vegetarian Archives - Page 5 of 5

05/08/201905/08/2019

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

Did you know that this classic Italian dish has its origins in Campania, Sicily? People tend to associate Parmigiana to Parma in the north but now you know. There are several variations and you can do it with breaded meat but in our household we prefer the vegetarian version with eggplants. The process is long but I assure there is nothing technical or hard and the end result is very tasty. Remember good things take time!

3 large eggplants

Plain flour for dusting

100 ml of extra virgin olive oil

2 cups salsa di pomodori (recipe below)

150 grams Mozzarella cheese grated or sliced thin

50 grams of Parmigiano Reggiano

Salt

METHOD

Slice the eggplant lengthways into 1 centimetre slices. You will have about 7 or 8 slices from each eggplant. Don’t make them too thin as they will disintegrate when you fry. Sprinkle each layer liberally with salt, as you place in a colander in a sink and leave for about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 180^oC while you prepare the salsa di pomodori and the eggplant.

Pat dry with kitchen towel, dust lightly with flour. Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a wide fry pan. Add the eggplant slices and fry briskly until browned on both sides. Do not crowd the pan. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining oil and eggplant slices.

Layering the Eggplants with salsa di pomodori

Use a lasagne dish, with alternate layers of salsa di pomodori, eggplant and Mozzarella cheese. Finish the last layer with Parmigiano Reggiano.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes until golden. Serve hot as a main for four with crisp Cos lettuce salad or as a side dish to accompany meat for eight people.

SALSA di POMODORI

500 grams of tinned plum tomatoes

1 onion finely chopped

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves of plump garlic finely chopped

1 carrot diced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon sugar

½ to 1 teaspoon chilli flakes

Salt and pepper

2 – 3 sprigs of fresh basil

METHOD

Heat a saucepan and when hot enough add the olive oil, followed by the onion. Once onion is softened, add the garlic, chilli flakes, sugar, tomatoes, carrot and tomato paste. Salt to taste and grind plenty of black pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon to break up the tomatoes. Add half cup water and bring to the boil. Partially cover and let simmer for 15 -20 minutes. Remove from heat, blitz to form sauce. Stir in basil if using.

05/08/201905/08/2019

POTATO GRATIN

Who doesn’t love the creamy goodness of an old fashioned potato gratin?

1 kilogram of waxy potatoes like Nadine

¾ cup cream

½ cup milk

3 cloves garlic finely chopped or minced

150 grams Gruyere cheese grated

15 grams butter cubed

¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 180^oC. Peel and slice potatoes thinly (I used my hand or you can use a mandolin). Place the cream, milk and garlic in a largish pot and season well with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the sliced potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.

Gently transfer half of the potatoes to a baking dish. Cover with half of the cheese, grate some of the nutmeg, add the remaining potatoes and cream mixture and top with remaining cheese. Grate some more nutmeg and top with the cubed butter.

Bake for 40 minutes until golden and bubbling. Leave to sit for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6.

29/07/201905/08/2019

MINESTRONE SOUP

There is no set recipe for minestrone soup since it can be usually made with whatever vegetables or meat one has at home. Just a note that the vegetables are a guide and you can create your version depending on the vegetables you have and like. This is my vegetarian version – which I like to serve with crusty bread for lunch.

50 grams green cabbage shredded

100 grams cauliflower cut into small florets

2 zucchini cut into 1 centimetre dice

100 grams mushrooms cut eighths or quarters depending on size

1 large carrot diced evenly

2 sticks celery sliced thinly

1 x 400 grams tin plum tomatoes in juice

1 x 400 grams tin Borlotti beans drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons tomato paste

50 grams orzo or risoni

3 plump garlic cloves finely chopped

½ teaspoon chilli flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus extra to serve

4 tablespoons finely grated or microplaned Parmigiano Reggiano for serving

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

METHOD

In a large pan, heat the oil and fry the onions for a few minutes. Then add the garlic, celery and carrots and fry for three or four minutes. Then add the chilli flakes, oregano and the remaining vegetables. Continue frying intermittently for a further five minutes. Then add the tomato paste followed by the tomatoes in their juice. Add a litre of water and bring it up to the boil. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Give it a good stir after this period, add the borlotti beans and salt. Continue cooking for a further 10 minutes and add the orzo or rizoni. Cook for another 5 -7 minutes. Adjust seasoning.

