Summer black bean salad
We’ve been living on this all summer – spicy and delicious, it’s super easy to put together earlier in the day then you get to just pour it into a bowl and enjoy it for dinner.
vegetarianTag
Carrot & sweet potato soup
I made this impromptu soup today and it was so lovely; thick, creamy, rich, full of vegies yet surprisingly low in calories.
Sweet potato & split pea dahl
I love nothing better than a bowl of spicy, hearty dahl and warm naan bread – comfort food at it’s best. This one has some sweet potato in it, just to sweeten things up a bit.
Spicy cold noodle salad with watercress & fava beans (broad beans)
Who’d like some fava beans and a nice chianti? haha, anyway. This lovely little green number with noodles, nutty, crunchy broad beans and fresh watercress is easy to whip up for a quick lunch.
Spicy lentil & vegie soup
So in the interests of being healthy this January due to some questionable food choices recently, I made a pot of lentil soup! Lentil soup will always be one of those comfort foods for me; this one’s thick, hearty, spicy and was brilliant with toasted, buttered sourdough. [read more…]
Spicy lentil & sweet potato cottage pie
I love my lentils and beans and things and this dish is something I make quite regularly in colder weather. It’s a hearty, spicy, vegie packed cottage pie with French lentils; I prefer French lentils as they keep their shape and have a nice bite to them. Lentils are a brilliant sub for meat and even carnivores don’t miss[read more…]
Three bean chilli con carne
Just a quick post today to say I made a vegetarian chilli based on this one, packed full of beany goodness. It’s great for freezing and quick lunches and dinners, is vegetarian and vegan friendly and uses tins and things from the cupboard so is very economical and easy to put together. Oh and this chilli cheese[read more…]
Fennel & apple salad
Fennel is a vegetable in the carrot family which is perfect for salads; it has a slight aniseed flavour which is very subtle and palate cleansing. I had this pleasingly crunchy salad on it’s own while Ant had some oven baked chicken alongside. I think it would also go really well with Atlantic salmon. It has quite sweet,[read more…]
Baked sweet potatoes with spicy lemon chickpeas
You guys, these are so good! And you might think lemon and sweet potato are an odd pairing but actually, the zesty lemon works really well with the sweet, creamy potato, particularly with spices. This is a bit of a fancy take on the baked potato with topping I usually make, and it made for a hearty,[read more…]
Roast winter vegetable & herb pasta
This caramelised vegetable, hearty pasta dish with fresh herbs and salty cheese is so easy; just roast some vegies and toss through cooked pasta and fragrant garlic oil. Serve with lots of cheese and crusty bread!
Lentil salad with toasted walnuts & feta
I spotted an easy, tasty looking lentil salad some time back by David Lebovitz via Ann’s blog. This is simple, healthy, full of flavour and easy to whip up for for work lunches, particularly if you already have the cooked lentils in the freezer, as I did.
Teriyaki broccoli with soba noodles & cashew nuts (vegan)
I’m really into home-made teriyaki sauce lately, particularly since it’s easy to whip up and so incredibly sweet, salty and spicy. It’s also delicious in this simple dish with broccoli and noodles which rivals any take-away you could order and involves only a few ingredients. This is brilliant for a quick and flavoursome lunch, plus I sort of needed something[read more…]
Pizza Margherita (and a great pizza base recipe)
If I’m honest, my favourite pizza lately is really simple; home made tomato sauce with basil and mozzarella. A few kalamata olives scattered over add a welcome touch of saltiness. I’ve made pizza bases before although it’s not a regular thing; I’ve finally come up with a recipe I’m really happy with though – chewy and[read more…]
Mushroom stroganoff with sour cream herb mash
I’ve always thought that stroganoff didn’t really need the beef (it’s all about the mushies and sauce after all) so wondered what this classic dish would taste like with just hearty brown mushrooms. Well we had this one weekend recently and it was delicious! Mushrooms are a sort of beefy vegetable anyway, and so long as[read more…]
Chilli cheese baked rice
I made this impromptu rice dish one night to go with chilli con carne and now it’s a keeper! A bit crunchy around the sides and creamy and cheesy underneath, it has just a hint of chilli and goes with so many things.
Cherry tomato, cream cheese & basil tart
The flavours of summer right here in this gorgeously cheesy, tomato & basil tart. I whipped up a quick, fragrant and rustic pesto to have with this and it was perfect for a light lunch.
