The Everyday Vegetarian UK vegetarian recipes

Stuffed courgette with quinoa, peppers and rocket

January 27 2015 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

Ingredients (serves 3 – 2 courgette halves per person) 3 large courgettes 150g quinoa (I used a mixture of white and red) 1 red pepper 2 handfulls of rocket 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional) 1 clove garlic 1/­­2tsp chilli flakes Salt and pepper Method Slice the courgettes in half and scoop out the middle using a knife and a spoon. Set the contents aside (dont throw away). Lightly oil the courgettes and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes with some foil over the top to stop them drying out. While the courgettes are cooking, lightly fry the garlic in some oil in a high sided pan. Roughly chop the remaining courgette flesh and add to the garlic. Add thinly sliced red pepper, chilli flakes, salt and pepper. After about five minutes of frying, add the quinoa and paprika with a drop of water. Slowly add more water for the quinoa to cook, but not enough to make it soggy. During this time, you might want to take the courgettes out of the oven while the quinoa still cooks through. Once the germ of the quinoa starts to open up, add the finely chopped rocket to the mixture. Fill the courgettes with the mixture and bake in the oven for a further 10 minutes.

Pumpkin speltotto with sage

January 19 2015 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

Spelt has become quite fashionable. It is probably helpful that the man leading the charge in spelt farming is non other than Roger Saul, the man behind the Mulberry brand. I got a pack of spelt from the wonderful Suma and had a go at making speltotto (risotto using spelt instead of rice) and it worked really well. This recipe is for the suma blogger’s network. For more recipes from vegetarian bloggers, have a look here. Ingredients (serves 4) 300g pumpkin peeled and cubed 2 cloves of garlic 1 white onion Olive oil Handful fresh sage 300g spelt 700ml vegetable stock Salt and pepper Vegetarian parmesan (to serve – optional) Method Start by finely slicing the onion and frying in plenty of oil in a high sided pan. Once the onion has cooked through, add the garlic and fry for a further few minutes before adding the spelt and cubed pumpkin. Season well. Slowly add the vegetable stock. Once you’ve added it all, pop the lid on but keep checking it as the spelt can easily stick to the bottom. The spelt will take a good 20 – 25 minutes to cook. Just before you are ready to serve, finely slice the fresh sage and add it to the speltotto. If you have time, fry a few sage leaves in some oil so they are crispy as a garnish. Serve with a grating of vegetarian parmesan.

Simple pumpkin soup

January 15 2015 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

Some friends gave us some pumpkins recently from their overly productive allotment. This soup is so easy to make and is best kept simple! Ingredients 1 white onion 2 cloves garlic 600g pumpkin 400mls vegetable stock 1/­­2 tsp red chilli flakes Salt and pepper Oil Cr?me fraîche (to serve – optional) Method Finely slice the onion and fry in some oil on a low heat. Add the garlic and fry for a further few minutes. Peel and cube the pumpkin and add to the pan, along with the vegetable stock, chilli flakes and season well. Pop a lid on a simmer for 20 minutes until the pumpkin has cooked through. Once it has, blast it with a blender until smooth. If you fancy, serve with a spoon of cr?me fraîche.

Warm quinoa salad with pomegranate, feta and roasted pumpkin and peppers

January 14 2015 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

This vibrant healthy winter salad is incredibly moreish. If you don’t have any pumpkin, use butternut squash. Simply omit the feta for a vegan version. Pomegranate molasses and red quinoa can be a little hard to come by. You can get them from specialist food shops – I got mine from Suma. This recipe is for the brilliant Suma Blogger’s Network. For recipes from other vegetarian bloggers, have a look here. Ingredients (serves 4) 150g white quinoa 100g red quinoa 200g pumpkin (peeled and cut into small cubes) 1 large red pepper 1 red chilli The seeds of 1 pomegranate 1 block feta 2 cloves garlic 400mls of vegetable stock Salt and pepper 1tbsp thyme leaves Olive oil Glug of pomegranate molasses Method Start by popping the oven on. Put the small cubes of pumpkin in a roasting tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and roast in the oven for 20 minutes. While the pumpkin is roasting, fry the chopped garlic and chilli in some oil in a deep sided pan. Add the quinoa and slowly add the vegetable stock. The quinoa will take about 20 minutes to cook. After the pumpkin has been in the oven for 15 minutes, add the sliced red pepper and roast for a further 5 minutes. When the vegetables are cooked through, stir them in with the quinoa. Add the thyme leaves, cubed feta and pomegranate seeds as well as a glug of pomegranate molasses and you’re ready to serve!

Kerala Sambar

November 19 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

Food from Kerala has a strong curry leaf flavour. This dish is also quite spicy but if you dont like your food too hot, dont use as much chilli. This is lovely served with lemon rice and mushroom thoran. It is meant to be quite watery and stew-like. So if your dish is getting a bit dry, add more water. Ingredients (serves four) 300g toor dal 1tsp turmeric 2tsp black mustard seeds 2tsp fenugreek seeks 6 dried curry leaves 1tsp ground coriander Large white onion 2 cloves garlic 2 inches fresh ginger 1tsp asafoetida 150g diced potato 75g grated coconut 3 hot green chillies (sliced down the middle) 2 large carrots (diced) 200ml tamarind water (about a lime sized chunk of tamarind soaked in water) 200g ladies fingers /­­ okra (dont chop up too small) 2 large ripe tomatoes (diced) Handful coriander leaves Salt and pepper Method Boil some salted water with a teaspoon of turmeric and add the toor dal. Leave to bubble away until the dal is properly cooked through. This will take at least 30 minutes. In a separate pan (high sided), fry the 1tsp mustard seeds, 1tsp fenugreek seeds and 3 curry leaves. When the seeds begin to splutter, add the sliced onion, garlic, asafoetida, ground coriander and ginger an fry until the onion is translucent. Transfer into a blender and blend to a paste. Set the paste aside for now. Using the same pan, add plenty of oil and add the diced potato, sliced chilli, grated coconut and diced carrot and tamarind water. Season well. After about 10 minutes, add paste and the ladies fingers. Once the dal is cooked through, add it to the vegetables along with the chopped up tomato and coriander leaves. In a separate pan, fry another teaspoon of mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds, a sprinkling of red chilli flakes and the remaining curry leaves. After a couple of minutes, stir into the main dish and you are ready to serve.

