Recipes from The Accidental Vegetarian

Chef Simon Rimmer, a meat eater, became an “accidental” vegetarian when he could not find anyone to cook for his newly purchased vegetarian restaurant, Greens, and he had to become the cook. The Accidental Vegetarian: Delicious and Eclectic Food Without Meat   contains some very creative vegetarian dishes. Here are a few of his vegetarian recipes. Some are from his BBC cooking show.

1. Sweet Potato Salad
2. Black Bean and Eggplant Chili
3. Moroccan Spaghetti
4. Gruyere-filled Beefsteak Tomatoes
5. Parmesan-Roasted Parsnips
6. Rosemary and Olive Oil Cake with Honeyed Figs
7. Black-Bean Soup
8. Oven-Baked Cheese Quesadillas
9. Lynn's Taco Salad
10. Panzanella
11. Red Thai Bean Curry
12. Banana Dhal
13. Pumpkin Enchilladas with a Mole Sauce

Sweet Potato Salad [Top] [Sweet Potatoes]

14 oz golden sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced
chili oil
handful fresh mint leaves
7 oz arugula
4 shallots, finely sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Brush the potato slices with chili oil and season, then griddle for a couple minutes on each side. Make the dressing (follows) by simply whisking everything together in a small bowl. Put the mint, arugula, and shallots into a serving bowl, pour over the dressing and toss gently, then sit the sweet potatoes on top.

For the dressing
1 red chile, seeded and finely chopped
2 T light soy sauce
juice of 1-2 limes
1 tsp superfine sugar

Top -- Sweet Potato Salad - Black Bean and Eggplant Chili - Moroccan Spaghetti - Gruyere-filled Beefsteak Tomatoes - Parmesan-Roasted Parsnips - Rosemary and Olive Oil Cake with Honeyed Figs - Black-Bean Soup -Oven-Baked Cheese Quesadillas - Lynn's Taco Salad - Panzanella -Red Thai Bean Curry - - Vegetarian - Lee's Recipes -

Black Bean and Eggplant Chili

1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 lb eggplants, cut into 1” cubes
2 red onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
10 small red chiles, chopped (seeded if you like)
4 c. canned chopped tomatoes
1 tsp ground coriander
pinch ground cumin
pinch ground cinnamon
1 bay leaf
9 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
2 T best-quality dark chocolate, grated
vegetable oil for frying
salt & pepper
sour cream, for serving

Heat oil in a pan and fry eggplants for about 4 minutes to color and soften. Remove and dry on paper towels. Fry onions and garlic in same pan until soft, then add chiles and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, spices and eggplant and simmer for 5 minutes. Add beans, season well, and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in chocolate and serve with dollops of sour cream. Feeds 6 as a meal or 10 as a starter.

Source: The Accidental Vegetarian by Simon Rimmer Page 32
posted at http://veggietestdrive.blogspot.com/2007/01/day-13.html

Top -- Sweet Potato Salad - Black Bean and Eggplant Chili - Moroccan Spaghetti - Gruyere-filled Beefsteak Tomatoes - Parmesan-Roasted Parsnips - Rosemary and Olive Oil Cake with Honeyed Figs - Black-Bean Soup -Oven-Baked Cheese Quesadillas - Lynn's Taco Salad - Panzanella -Red Thai Bean Curry - - Vegetarian - Lee's Recipes -

Moroccan Spaghetti

Nice with a side of Gruyere-filled Beefsteak Tomatoes or Parmesan-Roasted Parsnips

10 oz spaghetti
1/2 c olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
8 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
pinch of turmeric
1 c. toasted, slivered almonds
1/2 c. chickpeas, drained and rinsed
handful each of fresh parsley, mint and cilantro, finely chopped
salt & black pepper

Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry onion and garlic until soft. Add tomatoes, cinnamon, cumin and turmeric and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, until tomatoes break down. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti to package directions. Season the sauce and then add almonds and chickpeas. Drain pasta and divide between four plates, fold herbs into the sauce and mix it with the pasta. Serves 4.

