January #EatYourGreens Round Up

Its almost the end of Janaury and you know what this means, #Eat Your Greens Round up.  

We have seven fantastic vegetarian and vegan recipes, all very different and all very delicious. 

The first Eat Your Greens recipe comes from Cheryl who blogs over at Madhouse Family Reviews.  Cheryl brought to the table a luscious Triple Layer Vegetarian Lasagne.  This lasagne has many warming colours, but it gets its splendid green from a mixture of green beans, courgette and peas all pureed to make a sauce. Now get your knife and fork out and tuck in. 

The second recipe comes from Lisa's Kitchen who shares with us a warming and golden bowl of Chana Palak aka Spicy Chickpeas and Spinach.  The silky green here is a bit more evident as it comes from Spinach wrapped wonderfully around the nutty chickpeas.  However, if your feeling a little cold and want a big hug, this bowl will give it to you as it delivers on natural creaminess from the coconut and aromatic warming spices.

Joey from Flicking the V's joins in with her awesome and very original idea for Brussels sprouts sushi rolls.  I love how she has enhanced the bitter sprouts with soy sauce, that's all and they are elevated to something quite delectable and remarkable. This recipe is a must for sprout haters,  I have bookmarked to try it soon. 

Helen from Roast Chicken and A Country Walk shares with us her Moroccan Squash and Pea Stew.  Stews are are so welcome in this part of the world right now where its really wet and cold.  The garden green peas are just popping to the surface in this bowl of comfort. 

Kirsty from Hijacked by Twins shares with us a very interesting pizza recipe. Its a Low Syn broccoli pizza base.  Yes, you read right - broccoli pizza base. I know its crazy, but it also sounds amazing.  It also happens to be gluten free. I love how the broccoli green remains so green even after baking.  I really want to have a go at making it at home. 

The Veg Hog my lovely co-host has me blushing, but you can go to her blog to find out why.  The Veg Hog shared with us Fennel and Cauliflower Thai Curry. She writes that although she has eaten fennel many times, she had never cooked with it until now.  As well as fennel there are broad beans and spinach and for herby hit, some coriander - I can just smell it wafting. 

And finally, my own contribution which was a Creamy Avocado Soup topped with Tortilla Cheese croutons. 

Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to #EatYourGreens, please do take time to visit and comment on every contributors recipe if you can, I know it will be appreciated.  Also I hope you will join in February with your #EatYourGreens vegetarian or vegan recipe.  The #EatYourGreens challenge in February - the Month of Love will be hosted by my blogging co-host The Veg Hog, 

Follow this link on how to participate and then just leave a comment with a link to your blog post either here OR on The VegHog's #EatYourGreens hosting page which will be live tomorrow.

Gnocchi in Red Pepper and Blue Cheese Sauce

We have been eating lots of pasta based dishes from lasagne's to cheesy bakes, a bit like this Gnocchi in Red Pepper and Blue Cheese Sauce. 

I made this when I had barely any vegetables in the house and lots of cheese in the fridge from Christmas and New Year binge eating.  this is a relatively easy recipe, especially if you use roasted red peppers from a jar and ready made gnocchi, then lunch or dinner will be on the table in no time.  The sauce is whizzed in a food processor and then its just about cooking the gnocchi and bringing the two components together.

This photograph does not do this Gnocchi in Red Pepper and Blue Cheese Sauce Bake justice, it really was quite delicious; and this comes from someone who is not a huge fan of blue cheese.

D loved this and went back for seconds, in fact he finished off what was left in the pot.  He loved the Red Pepper Blue cheese sauce and I loved how the the pillowy potato dumplings became crisp under the grill.

Italian Fiorelli Pasta with Fennel and Green Peppers

This Pasta with Fennel and Green Peppers is one I made many years back.  The recipe comes from on of my all-time favourite vegetarian chefs Denis Cotter owner of the best vegetarian restaurant Cafe Paradiso in Ireland, as well as its chef and co-founder.  Denis Cotter was one of the first to deliver contemporary style of vegetarian cuisine. There were not many innovative vegetarian or vegan cookbooks in the mid 1990s found in this part of the English speaking world. I really admire him, unlike other vegetarian and vegan chefs (that came after), he has never ever sought the limelight and has always been humble and modest. never looking for the Michelin Stars or Rosette recognition (although why not, Cafe Paradiso and his team truly deserves that accolade for what its worth). He for me redefined non-meat based cuisine by experimenting with original flavours, brilliant culinary improvisations and modern techniques at the time.  You can see Deni Cotters influences in the way many vegetarian chefs that came after (whether they admit it or not), have been inspired by him or have used many of his recipes as a springboard for their own.  I do sometimes think some people have very short memories as they forget original stars and voices of vegetarian and vegan cuisine in favour of those that crave the limelight and pretend that they have created something original, for example vegetables in cakes, people have you never heard of carrot cake!  

