Week 32- Pasta With Herb Sauce

WEEK 31

PASTA WITH HERB SAUCE (from Genoa)

Happy New Year and welcome to our Vegetarian Kitchen. For the next few weeks we will be giving you recipes for pasta dishes with delicious sauces. Who would ever serve pasta alone? Some of you may not know that £1 will buy you a bag of pasta big enough to serve 4 to 6 persons. Cheap as chips and with a beautiful sauce it can be a treat. So try this recipe and I promise it won't break the bank. We recommend you use spaghetti or penne for this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

500g (approx 1 lb) SPAGHETTI DRY

400g Tin Chopped Tomatoes

2 cloves mincred or chopped garlic

Half an onion finely chopped

100g Mushrooms chopped

Half Pint vegetable stock (Green Oxo)

150ml dry white wine(about a quarter pint)

Fresh Herbs mixed - Basil, Thyme, Parsley and Marjoram OR

1 teaspoon of each herb (dried)

4 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and Black Pepper to taste

METHOD

Prepare the sauce before you cook the pasta.

Fry onion and garlic gently, add mushrooms and stir. Fry for only 2 mins. Add chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock. Stir and bring to the boil. Add Wine and herbs. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Prepare pasta by boiling water in a very large saucepan (the pasta should not be cramped or it will stick. Add pasta to boiling water and let it cook for about 12 to 25 minutes. It should be al dente not soggy. Drain well in a colander. Return to saucepan and add sauce and stir well.

Serve immediately and add grated Parmesan or Cheddar at the table.

ENJOY with a lovely glass of wine.

Week 31- Christmas Dishes

Hi everyone and welcome to our vegetarian kitchen. Christmas is coming and all vegetarians will be bombarded by nut roasts. Not another, we hear you groan! Well, here is our alternative Christmas fare, a selection of dishes you can serve over the Christmas period. So, enjoy these delicious dishes and Merry Christmas to all of you.

GREEK SPINACH AND FILO TART

INGREDIENTS

250g Jus-Rol Filo Pastry

400g Baby Spinach

200g Greek Feta cheese (Crumbled)

50g Butter (melted)

METHOD

Preheat oven 200 c (400F)/Gas Mark 6

Put spinach in large saucepan and gently wilt.

Brush 4 sheets of filo pastry with melted butted to line a tin one on top of the other. Scatter half the spinach and half the crumbled feta cheese. brush 4 more sheets with butter, scatter the remaining spinach and feta. Butter remaining sheets and cover dish. Brush with butter and bake for 20 minutes.

Serve with salad. 

SPINACH AND CHEESE QUICHE

See Week 10 (http://vegetariankitchenuk.blogspot.com/2011/05/week-10-spinach-cheese-quiche.html)

VEGETARIAN KEBABS

INGREDIENTS

8 oz cheddar cheese

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 green pepper

8 cherry tomatoes 

1 aubergine cut into chunks

2 courgettes

2 tablespoons olive oil

Oregano

Lemon juice (1 lemon)

METHOD

Mix olive oil, oregano and lemon juice.

Cut peppers  into small pieces (1 inch). Cut courgettes into slices (1 inch). Cut cheddar into cubes (1 inch) and cut aubergine into chunks (1 inch)

Put vegetables on skewers alternating with cheese. Brush marinade over and leave for 15 mins. 

Preheat grill then cook for 3-4 mins each side. If necessary, brush with olive oil.

Serve with rice.

To accompany these dishes you could serve Greek dips such as hummus or Tzatziki (a yoghurt dip with diced cucumber, chopped fresh mint and curbed garlic)

PUDDINGS

As an alternative to Christmas pudding we suggest two quick desserts.

1) Old fashioned Trifle (Quick)

2) Meringue nests with strawberries

Old Fashioned Trifle (Quick)

INGREDIENTS

1 packet trifle sponges

Strawberry or raspberry jam

Sherry or juice

Fresh strawberries (sliced)

Custard (1 tin or make your own)

Double cream (1 carton)

Toasted flaked almonds

Angelica

METHOD

Slice sponges and spread with jam. Place on bottom of glass bowl, cover with sherry or juice and leave to soak for 15 minutes. Slice strawberries and scatter over the sponges. Cover with cold custard. If you make your own, make sure it is cold. Spread with whipped double cream. Put in fridge.

Just before serving, add flaked almonds and Angelica. 

This trifle is best made the day before to allow the layers to set firm.

2) Meringue nests with strawberries.

INGREDIENTS

6 meringues nests (buy ready made)

Double cream (whipped)

Fresh strawberries

Spoon of icing sugar

METHOD

Put on half the strawberries into a processor and liquids. Whip the double cream until thick. Slice remaining strawberries.

In each nest, put some whipped cream, add slices of strawberries and then pour strawberry puree over the top. Dust with icing sugar. 

Week 30- Italian Bean Soup

WEEK 30

ITALIAN BEAN SOUP WITH PASTA

Hi, and welcome to the Vegetarian Kitchen. This week we had a touch of frost in the South and this recipe will warm you, nourish you and remind you of sunnier climates. Bean soups are very popular in Italy and this is one of my favourites. Of course the Italian cook would use dried beans, which would be soaked overnight, and then cooked the next day but we see nothing wrong with using tinned beans.