Chestnut, mushroom and samphire risotto

November 10 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

While I regularly moan about being given risotto in restaurants as the only vegetarian choice at the moment, I do still love making it and eating it at home. I just dont want to eat it every time I go out - especially when I can make a better version at home! My uncle made this wonderful chestnut, mushroom and samphire risotto for me recently and it was too good to not put on the blog. Vegetarians dont get to eat samphire very much as it is often used in fish dishes - but give it a go. Samphire has a wonderful salty flavour, so be careful when seasoning this dish. Its chestnut season at the moment so dont buy them, get out there and collect some from your local park. Ingredients 300g fresh chestnuts (peeled) 100g samphire 1 large leek (or 1 large white onion) 1 garlic cloves 200g chestnut mushrooms 350g risotto rice A pinch of chilli flakes 1 litre vegetable stock 1tbsp fresh sage Salt and pepper 75g vegetarian parmesan Olive oil Method In a pan, heat some olive oil to a low-ish heat and add the chestnuts. Lightly fry them with some pepper until they are slightly soft. This will take about 30 minutes. Slice the leek and garlic and fry them in a large frying pan – a paella pan is perfect. When they have softened, add the mushrooms and cook for about five minutes. Add the rice, chilli flakes, chestnuts and season well. Slowly start incorporating the stock. After about 15 minutes, add the samphire and chopped sage and give it a good stir. Sprinkle the cheese on top and leave it for five minutes so the cheese has melted. Place the pan on the table and let everyone help themselves.

Creamy ‘gorgonzola’ polenta with aubergines, tomatoes, olives and flaked almonds

November 7 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

This is really easy to make. Feel free to exchange the aubergines with courgettes and olives with capers if you want. If you dont have flaked almonds, use sunflower or pumpkin seeds instead. Gorgonzola isn’t suitable for vegetarians, please see this post for alternatives. Ingredients (serves 2) 1 medium aubergine Handful cherry tomatoes Small handful of pitted green olives 1tbsp flaked almonds 2 cloves garlic Lots of olive oil Salt and pepper Small handful fresh basil 125g polenta 300mls milk 75g ‘gorgonzola’ (check to make sure it is vegetarian) Method Slice the aubergine lengthways into thin wedges. Heat a large frying pan with plenty of oil and slowly start frying the aubergine. Add a good grind of salt and pepper – aubergines need quite a while to cook. While the aubergines are cooking, heat a high sided pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the polenta with a splash of milk. Keep the heat low and slowly start adding the milk, stirring regularly. This will take about 20 minutes or so. Add a bit of salt and pepper to the polenta (but not too much as the gorgonzola is quite punchy). Dont forget to keep an eye on the aubergines as well, turning them regularly. When the aubergines are cooked though and soft (after about 20 minutes of frying), mince 2 cloves of garlic and make a bit of space in the pan the aubergines are cooking in to quickly fry the garlic. Also add the flaked almonds, sliced cherry tomatoes and sliced olives. Cook for a further five minutes or so. Slice the basil and add this as well. Cut the ‘gorgonzola’ into small cubes and add to the polenta. The polenta should be very loose and wet. If it is stiff, add more milk. Using a ladle, spoon the polenta onto each plate so it forms a disc shape. Place the aubergine, tomato, almond and olive mixture on top. Add a basil leaf if you wish and you are ready to eat.

Vegetarian Turkish Koftas

October 7 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

Ingredients (6 koftas) 200g brown lentils 200g red split lentils 2 cloves of garlic 1 white onion 1tsp ground cinnamon 1tsp ground allspice 1/­­2 tsp grated nutmeg 100g breadcrumbs salt and pepper Vegetable stock cube Oil Method Boil the kettle and make 600mls of vegetable stock using a stock cube. Pour it over both types of lentils in a high sided pan and boil the lentils for 15 minutes. While the lentils are cooking, fry the sliced onion and garlic in plenty of oil in a frying pan. Once the onion goes translucent, add the spices and turn down the heat. After the lentils have cooked for 15 minutes put the onion mixture in a food processor along with half of the lentil mixture. Blitz the mixture so it forms a rough paste. Put the paste back in the frying pan that had the onions in and transfer across the rest of the lentils that have not been processed. By keeping half of the lentils whole, your koftas will have a nice texture. Put the oven onto 180 degrees. Mix it well and leave to simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes. Make sure the mixtures reduces right down so all the liquid has been absorbed. Add the breadcrumbs and leave it to cool a little. With a bit of oil, grease an ovenproof dish. When the mixture is cool enough to handle, press about a handful of the mixture around 6 kebab sticks and place in the oven proof dish. Cook the koftas in the oven for 10 minutes.

