Tofu Bechamel Sauce and Chilli Lasagne

Yes, Chilli Lasagne and why, I ask myself, had I not thought of it before?  Moreover, having performed a very thorough taste test last night, it is really, really good... possibly even better than Lasagne Lasagne!

The Chilli itself, which started out as just plain Chilli, before morphing into Chilli Nachos and finally Chilli Lasagne, is based on this recipe here (which I've mentioned before and will no doubt mention again), veganised with "faux" mince and vegan Worchester sauce.  The Bechamel Sauce, part of my series of "what can I do now with tofu" recipes is based on Bryanna Clark Grogan's recipe with a couple of changes made for taste and ease.

Ingredients:

1 box Mori silken tofu, with liquid
1-1.5 cup(s) soy milk
1 vegetable stock cube (dry, not diluted in liquid, I use Knorr Pots)
1 good pinch sea salt
Ground black pepper (I'm generous with mine)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp herbes de Provence
2 tbsp EVOO
2 tbsp white flour

Essentially, everything goes into a blender and is blitzed till smooth, nothing more complicated than that.  I started off with one cup of milk and added more as needed, I was looking for a double cream consistency.

You could follow the original recipe and make a flour roux, but I didn't want to be using a warm Bechamel sauce (the lasagne was being in made advance and with cold chilli) and I was too impatient to wait for it to cool.  Adding the flour to the blend and letting it cook through on a low oven for 40 minutes worked perfectly - I preferred it to my first attempt which had followed the original recipe.  The addition of a stock cube to the tofu does wonders for the flavour, something that I wanted to enhance with the herbs and pepper.  It also cooks well, and whilst you don't get the traditional cheese laden top, the gorgeous gooey white sauce/mince mix is still there and, in this case, made all the more moreish thanks to the subtle heat of the chilis and gorgeous rich, smoky sauce.

This is one recipe definitely worth a try :o)

Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip goes Vegan

Thanks again to France, where I was eating lots of artichoke hearts in my salads, I decided to try and veganise a firm favourite of ours, Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip, to take to a BBQ that we were having with the B's.

It was the lovely Mrs B that first introduced us to it, following a holiday in Florida, and her dip is legendary. Truly, legendary. I couldn't hope to emulate its glorious melty-cheesy-tasticness, but I was pretty certain that I could create a good alternative, especially now that I have got the whole Sour Cream thing nailed!  I googled a few recipes and settled on a version of one from Fettle Vegan, which goes something like this:

Ingredients:

1 piece whole wheat bread

1 tsp vegan butter

1 medium onion, finely sliced

1 tbsp EVOO

1 can butter beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup tofu based sour cream (follow the link above)

1/4 cup water

1 tsp seasalt

1/4 tsp dried basil

1/8 tsp red chilli flakes

6 clives garlic, minced

4 good handfuls baby spinach

1 can artichoke hearts

I preheated the oven to 180C.  

In a blender I blitzed the bread and vegan butter, then set aside in a bowl.  Back to the blender, I added the beans and blitzed them till mostly smooth, before adding the water, basil, chilli flakes and 3 tbsps of the sour cream and blitzing to combine.  In a large, non-stick frying pan, I added the EVOO and onion and cooked for 5 minutes, added the garlic and cooked for another couple and then added the artichokes.  These I did not pre-chop, but broke down gently into halves or quarters (size depending) with the back of my wooden spoon as the heat worked its way through them.  Then I added the baby spinach and cooked through till it had wilted.  I took the pan off the heat, stirred in the bean mixture, 3/4 of the bread crumbs and the rest of the sour cream.  This was then transferred to a baking dish (I have a 6" round, 6" deep dish which is just perfect) and topped it with the last of the breadcrumbs.

I baked this in the oven for 20 minutes before going to the B's and another 15 once we were there.

As it was, Mrs B had made a dish too so we had a bit of a dip-off!  Dip chips in hand, the lovely boyf nominated himself "Chief Taster" and set about the challenge with gusto.  It's safe to say that I didn't embarrass myself.  Paraphrasing badly, his review went something like this: "Darling, this is good!  Full of texture and you can taste all the different flavours." The "Mrs B, yours is just..... GREAT!", complete with smacked lips and a touch of salivating, said it all however, I did not manage to match the gloriousness of her melted, stringy-cheese-filled magic dip!  