Source: The Accidental Vegetarian by Simon Rimmer
posted at http://veggietestdrive.blogspot.com/2007/01/day-13.html

Top -- Sweet Potato Salad - Black Bean and Eggplant Chili - Moroccan Spaghetti - Gruyere-filled Beefsteak Tomatoes - Parmesan-Roasted Parsnips - Rosemary and Olive Oil Cake with Honeyed Figs - Black-Bean Soup -Oven-Baked Cheese Quesadillas - Lynn's Taco Salad - Panzanella -Red Thai Bean Curry - - Vegetarian - Lee's Recipes -

Gruyere-filled Beefsteak Tomatoes

4 beefsteak tomatoes
1-3/4 c. heavy cream
2 zucchini, finely diced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and finely diced
3 oz. white button mushrooms, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1-3/4 c. grated gruyere cheese
vegetable oil for frying
salt & black pepper
handful of fresh arugula leaves, to serve (optional)

For the dressing
tomato pulp from the tomatoes
1-1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
5 T extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Skin tomatoes (however you like), slice off the tops and put to one side. Scoop out the pulp into a bowl without breaking the flesh, and put to one side. Season the tomato cavities well. Put the cream into a heavy bottom pan and bring slowly to a boil, then cook to reduced volume by half. Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a large pan and gently fry zucchini, peppers, mushrooms and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Add 2/3 cup of the cheese to the reduced cream and stir until melted. Remove from heat and fold in the fried vegetables. Divide filling between the tomatoes, top with remaining cheese, sit the lids on top and put onto a baking sheet. Cook in the oven for 6-8 minutes, until the cheese melts. To make dressing, press tomato pulp through a strainer and season the juices, add vinegar and whisk in oil. Toss the arugula in dressing and sit the tomatoes on top of the leaves, if using.

Source: The Accidental Vegetarian by Simon Rimmer
posted at http://veggietestdrive.blogspot.com/2007/01/day-13.html

Parmesan-Roasted Parsnips

14 oz parsnips, peeled and cut into 2” batons
1 garlic clove, sliced
1-1/2 c. parmesan cheese, freshly grated
olive oil for roasting
salt & pepper
parsley, chopped, to serve

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pour olive oil into a roasting pan and put into the oven to heat. Toss parsnips in garlic and seasoning. When the oil is smoking, add parsnips to the pan and roast for about 25 minutes, shaking occasionally. Then add the cheese and roast for another 10 minutes. The cheese will begin to melt and form a yummy, stringy coating. Serve parsnips topped with black pepper and a little chopped parsley.

Source: The Accidental Vegetarian by Simon Rimmer
posted at http://veggietestdrive.blogspot.com/2007/01/day-13.html

Rosemary and Olive Oil Cake with Honeyed Figs

4 eggs
3/4 c. superfine sugar
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
2-1/2 c. flour
1 T baking powder
pinch of salt
finely chopped fresh rosemary, to taste
butter for greasing pan

For the honeyed figs
3-1/2 T. marsala wine
2T honey
8 figs, halved

For the ricotta
1/2 c. ricotta cheese
1/2 c. whipped cream
2 T superfine sugar
black pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whip eggs with sugar until pale and fluffy, then drizzle in the oil. Keep mixer on low and add flour, baking powder and salt. Turn out into a bowl and fold in the rosemary. Pour into a 10” greased loaf pan and bake 45-50 minutes. Cool, then turn out. For the figs, put the marsala an dhoney into a small pan and bring to a boil, then quickly coat the figs. Mix all the ricotta ingredients together. Serve slices of the cake with figs and ricotta. Feeds 8.

Thus ends my dinner party for six. I will continue to write recipes from this book, because they sound amazing. I’ll let you know how the testing goes as well. In the meantime, here’s my soup recipe from last week. It rated a crazy 4 from George, who hates beans. I think it partly rated this high because I served it with cheese quesadillas, but dollops of sour cream over the top are also a lifesaver.

