Three great veggie recipes

I was a vegetarian during my teenage years and I always wished I had a few simple recipes to cook once a week to get away from the generic jacket potato or pasta dish. Today’s veggie dishes are healthy and delicious and even if you aren’t vegetarian, I’m positive you will love them.

These spicy bean burgers are incredibly tasty. If you fancy a bun instead of cous cous, just replace with lightly toasted ciabatta. My butternut and sweet potato lasagne is full of great autumn flavours. It is one of my stalwart recipes that used to only make an appearance when there was a vegetarian at my house. But then the family began to fall in love with the soft flavours and creamy white sauce, so it soon became a family dinner staple!

Butternut & sweet potato lasagne with sage, toasted pine nuts & nutmeg



This is one of my stalwart recipes that used to only make an appearance when there was a vegetarian over at my house. But then the family began to fall in love with the soft wintry flavours and that creamy white sauce. This white sauce is a shortcut white sauce, everything just gets put in a bowl and stirred — very, very simple and just as tasty as the traditional version.

SERVES 4



Ingredients

Parmesan cheese

50g dried natural breadcrumbs

600g prepared sweet potato and butternut squash

4 sprigs of fresh rosemary

12 sage leaves

Olive oil

12 lasagne sheets

100g toasted pine nuts (the supermarket sells them ready toasted)

75g baby spinach leaves

White sauce

100g Parmesan cheese

2cm piece of fresh ginger

600g ricotta cheese

2 medium egg yolks

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Salad

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Pinch of English mustard powder (optional)

1 bag of wild rocket

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 220°C, (fan 200°C), 425°F, Gas Mark 7. Put the kettle on to boil for the vegetables.

While waiting for that, finely grate the Parmesan for the topping, toss in a small bowl along with the breadcrumbs and set aside. When the kettle has boiled, tip the prepared sweet potato and butternut squash into a large pan, add a little salt and then pour the boiled water over to cover. Put the lid on, bring back to the boil and then leave to bubble away for 15–20 minutes until tender.

Fill the kettle up with water again and pop it back on to boil. While waiting for the kettle, quickly prepare the herbs for later. Run your fingers down the length of the rosemary stalks to release the leaves, roughly chop them with the sage leaves and set aside in a small bowl.

Pour the now-boiled water into a large pan, add a drizzle of oil, slip in the lasagne sheets and leave to cook for 5 minutes. (As there isn’t loads of liquid in this dish, the lasagne sheets do need a bit of precooking even if they are ‘no precook’ lasagne sheets!)

In the meantime, prepare the sauce. Finely grate the Parmesan and peel and grate the ginger. Place both in a medium bowl, add the ricotta, egg yolks and nutmeg, season with salt and pepper, then stir to combine and set aside.

Once the lasagne sheets have cooked for 5 minutes, drain them and tip them back into the pan. Drizzle in a little more oil and gently toss them about to coat, so that the sheets don’t stick together.

Check that the vegetables are now nice and tender. Drain them off well and tip them back into the pan. Mash them with a masher until smooth and add salt and pepper to taste.

Now assemble the lasagne in the baking dish, set on a baking tray. Spread a third of the vegetable mash in the base of the dish. Next, scatter a third of the herbs, pine nuts and spinach leaves over. Then arrange four lasagne sheets on top, cutting to fit if necessary. Spread a third of the ricotta mix over.

Repeat this twice more, giving you three layers, and finally sprinkle the Parmesan breadcrumbs on top. Bake for 15–20 minutes. While that is cooking, prepare the salad dressing by simply mixing the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard powder (if using) and seasoning together in a small bowl.

When the lasagne is ready, the pasta will feel tender when pierced through with a knife and the top will be crisp and golden. Cut it into portions, carefully lift out and serve with a handful of rocket drizzled with the dressing.

Pick up a copy of the The Sun On Sunday or subscribe to thesun.co.uk for the full three recipes.