vegetarian

Gorgeous Greek Gemista

Stuffed vegetables are very common in various cuisines of the world. They appear in different shapes and forms, depending on what is available in different geographical locations. There is a tremendous amount of recipe for stuffed vegetables and all seem to use one basic principle: you can stuff any vegetable that is solid enough to hold the filling, which can be a mixture of almost anything at hand in your kitchen. Afterwards, bake or potentially fry the dish. That’s quite flexible, isn’t it?

It is very common to use peppers, tomatoes, aubergines and courgettes to stuff, which can be filled with rice, minced meat or even grains. The filling tends to be mixed with onion, garlic, herbs and spices but nuts, pulses and raisins can also be added for a change of flavours.

In Spain, stuffed peppers – called “Pimientos Rellenos” – constitute a traditional dish, especially in the Basque Country. They use “Manchegocheese, beef and cod in béchamel sauce. In India, “Bharvan Mirch” or “Bharva Hari Mirch” is a type of stuffed pepper that is filled with cooked meat, potatoes and onions. For seasoning, turmeric, cumin, chilli, coriander, salt and lemon juice are used. “Mirchi Bajji” is a type of stuffed pepper that is fried and served with sauces and chutneys. In Mexico, the fried “Chile Relleno” consists of cheese and minced meat and served with various sauces. Sometime rice and taco are served together with this stuffed pepper dish. Also, Mexicans use jalapenos to stuff in their “Jalapeno Poppers” that is also fried. In Guatemala, a similar, fried stuffed vegetable dish calledPimiento” is common, which is filled with shredded pork and seasonal vegetables. And these are just a few examples!

The dish – in various forms – is also part of the traditional cuisines of Central and Eastern Europe, Southern Europe and the Mediterranean, the Balkans, Scandinavia, the Baltics, Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.

In my opinion, one of the most delicious and easy to make stuffed pepper dishes is from Greece. It’s called “Gemista” (or “Yemista”), which simply means “to stuff” in Greek. Baked peppers or tomatoes are stuffed with rice, minced meat and summer vegetables. Most Greek “tavernas” would use seasonal vegetables that they source from the local markets. It is easy to omit meat from the dish and create a wholesome but light vegetarian version of the “Gemista”. They are not only very delicious, but they please the eyes as the pretty and colourful peppers are lined up next to each other, baked to perfection.

I found the below vegan recipe on the website of Forks over Knives. The recipe was designed by Veronica Grace, a vegan chef, who is specialised on low fat vegan recipes. I made a few slight changes to the original recipe to suit my personal taste, but the changes are minor. The dish serves 3 to 4 people.

Ingredients:

  • 6 large or 8 small bell peppers (of varying colours)
  • 1 large onion (finely diced)
  • 3 small courgettes (peeled and finely diced)
  • 3 medium carrots (peeled and finely diced)
  • 250 ml low-sodium vegetable broth (preferably home-made or if packaged, use organic)
  • 500 gram brown rice (cooked to packet instructions)
  • 5 tablespoons of tomato paste
  • 20 grams of fresh parsley (finely chopped; if not available use 10 grams of dried parsley)
  • 20 grams of fresh dill (chopped, if not available use 10 grams of dried dill)
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Pepper (according to taste)
  • Salt (according to taste)

Preparation method:

  • Preheat oven to 180 Celsius.
  • Cut off the top of the peppers and deseed them. Retain the top with stem. Wash the peppers and tops thoroughly.
  • Place the peppers in an ovenproof dish, arrange them upright and put tops back on. Bake them at 180 Celsius for 30 minutes.
  • While the peppers are baking, sauté onions, courgettes and carrots in a vegetable broth for 5 minutes.
  • Cook rice according to package instructions in a separate pot.
  • Once the rice is ready, stir it into the onion, courgettes and carrot mixture. Add the tomato paste and mix well so that the tomato paste coats the vegetables.
  • Add parsley, dill, lemon juice, pepper and salt and stir well to combine them thoroughly. The filling is ready.
  • By now the peppers should be baked. Remove them from the oven and stuff the peppers with the filling.
  • Place the pepper tops on the peppers and bake them for 30 minutes at 180 Celsius. (If the peppers start to brown, lower the temperature in the oven and keep an eye on them. They may require that you remove them from the oven earlier.)

