I am not a vegetarian and don’t think I would ever decide to be one, but I often have a meatless meal, sometimes by choice and often by chance. Depending upon what is at the market, in the refrigerator, freezer or store cupboard I often whip up a dish and find that the components sing loud and clear without the fish, fowl or meat addition. Meatless Mondays also feature on a regular basis!
This week, National Vegetarian Week as it happens, I have been trying out a few old favourites and developing some new.
I’ve been persuaded by the glowing looks of celebrities like Annie Lennox, Alexa Chung and Leona Lewis that they might be onto something!
Further evidence comes from The American Dietetic Association, who say that vegetarians have lower rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and other health problems, so going vegetarian makes sense from a health point of view too.
Certainly a veggie diet isn’t boring as these 3 recipes will amply illustrate. There’s a hearty main meal salad with warm green beans, potatoes and griddled halloumi cheese; a most flavoursome curry dish using spinach, tomatoes and chick peas; and finally a sweet and succulent fruit kebab dish that rounds off a bbq style or alfresco meal perfectly. A truly vegetarian feast!
WARM GREEN BEAN, HALLOUMI AND POTATO SALAD
This is a fabulous and substantial salad, ideal for a main meal. The fresh herbs and olives give it a real flavour of the Mediterranean.
Ingredients
Metric/US
225g/1/2 lb small new or waxy potatoes, sliced
225g/1/2 lb fine green beans, trimmed
75 ml/1/3 cup fat-free French dressing
50g/2 oz baby capers, rinsed
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
12 black olives, stoned
150g/5 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
salt and freshly ground black pepper
low-fat cooking spray or mist
200g/1/2 lb reduced-fat or lighter halloumi cheese
Method
1. Place the potatoes in a medium pan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until cooked. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil, add the green beans and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Mix the French dressing with the capers, mint, dill and olives. Then add the potatoes, green beans, tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste, mixing well.
4. Spritz a non-stick frying pan with the low-fat spray and heat until hot. Add the halloumi cheese and cook for 1 minute on each side until golden brown. Remove and cut into bite-sized cubes.
5. Add to the salad and mix gently to serve.
SERVES 4
WLS PORTION: ½
V suitable for vegetarians
CALORIES PER PORTION: 212
PROTEIN: 14.9g
CARBOHYDRATE: 14.3g
FAT: 10.4g
SPINACH, CHICKPEA AND TOMATO CURRY
Here is a tasty vegetarian low-fat supper dish that came about almost by accident…I simply looked at what I had available in the refrigerator and store cupboard and decided I wanted something with a curry-like kick. Hey presto, here’s the result. Serve with Naan bread if liked and tolerated.
Ingredients
Metric/US
low-fat cooking spray or mist
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tsp chopped fresh ginger
1 tbsp medium curry paste (I used a Moglai blend but use your favourite)
400g/14 oz can chopped tomatoes
400g/14 oz can chick peas, undrained
salt and freshly ground black pepper
250g/1/2 lb spinach, washed and shredded
4 tbsp/5 tbsp 0% fat-free Greek yogurt
4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander/cilantro
Method
1. Spritz a medium pan with the low-fat cooking spray. Heat until hot, add the garlic, onion and ginger and cook until softened and golden. Stir in the curry paste and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes to make a thick sauce, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in the chick peas with their liquid and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Add the spinach, cook gently for 2 minutes or until the spinach is just cooked. Serve with a spoonful of yogurt and scattered with a good sprinkling of chopped fresh coriander/cilantro. Serve with Naan bread if liked and tolerated.
SERVES 4
WLS PORTION: ½
V suitable for vegetarians
CALORIES PER PORTION: 134
PROTEIN: 9.2g
CARBOHYDRATE: 17.2g
FAT: 3.4g
GRIDDLED APPLE KEBABS WITH GINGER YOGURT DIP
These juicy fruit kebabs with a zingy dip make the perfect end to any meal. I have made them with Pink Lady apples because they are perfectly pink and sweet.
Ingredients
Metric/US
I Pink Lady apple, cored and cut into 12 wedges
¼ small pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into cubes
4 tbsp sugar-free or reduced sugar apricot jam/jelly
150g/2/3 cup 0% fat Greek yogurt
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
a few fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
Method
1. Thread the apple and pineapple pieces onto 4 skewers. Brush with 1 tbsp of the jam.
2. Heat a griddle pan until really hot, add the skewers and cook for 4-5 minutes, turning frequently until char-grilled/char-broiled. Remove and allow to cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, mix the yogurt with the remaining jam and ginger, mixing well. Serve the kebabs while warm (do not serve too soon, the fruit mixture will be very hot) with the yogurt dip and scattered with a few torn mint leaves.
SERVES 2
WLS PORTION: ½
V suitable for Vegetarians
CALORIES PER PORTION: 137
PROTEIN: 7.4g
CARBOHYDRATE: 26.5g
FAT: 0.2g