"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.

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.