By Christine Salins.
Just as we all need to live greener for the sake of the planet, so too do we need to eat greener. That means cooking more sustainably, wasting less, and leaving a lighter footprint on the environment. A big step in achieving this is to move towards a more vegetable-led diet.
MasterChef Green, published by Bloomsbury ($49.99), makes the transition a whole lot more appealing. It’s a collection of vegetarian recipes put together by Adam O’Shepherd, who has worked in kitchens around the world for more than 20 years. Ten MasterChef champions contributed to the book.
The MasterChef juggernaut extends to more than 60 productions worldwide, seen annually by more than 300 million people. Writing in the book’s intro, MasterChef creator Franc Roddam says there are new and important challenges ahead in the world of food, above and beyond the quality of cooking.
“We now live in a time where sustainability of produce is in doubt. We also have to consider healthy eating, the health of the soil and the negative effects of food production in an over-populated world. Significantly, we must take a look at the immorality of food waste,” he says.
“These problems must be taken seriously in a way that does not take the pleasure out of eating. It’s essential to retain the magic. The chefs contributing to this book have taken these issues and dealt with them, not as challenges, but as opportunities.”
The Mystery Box is one such example: what can you make from the produce that is left over from a meal that you have cooked; what can you make with what you find in your fridge? The Green Mac ‘n’ Cheese recipe here comes from the book’s Mystery Box chapter, where it sits alongside other delicious dishes such as Spiced egg Florentine with paneer, and Zucchini ‘spaghetti’ with broccoli sauce.
Other enticing recipes to look out for include Smashed broad bean and peas on sourdough with goat’s cheese, dukkah and mint; Puy lentil salad with charred broccoli and miso dressing; and Mushroom and lentil lasagne. The last one is a beautiful example of thinking outside the box, says O’Shepherd, the combination of finely diced mushrooms and lentils providing a “truly amazing meat-like texture”.
All of the book’s recipes are accessible and simple, embodying the MasterChef philosophy of “ordinary people cooking extraordinary food”.
Green Mac ‘n’ Cheese with an Almond Crumb
Serves 4 to 5.
350g macaroni
100g sourdough, torn into pieces 30g blanched almonds
50g butter
1 small brown onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 30g plain flour
700ml milk
100g mature Cheddar, grated
½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
65g vegetarian grating cheese, grated
150g frozen peas, defrosted
30g baby spinach
6g flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked 6g basil leaves
sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
Preheat the oven to 180 deg C Fan/200 deg C/Gas Mark 6.
Cook the macaroni in boiling salted water for 2 minutes less than the instructions on the packet, then drain under cold water to stop the pasta cooking further.
Whizz the sourdough and almonds in a food processor until a smallish crumb forms, then set aside.
Heat the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat and cook the onion and garlic for 2 minutes until soft, stirring. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for a minute until a paste forms. Gradually add 600ml of the milk, using a whisk to create a smooth white sauce.
Turn the heat down to low and let simmer for 3–5 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly, then season with salt and cracked black pepper. Off the heat, stir in the Cheddar, Dijon mustard, thyme, 50g of the vegetarian grating cheese and the peas.
Whizz the remaining 100ml milk in a blender with the spinach, parsley and basil and add this mixture to the white sauce. Fold in the macaroni and mix well to combine. Pour the green mac ’n’ cheese into a 24 x 18cm baking dish and top with the almond crumb and remaining vegetarian grating cheese.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until the crumb topping is golden and the mac ’n’ cheese is bubbling. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with a few crisp salad leaves simply dressed with good oil and a little lemon juice.
From: MasterChef Green, by Adam O’Shepherd, published by Bloomsbury, $49.99.
