Dear all

I’ve been asked by someone on the ‘Re-starting the 5:2’ thread (https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/re-starting-the-52/) to share my vegetarian 5:2 recipes. They are below and apologies for the format which I’ve copied out of a Word file. All of the recipes have been adapted from books, magazines, websites etc over time i.e. they’re ‘nicked’ and not original! I have however spent many a happy hour working out calories, especially grinding my teeth trying to find out the actual calorific value of pulses. Why is the number of calories in dried beans useful to anyone? Just asking…..

In particular, the recipes owe a great debt to the original ‘Fast Diet’ book by Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer and ‘5:2 Vegetarian’ by Celia Brookes, which was a great boost when my husband and I re-started 5:2 in last July.

If you’re not vegetarian, most of them would work with lean meat or fish instead of pulses. I’ve found that they’re all very adaptable if you have a calorie counter and a bit of spare time to hand. They’re all tasty and they work for us. Good luck and enjoy:

MiriamW’s Collection of 5:2 Vegetarian recips. All serve 2.

1. Frittata
Serves 2: 242 per serving
Use an oven-proof frying pan or transfer to a baking tray/dish for grilling

Ingredients
4 x eggs, beaten and seasoned to taste
40g mushrooms, sliced
2 x tsp butter
150g onion, chopped
60g spinach, washed and chopped

Fry onions gently in butter, add mushrooms and spinach.
Add eggs and cook on low-medium heat until set.
Grill at 175 degrees until golden brown.

2. Dhal/Quorn and Cauliflower
Serves 2: 241/221/226 per serving, depending on main ingredient

Ingredients
200g cooked red or brown lentils (tinned are fine) or Quorn mince (240/200/210 cals)
4 tsp butter
150g onion
2 x garlic
2 x ginger
Spices e.g. pinch of chilli + about 1/2 tsp of each of ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric,
200g cooked cauliflower rice

Fry onion and spices in the butter, add to lentils or Quorn.
Add water and seasoning to taste and cook until it is all well-mixed and looks like a ‘normal’ dhal.
Serve with cooked, seasoned, cauliflower rice (35 cals per 100g)

3. Grilled Mediterranean vegetables with bean mash
Serves 2: 197 per serving

Ingredients
1 red pepper, deseeded and quartered or cut into large pieces
1 small-ish aubergine, sliced lengthways into chips
2 medium courgettes, sliced lengthways into chips
100g red onion
2 tsp olive oil
410g can flageolet beans, rinsed
1 garlic clove, crushed
100ml vegetable stock
1 tbsp chopped coriander
lemon wedges, to serve

Method

Heat the oven to 200 degrees C
Arrange the vegetables over a grill pan (or 2) and brush lightly with oil. Grill until lightly browned, turn them over, brush again with oil, then grill until tender.
Meanwhile, put the beans in a small pan with the garlic and stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer, uncovered, for 10 mins. Mash roughly with a potato masher, adding a little water or more stock if the mash seems too dry.
Divide the veg and mash between 2 plates and sprinkle with black pepper and coriander.
Add a lemon wedge to each plate and serve.

4. Quorn and vegetable stir-fry with omelette strips
Serves 2: 217 per serving

Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
6 oz Quorn pieces
100g carrot
100g courgette
100g pepper
50g onion
2 x tsp grated ginger
2 crushed cloves of garlic
Thai stir-fry powder
Tamari
Lemon juice
1 beaten, seasoned egg fried in 1 tsp of the oil to make omelette strips (or it will dry-fry in a good non-stick pan)
tbsp chopped coriander

Fry all the veg in the order above on a moderate heat in a wok or large saucepan then add the Quorn pieces and fry until golden.
Mix the tamari and lemon juice with the stir-fry powder and pepper, add a little water if you want a more moist stir-fry. Add this to the pan and lower the heat.
Continue cooking for a minute or 2.
Make the omelette and cut it in pieces or strips.
Serve the stir-fry with the strips decorated on top or underneath as a kind-of noodle.