As with all things vegan, especially if you don't try to include a cheese substitute, it's never going to be an exact match.  This is however, a lovely nod to the original.  I deliberately tried to maximise the texture and flavour and I was very pleased with the results.  Yep, Mrs B wins hands down when her dip is sharing bar space, but it was unanimously agreed (by 5 self-confessed Mrs B dip addicts (myself included)) that this could stand beside it and, on its own, wouldn't be refused either.  I call it a win ;O)

Neither lasted long enough for a photo either... I'll have to make another bowl; BBQ anyone?

Pickled Garlic, a little taste of France

If I had to list my five favourite ingredients, garlic would be there, probably in the top three and one of the real treats of our little trip to France last month was a pot of pickled garlic cloves that I picked up at the market.  Home and unable to find anything comparable, I decided to make my own.  The recipe is based on this, with a couple of changes as I wanted to try a sweeter pickle juice.

Ingredients: enough for a jam jar's worth

1 cup white wine vinegar and Asda's Apple Dressing (a lovely blend of white vinegar, white grape and apple juices) - approx. half a cup each

1 cup dry white wine (I chose a "crisp and fruity" Italian Trebbiano Rubicone)

A pinch each of red chilli flakes and herbes de provence

1 pinches each of dried rosemary and sea salt

2 dried bay leaves

10 whole peppercorns
3 tsps of granulated sugar
4-5 bulbs of garlic

The jam jar was washed and steralised in the oven (100C for 15-20 minutes and left to cool) whilst I peeled my cloves... which reminds me, I learnt a lovely phrase in France; "en chemise" which means "unpeeled" but which I couldn't help but think of quite literally, and couldn't help but laugh, as I imagined lots of little prawns (which were on the menu at the time) or in this case, garlic bulbs, in their undergarments!  It is the kind of job that gets equally tedious and addictive but well worth the effort.  Into a heavy based pan I put all the other ingredients, brought it to the boil for 5 minutes and then put the garlic in for another 30-40 seconds.  The garlic and pickling juice were instantly transferred to the jar and left to cool before being put in the fridge.  I tried a piece before I put it in the fridge, soft on the outside and crunchy in the middle; I prefer my garlic soft all the way through so will have to see if that comes with time and absorption... I have a week or so to wait.  I have since seen other recipes that cook the garlic for longer, the perfect excuse to try again if these are not quite as I would like!  

Yes, I misread the recipe and picked the garlic out again!

In the meantime, the leftover pickling juice makes a lovely light and fragrant salad dressing, an unexpected secondary treat.

Butternut Squash, Leek and Spinach Lasagne with Vegan Cheese Sauce

The vegan sour cream experiment continues... sour cream sussed, the next "I need to get it sorted" was a good "cheese" sauce for lasagne.  This is based on a recipe from Jamie Oliver and a "cheezy" sauce recipe.  I would post a picture showing you just how good it looked but we were far too busy demolishing it to stop and pose for photos.  It went down well.

The recipe goes something like this:

Chop 1kg butternust squash into 3" cubes, put on a baking tray with a good sprinkle of EVOO, salt and pepper and over bake at 190C for an hour.  Set aside.

Slice 4 leeks, add to a pan with a tbsp of EVOO and saute (with the lid on) for 10 minutes till soft.  Add 200gms spinach and stir in till wilted.  Add tofu cheese sauce (see below) and set aside.

Cheat and buy a large jar of Dolmio Lasagne Sauce!  And fresh lasagne sheets; they cook better than dry in this recipe.

Tofu Cheese Sauce:
1/2 small Red Onion
1 medium clove Garlic
1/2 tbsp EVOO
1 pkt Silken Tofu (firm)
Soya Milk
1 tbsp Arrowroot
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Turmeric
Black Pepper

I blitzed the onion and garlic in the blender till fine and the added all the other ingredients except the milk. This was then blitzed till smooth and enough milk added at the end to thin it to a single cream consistency.  All but 4-6 tbsps of the sauce was then stirred into the leek and spinach mixture.

Building the lasagne:
Spread 1/4 of the Dolmio sauce on the base of the pasta dish.  Lay the first layer of pasta sheets down.  Cover these with 1/3 of the leek and spinach mix and then press 1/3 of the squash pieces into it.  Pour 1/4 of the Dolmio sauce over this and then add a second layer of pasta.  Repeat this process and when you reach the third layer of pasta pour the last of the Dolmio sauce on top and the remaining cheese sauce.  Mix these two gently together and grate a little black pepper on top.

