nigellas vegetarian favourites

A rice bowl is a wondrous thing, but often – despite the simplicity of its title – a rather cluttered and complicated one. Here, I have pared it back, to make a gorgeously seasoned rice bowl, with nothing more than a few seeds, herbs and radishes stirred through it, and an avocado to top it. It’s a simple take on an inspiringly expansive idea. So please use this as a starting point only. It’s very much a non-recipe recipe, and every time I make it, I add something different, depending on what’s to hand.

Rice bowl with ginger, radish and avocado

150 grams/5½oz short grain brown rice

fresh root ginger, peeled

radishes,

1½ tbsp tamari or soy sauce

tsp cloudy apple cider vinegar

tbsp mixed seeds,

coriander

avocado

This is a rambunctiously vibrant vegan curry, both to look at and eat. It is rich, sweet and hearty, with tomatoes providing a balancing acidity and the curry paste bringing uncompromising fire. Of course chillies do vary in heat, so if you’re after something a little less passage-clearing, use two rather than three, and if you want to go milder still, simply de-seed the chillies. Having said that, cooking with chillies always has a touch of roulette about it. 

Butternut squash and sweet potato curry

red onion,

red chillies, stalks removed and cut into three

ginger,

garlic cloves, halved

turmeric,

tsp coriander

cinnamon

tsp sea salt flakes,

tbsp coconut oil oil

x coconut milk

350 milliliters/12fl oz vegetable stock

tin chopped tomatoes

sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large bite-sized pieces

butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces

grams/10½oz black Venus rice, to serve

limes,

I never feel the need to apologize for using jars of chargrilled peppers, for while I don’t eat them just as they are, I find them the most useful ingredient. Just make sure that you are using peppers that are preserved in oil rather than brine. The potatoes don’t roast in this oil, so much as braise: they will crisp up in parts, but mostly just become softened and rich in the sweet peppery juices.

Potato and pepper bake

maincrop waxy potatoes,

x jars chargrilled peppers in oil

coriander seeds

I never feel the need to apologise for using jars of chargrilled peppers, for while I don’t eat them just as they are, I find them the most useful ingredient. Just make sure that you are using peppers that are preserved in oil rather than brine. The potatoes don’t roast in this oil, so much as braise: they will crisp up in parts, but mostly just become softened and rich in the sweet peppery juices.

Don’t be modishly alarmed by the double-carb combo: it can be an alcohol-sopping salve, much appreciated at this time of year. Besides, it is important to remember that the original predates central heating.

Hearty wholewheat pasta with Brussels sprouts, cheese and potato

grams/1lb 10 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

250 grams/9 ounces baking potato, peeled and cut in 2-3cm dice

salt

100 grams/3½oz ricotta

Gruyère, cubed

unsalted butter,

garlic oil

sage leaves, shredded

Hearty wholewheat pasta with Brussels sprouts

I like the way this dish can be eaten as a starter or part of an antipasti table, and even more as a main course, sprinkled with some ricotta salata (the deliciously salted, dried kind) or crumbled feta, or as an accompaniment to meat and fish.

Each serving provides 140kcal, 1g protein, 3g carbohydrate (of which 3g sugars), 13g fat (of which 2g saturates), 2.5g fibre and 0.8g salt.

Baby aubergines with oregano and red onions

baby aubergines

olive oil

oregano

tbsp red wine vinegar

tsp sea salt flakes salt

garlic,

1½ tbsp cold water

I like the way this dish can be eaten as a starter or part of an antipasti table, and even more as a main course, sprinkled with some ricotta salata (the deliciously salted, dried kind) or crumbled feta, or as an accompaniment to meat and fish.

Baby aubergines with oregano and red onion

If I hadn’t eaten the Turkish eggs at Peter Gordon’s restaurant, I most certainly wouldn’t be tempted by the idea of poached eggs on Greek yoghurt. I say that only to pre-empt any hesitancy on your part. For çilbir, pronounced “chulburr”, is a revelation and a complete sensation. 

Turkish eggs

Greek-style plain yoghurt

garlic clove, crushed

tsp sea salt flakes

unsalted butter

tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Aleppo pepper

free-range eggs, fridge cold

lemon juice

few fronds fresh dill, chopped

sourdough toast, to serve

Nigella shares one of her new discoveries, Turkish-inspired eggs, which make the perfect weekend breakfast.

TURKISH EGGS

Top 6 nigellas vegetarian favourites recipes from across the web

The most viewed nigellas vegetarian favourites recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Rice bowl with ginger, radish and a...

Butternut squash and sweet potato c...

Potato and pepper bake

Hearty wholewheat pasta with Brusse...

Baby aubergines with oregano and re...

Turkish eggs

Top 6 nigellas vegetarian favourites recipes from across the web

The most viewed nigellas vegetarian favourites recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Rice bowl with ginger, radish and a...

Butternut squash and sweet potato c...

Potato and pepper bake

Hearty wholewheat pasta with Brusse...

Baby aubergines with oregano and re...

Turkish eggs

The most viewed nigellas vegetarian favourites recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine