So you’ve decided to eat less meat in 2019 (it is, after all, the one sure way anyone can help the planet). But if the thought of cutting back on meat leads instantly to concern over losing flavor, save yourself the worry. Here’s a roundup of satisfying, nutritious vegetarian and vegan dishes to start your new culinary adventure off right.
Roasted berbere vegetables and chickpeas by Yotam Ottolenghi
Roasts are perfect for the weeknights when fuss and bother need to be at a minimum. This North African-inspired dish will make enough for four, but no one will tell if it only serves one very satisfied chef.
Prep 10 min
Cook 40 min
Serves 4
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp paprika
¾ tsp berbere spice mix
¾ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
2 sweet potatoes (about 1.5lbs), unpeeled and diced into ¾in
8.5oz cooked chickpeas (canned is fine here), drained, rinsed and patted dry
1 cauliflower (about 1.5lbs), broken into ¾–1-in florets
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
6 tbsp olive oil
Salt
4.5oz baby spinach
1 tbsp lemon juice
Heat the oven to 425F (218C). Mix together all the spices in a bowl. Put the sweet potatoes and chickpeas in one large bowl and the cauliflower in another.
Put two-thirds of the spice mix, half the garlic, three tablespoons of oil and half a teaspoon of salt in the sweet potato and chickpea bowl, toss to coat, then spread out on a 11in x 15in baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Put the rest of the spice mix and garlic, two tablespoons of oil and half a teaspoon of salt in the cauliflower bowl and toss to coat.
Roast the sweet potato and chickpeas for 10 minutes, then add the cauliflower to the tray, stir and roast for 15 minutes more, until all the vegetables are soft and golden brown and the chickpeas are crisp.
Mix the spinach with the remaining tablespoon of oil and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt, and spread out on top of the vegetables. Return to the oven for a final 10 minutes, until the spinach is crisp, then leave to cool for about five minutes. Drizzle over the lemon juice, gently mix together one more time, transfer to a platter and serve.
Potato gnocchi in sage butter by Anna Jones
Any type of pasta is a great filling meal for those nights when the stomach begs for more. The herb and butter blend of this gnocchi will ensure a delicious, savory meal.
Prep 10 min
Cook 2 hr 20 min
Serves 4-6
3.5lbs medium floury potatoes (such as maris piper)
1.75oz sea salt crystals
2.5oz “00” pasta flour
1 good grating fresh nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1 small bunch crisp sage leaves (see below)
1oz butter or olive oil
1 head (8.8oz) cavolo nero or winter greens
2oz vegetarian Italian hard cheese
Zest of 1 lemon
Heat the oven to 390F (199C). Wash and pat dry the potatoes, then pierce all over with a fork. Scatter the rock salt into a roasting tin, sit the potatoes on top and bake for one and a half to two hours, until soft. When the potatoes are ready, take them out of the oven and leave to cool until you can handle them.
It’s important you do the next step while they are still warm – but be careful not to burn yourself. Halve the potatoes, scoop out the flesh, mash the potato flesh with a potato ricer or by passing it through a coarse sieve, then put on a clean work surface and sprinkle over the flour. Season well and grate over the nutmeg. Make a well in the center, pour in the egg and gradually work to a soft dough. Take care not to overwork the mixture, though: knead until everything is just-combined or the gnocchi will be tough.
Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Take a teaspoon of the mixture and drop it into the boiling water to check it holds together. If it doesn’t, you may need to add a little more flour and test your dough again.
When you’re happy, cut the dough into four pieces, roll each into long sausage shapes about half an inch thick, then cut each sausage into 1in lengths. You can cook your gnocchi straight away or store them in the fridge on a tray for up to 24 hours.
Follow the recipe below to fry the sage leaves until crisp, then drain on kitchen paper. Put the sage pan back on a medium heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and the butter, then add the greens and cook for four to five minutes, stirring until wilted.
Reduce the pan of water to a brisk simmer. To cook the gnocchi, drop in batches into the pan and cook until they rise to the surface – about two and a half minutes. Use a slotted spoon to add the gnocchi straight into the greens pan and leave to take on some of the butter. Save some of the pasta cooking water.
Finely grate most of the cheese and lemon zest over the gnocchi, toss well, add 6 tablespoons of cooking water and reduce to a thick sauce. Divide the gnocchi between two to four plates, grate over the remaining cheese and finish with a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Vegan rutabaga laksa by Meera Sodha
Rutabagas are definitely the unsung underdog of superfoods. Chock full of nutritional benefits, the fibrous root vegetable really gets a chance to shine in this spicy, warming noodle soup.
Prep 12 min
Cooking 45 min
Serves 4
6 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1in ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
4 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
2½ tsp ground cumin
2 lemongrass stalks, bases only, roughly chopped
1oz fresh cilantro, leaves and stalks
6 banana shallots, peeled and halved
4¼ cups vegetable stock (suitable for vegans)
Canola oil
1 x 33 fl oz tin coconut milk
1½ tsp salt
1½ tsp sugar
2lb rutabaga (ie about ¾ of a large one), peeled
5oz rice vermicelli noodles
2 limes, cut into 4 wedges each
Heat the oven to 390F (199C) and line two large baking trays with foil.
