Veggie Caesar Salad

I love quorn roast and like to use the leftover bit in a veggie version of caesar salad. Make sure whatever dressing you buy is veggie friendly (or make your own with mayo, a little hendersons relish and some white wine vinegar).







For 1 person you need:
1/2 cup watercress
2 leaves romaine lettuce, shredded
2 inch piece of cucumber cut into matchsticks
2 spring onions, sliced
3 slices cold quorn roast, cut into chunks
handful croutons
1-2 tbsp caesar dressing

Place the lettuce and watercress into a large shallow bowl. Top with the cucumber and spring onions. Sprinkle over the quorn roast and croutons and top with the dressing. Enjoy.

Potato Cakes (v)

Lex adores these and Mr Ocado had let me down with the quality of the potatoes delivered this week so I cooked a whole bag and used half to make potato cakes with.







For 4 people you need:
1kg potatoes, peeled and cut into rough chunks
25g vegan spread
about 1/2 cup plain flour
salt and pepper

Cook the potatoes in boiling water till tender. Drain and season, add the vegan spread. Mash well and then add enough flour to make a stiff dough. Form into a circle (I made two with this quantity) and score each circle into 4 quarters.

Heat a frying pan with a little oil and some more vegan spread. Add the potato cake once the pan is really hot and press along the scores with a fish slice to free each quarter. Fry till golden brown on each side and then serve as you wish (we had beans). I left my cakes to rest over night in the fridge and we ate them for brunch. They also freeze well, but defrost before cooking.

Easter Nests

Frankly Easter isn't Easter without these... Make sure you buy own brand shredded wheat tho in order to avoid Nestle babykillers ones. Although I am sure that the own brand ones are probably just Nestle in disguise...

Anyway. For about 10 nests you need:

2 chocolate easter egg shells

6 shredded wheats

small knob of butter

packet of mini eggs or other mini egg type things

Melt the chocolate with the butter. Scrunch the shredded wheat to smithereens. Add to the chocolate. Mix. Place spoonfuls into cake cases and make a hollow in the middle. Decorate with eggs. Eat. Feel sick.

Butternut Squash & Kidney Bean Rogan Josh (v)

A quick and easy recipe perfect for filling yer belly after a long day driving...







For 4 people you need:
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 jar Minara Rogan Josh curry paste
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2/3 tin water
1 tin drained and rinsed kidney beans
1 tbsp oil
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes

Fry the onion in the oil for 5 mins till soft. Add the garlic, butternut squash and curry paste and cook out for a further 3 mins or so until everything is well coated in the curry paste. Add the tomatoes, water and kidney beans and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 20 mins or so until the squash is tender. Serve with rice. Yum.

Authentic Thai Green Curry with Butternut Squash and Green Beans (v)

Authentic as in made by my mum who was taught by my sister who lives in Thailand. Yum.

For 4-6 portions you need:
4 tbsp Thai green curry paste (Keow Wan is the recommended brand...)
2 tins coconut milk
1/2 pack baby sweetcorn, cut in half
1 cup green beans
1 butternut squash, cut into cubes
Fresh chopped coriander to serve

Heat the curry paste in a pan and add the butternut squash. Cook out for a few mins then add the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Cook for 10 mins till starting to get tender then add the corn and beans. Heat through for 2-3 mins till everything is cooked to perfection then serve with jasmine rice.

Thai Style Omelette

This is lovely eaten as a protein boost to a Thai style meal, but is also nice at any other time tbh...

For 4-6 people as a side, or 2 people as a main you need:
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1 shallot, finely chopped
Chillies (as many as you like!)
Garlic - at least 3 cloves but as much as you want really
1 tbsp soya sauce
Fresh coriander, to serve

Cook the shallot with the chillies and garlic till softened. Add the eggs and cook till set. Leave to cool slightly and then sprinkle over the coriander.

Sweet and Sour Thai Style Vegetables (v)

My moogi made this for me and Lex tonight and it was deeeeeelicious.

For 4-6 portions you need:
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 red pepper, cut in to chunks
1 tin pineapple, cut into chunks (reserve the juice)
1/2 head chinese leaf, finely shredded
1/2 pack baby corn, cut into bite sized pieces

2 tbsp soya sauce (mushroom soya sauce is the best one to use apparently but I don't think the world will stop turning if you use dark or light soya sauce...)
reserved pineapple juice
4 tbsp tomato ketchup

Place everything in a wok with a lid and heat. Cook for 5-10 mins, covered, till the veggies are tender. Serve with jasmine rice.

Stuffed Peppers with Smoked Paprika, Cous Cous and Tomatoes (v)

I am in the throes of using up all the perishables in my flat and tonight it was the turn of the peppers and tomatoes. I've been hankering after stuffed peppers for a while now, and these were OK but didn't really hit the spot. I bet you're all clamouring to make these now eh ;-)






For 2-3 servings you need:
3 sweet peppers, cut in half and deseeded
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup cous cous
1/4 tsp vegan stock powder
1 cup boiling water
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
2/3 pack baby plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
salt, pepper and a pinch sugar
1/2 pack passata
1 tbsp olive oil
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Begin by frying the onion in the oil for 5 mins or so. Add the garlic, tomatoes and passata and cook out till thickened and the fresh tomatoes have cooked down. Season and add the chick peas, smoked paprika and oregano.

Meanwhile place the cous cous, stock powder and boiling water in a bowl and allow to soak. Add the cous cous to the sauce once it's fluffed up.