 

This dish is very healthy and very nutritious. If you crave for strong Greek flavours, add a dash of cinnamon and oregano to the filling. I normally serve them with steamed or stir-fried French beans, okra or broccoli. Alternatively, fresh garden salad or baby spinach leaves are suitable side dishes too.

Bon appetite!

Mexican Quesadillas with Black Beans & Sweet Potatoes

Quesadillas are very popular in Latin America. They originally come from colonial Mexico, but the dish evolved over time and today it exists in many different forms. Most of the time, quesadillas are served in flour or corn tortillas (a type of thin flatbread) that are made from finely ground wheat flour. They are filled with a savoury mixture, which may contain cheese, vegetables or meat. Once the tortillas are filled, they are folded into half.

Mexicans traditionally make their tortillas in a “comal”, which is a flat griddle. It is a very old kitchenware, which was originally used by the Aztecs. The word “comal” comes from the Nahuatl language, from the word “comalli”. “Comals” are generally round or oval-shaped and made from heavy cast iron. It is an important kitchenware, which is traditionally handed down from generation to generation because it is believed that the “comal” will cook better tortillas if it is tempered over many years of usage. “Comals” are also popular in the modern kitchens of Mexico.

Mexican quesadillas are typically made with partially cooked tortillas that are warmed up in the “comal” and filled with “oaxacacheese, a white, semi-hard cheese. Originally, the tortillas with the cheese on top are fried gently in the “comal” until the cheese melts. Cooked vegetables and / or cooked meat are then added, as well as fresh avocado or guacamole, chopped onions, chilli peppers, coriander and tomatoes. Salsas may be added as topping, too.

Tortillas are normally cooked without using oil. However, some recipes suggest that they should be fried in oil to make “quesadillas fritas”. In this version, the quesadillas are immersed into hot oil. They are deep-fried until their exterior is crispy.

The dish is extremely versatile and you can create your own version based on your personal taste. Serve the quesadillas with fresh salad, chopped onions, green or red salsa, fresh cream, and guacamole. These sides and dips give complexity to the dish.

The below quesadillas with black beans & sweet potatoes are very nutritious and healthy. The original recipe is designed by Rip Esselstyn but I made slight changes to it to suit my personal taste. I am happy to recommend either the below version or the original that can be found on the website on Forks over Knives. Try it today and enjoy a Mexican-style lunch or dinner!

Ingredients:

  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 200 gram brown rice (cooked)
  • 225 gram vegetarian re-fried beans
  • 235 millilitre tomato sauce or pre-made salsa
  • 225 gram fresh spinach
  • 225 gram black beans (drained and rinsed)
  • ¼ teaspoon of onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon of chilli powder
  • ¼ teaspoon of cumin
  • Jalapeño peppers (diced)
  • 8 whole-wheat tortillas

Preparation method:

  • Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius.
  • Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into quarters. Bake them on a baking tray for 45 minutes to one hour, until soft.
  • In a separate pan, cook the rice according to packet instructions.
  • Once the sweet potatoes are soft, remove them from the oven and place them in a mixing bowl. Mash the sweet potatoes and mix them with the tomato sauce / salsa, rice and fresh spinach.
  • Place the sweet potato mash in a saucepan and mix in the black beans and the refried beans. Season with onion powder, chilli powder and cumin. Mix well and heat the mixture over medium heat.
  • Fry both sides of the tortillas gently in a frying pan.
  • Fill tortillas with the mixture and fold them in half to form a half-moon shape.
  • Serve immediately with side dishes including salads, onions and dips.

Bon appetite!

Creamy Mushroom Soup from Italy

Creamy soups are around for a long time. They were invented based on the famous “balsamella” sauce that is also known as “béchamel”.

Originally, the well-known sauces “balsamella” (or “besciamella” and alternatively “salsa colla” or “salsa colletta”) were used in the Middle Ages in Tuscany in Italy. The sauce was definitely known to the chefs of Catherina de’ Medici in the 1530s. Food historians suggest that it was imported to France by the chefs of Marie de’ Medici, the second wife of King Henry IV. Thus, the flour-based butter & milk sauce was added to the French cuisine. The original name “balsamella” was then translated as “béchamel”, which later became famous all over the world. Also, skilful cooks and housewives turned the sauce into different creamy soups by diluting it and adding different vegetables to it, including mushrooms.

