Olive, Sun Dried Tomato, Cheese and Onion Soda Bread

This was based on a recipe in August's Cook Vegetarian magazine.

For one large loaf you need:
450g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
300ml plain runny yogurt
3 tbsp water
75g mature cheddar, grated
75g veggie gruyere, grated
75g mixed, stoned olives, chopped roughly
6 sun dried toms in oil, roughly chopped
freshly ground pepper
1 large onion, finely diced
1 tbsp olive oil

Begin by frying the onion in the oil for 10 mins till softened. Meanwhile mix the flour, bicarb, cheeses, olives, tomatoes and pepper together. Add the onions once cooked. Then mix to a dough with the yogurt and water. Shape into a round and place on a baking sheet. Cut a deep cross in to the top. Bake in a hot (200 degree) oven for 20 mins. If the inside is not cooking fast enough, cut through the slash to break the loaf into four quarters to help speed up the cooking process. It's done when golden brown all over and sounds hollow when tapped. Leave to cool slightly then scoff. It's fab on it's own or else serve with soup or salad.

Mr Strone Soup (v)

You can basically use whatever you want for this. I had carrots and cabbage to use up, so used up they were...

For 4-6 portions you need:
1 onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
6 new potatoes, cut into bite sized chunks
75g wholewheat spaghetti, broken into small lengths
1 can black eyed beans, drained and rinsed
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tsp vegan stock powder
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp vegan red pesto (I had this to use up but you don't need to add it)
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
1/2 savoy cabbage, finely shredded

Fry the onion in the oil. Add the carrots and potatoes after about 3 mins and cover with a lid. After 10 mins add the garlic and continue to cook for 2-3 mins more (keep stirring frequently to avoid it sticking). Add everything else along with 3 can fulls of water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 mins until everything is tender. Serve with fresh bread and some freshly chopped basil and oregano on the top.

Haloumi with Melon, MInt and Balsamic Syrup

Yes this sounds like a weird combo, but it's lovely. Honest. The sweet, juicy melon contrasts well with the crisp, salty haloumi and the mint and balsamic syrup add another layer of taste depth to it (oooh get me, how pretentious does that last bit sound <blush>). The balsamic was an addition suggested by my boy and it really works. He loves dipping his haloumi in to it.

For 2-3 people you need:
1 block haloumi, drained and patted dry
1/2 melon cut into bite sized chunks
1/2 tsp dried mint
1 tbsp balsamic syrup
1 red onion, cut into wedges

Cut the haloumi into thickish slices. Place on a hot griddle pan and fry till golden on both sides (about 8 mins). Fry the onions on the same griddle till lightly softened.

Once cooked, place the haloumi onto a plate and add the onion and melon. Sprinkle over the mint, season with pepper and then drizzle over the balsamic syrup.

Spanakopita

This is very easy to make but looks impressive and is another yummy dish for warmer weather. It travels well so is ideal for picnics or packed lunches.

For 4-6 portions you need:
290g bag of fresh spinach, washed and drained
1 large onion, finely diced
1 tbsp olive oil for frying plus extra for brushing the filo pastry
2/3 of a 250g pack of filo pastry
1 block of feta
2 tbsp salted capers, rinsed well
freshly ground pepper
freshly grated nutmeg

Begin by frying the onion in the oil over a gentle heat for about 10 mins till softened. Add the spinach and cover with a lid. Allow the spinach to wilt then chop roughly with scissors in the pan. Season with pepper and nutmeg and add the capers and crumble in the feta. Mix well.

Meanwhile brush a baking tray with oil and layer in the filo, brushing each sheet with a little more oil. Use half the filo to line the base of the pan. Spoon over the spinach and feta mixture then top with the remaining filo, again brushing each sheet with a little oil. Tuck in the overhanging pieces of pastry and brush the top with oil. Score into diamonds then bake in a hot (200 degree) oven for 30-40 mins. Best served at room temperature.

Piedmont Peppers (v)

It's been hot today. 32 degrees of hotness in Bradford. Unheard of! And it's still uncomfortably close now. So what you need on a day like today is proper food from the Med. And these are to *die* for. OMG they are good. I love this recipe, but the original from St Delia contains anchovies and is therefore decidedly un-vegan friendly. My version substitutes olive tapenade, vegan pesto and salted capers, and by golly it works. Nom. Nom. Nom.Nothing beats the taste of the Med, with a glass of red vino to hand and a sunset to warm your soul. Serve with mountains of crusty bread and perhaps a rocket salad to cut through the richness of the peppers themselves.

For 2-3 people (depending on greed) you need:

3 peppers, cut in half with the stalks left on but de-seeded

2-3 baby plum tomatoes per pepper half, cut in to halves

2 tbsp salted capers, rinsed

1/2 jar black olive tapenade

6 dessert spoonfuls  of vegan red pesto

2-3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

freshly ground black pepper

2-3 tbsp good quality olive oil

Good quality bread to eat with them

Place the pepper halves on a shallow roasting tin. Fill the hollows with tapenade, then pesto, then garlic, then tomatoes and finally scatter over the capers. Season with pepper (no salt!!) and drizzle over the oil. Roast in a hot oven for 30-45 mins till soft and slightly charred. Scoff. Best served at room temperature.

Lemon Bars

I've neglected my blog recently (sorry) and was horrified to see I'd only done one post in June and that wasn't really me as that was a guest blogger (I'm sure you lot were all very pleased with the break from constant food related tweets...). Anyway. It spurred me on to find new recipes to try and this one from the Hummingbird Bakery cook book (p112) seemed perfect for a hot summer's day and lemons in the fruit bowl to use up...

