Spicy Spinach and Chickpea Burgers (Vegan)

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This recipe was inspired by one for Broad Bean Burgers from Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty. I didn't have all the ingredients needed, so it morphed into these vegan veggie burgers, which taste something like a cross between a spicy bean burger and a falafel!
The use of leftover risotto instead of potato, worked well as a binder and negated the need for egg.

• 200g/8oz spinach, washed
• 1 tin of chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 cup of cooked risotto rice (about 50g/2oz uncooked weight)
• 1½ cups of fresh bread crumbs
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp chopped chilli (add more or less to taste)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp each of ground fennel seeds, cumin, cinnamon and turmeric
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander or parsley leaves

Cook and drain the spinach (I microwave it, with no added water for 3-4 minutes on high) and set aside to cool. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much liquid as possible, using your hands. Blot dry on kitchen roll.

Put all of the ingredients, except the rice and breadcrumbs, into a food processor and blend briefly, leaving some chunks of chickpea for texture. 
Stir in the rice and add just enough breadcrumbs to form a dough-like consistency.
Chill for 30 minutes or so.

Divide into 8 and shape into burgers, squeezing the mixture together in your hands (or use a burger press like I did!) 

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan and cook 4 burgers at a time for 4-5 minutes each side - on a medium heat. Repeat with the other 4 burgers.

Serve in pittas or bread rolls with salad and a dollop of your favourite burger sauce!

Not suitable for freezing. 

Alternatives - Divide mixture into 16 and roll into balls, to make into falafels or polpettes.
Vary the herbs and spices for different flavoured burgers eg: Italian: fresh basil, chilli and garlic, Greek: fresh mint or dill and parsley, chilli and garlic, Indian: garam masala, ginger, chilli, garlic etc.

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Tarka Dal

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This simple tarka dal/dhal recipe is really cheap to make and tastes great as a side dish. Double the recipe for a main meal.

Serves 4

• ½ cup dried red lentils
• 1 small onion, diced finely
• ½ tsp cumin seeds/powder
• ½ red chilli, de-seeded and chopped finely, optional 
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 2 heaped tsp grated fresh ginger
• 2-4 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely sliced
• 1 heaped tsp garam masala
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp tomato purée

Place the lentils in a pan with 1½ cups boiling water. 

Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender, adding a little more water if needed.

In another pan make the tarka by heating 1 tbsp vegetable oil. 
Fry the cumin and onion until golden.
Add the remaining ingredients (except the garam masala) and cook for 2-3 minutes on a low heat.

Add the cooked dal to the tarka and stir in the garam masala. Season to taste.
Cook on a low heat for a further 5 minutes, adding a little more water if needed.

Serve with rice/chapattis and a vegetable curry.

Alternatives: Try using different pulses or a combination of lentils and adjust the cooking time as necessary.

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Roasted Vegetable and Lentil Burgers

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These veggie burgers take a little while to make, but I think they're worth the effort as they have a good flavour and texture and are packed full of vegetables. I used my trusty old Lakeland burger press to make them. If you make burgers regularly, it's worth getting one, as they squeeze all the air out of the mixture, leaving you with a good, solid burger which can stand up to being turned in the pan.

Makes 6-8 burgers

• 1 cup of cooked & drained puy/green lentils
• 1 small onion, diced 
• 4-6 chestnut mushrooms, chopped roughly
• 2 small/1 large red or yellow bell pepper, diced
• 150g/6oz sweet potato peeled and cubed
• 1 large clove of garlic
• 2 slices of bread, made into breadcrumbs
• 100g grated halloumi or paneer cheese (or vegan cheddar-style cheese)
• 1 small egg/1 tsp Orgran no egg mixed with 1 tbsp cold water (or similar egg replacer)
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp English mustard powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano or mixed herbs
• Black pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/170C Fan/Gas 4/350F

Put all of the vegetables and the whole, unpeeled clove of garlic in an oven proof dish. 

Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil and roast for around 20-25 minutes until softened and starting to colour.

Allow to cool for about 5 minutes, then remove the clove of garlic and squeeze the cooked garlic out from the peel, onto the vegetables.

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Transfer the roasted vegetables, lentils, grated cheese, seasonings and egg/egg replacer into the food processor.  

Blend/pulse for a few seconds, to break up and mix the lentils and vegetables, but not do not purée them. 

Add enough breadcrumbs to make a firm dough-like mixture. 

Allow the mixture to to stand for about 30 minutes.

