Vegetarian Dishes

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 220˚C/fan 200˚C.

2. Place the capsicums, eggplant and onion in a bowl, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Toss everything together well then scatter into a shallow baking dish and bake for 25 minutes.

3. Remove the dish from the oven, turn the vegetables, then cook for a further 5–10 minutes, or until well softened and lightly browned.

4. Remove the dish from the oven, stir in the garlic, basil and tomatoes, arrange the halloumi on top, drizzle with the remaining oil, season with more ground black pepper and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes, or until the halloumi is hot and lightly browned.

5. Scatter with more fresh basil to serve.

Notes

• If you don’t have canned tomatoes with added herbs, simply stir ½ teaspoon dried oregano through the tomatoes before adding to the vegetables.

• Per serving: 321 cals, Protein 16 g, Fat 22 g, Fibre 5 g, Carbs 12 g.

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan and gently fry the onion, pepper and courgette for 5 minutes, or until softened and beginning to brown, stirring regularly.

2. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the tomatoes are softened, stirring constantly.

3. Add the lentils, crumbled stock cube and 2-3 tablespoons water. Stir in the pesto and season with lots of ground black pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes more, or until the lentils are hot, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with the cheese to serve.

Notes

• For a zingier dish, use fresh basil pesto (found in tubs in the chilled cabinet at the supermarket). It keeps for several days in the fridge and can be frozen, too.

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 475 degrees. In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Fry the garlic until it's lightly golden, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste (be careful of splattering) and fry for 30 seconds, reducing the heat as needed to prevent the garlic from burning.

2. Add the beans, water and generous pinches of salt and pepper and stir to combine. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top, then bake until the cheese has melted and browned in spots, 5 to 10 minutes. If the top is not as toasted as you’d like, run the skillet under the broiler for a minute or 2. Serve at once.

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan. Gently fry the onion, apple and garlic along with a pinch of salt for 8-10 minutes, until the mixture has softened.

2. Add the curry powder, bouillon, garam masala, miso and 400ml of boiled water to the onion. Simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Lightly oil a baking tray. Tip the flour into a shallow bowl. Crack the eggs into another; beat with a fork. Season the flour and eggs well. Tip 2 packs of breadcrumbs into a third shallow bowl.

4. Dust the sweet potato with flour, shaking off any excess. Dip in egg, then breadcrumbs, until coated. Lay the slices in a single layer on the baking tray (use a second tray if needed). Drizzle with oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning over halfway, until just tender and golden brown.

5. Meanwhile, when the sauce has cooked for 10 minutes, tip the cornflour into a mug. Mix with 1 tbsp of cold water. Stir into the sauce; simmer for 4-5 minutes, to thicken. Add the sugar and season to taste. Remove from the heat.

6. Rinse the rice and cook for 10-12 minutes until tender.

7. Reheat the sauce. Drain the cooked rice. Serve, topped with the sweet potato and sauce. Squeeze over lime, to taste.

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta in a big pan with salt.

2. Slice the courgette in small squares. Put it in another pan with a little bit of olive oil (a bit as you don’t want to fry it, only toast it). Keep stirring the courgette until it’s toasted. Once it’s toasted, add more olive oil and put the sliced garlic until it’s golden. Add salt and red pepper flakes.

3. When the pasta is cooked, put inside the courgette and garlic pan and mix it.

4. Once served in a plate, add parmesan cheese on top.

5. Ready to eat.

Instructions

1. Roughly chop your shallots and celery and add them to your food processor. Blitz them to tiny bitz. Alternately, you could finely chop both.

2. Add half the butter along with the olive oil to a large pot over medium low heat. Once the butter is melted, add your shallot and celery, and cook, stirring frequently for about five minutes to soften the veggies.

3. If you're using canned or box stock, add it to a saucepan and bring it to a bare simmer. If you're using a stock cube to which you'll be adding boiling water, it will be hot enough.

4. Next, stir the rice in with the veggies so that each grain is coated in the butter and oil.

5. Add a ladleful of stock to the rice pot, and stir until the stock is absorbed. Keep adding the stock, one ladle at a time, and stirring until it's absorbed before adding another. Continue this process for about 20 minutes. You want your rice al dente. You might not use all your stock. Conversely, you might need to add a bit of water. Taste as you go until it's the way you like.

