MARVELLOUS MEATFREE MONDAYS
These luscious, comforting veggie dishes will have you swooning
CHEESY PUMPKIN AND ALMOND PASTA BAKE SERVES 6
Prep + cook time: 50 minutes
• 1kg pumpkin, chopped coarsely
• 500g spiral pasta
• ½ cup (60g) ground almonds
• 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• ¼ cup fresh chives, chopped
• ½ cup (40g) grated Parmesan
• 1¼ cups (120g) coarsely grated cheddar
• ½ cup (40g) flaked almonds
WHITE SAUCE
• 50g butter
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 cup (250ml) milk
• 300ml cream
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan.
2. Boil or steam the pumpkin for 10 minutes or until tender. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid; drain the pumpkin.
3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender; drain.
4. For the white sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the mixture is very thick. Gradually add the combined milk and cream; stir until the sauce boils and thickens. Season to taste. Cover the surface with clingwrap until ready to use.
5. Place the pasta and pumpkin in a large heatproof bowl with the white sauce, ground almonds, herbs, Parmesan, 1 cup of the cheddar and reserved cooking liquid; toss to combine. Season.
6. Pour the mixture into a deep 3-litre (12-cup) ovenproof dish; sprinkle with remaining the cheddar, then flaked almonds. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve sprinkled with a few extra parsley leaves.
WATERCRESS AND GOAT’S CHEESE RAVIOLI SERVES 4
Prep + cook time: 45 minutes
• 3 medium lemons (420g)
• 1/3 cup (35g) walnuts
• 1 cup (120g) firmly packed trimmed watercress
• 80g butter
• 240g goat’s cheese
• 1 egg, beaten lightly
• 275g round gow gee wrappers
• 50g bull’s blood leaves
1. Finely grate the rind of two lemons; you need 1½ tablespoons. Remove the rind from the remaining lemon with a zester (or cut the rind into thin strips, avoiding the white pith). Squeeze the juice from the lemons (¼ cup of juice).
2. Meanwhile, roast the nuts in a large frying pan over medium heat for 5 minutes or until browned lightly. Chop coarsely.
3. Coarsely chop ¾ cup of the watercress. Heat 20g of the butter in a large frying pan over high heat; cook the watercress, stirring, for 30 seconds or until beginning to wilt.
4. Place the cooked watercress in a bowl with the cheese, egg, 1 tablespoon of the rind and 1 tablespoon of the juice; toss to combine. Season.
5. Working with a few wrappers at a time, brush the edges with water using a pastry brush. Place a heaped teaspoon of the cheese mixture in the centre of each wrapper. Fold the wrappers in half to enclose the pastry, pinching the edges to seal.
6. Drop the ravioli into a large saucepan of boiling salted water in batches; simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes or until the wrappers are just transparent. Remove the ravioli with a slotted spoon; drain. Divide between warmed bowls.
7. Melt the remaining butter in a large frying pan over high heat until beginning to brown. Immediately stir in the remaining rind and remaining juice. Season. Spoon the sauce over the ravioli.
8. Serve the ravioli topped with the remaining watercress, bull’s blood leaves, lemon rind strips and nuts.
JAPANESE PUMPKIN CURRY SERVES 4
Prep + cook time: 40 minutes
• ¼ medium Japanese pumpkin (750g) [or regular pumpkin]
• 1/3 cup (50g) plain flour
• 6 eggs
• 1½ cups (225g) panko breadcrumbs
• 1 cup (200g) medium-grain white rice
• 1¼ cups (310ml) water
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium brown onion (150g), sliced thinly
• 100g medium-hot Japanese curry mix
• 2½ cups (625ml) water, extra • 1 cup (150g) shelled edamame • 1 tsp black or toasted white sesame seeds
1. Cut the pumpkin into four 2cmthick wedges. Remove the seeds and skin. Steam the pumpkin for 10 minutes or until tender, turning after 5 minutes. Pat the pumpkin pieces dry with absorbent paper.
