Vegetarian Recipes (and Vegan Recipes!)

THAI VEGETABLE CURRY

SERVES SIX, PREPARATION TIME 30 - 60 MINS.

375g broccoli florets, halved
375g parsnips, cut into 5cm lengths
15ml spoon olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
150ml water
2 sticks lemon grass, very finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 x 15ml spoons freshly grated ginger
1-2 birds eye chillies, chopped
1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
5ml spoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted
5ml spoon coriander seeds, lightly toasted
15ml spoon sesame oil
400ml can coconut milk
1 small pineapple, peeled and chopped (or 432g can pineapple in natural juice, drained)

Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas Mark 4. Place the broccoli and parsnips in a large baking tray or dish. Drizzle over the oil and add the water and add seasoning to taste. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until the vegetables are just tender. Place the lemon grasss in a blender with the garlic, ginger, chillies, most of the coriander, the onion, cumin and coriander seeds. Blend for 30 seconds until fairly smooth. Heat the sesame oil in a saucepan and fry the puree mixture for 1-2 minutes over a medium heat. Add the coconut milk, bring to the boil and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Place the pineapple in the blender and blend until smooth. Add to the coconut mixture with plenty of seasoning to taste. Heat through and serve spooned over the cooked, drained vegetables.

SPICY SWEETCORN (side dish)

SERVES TWO, PREPARATION TIME 20 MIN.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 red pepper, diced
2 tsp mild chilli powder
12 oz. Sweet corn kernels
4 spring onions, chopped finely
3 tbsp freshly chopped coriander
Juice of 1 lime
Sea salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan heat the oil and add the red pepper and chilli powder.
When the oil sizzles, add the corn and cook for five minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and season to taste.

CHILLI NON CARNE

SERVES SIX, PREPARATION TIME 30 MIN.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 red and 1 green pepper, diced
1 hot green or red chilli, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp chilli powder (to taste)
2 tins of plum tomatoes, blended
2 tins of Kidney Beans
350g of vegetarian mince

In a large saucepan, wok or pressure cooker, heat the oil and add the pepper, onion and finely chopped chilli and cook for two minutes.
Add the vegetarian mince (from frozen if necessary) and after five minutes of stirring occassionally, add the blended tomatoes, the kidney beans and the chilli powder and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occassionally. If you require a thicker consistency you may add vegetarian gravy granules.

Serve with rice, also very nice with Baked Potatoes!

MEXICAN STYLE GAZPACHO (Cold Soup)

SERVES 6, PREPARATION TIME 1 HOUR

1 1/2 kg of tomatoes
5 green peppers, chopped
5 Mangos, chopped
5 Avocados, chopped
3 Cucumbers, chopped
Crackers
Salt and olive oil to taste

Plunge the tomatoes into boiling water and leave for a few minutes, peel the skins and remove the seeds. Blend half of the peeled tomatoes until they're completely liquidized and pour into a large bowl or pan. Blend the rest of the tomatoes with half of all of the remaining ingredients (Mangos, cucumbers, peppers and Avocados) and add salt to taste. Add this batch to the previously blended tomatoes and stir well, add olive oil (approx. 2 tbsp) to taste and place in the fridge. When the Gazpacho is cold, remove from the fridge and serve with the remaining ingredients available to be added as required, the crackers should be crushed into the soup.

VEGETARIAN MADRAS CURRY

SERVES 4-6, PREPARATION TIME 30 MINS.

15ml spoon sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
100g celery, finely sliced
2-3 x 15ml spoons Madras curry paste
15ml spoon plain flour
400ml water
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1cm (½ inch) slices
1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
1 green pepper, deseeded and sliced
125g mushrooms, wiped and sliced
410g can baby corn cobs, drained
50g frozen whole green beans, defrosted
½ x 432g can pineapple pieces in natural juice, drained
1 bunch salad onions, trimmed and cut into diagonals
½ x 200ml carton coconut cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
250g long grain rice

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion and celery until softened, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and flour and cook for 1 minute.
Pour in the water gradually, stirring all the time, bring to the boil.
Add the sweet potato, peppers, mushrooms, and baby corn and cook gently for 10 minutes.
The green beans, pineapple, salad onions and coconut cream can then be added and allowed to cook for a further 5 minutes.Season to taste.
Cook the rice in boiling water for 15 minutes then drain and serve with the curried vegetables.

VEGETARIAN BOLOGNESE

SERVES 4, PREPARATION TIME 30 MINS.

3 x 15ml spoons olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped into 1cm dice
4 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1cm dice
2 courgettes, chopped into 1cm dice
1 small aubergine, chopped into 1cm dice
500g jar original pasta sauce
285g jar antipasto artichokes, drained
15g pack oregano, finely chopped
400g wholewheat spaghetti
To serve: grated parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan heat the olive oil then add the onion, celery, carrot, courgette and aubergine, cover and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened.
Then finally add the original pasta sauce, artichokes and oregano and cook for a further 4-5 minutes.
In the meantime cook the wholewheat spaghetti as per pack instructions.
Drain the pasta and divide between four serving plates, top with the vegetable bolognese and serve with grated parmesan cheese.

VEGETARIAN RISOTTO

SERVES 1, PREPARATION TIME 30 MINS.

15ml spoon oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
100g mushrooms, chopped
75g risotto rice
300ml saffron stock made with 1 stock cube for saffron rice,
or a pinch of saffron threads in 300ml boiling water
6 sun-dried tomatoes, shredded
a few basil leaves, shredded
25g parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
6 olives, halved

Heat the oil in a saucepan or deep frying pan, and quickly fry the onion, garlic and mushrooms.
Stir in the rice. Pour in one-third of the saffron water and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring until the liquid is nearly absorbed.
Add half of the remaining saffron water and stir until absorbed.
Stir in the remaining liquid and cook until nearly absorbed. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, basil, parmesan and olives. Serve at once.

MEXICAN SALSA (dip)

PREPARATION TIME 5 MINS.

2 tins of plum tomatoes
1 green chilli, remove stem
1/2 medium onion
2 teaspoons lime or lemon
Salt to taste

Blend all of the above ingredients until thoroughly liquidized. Pour into a bowl and serve with tortilla chips or to top quesadillas (tortillas filled with melted cheese) -

use either flour or maize tortillas

Cover half of the tortilla with cheddar cheese and fold, place into a hot pan with very little butter until the cheese has melted.

GUACAMOLE (dip)

SERVES 5, PREPARATION TIME 5 MINS.

4 avacados
2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 red hot chilli, finely chopped (be careful!)
1/2 lime or lemon
Salt to taste

Cut the avacados in half and remove the bone, spoon out the pulp into a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mash with a fork. Serve with tortilla chips to dip.

Some ingredients to avoid for vegetarians and vegans:

Gelatine -

Rennet - Used in most cheeses, rennet is derived from calves' stomachs.

Suet - Solid fat prepared from the kidneys of cattle and sheep.

Additives:

E120 - A red dye consisting of dried beetles, used for colouring food and drink.

E542 - Edible bone phosphate.

E901 (Beeswax), E904 (shellac) - Both of these additives may be used to shine fruit.

OTHERS:

Wines

Most are clarified using blood, bone marrow, egg albumen, fish oil, gelatine or fish bladders.

Beers/Ales

Many are clarified using isinglass finings (pure form of gelatine derived from the air bladders of some freshwater fish).

Though few, there are some towns/cities in the UK that are provided water which has been filtered using carbonised cattle bones.