Monday, 7 May 2012

Vegetarian Philly steak bake

Hi all
here's a recipe made tonight it's a vegetarian philly steak bake..this recipe uses quorn steak style pieces



Let's go then
you will need for the cheese sauce
25g butter
25g flour
aprox 600ml milk
grated vegetarian cheese of your choice
extra cheese to put on top
salt and pepper

For the filling
enough pasta for four people
300g packet of frozen quorn style steak pieces
1 medium red capsicum (pepper) diced
1 medium red onion sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

First put your pasta water on to boil and get your pasta cooking

Second make the sauce up whilst the pasta is cooking
in a saucepan add your butter and flour and cook out for good 2 minutes

add your milk a little at a time to make sure no lumps form stirring all the time the first couple of times you add the milk should form a ball like lump this is normal just keep adding milk a little at time so that no lumps form and the sauce will stay at quite a thin consistancy until you add the cheese..

once you've added all your milk cook for about 3-5 minutes this will thicken sauce only slightly take off the heat and add your cheese as much as you like until you have a cheese sauce your happy with mixing all the time.. I used two to three good handful of pre-grated cheese..
put to one side

add some salt and pepper as needed

thirdly in a frying pan add your oil and heat up
once hot add your onion and pepper fry off for little while about 5-8 minutes until onions and peppers are soft

add some salt and pepper not much there is some in your sauce

add your quorn style steak and cook for couple of minutes

At this time the quorn is not cooked it will cook in oven

put to one side until pasta and sauce are ready

Once your pasta is cooked mix with your quorn, onion and pepper mix and then stir in your sauce
make sure everything is coated and evenly spread through
put into an oven proof dish and add some more cheese on top
put into your oven and cook for about 25-30 minutes at about 180degree until golden and bubbly

serve immediately

well hope you enjoy this recipe we certainly did



Wednesday, 2 May 2012

Red Pesto Quorn with Wedges and Iceberg Salad

Hi all

Here's a nice simple recipe to try... I got the idea from http://sortedfood.com/ when they did their Italian Chicken burger
here's my take and it's suitable for Vegetarian...


Quorn fillets fresh or frozen
Jar of red Pesto
Bread for breadcrumbs
Garlic and italian herb blend
Iceberg Lettuce
Ranch dressing
Blue cheese (suitable for vegetarian)If want to keep it vegetarian
Tomato
Fried onion pieces(optional)
on large baking Potato
olive oil

I used frozen quorn so took four and marinated them overnight in the fridge with about 3 -4 Tbsp of red pesto

After Marinating overnight
I blitzed some 4 slices bread in a blender with some garlic and italian herb blend at least 2Tbsp of herbs
What you don't use of the breadcrumbs freeze and use another time...
I then coated the marinated quorn with the breadcrumbs and allowed to rest in fridge until ready to cook

to make the blue cheese dressing
add about 1/2 cup of ranch dressing
and as much of the blue cheese as you like to flavour it and then put aside until ready to assemble salad
cut up your tomato removing the inside seeds and just keep the flesh in a small dice put aside

cut potato in wedges and coat with olive oil and as much of the garlic and herb blend as you making sure they are all coated with it on both sides

Now it's simple put your wedges on first they need up to 40 minutes to cook properly turning at least once keep an eye on them

about 15 minutes before the wedges are finished start cooking your quorn in some oil in frying pan until golden brown on both sides I cooked mine for about 4 minutes on one side turned them and then 2 minutes on the other side before putting them in the oven for 4 -5 minutes to make sure heated through well..

while they finish cooking put your salad together cut a nice wedge out of your iceberg put over some of the dressing trying to make sure it gets between the leaves of the iceberg and then put over your tomato and your onion pieces

once everything is cooked serve up
this will serve two nicely...

This is so easy and so tasty you really didn't need a recipe but give it a try anyway... you will enjoy...


Friday, 27 April 2012

Kinda Pasta Primavera Vegetarian

Hi all
here's a new recipe did tonight...
It's a lovely simple recipe and doesn't take too long to make.
For those that can get it use a Vegetarian Parmesan as I have or change the cheese entirely...



You need one medium leek cut in half and sliced thinly
1 can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
500g fresh peas out of pod or equivalent in frozen
1 capsicum finely slice
3/4 of 250ml soya cream
some of the pasta water 
vegetarian parmesan as much as you like
1 teaspoon italian garlic and herb mix
2Tbsp thyme infused olive oil (regular is fine)
and salt and pepper
and enough pasta for up to 4 to stir through

Put your Pasta on first whatever pasta you like and cook it so that it's either ready before starting the sauce or ready to be added when sauce is cooked...

add you oil then in a hot frying pan add you leek and capsicum and gently fry off for at least 15 minutes to make nice and tender add some salt and pepper and italian herbs
add your cannelloni beans and cook for further 5 minutes
add your fresh peas and cook for further 5 minutes I like the taste of the fresh peas with their bite still but if you prefer cook your peas for last 5 minutes in your pasta water and add when you add your pasta...

Now add your soya cream and stir through
add your pasta and stir through and add some of as much parmesan as you like..
add any extra pasta water you may need to make a nice sauce consistency
taste for seasoning and add any extra salt and pepper or parmesan you need
remember though this is a delicate flavour and you don't want to over power it with the parmesan

make sure all heated though nicely and serve immediately with a little extra black pepper or parmesan or as is...
enjoy

Hope you enjoy this recipe...




