Did you know that the average American spends over $2,000 per year on restaurant dining? That’s over $200 per month!
And here’s another surprising stat before we encourage you to cook more; the average consumer in the UK spends a whopping £641 a year on takeaways.
The good news is that there are plenty of ways to cut down on this amount and your carbon footprint, by cooking healthy, delicious vegetarian food at home. We’ve collated six of our very favourite recipes for you, which are simple to make and oh-so delicious to eat.
The Ultimate Chickpea Curry Stew
A curry/stew hybrid with Indian influences that’s both vegetarian and delicious? Count us in! We’re talking about the ultimate chickpea curry stew courtesy of our friends from Casa Verde.
The key here is to dice the potatoes to the same size, so everything cooks evenly and at the same pace. Already boasting superfoods turmeric, chickpeas (obvs) and kale, this one is made even healthier by the addition of brown rice; rejoice!
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 1 gold potato
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 3 teaspoons garlic powder
- Cayenne pepper to taste
- 3 cups kale chopped
- 2 cups chickpeas
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1.5 cups cooked brown rice
Method
Take your onion, potato, curry powder, and garlic powder, and place them in a pan large enough to accommodate them and some water. Add in a sprinkle of cayenne and 1/4 cup of water, and simmer over medium heat for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add almond kale, chickpeas, tomatoes and the milk, and continue to cook for a further ten minutes, until the stew thickens slightly and becomes glossy. At this point, add lemon juice and salt to taste, and the cilantro.
Serve your chickpea curry stew over brown rice. Make sure you make enough to share – this one tastes even better after a night spent in the fridge!
IDEAL Tip: If you’re wondering how to make vegetarian stew or soup that’s packed with even more flavour, then the guys at Casa Verde offer this pro-tip; ‘’when creating a lentil or bean stew, spice up the flavor by adding a large bay leaf. You can also add a teaspoon of fennel seeds or a 1-in cinnamon stick.’’
They go on to recommend that ‘’For the bay leaf, you’ll want to add it while you’re cooking the legumes. However, remove the bay leaf before serving. You also want to remove the cinnamon stick before serving so that it doesn’t overwhelm the stew’s flavor.’’
Egg Fried Rice
If you’re after a cheap and nourishing meal that’s super quick to prepare and super delicious to eat, then fried rice is the leftover lover’s dream.
As you may have heard before, fried rice is easier to make when using leftover rice from a previous dinner; a day old (and a day cold) is perfect. This is because that time spent in your fridge dries out the rice agreeably, meaning it’s less prone to clumping.
What’s more, you can use a selection of whatever’s in your fridge or freezer, as long as it’s diced fairly finely and to roughly the same size to ensure even cooking. We particularly like courgette, carrot, cabbage, peas, sliced onion and sweetcorn.
All you’ve got to do is bring your wok up to a high-ish heat, then add a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil (you can perfume the oil with a garlic clove, if you like).
Add your cooked rice and the vegetables of your choosing to the wok and stir fry gently (you don’t want the grains to break down, rather to each be coated individually with oil) until the rice is heated through thoroughly. This could take up to ten minutes.
Prepare a seasoning mix of soy and oyster sauce, white pepper and sugar (just a little, oyster sauce is already pretty sweet), taste to check the balance is right. Then, make a well or space where the wok’s surface is exposed, and add your seasoning to the pan; allow it to caramelise slightly. Mix through the rice mix, add those spring onions and chillies, and serve.
Read: How to make the IDEAL egg fried rice in 5 simple steps.
Chickpea Veggie Burger
Another one from our pals at Casa Verde, these chickpea veggie burgers are a great way to swap out traditionally meaty meals for their plant based compatriots. These particular veggie burgers work equally well in salads and wraps.
Master this recipe, then, and you’ve got yourself endless meal options! These burgers freeze really well, too. Is there anything they can’t do?
Simply start by mashing up a can of chickpeas with a fork into a coarse, slightly-broken-down texture (think falafel rather than hummus). Then, add your preferred spices, such as ground cumin and coriander seed, red onion and some kind of nut butter to hold your patties together.
Create your ideal burger size and shape with your hands, and then pan fry for five minutes on either side in just a small spritz of oil. Alternatively, these guys should take around 20 minutes in an oven heated to 180°C, and even better, around ten minutes on the barbeque!
IDEAL Tip: Here at IDEAL, we love topping our chickpea burgers with a srirachas coleslaw and some creamy cheap burger cheese – you know the plastic type which isn’t really cheese. Another great topping for this one are those Mexican inspired cheddar slices, usually spiced with jalapeno chilli peppers for an extra kick, and finally, some chipotle mayo.
Read: 5 IDEAL recipes if you’re in the mood for chickpeas
Frozen Pea Risotto
Many chefs say that frozen peas are, in fact, better than the freshly podded sort. This is because they’re picked at the height of their ripeness, and frozen immediately afterwards, locking in that sweet burst of freshness rather than the starchy effect you sometimes get from a podded one.
Channel the joy of this simple, satisfying vegetable in a frozen pea risotto. The other essential ingredients you’ll also likely have lying around; arborio (or other ‘risotto’) rice, chicken stock – hey, the cubes are fine – and parmesan cheese. Should you have shallots and garlic to hand, and some white wine, then it’s luxury living all the way to the dinner table.
Check out our tips on the IDEAL risotto to truly lift that plate to dizzy new heights.
Linguine Al Pesto
Meaning ‘little tongues’ in Italian, linguine references the pasta’s oval-shaped tendrils. Whilst this shape is traditionally associated with seafood, due to the popularity of linguine alle vongole, the pasta goes equally well with the punchy, earthy flavour of pesto.
Liguria’s capital Genoa is the birthplace of both pesto alla Genovese and linguine, which belongs to the same pasta family as bavette and trenette, with all three hailing from Genoa. It’s no surprise, then, that linguine and pesto are a perfect match.
Linguine al pesto is a delightfully simple dish that can be whipped up in minutes for a lazy summer dinner. The recipe calls for only a handful of essential ingredients: Parmigiano Reggiano, garlic, pine nuts, basil — and, of course, freshly cooked linguine. Simple!
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 400g linguine pasta
- 75g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 1 handful pine nuts
- 1 large bunch of fresh basil leaves
- Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Method
- Put the basil, garlic, pine nuts and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Blend on high for a few seconds then add the Parmigiano and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Mix until pesto is smooth and creamy.
- Add the linguine to a pan of salted boiling water and cook until al dente.
- Drain pasta and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the pesto and stir well.
- Serve immediately with a garnish of fresh basil leaves, a sprinkle of pine nuts and a good drizzle of olive oil.
Thai Red Curry With Winter Melon
This is a mouth-watering classic Thai red curry recipe with a twist; winter melon and crispy tofu making it the perfect autumnal vegetarian meal. It is best served as part of a shared Thai meal along with jasmine rice and paired with a bottle (or two) of Singha beer, the original beer of Thailand. Let us direct you to our recipe here; you won’t regret it!
And with those six new vegetarian recipes under your belt, we can’t wait to be invited to yours for dinner soon!