Spaghetti alla puttanesca
This classic Italian recipe, which I changed a bit by using cherry tomatoes, is amazingly flavourful. The trifecta (so unpopular when I was a kid but now I love them) of olives, capers and anchovies make for a delicious dish without being overpowering at all. I really enjoyed this!
Oven baked crispy spicy onion rings with lime chilli yoghurt dip
Sometimes I prefer fried onion rings to chips, sacrilege I know! I’ve never made them though because the take-away ones are pretty good. With our milk delivery the other day though, we received the quarterly magazine which had a recipe for onion rings in it so I spontaneously thought I’d give it a go and they were surprisingly easy,[read more…]
Spring spaghetti with zucchini, cherry tomatoes & peas
I’m always banging on about spring produce but this time of year always inspires me to cook up huge, steaming bowls of pasta with this season’s fresh and lovely vegies. There’s something about their sweet, crisp flavour combined with comforting spaghetti; fresh, lemony and perfect for a weekend lunch.
Italian baked stuffed capsicum
I’ve been making these gorgeous roasted, stuffed capsicum for years. Fresh, warm coloured capsicum filled with tomatoes, olive oil, basil, olives and cheese (lotsa cheese!), you bake these until the filling is bubbling and cooked through … I overcooked ours a bit as you can see. These are actually even better the next day after[read more…]
Spicy maple pecan roast sweet potatoes
I’m not quite ready to give up sweet potato even though it’s already hot here and turning the oven on is a bit of an effort. This is a side dish but to be honest, I had a bowl of these for lunch on their own; sweet, caramelised, spicy and with a gorgeous, fragrant crunch[read more…]
Roast pumpkin, herb & walnut pasta bake
A pasta bake’s always a welcome, comforting dish. I made a pumpkin pasta & walnut bake a few weeks ago, threw in some fresh herbs and roasted the vegies beforehand to give them that sweet, caramelised taste. The roast pumpkin slightly breaks down into the pasta and cream, making this dish super creamy and delicious[read more…]
Pasta with creamy pumpkin sauce (vegan)
While making my usual winter pumpkin soup recently, it occurred to me that with a few tweaks, it would make a lovely, healthy sauce for pasta, so I gave it a go. Adding nutmeg, sage and a decent amount of full fat coconut cream, this turned pumpkin soup into a lush, creamy and flavoursome sauce which goes[read more…]
Broccoli with chilli, garlic, lemon & toasted walnuts
I mean I like broccoli; green, crunchy, good for you but it’s not exactly the most exciting food on the planet to prepare or eat, so finding a way to dress up ye olde steamed broccoli is always good. The classic flavours of chilli, garlic and lemon go brilliantly with this rustic vegie and I’m[read more…]
Mash; cheese & garlic and spicy sweet potato
I adore mashed potato and of course, mashed sweet potato is delicious; fluffy, sweet and warm. When I was teeny tiny, some days, it’s all I’d eat. I prefer to leave the skins on my white potatoes (it’s healthier and you can’t tell the difference – use organic if you prefer) and after years of using any[read more…]
Walnut, parsley & lemon penne
I made this lovely fresh pasta dish on a recent weekend. It only requires a few ingredients which most people would have on hand and the flavours pack a punch; lemony, fragrant garlic, fresh herbs, crunchy walnuts, salty parmesan and a bit of heat.
Fig, apple and watercress salad for one
I’ve always said I love salads with fruit in them, not actual fruit salads so much, they remind me of school, but salads with slightly bitter greens and luscious, sweet fruit. So it’s fig season here in Australia and as I always do, I ran out and picked up a whole heap of juicy, plump figs. [read more…]
Miso vegetable soup with ginger and chilli
I’ve always loved the salty flavour and lightness of miso soup, in fact, Japanese food in general is a cuisine I really enjoy for the taste and health benefits. When I was younger, at uni and a bit broke, I’d just have miso soup on it’s own, sort of like a really healthy cup-a-soup, but over[read more…]
Cheesy mushroom lasagna
Now I have to warn you, this post is chock-full of mushrooms so if you’re not into them, you should probably look away (it’s also full of cheese but hey, most people like that). I understand that mushies are one of those polarising vegetables that you either love or hate and I myself have only[read more…]
Spring pea and potato salad
It’s funny how I hate frozen peas but love fresh ones. Shelling peas always reminds me of being a kid and I’d eat more peas than would go in the bowl for mum. Sweet, crisp and light, they were perfect in this spring inspired salad with spicy radish, creamy potato, rich buttery leeks and a creamy, zingy,[read more…]
