Mushroom Medley Stuffed Tom's on a Raw Zucchini Pasta bed with Baby Spinach n' Goats Cheese Salad

Home to my parents for the week and I'm always so inspired to cook for my family. Especially as we are all growing up and going our separate ways, it is nice to share a meal. I come from a family of passionate people, particularly around food. There are four "chefs", all naturally with their own opinions. As the resident vegetarian i get a kick out of feeding my fam something they wouldn't normally eat.

I did this Zucchini Pasta for the first time recently with a friend and as raw food is a fad i'm continuously more intrigued about i wanted to give it a go for the penultimate critics. 

There is a bit of a running joke between my dad and I about Nigella. Here's a cheeky little impersonation. It took herculanian strength to discreetly forgo the impulse to say... "Now rub the tomato residue upon your most ample bosom."

Enjoy.

Love River

Ingredients

Roast Tom's:

• 1/2 Brown onion
• 2 Cloves garlic
• 4 Large tomatoes 
• 10 Button mushrooms
• 5 Dried black fungus
• 5 Dried porcini mushroom slices
• A few sprigs fresh oregano
• Ditto for Thyme
• 1 Cup cooked brown rice
• 2 Tbs Tomato paste

Zucchini (Vegan)Pesto Pasta:

• 2 Large zucchini's
• 1 Large Bunch Fresh Basil
• 4-5 Tbs Good extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbs Sunflower seeds (soak in water for a few minutes)
• 3 Tbs Nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbs Lime juice
• 1 Small garlic clove

Salad:

• 2 Cups fresh washed baby spinach
• 1 Cucumber
• 10 Slices harder style goats cheese
• 1 Tbs Lime juice
• 1 Tbs Orange juice
• 1 Tbs Good extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and peper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C
2. Dice up onion and saute in a pan on medium heat. Once transparent add diced garlic. Cook till garlic smell is released. Mmmmmm...
3. Reconstitute dried mushrooms by covering in a bowl with boiling water for a few minutes. Once plump take out and roughly chop. Keep the scrumptious mushroom flavoured water.
4. Dice the fresh mushrooms and throw them all into the pan.
5. Add chopped oregano and thyme and cook for 5 minutes until mushrooms are soft.
6. Add the cooked rice, the saved mushroom juice and tomato paste. Stir well and then turn the heat down and allow it to simmer.
7. Whilst that's all happening cut the lid off your tom's, "gut" them (refer to video) and then sprinkle the inside with salt. Pop them in a colander upside down over the skink. This will draw out some of the water.
8. Throw the tomato seeds and juice you've extracted into the cooking mushrooms and rice. Waste nothing! 
9. Let that cook for another 5-10 minutes and then turn off the heat. I always drizzle these kinds of things with some olive oil once the cooking has finished and then let it sit so the flavours relax into each other.
10. Whilst that is happening you can make the pesto. Blend all the ingredients into a paste (omitting the zucchini obviously). Season with salt and pepper and taste. The yeast gives this the cheesy flavour without parmesan. It's super good for you with lots of B Vitamins. You may find your taste needs a bit more or you like it oilier... in other words adjust to your liking.
11. Tomato's should be good by now so whack some of the rice mixture into them, pop the lids back on and secure them with a tie. String or i used some folded baking paper.
12. Put them on a tray and into the oven for about 20 mins.
13. Now lets do the Zucchini! (This is the fun bit).
14. Top n' tail zucchini and slice on a mandolin about 2mm thick. Not paper thin but still bendy. Watch out for your fingers!
15. Pile slices together and chop in half long ways. Now we have our fettucini shape. 
16. Place into a bowl and sprinkle with 3 good pinches of salt, using your hands to cover the slices. Let that sit for about 5 mins
17. Whilst the salt is working it's magic you can throw the salad together. Slice cucumber and goats cheese. Toss spinach first with some of the citrus juice and olive oil and into the bowl for you! Place the cucumber and cheese on top and finish with the rest of the dressing and season. 
18. Come back to the zucchini and they should have wilted nicely. Squeeze the excess water gently out of them into the sink.
19. In a bowl cover with about 3 tbs of the pesto. Use your hands to cover them as the pasta will be quite delicate now.
20. Check on the tomato's and if they are looking nice and soft turn the oven onto grill for a few minutes.
21. Take out the tom's and arrange all on plates.
22. Serve with your beverage of choice (it was a spanish red wine for us). Eat, talk, love, enjoy!