Divide into 6-8 portions and using your hands or a burger press, shape into burgers.

Fry the burgers in a drop more olive oil for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Serve in bread rolls with your favourite burger toppings.

Alternatives: For a spicy bean and veggie burger, swap the paprika and mustard powder for 2 tsp mild (or hot!) chilli powder and swap the lentils for a cup of drained, tinned kidney beans. 

Suitable for freezing (before coking). Layer between sheets of grease-proof paper and wrap in cling-film.

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Reggae Reggae Chickpeas (Vegan)

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This is a recipe for a kind of spicy version of baked beans, using the original Reggae Reggae Sauce (as I had an opened bottle which needed using up!). Although I used chickpeas, this would work well with other pulses too.

Serves 4

• 1 tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 red onion, diced finely 
• 4 tbsp tomato purée
• 4 tbsp Reggae Reggae Sauce
• 125ml/½ cup boiling water or hot vegetable stock
• ½ tsp dried or 1 tsp fresh thyme

• around 450g/1 lb chopped, or sliced seasonal vegetables (e.g. bell pepper, courgette, sweet corn, carrot, etc)
• 1-2 tsp mild chilli powder

Gently fry the onion in a little oil until softened.

Stir in the tomato purée, Reggae Reggae sauce and thyme and cook for a further minute.

Add the chickpeas and water and stir.

Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sauce has thickened up. 

Meanwhile, roast or fry some chopped seasonal vegetables, with 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with the mild chilli powder.

Serve the chickpeas and vegetables with rice or in wraps.

Alternatives: If you can't find Reggae Reggae sauce, use a spicy jerk or barbecue sauce instead.

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Vegetarian Sloppy Joes

Apologies if you've ever eaten bona fide sloppy Joes...I haven't, so this recipe is a bit of a stab in the dark! I've seen them eaten on various American TV shows, so after a bit of online research I've come up with a vegetarian/vegan version.

This is an economical and low-fat recipe, which you could cook in a slow cooker or even whilst camping.

Serves 4-6

• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 large bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 cups veggie/vegan mince e.g. Quorn or vegan alternative (vegetarian ground beef-style crumbles)
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• Finely chopped pickled or fresh jalapeños/chilli sauce/cayenne to taste (optional)
• 1 portion home made bbq sauce, or ½ cup shop-bought mild/sweet bbq sauce.
• 4 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 cup boiling water or hot vegetable stock
• Bread rolls/burger buns/pitta breads to serve

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan.

Add the onion, garlic, chilli and pepper and cook gently for 3-5 minutes until softened.

Turn up the heat slightly, stir in the tomato purée and cook for a further minute or so.

Add the veggie mince and mix well.

Pour in the bbq sauce and water/stock.

Bring to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Remove the lid and allow to cook until the sauce has thickened up and most of the water/stock has evaporated.

Serve in warmed bread rolls with oven-baked sweet potato chips (fries) and corn on the cob.

Not suitable for freezing.

Alternatives: Halve the amount of veggie mince and add an extra 1-2 cupfuls of finely diced seasonal vegetables, such as courgette/zucchini, squash, mushrooms, sweetcorn or peppers (and/or some cooked lentils).

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Two meals in one - Lentil & Vegetable Spaghetti Bolognese plus Vegetarian Chilli

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Whether you're on a diet or a budget, these two vegetarian meals are ideal. Make the spag bol on the first day and reheat the leftovers with the added extras the next day to make a tasty veggie chilli. 

As the vegetables are chopped or grated, you can hide them in the sauce too...great if you have fussy children!

Both meals are low fat and vegan, unless you add cheese to serve.

Each meal serves 2 adults and 2 children.

For the spaghetti bolognese

• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large bell peppers, diced
• 1 medium courgette/zucchini, diced or grated
• 1 carrot or ½ sweet potato, diced or grated
• 6-8 mushrooms, diced, sliced or grated
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• ½ cup dried red lentils
• 2 tbsp tomato puree or sundried tomato paste
• 500ml passata or 2x tins of chopped tomatoes 
• A glug of red wine (optional)
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp sugar
• black pepper, to taste
• dried spaghetti

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan. Add the onions and bell pepper and cook for a few minutes on a low heat.

Add the rest of the vegetables, and garlic and stir well. Cook for a few more minutes until softened.

Add all of the remaining ingredients (except for the spaghetti!)

Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally.

Turn the heat down and simmer, with the lid on the pan for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked (stir occasionally to stop the mixture burning at the bottom of the pan).

