Spicy Aubergine Stew

The spices and herbs here can be varied as you like – add more chilli peppers, if you want it hotter, or use garlic or cinnamon or mustard or anything else. The veg can be varied too. I served this over couscous.

Ingredients:

1 onion

oil

1 tsp sugar

2-3 tsp chopped ginger

1-2 tsp coriander (fresh, frozen, or dried)

1 chilli pepper

1 red pepper

2 aubergines

liquid (water is fine; I’ve used rice milk)

1-2 tsp dried mint

Instructions:

1. Peel and dice the onion, then sweat it in the oil in a large saucepan. Add the sugar after a few minutes.

2. Add the ginger and coriander. Wash and dice the peppers and aubergines and add them to the pan.

3. Add a little liquid. Cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring now and then. If it is dry, add some more liquid. You don’t want the veg to stick to the pan.

4. Season with the mint. Serve with rice or couscous, as desired.

Fish Chowder

This is a dish that’s really easy to vary. Use different types of fish or vegetables. I might make it if we have fish-eaters over for dinner.

Ingredients:

100 g (or more) potatoes (I used Jerusalem artichokes once for a very different flavour and it turned out well, with a hint of sweetness)

olive oil

1 vegetable stock cube

2 stalks of celery

1 cup other vegetables (carrots, corn, peas, onions, whatever you like)

water (about 3 cups)

2 fish fillets (haddock, cod, salmon) and/or 1 bag frozen prawns (about 300 g)

smoked salmon (about 50 g)

milk (about 1 cup; I used rice milk)

herbs (mint, thyme, tarragon, parsley)

paprika and/or black pepper

Instructions:

1. Scrub and/or peel the potatoes (or Jerusalem artichokes), rub with oil, then roast for 20-30 minutes at 200 C.

2. Put about 1 tbsp of oil in a large pot and add the stock cube. Warm gently.

3. Wash and chop the celery and other vegetables. Add them to the pot and fry lightly.

4. Boil the water and add it.

5. Remove the bones and skin from the fish and break the fillets into pieces. Add the fish (and/or prawns) to the pot. Cook for 5-10 minutes.

6. Add the potatoes (or Jerusalem artichokes) and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

7. Break/cut the pieces of smoked salmon and add it and the milk, herbs, and paprika and/or pepper. Cook for another 5 or so minutes.

8. Stir and serve.

Vegetable Stew

This was a hearty meal, especially served with the dumplings and bread I posted in the last two posts. You can easily vary the amounts and the vegetables.

Ingredients:

oil

5 shallots

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 vegetable stock cube

1 pinch rosemary

2 tbsp flour

3 parsnips

4 carrots

½-1 sweet potato

4-8 little new potatoes or 2-3 medium potatoes

1 apple

water

½ cup orange juice

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large oven-safe casserole.

2. Dice the shallots and sauté them for a few minutes over low heat.

3. Add the honey, tomato puree, stock cube, rosemary, and flour, and cook for a couple of minutes.

4. Peel and dice all the vegetables and the apple. You can choose how large to leave the pieces. Small pieces cook more quickly but large ones might look nicer to you.

5. Add the vegetables to the pan and cover with water and orange juice.

6. Roast in the oven, covered, at 180 C for about an hour.

7. Stir, add the dumplings (if using them), and cook for another 20-30 minutes.

Dumplings

I saw a recipe in <a href=" http://www.vegetarianliving.co.uk/themagazine.php?issue=18">Vegetarian Living magazine</a> for root vegetable pot roast with parsley dumplings and since M’s mum gave us her Le Creuset stoneware, I thought I’d make a variation on the dish in the stoneware for when she came over for lunch.

These dumplings can be varied with any herb or spice (or none) and can be used in most soups or stews.

Ingredients:

6 tbsp vegetarian suet (about 50 g)

1½ cups flour (125 g)

1 tsp baking powder

2-4 tbsp fresh herbs

5-8 tbsp cold water

Instructions:

1. Mix the suet, flour, and baking powder together.

2. Wash and chop the herbs and add them to the mixture.

3. Add enough cold water so the mixture gets pliable. Roll it into little balls.

4. Put the dumplings into the soup or stew and cook, covered, for about 20-30 minutes.

Salmon and Prawn Stew

This is another easy dish that you can use when cooking for those who eat fish and/or seafood. Other fish and types of seafood can be used, so play around with this.

Ingredients:
rice
water
olive oil
2 tsp parsley
about 200 g prawns
about 300 g salmon
3-5 tomatoes
1 stock cube
½ cup water
½ - ¾ cup cream or soy cream
black pepper
smoked paprika

Instructions:
1. Rinse the rice and boil it in the water for about 15 minutes.
2. Warm the olive oil in a sauce pan and add the parsley. If the prawns are frozen, add them to the pan now too.
3. Chop the salmon into small cubes and remove the skin. Wash and chop the tomatoes. Add the salmon and the tomatoes to the pan and if the prawns are fresh, put them in now too.
4. Add the stock cube and water and cream.
5. Cook, covered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
6. Season with pepper and paprika and serve over rice.

Ratatouille

No, this is not a post about the Pixar film, cute though that was. Instead, this is the actual recipe for ratatouille, or at least ratatouille how I made it recently. It’s good on its own or over rice or with garlic bread. And if you have leftovers, they’re fantastic because the flavours have extra time to meld. I love the vegetal smell of aubergine and it works so well to combine it with other vegetables.

When I was out of town recently, M made this recipe a number of times. That suggests that it’s pretty tasty!

Ingredients:
1 onion
olive oil (you need quite a bit for this recipe, so don’t make this when you’ve just got dregs left in the bottle)
1 tsp sugar
1 aubergine
2 peppers (I used red and yellow to get a nice colour to the ratatouille)
1 courgette
2-3 tomatoes or a handful of cherry tomatoes
3-5 garlic cloves (depends on how garlicky you like it)
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

Instructions:
1. Dice the onion and sauté it in olive oil in a large pot for about 5 minutes. Then add the sugar and sauté for a few more minutes.
2. Wash and chop the aubergine into small cubes and add it to the pot. Wash and dice the peppers and add them as well. Sauté for about 30 minutes.
3. Wash and slice the courgette and add it. After a few moments, wash, chop, and add the tomatoes. Thinly slice the garlic and add the pieces.
4. Thinly slice the garlic and add the pieces. Sauté another 10 or so minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper.