Vegetarian – Page 31 – The Food Wife

Cheese and Vegetable Scones

26th March 201926th March 2019
by thefoodwife

Makes approximately 10

Whilst these started as a recipe to get more vegetables into the Food Baby, they are so delicious that I found myself eating just as many as him!

These are easy to make and can be frozen too, making them a super convenient lunch or snack; simply get them out in the morning to defrost and they are good to go in an hour or two.

Despite squeezing the excess water out of the vegetables, they still add extra moisture to the dough, so you will need to have more flour on standby to add to the dough as needed.

Ingredients:
225g self raising flour (plus extra)
Pinch of salt
55g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 small carrot, grated and squeezed of its excess water
1 small courgette, grated and squeezed of its excess water
50g hard cheese, grated
1 tbsp pesto (I used a sundried tomato one, but use whatever type you fancy)
Large pinch of smoked paprika
150ml milk

Step 1: In a large bowl combine the flour, salt and butter by rubbing between your fingers (cold hands are best) until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Step 2: Next stir through the grated cheese and squeezed vegetables along with the pesto and paprika.

Step 3: Finally gently stir in the milk (I like to use a table knife for this, and you want to mix the minimum amount to avoid the dough becoming tough). Itâ€™s at this stage that you may need to add a little more flour, until the mix is no longer sticky.

Step 4: Roll out until an inch thick and cut out into your shape of choice. Don’t twist the cutter though as this will stop them rising evenly. Transfer to a lined baking sheet (if you want you can brush the top with a little beaten egg or milk for a glaze, or dust with a little flour for a soft finish).

Step 5: Bake in a preheated oven at 220c (fan) for 20 minutes, or until risen and golden.

Chicken and Leeks in a Cream and Wine Sauce

20th March 201920th March 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 2

This recipe definitely reminds me of the 1990s, specifically the dish I would always order at a local restaurant we went to for birthdays. It was always chicken in some sort of creamy sauce, served with long grain rice and a chopped salad with vinaigrette.

This recipe was born out of using up some wine and cream left over from some weekend indulgence. It is simple and quick to make but also wonderfully versatile as it can be served with rice or potatoes, stirred through pasta or even used as a pie filling. Creme fraiche could replace the double cream, in which case omit the vinegar. A spoonful of whole grain mustard could also be stirred through before serving. If making this as a vegetarian meal then replace the chicken with Quorn pieces.

Ingredients:
Oil
1 leek, trimmed, thoroughly washed and sliced into rounds
1 stick of celery, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely minced
250g chicken (breast or thigh meat), cut into thin strips
1 tbsp plain flour (gluten-free if required)
1 large glass of white wine
50ml double cream
1 tsp white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Step 1: Begin by heating a little oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the celery and leeks and start to soften (but not brown).

Step 2: After three or four minutes add the garlic and cook out for a minute or two.

Step 3: Dust the sliced chicken with the flour and then add to the pan. Seal on all sides and then add the wine. Stir frequently so that it thickens from the flour and cook for 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickened.

Step 4: Finish the sauce by stirring through the cream and vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with rice, pasta or mashed potatoes and a green vegetable (or salad!).

Poached Pears

18th March 201918th March 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 6

A dessert you can make ahead of time is a winner when entertaining. These pears are poached in a simple sugar syrup flavoured with vanilla and cinnamon. By all means add some other aromats; try star anise, lemon or orange peel.

The length of time they poach for will depend upon their ripeness. Mine were just ripe and took 30 minutes. But they will take less time if they are more ripe (and vice versa).

You could also go biblical and exchange the water for wine; in either case make sure you reduce the syrup by half once you have removed the cooked pears.

Ingredients:
300g caster sugar
1L water
1 vanilla pod (split lengthways and scrape out the seeds, then use both the seeds and the pod)
1 large cinnamon stick
6 Pears

Step 1: Put the sugar, water, vanilla and cinnamon in a large saucepan.

Step 2: Carefully peel your pears, leaving the stalk intact, and then slice the bottom of the pear off so that they can stand up.

