Tag: side vegetables

Cavolo Nero with Garlic, Hazelnuts and Beans

Cavolo Nero with Garlic, Hazelnuts and Beans

This is one of my family’s favorite side veggie dish – Cavolo Nero with Garlic, Hazelnuts and Beans! I’m not sure how I got my kids to enjoy something so healthy but I am super chuffed when they enjoy any green vegetable beyond the humble…

Sweet Potato and Roasted Garlic Hummus

Sweet Potato and Roasted Garlic Hummus

When it comes to chickpeas, I think it’s fair to say I really have a ‘thing’ for them. They are such a versatile ingredient in so many dishes and are prized for their high protein and fiber content, as well as an abundance of key…

Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes and Sautéed Veggies

Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes and Sautéed Veggies

polenta, vegetarian dinner, vegetarian food, sauteed vegetables, roast dinner, roasted tomatoes, side salad, side meals, contorni, polenta meals, the life harvest, food blog

Given my Italian background, I am kind of obsessed with polenta. Growing up in South Africa in an Italian family, I remember my mum using this wonderful ingredient to accompany meat dishes cooked in tomato based sauces. Polenta is a common dish in Northern Italy (where my mum’s family is from), thus coining Northern Italians the name ‘polentoni’ – big polenta’s. A nostalgic dish, which I remember in particular, was Italian sausages cooked in a tomato and onion based sauce, served over a bed of oozy, creamy, polenta and a good grating of parmesan cheese. This hearty meal is a fond memory of food that takes me back to my roots and my childhood. Hence, I am always keen to use it, like here where I fry the left over polenta to make polenta chips. If you haven’t tried these, you need to do so with the left overs from this dish! It’s a bit naughty but totally delightful! 😉

polenta, vegetarian dinner, vegetarian food, sauteed vegetables, roast dinner, roasted tomatoes, side salad, side meals, contorni, polenta meals, the life harvest, food blog

 

Inspired, last week, by the talented folk at Pinch of Yum, I was quick to act in making a similar dish that used my beloved polenta. What I love about this dish is that it can be easily eaten on its own as a vegetarian meal, packed with nutrient dense veggies OR, as a side dish to accompany a roast dinner or meat of any kind. I quite easily could have eaten it on its own, my husband however, being the meat-eating cave man he is, enjoyed it with some oven roasted, beef eye fillet.

By sautéeing such simple veggies in a little bit of butter and garlic, completely changes their flavour profile. Yes you can reduce the butter content in the entire dish, however, I think that’s what makes this dish so hearty and satisfying to eat on its own, not to mention totally yummy!

Please, what ever you do, do NOT buy the already made, packaged polenta. That stuff is, in nice terms, horrid! You can buy ‘quick cook’ polenta meal at any grocery store near the dried pulses, couscous etc… It is super easy and fast to make! Cooked in salted boiling water or stock, as per packet instructions and you have a great replica of traditional polenta in a matter of minutes.  Traditional polenta takes up to an hour of slow cooking to really release the starch. You can read a great article about the art of cooking polenta here if you’re interested. But for everyday cooking, the ‘quick cook’ stuff is just fine!

To me, this meal seemed to emulate a hearty roast dinner with a bit of a twist. It most certainly left us very content. I hope you enjoy my Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes and Sautéed Veggies. I would love to hear about a family meal you had as a child that triggers fond memories for you!

xxx

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Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes and Sautéed Veggies
Recipe Type: Vegetables
Author: The Life Harvest
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 side dishes
Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes and Sautéed Veggies…it might sound simple but it tastes divine. A wonderful, flavourful, vegetarian meal all in one or perfect as a hearty side to a sunday roast.
Ingredients
  • <span></span><span></span>200g Polenta – uncooked
  • 2 cups mixed cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • <span></span><span></span>400g mixed selection of mushrooms – slice large mushrooms thickly and baby mushrooms into quarters
  • <span></span><span></span>150g baby spinach leaves
  • 3 cloves of garlic – finely sliced
  • 6 tbsp Olive oil
  • 2 heaped tbsp butter
  • salt and pepper
  • a small bunch of sage leaves – optional
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 200℃.
  2. On a lined baking tray, combine the whole cherry tomatoes with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, paprika and salt and pepper. Give them a good toss and place them into the oven for approx 25 mins until their skins blister and are some are browning. This is totally your preference as to how you like them cooked.
  3. Mean while, cook the polenta as per the pack instructions, remembering that polenta firms up when it sets so don’t skimp on the water. I always add a bit extra as I like mine a bit runny. Make sure you salt the boiling water well or else it will taste pretty bland. Once its cooked, finish with one heaped tablespoon of butter to make it extra creamy and yummy.
  4. In a frying pan, heat the remaining 3 tbsp of olive oil and one heaped tablespoon of butter and fry the sliced garlic on a medium heat until fragrant, NOT burnt. Add the mushrooms and toss them around till well coated with the oil and butter. Cook the mushrooms for a minute before you add the baby spinach. Season with a good amount of salt and pepper and turn off the stove. The spinach will wilt with the remaining heat.
  5. Once all your components are ready, assemble them as you like.
  6. You can finish off the dish with some fried sage leaves.
  7. To do this, simply heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small pan, throw in the sage leaves for a few seconds until they are crispy. Remove them and serve them as a garnish.

