Chinese vegetables

Ingredients

• 6 fl oz (175ml) chicken or vegetable stock (1/4 stock cube)
• 1 carrot (cut into batons)
• 1 onion (sliced thinly)
• 5 mushrooms (sliced into thin strips)
• 4oz (110g) broccoli (cut into florets)
• 1 inch (2.5cm) piece ginger (chopped finely)
• 8 baby corn (cut into halves)
• 1 Chinese cabbage
• 1 clove of garlic (chopped finely)
• 2 tablespoons (30mls) soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon corn flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) vegetable oil

Method

1. chop vegetables and stir fry (see earlier recipe for timings)
2. Add the ginger, garlic and chicken stock and simmer gently for approximately 10 minutes.
3. Remove the vegetables using a slotted spoon and place them to one side.
4. mix together the corn flour and soy sauce in a small bowl until it makes a smooth paste. Add this mixture to the chicken stock, stirring continuously and simmer for one minute, the sauce should begin to thicken.
5. Add the sugar and stir until the granules dissolve.
6. Place vegetables back into the sauce, stir well and then serve.

Serving suggestion

Serve with rice or noodles

Mushroom & Bean burgers

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (15ml) vegetable oil
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 1 garlic clove (crushed)
• 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin and coriander
• 9oz (250g) mushrooms (finely chopped)
• 2 cans 300g cannellini beans (drained and rinsed in a sieve)
• 2 tablespoon (30ml) fresh parsley (roughly chopped)
• Sesame buns and salad
• salt and pepper

Method

1. Put 1 can of drained cannellini beans in a blender or food processor and process to a coarse paste. Alternatively put them into a large bowl and mash with a potato masher.
2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion, garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for a further 2 minutes until they are tender. Add the ground spices and stir thoroughly.
3. Stir together the mushroom mixture, remaining can of drained cannellini beans and the bean paste and chopped parsley. season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. When the mixture is cool enough to handle shape it into eight burgers with floured hands.
5. Grill over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes turning once or alternatively bake in a pre-heated oven at gas mark 5 or 190'C for 10 minutes

Makes about 8 burgers

Serving suggestion

Serve in a sesame bun with side salad and ketchup

Tortilla (Spanish omelette)

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion (cut into thin slices)
• 1 green pepper (deseeded and cut into slices)
• 1 yellow/red pepper (deseeded and cut into slices)
• 5 mushrooms
• 7 cherry tomatoes
• 10 oz (275g) or about 8 small salad potatoes (cleaned and cut into slices)
• 3 tablespoons (45mls) olive oil or vegetable oil
• 4-5 large eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Place the potato slices in a small saucepan and cover with boiling water. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan, until it's hot, add the onion and pepper slices. Turn the heat down and cook the vegetables for 10-15 minutes, until very tender.
3. Break the eggs in a large bowl and whisk thoroughly, season to taste. Add the cooked potatoes, onions and peppers, and stir well.
4. Put the frying pan back on the heat, add the rest of the oil and turn the heat back up to a medium setting. Pour the eggs and vegetable mixture into the frying pan. Turn the heat down once again to a low setting and cook the omelette, very gently, until there is virtually no liquid egg left on it's surface.
5. To finish the omelette, place the frying pan under a grill. Cook for about 3 minutes, until it is set.

This will serve 2-3 people as a main dish

Serving Suggestion

Serve hot or cold, cut into wedges, serve with a side salad

Vegetable stir fry

ingredients

• 1 large carrot (sliced into thin strips)
• 2 small or 1 large pepper- red, green or yellow (sliced into thin strips)
• 1 large onion (sliced into thin strips)
• 1 packet of bean sprouts
• 5 mushrooms (sliced into thin strips)
• 1 chilli (finely chopped)
• 2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 small piece of ginger (finely chopped)
• 1 dessertspoon (10ml) vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) of honey
• 2 tablespoon (30ml) of soy sauce

Method

1. Heat the oil in a wok or a large frying pan and add the onions, chilli, garlic and ginger. Fry for approximately 2 minutes.
2. Next add the carrot and pepper to the pan and continue to fry for approximately 4 minutes.
3. Finally add the mushrooms, bean sprouts, honey and soy sauce and fry for another 2 minutes.

