Penelope Strawberry

It's Christmas!

2011-12-29T14:46:00.000-08:00

Or at least it was. Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty was perfect for our Christmas food. To start a Winter slaw.
Chopped caramelised macadamia nuts (with added chili flakes), crunchy cabbages, coriander, chili, mint, and sweet juicy mango. Used a simpler dressing, than that in the recipe, of a mix of soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, sesame oil and freshly squeezed lime juice. Delicious.
For a main, Brussels sprout s. After all, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas, without sprouts. Marinated tofu, peppers, spring onion, sprouts, in a sweet and spicy sauce.
Served with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and rice. A very tasty Christmas treat.

Salad servings...

2011-09-20T09:24:00.000-07:00

Sensible. Giant couscous, halloumi, parsley, tahini yogurt sauce, salad.
Silly. Sweetcorn, salad, potatoes and feta cheese teeth.

Fresh!

2011-07-31T14:03:00.000-07:00

Salad including freshly podded peas, served with halloumi.
Fresh peas remind me of two things. Firstly, my grandad.
He had an allotment (as well as a greenhouse and plenty of growing space in the garden). I have memories of being round my grandparents house and being given a big bowl of peas to shell, to prepare for Sunday dinner. I think for every pea pod that got emptied in to the bowl, one or possibly two got emptied in my mouth! The second pea memory is Roskilde festival.
We went in 2006, it was ace, though super hot. The world cup was also on, and we spent much of the week buying a crate of Tuborg to sit on (and drink the contents), watch the football, and eat a bag of podded peas. Fresh peas go surprisingly well with Danish lager. Continuing the fresh theme, this morning I was up early to go to my local S'n'B, and made a fruity smoothie to kick start the day.
It contained a huge ruby grapefruit, half a honeydew melon, a lemon and plenty of ice cubes. Delicious. I was inspired by this amazing smoothie flowchart. Smoothies will never be the same again. Also check out the eating rules breakfast flowchart too - very cool.

More bread and a bit of salad too...

2011-07-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

This is becoming a bread themed blog! This time I used this recipe from Doves Farm, though made the flour 50/50 white and wholemeal, and added seeds during kneading. This recipe takes a little longer, as you leave the dough to rise twice, but I think this helps make the bread much lighter.
To go with this fresh bread I made three salads.
Firstly a tricolore salad - containing plenty of tomatoes, basil and mozzarella, topped with olive oil and pepper.
I served this in an amazingly kitsch bowl, which I found dumped in a box outside our building - don't worry it has been well washed!
Secondly a garden salad, including some lightly blanched broccoli.
And finally a salad of butter beans, red pepper, red onion and spinach, with a tangy dressing made of olive oil, juice of one lemon and a teaspoon of chopped red chili.
Very tasty indeed!

Let them eat bread!

2011-07-12T14:42:00.000-07:00

There is something fantastic about fresh bread. Moreish, comforting and tasty.
We have an amazing bakery just round the corner, so I really don't make bread as much as I used to. Though the other month we visited a Cogglesford mill in Sleaford, and I couldn't leave without a big bag of wholemeal flour.
This gave me just the excuse to get baking. Kneading bread is quite the workout, but this all helps to justify eating warm bread. I mixed the wholemeal flour 50/50 with some white flour, and added sunflower and pumpkin seeds to the dough.
I am always a little surprised about how much the dough rises when left to prove, it is almost as if I don't really believe that the yeast will work. It really is a little magical!

Heavenly goodness...

2011-07-09T09:05:00.001-07:00

Last night we checked out Heavenly, a new vegan cafe/bar opened in Glasgow city centre. On a beautiful summers evening to discover they have Samuel Smiths wheat beer on tap is just a dream! The food was delicious and service fantastic. To start we had some brilliantly beetroot soup & a roasted stuffed pepper. Very tasty & great presentation.
For our mains we had a very creamy butternut squash risotto and tofu and vegetable kebabs with rice.
The tofu was smoked and tasted great, and pleasing the mushroom count in the kebab was low. Feeling pretty full & satisfied we skipped on dessert, in favour of more booze. However, we will be back to check out those sweets soon!

If you are what you eat...

2011-07-07T15:46:00.001-07:00

Does that make me a button?
Fantastic button birthday cake from Wright's Delights & button chocolates from M&S.

Feeling hot hot hot...

2011-07-01T03:01:00.000-07:00

We are having our British summertime. My forehead is a bit pink, despite factor 30. And I have more freckles. Time for hot spicy food!
Stir fried veggies, which had been marinated in chili, garlic and paprika. Mixed bean salad with feta cheese. Shredded lettuces and cucumber. Topped with Mrs Renfro's habanero salsa and more jalapenos. Served with plenty of plain yogurt for cooling!

Lurking at the back of the fridge bake...

2011-02-17T21:19:00.001-08:00

So the veggies were getting a little past their best. The carrots a little bendy, even the two greedy guinea pigs were turning their noses up at them! So my plan was to use them all up in a bake.
Firstly I chopped a bunch of carrots and left them to boil, this would create a mash topping. For the bake itself, I lightly fried chopped onion, a leek and a green pepper (all found hidden in the back of the fridge). To this I added some frozen quorn mince, frozen peas, a can of green lentils and some oxo stock. For seasoning I added a generous squeeze of tomato ketchup, black pepper and some mint & rosemary leaves that I had frozen in the freezer. Stir until the majority of the stock is absorbed or evaporated, then transfer to an ovenproof dish. Top with mashed carrot & put under the grill to brown.
Delicious, very simple and uses up all those veggies!

Surprise Tatin from Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty

2011-02-17T20:35:00.000-08:00

Apologies blog. I have neglected you. My problem is that during winter, the times of the day when the light is good enough to take reasonable quality pictures - is never when I am cooking! Note to self - must figure out the settings on the camera!
Anyways, this is the valentines meal that I made for Mister Crafty. His sister had brought him a lovely veggie cookbook for his birthday, which is a few days before V-day, so as a treat I said I would cook something from it for us. The surprise tatin was delicious, the sweetness of the caramel and roasted tomatoes, contrasted perfectly with the hard goats cheese.
The recipe was easy to follow and available on-line. My only problem was that I didn't have any fresh oregano, so substituted parsley & basil, but I don't think the meal suffered. Here is to Plenty more!!!

Sign of the times...

2011-01-03T15:03:00.001-08:00

Nice sign.

A real Pea-Souper...

2010-12-14T11:13:00.001-08:00

Brrrr!!! It is rather chilly here. We still have snow on the ground and there is more to come. I even found this polar bear whilst I was out and about yesterday.
Cold days require soup, tasty thick soup served with crusty bread. In the shops today I found some reduced mint - perfect for pea soup!
So here is some Pea, Potato, Leek & Mint soup.
Ingredients:

a couple of leeks - sliced
a few potatoes - chopped into chunks
an onion - chopped
a handful of fresh mint - chopped
black pepper
1l of vegetable stock
a couple of handfuls of frozen peas
a swirl of cream (if you so desire)
a little vegetable oil

In a large saucepan soften the onion and leeks in oil.
Then add the stock, potatoes, black pepper, chopped mint and peas, and bring to the boil.
Once the potatoes are soft, blend until smooth. Serve with a dollop of cream & enjoy the warm cosiness!

Pumpkin & Chick Pea salad with Tahini sauce

2010-11-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

With half a pumpkin sitting in the fridge I searched the net for ideas. I stumbled upon this warm pumpkin and chick pea salad with tahini, and was inspired!
Firstly I chopped pumpkin, green pepper and courgette into a roasting dish. I added oil, chili flakes, grated nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice, and then put in to the oven.
Meanwhile in a large bowl I added half a chopped red onion and a drained tin of chick peas.
Once the veggies were soft, I added them to the chick pea mixture and stirred well. This mixture was then spooned onto a bed of simple salad (spinach, tomato, cucumber and lettuce).
For a tahini sauce, I added a tablespoon of tahini and crushed garlic clove to about 4 tablespoons of plain yogurt. Stir well, and add lemon juice to taste. If the sauce is too thick/strong, dilute with further yogurt. Spoon the sauce over the salad & serve with some tasty breads.
Absolutely delicious if I do say so myself. Though the raw onion / garlic combo does mean no snogging immediately after :)

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-01T14:16:00.000-07:00

So we were a day late eating our pumpkin, due to a spooky trip here.
Back home, in the cosy warm and brandishing a sharp(ish) knife I attempted to carve the pumpkin. Realising that a) my knife is a bit blunt, b) I am not that strong, and c) this was one tough cookie (or should I say pumpkin), I concentrated on dinner instead. For a pumpkin and halloumi pasty, in a roasting dish with a little oil went chopped pumpkin, red pepper and leek. Seasoned with fresh rosemary, paprika and pepper. Off in the oven. Meanwhile I rolled out puff pastry into two rectangles and greased a baking tray.
Once the veggies were soft, I spooned them onto the pastry, added some chopped halloumi and then covered with pastry, scrunching up the edges, like a Cornish pasty.
Put in the oven until golden & then scoff!!!

