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Vegetarian recipes
Former Member
Owl WhispererPosts: 1,020 Wise Owl
We love vegetarian food because the ones my aunties make are so delicious. They can be used as a side for other meals, but eaten on their own is just as wonderful. Here is a selection that my family had over Christmas, but are just as good any time of the year, so tuck in!
Mejadra
This popular Levantine dish is by television chef and London restauranteur Yotam Ottolenghi. It's a comforting combination of basmati rice, green or brown lentils, a little sugar and gentle spices. It's very good!
Serves 4
250ml sunflower oil
4 medium onions, thinly sliced
250g green or brown lentils
2 tsp cumin seeds
1½ tbsp coriander seeds
200g basmati rice
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp ground turmeric
1½ tsp ground allspice
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp sugar
salt and black pepper
350ml water
Heat the sunflower oil in a medium-size heavy-based saucepan. When very hot, carefully add a third of the sliced onion.
Fry for five to seven minutes, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until the onion takes on a nice, golden-brown colour and turns crispy. Use the spoon to transfer the onion to a colander and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with two more batches of onion.
Meanwhile, put the lentils in a small saucepan, cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the lentils have softened but still have a little bite. Drain into a colander.
Wipe clean the saucepan in which you fried the onion and drop in the cumin and coriander seeds. Place over a medium heat and toast the seeds for a minute or two, until they release those distinctive aromas.
Add the rice, olive oil, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, sugar, half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Stir to coat the rice with oil, then add the cooked lentils and water.
Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, lift off the lid and cover the pan with a clean tea towel.
Seal tightly with the lid and set aside for 10 minutes. Finally, tip the rice and lentils into a large mixing bowl. Add half the fried onion and stir gently with a fork. Pile up in a shallow serving bowl and top with the rest of the onion.
Mejadra
This popular Levantine dish is by television chef and London restauranteur Yotam Ottolenghi. It's a comforting combination of basmati rice, green or brown lentils, a little sugar and gentle spices. It's very good!
Serves 4
250ml sunflower oil
4 medium onions, thinly sliced
250g green or brown lentils
2 tsp cumin seeds
1½ tbsp coriander seeds
200g basmati rice
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp ground turmeric
1½ tsp ground allspice
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp sugar
salt and black pepper
350ml water
Heat the sunflower oil in a medium-size heavy-based saucepan. When very hot, carefully add a third of the sliced onion.
Fry for five to seven minutes, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until the onion takes on a nice, golden-brown colour and turns crispy. Use the spoon to transfer the onion to a colander and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with two more batches of onion.
Meanwhile, put the lentils in a small saucepan, cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the lentils have softened but still have a little bite. Drain into a colander.
Wipe clean the saucepan in which you fried the onion and drop in the cumin and coriander seeds. Place over a medium heat and toast the seeds for a minute or two, until they release those distinctive aromas.
Add the rice, olive oil, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, sugar, half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Stir to coat the rice with oil, then add the cooked lentils and water.
Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, lift off the lid and cover the pan with a clean tea towel.
Seal tightly with the lid and set aside for 10 minutes. Finally, tip the rice and lentils into a large mixing bowl. Add half the fried onion and stir gently with a fork. Pile up in a shallow serving bowl and top with the rest of the onion.
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The best kind of veggie feast - and easily becomes vegan if you remove the cheese and sour cream.
Serves 4
Cooking time 30 mins
1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
3 tbsp sunflower or olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 level tsp mild chilli powder
½ rounded tsp cumin powder (optional)
1 x 400g can whole or chopped tomatoes
2 x 400g cans black beans, borlotti beans or red kidney beans
salt
2 heaped tbsp fresh coriander
Slice the pepper into quarters, remove the pith and seeds and cut into chunks. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and pepper and cook for 7-8 minutes.
Add the garlic, chilli and cumin if using, stir, cook for a minute, add the tomatoes and stir again. Turn the heat down, cover and simmer. Drain and rinse the beans, add them to the tomato mixture, stir, replace the lid and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
Just before serving, check the seasoning, add salt to taste, and stir in the coriander.
Serve with a large pack of tortilla chips, a small carton of sour cream, chopped avocado, some crumbled white cheese such as Caerphilly, Cheshire, Wensleydale or goat's cheese, and some baked sweet potatoes if you're pulling out all the stops.
This recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi is very nutritious and transforms simple plain yogurt into homemade cheese flavoured with nuts, herbs and spices. It's very yum and moreish. It's best when made the day before. Like a Friday ahead of the weekend, so aunty says.
(Words by Yotam Ottolenghi.)
Make your own yogurt (yes, really), flavour it with a hint of the Middle East, and dive in.
Try your hand at turning yogurt into a luxurious Middle Eastern cheese. This recipe may seem a bit technical, but it isn't really, providing you get started a day ahead. Serve the labneh with minimum graces: spoon inside chunks of good, crusty bread and top with tomato. Serves four.