The recipe is a lovely, zingy one with a lemon shortbread base and lemon curd-y topping. When you make the base, dollop bits of the dough all over the tin to make it easier to spread out evenly. And make a slight lip all round the edge to contain the topping and stop it from spilling over the sides and making the whole thing a bit too sticky to eat with your fingers. This is delicious served with lemon curd ice cream or thick, Cornish, clotted cream. Yuuuuuuuuuuum!

For the base you need:
290g plain flour
70g icing sugar
230g butter, cut into cubes
2 tsp grated lemon zest

For the topping you need:
3 eggs
210g caster sugar
juice 3 lemons
zest 1 lemon

Blitz the ingredients for the base in a food processor and then turn out and press into a lined baking tin (33x23x5cms; the lakeland lidded traybake tin is the perfect size). Bake in a moderate (170 degrees) oven for about 20 mins till lightly browned. Leave to cool slightly.

Mix together everything for the topping and pour over the cooked base (see, that's why you needed the lip...). Bake for 10-20 mins till the topping is set. Leave to cool and then scoff. They say leave it overnight in the fridge but I say it's nice at room temperature :P

Mocha Frappachino (v)

It's hot today. And I am very tired. Time for a cold coffee...

For one person you need:
250ml double strength coffee (brewed with 2 scoops coffee for one small cafitiere)
3 tsp sugar
2 tbsp chocolate swedish glace
100ml soya milk
Handful ice cubes

Make the coffee and chill it well. Place everything into a blender goblet and blitz till smooth. Drink.

Nigella's Chocolate Guinness Cake - eventually!

Hi folks

A few weeks ago, I held a charity bunfight in aid of The MS Society. They hold one every year, called Cake Break, and it's all backed by the Hairy Bikers. I did debate inviting them to show up, but I bottled it at the last minute :-)

Anyway, I made myself even more insufferable than usual by pestering all my Facebook and Twitter pals to bake me goodies to sell to raise money. Those of you that follow me there will no doubt already be shuddering at the memory! However, the very gracious host of this blog made me the Infamous Courgette Bread to sell. And then even more graciously invited me to share the recipe for the Chocolate Guinness Cake I made myself for the event with all you lovely foodies. Because, even if I do say so myself, dang, it was Good!!!

My version is detailed here, based on a couple of things I forgot to buy and had to sub instead, or that I always use alternatives for anyway. I will be posting a link to the original at the end. Nigella's site has a nice picture on it too (I forgot to take any, I was so busy selling. Which was a good thing!)

FOR THE CAKE

250ml Guinness
250g unsalted butter
75g cocoa
400g fruit sugar
1 x 142ml pot sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
275g wholemeal flour
2 1/2teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

FOR THE TOPPING:

300g Morrisons extra light cream cheese
150g icing sugar
125ml Elmlea double cream

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C (mine's a fan oven so I set it at 175°C), and butter and line a 23cm springform tin (it doesn't say what with, so I used tinfoil, worked fine).
2. Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter - in spoons or slices - and heat until the butter's melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the brown, buttery, beery pan and finally whisk in the flour and bicarb. (The smell by this time is incredible!)
   
3. Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined tin and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. (I cooked it for an hour, but made the mistake of putting it in the top of the oven. The top 2mm of the cake did catch slightly, but I just trimmed it off).
4. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.
5. When the cake's cold, sit it on a flat platter or cake stand and get on with the icing. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the icing sugar and then beat them both together. Or do this in a processor, putting the unsieved icing sugar in first and blitz to remove lumps before adding the cheese.
6. Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency. Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.

Now, the original recipe calls for caster sugar. I have used fruit sugar for everything for years, as at one time I was on a strict low GI regime. It will taste just as good, I promise you. In fact, probably better. I also always use Elmlea instead of cream, a holdover from when I had gallstones. But the wholemeal flour was just a happy accident; it was all I had in and I suspect it stopped it from being a bit sad and gloopy. All I know is, I consider myself a passing fair cook and this astounded even me! It was truly delicious.

One last thing - remember I mentioned the top of the cake caught in the oven? Well, I trimmed about 1cm off, which still left a substantial cake. These quantities also made a lot of frosting, so i just turned the burnt bit over, put the rest of the frosting on it, and had another mini cake all to myself! Mega!

And Nigella's unadulterated original is here: http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/chocolate-guinness-cake-3086

Try it. And let me know if yours is as nice as mine was :-) And cheers Becka for inviting me to blog.

Potato Hash with Spinach and Mushrooms (v)

The refuelling plan post geocaching bike ride last night was bacon butties, but the bread was mouldy :( A rummage through the cupboards provided potatoes, onions, mushrooms, spinach and, of course, quorn bacon and so this dish was born. It was very yummy and it's not just the post bike ride OMG I'm so hungry and need to eat NOOOOOOOOOOW that's talking ;-) Leave out the bacon for a vegan dish (or use a vegan version).

For 2 people you need:
250g new potatoes (waxy ones, not floury), skins on, cut into small dice
1 onion, diced
1/2 bag spinach, washed
125g mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper
vegetable oil
a little soya margerine
1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs
1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Begin by sauteeing the potatoes in a shallow pan for about 15 mins. Cover if you can to speed up the process. Make sure you stir thoroughly to stop the potatoes from catching on the bottom. Season and add the herbs and paprika. After about 15 mins add the onion and mushrooms and a little soya margerine. Continue to cook for another 10 mins or so until the potatoes are tender and the onions/mushrooms are beginning to brown. Add the spinach and cover to wilt. Cook the bacon in a separate pan and serve. A post cooking improvement to recommend is to chop the bacon and add with the spinach.