5. Mixed vegetable tagine

Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
150g chopped onion
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ tsp each ground cumin, turmeric and cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1½ tsp harissa
¼ tsp stevia
100g each of: celery; green beans; carrots; petits pois; broccoli
100ml hot vegetable stock
150g Quorn pieces
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan and gently cook the onion and garlic for 5-7 minutes.
Add Quorn, fry until browned, then add ground cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and ginger, harissa and stevia and cook for another minute before stirring in the vegetables, stock and 1 tsp salt.
Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Continue simmering for a further 5 minutes, then taste and add more salt and harissa if you like.
Scatter with the chopped coriander.

6. Savoury cauliflower rice with cheese

Ingredients
50g cheddar, grated
12 oz cauliflower
2 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cm piece fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated
100g onion, chopped
100g stalk celery, chopped
100g carrot, chopped
100g courgette, chopped
100g peppers, chopped
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp turmeric
300ml (with 1 cube) vegetable stock
a good grinding of salt and black pepper
100g tomatoes

Instructions
1. Whizz the cauliflower up in a food processor until fairly fine. Set it aside until you need it.
2. Sauté the onion, garlic and ginger in the olive oil until the onion is soft and translucent.
3. Add the celery and carrots and saute gently until the carrots are tender
4. Next add the courgette and cook for another couple of minutes.
5. Spoon in the spices and mix well
6. Pour in the cauliflower and mix until well coated in the spices.
7. Add the stock, cover and simmer gently for 15 – 20 minutes.
8. Add the peppers and sweetcorn and mix through.
9. Season with salt and pepper.10. Chop the tomatoes in quarters and add to the top of each dish.
10. Melt cheese on top and grill.

7. 5:2 Cauliflower Crust Pizza
Serves 2: 253 per serving

Ingredients
300g raw cauliflower, fresh or frozen
1 large free-range egg
60g finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
100g fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced
100g red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon red chilli flakes
dried/fresh oregano or basil, to garnish

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Pre-heat the oven to 210° (190 fan) or gas-mark 7.
Grate the cauliflower, or process it in a food processor; you are looking to achieve fine crumbs, but do not purée it. If using frozen cauliflower, de-frost then squeeze excess water out of it and crumble with your hands if possible.
Boil for 5 to 6 minutes (maximum) or until soft. Squeeze the excess water out of it afterwards by pressing through a sieve with the back of a spoon.
Place the cauliflower crumbs in to a large mixing bowl and add the egg, herbs, salt and pepper. Mix well, you should have a fairly stiff but malleable dough.
Place the dough onto the prepared tray and pat out into a large circle, about 12.5cms (10″) in diameter and about 1.5cms (1/2″) thick or put another sheet of paper on top and roll it out.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and firm. Place the sliced tomatoes on top, sprinkle the chilli flakes over, scatter over the minced garlic and onion rings, season to taste with salt and pepper, and then arrange the grated cheese over the top.
Bake for 10 minutes or until the topping is bubbling and the cheese has melted. Scatter fresh oregano or basil leaves over and serve cut into wedges.

8. Spring greens Shakshuka
Serves 2: 280 per serving

Ingredients
100g Asparagus (in season) or 100g green beans (frozen are fine!)
2 tsp butter
50g petits pois
200g spinach
100g leeks
2 cloves garlic
4 eggs
Dill weed/dried dill
2 tsp cumin seeds
Chilli flakes

Bring a pan of salted water to a boil then add the asparagus/beans and cook for 30 seconds. Add the peas and cook for another 30 seconds, then add in the spinach and cook for 2 seconds more before tipping everything out into a colander to drain.

Heat butter in a large frying pan. Cook the leeks and garlic until soft, then add the cumin seeds. Stir in the blanched veg and cook for 3-4 minutes. Season, then make holes for as many eggs as you are cooking and crack an egg into each space.

