Category: Food

I can’t let the whole month go by without a post, so here’s a real favourite of mine. This is an incredibly zesty salad, a great one to take to barbecues or just whip up a batch and have some throughout the week. As an interesting aside, when this recipe was originally given to me, it called for 3/4 cup of sunflower oil – more of a soup than a salad! After a few experiments, I think I’ve found that 1/4 cup is a good balance between too oily and too dry, or too out of proportion with the soy sauce and lemon juice.

Share and enjoy!

1 cup of brown rice (measured uncooked)
1/3 cup currants
60g roasted cashews
3 tab spns chopped parsley
6 spring onions (shallots/eshallots)
1 red capsicum (bell pepper)
2 tab roasted sunflower seeds

Cook rice and allow it to cool. I often cook the rice the evening before making the salad. Finely chop the capsicum, spring onions and parsley. Roughly crush the cashews with the flat of your cook’s knife. Mix everything together. Add the dressing immediately before serving and mix well.

Soy sauce dressing
1/4 cup sunflower oil
3 tab spns light soy sauce
2 tab spns lemon juice
1 clove garlic (v. finely chopped)
small pinch salt and pepper

Variations
– Substitute a Spanish or red onion for spring onion, or just add one.
– Substitute a mix of sunflower seeds, pine nuts and pepitas for the sunflower seeds.
– Add grated carrot or zucchini
– Double the quantity for parties, etc.

I discovered Sanitarium TVP Vege-Mince in the supermarket a while ago and whipped up this lasagna that is better than anything I tasted when I was omnivorous.

Ingredients:

250g box instant lasagna sheets or 400g pack of fresh lasagna
250g vege mince
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
8-10 medium button mushrooms
1 large eggplant (aka aubergine)
2 medium zucchini (aka courgette)
1 large carrot
1 large red capsicum (bell pepper)
1 cup vegetable stock (1/2 cup if using fresh lasagna)
2 x 440g cans tomatoes – crushed, chopped or whole
3 tbsp tomato paste

Bechamel Sauce

2 tbsp wholemeal flour
2 tbsp butter or butter substitute
2 cups milk
125g grated cheese – mozzarella, tasty or whatever is handy.

Topping.

30g grated parmesan cheese.

Method

Dice the onion and toss it into a very large saucepan or pot with the olive oil. Cook over low heat until barely transparent, usually about 3 minutes. While the onion is cooking, put the carrots through a food processor or grater. When the onions are ready, add the carrot and cook for a further 3 minutes. While the carrot and onion are cooking, grate the mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant and red pepper. Add them, as well as the vegetable stock, tomato paste and tomatoes, to the saucepan, stir and simmer for 25 minutes.

Melt the butter in a medium to large saucepan, add the flour and cook over low heat for 3 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the milk and stir until the sauce thickens. Add the cheese and stir thoroughly. Remove from heat.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.

Use a little olive oil to grease the bottom of a high-sided heavy baking tray and place a layer of lasagne sheets, followed by a thin layer of vegetable sauce, followed by a drizzle of bechamel sauce. Repeat once or twice depending on how much sauce, but finish with a layer of lasagne sheets topped with the last of the bechamel sauce and some grated parmesan.

Cook in the oven for 30 minutes.

Let me know how you go with it.

These delicious burgers are quick and easy to prepare. Makes 12 burgers. You can freeze them for up to three months and reheat in the microwave.

Ingredients

1 brown onion, finely chopped
6 medium button mushrooms, finely chopped
~400g can brown lentils
2 slices wholemeal bread, roughly chopped into ~1cm squares
2 eggs or egg substitute
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup plain wholemeal flour
1/2 tsp fresh or dried rosemary
1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
3 tbsp finely chopped dried fruit and nut mix

Method

Cook the onion in a teaspoon of olive oil for a few minutes if you prefer. Wash your hands. Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands. This is the best way to mix burgers. You really need to squash all the ingredients together and have them squirting out through your fingers. When everything is combined, just use a spoon to scrape the mixture off your hands and give your hands another wash.

Cook the burgers for 1-2 min each side. Serve on toasted wholemeal bread or a roll with tomato or barbecue sauce, accompanied by steamed vegetables or salad.