With the lockdown continuing, the motivation for making interesting meals has slowly started to get difficult especially as we have not entertained anyone for months. At the start of the pandemic, it was lovely to have the time to make all my traditional meals such as my Chickpea curry and snacks like Kenya chevdo, sev and chakri and sent parcels to my kids. I also started to teach cookery online to keep friends and family motivated and interested in cooking. But as the pandemic continues and eating out is not an option, I was looking for some quick but interesting meal ideas and my son suggested trying out some of the Food Boxes that come with meal kits. He has been trying out various boxes and I liked the idea of all ingredients and recipes delivered weekly to our home. This sounded like a very easy way of planning evening meals without having to worry about trips to the supermarket. So this week, I am trying out a Hello Fresh Box whose tag line is Dinner is solved. Ordering the box was easy and once I set up my account and filled in my food preferences, three recipes got chosen for me but I also had the option to go online and choose the recipes I like from this week’s vegetarian options. The three recipes I picked this week were:
This dish was easy and quick to make. It was tasty and filling. This is the first time I used creme fraiche in my pasta and was pleasantly surprised by the taste. Since I made this recipe, I have been using Creme fraiche a lot in my salads.
- This dish was also easy and quick to make. We loved the idea of crispy cauliflower in a bean stew. this is the first time I used mayonnaise and panko breadcrumbs for coating cauliflower.
Since childhood, I have loved kidney beans and this stew with coconut milk was one of the best I have eaten.
The food came in 3 specific paper bags within a box with clear recipes. The recipes and the bags are numbered so you know exactly which ingredients to use for which recipe. The recipes I had picked were easy and quick and the step by step recipe instructions helped. The two meals I have cooked so far were impressive. It was good to have all the ingredients ready in the fridge for planned meals after a long day at work.
All their recipes can be found on their recipes page. You can also browse through their most popular recipes which have been tried and tested by their customers.
Overall, the variety of vegetarian recipes and the quality of the products received so far are very good and I am looking forward to continuing my subscription after the Christmas holidays.
You may wish to try more Pasta recipes listed on my blog:
- Fusili pasta with vegetables cooked in Instant Pot
- Fusilli Pasta made with Indian Spices
- Penne Pasta Bake with tomato and béchamel sauce
- Spicy Pasta – Quick Dish
Creamy Rigatoni with Garlicky Greens and Creme Fraiche ( Hello Fresh Recipe)
Wilted dark greens combined with a hearty portion of creamy garlicky pasta make this recipe a seriously satisfying weeknight supper. If you feel the creamy sauce is a little bit thick, add a little bit of the starchy pasta water to loosen up the consistency. The salty, starchy water not only adds flavor but helps the sauce cling to the rigatoni (this is a great trick that works for all pasta sauces)Servings: 2Ingredients
- 200 grams Wheat Rigatoni Pasta
- 150 grams Crème Fraîche
- 1 shallot
- 1 courgette
- lemon to taste
- 2 tsp vegetable stock
- 2 tsp oil
- 3-4 tbls Grated Italian Style Hard Cheese
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- small bunch of chives (3-4 tbls chopped)
- small pack of greens like spinach or shard
- 50-60 mils of pasta water
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put a large saucepan of water with 0.5 tsp of salt on to boil for the pasta. Halve, peel and thinly slice the shallot. Peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press). Pull a vegetable peeler lengthways along the courgette to make ribbons (see picture). Finely chop the chives (use scissors if you want). Zest and halve the lemon.
- Add the rigatoni to the pan of boiling water and simmer until cooked, 12 mins. When ready, reserve some of the pasta cooking water (see ingredients for amount), then drain in a colander, return to the pan and drizzle over some oil to stop it sticking together.
- Meanwhile, heat a glug of oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the rainbow chard. Season with salt and pepper and stir-fry until starting to soften, 3-4 mins. Add the courgette and garlic, mix well and cook for 2-3 mins more. Pop the greens in a mixing bowl and cover with some foil to keep warm.
- Put your frying pan back on medium heat with a splash of oil and add the shallot. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally, 4-5 mins, then add the stock powder and water (see ingredients list for amount). Stir to dissolve the stock powder, then simmer until reduced by half, 3-4 mins. Stir in the creme fraiche, heat through until piping hot, then season with pepper. Stir through the chives and three quarters of the grated hard Italian cheese.
- Add the pasta to your sauce along with half the greens, stir everything together. Tip: If the sauce needs loosening up, just add a splash of water. Add a pinch of lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice. Taste and add more lemon juice, salt and pepper if you like things zingy!
- Serve the creamy pasta in bowls with the remaining greens on top and a sprinkling of the remaining hard Italian cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
If you have a hunger for Authentic Vegetarian Food then subscribe to my blog and receive delectable recipes and new Innovative foodie updates! Hungry for more Vegetarian Tips ? LIKE us on facebook, Follow us on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. All the recipes are with step by step instructions and photographs and all of them have been tried, tested, easy to cook and delicious. If you are interested in one to one or group cookery lessons, or any corporate team building events – email me on givemesomespice@gmail.com for more information.If you have a hunger for Authentic Vegetarian Food then subscribe to my blog and receive delectable recipes and new Innovative foodie updates! Hungry for more Vegetarian Tips ? LIKE us on facebook, Follow us on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. All the recipes are with step by step instructions and photographs and all of them have been tried, tested, easy to cook and delicious.
If you are interested in one to one or group cookery lessons, or any corporate team building events – email me on givemesomespice@gmail.com for more information.