Vegan punchy coriander and ginger curry

September 24 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

Im not really sure if this should be called a curry (as it doesnt have the traditional curry like flavours), but is punchy and full of flavour. I make it regularly and it has always done me proud! The huge amounts of garlic, ginger and coriander may seem a bit much - but trust me, give it a go, it is really delicious. This is my savoury recipe for the Winter Warmer Provamel challenge! Ingredients (serves 4) 6 large flat mushrooms 2 aubergines (in slices) Whole garlic bulb 6 ginger 2 bunches of coriander (stalks included) 4 Kenyan green finger chillies Juice of 1 lemon 250ml vegan yoghurt (I used Provamel natural sugar-free) 1 fresh tomato Salt and pepper Cooking oil Method Firstly, peel all the garlic and ginger and put in a blender with the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Blend until it is a paste. Slice the mushrooms and fry in a deep sided pan with plenty of oil on a very low heat. In a separate pan, (a griddle pan if possible) fry the aubergines so they are cooked well with dark brown lined charring. Once they are cooked, add them to the mushrooms – this may take about 15 minutes. Also add the garlic, ginger and lemon paste to the mushrooms. Turn up to a medium heat and cook for a further 15 minutes. Make sure it doesnt become dry - if it does, add a splash of water or more oil. While this is cooking, put the chillies, tomato puree, coriander and a splash of water in the blender and blend well. You might want to add the coriander in stages. Once it is blended into a mush, add it to the pan with the aubergines and mushrooms and cook for a further 10 minutes. Again, keep an eye on it to make sure it doesnt become too dry. Add the soya yogurt to the pan and cook for a further five minutes and then you are ready to serve. I normally eat this with naan bread, but rice also goes really well if you cant get your hands on vegan naan bread.

Hilary Cacchios Chickpea, Black Olive & Piquillo Pepper Hummus

August 7 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

This recipe is from the the Braxted Park Cookery School. They have just launched a Vegetarian Cookery Class – so get signed up! This recipe is for a lovely colourful dip with a satisfying salty and savoury balance. The hummus is best accompanied with a spicy onion stuffed Moroccan flatbread and a salad. Use an everyday extra virgin olive oil. It is important you chose one you have tasted and enjoyed before as the flavour of the oil is an important part of the hummus. Ingredients 220g Cooked Chickpeas 1/­­4 tsp Freshly ground black pepper 1/­­2 bulb Garlic 1 Garlic clove, crushed to a pulp with a pinch of salt 4 Piquillo Peppers 1 Lemon 40-50 mls Extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for roasting the garlic Malden Salt to taste 50g Pitted Nicoise or Kalamata Olives Method Preheat Oven to 200C. Drizzle a little olive oil over the 1/­­2 garlic bulb and loosely wrap in tin foil, put in the pre heated oven and roast until the flesh is soft. Put the chickpeas, black pepper, crushed fresh garlic clove, piquillos, juice of the lemon, the 40mls of extra virgin olive oil and a very generous pinch of salt into a processor; using a serrated knife slice off the root end of the roasted garlic and squeeze the soft pulp in, process everything into a smooth-ish paste. Drop in the olives and pulse it once, just long enough to incorporate and chop them a little. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, using salt, pepper, lemon juice or more extra virgin olive oil. It can be eaten immediately but as the flavours develop over 1 or 2 days it gets better.

Cauliflower crust pizza

August 5 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

I absolutely love pizza. You can’t beat a thin and crispy base covered in a rich tomato sauce and oozing cheese. However, it is no secret that pizzas are not the healthiest of meals. When a friend mentioned that you can make a pizza base out of cauliflower I was a bit dubious so I decided to give it a go. I’ll admit, while the cauliflower base does work, it isn’t as satisfying as a proper dough base. But if you are looking for a gluten free and guilt free alternative, then give this recipe a go. I will satisfy those pizza cravings without making you feel overly full. You can use whatever you want for the toppings. Pesto spread on top with some crumbled feta and courgettes also work really well. Ingredients (makes a 10 inch pizza) For the base: 1 large cauliflower 50g vegetarian style parmesan or another hard cheese 1 egg 1tsp dried oregano Salt and pepper For the tomato sauce 1 can of chopped tomatoes 1tsp sugar 1 onion Olive oil Salt and pepper For the topping 1 ball of mozzarella 1 small courgette 1tsp fresh oregano Small handful of mangetout Method Start by cutting the cauliflower florets up into smallish chunks. Blitz them in a food processor so it resembles couscous. To stop the cauliflower falling through hob-top steamers, rest the cauliflower ‘couscous’ on a clean cloth and put in a steamer for about eight minutes. When it has cooked through, transfer into a sieve and rest over a bowl. Push the cauliflower down so you draw out as much water as possible. Leave aside until it has completely cooled. Pop the oven onto 180 degrees. When the cauliflower is cool, pop it into a clean bowl and add one whisked egg, herbs, finely grated cheese, salt and pepper. You can add some different herbs to the base if you fancy. Spread the cauliflower base out onto an baking tray so it resembles a pizza base. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes. It should be golden brown when it is ready. While the cauliflower base is cooking, make the tomato sauce. Finely slice the onion and fry in plenty of oil. When translucent, add the tinned tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper. Reduce the sauce until it is rich and thick. Once the cauliflower based has cooked through, spread the tomato sauce over it and add the sliced vegetables, fresh herbs and cheese. Pop back into the over for 10 – 12 minutes.

