Follow on instagram @meaning.of.food
Extraordinary

Vegetarian Recipes

Chocolate Mousse

Time: 20 minutes + chilling time (5 hours minimum) Serves: 4
A divine dessert recipe that is guaranteed to impress.
Tip:
To Transform this mousse recipe into a vegan dessert, you can substitute 1 can of chickpea water (200 ml) for the egg whites and beat in exactly the same way - you'll be amazed at how delicious this tastes, nothing like chickpeas, I can assure you!
Ingredients
  • 4 egg whites
  • 90g dairy-free dark chocolate (plus some extra for grating)
  • 50ml maple syrup
Method
  • Melt chocolate (either in a microwave or in a heatproof bowl sitting over a pan of simmering water, ensuring water doesn't touch the base of the bowl) and leave to cool
  • Beat egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form (this can be done by hand but will take longer)
  • Add maple syrup into the bowl with cooled melted chocolate and stir
  • Using a spatula, gently fold in the whisked egg whites into the chocolate mixture until combined
  • Pour into individual serving containers (such as ramekins or stemmed glasses) and leave to set in fridge for at least 5 hours
  • Grate the extra chocolate to produce fine shavings
  • Serve each mousse with some shaved chocolate on top
Equipment
  • Electric mixer

Mushroom Soup

Time: 20 minutes Serves: 4
This mushroom soup can be served hot or cold and so is perfect for all seasons.
Tip:
Serve with a few leaves of fresh thyme and a drizzle of olive oil.
Ingredients
  • 1 onion
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 sprig of fresh thyme
  • 150g mushrooms
  • 200ml vegetable stock
  • 100ml coconut milk
  • Salt and pepper
Method
  • Heat olive oil in a medium-sized pan on a medium heat
  • Finely chop onions and cook in pan for around 4 minutes
  • Slice mushrooms and add to pan with crushed garlic and cook for another 5 minutes
  • Add in thyme leaves and season with salt and pepper
  • Add mixture to blender with coconut milk and vegetable stock and blend until smooth and creamy
  • Heat soup in pan until steaming
Equipment
  • Blender

Falafel Wrap

Time: 10 minutes Serves: 1
Perfect for a super quick lunch or dinner and bursting with flavour from all the freshest ingredients.
Tip:
Try using seeded multigrain wraps to add another dimension of flavour.
Ingredients
  • 1 gluten-free wrap
  • 1 tbsp dairy-free pesto
  • 1 tbsp hummus
  • 1 tbsp chutney
  • 2 or 3 falafel
  • Around 5 fresh santini or cherry tomatoes
  • Around 5 pitted olives
  • Around 5 sun-dried tomatoes
  • Small handful of spinach
Method
  • Place wrap on a chopping board
  • Spread hummus, pesto and chutney along centre of wrap
  • Place falafel in a row on top of dips and gently crush each one
  • Slice fresh tomatoes, olives and sun-dried tomatoes and scatter around falafel
  • Sprinkle on onion and spinach
  • Fold one side of wrap over the ingredients and the other side over that (folded in thirds)
  • Place in hot sandwich/panini press and heat for 3-5 minutes or until outside of wrap turns golden brown
Equipment
  • Panini press

Chocolate Covered Rice Cakes

Time: 10 minutes Makes: 12 rice cakes
Snack? Breakfast? Dessert? Yes, yes and yes!
Tip:
Go for lightly salted rice cakes to get that delicious sweet and salty contrast.
Ingredients
  • 12 rice cakes
  • 1 bar dairy-free dark chocolate (100g)
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup flaked or sliced almonds
  • 1/4 cup cranberries
  • 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
Method
  • Melt coconut oil and maple syrup in a heatproof bowl sitting over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the water doesn't touch the base of the bowl, whilst stirring gently
  • Once the coconut oil and maple syrup are completely melted together, break up chocolate bar and add to bowl
  • Continue stirring gently until you have a smooth, shiny chocolate sauce
  • Leave to cool for about 5 minutes
  • Lay out rice cakes on a tray
  • Drizzle chocolate over the rice cakes
  • Sprinkle over some flaked almonds, dried cranberries and desiccated coconut
Equipment
  • N/A

Pea and Mint Soup

Time: 10 minutes Serves: 4
So easy and simple to make using only 3 main ingredients and 3 steps - a guaranteed success every time!
Tip:
For a final touch, garnish each serving with a small mint leaf resting in the centre.
Ingredients
  • 400g peas
  • 25g fresh mint
  • 400g vegetable stock
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
Method
  • Cook peas in boiling water
  • Add drainned peas, mint, salt and pepper, olive oil and vegetable stock together into a blender and blend until smooth
  • Heat in a pot until steaming and ready to serve
Equipment
  • Blender

