My sustainable garden is doing well and I’ve already been able to harvest spring onions, tomatoes, beetroot, chillis and corn.  Not to mention my fruit trees and herbs which are doing amazing.  The thing about having this type of garden is trying to make sure you don’t waste the rewards.

At the moment, I have quite a few beetroots.  I love them.  But, I have so many, I’m trying to come up with different recipes for them.  My good old favourite is, roasted but this dip has absolutely amazing flavours, it could definitely become the number one recipe for me.  On top of this, it’s SO easy to make.  Roast the beets and then, when cool, blend with your other ingredients.

Party guests will be amazed with the flavours and the colour of this lovely dip.

Makes:

• 1 container of dip

Ingredients:

• 1 medium beet roasted and cooled with skin removed
• juice of 1 small lemon
• 1 tbs good quality balsamic vinegar
• salt
• cracked pepper
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic mince

Instructions:

1. In your blender, mix all your ingredients fine.
2. Taste test and add more seasoning if necessary.

Think of a fried brekky, everyone loves it!  Fried eggs, fried bacon – well vegetarian bacon for us, on toast.  Who can think of anything better, right?

How about making a pasta out of it?

This fried feast is balanced by the simple spaghetti and a little olive oil.  It’s extremely delicious and, yes, probably a little unhealthy, but if you are in the mood for something like this, why not?

In taste, it’s sort of your alternative to a carbonara but only a dry version. And, for those who can only cook fried eggs on toast, you may be able add another dish to your repertoire with this delicious alternative.  A simple dish, but absolutely delicious in taste!

Makes:

• dinner for two

Ingredients:

• cooked spaghetti for two
• 2 eggs (I use free range)
• 3 bacon strips (vegetarian of course)
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tbs butter (or alternative)
• 1 tsp garlic mince
• salt and cracked pepper to taste
• parmesan (grated) is optional

Instructions:

1. In a pan, add your olive oil and butter.
2. Once boiling, drop the heat down and crack your eggs in the pan.  I use an egg ring to keep the shape and to stop it spreading too far.
3. Place in your bacon pieces.
4. Once cooked, allow to cool and cut the eggs and bacon roughly into small pieces.
5. In your pot, add your cooked spaghetti, breadcrumbs, garlic and seasoning.  Heat until the garlic is cooked.
6. Mix in your egg and bacon with the oil mixture.
7. Allow to warm through and the oil to begin to evaporate.
8. (OPTIONAL STEP) :
   Mix parmesan into the mixture if you like and serve with some parmesan on top and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if the mixture is now a little dry.

Unfortunately there is no photo to show off this quick and scrumptious dish, but I’m sure I’ll be able to redo this soon and put one up.

This recipe came about after having quite a few hydroponic tomatoes needing to be used.  In this new house, I cannot stand to waste any food and when I saw the tomatoes, a simple pasta dish came to mind.

The actual tomatoes aren’t really cooked, they are added in to warm them through and to be honest, they don’t really need to be cooked.  The tomatoes have so much flavour and I find that cooking these, can sometimes loose all the delicious fresh taste you can get when you bite into a fresh tomato!

Adding the tapenade just adds another dimension to the dish and if you get some home-made tapenade it’s even better! A note to vegetarians and vegans - always make sure you check the ingredients for the tapenade.  Some traditional versions do include anchovies.  Always ask if you are unsure.

The pasta is your simple bought variety, it doesn’t need anything more as it allows the tomatoes and tapenade to shine through.

Makes:

• 2 serves

Ingredients:

• 1-2 tbs good quality extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic mince
• 2 tbs olive tapenade
• 4 ripe tomatoes, diced
• pinch salt
• pinch pepper
• 2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped fine
• 2 serves spaghetti

Instructions:

1. Boil your spaghetti and drain, leaving a little bit of water in the bottom.
2. Keeping the pasta in the pot and on a low heat, mix through your seasoning and garlic.
3. When the garlic has cooked through, mix in your olive tapenade.
4. Take the pot off the heat and add your parsley, olive oil and tomatoes.  Stir through thoroughly and serve!

In Australia, we are not as fortunate as vegetarians in the UK or US.  We do have a little variety of vegetarian mock meats and processed foods, but when it comes to special items such as a Kiev or or Wellingtons, we are out of luck.

Fortunately, I’ve manage to come up with a handy make-do recipe which is right on the money for taste and is very easy to make.

It’s based on the Vegetarian “Schnitz” I created using a very similar mixture for the “meat.”  The insides are a butter rub which is carefully placed in the middle of the “meat” before being moulded together.

The rub does stay in the middle allowing the butter to softly pour out on the first cut through the middle – just like a normal kiev should!

The best thing about this is the rub can be changed based on your favourite flavours!  It would definitely work with some fresh chilli or whatever takes your fancy!  Give it a go!

