Rose Elliot’s Vegetarian Meals In Minutes

CROISSANTS, ROLLS & SWEET IDEAS

SPEEDY GARLIC BREAD

Although garlic bread is usually made in the oven, you can speed things up by using the grill instead.

Cheese and Garlic Bread makes a nice variation: simply put slivers of cheese (such as Gruyère) on the garlic bread before grilling it; or try herb bread, using 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley and chives instead of, or as well as, the garlic.

1/2 French stick or 2 crusty rolls, white or wholewheat

2 garlic cloves, crushed

50g / 2oz butter, softened

SERVES 2

CREAMY ASPARAGUS CROISSANTS

This delicious snack for one is rather like a cheat’s version of feuilleté of asparagus in cream.

125–225g / 4–8oz asparagus spears

15g / 1/2 oz butter

11/2 tsp cornflour

150ml / 5fl oz single cream

salt and freshly ground black pepper

freshly grated nutmeg

2 croissants

SERVES 2

GARLIC MUSHROOM ROLL

175g / 6oz button mushrooms

15g / 1/2 oz butter

1 tsp olive oil

1–2 garlic cloves, crushed

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 high, rounded, crusty roll, white or granary

SERVES 1

CHUTNEY BEAN BURGER

Use whatever chutney or pickle you like in this; you could also add extras such as grated cheese, mustard, mayonnaise, sliced tomato and lettuce to make a kind of burger with everything.

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 tbls olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 × 225g / 8oz can butter beans, drained

1–2 tbls chutney or pickle

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 soft burger roll

SERVES 1

BRIOCHE WITH VACHERIN AND APRICOT CONSERVE

An indulgent breakfast, brunch or pudding.

1 individual brioche

125g / 4oz Vacherin cheese

1–2 tbls best-quality apricot conserve

SERVES 1

GINGER AND CREAM CHEESE BAGELS

125g / 4oz cream cheese, full fat or low fat

2 pieces of preserved stem ginger

6 walnut halves

a little milk (optional)

2 bagels

and sandwich together.

SERVES 2

BAGELS WITH CHOPPED-HERRING-WITHOUT-HERRING

This filling is a piquant and intriguing relish from New Food For All Palates by Sally and Lucian Berg. It also makes a good topping for crostini or bruschetta.

25g / 1oz white bread, crusts removed

7 tsp white wine vinegar

2 eggs, hard-boiled

40g / 11/2oz mild onion

25g / 1oz green pepper

25g / 1oz peeled sharp apple

1 rounded tsp sea salt

4 tsp olive oil

white pepper

2 bagels

SERVES 2

PANETTONE WITH FRESH FIGS

This makes a good quick festive pudding. Other fruits such as Clementines, peeled and sliced, could be substituted for the figs, or instead of the fresh fruit you could use fruits preserved in alcohol.

6–8 fresh figs

4 slices of panettone

1 tub of thick Creek yogurt

a few flaked almonds

SERVES 4

CINNAMON TOAST WITH HONEYED APPLES

Rather like an apple charlotte, this is a pleasant combination of crisp, sugary cinnamon toast and buttery apple slices. The recipe also works well with pears instead of apples, and white bread rather than brown. Some chilled thick yogurt or pouring cream makes a good accompaniment.

2 sweet, mellow eating apples, such as Cox’s

butter

2 tbls honey

2–4 slices of white bread

2–4 tbls demerara sugar

ground cinnamon

SERVES 2

CROISSANT WITH CREAM AND BLACK CHERRY CONSERVE

Unless a croissant is superb in flavour and texture, I think that halving and grilling it is by far the nicest way to serve it – either with butter or with a sweet or savoury filling. Here, a combination of three of my favourite foods makes an indulgent occasional treat.

1 croissant

1–2 tbls black cherry conserve

1–2 tbls thick double cream, crème fraîche or soured cream

a little icing sugar (optional)

SERVES 1

(left) Panettone with Fresh Figs, (top) Croissant with Cream and Black Cherry Conserve, (right) Cinnamon Toast with Honeyed Apples

OMELETTES

SUN-DRIED TOMATO AND HERB OMELETTE

2 eggs

4 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained

2 tbls chopped fresh herbs, such as chervil, chives and parsley

salt and freshly ground black pepper

15g / 1/2 oz butter

SERVES I

VARIATIONS

1 CHEESE AND HERB

Grate 40g/l1/2 oz Gruyère cheese and add half to the beaten eggs instead of the tomatoes. When the omelette is almost set, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the centre.

2 FRESH TOMATO

Skin, de-seed and chop 1 large tomato, warm it through in a little butter in a small pan and season. When the omelette is almost set, spoon the tomato over the centre. You could add some slivers of spring onion, or some fresh basil or other herbs, too, if you like. Turn out the omelette and serve dusted with finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese.

SOUFFLE OMELETTE

Halfway between a soufflé and an omelette (though far quicker to cook than a soufflé) a soufflé omelette makes a pleasant change and can be served with sweet or savoury fillings.

If you are making a sweet soufflé omelette, for a flashy finish fill the omelette with your chosen mixture, fold it in half, then sift 2 tablespoons of icing sugar over the top and caramelize the sugar by laying a red-hot skewer on top for a moment or two in a criss-cross pattern.

2 eggs, separated

salt and freshly ground black pepper (for a savoury omelette)

15g / 1/2oz butter

SERVES 1

SAVOURY FILLINGS

1 ASPARAGUS

Boil or steam 2–4 asparagus spears until just tender then cut them into 2.5cm/1 inch lengths.

2 PEPPER

Grill 1/2 red or yellow pepper, or a combination, until charred then peel off the skin and slice thinly.

3 MUSHROOM

Wash, dry and slice 50g/2oz mushrooms – any type, or a mixture – then sauté them in 15g/1/2 oz butter until they are tender and any liquid they produce has boiled away (this may take up to 15 minutes). Season with salt and pepper.

4 CHEESE

Mix 2 tablespoons of grated cheese with the egg yolks, then sprinkle another 2 tablespoons on top of the omelette just before you fold it. Gruyère or Parmesan, or a mixture, are good.

5 RATATOUILLE

Leftover ratatouille (see here) makes a very good filling; reheat gently, allowing 2 heaped tablespoons per omelette.

6 TRUFFLE

For a luxurious treat, put a few truffle shavings on top of the omelette before folding it.

7 PETITS POIS AND MINT

Cook 50g/2oz fresh or frozen petits pois in a little boiling water for 2 minutes Drain, add a knob of butter and 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh mint.

SWEET FILLINGS

1 FRESH FRUIT

Any sweet, soft-textured fruit is good, such as blackberries or blueberries, sliced sweet ripe mango, or sliced banana with a sprinkling of cinnamon. Or use 50g/2oz strawberries or other red berries, sliced and sprinkled with sugar and 1 tablespoon of liqueur: try Cointreau with strawberries or kirsch with cherries.

2 JAM

Melt 1 tablespoon of jam in a small pan over a gentle heat – apricot or black cherry are especially good. You could also add a dash of liqueur.

3 PRESERVED FRUIT

Use 2 tablespoons of fruits preserved in liqueur, or coarsely chopped stem ginger.

TORTILLA

This simple Spanish omelette is wonderfully tasty and filling, and like all flat omelettes it can be eaten hot, warm or cold. Any that’s left over is delicious the next day, reheated and served with a fresh tomato sauce or served hot or cold with salad.

Tortilla makes a good appetizer, cut into small squares and accompanied by a spicy dipping sauce.

900g / 2lb potatoes

1 large onion or 1 bunch of spring onions

3 tbls olive oil