Oven bake, with tin foil on top for 15 minutes (20 if the pasta is dried) at 190C and a further 15 (20) minutes with the foil removed.

Enjoy.  We did!

Vegan Sour Cream, part 2

Yes, were sour cream in concerned, there can be a part 2... in my world there could easily be a parts 3, 4 and 5 if you let me!  The reason for part two is simple, I have perfected the recipe and it is this:

1 package of Mori Nu Silken Tofu (firm)
2 tbsp EVOO
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp Salt

Blend all till smooth and enjoy!

It looks like this:

and works great in twice-baked potato with spring onions.

See.

Sour Cream, especially the utterly guilt free kind, rocks!

Vegan Sour Cream/Lemon Cheesecake Recipe.. and a good Chilli to try too

The lovely boyf commented the other day that he misses cooking now that its mainly a meat-free affair.   I know what he means, cooking no-meat, no-dairy (especially the no-dairy part) is a whole new frontier, especially when it comes to "veganising" some of the former regulars like, as in this example, sour cream.  He is a great cook too, and I had forgotten, until I was snuggled on the sofa under a pile of pooches catching up on the episode of Hannibal that I fell asleep during, how nice it is to savour the smells of someone cooking for you.

Earlier in the day I'd popped into our local garden centre, which is having a Chilli Festival, and picked up some Habaneros, thinking of a chilli, based on this recipe that I had found.  It was easy to veganise (tofu beef and HP/soy sauce for the Worcester) and looked good and tasty, so I left him to it and crawled onto the sofa :o)

Just before the snuggling though (not to be completely left out of the kitchen!) I made some tofu sour cream based on this recipe by the Vegan Epicurean.  It caught my eye because of the lemon and we certainly loved the taste, light and fresh (I initially used 2tsps lemon juice and ¼ large lemon zest) with the chilli which was in itself amazing; full of flavour and with a lovely kick, it is a new firm favourite.  

The next day, however, the leftover sour cream was a revelation.  It had thickened in the fridge overnight into a wonderfully smooth mousse with a delicate lemony taste.  I added another tsp each of lemon and agave and just over another ¼ of the lemon zest, let it sit a second night in the fridge and I have a no-bake lemon cheesecake filling.  It is glorious... rich, creamy, lemony and just how I remember lemon cheesecakes to be!  I have tried many a vegan cheesecake recipe and none have come close to this.   

There wasn't much left, and it didn't last long, but I know the perfect people to try it out on properly... the lovely Mr and Mrs B will be getting an invite to dinner soon.  Chilli and Cheesecake.  Yum, yum, yum.

Being Vegan...

is a rollercoaster ride!  Becoming vegan has been something of a journey.  

As some of you may know, it started out based on medical need. The wonky thyroid did not like meat; its consumption was causing me all sorts of stomach issues and they, in turn, caused other issues, it was a vicious circle.  It wasn't a terribly difficult, physical, move to become vegetarian, I'd always been ethically minded about the meat we ate (free range, organic, certified, local etc.) and consequently ate less than most people do anyway.  The mental move was that bit harder; we may not have eaten much meat, but I love to cook, I love to eat, and the textures and flavours of the meat I chose to use were a great part of that.  I will still get the odd craving for a good rare steak, but they are rarer and rarer and, put one in front of me, I couldn't eat it now.  What has happened, and pretty much of it's own accord, is that I became morally minded too. Yes, at the start, I read a couple of books and became very passionate about some facts... the environmental impact of our current meat consumption and what it means for the planet and us still astounds me, and I can't understand why more people don't want to change their eating habits based on those facts alone, I digress... but the mental shift happened very much without a great deal of self lecturing from me.  Somewhere, deep down, there has been an understanding that this is the right thing to do; an anchor point that not only keeps me steady but makes it so easy to feel anything but hard done by!  Its not hard to explain but it seems to be the hardest thing for some other, non veggie, folk to understand.  Having eaten, and loved eating it, not eating meat suddenly becomes a very obvious thing to do.  Mentally, my shift from veggie to vegan happened months before the physical one, complicated by a Drs insistence that I would do myself more harm than good if I stopped eating dairy.  Scarily, there are a great many people who will tell you that vegetarianism can cause hypothyroidism and more than once I've been told I am doing myself more harm than good.  All I can say is that if they looked at me then and now, their argument, in my case, is meritless.  By taking the path I have, I've helped medicines that didn't work for  me actually start to do their job.  Nothing is perfect, nothing ever is, but I feel like I have my life and, more importantly, my self back.  With the dairy, I took it slowly, slowly cutting out everything but cheese (another foible) and educated myself on the alternatives (as I have to moderate my soya intake, thanks again to wonky) and then one day I just stopped, and I'm not looking back!

The greatest thing about the way I eat now is the freedom that it brings; another hard-to-understand for some. The freedom comes in two very different forms: the first, lack of choice, is surprisingly freeing. Yes, menus are very short and sweet, but I spend all that time not choosing enjoying the experience instead.  Try going into a restaurant sometime determined to pick a main course based on one ingredient (chicken or pasta or vegetarian) and there's so much less to think about.  In this crazy, busy world, that fast becomes a blessing!  The other freedom is the exact opposite; at home, cooking, I have never felt freer or eaten as well.  Especially on a vegan diet, we not only eat but experiment and play with our food, it is genuinely exciting to discover what can be done.  Also, in a  meat-free kitchen I have found that a great deal less goes to waste.  Planning meals is also much less necessary, I will always have a few dishes I want to make but if we decide to go out for dinner every night instead, or if I change my mind about what to cook, there is always something that can be done without worrying about food going to waste and with a lot less "oh I just need this" trips to the supermarket too.  With the focus moved away from the meat, and firmly back to its former accompaniments, we are discovering new tastes and ways to cook all the time and the effect on the 11yr old has also been a joy to see.  She is still a meatie out of the house, but she is exploring food and cooking again; baking when she comes home from school, or grilling me about how I plan to cook the dinner and making suggestions of her own.  What she chooses to eat will be her choice, but it is a pleasure to see her so engaged and enthused.

Which brings me to the reason for this whole ramble... garlic sautéed savoy cabbage and peas in couscous.  One part leftover, one part panic grab from the cupboard, it would never have occurred to me a few months ago but is utterly delicious and my new lunchtime favourite.

Texture, flavour, colour and (great) taste... sunshine in a bowl, vegan-stylie ;o)

Surprise!! It's a Wine Bottle Cheesecake!

We did it, my co-conspirators and I, we surprised the lovely boyf for his 30th!  It was a risky proposition, the boyf says he doesn't like surprises, and I'd never organised a surprise party before.  We have been planning for months and have had a few gulp moments.  But, even though the game was first given away less than 24 hours after we started (never mind the second, third, fourth and fifth times!), nothing was ever said that gave him too much of a clue and I think he was genuinely delighted.

It could never have happened without a lot of help and plotting (thank you all, you know who you are) and wouldn't have been as successful if it wasn't for all the good folk who were able to attend.  It was a really good gathering of family and friends, old and new, and as much a pleasure to see people meeting and catching up as it was to see the look on the boyf's face when he first walked in. 

Of all the decorative things (the invitation, the large number 30 poster with suitably embarrassing photos etc.) my favourite was the "cake": the result of the latest collaboration between the lovely Mrs B and I.  We have a history of birthday cakes, mainly my mad ideas and her mad skills, and this was no exception.  The boyf is not a fan of cake so the first plan was a cake of cheeses but they are mainly tiered, weddingy, creations and so it needed a little something else.  What better then, for my cheese and wine loving boyf, than a "vintage" all of his very own.

The Wine Bottle Cheesecake

A dozen firm cheeses (plus two for decoration), a 7cm circular cutter, lots of muscle (Mrs B's, not mine!),  a wine bottle long wooden skewer, a sharp knife, four pins, candles, a bunch of grapes and a personalised wine label later... one wine bottle cake.  11 layers formed the bottle, a mixture of deeper flat rounds for stability and some thinner, more interesting, angled layers.  The top layer we cut with the round and then "curved" with a sharp knife. The bottle neck was 5 layers, cut from a single piece of cheese with a knife, using a screw cap from a wine bottle as a template.  We skewered the neck pieces together first and then slowly pushed the skewer down the length of the bottle.  It would probably have been fine without, but we decided to take no chances.  A cheese board base, with a Stilton to hold the candles, a Lancashire Bomb because it's everyones new favourite and some artfully arranged grapes finished it all off nicely.

The lovely Mrs B artistically arranges the grapes!

Surprisingly simple, very effective, and demolished in minutes... so quickly that the boyf never actually got a taste!