ITALIAN BEAN SOUP WITH PASTA

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

400g (drained weight 240g) tin Black Eye Beans

400g tin chopped tomatoes

1 onion chopped

3 cloves Garlic chopped or crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 litre vegetable stock (made with OXO Green or stock cube of your choice)

80g of tiny pasta shapes (eg shells)

Half teaspoon dried Oregano

Salt & Black Pepper

Grated Parmesan

METHOD

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, gently fry the onion, add garlic, cook for a few minutes to soften. Add the tomatoes and stir, add stock, oregano and salt and black pepper. Bring to boil.

Add the black eye beans and pasta and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

ENJOY!

Week 29- Curried Parsnip Soup

　

WEEK 29

CURRIED PARSNIP SOUP

Hi, and welcome to our Vegetarian Kitchen. Autumn is here, season of mists and mellow fruitfulness bringing shorter days and cold nights and what could be nicer than a warming bowl of soup. This week our recipe is for a lovely spicy Parsnip Soup.

INGREDIENTS

2 Large Parsnips

3 oz Butter

1 medium size Onion (chopped)

2 cloves Garlic (minced or coped)

1 Litre Vegetable Stock (Green OXO or stock of your choice)

1 rounded teaspoon curry powder

Half Pint Single Cream

Salt &Pepper to taste

Chopped coriander or Parsley to garnish.

METHOD

Peel and slice the Parsnips.

Heat the butter gently, add onion and cook until the onion is soft, add garlic, heat for a few more minutes. Stir in curry powder, cook for 1 minute, add parsnips and stock. Bring to the boil and simmr until the parsnips are cooked (about 20 minutes). Liquidise the soup.

Return the soup to a clean pan. Stir in the cream and season. Garnish with chopped coriander or fresh parsley.

Week 28- Quick Tomato Soup

WEEK 28

QUICK TOMATO SOUP

Hi, and welcome to our Vegetarian Kitchen. This week, a very quick Tomato Soup perfect for a supper or lunch. Before we start, a quick note for those who have made the Pickled Onions from Week 24- they are now ready to eat! Enjoy! (http://vegetariankitchenuk.blogspot.com/2011/09/week-24-pickled-onions.html 

Back to our  Tomato Soup, vegetable soups, when eaten in a restaurant or hotel are not always what they seem. We had a lovely vegetable soup in a country pub, only to be told later (when we asked for the recipe) that it was made with chicken stock! Rest assured, ALL our ingredients are suitable for vegetarians ( though not Vegans as we use dairy products).

INGREDIENTS

400g TIN CHOPPED TOMATOES

Half Pint Vegetable Stock (OXO GREEN) (or stock of your choice

Half Pint Milk

4 Tablespoons Single Cream

Half teaspoon dried Oregano

1 small Onion finely chopped

2 oz Butter

Salt & Black Pepper

Fresh Parsley to garnish

METHOD

Gently fry the onion in the butter, do not burn. Add tin chopped tomatoes, stock, Oregano and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Alow to cool and liquidise.

Add the milk stirring all the time and bring to boil, Stir in the cream. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Before serving, sprinkle fresh Parsley over the top.

Delicious with crispy rolls or fresh, crusty bread.

BON APPETIT.

Week 27- Minestrone Soup

MINESTRONE SOUP

Hi and welcome to our Vegetarian Kitchen. This week our recipe is for another Italian classic - Minestrone Soup. The most delicious Minestrone Soup I tasted was many years ago in a small Italian cafe tucked away behind Covent Garden. Covent Garden was London's fruit and vegetable market, opening around 1670, but today Covent Garden is famous for its restaurants, large central piazza, shops, fashionable boutiques and night life. Our Minestrone will, of course, be made with Vegetable Stock.

MINESTRONE SOUP

(serves 6 to 8)

INGREDIENTS

225g/8oz Can Red Kidney Beans (drained)

1 Large Onion (choped)

2 Cloves Garlic (crushed)

4 small carrots (finely chopped)

2 stalks celery (chopped)

Quarter small cabbage (sliced)

1 tablespoon Tomato Puree

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

100g/4 oz) Macaroni

100g/4oz Frozen Peas

3 Pints Vegetable Stock (use Green Oxo or cubes of your choice)

1 teaspoon dried Basil (or Oregano)

Salt and Black Pepper

METHOD

Heat the oil in a very large saucepan. Gently fry the onion, add garlic and celery. Add all the vegetables except the Red Kidney Beans and Peas which will be added later. Add stock and stir thoroughly. Stir in tomato puree, add herbs and salt and black pepper. Bring to the boil, stir, then simmer for 20 minutes.

Now add the Macaroni, red kidney beans and cooked peas. Bring back to boil.

Simmer for about 10 minutes until the Macaroni is tender.

Serve hot with grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Serve with wholemeal rolls or bread.

Real comfort food for a cold Autumn night.

Week 26- Pepperonata Sauce

PEPPERONATA SAUCE

Hi and welcome to our Vegetarian Kitchen.

This week we have another taste of Italy - Pepperonata Sauce. This sauce is made with all those wonderful Meditterranean vegetables and is delicious served with anything. You decide.

INGREDIENTS

3 Large Peppers (one yellow, one red, one green)

1 Onion

2 Cloves Garlic

500g Fresh Choped Tomatoes

4 tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt & Black Pepper

METHOD

Slice peppers into narrow strips. Chop the onion and garlic. Chop the fresh tomatoes.

Gently fry onions, add garlic. Add sliced peppers to pan and stir, and cook gently for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the tomatoes and stir. Cook very gently for 30 minutes until the sauce becomes thick and the vegetables are broken down. Stir during this process. If the sauce becomes too thick or sticks to the pan, add more Olive Oil.

Serve this sauce with pasta, with vegetable escallops or even vegetable burgers.You decide!