Avgolemono Soup

This is such a soothing, easy soup, and it has a lovely, spring-like lemony flavour. It’s traditionally eaten in Greece and I can remember having it at Greek restaurants when I was a child. It would always be followed by a plate full of lamb, which obviously I forgo these days!

Ingredients:
75 g rice (I used brown basmati)
water
2 onions
olive oil
1 vegetable stock cube
1 lemon
3 eggs

Instructions:
1. Cook the rice in the water in a soup pot, according to directions.
2. Chop the onions and then fry them lightly in the oil in a frying pan.
3. When the rice is almost ready, add the onions, along with the stock cube. Add another ½ l of water.
4. Squeeze the lemon juice into the pot.
5. In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Then pour them into the soup, stirring the whole time. Do not let them boil.
6. Serve.

Quotes on Vegetarianism

How can you eat anything with eyes?

Will Kellog

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Pancakes

Since we’ve been on a gluten-free kick lately (which does seem to have had a positive effect on my seemingly irritated skin), I’ve been trying to re-make some of my old recipes without the gluten. I like to make pancakes on the weekend; something about the act of putting batter together and frying up a stack of hot cakes signals a lazy weekend to me (never mind the fact that after eating the pancakes, I immediately head to work!).

Ingredients:
3 tbsp butter
¾ cup oatmeal
1½ cups yogurt
¾ cup gluten-free flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 cardamom pods (or ½ tsp ground cardamom)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup raisins
1 egg (or 2 egg whites)
oil

Instructions:
1. Melt the butter.
2. Mix the oatmeal, yogurt, spelt flour, baking powder, and baking soda together.
3. Crush the cardamom in a mortar and pestle and add it, the cinnamon, vanilla, sugar, and raisins, to the oatmeal mixture.
4. Lightly beat the egg. Mix it and the melted butter into the mixture. Stir until just blended.
5. Fry spoonfuls of the mixture in oil until golden on both sides.

Tomato Tart

This is a very easy and tasty tart. I made it twice in one weekend! The flavours all work together very well.

Ingredients:
1 portion pastry (see previous recipes)
3 onions
oil
1 tbsp sugar
1 portion olive tapenade (see previous recipe)
400 g cherry tomatoes
black pepper
sea salt
olive oil
70 g pine nuts

Instructions:
1. Place the pastry in a casserole dish.
2. Dice the onions and fry in oil. Add sugar and caramelise.
3. Blind-bake the pastry for 5 minutes at 180 C.
4. Spread a layer of olive tapenade on the pastry. Top with the onions.
5. Wash and halve the tomatoes. Place on top of the onions.
6. Sprinkle with black pepper, salt, and olive oil.
7. Bake at 200 C for 15 minutes.
8. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top. Bake for another 5-8 minutes.

Olive Tapenade

I used this in a tart (see next recipe), but it would also be great with rolls or bread sticks, as a starter. You can adjust the level of garlickyness depending on your own preferences.

Ingredients:
4-6 cloves garlic
170 g black olives, pitted
2 tbsp olive oil
1 dash sea salt

Instructions:
1. Peel the garlic and chop. Chop the olives (this just makes it easier for the hand mixer; you can keep them whole).
2. Blend the ingredients together with a hand mixture until fairly smooth, with just a hint of texture.

Simple Gluten-free Pastry

I made two tarts one recent weekend. They were identical except for the pastry. One was gluten-free. M said the gluten-free one tasted slightly sweeter. I thought it was a bit grainier. They both worked well in the dish, so I was very pleased.

Ingredients:
1 cup gluten-free flour
125 g butter
1 egg

Instructions:
1. Mix the flour and butter until it looks like breadcrumbs, but still has some lumps in it.
2. Add in the egg and beat again.
3. Wrap in cling film and chill for about 30 minutes before using it.

Simple Pastry

Simple Pastry

This is a good basis for any savoury tart or pie or even for some sweet ones. You can even add shredded cheese to the mixture, which turns crispy when baked.

Ingredients:
¾ cup flour
100 g butter
1 egg

Instructions:
1. Mix the flour and butter until it looks like breadcrumbs, but still has some lumps in it.
2. Add in the egg and beat again.
3. Wrap in cling film and chill for about 30 minutes before using it.

Veggie Crumble

Fruit crumbles are so easy to make and they’re a tasty, healthy end to a meal. So why not a veggie crumble? It’s the same concept. Lots of veg topped with a yummy crumble, perhaps with cheese and/or seeds in it. It’s really easy to vary both the filling and the crumble topping, so you could happily make many different veggie crumbles.

Ingredients:
900 g vegetables (I used a combination of potatoes, parsnips, peas, spring onions, and carrots, but any combination could work)
1 l vegetable stock (or milk, if you prefer that sort of taste)
parsley, tarragon, mustard, black pepper, or other spices
75 g flour (I used spelt flour)
50 g butter
2 tbsp seeds (I used poppy seeds)

Instructions:
1. Peel, wash, and chop the vegetables as needed.
2. Cook the vegetables in the liquid and season with the spices.
3. Blend the butter and flour, but leave some lumps. Mix in the seeds.
4. Pour the veg into a casserole dish, then top with the crumble.
5. Bake for 25 minutes at 200 C.

Fish and Prawn Pie

Yes, this is a vegetarian blog. But as I wrote in the last post, I sometimes make fish dishes. I made this fish and prawn pie a few weeks ago when we had a friend over. I’ll make a prawn-less version for a seafood-averse friend’s birthday later this month. It got good reviews, so I thought it was worth posting anyway.

Ingredients:
oil
300-400 g puff pastry
50 g butter
50 g flour
3 tsp ground mustard
300 ml liquid (I used a combination of single cream and milk, but stock, wine, cider, or ale could be used as well)
100 g frozen peas (or peas and/or corn)
200 g frozen prawns
1 onion
500 g fish (I used cod and smoked, undyed haddock)
black pepper

Instructions:
1. Oil a casserole dish. Roll out the pastry and place it in the dish so the sides hang over (you will use them to fold over the fish).
2. Melt the butter over low heat in a large pot and then make a roux by adding the flour and mustard to it. Add the liquid and mix well.
3. Add the frozen vegetables and prawns and cook so they defrost.
4. Dice the onion and the fish and add all that to the pot.
5. Season with black pepper.
6. Pour into the dish and fold the pastry over.
7. Bake at 200 C for about 30 minutes, until the pastry turns golden.

Vegetarians Who Eat Fish

I see a lot of people who say they are “vegetarians who eat fish” or are “pescatarians”. Eating and/or preparing fish is something I myself struggle with, as I live with a carnivore. I don’t think it’s right for me to inflict my own views on someone else, so I sometimes cook fish (though I wouldn’t cook meat, and of course that makes me wonder why that is my particular limit, and what makes fish okay (once in awhile) but meat not). Most of my friends eat meat, too, and some are picky eaters who are hard to satisfy or who have many objections to various food items. Since I love to cook and M and I occasionally entertain, that means I make food dishes at times.

I know some couples where the vegetarian half even cooks meat for the carnivorous one, but I confess that even the idea of having meat in the house, much less in my pots and pans, disturbs me. But then I know others where the carnivorous member/s of the family only eat meat when out at restaurants.

When M and I were away for the weekend, she had the full English breakfast, sausage and bacon included, each morning, while I had my vegetarian version (hoping my food hadn’t been made in the same pan) and tried not to feel too queasy at the thought of what was on her plate. But she “humoured” me by going to vegetarian restaurants with me and she usually eats my vegetarian food at home. Also, of course, she isn’t a vegetarian and I knew that when we got together, so I felt I had no right to say anything or feel sickened. Maybe I’m just oversensitive.

How do others deal with this? Will you cook fish and/or meat for friends or for omnivorous partners/relatives? How do you feel about them eating meat in front of you?

Spelt Rolls

We were having a friend over for dinner and I wanted to serve a simple salad with some rolls to start with. I loved the idea of warm rolls coming fresh from the oven. I envisioned butter melting into the yeasty interiors. So this is what I came up with. M and I also ate some of the rolls toasted with cheddar cheese and that was great too.

