The Recipe Room

This simple Lima bean soup is sweet and savoury and very satisfying.  The starchy Lima beans help to give the broth the perfect thickness and also provide a sweet counterpoint to the kale and spices.  The soup also freezes well, so don’t worry if you can’t finish it all in a few days. (Why not also have a go at this red lentil and sweet potato soup?)

 

Something like a fancier, vegetarian version of traditional shepherds pie, this winter vegetable pie recipe makes for a great Sunday lunch and is a good way to trick younger kids into eating their turnips and parsnips without them even realising it!  I usually prepare this in one large oven-safe dish, but an interesting presentation alternative is to bake individual portions in small, round dishes and give everyone their own.  If you find your kids still make faces and don’t want to eat it, try doubling the amount of cheese; in my experience, this seems to work just as well as the proverbial spoonful of sugar!

Although it’s only vegetables, this dish can be quite heavy. For a lighter cheesy recipe to “fool” kids into eating their veggies, try this baked fennel with tomato gratin. For dessert, I recommend this carrot halwa.

Serve this dish with cheesy bread for dipping. I also like to set aside a little ramekin with the tomato sauce to pour over the mashed potatoes right before serving. But that’s because I really love tomatoes. Most people tell me that the tomatoes inside the pie are plenty, but I just never can get enough!

 

I remember one time  as a kid being given some lukewarm, mushy canned asparagus for lunch and thinking it was the absolute worst thing in the world and vowing never to eat asparagus again!  Fortunately, I eventually grew up and tried some grilled asparagus at a restaurant. Imagine my surprise when I realised it was nothing at all like that mushy stuff I remembered!

Since then I’ve become quite a connoisseur of this wild green vegetable, although I have to admit I’m still not much of a fan of the canned variety.  In any case, this baked asparagus with feta and parmesan recipe is made from sweet and crunchy fresh asparagus, and the tangy cheese highlights the juicy baked goodness of the vegetable astoundingly well. (I also recommend this asparagus and cheese pudding.)

 

A great appetiser or party food, these Greek stuffed grape leaves have a more subtle and mellow flavour than the pre-made variety. For more Greek goodness, try these lamb kebabs with cucumber and feta relish.

You Need:

• 60ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 250g long-grain white rice
• 375g gluten-free chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
• 2 teaspoons fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 1 can (about 200g) grape leaves
• Juice of 2 lemons

Steps:

1. In a medium heavy pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the rice and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add 125ml of the broth.
5. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is just tender, about 10 minutes.
6. Transfer the rice mixture to a bowl and stir in the dill, parsley, mint, oregano, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
7. Fill a deep, heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid with water and bring to the boil.
8. Reduce heat to medium-low and blanch the grape leaves in the hot water 5 for minutes.
9. Drain the leaves on paper towels and trim away the stems and hard veins. Pat the leaves dry with paper towels.
10. Lay a grape leaf on a work surface, shiny-side down. Put 2 tablespoons of the rice filling near the stem end of the leaf.
11. Fold the stem end over the filling, fold both sides toward the middle, and roll up into a cylinder. (Don’t roll too tightly as the rice will expand as it cooks.)
12. Repeat with the remaining grape leaves and filling placing the rolled leaves in the pot, seam-side down in a single layer.
13. Pour the remaining broth, olive oil, and lemon juice over the stuffed grape leaves.
14. If the liquid doesn’t reach at least halfway up the rolls, add more water.
15. Cover the pot and simmer 30 to 40 minutes over low heat, or until tender when pierced with a fork.
16. Can be served warm or cold.

 

Ready In:  60 minutes

Serves:  6

Difficulty:   3 out of 5

This turkey and sun-dried tomato loaf with onion gravy makes for a great Sunday afternoon roast replacement, like this lamb roast with garlic and rosemary.  I like to use turkey mince, but it should work fine with whatever mince you prefer, or even textured vegetable protein if you want to make it vegetarian-friendly.

You Need:

For the loaf:

• 250g sun-dried tomatoes
• 500ml boiling water
• 65g cornflakes, crushed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• ½  medium-size green bell pepper, chopped
• 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2tbsps mushroom or vegetable broth
• 2 large eggs
• 125g creamy Havarti cheese, shredded
• 2tsps dried basil
• 1tsp dried parsley
• 1tsp dried oregano
• ½tsp dried thyme
• ½tsp freshly ground pepper
• ½tsp salt
• 700g  turkey mince
• Vegetable oil spray

For the gravy:

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 stock cube (vegetable or chicken)
• 2tsps thyme
• 500ml water
• 4tbsp cornflour + 2tbsp water, mixed together to form a thick paste 

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 175ºC.
2. Submerge the sun-dried tomatoes in the boiling water for a few minutes to soften and then drain. Chop into small pieces and place in a large bowl.
3. Add the crushed cereal and mix to coat. Set aside.
4. Over medium heat, sauté the onion and green pepper in the olive oil until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
6. Add to the sun-dried tomato and cereal mixture.
7. Next pour in the broth and mix well.
8. Beat the eggs and then add them to the mixture,  jumbling it all together.
9. Add the cheese, herbs, seasonings and meat and stir until well-blended.
10. Lightly coat a 23cm x 13cm loaf pan with the vegetable oil spray and then press the mixture firmly down into the pan.
11. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until the temperature of the loaf, when measured with a roasting thermometer, reaches 80ºC.
12. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 to10 minutes before removing from the loaf pan.
13. While the loaf is baking, prepare the gravy:

• Sauté the onions in the vegetable oil until translucent, about 3 minutes.
• Add the stock cube, thyme and 500ml of water and bring to the boil.
• Add the cornflour paste a little at a time until desired thickness is reached.

14. Cut into slices, cover with gravy and serve.

Ready In:  90 minutes

Serves:  8

Difficulty:   3 out of 5