To make the laksa paste, put the garlic, ginger, chili powder, ground cumin, lemongrass, cilantro stalks and two shallots into a blender with 2/3 cup stock, and whisk to a paste.
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a deep-sided pot on a low flame and, once hot, scrape the paste into the pot. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring regularly so it doesn’t catch, then slowly add the coconut milk until it’s well mixed in. Add the remaining stock, the salt and the sugar, and simmer for 20 minutes until rich and flavorful. Season to taste, then take off the heat.
While the soup is cooking, halve the rutabaga, cut it into 1/2in slices, then arrange on one of the lined trays. Separate the remaining shallots into “petals” by halving them and removing the individual segments, and put these on the second lined tray. Lightly drizzle oil over both vegetables, toss with your hands so they’re well coated, and sprinkle with a little salt. Roast the shallots for 20 minutes and the rutabaga for 30, until cooked and caramelized.
Cook the noodles in boiling water as per the packet instructions (usually two to three minutes), then drain and rinse under cold water.
To serve, reheat the soup on a medium heat, if need be. Distribute the noodles between four bowls and ladle on the hot soup. Put the hot rutabaga and caramelized shallots on top and sprinkle with cilantro leaves. Squeeze a wedge of lime over each serving, and serve with more lime on the side.
Iranian herb fritters by Yotam Ottolenghi
Fritters are interesting. It screams of its meal versatility, fritters can easily be served as a snack, a side, or even dinner. This particular version of this switch-hitter doesn’t sacrifice convenience or taste with its quick prep time and herb-filled batter.
The recipe makes eight fritters to serve four to eight.
1.5 oz dill, finely chopped
1.5 oz basil leaves, finely chopped
1.5oz cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1½ tsp ground cumin
2oz fresh breadcrumbs (ie, from about 2 slices, crusts left on if soft)
3 tbsp currants
1oz walnut halves, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
8 large eggs, beaten
Salt
2 fl oz sunflower oil, for frying
Put everything bar the oil in a large bowl with half a teaspoon of salt, mix well and set aside.
Put two tablespoons of oil in a large, nonstick pan on a medium-high heat. Once hot, add a ladle of batter per fritter into the oil, cooking a few fritters at a time – you want each of them to be about 5in wide. Fry for one to two minutes on each side, until crisp and golden brown, then transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper and set aside while you repeat with the remaining batter and oil.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Parsnip and thyme risotto with parsley and hazelnut dressing by Thomasina Miers
Just because it’s vegetarian doesn’t mean it has to be simple or toned down at all. Get fancy with this dynamic (albeit labor-intensive) parsnip and thyme risotto. With all of the layers of flavor, meat won’t be missed when this dish is on the table.
2oz unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 banana shallots, peeled and finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large parsnips (about 5oz each), peeled, two cut lengthways into quarters, the other diced
10.5oz carnaroli or arborio rice
5 fl oz dry white wine
1 liter fresh vegetable stock
1oz honey
4 sprigs thyme
1oz grated hard Italian cheese
3.5oz blue cheese
For the dressing
1 small bunch parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped
½ oz blanched hazelnuts
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Heat half the butter and the oil in a large saucepan on a lowish flame, until the butter starts to sizzle, then add the shallots and season generously. Cover the pan, leave the onions to sweat gently for 10 minutes, until they are soft, then take off the lid, add the diced parsnip and fry, stirring regularly, for three minutes.
Add the rice, and stir for a few minutes more, until the grains are coated in the fats and almost translucent. Turn up the heat, add the wine, and simmer for two minutes, until the alcohol has evaporated and most of the liquid has been absorbed into the rice.
Add a small ladleful of stock to the pot, and lightly beat into the rice with a wooden spoon, until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. Repeat, adding just a small ladleful of stock at a time and beating fairly continuously (this constant motion is the secret to a light, creamy risotto), until the rice kernels are tender, but still have a bite to them. (If you use up all the stock before the rice is done, add more hot stock or hot water, ladleful by ladleful.)
While the risotto is cooking, pound the parsley, nuts, vinegar and oil, ideally in a pestle and mortar, until you have a textured dressing, then season to taste.
Steam the quartered parsnips for three minutes, until just soft, then leave to steam dry. Melt 0.7oz butter with the honey and thyme in a frying pan, until sizzling, then add the steamed parsnips and fry on a fairly high heat until golden and caramelized.
Once the risotto is cooked, take it off the heat and stir in the hard cheese, blue cheese and remaining butter. Season to taste, cover and leave to rest for a few minutes. Spoon into shallow bowls, top with the caramelized parsnips, drizzle over the dressing and serve hot.
