Rose Elliot’s New Complete Vegetarian

Guacamole v

This is an authentic guacamole, just avocados, tomatos, coriander leaves, chilli and seasoning, and I love it. It’s great for entertaining; you can prepare the tomatoes, coriander and chillies in advance then mash in the avocados at the last minute to preserve their colour. The quantity of chilli is up to you – start with a little piece and gradually add more until it’s hot enough for you.

SERVES 4

4 tomatoes, finely chopped

bunch of coriander, finely chopped

1–3 fresh green chillies, finely chopped

2 large avocados

salt and freshly ground black pepper

tortilla chips, to serve

Mix the tomatoes and coriander together in a bowl. Add a little of the chopped chillies.

Just before serving, remove the peel and stone from each avocado, cut the flesh into rough chunks and add to the bowl. Mash the avocado pieces with the tomato mixture to make a creamy, chunky dip.

Taste and add more chilli gradually, until it’s as you like it, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve within 30–60 minutes.

Haricot bean and garlic spread

This is great in sandwiches or on savoury biscuits. The basic mixture can be varied in a number of ways.

SERVES 4

125g (4 oz) dried haricot beans, soaked and cooked until tender, then cooled, or 400g can, rinsed and drained

25g (1oz) butter, softened

1 garlic clove, crushed

a few drops of lemon juice

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mash the beans to a smooth paste with a fork, then gradually blend in the butter, garlic and lemon juice. Season well with salt and pepper.

VARIATION

Haricot bean and fresh herb spread

Instead of the garlic add 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley.

Haricot bean and olive spread

Make as described, adding six black olives, pitted and finely chopped or mashed, or 2–3 teaspoons of vegetarian tapenade.

Haricot bean and sundried tomato and basil spread

Make as described and stir in six sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped, or 2–3 teaspoons sun-dried tomato purée, and 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil.

Hazel nut and cream cheese pâté loaf

This easy-to-make loaf may sound unusual but guests who try it always ask for the recipe. Serve it with fresh salad, or in slices as a first course.

SERVES 4–6

50g (2oz) dried breadcrumbs, for coating

250g (9oz) ricotta

125g (4oz) hazel nuts roasted

juice and grated rind of ½ lemon

2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

salt and freshly ground black pepper

a pinch of paprika

crisp lettuce leaves, slices of tomato or cucumber, grated carrot, sprigs of watercress, to serve

Cut a large square of greaseproof paper and sprinkle the breadcrumbs over.

Put the ricotta, hazel nuts, lemon juice and rind and parsley into a bowl and mix until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste and 1 or 2 pinches of paprika.

Turn the cream cheese mixture onto the paper on top of the breadcrumbs. Use the paper to form it into a roll, coating it completely with the crumbs.

Leave the roll in the paper and place in the fridge to chill for several hours.

To serve, unwrap the roll and discard the paper. Place on a bed of lettuce and surround with sliced tomato, cucumber, grated carrot, watercress or anything else you fancy. Alternatively, serve in slices on individual plates, on a pool of chilled tomato sauce.

Hummus v

Homemade hummus is much better than the shop-bought versions. You can make it exactly to your taste and if you keep the ingredients in stock, you can whiz some up in moments any time you fancy it.

SERVES 4–6

200g (7oz) dried chickpeas, soaked and cooked or 2 x 400g cans

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1–3 tbsp tahini

2 tbsp lemon juice

salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO GARNISH

extra olive oil, for drizzling

sprinkling of paprika

lemon wedges

handful of black olives

Drain the chickpeas, reserving the liquid. Blend the chickpeas with the garlic, oil and tahini, starting with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and 250ml (8–9fl oz) of the liquid, to make a purée roughly the consistency of lightly whipped cream.

Taste, adding more tahini if you want a more intense flavour. Season with salt and pepper.

Put the hummus into a large shallow dish, drizzle over some olive oil, sprinkle with paprika and garnish with lemon wedges and black olives.

VARIATION

Red pepper hummus

Make as described, using 1 tablespoon of tahini and 2–4 roasted red peppers from a jar. Blend everything together before adding any liquid, because the red peppers add moisture to the mixture. Flavour with 1–2 pinches of paprika and a drop of Tabasco sauce if you want to make it hotter.