Butterbean and Sweet Potato Bhuna (v)

Yes, more curry... what can I say. I like curry...

For 4 portions you need:
1/2 jar curry paste
2 jars water
2 sweet potatoes, diced
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 tin butterbeans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp oil

Fry the onions in the oil, covered, for 5-10 mins till softened. Add the curry paste and cook out. Add everything else and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 mins till the potatoes are tender and the sauce has reduced. Serve with roti.

Greek Salad with Potatoes

Boychild loved this. OMG. He's never eaten Greek Salad before and professed to not like feta but he ate this. And had the leftovers in his lunch the next day. Wonders wil never cease it appears...

For 3-4 portions you need:
1/2 pack new potatoes, jersey royals if you can stretch to them ;-)
1 pack chilli olives
1 pack feta. crumbled into 1cm cubes
2 peppers, cut into chunks
2 red onions, cut into 8ths
2 tomatoes, cut into 8ths and then in half again (so roughly chopped...)
2 tbsp olive oil plus more for roasting
salt and pepper
large handful of fresh oregano, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon

Cook the potatoes. Toss the peppers and onions in a little olive oil and season. Roast in a hot oven for about 10 mins till tender. Place the tomatoes, olives, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and feta in a bowl. Add the peppers and onions once cooked. Drain the potatoes and cut in half if large. Add to the bowl. Mix and serve.

Mixed Vegetable Noodles with Cashews (v)

I arrived home from work starving on Thursday and craving a Chinese, so this was created as I really couldn't justify getting a takeaway... The cold leftovers were yumsome for lunch the next day too.

For two portions you need:
1 pack noodles
4 spring onions, cut on the diagonal
1/2 punnet mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 pack mange tout & baby corn, cut into bite sized pieces
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 tbsp dark soya sauce
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp light soya sauce
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup raw cashews

Cook the noodles. Drain and refresh under cold water. Meanwhile heat a wok and stirfry the vegetables for 2-3 mins. Add the noodles, cashews and the mirin/soya sauces. Heat through and scoff.

Infamous Courgette Bread...

OK it's only infamous cos it's got courgettes in it and it's called bread and people on twitter, instagr.am and facebook wanted the recipe. Maybe it should be called intriguing courgette bread instead... Anyway, I digress. This is a Rachel Allen recipe (p72 of Bake) and jolly fine it is too. A lovely crunchy sugary topping forms during baking and the whole flat smelled of yummy spices as it cooked. It freezes really well and is great for lunch boxes. As the week goes on it can be toasted and topped with butter or honey or whatever you fancy really. Peanut butter on it is suprisingly good. Honest.

For 2 2lb loaves you need:
400g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp bicarb
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 freshly grated nutmeg
300g vanilla caster sugar
100g demerara sugar
3 eggs, beaten
200ml vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 medium courgettes, grated (skin an' all...)
75g walnuts, roughly chopped

Mix everything together and scrape into two lined loaf tins. Bake in a slot (160 degree) oven for 60-90 mins. The loaves are done when a cocktail stick comes out clean when inserted in the centre. Leave to cool and then slice and scoff as you wish. Et voila...

Quick Tomato Soup with Chilli and Smoked Paprika (v)

A colleague had the most yummy smelling bowl of soup for lunch on Monday and I arrived back from the hospital today craving tomato soup so this was created. Beware of the tiny Thai chillies if you use those. One was far more than enough for this for me. Mouth, numb...!

For one greedy person you need:
1 red onion, roughly chopped
1tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 chilli, roughly chopped
1 tin tomatoes
1/2 tin water
1/2 tsp vegan stock powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp henderson's relish
handful basil leaves
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion for 5-10 mins till softened. Add the garlic and chilli and fry for a further 2-3 mins. Add everything else aside from the basil and bring to the boil. Cook for 5 mins then blend till smooth. Season to taste and re-heat to piping hot. Serve topped with roughly chopped basil.

Watercress, Rocket & Blueberry Salad with Seeds (v)

Quick; disgustingly healthy; vegan; tasty; filling... what else do you need.

For one person you need:
1 cup watercress
1 cup rocket
1 inch cucumber, diced
1/3 cup blueberries
1/4 cup croutons
1 tbsp sunflower seeds

For the dressing combine 1 tbsp white wine vinegar with 1 tbsp hazlenut oil.

Mix, serve, eat.

Cinnamon and Nutella Loaf Cake

The original recipe for this is on the BBC Good Food website. A friend posted it on FB for another friend and I thought it looked like a good one to make for lunch boxes. It certainly is. As it cooks, a crispy, sugary top gets formed. I think next time I might reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe as it's a bit too sweet for me. I think I might also try adapting it with some vanilla sugar and crushed cardamon along with the cinnamon and maybe swap the blobs of nutella for plain chocolate chips. But anyway. The original recipe is still very good ;-)

For one loaf cake you need:

175g soft butter

175g caster sugar

200g self raising flour

3 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

60ml milk

4 tbsp nutella

Place everything apart from the nutella in a bowl and mix well till thoroughly combined. Place 2/3 in a lined loaf tin and add the nutella in small blobs. Swirl around a bit and then top with the remaining cake batter. Place in a moderate (170 degree) oven for about an hour till cooked. Serve in slices with coffee or a glass of milk. Y-u-m.

Pepper & Mushroom Ragu with Beans and Smoked Paprika (v)

I was going to make miso for dinner tonight but boychild declared he wasn't hungry and one of my peppers was looking ever so sad so I decided to change tack and make a spicy, sweet stew of vegetables and pulses served with quinoa. I am on a sort of health kick at the moment (she says, eating crisps and she blogs #fail) so this is uber good for you but yummy too. Enjoy.