Meanwhile cook and drain the spaghetti.

Top the spaghetti with just over half of the mixture, and serve with a sprinkle of vegetarian/vegan Parmesan-style cheese (optional).

Alternatives: Use 2 cups of veggie mince if preferred instead of the lentils, or a combination of veggie mince and lentils.

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For the chilli

The next day, reheat the remaining mixture on a low heat, adding the following ingredients and a dash of water or stock if needed:

• 1 tin drained pulses (kidney beans, mixed beans, baked beans etc)
• 50g tinned or frozen sweetcorn
• 2 tsp mild chilli powder
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• a good pinch of cinnamon
• ½ chilli, chopped finely (optional)
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• a little chopped fresh coriander (optional)

Serve with rice or wraps.

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Paneer and Vegetable Tikka Masala

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Chicken Tikka Masala may be Britain's most popular food, but vegetarians don't have to miss out on a tasty alternative to this delicacy... It's taken me a while to come up with this recipe, which is as close as I can manage to one of my family's favourite Indian take away dishes - Paneer Tikka Masala.

I've added extra vegetables to make it into a slightly healthier meal, but this doesn't detract from the flavour of the sauce/gravy. I still think there's some sort of spice missing, so I'll update this recipe if I ever work out the secret ingredient/s!
Miss Ony said that this was my best curry recipe yet, which is praise indeed.

• 100g/4oz paneer cheese, cubed 
• 1 small onion, diced finely
• 1-2 bell peppers, sliced or diced into chunks
• 50-100g/2-4oz sweet potato/butternut squash, peeled and diced into small cubes
• 8 chestnut mushrooms, sliced thickly
• ½ tin chickpeas or other pulses, drained and rinsed
• 250ml passata
• 25g/1oz cashew nuts, ground (or ground almonds)
• 25g/1oz creamed coconut
• 2 tsp tandoori/tikka masala powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp ground fennel seeds
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1" piece of root ginger, grated
• ½ red chilli, grated or finely chopped, optional
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2-3 tbsp double cream, optional

Marinate the paneer in the tikka masala powder mixed with 1 tbsp lemon juice. Leave in the fridge for an hour or so.

Fry the onion in a drop of vegetable oil until soft.
Add all of the remaining dried spices, ginger, garlic and chilli and cook for a minute.
Add all of the vegetables and coat well in the spice mixture. Cook for a further 3-5 minutes on a low heat.
Pour in the passata and add the chickpeas.
Increase the heat slightly and bring to a simmer.
Allow to simmer for about 15-20 minutes, with the lid on, until the vegetables are soft.

Meanwhile, fry the paneer in a drop of vegetable oil (in another pan), until warmed through and slightly crisp.
Add the paneer to the saucepan once the vegetables have almost cooked, and stir well.
Finally add the sugar, cashew nuts, creamed coconut and cream.
Stir well and allow to simmer for a few more minutes, or until the creamed coconut has melted.

Alternatives: Use any combination of vegetables or pulses, or use extra paneer and less veg.
You could also swap the paneer for vegetarian chicken-style pieces (marinate and fry as per paneer).
For a vegan curry, replace the paneer with firm, drained tofu (marinate and fry as per paneer), extra pulses or extra mushrooms. Omit the cream.

For a BBQ version, thread the marinated paneer on skewers along with chunks of onion, pepper and mushroom, brush with vegetable oil and barbecue. Make the gravy separately on the hob and pour over the cooked kebabs.

For more Indian-inspired recipes, pop over to A Celebration of Indian Food at Lisa's Kitchen.

More sweet potato and Indian recipes. Pin It

Child-Friendly Vegetarian Enchiladas

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I was wondering what to cook for dinner the other night, so I had a delve in the freezer and pulled out a pack of wraps and some home made tomato sauce. I had various vegetables to use up in the fridge and plenty of store-cupboard ingredients, so I decided upon making vegetarian enchiladas.

These enchiladas have a mild child-friendly, baked-bean chilli filling. You could, of course add some extra chopped jalapenos if you want to spice things up! You can use the same mixture to fill burritos, top jacket potatoes, or to stuff peppers with.

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 2 carrots/1 small sweet potato/1 courgette/zucchini, grated
• 6-8 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small tin of sweetcorn or 150g frozen sweetcorn
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 tin of baked beans (or mixed beans in mild chilli sauce)
• 2 tsp mild chilli powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 6 tortilla wraps
• 1 portion of tomato & chilli pasta sauce
• 100g/4oz grated cheese or vegan cheese

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan.
Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the herbs and spices, the mushrooms, pepper and carrots/sweet potato/courgette and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, until softened slightly.
Stir in the tomato puree, garlic, sweetcorn and baked beans.
Allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.