Red Thai Root Vegetable and Lentil Curry

I took the lovely boyf out to dinner last Saturday, with our friends the Bs.  A gorgeous little restaurant with only 20 covers, designed to make you feel like you were eating at home albeit a very, very nice home with fabulously attentive hosts!  They knew in advance that I don't eat meat and dairy and did me proud, not only was the food delicious, but my meals matched the other options, how lovely not to feel like the odd foodie out.  And the "only 1 bottle left" wine list was a real treat, the boys took it as a challenge and Mrs B and I thoroughly enjoyed having a taste too.  To top it all off, it snowed in March, and we ended the meal watching huge, beautiful flakes fall outside through a proper "picture window".  Perfect evening.

This dish is inspired by my main course, our host kindly gave enough tips to start me off.  It's not exactly as his was, I think I would need a homemade red Thai paste for that, and I've added in my latest great find, fish free king prawns.

Red Thai Root Vegetable and Lentil Curry (serves 4)

Mixed root vegetables (I used 2 carrots, 8 baby parsnips and 5 new potatoes) washed and chopped to approx. a 1 cm dice

240g Puy Lentils

3 tbsp Red Thai Paste

400ml Coconut Milk

1 tbsp sugar

EVOO

Prawns (if using)

The lentils went into a pan with 3 times as much water, brought to the boil and simmered for 20-25 minutes, until soft but not mushy. They were then strained and set aside.

Once chopped the vegetables were also brought to the boil and simmered until just soft.  Once strained, they were also put to one side.

In a large pan, I warmed 3 tbsps of EVOO and then cooked the prawns for 10-15 minutes, set them aside and added the vegetables, lightly frying them. 

Once they had some colour, I added the red Thai paste and the prawns, stirred them all through for a couple of minutes and then added the lentils and the coconut milk.  This simmered for a further 5 minutes before I stirred the sugar through and served.

I forgot coriander but, had I had some, would have also stirred a chopped handful of that through the dish before serving.

It was a lovely meal, warm and gently spiced, filling too - perfect for eating in front of the fire on what was another snowy evening.  The dish from Saturday had more clarity, less of a creamy sauce, which may have been due to a low fat rather than regular coconut milk, or more oil in a homemade red paste, but the flavours were spot on and the prawns a nice touch.  Its also been added to the "again" list by both the boyf and the 11yr old, hurrah! because I loved it!

Risotto Smash

This week has been all about dairy free and I have really enjoyed cooking our dinners.  This recipe has been pottering around the back of my mind all week and I decided to test it out tonight on the lovely boyf; a welcome home present of sorts.

Risotto Smash.

2 shallots, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
200g carnaroli rice
White wine
1.25l vegetable stock
EVOO

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 small savoy cabbage, finely sliced
400g tin butter beans
Soya spread
1tbsp mixed fresh herbs (I used sage, chives, parsley and thyme), finely chopped
Salt and pepper

First, I brought the stock to the boil before reducing it to a simmer, ready to add to the risotto.

To make the risotto, I lightly sauteed the shallots in olive oil for 5 minutes before adding the garlic for another minute of two.  I added the rice and cooked it for a a minute before adding a generous splash of white wine and cooking it out.  I then add 2 ladles of stock at a time, letting it cook out before adding more and stirring the risotto 3-4 times each addition.

As the risotto was cooking, I added the broccoli to salted boiling water and cooked for 5 minutes before adding the drained, and rinsed, butter beans.  After another couple of minutes, I added the cabbage and cooked it for a further 5 minutes.  The vegetables were then strained, returned to the pan with a good knob of soya spread and left to stand for a couple of minutes.  Finally, the chopped herbs were added, I seasoned it well and roughly mashed it all.

The risotto was plated with a well in the middle, which I filled with the vegetable smash and everything seasoned with pepper again.

The butter beans and herbs were lovely accents to to the smash, their earthiness softened by the gentler flavours of the broccoli and cabbage, and the creamy and tangy risotto worked really well as a base to the subtler flavours of the smash.  Delish!  I've been picking at the leftover smash all night...

And, if I actually leave any, I can't wait for a plate of reheated smash bubble and squeak for breakfast tomorrow with the latest double yolker on top.

Yuck, chicken!