450g goat's yogurt
450g natural yogurt
Coarse sea salt
20 black olives, pitted
1½ tbsp roughly chopped fresh oregano
1 tbsp chopped parsley
Grated zest of 2 lemons
1 small garlic clove, crushed
100ml olive oil
20g pistachios, lightly toasted
20g pine nuts, lightly toasted
½ tsp flaked chilli
3 ripe tomatoes
½ a small red onion, thinly sliced
Line a deep bowl with cheesecloth or muslin. In another bowl, stir the two yogurts and half a teaspoon of salt, pour into the cloth, bring together the edges to form a tight bundle and tie securely with string. Hang the bundle over a bowl, or over the kitchen sink from the tap, and leave for 24-36 hours. After this time, much of the liquid should have drained out and the remaining yogurt will turn thick and quite dry; the centre may still be creamy.
Remove the labneh from the cloth and transfer to a serving platter. Spread it over the plate with the back of a spoon, creating a loose, wavy pattern about 2cm thick.
Next, roughly chop the olives and put them in a bowl with the oregano, parsley, lemon zest, garlic and olive oil (reserving two tablespoons of the oil for the tomatoes). Use a pestle and mortar to crush the nuts roughly, leaving some just broken and others finely crushed. Stir into the olive mix, then spoon this over the labneh, leaving a border of about 2cm around the edge (if you want your labneh a bit milder, don't use the whole quantity), then sprinkle with chilli.
Finally, cut the tomatoes into thick wedges and mix with the sliced onion. Arrange on a side plate next to the labneh, sprinkle with salt and drizzle with the reserved olive oil. Serve the labneh and tomatoes with torn chunks of bread.
I've made this a few times using different combinations of seasonal veg; these four work particularly well together, offering both good texture and hearty sweetness. Still, additions or omissions are welcome, so long as you stick to the total weight specified (weights given are after peeling).
The veg should be cut into 2mm-thick slices, so use a mandolin if need be; put into acidulated water (ie with lemon juice added) after slicing, to prevent discoloration. Serves four.
250g Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and sliced thin
250g swede, peeled and sliced thin
250g kohlrabi, peeled and sliced thin
250g parsnip, peeled and sliced thin
100ml milk
100ml water
½ tsp saffron strands
30g butter, plus extra for greasing
35g plain flour
150ml double cream
60g each chopped parsley and basil
2 tbsp chopped tarragon
60g grated parmesan (it's not vegetarian, so use some other mature cheese, if you'd rather)
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp white pepper
3 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
Preheat the oven to 160C/320F/gas mark 2½.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drain the sliced vegetables from their lemon water, add to the pot, blanch for a minute, then drain.
Heat the milk and water without boiling, add the saffron and set aside to infuse.
Melt the butter in a small pan, add the flour and stir to a paste. Cook gently, stirring, for a few minutes, then add the saffron mix and whisk as the liquid thickens.
Cook, stirring, for a few minutes, then remove from the heat. Add the cream, herbs and half the cheese, season and stir until smooth.
Put the drained veg in a bowl, pour the sauce over and use your hands to coat them.
Grease a medium ovenproof dish with butter and pour the vegetables and sauce inside; don't bother levelling it out too much.
Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil, mix the remaining cheese with the breadcrumbs and scatter on top.
Increase the heat to 190C/375F/gas mark 5 and bake for 15 minutes more, to get a golden-brown crust.
Leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Think of this as a savoury baked cheesecake, only not as rich. It is brilliantly light, in fact, and would make a wholesome lunch with a leafy salad. To give it a little extra oomph, fold in some grated potent goat's cheese along with the onion.
200g shortcrust pastry
30g unsalted butter
3 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
3 eggs
2 yolks
500g ricotta
20g chopped basil
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
200g sundried tomatoes (plus a little of their oil)
6 sprigs fresh thyme
Heat the oven to 170C/335F/gas mark 3. Roll out the pastry and cut out a circle that is just slightly larger than the base of a 24cm spring-form cake tin. Place this inside the tin and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cover with baking paper and baking beans, and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and paper, and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the pastry is cooked through and golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool down.
Meanwhile, heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan over low-medium heat, then sauté the onions and four of the garlic cloves, stirring from time to time, for 20 minutes or so, until the onions are soft and sweet but haven't taken on any colour. Set aside to cool.
Whisk the eggs and yolks in a large mixing bowl, preferably with an electric mixer, until light and airy. Add the ricotta carefully and work just until it is well incorporated. Fold in the onion and garlic mix, basil, salt and pepper, then pour over the pastry and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until just set.
While the tart is in the oven, blitz the sundried tomatoes, the picked leaves of three thyme sprigs, the reserved chopped garlic, a pinch of salt and a few tablespoons of the tomato oil – you want a smooth paste. Spread this mix evenly over the top of the tart as it comes out of the oven, top with three whole thyme sprigs, then return to the oven for five minutes. Remove, leave to cool, and serve warmish or cold.
