LEAH ITSINES: 4 of my favourite meat-free recipes you need to try.

Are you considering meat-free Mondays? Or just looking to incorporate more veggies into your diet?

Whatever the case, plant-based meals have come a long way - so much more than just boring greens or tofu, you've got many an option that even meat-eaters will want for dinner again.

Bestselling author, co-founder of BARE Guides and new mum, Leah Itsines, is a big fan of vegetables. And in her new cookbook, Good Food Made Simple, she heroes them often.

We've nabbed four vegetarian recipes from the book that Leah recommends everyone makes, so you too can see what all the fuss is about.

1. Green pasta with pangrattato.

Image: Supplied/Ben Dearnley.

You have to try this! It’s simple, but so flavoursome. You could easily make it vegan by using vegan feta cheese. For a gluten-free meal, use gluten-free pasta and breadcrumbs.

Prep time: 15 minutes.

Cook time: 20 minutes,

Serves: 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 brown onion, chopped
• 3 cups (120 g) chopped kale
• ¾ cup (100 g) frozen baby peas
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 cup (250 ml) vegetable stock
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) pasta shells
• 1 avocado, halved
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 bunch basil, leaves picked
• 200 g (7 oz) Danish feta cheese, crumbled

Pangrattato:

• 1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil
• ½ cup (30 g) panko breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

Method:

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium–high heat. Cook the onion for a couple of minutes, then add the kale and cook for a few more minutes. Add the peas and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

3. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions. Drain the pasta well, reserving ¼ cup (60 ml) of the water, and return to the pan.

4. Meanwhile, to make the pangrattato, heat the garlic oil in a frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the breadcrumbs and lemon zest and cook, stirring regularly, for a few minutes or until crisp and golden. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

5. Pour the vegetable mixture into a blender and add the pasta water, avocado flesh, lemon juice and basil, reserving a few leaves for garnishing. Season with salt and pepper and blend until smooth.

6. Stir the sauce through the pasta. Serve topped with the feta, pangrattato and reserved basil leaves.

2. Eggplant and potato bake.

Image: Supplied/Ben Dearnley.

When eggplants are in season, buy away! They’re great to bulk up a meal while keeping the cost low. This can be served on its own, or with some rice for a larger meal. 

Prep time: 15 minutes, plus 30 minutes draining.

Cook time: 1½ hours.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggplants (aubergines)
• 1–2 tablespoons salt
• Olive oil, for cooking
• 200 g (7 oz) potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 red onion, cut into thick strips
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (concentrated purée)
• ½ cup (125 ml) bottled napoletana pasta sauce
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to serve

Method:

1. Halve the eggplants lengthways, then cut them into thick slices and place in a colander sitting over a bowl. Sprinkle the salt over the eggplant, covering it completely. Leave to drain for 30 minutes to extract the excess liquid and bitterness. Pat the eggplant dry with paper towel.

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

3. Heat a splash of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Fry the eggplant slices in batches until lightly golden brown on both sides. Transfer to a large bowl.

4. Heat another splash of olive oil, add the potato slices and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 2–3 minutes on each side or until lightly golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside with the eggplant.

5. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Tip the mixture into the bowl with the eggplant and potato, add the tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Add the pasta sauce and stock and mix well.

6. Pour the mixture into an ovenproof dish, sprinkle with the parsley and drizzle with a little olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

7. Serve hot, sprinkled with extra chopped parsley.

3. Huevos rancheros soup.

Image: Supplied/Ben Dearnley.

You’ve probably never come across huevos rancheros as a soup. But it’s incredible, I promise! You can serve it with store-bought tortilla chips instead of making your own if you want to take a shortcut.

Prep time: 15 minutes.

Cook time: 25 minutes.