It has become the stuff of legend in our house that, when the lovely boyf goes on his annual January trip to California (or, as is the case this year, Florida), those of us left behind fall foul to illness, accidents, irritations and general catastrophes ;o)

And so it is, not more than two days since he left, that I find that both the dogs have got upset stomachs.  The dobe's I can put down to the meds for her leg and, possibly also, the whole egg (shell and all) that she helped herself to from the coop yesterday morning.  The little one, who is suffering worse, I have no idea about... why, after all, would it be easy?

Switching out their usual food for a day of chicken and rice was a good first step; buying and cooking it in my now vegetarian kitchen wasn't!  The whole drive to the supermarket was spent trying to work out what type of chicken I was going to get - really, it was a major discussion point.  Luckily I tend to agree with myself and we went for diced, organic on the basis that there would be less touching required and, whilst it may seem a little daft for a pair of dogs, the quality of life of the chicken before it got diced was more important than the cost.  The meat aisle was horrible, I can do meat in small quantities but not longer en masse; the smell just gets right to me; and as for the deciding what to cook it in and with....  good lord, there has never been so much fussing!  Thanks mainly to Finn trying to climb my leg and Megs' endless anticipatory whining, I finally went for old non-stick, plastic implements and everything got washed right afterward.   What a palaver, I really am turning into a proper veggie ;o)  Lets hope it at least does the job!

In recompense, the rest of the day has been entirely vegan and dinner was a wonderful mix of HFW's leeks and cabbage in curried coconut milk; roasted cauliflower and rice.

The 11 yr old gasped when I put the plate down and said it was too beautiful to eat, I can't argue with that but went for seconds anyways :o)  We followed it up with sugared Russet apples, her invention, and an episode of Glee; perfect Sunday girls' night in.

Now, if we can have happy tums and I can think of something "just as good" for dinner tomorrow (chips and beans?!), and this is the full extent of the goings on before the boyf's return on Thursday, I will be a happy camper.  I wonder if it's going to snow, as predicted, tonight? 

The Herbarium, a tutorial of sorts

Thinking about what to get my Dad for Christmas whilst also idly musing about keeping herbs in the kitchen over the winter gave me an idea to make a modern, herby version of a terrarium, a Herbarium.  Now I'm sure most of you don't need a tutorial on how to make a terrarium - especially if you're my age and have fond memories of them from your childhood. Sure, you can debate pebbles, gravel, activated charcoal but they are more a matter of taste I think than  necessity.  As long as there is some drainage and a light, well-draining soil, anyone can make a terrarium.  All that said, I was taking photos as I went along and really loved them, especially of the pebbles, so here it is, my tutorial:

I chose a mix of pebbles and gravel as drainage, both were rinsed thoroughly first in a colander before being layered in a glass vase.  I found a lovely rectangular shaped one in IKEA, a far more modern take on the old skool green bottle terrariums of memory!

I didn't bother with activated charcoal; I don't think it does much in terms of helping with drainage, as long as you don't overwater I think that the double gravel layer works well.  I would expect to refresh the herbarium once every so often to trim roots, replace the soil and at that point clean the gravel and pebbles through.  For the soil layer I chose a fine, well draining soil.  I could have added sand to the mix but I was happy with it as it was.  As it's a winter herbarium I planted sage (sage and chestnut soup, oh yes!), lemon thyme (always) and parsley (a good all-rounder).  You can't overplant otherwise you'll end up with an overgrown mess, hence the basil hovering in the background, but I was happy to put large sage and parsley in as they should be being used regularly and therefore trimmed back.

Yep, I made two, I couldn't resist!  The garden centre grows an amazing selection of herbs in the spring and I plan to refresh them next year with some funky new additions.  My herbarium is now the new centerpiece for dining room table, a perfect accompaniment to dinner.

Orange and Green Soup

Is definitely/maybe on the Halloween menu this year.  It was inspired (if you can call it that!) by the leftover butternut squash necks, a lonely carrot and two sweet potatoes that had, quite honestly, seen better days!  I sauteed one finely chopped onion, added my pealed and chopped motley crew of orange vegetables, half a dozen new potatoes (peeled and diced), a vegetable stock cube and enough water to cover.  I seasoned it, added  a good handful of fresh thyme (also a leftover) and a slug of white wine for good measure!  Brought to the boil, the heat was reduced to a simmer for 15-20 minutes until all the vegetables were soft.  I then blended the soup until smooth.  Orange soup. 

