vegetarian

/ emma@cookfasteatslow.com 2 Comments

Beetroot and Pomegranate Salad

As I am chatting with friends and family about food, I am hearing loud and clear that people are really wanting ideas for Christmas and entertaining that require minimal effort.

‘Recipes’ that read more like a list of nice ingredients that when put together with minimal process, taste great.

This Christmas themed salad is just so pretty with it’s red, green and white colours, but more importantly, when you take a mouthful of the fresh greens, soft beetroot and cheese, crunchy pomegranate seeds and then get a burst of fresh mint, you will be reminded again that sometimes cooking is indeed pairing the right ingredients together, with minimal fuss. The ingredients themselves are the hero, and not the process.

For those who haven’t seen or eaten Labneh before, it’s a cheese made from strained yoghurt and is often used in Middle Eastern cooking. You can easily make your own, but for ease this time of year, you can buy it in the supermarket. It makes a beautiful dip with raw veggies and crackers too.

If you prefer, you can use a creamy goats cheese or Persian feta instead. I do think a creamy cheese and not hard one, is best in this recipe.

And lastly, one of the ways you can be kind to yourself in the kitchen this time of year is to stock up on some different and beautiful store-bought dressings. At the drop of a hat you can make any salad at the last minute and take it to ‘a whole other level’ when you dress it with something gorgeous.

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This Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar has been a favourite in our house for a few years now. I have to hide it at the back of the cupboard otherwise one of my sons, who has a sweet tooth, will drink it straight from the bottle! It’s generally found in Deli’s and Gourmet Food stores and can be pricey. For Christmas time, I think it’s worth spending a little extra for something special though.

Be warned – it’s quite sweet so you don’t need a lot, but it is the finishing touch a salad like this needs.

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Beetroot and Pomegranate Salad

Created by on November 30, 2015

  • Prep Time: 10m
  • Total Time: 10m

Ingredients

  • 450 grams tinned beetroot wedges, drained
  • 150 grams rocket and baby spinach salad mix
  • seeds of 1/2 a pomegranate
  • 1/2 bunch of fresh mint leaves
  • 125 grams Labneh, marinted in herbs and oil (or another soft creamy cheese)
  • Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar to dress

Method

  1. Wash and dry the salad leaves and lay in a shallow bowl or on a platter.
  2. Top with all the other ingredients. Use a teaspoon to dollop the labneh all over the salad.
  3. Drizzle with the Pomegranate Balsamic vinegar to serve.
  4. NOTE - do not toss this salad. As people take spoonfuls the ingredients and flavours will come together on their own.
Source: cook fast eat slow

 

 

 

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Panzanella Salad

This is the first of a few posts I am going to dedicate to the Christmas season. Whether you need inspiration for a relaxed summer BBQ with friends or a formal Christmas gathering, over the next few weeks I will post some simple and achievable recipes suitable for those occasions. I can’t wait to hear if any of them make it to your menu!

There are many reasons why this is one of my favourite salads.

Firstly, it’s from Tuscany, Italy. A place I dream of visiting one day.  I long to soak up the history, food and culture. I dream of spending a day in an Italian mumma’s kitchen, learning all that I can. I dream of olive groves, foraging for herbs and eating lots and lots of cheese!

The Italians are well known for being wise with their food and never wasting a thing. This salad was born as a way of using up stale bread. Pure genuis, to combine stale bread with some of summers best produce and finest herbs.

Secondly, it is colourful and so pretty on a big white platter. The red, green and white theme make it a perfect Aussie Christmas salad, especially when tomatoes are at their best and full of flavour.

Thirdly, it’s SIMPLE. A little chopping, a little toasting and a quick dressing, this salad is perfect to add to your Christmas menu, which like me, you are probably trying to keep as simple, yet as tasty, as possible.

My version of the Panzanella Salad is based on one I read about in the Quick Smart Cook recipe book, from the ABC delicious magazine.

