Ingredients:
- 6 oz bread (preferably wholemeal)
- 3 eggs
- ¼ pint milk
- 4 oz mature cheddar cheese (grated)
- Salt and pepper
- 3 or 4 ripe tomatoes (depending on size)
Method:
- Cut the bread into small cubes (about ½” square).
- Lightly grease a 2 pint ovenproof dish and put the bread evenly into the bottom.
- In a bowl mix together the eggs and milk. Add the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Pour the mixture over the bread cubes and let the cubes stand for about 15 minutes so that the mixture soaks into the bread.
- Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 6 (400°F/200°C).
- Slice the tomatoes and spread them over the top of the bread/cheese mix (they’ll sink a bit).
- Put into the pre-heated oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the “custard” is golden brown and set.
Serves 4 – Goes well with either a green salad or green beans.
Filed under Recipe, Vegetarian Recipes by
Ingredients:
- 12 oz macaroni
- 1 very large aubergine or 2 medium
- 12 oz tomatoes
- 1 medium onion
- 1 or 2 cloves of garlic
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ pint plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Method:
- Cook the macaroni is a large pan of salted boiling water until tender. Drain well.
- Slice the aubergine into thin slices. Put onto a plate and sprinkle with salt. Leave for at lease 30 minutes and then wash and drain well.
- Slice the tomatoes. Peel and finely chop the onion, peel and crush the garlic and combined the two in a small bowl.
- Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 5 (190°C/375°F).
- Grease an ovenproof dish.
- First put a layer of aubergine, then tomato, then macaroni and sprinkle with the onion and garlic mix. Continue to layer until the ingredients are used up, finishing with a layer of overlapping aubergine slices.
- Spread the yogurt over the top and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes until the aubergine is cooked and the top is golden brown.
Serves 4.
Filed under Pasta Recipes, Recipe, Vegetarian Recipes by
Ingredients:
- 12 oz dried red kidney beans
- 4 tablespoons oil
- 8 oz long grain rice
- 1 largish onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 large green pepper, quartered, de-pithed and chopped into ¾” chunks
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- Dash of tabasco sauce
- Salt to taste
- 1¾ pints vegetable stock
- 1 lb ripe tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped or 1 lb canned tomatoes drained and rinsed
Method:
- Soak the dry red kidney beans in water overnight. Drain and put into fresh water. Bring to the boil and boil vigorously for 10 minutes and then lower the heat and cook until just tender. Rinse before adding to the dish.
- Heat the oil in a large, deep saucepan or wok.
- Add the rice and cook until just turning opaque. Add the onion, pepper, cumin and coriander. Cook gently for a further minute or two.
- Add the tabasco, salt, stock and beans and bring to the boil. Cover, lower the heat and cook for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is just tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Add the tomatoes and stir in gently. Cook for a further minute or two uncovered.
- Serve hot.
Serves 4 – Great with a finely chopped salad and some poppadoms as a vegetarian meal.
Filed under Bean, Pulses and Rice Recipes, Recipe, Vegetarian Recipes by
Ingredients:
- 4 oz haricot beans
- 1 large onion
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 oz potatoes
- 2 large ripe tomatoes
- 1 medium carrot
- 2 small courgettes
- 6 oz firm white cabbage
- 2 oz peas (shelled weight)
- 1 clove garlic (crushed)
- 3 pints water or vegetable stock
- 4 oz short grain rice (arborio or similar)
- 1 or 2 leaves of basil (chopped)
- Sprig of parsley (taken from the stem and chopped)
- Salt and pepper
Method:
- Soak the beans in water overnight.
- Next day drain and and cook them in unsalted water until almost tender. Drain.
- Heat a oil in a deep pan. Peel and chop the onion finely and lightly fry.
- Peel and cube the potatoes, peel and chop the tomatoes, wash and slice the carrot into small rounds, peel (if necessary) the courgettes and slice into rounds. Wash and shred the cabbage and drain. Pod (if necessary) the peas.
- Add all the vegetables and crushed garlic to the pan with the onions, stir gently and lightly fry for about 5 minutes.