For 2-3 portions you need:

Ragu

1 onion, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

125g mushrooms, thickly sliced

1 red pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped

1 can butter beans

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp smoked paprika

pinch sugar

1/2 tsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp vegan stock powder

salt and pepper

handful roughly chopped fresh coriander to serve

Quinoa

1/2 cup quiona

1 cup water

1 tsp vegan stock powder 

Begin by sauteeing the onion in the oil for 5 mins. Add the mushrooms, pepper and garlic and cook out, covered, for a further 10 mins. Remove the lid and add everything else apart from the coriander. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 mins or so till slightly thickened. Check the seasoning.

Meanwhile place the quinoa, water and stock into a lidded pan. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 mins. Turn off the heat and allow the quinoa to finish cooking by steaming.

Serve topped with the chopped coriander. Feel virtuous and don't binge on junk afterwards like me...

Lettuce Wraps with Sesame Tofu and Carrot Salad (v)

This was a disgustingly healthy lunch in an attempt to be a Good. Person. at the start of the return to work. My attempt was derailed by the mini ritter sport chocolates a kind colleague had brought back from his travels. Oh well. Life is all about balance is it not...

For 1 person you need:
2 chinese leaves
4 tbsp carrot salad
1/2 block taifun sesame tofu, cut into thin slices

Place the chinese leaves in a tub/on a plate. Fill with the carrot salad. Top with the tofu. Eat. Simples.

Nigella's Lemon Drizzle Cake

I apologise unreservedly for not having blogged this before now. It was an oversight that is now rectified.... This is everything lemon drizzle cake should be: tangy, sweet, damp and sticky. Yum. Yum indeed.

For 8-10 slices you need:
125g soft butter
175g caster sugar
zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
175g self raising flour
4 tbsp soya milk

For the syrup you need:
100g icing sugar, sifted
juice of 2 lemons

Begin by pre-heating the oven to 170 degrees then cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well. Sift in the flour and add the milk. Mix again and scrape into a lined loaf tin. Bake for 30-45 mins till well risen, golden brown and fully cooked.

Meanwhile melt together the icing sugar and lemon juice over a gentle heat. Once the cake is out of the oven, prick it all over with a cocktail stick and then pour over the syrup. Leave to settle and then scoff.

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

It's back to work and school tomorrow and I needed something to look forward to at lunch time and only chocolate could provide the answer... Some googling gave me this recipe and it's just as good as the reviews say it is. Moist. Light. Luscious. More-ish... I made 16 muffin sized cupcakes from this batter, but it will make one 8" double layered cake or two loaf tins instead.

For 16 cupcakes you need:
175g self raising flour
2 tbsp cocoa
150g caster sugar
1 tsp cream of tartar
2 tbsp golden syrup
150m vegetable oil
150ml soya milk
2 eggs

For the icing you need:
75g very soft butter
175g sifted icing sugar
3 tbsp cocoa
a little soya milk
Sprinkles to decorate

Heat the oven to 170 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper cases.

Begin by sifting the dry ingredients in to a bowl. Mix together the wet ingredients and pour into the dry. Mix well. Pour into the cases (the batter will be very wet). Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins until risen and cooked through. Leave to cool.

Mix the butter with the icing sugar and cocoa, using enough soya milk to make a smooth icing. Spread over the cakes and top with sprinkles of your choice. Enjoy, and pretend you're still on holiday when you eat them ;-)

Spicy Sweet and Sour Almond Stir Fry (v)

This was supposed to have been made with cashews but did Becka have any cashews in her cupboard? Nope, she did not... So almonds it was. It was delicious served with thai sticky rice to soak up the liquid sauce.







For 1-2 portions you need:
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 small can pineapple slices in juice, chopped into bite sized pieces
1/2 pack stir fry vegetables
1/4 cup blanched almonds
2 tbsp mushroom soya sauce
2 tbsp thai sweet chilli sauce

Begin by frying the onion and almonds in the oil for 5-10 mins till lightly browned. Add the pineapple juice, soya sauce, sweet chilli sauce and ketchup and mix well. Add everything else and cook for 5 mins till the veggies are tender and the sauce has thickened slightly. Serve with sticky rice.

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.

Bottom of the Fridge Soup (v)

This is made from the veggies left in the vegetable draw at the end of the week. The ones you can't be bothered to use in anything else but don't want to throw out either.




For 4-6 portions you need:
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 head cauliflower and brocolli, cut into rough florets
750ml vegetable stock
1 tbsp oil
Nutritional yeast and dried, fried onions to serve

Begin by sweating the vegetables in the oil for about 10 mins. Add the stock and simmer for 10 mins until tender. Blitz and then serve with nutritional yeast and dried, fried onions on the top. Add some grated cheese if you're not vegan if you want.

Tomato, Pesto and Goats Cheese Tart

This is a very quick and simple recipe which takes no time to prepare but tastes like you have spent hours on it. It's nice hot or cold.




For 4-6 portions you need:
1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry
2/3 jar sun dried tomato pesto
4-5 vine tomatoes, cut into thin-ish slices
1 red onion, cut into thin slices
1 log goats cheese, cut into discs the thickness of a £1 coin
pinch dried oregano
glug olive oil
freshly ground black pepper.

Unroll the pastry and place on a baking sheet. Score a border about 1cm thick round the edges. Spread the pesto into the middle. Lay the onions on top and then the tomatoes. Top with the cheese and then finish with the oregano, pepper and oil. Bake in a hot oven for 25-35 mins till risen and cooked. Serve as you wish.