In the United States, the creamy mushroom soup appeared as a canned product in 1934 by the Campbell Soup Company. Ever since, it is one of the most popular canned soups in America.

My favourite creamy mushroom soup is easy to make and it only uses butter, not flour. The below recipe from Channel 4 is so delicious that I even made it for a Christmas dinner once. I made some slight alterations to the original recipe based on the fact that some ingredients were just not available in my area. I think it is perfect and I would recommend making the soup based on this slightly modified recipe. It is perfect for occasions, too as it easily lends itself for professional presentation!

Ingredients:

  • 25 gram butter
  • 1 large onion (finely chopped)
  • 400 gram large, flat, brown-skinned mushrooms (thinly sliced)
  • 600 ml vegetable stock (preferably home-made or if packaged, use “organic”)
  • 500 ml milk
  • Juice of one lemon
  • Few dollops of single cream (to garnish)
  • Handful of pine nuts (toasted and to garnish)
  • Fresh chives (snipped to garnish)

Preparation method:

  • Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onion. Sweat it on a low heat until softened. Avoid browning.
  • Add the mushrooms to the saucepan and cook it for a few minutes so that the mushrooms wilt.
  • Stir in the stock and the milk and bring the soup to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Allow the soup to cool. Once it is cool, transfer it into a blender and liquidise it. Season well, add the lemon juice and blend it briefly once again.
  • Transfer to soup bowls and garnish with fresh cream, toasted pine nuts and fresh chives.

Bon appetite!

Spinach & Tofu Cannelloni from Italy

Cannelloni is a typical Italian dish, which can be made with minced beef, cheese and/or vegetables. Cannelloni is typically made with a cylindrical type of pasta or with fresh lasagne sheets that are rolled over around the filling. Cannelloni is typically sitting on tomato sauce and sometimes either tomato or béchamel sauce is used on the top of the dish. Most of the time, cheese is sprinkled on its top and then the dish is baked so that the flavours mingle and the topping turns brown and slightly crispy.

There is little to know about the origins of cannelloni. Probably it originates from the 19th or early 20th Century and it is associated with the name of Nicola Federico, an Italian chef. It is thought that he created the cannelloni in a small restaurant in Naples. From the little restaurant, the cannelloni spread all over the world. It became very popular; so much that probably most Italian restaurants offer it on their menu.

I often make cannelloni based on the below vegetarian recipe that I found on BBC Good Food. It is very healthy and nutritious as it uses spinach and tofu for filling. The dish is sitting on a bed of tomato sauce and tomato sauce is used on its top, too. Instead of cheese, nuts and breadcrumbs are used to achieve the crispy finish.

The dish contains ample amount of vitamins and nutrients. Thanks to the spinach, vitamin K, A, B2, B6, E, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, copper and calcium are included in the dish, amongst other nutrients. The tofu mostly contributes calcium, manganese, copper, selenium and protein and also includes other minerals and vitamins to a lesser extent. Nuts and the ample amount of tomato sauce used in this dish provide additional valuable nutritional content.

This spinach & tofu cannelloni serves 4 people. Serve it with steamed or stir-fried French beans, broccoli or okra or mix them all up for a lovely side dish. Try it today and enjoy both the health benefits and the lovely taste of this dish!

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 onion (finely chopped)
  • 3 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 2 cans of chopped tomatoes (400 grams each)
  • 50 grams of pine nuts or walnuts (roughly chopped)
  • 400 gram bag of frozen spinach (defrosted)
  • 350 gram pack of silken tofu
  • 300 gram pack of fresh lasagne sheets
  • 4 tablespoons of fresh breadcrumbs
  • Salt (according to taste)
  • Pepper (according to taste)
  • Basil or oregano or Italian mixed herbs (according to taste)
  • Pinch of grated nutmeg

Preparation method:

  • Sweat the onion in half of the oil in a saucepan. Add one-third of the garlic and fry until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes, season with salt, pepper and basil / oregano / Italian mixed herbs. Bring the sauce to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 180 Celsius.
  • Heat half the oil in a saucepan and fry one-third of the garlic for 1 minute. Add half the pine nuts / walnuts and the spinach. Wilt the spinach and tip out the excess liquid.
  • Whizz tofu in a food processor until smooth. Add it to the spinach & nut mixture. Add the nutmeg and some pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  • Pour half of the tomato sauce into a 20 cm x 30 cm ovenproof dish. Divide the spinach, nut & tofu mixture between the lasagne sheets. Roll the lasagne sheets up and lay them on top of the tomato sauce in the ovenproof dish.
  • Pour half of the tomato sauce over the lasagne sheets, cover with aluminium foil and bake the dish for 30 minutes.
  • Mix breadcrumbs with one-third of the garlic and half of the pine nuts / walnuts. Sprinkle this mixture over the dish, drizzle with a little oil and bake for 10 minutes uncovered until the crumbs and nuts are golden.

