Rustic roasted ratatouille with homemade wholemeal garlic, rosemary and black olive focaccia

A fresh, tasty and rustic vegan dish packed with vitamins together being filling and satisfying. The secret of t

Roasted ratatouille

• 1 aubergine (chunks)
• 2 courgettes (chunky quarters)
• 1 red onion (chunks)
• 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 2 peppers (deseeded and sliced)
• 1/2 butternut squash (deseeded and cut into chunks)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
• Black pepper (to taste)

Wholemeal garlic, rosemary and black olive focaccia

• 450g wholemeal flour
• 1 tsp table salt
• 7g sachet fast action yeast
• 300ml warm water (not hot)
• 2 tbsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 50g black olives (finely chopped or sliced)
• 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 2 and 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Recipe for roasted ratatouille

1. Prepare all of the ingredients and set aside.

2. Place all of the ingredients in a large roasting tin and ensure all of the vegetables are coated in the oil, garlic and herbs (best way is to get your hands amongst the ingredients and cover them by hand).

3. Cook the ingredients at 200C for around 45 minutes ensuring that you give them a stir two or three times during cooking.

4. When the ingredients are softened and a little charred then they are ready to serve.

5. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe for wholemeal garlic, rosemary and black olive focaccia

1. Put the flour, table salt, yeast and 1 and 1/2 tbsp dried rosemary into a large mixing bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed.

2. Ensure there is a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the water, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic and 40g black olives making sure to thoroughly mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon. It should end up like a sticky dough at this point.

3. Flour a clean surface together with preparing a baking tray which should be covered with greaseproof paper that has a little olive oil on it to ensure the bread doesn’t stick during cooking.

4. Turn the dough onto the floured surface and knead for around 10 minutes.

5. After the 10 minutes bundle the dough into a ball and throw down onto the baking tray.

6. Shape the dough into the shape of the focaccia (remember it is a flat bread so around 2 to 3cm thick is fine), cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for around 45 minutes to rise.

7. Ensure the oven is pre heated to 230c and, after 45 minutes, uncover the bread. Get a cup of warm water, dip your finger in the water and poke deep holes in the dough in several places making sure to dip your finger in the water after every poke.

8. Drizzle or brush the remaining extra virgin olive oil over the top of the dough and sprinkle the remaining dried rosemary, black olives, sea salt and garlic evenly over the top of the dough.

9. Bake the dough for around 15 minutes until the top of the bread is golden then remove the bread from the oven, cover with the clean tea towel and allow to cool for around 20 minutes.

10. Once cooled slice as much bread as you require and keep the remainder in a airtight container.

11. Serve and enjoy!

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Leek and pea risotto with a balsamic reduction

 

 

 

 

 

 

A slightly time consuming but delicious and creamy vegan risotto…good things come to those that wait.

Ingredients

• 750ml vegetable stock (dissolved)
• 100g Arborio rice
• 1 clove of garlic (finely chopped)
• 1/2 onion (finely chopped)
• 1/2 lemon (zest and juice)
• 1 leek (chopped)
• 2 tbsp vegan Parmesan
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 125g peas
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp black olives (chopped)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

Recipe

1. Prepare all of the ingredients and set aside. The balsamic reduction is made by placing the balsamic vinegar in a hot pan and whisking until the amount of liquid is reduced by around half and is thick and syrupy.

2. Heat the oil and place the onion, leek and garlic in the pan. Cook for around 3 minutes until softening.

3. Add the rice and ensure it is all completed coated with the oil and onion mix.

4. Add the stock one ladle at a time and keep adding when each ladle-full is absorbed. Ensure you stir constantly for the first 5 to 10 minutes.

5. After around 20 minutes of the rice soaking up the stock (when you are getting towards the end of the stock) add the parsley, oregano, vegan Parmesan, lemon juice, peas and olives.

6. Cook the mixture until creamy (all of the stock should now have been absorbed).

7. Place the risotto on plates and top with a little chopped fresh parsley and lemon zest before drizzling with a balsamic reduction.

8. Serve and enjoy!

 

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Penne arrabbiata with beetroot and lime granita

A fiery and traditional Italian dish with a cooling accompaniment and best of all…it’s completely vegan if you drop the meat substitute mince! Granita is usually served as a dessert but, with this spicy sauce (‘arrabbiata’ translated into English means ‘angry’!), it cools when necessary.

Ingredients

• 150g wholewheat pasta (75g dry per person)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red onion (finely chopped)
• 5 cloves garlic (finely diced)
• 2 tbsp fresh basil (roughly chopped)
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 red chilli (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley (finely chopped)
• 2 red peppers (roughly chopped)
• 200g artichoke hearts (drained and chopped)
• 1 tsp fresh sage (finely chopped)
• Meat substitute mince (leave out if vegan)
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 500g cooked beetroot
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 limes (juice and zest)
• Ice cubes
• 1 tbsp fresh mint (finely chopped)

Recipe

1. Place the beetroot, caster sugar and lime zest in a pan and cook for around 30 minutes. Set aside for later and allow to chill.

2. Prepare all of the other ingredients as directed in the list and set aside.

3. Heat the olive oil slightly then cook onion and garlic gently for around 5 minutes taking care not to burn them.

4. Stir in the sugar, basil, sage, parsley, chilli, red peppers, tomato puree, black pepper, artichoke and (if applicable) meat substitute mince. Ensure the ingredients are all combined together.

5. Mixed in the chopped tomatoes, bring to the boil then reduce the heat allowing the pan to simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

6. Whilst the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta as directed in a pan of boiling water with a little olive oil and rock salt (to prevent sticking).

7. Also around 15 minutes into the simmering, place the ice, lime juice, beetroot mixture and mint into a blender and blend to taste. The more rough the granita, the more authentic to the west of Italy it is and the more smooth the granita, the more authentic to the east of Italy it is.

8. Place the pasta into the sauce mix and ensure it is all covered by the sauce.

9. Serve the pasta and sauce on a plate and the granita in a small (preferably cooled) glass.

10. Serve and enjoy!

TVL

Fiery recipe coming later today…

A fiery dish with a cooling twist later today!

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