the veggie recipes ever GREATEST HEALTHIEST

the
GREATEST
HEALTHIEST
TASTIEST
veggie recipes ever
‘I create food that people want
to eat that just happens to be
healthy and low fat.’
Dan Green, TV Chef
Lean cuisine withDan Green
I
was
pretty
miserable as a
teenager because
I was so fat. I was
about 4 stone
overweight
and
I had no idea
about health and
nutrition so I just
used to eat all the
wrong foods.
One day I finally decided I’d had
enough... I started reading through
books and magazines to try to learn
more about food and how it worked.
This led to me making recipes and
experimenting with healthier ways of
cooking. As a result, I lost nearly 5
stone over the next few years and I
grew to love cooking with different
herbs, spices and flavours. Gradually
I developed my own recipes and I
began to be asked to help friends
and family and colleagues at work. I
really worked at learning all about
nutrition because the key to all this
was to be healthy. There is no point
being thin and unhealthy. Nor is there
any need to eat boring foods. Half of
the meals I make, you wouldn’t even
realise they were good for you!
I’ve kept the weight loss for 8 years
now – and it also had another spin-off.
I was lucky enough to be taken on by
a top model agency and I modelled
for about 4 years in magazines,
newspapers and TV commercials.
However, I realised that modelling
was not where my heart lay. I really
wanted to continue learning about
healthy eating and nutrition – and to
continue helping others to lose weight.
It was always at the back of my mind
how miserable I had been when I was
fat, and I know that many people feel
the same way. I just wanted to help
others feel good about themselves
and to help them re-educate their
whole way of thinking when it came
to food.
I do not believe in diets but a change
of life approach. My focus is also
on the maintenance which can be
as difficult as losing the weight to
start with. I’ve adapted my favourite
foods to low-fat healthy versions. I
hope you enjoy these delicious and
healthy vegetarian recipes!
5 good reasons
to go veggie...
According to a detailed report by the
World Cancer Research fund and the
American Institute for Cancer Research,
vegetarians have been shown to have lower
overall mortality, lower risk of heart dsease,
lower obesity, and longer average life
expectancy than the general population.
Eating meat exposes you to all the
nasty substances in the bloodstream
of intensively farmed animals, such as
antibiotics, hormones and possibly even BSE.
Animals naturally form close bonds
with each other and experience a
range of emotions, but on modern farms
they are treated as meat products and
slaughtered at a very young age.
‘Farmed animals consume vast
quantities of water, beans and
grains, whilst people starve. Much as we
have awakened to the full economic and
social costs of cigarettes, we will find we
can no longer subsidise or ignore the costs
of mass-producing cattle, poultry, pigs,
sheep and fish to feed our growing
population.’ Ed Ayres, editorial director of
the Worldwatch Institute, Time Magazine
One quarter of the earth’s surface
is wasted as pasture for livestock,
while wildlife habitats dwindle.
The Nutritional Benefits
of an Animal-Free Diet
Fancy adding extra years to your
lifespan? Want to know the best foods
to eat for optimum health? Welcome
to the animal-free diet!
Whilst the media may be confused
about what food we should eat (on
Monday soya is scary, by Friday it’s
our saviour), science is not similarly
confused. A huge body of scientific
evidence now shows us that a wellbalanced, 100% plant-based diet is
the ideal vehicle for the promotion of
human health. Based on wholegrains,
pulses, fruits, vegetables, seeds and
nuts, it is these foods that provide all
the essential nutrients – vitamins,
minerals, essential fats, protein,
starchy carbohydrate and fibre – that
we must take into our bodies if we
want not just to survive, but to thrive!
The average Western diet by contrast
- based on meat, milk, saturated fat,
sugar and salt - is deficient in many
essential nutrients. And if you do not
give the body what it needs then you
are likely to become ill – evidenced by
spiralling rates of diet-related diseases
such as obesity, type II diabetes and
heart disease. Following a balanced
vegan diet means you are at less risk
of suffering these conditions.
So what types of food provide the
body with some of the key nutrients
such as protein, calcium and iron? The
problem with protein in the Western
diet is actually more to do with eating
too much than eating too little! Plantbased diets provide sufficient protein
from grains (e.g. rice) and pulses (e.g.
beans) and these contain all the amino
acids (building blocks of protein) that
we need. What of the mantra that
says dairy = calcium = strong bones?