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Pour about ¼ of the tomato sauce into the bottom of an oven proof dish.
Divide the chilli mixture between the wraps. Roll them up and place (seam side down) in a row in the dish.
Pour the remaining sauce over the wraps and top with the grated cheese.
Cook for 20-30 minutes at 160C/150C Fan/Gas 3.

Serve with a green salad, soured cream/guacamole/salsa etc.

Alternative: Use frozen mixed vegetables and a jar of ready-made pasta sauce for an even speedier dinner.

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Cheap and cheerful vegetarian/vegan meals for students

It's back to school this week after a lovely summer holiday... 

My mind has been on university rather than school for some reason, even though my children are still a good few years away from going to college; maybe because I've been reminiscing with old friends and Mr O about the time, many years ago, that we got our 'A' level exam results and started to prepare to go off out into the big wide world. 

Unfortunately I didn't quite get the results I needed to get into my first choice polytechnic university (ahem, slight social-life/study balance issue there!) but after some panic driven phone calls, I secured a place on a decent course at my fifth choice poly uni, managed to find a place in the local halls of residence and was looking forward to the start of my days as a student.

Being a pretty good cook even back in those days, I found I had some bargaining power in the communal kitchen, as I could cook. I wasn't vegetarian then, but was well on my way, so meat-free meals featured strongly, especially as they were cheap to make; I soon found that if I offered to cook, I could spend less money on food (by pooling our food budgets) and get the washing up done by someone else...not a bad trade off eh?

If you want to save money and impress others with your culinary skills, you can find a week's worth of meal ideas on my vegetarian budget/student meal planner, and even more student meals and tips below.  I can't really call some of them recipes but they are all quick and easy to make, use basic ingredients, and will save you money which you can spend on your social life instead (and books, of course!)

Top tips

• Combine food budgets with one or more friends/room mates.
• Look out for special offers on tinned, fresh and frozen fruit and veg.
• Look for reduced products which are near their sell by date.
• Base meals around cheap carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, potatoes), dried or tinned pulses (peas, beans and lentils) and seasonal fruit and veg.
• Forget about brand-names, even if your mum swears by them!
• Shop at budget supermarkets or buy own label/budget foods from larger supermarkets.
• Use up leftovers in another meal, don't throw them away (unless out of date). Most meals can be frozen for a month or kept in the fridge for a couple of days.
• Follow these guidelines if reheating cooked rice, unless you want a dose of food poisoning! 
• Use cheap herbs and spices  (e.g. mixed herbs, mild chilli powder, hot chilli sauce and garam masala) to pep up boring meals.
• Use packet/dried mixes for burgers and sausages and own-brand meat-free products (if you like them).
• Plan your main meals each week, as that will reduce the amount of food you buy and waste. Try Netmums and Money Saving Expert for more meal planning tips.
• Be creative!

Quick meals
These quick, cheap and easy meals will all serve 2 hungry students (or one person for two meals.) It might sound strange, but a lot of my camping food ideas would make great student meals too.

