Vegetarian Dishes 2020 – Feb

As mentioned, we have been having 1 veggie day once a week. So, in Feb, I cooked Pea and Leek Open Lasagna. I have always used the dried lasagna in the box as you just pop it on top of your lasagna mixture and you don’t really need to do anything with it. This recipe uses fresh lasagna sheets so it was my first time cooking it.

This recipe is so simple, fresh and taste really healthy! I added mushrooms and courgettes, you can add as many veggies as you wish! I initially thought 4 x lasagna sheets so that’s 2 sheets per person, that’s not going to be enough but actually this dish is quite filling!

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp oil and abit of butter
• 2 leeks, washed and sliced into half moons or you can buy a packet sliced up already
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped100g kale, mushroom sliced, courgettes and any other veggies you want to add
• 100g kale, mushroom sliced, courgettes and any other veggies you want to add
• 250g frozen peas
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 2 tbsp low-fat crème fraîche
• 1 lemon, zested
• 4 fresh lasagne sheets

Method:

1. Put a frying pan over a medium heat. Pour in the oil and add the leeks, garlic and a pinch of salt and a bit of butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until collapsed and soft. Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil.
2. Tip the peas, kale, mushrooms and any other veggies into the pan with the leeks and add a splash of water. Cook until the veggies are soft and peas are defrosted. Turn down the heat to low. Stir in the mustard, crème fraîche and ¾ of the lemon zest. Add enough water to make a sauce. Give everything a good mix and season to taste.
3. Drop the lasagne into the water and cook following pack instructions, then drain well. Put one lasagne sheet on each plate, top with half the leek and pea mix then layer up the second lasagne sheet and the remaining greens. Scatter over the remaining lemon zest and add a good grinding of black pepper.

Vegetarian Dishes 2020 – Jan

My brother in law decided to go vegetarian late last year as he wanted to be more heatlhy and cut out meat in his diet. I seriously thought he wouldn’t be able to keep to it as he is such a meat lover but amazingly he stuck to it!!

So, for 2020, my husband and I decided that we will have one ‘Veggie’ day once a week as we didn’t want to cut out meat from our meals. I have always cooked with meat and then have a side dish of vegetables to go with it so it was really strange to make the ‘vegetarian’ dish to be the main meal. Not saying it’s a challenge but cooking vegetarian dishes is really out of my comfort zone so i am having to look in advance of the recipes online and buy the ingredients. I really enjoy our once a week veggie day because it makes you cook food that you would’ve cooked before and trying out different vegetables. I will be posting my veg dish of the month of what i have made and sharing it with you all. Slightly behind in my veg posts so will try and catch up on these and be on time for the month!

In Jan, I made an Italian veggie cottage pie from BBC Good Food website.

It is an Italian twist on an English classic, with sundried tomatoes, spinach and aubergine. I used these three ingredients as a basic and then add more vegetables to it such as mushrooms, courgettes or what ever i have got in the fridge. This recipe is so easy to make, it is just the mashing up of the potatoes that times time but very delicious! I didn’t use the ready mash potatoes as i prefer to make it from scratch, i think it always taste better than pre-made ones or from the packet, it doesn’t have the same texture. Ingredients and method is below so hope you enjoy it too!

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 aubergines, cut into chunks
• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 16 sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped, plus 1 tbsp of their oil
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 400g spinach washed
• 50g plain flour
• 400ml milk
• 125g cheddar, grated, plus extra to top
• 800g ready-made mashed potato (fresh not frozen) or you can make up your own batch of mash. I tend to add milk and butter, salt, pepper and mixed herbs when i mash the potatoes.
• Feel free to add any other vegetables you might have in your fridge – mushrooms, peas, carrots etc

Method:

1. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large, lidded frying pan or flameproof casserole dish. Cook the aubergine, in two batches, over a high heat for 4-5 mins until golden, adding extra oil as you need to. Return all the aubergine to the pan with the garlic, tomatoes and 1 1/2 tsp oregano and cook for 1 min. Stir in the spinach, put the lid on the pan and leave for a few mins to wilt.
2. Add the flour and stir through until combined. Pour in the milk, stir gently and bring to the boil. Bubble for a few mins, then stir in the cheese and season. Cook until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened.
3. Mix the mash with the remaining oregano and spread over the filling. Scatter over a little more grated cheese and bake for 10-15 mins until golden.