Roasted Vegetable Tostada

Using the green pepper, red onion and some lettuce from the Boston Organics box. Recipe taken from here.

Ingredients:

• 8 corn tortillas
• 4 cups cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
• 2 cups green peppers, chopped
• 2 cups red onion, chopped
• spray olive oil
• garlic powder
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 cups Cheddar jack cheese (and more for toppings)
• 2 cups black beans
• lettuce
• sour cream
• salsa
• whatever else you want to put on top!

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 425F/220C.
2) Spray oil on a baking tray, place the tomatoes, peppers and onion on it and spray again. Salt and pepper.







3) Roast for 30 minutes.











4) Remove from the oven and toss with the beans and cilantro.
5) Decrease oven temperature to 375C/190F.
6) Spray each tortilla once with olive oil and dash garlic powder on it and then brush the oil and powder all over.





7) Spoon mixture evenly over tortillas and add the cheese on top.











8) Bake for 10 minutes.
9) Add the lettuce, sour cream and whatever else you like!

 Don't do this and try and make tacos. Corn tortillas are too fragile for this and they will break (as you can see the front left one is trying to do)

Red Wine Poached Pear Salad

Continuing the use of the box from Boston Organics, by using the pears, red lettuce, onion, and sprouts. Recipe for the wine poached pears was taken from here.

Ingredients:

• Wine Poached Pears:
• 2 Peeled, cored and sliced pears
• 3/4 cups of red wine (I used Merlot)
• 3/8 cup sugar
• 1 TBSP lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Salad:
• 1 recipe of wine poached pears
• 1 head of red lettuce, chopped
• 1/4 of an onion, chopped
• handful of sprouts
• handful of mushrooms, chopped

Directions:
1) Combine the red wine, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and cinnamon in a bot and bring to a boil.








2) Add the pears and turn down the heat to a simmer.
3) Simmer for 10-12 minutes.
4) Stir and simmer for another 5-8 minutes.







5) Test the pears to see if they can be poked though with a fork, if so, they are done.
6) Let cool.
7) Combine the salad ingredients.
8) Serve with balsamic vinegar, or another dressing of your choice (could use the leftover wine from the pot, but that seemed a bit runny to me).

"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.

Ricotta Stuffed Crispbreads

From: BBC Good Food 101 Veggie Dishes

Ingredients:

•  2 slices bread, crusts removed
• butter
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1/2 bell pepper (I used red and orange), seeded and chopped
• 2 oz lettuce or cabbage
• 2 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
• Dash of  white wine vinegar
• "60 g" ricotta cheese...I just spread it on the bread
• handful of basil

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 200C.
2) Roll out each slice of bread until flattened.
3) Spread with butter.
4) Chop the garlic and add it on top.






5) Bake for 10 minutes until crisp (I only took them out after doing everything else).








6) Heat the oil in a pan.
7) Add the peppers and cook for a few minutes, until lightly charred.
8) Add the lettuce or cabbage and cook for 2-3 minutes.






9)  Remove from heat.
10) Add tomatoes, vinegar, seasoning.
11) Spread the ricotta on the bread.
12) Place some torn basil on top.
13) Place the cooked mixture on top.
14) Top with the other bread and more basil.

Two Cheese Salad with Croutons

From: 101 Veggie Recipies

Ingredients:

• 2 thick slices white bread, crusts removed
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 large cos or romaine lettuce
• 2 ripe avocados
• 2 TBSP lemon juice
• 1 large courgette, cut into sticks
• 140 g/1oz feta, crumbled into chunks
• 25 g/ 1 oz finely grated Parmesan
• 6 TBSP olive oil dressing

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 220C/Gas 7/200C fan.
2) Cut the bread into 2 cm/ 3/4 in cubes.
3) Toss with the paprika, olive oil and garlic.








4) Spread out on a baking sheet.
5) Bake for 7-8 minutes, until crisp.
6) Tear the lettuce into large pieces.







7) Peel and slice the avocados and toss with lemon juice and freshly ground black-pepper.
8) Mix the lettuce, courgette, feta, croutons with the avocados mixture.
9) Add the Parmesan and olive oil dressing.