Tag: vegetarian

Crispy Lemon Rosemary Chickpea and Burrata Summer Pasta

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I’m trying to find some inventive ways to use up the leftover beetroot leaves as I process them to try to preserve the taste of summer. Beetroot leaves are so similar to perpetual spinach or Swiss chard. For every homegrown beetroot given out, I also say to my willing receiver “did you know you can eat the leaves too?” There is absolutely no reason to waste them so apart from giving them to the chickens as a little treat, I’m also trying to utilise them myself. If you can get hold of whole beetroots with the leaves still attached, or are growing them yourself (or being gifted as I am doing with so many beetroots!) then you absolutely must try them!

The standard purple beetroots still contain some of the bright purple-red colouring found in the bulb, so I would only assume there are some of the same health benefits from eating the leaves as there are from the actual beetroot itself, although it a smaller quantity which is reflected in the light staining you get from the leaves themselves. There hasn’t been any research into this as far as I can see, but at the end of the day it is green and leafy, and as it’s not toxic to humans, I can only assume there must be some good to eating them whole vegetable from root to leaf.

For me, eating beetroot leaves is a true taste of summer, and something I am currently relishing. I hope that you can get your hands on some beetroot leaves, but if you can’t, or decide you need a little reminder of Summer when it’s dark and gloomy in Winter, use baby leaf spinach, kale or even cabbage.

While I think that standard “white” spaghetti would look more aesthetically pleasing, I am always drawn to using wholemeal pasta wherever possible due to the extra fibre (from 7g fibre per portion up to almost 12g). I also think it helps enhance the slight earthiness of the beetroot leaves.

Serves 3

Ingredients

  • 1 tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 3 springs of rosemary, leaves removed from 1 sprig and roughly chopped
  • Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 250g cherry tomatoes
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 200g wholemeal pasta
  • 150g beetroot leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 ball of fresh burrata

Method

  • Mix the chickpeas, 1 tbsp oil, lemon zest, and 2 spring of rosemary in a baking tray. Bake at 180°C fan/ 200°C convection/gas mark 6 for 15 minutes till crispy and fragrant.
  • Meanwhile, add the tomatoes, garlic and remaining oil to a saucepan, and cook for 5 minutes, before adding the balsamic vinegar and chopped rosemary. If needed add a little water to stop it from sticking.
  • Boil the wholemeal pasta for 2 minutes less than the instructions, reserving a little pasta water.
  • Add the beetroot leaves into the tomato sauce before mixing in the cooked pasta. Return to the heat for 1 minute, adding some of the reserved pasta water if required to loosen the sauce.
  • Serve with the crispy chickpeas, crispy rosemary, and the burrata ball over the top.

Per serving: 501kcal/ 14.2g fat/ 7.0g saturated fat/ 70.0g carbohydrates/ 11.8g fibre/ 18.6g protein

Goat Cheese Stuffed Beetroot Risotto Cakes

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Got some leftover risotto from my Beetroot and Goat Cheese Risotto recipe? Here’s how to turn it into a delicious alternative dish which will give you an excuse to make extra risotto next time! Alternatively, you could make these beetroot and goat cheese risotto cakes from the get-go, but it’s best to cool the mixture in the fridge overnight. This is also a handy way of increasing resistant starch, something our bodies are unable to digest, but the microbes in our guts love them and it makes them happy!

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 40g goat cheese, cut into 2 slices
  • 300g leftover beetroot risotto, chilled in the fridge overnight
  • 30g plain flour
  • 1 small egg, beaten
  • 50g breadcrumbs, I have used panko
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

  • Preheat the over to 180°C fan, 200°C convection.
  • Take the beetroot risotto and fill a food ring halfway up with the risotto.
  • Place the goat cheese slice into the centre and completely cover with more risotto mixture, ensuring the cheese is fully encased.
  • Season the flour and then dust the risotto cake on all sides with the flour, evenly coating all the sides.
  • Coat the rice cake in the beaten egg before rolling in the panko breadcrumbs.
  • Place on a lined baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil.
  • Bake for 15 minutes till golden brown and crispy.

Delicious served with a warm salad of lentils and crispy kale as made in my Roasted Squash, Kale and Lentil Winter Salad.

Courgette Chips

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When you’re growing so many courgettes you simply don’t know how best to eat them! This seems to be my 2020 courgette staple dish, I find myself making them on a weekly basis, and they make the most amazing starter or side to a lunch or dinner.