Vegan Pledge Day Seven

Well. The end is in sight. And I shall definitely be continuing as I blogged yesterday. Just need to rid my fridge of cheese and use up the eggs. I am sitting here snacking on grapes as I blog. This is a good thing! I feel better. I feel cleaner, both ethically and nutritionally. Thanks for sticking with me through this. Why not try it yourself??

Food for tomorrow...
Breakfast: toast with peanut butter and banana, coffee, OJ
Lunch: Tofu sandwich with salad and chilli sauce, pineapple, grapefruit
Dinner: vegetable and chickpea curry with rice, apple cake
Snacks: vegan rocky road, apple

Mixed Vegetable Curry with Chickpeas (v)

This is a proper, pseudo-takeaway curry with vegetables i.e. a rich sauce, lots of different vegetables and chickpeas. Yum.

For 4 portions you need:
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
250g button mushrooms
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets
1/2 head broccoli, ditto cauli
2 large handfuls salad potatoes, cut into thick slices and par boiled till tender (about 10 mins)
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 carrots, peeled and sliced into pieces about the thickness of a £1 coin
1/2 jar minara curry paste
1-2 chillies, sliced (depending on heat preference!)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
125ml boiling water
Roti to serve

Fry the onion in the oil for 5mins or so. Add the carrots, garlic and curry paste and cook out for another 5mins or so. Add everything else, aside from the roti, and cook till the vegetable are tender. Add the potatoes part way through once they have cooked enough.

Watercress, Tofu and Orange Salad (v)

This ended up tasting like the king prawn chilli noodle salad I used to love from M&S. But quite by accident, I hadn't intended to make it that way. It's light, refreshing and kicks a punch at the end from the chilli. Add some noodles to it if you want to include carbs.





For one person you need:
1 orange, skin cut off and cut into segments, retain the juice.
1 cup each of watercress, baby spinach leaves and rocket
2" piece of cucumber cut into bite sized chunks
1/2 red onion, sliced into half moons
1/3 block taifun smoked tofu, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tbsp hot sweet chilli sauce

Place everything on a plate and layer up. Scoff. Don't make this with the orange in it the night before like I did cos the acid in the juice will wilt the leaves... Still tasted nice tho.

Apple Cake (v)

This is a not too sweet mid morning cake, the sort that would be served with good coffee in a posh coffee shop. And it's vegan. Bonus. I think it would benefit from the addition of something like walnuts in the topping so will try that next time.



For 8-10 slices you need:
225g plain flour
pinch salt
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarb
55g vanilla sugar
4 tbsp grapeseed oil
285ml soya milk
3 dessert apples, peeled, cored and cut into small dice
55g demarara sugar
30g vegan marge
45g plain flour
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, bicarb, vanilla sugar, oil and milk into a batter. Pour into a lined 23cm tin. Place the chopped apples on the top of the batter. Blitz the demarara sugar, flour and marge into breadcrumbs and scatter over the top of the apples. Finish with the cinnamon. Bake in a moderate (180 degrees) oven for 30-45 mins till risen, cooked and golden brown.

Vegan Pledge Day Six

Well. Nearly there now. Only two more days to go. Have really enjoyed this and it's certainly made me think about going vegan for good. Have been lazy with food today in that I skipped breakfast but that meant I also avoided a potential quorn ham and dairylea conundrum.

Things of note today: cooking jelly diamonds make an excellent substitute for gelatine sweets and are also non-nestle unlike jelly tots (which are vegan but made by nestle so therefore on the banned list).

Food for today is:
Breakfast: slept through it...
Lunch: carrot and tomato salad, juiced pineapple, apple and oranges
Dinner: taking the boy out for pizza so a pizza sans cheese and a salad.
Snacks: plain chocolate, more fruit (trying to balance out recent binge drinking with detox fruit. Hmmm)

And because it's Sunday it's shopping day and time to think about the food for the week ahead. Whilst my pledge technically finishes tomorrow I am going to eat as much vegan as I can, whilst getting rid of all the dairy in the flat so I can be 90% vegan going forward.

Meal Plans for week ahead:
Pasta with homemade veggie sauce; leftover for lunch next day
Stuffed peppers with cous cous, olives and tomatoes
Mixed vegetable curry and rice
Watercress, rocket, orange and marinated tofu salad with noodles
Miso, vegetable and noodle soup
Tofu, sweet chilli and salad sandwiches
Baking: chocolate cake, apple crumble cake

Vegan Pledge Day Five

Yesterday was a wash out as I had not planned far enough ahead in terms of food, especially breakfast, and given that the night before was St Patrick's...well. Nuff said. So original day five = failure. But day five mk 2 = better. I am really enjoying not eating dairy. I opened my fridge earlier and kind of glared at the pile of cheese in it. Yes I will eventually eat it but it doesn't make me feel like I want to eat it. Where I will struggle most is in baking. I made rocky road for Lex last night which contains milk chocolate and butter. And then we come to eggs in baking... But there are ways around this.

Things of note today:
Off soya milk is difficult to detect when pouring but tastes V-I-L-E when eaten in porridge. Breakfast #fail again


Today's food:
Breakfast: sultana porridge with agave nectar, coffee, OJ
Lunch: leftover cannelloni bean patties with carrot and tomato salad
Dinner: curry and rice
Snacks: banana, pineapple, grapefruit, cocoloco bar, crisps, peanuts, beer. Lots and lots of beer...

Simple Tomato and Onion Salad (v)

This is another light and lovely side dish.

For 1-2 portions you need:
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced into half moons
1 red onion, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Place everything in a bowl, season and drizzle over the oil. Allow to stand for a while before eating.

Carrot, Sultana and Sunflower Seed Salad with Hazlenut Oil and Coriander

This was a knock your socks off salad created out of dying veggies in the fridge and pepped up with some lemon juice and sunflower seeds. It was soooooooo good.

For 1-2 portions you need:
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
1/4 cup sultanas
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp hazlenut oil
1/2 pack fresh coriander, finely chopped
salt and pepper
2 tbsp sunflower seeds, toasted
1 tsp dried mint

Place the carrot, lemon juice, sultanas, dried mint and corriander in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over the oil. Add the hot toasted seeds and allow them to sizzle into the other ingredients. Mix well and allow to stand for a bit before serving. It's even better the next day!

Canollini Bean Patties (v)

I fancied something middle eastern for dinner tonight, and pulse based so created these. Oh. My. Goodness they were good, even if I do say so myself ;) Try them.

For about 6 patties you need:
1 can drained and rinsed canollini beans
1 onion
1 red chilli
1 tsp moroccan spices
salt and pepper
oil for shallow frying

Blitz everything together apart from the oil and salt and pepper. You want it pulverised enough to be sticky but still retain some texture. Season to taste and then form into small, flattish patties. Heat 0.5cm of oil in a pan and shallow fry for about 4-5 mins on each side till lightly browned and hot. They will begin to disintegrate if you cook them for too long! Serve with carrot, sultana and sunflower seed salad and some flat breads.

Vegan Pledge Day Four

So. I survived a university lunch yesterday, but I was glad I'd also taken in other provisions. Observations today are:
I am eating more healthily. More fruit and vegetables. This was planned as I'd been caning crap like no tomorrow but it's certainly helping not just being able to go and buy any old bar of chocolate. And plain chocolate hits the spot more quickly.
Planning food in advance helps with not missing things as you know you have something yummy to come.

Food for today will be:
Breakfast: peanut butter and jam on toast, coffee, OJ
Snack: banana and raspberry smoothie, juiced fruit/veg, plain crisps
Lunch: tomato and pesto tart, plum tart
Dinner: tofu with soya sauce and sticky rice and vegetables

Vegan Pledge Day Three

Things I have learned today:
The university sells divine plain chocolate which is vegan friendly. Phew.
I need to bring more food in with me in the car in case I get delayed like this morning... hungry lol!
Linda McCartney sausage rolls are vegan. Cool.

So far so good anyway... I am sort of missing cheese but sort of not. Ditto eggs. Will see how things progress as the week continues.

Food for tomorrow (cos I know you're all *d-y-i-n-g* to know) is:
Breakfast: OJ, grapes, granola and soya milk, copious coffee (it's ASPC and a 5.45am start, yawn...)
Lunch: a sodhexo vegan lunch. Will await this with trepidation as they don't always understand what vegan means. Or think that protein or carbs are a necessary component.
Dinner: veggie sausage rolls, mash and beans; vegan choc cake and choc custard
Snacks: cocoa orange bar, melon, pineapple

Plum and Cinnamon Tart (v)

This was step two in using up the rest of the pastry and some vegan cream cheese and plums...







For 2 portions you need:
4-5 plums, cut into 6ths
1/2 sheet ready rolled puff pastry
1/2 tub vegan cream cheese
3-4 dessertspoonfuls of cinnamon sugar (or demarara sugar and some ground cinnamon)

Lay the pastry on a baking sheet and score a 1cm border. Spread over the cream cheese and sprinkle over 2 spoonfuls of sugar. Lay on the plums. Top with more sugar. Bake in a hot oven for 20-25 mins. Eat. Gaze in wonder that something so amazing contains no animal products What. So. Ever.

Tomato and Pesto Tart (v)

This was a creation from stuff that needed to be used up: namely a basil plant and some tomatoes. Result!






For 2 portions you need:
1/2 pack ready rolled puff pastry (check it's vegan!)
1 cup tomatoes, sliced
salt and pepper

Pesto:
1 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 clove garlic
2 large handfuls basil leaves
good quality olive oil

Make the pesto by blitzing everything together till smooth-ish.
Lay the pastry out on a baking sheet and score round the edges to leave a 1cm border.
Spread the pesto inside the border.
Lay on the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a little extra olive oil.
Bake in a hot oven for 10-15 mins till the pastry is risen and golden brown.
Scoff with a rocket and watercress and red onion salad.

Spanish Hot Chocolate (v)

I first experienced this in Morocco when we tried to get Lex his usual hot chocolate before bed. Placing a cup of basically runny, hot, chocolate pudding before an over tired five year old who was expecting more of a chocolat chaud was a baaaaaaaad move! He did not like. At all. But mummy did. He appreciated it more when we went to Granada, Spain a couple of years later. And then we discovered you could buy tins of the lovely stuff in the UK. Sorted.




For one person you need:
125ml soya milk
4 heaped tsp of spanish hot chocolate powder

Heat the milk till scalding (it MUST be absolutely boiling hot). Pour in to a cup and stir in the powder. Keep mixing till it thickens. If it doesn't the milk is not hot enough and/or you need to add some more powder. Serve with churros for the ultimate breakfast!

Vegan Pledge Day Two

OK. So day one went well. Taking food in advance was definitely the best thing to do. Have sorted my food for tomorrow which will be:

Breakfast: toast and peanut butter, OJ, banana, black coffee
Lunch: tomato and pesto tart, stewed apple
Dinner: Griddled marinated tofu steaks with sour tomatoes, cous cous and salad, plum and vegan cream cheese tart
Snacks: grapes, melon, plain crisps

(I had some puff pastry to use up and tomatoes hence pastry and tomatoes twice!)

