TIME TO VEG OUT
Healthy and hearty plant-based recipes.
More and more of us are embracing an increasingly plant-based diet – but eating less meat doesn’t have to mean flavourless, boring mealtimes. Whether you’re diving into vegetarianism or just looking at ideas for your next ‘meat-free Monday’, our healthy and hearty recipes are sure to inspire and delight.
Tomato Tray Bake Serves 4
8 medium vine-ripened tomatoes 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
50g unsalted butter, chopped 1 onion, thinly sliced into rounds 2 garlic cloves, crushed
1½ cups pearl barley
⅓ cup chillies in adobo
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp brown sugar
¼ cup red wine vinegar
400g can crushed tomatoes
3 cups (750ml) hot vegetable stock 2 cups baby kale leaves
Preheat the oven 220°C (200°C fan forced). Place the tomatoes in a deep roasting tray, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season well. Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the pearl barley, chillies in adobo, paprika, cumin, coriander, sugar and vinegar and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Carefully remove the tomatoes from the roasting tray and set aside. Add the pearl barley mixture, crushed tomatoes and stock to the tray and stir to combine. Place the tomatoes back in the tray, on top of the barley. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes, or until the barley is tender.
Remove the tomato tray bake from the oven and set aside. Toss the kale leaves in the remaining oil and place on a large baking tray. Place in the oven and bake for 5 minutes or until crisp and lightly charred.
Turn the grill to high. Remove the foil from the roasting tray and place the tray bake under the grill for 5 minutes, until the tomatoes are blistered. Serve the tray bake topped with the kale.
HEALTHY TIP
Tomatoes taste great, and they’re also full of health benefits. Rich in calcium and vitamin K, tomatoes can help you maintain healthy bones. Eaten raw, they provide antioxidants like vitamins A and C. Including tomatoes into your diet can also help you maintain your blood sugar levels (due to the high amounts of a mineral known as chromium).
Fennel & Leek Soup Serves 4
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 whole leeks, thinly sliced into rounds 2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 medium fennel, chopped
1 cup (120g) almond meal
1L vegetable stock
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
CRISPY LEEKS
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 leek, thinly shredded
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the leeks, garlic and fennel and cook, stirring, for 8 minutes. Add the almond meal, cook for 4 minutes. Add the stock, bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the heat, set aside to cool slightly. Add the lemon and use a stick blender to blend until smooth. Season well.
For the crispy leeks, heat the oil in a frying pan over high heat. Working in batches, add the leek and cook for 30 seconds, or until golden and crisp.
Divide the soup between bowls, top with crispy leeks. Drizzle with a little extra oil and top with pepper to serve.
HEALTHY TIP
A long, white-stemmed relative to the onion, leek can be used both raw and cooked. They are a great source of vitamins A, C and K. Leeks are an excellent ingredient to use in vegetablebased meals, as they are high in energy (100g of leeks gives approximately 125kJ), and are a wonderful source of dietary fibre as well. When you are picking leeks, make sure to buy ones that are firm and bright green. If they’re washed well, you can use both the green and the white parts of the leek.