RECIPE - Vegetarian Chilli

I love this dish, it's simple to make, packed full of veg and tasty. It takes a while to prepare (a lot of chopping) and a while of simmering to get a really lovely deep flavour. This might look like it has a lot of ingredients but most of it is fairly standard store cupboard stuff you might already have in. Don't worry if you haven't got the exact type of beans or lentils, there's no problem substituting things or missing out a veg or two. The original recipe is from here. 

This makes looooads of chilli, perfect if you're a student or a family. I used to make this often at Uni and freeze it. You're going to need a large pan! I've eaten this with rice, pasta and a baked potato. Anything goes!

Serves 4 - 6

1 can green lentils, drained and rinsed

2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes

1 can kidney beans

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 courgette, chopped

175 mushrooms, quartered

100g frozen peas

1 large onion, chopped

2 peppers, any colour

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 - 2 teaspoons chilli powder

300ml veg stock

1 heaped tablespoon tomato puree

salt and pepper

1. Heat oil in a large pan and fry onion and garlic with chilli and cumin for about 10 minutes. I didn't have chilli powder so used two small chillis chopped up from my boyfriends chilli plant my Mum bought him from here. 

2. Add the peppers, carrots, green lentils and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring often until softened.

3. Add chopped tomatoes, puree, stock and peas. It's going to look fairly liquidy now so bring it to the boil then simmer it to evaporate the excess liquid and concentrate the flavour. This will probably take 20 - 30 minutes. Be patient, it's going to be yummy!

4. Add mushrooms and courgettes, stir well and keep simmering for 5 - 7 minutes. You don't want this veg to turn to mush so keep trying pieces until it's softened but not mushy. If you're serving the chilli with rice or pasta, now would be a good time to get that cooking.

5. Add the kidney beans and cook them for 5 minutes. Season to your taste.

6. Serve with rice and sprinkle with grated cheddar and a dollop of sour cream if you fancy. Enjoy.

RECIPE: Veggie Sausage Casserole

It's the weekend and it's getting chillier so what better time to cook a hearty casserole to make you feel all cosy and Autumnal. This really is easy and can be stretched to feed as many as you like! A (nearly) one pot wonder too, which is always good on the washing up front. This is a recipe adapted slightly from the original one by The Hairy Bikers, you can find that one here. This version is vegetarian friendly (duh, you're on a vegetarian food blog!) If you're short on time, you don't have to put it in the oven, you can serve it straight from the pan. It's just a bit richer from having it in the oven for a while. 

Serves 3 - 4

2 veg sausages each 

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

2 tins chopped tomatoes

2 cans butter beans 

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons tomato puree

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon mixed herbs

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper

1. Cook your sausages, no-one likes a frosty sausage. When cooked through, place in an oven proof dish.

2. Fry the onions gently until they start to soften, a good 5-7 minutes.

3. Add garlic to onions and cook for another 3 minutes.

3. Add paprika and cook for another 1 minute.

4. Add tomatoes, puree, herbs and brown sugar. Add the rinsed butter beans.

5. Add mixture to open proof dish on top of sausages. Bake at Gas 4/180°C for 30 minutes.

I eat mine with a baked potato but you can serve yours with whatever you fancy. I think it's the little bit of brown sugar that makes this rich and delicious. Perfect for warming up a miserable Winter evening!

RECIPE: Black Bean Tacos

I've just watched The Lego Movie so "TACO TUESDAYS" is in my head. If it's got your tummy grumbling then it's a good time to make them! This is another recipe from Nigel Slater's Real Fast Food (I promise it's not the only recipe book my family uses, it's just new at the moment so we're finding recipes we want to try in there). 

The original recipe includes instructions to make your own tomato chilli salsa buuuuut we cheated and decided not to make it and got a shop bought one. Naughty.

To serve four people.

2 x 400g tins of black beans, haricot beans or black-eyed beans, drained and well rinsed.

2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatos

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 bay leaf

2 onions, sliced

2 big cloves of garlic, finely sliced

2 teaspoons ground paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tinned jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped 

(we used a dried chilli we grew ourselves)

Salt

Ground black pepper

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1. Put the rinsed beans in a pan with a tablespoon of the oil and the bay leaf and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Warm the remaining oil in a shallow pan, add the onions and cook till soft and golden. Add the garlic, paprika and cayenne, cook till garlic is soft, about 4 minutes. 

3. Add the tinned tomatoes and chilli, simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain the beans and add to the sauce. Taste and season with salt, pepper and wine vinegar. (We didn't end up using the wine vinegar as it tasted fine without). It's up to you!

4. Warm the taco shells in a hot oven for 3 - 4 minutes.

5. Spoon bean mixture into the taco shells, top with cheese/salsa/guacamole/whatever you fancy! Then get eating.

It was easiest to serve them in a dish so they could stand up, it meant the mixture didn't all just fall up. These were really messy to eat but super tasty. We put extra chillis in and I think it made my lips go numb it was so hot! Definitely have kitchen roll or wipes to hand for the mess. Heating the tacos in the oven makes them a bit softer so your taco might fall to pieces if you don't eat it fast with the hot bean mixture in them! I had cheese and garlic mayo on mine. You can eat about 3 or 4. Let me know if you make this, it's quick and easy to make without lots of fancy ingredients. 

RECIPE: Spinach and Blue Cheese Pasta

Happy Friday! If you're looking for something super quick and tasty for dinner this weekend then look no further, this recipe is for you! Who doesn't love pasta? Who doesn't love cheese? It's a great combo.

This recipe is taken from this book and we tried it out last night. I've made a very similar meal before and instead of using cream, I used Philadelphia Cheese and a little milk. Let's get started!

For two people - 

275g pasta, any curled or ribbon shape.

2 double handfuls of spinach leaves, washed and torn up

300ml single cream

175g soft blue cheese, cut into cubes

Salt and pepper to season.

1. Cook the pasta until al dente.

2. Put the spinach, still wet from washing in a pan over a medium heat. Cover and cook until it starts to wilt. (We actually steamed it in a basket over the pasta pan. Do whatever is easiest for you!)

3. Gently stir the blue cheese and cream together over a low heat. Season accordingly.

4. Mix the spinach into the sauce, drain pasta and fold it into the sauce. EAT.

This meal is for blue cheese lovers, if you're not super keen then it might be a bit much for you. Also it's not the healthiest of meals but hey, treat yourself, it's the weekend!

P.S. I'm not the greatest food photographer. I promise I will improve!