This casserole is one we enjoy every now and then. It's excellent for those days when you want something that is full of goodness..full of flavour and simple to make. The original recipe gives you cooking instructions for the oven but I have tried making this in my slow cooker (on low for six hours..no added stock as the veggies release a lot of juice.) and it was good. But on days when I want comfort I like to cook it as a traditional casserole.
The recipe is from Linda Majzliks cook book A Vegan Taste of Eastern Europe
. I like the mix of vegetables used in this recipe and the flavour is wholesome and savoury. It's also filling so I usually serve it over a shredded steamed cabbage bed. The many flavours mix well. You don't really need rice etc. as it's choc full of root vegetables. But the choice is yours..lol.
Now I know this just looks like a jumble of veggies...lol. It's not the most attractive of dishes but the combination of the flavours of the veggies, the bayleaf and the simple herbs make this one tasty dish!
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| Romanian Ghiveci |
(Recipe from A Vegan Taste of Eastern Europe/Majzlik)
1 14oz tin of chopped tomatoes
10oz/300g aubergine, diced
8oz/225g potato, peeled and diced
8oz/225g carrot, peeled and chopped
6oz/175g courgette, sliced
6oz/175g cooked red kidney beans
6oz/175g red pepper, sliced
4oz/100g shelled peas
1 onion, peeld and sliced
2 celery sticks, trimmed and slices
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
2 rounded tbsp chopped fresh mixed herbs or 1 1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs
6fl oz/175ml veggie stock
2 fl oz/50 ml white wine or extra stock
1 bay leaf
black pepper
chopped fresh parsley
Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion, celery and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, carrots and stock and bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients except for the parsley. Mix thoroughly and transfer to a deep casserole dish. Cover and bake in a preheated oven at 180'C/350'F/Gas Mark 4 for about 1 1/2 hours until done. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with mamalgia and warm bread. Or over a dark cabbage bed.
Enjoy!
~R~
