhubarb in my garden is absolutely fabulous at the moment. Remember you should always pull the sticks and not cut them.

Happy Cooking!

Peter

Tarragon-Stuffed Mushrooms

• 1lb large button mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely minced
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 rounded tsp. broken leaf tarragon
• 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1 Tbsp. coarse brown Dijon style mustard
• 2 Tbsp. plain breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
  
  
  Preheat oven to 325 F. Wipe off mushrooms, break the stems out of the mushroom caps as deeply as possible, and mince the stems into very small pieces. If there are a few mushrooms too small to stuff, mince them as well. If the mushroom caps need to be enlarged, use a melon baller or small spoon and carefully enlarge the opening, adding the shavings to the minced mushroom stems. Have the onion and garlic finely minced and ready to go.
  
  In a small saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add minced mushrooms and onions. Cook, stirring, about 3 minutes, until onions turn translucent and the mushrooms are giving up juice. Add garlic and heat for 2 more minutes. Add tarragon, vinegar, water, mustard, nutritional yeast, and breadcrumbs to the pan. Stir thoroughly and remove from heat. Fill mushroom caps with breadcrumb mixture. Place mushrooms in a glass baking dish and bake 30 minutes. Remove and serve warm.
  

Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto

serves 2

• 55 g butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 red onions, chopped
• 12 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon pesto sauce
• 225 g Arborio rice
• 1 l vegetable stock
• 225 g mushrooms, sliced
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 55 g Parmesan cheese
• Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
  
  
  Heat butter and oil in a flameproof casserole dish. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until soft.

  Add sun-dried tomatoes and pesto sauce and cook 3 or 4 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in about one-third of stock and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid has been absorbed.

  Stir in mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Add half of the remaining stock and simmer, stirring occasionally. When most of liquid has been absorbed, stir in remaining stock and simmer until all liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender and creamy. Using a vegetable peeler, shave curls of Parmesan cheese over risotto, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Banana & Rhubarb Meringue

serves 4

• 450 g rhubarb, sliced
• 4 bananas, sliced
• 55 g packed light-brown sugar
• 5 g ground cinnamon
• Grated rind of 3 oranges
• Juice of 3 oranges
  Meringue
• 3 egg whites
• 175 g sugar
  
  
  Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Put rhubarb and bananas in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon and orange rind. Add orange juice, making sure fruit is evenly coated.

  Cover with a lid or piece of foil and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until fruit is tender. Meanwhile, to make meringue, beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Beat in sugar.

  Put meringue into a pastry bag with a star tip and pipe over fruit. Return to oven and cook 20 minutes, or until meringue is crisp and golden. Serve warm or cold.

You can e-mail your questions or suggestions to Peter at: peter@thebigchef.com

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