 

 

Summer Barley Salad

Summer Barley Salad

When most of us think of barley, we think of it used in stews to add more density and bulk. I’d have to say my favorite way to use it is in salads due to its neutral flavour and interesting texture. Served warm or cold, it…

Mediterranean BBQ

Mediterranean BBQ

They days are heating up in the UK, so it’s a perfect excuse to light up the barbecue, eat outdoors and soak up the late suns rays. After being in the UK for 8 months we still have not purchased a barbecue so a huge thanks…

Roasted Whole Butternut Squash

Roasted Whole Butternut Squash

butternut, butternut squash, butternut pumpkin, roasted butternut, healthy side vegetable, side vegetable, vegetarian dinner, vegetarian, easy dinner, easy salad, easy vegetable, side salad, thel life harvest, food blog, goats cheese salad, fast meals, family meal

I have to introduce you to one of my current favorite veggie dishes! Welcome my beautiful, whole roasted butternut squash, stuffed with rocket, pea shoots, goats cheese and sprinkled with pine nuts. It looks and sounds impressive but the taste is even more incredible. Butternut is an earthy, sweet, nutrient rich, flavourful vegetable. In saying that, it is a battle for me to get my family to enjoy this beautiful superfood, not even my husband has a liking for it. This dish changed his mind as well as a couple of the kids and trust me, I’ve tried many times! The addition of cheese and nuts will have them willing to taste anything.;) The goats cheese adds a beautiful salty, creaminess to the dish, while the salad leaves and nuts add the cheeky crunch factor. You can easily substitute goats cheese with feta and pine nuts with any other nut of your choice. The salad is super flexible to your imagination.

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butternut, butternut squash, butternut pumpkin, roasted butternut, healthy side vegetable, side vegetable, vegetarian dinner, vegetarian, easy dinner, easy salad, easy vegetable, side salad, thel life harvest, food blog, goats cheese salad, fast meals, family mealWhat I love so much about this veggie dish is that it takes very little effort to cook and put together, however, the flavours are so hearty that it feels like you have been cooking all day. You can forget about it in the oven while it’s roasting and assemble the salad components as you’re dishing up. It works wonderfully as a side to a wintry meal, however, I also think the butternut will taste delicious, cold, the next day, combined with a fresh assembly of salad. Perfect for a quick and healthy lunch at work or at home. I hope this recipe helps to convert some of your fussiest eaters…OR, just enjoy its deliciousness all for yourself! 😉

xxx

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Roasted Whole Butternut Squash
Recipe Type: Side vegetable
Author: The Life Harvest
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6 side servings
A hearty, flavoursome, quick and easy roasted whole butternut squash. Packed full of flavour and nutrients, it makes a brilliant side dish or light meal. Easily made for vegetarians or veggie lovers it’s a true heart warming dish.
Ingredients
  • One whole butternut squash
  • Fresh thyme leaves
  • Salt and pepper
  • Olive oil
  • 4 large garlic cloves
  • 70g pine nuts – lightly roasted
  • 100-150g soft goats cheese
  • A handful of rocket leaves
  • A handful of pea shoots
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat your oven to 180℃.
  2. Carefully cut the butternut open lengthways and place on a large baking tray.
  3. Scoop out the seeds and fibrous bits.
  4. Score the flesh with a sharp knife as shown.
  5. Using the back of your knife, squash the garlic cloves till their skin splits and place them (with the skin on) inside the hollowed out section of the butternut.
  6. Drizzle the butternut with olive oil – about 1 tablespoon for each half.
  7. Season the flesh with salt and pepper, then sprinkle the thyme leaves roughly over the top.
  8. Place the butternut in the oven and bake for about 45-60 minutes, or until the skin starts to blister and a fork inserted into the butternut slides through easily.
  9. When the butternut is ready, remove it from the oven.
  10. In a medium bowl, combine the rocket, pea shoots and goats cheese with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt and pepper.
  11. Take the garlic out of their skins, break them in half and toss them through the salad.
  12. Serve with the salad inside the butternut hole and sprinkle with a good amount of roasted pine nuts (as shown).
  13. You might want to finish off with a drizzle of good quality olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.