Veggie fuelled recipes for everyone to try

Make the most of all the delicious fruit and vegetables we have in season in the UK during May with our delicious seasonal recipes.

Cucumber and beetroot salad with grilled feta and orange.

Suitable for: vegetarians, omnivores.

Serves: 2

This bright and colourful salad will brighten both your palate and your day. This dish is packed full of flavour and essential nutrients to support your body.

Ingredients

• half a cucumber
• one large beetroot (raw)
• 100g mixed leaves, such as rocket or spinach
• 200g feta cheese
• two small oranges or satsumas
• one handful walnuts
• olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Method

1. After washing thoroughly, slice the cucumber into strips lengthways and thinly slice the beetroot. Mix the chopped vegetables with the mixed leaves to create the salad base.
2. Chop the feta into small chunks and separate the oranges into segments. Place on a baking sheet along with the walnuts. Place underneath a pre-heated grill and heat through. They are ready once you see the ingredients have started to brown.
3. Combine the heated ingredients with the base salad.
4. Season to taste with a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar, and enjoy.

Lemony orzo with asparagus.

This is a lighter take on risotto, so it is perfect for spring. What's more, asparagus is at its very best in May - so they are the star of the show in this dish.

Suitable for: vegans, vegetarians, omnivores.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

• 250g orzo pasta (or if you can't find orzo, use wild rice)
• 250g UK grown asparagus.
• 1 large bulb garlic, thinly chopped
• olive oil
• 150g baby plum tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 lemon
• 100g cashew yoghurt (or other dairy-free yoghurt)

Method

1. Cook the orzo (or rice) in boiling water for the allocated time on the packet. Whilst this is cooking through, heat the oil in a shallow pan.
2. Once the oil is hot enough, add the asparagus and garlic and fry through until gently browned.
3. Once cooked, combine the orzo and asparagus. Add the sliced plum tomatoes.
4. Mix in the cashew yoghurt until all ingredients are thinly covered. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and enjoy cold.

Rhubarb and ginger upside-down cake.

What is more Instagram-worthy than a bright pink cake? We'll have you know that it is also worthy of a slice (or two) as a mid-morning treat because it tastes delicious!

Suitable for: vegetarians, omnivores.

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 6 stems of fresh UK grown rhubarb
• 100g ground almonds
• 180g caster sugar
• 180g salted butter
• 3 medium eggs
• 200g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 150ml yoghurt
• 100g stem ginger, thinly diced

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4 or 180°C. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin with baking parchment.
2. Trim sticks of rhubarb so that they fit neatly in the base of the cake tin. Arrange so that as much of the cake tin base is covered as is possible. This rhubarb will form the top of the cake, so be mindful of the design you create.
3. Sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar and a tablespoon of ground almonds over the rhubarb.
4. Beat the melted butter, eggs and sugar together until pale and creamy (you can use a blender if needed). Gently fold in the flour, almonds, baking powder, yoghurt and stem ginger.
5. Pour mixture into the cake tin, covering the rhubarb on the base.
6. Bake for around 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean from the centre of the cake.
7. Once cooked and cooled, carefully turn the cake out onto a plate.
8. Enjoy with custard or cream.

Aubergine, olive and mozzarella bake.

Okay, we know... olives do not grow too well in the UK, and definitely not in May. They do add an extra something to this dish, though! This dish is quick and easy to make, so it makes a perfect healthy evening dinner.

Suitable for: vegetarians, omnivores.

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 250g wholewheat pasta
• 2 medium aubergines
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp chopped basil, fresh or dried
• 1 buffalo mozerella
• 50g black olives

Method

1. Firstly, pre-heat the oven to

2. Next, prepare the aubergines. Slice the aubergine lengthways and make small scores in the inner flesh. Next, rub with olive oil and cover with garlic. Try to push some garlic into the scores in the flesh to enhance the flavour whilst cooking.

3. Place the aubergines flesh side down in a shallow baking dish. Cover with the chopped tomatoes and basil. Distribute the mozzarella and olives equally around the aubergine flesh. Place in the oven and bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes until the aubergines are soft.

4. Whilst the aubergines are baking, cook the pasta in water for the allocated time on the packet.

5. Once ready, serve the aubergines and tomato sauce along with the pasta.

We hope you've found a delicious new veggie recipe to try! Don't forget to share a picture of veggie dinner on Instagram or Facebook and tag us in it using @medichecks.