Veggie goodness

2010-10-05T13:55:00.001-07:00

It's autumn, it's a bit chilly, all the more reason to create a big casserole of veggies & lentils to warm the cockles of you heart.
In an ovenproof dish add lots of chopped onions, carrots, leeks, swede, cabbage, cauliflower, potatoes (and anything else you have to hand). In a colander rinse a handful or two of red lentils, and then add to the pot. Make up some vegetable stock (I used a trusty veggie oxo cube), and pour into dish until all the veggies are covered. Add some herbs (parsley & rosemary work well here) and season. Put in the oven (about 180 degrees Celsius) for a couple of hours. During this time relax & put your feet up. When everything is soft and the lentils cooked, it is ready to serve! I served this with some veggie sausages (thank you Linda McCartney!). Vary the veg, herbs and pulses as desired. If you have lots of liquid left after serving, use this as a flavoursome soup base the following day. Enjoy!

L'Artichaut!

2010-10-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

When I think of French & Scottish cuisine, vegetarianism isn't the first thing that springs to mind. So I was curious when I heard of L'Artichaut in Edinburgh, and had to make an excuse to pop across to the capital.
Edinburgh is a vegetarians delight, with restaurants a plenty (David Bann, Black Bo's, Hendersons to name a few). L'Artichaut is in the new town on Eyre Place,we arrived just as it opened for the evening at six, and being the first people there, joked about why did we bother to book. However by the time we left the place was packed. The details are perfect, Tim Stead chairs, bespoke ceramics and artichoke paintings covering the walls.
The food was delicious, focusing on vegetable flavours rather than meat substitutes. To start I enjoyed a Guacamole and salsa verrine (like a terrine but vertical!) whilst Mister Strawberry had beetroot croquettes, golden on the outside and bright pink in the middle!
Continuing my quest to get to grips with aubergine, I had roasted aubergine topped with goat's cheese for a main, whilst my companion had ratatouille filled beef tomato, with polenta chips. Note to self, need to experiment with polenta, as it was very tasty indeed. Dessert was a sharp lemon tart for me & lime and pink peppercorn meringues for him. Delicious! I did forget to take photos of all our courses, as I was too busy eating! I was glad to see the festive menu being advertised, and can't wait for an excuse to pop across to fill up on food! L'Artichaut adds to Edinburgh's thriving veggie scene, bringing a Gallic twist! Vive l'artichaut!

Brussels & Bramleys

2010-09-26T12:23:00.000-07:00

Autumn is here. This is my favourite season.
Today I had my first brussels sprouts of the season. Forever associated with Christmas dinners and flatulence, the poor brussel gets a bad rep. In Germany it is called rosenkohl, meaning rose cabbage. This is a much prettier name I think. Steamed brussels sprouts covered in gravy and mint sauce are just delicious!
McLaren, our new addition to the house, got to try brussels for the first time - I think he likes it!
Feeling autumnal, Bramley crumble is a must. With lashings of Birds custard. I am stuffed!

Organic legware...

2010-09-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

This made me chuckle, though I did feel slightly bad taking a picture at the local fruit & veg shop. Luckily I didn't get caught doing it.
Back to the food, this is of course, a swede. However in Scotland they tend to call both a turnip & a swede, a turnip. Very confusing, especially when you start throwing in the term 'neeps' too! Fortunately this article straightens it all out, or does it?

Mutabbal & a new squeaky friend

2010-08-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

I love the taste of Middle Eastern food, so when I saw Vegetarian Dishes from the Middle East by Arto der Haroutunian, I knew I had to have a copy! Flicking through the pages causes my mouth to water! Some cheap aubergines led me to make mutabbal (which is similar very to baba ganoush - imagine hummus but with aubergine rather than chickpeas).
Delicious, especially with some roast onion, courgette & pepper spicy cous cous.
And to help eat the parsley stems, today we brought home a new beastie, perfect for the job!

