VEGGIE SALAD NICOISE

SALADE NICOISE

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

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.

　

COOKING WITH KIDS

　

VEGGIE COOKING WITH KIDS

Hi and welcome to our Vegetarian Kitchen. This week the recipes are for food children like to eat and which they can prepare themselves, with supervision.

Here are suggestions for pizzas, with their own toppings. Jacket potatoes and crudite (sliced vegetables to dip in humus, or salsa type dips). Give them free rein but use fresh vegetables.

Also a recipe for cup cakes and the kids can choose their own toppings.


PIZZAS
You can buy ready made pizza bases in most supermarkets.

The kids can assemble their own using any of the following:-

Grated Cheese, tomato puree, sliced tomatoes, sliced peppers, sweetcorn, pineapple chunks. mushrooms, ,jalapeno peppers, olives, vegetarian frankfurters chopped into small pieces. You could have 4 different cheeses - eg Mozzarella, Feta, Cheddar, Red Leicester. Any of these would be great or you could limit them to 3 toppings.

JACKET POTATOES

Prepare in the usual way - scrub and put in oven for about 1 hour.

Cut in half.

Top with grated cheese, baked beans, tinned chopped tomatoes, chilli non carne, soured cream and chives, or just plain butter.

CRUDITE (sliced raw vegetables for dips)

Sliced carrots in sticks, celery, cauliflower florets, strips of peppers, radishes.

You can buy humus in most supermarkets.

CUP CAKES

Kids love cup cakes, and you can make them colourful. If you don't want to use food colouring a teaspoon of any red fruit juice will turn the cakes pink or a teaspoon of beetroot juice. Chocolate flavour is always popular so use cocoa.


INGREDIENTS
4 oz (100g) Butter or Margarine

4 oz (100g) Sugar

4 oz (100g) Self Raising Flour

2 eggs beaten

1 tablespoon milk

NOTE To make chocolate cup cakes add 2 teaspoons cocoa to the flour. Or you could just add vanilla essence. Alternatively add, 4oz raisins or sultanas.


ICING
6oz ICING SUGAR

4 oz margarine or soft butter

water

Food colouring. You can add any colour to the icing mixture, red, blue, green

To make chocolate icing, melt 6 squares of chocolate in a bowl and add to icing mixture.


METHOD
Preheat oven to 375F(190C) (Gas Mark 6)

Place 24 paper cases on a baking tray.

Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs.

Sieve in the flour (and cocoa powder if using). Fold in with milk.

Put in cases and bake for 15 - 20 minutes.

When cold, ice the cup cakes and allow kids to decorate with hundreds and thousands, or vermicelli, grated chocolate, or Smarties.

 ENJOY COOKING WITH THE KIDS. COOKING IS FUN!

　

　

BEAN SALADS

BEAN SALADS

Hi and welcome to our Vegetarian Kitchen. This week we have recipes for two delicious Bean Salads. In many countries beans have always been an important part of the diet- high in protein, cheap and cheerful and low fat. These delicious recipes can accompany other dishes. You will notice we use tinned produce in both recipes. This is because beans are potentially poisonous if not cooked properly

KIDNEY BEANS & SWEETCORN SALAD

INGREDIENTS

400g Tin Kidney Beans (240g drained)

200g Tin Sweetcorn (165g drained)

1 Chopped Spring Onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Coriander (or Parsley)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Salt & Black Pepper to taste


METHOD
Drain the Kidney Beans, put in bowl, drain sweetcorn, add. Stir well. Add chopped Spring Onion and Coriander and stir well. Stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper.

　

CHICK PEA SALAD

INGREDIENTS

400g TIN CHICK PEAS (drained 240g)

1 Red Pepper (chopped into small bits)

1 Spring Onion (chopped finely)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh Coriander (or Parsley)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt & black pepper


METHOD
Drain the chick peas and put in a bowl. Add red pepper, spring onion, coriander and toss.

