Vegetarian Winter Recipes

Do you need some inspiration for healthy meat-free meals for the winter months ahead? You are in luck, we’ve got some great recipes for both hearty vegetarian meals, including Dr Rupy’s range of dishes using mushrooms. The question many people ask is where do you get your protein from if you are not eating meat of fish. There are so many healthy sources of plant protein that taste delicious; lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, beans, tofu just to name a few and so many of these work so well in curries and easy one pot meals for convenience.

Include beans in your daily meals for balanced nutrition. Beans or legumes, are one of the oldest cultivated plants and contain many important nutrients and phytochemicals. When combined with grains, they form a complete protein. Red beans support heart health in a variety of ways. Because they’re a low-fat, cholesterol-free source of high-quality plant protein, you’ll get roughly 8 grams of protein per 1/2-cup serving of red beans. Here’s a great recipe for red beans with rice, for a healthier option swap your white rice for brown rice.

Dr Rupy’s Tarragon and Mushroom Oats Recipe
Serves 2

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 tsp nigella seeds
30g chopped hazelnuts
160g chestnut mushrooms, diced
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
30g Sundried tomatoes, chopped
90g Oats
10g fresh Tarragon, chopped
100g frozen peas (thawed)
60g rocket leaves
100ml boiling water (plus extra if needed)
10g parmesan, grated

Method:

1. Saute red onions in oil and butter with seasoning for a few minutes
2. Add the nuts and seeds and cook for another minute
3. Pile in the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes, then add  the sundried tomatoes, vinegar and oats stirring for 2 more minutes before pouring in 120mls boiling water
4. Simmer for a few minutes covered
5. Throw in fresh tarragon, peas and rocket and cover for  another minute until cooked
6. Stir together, season well and serve with  grated parmesan

Dr Rupy’s Medicinal Mushroom and Garlic Broth
Serves 2
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 whole garlic bulb, cut in half across the bulb
1 litre boiling water
15g fresh sage leaves
15g fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 red chilli, sliced in half
80g Vitamin D mushrooms, finely sliced
80g Chestnut mushrooms, diced
160g Swiss chard, roughly chopped
160g baby spinach, roughly chopped
100g vermicelli rice noodles, broken
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the diced chestnut mushrooms and garlic halves, cut side down, and fry gently for 6 minutes until golden brown.
2. Add the boiling water to the pan along with the herbs, chilli, season with salt and pepper and cook very gently for 30–40 minutes until you have a deeply fragrant broth.
3. Add the chard, sliced mushroom and spinach and cook for a further 5 minutes.
4. Add the rice noodles, remove from the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes until the noodles are tender.
5. Remove the whole garlic and serve.

Doctor and health food guru, Dr Rupy runs a cooking channel – The Doctor’s Kitchen – that shares his belief that food is the most powerful medicine. He has also published three successful cookbooks whilst being a qualified GP. The UK and Ireland Mushrooms Producers has partnered with Dr Rupy to inspire the nation to cook new and flavourful food that highlights the versatility of mushrooms in recipes. For inspiration on how to use tasty mushrooms in an array of meals, head to @madewithmushrooms on Instagram to see the latest creations.