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Panzanella Salad

Created by on November 22, 2015

  • Prep Time: 10m
  • Cook Time: 20m
  • Total Time: 28m

Ingredients

  • 1/2 loaf sourdough bread, torn into small chunks
  • 50 milliliters extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for the sourdough)
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 bunch of fresh basil leaves, finely chopped, to give 3/4 cup (plus extra whole leaves for garnish)
  • 600 grams cherry tomatoes, halved (look out for yellow, orange and green tomatoes to make the salad more colourful)
  • 1 large lebanese cucumber, cut into chunks
  • 1/2 cup pitted olives, halved (more if you like olives!)
  • 150 grams fresh buffalo mozzarella or bocconcini, torn into chunks

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
  2. Drizzle the torn bread chunks in some olive oil, season with salt and place in a single layer on a baking tray.
  3. Bake for 15-20 minutes till golden and crispy. Set aside.
  4. Combine 50ml olive oil, red wine vinegar and finely chopped basil leaves in a jar with a lid and shake to combine.
  5. Place cut tomatoes, olives, cucumber, toasted bread and mozzarella in a large bowl and pour the dressing over. Mix well with your hands.
  6. Place on a serving platter and garnish with whole fresh basil leaves.
Source: cook fast eat slow
/ emma@cookfasteatslow.com Leave a comment

Lentil Bolognese (vegetarian)

I had put off trying this recipe for a long time, unsure as to how my boys would respond.

You know what it’s like, weary mums….. sometimes you have the energy to try a new meal and you’re all ready and armed for the dinner battle and other times, it’s all you can do to plate up what you know will be eaten without a fuss.

In one of my tried and tested strategies, I served this dish differently the first time I made it for the family, which is a while back now.

I put the whole thing in one big bowl with serving spoons and brought it to the table. Everyone got to help themselves and then we played ‘guess the mystery ingredient’ as I got them to taste and try the lentils.

It actually worked this time, and this meal has gone on to become a regular in our house and all of our boys eat it.

We all love meat in our house, but it’s very good for us to have meat-free meals a few nights of the week. It’s good for our health as well as for the budget.

So a few quick facts about the star ingredient… LENTILS:

  • Lentils are part of the Legume family, (which includes other foods like black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, peanuts and butter beans.)
  • Lentils are an awesome source of PROTEIN – they have the highest level of protein, by weight, of any plant-based food. This makes them a great food for vegetarians.
  • They are great source of folate, iron, magnesium, and B Vitamins.
  • They are a ‘slow-burning complex carbohydrate’, which gives you energy over a long period, without causing a massive spike in your blood sugar levels. These are GOOD CARBS.
  • They are super cheap – I used an 80c can of lentils for this recipe that served a family of 5.
  • They are quick and easy to prepare and use.

This recipe is from Delicious magazine, October 2013.

Lentil Bolognese (vegetarian)

Created by on November 2, 2015

  • Prep Time: 5m
  • Cook Time: 15m
  • Total Time: 20m

Ingredients

  • 500 grams wholemeal spaghetti
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion or leek, finely chopped (white part of leek only, wash before chopping)
  • 1 celery stalk, washed and chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1/2 700ml jar of tomato Passata (tomato cooking sauce)
  • 250 grams punnet cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
  • 400 grams can lentils, rinsed and drained
  • shaved parmesan and basil leaves to serve

Method

  1. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.
  2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat, and add onion, celery and garlic and cook until softened.
  3. Add passata and 1/2 cup water and bring to a simmer.
  4. Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
  5. Add lentils and stir, and cook for another minute.
  6. Drain pasta and place in a large serving bowl topped with the sauce.
  7. Season with salt and pepper and serve with parmesan and chopped Basil leaves.
Source: cook fast eat slow
/ emma@cookfasteatslow.com Leave a comment

Poached Egg with Halloumi & Pan Fried Asparagus & Mushrooms (vegetarian)

Even passionate cooks need a night off from the kitchen.

In our current season of life, that is Sunday night for me.

After a week of meals that they have no choice but to eat, Sunday is the one night where my boys can choose (within reason) their own dinner. It’s often leftovers, a toasted sandwich, pasta and cheese, or ‘Upside Down Dinner’ which is when they have their favourite breakfast for dinner. I still try and get some carrot sticks or something nutritious into them, but generally, it’s our most relaxed ‘whatever works and is in the house’ dinner night.

This leaves me with a much needed night off from being the chief decision maker and vegetable enforcer, which I admit, does feel good.

I potter around the kitchen with the kids and my husband, but try and take a back seat, as I encourage my older boys to help construct their own meal.

Out of everything I will eat in a week, my Sunday night dinner is my favourite meal. It’s one of our most simple….but because I haven’t made it, it just tastes AMAZING.

So, what is this Sunday night dinner I hear you say?

Eggs.

Yep. Eggs.

Simple, cheap, nutritious eggs.

A few years ago my husband, who doesn’t spend a great deal of time in the kitchen, decided he wanted to learn how to poach eggs. I decided not to get involved and leave him to learn this for himself (best for our marriage that way!) Over time, he researched and perfected how to poach the perfect egg, and thus it has become the meal he cooks for me every Sunday night.

AND I LOVE IT!

