Tomato Artichoke Soup

I was working from home one day and wanted a fast, healthy lunch. This is what I came up with.

Ingredients:

olive oil

½ vegetable stock cube

1 tin tomatoes

½ tin artichoke hearts (bottoms would probably do well too)

1 cup rice milk

pine nuts

pumpkin seed oil

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil and add the stock cube, breaking it up.

2. Add the tomatoes and artichokes (I used about half the tin and saved the other half for pizza, but feel free to use more or less). Cook for 5-10 min.

3. Add the milk and blend with a hand mixer.

4. Warm a few more minutes, then serve topped with pine nuts and a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil.

Aubergine with Garden Veg

Originally I was inspired by a Middle Eastern recipe, but then we had lots of fresh garden veg that M had grown that we needed to use, so this turned into something completely different, but tasty.

 

Ingredients:

2 aubergines

olive oil

salt

mint

1 onion or 2 shallots

4 cloves garlic

1 courgette

6-8 runner beans

8-10 cherry tomatoes and/or 1-2 large tomatoes

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp sugar

½ cup water

 

Instructions:

1. Wash the aubergines and halve them. Warm some oil in a frying pan and fry the aubergines on each side for 4-5 minutes over medium heat. Add some salt and mint when you turn the aubergines over.

2. Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion and garlic. Wash and slice or chop the courgette, beans, and tomatoes.

3. Remove the aubergines from the pan, then add the other veg and more olive oil. Cook it for a few minutes, adding more mint and a dash of salt, plus the lemon juice and sugar.

4. Add the aubergines to the pan again, along with the water and more olive oil (3-5 tbsp oil). Cover with the lid and leave to simmer for 15 minutes.

5. Check the aubergines. If not tender, leave to cook longer, adding more water and/or oil as needed.

6. Serve on its own or over rice.

Vegan Bolognese Sauce

Have this over pasta or couscous. Top with vegan cheese if desired.

 

Ingredients:

200 g dried lentils

water or stock (vegetable stock gives it a really nice flavour)

1 onion

olive oil

3 garlic cloves

2 stalks celery

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 pinch salt

 

Instructions:

1. Rinse the lentils and boil them in about three times the amount of water or stock for 20-25 minutes, until tender. Drain if necessary.

2. Peel and dice the onion and cook lightly in oil.

3. Peel and chop the garlic and chop the celery, and add to the onion. Cook a few more minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes and lentils and cook another 10 minutes.

5. Season with salt.

Vegan Cauliflower Gratin

You can adapt this to any vegetable/s  you like.

 

Ingredients:

olive oil

1 cauliflower

1 sweet potato

tofu (I only used about 100 g, since M can’t really eat soya products, but you can have more)

2 cups vegan cream sauce

50 g vegan cheese, such as by Vegusto

 

Instructions:

1. Lightly oil an oven-safe dish.

2. Wash the cauliflower and break it into florets. Peel and thinly slice the potato.

3. Dice the tofu.

4. Mix the vegetables and tofu and place into the dish.

5. Pour in the cream sauce.

6. Grate or chop some cheese and sprinkle it over the dish.

7. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 190 C.

Sweet Potato and Greens Pie

I had a sweet potato that I needed to use, plus fresh chard from our garden, so I made a sweet potato and greens pie.

 

Ingredients:
1 onion
2-3 cloves garlic, optional, depending on taste
2-4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar

2 pounds greens (spinach, chard, cabbage, etc.) (if fresh, it should be washed carefully, and if frozen, it should be well thawed)

1 sweet potato

handful of black olives

1 dash salt

black pepper
1 package filo dough

Instructions:

1. Dice the onion. Mince the garlic, if using it. Preheat the oven to 190 C.
2. Gently fry the onion in some of the olive oil until golden, then add the garlic, if using it. Add the sugar so the onions caramelise.
3. Defrost the greens, if frozen, or steam it, if fresh. Add to the onion and garlic.
4. Thinly slice the sweet potato.
5. Chop the olives. Mix them into the greens. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Lightly oil a casserole dish. Line it with three sheets of filo, layered over one another so that the pieces hang over the edges of the dish.
7. Spread out some of the filling on top of the filo. Layer potato slices on top.
8. Place another sheet or two on top, then some more filling, then more potatoes. Repeat until the filling is all used up and then cover it with another sheet of dough. Brush it lightly with olive oil and tuck any excess edges in.
9. Bake the pie for 25-40 minutes, checking after about 20 minutes to see how golden and ready it is.
10. Serve and enjoy!

