Although this recipe takes longer to prepare, it does not need any accompanying vegetables.

Ingredients:                

            1 piece onion                                                   2 Tbsps. vegetable oil

            2 cups mushrooms                                           1 green capsicum

            2 pcs. Carrots                                                  14-16 ounces tomatoes seeded          

            1 bay leaf                                                        ½ tsp. dried basil

            2 cups medium or firm tofu                        1 lb. mushed potatoes in soya milk

Procedure:

1.  Chop the onion and sauté in the oil until just tender.

•  Chop the mushrooms, green capsicum, and carrots.  Add to the onion and stir well.

• Add the tomatoes, bay leaf and basil.  Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Crumble the tofu into the mixture and cook for a further 5 minutes.

• Turn into a greased casserole, cover with the mashed potatoes, and bake in the oven at 375^o F (190^oC, Gas Mark 5) for 15-20 minute4s until lightly browned. May be served hot or at room temperature, but preferably hot.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. Sunflower oil                                  1 small onion chopped

125 g. risotto rice or any short grained  60 ml dry white wine or cooking wine

      Rice variety                                          375 ml. water

2 Tbsps. chopped fresh parsley             125 g broccoli florets, blanched       

125 g asparagus, blanched and chopped   125 green peas blanched

Parsley Sprigs for garnish

Procedure:

1.  Heat oil in a large frying pan, add onion and cook for 23 minutes.

•  Stir in rice and wine, cook until wine is absorbed.

• Add water, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and cook rice until tender and liquid is absorbed, approximately 20 minutes.

• Stir vegetables and chopped parsley into rice and serve immediately, garnished with the parsley sprig.

Ingredients:

            1 Kilo Tomatoes halved or quartered

            6 cloves garlic halved

            1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

            1 tsp. Honey

Procedure:

1.  Put the tomatoes, garlic and olive oil into a saucepan over medium heat.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes shaking occasionally until the tomatoes are collapsed completely.

• Season generously and add honey/  Remove the lid and boil generously for 5 minutes until the garlic is soft.  Allow to cool then sieve the pulp.  You can now pour into freezer proof containers and freeze up to 3 months. Or in bottles and store in the refrigerator which will keep up to a week. Or use immediately for stews and soups or sauces.

NOTE:  Recipe courtesy of Good Food Magazine September, 2012. (This is the passata recipe for the Baked Courgettes in Passata.  May also be used in place of tomato paste but it is slightly thinner in texture.)

Ingredients:

            1 tsp. olive oil                                      3 large courgettes, thinly sliced

            ½ small red onion, finely chopped      ¼ cup passata

            2 Tbsps. chopped fresh Thyme           Garlic salt and black pepper

            Fresh Thyme leaves to garnish

Procedure:

1.  Preheat the oven to 190^oC/375^oF/Gas 5.  Brush an ovenproof dish with olive oil.  Arrange half the courgettes and onion in the dish.

• Spoon half the passata over the vegetables and sprinkle with some of the fresh thyme, then season to taste with garlic salt and pepper.

• Arrange the remaining courgettes and onion in the dish on top of the sauce, then season to taste with more garlic salt and pepper.  Spoon over the remaining sauce and spread evenly.

• Cover the dish with foil, then bake for 40-45 minutes or until courgettes are tender.  Garnish with sprigs of thyme and serve hot.

This nourishing stew is a snap to make because you can chop some of the vegetables while it’s cooking.  The stew will be almost ready by the time you’re finished chopping.

Ingredients:

            2 Tbsps. olive oil                                             2 onions chopped

            2 celery stalks, chopped                                  2 carrots chopped

            2 cloves garlic, minced                                    1 Tbsps. Balsamic vinegar

            1-1/2 lbs. squash (butter squash preferably)    8 ounces green beans halved

            3-1/2 cups Vegetable broth or                         ½ tsp. rubbed sage

            1 red bell pepper, chopped                              2 shiitake mushrooms

            1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard                                                1 Tbsp. honey

Procedure:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the Onions and celery and cook until lightly browned, 3 minutes.  Add the carrots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the vinegar and still to break up the brown bits, 1 minute.

• Add the squash, beans, broth, and sage and bring to a simmer.  Cook until the squash is almost tender, 15 minutes.  Add the bell pepper and mushrooms and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 5 to 10 minutes.

• In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard and honey. Stir into the stew until well blended.

NOTE:  Nutritional information:  170 calories, 4 g protein, 30 g carbohydrates, 7 g fiber, 5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 325 mg sodium.

(These unusual roast potatoes use far less fat than traditional roast potatoes, and because they still have their skins they not only absorb less oil, but have more flavor too.)

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients:

            2 lbs. 4 oz. small red potatoes              

            2 tsps. Walnut or sunflower oil

            2 Tbsps. fresh Rosemary Leaves

            Salt and paprika

Procedure:

1.  Preheat the oven to 225^o C or 475^oF/ Gas 7.  Leave the potatoes whole with the peal on, or if large, cut in half.  Place the potatoes in a large pan of cold water and bring to the boil.  Drain well.

• Drizzle the walnut or sunflower oil over the potties and shake the pan to coat them evenly.

• Tip the potatoes unto a shallow roasting pan.  Sprinkle with Rosemary, salt and paprika.

• Roast for 30 minutes or until crisp.  Serve hot.

(This salad has a sweetish, fragrant taste, unusual in a vegetable mixture but it is excellent.  The beets are traditionally grated when mixed with the sweet dressing, but since it is messy due to the liquid, it is better to dice them.  Serves 4 – 6.)