I'll find some more recipes by the weekend! :thumb:
Belle x
Glad you like these, but in future I'm looking for easily obtained cheaper ingredients for these recipes. Such as
Curried Parsnip Soup
This curried parsnip soup is the perfect fence against the winter cold. It will warm your cold body and put a smile on your face. I love it! Better still, at this of the year parsnips are cheap and plentiful. The chilli (which you don't have to use) gives it a fiery kick, but helps warm you up! The recipe has the unusual addition of coconut - just a hint - which may come as a surprise, but it really transforms the soup and makes it extra delicious. If you don't have a fresh chilli, you could use half a level teaspoon of powdered ginger. Ginger is a lovely warming spice. Or, a pinch of cayenne. Or, a few grinds of fresh black pepper.
Soup took me 10 minutes to prepare and about 30 mins to cook through. Needing only 300 g parsnips means the soup will be extra cheap. A pack costs barely 25p if that.
300g parsnips
2 medium onions
2 to 3 cloves garlic
50g butter or large knob
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 chopped fresh red chilli
1.2L chicken or vegetable stock
150g potatoes
1 tablespoon creamed or dessicated coconut
double cream
smoked paprika
Peel and chop the parsnips, onions and garlic. Melt butter in a saucepan and add the onions and garlic.
Cook gently for about 5 minutes without colouring. Add the curry powder, chilli and stock. Bring to the boil.
Peel and chop the potatoes and add them along with the parsnips and the coconut.
Simmer gently with the lid on until the parsnips are tender, about 20 minutes.
Liquidize until smooth with a blender. Garnish with a swirl of double cream and a sprinkling of smoked paprika.
I'm very fond of this traditional Scottish recipe even without the whisky. It's super lovely for any breakfast, dessert or any evening time munchies. My family loves it, so I always make lots. One batch with whisky, and the other without in case some are driving. Here are some cranachan recipes to choose from, all easy to make and very comforting.
Cranachan is traditionally made with a local soft cheese, crowdie, and cream. South of the border we have to make do with the ridiculously named Quark. It's a supermarket atrocity, a nasty substitute for Cream Crowdie. Anyone using it should be kippered :razz: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowdie
How to make Scottish Cream-Crowdie. http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/scottish-crowdie-18118
(Best is to buy it ready made)
Cranachan from Scots Cooking
Serves 6
125g jumbo oats
75g light muscovado sugar
250g mascarpone cheese
3-4 tbsp malt whisky, plus extra to serve
300ml double cream, lightly whipped
250g raspberries Runny heather honey (optional)
Put the oats and sugar on a large sheet of foil and place under a hot grill for three to four minutes, stirring every 30 seconds or so - they burn quickly, so watch carefully.
Remove and leave to cool. Put the mascarpone in a bowl, add the whisky and beat until smooth. Fold this into the whipped cream, along with the cooled oat mixture. Once thoroughly combined, gently fold in the raspberries, taking care not to break them up. Tip into a glass bowl, cover and serve at once, or chill for no more than an hour. Offer an optional drizzle of whisky and heather honey, if you like.
Cranachan - 2
Serves 6
4oz/110g rolled oats or pinhead oatmeal
10floz/280ml double cream
11oz/300g crowdie
6 tbsp heather honey
5 tbsp whisky
1 bag frozen raspberries, defrosted
Put the oats in a large frying pan and cook over a medium high heat, stirring constantly, for 5-8 minutes until they turn brown and smell toasty.
Tip on to a plate to cool. Lightly whip the double cream and mix with the cheese, which will make the cream stiffen up more.
Roughly stir in 4 tbsp honey and all the whisky. Layer the cream, oats and raspberries in six glasses, finishing with a dribble of honey and a few raspberries. Eat immediately or keep in the fridge.
Prep time less than 30 mins
Cook time 10 to 30 mins and serves 4.
Nutrition: Each serving provides 551kcal, 15.5g protein, 97g carbohydrate (of which 14.5g sugars), 8g fat (of which 1g saturates), 13g fibre and 0.2g salt.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 onion, finely sliced
salt and black pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½-1 tsp chilli flakes (to taste)
50g/1¾oz root ginger, peeled and grated
600g/1lb 5oz tinned chickpeas (undrained weight)
1 x 400g/14oz tin tomatoes
750g/1lb 10oz sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
200g/7oz rice
Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the cumin seeds and fry for a minute, or until aromatic. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic, chilli flakes and ginger and fry for a further three minutes.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Add to the pan with the tomatoes and sweet potato. Add enough water (approximately 500ml/18fl oz) to cover the chickpeas and sweet potatoes and bring to a simmer, stirring to mix everything together.
Cover with a lid and simmer over a medium low heat, stirring now and again, for 25-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and beginning to break apart and the sauce has thickened. Top up with a little more water during the cooking if needed.
Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the packet instructions.
Taste the curry and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with the rice.
Preparation time is overnight
Cook time 10 to 30 mins and serves 4.
Ingredients
500g/1lb 2oz cooked rice (preferably one-day old, chilled from the fridge) or 200g/7oz rice
2 tbsp oil
4 eggs, beaten
3 tbsp light soy sauce
½ - 1 tsp chilli flakes, to taste
1 medium courgette (approximately 200g/7oz), cut into cubes
150g/5½oz frozen peas
1 bunch coriander, leaves and stalks separated, leaves roughly chopped, stalks finely chopped (parsely will do instead)
1 lime, juice of half, half cut into wedges
salt and black pepper
If you are not using precooked rice, cook the rice in a saucepan of boiling water according to the packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and then refresh in cold running water to speed up the cooling process and stop it sticking together. Leave in the fridge overnight or spread onto a tray and leave to cool and dry.