Mexican Pie

I get a newsletter from VegNews, which always has an interesting vegan recipe. A recent one included tamale pie and while I couldn’t get all the ingredients here (in a small city in the UK without a Mexican population) and others weren’t to our taste, I adapted the idea and made a Mexican-style pie.

Ingredients:

 

pastry

1 vegetable stock cube

2 cups boiling water

2 cups fine cornmeal

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ cup vegetable oil

2 tsp mint

1 dash lemon juice

 

filling

2 red onions

3 garlic cloves

oil

1 tsp honey

5 mushrooms

1 pepper

2 cups spinach

1 tin/package black beans

½ cup frozen or tinned corn

1 tin peeled tomatoes

1 tsp salt

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp parsley

1 tsp chilli flakes, if desired

 

Instructions:

1. Put the stock cube in the water.

2. Mix all the other pastry ingredients and then add the vegetable stock. Stir well.

3. Press half of the pastry mixture into the bottom and sides of an oven-safe dish and bake for 10 minutes at 180 C.

4. Peel and dice the onions and garlic. Fry lightly in the oil and honey.

5. Brush and slice the mushrooms. Wash and chop the pepper. Add them and the spinach to the frying pan.

6. Drain the beans and add them, the corn, the tomatoes (not drained, so add the juice too), and the spices.

7. Stir and warm through for a few minutes.

8. Pour the filling over the pastry. Spoon the rest of the pastry over it and smooth out.

9. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 180 C.

Vegan Tortillas

Ingredients:

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

oil

1 tsp sugar or agave

1 tin butter or other beans

1 ripe avocado

1-2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp mint and/or coriander

1 pinch salt

2 tbsp Oatly or soya cream

6 tortillas

 

 

Instructions:

1. Peel and chop the onion and garlic, then fry lightly in oil. Add sugar or agave to caramelise.

2. Add the beans.

3. Mash the avocado with the lemon juice, mint/coriander, salt, and cream.

4. Pill the beans and guacamole in the tortillas.

Spinach Swirl

This looks pretty for guests, and is so simple.

 

Ingredients:

2 shallots or 1 onion

2 cloves garlic

olive oil

2 cups spinach

1 tin salmon or 1 package tofu

onion seeds

smoked paprika

pepper

salt

1 package phyllo dough

 

Instructions:

1. Peel and chop the shallots and garlic. Fry lightly in oil.

2. Add the spinach and defrost if frozen or wilt if fresh.

3. Mix in the salmon or tofu.

4. Season with the onion seeds, paprika, pepper, and salt.

5. Place half of the phyllos sheets out. Spread the top one with half the spinach mixture.

6. Place the rest of the sheets on top and spread with the remainder of the mixture.

7. Roll from one end to the other and then fold in the ends of the sheets.

8. Brush lightly with oil.

9. Bake at 200 C for 20 minutes, until golden.

Courgette and Carrot Fritters

These taste quite like potato pancakes (latkes) but are healthier and a touch sweeter. Great for a chilly evening, especially dabbed with sour cream or Oatly cream.

 

Ingredients:

1 onion or 2 shallots

2 carrots

1 courgette

¾ cup flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp mint, if desired

2 eggs

oil

 

Instructions:

1. Grate the veg together into a bowl.

2. Whisk the dry ingredients together, then add to the veg.

3. Add the eggs. Stir well.

4. Fry until golden on both sides in oil in a frying pan.

Matzoh Ball Soup

Ingredients:

1-2 carrots

1 celery stalk

1 onion

1 vegetable stock cube

water (about 6-8 cups)

matzoh balls (see previous recipe)

 

Instructions:

1. Peel and chop the vegetables and cook with the stock cube in water.

2. Add the matzoh balls and cook for 10-30 minutes, depending on size, until they are cooked and fluffy.

3. Serve and eat.

Beetroot Patties

I randomly took The Nordic Diet by Trina Hahnemann out of the library awhile back. The book annoyed me with the way she constantly bangs on about smaller portions, healthy eating, no dessert (well, few desserts), exercise, etc, as though we didn’t already know all that. But nonetheless, a couple of the recipes struck me as new and interesting.

 

So I made my own version of her beetroot patties (which she serves with barley, which probably tells you all you need to know!). They’re great with mayonnaise, served with watercress and over couscous.

 

It helps to wear gloves when working with beetroot – we keep a stock of disposable plastic gloves, which we use when cooking with beetroot and other vegetables that stain easily.

