Roasted Vegetable Quinoa With Lime

A winter warmer, so quick. I think it’s too good to be true. Very tasty, healthy and comforting on a cold winter’s night…
Makes a lovely main or even a side dish to go with your Christmas dinner. Have a look and give it a go. Do let me know how you all like it. Love feedback! Until then, much love, D x

INGREDIENTS

1 large cup precooked quinoa upon instruction

1 aubergine diced
1 bell pepper diced
12 plum or cherry tomatoes
5 garlic cloves
2 courgettes diced 2cm chunks
1 chilli sliced finely
Coriander to garnish
Fresh lime juice to taste
Olive oil
Salt to taste

METHOD

Preheat oven to 200°c, place all the vegetables in a large deep roasting tray.  Season with salt and a generous drizzle of olive oil

Roast for 20 minutes or until all the vegetables are cooked through and a little charred

Carefully fold in the cooked quinoa, drench in lime juice to taste.  Use freshly cut coriander to garnish the quinoa

Serve hot with a sprinkling of grated cheese

Advertisement

Juicy Garlic Baked Tomatoes

This is the beauty about cooking…Making the most simplest food and dishes with maximum flavour. Why make life so complicated when it can be so simple!

Tomatoes, garlic and olive oil! That’s it!!! that’s all you will need!

Have a look…Give them a go and let me know how you like the simplicity of these tasty garlic infused tomatoes.

Have a relaxing weekend, I’m off to cook some more food…Much love, D x

INGREDIENTS

4 big tomatoes
3-4 cloves of garlic sliced finely
Olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 170°c

Make tiny cuts in the tomato and slot the garlic slices in

Repeat for all the tomatoes

Place the tomatoes on a baking tray

Drizzle a little olive oil onto the prepped tomatoes

Bake for 20 minutes or until the tomatoes are cooked all the way through

Comforting Food Always!

I always find myself making and discovering new recipes but don’t tend to make recipes that I’ve previously developed. Not because it becomes repetitive, more that I’m always looking for new things to cook!

So, this weekend I decided to change things up a bit and go back to a recipe that I made a while back and adored the first time round. I made the tomato sauce a bit more Mexican and spicy and reversed the filling and sauce around. This is The first dish and now for what we had at the weekend. I think it makes for a nice winter meal as the heat of the spices warms you through.

So very easy to prepare in advance if you have guests coming round or so quick to make when you want a simple, fast meal. Hope you all enjoy it!
Have a mesmerising Monday, much love D x

INGREDIENTS

For the filling

A large bag of baby spinach 400g
1 large garlic clove
150g full fat soft cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

For the sauce

430g tomato passata
1 small white onion chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 tsp taco/mexican seasoning
1/2 veg stock cube
1/3 tsp cayenne pepper/paprika
1 level tsp salt

6 large tortilla wraps
Grated mature cheddar cheese

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 190°c

Blitz all the filling ingredients together in a food processor…DONE!

For the sauce

Heat up the Olive oil. Sauté the chopped onion on a low heat until golden brown. Pour in the tomato passata along with all the seasoning, stir well. Cook through for 10 to 15 minutes

To see the set up of the enchilada go to…Mexican spinach enchiladas

Once all layed out in baking dish, pour over the tomato sauce. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and has is all golden

Serve with a salad of your choice

Smoked Paprika Plantain Chips ~ BAKED!!!

Growing up we were treated to plantain chips made by our parents.  Matoke as we call it, as both my parents were born in Africa.  It was prepared, sliced by hand and then deep fried.  The result would be a hot soft fluffy chip!  I have always loved them and remember my Dad buying packets of these chips in a range of flavours when I was pregnant for me to keep my energy levels up!

It was only last week that I spotted some plantain in our local supermarket.  I knew instantly that I wanted to create something with them.  So..I peeled them, sliced thinly in a food processor and set out to season and Bake!  Yes BAKE!  This way they remain healthy and I hardly used any oil!  Have a go! It’s so easy and you get fresh hot healthy plantain chips to nibble on, what could be better?

Have a tremendous day! See you tomorrow! Much love D x

INGREDIENTS

2 large plantain, peeled, thinly sliced
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ to 1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp salt or to taste

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 200°c/400°f. Line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper.  I used my pizza trays

• In a large bowl put all the ingredients together and gently massage the oil, salt and paprika into the plantain

• Lay the slices of plantain on the tray and place in the oven for 20-30 minutes.  Turn them over half way

• They will brown quickly so do keep an eye on them,  they will start to crisp up and this will continue as they cool down

• Eat as soon as possible, but they will keep for a day in an airtight container

Cavolo Nero Cheese Muffins

Iron, Iron, Iron! My Mum seeked out some Cavolo Nero Cabbage for me and I was and am extremely grateful and pleased! Having never tried this type of black leaf Kale which is found in Tuscany, Italy, I really couldn’t wait to cook with it. Especially as Tuscany is one place that I want to travel to and see!

I tried it raw and it didn’t have an overwheming strong taste, so I took a chance and wrote up a savoury muffin recipe alongside some sweet cherry tomatoes and strong mature cheddar cheese. Both my husband and I were taken a back! All these ingredients especially the cavolo nero gave us a completely new tasting muffin sensation. I know this particular bake will become very much a regular in our household, especially as our home was filled by such a scrumptious aroma whilst they were being baked. Enjoy! Much love D x

INGREDIENTS

225g self raising flour
6 cavolo single leaves, remove stem and chop into strips
14 cherry tomatoes quartered
100g mature cheddar cheese
180ml milk
1 free range egg
50ml olive oil
1 tsp salt
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp smoked paprika

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 200°c/400°f. Grease a 12 hole muffin pan with some olive oil

• In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients apart from the cheese

• Whisk the egg into the milk and pour into the dry ingredients along with the oil. Stir well to bring together

• Fold in the cavolo nero, cherry tomatoes and cheese

• Spoon up to half of the mixture in each muffin hole

• Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown

Roasted Radishes In A Brown Butter Sauce

I like radishes being sprinkled with salt and then being dipped in a little butter. I once saw them being served in this way on a cooking programme. Then yesterday, I had this thought in my mind as to roasting them. I’ve never roasted radishes before, but after doing so realised they make a wonderful side dish.

What makes this dish, is the brown butter sauce that seeps into the white pores of the radishes and is released gently when bitten into. I know I will be making these again for sure. Especially on Sunday’s with our veggie roast!

Such a great colour, comforting warm taste and butter!…just love it! Watch out for my Fab 4 tomorrow…I’m so excited!!!
Have a beautiful day, Much love D x

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch of red radishes
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
2 thin slabs of unsalted butter
Dried coriander leaves

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 190°c. Chop the green tops off the radishes and slice thickly lengthwise

• Place in a lined baking tray, sprinkle some salt and massage in the olive oil

• Roast for 20-25 minutes until radishes are tender

• Meanwhile in a thick skillet pan, melt the butter on a low heat and stir

The butter will start foaming

Brown speckles will appear quite quickly, once you see this the butter is ready. Take off the heat and set aside

• Once the radishes are roasted, place in a serving bowl. Pour over the brown butter sauce and delicately flutter dried coriander leaves on top to garnish

A Parmesan & Sundried Tomato Loaf

Yesterday we came back from a weekend away, where we went to celebrate my cousin’s wedding.  I was so privileged to sit next to her and performing the role of Matron of Honour during such an important part of the Hindu wedding ceremony!  Thanks J! For the amazing opportunity…love you both J & C!

As we got home, I realised we had no bread in the house and the shops had closed for the day.  So out came my mixing bowl and bread ingredients and this is what I came up with…

The dough all mixed and kneaded, waiting to a well deserved proving rest

All proved, doubled in size and ready for the oven

Loaf of bread baked, sounds hollow, good crust…I’m happy 🙂

The crumb….

Recipe adapted from this “Bread Kitchen” recipe..have a look friends…

Baked Potato Wedges with Italian Herbs

Originally posted on CafeGarima:
Craving potato chips? Well, we all do at some point. But refrain and hold back for the calories within! Thanks to Dimple Makani’s excellent recipe here, we can now indulge in these with no ensuing guilt. And…

Aubergine & petit pois lasagne

Lasagne originated in the region of Emilia-Romagna and is traditionally known for the wonderful layers of ragù, bechamel sauce and parmigiano regiano with meat and vegetable layered within.

In this all vegetarian lasagne you will find that I have combined the tomato ragù with the aubergine and peas already and I personally adore the bechamel sauce with the cheese melted all over as the last layer. Which I must admit I do keep til the end when eating it.

My husband and I seriously love Italian food and that’s why we were led to Rome and Sardinia for our honeymoon. I have never tasted pizza and pasta so good as I did on the streets of ancient Rome. I must have been an Italian in my past life and now of Indian origin I think Im working through the alphabet lol!

I will definitely be exploring more Italian recipes as I go along in this very exciting culinary journey of mine…do come along for the ride!

INGREDIENTS

1 large aubergine thinly sliced
1 medium onion grated
1/4 tsp dried red chilli seeds
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp olive oil
A little boiling water
2 cloves garlic crushed
1/2 tsp salt
200g tomato passata
150-180g frozen petit pois
9 pre soaked lasagne pasta sheets *see notes*
150g cheddar cheese grated

For the bechamel sauce
30g butter
1 1/2 tbsp plain flour
200ml milk
Salt to taste
Pinch of pepper

METHOD

• In a large saucepan heat up the oil throw in the onion and aubergine, sauté until tender. Sprinkle in the chilli seeds, oregano, salt and the garlic, pour in a little boiling water and mix

• Let it simmer for about 7 minutes and then stir in the passata and the peas. Cook for a further 10 minutes on a low flame, then set aside

• To make the white sauce. In a small saucepan melt the butter on a low flame, stir in the flour and cook through for a few minutes stirring continuously. Slowly pour in the milk whilst still stirring and leave on a low flame, keep stirring and once the sauce starts to thicken up, sprinkle in the salt and pepper, stir and take off the heat

• In a deep rectangular baking dish place 3 pre cooked lasagne sheets then spoon out half of the aubergine filling and spread out. Another 3 sheets on top of the aubergine layer and then the remainder of the aubergine mixture.

Last 3 sheets to be placed and then pour out the luscious creamy white sauce. Top off with the grated cheddar cheese

• Bake in the oven at 180°c/350°f/gas mark 4 for approximately 30-35 mincutes until the cheese is nice and crispy and golden

• Slice into healthy size squares and serve with a salad of your choice

Note* to pre cook the dried pasta sheets just put them in some boiling water with olive oil until they are a little softer.

Good Morning Friends ♡

And yummy Vegetarian food!

Come join our new vegetarian food group on Facebook and post your yummy recipes, pictures and blog links…Let’s all share and connect through food! 🙂 Where WordPress and Facebook comes together! 🙂

https://m.facebook.com/groups/1433687623575418?ref=m_notif&notif_t=group_activity

Can’t wait to see you all there my lovely friends!!!

Have a brilliant day! Much Love D x