Along with exercise, calcium is crucial
for bones but green leafy vegetables,
seeds, nuts and calcium-fortified soya
milks all provide calcium, too. Plant
foods help the body retain the calcium
in the bones – more so than dairy
products. Is red meat necessary for
iron? Definitely not! Iron is found in
dried fruits, wholegrains and pulses while vitamin C (from fruits and
vegetables) aids its absorption.
Obtaining a vital daily source of
vitamin B12 on an animal-free diet is
often seen as problematic but, in fact,
many foods are fortified with it –
breakfast cereals, margarines, yeast
extracts and soya products. Then
there are the seaweeds and sea
vegetables for iodine; brazil nuts for
selenium and linseeds (flax) and rapeseed oil for supplying the essential
(good) fats people mistakenly believe
are only supplied by oily fish.
Balanced animal-free diets are rich in
taste and variety and can easily
provide the body with all its nutritional
needs. The tasty recipes in this
booklet prove that saying goodbye to
meat, eggs and dairy products is the
way forward for health and, of course,
compassion.
Laura M Scott, RNutr., MSc Nutrition
Foot-note: Sherry, wine and beer are often
‘fined’ (meaning cleared/clarified) by using
one of the following: bone marrow, egg
albumen, fish oil, gelatine, isinglass (from the
bladder of fish), milk or milk casein. There
are non-animal alternatives to this process
and some wines etc. show that they are
animal-free. The Co-op, for example, clearly
label their own alcoholic drinks that are free
from animal products and processes.
Tbsp = tablespoon = 15ml / Tsp = teaspoon = 5ml
Ingredients
2 packets of ready-made flour
tortillas or fajitas
Marinated tofu
2 x 250g/8 oz pkts firm plain
tofu – cut into 1/2 inch thick strips
8 tbsp soy sauce
4 cloves garlic
– peeled and crushed
2 wine glasses medium sherry
1 tsp flaked chilli or
1 fresh chilli - chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
Salsa
Bunch fresh coriander
leaves - chopped
8 medium tomatoes - chopped
1 red onion – finely chopped
1
/2 red chilli – very finely chopped
1 clove garlic – peeled and crushed
Juice and zest of 1 lime or lemon
Salad
1
/2 mauve cabbage
– finely shredded
2 grated carrots
1 red pepper – de-seeded
and cut into thin strips
1 yellow pepper – as above
Guacamole
2
2
1
1
1
large avocados – mashed
tbsp plain soya yoghurt
red onion – finely chopped
lemon – zest and juice
clove garlic – peeled and crushed
Serves 4
MexicanTofuFajitas
Make individual wraps with the tofu strips, salad and dollops of salsa
and guacamole.
Stir together soy sauce, sherry, garlic,
chilli and oil. Put the strips of tofu in
the bottom of a grill pan (having
removed the grill rack) and pour
marinade over. Leave to marinate for
at least an hour. To cook: heat grill to
high and place grill pan containing
marinated tofu under the heat. Grill
for approx 20-30 minutes until all the
marinade has evaporated, turning
tofu once halfway through.
Alternatives: Use 2 packets smoked
tofu, cut into 1/4 inch strips. Oil both
sides very lightly and grill on high for
approx 10-15 minutes until slightly crisp.
(Turn halfway through.) Alternatively,
buy 4 packets of marinated tofu - no
cooking involved! (Different varieties
of tofu are available in health food
shops and larger supermarkets.)
For the salsa, put chopped onion,
tomatoes, coriander and red chilli in a
bowl. Add garlic and the zest and
juice of lime or lemon. Stir and keep in
fridge till needed.
(To get the zest - and no bitter pith use the finest part of a grater and
only grate off the very outer surface.)
Mix all the salad ingredients in a bowl
and set aside.
To make the guacamole, mash the
avocado, add all other ingredients, mix
well and put in serving bowl. Making it
at last minute will stop the avocado
turning brown (the lemon will help to
prevent this).
Ingredients
500g (1 lb) cous cous
– follow cooking
instructions on packet
1x 410g (16oz) tin
chickpeas – drained
and rinsed
1 large red onion
– finely chopped
1 head of broccoli
– cut into small florets
75g (3oz) cherry tomatoes
– cut in half
75g (3oz) fresh french
beans – cut in half
75g (3oz) baby corn
Fresh chillies, to taste
– chopped finely
Moroccan Chick Pea Stew
With Cous Cous
In a large wok or saucepan heat the
oil and cook onion for 2 minutes.