• Pizza  - make up a budget pizza base or plain scone mix. Flatten onto a greased baking tray. Top with tomato puree, mixed herbs, grated cheese and any toppings you have (choose from onion, pepper, mushrooms, tinned pineapple, olives, tinned sweetcorn etc.) Cook at 200C/Gas 6 for 10-15 mins.
• Pasta or rice with chickpeas in spicy tomato sauce  - Fry 1 small chopped onion in a drop of vegetable oil, add 1 crushed clove garlic, 1 tbsp tomato puree, 1 tin budget chopped tomatoes, ½ tin budget chickpeas, a grated carrot/sliced mushrooms/chopped red pepper, 1 tsp chilli powder or garam masala. Simmer for 15 minutes, meanwhile cook the pasta or rice.
• Baked bean curry -  Fry 1 small chopped onion in a drop of vegetable oil, add 1 crushed clove garlic and 2 tsp curry powder/paste. Add a tin of economy baked beans and heat through. Serve with boiled rice.
• Pisto Manchego
• Lentil spag-bol - Follow recipe but swap the chickpeas for 50g dried red lentils and 100ml water (reduce the amount of water and add a glug of red wine if there's any going!) Swap the chilli powder for 1 tsp mixed herbs. Simmer for around 20 minutes.
• Make and cook veggie burgers/sausages from a packet mix, serve in budget pittas with budget coleslaw/salad, or serve with mashed potatoes, vegetables and veggie gravy.
• Root vegetable soup - Fry 1 chopped onion in a drop of oil, add 2 chopped carrots, 1 potato, 1 parsnip and a handful of dried red lentils. Cover with 500-750ml veg stock made with a veg stock cube and boiling water. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Mash or blend, if you don't like chunks in your soup. Serve with bread.
• Savoury pancakes - Use a budget pancake/batter mix to make pancakes. Fill with roasted veg and grated cheese, veggie chilli, or cheese and baked beans.
• Baked beans/tinned spaghetti/scrambled eggs/cheese on toast.
• Potato pancakes - Mix left over mashed potato with 1-2 eggs and 1-2 tbsp plain flour. Fry until golden brown on both sides.
• Lentil hash - Fry ½ an onion in a drop of oil, with a clove of garlic, 1-2 tsp mild chilli powder and a pinch of mixed herbs. Add a diced carrot/sweet potato, 1 tbsp tomato puree, 50g of dried red lentils and about 200ml water. Cook until soft (about 15 mins), adding more water if needed. Spoon lentil mixture over a pack of economy tortilla chips and top with a handful of grated cheese/vegan cheese. Pop under the grill for a few minutes until the cheese is bubbling. 
• Pasta bake - Cook 150g budget pasta for 8-10 minutes and drain. Meanwhile fry ½ chopped onion in a drop of oil, and add any other veg you have handy (eg: chopped carrot, parsnip, leek, cauliflower), a crushed clove of garlic and a good pinch of dried herbs. Add 100ml of veggie gravy (made with granules) and 100ml of cider to the pan and bring to the boil, while stirring. Simmer for 5-10 minutes (with pan lid on) until the veg are just cooked and the sauce has thickened. Pour the sauce over the pasta, mix and tip into an oven-proof dish. Top with some fresh breadcrumbs and grated cheese/vegan cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 190C/Gas 5.
• Veggie sausage and baked bean pasta
• Cheap veggie chilli - Fry 1 small chopped onion in a drop of vegetable oil, add 1 crushed clove garlic, 1 tsp mild chilli powder, 1 small chopped chilli, 2 tbsp tomato ketchup, 1 tin budget chopped tomatoes, 25g dried red lentils, ½ tin budget kidney beans . Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Serve with baked/jacket spuds or boiled rice.
• Quesadillas - put a tortilla wrap into a frying pan. Add any left over veggie chilli or refried beans and some grated mozzarella/cheddar cheese/vegan cheese. Top with another wrap. Turn over and heat through.
• Hawaiian Quesadillas 
• Mexican rice burritos 
• Hot dogs - Buy budget bread rolls and veggie hot dogs. Fry 1 sliced onion in a little butter or oil, until soft. Cook hot dogs. Serve hot dogs in rolls with the fried onions and a squirt of mustard or ketchup. 
• Rice and peas

You can find more quick and cheap meal ideas (including veggie curry/chilli, garlic mushrooms, spicy rice, veggie sausage stew, frittata, pesto spaghetti, and noodles with stir-fried vegetables), and a list of basic cooking equipment you might need here. 

Find a basic student shopping list here.

..oh, and just in case you're interested, yes I did get my degree (in both science and socialising!) Pin It

Easy Falafel

I've made several versions of falafel in the past, but they've always been apt to fall apart on cooking. Not a major problem, but I've found that adding an egg and some fresh breadcrumbs to the mixture makes a more structurally sound falafel, which will even stand up to barbecuing.

Makes 8-10 falafel.

• 1 tin of chickpeas, drained
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin 
• a little black pepper or chilli powder
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
• 1 tbsp tahini paste 
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 cup of fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 egg 

Blend the chickpeas, garlic, herbs and spices with the tahini and egg.
Mix in enough fresh breadcrumbs to make a dough-like mixture - add more if needed.
Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
Form into 8-10 small balls and flatten slightly.
Brush with vegetable oil on both sides and fry, oven bake or barbecue.

Serve with salad and hummus or tzatziki.

Makes 4 large 'veggie burger' patties instead of falafel.

Suitable for freezing.