Roasted Butternut Squash

Time: 1 hr 30 minutes Serves: 2
I love this recipe as it really foregrounds squash, a humble vegetable, as the star of the meal! Also a fantastic substitute for a meat roast.
Tip:
Steamed greens, such as broccoli, make the perfect accompaniment to the squash. Cut broccoli into florets and steam for around 5 minutes.
Ingredients
  • 1 whole butternut squash
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 60g olives (pitted)
  • 60g raisins
  • 60g pine nuts
  • 1/2 broccoli (or your choice of side)
Method
  • Preheat the oven to 180˚C (around 350˚F)
  • Chop off the ends of the squash
  • Slice in half and remove the seeds from the centre using a spoon
  • Place on a baking tray, skin side down
  • Drizzle over some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper
  • Place in the oven and cook for 1 hr 10 minutes
  • While the squash is cooking, mix the olives, raisins and pine nuts in a bowl with a splash of olive oil
  • After just over 1 hr of cooking the squash, divide the mixture of olives, raisins and nuts into the hollows of each half of the squash and cook for a further 5-10 minutes
  • Remove from the oven after 1 hr 15 minutes, or until fork-tender
Equipment
  • Oven

Vanilla Cupcakes: Mother's Day Edition

Time: 45 minutes Makes: 12 cupcakes
Nothing better than delicious home-made cupcakes to surprise your mum on Mother's Day. A wonderful dessert or gift, which is super fun and easy!
Tip:
Feel free to draw on your inner creativity with the icing and decoration, to personalise these however you choose!
Ingredients
Batter
  • 2 eggs at room temperature
  • 120g sunflower spread
  • 100ml agave syrup
  • 150g gluten-free self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder (gf)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Icing
  • 120g dairy-free spread
  • 75ml maple syrup
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
Method
  • Preheat oven to 180˚C
  • Beat dairy-free spread and agave in a bowl with an electric mixer until combined
  • Add 1 egg and half the flour and beat
  • Add the remaining egg and flour and beat
  • Add baking powder and vanilla extract and beat until thoroughly combined
  • Divide the mixture equally between 12 cupcake cases, each one about 2/3 full
  • Bake in oven for 15 minutes, until golden
  • Remove from oven and leave to cool
  • Mix icing ingredients in a bowl until mixture turns slightly glossy
  • Ice and decorate each cupcake
For butterfly cupcakes:
  • Use a knife to cut out the centre of each cupcake at a 45˚angle Cut the removed piece in half and place on top of icing to form 'wings'
Equipment
  • Oven
  • Electric mixer
  • Cupcake tin and cases

Mushroom Frittata

Time: 45 minutes Serves: 4
A very adaptable dish that lends itself to many varitations in ingredients and flavours. Also really nice served cold on a warm summer's day!
Tip:
Add the vegetables to the egg and then pour back into pan quickly to prevent the egg from scrambling.
Ingredients
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 110g asparagus
  • 150g mushrooms
  • 170g santini or cherry tomatoes
  • Salt, pepper, olive oil
Method
  • Preheat oven to 180˚C
  • Heat some olive oil in a medium-sized pan on a medium heat
  • Finely chop onions and cook in pan for around 2 minutes
  • Crush the garlic (with a garlic crusher is easiest) and add to pan
  • Slice mushrooms, asparagus and tomatoes and cook for another 10 minutes
  • Add salt and pepper and stir off the heat, to allow to cool slightly
  • Crack and whisk eggs in a bowl
  • Add the cooked vegetables into the bowl with the egg and pour the egg and vegetable mixture back into the same pan or oven-proof dish
  • Cook in oven for 20-25 minutes until the egg is cooked through
Equipment
  • Oven

Beetroot Soup

Time: 10 minutes Serves: 4
Inspired by a small boulangerie in the Swiss Alps, this is one of my all-time favourite soups that tastes amazing hot or cold!
Tip:
Finish off with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds.
Ingredients
  • 250g pre-cooked beetroot
  • 1 tbsp dairy-free coconut yogurt
  • 400ml vegetable stock
  • 1/2 tsp garlic paste (or 1 crushed garlic clove)
  • 1 apple
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Small handful of sunflower seeds (optional)
Method
  • Roughly chop apple
  • Add apple, beetroot, yogurt, vegetable stock, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper into blender and blend until smooth
  • Pour into pan and heat until steaming
  • Serve with a sprinkle of seeds and a drizzle of olive oil on top
Equipment
  • Blender

Lemon Loaf

Time: 1 hour Makes: 1 loaf
A wonderful celebration loaf for spring time that can be made for family and friends, or even given as a gift.
Tip:
For the perfect bake, cook in the oven until the tip of a knife placed in the centre of the loaf comes out clean.
Ingredients
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 120g sunflower spread
  • 100ml agave syrup
  • 2 eggs at room temperature
  • 200g gluten-free self raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
  • Preheat oven to 180˚C
  • Beat dairy-free spread and agave in a bowl until combined
  • Add 1 egg and half of the flour and beat
  • Add the remaining egg and flour and beat
  • Add baking powder and vanilla extract and beat until thoroughly combined
  • Pour mixture into greased loaf tin
  • Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes
  • Remove from oven and leave to cool
  • Grate lemon zest over the top of the loaf
Equipment
  • Oven
  • Loaf tin

Let's keep in touch