Courgette Fritters

2010-08-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

I have a bit of an issue with courgettes. I go through phases of really liking them, and then for no reason I can't stand them. It's the texture, I think??? When I saw this recipe on Craftster I just had to try it, to overcome my zucchini fear!
I didn't have an nutritional yeast, so skipped that. But added some chili powder, and served with rice & sweet chili sauce. They were delicious, very moreish! Thank you Calm Mind Busy Body!

Baked bean comfort soup

2010-08-08T09:59:00.000-07:00

This week I have managed to chip a tooth and develop a sore throat. This makes chewing food is not so desirable at the moment! Feeling sorry for myself, I made soup, using the ultimate comfort food, Baked Beans!

Ingredients:

A tin of baked beans
One red onion chopped
One carrot chopped
Handful of pasta shapes
Vegetable stock
Salt & pepper to taste
A little oil
A generous squirt of tomato ketchup

In a large saucepan, lightly fry the onion, once soft add the vegetable stock. To this add the tin of beans, chopped carrot, tomato ketchup, pasta shapes & seasoning. Cover and leave to simmer. When the pasta is soft, it is ready to serve. Simples. Due to my sore throat I served this with super squidgy soft white bread (another guilty pleasure!).

Avocado & Mozzarella salad

2010-07-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

Last week I bought a pack of 4 avocados, after waiting (for what seems like an age) for them to ripen, they are now super soft for eating. I'm now scratching my brain trying to think of uses for them, other than the traditional guacamole. The fridge was full of tomatoes today, so that led to this salad. It is very colourful and tasty!

Ingredients:

Tomatoes
Avocado
Mozzarella
Salad leaves
Sweetcorn
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil

Firstly, roughly chop up tomatoes. I used cherry plum toms & some big beefy fellas. In a bowl add some olive oil and balsamic vinegar to the toms, and leave to settle for a little while.
On a plate arrange some salad leaves (I used a mixed salad leaf pack and fresh rocket). To this pile on the tomatoes, chopped avocado, mozzarella and a sprinkle of sweetcorn. Drizzle a little more oil & serve. Yum!

The mother of all grains

2010-07-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

A list of 12 things you should know about quinoa got me thinking about that bag of quinoa lurking at the back of the cupboard, hidden behind the rice & pasta. So today I roasted some baby potatoes, butternut squash, red onion, red pepper & cherry tomatoes, having been drizzled with oil, paprika & chili powder. Into cooked quinoa I added sweetcorn and fresh mint. And all topped with some delicious & chewy grilled halloumi.
Although I couldn't wait for the halloumi to brown (I was too hungry!), it was still very moreish. Now what to do with the rest of the bag of quinoa???

Ps) The title of this post is what the Incas called quinoa. A little fact for you :)

Sunny Salads

2010-06-21T11:35:00.000-07:00

Today is the longest day & the sun is shinning. Perfect for tasty salads. Firstly sprouting beans, carrot, red pepper, celery, cucumber & lettuce. Mixed with a little oil & balsamic vinegar. I love the colours - truly a feast for the eyes!
Secondly veggie chorizo, cherry tomato, pesto & cous cous. Very more-ish!
Served with a feta & olive pasty from the fantastic Grassroots.
Enjoy the sunshine :)

It's a bugs life...

2010-03-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

I came across these cute little critters in the supermarket. How could I resist?

Adorable and full of chocolate, what is there not to love?
Look it's the Beatles!

Must stop playing with my food.

Cosy Crumble

2010-03-02T14:21:00.001-08:00

Crumble is the ultimate comfort food. Sweet, warm and gooey. It even contains one of your five a day (though the added sugar might just cancel the nutritional benefits out!). Crumble apparently became very popular during rationing in wartime, as an alternative to making fruit pies - as less fat is needed. Apples, pears, plums, blackcurrants, rhubarb, peaches, gooseberries, raspberries and more can be transformed into a delicious dessert. A crunchy topping from a simple butter, flour and sugar mix. Chopped nuts, oats, dessicated coconut and spices can be added if you are feeling fancy.
Today some apples & pears that had seen their best were stewed, covered with a topping and sprinkled with cinnamon and cloves. The most important question, is what to serve it with? Custard, cream, milk, ice cream?

Kale, Kale, Kale!