6. Next, stir in your lemon zest and chopped rosemary. Take the pot off the heat.

7. In a small bowl, add the egg yolk, lemon juice, parmesan cheese and cream. Whisk this together, then stir it into your risotto. Give it a taste and add salt and pepper to taste.

8. Serve hot with an extra sprinkle of Parmesan.

Instructions

1. In the stock pot, melt butter over medium heat.

2. Saute the onions for 5 minutes.

3. Add the mushrooms and saute for another 5 minutes (until they have reduced by 1/3 and released some liquid).

4. Stir in dill, paprika, soy sauce and broth – stirring well to combine.

5. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally.

6. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, whisk together flour and milk. Pour into the soup, stirring well to blend.

7. Cover and simmer an additional 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8. Stir in salt, pepper, lemon juice, parsley and sour cream. Mix well, and allow soup to heat through over a low flame (5 or less minutes) but be sure not to bring to a boil! (The cream will curdle).

9. Serve immediately with a small dollop of sour cream, or allow to cool and refrigerate for later.

Instructions

1. Peel, cube, and roast 1/2 of a medium butternut squash until tender.

2. Cut kernels off of four ears of corn. Set kernels aside.

3. Simmer corn cobs in 3-4 cups of broth.

4. Sautee corn kernels and four whole cloves of garlic butter and a bit of olive oil with 1t sugar until lightly caramelized.

5. Add half a finely diced onion and chopped fresh jalapeño, cook until onion and jalapeño are soft.

6. Remove corn cobs from broth and let cool.

7. Add cooked butternut squash and broth to corn mixture and cook for a bit to let flavors marry.

8. Once cool enough to handle, wring out corn cobs, squeezing all juice into the soup.

9. Remove 1 cup of the corn into a separate container.

10. Blend remaining veggies until smooth.

11. Return to pan, add back in corn and 1cup heavy cream, stir to combine.

12. Squeeze in one lime wedge, add cayenne, salt and pepper to taste and garnish with cilantro.

Instructions

1. Wash the basmati rice and soak in room temperature water for 30 minutes.

2. Bring water to boil (for the rice) and add cumin seeds and the black cardamom, peppercorns and long peppercorns mixture to the water.

3. Once the water for the rice has boiled, drain the rice and add to the boiling water. Add 2 tablespoons of salt. The water should taste very salty. Once the rice is ¾ cooked, remove from the stove and drain.

4. In another pan fry the carrots, half the spring onions, potatoes, and cauliflower for 5 minutes.

5. Add turmeric, garlic, ginger, cumin, garam masala, coriander powder, red chili and salt to the vegetables. Fry on medium heat for 5 minutes with the lid on.

6. Add the defrosted frozen peas, chopped tomatoes and yogurt to the vegetables.

7. Check the spices and add more if needed.

8. Place the lemons, mint leaves, dried onions, rest of the green onions and coriander on top of the vegetable mixture.

9. Add the rice on top of the vegetables. Put the lid on the pot and leave on high heat for 5 minutes and then reduce to low heat for 20 minutes.

10. Lift the lid and mix the rice and vegetable mixture together.

11. Serve with raita and a salad of your choice. (Vegetable samosas and pakoras totally optional but encouraged!)

12. Say a prayer of gratitude and enjoy!

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 230°C fan.

2. Put the chestnut and oyster mushrooms into the large bowl of a food processor in three or four batches and pulse each batch until finely chopped (or finely chop everything by hand). Toss the chopped mushrooms in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons of oil and 1 teaspoon of salt and spread out on a large, 40cm x 35cm parchment-lined, rimmed baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes near the top of the oven, stirring three times throughout, until the mushrooms are golden-brown; they will have reduced in volume significantly. Set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 200°C fan.

3. Meanwhile, combine the dried mushrooms, chillies and hot stock in a large bowl and set aside to soak for half an hour. Strain the liquid into another bowl, squeezing as much liquid from the mushrooms as possible to get about 340ml: if you have any less, top up with water. Very roughly chop the rehydrated mushrooms (you want some chunks) and finely chop the chillies. Set the stock and mushrooms aside separately.