I usually favour the traditional chip or wedge shape, but they also do well in a circular crisp style, perfect for dunking into a dip of your choice

There are also so many different ways to flavour them. You could go spicy with chilli and chipotle, or garlic and herb, or do as I do with herbs and parmesan.

The dipping sauce is also yours to own too. If you don’t want soured cream you could make a spicy mayonnaise, or serve with a little tomato chilli relish. Fancy ketchup? No problem there either. Your chips and you dip them in whatever you wish.

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 1 medium courgette, cut into wedges
  • 1 small egg, beaten
  • 30g plain flour
  • 10g parmesan, finely grated
  • Dried herbs of choice
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

To serve

  • 75g sour cream
  • Juice of half a lime
  • Fresh herbs, such as coriander and chives

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 225°C fan, 240°C convection
  • Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside.
  • Mix the flour, parmesan, herbs, and some pepper together in a shallow bowl.
  • Keeping one hand for dry dusting, and one hand for the egg, roll each courgette wedge in the flour mix, followed by the egg, and back into the flour mix, ensure all edges have been covered at each stage. Place on a baking sheet.
  • Repeat till all the courgette chips have been used.
  • Drizzle with the olive oil and bake in the oven for 8 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, roughly chop the herbs and mix with the soured cream and lime juice.
  • Once the courgette chips are cooked, transfer to a plate and serve with the dipping sauce.

Beetroot and Goat Cheese Risotto

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I love the colour of this dish. It can’t help but put a smile on your face. Such a bright red-pink colour from the fresh beetroots and it’s something that will also make your gut microbiota smile too…. if they had faces!

Beetroots are naturally high in nitrates, something that has been found to help reduce blood pressure, improve blood flow and possibly have an effect on athletic performance. How? Nitrates are converted to nitric oxide in the body, which has an effect on our blood vessels, dilating them and allowing greater delivery of oxygenated blood to our muscles when consumed prior to exercise.

A 2013 review of UK and Australian studies concluded that the nitrates in the beetroot (usually consumed as beetroot juice) can help improve endurance as measured by time to exhaustion. There are also benefits to gym-goers too as a separate study, conducted in 2016, found that beetroot juice improved performance in resistance training. Those who consumed a 70ml shot of beetroot juice (400mg nitrate) prior to training were able to complete more reps to failure compared with those taking a placebo control.

If you don’t have fresh beetroot you can use pre-cooked beetroots, but the colour will be slightly faded due to the high temperatures used to vacuum pack and store them. Simply skip boiling the beetroot, blending directly into the hot stock, and start the risotto straight away. Another alternative would be to buy beetroot juice, however, the fibre will be removed from this, so I would use this if it is your only option available. If you don’t have the leaves still attached to the beetroot, try using spinach, rainbow chard, or kale as an alternative.

Serves 4 as a main course

Ingredients

  • 350g peeled beetroot, cubed
  • 10g stock powder
  • 2 onions, finely diced
  • 30ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 300g risotto rice
  • 150ml white wine
  • 4 sprigs of thyme
  • 60g parmesan, grated
  • 150g beetroot leaves, roughly chopped
  • 60g goats cheese

Method

  • Place the beetroot and stock powder into a large pan and add 400ml boiling water. Cook for 10 minutes to soften the beetroot and blend till smooth. Return to the heat and keep ward without boiling.
  • Meanwhile, sweat the onions in the oil till soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
  • Add the rice, coating all the grains in the oil and gently toast before adding the white wine. Stir continuously.
  • Once the wine has been absorbed by the rice, add a ladle of beetroot stock. Keep stirring and adding stock till all the stock has been used up. If you need to use more liquid, add boiling water.
  • When the rice is almost cooked to al dente, add the beetroot leaves and allow to wilt.
  • Take off the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.
  • Plate up and crumble the goat cheese over the top.

Per serving: 488kcal/ 11.0g fat/ 6.2g saturated fat/ 72.0g carbohydrates/ 5.0g fibre/ 17.4g protein

Green Bean Curry

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I’m a firm believer that curries taste best when cooked long and slow, and often taste best the next day once the flavours have had time to mingle. However, there is always an exception to the rule, and this is it.