Step 3: Place the pan over a medium-high heat, and once the sugar has dissolved use the stalks to carefully put each pear into the liquid. Bring to a simmer and either place a lid on the pan, or use a piece of baking parchment pressed into the surface of the liquid.

Step 4: Simmer until tender (check them after 20-30 minutes, but it will depend on the ripeness of the pear).

Step 5: Remove the pears from the spiced sugar syrup. Keep the lid or paper off the pan and reduce the syrup by half by which time it should by slightly thicker and nice and sticky.

These can be made a day or two ahead of time. Store the pears in their syrup in an airtight container in the fridge. They can be eaten hot or cold. Serve on their own or with ice cream.

Whatâ€™s for dinner?

13th March 201913th March 2019
by thefoodwife

This week weâ€™ve been revisiting some recipes from The Food Wife so here are some ideas to help you with some meal planning for the week ahead. All are gluten-free (or easily adaptable).

At the weekend we had some friends round for dinner and I went for the low prep, no fuss chicken and potato tray bake with peppers and artichokes, served with a large green salad. It meant I could minimise my time in the kitchen and maximise my time socialising! We also had some of the marinated olives to nibble on with drinks before hand which I had set marinating the night before so they were full of flavour.

Weâ€™ve also had a firm favourite midweek, simply defrosted from the freezer and reheated; the yellow split pea daal. We had it with nutty brown basmati rice and some blanched green beans. So healthy and nutritious but utterly delicious too!

Another freezer staple was ragÃ¹; stirred through pasta it makes a really quick and satisfying meal. And also with pasta weâ€™ve had the creamy spinach and pea pasta making a 15 minute meal perfect for a week night.

Lunch times have been soup-focussed and the sweet potato and butternut squash Thai coconut soup has been spicing up lunchtimes.

New to the menu was a Thai-inspired beef and noodle salad. Fresh flavours making the most of leftovers as I used left over roast beef and green beans from a family roast on Sunday.

The Food Baby has not been forgotten. At the start of the week I had a mammoth cooking session making batches of toddler-appropriate food. My main aim has been to try and get as much fruit or vegetables into him without him realising, as he appears to be able to identify and reject anything obvious at 20 paces. A batch of baby oaty ‘carrot cake’ cookies have gone down well with half being popped in the freezer for another time. I also made a big batch of veggie curry fritters, although I split the vegetables and batter and did half with the curry powder, and the other half with a teaspoon of smoked paprika and 100g grated cheese. Each batch made seven good size fritters which have been popped in the freezer for future dinners.

Hopefully our week’s meal plan has offered you some inspiration for all the family, catering for a variety of different diets, including gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan. If you haven’t already, why not sign up to The Food Wife Newsletter at the bottom of the homepage, to ensure you get every recipe each week, direct to your email.

Chickpea and Spinach Curry

26th February 201926th February 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 6

Good for all the family, this mildly spiced, creamy curry, is quick to make and suitable for a range of dietary requirements: dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan.

Itâ€™s made with standard store cupboard (or freezer) ingredients so you probably wonâ€™t need to do a special shop for it either and can easily fling it together on a weeknight without too much effort.

Serve with rice (I like it with nutty brown basmati) or with flat breads. It would also make a suitable side dish for a bigger Indian meal.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp (coconut) oil
2 onions, medium dice
1 fat clove of garlic, finely chopped
2 inches of ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tins of chickpeas, drained
150g red lentils
400ml coconut milk
500ml vegetable stock (ensure this is gluten-free if required)
250g spinach, fresh or frozen (defrosted) roughly chopped
Salt and pepper

Step 1: In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook for five minutes or so; when softened add the garlic and ginger and cook for another two minutes.

Step 2: Add the spices and cook for two minutes, stirring frequently.

Step 3: Add the chickpeas, lentils, coconut milk and stock. Bring to a simmer, then cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft.

Step 4: Add the spinach, cook for a couple more minutes and then check the seasoning and adjust as necessary before serving.

N.b. Make sure you only add the spinach at the very end to keep its vibrant green colour.