In a small bowl, mix lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour over the chick pea salad and stir well.

SERVE these salads with a green salad or, alternatively, serve them with Quiche. ENJOY!


　

VEGGIE MOUSSAKA

Hi, and welcome to our Vegetarian Kitchen. This week we are cooking the famous Greek dish "MOUSSAKA" - our own special vegetarian recipe. No meat, but nevertheless an authentic taste. We have fooled several of our meat loving friends. It is not a simple recipe but as usual, it is very economical. You could make it the day before and bake it in the oven on the day you wish to serve it.

"MOUSSAKA" made with Quorn (serves 4 - 6)

(You won't believe it is not meat)

INGREDIENTS
200g QUORN MINCE

2 Large Baking Potatoes

1 Large Aubergine (the huge fat one) or 4 small Aubergines (they have more taste)

1 small onion

2 cloves Garlic

2 Teaspoons Tomato Puree

1 Teaspoon Dried Basil

300ml Water (just over half a pint)

1 OXO Vegetable Stock Cube

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil or Sunflower Oil


CHEESE SAUCE FOR TOPPING

Ingredients
2 oz butter

2 oz plain flour

Half a Pint of Milk

3-4oz of MATURE CHEDDAR CHEESE GRATED

　


METHOD
First, peel and slice the potatoes lengthways into slices (about 1/2" thick). Boil gently in a pan until firm but cooked. (About 5 - 10 mins)

Next, slice the Aubergines into rings (about 1/2" thick) if you are using the small aubergines. If you use one large aubergine, this should be sliced, placed on a plate and covered with salt. The salt removes the bitter juices, and they will cook quicker and absorb less oil. Wash the aubergine slices thoroughly to remove all salt and juices. Fry in a pan until cooked thoroughly

Put 2-3 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan, gently fry the chopped onion, add garlic, Quorn mince, stirring all the time. Fry for about 2 minutes.. Add tomato puree, vegetable stock and Basil and stir. Bring to the boil and season to taste. Simmer gently until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Next, you assemble the ingredients by placing in a large Pyrex or Oven-proof glass dish. Do not use a tin as it will burn. First place a layer of potato slices in the bottom of the dish, now spoon over half of the mince mixture, next a layer of aubergines, the another layer of potatoes, the remainder of the mince, next a final layer of aubergines to cover the top of the dish. Leave to stand while you make the Cheese Sauce topping.

METHOD Cheese Sauce

Melt the butter in a heavy based saucepan. Add the flour and stir and cook for a minute or two. Gradually stir in the milk making sure the sauce remains smooth. Bring to the boil stirring for a minute or two. Remove from heat and stir in most of the cheese, leaving some to go on the top.

Next, pour cheese sauce over the assembled Moussaka. Add grated cheese on top. Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes until brown and bubbling. 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6.

Serve with a Green Salad of mixed leaves and Greek Pitta Bread. ENJOY.

Lovely with a glass of red or dry white wine.

FAST FOOD PASTA

FAST FOOD

FRESH PASTA

　

Hi and welcome to our vegetarian kitchen.

There are times when you want food and you want it fast.

The answer is fresh pasta, cooking time 2 minutes. It is quick, cheap and versatile. All good supermarkets sell it. Fridge life about 5 to 6 days, in a freezer it lasts about 6 months.

Try penne or tagliatelle, cook in boiling water, drain, add pesto (from a jar, about 1 tbsp) and black olives or capers. Serve in bowls and add grated cheese. 5 min meal.

Try tortellini stuffed with spinach, or sun dried tomatoes, cook in boiling water, drain, add a few drops of olive oil and grated parmesan cheese.

If you prefer a tomato sauce, simply heat a small tin of chopped tomatoes and add a teaspoon of oregano or basil.

If you like it hot - simply heat olive oil in a pan, add 2 or 3 cloves of crushed garlic and one chopped chilli. Pour over pasta, stir and serve.