I am usually banished from the kitchen altogether, for fear I will take over (Me? Take Over?) or if permission granted I get given ‘toast and extras’ duty, ie. roast the tomatoes, fry the halloumi, chop the asparagus.

Truth be told, it’s actually one of my favourite times of the week, having my man in the kitchen with me….doing something I love so much….together.

I know the best way to poach an egg can be highly controversial, but below is the way my husband swears by and I can attest that it tastes pretty darn good.

Ingredients

2 eggs per person

1 block of Halloumi cheese, cut in half horizontally

1 bunch of fresh asaparagus, ends trimmed, cut in half

a large handful of button mushrooms, washed and sliced

zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 clove garlic, crushed

a few sprigs of fresh thyme

approx 2 tablespoons of butter, for frying

sourdough bread to toast

salt and pepper to season

Method

Get your toast ready for toasting.

Melt butter over a medium heat in a frying pan.

Add garlic, mushrooms, thyme and lemon zest and fry until mushrooms are softening and slightly golden.

Add asparagus and fry for another 2 minutes, or until they are slightly soft.  Remove from pan and cover to keep warm.

Place the frying pan back over medium heat and add a little extra butter. Once melted, add the Halloumi and fry on both sides until golden. Remove from the pan and pour the lemon juice over the Halloumi.

To Poach Eggs

Bring a medium size saucepan of water to a rapid boil with a lid on.

Remove the lid, crack the egg flush to the water surface and open shell slowly, so as it hits the water, the egg white seals almost immediately.

Leave in boiling water for approximately 60-90 seconds, or until the egg yolk is cooked to your liking.

Remove with a slotted spoon.

Plate up the toast, vegetables, egg and halloumi. Season with salt and pepper and serve with a lemon wedge if desired.

 

 

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Spring Vegetable Frittata (vegetarian)

I am breaking one of my rules in posting this recipe.

I’ve said from the beginning of cook fast eat slow that I would only post recipes that passed the ultimate test – “will my 3 boys eat it?”

Everything on the blog so far has passed that test.

Until now.

I’ve vacillated for a few days now as to whether to post this recipe, as my kids didn’t like it. Sadly, they are not all egg fans, ie. scrambled, poached, boiled, omelette – they just don’t like dishes where egg is the main event.

For me, it’s quite annoying, as eggs are an amazing food and make a great nutritious, cheap and easy base for a great meal.

So, back to Frittata’s….

A frittata is commonly known as an ‘open-faced omelette’ or a ‘crustless quiche’ and is a wonderful way of using up whatever you have on hand, vegetables or meats or a mixture of both.

My husband and I love them. Whether for a quick nutritious dinner, or an easy lunch, whether it’s warm or room temp, or from the fridge as leftovers, you just can’t go wrong.

So, even though my kids won’t eat a frittata, I am hoping yours might? Or even if yours don’t, you can add this to your menu for your mid-week lunch inspiration. It will keep for a few days covered in the fridge, so that means a high protein and nutrient-rich meal is waiting for you in the fridge each day that requires no prep. A winner all round!

The wonderful thing is you can make it as you like it. If you hate fennel and love peas, then leave out the fennel and add 1/2 cup frozen peas. If your kids love spinach but don’t like broccolini, swap them. Add bacon for flavour, throw in leftover cooked chicken. Use feta or goats cheese, add handfuls of fresh herbs, scatter with tomatoes….basically, the options are endless!

Or, if you are nervous and this is your first try, just follow the steps below and see how you go.

Ingredients

olive oil

1 cup of cauliflower florets, chopped roughly

1 bunch of broccilini, stems and tops, chopped roughly

1 leek, white part only, washed and finely sliced

1/4 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

6 eggs

1/2 cup milk

salt and pepper to taste

3-4 tablespoons grated fresh parmesan

Method

Heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan or shallow cast-iron casserole dish.

Add all of the chopped veggies, stir and sauté for a few minutes and then reduce the heat to low, place the lid on, and gently cook for a few minutes till the veggies are a little softer.

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Whisk together the eggs, milk and some salt and pepper in a jug.

Remove the lid from the vegetables, and pour the egg mixture over them. Give the pan a quick shake to evenly distribute the egg through the veggies.

Place the lid back on the pan and cook for a few minutes till almost set.

Grate the parmesan over the top of the frittata and then remove from the heat, place under a hot grill and grill till golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Serve warm or at room temperature with a side salad and fresh bread if desired.

IMG_7022These are the leaves   from a bunch of baby carrots, they are edible, so don’t throw them out. Just wash them and dress them with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice and use them as a simple salad or garnish.