Once the rice is ready, heat a tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan or wok. Once hot, add the egg, a dash of soy sauce and the chilli flakes. Fry the egg, stirring constantly and breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
Once the egg is cooked through, golden-brown and broken into small pieces, add the courgettes and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the courgettes are tender and just turning golden.
Add the frozen peas, cold rice, the remaining oil and the chopped coriander stalks along with two tablespoons of soy sauce. Stir fry over a high heat, mixing constantly with a wooden spoon until the rice is hot and everything is mixed together. Taste and add more soy sauce if needed, plus a little salt and black pepper if necessary.
Turn off the heat, squeeze in the juice of half the lime and stir in three-quarters of the coriander leaves.
Transfer to serving plates and garnish with the remaining coriander leaves and the wedges of lime. Serve immediately.
Looks good, tastes wonderful: https://i.guim.co.uk/img/static/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/8/4/1280936489466/Tomato-galette-006.jpg?w=700&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=4fdd44e6f99add2911aa48e377b7c191
375g all-butter puff pastry
8 stalks fresh oregano, leaves picked and roughly chopped (bought fresh in a pot from a supermarket).
100g goat's cheese, crumbled
450g red, yellow or green tomatoes of various sizes, sliced 2mm thick
8 stalks fresh thyme (also supermarket bought)
Olive oil
For the sundried tomato paste
10 sun-dried tomatoes from a jar
1 fresh red chilli, sliced
2 garlic cloves (squashed under a fork)
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Roll out the pastry to 3mm thick and cut out four rectangles about 10cm x 15cm. (Alternatively, if you have a large enough baking sheet, roll out the pastry into one circle, like a big pizza.) Transfer the pastry rectangles to a large baking sheet lined with baking paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the sun-dried tomato paste. Put all the ingredients in the small bowl of a food processor and process to a rough paste; if necessary, add a little oil from the tomato jar to bring it together. If your food processor bowl is too large, you may need to do some of the chopping by hand. Spread a thin layer of the tomato paste over the chilled pastry, leaving a border about 1cm from the edge.
Sprinkle with the oregano and goat's cheese, and arrange the tomatoes on top, slightly overlapping but not too precisely. Make sure the tomato paste is covered by fresh tomatoes because it tends to burn. Drop the thyme stalks over the tomatoes and drizzle with a little olive oil.
Bake for 15 minutes, until golden on top; check the base to make sure the pastry is brown and fully cooked. Remove from the oven and leave to cool before drizzling over more olive oil and serving warm.
½ or a 1 ripe pineapple (or 400 g/14 oz drained tinned pineapple, but it doesn't taste the same)
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and diced - or, ¼ level teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon cider or rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons chopped mint
To make the salsa: Peel the pineapple, remove the core and eyes and dice the flesh. Toss with the onion, chilli, vinegar, sugar and mint, season with salt and pepper and mix well.
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This popular Levantine dish is an old favourite of my family's. It's one of my childhood flavours, and evokes memories of heaps of this stuff being sold both in restaurants and by street vendors not only in Lebanon, but also the south of France where I was born. Whether eaten hot or cold, the combination of sweet spices and bitter-sweet onion is as comforting as can be, and very welcome after this terrible winter we've had this year. Spoon over some Greek yoghurt and tuck in, but watch out – it's not easy to stop.
Serves four.
250ml sunflower oil
4 medium onions, thinly sliced
250g green or brown lentils
2 tsp cumin seeds
1½ tbsp coriander seeds
200g basmati rice
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp ground turmeric
1½ tsp ground allspice
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp sugar
Salt and black pepper
350ml water
Heat the sunflower oil in a medium-size heavy-based saucepan. When very hot, carefully add a third of the sliced onion. Fry for five to seven minutes, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until the onion takes on a nice, golden-brown colour and turns crispy. Use the spoon to transfer the onion to a colander and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with two more batches of onion.
Meanwhile, put the lentils in a small saucepan, cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the lentils have softened but still have a little bite. Drain into a colander.
Wipe clean the saucepan in which you fried the onion and drop in the cumin and coriander seeds. Place over a medium heat and toast the seeds for a minute or two, until they release those distinctive aromas. Add the rice, olive oil, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, sugar, half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Stir to coat the rice with oil, then add the cooked lentils and water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat, lift off the lid and cover the pan with a clean tea towel. Seal tightly with the lid and set aside for 10 minutes. Finally, tip the rice and lentils into a large mixing bowl. Add half the fried onion and stir gently with a fork. Pile up in a shallow serving bowl and top with the rest of the onion.
