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!

Week 25- Gnocchi With Pesto

Hi and welcome to our Vegetarian Kitchen. We have been on holiday in Italy and have brought back delicious recipes from Tuscany. Pesto is a sauce using Basil,Pine Nuts and Olive Oil and one memorable meal was Gnocchi with Pesto Sauce, on a warm night, outside in a leafy, green square, washed down with their most famous wine, Chianti.

Here is our recipe for Pesto, although you can buy this in a jar from some supermarkets.

PESTO

(6 servings)

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of fresh, chopped basil

Half a cup of Olive Oil

3 tablespoons pine nuts

2 cloves Garlic

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Half a cup of grated Parmesan cheese

METHOD

Put Basil, Olive Oil, Pine nuts,garlic, lemon juice, salt & pepper in a food processor and process at a high speed until well blended to a smooth paste. Now add the grated Parmesan cheese.

Before serving with pasta beat in 2 or 3 tablespoons of hot water.

SERVE with gnocchi or pasta of your choice.

GNOCCHI

INGREDIENTS

1 lb Floury Potatoes diced

7 oz Plain Flour

1 small beaten egg

salt & pepper

METHOD

Boil the diced potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes and mash well. Make sure there are no lumps. Add flour and beaten egg and make a smooth dough.Knead the dough and roll out into a long sausage shape. (about half an inch). Cut into small pieces (about one inch long).

Cook Gnocchi in simering water for 2 to 4 minutes until they rise to the surface. Remove from saucepan gently with a spoon.

Serve with Pesto Sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Serve with a side salad or Rocket leaves.

Gnocchi can be purchased in a vacuum pack from your supermarket if you don't want to make your own.

Week 24- Pickled Onions

　

Hi, and welcome to our Vegetarian Kitchen. A warm welcome to any gardeners who would like our recipe for their home grown shallots. They are in the supermarkets now and here is our very simple foolproof recipe for Pickled Onions.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb (450g) SHALLOTS

1 LITRE (570ml) MALT VINEGAR

3 teaspoons allspice

1 teaspoon Black Peppercorns

METHOD

Boil vinegar and spices in saucepan. Leave to get cold.

Make sure jars are clean and dry with air-tight lids. Do not use metal lids. If you have one use a Kilner Jar.

Peel the shallots, take off outside skin and one more skin. Immediately put in jars, pour over malt vinegar and spices and cover and seal tightly.

Store for 6 - 8 weeks in cool,dry place.

Delicious with Ploughmans Lunch - A hunk of bread, cheese, pickle and your own Pickled Onions.

Week 23- Vegetarian Bolognese Sauce

                                                   VEGETARIAN BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Hi and welcome to our Vegetarian Kitchen. This week we have our own recipe for vegetarian Bolognese Sauce. This sauce is the most well known of Italian sauces - most people have had Spaghetti Bolognese but is also used with other pasta dishes e.g. Lasagne. Use this recipe later when we give our recipe for Lasagne.

INGREDIENTS

450g Quorn vegetarian mince

400g Tinned Chopped Tomatoes

3 cloves Garlic

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 small onion chopped

Half Pint vegetarian stock (Oxo Green)

1 teaspoon dried Basil or chopped fresh Basil

Salt & Black Pepper

METHOD

In a large saucepan heat the oil, fry the onion gently for 1 minute, add the garlic, fry for 1 minute. Add the mince and fry gently. Add chopped tomatoes and stir. Add Vegetarian Stock and bring to boil. Add Basil and salt and pepper. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

SERVE with pasta of your choice