Add the cumin, coriander, garlic and
chilli. Stir over a medium heat for 23 minutes; make sure it does not
burn. Turn down heat and add the
stock, chickpeas and grated ginger.
Stir and cover, cook over a low heat
for 10 minutes. Now add the florets
of broccoli, beans, tomatoes and
baby corn and stir mixture. Cook
covered until vegetables are heated
through and soft enough for
individual taste. When cooked,
garnish with coriander and serve
with cous cous.
3 cloves garlic
– peeled and crushed
2.5cm (1in) piece fresh
ginger – grated
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp olive oil
1 veggie stock cube
dissolved in 500ml (1pt)
boiling water
Handful fresh coriander
– roughly chopped
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 pkt brown rice
1 large butternut squash
– peel, cut in half lengthwise,
de-seed and cube
200g (7oz) frozen peas
400g (14oz) spinach
– washed
400g (14oz) tin tomatoes
– chopped
2 onions – chopped
2 cloves garlic
– peeled and crushed
1 veggie stock cube
dissolved in 375ml (3/4pt)
boiling water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp black mustard seed
– if unavailable use white
mustard seed
1 tsp ground cardamom
– or 5-6 roughly crushed
whole pods
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
4 dry curry leaves
– if available
Butternut Squash Curry
Heat the oil in a large pan over a
medium heat. Add the mustard
seeds and cook until they pop.
Add the onion, garlic, cardamom,
coriander and cook for 1 or 2
minutes. Add butternut and tomato
and cook for 8 minutes. Heat the
stock and add along with curry
leaves and garam masala. Cook on
low heat until butternut is soft,
approx 20-30 minutes. For the last
few minutes add the spinach and
peas and stir until spinach has
wilted and peas are heated through.
Serve with brown rice.
The golden rule for fluffy brown
rice: 1 coffee mug brown rice
(organic is best) to every 11/3 coffee
mugs of cold water.
Use a coffee mug approx size
250ml (9fl.oz) Each mug full of rice
will make enough to serve 2. Rinse
the rice well. Drain rice and place,
with the measured water, in a large
heavy based saucepan with a wellfitted lid. Bring the rice to the boil
with the lid off. Lower the heat and
simmer VERY SLOWLY for 40
minutes with the lid on. All the liquid
will have been absorbed and rice
cooked to fluffy separate grains.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 x 250g/8oz packets of
non-egg noodles – cook as
directed on packet
1x 250g (8oz) packet of
smoked tofu – cut into
small cubes
Bunch spring onions
– chopped
500g (1lb) portobello
mushrooms – chopped
roughly
1 red pepper – de-seeded,
and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
– peeled and crushed
1 tbsp of sesame oil
Teriyaki glaze
6 tbsp dry sherry
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp sugar
Japanese Noodles
With Portobello Mushrooms & Teriyaki Glaze
In a large saucepan heat the water
to cook the noodles. While this water
is heating make the glaze by putting
all the ingredients in a pan and
cook over a full heated ring. Turn
down heat once glaze is hot and
stir constantly until thick – about
10 minutes. Take off heat and
leave aside.
Take a wok or large saucepan and
put in sesame oil. Over a high heat
add the mushrooms and garlic, stir
all the time. When starting to sizzle
and the water from the mushrooms
starts to evaporate, add the red
pepper and cook through, then
throw in the spring onions and tofu.
Allow to warm through. Turn off
heat and put lid on pan to keep
mixture warm while cooking the
noodles.
Cook noodles, as directed, in the
already-boiling water and drain. Stir
the noodles into the mushroom
mixture along with the teriyaki glaze.
Serve straight away.
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 large sweet potatoes
– peeled
Sprig of rosemary
– taken off stalk
Fresh ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
Burgers
2x 400g (2x14oz) cans
butter beans, drained
and rinsed
6-8 spring onions
– chopped
1 clove garlic
– peeled and chopped
2.5cm (1in) piece of
fresh ginger - grated
1 small red chilli
Handful fresh
coriander leaves
1 lemongrass stalk
– top and tail it, then
smash it under handle
of a knife and chop
1 lime – juice
1 tbsp soy sauce
100g (3.5oz) plain flour
Olive oil for frying
Fresh ground pepper
Thai Bean Burgers
& Sweet Potato Wedges
Pre-heat oven to 180˚C/350˚F/Gas
Mark 4. Cut the potatoes into
wedges, oil a baking sheet, place on
wedges and turn in the oil. Sprinkle
with rosemary and pepper. Bake for
approx 20-25 minutes.