His book 'Paradiso Seasons was named as the best vegetarian cookbook in the world at the Gourmand World Cookbook Fair in 2004. Denis Cotter creates restaurant quality food that I truly want to eat. He is a big influence on the way I cook, he is vegetarian icon and a vegetarian hero of mine, especially when I want to create something a bit more avante garde  or honest and down to earth in my own kitchen, but never pretentious. 

I am patiently waiting for another brilliant and original cookbook from him.  ; and to visit Cafe Paradiso in Cork, Ireland remains on my wish list.  Dear Husband I hope you are reading this, if not I know you already know...

After all that high praise for Denis Cotter, i have to admit for quickness, I have cut lots of corners for this recipe.  For a start, he roasts the garlic in oil until it is tender, soft and sweet and can easily be popped out of its skin.  The garlic enhances fresh parsley and olive oil which forms part of the pasta sauce and much more.  

My Pasta with Fennel and Green Peppers is made with Fiorelli from M&S.  Its described as authentic Italian pasta made and air dried in the Italian Alps, using select Italian wheat and a bronze dye for a rough texture that picks up every drop of sauce.  The fiorelli* shaped pasta is supposed to resemble flower buds.  I loved the intense flavour combination in the final dish, lots of layers of flavours, from the garlic, the parsley, the peppers, the fennel and then piquancy from the sun dried tomatoes and black peppers and the pasta acted as a brilliant foil to hold all those flavours. 

This is my second  contribution to Food 'N' Flix this month  hosted at All Roads Lead To The Kitchen.  The movie chosen this month was French Kiss with Kevin Kline and the infectious Meg Ryan.   

I was fortunate to find the movie on youtube and watched it on a day when I was off work.  Less than 10 minutes into the movie I spotted some fresh vegetables in the kitchen on the table including tomatoes, carrots, fennel and a bowl of mushrooms I think.  This is just before the character Kate receives a phone call from her fiancee Charlie breaking up with her as he has fallen in love with someone he has met in Paris. The feathery fennel inspired me to make this pasta salad.  I am also sharing this Pasta Salad with Soups, Salads and Sammies hosted by Kahakai Kitchen;  and finally  Healthy Vegan Fridays hosted by Rock My Vegan Socks and V Nutrition. 

Here is a link to Denis Cotters vegetarian cookbooks, many of which have vegan recipes.
Here are some other Denis Cotter inspired recipes on A2K- A Seasonal Veg Table
Aubergine, Black Eyed Peas Coconut Pot
Aubergine aka Eggplant Tomato Relish Pasta
Pumpkin, Black Beans and Leeks
Turnip Swede Curry
Balsamic Roasted Beetroot Dyed Pasta
Wild Garlic Past and Pesto
Roasted Runner Beans and Couscous
Jerusalem Artichoke Risotto 

In this blog post called Peeking Through Snowy Windows in 2010,  I wrote about 3 of my favourite chefs celebrating vegetables and Denis Cotter was named then and would still be today. 

*Here is a guide from the BBC of pasta shapes of Italy

Italian Fiorelli with Fennel and Green Peppers
Serves 3 - 4
Ingredients
250g Fiorelli Pasta, or other pasta shape.  
Cook according to packet instructions, drain and set aside

1 fennel, sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 green pepper, sliced
12 black olives
2 tablespoons sun dried tomato, sliced
Fresh parsley, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
In a wide pan, heat the oil and then stir in the fennel and cook for five minutes, then stir in the garlic and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. then stir in the olives and sun dried tomatoes for a minute, then stir in the pasta, parsley and season to taste
Adapted from Denis Cotters The Cafe Paradiso Cookbook