Eat more vegetables? Many people resolve to do this - and often fail due to a lack of ideas. Yet plant-based cuisine can be surprisingly versatile, filling and full of flavor. Stefanie Hiekmann shows how to achieve this in everyday life in her new cookbook "Jeden Tag Gemüse" (Dorling Kindersley).
The food journalist has compiled more than 150 vegetarian recipes that are easy to recreate and celebrate vegetables in all their facets. Here are three recipes that will inspire you to put carrots, Brussels sprouts, beets and co. in the spotlight more often.
Carrot Feta Fritters with Curry
Ingredients for 8-10 fritters: 3 small zucchini (approx. 350 g), 75 g chard leaves, 2 carrots (approx. 150 g), 2 scallions, 3 heaping tbsp flour (alternatively chickpea flour), ½ tsp baking powder, 1 tsp curry powder, 150 g feta (coarsely crumbled), 2 eggs (whisked), 3 tbsp olive oil for frying, salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation: Coarsely grate the zucchini, mix with 1 tsp salt and let it draw water for 10 minutes. Squeeze well, discard the water. Also prepare the chard, carrots and scallions: Cut the chard leaves into thin strips, peel the carrots and julienne them finely, cut the scallions into rings.
Put the prepared vegetables together in a bowl. Mix with ½ tsp salt, pepper to taste, flour, baking powder, curry powder, feta and the whisked eggs, and form evenly sized fritters with moistened hands, pressing them flat. Gradually heat the oil over medium heat in a large, non-stick pan and fry the fritters on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Serve the fritters warm.
Oven Ragù with Lentils and Mediterranean Vegetables
Ingredients for 4 servings: 1 kg mixed Mediterranean vegetables (1 eggplant, 1 medium zucchini, 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 3 large handfuls of cherry tomatoes, 1 large onion), 3 tbsp olive oil, 600 ml strong vegetable broth, 100 g tomato paste, 2 tbsp dark balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp dried Mediterranean herbs, chili to taste (oil, dried chili, chili sauce, as available), 250 g red lentils (well rinsed), salt
Preparation: Prepare oven vegetables: Cut eggplant and zucchini into approximately 2 cm cubes. Core the bell peppers, remove the white membranes and cut the peppers into coarse pieces. Leave cherry tomatoes whole. Peel onion and cut into wedges. Put everything in a large baking dish, mix with 1 tsp salt and olive oil. Roast in the oven at 180°C (convection) for 45 minutes on the middle rack, stirring once after about 30 minutes so the vegetables roast evenly.
In the meantime, for the broth, stir together vegetable broth, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, 1 tsp salt, smoked paprika, herbs and chili to taste.
Remove the vegetables from the oven after 45 minutes. Fold the lentils together with the broth into the roasted vegetables. Mix everything evenly, cover the dish with aluminum foil and cook everything in the oven at 180°C for another 35-40 minutes until the lentils are soft.
Now remove the foil and bake the ragù uncovered for another 10-15 minutes until the surface is lightly browned.
Serve the ragù hot - plain topped with crumbled feta and some chili or tomato oil, classic with pasta or with crusty bread. Fresh herbs, toasted pine nuts or a dollop of sour cream round out the dish.
Salad Tacos Cig Köfte Style
Ingredients for 12 salad tacos: 200 g bulgur, 400 ml vegetable broth, 1 pinch smoked paprika, 1 tsp Ras el Hanout, 50 g tomato paste, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp dark, thick balsamic vinegar, juice and zest of ½ organic lemon, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp ground coriander seeds, salt and freshly ground black pepper, 3 vine tomatoes, 1 handful of red currants (approx. 60 g), 1 ripe nectarine, 40 g flat-leaf parsley, 12 sturdy romaine lettuce leaves as taco shells, 4 tbsp walnuts (toasted and chopped)
Preparation: Rinse the bulgur in a fine sieve. Bring the vegetable broth to a boil with 1 tsp salt, smoked paprika, Ras el Hanout and tomato paste. Stir in the bulgur and let it swell, covered, over low heat for 15 minutes.
Season the cooked bulgur vigorously with maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and zest, cumin and coriander seeds. Mix well, season with salt and pepper and adjust heat or acidity if needed.
Core the tomatoes, cut out the stem and dice the flesh. Sort through the currants, pit the nectarine and also dice it. Finely chop the parsley. Fold everything into the bulgur and taste again.
Place 1 heaping tbsp of bulgur mix in a romaine lettuce leaf and arrange with the other "Tacos" in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the toasted walnuts and serve as finger food.