Just before serving, once dished out into individual bowls, sprinkle the cheese and pour a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil on top. Serve immediately with bread.

26/07/201905/08/2019

PAN ROASTED VEGETABLE LASAGNE

Our household loves my lasagne. Over the years I have done several variations and this vegetarian version using winter vegetables is a big hit. Please don’t be alarmed by all the ingredients – it is relatively easy to make and I urge you to give it a try.

500 grams butternut squash peeled and cut into 3 centimetre cubes

3 leeks thoroughly washed and cut into 2 centimetre rounds

500 grams mushrooms sliced

1 large onion finely chopped

2 sticks celery, peeled and finely chopped

1 x 400 grams can of brown lentils drained and rinsed

6 plump garlic cloves finely diced

2 x 400 grams tin of plum tomatoes

½ to 1 teaspoon red hot chilli flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

6 to 7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 cups of milk

4 tablespoons of plain flour

Salt and pepper

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

50 grams of butter evenly cubed

10 grams of butter evenly cubed

50 grams of Parmigiano Reggiano microplaned

400 grams of fresh lasagne sheets

METHOD

Heat a large, heavy bottomed fry pan and once sufficiently hot add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add the butternut pieces (a few at a time so as not to crowd the pan) and roast them until nicely caramelized on the sides. This is important as it gives a sweetness. Repeat until all butternut is roasted this way. Set aside. Repeat the same process for the leek rounds and then the mushrooms.

To make the sauce: Once the vegetables are pan roasted, add some more oil and fry the onions, celery and garlic for about 5-6 minutes. They should look soft and translucent. Squash up the tomatoes and juice and add this to the onion mixture. Add the oregano, chilli flakes, salt and pepper. Give it a good stir and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. If you feel the sauce is getting too thick, add about half a cup of water. Then add the lentils and continue simmering for a further 10 minutes. Once done cover with lid until needed.

To make the béchamel sauce: Heat up the milk in a measuring cup and have it ready. Heat a saucepan and add the 50 grams of butter. When butter is melted, add the plain flour and mix continuously so the flour and milk are incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste, reduce heat to lowest setting and start adding the milk little at a time while stirring continuously ensuring that milk is incorporated into the butter flour mixture. Continue until all milk is used up. If you don’t mix continuously, you will have a very lumpy béchamel sauce. Continue stirring and you will know that the sauce is ready to be used when it coats the back of your spoon. Remove from heat but keep warm.

In a deep baking dish (26 centimetres by 18 centimetres and 10 centimetres deep) start assembling the lasagne. Spread a layer of béchamel sauce and then the lasagne sheet. Follow this with a layer of the sauce followed by the vegetables and the béchamel sauce. Repeat until all the lasagne sheets, vegetables and sauces are used up. Remember you have to finish with a topping of béchamel sauce. Sprinkle the Parmigiano Reggiano. Dot the 10 grams of butter and place the dish in a pre-heated moderate oven (180 degrees Celsius) for about 40 minutes or until golden. Once cooked allow to rest for 30-40 minutes before serving with a fresh Cos lettuce salad. ( I normally just cut up the Cos or Romaine lettuce to bite size pieces and toss with lemon flavoured olive oil and squeeze a few drops of fresh lemon for a bit of zing just before serving). Serves four generously.

08/07/201919/04/2021

DHAL FRY

This is a very simple and satisfying dish (sometimes called tarka dhal or tadka dhal) you see on the menu in Indian restaurants and households. There are any number of variations – normally this is made with Toor Dhal (obtained from specialist Indian stores and you would cook this in a pressure cooker as stove top method takes too long) but I have done a simple one with all the flavours using red lentils.

