Spiced Lentil Soup

Ingredients

25ml oil

2 medium onions, chopped finely

2 medium carrots, grated

1 can of green lentils (450g)

200g dried red lentils

1.5 litres  stock

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp fresh ginger

2 tsp curry powder

Method

In a large pan, add the oil and onion. Saute the onions until they are cooked and are a light golden-brown.

Add the other ingredients and bring to the boil. Then reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15-20 minutes. Check seasoning, and serve. 

Notes

An option is to add 50g of finely diced pancetta at the same time as the onion is being sauteed. 

Quorn and Butternut Squash Lasagne

Ingredients
1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and thinly sliced
3 tsp ground cumin
olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 courgette
1 tsp ground cinnamon
500g Quorn mince
400g can diced tomatoes
bunch parsley, chopped
500ml béchamel sauce (gluten-free)
Parmesan cheese
cherry tomatoes

Method

Preheat oven to 200C. Line 2 baking trays.

Place the butternut squash slices in the trays, brush lightly with oil, and sprinkle over the cumin. Bake for around 25 minutes, until golden and tender.

Add oil to a skillet, and then sauté the onion. Add the garlic and courgette, and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Add the cinnamon, Quorn, diced tomatoes, and chickpeas, and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, and add the chopped parsely.

Layer up the tomato sauce, the butternut squash slices and béchamel sauce. Add a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, and top with a few cherry tomatoes.

Bake for 15 minutes, and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes
Serve with a green salad.

Butternut Squash and Pine Nut Risotto

The Beloved has been playing with adding more flavours to our risottos. This morning, he asked if he could add pine nuts. This is the recipe I came up with to meet his need of pine nuts in a risotto. After describing it, the response was, "I'll never remember this. Write it down." So, here it is written down.

Ingredients 

4Tsp olive oil

75g pine nuts

1 butternut squash 

1 onion

2tsp chopped garlic

400g arborio rice

1.5 litres vegetable stock

200g Stilton

handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped

chive or spring onions, chopped.

Method

Put 2Tsp of  oil in a skillet, and toast the pine nuts. Then set the nuts to one side.

Cut the butternut squash cubes. Add the other 2Tsp of oil, and gently fry the butternut squash.

Cut the onion into a small dice, and add to the skillet. After 4 minutes add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute, and then add the rice. Stir, and add the hot stock into the skillet. 

Bring to a simmer, and cover. Cook for around 5 minutes, stir and add more stock if needed. Cover, cook, stir, repeat until all the stock has been incorporated, and the rice has been cooked. 

Stir in the crumbled Stilton. Stir in the pine nuts, and fresh parsley. Season to taste. Scatter chopped chives or spring onions on top. 

If you'd like, add shavings of Parmesan, but note that Parmesan isn't vegetarian.

Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredient

250g self-raising flour (Dove Farm Flour for gluten-free)

100g white sugar

20g poppy seeds

1Tsp chia seeds

3Tsp water

240ml apple juice or oat milk

90ml vegetable oil

1 lemon

icing sugar

Method

Prepare muffin tin with paper or silicon muffin cases. 

Preheat the oven to 190-200°C.

Put the chia seeds and water in a bowl, leave the seeds to swell.

Place the dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix.  Grate the rind of the lemon into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the chia seeds. Mix the contents of each bowl.

Combine the wet with the dry, mixing thoroughly, but quickly.

Divide the mixture between the 12 cases, and bake for 22 minutes.

 

Whilst the muffins are cooking, use a lemon reamer to extract the juice from the lemon. Strain the lemon juice. Slowly add icing sugar to the lemon juice, stirring as you go. This will be about 3Tsp of icing sugar. Combine it well. This is the lemon glaze.

When the muffins have cooked and are still hot, spoon a little lemon glaze over each one. Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes, and then place on a cooling rack.

The muffins freeze well, but they are best served warm. 

Onion, Spinach and Walnut Savory Cake

Ingredients

Onion marmalade

2 Tsp olive oil

4 large sweet onions, thinly sliced 

3 Tsp balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 Tsp light brown sugar

1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme

Cake

1 1/2 cups plain, gluten-free flour

1 Tsp baking powder

1 tsp  salt

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp medium curry powder

2 Tsp chia seeds

6 Tsp warm water

1/2 cup  yogurt (vegan)

5 Tsp olive oil

1 cup spinach (coarsely chopped)

1/3 cup toasted walnuts, (chopped)

Method

To make Onion Marmalade: Heat oil. Add onions, and cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar, brown sugar, and thyme, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 40 minutes, or until onions are caramelized. Cool.

To make Cake: Preheat oven to 175C. Line loaf pan with parchment paper.

Mix the chia seeds and water in a bowl. Then measure, and chop, ingredient. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in bowl. Mix chia seeds, yogurt, and oil in separate bowl. Stir the wet mixture into the dry. 

Fold in the spinach, walnuts and 1/2 cup  of onion marmalade. Spoon into the loaf pan, and bake for 45 minutes.

Notes

This would be great for a buffet or picnic.