BBQ pineapple with rum

July 31 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

This simple recipe was whipped up by a friend as a last minute addition to a very poorly organised BBQ I hosted recently. It tasted wonderful... Ingredients 1 pineapple 1tbsp runny honey 2tbsp rum 1tsp cinnamon 1tsp chilli flakes 2tsp brown sugar Raspberries (optional) Method In a jug, stir together the honey, rum, cinnamon, chilli flakes and brown sugar. Chop the pineapple into 1 1/­­2 cm slices and cut the slices in half. With a pastry brush, coat the pineapple flesh with the marinade. Cook on a bbq for roughly 5 minutes on each side. The time it takes to cook will depend on how hot your bbq is. You should aim for light brown charring on both sides.

Semolina fritters

July 17 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

This recipe is inspired from a recipe found in Rose Elliots Supreme Vegetarian Cookbook. My mum used to make these when I was little. My recipe is a little simpler than hers and uses Gorgonzola instead of cheddar. They are so tasty and children love them! If you haven’t come across Rose Elliot before, you are really missing out! She is a bit of a hero of mine and helped disperse the myths around bland vegetarian cooking. Her back catalogue has fantastic fail safe recipes. Ingredients 500ml whole milk 125g semolina 100g Gorgonzola 2tbsp chopped fresh parsley Salt and pepper 1 egg (beaten) 3tbsp dried breadcrumbs Oil for frying Method Heat the milk in a pan. Once it is hot, slowly add the semolina and stir constantly for about 8 minutes. Take off the heat and season well. Cut the Gorgonzola into small chunks and stir into the semolina mix along with the parsley. Spread the mixture out into a baking tray so it is about 1 1/­2 cm deep. Leave it to rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes or longer if necessary. Cut the mixture into squares, dip each square into the egg mixture and then into breadcrumbs. Shallow fry in some oil on both sides until nice and crispy.

Slow roasted tomato tart with watercress pesto

June 23 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

Tarts are great for picnics as all you need is a knife for cutting and your hands for eating. The polenta gives is a slightly gritty texture which I think works well for a summer tart. Ingredients For the pastry base: 170g plain flour (plus a bit to dust) 50g polenta 20g finely grated vegetarian style parmesan 140g unsalted butter cut into cubes 40ml water salt and pepper For the filling 8 ripe tomatoes Olive oil 100g feta 100g cream cheese 2 eggs 50ml double cream Salt For the watercress pesto 1 handful of washed watercress 1 small garlic clove Glug of olive oil Salt and pepper Method Turn the oven onto 140 degrees. Cut the tomatoes in half and brush with olive oil. Place on a baking tray and let them slowly roast in the oven for about two hours. Keep an eye on them as you dont want to blacken them. To make the pastry, combine all the ingredients for the pastry in a food processor and give it a blast. It should form a dough. Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently roll out with a rolling pin so it is nice an thin. Carefully put the pastry into a flan dish and cut away any excess. You may need to use the excess pastry to plug any gaps. Line with baking paper and baking beans and blind bake for about 20 minutes. Since the oven is on quite low - it may take slightly longer for the pastry base to cook. Once the tomatoes are cooked, take them out of the oven and turn it up to 180 degrees. In a food processor, combine the feta, cream cheese, eggs, cream and a pinch of salt and blitz it so it is all liquefied. Pour this into the pastry base (after you have removed the baking paper and baking beans!). Dot the tomatoes on top and pop back into the oven for 10 minutes. During this time, make the watercress pesto by giving the food processor a quick rinse before adding all the ingredients for the pesto and giving it another blast. Take the tart out of the oven and dot the pesto between the tomatoes. Pop back into the oven for another 10 minutes.

Porcini and black truffle linguine

June 11 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

I am a total sucker for truffle. I know it is extravagant and expensive, but I tend to justify my truffle splurges by qualifying that, as a vegetarian, I spend a lot less money on food than others. This also makes me a total sucker for truffle stalls at markets and foodie events. At the resent Bristol Food Connections event in Bristol the Truffle Hunter company had a stall selling all kinds of lovely truffle goodness and before I knew it, I had walked away with black truffle carpaccio, truffle honey, truffle oil and a small hold in my pocket. Key to this dish is good quality ingredients. Ingredients (serves 4) 350g linguine 50g dried porcini Black truffle carpaccio - about 4 slices per person (bought from the Truffle Hunter) Drizzle of black truffle oil Vegetarian style parmesan (shavings - to serve) Salt and pepper Method Start by putting the dried porcini in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Give it a stir and then let the mushrooms re-hydrate. After about 10 minutes, add the porcini to a frying pan on a medium heat and spoon in the liquid into the pan making sure you avoid the grit at the bottom of the bowl. Keep the heat on and slowly reduce the liquid. While you are doing this, boil the linguine in a pan of salted water. Once the linguine is cooked, drain the water away using a colander and put the pasta back in the pan. Add the porcini mushrooms, a good grind of salt and pepper and good a drizzle of black truffle oil. Mix the linguine well and give it a taste, adding more oil if necessary before putting into serving bowls. Dot pieces of the black truffle carpaccio on top and vegetarian style parmesan.