Vegan alternative: Omit the egg and replace with and extra 1 tbsp tahini paste for a vegan option. Use around ½ cup of fresh (vegan) breadcrumbs,as the mixture will be slightly drier. Pin It

Lentil and pesto veggie burgers

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I've been trying to perfect a lentil burger recipe that tastes good and doesn't fall apart when cooking; I initially managed to make bland burgers which stuck together, and tasty burgers which fell apart, but hadn't quite been able to combine the two! That was until I had the idea of adding vegetarian pesto (regular pesto generally contains Parmesan) to the mixture. This pepped up the flavour without making the mixture too sticky, so voila, here's the recipe for cheap* and tasty lentil and pesto burgers...

• ½ cup dried red lentils
• ½ cup dried green lentils
• 1 onion diced finely
• 1 red bell pepper diced finely
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp vegetarian or vegan pesto (e.g: ASDA smart price)
• 2-3 slices of wholemeal bread made into breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp tomato puree or sun dried tomato paste

Place the lentils in a pan with 2 cups of boiling water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for around 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. You may need a little more water, but only add a drop at a time, as you want the lentil mixture to be as thick and dry as possible. Leave to cool while you do the next steps.
Fry the onion, pepper and garlic in a drop of olive oil, until soft.
Stir in the pesto and tomato puree/paste.
Add this to the lentil mixture and stir well.
Use a food processor to make your fresh breadcrumbs.
Add as much as you need to bind the lentil and vegetable mixture, until you have quite a firm mixture which can be shaped into burgers.
Divide the mixture into 12 burgers.
Place on a well greased baking tray and drizzle or brush with a little more olive oil.
Bake for around 20 minutes at 190C/180C Fan/Gas 5, turning once.

Suitable for freezing (after cooking).

*This budget recipe makes enough to feed 2 adults and 2 kids for 2 meals - we ate them in bread rolls with salad and home made potato wedges one night and on top of pasta in tomato sauce the next night. Each meal cost around £1.50/$2.50 (made using budget, own brand ingredients)...not bad eh?

Vegan option: Use vegan pesto, or extra sun dried tomato paste and a good tablespoon of chopped fresh basil. If you can't find a ready made pesto, make your own by blending a good handful of fresh basil, with 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp pine nuts.

Alternatives: If you want to ring the changes, swap the pesto for vegetarian Thai curry paste or Indian curry paste.

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Hummus (Vegan)

I know some people think that life's too short to make their own hummus, but it it's really easy to make.

If you like super-smooth hummus, you need a decent food processor, but it's way cheaper than shop bought and tastes just as good, if not better! Look out for cheap chickpeas in the world food aisle of you local supermarket, or save even more money by soaking and cooking dried chickpeas.

• 1 tin of chickpeas, drained
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Grated zest and juice of ½ a lemon
• 3 tbsp light tahini paste
• A good pinch each of ground black pepper, cumin and paprika (or more to taste)
• 2-4 tbsp extra lemon juice or boiled water to thin, if needed 

Empty the chickpeas into a blender/food processor. Add all the rest of the ingredients and start to blend.
Stop every few seconds and stir the mixture. Add some extra liquid, if needed.
Repeat until you have the consistency you like.
Chill until needed and serve with warm pitta bread.

Suitable for freezing.

Alternatives: You can make hummus with just about any pulses, such as cannellini beans, butter beans or haricot beans. You will generally need to add less liquid, as these beans are softer than chickpeas.
Swap the lemon zest for other flavourings such as sun-dried tomatoes, chilli, roasted peppers etc.

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Yellow Split Pea and Vegetable Dhal (Vegan)

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Although dhals are normally just made with pulses, onion and spices, this version includes some chopped vegetables to make it a meal rather than a side dish. This is quite a mild dish, but if you're making it for young children, you can leave the chilli powder out, or add it to the pan after you've taken their servings out.

• 100g/4oz dried split yellow peas
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 crushed cloves of garlic 
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp black mustard seeds
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 heaped tsp garam masala
• ½ or 1 tsp mild (or hot!) chilli powder
• 2 tbsp tomato puree/paste
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 small courgette, diced
• 6-8 mushrooms, sliced

Soak the peas over night.
Drain, put in a pan and cover with water.
Bring to the boil and cook rapidly for 10 minutes.
Then turn down the heat and simmer for a further 40-50 minutes, or until the peas are just starting to break up.

Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in another pan. Add the cumin and black mustard seeds along with the onion and garlic, and cook gently for 2-3 minutes.
Add all the remaining spices and stir well.
Stir in the tomato puree, chopped vegetables and the peas (with their cooking liquid). Simmer for a further 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.
Serve with rice/chapatti/naan bread

Suitable for freezing.