Makes:

• 2 kievs

Ingredients:

• 4 tbs gluten flour
• 6 tbs rice flour
• 0.5 tbs chicken salt
• 0.5 tsp white pepper
• 30 grams oats
• 1 tsp dill
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• just enough water to create a firm mixture
• panko breadcrumbs to coat

Rub

• 1 tsp fresh parsley chopped
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 tsp garlic mince
• salt
• pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C or 360 degrees F.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients (minus the breadcrumbs together).
3. Mix in the soy and water.  Only put enough water to allow the dough to be firm.
4. Mix the rub ingredients together.
5. Split the dough in two and flatten it out in your palm.
6. Place half the rub into the middle and fold the schnitzel together firmly.
7. Repeat with the other kiev.
8. Place in the oven and cook until golden brown and firm in the middle.
9. Serve hot.

I have an Aunt who is from Russia and I remember how in love I was with her potato salad.  For some reason, I always thought it was a German potato salad but I’ve only just realised that it is in fact a Russian potato salad.

What got to me about this salad was the intense flavour and how delicious it was to have cooked carrots and also peas included in it.  The salad itself is quite simple, but every single ingredient seems to star in this dish and I’d have to say it’s one of my all time favourites because of this.

My take on this wonderful salad includes some home-grown ingredients which I’m extremely proud of – my spring onions and dill.  I do have beetroot growing and it is almost ready, but I bought some from a farmer’s market which needed to be used first.

You’ll see also in the background that there is another salad.  It’s a basic green salad with hydroponic tomatoes.  The greens are all home grown also – lettuce, spring onions and garlic chives.

Making use of your home grown vegetables and herbs makes cooking even more worthwhile!

Other salad recipes you may be interested in:

• Tomato and Onion Salad
• German Potato Salad
• Wrapped Falafels
• Warm Chickpea’d Tempeh Salad

Makes:

• 6-8 serves

Note:

• I cooked my potatoes and beetroot the day before to ensure they were cool.  It’s not necessary but I do think the flavour is much better by doing so!

Ingredients:

• 6-8 large potatoes
• 3 beetroots
• salt
• pepper
• 3 tbs egg mayonnaise
• fresh dill – handful
• 2 spring onions

Instructions:

1. Dice your potatoes, leaving the skin on.  In some boiling water with salt add the potatoes and allow to cook.
2. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C or 360 degrees F.  Roughly wash the beetroot, chopping the ends and leaves off.  Wrap in some foil and place in your oven for an hour and a half.
3. Cool both of these ingredients by placing in the fridge overnight.
4. Unwrap the beetroot from the foil and peel the skin off.  By leaving overnight, it will slip right off.
5. Dice the beetroot and add to your diced potatoes.
6. Season quite liberally with salt and pepper (I use white).
7. Dice the spring onions and tear the dill and add to your bowl.
8. Add the mayonnaise and stir through lightly.  The dye of the beetroot will change the colours instantly.
9. Enjoy!

To every reader, I wish everyone a very Happy 20-10!

2009 was a very big year for me in terms of moving into my own house.  There has already been quite a few dinners here in my house with my new LARGE oven, and, I have quite a few more planned.

With this in mind, expect some very new and exciting recipes.  There’s already a bit of a queue to post these and I’m hoping that from next week, recipes will be more consistently posted on this site.

I’m also hoping to review and promote some other blogger’s recipes throughout the year.  If you have any that you think you would like to see (or you want yours reviewed), please feel free to comment here.

I look forward to sharing my recipes in 20-10 and look forward to hearing from you!

HAPPY 20-10 once more!

You’ve searched the Internet and you simply can’t find something that picks your interest for Christmas lunch or Dinner!  Have no fear, this beautiful recipe is just the thing!

What’s better than roast vegetables on any given day?  Roast vegetables in a pie or quiche!

Make your vegetables the day before, or, make a heap for your normal Sunday roast and cut them up the next day to place into your pie.

It’s a very simple dish, which just requires the cooking of the vegetables the day before.  Why the day before?  You want the vegetables to be totally cool for when you mix it in with the eggs.  That way, your eggs will cook slowly in your oven on a moderate heat.

Apologies for the lack of photos, the meal was eaten before the chance of taking some snapshots!

