Ah, summer has arrived! Sunny skies, warm weather and, delicious, fresh produce! What better time to give #MeatlessMonday a go and experiment with nutritious dishes that are just as good for you as they are for the environment.
Why try #Meatlessmonday?
Ditching meat for one day a week is the best way to fill up on fresh fruits, veggies, and healthy grains. Your wallet also gets a well-deserved break as you save on the ever-increasing price of meat.
From breakfast to dinner, we suggest trying these three delicious, budget-friendly vegetarian recipes:
Breakfast
Vegetarian gourmet shakshuka
Serves 2
Cooking time 40 minutes
Ingredients
Glug olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 red peppers, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tbsp red-wine vinegar
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 can chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp chopped parsley
4 eggs
½ cup feta, crumbled
Method
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Heat olive oil in an ovenproof pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and red pepper and fry for 6–7 min.
3. Add the garlic and spices and fry for another 2–3 minutes.
4. Add the vinegar and tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and parsley. Season well with salt and pepper.
6. Make 4 wells in the mixture and crack an egg into each one.
7. Sprinkle with feta and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the eggs are ready.
Recipe: Chiara Turilli
Styling: Elizabeth Mackenzie
Photography: Jotham van Tonder // HMimages.co.za
Lunch
Summer lasagne
Serves 4
Cooking time ± 30 minutes
Ingredients
50g butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp paprika
Salt and milled pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
5 medium baby marrows, sliced diagonally
3 large leeks, sliced
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 rosemary sprigs, roughly chopped
180g ricotta
330g lasagne sheets, cooked in salted, boiling water for 5–7 minutes
Method
1. In a pot over medium heat, melt 40g of butter. Add the flour and cook for about a minute. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
2. Add the lemon juice, cayenne pepper and paprika, and then season. Stirring constantly, cook for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the taste of flour has cooked away.
3. In a large pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and remaining butter and fry the baby marrows, leeks and onion until soft and lightly browned. Add the rosemary and season. Transfer to a bowl and mix with the ricotta.
4. Assemble each serving individually: stack white sauce, the filling, and a lasagne sheet. Repeat.
Dinner
Rice and red kidney bean burgers with cucumber-garlic yoghurt
Serves 6
Cooking time 15 minutes
Ingredients
For rice and red kidney bean burgers:
1 can red kidney beans, drained
¾ cup cooked brown rice
½ cup breadcrumbs
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 egg
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
Salt and milled pepper
For cucumber-garlic yoghurt:
1 cup yoghurt
½ cucumber, grated and drained
1 garlic clove, crushed
For serving:
6 seeded brown rolls, halved and toasted
Handful baby spinach
2 carrots, ribboned
½ red cabbage, thinly sliced
Method
For rice and red kidney bean burgers:
1. Pulse all the ingredients in a food processor until well combined.
2. Shape mixture into 2cm-thick patties. Rest on a baking tray
3. Preheat a pan with olive or coconut oil. Once hot, add your patties and gently fry for 10–12 minutes until heated through.
For cucumber-garlic yoghurt:
Combine all the ingredients and set aside.
For serving:
Toast bread rolls. Spread on the yoghurt, then top with a burger patty, baby spinach, carrot ribbons and red cabbage.
Recipe & styling: Leila-Ann Mokotedi
Photography: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za
