Tomato, aubergine and feta linguine

Image Souce: Taste.com.au

Ingredients

• 1 medium aubergine/eggplant, cut into 2cm cubes
• 1 red onion, cut into wedges
• salt and cracked black pepper
• 3 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 400g fettuccine
• 1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil
• 1/2 cup (100g) fetta, roughly crumbled
• 1/4 cup basil leaves
• crusty bread, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190°C. Place the eggplant and onion on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Spray with olive oil spray, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes. Add tomato and spray with oil spray. Cook for a further 15 minutes then remove and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water according to packet instructions or until al dente. Drain, return to pan and cover to keep warm.
3. Add olive oil to pasta. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Divide pasta between serving bowls. Serve with crusty bread

Source: Taste.com.au

Oven baked red pepper risotto

Image source: BBC Good Food

Ingredients

1 tbsp oil

1 onion , chopped

300g risotto rice

100ml white wine (optional, or use more stock)

400g can chopped tomatoes

200g frozen roasted peppers

500ml vegetable stock

handful flat-leaf parsley , chopped

parmesan  to serve (optional)

Method

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Heat the oil in an ovenproof pan, then fry the onion for a few mins until softened. Turn up the heat, tip in the rice, stir, then fry for 1 min more. Pour in the wine, if using, stirring until absorbed, then pour in the tomatoes, peppers and 400ml of the stock. Cover and bake in the oven for 25 mins until the rice is tender and creamy.

Stir in the remaining stock and parsley, season and scatter with Parmesan, if you like.

 Source: BBC Good Food

Salad of roasted squash, beetroot and feta cheese

Image source: Daily Mail

Ingredients

1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into small wedges

4-6 small-medium raw beetroot, washed and cut into wedges

1tbsp olive oil

1 bag of rocket, watercress and spinach salad leaves

200g (7oz) feta cheese

50g pine nuts, lightly toasted

1tbsp balsamic vinegar

3tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 200degrees C/gas 5. Place the butternut squash and beetroot in a roasting tray, toss in 1 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30-45 minutes (depending on the size of the pieces), until tender and the squash is just becoming golden.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly, or leave until completely cool if you prefer a cold salad. Arrange the salad leaves on a large platter or divide up onto individual plates along with the squash and beetroot. Place spoonfuls of the goat’s cheese on
top, and scatter with the mustard cress and pine nuts.
Mix together the balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil
Adapted from Daily Mail recipe

Creamy Vegetable Casserole

I am not going to give any vegetable amounts here – just add as much or as little of your favourite vegetable. The following are some suggestions:

onion, sticks celery, garlic, carrot, parsnip, mushrooms, butternut squash.

You will also need:

• 3 rounded tbsp tahini
• 425 ml vegetable stock
• 400g tin blackeye beans
• fresh parsley

To cook the casserole, pre-heat the over to 200C or equivalent.

Sweat the onions, celery and garlic in a tbsp olive oil until they are soft.

Add the carrots, butternut sqush or your choice of vegetable.

Dissolve the tahini in the vegetable stock and add this too.

Add half the blackeye beans to the casserole and mash the remaining beans to break up before adding.

Add the parsley, and cook for 1 hour in the oven.

When you remove it from the oven, give it a stir and check to see if it needs more seasoning.

Serve with baked potato or rice.

(Adpated from Cooking without made easy)

Tagliatelle with butternut squash

Image Source: Sunday Independent

I love this simple pasta recipe using one of my favourite vegetables – butternut squash. I adore the sweet nutty taste and the rich orange colour of the squash and it is packed full of nutritrional goodness. My favourite way to cook this vegetable is to roast it in the oven, which really enhances its flavour.

Ingredients

butternut squash, peeled and cut in narrow batons or chopped (about 550g /1¼lb flesh)

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

350g (12oz) tagliatelle

1 chicken stock cube in 1.7lt (3 pts) water

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3-4 handfuls of fresh watercress

220g (7fl oz) creme fraiche

50g (2oz) fresh Parmesan, grated or shaved in curls using a potato peeler

25-50g (1-2oz) pine nuts, toasted

Method

Cut the butternut squash in half, then in quarters and peel it with a sharp knife. Slice the flesh into narrow finger-like batons or cubes.

Heat the olive oil on a generous piece of foil on a flat tin in the oven. Put the butternut squash and the garlic into the hot oil and toss, coating both with the oil.

Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the squash is tender enough to eat, tossing once or twice in the oil during that time.

Meanwhile, cook the tagliatelle in the light chicken stock according to the directions on the packet. Drain well.

Toss the tagliatelle with the butternut squash — you can mix in the olive oil in which the squash has been cooked as well, if you like. Season with salt and pepper. Put into a warm serving bowl and serve immediately, tossing the watercress and the creme fraiche through, or serving on the side, if preferred. Scatter the Parmesan and the toasted pine nuts over the top.

Adapted from a recipe by Clodagh McKenna