2010-02-28T13:20:00.000-08:00

Kale is a rather overlooked member of the cabbage family. A hardy veg, it becomes sweeter when exposed to frost - perfect for British weather. During WW2 Dig for Victory campaign, Kale growing was much encouraged, as it is easy to grow and nutritious.
Nowadays it seems to have been demoted to the back of the veg selection. One problem with kale is the stalks can be a bit tough. Fortunately I have two very helpful kitchen assistants who are more than happy to deal with any fibrous stalks!
Kale is great when stir fried, full of nutrients and its vibrant green is a feast for the eyes. Here is a recipe for a delicious stir fry using kale, carrots & tofu.

Ingredients:

Kale
Carrots - chopped
Marinated tofu
2 garlic cloves - thinly sliced
1 inch fresh ginger - grated
2 red chili peppers - thinly sliced
soy sauce
oil

Heat a small amount of oil, add all the ingredients (except soy sauce). Stir until the garlic is golden, the kale bright green and the tofu cooked.
Add some soy sauce into the mix just before serving. Serve with brown rice & enjoy.
Beware, I made this quite hot! So adjust the chili content to taste.

Bubble & Squeak

2010-01-06T12:12:00.000-08:00

The ultimate in cold weather comfort food has to be bubble & squeak. A perfect frugal meal; recycling left over cooked greens into a tasty dish. Traditionally in the UK, bubble & squeak is reserved for Monday nights only (after the obligatory Sunday dinner). However, in a veggie household, any day can be a bubble & squeak day! Bizarrely a dish that is forever associated with day old leftovers, is also available to buy in ready-meal form in supermarkets!!!

The basis for bubble & squeak is cooked potatoes and greens. For some reason (probably psychological) it tastes much nicer if they have been cooked the day previously! This version contained potato, brussels sprouts and cabbage. Roughly mash together with a little margarine.
Then, in a large pan, lightly fry the mixture. You may, if you are really, really lucky, hear it 'squeak' over the heat (hence the name!). Ensure the mixture is heated through & serve.I am particularly fond of bubble & squeak with vegetarian sausages and lashings of brown sauce. Or if I am feeling adventurous, a generous helping of piccalilli.
Great, easy cooking for chilly evenings!

But what do you eat????

2009-12-26T01:34:00.000-08:00

Do you ever get asked as a veggie 'but what do you eat?' The answer is obviously 'lots of good stuff!' I find I get asked this even more around Christmas time, I think certain meat eaters think I'll be pulling my cracker over an empty plate. Of course, there is more to Christmas dinner than turkey. Here is a photo of mine to prove we didn't just eat peas!
Roast potatoes, roast parsnips, carrots, broccoli, brussels sprouts, mashed potato, Yorkshire puddings, nut stuffing and lashings of gravy! Enough to cause a post-dinner snooze of the sofa. Hope you are all having very happy holidays!

Mon Petit Chou-Fleur...

2009-12-04T15:35:00.000-08:00

Mark Twain described a cauliflower as 'nothing but a cabbage with a college education'. I wonder what cauliflowers study?

Cauliflowers are currently being sold at a bargain price of 39p each here! A credit-crunch vegetable if ever there was one. One idea to use up the big stock of cauliflowers was to roast them, with a little green pepper and tomato. Chili flakes & curry powder for bite. Put in the oven for about 20 mins, and om nom nom... a lovely veggie side dish. In these chilly months there is nothing more comforting than the taste of freshly baked bread to dip in piping hot soup. Luckily for me, Tapa is just round the corner, providing a delicious array of breads. Perfect for dipping into a spicy cauliflower soup.

Ingredients:

1 onion chopped
1 head of cauliflower chopped
1 carrot chopped
1-2 teaspoons of cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of curry powder
2 teaspoons harrisa paste
a generous squeeze of tomato ketchup
2 pints of veg stock
a little oil for frying

Gently fry the onion with the spices, then add the cauliflower and carrot.
Once the onions are soft, the all the veggies are coated with spices, add the stock. At this point add the tomato ketchup & harrisa paste too. Cover and simmer until the cauliflower and carrots are soft. Leave to cool for a little while.
Once cool, blend until smooth. I like a super thick blended soup, but add more stock if the consistency is too thick for you. Reheat & then serve with bread.
Finally, ever wondered what to do with the remaining cauliflower leaves & heart? Donate to a hungry guinea pig called Godber, he will be very happy!

