"Minted" Spring Vegetables

Minted is in quotes because Tesco does not sell mint anymore! At least not the one I went to. So I thought I would change it up and make them "vinegar-ed" spring vegetables since I'm starting to like that flavour as well.

From: BBC Good Food 101 Veggie Dishes

Ingredients:

• 25 g/1 oz butter
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 225 g/8 oz baby onions or regular onions (chopped up if regular)
• 200 ml/7 fl oz dry white wine (vinegar if you leave out the mint)
• 2 medium leaks, halved and cut into 5 cm/2 in ribbons
• 350 g/12 oz frozen peas
• 3 heads of baby gem lettuce, quartered lengthways (I thought this was a lot, and it was, so I only used the outside bits)
• 200 ml/7 fl  oz creme fraiche
• 2 TBSP chopped fresh mint
• 2 TBSP chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
• bulgar wheat or couscous or rice to serve (I used rice) 

Directions:

1) Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pan until lightly foaming.








2) Add the onions and cook over a low heat for 8 minutes.








3) Add the wine and leeks and bring to a boil.

4) Start cooking the rice, bulgar wheat or couscous now.
5) Simmer the vegetables for 5 minutes until the leeks are tender.
6) Add the peas and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
7) Add the lettuce and simmer for a further 3 minutes.





8) Stir in the creme fraiche, herbs and seasoning and simmer for a further 3 minutes, until everything is warm.

Beetroot and Tzatziki Sandwich

From: BBC Good Food 101 Veggie Dishes

Ingredients:

• nob of softened butter
• 2 thick slices mixed-seed bread
• 3 TBSP Greek yoghurt
• 1 in piece cucumber, grated and drained
• 2 TBSP chopped fresh mint, plus extra leaves to garnish (I couldn't find it so I omitted it)
• handful of mixed salad leaves
• 1 small cooked beetroot, sliced

Directions:

1) Spread the softened butter over one side of each slice of bread.
2) To make the tzatziki, mix together the Greek yoghurt, grated cucumber and chopped mint in a small bowl.
3) Season.
4) Place a handful of mixed salad leaves, on each slice of bread. Arrange the beetroot slices on top of the salad leaves and spoon over the cucumber tzatziki. Sprinkle with the extra mint leaves.

 

Pea and Ricotta Pesto

 From: Veggie Feasts

Ingredients:

• 4 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 500 g (16 oz) fresh or frozen shelled peas
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 100 g (4 oz) ricotta cheese
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp mint (I used parsley because Tesco was out of mint)
• 30 g (1 oz) Parmesan cheese
• salt and black pepper

Directions:

1) Cook the peas in a saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for 3 minutes.








2) Drain and immediately refresh under cold water.









3) Put the peas into a food processor with the oil, garlic, ricotta, lemon juice, mint (or parsley), Parmesan and salt and pepper and process until fairly smooth. I don't have a food processor so I used a potato masher.
4) Serve with crostini or a baguette.

Middle Eastern Bread Salad

On to salads in the cookbook.
Ingredients:

• 2 flat breads or flour tortilla
• 1 large green pepper, cored, deseeded and diced
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, diced (not sure what Lebanese cucumbers are, but I used regular ones)
• 250g (8 oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (I didn't use fresh, since I had dried)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and black pepper

Directions:

1) Cook the flatbreads on a preheated ridged griddle pan or under a preheated hot grill for 2-3 minutes until toasted and charred.
2) Leave to cool, then tear into bite-sized pieces.










3) Put the green pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, onion and herbs in a bowl, add the oil, lmeon jice and salt and pepper and stir well.







4) Add the bread and stir again.
5) Serve immediately.