Serving Suggestion

serve with noodles or rice.

Vegetable Lasagne

ingredients

• 10-12 strips lasagne
• 2 onions (finely chopped)
• 1 clove of garlic (crushed)
• 12 oz (350g) mushrooms (thinly sliced)
• 12 oz (350g) courgettes (thinly sliced)
• 1 red pepper (chopped into small cubes)
• 1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon (15mls) tomato puree
• Mixed herbs, salt and pepper to taste
• White sauce
• 2 oz (50g) Cheddar cheese

method

1. Pre-heat oven to gas mark 4/180`C/350`F
2. Gently fry onion for a few minutes until browned.
3. Add mushrooms, courgettes and red pepper, fry until softened.
4. Add herbs, tomatoes, tomato puree.and continue to fry.
5. Meanwhile prepare White sauce (See fisherman's Pie for white sauce recipe)
6. Lightly grease a 2.3 litre/4 pint ovenproof dish and put a layer of vegetable sauce in. Cover with lasagne and then a layer of cheese sauce.Repeat the layers ending with a layer of cheese sauce.
7. Cover with cheese and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown.

Serving suggestions

Serve with salad and a crusty roll or extra vegetables.

To make meat lasagne add lean minced meat e.g beef, turkey etc with the onion and fry until browned and continue from step 3

Carribbean squash & sweet potato stew

ingredients

• 3 medium onions (finely sliced)
• 1 clove of garlic (crushed)
• Half a teaspoon of dried red chilli flakes or fresh chilli (without seeds)
• Half teaspoon ground allspice
• 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 small butternut squash - peeled, seeded and cut into small chunks)
• 1lb sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into small chunks) pepper to taste
• 400g can blackeye beans
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) vegetable oil

method

1. Fry onions in the oil until they have softened
2. Add remaning ingredients, except the blackeye beans. Cover and cook on a medium low heat for approximately 20 minutes, until the squash and the potatoes are soften
3. Just before you are ready to serve the stew add the blackeye beans and cook for about 5 minutes to heat them through.

Serving suggestions

Serve with rice or a jacket potato with salad

Vegetable Curry

ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic (peeled and chopped finely)
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 8oz (225g) mushrooms (chopped)
• 4oz (110g) cauliflower (in small florets)
• 1 red or green pepper
• 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
• 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 small red or green chilli, chopped (remove seeds for a milder curry)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• Half a teaspoon garam masala
• Handful of chopped coriander to finish
• Salt and pepper to taste

method

1. Heat a small amount of oil (about 2 teaspoons) and gently fry the garlic and chopped onions until they are soft.
2. Add mushrooms, pepper and cauliflower and fry slightly.
3. Add the ginger, tomato and all of the spices, stir well cover and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
4. Season to taste add a handful of chopped coriander. Stir and serve.

Fisherman's Pie

ingredients

• 2lb (about 1kg ) potatoes
• 2oz (55g) grated cheese (optional)
• 1lb (450g) white fish
• 7oz (200g) or 1 cup of frozen peas
• 2 hard boiled eggs (sliced-optional)
• 8oz (225g) mushrooms (sliced)

method

1. Pre-heat oven to gas mark 6/200`C/400`F.
2. Peel potatoes and boil in a saucepan of water until cooked and drain.
3. Cook fish in a pan with a little water for 20 minutes. when cooked, remove skin and bones then flake into small pieces.
4. Boil frozen peas in a saucepan of water until cooked and drain.
5. Make a white sauce(or see below for white sauce recipe)
6. Mash potatoes with a little margarine and milk. Add black pepper for extra seasoning.
7. Put fish, peas, mushrooms and sliced egg in an ovenproof dish.
8. Pour sauce over.
9. Spoon the potato on top and sprinkle with cheese.
10. Bake in pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes, until the potato topping is golden brown