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Green giants
Roasted root vegetables, winter casseroles with dumplings, lentil soups, vegetable lasagnes, deep-filled pies – all these dishes are synonymous with wintertime. So why is it that, when the cold comes, vegetables are relegated to the edge of the plate, especially when they’re so filling? We should celebrate these gifts of nature by bringing them centre stage and making them into main courses.
Provide protein in the form of oozing cheeses, toasted nuts or seeds, and marinated and roasted tofu. Add wine, marsala, brandy and Pernod to make delicious sauces. Focus on vegetables rather than vegetarian, take your inspiration from world food and think abundance, colour and health.
The following ideas should warm your stomach as well as your spirit during the chilly season.
Layered Lasagne with
Roasted Vegetables
This dish is quick and easy – no time-consuming béchamels or tomato sauces but three rich, intensely flavoured vegetables and plenty of protein.
Start with grilled slices of butternut squash or aubergine, a layer of mushrooms fried with tamari (or soy sauce) and wilted, seasoned spinach bound with crème fraîche and combined with finely chopped, sautéed garlic.
Top off the whole thing with more crème fraîche and finely shredded Gruyère cheese, and cook at 200C/400F/gas mark 6 for about 20 minutes, or until golden.
Thai Green Vegetable Curry
Fry cauliflower florets in a little sunflower or groundnut oil until browned all over. Add some large pieces of onion at a high heat, then throw in some chunks of carrot, courgettes and a generous amount of chestnut or shitake mushrooms. The high heat will fuse the flavours to perfection.
Next, make a green curry paste. Chop up several very small green chillies (wear rubber gloves for this), a bunch coriander, and 3 or 4 stalks lemongrass (use only the tender leaves within).
Then, add the juice 1 lime, 1 tbsp teriyaki sauce, 5cm ginger, peeled and grated with the juice squeezed out, and a couple of finely chopped shallots.
Finally, add 1 tsp each ground cumin, ground coriander and lime zest. Blitz the lot in a food processor or herb chopping attachment.
Mix with 400ml coconut milk and add to the vegetables, at the same time throwing in a large handful topped and tailed green beans.
Finish off with a small bunch of basil and lime leaves if you can find them. Simmer for 15 minutes until green beans are tender and the vegetables suffused with the Thai flavours. Serve with plain boiled basmati or fragrant Thai (jasmine) rice.
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