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duboing
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06-08-2006, 01:10 AM

A few vegetarian recipes...

...especially for you Ailsa!

But first a disclaimer

I love beans and lentils, all shapes and sizes, so I use them all the time. I know some people have trouble digesting them and I don't want to be responsible for any relationship breakdowns, so these recipes are to be undertaken at your own risk On a positive note, beans are really good for you. They're a great source of fibre, protein and a variety of essential minerals. They are also an excellent source of plant oestrogens, which are good at regulating the body's hormone levels. This is a bit of a hobby-horse for me, having studied the effects of hormone-mimicking pollutants on animal physiology Beans and lentils are also really cheap, especially if you take the time to cook them from dried. I spent most of my undergraduate days living on about £7 a week, so I learned this the hard way. Since I gave up smoking, my financial situation has improved somewhat but we could all do with more recipes which will feed four people for £1.50

Protein is a bit more complicated for veggies than for meat eaters, as few single vegetable protein sources contain all the bits we need to repair our bodies and grow. Fortunately, mother nature provides a variety of types of vegetable protein (grains, nuts and seeds, beans and pulses) and you can put any two of these together to get complete protein. Or, you can whack in some animal protein from eggs or dairy products, which will do the lot for you! Sorted
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duboing
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06-08-2006, 01:39 AM
Ligurian Minestrone

Liguria is the part of Italy where they invented pesto. It's like the Cote D'Azur, but much, much cheaper. It's traditionally a very poor region of the country, and that's reflected in their traditional recipes which are often veggie-friendly. It's also incredibly beautiful, and you really should go if you get the chance

- a celery stick
- an onion
- a big carrot
- a clove or two of garlic, crushed
- olive oil
- a tin of tomatoes
- some savoy cabbage (about a third), cut into skinny strips
- green beans (normal supermarket packet), topped, tailed and halved
- a small aubergine, diced
- 2 smallish courgettes, thinly sliced
- a potato, diced
- 100g vermicelli
- a tin of cannellini beans (or borlotti would do nicely)
- 2 pints veggie stock (I use marigold vegetable bouillon)
- green pesto (try to get the fresh sort from the chiller section of the supermarket)

Chop the onion, carrot and celery really finely (I do them in my beloved KitchenAid blender - much faster!) Heat the oil in your biggest saucepan, add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic, and stir and fry gently until soft, but not browned.

Add the potato and courgettes and carry on stirring and frying for about 5 minutes. Put in the aubergine, cannellini beans and tomatoes and give it a good stir for a few minutes.

Add the green beans and stock, bring to a consistent simmer, then go and watch Eastenders (half an hour!)

Put in the cabbage and cook for another ten minutes (this is probably the time to open a bottle of wine and pour yourself a glass )

Break the vermicelli into the pan, make sure its well stirred in and cook for about 3 minutes.

Serve with nice crusty bread and a good blob of pesto in each bowl.
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duboing
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06-08-2006, 02:15 AM
Mung Dahl

Actually, you can do this with any type of split lentil, though bear in mind that the big ones like split peas or chana dahl will need longer cooking. I get big bags of washed Mung Dahl in an "ethnic" grocers (Matta's, Bold Street, Liverpool ). This stuff roasts beautifully to develop the flavour, and as we eat it about once a week it doesn't sit around long.

200g split lentils
1.5 pints water
turmeric
root ginger, peeled, two thinnish slices
butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small onion, chopped finely
about a dessertspoon of finely grated root ginger
one or two green chillies, deseeded and chopped finely
ground coriander
cumin seeds
kalonji (black onion seeds)
fresh coriander

If you're using the mung dahl, it really is worth roasting it first. Just put it in a dry saucepan and put over a moderate heat. Keep stirring constantly and watch it like a hawk, when it goes, it goes fast You're looking for the lentils to change colour from yellowish to pale brown. As soon as you're seeing quite a few specks of brown in there, you need to get the water in quick! If they go black, they're going to taste baaaaad.