For those who are growing their own beans, you may be over-run with a large glut and not sure how to use them all up. Otherwise it’s time to buy some British seasonal beans while they’re in stock and make this delicious summer curry. Alternatively, you can buy frozen broad beans to make the dish all year round.

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, roughly diced
  • 1cm piece of ginger, finely diced
  • 15g butter
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Large pinch of curry leaves
  • 900g mixed green beans e.g. podded broad beans, runner beans, green beans, dwarf beans, all chopped into roughly equal sizes.
  • 300ml coconut milk

To serve

  • Brown basmati rice
  • Toasted coconut flakes
  • Fresh coriander

Method

  • Gently fry the onions in the vegetable oil till soft and translucent, but without colouring.
  • Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes before adding the butter and spices.
  • Add the beans and stir to coat in the spices. Add the coconut milk and cook for 5 minutes. If the curry looks a little dry, add some water.
  • Serve over steamed rice and top with toasted coconut flakes and fresh coriander leaves.

Per serving: 195kcal/ 12.7g fat/ 2.4g saturated fat/ 12.3g carbohydrates/ 6.5g fibre/ 5.5g protein

Carrot Top Pesto

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Late spring, or early summer means thinning the carrots out at the allotment so we can grow some nice big carrots ready for long winter days. I always get sad at being forced to choose which carrots will go on to grow, sometimes to the point where I leave too many baby carrots in the soil.

I always try to make sure I put the tiny carrots to good use. Sometimes I simply wash them and eat them there and then. Nothing like a simple snack to keep me going! However, I have now come to terms with this cruel to be kind nature, and make sure nothing is waste.

Carrot top pesto with baby carrots is my answer to this. The young and tender leaves make the most delicious and earthy pesto which is delicious when served simple through hot pasta. The pesto is so simple to make, and if you have too many carrot tops you can always freeze the pesto for use at a later date.

Nutritionally speaking there has been very little research conducted on carrot leaves. One study commented on how carrot leaves can be used to fortify chicken’s diets to make the yolks of the eggs they lay more orange in colour due to the carotenoids present in the leaves! Something I have not tested my chickens on yet!

Ingredients

  • A large bunch of carrot tops (about 100g), roughly chopped
  • 1 bunch of basil (30g), roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 40g pine nuts, toasted
  • 45g parmesan cheese, grated

Method

  • Place the carrot tops, basil, olive oil and garlic into a food processor and blend till smooth.
  • Add the pine nuts and parmesan and blend to the consistency desired – I prefer to have some unblended pine nuts in my pesto.
  • Hey pesto! You’re done!

Courgette, Feta and Mint Fritters

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At present I currently have courgettes coming out of my ears! 1 courgette plant would be sufficient to feed a small family with a steady supply of courgettes each week. So naturally we have 10 plants (not to mention the questionable marrow-looking plants) and I am spending all my free time trying to work out new ways of giving courgettes away to unwilling neighbours – they are all currently sick of courgettes too!

Making these super light fritters is the perfect way of using up a courgette or two. You simply do not realise you are eating courgette till you have wiped the plate clean.

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 1 medium courgette, around 180g, grated
  • 1 medium egg
  • 50g wholemeal flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 50ml milk
  • 10 mint leaves, finely sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, finely grated
  • 40g flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  • 70g feta cheese, crumbled
  • Chilli flakes to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil to fry

Options to serve with:

  • Sour cream
  • Poached egg
  • Avocado
  • Smoked salmon
  • Salad

Method

  • Combine the flour and baking powder together in a large bowl and mix. Season with pepper to taste.
  • Add the milk and egg to make a batter. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
  • Heat a pan with 1/2 tsp olive oil and add a spoonful of batter into the pan, spreading them out so each round does not touch another. You should be able to make around 6 fritters in total.
  • Fry each fritter for 2 minutes per side till golden brown. Repeat till all the batter is used. If you are making a larger quantity keep them warm on a tray in a pre-heated oven set to 100°C.
  • Serve hot with your toppings of choice.

Per 3 fritters: 265kcal/ 12.3g fat/ 7.1g saturated fat/ 23.6g carbohydrates/ 4.3g fibre/ 15.0g protein

Chickpea and Halloumi Traybake

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I love halloumi. The salty, squeakiness is irresistible in my household, so we always have a block or two in the fridge ready for when the fridge is a little bare.

