Japchae (잡채) is a Korean dish of stir-fried sweet potato glass noodles. Savoury and slightly sweet, it always has vegetables and usually meat. In this version from Seonkyoung Longest, the meat is replaced by marinated shiitake mushrooms. Just delicious! Soak 10 to 12 dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes or until softened. Squeeze all the water out…… Continue reading vegetarian japchae
Category: vegetarian dishes
smoky eggplant ragu
You won’t miss the meat in this deliciously smoky and rich Italian sauce with walnuts added for texture. I served mine with ricotta gnocchi but any pasta or gnocchi will work. Use one large eggplant (aubergine). To get that smoky flavour, prick the skin a few times and blacken all over, either on a barbecue…… Continue reading smoky eggplant ragu
roast vegetables with orzo and olives
This makes a great meal on it’s own or serve it as part of a larger menu. From the wonderful cookbook MORO easy by Sam and Sam Clarke. Preheat your oven to 220ºC (435)F). In a roasting tray or dish with some depth combine 2 sliced zucchinis (courgettes), 1 quartered and sliced eggplant (aubergine), 1…… Continue reading roast vegetables with orzo and olives
paneer makhani
This wonderful paneer recipe comes from chef Aktar Islam of Michelin starred restaurant Opheem. To a saucepan add 1 sliced onion, 1 teaspoon each of grated ginger and garlic, 5 large sliced tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of toasted cashews, 25g (.9 oz) of unsalted butter, 3 green cardamom pods, 1 black cardamom pod, 3 whole cloves,…… Continue reading paneer makhani
carrot fried rice + mint raita
This delicious Indian style fried rice served with fresh mint raita comes from Swasthi’s Recipes. It makes a great meal on it’s own or can be served as part of a larger spread. Cook the rice in advance if possible – good quality extra long basmati rice makes all the difference. Soak 1 cup of…… Continue reading carrot fried rice + mint raita
ricotta gnocchi with spinach, pine nuts and lemon
Spinach and lemon are a lovely fresh foil for cheesy gnocchi. Yum. To make the gnocchi, combine 340g (12 oz) of fresh full-fat ricotta with 2 whole eggs, ¾ of a cup of plain flour and ⅓ of a cup of finely grated parmesan. Mix with a pastry cutter or fork. When the mixture is well…… Continue reading ricotta gnocchi with spinach, pine nuts and lemon
white zucchini omelette
A fresh harvest of white zucchinis from Thomas’ garden inspired me to cook this wonderful Iranian style omelette Kuku-ye Kadoo from the cookbook SARABAN by Greg and Lucy Malouf. Fragrant with mint, extra cheesy and just delicious! Preheat your oven to 180ºC (350ºF). In a frypan heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and gently fry…… Continue reading white zucchini omelette
cinnamon roasted pumpkin
Lorraine made this simple but delicious pumpkin dish and served it as a first course salad. The recipe is from Where the Heart Is by Karen Martini. Preheat your oven to 200ºC (395•F). Cut ½ Japanese pumpkin into 8 slices (you can leave the skin on) and place in a large bowl with 100ml (3⅓ fl…… Continue reading cinnamon roasted pumpkin
ricotta with fennel, peas and mint
This lovely fresh starter or salad comes from Where the Heart Is by Karen Martini. Blanch ⅔ of a cup of frozen peas in lightly salted boiling water for 15-20 seconds. Drain, then drizzle with a little good quality olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cut I large fennel…… Continue reading ricotta with fennel, peas and mint
carrot risotto with chilli
This risotto, made from everyday ingredients, is wonderfully creamy and naturally sweet with a great contrast of roasted carrots and crispy chilli on top. Adapted from this recipe by Alexa Weibel from NYT Cooking. Heat the oven to 205ºC (400ºF). Finely chop or grate 340g (¾ lb) of carrots and set aside. Now slice another…… Continue reading carrot risotto with chilli
michelle picker cooks 