4. Put the onion, garlic and carrot into the food processor and pulse until finely chopped (or finely chop everything by hand). Heat 60ml of oil in a large sauté pan or pot on a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion mixture and fry for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden. Pulse the tomatoes in the food processor until finely chopped (or finely chop by hand), then add to the pan along with the tomato paste, 1½ teaspoons of salt and 1¾ teaspoons of freshly cracked black pepper. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rehydrated mushrooms and chillies and the roasted mushrooms and cook for 9 minutes, resisting the urge to stir: you want the mushrooms to be slightly crisp and browned on the bottom. Stir in the reserved stock and 800ml of water and, once simmering, reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you get the consistency of a ragù. Stir in 100ml of the cream and simmer for another 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.

5. Combine both cheeses and both herbs in a small bowl. To assemble the lasagne, spread one-fifth of the sauce in the bottom of a round 28cm baking dish (or a 30cm x 20cm rectangular dish), then top with a fifth of the cheese mixture, followed by a layer of lasagne sheets, broken to fit where necessary. Repeat these layers three more times in that order, and finish with a final layer of sauce and cheese: that’s five layers of sauce and cheese and four layers of pasta.

6. Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of cream and 1 tablespoon of oil, then cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil, increase the temperature to 220°C fan and bake for another 12 minutes, turning the dish round halfway. Turn the oven to the grill setting and grill for a final 2 minutes, until the edges are brown and crisp. Set aside to cool for 5 or so minutes, then drizzle over the remaining tablespoon of cream and oil. Sprinkle over the remaining parsley, finish with a good grind of pepper and serve.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. To make the chermoula, mix together in a small bowl the garlic, cumin, coriander, chili, paprika, preserved lemon, two-thirds of the olive oil, and ½ teaspoon salt.

3. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Score the flesh of each half with deep, diagonal crisscross cuts, making sure not to pierce the skin. Spoon the chermoula over each half, spreading it evenly, and place the eggplant halves on a baking sheet, cut side up. Put in the oven and roast for 40 minutes, or until the eggplants are completely soft.

4. Meanwhile, place the bulgur in a large bowl and cover with the boiling water.

5. Soak the raisins in the warm water. After 10 minutes, drain the raisins and add them to the bulgur, along with the remaining oil. Add the herbs, olives, almonds, green onions, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt if necessary.

6. Serve the eggplants warm or at room temperature. Place ½ eggplant, cut side up, on each individual plate. Spoon the bulgur on top, allowing some to fall from both sides. Spoon over some yogurt, sprinkle with cilantro and finish with a drizzle of oil.

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the turmeric, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons oil. Gently, drop in the cubes of paneer and gently toss, taking care not to break the cubes if you're using the homemade kind. Let the cubes marinate while you get the rest of your ingredients together and prepped.

2. Thaw the spinach in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish, 5 minutes on high, then puree in a food processor until smooth. Alternatively, you can chop it up very finely with your knife.

3. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the paneer as the pan warms. In a couple of minutes give the pan a toss; each piece of paneer should be browned on one side. Fry another minute or so, and then remove the paneer from the pan onto a plate.

4. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Add the onions, ginger, garlic and chile. Now here's the important part: saute the mixture until it's evenly toffee-coloured, which should take about 15 minutes. Don't skip this step - this is the foundation of the dish! If you feel like the mixture is drying out and burning, add a couple of tablespoons of water.

5. Add the garam masala, coriander and cumin. If you haven't already, sprinkle a little water to keep the spices from burning. Cook, stirring often, until the raw scent of the spices cook out, and it all smells a bit more melodious, 3 to 5 minutes.

6. Add the spinach and stir well, incorporating the spiced onion mixture into the spinach. Add a little salt and 1/2 cup of water, stir, and cook about 5 minutes with the lid off.

7. Turn the heat off. Add the yogurt, a little at a time to keep it from curdling. Once the yogurt is well mixed into the spinach, add the paneer. Turn the heat back on, cover and cook until everything is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Serve.