Monday, 23 April 2012

Pea and Mint soup

Hi all

Today I have made my very yummy Pea and mint soup..
so easy so tasty great hot or even cold
Unfortunately everything is in estimates as I rarely measure
so here goes

need 500g fresh peas (now as I shucked them last night i needed to top up with about 1/2 cup frozen petite pois)
3/4 litre of vegetable stock
good handful of fresh mint chopped up
1 nice sized salad onion diced up( this is a larger version of spring or green onion..if you can't get one use 3-5 spring onion depending on size and thickness)

Now put this all into your saucepan and cook for about 20-25 minutes then blitz in your blitzer whatever machine or way you blend things
serve in nice cups with crusty bread...with a little mint for garnish

this serves two good serves or three smaller serves

so easy so tasty and so fresh what more could you want


Sunday, 22 April 2012

Michelle's Yummy Vegetarian Mushroom pasta for one

Hi all been while since posted but here we go here's a recipe I made tonight as I was feeling peckish... It's quick and easy and uses a few short cuts to make it quick

 one pouch pre cooked pasta
1/2 herb and garlic stock cube
1/4 tub of cathedral city cream cheese
1/4 cup water or as much as needed to get sauce consistency
1/2 medium sized onion finely sliced
4-5 medium sized portabello mushrooms thinly sliced
1 cube of herb and garlic butter pre made

put your butter in the frying pan and melt

you can put your pasta in the microwave to heat a little at this point check your pack or cook some pasta at this point...

add your onion and mushroom and fry for good 10 minutes to cook the mushroom and onion

once onion and mushroom mix is cooked out add your stock cube and a little of the water
mix through your stock and water in the onion and mushroom mix then add your cream cheese
mix this through your mushroom and onion mix adding your water a little at a time until you get a sauce constancy your happy with..

stir through your pasta making sure it's all covered with your sauce and heated through thoroughly adding a little more water if gets too thick...

check your seasoning
serve immediately and enjoy

Sorry no pic tonight was just too hungry lol...
but really is quick and simple recipe with a few cheats to make it just that bit quicker


Monday, 13 February 2012

Vegetarian Bungalow Pie

Made this dish tonight as a take on the cottage or shepherds pie...
so why bungalow pie? Because we live in a bungalow 



Ingredients

350g Quorn Mince 
1 small to medium onion finely chopped
2 small or 1 medium red capsicum (peppers) diced 
1 small yellow capsicum (pepper)diced
1 clove garlic crushed
6 portabello mushroom (sometimes called cremini mushrooms)
1/2 cup of peas frozen
1/2 cup of sweetcorn frozen
1 pint boiling water
carmalised onion gravy powder ( used bisto best)
11/2 teaspoon italian herbs 
few dashes tabasco sauce (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

3 medium to larger potatoes roughly diced
little milk and butter to make the mash 
salt and pepper to taste



Filling a saucepan with water and salt and dicing your potatoes to make mash potatoes 
put the potatoes on to boil and then start on you bungalow mix
Dice up all your vegetables.

While dicing your veggies have your frying pan on to heat your frying pan and add your oil, then add your diced onion and garlic cook for few minutes until softened. 
add you mushroom and capsicums and continue to fry gently also until softened
add a little salt and pepper, italian herbs and tabasco if using.
Now add your peas and corn and continue cooking for five minutes or so until everything is well combined.
Now add your pint of boiling water and add your onion gravy mix and gently stir continuously until its of a lovely thick sauce. You can add as much or little gravy as you like...if you like a very thick sauce add more gravy if you like a thin sauce you can add less gravy.. I made my gravy mix pretty much to packet instructions adding one extra scoop of gravy to get the constancy I like.. 
Taste to check for seasoning and add any extra salt and pepper to your taste

by this point your potatoes should be just about ready so check those and drain and mash in your favourite way. Add any flavourings you like or just some salt and pepper to taste..

Spoon your mash potatoes onto your plate and spoon on your veggie mince topping 

This is enough to serve 3 - 4 may need to add extra potato for the mash as the mash is really only enough to serve two or thee on a stretch...

Enjoy...

Well I hope you enjoy this recipe.. 
there are many variations you could make to to this recipe.. 
Basically have fun and try something new... 





Friday, 27 January 2012

Vegetarian Moussaka

HI all
Have tonight made a vegetarian Moussaka using vegemince as meat replacement.


Ingredients I have used are

1 medium eggplant (Aubergine) finely sliced and grilled
1 medium onion diced fairly finely
1 large clove garlic
some smoked paprika about 1/8 teaspoon (aprox)
11/2 Tbsp tomato paste (aprox)
a little cayenne pepper for heat (optional)
some salt and pepper
1 tin chopped tomato
1/4 cup water
2 medium potato par boiled and sliced
2 tsp italian mixed herbs
1 jar of of white sauce
and small bag of grated cheese
some oil

first slice and grill the eggplant
then in separate frying pan add some oil and the onion and garlic and gently fried to soft and slightly golden then add tomato paste and cook out for further 1minute or so
then add canned tomatoes with the water, herbs and spices some salt and pepper cook for 5 minutes to develop flavours and let them meld
add your vegemince and cook for further 10 minutes until nice thick sauce check your seasoning

slice your potatoes I left the skin on..

Now it's just time to assemble your moussaka
Layer it up with your potato, eggplant, tomato/vegemince sauce and white sauce and some cheese as if layering a lasagne in whatever order you like it's your meal have some fun
finish with the white sauce though and add some cheese to the top.
Bake in over for 30-40 minutes until golden and bubbly and all cooked through

enjoy