Picture and recipe ref is by Anna Jones for
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/mar/05/anna-jones-recipes-for-breadcrumbs-fritters-salads-soups-croutons
We loved this delicious meal last weekend, though it could be used as a side for a main course. Making a crust from breadcrumbs is a lot more straightforward than pastry: easy, affordable comfort food. For a vegan version, swap the butter for coconut oil, the cheese for two tablespoons of nutritional yeast, and a non-dairy milk for the filling.
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 1 hour
Serves 6
For the croustade
170g breadcrumbs (use wholemeal or sourdough)
110g butter, softened
175g strong cheddar, grated
60g pumpkin seeds, roughly chopped
1 small bunch fresh winter herbs, (thyme, rosemary or sage), picked and roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
For the filling
3 medium leeks, trimmed, washed and finely sliced
1 bay leaf
50g butter
Salt
285ml milk
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp flour (use spelt or wholemeal)
1 small bunch tarragon, leaves picked and chopped
400g tin cherry tomatoes, drained
100g butternut squash, finely sliced
Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas 6. Use your hands to mix together all the croustade ingredients. Press two-thirds of the mixture into the bottom of a 27cm gratin dish, ensuring an even layer, and keep the rest for later. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden.
Meanwhile, make the filling. Sweat the leeks with the bay leaf in the butter, along with a pinch of salt. Once the leeks are soft, add the milk and mustard, and simmer for five minutes to allow the bay to flavour the mixture.
Whisk the flour into the milk, and cook for a further two to three minutes. Keep whisking until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Once ready, remove the bay leaf, add the tarragon and spoon the sauce over the croustade base.
Dot the tomatoes on top of the leeks, pressing them down slightly so they nestle in. Lay the slices of squash over the top, adding a drizzle of olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the remaining croustade mixture on top and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the squash is cooked and the crumbs are golden.
Thanks very much too! I've got a big ass bunch of vegetarian recipes and they're all good and nutritional, so give me a couple of days to get them out.
That croustade was really lovely, by the way. :thumb:
Thanks for sharing Belle.
I'll be posting more vegetarian recipes shortly
Belle
Sweet fruit mingles so well with fresh-tasting courgettes.
30 ml olive oil
1 large red onion , thinly sliced
700 gram(s) courgettes, trimmed and cut into even-sized batons (spongy seeds discarded)
50 plump golden raisins
30 mls pine nuts, toasted
Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a frying pan, along with onion. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook for 10-15 mins till it softens and turns golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and put aside. Add remaining oil and throw in courgettes. Toss to coat and cook on a medium heat for 5-8 mins, till soft. Add onions back to pan and stir in sultanas and pine nuts. Season, if needed, then transfer to a plate.
I'm veggie - good to meet another! And please do if you like! I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one to enjoy reading some new inspiration.
The problem with nutloaf is that it tastes of nuts – and not much else. So what I’ve done is add more of the ‘meatloaf’ methods, such as soaking the bread in milk, a nice crisp polenta crust and lots of flavour. Give it a try, this vegetarian meal is satisfyingly tasty.
Takes 40 minutes to make, 1 hour in the oven, plus chilling
Serves 6
50g fresh white bread, crusts removed and cubed
50g white breadcrumbs
1 medium egg
150ml milk
25g butter, plus extra, melted, for greasing
200g chestnut mushrooms, wiped clean and finely chopped
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 onion, finely chopped
2 small celery sticks, finely chopped
a handful finely chopped fresh parsley
100g blanched hazelnuts, chopped
350g pecans, chopped
75g vegetarian Parmesan, grated
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 large carrot, grated
1 tbsp Tabasco sauce
1 medium egg white, lightly beaten
Polenta, for lining the tin
Put the bread and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Beat the egg and milk together in a jug, pour over the bread and set aside for 15 minutes to soften. Mash really well with a fork.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Cool slightly, then add to the mashed bread, along with the mustard, dried herbs, nutmeg, onion, celery, parsley and plenty of seasoning. Mix well. Add the nuts, Parmesan, lemon zest, carrot, Tabasco and egg white and gently fold in. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4.
Brush a 20cm x 13cm loaf tin with melted butter, then dust the inside all over with polenta – tap out the excess. Spoon in the nutloaf mixture, pressing it in firmly. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Rest for 5 minutes, before turning out.
Thickly slice and divide between plates. Serve with buttery mash and a good-quality tomato sauce, or, a pack of passata.
The best kind of veggie feast – and easily becomes vegan if you remove the cheese and sour cream.
Serves: 4
Cooking time: 30 mins
1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
3 tbsp sunflower or olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 level tsp mild chilli powder
½ rounded tsp cumin powder (optional)
1 x 400g can whole or chopped tomatoes
2 x 400g cans black beans, borlotti beans or red kidney beans
Salt
2 heaped tbsp fresh coriander
Slice the pepper into quarters, remove the pith and seeds and cut into chunks. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and pepper and cook for 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic, chilli and cumin if using, stir, cook for a minute, add the tomatoes and stir again.
Turn the heat down, cover and simmer. Drain and rinse the beans, add them to the tomato mixture, stir, replace the lid and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Just before serving, check the seasoning, add salt to taste, and stir in the coriander.