- Add the water or vegetable stock and bring slowly to the boil. Add the beans and continue cooking until they are quiet tender. Add the rice, basil, parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook for about 15 minutes until the rice is tender but still has a bite.
- Serve hot.
Serves 4 and very filling. If you want you can add some diced bacon when you’re frying the onions. Also, if you prefer a more tomatoee taste, squirt in some tomato puree and stir in towards the end.
Filed under Bean, Pulses and Rice Recipes, Recipe, Soup Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes by
Ingredients:
- 4 oz dried haricot beans
- 3 pints vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper
- 1 large onion
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1 medium carrot
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium courgettes
- 3 medium sized ripe tomatoes
- 2 large potatoes (about 1 lb)
- 4 or 5 sprigs of basil
- 3 or 4 cloves of garlic
- Salt and pepper
- 4 oz short cut (elbow shaped) macaroni
Method:
- Soak the haricot beans overnight and then partially cook in unsalted water.
- Drain and put into a large heavy pan with 3 pints of vegetable stock.
- Peel and coarsely chop the onion. Slice the celery into ½” pieces. Slice the courgettes into ½” pieces and, if on the large size, halve again. Peel and coarsely chop the tomatoes. Peel and cut the potatoes onto small chunks. Strip the basil leaves from the stems and finely shred. Peel and crush the garlic.
- Add the onion, celery and carrot to the haricot beans and 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Bring to the boil and season to taste. Lower the heat and simmer for about 1 hour.
- Add the courgettes, tomatoes, potatoes and basil and cook for about another 30 minutes.
- Add the macaroni and cook until “al dente” . This should take about 15 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Serves 4 and nice if accompanied by a bowl of grated cheese to be handed around.
Filed under Bean, Pulses and Rice Recipes, Pasta Recipes, Recipe, Soup Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes by
Ingredients:
- 2 oz butter
- 2 medium or 1 very large onion
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- 2 lb ripe tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic
- Salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 dessertspoon finely chopped basil or parsley
- 1½ pints vegetable stock
- Small knob of butter
- ¼ pint single cream
Method:
- Peel and finely chop the onion(s), heat the butter in a pan and add the onions and cook gently until soft but not brown.
- Sprinkle in the flour, stir well and continue cooking for about 3 minutes, stirring all the time.
- Skin and coarsely chop the tomatoes and add to the onions along with the garlic (crushed), salt, pepper, sugar and basil or parsley.
- Bring to a gentle boil and then lower the heat and simmer until the tomatoes have turned pulpy.
- Heat the vegetable stock to a boil and then add to the pan and cook for about another 20 minutes.
- Rub through a sieve and return to the pan, bring back to a gentle boil and then add a knob and butter and the cream.
- Stir well and serve.
Serves 4 – Make it into a meal on its own by serving with toast or croutons and passing a bowl of grated cheese around.
Filed under Recipe, Soup Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes by
Submitted by Jenny
For 4 healthy appetites you will need:
Ingredients:
- 4lbs potatoes (at least!)
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 2 onions, sliced thinly
- Approx 4oz strong Cheddar (or more if you love cheesy flavours)
- Oil (olive is nicest but anything will do)
- Salt
Method:
- Slice the potatoes quite thinly (no need to peel them, and healthier if you don’t), put a layer in the bottom of a large casserole and sprinkle with salt.
- Follow with a layer of sliced onion, then a good sprinkle ofgrated cheese, then half a tin of chopped tomatoes. Repeat the layers until all your ingredients are used up.
- Drizzle oil over the top and sprinkle with grated cheese. Cover and cook in the oven (if it’s on for something else) or the microwave until it’s cooked through – the potatoes should be really soft with no hard bits left.
- If you want a crunchy top take the lid off towards the end or bung it under the grill for a bit.
This can be varied according to taste – an extra tin of tomatoes to make it ‘wetter’, more or less cheese etc. I’ve also heard of people adding layers of bolognese, corned beef, fish and different vegetables
We have sausages or something with this basic version if we happen to have them, but it’s not really necessary as it’s tasty enough to be eaten on its own.
