National Vegetarian Week

National Vegetarian Week is upon us and, as a vegetarian myself, I want to share with you some of my favourite veggie recipes. I was brought up vegetarian from birth and while I was pregnant I ate meat (it was my one and only craving, strangely enough!) however I now eat a plant-based diet again. My daughter, who turns four this week, eats meat and fish as I do believe there are benefits to including it in a balanced diet particularly in childhood, so I'm often cooking both meat-free and meat-inclusive versions of these recipes for the family. During NVW, why not try out some new vegetarian recipes and see if you feel any benefits - a meat-free diet has been proven to increase energy, lower blood pressure, improve skin and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (although eating meat does not always or solely cause problems in these areas). Many of my vegetarian recipes use Quorn - a brilliant source of low-fat protein which is filling and extremely versatile. Other vegetarian protein sources include beans, pulses such as lentils, grains such as quinoa, soy products such as tofu, and nuts and seeds.

Here are four of my favourite recipes - I'll be back soon with more. Enjoy!


Quorn 'Chicken Breast' Burgers with Slaw: Perfect for BBQs
Serves 4

• 4 Quorn Chicken Style fillets, grilled or baked
  
• 4 Seeded or Wholemeal rolls, toasted
• 2 Large apples, cored and grated
• 1 Small red cabbage, shredded
• 2 Large carrots, grated
• 1 Small white onion, finely sliced
• 300g Natural yoghurt
• 2 Little Gem lettuces, leaves separated
• Handful of fresh parsley or coriander leaves (or both)

1. Open and toast the rolls and place a couple of lettuce leaves in each
2. Slice each fillet lengthways through the middle to create two thin fillets per person before placing them on the lettuce/rolls
3. Mix the cabbage, carrot, apple, onion and yoghurt in a large bowl to make the slaw and place a large spoonful on each fillet
4. Sprinkle a few parsley/coriander leaves over the slaw and close the bun.

Quorn 'Chicken' and Hummus Crunch Wrap: The Perfect Packed Lunch

Serves 4

• 4 Quorn Chicken Style fillets, grilled or baked
• 4 Wholemeal tortilla wraps
• 2 Tins chickpeas, drained
• 1 Clove garlic, crushed
• 2tbsp Olive oil
• Approx. 100ml water (depending on how smooth you'd like the hummus)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 Handfuls spinach, washed
• 3 Large carrots, coarsely grated or cut into thin matchsticks
•  4 Fresh beetroot, peeled and coarsely grated or cut into thin matchsticks
• Cucumber, pepper, onion or any other crunchy veggies (optional)

1. For the Hummus: Blitz the chickpeas, garlic clove, lemon juice and olive oil together - adding the water for a smoother consistency
2. Spread the hummus liberally onto each wrap before adding the fillets (I slice the fillets into strips to make them easier to wrap)
3. Add some spinach leaves and a handful of the carrot and beetroot before folding and rolling the wrap.

Quorn 'Beef' and Coconut Curry: Perfect for Dinner Parties

Serves 4

• 1 Pack Quorn Steak Style strips
• 2tbsp Rapeseed oil
• 300g (cooked weight) Brown rice, to serve
• 2 Tins coconut milk
• 2tbsp Crunchy peanut butter
• 1 Heaped tsp each of cumin, ground coriander, turmeric
• 4tbsp Soy sauce plus extra to serve if desired
• Large bunch fresh coriander - some leaves aside for serving but otherwise finely chopped (leaves and stalks)
• 4 Large cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 Red chilli, sliced (remove the seeds for less heat)
• 4 Pak choi, leaves separated
• 1 Head of broccoli, including stalk (remove the woody parts), or cauliflower, chopped
• 1 Green pepper (or red if you prefer a sweeter taste)
• 2 Packs of either babycorn, sugarsnaps, mangetout or fine green beans

1. Cook the rice according to pack instructions (this usually takes 20-30mins)
2. In a large wok, stir-fry the steak strips in the rapeseed oil, adding a little water as the pan dries out
3. Add the garlic, chilli and dried spices and stir fry for a further 2 minutes
4. Add the coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce and coriander (saving some for serving) to the pan and stir until the peanut butter has blended nicely into the sauce (this take about 3 minutes)
5. Add the vegetables and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how crunchy you like your veg (remember, the less your veg is cooked, the more nutrients they reserve!)
6. Once the vegetables are cooked to your liking, serve on a bed of brown rice and sprinkle with the remaining fresh coriander.

Sweet Chilli Quorn 'Chicken' with Rice Noodles: The Perfect Quick Dinner

Serves 4

• 1 Pack Quorn Chicken Style pieces
  
• 2tbsp Rapeseed oil
• 6tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 1 Red chilli, sliced (remove the seeds for less heat)
• 2 Large cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1 Bunch spring onions, sliced
• 3 Peppers (I like to have 1 green, 1 red, 1 yellow), deseeded and cut into chunks
• 1 Tin water chestnuts, sliced
• 1 Pack babycorn
• 100g Cashew nuts or 4 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted, to serve
• 4 Small nests of rice noodles
• Small bunch fresh coriander, leaves only, to serve (optional)

1. In a wok, stir-fry the chicken style pieces in the rapeseed oil until they soften (you may need to add a splash of boiling water to help them cook if you're cooking from frozen)
2. Add the chilli, garlic and chilli sauce and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes before adding the veg (at this point you may need another splash of water to steam the veg)
3. Whilst the vegetables are cooking, prepare the rice noodles (they normally take 2-3mins) and toast the cashews or sesame seeds
4. Once the vegetables are cooked to your liking, serve on a bed of rice noodles and sprinkle over the seeds or cashews and coriander.