Ingredients:

          1-3/4 pounds raw beets                     juice of ½ lemon, or to taste

          2 Tbsps. Orange flower water           ¾ tsp. paprika

                         Or 1 tsp. orange zest                             1-1/2 Tbsps. Confectioners’ sugar

          Scant ¼ tsp. each ground cumin                     or 2 Tbsps. Red sugar

                And cinnamon                                      Sea salt

Procedure:

1.  Put the beets to boil for one hour or until they are tender.  Or, if you prefer, you can bake them, in which case wrap them individually in aluminum foil and bake in a pre-heated over at 350^oF for 1 hour or until tender.

• When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel and dice into small cubes, or grate if you prefer.

• Mix together the rest of the ingredients in a salad boil.  Add the beets and toss together, Taste and adjust the seasoning I necessary.  Serve slightly chilled.

A spiced dish of mixed vegetables makes a delicious and filling vegetarian main course.  Children may prefer less chili, though.)

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

(Other vegetables can be substituted for those in the recipe just use whatever

You have on hand – try sweet potatoes or  turnips.)

Procedure:

1. Heat the vegetable stock in a large flameproof casserole until boiling, then add the sliced pepper, courgettes, carrots, and celery  Stir over high heat for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are just beginning to soften.

•  Add the potatoes, tomatoes, chili powder, mint and cumin.  Add the chick-peas and bring to a boil.

• Reduce the heat, cover the casserole, and simmer for 30 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve not, garnished with month leave.

NOTE:  Chick-peas are traditional in this type of Middle-Eastern dish, but if you prefer, red kidney beans or navy beans can be used instead.

Courgettes are English name for zucchini.

Pinch of saffron strands or                             3-2/3 cups vegetable stock

2 large onions. Sliced                                      3 garlic cloves chopped

1-1/3 cups long grained rice                            1/3 cup wild rice

175 grams pumpkin or squash chopped         1 yellow pepper seeded and sliced

4 tomatoes peeled and chopped`                    115 grams oyster mushrooms

Salt and black pepper                                                  quartered        

175 grams carrots cut into matchsticks

Strips of red, green and yellow pepper to garnish

Procedure:

1.  Place the saffron in a small bowl with 3-4 Tbsps. boiling hot stock.  Leave to stand for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat the oil in a paella pan or large heavy based frying plan.  Fry the onions and garlic gently until just softening.

• Add both rice and toss for 2-3 minutes until coated in oil.  Add the stock to the pan with the pumpkin or squash, and the saffron stands and liquid.  Stir as it comes to the boil reduce the heat to the minimum. Add the tumeric at this time, if using tumeric in lieu of saffron.

• Cover with a pan lid or foil and cook very gently for about 15 minutes.

(Avoid stirring unnecessarily as this lets our steam and moisture.)  Add the carrots, pepper, tomatoes, salt and black pepper, cover again and leave for a further 5 minutes, or until the rice is almost tender.

•  Finally, add the oyster mushrooms, check the seasoning and cook uncovered, for just enough time to soften the mushrooms without letting the paella tick.  Top with the peppers and serve as soon as possible.

Cobalamin is Vitamin B_12.  It is needed for brain function, production of our red blood cells and for nerve tissue health.  Deficiency can result when the level of vitamin B₁₂ is low.  It can lead to an irreversible neurological symptom.

Vitamin B_{12 is} a water soluble vitamin, like any other vitamin.  It means that it can dissolve in water and travel to the blood streams.  Our bodies can store vitamin B₁₂ up to four years in the body.  Any excess or unwanted vitamin B₁₂ is excreted from the body thru the urine.  It is the most structurally complicated vitamin.  It occurs naturally in meat products but it can also be produced through bacterial fermentation.  It is vital for red blood cell production and mental processes.

Vitamin B₁₂ can be found in fish such as tuna and haddock.  Some type of breakfast cereals and soymilk are fortified with vitamin B_12.  It is suggested to eat a balanced diet and receive healthful amounts of food before active treatment is required.  Symptoms of deficiency can be avoided with a healthful diet.

Benefits of Vitamin B₁₂:

1.  It is crucial in the normal function of the nervous system as well as the brain.  It helps in the formation of red blood cells and helps in the creation of and regulation of the DNA.

• The metabolism of every cell in the body depends upon vitamin B₁₂ because it aids in the synthesis of the fatty acids and energy production.  It enables the release of energy in order to assist the human body to absorb folic acid.

• The human body produces millions of red blood cells every minute.  These cannot multiply without vitamin B₁₂; its production is low if there is lack of vitamin B₁₂.  This results in anemia, when the red blood cells count drops.

Deficiency Symptoms:

Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency occurs when the body does not receive the required amount of the aforesaid vitamin.  It can result in the severe damage to the nervous system and the brain.  Even a slight deficiency of vitamin B₁₂ can cause depression, confusion, fatigue and memory problems.  However, these symptoms alone are not sufficient to diagnose vitamin B₁₂ deficiency.

Other symptoms include:  constipation, loss of appetite and weight loss.

Once symptoms escalate, they can include neurological changes such as tingling sensations in the hands and feet. Some people have difficulty in maintaining balance.

Infants with vitamin B₁₂ deficiency may exhibit difficulty in feeding, restlessness, face tremors, reflex problems, irritability, and ultimately growth problem if left untreated.

Vitamin deficiency in adults may cause psychosis, dementia, and mania.  In severe cases, it carries with it permanent nerve damage as well as brain damage.  Insufficient Vitamin B₁₂ can cause anemia, symptoms of which are:  fatigue, shortness of breath, and an irregular heart-beat.  They may also suffer from sore mouth of tongue, weight loss, pale or yellow skin, diarrhea and menstrual problem.

Vitamin B₁₂ may also leave people more susceptible to infection and diseases.