Alternatives: Use any combination of chopped vegetables (even frozen or tinned mixed vegetables will do).
Use a tin of drained pulses and omit the soaking and boiling stage, if you don't have time to prepare and cook the dried split peas. Chickpeas or lentils work well.

Slow cooker method: Soak and rapidly boil the peas for 10 minutes. Put all the ingredients, plus the peas in the slow cooker. Stir well. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

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Paneer and Pepper Fajitas

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I hadn't thought of using paneer cheese in fajitas before, but I saw a recipe on the back of a pack of Clawson's paneer, and decided to adapt it by reducing the amount of paneer, upping the vegetable content and adding some chickpeas for extra protein. The resulting meal went down well with everyone, so this is one I'll cook again.

• 1 pack of soft tortillas/wraps
• 100g/4oz paneer cheese, cut into strips
• 2 bell peppers, sliced
• 8-10 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tin of mixed beans, chickpeas or red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp mild chilli powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Greek yogurt/soured cream/guacamole/salsa and sliced jalapeño peppers to serve

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan.
Add the paneer chunks, sprinkle with 1 tsp of mild chilli powder and fry until golden brown, then remove from the pan and keep warm.
Add a drop more oil to the pan and fry the onions and peppers for a few minutes until softened.
Add the beans and the remaining spices, herbs and garlic.
Throw in the mushrooms and cooked paneer and stir well.
Cook for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Spoon into the wraps, add a dollop of soured cream, yogurt, salsa or guacamole and roll/fold up. Serve with salad.

Alternative: Used sliced and fried firm tofu instead of the paneer for a vegan dish.

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Shepherdess Pie

It's turned cold again, so I thought I'd post a quick, cheap and easy comfort food recipe that all the family love (well maybe not love, but the kids will eat it, without moaning too much!)

• 1 portion of pasta sauce
• 1 grated carrot
• 1 cup of tinned or frozen of sweetcorn
• 50g/2oz dried red lentils
• 1 cup of vegetarian/vegan mince (ground beef-style crumbles) or a tin of drained beans
• Mashed potato
• 75g/3oz grated cheese/vegan cheese (optional)

Serves 4

Make up the pasta sauce, adding the lentils and carrot before simmering.

Meanwhile boil your potatoes for the mash - When cooked, drain and mash with a drop of milk and 25g of the cheese.
When the sauce is cooked, add in the sweetcorn and mince/beans and stir.

Put the sauce into an oven proof dish, top with the mashed potato the remaining cheese.
Cook for 30-40 mins at 180 C/Gas 4, until the cheese is lightly browned.

Alternatives: Add a glug of red wine, chilli sauce or a stock cube to the sauce for extra flavour.
You can also use the sauce to make lasagne or bolognese.
Vegan version: Make the mash with a spoonful of dairy free spread and season with paprika and herbs for flavour or some nutritional yeast flakes. 

Suitable for freezing.

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Vegetarian food on a budget - meal planner

If money is tight, meal planning could really help cut the cost of your weekly food budget. There are loads of meat-free food options available now, but these processed products are fairly expensive, especially compared to good old root vegetables and pulses. If you do want to include meat substitutes, try the dried veggie mince/burger/sausage mixes you can buy in supermarkets and health food shops, as these are much cheaper than the ready-made versions.

If you're a new vegetarian, and aren't quite sure how to exclude meat and fish without missing out on flavour, the ideas below may help. You could also try the Vegetarian Society for information, recipes and advice. 

My top tips for cheap and great-tasting veggie food are:

• Buy stores' own cheap fruit and veg...or shop at your local fruit and veg market.
• Look for marked-down products at the end of the day. 
• Add plenty of herbs and spices - buy in a few basics such as garam masala, cumin, chilli powder, mixed herbs, oregano, black pepper, garlic and ginger. Don't buy these in the cute little jars that cost around £2 each...look in the stores' own range and the world/ethnic food aisle and buy larger packs for half the price (go for brands such as Rajah and East End). Fresh ginger can be frozen, and garlic will keep in the fridge for several weeks. 
• Grow your own herbs either in your garden or in a window box ...basil, parsley, sage and rosemary are all easy to grow. 
• Buy cheap tins (or dried packets) of pulses for a budget and nutritious protein source.
• If you like meat substitutes (Quorn etc.), bulk buy them when they are on special offer and freeze them until needed.
• Use up left-over veg, by making them into a soup and freezing.

