Quick Green Spaghetti Sauce with Avocado, Peas and Spinach

Wednesday 20 June 2018
A vibrant green sauce for spaghetti that's made in minutes. It's packed with goodness, super creamy and it coats the pasta beautifully. Taken from 'Living on the Veg' by Clive Gifford and Jacqueline Meldrum. A kids guide to life without meat.


Whilst I don't have any cookbook ambitions of my own I'm always delighted to support my fellow food bloggers with their successful publications. As such today I'm sharing a recipe from Scottish Blogger Jacqueline Meldrum of Tinned Tomatoes. Jac is based just down the road from me is Dundee and has been vegetarian for over 25 years. Her blog contains over 600 easy vegetarian & vegan recipes and despite the name, they don't always start with a tin of chopped tomatoes! However her co-authored book Living on the Veg isn't a cookbook as such. Instead its a kids guide to becoming vegetarian which includes a dozen recipes to get you started. 


The book is aimed at children ages 9-11 but I reckon there is a bit of leeway on either side of that age group and it could also be very useful in providing reassurance for parents. It is well laid out, bright and colourful and there are lots of hints and bite sized tips to dip into along with recomended websites and a glossary. It kicks off by exploring the history of vegetarians and the reasons why peple can decide to become vegetarian. This is all done very respecfully in a factual but fun manner without any sensationalism or meat eater bashing. Terms such as pescatarian/vegan etc are explained along with suggestions on how to tackle questions from family and friends. Healthy eating is discussed and information provided to help make sure you get enough nutrition, such as protein and iron, from meat free sources. More exotic ingreedients such as quorn and tofu are introduced along with warning as to surprising food items which may trip up a new veggie. Before moving onto the recipie section, advice is provided for eating out and holidays. I found the book easy reading and very informative and balanced in it's viewpoints. It would make an excellent place to start for any young person thinking about reducing or cutting out the amount of meat in their diet.


I absolutely loved the recipe that I tried and have reproduced with permission below. I'm not a huge fan of tomato based pasta sauces and tend to opt for the more calorific creamy/cheesy options. However I may well now have found a new favourite! The colour of the sauce was amazingly vibrant and the taste and texture super creamy. I used cashew rather than cows milk and also finished off my dish with a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts. Next time I'm going to try swapping out the peas for Edamame (soya) beans. 


Quick Green Spaghetti Sauce with Avocado, Peas and Spinach
Serves 4

Reproduced with permission of Wayland Books

300g spaghetti
1 ripe avocado, skin and stone removed
100g frozen peas
1 handful spinach leaves
1 handful fresh coriander
1 handful fresh parsley
4 Tbsp vegetarian Parmesan style cheese (or mature cheddar)
200ml milk
a pinch of salt and pepper
  • Cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling water according to the packet instructions, then drain and return to the pot.
  • While the spaghetti is cooking, whizz up the avocado, peas, spinach, herbs, cheese and milk in a blender or food processor.
  • Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
  • Pour the sauce over your cooked spaghetti, stir in and warm a little over a low heat.
  • Serve in bowls topped with a sprinkle of cheese (I also added toasted pine nuts)
  • Enjoy!

For a further taste of what to expect from Living on the Veg check out these posts from some more of Jac's blogging colleagues
Living on the Veg rrp £12.99 Pubished by Wayland Books


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www.foodiequine.co.uk A vibrant green vegetarian sauce for pasta that's made in minutes. It's packed with goodness, super creamy and it coats the pasta beautifully. Taken from 'Living on the Veg' by Clive Gifford and Jacqueline Meldrum. A kids guide to life without meat.

2 comments

  1. Thanks for such a great review Claire. I really appreciate it and I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe and the book. Shared!

    ReplyDelete
  2. That looks like a great book. Well done Jacqui! I do love a good green sauce and my kids would enjoy this too!

    ReplyDelete

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