Tasty Meat-Free Recipes to warm your cockles

Whether you’re a vegetarian or not, these hearty, meat-free recipes are sure to keep the winter blues at bay.

Warm your cockles this winter with tasty soups, risottos and more – there is something to tantalise every tastebud.

Spiced Spanish Persimon® and Pumpkin Soup

There’s a warm spiciness to this bright and beautiful soup – made all the more delicious with P.D.O. Spanish Persimon®

Preparation time: 15 minutes  Cooking time: 30 minutes Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 P.D.O. Spanish Persimon®
• 20g butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1tbsp grated fresh root ginger
• 1/2tsp chilli powder
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed
• 1tsp ground turmeric
• 1tsp cumin seeds or ground cumin
• 500g prepared pumpkin or butternut squash (i.e. peeled, deseeded and chopped)
• 2 vegetable stock cubes, dissolved in 1 litre hot water
• 150g low fat soft cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To garnish:

4tbsp natural yogurt

Toasted mixed seeds

Edible flowers, sprigs of mint or coriander

Method

1 Cut the leafy tops from the Spanish Persimon® and cut a few thin slices for garnish. Set these aside. Chop the rest of the flesh into chunks.

2 Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and fry it gently for about 3 minutes, then add the ginger, chilli, garlic, turmeric, cumin and Persimon®. Fry gently for 1-2 minutes. 

3 Tip in the pumpkin or butternut squash and add the vegetable stock. Heat until simmering, then turn the heat to low and cook gently for about 20-25 minutes, partially covered, until the vegetables are soft and tender.

4 Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and add most of the soft cheese, reserving about 40g for garnish. Blend the soup until completely smooth. Return it to the saucepan and reheat until piping hot. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

5 Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, then mix the reserved cheese with the yogurt and spoon on top. Serve, garnished with toasted mixed seeds, edible flowers or sprigs of mint or coriander. 

Cook’s tips: To store the soup, cool it quickly, then refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. To make the soup suitable for vegans and those with a dairy intolerance, use olive oil instead of butter and omit the soft cheese, and choose a non-dairy yogurt.

Pea and Parmesan Risotto from The Frugal Flexitarian

Ingredients

• 150g Carnaroli rice
• 15g Unsalted butter
• 100ml Dry white wine
• 1 ltr Stock I used homemade chicken stock
• 50g Fresh or frozen peas
• 40g Parmesan or Grana Padano Cheese
• 40g Cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1 Banana shallot, finely diced Optional
• 1 handful Fresh herbs

Method

Melt 25g of butter in a heavy-based pan

Heat the stock to a gentle simmer – I tend to do this in the microwave

If you are using shallot, add it to the butter and sweat gently for a couple of minutes

Add the rice and stir till all the grains are coated and the rice starts to turn translucent

Add the wine, all in one go, stirring constantly

Once the mixture is sticky and the wine is absorbed, start to add the stock little by little, stirring until it’s absorbed, then adding more.

As the stock is added, check the rice and once it starts to develop a ‘bite’, add the peas

Continue to add stock until the rice is cooked but still has a little bite

Take the pan off the heat, season with salt and pepper and stir through the grated cheese and the remainder of the butter

Beat the mixture well until the risotto is creamy

Garnish with fresh herbs and serve immediately

Louisiana Jambalaya with Sauce De Persil from Louise Palmer-Masterton at Stem & Glory

Serves 4. Prep time 45 mins. Cooking time 15 mins

Ingredients

• 200g Crosnes (Chinese Artichoke – quite rare, you can sub Jerusalme Artichokes or just leave out )
• 250g White Quinoa (or 500g cooked quinoa)
• 200g Tempeh Chorizo (see below for marinade)
• 200g Marinated Tofu
• 200g Sliced Okra (you can sub with sliced sugar snap peas)
• 2 Red Peppers
• 2 cups Vegetable Stock
• 1tbsp Cajun Spices (see recipe below)
• 1tbsp Smoked Paprika
• 1tsp Salt
• 75ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Method:

1. If your quinoa isn’t already cooked, place 4 cups of water into a saucepan, adding bay leaf, 1 tbsp of salt and bring to boil. Once it has finished boiling add 250g of raw white quinoa and stir regularly for 15 minutes. Once cooked remove the bay leaf and strain.

2. Julienne (slice thinly) the red peppers, slice the okra and wash the Crosnes and set aside.

3. Dice the tofu and marinate in 1tbsp of Cajun spice mix (see below for recipe) and a 1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil. Stand for at least 30 mins.

4. Slice the Tempeh into thick slices and apply the Chorizo marinate (see below for ingredients). Stand for at least 30 mins.

5. Make your stock with 2 cups of boiling water mixed with 3 tbsp of vegetable stock powder or 2 vegetable stock cubes and mix well to dissolve. Set aside.

6. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat; cook and stir the tofu and tempeh until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the red peppers, crosnes and okra, cook and stir until slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir the cooked quinoa, Cajun spices and smoked paprika until all ingredients jumble together, about 3 minutes.

7. Pour all the vegetable stock into the mix and stir for about 3 minutes.

8. Place the dish into a large serving plate and garnish with Sauce De Persil (see below for ingredients)

Cajun Spice Mix

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 ½ teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (less if you don’t like heat)
• 1 ¼ teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 ¼ teaspoons dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon chilli pepper flakes (more or less depending on how you like spicy!)

Chorizo Marinade

• 200g Tempeh
• 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar 
• ½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ Tsp garlic powder
• ½ Tsp cumin powder
• ½ Tsp smoked paprika 
• ½ Tsp Cayenne Powder
• ½ Tsp Sea Salt
• 1 Tsp Agave Syrup

Sauce De Persil

• 25 g chopped parsley
• 2 Tbsp lemon Juice
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
• 2 Tbsp cold water
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• ½ Tsp sea salt
• Mix all ingredients in a bowl or blend to puree

Goan Sweet potato and Chickpea Curry

A rich vegetarian curry, using our Goan Spice Pot and coconut milk.  This will be medium heat, but add less of the pot if you would prefer it milder (see below).  

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed or chopped
1 tablespoon grated, fresh ginger
5 teaspoons of the Goan Spice Pot (or use alternative Spice Pots Blend)
1 tomato, chopped
600g sweet potatoes,peeled and cut into 3cm chunks
1 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 400mil tin coconut milk
A handful of greens – spinach or green beans or whatever you have

Method

Cook the sweet potatoes, in salted boiling water until tender, about 8 minutes.  Alternatively, you can roast them in the oven, in small chunks for about 10 minutes.
Whilst the sweet potato is cooking, heat the oil over a medium heat, add the onions, ginger and garlic and cook slowly for a few minutes, until soft and the onions translucent.  (Top tip, use frozen onions, ginger and garlic if you are short on time).

Add a splash of water to the pan, then 5 teaspoons of the Goan Spice Pot.  Cook gently for about a minute then add the tomato. 
If it looks too dry, add another splash or 2 of water.  Cook gently until the tomato has softened.  

Add the chickpeas, and stir gently until warmed through.  Add the coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer.  

Add your greens and cook for 3 or 4 minutes.  Then finally add the cooked sweet potatoes and stir to combine.

Add salt as required and garnish with fresh coriander

Shakshuka Baked Eggs

Ready in 30 minutes. Serves 2. Calories 345

Ingredients

• 1 small red onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 red pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 tsp harissa paste
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• Salt and pepper
• 4 eggs
• Fresh parsley to garnish

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°c, then place a large saucepan on a medium heat, add some low calorie spray, then add the onion and cook until softened.
2. Add the garlic and peppers and cook until soft then pour in the tomatoes, harissa, paprika and season with salt and pepper.
3. Allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes until thickened slightly.
4. Transfer the sauce to suitable baking pan. Make 4 wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each well. 
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes until egg whites are just set.
6. Top with parsley to garnish.

Tip; Why not add some crumbled feta? And if you don’t have harissa simply add an extra tsp of paprika and 1 tsp cumin.

Dairy free creamy mushrooms on sourdough toast

Serves 1. Ready in 20 mins

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tsp rapseed oil
• Half white onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 250g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• Half a lemon juice
• 30g coconut yogurt
• Fresh thyme sprig
• 2 pieces of fresh sourdough bread  (100g)

METHOD

1. Heat the oil in large sauce pan, add the diced onion and minced garlic and cook until soft. 
2. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes until the mushrooms have softened.
3. Remove from the heat, then toast the sourdough to your liking.
4. Add the salt pepper, lemon juice and yogurt to the pan and stir through (make sure this is off the heat, otherwise the yogurt will split).
5. Spoon the mushrooms over the sourdough and sprinkle over fresh thyme leaves.

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