Ingredients:
- 1 lb (450 g) green beans (either runner or french)
- 1 lb (450 g) sweetcorn kernels
- 1 lb |(450 g) tomatoes, skinned and quartered
- Salt and pepper
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 8 oz (225 g) unsalted roasted peanuts, finely chopped
- 4 oz (112 g) mature cheese, grated
Method:
- Top and tail the beans and cut diagonally if using runner beans.
- Put the beans and sweetcorn kernels into hot, salted water, and boil until just tender.
- Mix together the beans, sweetcorn, tomatoes, salt and pepper, onion, sugar and peanuts and spoon into a greased baking dish.
- Sprinkle with the cheese and cook in a preheated oven at Gas Mark 4 (180°C/350°F) for about half an hour until the cheese is bubbling.
A very filling maincourse meal. Serves 4 to 6 depending on appetite.
Filed under Recipe, Vegetarian Recipes by 
Ingredients:
- 1 lb (450 g) potatoes
- 2 oz (56 g) butter or margarine
- 2 tablespoons full fat or semi-skimmed milk
- 8 oz (225 g) cabbage
- 8 oz (225 g) carrots (or another veg other than cabbage)
- 1 largish onion
- 2 oz cheese (preferably one with a strong taste)
Method:
- Peel, dice and cook the potatoes. Mash and mix with the milk, half of the butter/margarine and salt and pepper to taste.
- Chop and cook the cabbage and mix into the mashed potatoes.
- Peel and chop the onion finely and saute in the other half of the butter/margarine.
- Dice or slice the carrots (or another veg), par-boil and drain.
- Spread a layer of mashed potatoes/cabbage in the bottom of a shallow greased dish. Arrange a layer of fried onions on top, then a layer of carrots (or whatever veg you’re using).
- Repeat the layers until all the ingredients are used up, ending with a layer of potato.
- Grate the cheese and sprinkle on top and bake in the middle of a pre-heated oven at Gas Mark 5 (190°C/375°F) for about 40 minutes until the top is crusty and golden.
Serves 4.
Filed under Recipe, Vegetarian Recipes by
Ingredients:
- 6 – 8 leeks (depending on size) washed and chopped
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pints hot vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
- Clean and chop the onion and leeks. Heat the oil and saute them in it for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
- Crush the garlic and stir into the leeks/onions.
- Peel and chop the potato into small, thinnish chunks and add to the pan. Gradually pour in the vegetable stock and allow to come to the boil. Add the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.
- Cover with a lid and then reduce to simmer for around 15 minutes until the potatoes are very soft.
- Remove the bay leaves and transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Return to a clean pan and re-heat, adjusting the seasoning if necessary.
This makes enough for 8 portions – 4 for now and 4 for freezing. It’s really nice with some crumbled stilton added after blending. Just stir it in and allow it to dissolve into the soup. This does not have to be expensive - after Christmas/New Year there’s always loads going cheap in the Supermarkets and it freezes!
Filed under Recipe, Soup Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes by
Ingredients:
- 3 medium sized onions, peeled and sliced
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons cornflour
- 1 green chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped
- 3 or 4 cloves of garlic (depending on size) crushed
- 8 oz broad beans or peas
- 2 green peppers, de-seeded, pith removed, and cut into 1″ pieces
- 3 to 4 tomatoes, large, skinned and chopped
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 tablespoons oil
Method:
- Mix the turmeric, cumin and flour together and roll the onions in it.
- Mix the chilli with the broad beans or peas and peppers in a bowl and add the garlic.
- Grease a casserole with a little butter and place a layer of onions on the bottom.
- Cover with a layer of the chilli, broad beans or peas and peppers followed by a layer of the tomatoes.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and keep adding layers until all the ingredients have been used.
- Pour the oil over the top, cover with a lid.
- Put into a pre-heated oven at Gas Mark 5 (375°F/190°C) for about 30 minutes until all of the ingredients are cooked through.
Enough for 4 people as a main course and can be made very filling by serving with some crusty bread.
Filed under Recipe, Vegetarian Recipes by
This is a very economic meal if you buy/grow the vegetables in season.
Ingredients:
- 8 sheets lasagne (Verdi works well and the no pre-cooking type makes this easiert)
- 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
- 8 oz (225 g) aubergine
- 8 oz (225 g) courgettes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb (450 g) ripe tomatoes or 400 g tin + a little water
- Salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped, or ½ teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped, or ½ teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped, or ½ teaspoon dried
- 2 oz (56 g) butter or margerine
- 2 oz (56 g) flour
- ¾ pint (400 ml) full or semi-skimmed milk
- 3 oz (84 g) parmesan cheese – grated
Method:
- Slice the aubergine and courgettes lenthways and lightly saute in hot oil along with the chopped onion. Drain and put aside.
- Peel and chop the tomatoes and mix with salt, pepper and the herbs and a little water.
- Put into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly until the sauce has thickened.
- In a separate saucepan, melt the butter or margarine, stir in the flour and gradually add the milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Simmer for 5 minutes and then stir in the grated parmesan.
- Pour a layer or tomato sauce over the bottom of a greased, shallow ovenproof dish. Arrange a layer of lasagne on top, then a layer of vegetables and cheese sauce. Repeat until everything is used, ending with a layer of cheese sauce. Sprinkle the top with a little more grated parmesan.
- Cook in a pre-heated oven at Gas Mark 4 (350°F/180°C) for about 40 minutes until golden brown and the lasagne is tender.
A filling meal for 4 and goes nice with a green side salad.
Why not double the ingredients and make two and save on oven running costs? Freezes well and the second can be re-heated in the microwave.