Bon appetite!

Almond & Lentil Stew from England

Across time and cultures, the consumption of stew has been very common. For example, there are references to stew-type meat-based dishes from the era of Herodotus, who recorded that Scythians consumed such dishes from the 8th to the 4th Century BC. Historians also suggest that Amazonian tribes made stews 8000 years ago. In the Roman Empire, fish and lamb stews were consumed and the Hungarian goulash is also known since the 9th Century.

The English cuisine also used stews of various ingredients as staple. However, the term “stew” did not appear commonly until the 14th Century as a verb, referring to the preparation method or “vessel for cooking” of stews. The term “stew” as a noun only appeared in 1756 in Devil’s Drive by Byron, in which he mentioned an “Irish stew”.

 

Over centuries, the dish was mostly referred to as “pottage”, “stewpan” and “hotpot” in England. Nevertheless, the dish was common and mostly it was eaten by necessity, by the poor. They mixed up vegetables and grains and cooked them slowly in liquid to allow flavours to mingle and to achieve a homogenous consistency and a gravy-style sauce. In better times, the vegetables in the dish were supplemented with fish or meat. Wealthier households added spices, almonds and sometimes wine to add variety and flavour to the dish.

When “English stew” is mentioned in gastronomic history, the term tends to refer to a beef-based dish, which includes onions, root vegetables and potatoes. Normally, it is simmered in water or stock slowly and sometimes red wine or beer is added to it.

I found a vegetarian English stew designed by Nigel Slater on BBC Food, which is perfect for vegetarians who want to enjoy typical English flavours without the beef or any other meat component. The dish is rustic and hearty and it is perfect for a substantial, nutrient-rich lunch or dinner. Let’s see how to make it!

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil, plus extra for frying the almonds
  • 1 carrot (chopped)
  • 1 stalk celery (chopped)
  • 1 onion (chopped)
  • 1 turnip (chopped)
  • 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
  • 150 grams of baby button mushrooms (halved)
  • 250 grams of green lentils
  • 2 litres vegetable stock (home-made or if packaged, use organic)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • 4 sprigs of thyme
  • handful of almonds
  • 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
  • 10 cherry tomatoes (quartered)

Preparation method:

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pan and fry the carrot, celery, onion and turnip until softened. It takes about five minutes.
  • Add the garlic and mushrooms. Fry for a further five minutes.
  • Add the lentils, pour over the stock and add the herbs. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
  • Add the cherry tomatoes to the stew and warm through.
  • Just before the stew is ready, fry the almonds in a separate saucepan, in a splash of olive oil with the cinnamon for two minutes. (Be careful as it burns easily.)
  • Serve the lentil stew with the almonds on top.

Bon appetite!

Pasta with Pumpkin Sauce & Broccoli

Pastas with cream-based sauces can be really delicious. However, these dishes are often heavy, unhealthy and very fattening. It is best to minimise their consumption and replace them with healthier alternatives.

When I started to cook in a health-conscious way, I ditched the recipes that contained too much fresh cream. I then came across this vegan pasta with an interesting, pumpkin-based creamy sauce. I immediately recognized that it is a perfect alternative to the fatty pasta dishes swimming in cream-based sauces. It is equally delicious and attractive, but this creaminess has nothing to do with animal fat.

I found the recipe for this pasta with pumpkin sauce & broccoli on the website of Forks over Knives. The recipe was developed by Victoria Fiore. I made minor changes to it, so the recipe below is slightly different to her original “velvety macaroni”.

Let’s see how to make a creamy but healthy pasta dish for two people.

