There are many people who avoid the vegetarian option in fear that their food will be lacking in excitement and taste. While this may have been true 50 years ago, veggie cuisine has come a long way since then. As our following superb selection shows, you can enjoy a whole host of wonderfully tasty snacks and filling meals without resorting to meat!
1. Mushrooms alla Caprese
You’ll need (for 6 servings):
- 6 brown mushrooms
- 2 tsp melted butter
- 2 chopped garlic cloves
- salt and pepper
- 2 balls fresh mozzarella, sliced
- ⅔ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
- balsamic vinegar
- fresh basil
Here’s how:
- Wash the mushrooms, remove the stems, and hollow them out.
- Mix the butter with the garlic and brush onto the caps of the mushrooms. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Turn the caps over and fill with a thick slice of mozzarella and a few slices of tomato. Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F.
2. Potato Terrine
You’ll need:
- 5 spring onions
- 2 carrots
- 3 bell peppers (1 each of green, red and yellow)
- 1 zucchini
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 2¼ lbs potatoes
- 4.5 oz mozzarella
- 4 oz parmesan
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp soft butter
- 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
Here’s how:
- Wash and cut the vegetables into small cubes. Heat the oil in a pan and add the vegetables, then brown and season with salt and pepper.
- Peel and boil the potatoes, then mash with a fork. Add the sautéed vegetables. Cut the mozzarella into cubes and add to the mix along with grated parmesan and both eggs. Stir until all ingredients are consistently distributed.
- Coat the inside of the terrine pan with soft butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Spoon the potato mixture into the pan and top with slices of parmesan. Bake at 350°F for 60 minutes.
3. Bang! Bang! Broccoli
You’ll need:
- 1 broccoli
- ⅘ cup flour
- ⅗ corn starch
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp chili sauce
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups breadcrumbs
- oil for frying
Here’s how:
- Cut the florets from the broccoli. If you want to, you can also keep the stalk, peel it, chop it up, and use it later in the marinade.
- For the marinade, mix the flour, corn starch, salt, chili sauce, vinegar, and milk. Stir until the mixture is smooth.
- Soak the broccoli florets in the marinade before covering them in the breadcrumbs and frying in hot oil.
4. Southwest Corn Fritters
You’ll need:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- 2 spring onions, sliced into rings
- 1 tbsp jalapeños
- 1 chopped garlic clove
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped cilantro
- 1 cup yellow corn
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- oil for frying
Here’s how:
- Mix the flour, baking powder, eggs and milk into a batter.
- Add the remaining ingredients through to the lime juice.
- Heat up a generous portion of oil in a frying pan and then add 2 tbsp of batter to the hot oil. Fry on each side until golden brown.
5. Spinach Potato Pie
You’ll need:
- 2 large potatoes
- oil for frying
- 12 oz spinach, cooked and drained
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 2 eggs
- 3.5 oz feta cheese
- salt and pepper
Here’s how:
- Cut one of the potatoes lengthwise and the other across in thin slices.
- Heat a little oil in a frying pan and brown the potato slices on both sides.
- Cover the bottom of a springform pan with the smaller potato slices, saving the longer slices for the edges.
- Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl until you achieve a consistent mixture and pour into the potato shell. Bake the pie in the oven for 30 minutes at 320°F.
6. Pulled Eggplant
You’ll need:
- 1 eggplant
- 1 handful of fresh basil
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp grated parmesan
- 1 chopped garlic clove
- salt and pepper
- ¾ cup mini mozzarella balls
- ⅔ cup cherry tomatoes
- ⅔ grated mozzarella
Here’s how:
- Cut a criss-cross pattern into the eggplant, but be sure not to cut right through. Place the eggplant into a casserole dish.
- To make the pesto, add basil, vegetable oil, garlic, salt, and pepper into a bowl and puree everything. Spoon the pesto into the gaps between the eggplant cubes.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes and the mini mozzarella balls into thin slices, place them on top of each other, and insert them into the gaps.
- To finish, sprinkle the grated mozzarella over the eggplant and bake it at 360°F for 40 minutes.
Whether you’re cooking for yourself or for others, there are plenty of ideas here to keep you busy in the kitchen. If you’d like to increase the amount of vegetarian meals in your diet, you can simply leave out the meat in most dishes or replace it with veggie-friendly soya or milk-based alternatives.