Veggie Recipes

These are some of my favourite veggie recipes, either for main courses or accompliments.

SPICY PUMPKIN RISOTTO


1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
300g risotto rice
1 pumpkin (1 kg) diced
100ml white wine
1 litre of hot veg stock
4 tbsp parmesan
Salt and pepper

Fry the onion in a pan for 4-5 mins or until soft. Stir in the chilli, cinnamon and cook for 1 min. Add the rice and turn in the oil until coated. Stir in the pumpkin, add the wine and bring to the boil. Add the stock, bit by bit, continously stirring for 15-20 mins. The rice should have a slight 'bite' and most of the stock should be soaked up by the rice, with a slight saucey consistancy. Mix in the parmesan and add salt and pepper to taste.

AUBERGINE AND TOMATO BAKE

Olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
About 600g tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cinnamon stick
small bunch of basil
3 medium aubergines
2 balls of mozzarella, sliced
a handful of grated parmesan

Heat about 2 tbsps of oil in a large frying pan, add the garlic and gently sizzle for about 2 mins. Add the tomatoes and cinnamon stick and simmer for about 15 mins until thickened. Stir in the basil and season.

Slice the aubergines and brush them with olive oil, put into a hot griddle pan - don't add any more oil to the pan, turning a few times until completely tender.

Remove cinnamon stick from the tomatoes. Add a few tablespoons of sauce to the bottom of an ovenproof dish. Cover with the aubergines and mozzarella then repeat, ending with a layer of tomato sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake in the oven for 30-40 mins until bubbling and golden. Serve on its own with crusty bread or as a side dish.

MUSHROOM RISOTTO

50g dried mushrooms

1 veg stock cube

2 tbsps olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves

250g fresh mushrooms, sliced

300g risotto rice

175ml white wine

25g butter

Chopped parsley for garnish

50g Parmesan to sprinkle over

Put the dried mushrooms into a bowl and pour over 1 litre of boiling water, leave for 20 mins. Then drain the mushrooms, keeping the liquid. Crumble the veg stock cube into the mushroom liquid. Chop the mushrooms.

Heat the oil in a medium sized frying pan, add the chopped onions and garlic and fry for about 5 mins until soft. Add the chopped dried mushrooms and fresh sliced mushrooms. Season. Leave to cook for about 8 mins, stirring occasionally.

Add the rice to the pan and cook for 1 min. Pour over the wine and let it boil until all the liquid has evaporated. Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the stock/liquid, slowly, bit at a time and keep stirring while simmering. It should become creamy, plump and tender. Continue stirring until the rice is cooked, you may need to add a bit of water should the rice not be cooked when you have used up the stock.

When cooked, take off the heat and add the butter (I also add a spoonful of creme fraiche) and sprinkle with parmesan and the chopped parsley.

If you want, you can add some chopped, cooked chicken. I also like to add a bit of fresh spinach near the end of cooking.

Enjoy!

GRATIN OF COURGETTES AND TOMATOES

With this dish, there are no set quanties, it just depends how many people you are cooking for and how big you wish to make it.


For 2 people I tend to use:
1 onion - sliced
2 tomatoes - thinly sliced
1 courgette - thinly sliced
Dried thyme
Parmesan
Salt and pepper
Olive oil


Heat a frying pan with a little oil and add the sliced onions and cook for about 5 mins.
Place the onions into a oven proof dish and add the sliced tomatoes and courgettes on top of the onions. Arrange them in overlapping lines or alternate pieces.
Season with salt and pepper and pour over a little olive oil, sprinkle with a bit of dried thyme and parmesan.
Bake in the oven for about 30 mins.