Recipes

Creamy Vegetarian Chicken, Courgette and Mushroom Stew, served with Quinoa.

Serves 2

• 1 tbsp butter
• vegetarian chicken (usually 1/2 packet)
• 1 courgette
• 200g mushrooms
• 1 carton coconut cream
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 60g to 100g quinoa (I think the red, black and white type looks gorgeous on the plate).

1. Cook the quinoa as the packet instructions.
2. Melt the butter in a frying pan.
3. Add the courgette and fry for a few minutes.
4. Add the mushrooms and again fry for a few minutes.
5. Stir in the parsley. You can use fresh parsley but remember to put it in near the end to maximise the taste.
6. Add the coconut cream, salt and pepper
7. Feel free to add frozen vegetables, frozen chickpeas etc. of your choice.
8. 1-7 takes about 15-20 minutes. When the quinoa is ready, drain it as you would with rice and then stir it into the mixture before serving.

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie

Serves 2-3

• 900g potatoes
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 leek diced
• 2 carrots diced
• 1/2 packet vegetarian mince
• 1 stock cube dissolved in 3/4 pint of water
• 1 tsp mixed herbs
• 25g wholemeal flour
• 1 tsp peanut butter

1. Heat the oven to 180°C.
2. Boil the potatoes.
3. As the potatoes are boiling, heat the oil in a pan.
4. Add the diced carrots and leeks and fry gently for a few minutes.
5. Add the mince and the rest of the ingredients and cook for about 10 minutes. You could add any frozen vegetables. I cook broccoli in this recipe.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. When the potatoes are boiled, mash them with milk and butter.
8. Pour the mince mixture into a square oven dish and then spread the mash potato on top of it. Use a fork to make lines on it.
9. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top goes crusty.

Beef Goulash

Serves 2-3

• 1/2 packet of vegetarian beef strips
• 1 red pepper sliced
• 1 yellow or green pepper sliced
• handful of spinach leaves
• 1 courgette sliced into rounds
• 25g butter
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 150ml veggie stock
• 3 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp parsley
• 250ml coconut cream
• frozen bean and chickpea mix

1. Gently fry the peppers and courgette in the butter for a few minutes.
2. Add the beef strips, tomato puree, veggie stock, smoked paprika and parsley and fry for a few more minutes.
3. Stir in the coconut cream, spinach leaves and season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the frozen bean mix and turn up the heat and cook for 3-5 minutes.
5. Serve with any cooked rice. I use basmati brown rice.

Thai Red Curry

Serves 2

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 inch of grated ginger
• 1 clove garlic chopped up
• 1 red pepper
• 1 yellow or green pepper
• 3 carrots sliced into rounds
• 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 1 can of full fat coconut milk
• 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
• Optional, any meat or meat substitute. I used Middle Eastern falafels in the above photo!

1. Fry the carrots and a pinch of salt in the oil for 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for another 30 seconds.
3. Add the peppers and fry for a few minutes.
4. Add meat etc. if taste requires.
5. Add the curry paste, coconut milk and the sugar and fry for about 10 more minutes.
6. Stir in the soy sauce and rice vinegar and serve with rice.

Vegetarian Chilli Con Carne

Serves 2

• Half a packet of vegetarian mince
• 2 carrots peeled and diced
• 100g mushrooms sliced
• Handful of spinach leaves
• pinch of chilli powder or real chillies to taste
• 250ml of veggie stock
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• any amount of frozen bean mix to taste
• 2tbsp oil

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan.
2. Fry the carrots for about 5 minutes.
3. Fry the mushrooms for a couple of minutes.
4. Add the stock, tomato puree, spinach leaves, chillies and mince and cook for about 5 minutes.
5. Add the frozen bean mix and cook until the spinach leaves have wilted.
6. Serve with rice.

Sausage Rigatoni

Serves 2

• Any type of sausages and cook as package instructions
• 150g of rigatoni pasta and cook as package instructions
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped up
• 100g of roughly chopped mushrooms
• 1 pepper; any colour
• Chilli flakes
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• Basil leaves or dried basil to taste
• Handful of spinach leaves
• 1 sliced courgette, optional
• Frozen Italian bean mix, optional

1. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan.
2. Add the garlic and fry for a couple of minutes.
3. Add the vegetables and fry for a few minutes.
4. Add the tinned tomatoes, chilli flakes, dried basil and the spinach leaves and cook for 5 more minutes.
5. If wanted, add the frozen Italian bean mix and cook for another 5 minutes.
6. When the sausages are cooked, cut then into chunks and add to the frying pan. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Mix in the cooked rigatoni and serve.

Vegetarian Chicken, Cashew Nut & Basil Stir Fry

Serves 2

• 2tsp Chinese 5 Spice Powder
• 65g cashew nuts
• 1tbsp oil
• Half a packet of vegetarian chicken
• 2 peppers – any colours sliced
• Chillies to taste
• 3cm piece fresh root ginger, grated
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 100ml vegetable stock
• 3tbsp hoisin sauce
• Basil leaves (dried or fresh)
• Frozen chickpea mix, optional
• 150g of any rice. I use brown.

1. Add the Chinese 5 spice powder to the rice and boil as normal.
2. Heat the oil.
3. Fry the garlic for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the ginger and fry for a minute.
5. Add the peppers and fry for a few minutes.
6. Add the veggie stock, chillies and basil- if using dried basil. If using fresh basil leaves, add in about a couple of minutes before the meal is ready.
7. Add the veggie chicken and cook as per packet instructions.
8. About 5 minutes before the chicken is ready, add the cashew nuts, hoisin sauce and the chickpea mix, if required.
9. Serve with the boiled rice.