Lentil and mushroom pâté

The earthy flavour of both lentils and mushrooms combines to make this satisfying pâté. It can be served piled up on salad leaves or packed into a pâté dish, with some crackers or melba toast.

SERVES 2 AS A MAIN MEAL, 4 AS A STARTER

125g (4oz) dried green lentils or 400g can

50g (2oz) button mushrooms

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2–4 tsp lemon juice

If you’re using dried lentils, cook them in plenty of water until they’re very tender, about 45–50 minutes, then drain. If using canned lentils, simply drain and rinse.

Wipe the mushrooms and chop them up fairly finely.

Heat the oil in a small saucepan and fry the mushrooms and garlic for 2–3 minutes, then remove them from the heat and mix in the lentils and parsley.

Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Chill before serving.

Lentil and tomato spread

Quick-cooking split red lentils are used for this spread. It tastes great in sandwiches with some raw onion, chutney or sliced tomato.

SERVES 4

125g (4oz) split red lentils

200ml (7fl oz) water

25g (1oz) butter, softened

1 tbsp tomato purée

a few drops of lemon juice

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the lentils in the water for 20–30 minutes or until they’re tender and there’s no water left. Leave to cool.

Mash the butter, tomato purée, lemon juice and some salt and black pepper into the cooked lentils. Beat well with a spoon to make a smooth pâté.

VARIATION

Lentil and chive spread

Make this as described but leaving out the tomato purée and adding 1–2 tablespoons of chopped chives instead.

Lentil and parsley spread

Make as described, leaving out the tomato purée and adding 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley. One or two finely chopped spring onions go well in this, too.

Mushroom pâté

This flavoursome pâté makes an excellent starter. Try it with some croûtes or breadsticks.

SERVES 4

15g (oz) dried porcini mushrooms

450g (1lb) mushrooms

1 garlic clove, peeled

2–4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

25g (1oz) butter or 2 tbsp olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

a squeeze of lemon juice

TO SERVE

a little soured cream or crème fraîche

a sprinkling of paprika

sprigs of flat-leaf parsley

Rinse the porcini mushrooms thoroughly to get rid of any grit. Put them in a small bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 1 hour. Drain and reserve the liquid.

Put the soaked mushrooms and their liquid into a food processor with the ordinary mushrooms, the garlic and the parsley and whiz until everything is finely chopped. Alternatively, roughly slice the mushrooms, then put all the ingredients into a deep bowl and use an electric hand blender.

Heat the butter or oil in a large saucepan and add the mushroom mixture. Stir, then cook, uncovered, for 15–20 minutes or until all liquid has boiled away. Remove the pan from the heat and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Leave to cool. Serve on individual plates with a heaped teaspoon of soured cream or crème fraîche, a sprinkling of paprika and a sprig of parsley on each.

Stilton pâté with walnuts and port

This easy-to-make recipe is perfect at Christmas. Serve it as a starter on individual plates with watercress and a few fresh walnuts, or pile it into a bowl and serve with crackers. Note that the only type of port that is vegetarian is ‘crusted’, a very small category, named because of the ‘crust’ of sediment that forms in the bottle. It is intended to be a more economical alternative to Vintage or Late-bottled Vintage and is made from a blend of several harvests. The date on the label refers to when it was bottled.

SERVES 6

225g (8oz) Stilton cheese

350g (12oz) cream cheese

75g (3oz) butter, softened

3 tbsp ‘crusted’ port

50g (2oz) shelled walnuts, chopped

watercress, to garnish (optional)

crackers or breadsticks, to serve

Grate or crumble the Stilton, place in a bowl with the cream cheese and butter and mix well to a creamy consistency. Stir in the walnuts.

Either spoon the mixture into a small dish and smooth the top, or press it into a fat sausage shape and wrap it in a piece of foil, twisting the two ends like a cracker. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Cut the roll into slices to serve, garnished with watercress, or serve from the bowl, with crackers or breadsticks.

Tapenade v

This can be served as part of a selection of starters or dips, or as part of a tapas platter, perhaps with some crunchy salted almonds, celery sticks, radishes and spring onions. The better the olives, the better the flavour. You can use pitted ones if they look good, or buy them intact and pit them yourself (if you don’t have an olive pitter this is an arduous task, however).

