Tag Archives: cheese

Quick Palak Paneer | Vegetarian

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A twist on a classic curry, this palak paneer combines fresh spinach leaves and chickpeas with perfectly browned cubes of Indian cottage cheese in a rich, gently spicy sauce. For a vegan version, use tofu in place of the paneer!Quick Palak Paneer | The Tofu DiariesThis curry is one of my absolute favourites. Cheese and spinach, I mean what’s not to love? The version here is wonderfully simple and cooks in about twenty minutes. I whipped it up one Sunday evening when I wanted something tasty and nutritious (with both spinach and chickpeas it ticks that box) but without all that much effort.Quick Palak Paneer | The Tofu DiariesSpeaking of doing something quickly in the evening, my kitchen spotlights unfortunately made for quite “glossy” photos but I couldn’t hold back this recipe just because of that!Quick Palak Paneer | The Tofu DiariesThe spice mix here is easy to replicate as it doesn’t use anything too out of the ordinary. However if you don’t have all of them in your cupboard already then you could cheat and pick up a pre-made spice mix for much cheaper than the individual spices. In most continental supermarkets you can pick up a palak paneer mix for less than £1 (I’ve spotted this mix on the shelves of my local one before).Quick Palak Paneer | The Tofu DiariesIngredients:

225g paneer cheese, cut into cubes (For a vegan version, substitute extra firm tofu)

200g fresh spinach leaves

1 can chickpeas, drained

1 onion, thinly sliced

3tbsp rapeseed oil (or your preferred oil)

4-5 tbsp water

3 cloves garlic

1tbsp tomato purée

1 tsp chili powder

1tsp fenugreek

1tsp cumin

1/2tsp cinnamon

1/4tsp ground clove

1/4tsp ground cardamom

Method:

1. Heat 1tbsp of oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the cubes of paneer. Cook until they have browned on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside.

2. In the same pan, add another tablespoon of oil, all of the spices and the tomato purée. Stirring continuously, fry for around a minute before setting aside.

3. Heat the final tablespoon of oil into the frying pan and add the onion. Stir well and cook for a few minutes until they have begun to soften, then stir in the garlic. Gradually add in the water, stirring well, then mix in the spice/tomato purée.

4. Add the chickpeas and cook for around 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Next, add the spinach. Allow to wilt for a minute or two before mixing in. Cook for a further 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then return the paneer to the pan. Cook for another minute or two and serve.

What is your quick go-to dinner?

Little Vegetarian Treats: Mininibs from Ripon, Yorkshire

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Something I love about living in Yorkshire, aside from all of the beautiful countryside, is the creativity and artisanal flair you find here. One of the wonderful things about having adopted the county as my home is the chance to discover many of them first hand, whether it is from living and working in such a vibrant neighbourhood as Chapel Allerton or from exploring the surrounding towns.

NibNibs is one such company. Located up in North Yorkshire, they create handmade nibbles fresh from their bakery in Ripon using only the finest locally sourced ingredients. Their vegetarian snacks contain Yorkshire-milled wheat and British Cheddar (they even list Yorkshire water as an ingredient) making the food miles that go into these remarkably low. Since hearing from NibNibs, I have been, well, nibbling my way through their yummy range of mininibs.

NibNibs MininibsThe cheerfully packaged mininibs come in three exceptionally cheesy flavours: Cheddar Cheese, Cheddar & Spicy Chili, and Cheddar &Cheeky Onion. The first thing to hit you with each variety is undoubtedly the Cheddar, but what I really love is how the accompanying flavours – be it chilli or onion – develop after the initial cheesy hit. After my first mininib, I wasn’t too sure but as soon as it was done with I couldn’t wait to reach for the next one; the strong flavour combined with the crunch makes these beyond moreish!Mininibs 2NibNib’s Salt & Pepper Jumbo Peanuts were another pleasant surprise, and dare I say it, equally as moreish.Mininibs 3The pots are all foil sealed when they arrive with a handy little lid to keep them fresh after opening. It also makes them ideal to pop into your bag for a snack on the go.