Juniper, cider and sage infused wild rice salad with mushrooms, almonds and crispy onions

June 4 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

This is much more exciting than your bog standard rice salad! It has subtle fragrant spices from the juniper, a sweetness from the cider but is also earthy with sage and mushrooms. Wild rice has a tougher consistency than white rice and therefore takes longer to cook but has plenty of texture. It is also a bit more expensive than normal rice but worth forking out for. Wild rice can be bought from larger supermarkets, specialist food shops and online retailers such as Suma. This recipe requires the juniper berries to stay in the salad to infuse properly so make sure you pre-warn those who are eating it that they are there! Ingredients (serves 4) 250g wild rice (from Suma) 250g mushrooms (any you prefer - I used chestnut mushrooms) 6 - 8 juniper berries (I also got these from Suma) 1 pint of slightly sweet cider (I used Thatchers Gold) 2 medium white onions 3 cloves of garlic Handful of fresh sage Salt and pepper 1tbsp plain flour 1 red chilli Cooking oil 75g flaked almonds Method Wash the rice in water before putting in a high sided pan with the cider and juniper berries. Put on a medium heat on the stove and pop the lid on. In a frying pan, fry the mushrooms, finely sliced chilli, garlic and half the sage on a low heat with a bit of oil. The rice will take about 30 minutes to cook so you have plenty of time to slowly fry the mushrooms. After about 30 minutes, the rice should be cooked through. Have a taste - it may need a bit more cooking. Put the mushroom mixture in with the rice and keep the lid off so any remaining liquid evaporates. Turn the heat down so the rice doesn’t burn. Fry the almonds and remaining in a bit of oil before setting aside. Then finely slice the onion as thinly as you can. Coat the sliced onions with plenty of flour and season well. Fry in a pan with hot oil until golden brown. Once the onions are cooked and are nice and crispy, spoon the rice into serving bowls. Sprinkle the crispy onions, almonds and sage on top and enjoy warm.

Alpine yoghurt cake with raspberries

May 21 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

Anyone who has spent time in the French alps with know and love yoghurt cake. It is really easy to make and will stay moist and fresh in your bag after spending the day skiing or hiking. A friend told me that yoghurt cake is popular in the alps because the altitude has an effect on normal cake mixtures rising – but I’m not sure how true this claim is. Ingredients (1 large cake) 400g butter 400g caster sugar 6 eggs 300g yoghurt 250g plain flour 50g flaked almonds 100g raspberries Salt 1 vanilla pod (or 1tsp vanilla extract) Method Start by creaming the butter and sugar until it becomes lighter in colour. Add the beaten eggs slowly. Then add the flour, a pinch of salt, almonds and yoghurt as well as the seeds from inside the vanilla pod. Chop up the raspberries and add half to the cake mixture. Line the inside of a cake tin with baking paper and pour in the mixture. Put the remaining raspberries on top of the cake before putting in the oven for about 40 minutes at 150 degrees.

Mushroom Thoran

November 19 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

This is a really easy to make side-dish for a curry night. Ingredients 250g sliced mushrooms 1tsp mustard seeds 3 curry leaves 2 garlic cloves 2 hot green chillies 1 tsp turmeric powder 1tsp fennel seeds Salt and pepper 75g grated coconut Oil Method Start by heating the mustard and fennel seeds in a bit of oil. Add the curry leaves. Once the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the sliced mushrooms, garlic cloves, sliced chillies, turmeric power and salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for about 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it. If the mushrooms become too dry, add a splash of water and a bit more oil. After the mushrooms have cooked through and reduced, add the grated coconut and fry for a further five minutes.

For the love of ‘shrooms – to forage or not to forage

November 11 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

I love mushrooms. Ceps, morels, chanterelles, chestnut, even the humble field mushroom. All of them. The only problem is, to get your hands on unusual mushrooms, you either have to buy very expensive dried mushrooms, or seek out those rare specialist shops that sell them fresh. Its no surprise that the foraging craze has really taken off. The only problem is that while foraging for mushrooms is no new thing (my grandparents used to do it every autumn in Anglesey), nowadays, coach loads of Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall-ites are heading to forests and stripping them bare of every type of mushroom only to have an expert say at the end which ones they can and cant eat. This leaves forests stripped of mushrooms and creates piles of unwanted fungi left at the sides of roads. The other problem is, of course, the risk eating poisonous is very high if you dont know what youre doing. Over 100 people this year alone have been hospitalised from eating poisonous mushrooms. In 2013, the National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) recorded 237 cases of poisoning across the UK and many involving children under the age of 10. To find out more, I recently went on a mushroom walk ran by the mycologist Michael Jordon in Somerset. I must admit, before taking part in the walk, my knowledge of fungus was limited to my eating them and the brilliant documentary, the Magic of Mushrooms by Professor Richard Fortey. I met Michael via a grid reference on a remote country lane in the depths of Somerset. I wasnt sure what to expect and whether he would, or would not let us know what we could and couldnt eat. He made his case very clear early on: All mushrooms are edible. Some of them you can only eat once. This educational walk was not to fill our baskets with mounds of mushrooms to make risotto with for lunch, it was to find out about how mushrooms grow and help Michael compile information for his database. Michael founded the Association of British Fungal Groups (ABFG) in 1996 having observed an upsurge in interest in mushroom hunting since presenting Mushroom Magic, a documentary on Channel 4 in 1989. He quickly realised that there is no national log of fungus growth in the UK, and as a result, we have no idea which types of fungus are rare or not. A database called CATE, maintained by the ABFG, was set up which collates affiliated fungus groups and servers as a national organisation for individual members. We set off on our walk into the forest and Michael explained about the different types of mushrooms as we found them. I found out about bracket fungus, spore prints, the patterns by which they grow around trees, common names and Latin names. The more we looked in the undergrowth, the keener my eyes got and soon I was spotting fungus everywhere. He picked some for scientific and identification purposes alone. His walks are about mycological conservation, not foraging. Since there are thousands of different fungus specimens in the UK, Michael explained that he couldn’t name them all and therefore had to pick them to identify them properly when back at his house under a microscope. Having said that, I was very impressed by the amount he did know. He rarely didn’t know the Latin name for every type we came upon from Rhytisma acerinum to Mycena vitilis and from Lepiota cristata to the beautifully named Inocybe geophylla var. lilacina. Michaels and the ABFGs maintenance of the CATE database is an important and fundamental resource to understanding and maintaining our natural wildlife. We need to properly understand what grows in our forests before we strip them bare of our vital fungus life. So, before you head out foraging, think about the effect it will have on the local landscape and the potential dangerous aspect of eating poisonous mushrooms. Michael made the point that the mushrooms cultivated and farmed for shops are grown for taste rather than the ones found in our forests. And if you are out and about do stumble upon some mushrooms you think are edible, remember, if you are in any doubt, dont eat them as the risks simply are not worth it. Until we work out how to grow cultivate interesting and fresh mushrooms on a large industrial scale in the UK, I am going to have to continue to folk out for them in their dried state or at expensive farmers markets. But, for the love of mushrooms and their natural habitat, it is worth it. For more information, the ABFGs website and the CATE database can be found here: http:/­­/­­www.abfg.org/­­