Vegan Pledge Day One

So it begins today... And my planned food is as follows:
Breakfast: black coffee; OJ; granola; soya milk
Lunch: chilli peanut noodles; stewed apples; vegan chocolate cake
Dinner: veggie burgers and chips and salad
Snacks: melon, grapes, grapefruit, eat nkd cocoloco bar

I've decided to bring food in with me as it's what I usually do and it also means I have everything to hand to save being led astray. Plus campus isn't renowned for being that vegan friendly (well at least not for the sort of food I want to eat!).

The Vegan Pledge...

I've been toying with this for a while, but haven't actually taken the step of doing it yet. Sometimes I plan a vegan day per week but then reach for a bar of chocolate and forget that it's got milk in it and fail. But given that 80-90% of the recipes I blog are tagged "easy", "vegan" and "quick" surely it can't be that hard? I already use soya milk, take my coffee black, use pure marge, and love fruit and vegetables and legumes. I haven't actually eaten cheese or dairy products more than once this week. But of course the minute you say can't you want... Eggs will be my downfall. I love eggs.

So what do I plan to eat? Off the top of my head my cupboards and fridge will provide:

Breakfasts:
Soaked oats in soya milk
Banana and raspberry soya smoothie
Home made granola with agave nectar and dried fruit
Toast with peanut butter and banana or jam

Lunches:
Bulghar wheat salad
Tofu and lentil salad
Peanut butter and chilli noodles with vegetables
The best ever vegan sandwich

Dinners:
Yotam Ottolenghi's black pepper tofu
Vegetable tempura and dipping sauces
Curry of one variety or another. More than once.
Lentil spaghetti bolognase

And it also gives me the perfect excuse to raid my extensive cook book collection for some more ideas. So watch this space and see what happens. Oh and if you want to join in or do it too then take the vegan pledge too.

Yellow Rice (v)

Cos, like, rice is more interesting when it's yellow innit...

For 1 person you need:
1/4 cup basmati rice
1/8 tsp tumeric
Boiling water

Add the rice and tumeric to the water and cook till done. Scale up according to number of people munching. Simples.

Aubergine, Spinach and Sweet Potato Rogan Josh (v)

Mmmmmmm. More curry. More curry that the boy will eat, OMG. To be fair he left the aubergines and asked me what the green stuff was but he ate around it and loved the tomatoes in the sauce. Massive step forward!

For 2-3 people you need:
1 sweet potato, cut into bite sized pieces
1 aubergine, ditto
1 onion, diced
2/3 packet baby leaf spinach
2 heaped tbsp minara rogan josh curry paste
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp vegetable oil
300ml water

Fry the onion in the oil for 5 mins or so till tender. Add the sweet potato and aubergine and fry for 15 mins, covered with a lid. Add the curry paste and cook out for a further 2-3 mins. Add the water and tomatoes and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 10 mins. Add the spinach and cook till wilted. Serve with chips and yellow rice.

Bulghar Wheat Salad with Feta

I adore bulghar wheat, more so than cous cous, due to it's chewier and slightly denser texture. This is a variation on tabbouleh, and made without the feta would be a lovely vegan dish.





For 4-6 portions you need:
1 cup bulghar wheat
1 tsp veg stock powder
1 cup boiling water
handful baby plum toatoes, cut in half/quarters depending on size
1 red onion, finely chopped
handful chilli olives, roughly sliced
1 pack feta, cut intobite sized chunks
1/3 cucumber cut into small dice (about the same size as the onions)
2-3 tbsp good quality olive oil
juice 1 lemon
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley and corriander

Place the bulghar wheat, stock and onion in a bowl and cover with the water. Cover and leave to steam for 20-30 mins. Once the wheat has absorbed all the water stir through everything else. Season to taste and then eat.

Vegetarian Moussaka with Lentils

I love moussaka, even tho it is a bit of a faff to make in that it has lots of stages and creates, therefore, a reasonable amount of washing up. But this is worth it. Promise. The lentil sauce is based on St Delia's.





For 4-6 portions you need:
2 aubergines, cut into 0.5cm thick slices
2-3 potatoes, cut into 0.5cm thick slices

Sauce:
50g puy lentils
50g green lentils
1 can chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper
200ml red wine
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 onions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
275ml vegetable stock

Topping:
3 eggs
2/3 carton of yogurt
1 cup grated cheddar
1/2 cup grated veggie parmesan
1 tomato, sliced in to four

Begin by frying the aubergine slices in oil till tender and golden. Drain. You can salt the aubergine beforehand if you want but it's not essential.

Par-boil the potatoes till tender but not falling apart.

Fry the onion in the oil for 5-10 mins. Add the garlic and fry for a further 2-3 mins. Add everything else for the sauce and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 mins till the lentils are cooked and the sauce has thickened.

Lay the potatoes in the bottom of a dish. Top with the sauce. Cover with the aubergine slices. Mix together the eggs, yogurt and cheddar. Pour over the top. Lay the sliced tomato on the top of this then sprinkle over the parmesan. Bake in a moderate oven for about 20 mins till the top is golden and bubbling. Eat with salad and bread.

Haloumi with Aubergines, Tomatoes and Balsamic Syrup.

Lou has got me on an aubergine quest. So, in the midst of making a moussaka for tomorrow night, I did some extra fried aubergine slices. Well, it would be rude not to wouldn't it. During the cooking process I discovered a packet of haloumi had blown, but it smelled OK so I cooked it. And created this. Sex on a plate...

For one person you need:
1/2 aubergine, cut into 0.5cm thick slices
4 tbsp light olive oil
1/2 packet haloumi, cut into 1cm thick slices
handful baby plum tomatoes
1 tsp balsamic syrup
1 tsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsely

Begin by frying the aubergines till soft, unctuous and golden. Drain.
Fry the haloumi till golden and oozy.
Fry the tomatoes till the skins split a little. Don't over cook them, you want them warm and oozy but not killed...

