Thoughtful Foods

From Will

Ingredients:

Below are the quantities of vegetables I use. You need about 9 bunches of herbs/lettuces for this recipe:

Serves 6-8

Fry the following spices in olive oil until fragrant:

• 1 tbsp ground coriander (or 1-2 tbsp seeds, roasted & ground)
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon (or ½ quill cinnamon, ground)
• black pepper
• ½-1 tbsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp hot paprika
• 1 tsp mace/nutmeg

Add the following to the pan and cover (just) with water:

• 1 to 1½ cups brown lentils
• ½ pumpkin, chopped
• 400g tinned crushed tomatoes
• 2 eggplants, chopped
• 1 box frozen spinach
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
• red chillies to taste, finely sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste

Simmer until lentils are soft (40 min or so). Add water if necessary.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 cups quinoa
• 1 cup canned lentils, rinsed
• 250g mushrooms, chopped
• 1L vegetable stock
• 1 bunch spinach (silverbeet), stems removed

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes until the onion is tender.
2. Mix in quinoa, lentils, and mushrooms, and add stock. Cover, and cook over low heat for 20 minutes.
3. Remove from heat. Shred spinach, and add gently. Cover, and sit for 5 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.

 Tip: delicious with roasted pine nuts mixed in!

Preparation Time: 20 minutes, Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 cup grated parmesan
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 brown onion, chopped
• 1 bunch English spinach, trimmed and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 300g pumpkin, chopped and steamed
• 1/2 cup chopped semi-dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 2 x 250g light cream cheese, softened
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup (180ml) cream
• Salt & freshly ground pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Oil a 20cm tin, line base with baking paper and sprinkle with 2 tbs of the parmesan.
2. Heat oil in a pan and cook onion for 4 mins. Add spinach and garlic. Stir for 1-2 mins or until wilted. Add pumpkin, semi-dried tomatoes and pine nuts. Remove from the heat.
3. Reserve 2 tbs parmesan. Place remaining parmesan, cream cheese and eggs into a bowl. Beat until smooth. Add cream and beat until combined. Stir in the cooled spinach mixture and season well.
4. Pour mixture into tin and sprinkle with reserved parmesan. Bake for 10 mins, then reduce heat to 180°C and cook for 30-35 mins until firm. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate in the tin for 4 hours. Remove, slice and serve with salad.

Source: Kim Meredith, Fresh Living, July 2005, p 36

Ingredients

Mix together a packet of thawed frozen spinach (250g), about 100g of crumbled fetta cheese, a whole egg, about 100g pine nuts, nutmeg, black pepper and the zest of one lemon... You then just stuff it into the dry cannelloni shells, put in a baking dish, tip over some plain tomato pasta sauce (preferably home made, but OK out of a jar), top with some cheddar or parmesan cheese and bake according to the instructions on the cannelloni box (usually 35 - 40 mins). Yum.

Ingredients

340g black-eyed beans, soaked overnight
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon vegan margarine (or extra oil)
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
255g spinach, roughly chopped
Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Method

1. Rinse beans, cover with water, bring to boil.

2. Simmer for one hour or until tender. Drain.

3. Fry garlic in margarine and oil until golden.

4. Add beans and spinach. Fry until spinach has wilted (about one minute).

5. Season, add balsamic vinegar.