Wine soaked mushrooms and carrots with rosemary potato rösti and mustard halloumi

November 8 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

This is hearty, warming meal. Perfect for Autumnal evenings or Sunday lunch. Ingredients (serves 2) 2 large baking potatoes Handful of fresh rosemary 200g mushrooms (quartered) 150g carrots (I used baby carrots which didnt need chopping. If using large carrots - cut into one inch chunks) 1tsp mustard seeds 1tsp coriander seeds (crushed) Small glass of red wine 1tsp bullion powder Salt and pepper Cooking oil 6 slices of halloumi 1tsp sesame seeds 1tbsp plain flour 2 heaped tsp English mustard powder Method Pop the oven onto 180 degrees. Start by peeling and then grating the potatoes. Using your hands, squeeze the grated potatoes to get as much water out as possible. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Take the rosemary leaves off the twig, and finely chop up. Add to the potato and give it a good mix. Lightly oil an oven proof dish and create two rösti shaped discs. Put into the oven. They need about 25 minutes to cook. Keep an eye on them. While the rösti is cooking, in a frying pan, heat the mustard seeds until they start to pop. Add the crushed coriander seeds and olive oil. Cook for another minute before adding the mushrooms and carrots. Add the glass of wine and a teaspoon of bullion powder. Pop onto a medium heat and cook for a good 20 minutes. Make sure it doesnt get too dry - if it does, add a splash of water. In a bowl, combine the flour, mustard powder and sesame seeds. Add the halloumi slices and make sure each slice is thoroughly coated. About five minutes before you are ready to serve, heat a second frying pan with plenty of oil. Fry the halloumi until each side is a golden brown colour. To plate up, place the rösti on the plate, followed by a spoon of the mushroom and carrot mixture. Dot some of the mushrooms around the plate. Finish by adding the halloumi slices on top.

Beetroot carpaccio and goats cheese

October 29 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

This is a great starter for a dinner party. Dont bother arranging it on individual starter plates, spread out the beetroot on a large serving plate and dot the cheeses on top. Be careful to use a plate which has a rim otherwise the beetroot juices will spill over the edge. If you have time, pickle the beetroot in the morning before eating so it has time to soften. Ingredients (serves 8) 6 beetroots (raw) 8 slices of goats cheese 4 tablespoons of good extra virgin olive oil 3 good cider vinegar 1tbsp sugar 1tbsp fresh thyme Handful of fresh rocket Handful of sliced cherry tomatoes Method Start by slicing the beetroot as thin as you can. I did this by using one of the slicing blades in my food processor. A mandoline slicer would work well (be careful!) or a steady hand and a sharp knife will also do it. Mix together the olive oil, cider vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and thyme in a jug and give it a good stir. In a large bowl or Tupperware container, layer the beetroot and pour a bit of the mixture between each layer until you have used up all of the beetroot and dressing. Cover the bowl in Clingfilm or with an lid and set aside. I usually make it in the morning and leave it to pickle all day. But if you dont have all day, make sure you pickle the beetroot for at least one hour. About 10 minutes before serving, arrange the goats cheese on some tin foil and grill for about five minutes or until they are golden brown. Arrange the beetroot carpaccio across a large serving plate and place the cherry tomatoes and rocket on top. Carefully add the grilled goats cheese and you are ready to serve!