The green soup is technically a puree.  One cup of frozen peas and one cup of chopped french beans were added to slightly salted, lightly boiling water and cooked until tender. They were drained and the water retained.  Returned to the pan, I added a small knob of margarine and blended them to a medium-coarse puree.  This was then thinned to approximately half it's original density by adding the retained cooking water a tbsp at a time and blending further.  Green soup puree.

And serve.  Orange soup first, followed by three-four dessert spoons of green soup on top; rather like you would add cream or creme fraiche.  I wanted to then stir the two together, marbling them, but my two wanted to do that themselves, so I seasoned with more pepper and served with buttered soda bread.

We loved the combination of sweet and savoury and the contrasting textures.  For a last minute throw together, this soup was a real treat.  I'm tempted to thin the green puree further, till is is more of a soup consistency and then serve it layered on top of the orange soup.  Certainly going to play with ideas for it for Halloween.

Cheesy Leek Stuffed Squash

I have an idea for the food for our Halloween party and am testing various recipes.  This wasn't one of them, but it may well be... it's Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Squash Stuffed with Leeks.  I couldn't get anything other than butternuts (to be fair, I would look harder if it was for a party and not just Tuesday's dinner) but it was pretty obvious, as soon as I'd chopped the stem off and scooped them out that they would make great, edible, Halloween Lanterns.

The filling is leeks, crème fraiche and Gruyere with mustard, seasoning and fresh thyme. 

It's a lovely dinner, I assumed that it would be very rich but the squash cut through the filling very nicely.  It was filling but a great dealer lighter than I thought it would be.  For the party we could have a selection of squashes and fillings... I feel a google coming on. 



The only question is how to carve a face out of my "pumpkin" but I think the boyf has got the answer; score the skin prior to cooking and then peal it away when they come out of the oven.  I'm going to have to work another stuffed squash dinner into my new monthly meal plan!

A foodie diversion... Snow Pea Salad and Vegan Nutella

I couldn't resist pictures of this salad, all thanks to the Cowgirl Chef.  Stir-fried Snow Peas, or in my case, Sweet Peas are a revelation.  I'd be lying if I didn't say that this takes some cooking, but it is a salad well worth (the effort and) trying, I added some cous cous too (we were a little short on quinoa) and you won't get the full experience without the dreessing... so don't skimp on it!

And this is for my good friend L, as promised my first vegan Nutella recipe.

2 cups roasted hazelnuts with as much of the skin removed as possible

1/3 cup cocoa powder, I used dark for this recipe, would try it again with a vegan "milk" chocolate powder for a more Nutella-brand taste

1/3 cup agave nectar (1/4 cup with a sweeter cocoa).

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup non-dairy milk, I used almond, but would try coconut for added sweetness.

1-2 tsp olive oil.

Once the hazelnuts were cooled, I ground them to fine in my blender.  I then added everything else, bar the olive oil and blitzed till smooth.  I can't get my blender to blend to a totally smooth paste, but I like the tiny bits of ground hazelnut, it feels more authentic!  I then slowly added the olive oil, to loosen the paste as it was very thick and will thicken some more in the fridge.  You could also use more milk to thin it a little.

It is glorious, rich, adult Nutella and glorious on warm toast... such a shame the 11yr old isn't that keen and will "wait for the Nutellary one" :o)

I'm also thinking that this would be just amazing with chilli in it... or vodka... and I know just the people to try it on!

Barbecued Corn Cobs and Mango Salsa

Much as I liked Florida, I have to say that I was stunned at the lack of vegetarian food options available.  Whilst the lovely folk were perusing huge menus, laden with delicious options, I invariably ended up with deep fried cheese and iceburg lettuce salad!  Now feel free to call me fussy, but I love (and I mean LOVE) my food, have been spoilt rotten by our cooking at home, and was soon pretty despondent at the thought of another meal out, asking for another meat-filled salad to be de-meated!  Yes, I had a huff; yes it wasn't pretty, or grownup of me; and yes, I have wonderful friends who took to the iPad and researched restaurants and their menus in advance (things improved greatly) and also cooked some great veggie BBQs.

I'd heard about baking corn cobs in hot coals and so one night we tried an alternative version on our gas-run Weber (it had, and needs to have, a lid).  It's utterly simple, gorgeous to watch, taste and smell, and was worthy of some pictures.