This giveaway has now closed – thanks to the 3511 of you who entered!

And finally, the all important question, where do I nibble mine? …At my desk to keep me going through the afternoon! Where would you nibble yours?

Baked Double Lemon Halloumi with Shoots & Baby Leaves | Vegetarian

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Fresh lemon juice and lemon thyme combine to create aromatic halloumi, baked for a perfect crisp and served on a fresh salad of shoots and baby leaves rounded off with a balsamic glaze. Serve with spicy sweet potato wedges.

Halloumi needs no introduction (I already did that here) but I will say once again what a dream lemon and halloumi are together. I took a bit of a risk for this dish combining fresh lemon juice with lemon thyme but it was a gamble that paid off. This is dish is pure spring/summer food and definitely going to become a regular of mine.

To really allow the flavours in the marinade to permeate and be caught by every slice, spreading the halloumi over the bottom of a wide dish works well. Don’t be afraid to get your hands a bit messy; rub the lemon thyme onto the cheese and in with the juice and garlic to release the flavour.

I served this with sweet potato chips according to this recipe with a sprinkling of smoked paprika and cayenne pepper added before baking to give them a kick. The balsamic glaze, I must confess, was lovingly shop-bought (from M&S). Whilst I’m sure it would be possible to make something similar, it’s very handy to have a bottle to pull from the back of the fridge now and then and put the effort elsewhere.Baked Double Lemon Halloumi | The Tofu Diaries Double Lemon Halloumi 5Double Lemon Halloumi 3Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the halloumi:

450g halloumi cheese (I went for ‘lighter’ halloumi), cut into thick slices

Juice of one lemon

1tbsp fresh lemon thyme, stems removed

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Black pepper to taste

For the salad:

1 carrot, sliced into ribbons (a veg peeler is best for this job)

100g mixed shoots (lentil, pea and bean shoots are used here, but any combination like this would work)

75g mixed baby leaves (again any combination works – here it is chard, lambs lettuce, green lettuce, red lettuce, frisée, spinach)

8 vine tomatoes, halved

Balsamic glaze/dressing of your choice

  1. Mix the lemon juice, lemon thyme, garlic and black pepper together, ensuring the thyme leaves are well-bruised to release the flavour. Pour this over the halloumi and marinate for twenty to thirty minutes.
  2. Preheat an oven to 200c / 180C fan / gas mark 6.
  3. Spread the marinated halloumi over a baking tray, leaving the excess marinade in the original dish. Place in the oven and bake for fifteen minutes – turning halfway and covering with 2/3 of the remaining marinade.
  4. In the meantime, mix the salad ingredients together.
  5. When the halloumi is crisp and golden brown, remove from the oven and cover with the remaining liquid from the marinade.
  6. Place atop the salad and drizzle with the balsamic glaze. Garnish with a spring of lemon thyme and serve with the seasoned sweet potato chips or your chosen side.

Double Lemon Halloumi 4Double Lemon Halloumi 2This recipe is my entry into Betta Living’s vegetarian recipe competition in celebration of National Vegetarian Week in May. Find out more and submit your entry here.

Halloumi & Courgette Kebabs with Garlicky Spinach

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Few things are more satisfying than the satly, chewy delight that is halloumi. Whilst ‘salty’ and ‘chewy’ might not be the most emotive of terms, Cypriot halloumi is perfect with a fresh marinade and grilled to give it golden edges. Similar to paneer (which I’ve used here and here), it has a very high melting point making it perfect to grill, fry, or even barbecue.

These kebabs and the accompanying spinach side dish are perfect for an evening when you don’t have too much time to cook. A very quick spot of preparation, you’re then free to get on with other things for half an hour before a speedy cooking process. The halloumi skewers were made using this recipe which my boyfriend stumbled across and even picked up the ingredients for it on his way home from work one evening. The spinach was thrown together from bits and pieces I happened to have in my fridge. We served these up alongside some Bombay potatoes, lazily picked up at the supermarket.Halloumi & Courgette Kebabs | The Tofu DiariesHalloumi kebabs coming out of the grill Halloumi & Courgette KebabsIngredients

For the kebabs:

225g halloumi cheese, cut into large cubes

2 courgettes, thickly sliced

1 red onion

2 tbsp olive oil

Fresh mint, chopped

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

1-2 tsps chilli flakes

For the spinach:

2 tbsp olive oil

500g fresh spinach

1 red onion

3 cloves garlic, crushed

Plenty of black pepper

Mix the lemon, mint, olive oil and chilli flakes in a bowl. Add the halloumi, courgette and red onion, mixing well. Marinade for about half an hour. If you are using wooden skewers, soak this in water at the same time as the other ingredients are marinating.

Feed the halloumi and vegetables onto the skewers. Place under a hot grill and cook for around ten minutes, turning frequently. Pour the remaining marinade on half way. Sprinkle with some of the fresh mint to serve.

Whilst the kebabs are cooking, heat up 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add in the red onion and garlic. Once they have softened, put in the spinach in the pan and stir gently until it has wilted. Season with the black pepper and serve as an accompaniment to the kebabs.Halloumi Kebabs Garlicky Spinach Side DishHave you ever tried halloumi? What is your favourite way of cooking it?

Slow Cooker Paneer Curry

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We seem to be at that funny time of year here in the UK when we’re all dreaming of spring and the sun is beginning to shine, but, in Leeds at least, there’s still a distinct chill in the air. To me this sort of weather calls for spicy food; something warming, something comforting but something that speaks of warmer climes. This dish certainly fits the bill – although whilst making it I realised how much I am looking forward not only to warmer weather, but lighter evenings and the chance to take more recipe photos in natural light. I often take photos at lunchtime a day after I’ve cooked but there’s not always chance so I don’t feel like these are the best, but hopefully they convey enough about just how yummy this curry was.

I’ve spoken about my love of paneer before and how ideal it is for a vegetarian curry to give it a bit of extra texture. Saag paneer and mutter paneer are both classic North Indian dishes, but for everyday cooking I prefer not to limit myself to one or two vegetables. This dish is packed full with different veg which could really be substituted for any veg you happen to have in the fridge.

This would be wonderful accompanied with brown rice or wholemeal chapattis – but sometimes I prefer to fill up on extra veggies and forgo any sides so I ate this as it is.Slow Cooker Paneer Curry | The Tofu DiariesSlow Cooker Paneer Curry 2 Slow Cooker Paneer Curry 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil

2 celery sticks, sliced

2 red onions, chopped finely

3 shallots, chopped finely

2 carrots, sliced into rounds

1 large sweet potato, cut into cubes

Handful of purple sprouting broccoli

200g paneer, cut into large cubes

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 inch cube ginger, cut into thin slices

1 fresh red chilli, finely sliced

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp paprika

100ml vegetable stock

Crème fraiche, to serve (optional)

In a pan, or slow cooker insert if possible, heat the oil on a medium heat. Add the onions, celery and shallots. Once they begin to soften, add the spices, garlic and ginger. Stir well and after a minute or so add a tablespoon or two of water to bring out the flavours. Add the carrots and sweet potato, cook for a further couple of minutes.

Add this along with the other vegetables, fresh chilli, and stock to the slow cooker. Stir well. Cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours.

Heat another tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the paneer cubes. Turn regularly to brown on all sides. Add these golden cubes to the slow cooked curry and mix well. If you like, you can reserve a few pieces to add on top. If desired, serve with a dollop of crème fraiche on top.Slow Cooker Paneer Curry 3 Slow Cooker Paneer Curry 5Do you have any favourite curry recipes? Share them below!