In a blender/processor put the garlic,
ginger, chilli, coriander, smashed and
chopped lemon grass, lime juice and
soy sauce and whiz until smooth
paste. (If you don’t have a blender/
processor chop the ingredients
very, very finely). Roughly mash the
butter beans, add the chopped
spring onions and paste, mix well and
mould into burger-shaped patties.
Put the flour on a plate and season
with fresh ground black pepper.
Gently turn the patties in the flour to
coat. In a large frying pan add the oil
and fry the burgers on a high heat
for a few minutes each side.
Serve with a delicious fresh salad.
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 avocados – chopped
A sophisticated, Saturday night dinner party menu – Starter
6 large tomatoes – chopped
6 spring onions
– thinly sliced
1 small red chilli
– finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Handful fresh basil
– chopped
Tomato sauce
1 x 400 (14oz)
can tomatoes
1 clove garlic
1 small red chilli
To garnish
4 slices of very thinly cut
toast, or store-bought
Melba toast
2 tsp sesame oil
Handful fresh parsley
– chopped small
Tomato & AvocadoTowers
Put chopped tomatoes, basil, and
chilli in a bowl and mix well. In
another bowl, chop the avocados
with the lemon juice and add sliced
spring onions. Mix well.
To make the tomato sauce, place
all three ingredients in a blender or
food processor and whiz until
smooth. Leave aside in a bowl.
Make one tower per person. If you
don’t have a professional serving
ring you can make your own by
cutting the top and bottom off a
400g tin/can to use as a frame.
Place serving ring/tin in the middle
of each dining plate and spoon in
a layer of the avocado mix then
the tomato mix. Lift the ring off –
carefully! - leaving a tower. Spoon
the tomato sauce around each
tower. Top the tower with a quarter
of toast and drizzle with a little
sesame oil. Sprinkle with a little
parsley, salt and freshly ground
black pepper.
Serves 4
as a starter
Ingredients
320g (12oz) risotto rice
2 veggie stock cubes
dissolved in 1 litre
(13/4 pts) water
2 onions – finely chopped
3 sticks celery
– finely chopped,
or 3 carrots – grated
250g (8oz) frozen peas
1 glass of white wine
(optional)
2 cloves garlic
– peeled and crushed
125g (4oz) fresh
asparagus tips
2 tbsp olive oil
Handful fresh basil leaves
rolled up and chopped
A sophisticated, Saturday night dinner party menu – Main Course
Asparagus Risotto
Wash asparagus tips. Bring stock
water to the boil and cook the
asparagus in it for about 3-4
minutes, then remove and set aside.
Keep stock on low heat. In a large
frying pan or saucepan heat oil and
cook the garlic, onion and celery or
carrots for a minute or two, add the
risotto rice and stir this into the
vegetable and oil mixture so that it is
well coated. Add wine if using and
allow to sizzle, turning mixture
constantly. Now start adding the hot
stock into the rice mixture a ladlefull at a time and stir well. When this
stock has been absorbed add the
next ladle-full. Carry on until all
stock is used up and rice is cooked.
Should take approx 20-25 minutes.
Five minutes before the end, add
the peas and asparagus and allow
to warm through. Take off heat, fold
in basil and season with freshly
ground black pepper to taste.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 loaf thick-slice, soft,
white bread or whole loaf
cut into 1/2in slices.
A sophisticated Saturday night dinner party menu – Dessert
250g (8oz) strawberries
Asian Summer Pudding
100ml (3.5fl.oz)
orange juice
1 largo mango
– peeled and stoned
1 papaya
– peeled and de-seeded
1 x 400g (14oz) tin lychees
– drain and keep juice
aside. If using fresh
lychees, use 10-15,
skinned and stoned
1 tsp sugar – but leave out
if using tinned lychees
Carton soya cream or
soya ice cream
Alternative fruit
suggestions:
3 kiwis: cut in 1/2 & scoop
out flesh
1 pomegranate: cut in 1/2
and scoop out seeds
The longer this is made in advance the better – preferably the
day before.