When my children were babies I didn’t want to get them used to overpriced chemical baby foods and they were weaned on a less rich, salt-free version of this blended with milk. They loved it then and still love it now they are grown up.
Filed under Recipe, Vegetarian Recipes by
Frittatas are wonderful as they can have loads of fillings depending on the contents of left over cooked vegetables in your fridge and any bits of cooked meats. This one is another example from fresh ingredients.
Ingredients:
- 8 oz courgettes
- 3 or 4 ripe tomatoes
- 2 oz butter
- Olive oil
- 1 medium onion
- 6 medium free-range eggs
- Salt and pepper
Method:
- Wash the courgettes and slice fairly thinly.
- Drop the tomatoes into boiling water, remove their skins and chop coarsely.
- Peel the onion and finely chop.
- Heat the butter and a tablespoon of olive oil together in a pan.
- Add the onions to the pan and lightly fry until just soft and then add the courgettes and salt and pepper and continue frying until the courgettes are tender.
- Add the tomatoes and stir well. Continue frying until the tomatoes are done.
- Break the eggs into a bowl and beat well. Pour over the mixture.
- Stir lightly to re-distribute the contents.
- When the eggs are set underneath you can either hold a flat plate over the top, turn the pan right over and ease the frittata onto the plate and then add a little more oil to the pan and slide the frittata back to cook the other side. Alternatively, if you’ve got a pan that can go under the grill, you can leave the frittata in the pan and put under a pre-heated hot grill and lightly brown the top.
Serves 4. Makes a good lunch or supper dish served in wedges. Or a full meal with a good size salad.
Filed under Recipe, Vegetarian Recipes by
Frittatas are wonderful as they can have loads of fillings depending on the contents of left over cooked vegetables in your fridge and any bits of cooked meats. This one is an example from fresh ingredients.
Ingredients:
- 8 oz spinach
- 1 or 2 sweet peppers (according to size)
- 6 medium free-range eggs
- 3 oz grated mature cheddar cheese
- 3 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
Method:
- Wash and finely shred the spinach.
- Remove the top off the peppers, quarter and remove the pith and seeds and chop into small chunks.
- Lightly fry the spinach and peppers in olive oil.
- Break the eggs into a bowl, add the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper and beat well.
- Pour the egg mixture over the spinach and peppers, stirring lightly to re-distribute the contents.
- When the eggs are set underneath you can either hold a flat plate over the top, turn the pan right over and ease the frittata onto the plate and then add a little more oil to the pan and slide the frittata back to cook the other side. Alternatively, if you’ve got a pan that can go under the grill, you can leave the frittata in the pan and put under a pre-heated hot grill and lightly brown the top.
Serves 4. Makes a good lunch or supper dish served in wedges. Or a full meal with a good size salad.
Filed under Recipe, Vegetarian Recipes by
Chickpea Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 lb chickpeas
- 4 to 5 oz mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 oz butter
- 1 large onion
- 1 or 2 stalks of celery
- 6 or 7 leaves of chard or spinach
- 4 large ripe tomatoes
- 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- Salt & pepper
Method:
- Soak the chickpeas overnight in cold water.
- Drain the chickpeas and then cook them on the hob with plenty of fresh water until they are soft. (Takes 2 to 3 hours).
- Peel and chop the onion, crush the garlic, dice the celery finely, chop the mushrooms, wash and shred the chard or spinach.
- Heat the oil and butter in a pan and add the above ingredients and lightly fry for a minute or two.
- Meanwhile put the tomatoes into boiling water, peel and chop, and then add to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until you have a thick sauce.
- Drain the chickpeas and reserve the liquid.
- Add the chickpeas to the sauce, stir and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add enough of the chickpea liquid to make the soup as thick or thin as preferred and allow to warm through.
Serves 4 – Mop up with some crusty bread or toast to make a filling meal on its own.
Filed under Bean, Pulses and Rice Recipes, Recipe, Soup Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes by