Quorn Protein & Peas Curry

If you want something healthy, tasty and low fat, don’t go anywhere! I have created my non guilty version of the classic Indian matar paneer dish without the guilt! And the paneer?!
Fully packed with protein, which will keep you going for longer and stop you from snacking, especially if you have this curry for lunch. But don’t worry I know this maybe to healthy for some of you so my apple crumble recipe is coming up soon…

Enjoy, hope you’re all well…I am sooo excited as I have a lot more creative vegetarian dishes on the way!..until then, much love, D x

INGREDIENTS

300g Quorn chicken style pieces or soya chunks
2 cups frozen peas
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves garlic crushed
½ tsp minced ginger
250g crushed tomato passata
Pinch of mustard seeds
Pinch of cumin seeds
1 tsp garam masala
¼ tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp ground cumin & coriander
Salt to taste
½ tbsp sunflower oil
Water for sauce

METHOD

In a large nonstick saucepan,  heat the oil on a medium heat with the mustard and cumin seeds.  Once they start to sizzle,  add the onion, ginger and garlic into the pan.  Sauté until translucent

Sprinkle in the garam masala, cook through for a minute or so. Stir in the tomato passata along with all the seasoning.  Let the sauce bubble then place the chunks of quorn into the saucepan.  Mix well, you may need a little water to help the tomato coat the quorn

Reduce the heat, cover and simmer the curry for 10 minutes.  Add the peas, stir and simmer for a further 7 to 10 minutes

Serve up with some rice or chapati

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Vegetarian Cacciatore

I’ve always seen traditional Italian cacciatore recipes and felt that I would really enjoy a vegetarian version. A light meal with my substitute of Quorn pieces that really absorbs the Mediterranean flavours of tomato, garlic and onion. An extremely quick and satisfying meal to make when you back home, from a long day at work! Or for the kids? as believe me, mine went through a whole pot!

One dish I will be adding to our family favourites’ list and know I will be making time and time again!

INGREDIENTS

300g frozen quorn pieces/soya chunks (pre soaked)
1 punnet closed cup mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion diced
2 garlic cloves minced
200g tomato passata
250g cherry/mini pomodorino tomatoes
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried basil
½ cup vegetable stock

METHOD

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan, brown off the quorn/soya chunks, onion and garlic

• Add the tomatoes and mushroons, mix and cook until the mushrooms have released some water

• Season with the basil, oregano and salt. Cook for a further 5 minutes

• Pour in the vegetable stock, stir in the passata and taste for further seasoning if needed

• Cover and simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes. I served mine with some long grain rice or you can serve it with some granary bread

Coriander Quorn Curry

A tantalising, aromatic and succulent quorn curry! One so appealing you could just chomp away on it’s own! Yes and I did lol!

A quick protein fix with satisfying tummy filling jeera rice! Just the type of meal if you want something that bit special! Full of flavour and impact ~ it was eaten by my nearly 3 year old and the verdict? “Mummy this is very tasty!” That’s all I needed to hear! Hope you enjoy, much love D x

Have a wonderful week x

INGREDIENTS

1 medium white onion sliced in crescent shape
3 garlic cloves crushed
1 tsp grated ginger
Large handful of fresh coriander chopped
400g frozen quorn chicken style pieces
200g tomato passata
1 heaped tsp paneer masala
2 tsp cumin and coriander powder
⅓ tsp turmeric
⅓ tsp red chilli powder
¾ tsp salt or more to taste
Pinch of sugar
1 tbsp sunflower oil

METHOD

• Heat the oil up on a medium heat and sauté the onion, ginger and garlic until onion is translucent

• Pour in the passata and and the rest of the spices and seasoning, reduce to a low heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes

• Add half the chopped coriander and frozen quorn pieces. Combine and coat the pieces well. Thin out the tomato sauce by adding a little water. The quorn pieces should now be cooking and simmering in enough sauce, so that it is just soaked

• Cook and cover for a further 15 minutes on a low simmer

• Pour over more water if evaporated and season again if required. Stir in the remainder of the coriander and serve on a fluffy bed of white jeera rice

Vegetarian Quorn Kleftiko

I was intrigued by a dish that I saw on tv. A greek dish ~ a Lamb Kleftiko, slow cooked lamb in the oven with distinctive flavours. So I thought to myself how could I come up with something like that for the Vegetarian. Though not slow cooked this dish really came up trumps!

I’ve never put Quorn that I cook in the oven but the intensity of the leeks and the sweetness of the tomato really infused well with the Quorn. Kleftiko being a Greek dish, I decided to serve it with some tzatziki in a wrap. You could even have it with some flat bread as the tzatziki brings tangyness and moisture to this dish.

Something really healthy, filling and different from the norm! I hope you enjoy! x

INGREDIENTS

350g frozen Quorn™ chicken style pieces
2 leeks finely sliced
2 tomatoes in wedges
Handful of cherry tomatoes halves
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 tsp ground cumin & coriander powder
½ tsp paprika
salt to taste
2 tbsp olive oil

METHOD

• Heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a non stick saucepan and add the quorn pieces, mix thoroughly so all the pieces are coated in the oil. Cover and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally

• Meanwhile heat up the other tablespoon of olive oil in a non stick frying pan, throw in the leeks and garlic wait until soft on a low to medium heat. Season with the salt

• Preheat the oven to 180°c/350°f/gas mark 4. Once the quorn pieces are tender after the initial phase, season with paprika and the ground cumin & coriander powder, mix well

• Add the leeks into the saucepan with the quorn. Combine well and turn out into a baking dish. Dot the wedges of tomato and the cherry tomatoes in between the quorn and leek mixture

• Place into the oven for 10 minutes, mix through and smash the tomatoes a little to release its juices and bake for a further 10 minutes. The tomatoes will now be soft and tender and the quorn pieces will have crisped up a bit

• Serve in a tortilla wrap with some home made Tzatziki, don’t worry recipe will appear here soon. Enjoy x

Vegetarian Thai Mexican soup

This soup first started off as a vegetarian Mexican soup and then I decided to change it up a bit by introducing a Thai edge to it. I love fusion food and this really works. The ginger and chilli warms the palette and the lime is the tangy twist that really lifts this soup. The addition of quorn, leek and courgette makes this soup even healthier. One of my invented favourites for sure!

INGREDIENTS

For the Thai quorn chicken ~
300g Quorn chicken style pieces
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp grated ginger
A little fresh red chilli
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp salt
Dried red chilli seeds pinch

For the Mexican soup base ~
1 large courgette grated
1 leek grated
1 garlic clove crushed
A little tomato passata or tomato pureé for flavour
1300 ml of water
1 veg stock cube
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin and coriander powder
salt to taste
Juice of 1/2 lime or more to taste
cornflour to thicken

METHOD

To make the thai quorn chicken
1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and let the ginger and red chilli infuse into the oil for a couple of minutes. Add the quorn pieces and coat well in the chilli oil, add water and salt and cover for 10 minutes on a low flame

2. The pieces should now be tender, stir in the sweet chilli sauce and cook for a further 5-7 minutes on a low flame. Leave to rest, once cooled a little, shred in a food processor to small gravel size pieces

3. Meanwhile start the soup base, heat the oil and add the courgette, leek and garlic.

Sauté for a few minutes until soft, throw in the paprika, cumin and coriander powder, salt and crumble in the stock cube.
Cook for 2 minutes and then pour in the water and stir in the passata or puree, bring to a boil and gently mix in the quorn thai pieces

4. Cook on a medium to low flame for a further 10 minutes, you may need to thicken the soup using 1 tsp cornflour diluted in a tbsp of water. Just add this mixture to the soup and stir well to thicken. Lastly squeeze in the lime juice and garnish with coriander. Serve with home made tortilla baked chips

My valued mini blackboard where all my ideas come to fruition!

