First I needed a good flaky pastry. I used frozen butter to create the flakiness, and I grated it into the flour. This pastry is kind of rich, but, well it’s Christmas! For the filling I made a nut roast mix with herbs and onion to give that real Christmas flavour. These little wonders turned out so well I’ll be making more and freezing them to serve with soup on a winter’s night. Easy and convenient.

Ok here is the recipe…

For the pastry you’ll need..

160gs of frozen butter

230g all purpose flour

pinch of salt & egg wash

cold water for the pastry

Grate the butter into the flour taking care not to get it warm or melty. Add the pinch of salt and a little cold water to work it up into a dough. Cover with glad wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 mins.

For the nut meat you’ll need…

500gs of cottage cheese

100gs of crushed walnuts

2 tsp of dijon mustard

2 cups of dry breadcrumbs

1 tab each of chopped sage, parsley and thyme

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

3 beaten eggs

1/4 crushed black pepper

Mix the breadcrumbs, cottage cheese, walnuts, dijon mustard, chopped herbs, onions and eggs together in a bowl. You’ll probably need to do this with your hands. Divide the mixture into 4 and squeezing each roll out in your hands shape each portion into long sausages about 3cm wide. Roll each lightly in flour and set aside.

To assemble…

Roll out the pastry on a floured board into an oblong the same length as the nutmeat rolls. Cut into 4 strips long enough to wrap around each nutmeat roll with a little overlap. Use the egg wash to seal the rolls by brushing it along the inner edge of the pastry just before you roll it up. Cut each roll into the finished rolls about 5cm long. Slash the top of the rolls a couple of times with a sharp knife, or you can snip with scissors. Place on a baking sheet and brush lightly with egg wash. I forgot to, but next time I think I will sprinkle some sesame seeds over the rolls at this stage for a nice touch. Bake the rolls at 220c for about 20mins of until golden. Delicious with a good ketchup or mustard and very enjoyable at Christmas time!

Easy baked beans

I often open a can of baked beans when I feel I need a bean fix. It’s quick, it’s easy and yummy. But canned beans can become a mono flavour experience and that’s the time to make my own baked beans. I usually don’t have the time for the full deal, slow braising in a oven for about 4 hours, so I have to resort to the cooktop for a speedy version.

Beans are a wonderful protein for vegetarians. I rail when I hear a chef say “and just take out the meat and you’ll have a lovely vegetarian meal”. Chefs often say this and they are so off the mark. Removing meat makes it a “vegetable dish”. Where’s the protein guys! This recipe puts the protein foremost where it should be. This recipe has molasses for iron and cooking it in a cast iron pot enriches the iron content.

Serve with a slice of buttery wholemeal bread for a complete protein combo.

EASY BAKED BEANS

1 can (400g) diced tomatoes
2 cans (400g) kidney beans
2 tbsp finely diced red onion
2 tsp garlic olive oil or plain olive oil will do
1 tbsp blackstrap molasses
1 tsp dried italian herbs
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cumin (optional)

salt and pepper – extra water if needed.

Soften the onions well in the oil over a low heat. Stir in drained beans, herbs and spices and seasoning and cook for about 2mins. Add diced tomatoes, molasses and sufficient water to loosen the sauce.

Cook for at least 5 mins until the sauce is thick. Cook longer covered over a low heat to develop the flavour if desired.

4 serves – 200c per serve, approx only
14% fat – 25% protein – 61% carbs per serve, approx only.

Lentil Stew with Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard

I love the warmth of a lentil stew when the weather is cold. Combined with the sweetness of Butternut Squash and the tang of Swiss Chard this dish really hits the spot.

njv.com has been following the Belly Fat Cure and more low sugar, lower carb approach to food lately in an effort to shed some pounds. This dish fits the BFC formula for the sugar and carb ratio of 5/2. Aside from being delicious it’s helping us lose that unwanted spare tire.

It’s delicious and comforting with the savoury taste of Lentils and the earthy flavour of Silver Beet, balanced with the sweet creaminess of Butternut Squash.

