This is a great hand-held sushi alternative. You can stuff it with whatever vegetables or protein that you like. In this recipe I made a vegetarian version and a canned tuna version, but you can use traditional sushi fillings such as raw tuna or salmon, or other meat including chicken, shrimp, ham slices and so on. As an alternative to sushi rice you can also use black rice. You can serve with pickled ginger, wasabi, soy sauce, or chilli mayonnaise.
This recipe for lentil and aubergine curry (or daal) is very easy, but does take some time. Perfect as cosy comfort food. Serve with naan or pitta bread.
A great vegetarian rice recipe ready in less than 30 minutes. The sauce adds a spicy kick. This is a very flexible dish, and you can add or change the vegetables as you prefer!
This is a delicious Korean rice dish which does take some time to prepare but its absolutely delicious. You can make it with meat or even leave it vegetarian, and add or remove any of the other ingredients as you wish. Note that the sauce is a bit spicy! Make sure to cook the ingredients in the sesame oil, as its flavour makes all the difference.
Creamy and crunchy thai-inspired noodle bowl. This dish goes well with any type of protein, such as shrimps, pork or chicken, but you can even leave it vegetarian as it certainly does not lack in the taste department. You can also mix and match with any vegetables you desire, and if you want you can turn this noodle bowl into a soup! This dish is medium spicy. Add or reduce the chilli paste as desired.
Don't underestimate these little samosas, they are packed with flavour! They do take some time to chop up the ingredients and wrap up individually, but they are amazing, both as an appetiser or as a main course served with a side salad and chips. If you cannot find rice paper wrappers so easily, these samosas would be as great (or even better!) if you use filo pastry. You can use the Apple Pie Samosas recipe as guidance for how to close the parcels.
An exquisite vegetarian dish. This will honestly blow your taste buds away! In the ingredients I list half a sweet potato per portion, however note that if the potato is quite small, then you should allow a whole one per portion. Serve with a side salad.
Ingredients: Serves 4
4 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and rinsed, then pierced several times with a fork
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 clove garlic
1 can (400ml) black beans (or kidney beans), drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups corn
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground paprika
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
3 1/2 tbsp honey
salt and pepper
3 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream for serving (optional)
Directions: Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven until tender, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and broth to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover and simmer 15 minutes, or until fluffy. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add onion and saute until tender, about 4 minutes, adding in garlic during last 30 seconds of sauting. Add onion mixture to cooked quinoa, along with black beans, corn, cumin, paprika, coriander, cayenne, lime juice, honey, and chopped coriander, and toss mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cut cooked sweet potatoes in half and scoop out some of the sweet potato flesh to create a bowl shape, while leaving about 1 cm of sweet potato intact (reserve scooped out potato in refrigerator for another use). Fill sweet potatoes with quinoa mixture, then sprinkle tops evenly with cheese. Transfer to oven and broil until cheese has melted. Serve warm garnished with cilantro and sour cream if desired.
These rolls are perfect for a hot summer day. The wrapper used is rice paper, so its fresh and light. In this recipe I use chicken, but you can use any filling you desire; shrimps, salmon, pork, or even leave it vegetarian. You can also add or remove the vegetables as you desire, so as you can see this recipe is pretty flexible. They do not require any cooking, however they do require some preparation time to roll them up. While they are best eaten in a couple of hours, you can roll them individually in cellophane and keep them refrigerated and they will be nearly as fine the next day.
The classic Spanish tapas dish. Perfect served with other finger food.
Ingredients: Makes 1 tortilla (6 inch diameter)
4 medium potatoes, sliced thinly
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
2 eggs, lightly beaten
salt to taste
2 tbsp oil
Directions: Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion, and salt. Use a heatproof spatula to coat potatoes with oil. When oil begins to bubble, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, turning frequently, until potatoes are tender but not browned, about 20–25 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes and onion to a large heatproof bowl. Add eggs and stir gently to combine; do not break up potatoes. Add egg-potato mixture to the pan and cook, stirring constantly but gently to keep potatoes intact, until eggs begin to set (eggs will look scrambled), about 2 minutes. Spread mixture in an even layer; reduce heat to medium-low. In the meantime preheat broiler or grill to high. Cook the tortilla, shaking pan occasionally to prevent it from sticking, until eggs are nearly cooked through, about 12 minutes. Transfer skillet to the grill and broil until top of tortilla is just cooked, about 2 minutes. Remove from oven. Flip the tortilla on a plate and let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours before serving. Cut in squares or segments.
The most perfectly soft-but-crunchy pizza dough! Bake on a pizza stone for an extra golden pizza.
Ingredients: Makes 2 pizza bases of about 30cm diameter
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
1 package yeast (7g)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup very warm water (53 degrees Celsius)
2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
Cornmeal
Directions: In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, the yeast, salt, and warm water, and mix well. Leave for about 10 minutes, then add the oil and enough flour to form a soft dough. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Put in a floured container, cover, and leave to rise for about 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into two. Sprinkle some cornmeal on a table top and roll out each ball to fit your pizza pan. Lightly oil the pan and place dough in the pan. Top pizza as desired. Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes or until golden and crispy. Baking time depends on size and thickness of crust and selected toppings.
The creaminess of this sauce is simply outstanding. The sweetness of the peas against the saltiness of the Pecorino and Parmesan is delicious!
Ingredients: Makes 4 portions
1 shallot, diced
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
500g peas
30g Pecorino cheese, grated
20g Parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
Directions: Melt the butter in a pan and add the shallots. Cook for a couple of minutes until translucent, and then add the peas. Cook for about 15 minutes until tender, and then add the vegetable broth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pea mixture to a blender and blend until smooth and velvety. If you want you can also pass the sauce through a fine sieve to remove any left over pea shells, but I honestly did not find the need to. Replace the pea sauce in the pan, and add the nutmeg, Pecorino, and Parmesan. Serve with gnocchetti or a similar pasta, as it holds the sauce wonderfully.