Present prettily on a plate, drizzle over the syrup and finish with a cheffy flourish of parsley. Die of pleasure.

Banana and Malteser Milkshake

Cos, like, if you add a portion of fruit to this, it makes it healthy. Yeah? No, thought not. It tastes nice tho...

For one person you need:
1 banana
1 handful maltesers
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup vanilla ice cream

Place everything in a blender. Blend. Serve. Add a cocktail cherry and a couple of extra whole maltesers for decoration if you can be arsed.

Raymond Blanc's Lemon Cake

I finally got round to watching the Kitchen Secrets episode last night everyone had been raving about, and with good reason. OMG. Those cakes!!! To be able to have the skill and time to make them... Anyway, I digress. One of the recipes which looked do-able was the lemon tea loaf. So here it is. Yum!

For two loaf cakes you need:
5 eggs
300g caster sugar
140ml double cream
finely grated zest of 3 lemons
25ml dark rum
80g butter, melted
240g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder

For the icing glaze you need the juice of one lemon and 150g icing sugar.

Mix the wet with the dry and then pour into lined loaf tins. Bake at 170 degrees for about an hour, taking care that the cakes don't catch on the top/sides.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly. Make up the glaze by melting the icing sugar with the lemon juice. Allow to cool till thickened (don't skip this step like I did or you'll end up with a mess :/) then brush on to the top and sides of the cakes. Serve in slices and try to limit yourself to only about 3 or 4... Fail.

Malteser Milkshake

I had one of these amazing beasts at the wonderful Kyoto Lounge bar yesterday. I shudder to think about how many calories were in the glass. But it tasted delicious. This was a pretty reasonable recreation. But the photo is of the original.

For one person you need:

1/4 cup maltesers
2/3 cup cold milk
1/2 cup chocolate ice cream

Place everything in a blender. Blend. Drink.

Orange a la Cannelle (v)

All we seemed to eat in Morocco for pudding was orange a la cannelle. It's one of Lex's favourite dishes, and he's currently scoffing a couple of oranges with cinnamon for breakfast!

For one portion you need:
1 orange
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Peel the orange with a knife to remove the skin, pith and outer membrane of the orange segments. Either slice thin slices or segment the orange and place the slices/segments in a bowl and squeeze the juice on top. Sprinkle over the cinnamon and eat. Preferably outside in the sunshine in the shade of an orange tree and within earshot of a qsbah.

Sour Cream and Corriander Dip

This works well as a dip for lots of things but was particularly good with the spiced sweet potato wedges I had earlier today.

For 1-2 servings you need:
1/2 pot sour cream
1/2 red onion, very finely diced
large handful corriander, chopped finely

Mix together. Use as required. Simples.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Carrots and Onions with Chilli and Smoked Paprika (v)

This was a twist on my usual store cupboard standby of Moroccan spiced roasted vegetables. I fancied doing them with smoked paprika after buying some really nice powder from 8th day. It worked really well and Lex enjoyed them too. Bonus.

For 2-3 people you need
2 sweet potatoes, cut into wedges/fat chips
2 large carrots, cut in to fat batons
2 red onions, cut into 6ths
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp smoked paprika powder
salt and pepper

Toss the vegetables in the oil. Season and add the chilli and paprika. Turn out on to a baking sheet and roast in a hot oven for 20 mins or so till tender and slightly charred. Serve with sour cream and corriander dip.

Cheat's Curry with Random Ingredients (v)

I love the Shana brand of ready meal packet curries. They are authentic Indian curries which are probably dreadful on the ethical scale as they'll be air freighted :/ but they are as good as a takeaway on a night where you have no time. Last night was one of those nights...

For one person you need:
1 packet Shana Madras curry sauce
1 leftover cooked vegan sausage, cut into slices
1 cup random cooked vegetables (I had broccoli, brussels sprouts, frozen peas and sweetcorn)

Place the sauce in a pan and add everything else along with a dash of water. Heat. Serve with oven chips (waaaaay classy bird. That's me :D). Dinner in 10 mins.

Noodles with Tofu, Mushrooms and Watercress in Blackbean Sauce (v)

I love watercress and think it's highly underused as a cooked vegetable. Use it like spinach but appreciate the peppery bite of it more than metallic spinach. This was very quick to throw together and tasted lovely.

For one hungry person you need:
1 bundle noodles
1/2 packet watercress
1 onion, sliced
3-4 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 jar waitrose cooks ingredients blackbean sauce
1 marinated tofu steak, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tsp vegetable oil

Cook/soak the noodles and leave to drain. Fry the onion and mushrooms in the oil for 4-5 mins. Add the tofu pieces and cook for a further 5 mins till lightly browned. Add the blackbean sauce (and a little extra water to get it all out of the jar). Heat through. Turn off the heat and add the watercress. Allow to wilt. Serve on top of the noodles and scoff. Yummy.

Chocolate Cake (v)

I had some sweetened soya milk to use up and found this recipe in a Suma cookbook I picked up at the brilliant 8th day co-op in Manchester. It went down a storm with friends on Sunday, especially served warm with some fresh strawberries.

***warning*** this makes a HUGE cake so either scale back the ingredients, or freeze some for another day!

For 12-14 slices you need:
390g plain flour
440g vanilla sugar
6 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
500ml sweetened soya milk
185ml vegetable oil
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix the dry with the wet and pour into a 23cm cake tin. Bake in a moderate (170 degrees) oven for about 45-60 mins. Leave to cool a little before slicing.