Vegetarian bean quesadillas

Still going strong with the Mexican theme - this week it was quesadillas (kay-sah-dee-ahs) as modified from a recipe in the 4 Ingredient Cookbook. There's also a version with alternative ingredients which I'm going to try next week so will report on that for comparison. This lot was super tasty and v quick to prepare so 10/10 from me!

tortillas (approx 6-8 pieces)
herbs
cheese
beans in salsa sauce
chopped tomatoes (can also use capsicum or similar)
avocado

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2) Lay out all tortillas flat and spoon a couple of tablespoons of bean mix over one side. Add herbs and sprinkle cheese over.
3) Fold in half and place on baking tray, with spines of tortillas facing outwards in case ingredients ooze out during cooking. Bake for 10-15 mins or until the tops of the tortillas start to crisp.
4) Remove from oven and cut in half if desired. Spread avo over top, then add tomatoes.
5) Serve accompanied by a green salad. Can also serve as a light meal on their own, with dipping sauces.

Veg and feta tart

2 sheets pre-rolled flakey pastry
Tomato paste
Tomatoes
Capsicum
Zucchinni
Red onion
Herbs
Feta

Lay pastry sheet on baking tray, without cutting right through run a knife 1cm around the inside edge of each sheet.
Put tomato paste on inside area of pastry sheet. Add crushed garlic if you like.
Add finely sliced capsicum, red onion, zucchinni and any other veg you like.
Sprinkle feta and herbs over the top.
Bake for 10 mins @ 200 degrees, then reduce to 180 degrees for another 10-15 mins.

Verdict - quite tastey. Seems like another version of a pizza base in a way, but was good to have some pastry as we don't have it often. Should have added more toppings . 8/10

Tee hee - had a go on the Ninja Guy website!

Vege skewers

I served these with lemon pepper chicken but could also go with couscous/rice for a meat-free version. We don't have a BBQ so I cooked them in a frying pan - I suspect they'd crisp up better on a BBQ; 6/10 for this batch. Make sure to leave time to marinate veges, and soak skewers overnight!

1 pack bamboo skewers
Assorted veges such as cherry tomatoes, capsicum, zucchini, broccoli, slices of corn on the cob, mushrooms (bleugh, no mushies for me :-P)
Cheese with a high melting point, such as halloumi
Lemon juice
Chilli powder
Thyme
Olive oil

1) Soak skewers in cool water overnight to ensure they don't burn/char during the cooking process.
2) Cut veges into similar-sized pieces so they will cook in about the same amount of time. Cut cheese into 2-3 cm cubes.
3) Mix up marinade - olive oil, thyme, a sprinkle of chilli powder, lemon juice. I added a splash of soy sauce and a little bit of crushed garlic too, for extra flavour.
4) Evenly space veges and cheese on skewers and pour marinade over. Marinate for approx. 1 hour, turning once or twice to ensure an even coating.
4) Preheat 1 tsp of olive oil in BBQ or large frying pan and grill skewers for 8-10 mins or until veges are tender.



That's a stock photo from the website I got the recipe from - mine were darker due to the marinade but basically the same thing :-)

Beetroot salad with salmon

Salad Greens
Tomato
Capsicum
Peeled carrot strips
1 can beetroot or fresh beetroot
Sliced Salmon

Crispy noodles, cashews and feta cheese to top.

Bake beetroot - put over Salad and add toppings + salad dressings as desired :D

Quick, easy and tasty - Not meat free but worth a blog post :P

Mushroom Risotto

Cook risotto rice as per normal

Sou-tee halved cherry tomatoes, diced -red onion, chopped button mushrooms, chopped capsicum, garlic, chilli

When it's cooked mix together and serve.

Was quick and easy - we used Uncle Ben's risotto which instructed to cook in stock so was quite salty and an overpowering flavour. Next time we would use normal risotto rice and not use stock to flavour.

7/10 - room for improvement with risotto change :D