Vegetarian – Page 38 – The Food Wife

Spiced Pea, Potato and Cauliflower Kati Roll

17th September 201825th September 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 2

Kati Rolls originate from Kolkata in India and are a street food traditionally consisting of skewered meat in paratha bread. My version is vegetarian (the filling is also vegan and gluten-free) with a freshly made spiced flatbread.

The steps for the method are written as if you are making this from start to finish just before serving. This will take about an hour. Alternatively, you could make the pea curry and the roasted cauliflower and potato in advance and reheat just before serving, but I would make the bread at the last moment.

If you want to keep this vegan or gluten-free then use a suitable bread in place of these flatbreads.

Ingredients:

For the roasted cauliflower and potato:
1/2 head cauliflower cut into florets
2 small potatoes, sliced 3mm thick
1 tsp nigella seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
A pinch of salt
A little oil (I used a spray oil)

For the pea curry:
1 tsp coconut oil
1 onion, halved and sliced thinly
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 inch ginger, peeled and finely chopped (or grated)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3mm slices
160g cooked garden peas
Salt and pepper

For the spiced flatbreads:
4 heaped tbsp self-raising flour
4 heaped tbsp (Greek) yogurt
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp nigella seeds
Pinch of salt

Step 1: Begin by roasting the cauliflower and potato by combining all of the ingredients and spreading thinly on a baking sheet. Roast at 180c for 30-40 minutes until the cauliflower and potato are cooked through and the outside is browned in the roasted spices. You will use these when you assemble the kati roll (step 7).

Step 2: Whilst the cauliflower and potato is roasting, make the pea curry by melting the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and adding the onion and softening for five minutes.

Step 3: Add the garlic, ginger and spices and stir.

Step 4: Add the slices of sweet potato and add just enough water to cover then put a lid on them and cook until the potatoes are soft (about 10 minutes). Whilst this is cooking, make the flatbreads.

Step 5: Combine the flour, yogurt, oil, salt and spices in a bowl until you have a spongy dough. Divide the dough in two and place a little flour on your hands and on a flat surface. Roll half the dough in your hands to make a ball and then place on the floured surface. Roll out into a rough circular shape about 3mm thick. Place in a heated non-stick pan and cook for a couple of minutes on each side until golden. Repeat with the other half. Leave to one side (I used a wire rack) until ready to assemble.

Step 6: Remove the lid on the curry and then mash the sweet potato; if there is too much liquid and the curry looks grainy, leave the lid off and reduce until the excess water is gone and you are left with a loose curry. Season to taste and then stir through 160g of cooked peas just before you are ready to serve.

Step 7: Assemble the kati roll by placing a few slices of roasted potato and cauliflower on half of each flat bread, top with half the pea curry and finish with the remaining cauliflower and potato. Fold over the bread, and serve.

This is delicious served with a little yogurt and mango chutney.

N.b. I used a Greek yogurt in the flat breads which is very thick, if you are using a runnier yogurt you may well need to add more flour to create the doughy consistency that is not too sticky. Add a little extra at a time until you have a workable dough.

BLW Apple and Sultana Muffins

15th September 201815th September 2018
by thefoodwife

Makes 12

These are so yummy for little tummys. They are packed with fruit and gently spiced with cinnamon, and the perfect size for little hands. Cooking apples are much more tart than a normal eating apple and so the sultanas and dried apple help to sweeten the cakes. Iâ€™ve also added a little maple syrup. If you were going to make these as a regular â€˜grown-upâ€™ muffin you could omit the maple syrup and replace with 100g of caster sugar (the result will be a much sweeter product).

For the apple purÃ©e, make a large batch which you can then use for a variety of things: we enjoyed it on top of some American-style fluffy pancakes for a weekend breakfast; or try it stirred through yogurt as a dessert. Itâ€™s also pretty good as an apple sauce with roast pork!

To make the purÃ©e simply core a load of cooking apples, and roughly chop into pieces about one inch in size (leave the skin on). Place in a baking tin and bake in a preheated oven (180c) for 30-40 minutes until the flesh is soft and bursting. Scrape into a food processor and blitz, skins and all, into a smooth, thick purÃ©e. Store in the fridge – it will last a few days like this – or freeze.

Once made, the cakes will be good for a couple of days, but I like to leave a couple out and then freeze them in pairs; they donâ€™t take long to defrost and are a convenient snack or pudding.

Ingredients:
125g apple purÃ©e (see above)
200g self-raising flour
1 tbsp maple syrup
25g sultanas
25g dried apple, cut into small pieces
1 tsp ground cinnamon
120ml full fat milk (or milk alternative for dairy-free)
60ml oil
1 egg, beaten

Step 1: Lightly combine the purÃ©e, flour, maple syrup, sultanas, apple and cinnamon in a bowl.