SERVES 4–6

300g (11oz) green or black whole olives, or 225g (8oz) pitted olives

3 tbsp capers, drained, or rinsed and drained if preserved in salt

3 garlic cloves, crushed

3 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, stalks removed

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

a squeeze of lemon juice, to taste

a dash of Tabasco sauce (optional)

If using whole olives, remove the pits then purée with capers, garlic and parsley together with an electric hand blender or in a food processor.

Add the oil and blend well again to make a beautiful, thick mixture. Sharpen with a squeeze or two of lemon juice and perhaps a little dash of Tabasco for an extra kick, if you like.

Tzatziki

Creamy yet light and refreshing, this is great as a dip with pieces of pitta bread as part of a tapas selection, along with juicy black olives, stuffed vine leaves (see page xxx), some cherry tomatoes and any anything else you fancy.

SERVES 2–4

cucumber

salt

250g (9oz) thick full-fat Greek yoghurt

1 small garlic clove, crushed

freshly ground black pepper

tsp red or white wine vinegar

1 tbsp chopped fresh mint or chives

Peel the cucumber and grate it coarsely. Put the grated cucumber into a sieve, mix with a pinch or two of salt, then cover with a small plate with a weight on top and leave over a bowl to drain for 30 minutes to draw out the extra liquid. Pat dry on kitchen paper.

Mix the yoghurt, cucumber and garlic together in a bowl, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Put into a serving bowl and scatter with chopped mint or chives. Serve chilled.

Spicy vegetable and nut pâté with yoghurt sauce

Another easy one to make, this pâté consists of crunchy vegetables and nuts, flavoured with curry and garlic.

SERVES 6

25g (1oz) butter

1 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot (about 50g (2oz)), finely chopped

1 stick of celery, chopped

green pepper (about 50g (2oz)), de-seeded and chopped

red pepper (about 50g (2oz)), de-seeded and chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tbsp mild curry powder

125g (4oz) hazel nuts, roasted and chopped

225g (8oz) ricotta cheese

salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SAUCE

5cm (2in) cucumber

200ml (7fl oz) natural yoghurt

3 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint

Line a 450g (1lb) loaf tin with a strip of non-stick baking parchment to cover the base and come up the two narrow sides.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and fry all the vegetables for 2–3 minutes; they should soften a little, but still be very crunchy.

Add the garlic and curry powder and cook for 1 further minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin – it won’t fill it – and smooth the top. Cover with foil and chill in the fridge for several hours.

Meanwhile make the sauce. Peel and finely chop the cucumber and mix with the yoghurt and mint. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, slip a knife round the edges of the pâté to loosen it, then turn it out of the tin and cut into slices. Place one slice on each plate with some of the sauce on the side.

Bruschetta v

Bruschette are easy to do and make a great snack, starter or canapé. The bases can be made in advance – they will keep for a week wrapped in foil or in an airtight container – and topped just before serving, so that they stay crisp. Choose up to four of the suggested toppings opposite.

FOR THE BASES

1 baguette, cut diagonally into 1cm (in) slices

olive oil, for brushing

Pre-heat the oven to 150°C (300°F), gas mark 2.

Brush the bread on each side with olive oil, place on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or until crisp. Alternatively, you can grill the bread on both sides, or toast it in a toaster first and then brush it with the oil.

Unless I’m just making one or two for a quick snack, I prefer to do them in the oven because it’s easier and they become really crisp and dry. This also means that you can make them in advance as described above.

VARIATION

Garlic bruschetta v

Rub both sides of the grilled or toasted bread with the cut surface of a garlic clove.

Herb bruschetta v

Use rosemary (or other herb) bread to make the bruschetta; or, if you’re using a plain baguette, sprinkle each piece on both sides with a good pinch of crushed rosemary or dried thyme. Cook as described.

Barbecue bruschetta v

Bruschette are great cooked over the barbecue: lay the bread on the grid, cook until crisp and striped with black, then turn the slices over and cook the other side. Have toppings and garnishes laid out ready for people to help themselves.

Crostini v

These are really just smaller, thinner versions of bruschetta with more delicate toppings. Use the slimmest baguette you can find. I usually cut this straight, into circles, rather than diagonally.

Toppings for bruschetta and crostini

Remember that people will be eating these with their fingers, so make sure that the toppings aren’t too runny, and that there is something on top of the base for the pieces to stick to, so they don’t fall off.

Butter bean dip v or drained cannellini beans mashed with garlic and vinaigrette and garnished with black olives.

Tapenade v, bought or homemade garnished with flat-leaf parsley.

Hummus v, bought or homemade, cooked asparagus tips and sesame seeds.

Aubergine and sesame pâté v or baba ganoush garnished with black olives.

Smooth goat’s cheese topped with red onion marmalade.

Mashed blue cheese, cubes of beetroot and sprigs of dill.

Cooked chestnuts (canned or vacuum-packed) mashed to a coarse paste with butter, garlic, lemon juice and salt and pepper, then topped with caperberries.

Finely chopped tomato and torn basil leaves v mixed with olive oil, crushed garlic, salt and pepper.

Garlic and herb cream cheese with chargrilled artichoke hearts (from the deli or a jar).

Lentil and mushroom pâté v topped with grilled red and yellow pepper strips and thyme leaves.

Hummus, bought or homemade, rocket, small cubes of feta cheese, sun-blush (semi-dried) tomatoes and a few pine nuts.

Sandwiches and wraps

Avocado salad v

This is nice on lightly toasted Granary or walnut bread. Mash a medium avocado, adding a squeeze of lemon juice to preserve the colour, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread it over the bread. Add any salad leaves or fresh herbs you fancy – tender lettuce, fresh coriander, rocket, chopped spring onions – and press the slices of bread together gently but firmly.

Brie and peach chutney

Make this as described for stilton and cranberry for a lighter, more summery sandwich. It’s good made in a baguette which has had some of the middle scooped out.

Falafels in pitta v

Fill a pitta bread with chopped lettuce, add some whole or sliced falafels and any other salad you fancy, such as sliced cucumber, spring onion, tomatoes and a few sprigs of coriander. Drizzle with a tablespoonful of tahini that you’ve mixed with water and a dash of lemon juice until smooth and creamy, or with tzatziki, yoghurt dip or mayonnaise thinned with water.

Goat’s cheese and red onion

This is made with the smooth, creamy goat’s cheese that looks like cream cheese. Spread it on your bread – whatever type you fancy (I like raisin and rosemary) top with some very thin slices of red onion, and press the slices together.

Greek salad in pitta bread

Make a Greek salad as described on page 90, or just quickly put together some chopped cucumber, tomato and onion, with some feta cheese, a squeeze of lemon juice, a few black olives, a drop or two of olive oil, and pile into a pitta pocket. So good!

Grilled Mediterranean vegetables and pesto v

Slice a selection of vegetables, such as courgette, aubergine, red onion and red pepper, into bite-sized pieces, brush with olive oil and put under the grill for about 10 minutes on each side or until tender and lightly browned, or save some from a previous meal. Mix with pesto and pile into a scooped-out baguette or roll them up in a wrap. You could also add some chickpeas, cubes of feta or some bought or homemade hummus, to increase the protein content.

Hummus, coriander and black olive v

You can use pitta bread for this, or slices of whatever type of bread you like. The most important thing is to put in a generous filling of creamy bought or homemade hummus with sliced, pitted olives and some chopped fresh coriander.

Mexican wrap v

Use leftover refried red beans, if you have them; otherwise fry an onion in olive oil for 10 minutes, then mash into it the drained contents of a 400g can of red kidney beans, a chopped tomato and chilli powder to taste. Spread onto a tortilla wrap, top with any of the following: chopped avocado or guacamole, vegan or dairy soured cream, grated vegan or dairy cheese and chopped coriander. Roll up neatly, making sure everything is enclosed.

Ploughman’s

On the same theme as the two previous suggestions, but use your choice of British hard cheese – a good strong Cheddar or a crumbly Wensleydale, for instance – and a sweet-and-sour pickle.

Stilton and cranberry

For a luxurious winter sandwich, butter two slices of granary or walnut bread. Place a round lettuce on one slice, top with slices of Stilton and cranberry sauce, finish with another lettuce leaf, and press together with the second slice.