Mushroom, wild rice and ale wellington

October 2 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

This main course dish is delicious. It is really worth getting your hands on a good variety of mushrooms if you can. If you cant get any interesting fresh varieties, just use more chestnut mushrooms in their place. Ingredients (8 portions) 300g wild (black) rice 30g butter 1 white onion 2 cloves of garlic 250g chestnut mushrooms 500g other fresh mushrooms (I used shitake and oyster) 60g dried porcini mushrooms 400ml dark ale 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk 75g breadcrumbs 2tsp sugar Salt and pepper 1 pack of readymade pre-rolled puff pastry Method Start by boiling a full kettle. Pour plenty of boiling water over the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and set aside. Put the rice on by filling a high sided pan with the remaining water, add some salt and the rice and slowly simmer. While the rice is cooking, melt the butter in a large frying pan or casserole dish. Thinly dice the onion and fry in the butter until translucent. Add the thinly slice garlic. Chop half of the chestnut mushrooms as small as you can (or blitz in a blender). Chop the remaining mushrooms in large-ish chunks and keep some mushrooms whole. Add all to the onion and garlic mixture and fry on a medium heat. Make sure it doesnt get too dry - add some more butter if it does. Cook for about 10 minutes so the mushrooms start to reduce in size. Add the ale, sugar, salt and pepper to the mushrooms. Also spoon in the rehydrated porcini mushrooms. Dont throw away the lovely mushroom water they have been rehydrating in - use this as a gravy base but be careful to not include the grit that might have sunk to the bottom of the bowl. Drain the black rice and also add this to the mushroom and ale pan. Leave to simmer on a low heat for at least 30 minutes. You want to get to a stage where the ale as completely reduced and the rice is a good thick texture. If you push the mixture aside and liquid drains on to the bottom of the pan then you need to cook it for longer. The less liquid there is remaining, the better it will cook in the pastry. Once you think you have got to this stage, turn of the heat and leave the mixture to cool completely. Once it has cooled, turn on the oven to 180 degrees. Whisk two eggs and add it to the mixture along with the breadcrumbs - make sure it is all mixed in well. Grease an oven proof tray and lay out the puff pastry. Spoon in the mushroom and rice filling along the length of the pastry rectangle. Pull up the sides of the pastry and pinch along the top ensuring the mixture is securely sealed in. With a pastry brush, wash the pastry with the yolk. Pop into the oven for 25 - 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

Vegetarian Taiedda

September 1 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

This is a vegetarian version of dish which originates from Puglia in Italy. The traditional dish includes mussels, but I have exchanged mussels for capers. It is so, so easy to make. Just ten minutes of chopping and arranging, and then pop it in the oven for 40 minutes to bake. It has both potatoes and rice in the ingredients and so is a little heavy. Because of this, I think it is best served with a light side salad. If you cant get hold of vegetarian parmesan, simply use exchange for a different cheese (cheddar would be fine), or omit the cheese altogether for a vegan version. I got my capers from Suma. This is a recipe for the Suma Bloggers Network! Ingredients (serves 2) 1 large potato 2 courgettes 2 cloves of garlic 200g risotto rice 1 medium glass of white wine 1tsp bullion powder Handful of cherry tomatoes Handful of fresh parsley 1tbsp capers Salt and pepper Vegetarian parmesan or a similar hard cheese (optional) 1tbsp breadcrumbs (or vegan breadcrumbs) Extra virgin olive oil Method Pop the oven onto 150 degrees. Peel the potato before slicing into thin slices (about 0.5 cm thick or less). Slice the courgettes on an angle so they are also about 0.5 cm thick. Add a glug of olive oil, rice, bullion power, chopped parsley, wine and capers to a bowl. Slice the tomatoes in half and mince the garlic and add these as well with a grind of salt and pepper. Mix well. Grease an oven proof dish with some olive oil. I used a six inch pyrex bowl. Now you a ready to layer the ingredients. Lay out half of the potatoes on the bottom layer. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Then a layer of half of the courgettes. Then add the rice mixture and then another layer of the remaining courgettes on top. Season with a bit more salt and pepper and another drizzle of olive oil. Then add the remaining potatoes on top. Add yet another drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle with bread crumbs and vegetarian parmesan (if using) and add another good grind of pepper. Put into the oven to bake for 40 minutes.

Advert – Falafel served with Spicy Aubergine & Tomato Salad

August 6 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

This is a recipe sent to me from Cauldron Foods Ingredients: 1 Pack of Cauldron Falafels 2 Aubergines 4 Large Tomatoes 100ml Olive Oil 2-3 Cloves Garlic, Crushed 1 Tsp Harissa Paste 1 Tbsp Chopped Parsley 1 Small Bunch Coriander Juice of 1 Lemon 1 Tsp Ground Cumin Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper Pitta Bread to Serve Method Heat the oven to 180°C/­350°F/­gas mark 4. Bake the aubergines for about 40 minutes until soft when pressed. Half way through the cooking time place the tomatoes in an ovenproof dish, pour over half the olive oil and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the aubergines and tomatoes from the oven and leave until cool enough to handle. Using a sharp knife halve the aubergines , scoop out the flesh and chop to a pulp. Skin the tomatoes, deseed and chop the flesh. Heat the rest of the oil in a heavy based pan, add the garlic and fry until it begins to colour, stirring constantly. Add the tomatoes and harissa and cook over a medium heat for 5-8 minutes until thick and pulpy. Add the aubergines, parsley and coriander. Stir in the lemon juice and cumin then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Tip into a serving dish and serve warm or at room temperature with the warmed pitta bread and Cauldron Falafels

BBQ halloumi with mango salsa in a brioche bun

August 1 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

This is the perfect vegetarian option at barbeques on warm summer evenings. Ingredients 1 pack of halloumi 1 ripe mango 1 small red onion 1 fresh red chilli 1 lime Handful of fresh coriander 4 brioche buns Method There are many different ways of stoning a mango. I find the way that works for me is peeling off the flesh with a vegetable peeler and then chopping away the flesh from the stone. Im sure there are much better methods than mine! Put the mango flesh, the onion and red chilli into a food processor. Give it a quick blast so everything is roughly chopped up before putting in a bowl. Add the juice of one lime and a handful of roughly chopped coriander. Mix well. Grill the halloumi on a BBQ for about three minutes on each side so it is nicely charred. Put the halloumi into a brioche bun with a dollop of the mango salsa and enjoy!

