Asparagus with Tarragon Hollandaise

Ingredients
British asparagus (enough to feed your family)
2 Egg yolks
1 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Teaspoon cracked black pepper
130g Salted butter
2 Stems of fresh tarragon

Method

1. To make the hollandaise sauce, place the egg yolks, lemon juice and pepper in a food processor and process briefly. Melt the butter in a saucepan until foaming and then, with the processor running, pour in the butter in a steady stream.
2. Finely chop the tarragon and pour into the food processor.
3. Chop the tough ends of the asparagus off. Then bring a saucepan half full of water to the boil. Lay down the asparagus horizontally in a metal colainder, then put the lid of the saucepan over the colainder, and put the colainder over the boiling water. Cook for 5 minutes only as you want it to retain some 'bite'.
4. Serve on individual plates and pour the sauce over the asparagus. Serve immediately.

Adapted from Roz Denny and Christine Ingran:Vegetarian Cookery

Roast Tomato Soup

Serves 4
Ingredients
2 Red peppers
2 Beefsteak tomatoes
2 Tins of chopped tomatoes
2 Carrots
2 Red onions
700ml water
4 Tablespoons Olive oil
Fresh oregano and basil
Dried oregano and basil
Cracked Black Pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Chop the tomatoes and peppers in half. Remove the seeds and the stalk from the peppers. Then place the on the baking tray with their skins facing upwards. Roast them for around 30 minutes. Leave to cool, still on the baking tray.
3. Fry the onion and carrots in the olive oil using a large saucepan.
4. Remove the skin from the peppers and tomatoes. Put the flesh into the saucepan.
5. Pour the water and the tins of tomatoes into the pan. Put the dried herbs and pepper into the soup.
6. Bring to the boil and simmer until the carrots are tender.
7. Blitz the soup with the fresh herbs in a food processor or blender. Return to the hob and ensure the soup is war.
8. Serve immediately with finely grated cheddar cheese on the top. This dish can be frozen.

Couscous with Mediterranean Chick Peas

Serves 4
Ingredients
500g Couscous
700ml Water with half a teaspoon salt dissolved in it
4 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Large onions, peeled and chopped
250g Carrots, peeled and chopped
1 Teaspoon ground cumin, heaped
1 Teaspoon cumin seeds
2 Teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 Teaspoons ground coriander
100g Frozen Sweetcorn
2 Courgettes, Diced
2 Tins chick peas, drained
1 Tin chopped tomatoes
900ml Water

Method

1. Spread the couscous in a large roasting dish and pour the salt water over it evenly. Rub the couscous  lightly with your fingers to seperate the grains. Set the couscous aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, at least 20cm high and 25cm in diameter, then add the onion and the carrots and fry gently for about 10 minutes. Stir in the spices and ground black pepper and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring.
3. Stir in the sweetcorn, courgettes and the chick peas, then add the water and tomatoes. bring to the boil and then turn down the heat so that the chick pea 'stew' simmers.
4. By now the couscous will have absorbed the water. Put it into a metal colander, breaking it up with your fingers as you do so.
5. Put the colander over the chick peas and cook gently for about 25 minutes.
6. Serve on individual plates. Spoon some couscous on the plates and some chick peas and sauce. If preferred rip up romaine lettuce leaves, Dandelion leaves and mix with sliced salad tomatoes, brunoise carrots (diced) and chopped cucumber.

Adapted from Rose Elliot:The Supreme Vegetarian Cookbook

Hot Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
Half a cup organic hot chocolate
Organic dark chocolate
3 eggs
6oz self-raising flour
6oz castor sugar
6oz butter

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170 Celcius
2. Cream the butter and sugar together.
3. Beat the eggs with a fork in a seperate bowl.
4. Add the eggs gradually whilst beating, alternating between the eggs and sifting in the flour until they are all beaten into the mixture.
5. Beat in the hot chocolate.
6. Pour mix into cake cases and place a small square of chocolate on the top.
7. Bake for 25 minutes.

Carribean Coconut Rice

Ingredients
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Onion, finely chopped
300g Rice
400ml Water
400ml Coconut milk
400g Kidney beans
3 Tablespoons fresh thyme

Method

1. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion until soft.
2. Add the rice, water and coconut milk and stir well. Bring to the boil.
3. Add the kidney beans and thyme. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the rice has cooked. Season with pepper.
4. Serve with a sprig of coriander.

Carrot and Coriander Soup

Serves 4
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Onion, chopped
1 Teaspoon coriander, finely chopped
1 Potato, chopped
450g Carrots, chopped
1 Litre vegetable stock
Handful Coriander

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion until soft.
2. Stir in the  finely chopped coriander and potato, then simmer for about a minute.
3. Add the carrots and stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat.
4. Cook for around 20 minutes, until the carrots are soft.
5. Tip the soup and remaining coriander into a food processor or a blender and blitz until smooth.
6. Pour into bowls and swirl double cream into the soup.