Serve with a large pack of tortilla chips, a small carton of sour cream, chopped avocado, some crumbled white cheese such as Caerphilly, Cheshire, Wensleydale or goat's cheese, and some baked sweet potatoes if you're pulling out all the stops.
I've got a treasure chest of family recipes going back 15 years, and every one's a win! :thumb:
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Now here's a smart solution to cooked rice left over from takeaways. Though, as a matter of fact, it's so good I often cook some rice especially for the occasion. There are plenty of alternative ways to vary this dish. Consider, for example, replacing the gruyère with some feta and adding freshly chopped marjoram or oregano; or throw in some chopped capers, olives and parsley, with or without the cheese. When cooking rice, I might add a small handful of black wild rice just to make it look more interesting. Mandy loves this recipe.
Serves 4
a good pinch saffron strands
400g cooked rice of any variety
100g diced gruyère
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for frying the cakes
3 leeks, trimmed and cut into 1cm-thick slices
250ml vegetable stock
100ml double cream
Freshly crushed black peppercorns (I use a mortar & pestle, but a pepper mill is fine)
2 tbsp chopped tarragon
5 free-range eggs
In a small bowl, stir the saffron with about a tablespoon of boiling water, leave to infuse for a couple of minutes, then stir into the rice. Add the gruyère to the rice mix, and season well.
Next, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and, on high heat, fry the leeks for three minutes to give them a little colour. Add the stock, cream and plenty of crushed black peppercorns, and carry on cooking on a slow simmer for about 10 minutes, until the leeks are soft and the sauce is thick. Add salt to taste and keep warm. Stir in the tarragon just before serving.
Add one egg to the rice mix, and stir well. Pour a tiny amount of olive oil into a large, nonstick frying pan and place over a medium heat. With a spoon, take some of the rice mix and press it down into the hot oil to create four flat cakes about 1cm thick and 7cm in diameter. Fry them on both sides until crispy and brown, about four minutes a side.
Transfer to absorbent paper and keep warm while you make another four cakes.
Once all the rice cakes are made, crack the four remaining eggs into the same pan and fry, seasoning just before they're done. Serve two cakes per person and spoon over some of the creamed leeks. Top each portion with a fried egg and serve.
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Think of this as a savoury baked cheesecake, only not as rich. It is brilliantly light and in fact, and would make a wholesome lunch with a nice crisp leafy salad. To give it a little extra oomph, fold in some grated potent goat's cheese along with the onion.
200g shortcrust pastry
30g unsalted butter
3 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
3 eggs
2 yolks
500g ricotta
20g chopped basil
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
200g sundried tomatoes (plus a little of their oil) 6 sprigs fresh thyme
Heat the oven to 170C/335F/gas mark 3. Roll out the pastry and cut out a circle that is just slightly larger than the base of a 24cm spring-form cake tin. Place this inside the tin and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Cover with baking paper and baking beans, and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and paper, and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the pastry is cooked through and golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool down.
Meanwhile, heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan over low-medium heat, then sauté the onions and four of the garlic cloves, stirring from time to time, for 20 minutes or so, until the onions are soft and sweet but haven't taken on any colour. Set aside to cool.
Whisk the eggs and yolks in a large mixing bowl, preferably with an electric mixer, until light and airy. Add the ricotta carefully and work just until it is well incorporated. Fold in the onion and garlic mix, basil, salt and pepper, then pour over the pastry and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until just set.
While the tart is in the oven, blitz the sundried tomatoes, the picked leaves of three thyme sprigs, the reserved chopped garlic, a pinch of salt and a few tablespoons of the tomato oil – you want a smooth paste. Spread this mix evenly over the top of the tart as it comes out of the oven, top with three whole thyme sprigs, then return to the oven for five minutes. Remove, leave to cool, and serve warmish or cold.
[FONT=times\ new\ roman]* * [/FONT]Do let me know how you get on with any of these vegetarian recipes. :thumb:
by Yotam Ottolenghi
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This moreish, rich loaf has an unusual, eggy consistency somewhere between a Spanish tortilla and a sponge cake. Let it cool down completely before serving with drinks or as part of a brunch spread. Don't keep it for much more than a day. Gruyère normally has animal rennet in its production process, but I found a vegetarian equivalent at https://www.joseph-heler.co.uk/ And don't restrict yourself to the ingredients listed: try double the quantity of feta instead of gruyère and oregano for the rosemary. Olives, capers, different cheeses – anything goes.
Makes one loaf (about 10 slices).
90ml double cream
2 tbsp rosemary, roughly chopped, plus 2 stalks for decoration
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 free-range eggs
90ml olive oil
140g plain flour, sifted
2 tbsp ground almonds
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
80g sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
100g gruyère, cut into 1cm dice and tossed in 2 tbsp flour
100g parmesan (or a vegetarian alternative), grated
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Line a 25cm by 10cm (ie, two-pint) loaf tin with baking paper.
Put the cream, chopped rosemary and garlic in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, switch off the heat and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and olive oil in a large jug. Put the flour, ground almonds, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl, stir together and make a well in the centre. Slowly add the egg mixture, whisking well to avoid lumps, until you have a thick batter.