If you're using other lentils, just put them straight in the pan with the water.

So, lentils and water are in the pan, add half a teaspoon of ground turmeric and the sliced ginger, then bring it to the boil. Again, you need to watch this constantly, especially if you put the pan lid on to speed it up. Virtually every time I make this, the lentils boil over at this point and cover the cooker in bright yellow foam Once you've got it boiling, turn down the heat to a constant simmer, cover, check again that it's not going to boil over, then go and watch property ladder (1 hour!)

Heat a good blob of butter in a smallish frying pan. I have cooked this for vegan friends and used groundnut oil instead. Sunflower oil would be fine too, but the taste of olive oil wouldn't really be the right thing.

Add the onion and garlic and fry over a quite gentle heat until it goes nicely brown. This does take quite a while (about 10 minutes), but don't be tempted to crank up the heat too high or you'll end up with all the bitter blackness, and none of the rich sweetness, which is really what gives this stuff its flavour.

(At this point, if you felt like it, it wouldn't do any harm to add some green beans (prepared as in previous recipe) to the pan with the lentils, although they are by no means essential!)

Add the chilli and ginger to the frying pan, then a teaspoon each of the dry spices, and carry on stirring and frying until your husband appears to ask why he's choking on chilli-fumes (about 2 minutes)

Add the contents of the frying pan to the lentil pan, give it a stir and season to taste.

Finely chop a good handful of fresh coriander, stir it in with the rest, then serve it up with some steamed cauliflower and chappatis or nan bread.
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duboing
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06-08-2006, 02:47 AM
Roasted tofu salad

OK, before you start, I know 98% of the world hates tofu, but bear in mind that the traditional japanese diet is one of the healthiest in the world. Now isn't it worth giving this stuff a go, even if it's only once in your life? Tofu in itself has no flavour, but it's up to you to make it taste nice. Here we go...

a packet of tofu (chiller cabinet of supermarket)
two limes
soy sauce (tamari is best! Try the organic section of the supermarket)
sesame oil
tabasco
red wine
honey
garlic
brocolli, a smallish head cut into fine florets
fine egg noodles, two blocks
mange tout (or sugar snap) peas, halved
baby sweetcorn, halved lengthways
a large carrot, sliced into very fine slivers
a red pepper, cut into matchsticks
olive oil
a red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

First of all, you're doing the marinade. Mix together a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce, a crushed clove of garlic, the grated rind of the limes, some grated ginger, a dash of tabasco, about a teaspoon of sesame oil, the same of honey and a slosh of red wine if there's any knocking about. Drain the tofu, and gently squeeze out any excess water. Cut it into half-inch cubes with a very sharp knife (you don't want to squash it) and mix it up with the marinade. Leave it to steep for as long as you can, but at least an hour, then put it on an oiled baking tray and into a hot oven (250 Celsius) for about 30 - 40 minutes. When it comes out it should look dark, rather shrunken and crispy

In the meantime you can prep the vegetables for the salad. This list is meant as a suggestion rather than a prescription. Put in whatever you like, but I think these do quite nicely alongside the slightly Thai intonations.

Make the dressing by mixing together the juice of one or two limes with an equal quantity of olive oil, add a good slosh of soy sauce, about a teaspoon of sesame oil, the chilli, and a little bit of honey.

Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, drain, then rinse in cold water to stop them going mushy and drain thoroughly again.