Ingredients

1 cup red lentils washed

1 thumb size fresh ginger piece chopped fine

1 large onion finely chopped

1 fresh red chilli finely chopped

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

2 tablespoons ghee

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Salt to taste

½ fresh lemon

1 tablespoon coriander leaves finely chopped

Method

Place the lentils in a large saucepan and add two and a half cups water. Add the onion, ginger, chilli and turmeric powder. Stir to combine contents of the pot and bring it to a boil. Once the water is bubbling, reduce heat and let the lentils simmer for 15 minutes stirring a couple of times so the lentils do not stick to the bottom. Once cooked stir in the salt, lemon juice and coriander leaves and set aside. Heat the ghee in a small fry pan. When hot add the cumin seeds, fry until they splutter or the seeds have opened up and the flavour is evident. While hot pour on top and serve immediately with pulao. Serves 4.

PULAO

Ingredients

2 cups Basmati rice rinsed in a sieve and drained

1 large carrot cut into a small 1 centimetre dice

1 large onion sliced very thinly

1 cup frozen peas

½ thumb size piece of fresh ginger finely chopped

4 plump garlic cloves finely chopped

1 x 5 cm cinnamon stick cut in half

5 cloves

5 cardamom

4 tablespoons ghee

Salt to taste

Method

Take a wide saucepan with a lid preferably one with a non-stick surface. Heat ghee and add the whole spices. Fry for a minute until all the spices have opened up and the smell is evident. Then fry the onions for three minutes. Add the ginger, garlic and continue to fry for a further minute. Add the rice, carrots and fry for a couple of minutes. Add salt and three and three quarters cups of cold water from the tap. Increase heat and let the contents of the pan come up to the boil. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and cook for 12 minutes. Stir in the frozen peas and continue cooking for a further 4- 5 minutes. The key to cooking beautiful rice on stove top is to get the best quality Basmati rice you can afford and also do not stir more than once in the middle of cooking. Allow the rice to rest for ten minutes before serving hot with the Dhal or raita.

Radish / Onion Salad

5 small pink table radishes sliced thinly

2 medium red onions sliced thinly

Salt to taste

Pinch of sugar

½ teaspoon Ajwain seeds (Indian store)

Juice of one lemon

Method

Using your hands, mix the radishes, onions, salt, sugar and ajwain seeds. Squeeze in the lemon juice and allow to pickle for at least half an hour. Serve as part of an Indian meal.

ANDHRA STYLE LEMON PICKLE

10 large, juicy lemons (Meyer)

Juice from 4 lemons

10 tablespoons salt

9 tablespoons chilli powder (I use a combination of very hot and mild Kashmiri chilli powder)

1 heaped dessertspoon full of fenugreek seeds (roasted until brown and ground to a fine powder)

10 cloves plump garlic (optional)

2 teaspoons black mustard seeds

4 tablespoons vegetable oil like canola

Method

Cut the 10 lemons into eighths or if smallish into quarters. Take a large jar and place lemons in jar. Add all the salt and shake the jar so the salt is mixed in. Set the jar aside for 24 hours. Squeeze out all the pieces (retain the juice that has collected) and you can dry the pieces in the sun or I prefer to dehydrate them in the oven at 50 degrees Celsius for about 16 hours or so. Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds – fry until the seeds are sputtering. Then add the garlic and fry for about 30 seconds. In another large mixing bowl, using a wooden spoon mix the chilli powder and roasted fenugreek powder and add the oil mixture. Add the dried lemon pieces and also the reserved juice (the one from soaking). Mix well and put all the pickle back into the jar. Allow to rest in a cupboard for a couple of days. Then give it a good mix and squeeze in juice from the four lemons. Will keep for a few months in the back of your cupboard. Serve as accompaniment to an Indian meal.

03/07/201905/08/2019

EGGPLANT RAGU WITH CREAMY POLENTA

Ragu

2 egg plants

1 x 400g tin of plum tomatoes mashed up using your hand

5 plump garlic peeled and sliced

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon chilli flakes

1 tablespoon plain flour

8-10 basil leaves

12 pitted black olives and roughly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Pinch of sugar

Creamy Polenta:

400 grams Instant Polenta

40 grams butter cubed

30 grams freshly Microplaned Parmesan cheese

Salt to taste

Cook the ragu first. Cube the eggplant (no need to peel). Sprinkle salt generously on the eggplant and let sit in a colander for at least an hour. Squeeze out all the water and dust pieces with the flour. Heat the olive oil in a deep enough sauce pan (one that you would use to make the sauce / ragu in) and fry the eggplant pieces in batches. Set aside. Once all the eggplant is fried, add the garlic to the oil taking care not to burn the garlic pieces. Once garlic gets a bit of colour and the fragrance is evident, add the tomatoes, chilli flakes, olives and some of the basil leaves saving a few for garnish. Add salt (may not need much as you have salted the eggplant), pepper and pinch of sugar. Stir to combine and let it come up to the boil. Mix in the eggplant pieces and cook for a further 15-20 minutes. The sauce should be rich and thick. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve with creamy polenta or pasta.

Creamy polenta

Cook the polenta as per the instructions on the packet. Once cooked, stir in the butter mixing to avoid lumps. It should look smooth and creamy. Then stir in the microplaned parmesan. Taste and adjust salt according to your taste. Serve hot immediately.

02/07/201905/08/2019

UPMA

This is a traditional South Indian (very popular in Andhra and Telangana) breakfast item. I have modified it and use bulgur instead of semolina.

Ingredients:

1 onion diced into 1 centimetre piece

1 large carrot diced into 1 centimetre piece

1 large potato diced into 1 centimetre piece

1 cup frozen peas

1.5 cups of bulgur

1 thumb size ginger finely chopped

1 – 2 green chillies (deseeded if you don’t want the heat) finely chopped

2 -3 sprigs of curry leaves washed

½ cup of cashew pieces roasted

3 tablespoons vegetable oil like canola

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1-2 dried red chilli cut into couple of pieces each

3 cups water from the kettle

2 teaspoons salt

½ large lemon or lime for serving

Method:

Heat oil in a large fry pan or saute pan (kadai). Add the mustard seeds and dried red chillies – you need to wait until mustard seeds sputter (about a minute or so – if you don’t allow the mustard seeds to sputter, they will be bitter). Then add the curry leaves. When you can smell the curry leaves frying add the onion. Allow the onions to fry, then add the green chilli and ginger. After thirty seconds, add the carrots, potatoes and peas along with the salt. Once the vegetables are all mixed in, add the water. Allow the vegetables to cook for about 5 minutes, add the bulgur in a steady stream mixing continuously so as no lumps are formed. Once all bulgur is incorporated, reduce heat to lowest setting and allow to cook for a further 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed. Serve with a squeeze of lemon or lime along with the cashew pieces on top. Serves four.

Notes: You can add other vegetables like cauliflower, green pepper and or tomato.

02/07/201905/08/2019

NASI GORENG

6 cups of cold cooked white rice (I used Basmati)

1 large onion finely chopped

1 large carrot diced to 1 centimetre cubes

½ cup of frozen corn kernels

½ cup of frozen peas

4 plump cloves garlic minced or finely chopped

1 tablespoon medium curry powder

4 tablespoons vegetable oil like canola

½ to 1 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)

2 tablespoons tomato paste mixed with 2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons ketjap manis

Salt to taste

4 x eggs fried to serve

Method:

Heat the oil in a well-seasoned wok. Fry onions for 3 -4 minutes. Add the diced carrot and garlic and continue frying for a further three minutes. Now add the curry powder – continuing to fry for thirty seconds so the powder does not burn. Add the tomato paste, ketjap manis, chilli flakes if using, a couple of generous pinches of salt, the corn kernels and peas. Give it a stir and cover the wok with a lid for a minute. Break up the rice during the process of adding the rice to the wok. Continue frying until all the rice is thoroughly mixed and heated through (about five minutes). Serve hot with fried egg on top. (Serves 4)