 

Ingredients:

500 g beetroot

1 shallot

4 tbsp parsley

½ cup oatmeal

3 eggs

1 tsp salt

1 dash sesame oil (or other oil)

 

Instructions:

1. Peel and grate the beetroot.

2. Peel and dice the shallot. Wash and chop the parsley.

3. Mix all the ingredients together. Shape into patties (this recipe makes about 8).

4. Bake for 15 minutes at 180 C. Turn over and bake for another 5-10 minutes.

Vegan Pot Pie

I’ve posted a pot pie recipe before, but this time I made it completely vegan and in filo dough.

 

I also had leftover chestnuts, so I added them in for extra texture and flavour.

 

Ingredients:

2-3 carrots and/or parsnips, chopped into pieces

water or rice milk

1 celery stalk, chopped

1-2 cups frozen veggies (peas and corn are great)

2-3 garlic cloves, optional (for some extra flavour, I used black garlic)

1-2 stalks spring onion

1/3 cup flour

2/3 cup rice milk

1 vegetable stock cube

salt

black pepper

1 package filo dough (about 270 g)

 

Instructions:

1. Peel and dice the carrots and/or parsnips, then cook the pieces over medium heat until slightly soft in water or milk to cover (about 10 minutes).

2. Wash and chop the celery. Add it and the other veggies. Cook briefly, until defrosted.

3. Chop the garlic and onion and add it to the pan..

4. Add the flour, milk, stock cube, salt, and pepper. Cook a bit more over medium heat, stirring.

5. Put some filo on the bottom of a pan (if you want, you can bake it for 2-3 minutes first). Top it with the filling.

6. Add the rest of the filo on top.

7. Bake for 30 min at 220 C, until golden.

Watercress and Leek Soup

I was inspired by a recipe in the October 2012 volume of Vegetarian Living, but as usual, I adapted it for our tastes. It’s really sweet and tasty, perfect for a cold night, and great with some homemade bread. This recipe makes enough for two, but it’s easily multiplied.

 

Ingredients:

oil

1 red onion

1 leek

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 vegetable stock cube

5-6 cups water

75 g pea shoots

75 g watercress

1/8 – ¼ cup cream (I use Oatly oat cream)

 

Instructions:

1. Warm the oil in a saucepan. Peel and dice the onion and leek and lightly cook them in the oil. Add the maple syrup and caramelise.

2. Add the stock cube and break it up, cook for a couple of minutes, then add the water and cook for 5-8 minutes.

3. Add the shoots and watercress and cook for another 5 or so minutes.

4. Blend with a hand blender until smooth, then stir in the cream.

Hummus

Maybe it’s the heat, but lately I’ve been feeling like minimal cooking, so I’ve been making lots of spreads. The latest was hummus. Ingredients: 1 tin chickpeas (about 400 g) 2 cloves of garlic (or more, if you prefer) 3-4 tbsp tahini juice from 1 lemon (or 2-3 tbsp lemon juice) 5-6 tbsp olive oil (use more for a looser, smoother spread, or less for a stickier spread) 1-2 tbsp fresh parsley spices (I use cinnamon and smoked sweet paprika, but cumin is also common) salt and pepper to taste Instructions: 1. Drain the chickpeas and rinse well. 2. Blend all the ingredients except the salt and pepper in a food processor. Then season to taste. 3. Serve with vegetables or pita bread.

Easy Lunch

I know this sounds a bit odd, but I had a leftover baked potato (already baked, I mean) and I didn’t quite know what to have it with. I sliced some beautiful fresh tomatoes and squirted a dab of mayonnaise on it and ground some black pepper on top, and it was really tasty! I’d recommend the combination.

Light Lunch

Usually about once a week, I work from home. You might think this sounds ideal and that I loaf around on the sofa, but that’s actually not how the day goes. I work harder from home than I do from the office because there are in some ways fewer distractions. I don’t have meetings to attend, I don’t run into people every time I nip down the hallway to the loo, I don’t have students knocking on my door, and so on. Instead, I just sit at my computer and work (except for short breaks to make another cup of rooibos tea).

I certainly don’t take the time to make myself a big lunch. My staple lunches include matzoh topped with crunchy peanut butter and slices of banana or grilled cheese sandwiches. For the latter, I’ve lately been adding slices of Cheatin’ Meat for a little extra protein and I put the cheese and “meat” on hearty rye bread or whole-grain pita (such as Food Doctor’s cereal pita) before toasting or grilling it for a few minutes.

I end up with a fast, light, healthy lunch that doesn’t take time away from my work.