Cauli, rice and lentils

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
60gm red lentils
240gm rice
3 Tblsp Patak’s Korma paste
4 cups of veg stock
1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets
150gm frozen peas

2 Tblsp roasted cashew nuts
4 Tblsp natural fat free yoghurt
4 Tblsp mango chutney

Method
Spray a saucepan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the onion and carrots for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the rice and lentils.
Add the korma paste and vegetable stock.
Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Stir through the cauliflower florets and cook for a further 10 minutes until the rice and lentils are tender.
Add the frozen peas for the last 5 minutes.

Serve with the cashew nuts sprinkled on top, and the yoghurt and chutney on the side.

Garbanzo pasta

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
300gm pasta twirls
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, sliced
±400gm can chopped tomatoes
±400gm can garbanzo beans (chick peas)
100ml dry red wine (optional)
1 tsp oregano
2 Tblsp capers, rinsed, drained and chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

A few shredded basil leaves

Method
Cook the pasta in lightly salted boiling water until al dente.
Drain and keep warm.

Spray a saucepan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the onion and pepper for about 5 minutes until they start to soften.
Add the tinned tomatoes and the garbanzo beans including their liquid.
Stir through the red wine, oregano and capers, and a good grind of black pepper.
Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Tip the drained pasta into the pan with the sauce and combine well.
Garnish with shredded basil leaves.

Serve with a rocket and watercress salad if desired.

Vegetable platter

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
480gm new potatoes
400gm green beans
4 large carrots, julienne
400gm tenderstem broccoli
400gm butternut, sliced
250gm green asparagus spears
250gm large button mushrooms

160gm cheddar cheese, grated

Method
Steam, boil or microwave all the vegetables until they are tender, but still have some crispness left.

Arrange on dinner plates and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Sometimes it’s nice to have a plate of just veg. Don’t be limited by the vegetables I have listed – use any of your favourite vegetables, just include a good range of colour.

Mac cheese deluxe

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quickish

Ingredients
320gm quill pasta or macaroni
2 carrots, chopped
2-3 courgettes, chopped
200gm green beans, chopped
200gm broccoli, stems chopped

200ml fat free milk
1 heaped Tblsp corn flour
400gm can chopped tomatoes
120gm fat reduced cheese, grated
50gm parmesan, coarsely grated
2 Tblsp fresh bread crumbs

Method
Put the pasta and carrots on to cook in plenty of lightly salted boiling water.
After 10 minutes add the rest of the vegetables.
Once the pasta is al dente, drain well and keep warm.

Heat the grill to 250ºC.

Make a white sauce with the milk and corn flour (add a little Dijon mustard, if you like).
Stir through the chopped tomatoes (I puréed mine).
Tip in the grated fat reduced cheese and stir until it melts.
Add back the pasta and veg.
Stir well to combine.

Pile the pasta into an oven-proof dish.
Scatter the breadcrumbs and parmesan over the top.

Place the dish under the grill for about 5 minutes until the parmesan starts to bubble.

I always feel that macaroni cheese needs tomato sauce but the addition of the chopped or puréed tomatoes makes up for no ketchup.

Pasta ai funghi

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
500gm button mushrooms, sliced
400gm can chopped tomatoes with basil & oregano
A few fresh basil leaves, chopped
4 Tblsp grated parmesan

240gm pasta twirls

Method
Cook the pasta in plenty of lightly salted boiling water until al dente.
Drain and keep warm.

Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the onion until it softens and starts to brown.
Add the garlic and mushrooms, cook for 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
Tip in the tomatoes.
Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve the ‘ai funghi’ over the pasta, scattered with the chopped basil and cheese, with a salad on the side.

Baked bubble and squeak

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
300gm mashing potatoes
250gm butternut

1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup cabbage, shredded
2 Tblsp fresh chopped parsley

70gm pistachio nuts, shelled and chopped
70gm strong cheese, grated

1 head broccoli, broken into florets

Method
Heat the oven to 220ºC.