Although I am probably part of a small minority who actually likes halloumi cold, although I am in agreement that hot, crispy, golden and squidgy halloumi is the best. Even when it’s not barbecue season, I still eat it, either by frying it in a pan as part of a mean vegetarian brunch, or roasting it in the oven till it is crispy and golden on the top.

While halloumi is high in salt and fats including saturated fat, as is often found with cheeses, it is a good source of non-meat protein, especially for those wishing to reduce their meat intake. I try to use halloumi less often because of the salt content, and to help combat this when cooking with it I never season the dish with salt.

If you have the time and the will, stick the halloumi and peppers onto the barbecue to get a lovely charred flavour. The remaining ingredients can be cooked as normal in the oven, and then combine the two together to finish the dish.

I love this dish served with simple herbed couscous. You could of course serve it with rice, bulgar wheat, potato salad or even some garlic flatbreads. Alternatively, to make only one dish dirty, slice potatoes into large wedges and roast in the tray for 25 minutes with a little extra oil. Then top with the chickpeas and vegetables and carry on roasting.

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 bell peppers, cut into large chunks
  • 1 large or two small red onions, sliced into wedges through the root
  • 200g baby plum tomatoes
  • 2 cloves of garlic, skin on
  • 3 sprigs oregano, leaves removed from stems
  • 1 red chilli, to taste, diced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 100g halloumi, sliced into large chunks

To serve

  • 100g couscous
  • Chives, finely chopped
  • Flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C fan, 190°C convection
  • Mix all the ingredients except the halloumi together in an oven-proof dish. Season with pepper to taste.
  • Lay the halloumi over the top and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes till the halloumi turns golden brown and the vegetables have softened.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the couscous by pouring 110ml boiling water over the top of the couscous with the chives and covering. Allow to steam for 5 minutes before fluffing the grains with a fork. Mix the flat-leaf parsley through.
  • Serve the chickpea and halloumi bake over the couscous and enjoy.

Per serving: 661kcal/ 25.2g fat/ 10.8g saturated fat/ 38.2g carbohydrates/ 14.2g fibre/ 26.5g protein

Miso Aubergine with Crispy Chickpeas

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Miso is a kitchen shortcut to a deep umami flavour boost for so many different dishes. My miso aubergine in influenced by the Nobu miso black cod. I’ve changed up a few ingredients to make it slightly healthier, and this works on cod too, so for those who eat fish, you can make the same marinade, but cook the fish for less time, around 15-18 minutes depending on the size of your fillets.

If you can get sake, the traditional Japanese rice wine, that would be true to the Japanese miso cod recipe. However, if you are unable to get it, Chinese rice wine is a good substitute, as is a dry white wine.

This dish is delicious served with steamed brown and wild basmati rice, garlic ginger dressed pak choi and quick pickled carrots for further fibre diversity!

Ingredients

  • 30ml sake
  • 30ml mirin
  • 5ml rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp white miso paste
  • 20g stoned dates
  • 1 large aubergine
  • 200g tinned chickpeas, drained
  • 1 tsp EVOO
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 spring onion, finely sliced
  • Chilli to taste, finely diced
  • Coriander leaves

Method

  • Mix the sake, mirin, rice wine vinegar, miso paste, dates and 20ml water into a small pan. Cook over a low heat till the dates have softened and the alcohol has cooked off. Blend to a smooth paste.
  • Slice the aubergine in half and score the fresh in diamond shapes, ensuring you do not cut through the skin. Place in an oven-proof dish.
  • Pour the miso sauce over the cut side of the aubergine and gently open up the cuts to allow the marinade to penetrate into the flesh. Leave to marinade to 30 minutes at room temperature, or put in the fridge if making in advance.
  • Preheat the oven to 200°C Fan, 220°C convection, gas mark 6.
  • Add the chickpeas and oil to the pan with the aubergine and gently toss in any excess marinade. Add 30ml water to the pan.
  • Cook for 30 minutes, mixing the chickpeas after 15 minutes. If the chickpeas look like they might burn add a little extra water.
  • Remove from the oven and scatter with sesame seeds, spring onion, chilli and coriander.

Per serving 288kcal/ 6.6g fat/ 0.9g saturated fat/ 37.9g carbohydrates/ 10.1g fibre/ 11.8g protein

Spinach Macaroni

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I have lovely fond memories of walking into Godalming high street and lunching with friends in the local vegetarian and yoga café.

