Rose Elliot - Rose Elliot’s Vegetarian Meals In Minutes

Spread on top of the crostini or bruschetta and top with the remaining onion.

125g / 4oz soft pecorino cheese

crostini or bruschetta (see here)

a little milk (optional)

a few watercress leaves

1 ripe dessert pear

50g / 2oz hard pecorino or Parmesan cheese, grated

freshly ground black pepper

Spread the soft pecorino cheese over the crostini or bruschetta (mix the cheese with a little milk first if necessary).

Press the watercress into the cheese. Peel, core and thinly slice the pear and arrange on top.

Sprinkle generously with the grated cheese and grind some pepper over, then serve straight away or flash under a hot grill to melt the cheese.

A selection of Crostini, topped with Mushroom Pâté, Plum Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil, and Goldy Greeny Spread

It’s unrealistic to try and make a pizza from scratch in 30 minutes but you can make a good quick tomato sauce, spread it over a read-made base, add a topping and flash it under a hot grill. Although you can buy pizza bases, I like to use a range of different breads, such as granary, ciabatta and muffins. The bases and toppings in the following recipes can be mixed and matched, if you prefer, to suit whatever ingredients you have to hand.

To make a quick lettuce salad, cut 1 or 2 little gem lettuces across into thick slices; wash and drain in a colander, then put into a bowl, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and toss lightly.

1 tbls olive oil

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 × 400g / 14oz can tomatoes

8 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion then cover and cook gently for 10 minutes, until tender but not brown.

Stir the garlic into the onion, cook for 1–2 minutes longer, then stir in the tomatoes, together with their juice, breaking them up with a wooden spoon. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes roughly, if you are using them, and add these to the pan too.

Let the mixture simmer away for about 10–15 minutes until the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

MAKES ENOUGH FOR 2 MUFFINS, OR 1 GRANARY OR CIABATTA PIZZA

225g / 8oz button mushrooms

2 tbls olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 muffins

125g / 4oz Cheddar or other cheese

tomato sauce (see above)

Wash and slice the mushrooms then fry them in the olive oil for 1–2 minutes until they are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut the muffins in half and toast on both sides under the grill. Thinly slice the cheese.

Heat the tomato sauce then spread it over the muffins. Top with the mushrooms and cheese and heat under the grill for a few minutes, until the pizzas are piping hot and the cheese is golden brown and bubbling.

SERVES 2

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 oval or round granary loaf (400g / 14oz)

olive oil

tomato sauce (see above)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

50g 12oz Parmesan cheese

a few fresh basil leaves

Cut the peppers into quarters, put them cut-side down on a grill pan and grill for about 10 minutes or until the skin has blistered and charred in places. Remove from the grill and, when cool enough to handle, peel off the skin, remove the seeds and stem, and slice the peppers.

Cut the loaf horizontally in half, scoop out a little of the crumb, then brush the inside with olive oil and toast it under the grill. Toast both sides if you want a crisp pizza base.

Heat the tomato sauce then spread this evenly over the bread and top with the peppers, mixing up the colours. Season the peppers lightly, then grate the cheese and sprinkle it over the pizzas.

Heat the pizzas under the grill for a few minutes until they are piping hot and the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Tear a little basil over the top and serve.

SERVES 2–4

The nicest artichoke hearts to use for this are the ones that you can buy preserved in oil. Any that are left over keep well in the fridge. Alternatively, drained canned artichoke hearts make a good substitute.

1 red onion, peeled and sliced

olive oil

1 ciabatta loaf

tomato sauce (see opposite)

125g / 4oz Mozzarella cheese

125g / 4oz artichoke hearts, sliced

Fry the onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until softened, about 5–7 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the loaf horizontally in half, brush each cut surface with olive oil and toast it under the grill. Toast both sides if you want a crisp pizza base.

Heat the tomato sauce then spread it evenly over the bread. Slice the cheese and arrange it on top of the sauce, then top with the artichoke hearts and fried onion.

Heat the pizzas under the grill for a few minutes until they are piping hot and the cheese is melted and lightly browned.

SERVES 2–4

1 oval or round granary loaf (400g / 14oz)