Vevety Macaroni from www.forksoverknives.com
www.forksoverknives.com
Ingredients:

  • 1 large pumpkin (or several smaller pieces)
  • 2 medium-sized broccoli heads
  • 300 gram dry pasta (preferably durum or rice macaroni, penne, farfalle or fusilli)
  • 4 garlic clove
  • 120 ml plant-based milk (preferably almond, hazelnut, coconut or flax seed milk)
  • 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon of parsley flakes
  • Salt according to taste
  • Pepper according to taste

Preparation method:

  • Bake the pumpkin in the oven on 180 Celsius for half an hour.
  • Cook the pasta according to packet instructions and set aside.
  • Separate the broccoli into small florets and cut their stems off. Chop the stems into small pieces.
  • Place the broccoli stem pieces to a saucepan. Add a bit of water, cover the saucepan with a lid and steam the broccoli stems for 5 minutes. When they are soft, add the broccoli florets, cover the pan and steam the broccoli mixture for further 5 minutes. Drain the water (if any).
  • By this stage, the pumpkin is ready. Remove from the oven, let it cool for a while and peel it. Remove seeds and cut it into small pieces. Put the pumpkin pieces into a saucepan, add the garlic cloves and cover the pan. Steam it for 10 minutes. If it starts to brown, add some water to avoid the pumpkin pieces sticking to the pan and burning. Once the pumpkin mixture is ready, drain the water (if any) and add the plant-based milk to the pan to create a mixture. Season with salt, garlic powder and pepper.
  • Transfer the steamed pumpkin mixture into a blender and blend it until smooth and creamy to create the pumpkin sauce. Add the parsley to the sauce and mix well.
  • Transfer the pumpkin sauce back to the saucepan. Add the pasta and the broccoli mixture and mix well.
  • Heat the dish for a few minutes and serve immediately.

Velvety macaroni from weightloss.com.au picture
www.weightloss.com.au
Isn’t it creamy and delicious?

Bon appetite!

Vegetarian Waldorf Salad from New York City

I love delicious food that also has history. The Waldorf Salad is a prime example of such a dish. It is associated with the famous Waldorf Hotel (the precursor of the luxurious Waldorf-Astoria Hotel) in New York City, where it was first created sometime between 1893 and 1897.

The Waldorf Salad is known to be first made by Oscar Tschirky, who was the head waiter of the Waldorf Hotel at that time. Mr Tschirky was known about his culinary creativity. He never worked as a chef, but he developed many of the hotel’s signature dishes. His cook book entitled “The Cook Book” contains the original recipe, which was fine tuned later, when it appeared in “The Rector Cook Book” in 1928.

The traditional Waldorf Salad contains fresh apples, celery and walnuts and it is served on a bed of lettuce. It is often served with mayonnaise. Sometimes chicken, turkey, grapes and dried fruit appear in the salad’s contemporary versions. Healthier interpretations tend to use a yoghurt-based sauce instead of the mayo.

The vegetarian version that I like to prepare is based on the traditional recipe, but it contains chickpeas for a bit of protein boost. I tend to use a yoghurt-based sauce and I normally serve it with baby spinach leaves instead of lettuce.

Waldorf Salad from www.vegetariantimes.com
www.vegetariantimes.com
Ingredients:

  • 120 ml plain full-fat yogurt, preferably Greek-style
  • 1 teaspoon of mustard, preferably Dijon type
  • 1 teaspoon of honey or agave nectar
  • Salt according to taste (approximately 1/2 teaspoon)
  • Freshly ground black pepper according to taste (approximately 1/4 teaspoon)
  • 400 gram can of chickpeas (drained)
  • 2 ribs of celery (finely chopped)
  • 1 apple (chopped into small pieces)
  • 1 medium-sized bunch of red grapes (cut the grapes into halves)
  • 1 medium-sized red onion (diced into small pieces)
  • 1 bunch of parsley (finely chopped)
  • 100 grams of walnuts (roughly chopped)
  • 1 bunch of fresh baby spinach leaves

Preparation method: 

  • Chop up the celery, apple, red onion, grapes, parsley and walnuts and combine them with the chickpeas in a large salad bowl.
  • Add the spinach leaves and combine with the salad mixture.
  • Prepare the dressing by combining the yoghurt, mustard, honey, salt and pepper and mix the ingredients well.
  • Stir in the dressing gently but thoroughly.
  • Refrigerate the salad for half an hour before serving.

Waldorf Salad from www.relish.com
www.relish.com
The salad is perfect as a light meal. Alternatively, it can be offered as a side dish with more substantial oven-baked meals, pastas or risottos.

Bon appetite!