Peel and chop the potatoes and butternut.
Cook these together in lightly salted boiling water.
Once cooked, drain well and mash.
Set aside.

Boil, steam or microwave the onion, carrots, peas and cabbage.
Once these are tender, drain well and mix into the mash, along with the parsley.
(This mixture needs to be fairly dry. If it looks wet, mix in 50gm fresh breadcrumbs.)

Spray an baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
(Using a baking tin, rather than an oven-proof dish, helps the bottom to brown.)
Pile the mash into the pan and smooth out the top.
Sprinkle the nuts and cheese on top.
Bake at 220ºC for 20 – 25 minutes until the top is nicely browned.

Boil, microwave or steam the broccoli.

Slice the bubble and squeak into 4 and serve with the broccoli.

Mushroom and chickpea patties

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quickish

Ingredients
250gm black mushrooms, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, finely chopped
1 Tblsp mild curry paste
400gm tin chickpeas, rinsed, drained and crushed
Juice and grated rind of 1 lemon
1 small egg, beaten
½ cup fat free natural yoghurt
½ tsp ground cumin

Method
Mix the yoghurt, lemon juice and cumin together and set aside.

Spray a large frying pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the onions until they start to soften.
Add the garlic and curry paste and stir well.
Tip in the mushrooms and continue cooking until the mixture looks dry.

Combine the mushrooms with the crushed chickpeas adding the lemon rind.
Add the beaten egg a little at a time until the mixture holds its shape.
Form into 8 patties. (If you have time, rest the patties in the fridge for 30 mins.)

Fry the patties in a little oil until they are browned and heated through.

Serve the patties, 2 per person, on toasted whole wheat rolls if desired.
(Use the yoghurt dressing as a spread)
Accompany with a fresh salad.
 

Courgelloni

Serves 4 : Very easy : Fairly quick

Ingredients
20 cannelloni tubes
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 courgettes, grated
±200gm butternut, grated
250gm ricotta cheese
Grated rind of 1 lemon
700gm tomato pasta sauce

Rocket salad leaves

Method
Heat the oven to 200ºC.

Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the onion and garlic until the onion starts to soften.
Stir in the grated courgettes and butternut.
Cook until the vegetables are soft.
Remove from the heat.

Stir the lemon rind and half the ricotta through the vegetables.
Stuff this mixture into the cannelloni shells.

Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
(The dish should be just large enough to fit all the cannelloni tubes in a single layer.)
Pour ½ the pasta sauce into the dish.
Lay the filled cannelloni tubes on the sauce.
Pour over the remaining sauce.
Top with the rest of the ricotta.

Bake at 200ºC for 25 minutes.
Serve with baby rocket on the side.

Cupboard love curry

Serves 4 : Very easy : Very quick

Ingredients
200gm green beans, chopped
2x400gm tins chopped tomatoes with onion and garlic
2 curry leaves
2 large Tblsp Korma curry paste
1-2 tsp Harrief (chilli) paste
80gm seedless raisins

1x400gm tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1x400gm tin mixed beans, rinsed and drained

4 Tblsp fat free natural yoghurt
4 tsp chopped coriander
4 Naan breads

Method
Spray a large saucepan with non-stick cooking spray.
Mix the tomatoes, the curry and chilli pastes together in the pan.
Add the curry leaves, raisins and green beans.
Simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes until the beans are tender.

Add the chick peas and mixed beans.
Allow to heat through thoroughly.

Warm the Naan breads.

Serve the curry topped with yoghurt and coriander, with the warm Naan bread on the side.


This is a wonderfully filling meal, which is so easy to prepare – if you don’t have any green beans you can use frozen peas instead.

Cauliflower and butternut curry

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
6 hard boiled eggs
1 onion, finely chopped
1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
1 tsp grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 Tblsp curry paste
1 med.butternut, cubed
1 cauliflower, broken into florets
1 x ±400gm can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 x ±400gm can cherry tomatoes
2 Tblsp chopped coriander
2 Tblsp flaked almonds

Method
Spray a large pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the onion for about 5 minutes until it begins to soften, then add the chilli, ginger and garlic.
Add the curry paste, butternut and cauli.
Stir everything round so that the vegetables get a curry coating.
Pour in the tomatoes and coriander and stir well.
Simmer, half covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the beans and stir.
Nestle the halved eggs in the sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Serve garnished with flaked almonds, with poppadums on the side if desired.