Preparation: 15 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins

This recipe serves 2

For the lentil stew

1/2 cup of Macro Wholefoods Market Organic dried green lentils (or any other dried green lentil that equals 1/1 per 50g on the BFC)
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup finely diced carrot
1/4 cup finely diced celery
1 clove of minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 bay leaf
1 cup of vegetarian beef stock
2 tsp olive oil
extra water for the stew
salt and pepper to season
Optional – if desired add 50g of 0/0 on the BFC, vegetarian beef, lamb or chicken chunks
(I used Vegefarms Lamb chunks that I get at my local Asian grocer)

For the butternut squash (This will cook down to make half cup serves)

2 cups of cubed butternut squash
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp heavy cream
pinch of cinnamon
salt and pepper to season

For the greens (This will cook down to make 1 cup serves)

4 cups of shredded silver beet, or spinach
2 tsp of butter
salt and pepper to season

Method

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, curry powder and a pinch of salt. Cook on a medium heat to sweat the vegetables but do not brown.
Add the lentils, vegetarian meat (if used) and the stock and bring to the boil. Then simmer gently for about 20 – 30 mins adding water as required until the lentils are soft and cooked. The lentils should retain their shape.
Season to taste.
For the butternut squash, melt the butter over a low heat. Toss the squash well in the butter, add the cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Sprinkle in a tablespoon of water. Put on the lid and cook very slowly until very soft. Drain off the excess liquid and stir in the cream and mash well with a fork. Season to taste.
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Drop in the Silver Beet or Spinach and cook for 2 minutes to blanch and then drain in a colander.
Melt the butter in the same saucepan, add the drained Silver Beet, and cook over a low heat until tender. Season to taste.

Ladle the lentil stew onto a plate, accompanied by the squash and silver beet.

The good news is we found this buffet offers some good options for vegetarians and maybe even our vegan friends. Buffets generally feature a meaty carvery and seafood station, and the M Resort has both. But if you look around you’ll find other stations in this buffet from which you can make a vegetarian plate.

Soups - The soup station had a yummy Tomato and basil soup on offer. On tasting I did not notice a hint of chicken stock (though there may be some). It would be great if the M Resort labeled food items clearly as vegetarian otherwise you have to rely on your taste buds. I added some of the sprinkles – sour cream, chopped scallions, cheese, croutons or crackers – on offer, and it made a nice start to the meal.

The M Resort Buffet

Salads - The salad bar at every buffet is usually a vegetarian’s best choice. The M Resort is no exception. It’s easy to make a salad from the greens and vegetables on offer. Plus they had some garbanzos and black bean salad to add some protein to the plate. There is the general selection of dressings available. But as I looked around the rest of the buffet, I found some other interesting additions, rice stuffed dolmades, cous cous, hoummos and various cold salads with bean combos without little pieces of bacon and ham lurking inside.

Sushi – The M Resort buffet has a Sushi station and I maneuvered past the raw fish, to find a vegetable sushi roll, sliced cold tofu with a soy based sauce, some seaweed salad, plus pickled ginger and wasabi garnishes. This was nice and fresh, and though I wouldn’t call it exceptional, it was enjoyable.

Entrees – Finding vegetarian food at an Entree section, dominated by seafood and the meat carvery in most buffets is hard. But the M Resort really surprised in the Entree area! I found a stew of brown lentils that was delicious with some mashed sweet potato. At the Asian station there was a Tofu and broccoli dish, some noodles with vegetables and a really yummy Balti style Eggplant with fried Tofu in a wonderful black bean sauce. I added some rice and some asparagus for a great meal. Even if you are not a Tofu aficionado you could easily make a plate from the legume dishes available. It was great not to have to fall back on a tomato based pasta, or cheese pizza for a meal.

The M Resort Gelati bar

Desserts – The selection of desserts is delicious, with some hot selections, cold “little bite” selections, sugar-free desserts and a gelati bar. The problem for vegetarians is judging which desserts may contain gelatine – a meat based product. I choose a chocolate based cake and the Creme Brulee. The Creme Brulee had the delicious crisp top, but the creme was not as creamy as I had hoped. Still, it tasted good. I’m not much of an ice cream eater so I passed on the gelati even though they had a good selection. Aside from that, I was nearly bursting from the meal!

There is a small fruit and cheese bar with a large selection of breads. Alas, I was full!

Drinks – The server will bring you soda, water and iced tea, but for alcohol you go to the bar where they have a selection of bottled wine offered by the glass. The Cabernet Sauvignon I had was excellent. They do not serve cocktails. I think they have beer by the glass as well, but as I don’t drink beer much, I don’t recall which kinds.

Ambience - You enter the dimly lit casino area into a huge brightly lit circular space that houses the buffet. The decor is contemporary and the space is not intimate in any way. Still, it’s streamlined and a pleasant enough place to eat. The large LED displays that edge the ceiling are fun and aside from its size, it still manages to feel stylish. The service was good at all times.

Hotel and accommodation – We stayed one night at the M, in a Resort Double Queen room. The room was luxurious even by Vegas standards! With outstanding views of the Strip, and contemporary decor, we really liked this room. The bathroom has a huge bath situated behind a glass window that allows you to enjoy the Strip view from the bath. We stayed on a Thursday night, and though the tariffs scale up and down depending on the night, the $101US we paid for the room was fantastic value.

The Resort Room

How to get there – The M Resort is an off Strip casino with is why it offers luxury at such good value. It’s located at 12300 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Henderson, Nevada 89044 and you can visit online at http://www.themresort.com/ The M is easy to get to from the Strip or the airport via their complimentary shuttle service – its schedule is here.

Buffet costs – The Buffet cost us $22.95US each on the Thu. night – the cost varies on particular days. For more up to date costs check click here

NJV rating – We loved it!

So what kind of food does Qantas offer its veggie passengers? What tips you should know to make sure you get the right meal?

We are talking about Economy here. I have flown Business and I will get to that later in this blog.

I have found the quality of meal depends on the leg you are flying. The meals are much better flying out of Australia, than returning from the USA. The aussie caterers understand that vegetarians eat protein in the form of legumes. On my last flight I was offered a Chickpea Cheromoula with vegetables and Cous Cous. It is served with the usual small salad, and not much else. Vegetarians are usually denied the dessert offering, the roll, and the crackers and cheese. We usually have a banana offered instead.  I am happy to skip the gooey cake ( as I have some chocolate tucked in my handbag ), but the crackers and cheese I would appreciate ( so I often have those in my bag as well ).  Last flight I opened my mouth and requested a roll from the steward as he passed by with the carnivore fare. My request was greeted with a scowl, but I did get my roll. More on the rough handling this vegetarian received on one Qantas flight further in this blog.

The Chickpea Cheromoula was delish, and hit my happy spot. I once received a Lentil and Eggplant Moussaka on this leg that was so good I tried to replicate when I got home. The Qantas caterers in Australia get full marks from me for presenting dishes that equate to “real” vegetarian food. Add a roll and crackers and cheese, and this lacto-ovo veggie would be content.

The same cannot be said of food from the US caterers. It is abysmal. It’s everything vegetarians detest.

As a vegetarian who has endured a multitude of meals in restaurants that offer only mushroom risotto, or pasta in tomato sauce as their veggie options, I’d say that mushroom risotto would be a welcome change to the unimaginative and nutrition-free meal Qantas offers on its US to AU leg. It does come with a roll, the small salad, the banana, but no cheese and crackers. It’s always Penne Pasta glued together with a sparse tomato sauce, or Penne Pasta swimming in butter and cheese. It’s truly flavourless. It’s a poor meal for a hungry and tired passenger. Sheer laziness on the part of the caterers and a rip off to boot. Vegetarian passengers deserve better food.

However the breakfast offerings on both legs ( from AU and from USA ) are better. Eggs as a frittata or scrambled, with either sauteed mushrooms, grilled tomato and a small hash brown are fine, as is the small fruit salad. A sticky sweet muffin and juice rounds off the meal. I’m happy with balance of that.

Business class and Premium Economy is a totally different story on both legs. The Neil Perry menu out of AU is restaurant quality food. On the one occasion I have flown Business and Premium on the return leg, I was served Penne (again…sigh) but the accompanying roasted vegetable sauce was so good all was forgiven. The dessert trolley had a yummy selection of cakes, and we were plied with fine wine and dessert wines from start to end. The often seen Qantas Steward Scowl is absent in Business as in Premium, it is truly flying the “Qantas friendly skies”.

This brings me to comment on my experience with various Qantas crews over the years. The service in Business and Premium  is so smiling and helpful it’s almost obsequious. The breakfast menu arrives the night before and you make a hotel style  selection in Business. In Premium there is no choice but the dedicated cabin crew serves with an unfailing smile.

The same cannot be said of Economy. I have had really lovely, helpful crews on most flights, but on others the surliness can be overwhelming. I do not expect to be greeted with a scowl or sneer by a steward when requesting a roll or a gin and tonic ( that they offer on their menu ). I do not like a cynical response when as a vegetarian I request the same wine that is offered freely to carnivores. I am a vegetarian not a teetotaler. I am not deliberately making myself special or troublesome with my meal request. I understand dealing with passengers is probably stressful and I go out of my way to be polite. It’s not good for business in the competitive market. Qantas needs to look at this.