Ingredients:
2 tsp yeast
2 tsp honey or agave
1 tsp salt
1½ cups lukewarm water
2 cups flour
1 1/3 cup spelt flour
salt, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or other topping, as desired

Instructions:
1. Whisk the yeast, honey or agave, salt and water. Add the flours and combine well, until it has formed a sticky dough.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise for an hour or so.
3. Knead on a flour-covered surface or in the mixer for a few minutes. Shape into rolls.
4. Sprinkle the rolls with any topping desired, then leave to rise for another 30 minutes.
5. Bake at 180 C for 15 minutes.

Oatmeal Pancakes

I love to make pancakes on weekend mornings. They’re so hearty and soothing and they’re really easy to vary, too. I like making oatmeal as a fast breakfast (or a comforting dinner), so I decided to turn that dish into pancakes.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp butter
¾ cup oatmeal
1½ cups yogurt (or buttermilk)
¾ cup spelt flour (or plain flour)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 cardamom pods (or ½ tsp ground cardamom)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp sugar
1 egg (or 2 egg whites)
oil
banana to serve with

Instructions:
1. Melt the butter.
2. Mix the oatmeal, yogurt, spelt flour, baking powder, and baking soda together.
3. Crush the cardamom in a mortar and pestle and add it, the cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar to the oatmeal mixture.
4. Lightly beat the egg. Mix it and the melted butter into the mixture. Stir until just blended.
5. Fry spoonfuls of the mixture in oil until golden on both sides. Serve with slices of banana.

Saffron Sauce

This is a simple sauce that can be used over pasta or with vegetables or even to top eggs. A little bit of saffron goes a long way.

Ingredients:
.5 g saffron
150 ml cream (single is fine)
1 dash olive oil

Instructions:
1. Crush the saffron in a mortar and pestle.
2. Warm the cream gently over low heat and add the saffron to it.
3. Stir frequently and then add the olive oil towards the end.
4. Serve over pasta or with vegetables.

Rice with Butternut Squash, Cashews, Raisins, and Pomegranate

This has a Middle Eastern flavour and is healthy and gluten-free. I loved the combination of spices and how they suited the vegetables.

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
oil
rice (50 g per person; use brown basmati for a slightly more nutty flavour)
water
2 onions
1 tsp sugar
1 handful raisins
about 50 g cashews (or a handful)
2 cardamom pods
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mint
seeds from 1 pomegranate

Instructions:
1. Rub the squash in oil and roast it in the oven for about 50 minutes at 180 C. When it has cooled, peel it and dice it.
2. Boil the rice in the water. This will take 25-35 minutes.
3. Dice the onions and fry them lightly in some oil. Add the sugar so they caramelise.
4. Cover the raisins with boiling water and set aside for 20 minutes, until they plump up.
5. Crush the cashews and the cardamom pods in a mortar and pestle.
6. Add the squash to the onions and fry for a few more minutes, then add in the cashews, cardamom, cinnamon, and mint.
7. When the rice is ready, add it to the frying pan. Mix everything well.
8. Serve the rice topped with pomegranate seeds.

Baked Aubergine Casserole

This was inspired by a recipe I saw in the Waitrose grocery store magazine. I adjusted it to our tastes and made it a bit healthier (spelt flour instead of white, for example). Next time, I’d add black olives too, as that would suit the flavours of the aubergine and feta.

Ingredients:
1 aubergine
1 onion
3-5 garlic cloves
oil
1 cauliflower
smoked paprika
black pepper
ground mustard
1 package crushed tomatoes
100 g feta cheese
200 g Greek yogurt
3 tbsp flour
2 eggs

Instructions:
1. Wash the aubergine and dice it. Peel and chop the onion and garlic, too. Fry all of these things in the oil for about 5-8 minutes.
2. Wash the cauliflower and break it into florets. Add it to the pan.
3. Season with the spices according to your taste. Add the tomatoes. Cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Crumble the cheese and mix into the yogurt. Blend in the flour and beat in the eggs.
5. Lightly oil a casserole dish. Add the vegetables to it, then top the veg with the feta mxture.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes at 200 C.