I was vegetarian for most of my teens and twenties and I still love the diversity of plant-based dishes the world’s cuisines offer. Some of these recipes contain anchovies or optional meat ingredients, which you can simply omit. Vegetarian recipes are colourful, tasty, usually quick and easy and, as my carnivorous husband likes to say, they go so well with meat! Use these vegetarian dishes as a meal in themselves, an accompaniment to a meat dish, or a starting point for your own inspiration!
Melanzane Grigliate Eggplant is like a sponge and soaks up an incredible amount of oil, so I prefer to brush it with oil and bake or grill it rather than fry it. If you have the barbecue fired up, you can cook the eggplant on it, otherwise bake it in the oven as I’m doing […]
Peperoni in Padella I was taught to make this braised capsicum dish by a boyfriend’s Neapolitan mother many years ago, and it’s still one of my favourites. Peperoni in padella simply means ‘peppers in the pan’ and the result is quite different to roasting a capsicum in the oven as the juices blend with the […]
Steamed Asparagus with Pecorino When I’m barbecuing I’ll sometimes grill asparagus spears on the spot, but when I’m entertaining, and want to get as much done ahead of time as possible, I find it easier to steam them. I like really thin spears for this dish, but they aren’t always available so be flexible and […]
Insalata Caprese Insalata Caprese is a classic mozzarella and tomato salad from the Isle of Capri in the Bay of Naples. Indian water buffalo were introduced to the swampy plains near Naples as draft animals around the 6th or 7th century, and today this area is famous for one of Italy’s most delicious cheeses, Mozzarella […]
Stir-fried Bean Sprouts & Garlic Chives I love the crunch of bean sprouts scattered over many dishes, from char kway teow to laksa, but I find that whenever I buy a bag I always waste more than half of them as I’m using just a small handful as a garnish. Then I came across tumis […]
Grilled Zucchini with Stracciatella Grilled zucchini with stracciatella is a simple dish that’s great as a starter or part of an antipasti. It’s inspired by a dish I had at Bert’s at Newport – the first time I ever tasted stracciatella. This wonderful southern Italian cheese is shredded mozzarella mixed with cream – it’s what’s […]
Rice with Fried Garlic & Shallot This simple side dish of rice with fried garlic & shallot is a vegetarian take on the rice served with classic Hainanese chicken rice. The fried shallot and garlic add plenty of flavour without using stock; just remember to salt it well. It’s delicious with trout that’s steeped in […]
Cucumber, Fetta & Tomato Salad I love the salty tang of fetta-style cheeses, especially combined with cooling cucumber. Traditional Greek Feta is made from sheep milk, sometimes with a little goat milk added. It has PDO status, meaning only cheese produced to specific criteria within a certain part of Greece can be called Feta (note […]
Tofu Ria Everyone loves tofu ria – delicious silken bean curd in spicy sauce – even the carnivores! In fact it is one of the most viewed videos on my YouTube channel and has been known to convert tofu haters! Best of all, it’s super quick so perfect for a simple mid-week dinner with steamed […]
Swiss Cucumber Salad This easy Swiss cucumber salad is a refreshing side dish for almost any main course. The yoghurt dressing adds a touch of acid which cuts through the richness of creamy or fried dishes. A good natural pot-set yoghurt, like the buffalo milk one from Vannella Cheese, makes all the difference to this […]