Pass the cream through a fine sieve directly into the bowl, discarding the garlic and rosemary. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cheeses, and mix well. Pour into the prepared loaf tin and lay the two rosemary sprigs down the centre of the cake. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven, leave for five minutes, then remove the loaf from the tin, place on a wire rack and, once cool, cut into slices with a serrated knife.
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A top summer lunch.
Serves 4
1 onion, finely chopped
1 pinch saffron
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp ground fennel seeds
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pinch chilli flakes
2 tbsp chopped tinned tomatoes (or fresh, peeled, deseeded and chopped)
300g risotto rice
Salt and pepper
a splash of white wine (or vermouth)
1 litre hot vegetable stock
1 bunch fresh basil, leaves picked
1 aubergine, thinly sliced
2 courgettes, thinly sliced
olive oil
125g mozzarella, sliced
100g roasted and peeled red peppers (the kind you buy in a jar will do fine)
1 tbsp grated parmesan (or alternative)
Cook the onion and saffron in oil over a low heat for 10 minutes. Add the fennel, garlic and chilli, cook for another couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes and rice. Turn up the heat and cook at a vigorous simmer for five minutes. Season generously, add the wine and stir.
Over medium heat, add the stock a ladle at a time, adding the next ladleful only when the previous one has been absorbed. When most of the liquid is used up, check the texture of the rice – it should be almost cooked but still have a little bite to it. Season again, add the finely shredded basil, stir and leave to cool.
Toss the aubergine and courgette slices in a little olive oil, season and grill on a hot griddle pan (or on a barbecue) until char lines are visible and the vegetables are soft to touch.
Butter a terrine or loaf tin and line the base with a strip of baking parchment. Take one-third of the cooled rice and press it into the bottom of the mould. Top with half the courgette strips, followed by half the aubergine, mozzarella and red peppers. Sprinkle with parmesan.
Repeat with another third of the rice and the remaining veg and cheese. Top with the final third of rice.
Bake in a medium oven (180C/ 350F/gas mark 4) for 30 minutes, until golden brown on top.
Run a knife around the edge of the cake and turn out on to a serving dish. Serve sliced, either hot or cold, with a green salad.
• Jane Baxter is chef at the Riverford Field Kitchen in Buckfastleigh, Devon.
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Lorraine Pascale
I have fond memories of Dad taking my brother and me to Brittany when we were children. We'd spend hours putting up our tent with the usual shenanigans of lost tent pegs and inside-out canvases, but the reward was always a trip to the local Monoprix supermarket, where we'd buy cold meats, sweet cherry tomatoes, peppercorn pâtés and crisp French baguettes. Everything would be eaten out in the fresh air, back at the campsite. Those meals could not have been any tastier.
These days, I love having picnics at home in London. What better way to spend one of those lazy, hot days in July than in Battersea Park with a couple of friends, some beautiful food and a very cold bottle of cava. I try to make everything from scratch, though I'm not averse to crisps and cold cocktail sausages, which don't exactly require much in the way of cooking – more like opening packets – but are delicious all the same. I used to like the romantic image of a flowery china set and wicker picnic basket, but that has since given way to the practicality of a cooler box I found in a hardware store.
My other great summer pleasure is the garden barbecue. I enjoy the anticipation – choosing the meat, mixing up a marinade, taking in that wonderful char-grill smell when the meat hits the heat. My dad has one of those barbecues that's like a gigantic oven – you just turn it on and go – but I think half the fun is fiddling around with lighter fuel and twisted bits of newspaper. Perhaps it's the memories of those DIY camping days, and of how much better the food tasted when you had to put a bit of effort into it.
Serves four.
Flour, for rolling out the pastry
1 pack puff pastry (there will be quite a bit left over)
2-3 perfectly ripe pears, peeled, deseeded and cored, then cut in half (once prepared, squeeze over some lemon or lime juice, to stop them going brown)
1 egg, lightly beaten
100g stilton
Freshly grated black pepper
Honey or maple syrup, to drizzle (optional)
1 packet fresh rocket leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil, to finish
Heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7 and lightly dust a work surface with flour. Roll out the pastry to about £1 coin thickness.
Take a nine-inch cake tin, place it on top of the pastry and, with a sharp knife, cut around the tin. Lift off the tin and pull away the pastry offcuts. (Don't squidge them, rather fold them up and wrap in clingfilm, so the puff pastry retains its layers. Freeze the excess and use it for sausage rolls or something like that.)
Place the pastry circle on a greased baking tray and pop in the fridge for 20 minutes (or in the freezer for 10). Meanwhile, prepare the pears.
Take a pear half and cut it into thin slices across the horizon, taking care that the slices do not separate too much so the half-pear keeps its shape – this makes it easier to pick up and lay neatly on the pastry and means you get a far prettier tart (as you can see from the picture above). Move the cut pear carefully to one side, and repeat with the remaining pear halves.
Once all the pears are sliced, remove the puff pastry circle from the fridge – you chill it because it needs to be hard when it goes into the oven, so the flour can cook before the butter melts (if it's soft, it will disintegrate into a buttery mess in the oven).