Filed under Pasta Recipes, Recipe, Vegetarian Recipes by
Ingredients:
- 8 oz (225 g) carrots
- 1 small cauliflower
- 4 largish tomatoes
- 1 large onion
- 4 oz (112 g) peas
- 4 oz (112 g) green beans, french or runner
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- ½ pint (285 ml) vegetable stock
- 1½ teaspoons dried mixed herbs
- 2 oz (56 g) self-raising flour
- 1 oz (28 g) vegetarian suet
- 3 oz (84 g) grated Cheddar cheese
Method:
- Slice the onion, carrots and beans. Break the cauliflower into florets. Skin and chop the tomatoes.
- Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion and carrots for a few minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, stock, tomato puree, 1 teaspoon of the herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to the boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the cauliflower, beans and peas and cook for a further 15 minutes.
- Whilst cooking, make the dumplings. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the suet, ½ a teaspoon of mixed herbs and 1 oz (28 g) of the grated cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 4 tablespoons water and mix to an elastic dough. Turn onto a floured surface and, with floured hands, shape into 8 balls.
- Put the dumplings on top of the vegetables, sprinkle with the remaining cheese, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Serve hot.
This will easily feed 4 and the dumplings make it a very substantial meal. Cooking completely on the hob, on one ring, reduces energy costs.
Filed under Recipe, Vegetarian Recipes by
Ingredients:
- 1 lb (450 g) borlotti beans
- 1 largish onion
- 1 lb (450 g) potatoes
- 2 or 3 cloves of garlic
- Olive oil for frying
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cayenne pepper to taste
- 1 or 2 dried chilli peppers finely chopped (if you like it hot!)
Method:
- Soak the beans overnight. Drain. Put into a large saucepan with 4 pints (2.3 litres) of water, cover and cook until soft.
- Peel and slice the onion, peel and finely dice the potatoes, crush the garlic and saute all together gently in the olive oil (along with the dried chilli peppers if you’re using them).
- When the beans are cooked, put about half of them along with half of the water they were boiled in thorough a blender or push through a sieve to make a puree.
- Add the rest of the beans and the puree to the onion and potato and bring to the boil.
- Reduce to a simmer, season with salt and pepper to taste and cayenne pepper, and cook for about another 20 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Makes enough soup for 8 – 4 for now and 4 for freezing.
Filed under Bean, Pulses and Rice Recipes, Recipe, Soup Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes by
Ingredients:
- 2 lb (900 g) leeks (sliced)
- Olive oil for frying
- 2 lb (900g) tomatoes ( chopped)
- 3 lb (1.35 k) potatoes (peeled and diced)
- 4 pints (2.2 litres) vegetable stock or water
- Salt and pepper
Method:
- Wash the leeks and slice, peel the potatoes and dice, chop the tomatoes (there’s no need to skin them or remove the seeds).
- Cook the sliced leeks gently in the oil in a heavy saucepan.
- Add the peeled and chopped tomatoes and the diced potatoes and saute for a few minutes.
- Add the stock or water and bring to the boil.
- Season to taste. Reduce the heat and simmer for about ½ an hour until the potatoes are soft.
- Put through a blender or sieve.
- Return half to one clean pan and the other to a separate pan.
- The soup that is needed for now should be brought back to the boil and is nice with some single cream stirred in.
- The other half is for freezing so needs to be allowed to cool and then transferred into a suitable container.
This is enough for about 8 portions, 4 for now and 4 for later!
Filed under Recipe, Soup Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes by
Ingredients:
- 6 medium potatoes
- Vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 medium onion
- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 4 ears of fresh sweetcorn (or about 12 oz (340 g) of sweetcorn kernels)
- 1½ pints (870 ml) milk
- Salt and pepper
Method:
- Peel and quarter the potatoes and put into a deep saucepan. Peel and finely chop the onion and put in with the potatoes and enough stock to cover.
- Bring to the boil and then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are soft.
- Drain the potatoes, reserving about ¾ pint (430 ml) of the cooking liquid. Mash the potatoes and return to the reserved cooking liquid.
- If you’re using fresh sweetcorn, remove the husks and silk and stand on end. Use a large, sharp knife and cut against the cob vertically to scrape off the kernels.
- Add the sweetcorn kernels and milk to the potato mixture and bring almost to the boil. Make certain that you don’t boil rapidly or the corn will toughen. Allow to cook through.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Nice garnished with parsley. If you’ve any cooked ham, dice up about 4 oz (112 g) and stir in towards the end of cooking for a variation. This is a very filling soup and will serve 6 people.
Filed under Recipe, Soup Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes by
Ingredients:
- 2 medium-sized carrots
- 2 small turnips
- 2 small parsnips
- 2 medium-sized onions
- 4 large celery stalks
- 2 large leeks
- 2 tablespoons of pearl barley
- 2 oz (56 g) butter
- 3 pints (900 ml) vegetable stock (stock cubes mixed in hot water are fine)
- Salt and pepper
Method:
- Wash all the vegetables thoroughly and cut the carrots, parsnips, turnips and celery into dice. Peel and chop the onions. Cut the leeks into fine shreds.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the vegetables and cover pan.
- Fry gently, without browning, for 5 or 6 minutes, shaking the pan frequently.
- Pour in the stock, add the barley and salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to the boil and then lower the heat, cover the pan, and simmer gently for around 1¼ hours, stirring occasionally, until the barley is soft.
- Ladle into warm soup bowls and serve hot.
This will easily serve 8 people. However it freezes well and will save on energy costs next time.
Filed under Recipe, Soup Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes by