Sweet Potato Gratin with stuffed mushrooms

This recipe can be used as a vegetarian meal or as two side dishes with a good steak (see the rib eye recipe) or roast chicken. We all need some morish recipes like this to complete a special meal.

2 large sweet potatoes or 1 butternut, peeled and sliced
500g new potatoes, sliced
1T olive oil
2 small red onions peeled and sliced
50g Parmesan
300ml crème fraiche
150ml chicken stock
2 cloves of garlic minced
1T dried sage
1T grates nutmeg

Heat the oven to 180C.
In a casserole dish, brown the onions and garlic on a low heat.  Remove and layer the onion mixture with the Parmesan, potatoes and sweet potato or butternut. Mix the crème fraiche, stock, sage and nutmeg. Season well. Pour over the vegetables and bake covered for 50 minutes. Take off the lid and bake for a further 20 minutes. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
This dish also goes well with a grilled piece of fish.

Mushrooms stuffed with broad beans and feta

250g broad beans
8 large brown mushrooms
4T olive oil
4T chives finely chopped
70g feta crumbled
2 cloves of garlic minced
1T thyme leaves
4T butter

Heat the oven to 180C.
Cook the broad beans in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and cool them, then remove their skins.
Place the mushrooms on a baking tray and drizzle with oil. Place ½ t butter on each mushroom.  Bake them for 5 minutes.
Mix the rest of the ingredients and stuff equal amounts into the mushrooms. Bake for 20 minutes.

Use peas and mint instead of broad beans and thyme.