Miso glazed aubergines – nasu dengaku

July 18 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

The aubergines absorb the lovely sweet and umami miso flavours making a unique and delicious tasting dish. The aubergine skins become quite tough when baked in the oven. I think this works well as it adds a contrast in the texture for the dish, but if youre not too keen on aubergine skins, simply peel of some of the skin length wise in a stripy pattern so about half of the skin is remaining. Ingredients (serves 2) 1 large aubergine 2tbsp sweet white miso 1tbsp mirin 1tbsp sake 1tsp honey 1/­­2 tsp salt 1tsp sesame seeds Method Turn the oven on to 180 degrees. Cut the aubergines into 1 1/­­2 cm round slices. Score the flesh in each aubergine so it forms a checker pattern (try not to score too deeply so you cut through all the flesh). Lightly oil a baking try and place the aubergines on the tray and bake for about 15 minutes. While the aubergines are cooking, combine the miso, mirin, sake, salt and honey in a bowl and mix well. After the aubergines have cooked through, using a pastry brush, paste the aubergine flesh on both sides with the miso glaze. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on to each slice and then pop back in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve warm with some simple noodles or rice.

Spiced cornbread

June 25 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

Really easy to make and great for sharing. While it goes really well with soups and stews, it is also great for taking on picnics as it will transfer well wrapped in a kitchen cloth. Ingredients 40g butter 3 shallots, finely chopped 2 chillies, thinly sliced 200g coarse cornmeal (polenta) 200g plain flour 2 tsp baking power 3 eggs 100ml whole milk 200g sweetcorn 100g manchego cheese, or similar, grated Method Heat the oven to 180C/­350F/­gas mark 4 and grease a shallow cake tin of about 20cm diameter. Melt the butter in a pan and lightly fry the shallots. After about 10 minutes add the thinly sliced chillies and cook for another couple of minutes. Combine the cornmeal, flour and baking power in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs with the milk before slowly adding to the flour mix while stirring. Add the cooked shallot mix and sweetcorn kernels and make sure everything is combined well. Transfer to the tin and bake for 20 minutes, then sprinkle the cheese on top and cook for a further 10-15 minutes.

Olive, rosemary and goats cheese muffins

June 18 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

Savoury muffins are a great alternative to sandwiches for picnics as they transport a lot better, dont get soggy and dont have a tendency to spill everywhere. Ingredients 2tsp of baking powder 250g of plain flour 50g of cheddar, grated 3 free-range eggs 40mls milk 50ml olive oil 2tbsp fresh rosemary 100g good pitted olives 150g goats cheese Butter for greasing Salt and pepper Method Pop the oven onto 180 degrees and grease some muffin cases with a bit of butter. Combine the baking powder, flour and cheddar in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs before adding to the flour mix along with the milk and olive oil and season well. Finely slice most of the rosemary and slice the olives before adding to the dough. Give it a good mix - it might be quite messy and sticky. Divide about two thirds of the dough among the muffin cases. Cut the goats cheese up and divide the goats cheese among the muffins (on top of the dough that youve already put in the muffin cases). Add the remaining mixture on top of the goats cheese. Sprinkle any leftover rosemary on top. Put in the oven for about 15 - 20 minutes.

Garden vegetable pasta

June 11 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

You dont necessarily need fresh peas or broad beans for this dish - the frozen ones work just as well although you will need to slightly thaw the broad beans before taking the skins off. I think this pasta dish is best eaten in the garden on a warm summers evening with a good glass of dry white wine. Ingredients 200g peas 100g broad beans 100g runner beans 2 courgettes 100g spinach 1 lemon (unwaxed) 400g pasta 50g cream cheese 3 cloves of garlic Salt and pepper 1tbpn olive oil Vegetarian alternative to parmesan (to serve) Method Slice the garlic and fry lightly in the oil before adding the finely sliced courgette. The courgette takes the longest to cook out of all the vegetables that will be used in this dish so while it is frying on a light heat, start taking the skins off the broad beans. You dont have to do this if you are short on time, but I think they work better in this dish without the skins. Once the courgette has cooked for about 10 minutes, heat a separate pan with boiling, salted water and add the pasta. After the pasta has been on for about five minutes, add the peas, shelled broad beans, spinach and runner beans to the frying pan with the courgettes in. Once the pasta is cooked to your liking, drain and add to the vegetable pan along with the juice of lemon, cream cheese and a good grind of salt and pepper. Mix well and serve with a bit of grated lemon skin and a some shavings of vegetarian style parmesan.

Allotment stew with parsley dumplings

June 4 2014 The Everyday Vegetarian UK 

Ingredients (serves 4) 200g broad beans 200g runner beans 2 large courgettes 200g peas 2 large onions 1 fennel bulb 150g mangetout 3 cloves of garlic 200mls good vegetable stock 50mls double cream 1 glass of white wine Juice of one lemon Cooking oil 200g self-raising flour 100g butter cut in pieces 75g mature cheddar, finely grated 3tbsp finely chopped parsley Salt and pepper Method Start by frying the sliced onion and garlic in some oil in a casserole dish. When the onion is translucent, add the sliced courgettes and fennel and cook for about 10 minutes. Then add the broad beans, runner beans, peas, mangetout vegetable stock, wine, cream, the juice of one lemon and seasoning. Turn the heat down and cook for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the dumplings by rubbing the flour and butter together to form breadcrumbs. Then add the grated cheddar and parsley and a touch of water making a soft dough. Divide into little balls and carefully dot on top of the stew. Put the stew in the oven for about 20 minutes until the dumplings are golden brown.