Non-meat starters
If you are cooking for a vegetarian and need a bit of inspiration, try these ideas
Potato and Vegetable Frittata
Serves 6
4 small potatoes, peeled
6 eggs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
175g fresh baby spinach leaves, washed and drained
40g cheddar, grated
l Boil the potatoes for 12-15 minutes, until tender. Drain and leave to cool. Cut each potato in half and cut each half into slices.
l Preheat the grill to high. Beat eggs lightly with a fork. Season with black pepper.
l Heat the oil in a large ovenproof frying pan over a gentle heat. Add the onion and cook slowly until soft, stirring occasionally. Add the spinach leaves and potato slices and cook for a few more minutes, until the spinach has wilted. Stir very carefully so that you don’t break the potatoes.
l Pour the egg into the pan, stir gently so that the egg covers the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat down to its lowest setting and cook for about 3 minutes, until there is only a little runny egg left on the top.
l Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top and put the pan into the oven and finish the frittata under the grill, until golden. Leave to cool slightly before cutting into wedges.
Mixed Vegetables and Prawn Tempura
Serves 4
150g assorted vegetables
12 large raw prawns, peeled and de-veined with tail shells left on
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
For the tempura batter
2 egg yolks
400g plain flour
l To make the tempura batter, add the egg yolks to 700ml iced water. Mix well, then stir in the flour until combined. The batter should be a little lumpy rather than smooth.
l Slice the vegetables into bite-size pieces, where necessary. Rinse the prawns briefly, then drain.
l Heat about 7.5cm of vegetable oil in a deep pan or wok to 170°C or until a small cube of bread sizzles when added to the oil. Dip the prawns in the batter and fry in batches of 6 for about 1-2 minutes, until golden brown. Do the same with the vegetables. Lift out using a large slotted spoon and pat dry with kitchen paper. Serve with tempura dipping sauce or soy sauce.
Creamy Potato, Leek and Gruyere Tart
Serves 6
375g shortcrust pastry
500g small new potatoes
250g baby leeks or spring onions
3 large eggs
2 tbsp fresh cream
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
75g Gruy?re, grated
1 garlic clove, crushed
l Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5. Roll out the pastry to fit a 30cm x 20cm Swiss roll tin, with some pastry overhanging. Crimp the edges, prick the base and chill for 20 minutes.
l Meanwhile, boil the potatoes for 7-8 minutes, until very tender. Drain and cool. Half-fill a pan with water, bring to the boil and cook the leeks for 2 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
l In a large jug, beat the eggs with the fresh cream, mustard, Gruy?re and garlic. Season well.
l Line the pastry case with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden. Remove the baking beans and paper and bake for 5 more minutes.
l Slice the potatoes and lay out on the pastry. Arrange the leeks on top of the potatoes and pour over the egg mixture. Bake for 20 minutes, until the filling has set and the top is golden. Stand for 10 minutes before serving.
