Mashed Pea Fritters

A great money saver for us has been incorporating a vegetarian meal into our weekly meal plans. I'm always on the look out for vegetarian dinners that aren't totally pasta based but are also filling. These fritters tick all those boxes and are amazing served with salsa and sour cream.

Mashed Pea Fritters
2 cups frozen peas
2 eggs
100g crumbled feta
1 cup self-raising flour (or just less than a cup of wholewheat flour)
1/2 cup milk

Cook the peas in boiling water until bright green (3 to 5 minutes) then drain and cool.

Whisk the eggs then mix in the flour, milk and feta. Using a potato masher or hand held mixer, mash the peas until they form a chunky paste then add to the egg and flour mixture. This will form quite a thick batter, be mindful not to mix it too much or you will lose the texture of the peas and end up with green mush.

Spoon portions of the mixture into a medium heat frying pan (lightly sprayed with oil). Cook on both sides until golden brown and cooked through. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Zucchini Bake

My first zucchini was ready last week. I was practically bursting to cut it off about 2 weeks ago, but I have been very patient and it was totally worth the wait.

Check out the size of this lovely thing!

Look at those beautiful colours!! Is it wrong to be so in love with zucchini?!

It was so fresh, all the moisture started to ooze out in droplets. The whole thing was sparkling. Damn my poor camera skills, this photo doesn't even begin to show how gorgeous it was.

Zucchini Parmesan Bake
1 egg
Zucchini
Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon paprika
Cheddar cheese, grated


Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Slice the zucchini in wedges and coat in the egg.

In a small bowl combine the parmesan, breadcrumbs and paprkia. Place the egg coated zucchini into an oven dish. Sprinkle over the breadcrumb mixture and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until tender. Then top with the cheddar and allow to melt in the oven for a further 5 to 10 minutes.

Broccoli Soup

Since May my hubby has been on a major health kick. Without even really thinking about it, he has become one of the people who are on those "whole food diets" - but he doesn't call it that, and doesn't flounce about with it and lets himself have a day off here and there to indulge. He has also been lifting and heading out to the gym on a fairly consistent basis. Really, I have to applaud him. Two months and quite a few more kilos lighter he has really been the driving force behind us eating a whole lot better (excepting Sunday Night Desserts!)

With India a mere 5 HOURS away (!!!) we are preparing ourselves, and our delicate first world digestive systems, for 14 days of NO fresh fruit and veg. We are saying goodbye to the fresh stuff because... well, according to our very cheery doctor, it will attempt to kill us. Ever seen Attack of the Kill Tomatoes? Apparently cholera isn't as hilarious as a badly scripted late 70s film.

Each week more and more vegetables have been invading our lives for the better and, as much as I love it, occasionally, just the thought of crunching and munching away on all that green makes me feel ....a little green.  Welcome Broccoli Soup.

 Broccoli Soup
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon oil
1/2 brown onion, sliced
1 stalk of celery, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon thyme (fresh or dried)
1/2 teaspoon parsley (fresh or dried)
4 cups chopped broccoli
1 cup water
2 cups vegetable stock
dash of milk and cream
pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, heat the butter and the oil. Add the onion and the celery and sauté until softened.

Add the garlic, herbs, broccoli, water and stock. Bring to the boil and then let simmer until broccoli has softened.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool before blending. Blend in batches (include liquid with broccoli in each batch). Once blended and smooth add in milk/cream if you wish and add pepper to taste.

Reheat soup if necessary. Soup keeps in the fridge for about 3 days and freezes well.


Have a lovely 2 weeks, I'm looking forward to some Indian sweets!

Worth It Vegetable Lasagne

I love lasagne. Meaty, tomato goodness sandwiched between smooth lasagne noodles and blanketed in heavenly, crispy melted cheese. What's not to love? But in this heat it is just not happening for me. This vegetable lasagne, however, is a delightful addition to my summery kitchen. It takes a little while to make but the end result is totally worth it!

Worth It Vegetable Lasagne
Lasagne sheets/noodles (fresh or dry)
1 cup extra light ricotta cheese
handful of spinach leaves
a few leaves of basil
1 egg
dash of cream
1 sweet potato
1 tin crushed tomatoes
1 zucchini thinly sliced and quartered
half eggplant (or 1 labanese eggplant if you can get it), cut the same as the zucchini
a few mushrooms, diced
1/2 onion, diced

Start with the sweet potato, leave the skin on because it is delicious and thinly slice it. Put it in a 180 degree oven for about 15 minutes until it is soft (not crisp!).

As the sweet potato is cooking slice the other vegetables. How you slice them and how thick is a personal preference. I like mine thin, they are easier to cook and have much better texture once the lasagne is complete. Put these vegetables into a sauce pan with a dob of butter. Let these cook away...I think the actual word is sauté (how's that for fancy. It is important that the vegetables are very well on their way to being quite soft as you add the crushed tomatoes and combine. Let the sauce heat through then remove and let cool.

Remove the sweet potato and let it cool. In a small bowl whisk the ricotta and egg. Add the cream bit by bit because this mixture can become too runny very quickly. You don't even have to add cream if you don't want to, I just find it makes it go that little bit further and makes it, well....creamier. Once whisked stir in the spinach leaves and basil. You might want to tear these up or leave them whole.

Let the layers begin. Lightly spray your lasagne pan or line with baking paper. Start with a little of the tomato-vegetable mixture and layer lasagne noodles, ricotta mixture, sweet potato and more tomato-vegetable mixture. Top the whole lot off with a delicious handful (or 2) of cheese because lasagne without cheese is like......well, I wouldn't know I've never been silly enough to do that.

Bake it all in the oven for about an hour until the lasagne sheets are cooked through the cheese is melted and browning.

Serve with a salad and freeze or enjoy the left overs hot or cold.