Vegetable Burger

Burgers don't have to contain meat!  In fact there are any number of vegetable-based alternatives to buy these days but it's also quick and easy to make your own.  They're far cheaper, much healthier for you and you can vary the flavour and ingredients to suit your own taste.

This is the recipe I use most often because, apart from the fact that we love them, in the summer when I'm picking courgettes in the garden daily, this is a handy way of using them up!   As well as being full of fresh vegetables, the burgers contain tinned chick peas and are gently spiced with cumin and coriander. 

I usually serve the burgers with a simple tomato sauce (made with an onion, garlic, basil and a tin of tomatoes),  with rice or potatoes and a side vegetable such as leeks and peas. 

Of course, they also go down well in a burger bun! 

Ingredients                        Makes about 10 burgers

1 medium onion
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cumin seeds (or ground cumin)
2 tsp ground coriander
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 medium courgettes
225g carrots
85g wholemeal bread
400g can chick peas, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp fresh parsley or coriander
2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter

In a large frying pan or saute pan, fry the chopped onion in the olive oil for about five minutes until soft.  Pound the cumin seeds in a pestle and mortar and add to the pan with the ground coriander.  Stir fry over a medium heat for a few minutes.

Finely dice the courgettes and grate the carrot on a coarse grater. 

Add them to the pan with the crushed garlic and fry for about five minutes over a medium heat stirring often. If the mixture looks dry, just add a drizzle more olive oil. Once the vegetables are starting to soften, remove from the heat and leave for a few minutes to cool down.

Meanwhile, in a food processor,  blend the bread into breadcrumbs.   Place them in a large bowl with the peanut butter.   Next,  blend the parsley (or chop by hand) and add to the bowl.   Finally blend the drained chick peas until smooth.

Add them to the bowl together with the cooked vegetables.  Season with freshly ground salt and pepper and mix well.  
Then leave the mixture to cool down completely.

The mixture usually makes about 10 medium sized burgers.   You can either shape them by hand or spoon into rings or large pastry cutters.  I do this on some lining paper saved from a cereal packet to stop them sticking.

Cover and chill for a few hours.    I usually freeze some of the burgers at this point by laying them out on some lining paper on a tray in the freezer.  Once frozen, I transfer them to a large bag.

When required,  fry on both sides in a little olive oil.  

  

Red Pepper Hummus

It seems like everyone is talking about lowering their cholesterol these days. What's more, they seem really stressed about it, worried about the onset of heart disease and complaining they'll have to give up creamy desserts forever. 

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance transported around the body in the bloodstream. It can build up inside our arteries as a result of eating too much saturated fat, much of which comes from animal products. There's plenty of evidence to show that increasing our intake of fresh fruit and vegetables and cutting out meat, eggs and dairy products as well as processed foods can reduce cholesterol levels considerably.

Drugs that are prescribed for lowering cholesterol often have side effects such as kidney and liver damage.  Lowering cholesterol naturally seems a far safer option and has so many more life-enhancing benefits too, such as weightloss and added vitality. What's more, there's evidence to show that, in the long run, dietary change is far more effective.

In addition to eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables,  other foods low in fat include soya milk, olive oil and pulses.  So, instead of cheese or eggs for lunch, why not try this deliciously smooth pate made with a can of chickpeas and red peppers.  Serve it with warm ciabatta or toasted pitta bread and salad for a tasty well-balanced meal.  It's also good served as a dip with crudites e.g. strips of carrot, celery, cucumber and red pepper.  

You can either use two red peppers or, for extra quickness, use ready roasted ones from a jar or a combination of the two as I've done here.   I buy peppers marinated in olive oil and herbs but if you find yours contain vinegar, I would leave out the lemon juice in the recipe.

This keeps really well in the fridge for a week and definitely improves in flavour a day or two after being made, if you can wait that long!

Ingredients

I red pepper
1 400g can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
About 60g roasted red peppers in oil 
2 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper




First prepare the red pepper if using. Quarter and remove the core and seeds from the pepper.  Place on a baking sheet skin side up and brush with a little olive oil. 

Grill for 5 to 10 mins on a high heat until charred. 

Remove and place a bowl over the top (or put them in a plastic bag and seal) until cool enough to handle, by which time the skin should peel away quite easily.

Chop the skinned pepper into small pieces, place in a bowl and set aside whilst you make the hummus.

Drain the chickpeas and place in a food processor with the crushed garlic and lemon juice.

Blend until smooth, stopping frequently to stir around the side of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything has blended.

Add the roasted red peppers from the jar.  Whizz again adding 2 tbsp of olive oil a little at a time until it becomes a light, soft consistency.

Spoon into a bowl with the skinned and chopped red pepper and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

Before serving, drizzle with a little olive oil and garnish with red pepper pieces or a light dusting of paprika.

Roasted Vegetable Ratatouille with Chickpeas

I always think you can tell quite a lot about someone by noticing what they have in their shopping trolley!  Whether it's piled high with ready-made dishes, fast-food snacks or filled with a colourful selection of fresh raw ingredients, their choice of foods can reveal much about their attitude to health and well-being.

Because Eric and I don't eat any meat, eggs or dairy produce,  many of the products lining the supermarket shelves are simply "off limits" to me so I just pass them by.  I have spent years studying the contents labels on new products and generally know what I can and cannot eat. This is some of the shopping I brought home one day last week. It looked so colourful and appetising, I couldn't resist taking a photo! 

Other weekly basics include soya milk, dairy free margarine, multi grain bread, pasta and rice plus extras such as sun-dried tomatoes, olives and hummus, ready to eat apricots, dairy free yogurts and some dairy-free dark chocolate!

Living on a mostly plant-based diet, we do eat a lot of fresh vegetables and here's a lovely way to prepare them that's good either served hot with rice, pasta or potatoes or cold for lunch another day.  The chickpeas are an optional extra, the recipe works just as well without them.   In the summer and autumn, I use fresh tomatoes and courgettes from the garden but tinned tomatoes are a good substitute at other times.

Ingredients          Serves four

1 large onion
1 aubergine
2 red peppers
2 courgettes
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 cloves garlic
40g sundried tomatoes in oil
400g tin good quality tomatoes
 (or 500g fresh tomatoes, skinned)
400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Extra-virgin olive oil
A handful of fresh basil leaves


Method

Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/Gas Mark 7.  

Put the coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar and grind into pieces.

Wash and then cut the peppers, aubergine and courgettes into pieces approximately 2.5cm or 1” square.  Mix the peppers in a bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 

Transfer to a roasting tray and spread out neatly. Repeat with the courgettes and aubergine, using two trays if necessary rather than squashing all the vegetables on one tray.  Scatter the crushed coriander seeds over the vegetables.

Place the trays in the preheated oven and bake for about 30 - 35 minutes. Check the vegetables once or twice, turning them over so they become evenly cooked.

Meanwhile, chop the onion and crush the garlic cloves and place in a large pan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.  Stir, then cover with a lid and cook gently for about 10 minutes until tender, without browning.  

Now cut up your tomatoes roughly in the tin with a sharp knife and add to the pan together with the chopped sundried tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally until the sauce has reduced and thickened.

When the roasted vegetables are ready, add them to your tomato sauce with the drained chickpeas.

Stir well and taste to check the seasoning.  Cover and continue to simmer on the hob for about 15 minutes. Alternatively place in the oven for 30 minutes at 180C.   

Garnish with fresh basil leaves. Serve with rice, pasta or potatoes and a green vegetable.