Cream of Broccoli Soup

Ingredients

1 litre vegetable stock

1 medium onion, chopped

1 bunch broccoli, chopped

3 carrots, shredded

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup flour

1 litre milk

Directions

Place vegetables in a saucepan and cover vegetable stock, cook until tender.

Make a roux with the melted butter & flour. Add to vegetables. Heat until thickened. Add milk. Heat until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Top with shredded cheese.

Vegetable Stuffed Cannelloni

Ingredients

18 small cannelloni noodles
5 cloves garlic, minced 5 shallots, chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup orange juice 2 cups heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste 1 onion, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped 2 Lebanese eggplants, diced 2 roasted red bell peppers, diced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 cup ricotta cheese 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Roast two red peppers under the grill until skins are slightly bubbling.

In a large pot of salted water, parboil cannelloni. (I put some oil in the water and as soon as they were partially done I laid them out so that they weren't touching each other. Otherwise, they stick together and it's a major pain - that happened on the first attempt).

Meanwhile, cook 2 cloves garlic and 2 shallots in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 30 seconds. Pour in orange juice, raise heat to high, and reduce liquid by half. Stir in cream, and reduce until there is about 1 1/2 cups liquid. Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set cream sauce aside.

(Lebanese eggplant - the original recipe called for regular eggplant but I'm not a big fan. These are good because they don't have so much of that mushy texture inside which is what I don't like.)

In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Cook onion, 3 shallots, 3 cloves garlic, zucchini, and eggplant in olive oil until all vegetables are tender. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in red peppers, basil, oregano, ricotta, and Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set filling aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 9x13 inch baking dish. Stuff vegetable/cheese filling into cannelloni. Place in prepared baking dish, and cover with cream sauce. (I hand stuff - it's just easier. The first time I tried using a zip lock bag but it would split the cannelloni noodles and eventually the bag burst and I used my hands. Second time around I started with my hands and it was much cleaner and faster.)

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Pesto Pasta

Ingredients

1 Tbs olive oil

2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 onion, diced
3 tomatoes, diced
1 sweet yellow pepper, diced

1 jar (190g) pesto

1 container (400ml) sour cream

375 grams pasta

Pepper

Parmesan Cheese

Directions

Cook pasta.

Sauté garlic, onion, tomato and yellow pepper in olive oil. Stir through pesto and sour cream.
Season with pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix cooked pasta through the sauce and serve. Top with grated parmesan cheese.

Creamy Tomato and Chickpea Fettuccine

This is a recipe from our friend Amanda that she makes with chicken. I substituted the chicken for chickpeas and it's delicious! The chickpeas are nice and soft in this meal. I still made a chicken version for Josh because ít's easy to make both versions, but the chickpea version is so yummy I might only do that next time!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Cook Time: 20 minutes

Josh Rating: Loves it

Fettuccine

Olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans Italian diced tomato

2 cups cream

1 can chickpeas

1/4 tsp salt

Parmesan cheese

Boil pasta. While the pasta is boiling, cook onion and garlic in olive oil in a large frying pan until onion is soft. Add diced tomatoes, cream, chickpeas, salt and mix. Add cooked pasta, mix and heat through.

Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Cauliflower and Pasta Bake

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Bake Time: 35 minutes

Serves: 6

Josh Rating: Loves it

14 oz penne pasta
1 cauliflower head
2 Tbs olive oil
2 onions (red or yellow), chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 oz (80 g) butter
4 Tbs flour
4 cups milk
2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup firmly packed shredded fresh basil
5 slices day old bread, crusts removed
2 oz (60 g) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Boil pasta and drain. Steam cauliflower until just tender. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook onion and garlic until soft. Combine in a bowl with the cauliflower and pasta.

Melt the butter in a medium pan and mix in the flour. Slowly whisk in milk. Stir constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and stir through 1 ¼ cups of the Parmesan cheese and the basil. Combine with cauliflower and pasta. Pour cauliflower mix in a 9 x 13 inch dish.

Cut the bread into large cubes. Toss the cubes in melted butter then scatter them over the cauliflower mixture. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 35 minutes until the top is golden.

Recipe from: The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook (Murdock Books, 1996)

Cheesy Bean Enchiladas

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 6

Josh Rating: 4 out of 5

1 onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 Tbs olive oil

1 (16 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (16 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 (15 oz) can enchilada sauce

1/2 cup salsa, plus more to serve with meal if desired

3 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp salt

10 flour tortillas

1 Tbs water

2 cups shredded monterey jack or cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Guacamole

Heat oven to 350 F. Sauté onion and garlic in oil until onions are soft. Add 1/2 of each type of bean and mash with potato masher. Then add the remaining beans. Add 1/2 of enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup salsa, cumin and salt. Simmer and mix on low heat for 3 minutes or until heated through.

Fill each tortilla with about 3 Tbs of the bean mixture and a sprinkle of cheese. Roll up leaving ends open and place seam side down in 9 x 13 baking dish.

Mix the water with remaining enchilada sauce and pour over enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and back, covered, for 15 - 20 minutes.

Serve with sour cream and guacamole.

Recipe from: Recipe Zaar

Pumpkin and Spinach Risotto

Prep Time: 10 - 15 minutes

Total Cooking Time: 50 minutes

Serves: 4 (or 6 with chicken)

Josh Rating: 5 out of 5

500 g pumpkin, chopped coarsely

2 Tbs olive oil

2 cups water

4 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 cups arborio rice

2 Tbs white wine vinegar

250 g baby spinach, chopped coarsely

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup cream

For meat option: chicken (shredded or diced)

Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). Combine pumpkin and half of the oil in a medium baking dish; roast, uncovered, in oven for 20 minutes or until tender.

Combine the water and stock in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered.

Heat remaining oil in large saucepan; cook onion and garlic, stirring, until onion softens.

Add rice; stir to coat rice in oil mixture. Add vinegar and 1/2 cup simmering stock mixture; cooking, stirring, over low heat until liquid is absorbed. Continue addeding stock mixture 1 cup at a time, stirring until combined after each addition. Total cooking time is about 35 minutes.

Add spinach, nuts, cheese and cream to risotto; cook, stirring, until spinach wilts. Add pumpkin; stir gently into risotto.

If preparing this meal for a mixed family (vegetarians + meat eaters), separate a portion and stir in chicken.

Recipe modified from: Women's Weekly Vegie Main Meals