Source: The Accidental Vegetarian by Simon Rimmer
posted at http://veggietestdrive.blogspot.com/2007/01/day-13.html

Black-Bean Soup

1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T vegetable oil
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 12 oz jar medium salsa
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chili beans in sauce
1 c. vegetable broth
salt & pepper to taste

Using a heavy-bottomed soup pan, warm the stove to medium-high heat and add the oil. Saute the onions and garlic in the oil, until browned and cooked. Pour in the vegetable broth, salsa, and beans. Let come to a low boil, and then reduce heat to low. Season as needed. I usually let this simmer for at least an hour, but there’s no need to if you’re in a hurry. On the side, I serve a little dish of grated cheese, sour cream, and more salsa and chips. Serves 6 with seconds.

Source: The Accidental Vegetarian by Simon Rimmer
posted at http://veggietestdrive.blogspot.com/2007/01/day-13.html

Oven-Baked Cheese Quesadillas

1 c. grated cheddar cheese
4 flour tortillas, regular size
vegetable oil
kosher salt

Heat oven to 450 degrees on the broil setting. Brush oil onto one side of each tortilla and sprinkle with salt to taste (I like them salty). Lay two tortillas oil-side down on a baking sheet, spread cheese inside each, and place the other tortillas oil-side up over the top. Bake for two minutes on each side, until browned and crispy. Slice into eighths and serve with salsa and sour cream.

If you have leftover bean soup, it is easy make Lyn's Taco Salad with it.

Source: The Accidental Vegetarian by Simon Rimmer
posted at http://veggietestdrive.blogspot.com/2007/01/day-13.html

Lynn's Taco Salad

2 c. chili beans, with sauce or leftover black bean soup
1 large tomato, diced (if using leftover soup, you can leave this out, or keep, as you like)
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, diced to bite-size
1 c. cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 c. Catalina dressing
1/4 c. salsa
1/2 yellow onion, diced
handfuls of Doritos brand taco or spicy nacho chips, slightly crushed

Mix the leftover soup or chili beans with the dressing and salsa and onions. Add the tomato, lettuce and cheese and mix to coat with dressing. Just before serving, mix in the chips. Eat right away, while the chips are crispy. (If you’re not serving it immediately or don’t need as much, reserve half of the mixture in the refrigerator and add chips to it later.) Serves 8.

Source: The Accidental Vegetarian by Simon Rimmer
posted at http://veggietestdrive.blogspot.com/2007/01/day-13.html

Panzanella

Serves 6
Preparation time 1-2 hours

Ingredients

1kg/2lb 2oz fresh plum tomatoes
2 red peppers, skinned, seeds removed
2 yellow peppers, skinned, seeds removed
1 small red chilli, seeds removed, chopped
100g/31⁄2oz capers, rinsed and drained
12 large green olives
1 ciabatta loaf (preferably stale)
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
5 garlic cloves, crushed
250ml/9fl oz extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
handful fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped, to garnish

Method

1. Skin the tomatoes by cutting a shallow cross into the bottom of each, then plunge them into boiling water for about 30 seconds.
2. Carefully transfer the tomatoes into a bowl of iced water. The skins should then peel off easily.
3. Cut each tomato into quarters, scoop out the seeds and place into a sieve over a bowl.
4. Press the seeds and pulp through the sieve to release the juice into a bowl. Put the tomato quarters into a separate bowl.
5. Cut each of the skinned red and yellow peppers into eight pieces and add to the tomato quarters.
6. Add the chilli, capers and olives.
7. Tear the ciabatta into large chunks and place into a separate bowl.
8. Add the vinegar, garlic and oil to the sieved tomato juice. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and whisk well to combine.
9. Pour the tomato juice mixture over the ciabatta pieces and leave to soak for an hour.
10. Add the tomato quarters and peppers mixture to the soaked ciabatta and garnish with the basil leaves.
11. Serve in a large salad bowl at the table.

