National Vegetarian Week 2017 runs from 15-21 May, and it’s all about enjoying delicious, exciting, vegetarian food.
The humble vegetable is a diverse, tasty and delicious thing in it’s own right, so it’s only fair to embrace and celebrate it! If you’re not usually inspired by meat free meals, here’s some inspiration for you:
Veggie Friendly Recipes
Red Lentil and Aubergine Moussaka
What you’ll need:
For the filling
- 100g/3½oz red lentils
- 400g/14oz aubergines, sliced into thin rounds
- 50ml/2oz vegetable oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 50g/2oz tomato purée
- 400g/14oz canned chopped tomatoes, drained
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
For the topping
- 125g/4½oz ricotta
- 125g/4½oz Greek-style yoghurt
- 3 free-range eggs
- freshly grated nutmeg
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 50g/2oz freshly grated pecorino
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and cook the lentils according to packet instructions.
- For the filling, toss the aubergine slices in the vegetable oil, then drain and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Heat a frying pan over a medium heat, add the aubergine slices in batches and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown on both sides. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.
- Add the onion, pepper and garlic to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until softened.
- Add the tomato purée, stir to coat the vegetables in it, then continue to fry for a further 4-5 minutes.
- Add the canned chopped tomatoes and cinnamon stick and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the lentils and return the fried aubergines to the mixture. Simmer for a further 2-3 minutes, or until warmed through.
- Transfer the mixture to an ovenproof dish and sprinkle over the chopped parsley.
- For the topping, in a bowl, beat together the ricotta, Greek-style yoghurt, eggs and grated nutmeg until well combined. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Pour the topping mixture into the ovenproof dish on top of the filling. Sprinkle over the grated parmesan.
- Transfer the veggie moussaka to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the topping is golden-brown and has set and the filling is bubbling. Serve immediately.
Mushroom Curry
What you’ll need:
- 500 g mixed mushrooms
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 5 cm piece of ginger
- 1 onion
- ½–1 fresh red chilli
- 500g ripe mixed-colour tomatoes
- Groundnut oil
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek
- 1 heaped teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 heaped teaspoon medium curry powder
- 1 tablespoon mango chutney
- 1 x 400 ml tin of light coconut milk
- 30g paneer
- 400g brown basmati rice
- 2 limes
- 1 bunch of fresh coriander
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6.
- Roughly chop some of the mushrooms, keeping the smaller ones whole and tearing up the rest. Tip into a large casserole dish and toast on the hob over a medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes, until nutty and really golden.
- Meanwhile, peel and finely slice the garlic, ginger and onion. Trim and finely slice the chilli, then roughly chop the tomatoes.
- Add all of it to the pan except the tomatoes, then add 1 tablespoon of oil and the spices. Toss for 2 minutes, or until the spices are toasted and it’s smelling lovely, stirring continuously.
- Add the tomatoes, mango chutney and coconut milk, stir to combine and season well with sea salt and black pepper.
- Top with bits of the paneer and place in the oven. Cook for 30 minutes, or until all cooked through and gnarly.
- Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the packet instructions.
- Taste and season as required, adding a little lime juice if needed.
- Spoon the curry over the rice, then roughly chop the coriander leaves and scatter over the top. Cut the remaining lime into wedges for people to squeeze over the top.
Lentil Burger with Portobello Mushroom
What you’ll need:
- 60g dried red lentils
- 200ml veg stock
- 5g coconut oil
- 80g onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 60g carrot
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- Small handful of parsley
- 1 egg
- 15g bread crumbs
- 130g spinach
- 40g mozzarella
- 40g tomato
- 2 portobello mushrooms
- 135g salad greens
Method:
- Preheat oven to 200°c
- For burger: Cook the lentils in the vegetable stock for 15-20 mins until just turning soft. Drain and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile in a frying pan cook the diced onion, garlic, cumin and grated carrot for 3-4 mins in half the coconut oil, until soft. Combine this mix with the cooked lentils, egg, parsley and breadcrumbs.
- Shape into two burgers and gently fry in coconut oil until golden brown, and then finish in the oven for 5-6 mins.
- For garnish: Cook the portobello mushrooms in the oven for 4-5 mins until just turning soft. Wilt the spinach down and squeeze out any excess water. Slice the tomato nice and thin.
- To serve: Use the Portobello mushroom as the bun and layer the rest of the ingredients up to create your burger. Melt the mozzarella in the oven on top of the lentil burger before stacking. Serve with salad greens.
Feeling inspired? Let us know how you get on. Don’t feel like cooking? Keep a look out for our pubs veggie specials this week…