Whether you're a dedicated vegetarian, a flexitarian keen to reduce your meat consumption or simply seeking creative and nutritious meal ideas, these recipes are tasty and feel like a treat that will lift your Monday. If, like us, you often find yourself casting around for inspiration on a weeknight, or simply falling back on the same old staples, mix up your culinary routine with these exceptional suppers.

Bang Bang Cauliflower


Olive Magazine
Bang Bang Cauliflower

Remember a few years ago when roasted cauliflower steaks were the dish de jour? We never fully got on board with that trend. Much as we love a good cauli, we found them just a little dry and would yearn instead to smother them with cheese instead. This cauliflower dish, however, is a total winner – and a far cry from cauliflower cheese (much as it is our trusty and beloved go-to on chilly nights). Sweet and spice, it is made with sriracha and honey, and is deliciously crispy. As they note, if you want to make it vegan, swap out the honey for maple syrup. A hugely tasty treat of a Monday night dish. Find the recipe here.


Linguine With Lemon, Garlic And Thyme Mushrooms


Nigella
LINGUINE WITH LEMON, GARLIC AND THYME MUSHROOMS

As Nigella notes, this recipe is about as quick to make as any meal gets. You don’t even need to cook the mushrooms; simply slice them, toss them in oil, garlic and lemon and then toss them in the hot cooked pasta. It is sublimely simple and endlessly tasty. And, any recipe that Nigella called ‘one of my proudest creations’ must be worth a go. As she notes, ‘I suppose, [it’s} a good example of a recipe that isn't originally from Italy, but sits uncontroversially in her culinary canon.’ Find the recipe here.
Photo by Lis Parsons


Honey And Sesame Halloumi With With Jalapeño Yogurt And Tabbouleh


Olive Magazine
Honey And Sesame Halloumi With Jalapeno Yogurt And Tabbouleh

We adore the rubbery, squeaky texture of halloumi, but find that we tend to put it away somewhat as autumn encroaches, filing under ‘summer salads’ in our minds. This, however, is an absolute dream of a dish, it’s many layer flavours having us crave it not just on Mondays but any and every day of the week. The honeyed halloumi sits atop delicious freekeh, which in turn is atop jalapeño yogurt, a base that is at once cooling and heat-giving. Flat-leaf parsley and pomegranate seeds give it a fresh finish. Perfection, whether making for a crowd, a deux or just for you. Find the recipe here.

By Nancy Alsop
October 2023