Use either a pudding bowl or 4
separate ramekins.
Blend the strawberries to a pulp
(with the sugar if not using tinned
lychees) by mashing or in a food
processor and mix in the orange
juice. Cut up rest of the fruit small
and set aside. Remove the crust
and dip slices of bread in the
strawberry/orange mix and line
pudding basin or ramekin with it.
Scoop in the chopped fruit mix and
put slice of strawberry/orange juice
bread on top. Place a plate on
pudding basin and weight down
with something heavy (a full food tin
or proper kitchen weight). Leave
overnight in fridge so all flavours
mull and basin shape will hold. To
turn out: take off weight and plate,
place the serving dish you wish to
display your pudding on over the
pudding basin, hold tightly and turn
over. Very carefully lift off basin and
hopefully, your fruit-soaked bread
pudding will ease out and keep its
shape. Slice and serve with soya
cream or ice cream. Also offer
lychee juice in a small jug.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 large, red onions
1x 400g (14oz) tin lentils
– drain and rinse
6 slices day-old wholemeal
bread – rubbed through
hands and broken
into crumbs
250g (1/2lb) fresh
chestnuts – shell, peel
and chop coarsely (or use
vacuum packed whole
chestnuts)
4 sticks celery
– finely chopped
A few sage leaves
– finely chopped
Sprig thyme leaves
– taken off stalk
Sprig rosemary
– taken off stalk
Handful fresh parsley
– chopped
Olive oil
Salt and fresh ground
black pepper to taste
Serves 4
Chestnut stuffed roasted onions
Sunday roast with a twist! Serve with sesame spinach and potato &
parsnip cakes.
To make stuffing (this can be made
in advance and kept in fridge over
night): Preheat the oven to 160˚C
/325˚F/Gas Mark 3. Place breadcrumbs
in a shallow baking tin and bake in
oven until golden, approx 10-15
minutes. Take out and allow to cool.
In a large saucepan heat enough oil
to cook the celery and herbs (except
parsley), over a moderate heat, until
celery is soft. Add chestnuts and
cook a further minute. Add the lentils
and breadcrumbs to the chestnut
mix. Stir in parsley, salt and pepper.
Let stuffing cool completely.
For the onions, chop off tops and
keep aside. Peel, then chop off
bottoms so they will sit on a flat
surface. Use your hands to rub a
little oil over surface of onions.
Sprinkle with pepper and roast at
180˚C/350˚F/Gas Mark 4 for 20
minutes – or until they start to
soften. Take out of oven and when
cool enough to handle, push out the
centres, leaving a hollow shell to
take stuffing. Chop up the residue
onion and add to stuffing. Fill the
hollow onions with the stuffing. Sit
the onion tops back on and bake in
the oven for a further 30 minutes.
Roll any residue stuffing into balls,
cook with the onions and serve on
the side.
Ingredients
Sesame spinach
1 kg (2.2lb) spinach
– chop if large leafed
1/2 a veggie stock cube
dissolved in 120ml (4fl oz
or 6 tbsp) boiling water
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsp sesame oil
Potato &
parsnip balls
500g (1lb) potatoes
500g (1lb) parsnips
8 spring onions
– thinly chopped
1 clove garlic
– peeled and crushed
3 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp fresh chives
– finely chopped
Olive oil
Sesame Potato &
Parsnip Balls
Spinach
Crush the sesame seeds in a pestle
and mortar or coffee grinder. Wash
spinach well. In a large saucepan
put in stock water and sesame
oil. Bring to the boil and fold in
spinach a handful at a time. When
spinach has wilted – should only
take a few minutes – turn off heat
and fold in the soy sauce and
sesame seeds.
Alternative serving suggestion:
use spring or winter greens.
Fresh ground pepper
and salt
Serves 4
Preheat oven to 220˚C/425˚F/Gas
Mark 7 (or 200˚C/400˚F/Gas Mark 6
if fan-assisted). In a large pan, parboil (half cook) half the potatoes
and take out, leaving the rest to
cook right through. Grate the parboiled potatoes (when cool enough
to do so). When the rest are cooked
thoroughly, drain and mash. Grate
the parsnips and combine all the
ingredients, season with pepper and
salt to taste. Make into walnut size
balls. Place balls in a greased baking
tin and bake in the hot oven for
10-15 minutes.
Serves 4
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