This one’s stretching the rules a bit again. Galettes have become quite trendy and I’ve only started making them recently. A galette is a single crust, free-form pie, which can be sweet or savoury – this eye-catching vegetarian one comes from Ottolenghi’s Flavour, published in 2020. We’ve eaten it twice and although the list ofContinue reading “Butternut, orange & sage galette”
Category Archives: Vegetarian
Cheesy Leeks
This is so basic that it hardly warrants a whole post to itself, but no collection of family favourites would be complete without it. Cheesy leeks were created out of a need to disguise the vegetables accompanying Sunday roasts when you were small and fussy fussier. Cauliflower was never on the cards, that excellent vegetableContinue reading “Cheesy Leeks”
Pears in Marsala
Here’s another trusty old recipe from Delia Smith’s Winter Collection (see blinis, colcannon potatoes, mushroom risotto, hot citrus pudding, pumpkin soup). It’s a 70s classic that has stood the test of time, perhaps because as a fruit-based dish it offers a lighter alternative to the heavy sweetness of other traditional puddings. The original is madeContinue reading “Pears in Marsala”
Pumpkin soup
A chance encounter in Gunnersbury Park last month prompted the recording of this recipe. Running – or rather shuffling – along on my first Park Run since March 2020, I spotted a stall setting up for the fortnightly artisan market and returned to purchase four tea towels on my way home: you can see KateContinue reading “Pumpkin soup”
Lentil rissoles
During my flirtation with vegetarianism in the early 1990s I learned to make these by experimenting with a recipe from a cookbook in Granny’s impressive collection (I think it was in the Sainsbury’s vegetarian food paperback). The Hungarian paprika flavouring has crept in because we’re often faced with a glut of piros arany, which BabúContinue reading “Lentil rissoles”
Grilled pepper salad
This is very much a family invention and therefore open to as much variation as you like. It’s a colourful accompaniment to a summer barbecue and can be made well in advance. Just save the addition of the basil until just before serving. Red and yellow peppers are easier to peel than green ones (whichContinue reading “Grilled pepper salad”
Alternative scotch eggs
There has been much experimentation chez Collier with scotch eggs in the past couple of years. A BBC Food recipe was my original source for smoked salmon scotch eggs, while a recent recipe by Thomasina Miers prompted me to come up with a vegetarian version of chorizo scotch eggs – I order the meat-free sausageContinue reading “Alternative scotch eggs”
Scrambled harissa tofu
Even when we’re not conducting a flirtation with veganism, I like to wheel this out for a weekend brunch. A delicious alternative to eggs, it might be considered a ‘Gen Z rántotta’, because it recalls the paprika-spiced scrambled egg-and-onion dish Babú would cook on those rare occasions when family supper was left up to him.Continue reading “Scrambled harissa tofu”
Sweet potato rösti with coriander pesto
These make terrific vegetarian canapés – or you could make them bigger and serve two or three as a starter. The recipe comes from a Times feature on ‘speedy canapés’ back in 2017 and has been wheeled out for two or three Collier parties since then, so definitely qualifies for inclusion here. The rösti andContinue reading “Sweet potato rösti with coriander pesto”
Eton mess
This is a pudding redolent of summer and incredibly easy to make. You can buy your meringues ready-made or whip up your own with any spare egg whites hanging around (from making hollandaise sauce or mayonnaise or custard, say). There are all sorts of meringue recipes out there and I’m not claiming my version belowContinue reading “Eton mess”
Years of Practice 