Spaghetti Lazio

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
240gm spaghetti

6 rashers lean bacon, snipped into matchsticks
1 x ±400gm braai relish
1-2 chillies, finely chopped

4 Tblsp chopped parsley
4 Tblsp grated parmesan

Method
Cook the spaghetti according to the packet directions.
Drain and keep warm.

Spray a saucepan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the chillies for 3 minutes.
Add the braai relish.
Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve the sauce over the pasta.
Garnish with parmesan and parsley.

‘Braai relish’ is a uniquely South African product. It is basically chopped tomatoes and onions with some added herbs. If you can’t find it anywhere, use chopped tomatoes and onions and add a level tsp each of dried oregano and dried basil.

Vegetarian shepherd’s pie

Serves 4 : Very easy : Takes a little longer

Ingredients
400gm potatoes
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 stalks celery, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 carrots, diced
100gm mushrooms, sliced
3 courgettes, diced
100gm green beans, chopped
150gm whole brown lentils
650ml vegetable stock
1 tsp dried thyme
3 Tblsp tomato paste
4 Tblsp grated mature cheese
Fresh chopped parsley

Method
Heat the oven to 200ºc.

Boil the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water until soft.
Drain well and mash.

Spray a saucepan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the onion, celery and garlic until they start to soften.
Add the carrots, mushrooms, courgettes and green beans.
Pour in the stock and the lentils.
Add the thyme and stir.
Cover with a lid and allow to simmer for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are really well cooked.
Stir through the tomato paste.

Spray a casserole dish (or 4 individual dishes) with non-stick cooking spray.
Pour the vegetable mix into the casserole dish(es) and top with the mash.
Sprinkle the cheese over the potato.

Bake at 200ºc for 15 minutes until the top is golden.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

If you use red (split) lentils, the cooking time can be shortened by about 10 minutes.

Butternut and broccoli curry

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
1 onion, finely chopped
1 butternut, peeled and cut in chunks
250gm broccoli florets
300ml vegetable stock
1 x ±400gm tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 – 2 Tblsp curry paste
6 cardamom pods, crushed
1 Tblsp mustard seeds
2 stalks lemon grass, bashed

4 poppadums

Method
Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the onion until it starts to soften.
Add the curry paste, cardamom, mustard seeds and lemon grass.
Stir fry until fragrant.

Add the butternut, broccoli and stock.
Cover and simmer for ten minutes.

Add the chickpeas and allow to heat through.

Spoon the curry into bowls and serve with the poppadums.

Cook your poppadums in the microwave – lay them on kitchen paper in a single layer. 4 will take about 1 ½ minutes on high, depending on the power of the oven. Doing them this way saves on fat and dishes.

Udon noodles

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
240gm Udon noodles

1 onion, thinly sliced
6 courgettes, quartered lengthways
4 carrots, julienne
6 – 8 baby corn, quartered lengthways
100gm green beans, halved
½ red pepper, sliced
½ yellow pepper, sliced
1 baby cabbage, shredded

1 Tblsp miso paste
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 Tblsp sherry
2 Tblsp sesame seeds

Method
Cook the Udon noodles according to the instructions on the packet.
Drain and keep warm.

Mix the miso paste, vinegar, sherry and sesame seeds together.
Set aside.

Spray a wok with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry-fry the onion until it starts to soften but not colour.
Add the rest of the vegetables (except the cabbage) and stir fry for about 5 minutes.
Stir through the shredded cabbage and sesame/miso dressing.

Serve the vegetables on the noodles.


Udon noodles are rather like pasta. They are made from wheat flour, but not the Durham wheat flour used in pasta so they lack the yellow colour of pasta. Odon noodles cook easily, and the strands stay separate.

