This lovely Sri Lankan curry, adapted from this recipe by Annabel Crabbe, makes a satisfying main. Peel and cut 1 butternut pumpkin (squash) into wedges and place them in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil, season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss to coat everything. You can roast the wedges of…… Continue reading butternut and cashew curry
Category: vegetarian dishes
vegetable stew with dried limes
Ghormeh sabzi is an Iranian vegetable and herb stew cooked with dried limes. It’s a popular dish in Iran and there are many, many variations. It traditionally includes lamb or beef and dried legumes but I chose to cook a vegetarian version from Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook PLENTY MORE. Vegetables never tasted so good! Preheat your…… Continue reading vegetable stew with dried limes
baked lima beans
Who doesn’t like baked beans? Here’s a Greek version with lima beans. Place 450g (1 lb) of dry lima beans in a large saucepan with 4 times as much water and bring to boil. Simmer for 4 minutes then switch off the heat and allow the beans to soak for 1 hour. After 1 hour,…… Continue reading baked lima beans
roasted vegetables with tahini yoghurt sauce
A simple and delicious Middle Eastern twist on roast vegetables. Preheat your oven to 190ºC (375ºF). Wash and cut some cauliflower into florets, some leeks into chunky rounds and some sweet potatoes and carrots into diagonal slices. Put all the vegetables into a bowl along with some whole unpeeled garlic cloves. Season to taste with…… Continue reading roasted vegetables with tahini yoghurt sauce
tofu skin rolls
Tofu skin, also know as beancurd skin or yuba, is made from the skin that forms when soy milk is boiled. Wrapping a filling into the tofu skin is a common dim sum dish in Hong Kong. Usually made with a meat filling, I opted for this vegetarian version. For the filling pre-soak dried black…… Continue reading tofu skin rolls
ricotta gnocchi
Light and fluffy, these ricotta gnocchi are served in a rich tomato sauce. 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. I find a pastry cutter works well, otherwise use a…… Continue reading ricotta gnocchi
marinated mushrooms with tahini yoghurt
If you love mushrooms, this is for you. The recipe is from PLENTY by Yotam Ottolenghi. The original recipe uses shimeji and chestnut mushrooms but since I didn’t plan ahead, I used button mushrooms. Slice 450g (1 lb) of mushrooms and put them in a large bowl. For the marinade whisk together 75ml (2½ fl…… Continue reading marinated mushrooms with tahini yoghurt
green couscous + roasted tomatoes
A great way to eat your greens. Slightly adapted from a recipe in PLENTY by Yotam Ottolenghi. Soak 150g (5⅓ oz) of couscous in 160ml (5½ fl oz) 0f boiling water or stock. While it’s soaking, heat some olive oil in a frypan. Fry 1 finely sliced onion and ¼ of a teaspoon each of…… Continue reading green couscous + roasted tomatoes
black fungus, shiitake mushroom and tofu hotpot
This Chinese style vegetarian (and vegan) dish is substantial enough to be a meal on its own or serve it along with other dishes as part of a banquet. A ceramic pot or tagine is ideal for this dish. In separate bowls soak the dried Shiitake mushrooms and the black (wood-ear) fungus in boiling water…… Continue reading black fungus, shiitake mushroom and tofu hotpot
roasted vegetable and lentil patties
Here’s a great way to use up leftover vegetables. My vegetables were a very Mediterranean mix of eggplant, zucchini, onion and red pepper but this will work just as well with other vegetables. First cook some red lentils in water. Don’t add too much water and try to drain the lentil while they still have…… Continue reading roasted vegetable and lentil patties
michelle picker cooks 