Truffled Mac 'n Cheese With Wild Mustard Flowers and Hazelnut Breadcrumb Topping

As you all have probably realised by now, I love cheese. 

I was vegan for a year and really enjoyed the health benefits of cutting animal products out of my diet, however back then I had a lot more money and time on my hands to make creative vegan dishes, my reason for focusing more on foraged foods is that there are way more nutrients, minerals and health benefits to be had from non shop bought greens, so instead of spending my time inventing tasty vegan dishes that will nourish me properly (you have to eat A LOT more than you would eating an omnivorous/vegetarian diet) I have spent my time researching and incorporating these wild veggies into a pescatarian diet. 

I don't eat loads of seafood by the way, I am sensible and always source it properly...sometimes foraged clams, razor shells, fresh line caught fish and mussels are on the menu!

The reason why there's a lack of recipes involving meat is because I am a pescatarian so don't cook it for myself and I live with my boyfriend who eats meat but will not touch most vegetables, so in order for me to incorporate meat and wild veggies would involve me basically throwing the food in the bin after and that is ethically hideous and an awful waste of food. 

I do really want to make a wild chicken kiev one day though and luckily it's one of my mum's favourite foods so watch this space.

But cheese is a weakness and happens to go so well with a lot of foraged food, and basically I want to make this blog more interesting for you guys, there's obviously a lot more I can do with non restrictive recipes, incorporating vegetarians, vegans, pescatarians and meat eaters so I hope there's something for everyone.

That all being said, if you see a recipe that you like and are vegan or have intolerance to certain foods, I am more than happy to come up with a personalised versions of said recipes.

You will need:

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour 

1 1/4 cups milk

Salt

Pepper

Handful wild mustard flowers

2 tablespoons hazelnuts 

1/2 cup breadcrumbs 

Pasta- you can use any pasta, macaroni is the obvious choice but I used conchiglie 

Truffle oil

Grated parmesan

1. Pick your mustard flowers off the stems roughly and shake to remove insects.
2. Toast hazelnuts until the skins start cracking, remove from heat and then place them into tea towel and rub until skins come off. Finish off using your hands to rub the remaining skin off.
3. Place into a grinder and blitz until they are the same consistency as breadcrumbs.
4. Combine the two.
5. Boil your pasta as per the instructions in salted water, then drain. 
6. Drizzle truffle oil onto drained pasta.
7. Melt the butter in a pan, then add flour to make a paste.
8. Gradually add in milk to ensure that no lumps form whilst heating gently.
9. Once bechamel is thickened, add pepper, salt and grated parmesan.
10. Combine pasta with bechamel and wild mustard tops.
11. Put mixture into an oven proof dish.
12. Sprinkle with grated parmesan then the hazelnut and breadcrumb mixture.
13. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees centigrade for about 20 minutes.