Chilli bean burgers

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
2 x ±400gm tins red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 slices fresh bread, crumbed
1 Tblsp mild chilli powder
1 Tblsp chopped coriander
1 Tblsp tomato paste
1 small egg, lightly beaten

½ cup fat free natural yoghurt
1 Tblsp lemon juice
Grated rind from ½ lemon
I Tblsp chopped coriander

Method
First, make the dressing:
Combine the yoghurt, lemon juice and rind and 1 Tblsp chopped coriander.
Mix well.
Set aside.

Roughly mash the kidney beans in a bowl.
Add the breadcrumbs, chilli powder, 1 Tblsp chopped coriander, tomato paste.
Mix together well.
Add the egg and stir well.

Shape the mixture into 8 patties (this is easier if you wet your hands first).

Spray a large frying pan with non-stick cooking spray, and place over heat.
When the pan is hot, add the patties.
Cook for 5 minutes each side, or until crispy on the outside and heated through.

Serve 2 patties per person, with the dressing and a crispy salad with avocado slices.

Basil and spinach pasta

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
240gm curly spaghetti
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium butternut, chopped
6 small parsnips, sliced
½ cup veg stock
2 mild red chillies, finely chopped
1 x ±400gm tin chopped tomatoes
250gm spinach, roughly chopped
25gm basil leaves, chopped
4 Tblsp grated parmesan

Method
Cook the spaghetti in lightly salted boiling water until al dente.
Drain and keep warm.

Meanwhile, spray a pan with non stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the onion until it starts to soften.
Add the garlic, the chillies, the butternut cubes, the parsnips and the stock.
Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until the butternut is cooked.

Now tip in the tomatoes and bring the pot back to the boil.
Stir through the spinach and basil and allow to wilt.

To serve. spoon the vegetables over the spaghetti and sprinkle with the parmesan.


The flavour of basil goes really well with spinach and butternut.

Bok choy fry

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
1 onion, sliced
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
200gm button mushrooms, chopped
4 carrots, julienne
4 courgettes, julienne
½ can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
150gm mung bean sprouts
4 bok choy, chopped

240gm rice

Method
Cook the rice in lightly salted boiling water until it is tender.
Drain and keep warm.

Spray a wok with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the onion and ginger and allow the onion to soften.
Stir in the carrots, courgettes and mushrooms.
Add ¼ cup of water, cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Now stir through the chick peas and pepper.
Fold in the bok choy and allow to wilt.
Stir the bean sprouts through.

Serve with the rice.

Teriyaki sauce, soy and sweet chilli sauce all go well with this dish.

Tomato soup – my way

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
1 x 400gm tin tomatoes, pureed
1 large carrot, chopped
2 turnips, chopped
2 sticks celery, sliced
2 courgettes, chopped
150gm red lentils
50gm split peas
750ml veg stock
2 Tblsp mild curry paste
1 Tblsp chopped coriander

Method
Put everything in a saucepan.
Stir well.
Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
Add another 250ml stock if you want a thinner soup.
Taste. You may want to add a little sugar.

Serve with brown seed rolls.

Eggy veg

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
4 X-large eggs
1 onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
8 – 10 courgettes, chopped
8 mushrooms, chopped
8 – 12 asparagus spears, chopped
400gm new potatoes, thickly sliced
400gm cherry tomatoes, halved
±¼ cup veg stock

Fresh basil leaves

Method
Par-boil the potato slices.

Spray a large frying pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the onions, garlic and courgettes until the onions begin to soften.
Add the stock.
Cover the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the mushrooms, asparagus, potatoes and tomatoes.
Cover and simmer for a further 5 minutes until the tomatoes start to pulp.

Make 4 ‘wells’ in amongst the vegetables, and crack an egg into each ‘well’.
Cover the pan again and cook until the eggs are cooked to your taste.

Scatter shredded basil over the top and serve with crusty bread, if you like.

The bread is really unnecessary because of the potatoes. There is a very large quantity of veg in this, so you may want to use 2 frying pans as I did. The photo shows 2 servings.