This gorgeous café, Café Mila, inspired this dish. Here I have had countless macaroni cheese dishes after walking several miles to get there, all as part of a team challenge to accumulate the highest number of steps.

I always remember the dish coming out, golden brown bubbling cheese covering macaroni with swirls of spinach. This dish is worth the trek! I do love my macaroni cheese, so sometimes I make my own “lighter” version by using reduced-fat cheddar cheese to help keep the total saturated fat under some control. However, if you don’t eat this all the time, and I don’t, using standard fat cheddar is completely fine. In addition, using mature or extra mature cheddar gives a stronger cheese flavour which can help you keep the quantity of cheese used overall lower.

This dish is perfect to make at the weekend when you have time, and then store in the fridge for a quick and easy meal later in the week. Alternatively, why not try making a larger batch and popping one in the freezer. Cooling cooked pasta has been shown to help further increase the fibre content through the formation of resistant starch, adding other benefits to this dish!

Another great way to increase the fibre content of this dish is to use high fibre pasta. This could either be using wholemeal pasta, where the whole grain is used or alternatively, there are now ranges of high fibre pastas. These are where fibre, such as oat, are added to the pasta before it is shaped. Adding extra fibre to your diet in this way is a really easy method for increasing your fibre intake without much effort. On average UK people eat only an average of 18g fibre per day, and the target is 30g fibre per day. This dish contains 5.7g fibre, but a simple swap to fibre enriched pasta could boost the fibre up to 12g per portion!

Serves 2

Recipe 

  • 15g butter
  • 20g plain flour
  • 360ml semi-skimmed milk
  • ½ tsp English mustard
  • 100g mature cheddar cheese, grated
  • 150g dried pasta
  • 140g spinach

Method 

  • Set the oven to 180°C fan/190°C convection.
  • Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute before adding the milk a little at a time, stirring constantly till thick. Add the mustard and half the cheddar cheese and season with pepper to taste.
  • Meanwhile, cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions.
  • Once the pasta is cooked, add the spinach into the cheese sauce and mix, followed by the drained pasta.
  • Pour everything into an ovenproof dish and top with the remaining cheese and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes till the top is golden brown and bubbling.
Spinach Macaroni Cheese

Per serving: 711kcal/ 28.9g fat/ 17.4g saturated fat/ 78.6g carbohydrates/ 5.7g fibre/ 31.7g protein

Tomato and Goats Cheese Risotto

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Sticky slow-roasted tomatoes and crumbled goats cheese over a tomato risotto. A delicious summertime recipe I made in honour of British Tomato Fortnight.

It uses my slow roasted tomatoes which helps increase their lycopene concentration, which is a type of antioxidant found in lots of yellow to red colours fruits and vegetables. In the case of tomatoes, processing helps increase the concentration and bioavailability of lycopene as the cells break down and become more absorbable. In addition, consuming tomatoes with oil also aids lycopene uptake by the body as it is a fat soluble nutrient.

Ingredients

  • 2 small red onions, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 120g tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 150g risotto rice
  • 150ml white wine
  • 1 tsp vegetable stock powder

To serve

Method

  • Gently fry the onions and oil together till soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes and allow to start cooking before adding in the rice. Coat the rice in the oil before adding the wine and stock in. Stir continuously and add hot water a little at a time as the liquid is absorbed. Cook till the rice is al dente (20-25 minutes).
  • Serve with the slow-roasted tomatoes and crumbled goats cheese over the top.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

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These tomatoes are so delicious and their flavours are concentrated due to the slow and low cooking. Additionally, the lycopene content of slow-roasted tomatoes is increased due to concentration from loss of water, as well as a break-down of cellular structures which helps release the lycopene and make it more bioavailable for us to absorb. Lycopene is a compound found in many fruits and vegetables, and is responsible for the colour of many yellow, orange and red fruits and vegetables and has been linked with improved cardiovascular outcome, alongside other health benefits including cancer.

Ingredients

  • 600g tomatoes, large tomatoes sliced in half
  • 10 sprigs of herbs of choice (I have used golden oregano and marjoram)
  • 4 cloves of garlic, skin on
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 100°C fan, 110°C convection, gas mark 1/4
  • Lay the tomatoes out on a large baking tray in a single layer with the herbs and garlic cloves. Drizzle over the olive oil onto all the tomatoes and slowly roast in the oven for 3 hours till sticky and concentrated.
  • Remove and use immediately, or store in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days.