Recipes - Vegetarian

(Most recently added recipes display first.)

Spinach Dip

Ingredients

  • 250g/4 cups baby spinach leaves, stalks removed and leaves washed and spinach drained
  • ½ cup wholemeal breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • ½ cup Extra Virgin or grapeseed oil
  • ¼ cup water
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • ground sea salt and ground white pepper

Serves 6

Preparation

  • Preheat oven to 180 deg C/350 deg F
  • In a hot frypan or wok add spinach and turn leaves with large flip or spoon until the leaves have wilted but still remain bright green.
  • Soak breadcrumbs in cold water and squeeze well. Discard water.
  • Place walnut on a baking sheet and roast in oven for 5 minutes.
  • Place spinach, breadcrumbs, walnuts, oil, garlic and lemon juice in blender and zap until mix is smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Give the dip another zap.
  • Spoon dip into a serving bowl.

Tip

Serve dip spread on serving plate with an additional sprinkle of extra virgin olive oil and some lemon wedges.

Healthy Hint – This dish is delicious with wholemeal flat or mountain bread which provide added fibre. You can also substitute spinach with lightly steamed broccoli.

Cauliflower, Leek & Celery Soup With Peas

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup grape seed oil
  • 1 medium brown onion, chopped
  • 2 large leeks, sliced
  • 2 sticks of celery
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • Salt
  • ½ cauliflower broken into florets
  • 1 cup frozen baby peas
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 lt. vegetable stock, heated
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 handful of parsley, chopped
  • Sea salt & white pepper to taste
  • Greek yoghurt to garnish

Serves 4

Preparation

  • In a large PYREX JUG heat oil and place onions, leeks, celery, garlic, thyme and parsley.
  • Cook  on HIGH (100%) 4 -5  minutes until VEGETABLES are soft.
  • Add a pinch of sea salt  & pepper to season,then cauliflorets and peas.
  • Stir vegetables through well to combine.
  • Pour in stock, cover and cook on HIGH (1000%) for 20 minutes, stirring several times.
  • Remove  the soup  from the oven and cool.
  • Blend the soup up to your preferred consistency.
  • Reheat  soup several minutes before serving with a dollop of yoghurt.

 

Tip
A few lumps gives it a hearty look but if you prefer a silky soup then keep whizzing until you’re happy with the results.
Serve with a generous dollop of Greek yoghurt on top so to stir through the soup and give it that extra healthy kick and tasty zing.

Eggplant, Chevre & Capsicum Appetiser

Ingredients

Salad:

  • 3 eggplants, cubed
  • Oil or grape seed oil
  • 300g chevre (soft goat’s cheese)
  • 2 roasted red & yellow capsicum, roasted and peeled
  • Butter, mignonette or mizuna lettuce leaves

Pesto:

  • ½ cup of fresh basil leaves
  • ½ cup grapeseed or olive oil
  • 1/3 cup lightly roasted pinenuts
  • 1/3 cup grated pecarino or Italian parmesan
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Sea salt & ground white pepper

Serves 6

Preparation

  • Lightly pan fry prepared eggplant
  • Cut chevre into bit sized pieces
  • Cut roasted capsicum into 2cm slices.
  • Place vegetables into a large bowl and gently toss.
  • Place lettuce leaves on serving dish and spoon vegetables on top. Drizzle pesto over salad and top with an extra leaf of basil.
  • To make Pesto whizz all the ingredients in a blender to make a light sauce
  • When ready to serve, drizzle pesto over salad vegetables and garnish with basil leaves.

Simple Summer Corn & Coriander Salad

Ingredients

  • 4 medium ears of corn, cleaned
  • 1 medium red onion, grated
  • 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ cup coriander, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup virgin olive oil
  • 1 tblsp balsamic vinegar

Preparation

  • Pull husks over cleaned corn and place around the outer edge of the microwave turntable
  • Cook on High (100%) 8 minutes, turning over half way
  • Cool to room temperature then cut kernels from cobs
  • Transfer to a large bowl, add remaining ingredients, season to taste and to toss to mix well
  • Serve at room temperature with summer grills

Barbequed Mixed Vegetables

Ingredients

  • 1 x 400g kumara, sliced thickly
  • 1 large red onion cut into 4 wedges
  • 1 medium red and yellow capsicum, each quartered and seeded
  • 2 medium zucchini, sliced thickly
  • ½ cup oil infused with fresh rosemary sprigs
  • Fresh rosemary sprigs for garnishing

Preparation

  • In a flat container Microwave prepared vegetables, covered, on High (100%), 2 – 3 minutes, to blanch
  • Sear blanched kumara and onion on a heated oiled barbecue plate brushing with oil to brown.
  • Add capsicum and zucchini to the plate, brushing well with oil and cook until all the vegetables are browned and tender.
  • Serve on a large platter, garnished generously with rosemary sprigs