Source: BBC Food Something for the Weekend http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/panzanella_86369.shtml accessed April 6, 2008
Panzanella recipe may also be found in The Accidental Vegetarian by Simon Rimmer

Top - Sweet Potato Salad - Black Bean and Eggplant Chili - Moroccan Spaghetti - Gruyere-filled Beefsteak Tomatoes - Parmesan-Roasted Parsnips - Rosemary and Olive Oil Cake with Honeyed Figs - Black-Bean Soup -Oven-Baked Cheese Quesadillas - Lynn's Taco Salad - Panzanella -Red Thai Bean Curry - - Vegetarian - Lee's Recipes -

Banana Dhal

Preparation time: less than 30 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins to 1 hour
Serves 6

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2.5cm/1in piece ginger, finely chopped
pinch ground turmeric
225g/8oz red lentils
750ml/1 pint 7fl oz warm vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
4 firm bananas or plantains, peeled, sliced
1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, for garnish
1⁄2 red pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped, to serve
naan bread, to serve

Directions

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and fry the onion, garlic and ginger over a low heat for 8-10 minutes until softened. Stir in the turmeric and cook for a further minute.
2. Rinse the lentils well, then add to the pan and fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring well to coat in the oil, onion and garlic. Add the warm vegetable stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and add the ground spices. Cook for a further ten minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
3. A couple of minutes before serving, gently stir in the sliced bananas.
4. To serve, scatter over the finely chopped red pepper, garnish with the coriander leaves and eat with the naan bread.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/bananadhal_92218

Top - Sweet Potato Salad - Black Bean and Eggplant Chili - Moroccan Spaghetti - Gruyere-filled Beefsteak Tomatoes - Parmesan-Roasted Parsnips - Rosemary and Olive Oil Cake with Honeyed Figs - Black-Bean Soup -Oven-Baked Cheese Quesadillas - Lynn's Taco Salad - Panzanella -Red Thai Bean Curry - - Vegetarian - Lee's Recipes -

Pumpkin Enchilladas with a Mole Sauce

Ingredients

For the enchildas
6 tbsp vegetable oil
2 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3cm cubes
400g refried beans, canned
1 handful fresh coriander, chopped
1 red chillies, chopped
12 soft flour tortillas

For the sauce
10 red chillies
2 tsp coriander seeds
25 g blanched flaked almonds
5 black peppercorns
3 cloves
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onions, sliced
3 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp cocoa powder
400g tin canned chopped tomatoes
1 pinch cinnamon
2 tsp sugar
150ml vegetable stock
100g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa-solids, grated

To serve
6 tbsp soured cream
6 limes, wedges
1 handful fresh coriander

Directions

1. To make the sauce, put the chillies, coriander seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, peppercorns and cloves in a mortar and pestle and crush. Tip into a frying pan and dry-fry for a minute or so until lightly charred.

2. In a separate pan, heat the oil and fry the onion, garlic and cocoa powder for 2 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes and bring to the boil, then add the dry-fried spices, the cinnamon, sugar and stock and cook for 25 minutes. Transfer to a blender and whiz until smooth. Turn out and stir in the chocolate.

4. Preheat the oven to 200?C/gas 6. Put some oil in a roasting tin and heat in the oven. Tip the squash into the tin, season well and roast for 40 minutes until soft.

5. Put the squash in a bowl, add the refried beans, coriander and red chilli and stir to mix.

6. Divide the mixture between the tortillas, roll up and cut the ends straight. Put in a baking dish, cover and cook in the oven for about 12 minutes, until warmed through. Heat the sauce through in a medium pan.
7. To serve, put two tortillas on each plate and spoon over some of the sauce. Serve with soured cream, lime wedges and coriander.

Source: Food Channel http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/516061 accessed August 12, 2010