2. Toss the pumpkin in the flour; shake off the excess. Lightly beat two of the eggs in a shallow bowl; dip the pumpkin into the egg, then coat in breadcrumbs. Place on a baking paper-lined oven tray.
3. Place the rice, water and salt in a saucepan, and bring to the boil over high heat. Cover with a tightfitting lid; cook over low heat for 8 minutes or until the rice is tender. Remove from the heat.
4. Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a saucepan over medium heat; cook the onion, stirring, for 3 minutes or until softened. Stir in the curry mix and the extra water; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the edamame; cook for 2 minutes or until heated through.
5. Place the remaining eggs in a small saucepan, and add enough cold water to cover. Bring to the boil, stirring, to centre the yolks. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes for soft-boiled eggs. Drain; rinse the eggs under cold water until cool enough to handle. Shell the eggs.
6. Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium heat; cook the pumpkin for 2 minutes each side or until golden.
7. Fluff the rice with a fork. Divide
the rice between serving bowls; spoon the curry to the side. Top with the pumpkin and halved eggs; sprinkle with sesame seeds.
NICE TIP
Both Japanese curry mix and frozen edamame (soya beans in the pod) are available from Asian supermarkets.
SWISS CHARD, RICOTTA AND PORCINI PHYLLO STACKS MAKES 4
Prep + cook time: 25 minutes
• 15g dried porcini mushrooms
• ½ cup (80g) pine nuts
• 6 sheets phyllo pastry
• olive oil spray
• ¾ cup (45g) finely grated Parmesan
• 60g butter
• 1 shallot (25g), chopped finely
• 150g oyster mushrooms
• 750g Swiss chard, trimmed, chopped coarsely
• 1 cup (240g) fresh ricotta
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
• 2 tsp dried currants
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Line two oven trays with baking paper.
2. Place the porcini in a heatproof bowl; cover with boiling water.
3. Place half the pine nuts on another oven tray; roast for 5 minutes or until fragrant. Place in a large bowl; cool.
4. Spray one sheet of pastry with oil; top with a second pastry sheet, spray with oil then top with a third sheet. Repeat to make two stacks. Cut each stack in half lengthways; cut each half into thirds to make 12 pieces. Place the pastry pieces on the lined trays. Coarsely chop the remaining nuts; sprinkle the nuts and ¼ cup of the Parmesan on four of the pastry pieces.
5. Bake all the pastry squares for 8 minutes or until browned.
6. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large frying pan over mediumhigh heat; cook the shallot, oyster and drained porcini mushrooms, stirring, until browned. Add to the large bowl with the roasted pine nuts.
7. Cook the Swiss chard in the same pan until wilted slightly. Add to the mushroom mixture; stir in the ricotta, rind, currants and remaining Parmesan until just combined. Season to taste.
8. Place four of the plain pastry pieces on serving plates; top with half the Swiss chard mixture. Top each with another plain pastry piece, remaining Swiss chard mixture then pine nut pastry pieces. Serve immediately.
9. Serve with cherry tomato salad.
PANEER AND VEGETABLE CURRY SERVES 4
Prep + cook time: 30 minutes
• 2 tbsp peanut oil
• 1 brown onion (200g), sliced thinly
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
• 4cm piece fresh ginger (20g), grated
• 1/3 cup (100g) balti curry paste
• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, rinsed, drained
• 1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
• ½ cup (125ml) water
• 400g paneer cheese
• 150g green beans, halved lengthways
• ¼ cup (60ml) cream
• ½ cup fresh coriander leaves
1. Heat half the oil in a large saucepan over high heat; cook the onion, garlic and ginger, stirring, until the onion softens. Add the curry paste; cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant.
2. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes and water; bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.
3. Cut the cheese into 3cm pieces. Heat the remaining oil in a pan over medium heat; cook the cheese, turning, until browned. Remove from the pan, cool then crumble it.
4. Add the beans and cream to the curry; cook for 5 minutes or until the beans are tender. Stir in half the cheese; cook until heated through. Serve sprinkled with the coriander and the remaining cheese. Accompany with warmed chapati or naan bread, if you like.