Thai style noodle & sweet potato broth

2009-11-15T11:57:00.000-08:00

After spending the majority of the day hungover and zombie-like, a spicy tasty noodle broth is needed to perk me up and make me feel alive again!
Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped in to small pieces
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, chopped
handful of beansprouts
fresh coriander
1 teaspoon of coriander seeds, ground in a pestle and mortar
1 garlic clove - crushed
Approx 2cm grated fresh ginger
1 vegetable stock cube
10 spring onions chopped (scallions / salad onions - whatever you call them)
1 chili chopped finely
Creamed coconut (I used a 50g sachet)
Noodles (I used a super cheap 15p packet from the supermarket)
1 stick of lemongrass
Juice of 1 lime
Oil
Black pepper

In a large saucepan heat oil, gently fry the chopped onion, chili, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and ground coriander.
Make up 2 litres of vegetable stock (I just use one stock cube, so the stock flavour doesn't overpower) and add this to the onions once soft. Also add the carrots, sweet potatoes and creamed coconut, cover and leave to simmer.
Once the veggies are almost soft, add the noodles, beansprouts, lime juice and almost all the spring onions and fresh coriander. You may need to add a little bit more stock here.
After a few minutes the noodles should be soft, season with black pepper. Serve with the remaining spring onion and coriander sprinkled on top.
Relax & enjoy the goodness... and as if by magic my hangover is cured!

Butter bean stuffed Butternut squash

2009-11-07T12:10:00.000-08:00

Brrrrr... It's chilly here in Glasgow and this demands cosy warm food!

I love butter beans almost as much as I love butternut squash, here is a creation of mine combining them both, resulting in autumn-tastic food.

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash
1 small onion
100g rice (I used basmati)
about 1 pint of veggie stock (I used a veggie oxo cube)
1/2 teaspoon of harissa paste
a few broccoli florets
half a tin of butter beans
black pepper
handful of fresh coriander
50g soft goat's cheese (could use any soft cheese - like philadelphia if you wish)
a little oil

Slice the butternut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and then brush the inside flesh with a little oil. In a large oven proof dish (I use a lasagna tray) fill with about 2cm of cold water, then lay the butternut squash halves on top, skin side up. Put in a oven at about 150 degrees Celsius for about 30mins. When it is cooked the inside flesh should be super soft.

Meanwhile, chop the onion and gently brown in a little oil in a large pan. Then add the uncooked rice, stir, add the vegetable stock and the harissa paste. Cover, after about 5mins add the broccoli florets (chopped into small pieces). Cover until the rice is cooked and the stock absorbed.

Then take the rice mixture off the heat, add the butter beans and some coriander. Take the butternut squash out of the oven (carefully please - the water surrounding it will be very hot!), transfer the squash halves on to a baking tray, flesh side up. Using a spoon scoop out some of the flesh, to create hollows, adding this flesh to the rice mixture.

Now add the goat's cheese to rice mixture and give it a good stir.
Spoon this mixture into the butternut squash hollows, and top with a little black pepper. Put this under a medium grill for about 5mins & then serve.
The sweetness of the squash, combined with the creamy taste of the butter beans & goat's cheese is just delicious!

Aubergine, Tomato & Goat's Cheese Bake

2009-08-03T11:28:00.000-07:00

nom nom nom... A summery dish of aubergine, tomato and goat's cheese bake. For this you will need:

One aubergine
Two peppers
One red onion
Tomatoes ( I used 6 large plum toms)
Handful of spinach leaves
100g of hard goat's cheese chopped into chunks
One garlic clove
Handful of sunflower seeds
Black pepper & fresh herbs (I used basil, oregano & rosemary)

Aubergine is a fickle beast, when it's good - it's very, very good & when it's bad - its awful. Who hasn't had some tasteless, watery aubergine spoiling their meal - yuk! This recipe requires some prep work with the purple fella - but it is well worth it, I promise!

Firstly chop an aubergine into slices, put in a colander over a bowl, cover with salt & leave for half an hour (don't worry the aubergine will not take on the salty flavour). Then rinse the aubergine well in water and put on kitchen towel to dry off. Once they are dry (about 10 mins or so) fry the slices in a little oil to brown them and leave aside.

Chop a red onion into slices, crush garlic clove and gently cook them till the onion is soft in a little oil. Then in an ovenproof dish layer the aubergine, onion, tomato and pepper slices, spinach leaves and goat's cheese. Season with black pepper and add fresh herbs as you go along.

