RECIPE: Vegetarian Shepherds Pie

Ingredients:
Chopped leek
Chopped carrot
Chopped parsnip (or turnip)
You can add other veg that you fancy eg peas
Tin of green lentils (rinsed)
Vegetable stock (my favourite is Swiss Marigold Bouillon)
Mixed Herbs 
Sweet Potato or mix of Sweet and White Potato
Cheese (optional)

Method:
Lightly cook leek in oil or butter.
Add the stock, veggies, lentils and herbs and simmer until cooked and quite thick. 
Cook the potatoes separately and mash.
Put veggie mix into oven dish and cover with mash. Add cheese if desired and cook in medium oven until golden. 

SIMPLE SOUPS: Hotel Soup

In the early weeks of pregnancy I took a craving for what I call `Hotel soup`- the blended vegetable soup you get at weddings or in hotels on a Sunday, so I had to come up with my own version. Its very simple and tasty, and without the MSG that Im sure hotels add to their version! 

Ingredients:
One clove of garlic.
Equal amounts of the following veg chopped:
Leek
Broccoli
Celery
Carrot
Half the amount of potato chopped
Vegetable stock- enough to cook the veg. Add more liquid if you prefer thin soup. The best I have found for flavour is Swiss Marigold Bouillon

Method:
Lightly fry the garlic and leek in oil or butter, then add all ingredients and simmer until cooked....then blend. 

RECIPE: Vegetarian Chilli

Another easy healthy recipe :)


Ingredients:
*Clove of garlic chopped
*Small onion chopped
*One Pepper (any colour or mixed- red, green, yellow etc)
*Carton of Chopped tomatoes or fresh chopped tomatoes
*Chilli con carne spice powder mix or 1/2 tsp of cumin, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp chilli powder.  
*200mls water (approx)
*2 tins of beans: Choose a variety of your favourite beans- Kidney, Black-eyed, Barlotti, Green Lentils, Chick Peas etc... 


Method: 
*Fry garlic, onion and pepper in oil.
*Add all other ingredients: chopped tomatoes, spices, beans and water
*Simmer until cooked (approx 20-30 mins)

Serve with rice or crusty bread or baked potato :) 

Green Lentil & Kidney Bean Chilli

Black-eyed Bean & Kidney Bean Chilli

RECIPE: Pasta Bean Bake

Yet another easy bean recipe :) 

Ingredients:

*Clove of garlic chopped

*Small onion chopped

*Small carrot grated (I use the potato peeler to get thin strips)

*Pepper- any colour

*Mixed herbs- i add a little extra basil

*Fresh parsley

*Tin of mixed beans (or just your favourite beans eg kidney)

*Chopped tomatoes

*Pasta

*Grated cheese

Method:

*Fry onion, garlic, pepper and carrot.

*Add the tomatoes, beans and herbs and simmer until cooked. 

*Cook the pasta for a few minutes until just half cooked

*Add the bean mix and pasta and fresh parsley to an oven dish, sprinkle with cheese and cook in oven for approx 10 minutes until golden.

SIMPLE SOUPS: Carrot & Lentil

Ingredients:
Garlic chopped
Small Onion chopped
2 Carrots chopped
Few sticks of Celery chopped
Handful of Red Lentils -rinsed (increase/reduce amount of lentils to water ratio depending on how thick you like soup as lentils will naturally thicken)
Chopped tomatoes
Veg stock- plenty to cover and top up if necessary


Method:
Fry the onion and garlic until softened.
Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until veggies cooked.
Leave chunky or blend. 
Season to taste.

SIMPLE SOUPS: Tomato & Basil

Ingredients:

*Carton of chopped tomatoes

*Fresh cherry or small vine tomatoes

*Garlic

*Small onion chopped

*Basil (dried or fresh or mix)

*Vegetable stock

Method:

*Put fresh tomatoes and 2 whole garlic cloves in oven dish and cover with oil. Medium roast until cooked.

*Fry clove of garlic and onion in oil then add carton tomatoes, veggie stock and basil.

*Remove roasted garlic and tomatoes from skins and add to pot.

*Simmer for 20-30 mins.

*Leave chunky or blend.

SIMPLE SOUPS: Leek & Spaghetti

This is a really easy handy soup for using up any leftover Leek!

*Add chopped leek and a clove of chopped garlic to pot and gently cook in butter or oil to soften. 
*Cover with vegetable stock (I use Swiss Marigold Bouillon).
*Add some mixed herbs. Break up some spaghetti and simmer until cooked.

Yummy with some crusty bread! Enjoy :)