Vegetarian – Page 30 – The Food Wife

Whatâ€™s For Dinner?

15th April 201919th May 2019
by thefoodwife

The week ahead is sure to contain a fair amount of chocolate but I thought Iâ€™d share some of the recipes weâ€™ll be having over the next week to give you some inspiration too.

Since I posted my recipe for Chinese Lemon Chicken a couple of weeks ago, Iâ€™d been thinking about when I can have it again. I probably mentioned it a couple of times a day to The Food Husband, So I decided it was back on the menu this week and it made an excellent accompaniment to the new series of Game of Thrones!

Weâ€™ve also been using up previous batch cooking stores from the freezer and have had an easy meal of bolognese, simply defrosted and reheated and stirred through freshly cooked pasta.

As the freezer supplies need replacing Iâ€™m planning to make a new batch of my Moroccan-inspired chickpea and preserved lemon tagine later this week. I love the zingyness and potent flavour from the preserved lemons and it makes a cheap yet hearty meatless meal.

And of course Easter Sunday: we will be having lamb. Last year we had the glorious Mechoui leg of lamb. This year we are having a roasted shoulder with the classic garlic and rosemary. But on Monday we will be turning the leftovers into lamb rissoles to have with salad.

And for the Food Baby? Iâ€™ve just restocked his cheesy vegetable fritters in the freezer; this time a combination of carrot, broccoli, sweet potato, potato and sweetcorn with cheddar and smoked paprika instead of curry spices. And Iâ€™m replenishing the successful cheese and vegetable scones, switching the courgette for grated broccoli. A couple of veg-filled winners!

Hopefully thatâ€™s given you some inspiration for your meals ahead. If you are still in need of inspiration then head over to www.thefoodwife.co.uk and if you havenâ€™t already, why not sign up to the newsletter, sending you recipe inspiration each week. Wishing you all a happy Easter, The Food Wife.

Saag Paneer

12th April 201912th April 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 8

Iâ€™ve previously posted a recipe for homemade paneer, which if you havenâ€™t already given a go, I urge you to, as it is so easy and very satisfying knowing youâ€™ve made your own cheese.

Here is a simple recipe to use it in a meal, suitable as an accompaniment to a curry, although it also makes an excellent wrap/flatbread filling with any of the leftovers.

Itâ€™s best to make this at the last minute to ensure the spinach keeps its vibrant green, although you can prepare steps 1 and 2 in advance. Before continuing to step 3, ensure your paneer and purÃ©ed spinach are ready to use.

Ingredients:
250g (homemade) paneer, cut into cubes
800g-1kg frozen spinach, defrosted and blitzed to a purÃ©e
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 onion, cut into small dice
1 inch of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1-2 green chillis, left whole but pierced three times with the point of a knife
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
Salt
Juice of half a lemon
50-100ml cream

Step 1: Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the cumin. After a few seconds add the onion and cook for a few minutes until softened.

Step 2: Add the ginger, garlic and chillis and cook for a further couple of minutes. Add the coriander and a pinch of salt.

Step 3: Add the purÃ©ed spinach and stir, cooking for just a minute or two until warmed through. Fold through the paneer and cream.

Step 4: Season with the lemon and garam masala and check if more salt is needed. Serve immediately.

Banana and Chocolate Loaf

9th April 20199th April 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves up to 12

Many fruit bowls will gather a collection of over-ripe bananas from time to time and making a loaf cake with them is a great way of using them up, especially if, like me, you will only eat a banana when itâ€™s slightly green; a hint of brown and I can no longer palate them raw.

Using the bananas makes for a wet batter, but allows you to use less fat and sugar than a standard cake. I have chosen to pair the sweet banana with chunks of bitter dark chocolate. Not only a great combination but it also gives you delicious pools of chocolate throughout the cake.

Today is the Food Husband’s birthday, and so this was one of the cakes he took into work, along with a Lemon and Blueberry Polenta Cake.

Ingredients:
110g softened butter
60g caster sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
2 large/3 medium/4 small very ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
170g self raising flour
100g dark chocolate, chips or broken into pieces

Step 1: Cream together the butter and sugar.

Step 2: Add the eggs, one at a time, beating the mix after each addition. Add the vanilla extract.

Step 3: Fold in half of the mashed banana, followed by half of the flour. Repeat with the remaining banana and flour.

Step 4: Fold through the chocolate pieces.

Step 5: Pour into a lined 2lb loaf tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180c (fan) for 50 mins, or until golden, risen and springs back to the touch.

Step 6: Remove from the oven and allow to cool for half an hour before transferring (out of the tin) to a wire rack.

Store in an airtight container and it should last a few days. Excellent served with a cup of tea or coffee.

Lemon Posset

5th April 20195th April 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 6

Lemon posset has been my go-to dessert of late. Itâ€™s something that can be made the day before (it needs a decent amount of time to set in the fridge so making it a day ahead is preferable anyway). Iâ€™ve also opted to go for one serving dish but these can, of course, be poured into individual glasses or ramekins.

I always leave the zest in the posset, but you can strain it out at the start of step 3 if you prefer.

The quantities can be easily scaled up or down, but due to its richness aim for 100ml of cream per person.

Ingredients:
600ml double cream
130g caster sugar
3 unwaxed lemons, juice and zest

Step 1: Place all of the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and gently bring to the boil.

Step 2: Boil for five minutes and then remove from the heat.

Step 3: Pour into your serving dish(es) and allow to cool before covering and putting in the fridge for a good 12 hours.

I like to serve this with a berry compote (simply heat berries, fresh or frozen, with caster sugar to taste, until the berries break down and release their natural juices, then allow to cool) and ginger biscuits such as my gluten-free ginger cookies Iâ€™ve previously shared.

Chorizo and Butterbean Stew with Sweet Potato and Red…

28th March 20198th April 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 4

Sometimes you just want a bowl of warmth that you can eat with a spoon, and this is just that.

No oil is needed as the chorizo will release its own, adding extra flavour. However if you were making this a vegetarian or vegan meal, then omit the chorizo and heat a tablespoon of oil before adding the onion. You may also want to add a little more paprika, but do this at the end when you check the seasoning.

Made in just one pot it is ready in about half an hour, and can be eaten on its own; but you could also try it with some white fish, a serving of green vegetables or a chunk of crusty bread.

Ingredients:
200g chorizo ring, peeled and sliced into slices 3-4mm thick
1 onion, medium dice
1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and minced
1 heaped tsp hot paprika
1 heaped tsp smoked paprika
1 red pepper, deseeded, medium dice
1 tin butterbeans, drained
350g sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
150g red lentils
500g passata
700ml vegetable stock
Salt and pepper

Step 1: In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, over a medium heat, add the chorizo and let its oil come out. After a couple of minutes add the onion and stir, cooking for another five minutes.

Step 2: Add the garlic, red pepper and paprikas and stir, and cook for a minute.

Step 3: Add the beans, lentils and sweet potato, stir well and then add the passata and stock. Season with a big pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Put a lid on the saucepan, lower the heat (it should still be simmering) and cook for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked and the lentils are soft.

Step 4: Check the seasoning and serve.