Serve this as a stand-alone vegetarian meal, an accompaniment to meat or a colourful addition to a buffet. The vegetables in this dish are chopped and roasted together. The choice of vegetables can be a little flexible depending on what you have to hand but must include fennel, tomatoes and black olives. I would normally…… Continue reading roasted vegetable and couscous platter
Category: vegetarian dishes
grilled vegetable and chick pea salad
Serve this for lunch with fresh bread or add some felafel or barbecued meat for a bigger meal. Cut 1 eggplant and 2 zucchinis lengthways into slices (not too thin) and core and quarter a red and green pepper so that the pieces are relatively flat. Toss the vegetables in olive oil and season with…… Continue reading grilled vegetable and chick pea salad
ricotta spinach and basil lasagna
A lazy but delicious alternative to cannelloni. First, wash a large bunch of English spinach and steam it until just wilted. Chop the spinach and a bunch of fresh basil and combine these with 500g (18 oz) of fresh ricotta. You can also add some feta cheese for extra flavour. Season with salt and pepper.…… Continue reading ricotta spinach and basil lasagna
chick pea tagine
Although I’ve never eaten at a Christine Manfield restaurant, this recipe is so impressive in its wonderful balance of flavours that I intend to soon own some of her cook books. Soak 1 cup dried chickpeas overnight. Drain and place in a saucepan with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low…… Continue reading chick pea tagine
roast vegetable lasagna
A delicious layering of roast vegetables, pasta and fresh ricotta with napoli sauce and grated pecorino. For this lasagna I used eggplant (aubergine), pumpkin, onions, peppers, zucchini and fennel. Whichever vegetables you choose, cut them into thin slices and lay them on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and bake in…… Continue reading roast vegetable lasagna
baked mushrooms broken bread
My friend Susan introduced me to this wonderful recipe from chef Guy Mirabella’s book Eat, Ate. We shared this dish from a platter, forks in hand. Preheat your oven to 205C (400F). Combine ½ a cup of grated pecorino, ¼ of a cup of fresh bread crumbs, a finely sliced clove of garlic, a tablespoon each of…… Continue reading baked mushrooms broken bread
asian style vegetable omelette
Although inspired by Vietnamese pancakes, this omelette is Japanese in style and the filling is more Thai. For each person allow one egg and ½ a teaspoon of cornflour (cornstarch). In a cup, mix the cornflour to a paste with cold water. In a bowl beat the eggs well and add the cornflour paste with some extra water.…… Continue reading asian style vegetable omelette
ricotta gnocchi with home-made basil pesto
These gnocchi are quick and easy to make and are a satisfying meal. Place 2 cups of fresh ricotta cheese in a bowl and add 1 large egg and ¾ of a cup of plain flour. Mix thoroughly with a fork then, with wet hands, roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls and place them on a…… Continue reading ricotta gnocchi with home-made basil pesto
McNulty’s vegetable pie
This amazing pie was made for us by our good friend Chris McNulty. The incredibly light and almost puffy pastry was a shortcrust made with organic flour and plenty of butter. The pie’s filling included onion, garlic, ginger, potato, carrot, parsnip, turnip, pepper (3 colours), zucchini, celery, tomato and parsley. Some of these were blanched and…… Continue reading McNulty’s vegetable pie
lentil moussaka
This vegetarian version of a classic is both satisfying and tasty. First slice 2-3 eggplants (aubergines), sprinkle with salt and leave for 1 hour. Heat some olive oil in a pan and add 2 chopped onions, 2 finely diced cloves of garlic, 2 diced carrots, 2 sticks of diced celery, a bay leaf and some thyme…… Continue reading lentil moussaka
michelle picker cooks 