SALAD NICOISE

SALADE NICOISE
Hi and welcome to our Vegetarian Kitchen.  Summer has arrived and  our recipe is for a lovely salad, from Nice on the Mediterranean.  A tasty salad with ingredients readily available in France and here.

SALAD NICOISE (Vegetarian style)
Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS
3 hard boiled Eggs (cut into quarters)
1  Lettuce
1 Red Onion (cut into thin slices)
1/2 Cucumber (sliced)
3 Tomatoes (sliced)
1 Green or Red Pepper (sliced)
12 Black Olives
12 cooked French Beans (cut in half)
6 very small cooked New Potatoes (minute)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh Basil
sauce vinaigrette  (recipe below)
SAUCE VINAIGRETTE
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
salt & pepper
Put in a bowl and mix well. Whisk well.
SALAD NICOISE
METHOD
Tear the lettuce into pieces, put in a very large serving bowl, add all the sliced vegetables and toss.  Add black olives, green beans, and new potatoes, stir in. Toss all the ingredients then add the sauce vinaigrette.  SERVE IMMEDIATELY.
Lovely light lunch/supper on a summer day.  Add wholemeal rolls or crusty bread.   A glass of Rose' Wine, perfect.

VEGGIE 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 - usually served with Spaghetti  but you can serve it with any pasta e.g. penne orr fusilli, or make 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

ITALIAN BEAN SOUP WITH PASTA
Hi, and welcome to the Vegetarian Kitchen.  This week we have snow 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!

　

XMAS MEZE

MEZE

Hi and welcome to our Vegetarian Kitchen.   This Xmas invite your friends to a meze. Meze, a selection of dips, pitta bread and olives, is originally from the Middle East, Greece, Turkey and Cyprus. Meze can also be a huge feast with up to 40 dishes served. So it is great for any kind of celebration. We will give you ideas for a small Meze, very good served with drinks if you have friends round. Also we will give you recipes for a feast.

　

SMALL MEZE

Houmus dip (chick pea dip)

Tahini (sesame seed dip))

Pitta Bread

Black and green olives

Raw vegetables such as sliced carrots in sticks, celery, cauliflower which can be dipped instead of bread.

Simply arrange each dip in individual bowls, also the olives in separate bowls, and provide plenty of hot Pitta Bread cut into slices.

Most dips are available at supermarkets so no need to make your own.

 

 

LARGE MEZE

A large Meze is for a party, or any gathering, in fact any celebration. It really is food for sharing.

Houmous Dip

Tahini Dip

Pitta Bread

Black and Green Olives

　

MOUSAKA - Recipe in Vegetarian Kitchen

SPINACH QUICHE - Recipe supplied

PILAF (rice dish) Recipe supplied

SALAD NICOISE Recipe supplied

GREEN SALAD

All these recipes are here in our Vegetarian Kitchen and you decide which to include. A meze should be set out on a table, buffet style, so guests can help themselves. If you are lucky enough to have a large table then it will look great. All dishes can be made in advance so all you have to do is assemble the food.

Provide wine, beer or cold drinks to accompany the food. Have a great celebration!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

PASTA in under 15 mins

LUNCH/SUPPER under 15 minutes

FRESH PASTA

Hi and welcome to our Vegetarian Kitchen and this week we have lunch/supper dishes in under 15 mins. We all have days when we are too busy to spend hours in the kitchen or maybe want a quick meal before we go out in the evening. Fresh pasta is ideal on these occasions with a cooking time of only 3 to 5 minutes. Most supermarkets will sell fresh pasta in their chilled foods compartments and once home store it in the fridge. It will last 2 or 3 weeks if unopened. Here are our suggestions for a quick meal.

　

INGREDIENTS

500g pack of fresh pasta (try penne or tagliatelle) (serves 4 to 6 people)

Fresh Herbs

Grated Cheese (Parmesan or Mature Cheddar). Do not use Mozarella as it will become elastic.

Cherry Tomatoes

Jar Pesto

Fresh cooked Peas (1 cup)

Fresh cooked Broad Beans (1 mug)

Olive Oil to drizzle over

METHOD

Bring a large saucepan of boiling water to the boil, add pasta and cook for 3 to 5 mins. Drain in a colander. Return pasta to the saucepan. Add one or two of the above ingredients. eg Fresh basil leaves and cherry tomatoes: or a tablespoon of pesto with broad beans or peas.

Drizzle olive oil over pasta then serve immediately and add grated cheese.

If you have more time, try fried courgettes or fried mushrooms. Stir into drained pasta, add black pepper and salt to taste.

PEPPERONATA SAUCE

　

PEPPERONATA SAUCE

 Hi and welcome to our Vegetarian Kitchen.

This week we have a taste of Italy - Pepperonata Sauce. This sauce is made with all those wonderful Mediterranean vegetables and is delicious served with anything.

　


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

1 Onion

2 Cloves Garlic

500g Fresh Chopped 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 Quiche, veggie escallops or even veggie burgers.You decide!

　

 

 

 

TAGINE VEGGIE

TAGINE

Welcome to our Vegetarian Kitchen and this week we have a recipe from North Africa, Morocco, for our recipe this week - "Vegetable Tagine". It is a lovely spicy dish, with the addition of fruit which is typically Moroccan. "Tagine" is the name of the pot it is cooked in and most of you won't have one but any earthenware pot or casserole dish with lid will serve the same purpose. Even if it rains, you will have sunshine on your plate.

MOROCCAN VEGETABLE TAGINE

serves 4 to 6

　

INGREDIENTS
350 to 400g QUORN CHICKEN STYLE PIECES

400g TIN CHOPPED TOMATOES

6 DRIED APRICOTS or 6 PRUNES (you decide)

500ml Vegetable Stock (GREEN OXO)

1 Large Onion (chopped)

2 or 3 Cloves Garlic (chopped finely)

LEMON (Juice of one half lemon)

30g Black or Green Olives

3 tablespoons of Olive Oil (or vegetable oil)

1 teaspoon Cumin

one half teaspoon Turmeric

Fresh Coriander leaves or Parsley to garnish

Salt & Pepper to taste


METHOD
In a large saucepan heat olive oil, fry onion, garlic and Quorn pieces, add Turmeric and Cumin, add lemon juice. Stir. Add Tin Chopped Tomatoes and Vegetable Stock. Stir and bring to boil. Cut apricots in half and add these, together with olives. Taste and add salt & black pepper. Transfer to a casserole dish, cook in oven for about 45 minutes. GAS MARK 4 180C 350F

Remove from oven and decorate with coriander leaves (or parsley).

Serve with Couscous or if you prefer, boiled rice.

Couscous is easy to prepare. Simply empty couscous into bowl, add boiling water to cover and leave until water is absorbed. Stir, add lemon juice, salt and pepper.

This would go down very well with a glass of wine or, if you prefer, beer.