Brush the pastry all over with eggwash, making sure it does not run down the sides, as this will stick the pastry layers together (if it runs a bit, wipe it off). Crumble some of the stilton over the pastry, leaving a 1cm border all around the edge (dolcelatte works well here, too), then lay the pear halves on top, pointed side in. Pick up the sliced pears by sliding a knife underneath them and sliding them on to the tart.
Squish the pears down a little, so they fan out (again, have a look at the picture for an idea of what I mean), then sprinkle over the rest of the cheese and season with pepper (the cheese is pretty salty, so don't add extra). Dribble a squidge of honey or maple syrup over the top, if you like (I can't help myself), and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the pastry is well puffed up, nice and firm on the sides and golden brown in colour. Remove, leave to cool, then sprinkle with rocket and serve drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil.
With salad dressings, I usually make double the amount needed in a jar, shake it like crazy, pour some over the salad and keep any remaining for another time.
Serves 4
1 mango, peeled, stoned and cut into long slithers (or make life easy on yourself and buy the chunks ready to go from the supermarket)
200g baby spinach, washed
200g feta cheese, cubed
1 small red onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely diced
1 small handful toasted sesame seeds
½ bunch fresh coriander leaves
½ bunch fresh basil leaves
For the dressing
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
pinch dry mustard powder (or 1 tsp any other variety)
salt and pepper
Put all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and mix together gently. Whisk (or shake) together the dressing ingredients, pour over the salad, toss lightly and serve at once.
by Yotam Ottolenghi
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I've made this a few times using different combinations of seasonal veg; these four work particularly well together, offering both good texture and hearty sweetness. Still, additions or omissions are welcome, so long as you stick to the total weight specified (weights given are after peeling). The veg should be cut into 2mm-thick slices, so use a mandolin if need be; put into acidulated water (ie with lemon juice added) after slicing, to prevent discoloration.
Serves four.
250g Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and sliced thin
250g swede, peeled and sliced thin
250g kohlrabi, peeled and sliced thin
250g parsnip, peeled and sliced thin
100ml milk
100ml water
½ tsp saffron strands
30g butter, plus extra for greasing
35g plain flour
150ml double cream
60g each chopped parsley and basil
2 tbsp chopped tarragon
60g grated parmesan (it's not vegetarian, so use some other mature cheese, if you'd rather)
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp white pepper
3 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
Preheat the oven to 160C/320F/gas mark 2½. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drain the sliced vegetables from their lemon water, add to the pot, blanch for a minute, then drain.
Heat the milk and water without boiling, add the saffron and set aside to infuse. Melt the butter in a small pan, add the flour and stir to a paste. Cook gently, stirring, for a few minutes, then add the saffron mix and whisk as the liquid thickens.
Cook, stirring, for a few minutes, then remove from the heat. Add the cream, herbs and half the cheese, season and stir until smooth. Put the drained veg in a bowl, pour the sauce over and use your hands to coat them.
Grease a medium ovenproof dish with butter and pour the vegetables and sauce inside; don't bother levelling it out too much. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil, mix the remaining cheese with the breadcrumbs and scatter on top. Increase the heat to 190C/375F/gas mark 5 and bake for 15 minutes more, to get a golden-brown crust. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
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Recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi
I view this dish as a deconstructed, healthy take on fries with tomato sauce, with the semi-dried tomatoes supplying the sweetness, the sorrel the acidity and the samphire that rich saltiness. It is also very seasonal. Sorrel isn't always easy to come by, so if you can't get hold of any, use a mix of lamb's lettuce, rocket and grated lemon zest instead.
Serves four.
400g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
Salt and black pepper
60g samphire
50g sorrel leaves, shredded into 2cm-wide slices
15g roughly chopped parsley
1 crushed garlic clove
600g Jersey royal potatoes (or other small, waxy variety), washed and scraped clean, but skins left on
60ml olive oil
Heat the oven to 140C/285F/gas mark 1. Place the tomatoes cut-side up on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper, sprinkle with the sugar and a little salt, and bake for 90 minutes, until semi-dry (you can increase the temperature to speed up the process, though this will leave you with tomatoes that are more moist). Remove from the oven and set aside to cool down.
Gently wash the samphire to get rid of any sand or gritty bits, then taste – if it is very salty, blanch for a minute in boiling water, refresh in cold water, drain and dry.
Place the samphire in a large mixing bowl, along with the now cool dried tomatoes, the sorrel, parsley and garlic.
Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with plenty of cold water, add a good dose of salt and boil for 20-25 minutes, until just cooked. Drain, leave to cool a little, then cut into halves (if using baby new potatoes) or quarters (for larger ones).
Wipe clean the potato pan, pour in the olive oil and heat up. Return the potatoes to the pot and fry for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown on all sides. Add the warm potatoes to the salad, toss gently, taste and season accordingly; you may also need to add more oil.
• Yotam Ottolenghi is chef/patron of Ottlenghi in London. His new book, Plenty, is published by Ebury at £25.