Serves: 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large brown onion, chopped
• 200 g (7 oz) marinated red capsicum, chopped (see recipe for marinated capsicum below)
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 jalapeño chilli, finely chopped
• 3 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1½ teaspoons sweet paprika
• 3 cups (750 ml) vegetable stock
• 1½ cups (375 ml) tomato passata (puréed tomatoes)
• 3 x 400 g (14 oz) tins red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tomato, seeds removed, chopped
• 1 handful coriander (cilantro) leaves
• Low-fat sour cream, to serve
• Chopped spring onions (scallions), to serve

Crunchy tortillas:

• 4 mini tortillas
• Olive oil spray
• Sea salt flakes, for sprinkling
• Sweet paprika, for sprinkling

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium–high heat and cook the onion for a few minutes. Stir in the capsicum, garlic, chilli, ground coriander, cumin and paprika and cook for another couple of minutes. Pour in the stock, passata and two-thirds of the kidney beans and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, place the tortillas on the baking tray, spray with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and a little paprika. Bake for 5 minutes, then turn and cook for 3–5 minutes or until golden. Set aside to cool and crisp up.

4. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add the vinegar and reduce the heat to low. Stir the water to create a whirlpool, then add the eggs, one at a time, and poach for 2½ minutes or until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny (or until cooked to your liking). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.

5. Purée the soup using a stick blender, then stir in the remaining kidney beans and cook until heated through.

6. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with an egg, tomato, coriander leaves, sour cream, spring onion and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with the crunchy tortillas.

Marinated capsicums.

This capsicum can be used in many different ways – use it to add a little zing to your salads or serve it as a side dish. I love it on toast with a little taramasalata. Thanks for the recipe, Yiayia! 

Prep time: 10 minutes, plus 15 minutes standing.

Cook time: 10 minutes.

Serves: 10 as a side.

Ingredients:

• 4 large red capsicums (peppers)
• ½ cup (125 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup (125 ml) neutral-flavoured oil, or as needed
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• ½ teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Preheat the grill to high (200°C/400°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. Cut the capsicums in half lengthways and remove the seeds and membrane. Place the capsicum halves on the baking tray, skin side up, and splash a little olive oil over them. Grill for 10 minutes or until the skins have begun to blacken. 

3. Transfer the capsicum halves to a plastic bag and seal the bag with a knot, ensuring no air can escape. Leave to steam for 15 minutes, then take the capsicum out of the bag and remove the skin by peeling it from one edge to the other.

4. Place the capsicum in a container and pour in enough of the neutral-flavoured oil to completely cover it. (Don’t use olive oil as it will solidify in the fridge.) Gently stir in the garlic and salt. Seal and store the capsicum in the fridge for up to three months, topping up the oil as needed so that the capsicum is completely covered. You can also freeze the marinated capsicum in the oil for up to a year.

4. Cheat’s falafel burgers with zhoug sauce.

Image: Supplied/Ben Dearnley.

Tinned chickpeas aren’t generally used to make falafel because they often break up when frying. However, they do save time (soaking is boring!) and because these falafels are baked, they work well here.

Prep time: 25 minutes.

Cook time: 35 minutes.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 x 400 g (14 oz) tins chickpeas, rinsed and drained well
• 1 brown onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
• 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 teaspoons ground coriander
• ¼ cup (30 g) chickpea flour (besan)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Olive oil spray
• 4 burger buns
• 2/3 cup (140 g) hummus
• 2 Lebanese (short) cucumbers, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 4 handfuls rocket (arugula)

Zhoug sauce:

• ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 bunch coriander (cilantro), leaves picked
• 1 jalapeño chilli, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. Place the chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, spices, chickpea flour and baking powder in a food processor and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pulse to combine.

3. Generously spray the lined baking tray with olive oil. Shape the falafel mixture into four patties to fit the burger buns, place on the tray and spray the tops with olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes, then carefully turn the patties. Cook for 10–15 minutes or until crisp and golden.

4. Meanwhile, rinse and dry the food processor to make the zhoug sauce. Blitz the olive oil, lemon juice, coriander, chilli, garlic, cumin and cardamom to form a sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

5. To assemble, toast the split burger buns, then spread the insides with hummus. Top each base with a falafel patty, some cucumber and tomato, a generous amount of zhoug and the rocket. Finish with the bun tops and serve immediately.

Tip: Remove the jalapeño seeds for a milder sauce.

Images and text from Good Food Made Simple by Leah Itsines, photography by Ben Dearnley. Murdoch Books RRP $36.99. 

Click here to order your copy at Booktopia.

 Good Food Made Simple by Leah Itsines. Image: Supplied/Ben Dearnley.

Feature image: Instagram/@leahitsines/Supplied/Ben Dearnley.

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