With V-Australia offering multiple choices of styles of vegetarian meals, plus a regular veggie meal offered with the regular “chicken and beef” service, in the battle to gain my custom – they look good. The crews are so cheerful, airplane so comfortable, and the $500 or so less fare has caused me join Velocity rewards. I still fly Qantas most flights, but continued rudeness is testing my loyalty.

When you book your flight through an agent or online you need to request your special meal at that time. Specify which kind of vegetarian you are then. But do not leave it at that. Call Qantas 48 hours prior to all your flights to confirm your special meal as it can get lost in the works. If you change seats, or Qantas changes your seat, let the steward know you have requested a special meal or you may not receive it. I have experienced my meal going missing and the really nasty treatment I received from the crew was disgusting.

It was on a long flight to NY from AU. Special meal passengers are served prior to regular meals and mine did not arrive. I waited quietly til the regular service came and informed the stewards I had requested a special meal. I was polite, but I found myself in a battle to be believed. The stewards came just short of accusing me of lying about my request. Why I would lie is beyond me, but I was treated with contempt. There was no meal available for me. I had to wait for one hour after the whole meal service was over and I had to remind the steward to bring me the offered food from Business. It was plain vegetables on a plate with spoonful of rice, no anything else, no drinks, nada. As the breakfast service came, I had to ask the same stewards if my special breakfast was available. I was greeted with a sneer and a shrug from one stewardess who walked off and left me on my own. It was very bad treatment of a genuine request and polite passenger and it should never have occurred. On occasion I have encountered similar rudeness from Qantas over the phone. It’s not always “the friendly skies”.

For this reason I tuck some extra food in my travel bag, in case I don’t get fed. I urge all special meal passengers to carefully check their meal requests before they fly Qantas or any other airline. I guess the reasons I continue to fly Qantas are complex. It’s more to do with schedules, transfers and my FF miles and with some careful planning its been better. But the airline who calls itself “the friendly skies” sometimes fall short of its own benchmark.

Delicious with parmesan

This is a delicious European style soup made with the simplest ingredients. Low in fat and calories, yet rich in taste with a smooth texture and a yummy creamy taste, this soup is one of my all time comfort foods. I like to make french style croutes for this soup. I slice a french breadstick thinly and spray it with olive oil from my misto. You could sprinkle the croutes with finely chopped garlic, herbs or parmesan for a different taste.

However I usually make the croutes plain, sprayed with the oil, they go into a hot oven on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes, until they are golden brown and crunchy. Croutes are very handy to have in your cupboard, and they store well in a screw top jar. They are used up pretty quickly in my home, and I use any stale bread I might otherwise throw out making them.

Croutes are not only great for soups, but also can go in a salad for a crunchy texture. Last night I crumbled some and  sprinkled them over the top of a crustless quiche for a crunchy topping.

This soup is a classic and its so easy to make. You could use thawed frozen cauliflower and it would be even quicker. It’s on the table in 40 minutes.

Zoupa alla Romana con Ceci

Ok, I’ll admit that in spite of this soup’s fancy name, it’s really my own spin on a more traditional Italian Chickpea soup. And I suppose I can admit that my version began its life as a salad. One warm autumn day I made up a batch of Chickpea salad for some lunches, at least I made it up to a stage. My plan was to use it during the week adding the fresher, more perishable salad items as I went along. The problem was the next day the weather turned icy cold.

Suddenly Chickpea salad didn’t sound all that appetizing being as it was now soup weather. So I threw the salad into a pot with some veggies and broth and this soup was born. I’ve been loving it ever since. It’s one of those 10 to 15 minute soups that replicate something that has bubbled away for much longer – my own 10 minute minestrone – a great meal in next to no time.

You can improvise with your own veggie mix in this soup. A handful of small shell pasta would be a good addition. You just start with the base of chickpeas and a nice broth. I use one of the vegetarian style broths, either chicken, vegetable or beef depending on my mood. All seem to work well. Sprinkle it with parmesan and serve with a pizza or crusty bread. Sometimes I sprinkle on some capers, but then I tend to sprinkle capers on everything.

notjustvegetables.com

Zoupa alla Romana con Ceci

You’ll need…

1 can of drained chick peas (about 1.5 cups)

1 cup of sliced mushroom caps

1 cup of cherry tomatoes

1 cup of sliced celery

1 cup of cauliflower florets

1 cup of sliced carrots

1 cup of greens, either spinach, silverbeet or bok choy.

