‘‘Can they be truly tasty and make you feel satisfied and happy? I believe the answer is a gigantic yes.’’
Oliver, whose show Jamie’s Ultimate Veg started on TVNZ 1 last week, also put out the book it is based on, Veg, last year, aimed at urging people to open their minds to new things and celebrating the bounty of vegetables, fruit, herbs, spices, pulses, nuts and seeds on offer.
‘‘I hope it breaks the mould.’’
He admits to being a meat lover who will not compromise on flavour, but knows how tasty and comforting vegetable-based meals can be when given the respect they deserve.
Oliver says he designed the recipes so that even a classic meat-eater who might be stuck in a rut will not miss the meat on their plate.
It should be helpful for those wanting to include a meat-free day or two a week through to committed vegetarians.
For the television show, he visited vege cooks around the world to watch and learn from them, which has all added to the book.
It was eight years in the making, and he says being able to publish it is a sign that vegetable-based cooking is becoming mainstream again.
‘‘In the Oliver household, we really try to eat vege-based meals at least three times a week. Promoting less [but better-quality] meat and more vege is something I’ve always done.’’
While people might think it is a new way of thinking, Oliver says it is what previous generations did.
He has broken the book into sections: curries and stews, pies, soups, traybakes, salads, pasta and rice, burgers, brunch, one-pan wonders and Friday-night nibbles.
Amazing vege chilli
Comforting black rice, zingy crunchy salsa, chilli-rippled yoghurt
Serves 4
Cook time 90 minutes
Ingredients
2 red onions
2 sweet potatoes (250g each)
3 mixed-colour peppers
4 large ripe tomatoes
olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp smoked paprika
4 cloves of garlic
1 lemon
400g can of cannellini beans
hot chilli sauce
250g black rice
1 bunch of fresh mint (30g)
4 small flour tortillas
4 Tbsp natural yoghurt
Method
Heat a griddle pan to high. Peel the onions, scrub the sweet potatoes and deseed the peppers. Cut off a small chunk of each and put aside with one tomato (this is for the salsa later).
Roughly chop the rest of the vegetables into 4cm chunks and halve the remaining tomatoes, then chargrill in batches.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil into a large casserole pan over a medium-low heat and stir in the cumin and paprika. Peel, roughly chop and add the garlic, finely grate in the lemon zest, and add the grilled vegetables bit by bit as they’re ready, stirring regularly.
Tip in the beans (juices and all), and 1œ cans of water, then add around 1 tablespoon of chilli sauce (or to your liking). Season with sea salt and black pepper and simmer for 30 minutes, or until thickened and reduced.
Meanwhile, cook the rice in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Pick 2 sprigs of mint leaves and very finely chop with the salsa vegetables, then toss with the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Warm the tortillas on the griddle and ripple a good few shakes of chilli sauce through the yoghurt. Serve the chilli with the black rice, salsa, yoghurt and tortillas, and pick over the mint leaves. Enjoy!
Tip: Using vegetables raw to make a salsa as well as cooking it in the stew is incredibly resourceful and delicious.
ENERGY 636kcal | FAT 9.1g
SAT FAT 2.6g | PROTEIN 18.3g
CARBS 121.2g | SUGARS 26.4g
SALT 1.4g | FIBRE 15.3g
Mushroom stroganoff
Cook time 20 minutes
Ingredients
400g mixed mushrooms
1 red onion
2 cloves of garlic
4 silverskin pickled onions
2 cornichons
4 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
olive oil
1 Tbsp baby capers
50ml whisky
smoked paprika
80g half-fat creme fraiche
Method
Get all the prep done before you start cooking: trim the mushrooms, tearing up any larger ones and leaving any smaller ones whole, peel and finely slice the red onion and garlic, and finely slice the pickled onions and cornichons.
Pick and roughly chop the parsley leaves, finely chopping the stalks.
Place a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat, throw in the mushrooms and red onions, shake into one layer, then dry-fry for 5 minutes (this will bring out the nutty flavour), stirring regularly.
Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of oil, then add the garlic, pickled onions, cornichons, parsley stalks and capers. After 3 minutes, pour in the whisky, tilt the pan to carefully flame, or light with a long match (watch your eyebrows!) and, once the flames subside, add of a teaspoon of paprika, the creme fraiche and parsley, then toss together. Loosen with a splash of boiling water to a saucy consistency, and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
Divide between plates, sprinkle over a little paprika, and serve with fluffy rice.
Tip: Look out for seasonal wild mushrooms in supermarkets and local farmers’ markets - they’re absolutely extraordinary and will add so much bonus flavour to this dish.
ENERGY 251kcal | FAT 13.9g
SAT FAT 5.2g | PROTEIN 6.7g
CARBS 11.9g | SUGARS 7.9g
SALT 0.8g | FIBRE 4.3g
Super spinach pancakes
Serves 6
Cook time 25 minutes
Ingredients
1 ripe avocado
350g ripe mixed-colour cherry tomatoes
100g baby spinach
3 spring onions
½ a bunch of fresh coriander (15g)
1 lime
extra virgin olive oil
1 large free-range egg
1 mug of self-raising flour
1 mug of semi-skimmed milk
olive oil
300g cottage cheese
hot chilli sauce
Method
Halve, destone, peel and finely slice the avocado and quarter the tomatoes, then place in a salad bowl with a quarter of the spinach. Trim, finely slice and add the spring onions and pick in the coriander leaves, then squeeze over the lime juice. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper, toss to coat and put aside.
Crack the egg into a blender, add the flour, milk, remaining spinach and a pinch of salt and pepper, then blitz until smooth. Place a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat, rub the pan with a little olive oil, then pour in a thin layer of batter, swirling it up and around the edges.
Cook on one side only for 2 minutes, or until lightly golden, then stack up on a serving plate and repeat.
Instead of spinach you could use a mixture of soft herbs, such as parsley, mint, basil or tarragon - whatever you like!
Top each pancake with dollops of cottage cheese, the avocado salad, and a few good shakes of chilli sauce. Really nice served with extra lime wedges for squeezing over, and a fried egg on top, if you fancy.
Tip: Instead of spinach you could use a mixture of soft herbs, such as parsley, mint, basil or tarragon - whatever you like!
ENERGY 331kcal | FAT 13.3g
SAT FAT 4g | PROTEIN 13.5g
CARBS 42.3g | SUGARS 6.3g
SALT 1.2g | FIBRE 3g
