BITE-SIZED RECIPES
Cure the midweek blues with these hearty, flavour-packed dishes.
In a world full of options, whipping up a great feed has never been so simple. Particularly if you’re looking to cut back on meat. In addition to the well-documented health and environmental benefits, switching to — or sustaining — a more veg-heavy diet opens up a whole world of delicious dishes.
Cutting back on the meat, even for a couple of nights a week, is made easy thanks to Yumi’s and its range of delicious Veggie Bites. They’re gluten- and dairy-free and packed with natural ingredients, so you won’t be compromising on taste.
Need some inspo? We’ve enlisted Dot Lee, co-owner and chef of Newtown modern Australian restaurant Hartsyard, to create three tasty and easy-as dishes that will leave even the pickiest of eaters satisfied.
Brooke Zotti
Vegan Cashew Dip
Three ingredients is all it takes to create this velvety, vegan, restaurant-quality dip. Just add a serve of Yumi’s Veggie Bites, and you’ve got yourself a serious snack. Only one thing to remember: dip liberally.
INGREDIENTS:
200g roasted cashews
200g soy milk (or any vegan milk of your choice)
2 tbsp yeast flakes (can be found in health food store)
Pinch of salt
METHOD:
1. Blend everything on high speed until smooth using a food processor or blender.
2. Transfer dip into a bowl and garnish with chopped cashews.
3. Serve with Yumi’s Roasted Veggies and Peas Veggie Bites.
Scroll down to watch Dot Lee showing you how easy this snacktime special is to make.
Green Lentil Curry
Transform your curry night with this protein-packed, vegan warmer. The addition of Yumi’s Sweet Potato and Herbs Veggie Bites gives this recipe an extra layer of aromatic and subtly sweet flavour.
INGREDIENTS:
300g green lentils
1 packet of Yumi’s Sweet Potato and Herbs Veggie Bites (keep whole)
1 brown onion, roughly chopped
5 cloves of garlic, grated
1 long red chilli, roughly chopped
1 bunch of coriander, chopped (keep stalks and leaves separated)
30g cumin seeds, toasted and grounded
10g turmeric powder
100g coconut cream
50g peanut butter
2 cups water
Salt, to taste
Serves 4
METHOD:
1. In a pot, sauté brown onion, garlic, chilli and coriander stalk until onion is soft.
2. Add ground cumin seeds and turmeric powder and cook for another three minutes.
3. Add green lentils and water to the mixture, season with salt and cook for another ten minutes on medium heat. You might need to add more water as it cooks.
4. When the lentils are al dente, add Veggie Bites, coconut milk and peanut butter and allow to simmer until the lentils are cooked.
5. Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with rice.
Scroll down to watch Dot Lee demonstrating how to cook this delicious winter warmer.
Whole baked baby pumpkin stuffed with brown rice and beans
Leftover rice? Put it to good use in this impressive dish that’s easier to make than it looks. This pumpkin bowl is loaded with fresh ingredients and layered with flavour — don’t be surprised if it goes high up on your recipe rotation.
INGREDIENTS:
4 baby Japanese pumpkins
100g honey
1 red onion, chopped
10 cloves of garlic, grated
1 long red chilli, chopped
1 bunch of rosemary, picked and chopped
2 tbsp yellow curry powder
50g dry white wine
300-400g cooked rice, can be cold or hot (any leftover rice will also work)
1 packet of Yumi’s Zucchini and Lentils Veggie Bites, cut in half
100g sultanas (keep whole)
1 bunch of parsley, chopped
1 jar of goat’s curd
Olive oil and salt, to taste
Serves 4
METHOD:
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius.
2. Cut top of the pumpkin off and set aside the top. Carve out the inside of the pumpkin.
3. Drizzle some olive oil, salt and honey in the hollowed out pumpkin and put it in the oven.
4. Start preparing the rest of the ingredients. The purpose here is to start letting the pumpkin cook for about 20 minutes while making the stuffing.
5. Sauté onion, garlic, chilli over medium heat until soft. Add rosemary and curry powder and cook for another five minutes. Deglaze with white wine.
6. Add the rice, Veggie Bites and sultanas to the mixture. Mix evenly.
7. Season with salt or more curry powder to taste.
8. By this time the pumpkin should be around 40 percent cooked. Take it out from the oven and scoop in the rice stuffing. Put the pumpkin top back on as a lid before putting back into the oven. This allows everything to steam nicely inside the pumpkin.
9. Turn oven down to 150 degrees celsius and bake for another 30 minutes or until pumpkin is soft.
10. Once cooked, remove pumpkin top and garnish with parsley and goat’s curd.
Scroll down to watch Dot Lee showing you how to assemble this hearty dish.
Images: Brooke Zotti
