LENTIL & VEGETABLE NUT ROAST

1/3 cup red lentils

½ cup green lentils

1 ½ cups of vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 onion finely chopped

1 stick of celery finely chopped

1 clove of garlic

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

125 g mushrooms

1 red capsicum de-seeded finely chopped

125 g (1 ½ cups) of whole grain breadcrumbs

55 g hazelnut meal

2 egg whites

2 tablespoons of coriander

Juice and zest of half a lemon

Salt and freshly ground pepper

45 g hazelnuts lightly toasted, skins removed & chopped

•      Wash lentils and place in a large saucepan with the stock and bay leaf.
•    Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until lentils are soft and the liquid is absorbed
•    Pre-heat oven at 108 C (350 F)
•       Line I litre loaf tin with baking paper.
•    Sauté onion and celery until softeneD
•    Add the garlic, ground coriander and cumin and cook for about a minute , until fragrant
•    Add mushrooms and capsicums and cook for a further 2 minutes
•    Remove the bay leaf from the lentils and add the lentils to the pan to combine with the vegetables
•    Add breadcrumbs, lemon zest and juice, hazel nut meal, egg whites chopped coriander  and season
•     Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan , sprinkle with chopped hazel nuts and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until firm to touch and golden brown
•     Remove from oven and allow to cool in tin for about 10 minutes before turning out
•     Serve in slices hot or cold. With salsa

LENTIL & VEGETABLE NUT ROAST

Lentils are a great source of are relatively quick and easy to prepare They readily absorb flavours and are very nutritious

1/3 cup red lentils

½ cup green lentils

1 ½ cups of vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 onion finely chopped

1 stick of celery finely chopped

1 clove of garlic

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

125 g mushrooms

1 red capsicum deseeded finely chopped

125 g (1 ½ cups) of whole grain breadcrumbs

55 g hazelnut meal

2 egg whites

2 tablespoons of coriander

Juice and zest of half a lemon

Salt and freshly ground pepper

45 g hazelnuts lightly toasted, skinsremoved & chopped

• · Wash lentils and place in alarge saucepan with the stock and bay leaf.
• · Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat andsimmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until lentils are soft and the liquid isabsorbed
• · Pre heat oven at 108 C (350 F)
• · Line I litre loaf tin withbaking paper.
• · Sauté onion and celery untilsoftened
• · Add the garlic, ground corianderand cumin and cook for about a minute , until fragrant
• · Add mushrooms and capsicums andcook for a further 2 minutes
• · Remove the bay leaf form thelentils and add the lentils to the pan to combine with the vegetables
• · Add breadcrumbs lemon zest andjuice crumbs hazel nut meal, egg whites chopped coriander and season
• · Spoon the mixture into the loafpan , sprinkle with chopped hazel nuts and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or untilfirm to touch and golden brown
• · Remove from oven and allow to cool in tin forabout 10 minutes before turning out.
• · Serve in slices hot or cold.With salsa

SILVERBEET & CHICK PEAS WITH CUMIN & CORIANDER

Olive oil 2 tablespoons and extra as desired
Onion 1 larger, finely sliced
Garlic 3 cloves finely chopped
Coriander 1 cup finely chopped
Flat leaf Parsley, Finely chopped
Cumin 1 teaspoon
Tomato paste
Silverbeet a generous bunch (well washed)
Chickpeas 2 cups cooked or 1 can drained
Stock ½ to 1 cup
Salt and pepper to taste
· Saute onion until soft and beginning to colour.
· Add garlic, coriander, parsley, cumin and tomato paste
· Add chickpeas and half the stock and simmer
· Poach silver beet ( stems intact) in a large pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes
· Drain and chop and then add to the chickpeas.
· Add remaining stock if desired and simmer for further 5 to 10 minutes
· Adjust for taste salt pepper and olive oil

BRAISED SPICY CHICK PEAS

Serves 4
¼ cup olive oil
1 onion sliced
2 teaspoon crushed garlic
I tablespoon coriander seed
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, ground
1 cinnamon stick
1 red chilli chopped
2 X 40g cans of chickpeas, drained
2 cups of tomato puree.
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup flat leaf parsely roughly chopped
¼ cup of coriander leaves roughly chopped
Cucumber chopped to garnish.
· Sauté onion in olive oil until onions are tender but not coloured
· Add garlic, spices and chilli and cook 2 minutes longer
· Add chick peas and tomato puree
· Season well and simmer until the sauce has reduced and thickened
· Fold through herbs, garnish with cucumber and serve

SCOTCH SOUP

This one is from my Grandmother’s very useful cook Book
The Worker’s Cook book
Published in 1917
I was looking for an onion soup and found this. It is very simple to make.