Here's my budget conscious and low(ish) fat vegetarian family main meal planner for a week. If you're single, a student, or cooking for 2, just reduce the quantities stated. You can cook these dishes in any order, but don't throw away leftovers. Use in another meal, or freeze until needed.

• Pasta with sauce: Make up a double batch of tomato & vegetable pasta sauce, but omit the herbs. Use half over pasta (add some herbs) and save/freeze half for the following two recipes:
• Vegetable curry: Use half of the pasta sauce in a vegetable curry - Fry 1 chopped onion in a little oil. Add 1 tbsp garam masala, or curry powder/paste, ½ a chopped green chilli, the pasta sauce, 100-200g of mixed frozen vegetables and a tin of drained chickpeas, lentils or mixed beans. Cook until the vegetables are soft. Serve with boiled rice.
• Veggie chilli: Use the other half of pasta sauce to make a chilli - Add 1-2 tsp mild chilli powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, ½ a chopped green chilli, ½ a small tin of drained sweetcorn, a few sliced mushrooms and a drained tin of red kidney beans, or baked beans. Add  a handful of Quorn/veggie mince if available. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Serve with boiled rice, or wraps.
• Vegetable pizza: use my the bread recipe for the base. Top with tomato purée, dried herbs, finely sliced vegetables, the remaining sweetcorn and a sprinkling of grated economy mozzarella/cheddar. Serve with salad.
• Jacket potatoes: Cook 1 large baking potato per person. Serve with left-over curry, chilli or tinned baked beans and a sprinkling of grated cheese.
• Veggie roast: Cook a roast dinner with 1 veggie/Quorn sausage per person, stuffing and/or Yorkshire pudding. Serve with roast potatoes & parsnips, boiled seasonal vegetables and veggie gravy.
• Bottom of the fridge soup: Peel and chop all your leftover veg (you'll need around 500g-750g, including at least 1 onion or leek for flavour and some root vegetables to thicken). Fry the veg in olive/vegetable oil for a few minutes. Add 2 tbsp tomato puree and a good handful of dried red lentils, or ½ a drained tin of lentils/beans. Pour in about 1 litre of vegetable stock (use a stock cube). Season to taste with black pepper and herbs (½ tsp ground cumin, ginger or chilli powder will give it a kick). Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 mins, or until the vegetables are soft. Cool slightly and blend. Bring back to the boil before serving. Serve  with crusty bread.
• Pesto Pasta: Cook some dried pasta, drain and stir in ½ a jar of vegetarian pesto or 50g of cream cheese or soft goats cheese. Flavour with black pepper and fresh chopped herbs. Serve with garlic bread, seasonal vegetables and/or salad.

To save even more money, buy dried beans and lentils. Soak overnight in cold water, drain, rinse, boil for 10 minutes and then simmer until soft. 
After boiling to remove toxins and soften the pulses, cook for:

• Lentils (don't soak), boil and then simmer for 20-30 minutes.
• Black eyed beans, black beans 30-35 minutes.
• Kidney beans, flageolet beans, mixed beans, soya beans 45-60 minutes.
• Borlotti beans, butter beans, cannellini beans, chickpeas, haricot beans 60-70 minutes.

To store cooked pulses, drain, cool quickly and refrigerate (for up to 2 days) or freeze (for up to a month).

Find more cheap meal ideas on my student food post. Pin It

Chickpea Curry/Chana Masala (Vegan)

This very cheap, easy and quick to make recipe is one of my favourite Indian side dishes.
Serve with a vegetable curry, rice, chapatti or naan.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 onion, diced
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 2 heaped tsp fresh grated ginger plus 2 crushed cloves of garlic (or 1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste)
• 2 tsp garam masala
• Black pepper, to taste
• ½ green chilli, deseeded and chopped finely (optional)
• ½ carton (250ml) passata/creamed tomatoes
• 1 tin chickpeas, drained 

Heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the onion and cook gently for a couple of minutes.
Add the garlic, ginger, chilli, pepper and turmeric and cook for another minute or so.
Add the passata and drained chickpeas and simmer gently for around 20-30 minutes.
Stir in the garam masala and add some fresh, chopped coriander before serving.

Alternatives: If you don't like chickpeas, you could use any other tinned beans instead.
To make into a main meal, add some fresh chopped spinach, sliced mushrooms and a chopped green pepper before adding the passata. Cook for a few minutes to soften before adding the passata and chickpeas.

Can be frozen, but the chickpeas may go a little mushy when re-heated!

Slow cooker method: Put all the ingredients in the slow cooker and mix well. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Pin It