National Vegetarian Week: Great recipes for children

Posted on by Claire Hewson

It’s National Vegetarian Week from 16th – 22nd May which is about raising awareness of how we can all help the planet by eating a more veggie-based diet. Cutting back on meat is one way we can reduce our carbon emissions and save many animals and plants from extinction.

The problem for parents, however, is that children don’t always like to eat vegetables. So, we are here to help you with these quick, easy and delicious recipes for National Vegetarian Week.

If you can get your child involved with cooking, then they are even more likely to enjoy and appreciate different food.

Hidden vegetable pasta sauce

Ingredients:

1 x 400g can tomatoes

1 x tbsp tomato puree

1 x onion

½ stick of celery

1 x leek

½ apple

A handful of any other vegetables you choose (mushrooms, broccoli, green beans etc.)

1 x tsp mixed herbs

1 x tbsp oil (or a knob of butter or margarine)

200ml vegetable stock

Method:

  1. Roughly chop all the vegetables, except the onion, and put into a food processor.
  2. Dice the onion and fry until golden.
  3. Whilst the onion is frying add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and blitz until you have made a pasta sauce.
  4. Add the pasta sauce to the pan with the onion and give a quick stir.
  5. Cover the pan and leave on a medium-low heat to simmer for 25 minutes. Cook pasta at the same time.

Cheese tart

Ingredients:

1 x packet ready-rolled puff pastry

1 x punnet (or 2 large handfuls) of plum tomatoes

150g goat’s cheese

1 x tbsp of fresh thyme (finely chopped)

1 x clove garlic (finely chopped)

2 x tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 1900C/3750F.
  2. Place the rolled-out pastry on a greased baking tray.
  3. Mix the goat’s cheese, thyme and garlic in a bowl with a little salt and pepper.
  4. Spread the goat’s cheese mixture on the pastry about 1cm from the edges.
  5. Slice the tomatoes and spread them over the cheese mixture in rows.
  6. Drizzle the tart with olive oil and a season with salt and pepper.
  7. Bake for around 50 minutes, or until the pastry is golden.

Vegetarian Shepherd’s pie

Ingredients:

Mashed potato for the topping (made from about 3 medium sized potatoes)

1 x onion

2 x cloves garlic

1 x carrot

2 x tsp mixed herbs

190g cooked green or brown lentils

2 x tbsp cornflour

3 x tbsp soy sauce

200g (or ½ a can) tinned tomatoes

250ml vegetable stock

Salt and pepper

Handful of grated cheese

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 2000C/4000F.
  2. Finely chop the onion, garlic and carrot and fry in a little oil, butter or margarine until softened.
  3. Add the herbs, lentils, cornflour, tomatoes, and soy sauce and stir well.
  4. Slowly add the stock and a little salt and pepper.
  5. Stir the mixture until it boils.
  6. Pour the mixture into an ovenproof dish and top with mashed potato.
  7. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
  8. Bake for 30 minutes.

Winter soup

Ingredients

85g red or brown lentils

2 x tbsp tomato puree

2 x carrots

3 x celery sticks

2 x leeks

3 x tsp mixed herbs

2 x cloves garlic

3 x tsp vegetable bouillon

1 x tsp ground coriander

Method:

  1. Boil 2 ½ pints of water (1.5 litres) in a large saucepan.
  2. Add all the ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.

Butterbean stew

Ingredients:

2 x 400g cans butterbeans

1 x 400g can tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 x onion

1 x carrot

Generous handful chopped parsley

Small handful mint

2 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp paprika

1 x tsp sugar

Method:

  1. Finely chop the onion, carrot, parsley and mint.
  2. Fry the onion, carrot and paprika in a little bit of oil until softened and slightly brown.
  3. Add the drained butterbeans and can of tomatoes to the pan.
  4. Half fill the empty tomato can with water and pour in.
  5. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the stew has thickened.
  6. Serve with warmed pitta bread and a leafy salad.

Did your child love our National Vegetarian Week recipes?

If your child loves to cook, you might like to read our other blog posts: Easy pancake recipes for kids and Fun ways to teach your child where food comes from.

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