Place the peppers in an oven proof dish and fill with the cous cous mixture. Top with some cheese if you are not vegan. Bake in a moderate oven for 25-30 mins until the peppers are tender.

Chai Spiced Rice Pudding (v)

I had some sweetened soya milk to finish off and seeing as I can't stand the stuff on my cereal decided to make rice pudding cos I needed something comforting after a horrible day. This makes very sloppy rice pudding which I like, but if you prefer it more akin to Ambrosia then up the quantity of rice to 50g.

For 2-3 portions you need:
25g pudding rice
600ml sweetened soya milk
4-6 cardamon pods, crushed to allow the seeds to come out
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tbsp vanilla sugar

Place everything in a pan and gently bring to the boil. Simmer for 15-20 mins till the rice is cooked. I like this most a room temperature but it's equally good hot or cold.

Thai Style Tofu and Oat Burgers (v)

This pic provoked the highest number of likes on instragr.am I have ever had lol! It's a quick burger to make (assuming you have a food processor) and can be tweaked according to what flavours you fancy.






For 4 large burgers you need:
1 pack plain tofu
2 tbsp thai red curry paste
1 lemon grass stalk, outer layer removed and cut into rough chunks
3 cloves garlic
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 tbsp frozen kaffir lime leaves
1 inch piece of ginger, cut into rough chunks
1 cup (maybe more) of oats

To serve:
Burger buns
Iceberg lettuce
Fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Sliced red onion
Tomatoes
Sweet chilli sauce or ketchup etc

Begin by placing all of the burger ingredients apart from the oats in a food processor. Blitz till smooth. Add enough oats to make the mixture form a sticky, wettish dough. Line a baking sheet with baking paper or magic liner and splat dollops of the mix onto the baking sheet. Bake in a hot oven for 15-20 mins till set and lightly browned.

Toast the buns and layer up with the lettuce, onion, coriander, tomato and whatever sauces you fancy. Top with a burger and attempt to eat...!

Baked Mixed Vegetable and Cheese Frittata

This is baked in the oven which means there's less chance of the bottom burning before the top is cooked and also saves having to faff about with hob and grill and flipping over the half cooked product. Use whatever vegetables you fancy. This is what I had lying about the flat.






For 6-8 portions you need:
4 eggs
1 cup grated chedder
1/2 cup frozen sweetcorn
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 orange pepper, diced
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
large handful fresh chives and garlic chives, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Fry the onion in the oil for 5-10 mins till softened. Add the pepper, sweetcorn and peas and cook for a further 5 mins. Meanwhile beat the eggs with the chives and season. Once the vegetables are cooked, tip into a silicon cake tin, pour over the eggs and cheese and mix around to distribute evenly. Top with the tomatoes. Bake in a moderate oven for about 20-30 mins till lightly set but don't overcook or it'll go rubbery. You can eat this hot, room temp or cold and it's perfect for a picnic.

The Perfect Veggie Fry Up?

People will always disagree over what constitutes the best veggie fry up, but for me if it contains mushrooms, eggs, beans and some sort of veggie sausage and/or bacon I am a happy lass. Especially if someone else cooks it for me...






For 2 people you need:
1 can beans
2 eggs
4 rashers quorn bacon
2/3 punnet mushrooms, sliced
2 veggie sausages
2 soda farls, sliced
oil for frying

Heat the beans. Fry the mushrooms. Cook the sausages. Fry the bacon. Cut the soda farls and heat. Fry the eggs (over easy this time). Scoff with copious coffee or tea if you really must.

Garlicky Aubergines and Tomatoes with Pesto (v)

I had an aubergine to use up, and vaguely remember Rick Stein starting a recipe off by sauteeing aubergine in olive oil till soft and then adding garlic so this is a variation on that theme. I served it with cous cous cos time was of the essence but it would have equally have been nice with bread, pasta or bulghar wheat.





For 2 portions you need:
1 aubergine, chopped into small dice
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp pesto
1 tin chopped tomatoes
pinch salt and pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/3 cup cous cous
1/4 tsp vegan stock powder
2/3 cup boiling water

Begin by frying the aubergine in the oil. Season (the salt will help to draw out the juices and speed up the cooking process). Once the aubergine is soft and golden (about 10 mins) add the garlic and cook for a further 2-3 mins, taking care not to burn the garlic. Add the pesto, tomatoes, sugar and vinegar. Cook for a further 5 mins or so till slightly thickened. Meanwhile place the cous cous and stock in a bowl and cover with the boiling water.

Aubergines with Mirin, Soya Sauce and Noodles

Just for Sarah ;-)


OK, this is basically my Japanese aubergine recipe served with noodles. But it was very nice and worth making. It's excellent hot or cold and makes a lovely lunchbox for work.


For 2 servings you need:
1 aubergine, cut into 0.5cm thick slices

vegetable oil for deep frying

salt if salting the aubergines

2 bundles Clearspring soba noodles

Sauce
1 tbsp Clearspring organic shoyu soya sauce
1 tbsp Clearspring Tamari soya sauce
2 tbsp Clearspring mirin
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 spring onions, finely sliced
1/2 tbsp Clearspring toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

If you want to salt the aubergine (advisable if it's old and a bit squishy) then lay the slices in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Weight and leave overnight. Rinse off the salt and press dry.

Mix the sauce ingredients together and place in a shallow tub or bowl. Cook the noodles and refresh under cold water.

Heat the oil and deep fry the aubergine slices till golden brown and soft. Drain briefly then add to the sauce whilst still hot. Mix with the noodles and scoff.