Veggie Spaghetti Bolognese

Yes, its soya mince again! I really can’t get enough of the stuff. I think that it’s amazing how vegetarians these days are so lucky, especially in the UK to have so much choice and variation with their diet. If you haven’t tried any of the Quorn products you are seriously missing out. I urge you to try soya mince! Not only is it good for you but so very satisfying after eaten in a good way. Not in a bloated or stodgy way! It’s great!!

Here in this recipe, the bolognese has a lot of flavour and the spaghetti manages to absorb and adds to this wonderful healthy and scrumptious dish. As you can probably tell, I just love Pasta!!!

INGREDIENTS

300g soya mince pack frozen
1 large carrot grated
1 medium onion grated
2 sticks celery grated
2 cloves garlic crushed
500g tomato passata
1 stock cube
150 ml water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp spaghetti bolognese powder
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp olive oil
spaghetti cooked al dente

METHOD

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Throw in oregano and half of the crushed garlic. Let it sizzle on a low flame and then add the mirepoix (trio of grated onion, carrot and celery) Mix well and cook covered for 5 minutes

2. Once the trio mixture is softened pour in the passata plus the garlic and crumble in the stock cube. Put in all the other seasoning ingredients and stir in the water. Let the sauce cook for a further 4 minutes on a low flame covered

3. Carefully mix in the soya mince. Combine well, at this stage you, may need to add a little more water depending upon consistency of sauce. Bring to the boil and then simmer on a low flame for 10 minutes. Stir and simmer again for a further 15/20 minutes covered

4. Once ready plate up some al dente spaghetti and scoop out some delicious bolognese and smother the spaghetti. Serve with a grated hard cheese of your choice

Chilli quorn carne

As a child I always wondered what the fascination for chilli con carne was all about. Being a vegetarian stopped me from eating it! Until…Soya mince came on the scene. Ever since then I have been making this dish and now know why so many love chilli con carne so! Hope you enjoy my veggie take on this classic!

INGREDIENTS

300g Quorn frozen soya mince
200g tomato passata
1 tin kidney beans with water
1 large onion chopped finely
1/2 red bell pepper diced
4 garlic cloves crushed
1 hot chilli finely sliced
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp paprika
3 tsp taco spice mix
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 level tsp salt
1/3 tsp sugar
Squeeze of tomato ketchup
1/2 juice of lime

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add chilli. Wait 2 minutes on a low heat then add the onion, pepper and garlic. Once the onion is translucent, slowly pour in the passata

2. Throw in paprika, cumin, taco spice, salt and sugar. Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes. Mix in the soya mince, then pour in the water

3. Bring to the boil and then cover and simmer for 12 minutes. Stirring half way through

4. Lastly put in the kidney beans and its water and simmer low for a further 20 minutes uncovered. Stirring occasionally

5. Squeeze in the lime juice, stir and then serve on a bed of American rice or with some nacho chips and sour cream

Sweet, sour and spicy quorn

I love using Quorn in my recipes as it’s low in fat, high in protein and fibre and tastes delicious. It is so versatile and I’m sure I will be using it in more recipes to come, especially as my little ones love it too!

INGREDIENTS

300g Quorn chicken style pieces (frozen)
1 medium onion in crescent slices
1 green bell pepper sliced
1 chilli finely sliced
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp ground coriander & cumin
squeeze of lemon juice

METHOD

1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a non stick pan and fry the quorn pieces on a medium heat until they take on a golden colour

2. Remove quorn from the pan and put aside on a plate

3. Using the same pan, heat the remaining tbsp of oil and add the onion, chilli and pepper. Stir fry until onion and pepper soften a little

4. Put in the soy sauce, tomato ketchup, ground coriander/cumin and lemon juice. Mix well and put on a low heat and cook for 10 minutes so that the flavours infuse

5. Once ready serve with this wonderful sesame rice with vegetables

Recipe for rice http://www.thefunofcooking.com/rice-with-vegetables-and-sesame-the-perfect-side-dish-you-never-get-bored-of-it/