Vegetarian Diets

We all know somebody who is a vegetarian - a family member, a friend of a friend, so I've included a recipe for the vegetarians in our lives. This microwave recipe is one my family loves. It is a tasty substitute for a quiche and for the meat lovers, slices of the loaf can be part of their vegetable intake.

Tasty Pumpkin Ring

1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups peeled, chopped pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Tasty cheese
4x60g eggs

Place 1 dessertspoon water with pumpkin and cook in microwave oven on HIGH (100%) for 12 minutes. Place shallots and butter in a medium sized bowl. Cook on HIGH (100%) one minute. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased 22.5cm ring mould. Cook on HIGH (100%) 20 minutes or until set. Let stand 10 minutes before turning out.

Spicy Potato and Spinach Hot Salad

This vegetarian hot salad is great to serve at barbecues. Cook it in the microwave oven for speedy cooking. If you wish, the potato and spinach could be cooked beforehand and the rest of the dish could be cooked in a wok on the BBQ.

500g (about 5) potatoes
1 packet frozen spinach
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
1tbsp coriander, finely chopped
2cm piece lemon grass, finely chopped
½ cup red capsicum, diced
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
4 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp lemon juice

Peel and dice potatoes and place in microwave safe dish with 1 tbsp water and cook on HIGH (100%) for eight minutes (stir half way through). Test to see if cooked. Cook frozen spinach on HIGH (100%) in covered dish for four minutes. Stir and cook on HIGH (100%) for another four minutes. Heat oil in a large frying pan on medium heat - add onion and garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add ginger and lemon grass and fry another 1 minute. Add potato and capsicum and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add cooked spinach. Reduce heat to low and add sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce and lemon juice. Stir fry until well heated through. Serve immediately with chopped coriander sprinkled on top. Serves 4.