May 2022
National Vegetarian Week 16 - 22 May 2022
Blog by Regional HR Manager, Peta Fry
As more people are increasingly looking to make diet and lifestyle changes, vegetarian and vegan diets are becoming more appealing. Many meat eaters have adopted meat free Mondays, a campaign launched back in 2009 to encourage people to have at least one meat free day per week.
According to the Meat Free Monday campaign page, reducing the amount of meat we eat can help improve our health, conserve natural resources and slow down climate change. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) claims that livestock production is responsible for 14.5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
While meat can form part of a healthy diet, the NHS advises limiting red and processed meat to 70g a day as there is likely to be a link with bowel cancer. While meat can form part of a healthy diet, the NHS recommends reducing the amount of red and processed meats in our diets and including protein from non-animal sources (such as beans and pulses).
Alternative sources of protein in vegetarian diets can include eggs, beans, nuts, and cheese.
Here is a popular vegetarian recipe from Georgina, our Chef at Goodson Lodge, Trowbridge:
Asparagus, Cheese and Garlic Flan
Ingredients for 8 portions
Puff pastry sheet, 1/2
Frozen asparagus 250g
Mature cheddar cheese, 120g for the sauce, 40g for the top of the flan
Milk 1ltr, plus 200ml for asparagus
English mustard 1tsp
Flour 100g
Butter 100g, plus 25g for the garlic butter
Garlic, 1 clove crushed
Salt & Pepper
Method
- Grease an oven tray and put the puff pastry sheet on it, score a half inch all the way around the pastry and bake until cooked.
- Steam the asparagus for 6-8 minutes and leave to cool. Then cut off the end of the asparagus (roughly 2 inches).
- The ends go into a blender with 200ml milk, blend until smooth.
- Put 1ltr of milk on to warm in one pan
- Melt 100g butter in another pan, add the flour to the butter to make a roux.
- Add warm milk to the roux, a little at a time and keep the sauce moving until all the liquid is used up.
- Whisk in the blended asparagus mixture, add 120g cheddar along with 1tsp of English mustard and salt and pepper to taste.
- Leave to cool, then spread the mixture on top of your cooked pastry leaving a border.
- Place your asparagus tips in a decorative way on top of the sauce/flan. Top with the rest of the grated cheddar and put into the oven at 180C and bake for 20 mins.
- Mix the crushed garlic with 25g butter.
- When the flan is cooked brush the garlic butter on the asparagus and serve.
To find more delicious recipes visit: National Vegetarian Week 2022