While we eat a lot of veggies, I’ll never be vegetarian (hello, bacon…) we are trying to do more interesting things with vegetables. I’m calling it flexitarian where at least a few times a week the meat is given the support role rather than being the main event.
I experimented during the week with a zucchini pasta – and that’s pasta with zucchini, not pasta made from zucchini; I can’t get on that particular spiraliser bandwagon. I mean, it’s either pasta or it’s zucchini, or call it zoodles. But I digress. Whatever you call it, the pasta with zucchini was good. We added a little of the guanciale we had leftover from the pasta alla gricia the other night, but that was just because my husband has problems with the concept of meat-free.
Anyways, if you want to give it a go – with or without the bacon/guanciale – the recipe is here. It’s not the most photogenic plate of food going around, but boy is it tasty. Oh, we added some chilli flakes too and the photo was taken before I scattered some parsley.
On the subject of non-photogenic food, I also made this seriously yummy cauliflower and potato dish the other night. We had it as a side (again, husband who doesn’t quite get the concept of meat-free) with some barbeque lamb.
It’s called Aloo Gobi and it’s a tad like a Bombay potatoes but with cauliflower as well. I make no apologies for the photo…
Anyways, I had it the next day for lunch with some spinach and coriander from the garden and a drizzle of yoghurt.
What you need…
- 1 large cauliflower cut into florets
- 3 or 4 kipfler potatoes, cubed. (Don’t worry about peeling them.)
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or, if you can’t be faffed chopping, grated
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated
- 3 tomatoes, diced
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- chilli powder to taste (we used a teaspoon)
- salt to taste
- plain yoghurt and chopped coriander to serve
What you do with it…
- Bring salted water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the potatoes, cauliflower and turmeric and cook for about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving about a cup of the cooking water.
- Heat oil in a pan large and wide enough to take the potatoes and cauliflower later. Over medium heat add the onion, ginger, garlic and a pinch of salt and saute until translucent – about 5 minutes.
- Mix in tomato and spices.
- Stir in the potatoes and cauliflower, ensuring that they’re all coated with the spicy paste. Test for seasoning and cook for 3-5 minutes, adding the cup of cooking water bit by bit to create and maintain a paste.
- Garnish with yoghurt and coriander
Are you cooking anything interesting with veggies of late? Hit me with your fave meat-free combo.
Okay, it’s Thursday so that means Lovin’Life link time. You know the drill – click on the link below to join in or see what other people are loving about life at the moment.
And Anyways... 
Thanks, Jo, for the Aloo gobi recipe. Cauliflower alone is bland but this recipe would make it tasty. #lovin’lifelinky
Cauliflower has had a very good marketing team of late but unless it’s spiced up it is still, essentially, cauliflower lol.
Both of these dishes look delicious! I will definitely give them a try. BTW I read the 2nd of your books ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ while I was up in FNQ and really enjoyed it! I love how you weave ‘food’ into your stories and it kinda special reading a book where you know the author! I’m really looking forward to reading the next one! Meanwhile, I’m a wee bit hungry & salivating over your pics in this post. I’m off to lunch for my sister’s birthday today so had a light brekky so i could enjoy my lunch out. #TeamLovinLife
I’m so glad you enjoyed Big Girls! Happy birthday to your sister…
I am over the spiralizer phase too. The zucchini noodles were just so…soggy! That Aloo Gobi looks delicious. No apologies necessary. I will give it a try.
Thanks for dropping by…it’s very tasty so I hope you enjoy it too…
I love the word, flexitarian, Joanne! I am with you on a “no” to a spiraliser. Funny on the non photogenic food, although I am reading your post right now, hungry. So all the photos look great!
I have such a thing about people pretending something is something else ie zucchini is zucchini, it is never ever pasta so don’t pretend it is lol. Ok, putting my soapbox away now…
We love meatless meals – cheaper, healthier and I would argue just as yummy – your Aloo Gobi is the perfect example of that! In fact, I wrote a post once about meatless meals that taste so good, you wouldn’t miss the meat. I’ll have to dig it out for you so you can try them out on your meat-loving man!
He’s such a pain. He loves stuff when I give it to him but it’s the idea of it that he gets fixated on. #changeresistant
Hi, Jo – I am glad that you are making friends with vegetables. I look forward to trying out your Aloo Gobi and your Zucchini Pasta. Without deliberately planning it, our at-home dinners have gradually become more meatless. One of my favourite quick, (super) easy and delicious dishes is Columbian Black Beans. I’ve even taken it to pot lucks with great reviews. If you try it, let me know what you think. https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/colombian-black-bean-stew/
Hilariously I was telling Grant about this yesterday morning & he said (no word of a lie) ‘This would be great with bacon darlin!’ True story. I will be making this…
I’m afraid when anyone tries to convince me that vegetables are something else (rice / mashed potato / pizza base or noodles) it never ends well. I do try to put those I eat (and they are few) in stuff I cook though. (Having said that checked fridge as I was going to make sure I included carrot and green beans with something I’m cooking tonight, to discover I have neither. Just potato and onion!)
Got a kick out of this post. I am sure all of your dishes were delicious even if they weren’t quite photogenic. You made me giggle! I really like cauliflower in soups and salads and smothered with cheese. But it isn’t the prettiest food. When I make spaghetti for my PC, lately, I make myself zoodles cooked with onion. Mmmm, love them but I do mix in a bit of pasta because I like it’s texture.
Thanks for linking up with us for #wellnesswednesday. Come do a bucket list post with me!! Will share our bucket lists on 09.21. They can be simple or all-encompassing. But either way, they are a great way to push ourselves to try something new. Will do an update on 10.21 and 11.21 of our progress. If you are interested in joining me, please email me so I can send you the link-up code!
I think I want the name of whoever is responsible for the PR for cauliflower lol.