Onions 2
Oil (sufficient to fry onions)
Oatmeal I tablespoon
Haricot beans 1 cup soaked overnight. (You can substitute a can of light coloured beans from your pantry. I have used Cannellini beans successfully)
Water 2 litres
Vegetable stock cube

Fry chopped inions in a deep pan until light golden in colour.
Stir in oatmeal and beans
Add water and stock cube
Cook until reduced down with oatmeal dissolved and thickening the soup. Onions and beans are soft.
Puree
Season with pepper and salt to taste.

Serve with crusty bread
Surprisingly filling and warming on a cold day.

BLACK EYED BEANS, TOMATO AND ROCKET SALAD.

Serves 4

1 cup (200g) dried black eye beans
175g of baby green beans, trimmed and chopped coarsely
1 medium red onion (170g) slicked thinly
250g cherry tomatoes halved
250 yellow teardrop tomatoes, halved (optional)
100 g baby rocket leaved

Lemon and Basil Dressing
¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 clove and garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon finely chopped basil.


Cook black eye beans in medium saucepan of boiling water uncovered, about 30 minutes or until just tender, drain, Rinse under cold water: drain.
Meanwhile, boil steam or microwave green beans until just tender, drain. Rinse under cold water, drain,
Place ingredients for lemon and basil dressing in screw top jar, shake well.
place black eye beans and green bean in large bowl with remaining ingredients and dressing , toss gebtly.


Tip:
Prepare more beans than you need on the day and store in the freezer.

Alternative salad ingredients:

ice burg lettuce
chopped capsicum
white salad onion

FALAFEL

Fava (dried broad beans ) 1 cup
Chick Peas 1 cup
Onion 1 medium
Garlic 2 cloves
Parsley ½ cup
Hot chilli pepper 1 pinch
Ground Coriander 1 teaspoon
Cumin ½ teaspoon
Bicarbonate soda 1 teaspoon
Salt
Pepper freshly ground

• Soak broad beans in 3 cups of cold water and soak 48 hours, changing the water each day.
• Soak the chick peas in 3 cups of cold water for 12 to 15 hours
• Drain peas and beans and remove the skins from the beans
• Combine half the peas and beans in a food grinder. Grind until fine and reserve
• Repeat for the remaining beans and peas and combine the fine mixture
• Combine parsley, chilli pepper, coriander, cumin ,bicarbonate soda and salt and pepper to taste and water.
• Knead well and leave to rest for about 30 minutes
• Shape a tablespoon of mixture at a time into balls then flatten into patties . Leave on a tray for 30 minutes at room temperature
• Deep fry in hot oil and cook for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown
(alternatively you can bake in a moderate over until browning)
Serve as a hot appetizer or in flat bread with Tahini sauce (see Avocado and Tahini Sauce) and salad

HOUMMUS B'TAHINI

Chick Pea Dip
Chick peas 1 ½ cups dry peas, soaked overnight or 1 can
Salt to taste
Garlic 2 cloves
Lemon juice ½ cup
Tahini ¾ cup
Cayenne pepper, chopped parsley to garnish
Olive oil

• Preparing chick peas
Drain the soaked peas and place in a pot with three times their amount in water.
Add I teaspoon of salt and bring to the boil .
Boil vigorously for about 10 minutes,
Reduce heat and simmer covered for about an hour. Drain off liquid and reserve

If you use a can of peas drain the peas and reserve the liquid.

• Puree the peas and garlic
• Add the lemon juice and Tahini and some reserved liquid until the mixture is creamy and smooth
• Serve in a dish with some cayenne sprinkled and parsley
• Drizzle with oil

Serve with salads, bread and broad bean patties.