The last layer should be lots of tomato slices, goat's cheese, sunflower seeds (for extra bite). Cover and put in the oven on 180 degrees for about 40 minutes.
Once cooked serve with some green salad and crusty bread. You could change the cheese to your favourite and add some courgette or squash chunks if you fancy it.

Warm Paneer, Courgette & Pepper Salad

2009-06-02T15:13:00.000-07:00

This is a spicy tasty salad for summer nights. For a vegan alternative replace the paneer with tofu. Firstly make a marinade by mixing together in a large bowl...

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 inch grated ginger
1 clove garlic crushed
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
half teaspoon of mustard seeds
half teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of chilli flakes (adjust to personal preference!)
half a teaspoon of fenugreek leaves
5 cardamon pods

Add to the marinade one courgette, two peppers (I used red & yellow for colour) and about 6 spring onions (all cut into chunky pieces). Also chop up a block of paneer and add this to the marinade. Stir in to the mixture, cover and leave for about an hour. Then put into an oven proof dish, and place under a medium grill for 20mins (approx) stirring occasionally.
Serve with a simple green salad. Handy tip - take out the cardamon pods before serving, cause you really don't want to bite in to one!

Lazy Summer Puff Pastry Tarts

2009-06-01T11:44:00.001-07:00

Today the weather is hot, hot, hot. A summery, quick, easy meal is required.
Behold, Lazy Summer Puff Pastry Tarts...

Using pre-made puff pastry, roll out and cut into a rectangle and place on a lightly greased baking tray. You could make your own puff pastry - but then it wouldn't be very lazy then! Pierce the pastry with a fork, leaving a 1inch gap round the edge.

Spread some shop brought pesto (again, another lazy move) on the pierced section of the pastry. Add some chopped cherry tomatoes, basil leaves & soft goats cheese on the top. Season with black pepper. Put in the oven at about 200 degrees Celsius for about 15mins until the pastry has risen & is golden.

Serve with salads & scoff. Alternatively change the toppings to thinly sliced red onions, peppers, olives or sun dried tomatoes. Try using passata or tomato puree instead of pesto, and different types of cheese.

Parsnip, Carrot & Spinach Curry

2009-04-30T13:54:00.000-07:00

Dear blog,

I have neglected you for too long. Please accept my apologies by sharing my delicious dinner with me :)

This is a tasty meal that will use up those root veggies that are harboring at the back of the fridge (and vegan friendly).

Firstly chop 2 red onions into quite large chunks, add to a pan with hot oil, on a low-to-medium heat. Add a tablespoon of cumin seeds, teaspoon of curry powder and half a teaspoon each of turmeric and chilli powder. Add one clove of crushed garlic, one finely chopped green chilli and about 1cm of grated fresh ginger. Allow the onions to soften.

Once the onions have started to soften add one chopped parsnip & two chopped carrots. Stir and leave for a few minutes. Then add half a can of chickpeas and a couple of handfuls of spinach (roughly chopped). Give it all a big stir then add about 2 cups of water (till everything is almost covered) and a squeeze of tomato puree.

Stir once more, cover and leave on a low heat for about half an hour. During this time have a nice potter about, read a magazine, check your emails, generally just dilly-dally (though at some point remember to put some rice on!). When you return to the pan the water should have mostly disappeared & your veggies soft.Serve with boiled rice, some yogurt (just in case your chillis are fiery) and a chapati or two.

Sweet Potato & Celery Soup

2009-02-16T11:57:00.000-08:00

Simple, tasty soup (and suitable for vegans too!).
Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
about 5 celery sticks, chopped
about 600g sweet potato, peeled & chopped
1.5 litres of veg stock (I used an oxo cube)
black pepper
a little veg oil

In a large saucepan add the onions & celery to the oil, soften gently. Then add the sweet potato and black pepper.Add the stock, cover & simmer for about half an hour. The sweet potato should now be lovely and soft. Blend the soup, personally I like this soup to be super smooth, but if you prefer you could just blend half the soup. Put the soup back on the heat & ensure it is warmed through, then serve with crusty bread.

Food Glorious Food!

2009-02-16T11:54:00.000-08:00

Dear blog readers,

You destined to are to share my love of tasty veggie food. Enjoy!