Sweet Potato Soup

Serves 4
Ingredients
3 Sweet potatoes, finely chopped

2 Carrots, finely chopped

Orange juice

2 Vegetable stock cubes

1 Onion, chopped

20 Chives

3-5 Basil Leaves

1 Teaspoon mixed herbs

1 Teaspoon dried basil

1 Teaspoon black cracked pepper 

Method

1. Bring quarter of a large sauce pan of water to the boil
2. Add the stock cubes and dried herbs.
3. Add the carrots and two of the sweet potatoes. Then leave to simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes.
4. Fry the onion until soft but do not let brown.
5. Put two ladles of soup into a large jug, along with the rest of the sweet potato. Add a splash of orange juice. Fill the jug with water so that it is three-quarters full.
6. Blend until smooth with a hand blender.
7. Stir back in to the soup.
8. Using the same jug, blend half a jug of boiling water and the onion with a hand blender. Just blend it enough so that the onion is in small peices.
9. Pour this into the soup along with the pepper and fresh herbs.
10. Stir regularly until all of the vegetables are soft.
11. Serve with foccacia bread.

 

Bread Rolls

Ingredients
500g Strong Bread Flour
1 Teaspoon large grained seasalt
1-2 Teaspoons castor sugar
1 Jug of warm water
1 Teaspoon of quick yeast
1 Egg
Some poppy seeds
Olive Oil

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220° C and put parchment paper on a baking tray.
2. Mix the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a large mixing bowl.
3. Gradually add warm water whilst mixing until the dough is slightly sticky. Stop adding water when the dough becomes sticky!
4. Add some olive oil to give the bread flavour, moisture and to preserve it.
5. Knead the dough until it is smooth.
6. Split the mixture into six sections and roll into ball shapes.
7. Leave to prove in a warm place,  ie. warming oven, grill which is turned off, for about an hour until the bread has doubled in size.
8. Crack an egg into a small bowl and add a tiny bit of oil. Whisk this quickly with a fork. Brush this mixture on the bread roll. Sprinkle the poppy seeds over the top of the bread. 
9. Bake in the oven until golden and risen, about 15 minutes. The base of the buns should sound hollow when you tap them. Turn on to a wire rack to cool.

Tagliatelle Verde with Lentil Sauce

Serves 4
Ingredients
400g Tagliatelle Verde
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
2 Onions, peeled and chopped
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
½ Teaspoon of mixed spices
½ Teaspoon of mixed herbs
½ Teaspoon of cracked black pepper
225g Red lentils
1 Tin of tomatoes (400g)
450ml Water

Method

1. To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion for around 10 minutes, then add the garlic, herbs, spices, lentils, tomatoes and water. Bring to the boil.
2. Reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer gently for about twenty minutes, until the lentils are tender, then add the pepper.
3. Meanwhile, cook the tagliatelle in a large saucepan until al dente.
4. Drain immediately, then toss in a drizzle of olive oil.
5. Turn the tagliatelle onto four individual plates and pour the sauce into the centre. The sauce also compliments boiled white or wholegrain rice.

Adapted from: Rose Elliot:The Supreme Vegetarian Cookbook  

Penne Pasta with Aubergine and Tomato Sauce

Serves 4
Ingredients
1 Large Aubergine (about 375g)
6 Tablespoons of Rapeseed oil
1 Small onion, peeled and chopped
2 Tins of chopped tomatoes (about 800g)
1 Teaspoon of cracked black pepper
1 Teaspoon  of mixed herbs
500g Penne Pasta

Method

1. Slice the aubergine thinly lenghthways, then cut into strips about 5cm long and 1.5cm wide. Sprinkle with salt and leave for 5 minutes. Rinse and drain the aubergine in cold water. This process is called degorging and is used to prevent too much oil seeping into the aubergine during frying.
2. Fry the aubergine in the oil in a large frying pan until brown on both sides. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen towels. Then fry the onion in the rapeseed oil, left over from the aubergine, until soft but not let them brown. Add the tomatoes and cook gently for around 5 minutes.
3. Puree the aubergine, tomato mix and seasoning in a food processor, return to the pan on a low heat to keep warm. Then put in fresh herbs if you have them in the garden (optional).
4. Cook the Penne pasta until al dente.
5. Drain the pasta immediately and toss in a drizzle of oil.
6. Serve the pasta on six individual plates and serve two serving spoons of sauce on top. Sprinkle grated mature cheddar to serve (optional).

Adapted from Rose Elliot:The Supreme Vegetarian Cookbook