Keep cooking gently on the hob until the eggs are done how you like them (cover with a lid if you want to speed things up). Scatter over dill and chilli flakes to serve.

9. Fajita bowl with cauli rice
Serves 2: 294 per serving

Ingredients
100g red pepper
100g red onion
½ tin tomatoes
100g cauliflower
100g avocado
1 clove garlic
2 tsp butter
1 tbsp chopped, fresh coriander
chilli flakes
smoked paprika
lime wedges to serve
dried oregano
Cumin seeds ½ tsp
2 eggs

Heat 1 tsp butter and fry the peppers and onions for 10 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add the dried chilli, tomatoes and a splash of water. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly.

For the spiced cauliflower rice, pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until it looks like grains. Toast the cumin in a non-stick frying pan in 1 tsp butter, add the garlic, paprika and oregano and fry for a minute before adding the cauliflower rice. Stir-fry for 4-6 minutes until the cauliflower is tender, and smells a little toasted.

Season well with black pepper and salt. Divide between bowls. Add the peppers on top, the avocado, and coriander leaves. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over and a 2-egg omelette cut into strips.

10. Courgetti som tam salad (or stir-fy)
Serves 2: 280 per serving
You can serve this cold in summer or hot in winter – either version is good!)

Ingredients
100g courgettes
100g carrot
100g green beans
100g cherry tomatoes
1 juiced lime
100g Quorn
tamari 1, tbsp
Stevia
1 chilli, finely sliced
coriander a small bunch, torn
mint a small bunch, torn
50g chopped, unsalted peanuts
2 tsp butter

FOR SALAD VERSION
Marinade Quorn in tamari and a small amount of water for about 10 minutes.
Use a spiraliser or julienne peeler to make long, thin courgette strands and add these to a bowl with the carrot and green beans (or cut into thin strips).
Add the cherry tomatoes, lime juice, tamari, stevia and chilli to a mortar and mix and bash together with a pestle.
Add Quorn mixture.
Add torn coriander and mint to the courgettes and toss well.
Serve with a sprinkling of chopped peanuts.

STIR-FRY VERSION
As above but stir-fry veg in butter then add the Quorn mixture and continue frying until well-mixed and cooked through. Garnish with the herbs and and peanuts.

11. Huevos Rancheros
SERVES 2: 285 cals per serving

Ingredients
2 tsp butter
150g red onion
100g red pepper
Chilli flakes
½ tin tomatoes
2 tsp balsamic vinegar (fewer calories if you use red-wine vinegar!)
salt and pepper
4 eggs
handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Heat butter in a small frying pan and gently fry onions, red pepper and chilli flakes for 5 minutes until softened.
Add tomatoes and vinegar.
Season, stir and simmer for 3 minutes.
Make four dips in the sauce and crack an egg into each.
Continue cooking until whites have begun to set, then cover and cook until whites are set, but the yolks are still runny.
Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

12. Mushrooms with sage, soft-poached egg and Parmesan
SERVES 2: 290 cals per serving

Ingredients
200g mushrooms (any – wild or mixed)
Chilli flakes
2 cloves garlic
2 sage leaves or 1/2 – 1 tsp dried sage
4 poached eggs
100g rocket or shredded cabbage/kale leaves
25g parmesan cheese
2 tsp butter
Salt and pepper

Heat butter in a frying pan and gently fry chilli, garlic and sage for 2 minutes.
Add mushrooms.
Season and set aside.
Poach the eggs in a large pan of salted boiling water and place on top of warm mushroom mix, combined with rocket leaves.
Add Parmesan and torn fresh sage leaves/dried sage to serve.