Step 2: In a jug, mix the milk, oil and egg.

Step 3: Add the liquid to the drier ingredients and gently mix. Do not over mix it.

Step 4: Fill a muffin tray with 12 cases. Put a dessert spoon of mixture in to each case. Then spread any remaining mixture equally between the cases.

Step 5: Bake in a preheated oven (200c) for 20 minutes.

Step 6: Remove and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Curried Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Soup

13th September 201813th September 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 4

Autumn is upon us and with it I welcome back soup to the menu. The first Iâ€™ve made this September is sweet from the veg and lightly spiced by curry powder. Itâ€™s low calorie (especially if you use a spray oil like I did for softening the onion) but is really delicious. You could always make it more substantial by serving it with some crusty bread.

This is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan so covers a range of dietary requirements. It freezes well too. Winner!

Ingredients:
A little oil
1 large white onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
2 heaped tsp medium curry powder
600g mix of butternut squash and sweet potato, peeled and chopped into chunks (about 1.5cm)
1 litre vegetable stock
20g creamed coconut block, grated
Salt and pepper

Step 1: In a large saucepan heat a little oil (I used a spray oil) and add your onion and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes until it has begun to soften and colour slightly.

Step 2: Add the chopped garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.

Step 3: Stir in the curry powder and the pieces of potato and squash.

Step 4: Add the vegetable stock and creamed coconut and bring to a gentle simmer.

Step 5: Put a lid on the pan and cook gently until the vegetables are soft and a sharp knife can easily pass through (about 10-15 minutes).

Step 6: Remove from the heat and carefully blend until smooth (I used a stick blender).

Step 7: Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Roasted Vegetable and Grain Salad

7th September 20188th September 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 2-4

I found a packet of five Italian grains in the supermarket and was keen to give them a go in a salad. The mix contained spelt, barley, durum wheat, rice and oats, but you could use a combination of your choosing, or just use one grain.

Iâ€™m also a bit obsessed with tarragon at the moment. I love its aniseedy perfume and find it incredibly moreish. Iâ€™ve been keen to grow some but I struggled to find any of the French variety to grow this summer. Instead Iâ€™ve had to make do with packets of fresh herbs from the supermarket.

The dressing quantity is more than you will need for this dish, but it will store for a few days in the fridge. I used it to dress some warm green beans to accompany an evening meal the same day. It was good!

Ingredients:

For the roasted vegetables:
1 courgette, cut into 1cm dice
1 pepper, cut into 1cm dice
1/2 butternut squash, cut into 1cm dice
1/2 fennel, cut into 1cm dice
1 tbsp olive oil
A pinch each of salt and pepper

For the salad:
100g (Italian) grains
50g salad leaves
25g soft goats cheese (optional – leave out if making this vegan or dairy-free)

For the dressing:
6 tbsp olive or cold-pressed rapeseed oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp freshly chopped French tarragon
1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

Step 1: Mix the ingredients for the roasted vegetables and spread on a baking sheet. Cook at 200c for 35-40 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

Step 2: Cook the grains according to the packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and run under cold water until cool.

Step 3: Combine the salad dressing ingredients, and either shake in a lidded jar or whisk in a bowl until amalgamated.

Step 4: In a large salad bowl, toss together the cooled vegetables, grains, salad leaves and about a third of the salad dressing. If you are using goats cheese, crumble over the salad just before serving.

I served this at lunch time with my Tarragon and Mustard Chicken. Wonderful.

Banana and Oat Pancakes

6th September 20186th September 2018
by thefoodwife

Makes 7-8

These are a real hit with the Food Baby and so quick to make. I served these for pudding with a dip of full fat Greek yogurt, with a spoonful of fruit compote or jam swirled through it and then for breakfast with a smear of peanut butter on top; both times very well received and demolished.

This picture shows just how well they first went down as the Food Baby first tried to lick the bowl clean and then eat the bowl!

Serve one or two of these at a time, the rest can be frozen (I did so in pairs) and defrosted when needed and re-heated in a toaster or a quick zap in the microwave.

Ingredients:
1 large banana, mashed
60g oats
60g self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Large pinch of ground cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
Splash of full fat milk (about 50ml)

Step 1: Mix all the ingredients together until you have a well-combined batter.

Step 2: Heat a non-stick frying or crepe pan on a medium-high heat and add a little butter or oil (I used a spray oil).

Step 3: Spoon two tablespoons of mixture into the pan (I could cook three at once) and cook for a couple of minutes until little bubbles appear and they are golden brown on the underside and firm enough to flip over, then cook for a further couple of minutes on the other side.

Of course these aren’t just for babies! Try them with chopped fresh fruit and maple syrup or Greek yogurt for a delicious breakfast.