Makes:

• 1 large pie serving 8 people

Ingredients:

• your choice of roast vegetable chunks – 2 handfuls at least when cooked.  I used carrots, brussell sprouts, broccoli, garlic, onion and potatoes.
• 2 slices of puff pastry
• 5 eggs (I always use free range)
• pinch salt
• pinch pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• handful grated tasty cheese
• 125 ml light milk

Instructions:

1. Get out your cooled roast vegies and cut them into bite size pieces.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius or 356 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Spray some oil in a square pyrex baking dish or something of similar size.
4. Place a sheet of pastry down and make sure each side is covered.  Place in the oven for the moment.
5. Beat the eggs well.
6. Add the seasoning, paprika and milk to the eggs.  Stir well.
7. Mix in your cheese.
8. Grab the pastry and place your vegetables in the bottom.
9. Pour in your egg mixture on top and make sure it fills in between the vegetables.
10. Use the remaining pastry for a lid and seal.
11. Using a fork, stab the lid a couple of times and baste with a little milk if you like.
12. Place in the oven and about halfway through or when brown on top, place a piece of foil to stop the browning process.
13. Check after an hour, testing the middle to see if it’s cooked through. In my fan-forced oven, it took 1 hour and 20 minutes.
14. Cut it up and serve with some salad!

Yes, it’s that time of year and for us vegetarians or those with guests who are, we wonder what can we cook to make our day just as special as everyone else’s?

First of all don’t stress!  There are so many great recipes already available online.  Of course, I believe I have some great ones, but there’s also a lot available throughout the other sites.  The great thing too is a lot can be adapted if it’s just not what you want.

What am I cooking this year?  I have to admit, I’m not quite there on what I am cooking BUT I do have a lot of ideas.

For example:

• Vegetarian Chunky Pie
• Leek Tart
• Vegetarian Wellington Parcels
• Vegetarian Meatloaf
• Vegetarian Sausage Roll-type dish
• Roulade stuffed with seasonal vegetables
• Vegetarian Roast with traditional christmas stuffing

These are all ideas I’ve got from looking around at other websites and also looking at meat dishes and coming up with some alternatives.  It’s not too hard!

If you are after some easy-to-follow recipes, here are some of my past creations:

• Vegetarian Beef Wellington
• Vegetarian Meaty-Loaf
• Cranberry Sherry Sauce
• Camembert, Cranberries & Walnut Stuffed Vegetarian Roast
• Stuffed Macadamia, Peach & Shitake Vegetarian Roast
• Timpana

If you are after some great sites for other ideas:

• The Vegetarian Society – creates a new banquet every year for vegetarians.  Look through the latest plus past ones for some great ideas!
• Taste.com.au – has created a very vegetarian Christmas.  The roulade looks very similar to something I made a couple of years ago.
• BBC Good Food UK - These guys actually have a Christmas mag for vegetarians and this is the first year I have missed out on getting it!  I absolutely love this place for ideas and recommend all vegetarians take a look for some great treats!

Invitation to all visitors:

I would love to hear what you are making or if you have some great ideas.  Do you have any websites that you find extremely useful at this time of the year?  Post your comments here!

Can I just say that this recipe is oh-so-gorgeous! This is my first attempt of cooking with a tagine as I just bought one to use on my new oven. With the tagine, I received quite a few spices from different parts of the world. Taking a look at each one, I decided to use Ras El Hanout (Top of the Shop) –  ”an exotic moroccan blend of 23 different spices including saffron.”

The great thing about using the spices, there is no need to use tomatoes or much of any spice. The flavour is amazing without much more. Although, who can resist adding a little garlic in?

The tagine works magic into the vegetables infusing the spice into everything and it’s just melt in your mouth delicious. If you don’t have a tagine, I recommend heading out and purchasing one!

This recipe is vegan, so can be made by all.  If you can’t find the beef chunks or not particularly keen on meat alternatives, use the tempeh!  It would work a treat here and is definitely going to be in my next tagine!

Makes:

• 6 people (at least)

Ingredients:

• 4 mushrooms sliced thickly
• 1 carrot chopped in chunks
• 1 onion chopped into rings
• 2 potatoes sliced thickly also
• 2 tbs garlic mince
• 50 grams vegetarian beef chunks or tempeh
• 1 can chickpeas
• 4 fresh chillis or peppers, sliced
• 1 tbs Ras El Hanout spice (found at your local European/African store)
• pinch salt
• 1 tab of vegetable beef style stock
• 1 litre of water
• 1 tsp olive oil

Instructions:

1. Layer your potatoes and onions down with a drizzle of the olive oil.
2. Add your vegetables and mix in the spice.
3. Mix in the stock, salt, water and garlic.
4. Place the lid on and put on a low heat for an hour and a half.  Check as little as possible but stir when you do – the aim is to leave the heat in!
5. Serve with plain cous cous! It really is enough!

Moving into a house has left me extremely busy and exhausted to do anything else. Something had to give and it was updating my website.

Now, saying this, I have still been cooking and I have plenty of recipes to post. Apologies to my regulars and those visiting, I plan to get a recipe up by the end of the week and also pass on some great ideas I have for a Vegetarian feast at Christmas this year. I have a few that I can’t wait to try!

Be sure to come back this week, to check out the new recipe and more regular updates.