When the tofu comes out of the oven, mix everything together and serve immediately.
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Meganrose
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06-08-2006, 05:51 AM
Aww thank you for the recipes my daughter is vegeatarian and has been for about 10 years (23 now and still at home), given that my horrible son (21 and also still at home) shoots and is most definitely a meat eater, my husband an old fashioned meat and three veg type of guy, I like more spicy and oriental types of food, then put into the equasion a toddler, then you can imagine what a nightmare making our family meals are (not to mention the addition of any girlfriends or boyfriends staying for tea etc)

Kath XX
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Vicki
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06-08-2006, 06:11 AM
I'm not a vegetarian, but really appreciate the effort you put into posting these recipes honey. I'm willing to give at least a couple of them a try. Thanks so much
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Shadowboxer
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06-08-2006, 06:38 AM
Thank you. I shall definitely try those recipes as I am morally a vegetarian but, in practice, a weak-willed meat eater

Thank you also for giving the instructions in such a 'cook friendly' way
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duboing
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06-08-2006, 12:51 PM
Butternut Squash Risotto

There is of course the opportunity to make this a very healthy, low-calorie effort, but who needs that If you really don't like chilli, you can do without them, but I think I'd put in a finely choppe red pepper instead as teh little red flecks look soooo pretty!

an onion, finely chopped
a clove of garlic, crushed
a glass of white wine
a smallish butternut squash
one or two red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
a lemon
butter
olive oil
250g risotto rice
2.5 pints of stock (not too strong)
small pot of single cream
100g (ish) grated parmesan or veggie alternative

Cut the butternut squash in half lengthways and use a sharpish-edged spoon to scoop out the seeds. I think you could probably clean these up, roast them and eat them, but life's too short. Put them on the compost heap.

With a reasonable vegetable peeler, get to work on removing the outer skin from both halves of the squash. We've got a 99p Y-shaped peeler from Asda, which is fine unless you try to do this too quick, in which case the whole blade pops out! Once it's peeled, cut it into half-inch cubes, plop on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and put in a hot oven (220 Celcius) and go and watch the Channel 4 news (45 minutes).

Have a look at your squash, it should be browned around the edges, but not burnt to a crisp. If necessary leave it in for a bit longer, or take it out and set it to one side for now.

Now is the time to get your stock ready, you're going to need it in a covered saucepan, gently simmering, with a ladle handy for when the rice is ready for it. Never believe the quantities of stock recommended in risotto recipes (other than this one), perhaps professional chefs can cook 250g of rice in 1.5 pints of stock, but I can't. You might, but pouring a pint of veggie stock down the sink isn't going to bankrupt you, is it?

Melt a good blob of butter in a big, shallowish saucepan, or a really big, deep frying pan. Put in the onion and garlic and cook over a medium heat until they're soft and transparent, not browned. Now you put the chillies rice in and, stirring constantly, fry the lot until the rice is thouroughly coated in butter and starting to go translucent. Add the wine, bring to a simmer and enjoy those boozy fumes

Now you need to concentrate for the next 15 or 20 minutes. Carry on drinking the bottle of wine by all means, but the child falling out of the tree at the end of the garden and breaking his arm is somebody else's problem for now...

As soon as the liquid from the wine is "disappearing" (being absorbed by the rice and evaporating), you should be getting ready to add a ladlefull of stock. Your aim is to keep the rice in just enough liquid to keep up the simmer, stirring all the while. If it ever starts to look dry, or to stick, or is difficult to stir, add another ladleful of stock. It's not as troublesome as it sounds, and once you get the rhythm you kind of Zen out and can think of other things.

About five minutes into this, add the butternut squash to the pan, plus whatever stock you need to keep the mixture moving and simmering, then carry on as before until the rice is cooked.

Add the juice of the lemon and stir in thoroughly. Pour in the cream and parmesan, combine and serve with a nice tomato salad to lighten things up.
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pod
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06-08-2006, 01:14 PM
Thanks duboing for some great ideas!

Never thought of roasting mung dahl first, I like the sound of that. Will definitely try the butternut squash risotto, though I've given up trying to peel them raw. I just halve lengthwise, scrape out seeds and blast in the microwave for a few mins. When cooled, it's just soft enough to peel easily
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Meganrose
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06-08-2006, 01:41 PM
Thanks duboing for another very tasty sounding recipe. I often make a butternut squash soup but the risotto sounds lovely. Will give it a go asap.

Thanks, Kath XX
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