.5 tsp of dried basil or thyme.

enough broth to cover

salt and pepper.

Place all in a large saucepan and bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 10 to 15 mins. That’s its!

Vegetables ready for the soup

Now you could add some other stuff to this soup as well as the vegetables. A little garlic would be nice, or some sliced scallions, or thinly sliced potato.  Some fresh parsley, rosemary or a bay leaf would be good for extra herbs. Sometimes I add a teaspoon of curry powder or .5 teaspoon of smoky paprika. Feel free to experiment, it’s that kind of soup!

Just don’t overcook it, or the veggies begin to look kind of sad and limp. It’s a soup that has a lovely fresh look.

Makes 4 large or 6 medium serves. I have never frozen it, but it keeps in the fridge for 2 or 3 days.

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The Title: Zoupa alla Romana con Ceci
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Chik'n in Sherry

This is a recipe I make once a week because it is so simple yet delicious.  The first time I made this recipe my youngest son said, “Mommy you must really love me because you make good food for me.”  Your family is sure to love this as much as mine does!

]]> http://notjustvegetables.com/?feed=rss2&p=37 0 http://notjustvegetables.com/?p=38 http://notjustvegetables.com/?p=38#comments Sun, 18 Apr 2010 06:38:18 +0000 Wendy http://notjustvegetables.com/wordpress/?p=38

Pumpkin and Blue Cheese Pizzetta

Sometimes you need a little extra something to go with a good soup. Pizzetta fits the bill nicely.

I like a wholemeal grainy crust and earthy vegetables to top, so Pumpkin or Butternut Squash with a blue cheese melt satisfy with their strong flavours.

It’s very easy to cook. It should take about 30 mins from start to plate. This recipe makes 6 Pizzettas.

notjustvegetables.com

Pumpkin and Blue Cheese Pizzetta with Rosemary

For the crust you’ll need…

1 cup of wholemeal flour

1 cup of plain flour

1 tab. of mixed grain

½ tsp salt

3 tps dried yeast

1 tsp olive oil

1 cup of very hot tap water.

1. Mix all the dried ingredients into a bowl.

2. Add the olive oil to the very hot water, and pour into the dry mix, working up to a dough.

3. Cover the bowl with a tea cloth and set it aside.

Pizzetta dough

Then for the topping you’ll need…

24 – ¼ inch slices of Pumpkin or Butternut Squash (appox.4 slices per Pizzetta)

2 roasted red bell peppers seeded and skinned

(you can roast and peel off the charred skin yourself, or use bought roasted peppers)

2 cups of Arugula or Rocket

2 tab finely chopped Rosemary

180 grams of Blue Cheese, sliced into 6 slices and broken into pieces

6 tsp of olive oil

extra olive oil for brushing

Preheat your oven to 230C/450F. Cover 2 baking trays with baking paper.

4. Put the dough onto a flour board, dredging with flour work into ball. Cut the ball in half, then each half in 3 making 6 pieces.

5. Roll each piece out into a circle about the size a bread and butter plate. Place on the baking trays.

6. Brush the bases with oil and sprinkle on the Rosemary.

7. Layer the Arugula or Rocket on top of the Rosemary.

8. Place on the Pumpkin or Squash overlapping with pieces of roasted pepper.

9. Place the pieces of blue cheese on top of each Pizzetta.

10. Drizzle 1 tsp of olive oil over each Pizzetta.

11. Into the oven they go! Cook for about 15 mins. or longer until the pumpkin is tender. Serve with a good soup to 6 happy people. Enjoy!

This was printed from: notjustvegetables.com
The site URL: http://notjustvegetables.com
The Title: Pumpkin and Blue Cheese Pizzetta with Rosemary
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© Copyright 2013 - All Rights Reserved

Ready to pop in the oven

Refrigerator Pickles

These pickles are a refreshing summer treat that your family will devour.  They are great for picnics and barbecues and are very easy to make.

1 large red onion sliced
4 large cucumbers or 2 English cucumbers thinly sliced
2-3 sprigs of fresh dill or 1 tsp of dry
1 clove garlic minced or at least crushed
1/2 cup of vinegar
1 1/2 cups of water
4 tsp of salt

Pack cucumbers and onions in a glass jar, toss in the rest of the ingredients, give the jar a little shake and refrigerate for at least 24 hrs. The longer these pickles sit in the fridge the better they taste. You can also save the “juice” and use for the next batch!!