13. Puy Lentil Cabbage wraps
Serves 2: 220 per serving

Ingredients
200g cooked/canned Puy lentils
2 tsp butter
200g onion
100g lemon (zest and juice)
200g cabbage leaves
Spices and stevia

Cook lentils until soft or use canned
Slice onions, cook in butter, add 1 tbsp water and keep cooking until soft and caramelized. Add spices and cook for 1 min more.
Grate lemon and squeeze juice.
Stir spices and stevia into lentils.
Cook washed cabbage leaves gently in a lidded pan until soft or microwave them for a few seconds until soft
Serve lentils in the cabbage leaves.

14. Georgian-style beans in walnut and coriander sauce with cauliflower rice
Serves 2 – approx 275 each

Ingredients
150g of cooked red kidney beans
25g walnuts
2 tsp olive oil
100g chopped onion
1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
1 crushed clove garlic
Fresh coriander
Chilli, thyme, cinnamon and stevia
200g cauliflower rice

Cook beans until soft but not mushy.
Put garlic, walnuts, coriander, thyme, cinnamon, chilli, vinegar and stevia and some water into the blender.
Fry onions, then add sauce to pan and cook until slightly thickened.
Add beans and cook for 5 minutes.
Serve with cauliflower rice.

15. Sweet potato and palm heart casserole
Serves 2: 230 per serving

Ingredients
200g leek, cleaned and sliced
200g sweet potato, chopped into chunks
4 tsp butter
20g grated Parmesan cheese
200g tinned palm hearts, drained and chopped

Sauté leek and sweet potato in butter then cook in small amount of vegetable stock until tender.
Place in ovenproof pan or casserole, then add palm hearts and mix well.
Sprinkle cheese over top, then grill until bubbling.

16. Rich hotpot
Serves 2: 227 per serving

Ingredients
400ml carrot juice
25g dried mushroom, soaked in room-temperature water. NB weight is after soaking, not before!
100g turnip or celeriac, chopped
100g red onion, chopped
100g red pepper, chopped
100g tomatoes, chopped
10g green beans, chopped
½ can cooked chickpeas
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Fresh basil and parsley (or use dried basil and marjoram, dried parsley being a waste of space!)
Pinch each of nutmeg and chilli flakes
3½ tsp fennel seeds
Salt and pepper to taste

Measure out carrot juice, then bring to boil in pan. Add soaked mushrooms and the water.
Add the vegetables in the same order as above, then the chickpeas. Add the flavourings, bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Season to taste and serve.

17. Saffron, celeriac and Puy lentil bowl
Serves 2: 180 per serving

Ingredients
100g leek, cleaned and sliced
200g celeriac, cleaned and cut into small chunks
200g cooked and drained Puy lentils (or use canned)
100g cherry tomatoes, chopped
4tsp butter
Pinch saffron, tsp stock powder
1 tsp stock powder
Salt and pepper

Sauté leek and celeriac in butter then cook in small amount of vegetable stock and the saffron until tender.
Add lentils and tomatoes, continue to simmer until everything has thickened and mixed together.
Season with salt and pepper.

18. Artichoke, basil and Parmesan Frittata
Serves 2: 228 per serving

Ingredients
200g tinned artichokes, drained
40g finely-grated parmesan
4 eggs
2tsp butter
Fresh or dried basil
Chilli flakes
Salt and pepper

Slice the artichoke hearts thinly and grate the parmesan
Heat grill to about 175ºC (hot but not maximum)
Melt the butter in a heatproof non-stick pan, add the eggs and let them set into an omelette
Top with the artichokes, then sprinkle the cheese over
Grill until cheese is bubbling and starting to go brown

19. Greek-style butter beans in tomato sauce
Serves 2: 192 per serving (227 if served with cauliflower rice)

Ingredients
1 can butter beans, drained
2 tsp olive oil
1 can tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp red wine vinegar
100g onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp dried dill
½ tsp dried thyme
Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Pinch stevia

Fry the onion, then garlic in oil
Add tomatoes, all seasonings except parsley
Garnish with fresh parsley

Serve with 200g cauliflower rice (70 cals)