You could also add chopped or crushed nuts e.g. pine nuts or walnuts for extra crunch.

Fresh basil is an excellent garnish for any pasta dish, to add instant freshness.

ENJOY!

 

MOTHERS DAY

MOTHERS' DAY 2020

Hi and welcome again to our vegetarian kitchen. Give mum a day off and prepare her a lovely lunch. No restaurants open due to coronavirus. Mother's Day will be celebrated in the home.

MOTHER'S DAY RECIPES

Starter: WALDORF SALAD

Main course: STUFFED RED PEPPERS

Pudding, afters or dessert: CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

　

WALDORF SALAD

serves 4

　

INGREDIENTS
2 Red Apples (diced)

2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

2 oz Walnuts (chopped)

1 Stick Celery (chopped)

300g Carton Natural Yoghurt

4 Lettuce leaves


METHOD
Spoon lemon juice over apples to prevent them going brown. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Arrange on individual plates. Place lettuce leaves on each plate, pile the Waldorf Salad mixture on the lettuce. Serve.

　

ROAST RED PEPPERS

serves 4

2 Large Red Peppers

3 tablespoons oil

8oz (200g) Rice

1 Onion chopped finely

2 Fresh Tomatoes chopped

2 cloves Garlic (chopped or crushed)

Vegetable Stock (Oxo Green) made up to half pint

1 tablespoon parsley (dried) salt & pepper to taste.


METHOD
First.cook the rice. Always twice the volume of water to rice. Bring to boil, put on lid and simmer gently for 15 mins after which time all water should have been absorbed.

Next, cut peppers in half longways. Remove seeds and cores. Wash. Brush with oil outside and inside.

When rice is cooked, heat oil in pan, fry onions, tomatoes and garlic until soft. Remove from heat then add cooked rice and stir. Add a little vegetable stock to make a sticky mixture. Place the pepper halves in an ovenproof dish. Pile in rice mixture. Pour vegetable stock around the peppers. Cover with foil and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. (Gas Mark 4 or 180C/350F)

Serve with a green salad or mixed leaves.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

serves 4

INGREDIENTS
4oz Plain Dark Chocolate

4 Eggs separated

METHOD

First, separate the eggs. Put yolks in a small bowl and beat. Whites in a separate bowl.

Break chocolate into pieces and put in a small bowl with 5 teaspoons water. Place over hot water and stir until chocolate is smooth.

Next remove chocolate from heat, add egg yolks and stir. Leave to cool.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff enough to stand in peaks then fold them into the chocolate mixture until smooth. Put the mousse into 4 individual serving dishes and leave to set in the fridge.

You could 'lace' the mousse with rum or brandy, or alternatively decorate with cream. It depends how indulgent you are.

EN JOY! HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL MUMS

MACARONI CHEESE

　 
Hello and welcome to our Vegetarian Kitchen and this week we have an old fashioned recipe which is ideal for lunch/supper and "easy eating" for children. Easy on the pocket, and nourishing - "MACARONI CHEESE".
　

MACARONI CHEESE

Serves 4 to 6

　

INGREDIENTS
400g Macaroni

2 oz Butter

2 oz Plain Flour

600ml (1 pint) Milk

6 - 8oz Mature Cheddar Cheese (grated)

Salt and pepper to taste


METHOD
Heat oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6

Grease an oven dish (not tin)

Cook Macaroni in boiling water for 8 - 10 minutes. Drain in a colander.

Make a roux by melting the butter, stir in flour and mix, add milk gradually, stirring all the time to make the sauce smooth. Bring to the boil. Remove from heat, stir in Macaroni and 4-6oz cheese (keep 2oz cheese for topping).

Pour Macaroni into ovenproof dish, sprinkle remaining cheese over Macaroni. Bake for approximately 20 - 30 minutes until brown on top and bubbling.

Serve piping hot - a lovely supper dish.

To accompany this, a nice green salad of mixed leaves and cucumber.