Entertaining Vegetarian Recipes
There's nothing better than a homemade meal. So, when you're not eating one of ours, here are some you can make yourself:
- Our entertaining range has a 'wow' factor.
This delicious all butter puff pastry tatin was a real staple at Café Maitreya. It is quite easy to prepare with a great wow factor on presentation. Now Spring has arrived we are serving this with a lovely fresh herb salsa verde.
This dish is lovely as a starter or a main course, served hot or cold. The classic Mediterranean flavours of charred aubergine, sweet almonds and salty feta is a great combination. Try with fresh spinach leaves and sundried tomato and chilli pesto.
It was a real dilemma which baked cheesecake to present for this recipe. The addition of cranberries and a tiny bit of saffron seemed worth the extra effort and expense if going to all the trouble of making a really good cheesecake.
The quality of this tart is dependant on organic fresh cherry tomatoes and a crisp buttery pastry. The creamy 'not eggy' texture is down to using extra thick double cream and excellent quality cheddar. Our current favourites are Barber's Cruncher and Quantock Gold.
These visually stunning all butter puff pastry galettes are quick and easy to prepare. By serving them with a tangy mango and avocado salsa they make a starter with a real wow factor.
Spinach is such an organic star, and available locally all year round, though particularly good in spring. Filo is a dream product for chefs and home cooks alike, and easy to get hold of and quite inexpensive. This is excellent with a baby leaf spinach salad and honey and walnut dressing.
This delicious dressing is great with salty cheese's like feta and halloumi. We serve it regularly with a feta, fig and spinach filo. It's also great as a sweet, crunchy salad dressing with peppery leaves such as rocket, watercress etc.
A lemon tart is a great treat all year round. This 'wet pastry' recipe is simple to make an hour or so in advance. The rich, creamy, lemon filling is quick and easy to make. Wonderful with fresh summer berries, and equally with a rich caramel in winter.
Nettles can add something unexpected when combined with feta cheese and raspberry vinegar. The nettles will need to be picked in advance and marinated in olive oil to completely remove the stings. This pesto is delicious with roast beetroot, fresh orange and shaved marinated fennel in particular.
These delicious rostis will take about 40 minutes to prepare. They are a real treat with their sweet nutty flavour, working beautifully with Emmental cheese, sauted Kale and a piquant fruit dressing.
This deep flavoured savoury vegetarian treat can be served with a host of dishes or just as a pâté with pitta and olives. It's delicious in a sandwich with avocado and sorrel leaves.
It is best to make the chorizo in a narrow terrine mould or dish for nice chorizo size slices.
These quick and easy light pancakes are a great base for many tasty vegetarian toppings. We have found they are particularly delicious with aubergine and pickled walnut caviar. You can always add a little dollop of sour cream.
Although this appears as a chowder visually and texturally, it's a cheeky twist on a classic Spanish tapas dish. Very simply, Goat's cheese toasted over an excellent rich tomato sauce.
The combination of white chocolate and almonds is equally great as a special dessert or a favourite treat for children. It's easy to make but that added 10% pleasure comes from a slightly caramelised base while still retaining a moist 'ganache' raw white chocolate centre.
This baked swiss roll style roulade can be re-heated and served with a good custard like a roly-poly or served as a cold dessert with a fruit compot or lemon caramel.