Barbecued Corn Cobs

Corn Cobs, in their skins

Butter/Margarine

Salt

Pepper

Gently peal back the husks of the cobs as low as you can without breaking them.  Remove the "hairs" of the cob, as these will burn whilst cooking.  Spread the corn liberally with butter/margarine and season well.  Re-lay the husks back on the corn, covering the kernels to keep them from burning (though the odd burnt section is surprisingly tasty!)  Lay the cobs on a hot BBQ and lower the lid.  Our Weber had a thermometer and registered 350F whilst cooking; but it is a recipe that can be done by sight, smell and touch (the cobs feel softer to the touch when cooked - rather like an unripe mango or avocado).  We cooked ours for 30-40 minutes and then left them to rest on a plate and in their skins for a further 30 minutes before eating.  Peel and remove the skins and dive in.  Warm and buttery (but not dripping down your chin), they are the perfect finger food!

Inspired by a particularly lovely Mexican restaurant we went to, as an accompaniment to our Corn Cobs and various other bits and pieces, I also made a quick Mango Salsa.

Mango Salsa (serves 4-6)

1 fresh mango

1 red pepper

3-4 tomatoes

Fresh flatleaf parsley

Juice of 1 lime

Salt

Pepper

Finely chop the mango and tomatoes, dice the red pepper.  Mix in a bowl with a handful of roughly chopped parsley, the juice of a lime and season with salt and pepper.  Ideally, this could rest in a fridge for an hour or so, to let the juices mingle.  Serve and enjoy.

Just delicious, proper sunshine food, both of them... and yes, I would now like to buy a gas BBQ!

Kale and Onion Pizza

This my new most absolute favourite thing to eat; I'd even throw in an ironic "EVER!", all thanks again to Mr Fearnley Whittingstall.  I'm not good with doughs, but even I can manage this, so the whole pizza is made from scratch.  

Hugh and I agree, it seems, about many things, pizza dough being one of them; thin, light and crispy is the only way to go.  The dough recipe I follow faithfully and it really is as adaptable and freezable as he promises.  

With regards the topping, I've played with the quantities slightly.  Amounts are per pizza (one third of the dough) and serves 2-3 (2 in our house!)

1-2 tbsps oil

1 large onion, finely sliced

100-150gms curly kale

Sea salt and ground pepper 

Grated cheddar cheese

Heat the oil, add the onions and fry gently until well softened and starting to colour.  Add the kale; approximately two-thirds the amount of onion.  Cook for at least another 5 minutes, until the kale is well wilted.  Season well.  Spread over the pizza base and finely grate the cheese on top; until a shop-bought pizza, this does not want or need to be smothered in cheese.  It's a accompaniment, not the defining characteristic!

Put the pizza in a preheated, hot oven (min 220C, 250C if your oven goes that high) for 10-12 minutes.

And there you have it; 8 slices of crunchy, oniony, cheesy heaven on a perfectly crisp base. The kale is reminiscent of crispy fried seaweed that you get in Chinese restaurants (also a favourite of mine) and who doesn't love fried onions!

HFW's recipe has less onion, more kale and includes garlic.  I have made this a couple of times now and, as much as I love garlic, I don't like it with the kale.  I'm going to try versions with parmesan  and goats cheese.

Nettle Soup

When you nearest neighbours are six feet under, nettles (at least in the UK) are regular garden intruder!  The fence that borders the graveyard is does little to keep the nettles at bay and they would quite happily take over the flower bed if I didn't keep the in check each week.  It always seemed something of a waste to bin them, so when I read Hugh F-W's recipe for Nettle Soup in the paper at the weekend, I decided to give it a try... afterall, we've happily followed him down every other culinary path that he's lead us of late!

It was very satisfying picking the nettles in my yellow Marigolds and I followed the recipe pretty much to the letter except for the addition of an extra leek, 50gms of baby spinach leaves and, once the soup was blended, approx. 500gms of new Garden Peas - the smaller and sweeter the better.  I added them in, frozen, at the end and the gently reheated the soup.  Oh, and I used soya margarine instead of butter, veg stock, not chicken, and left out the yoghurt.  I served it with "buttered" granary bread, grated cheese for the veggies and a generous twist of black pepper.  It is utterly delicious, I couldn't recommend it more... only downside, there just wasn't enough and I now find myself eyeing up nettles wherever I walk!  

PS It's good cold too!

Herby Tuna Dog Biscuits

Now that we are finally running low on liver biscuits, I decided to see what else was in the cupboard and make Megs some new ones... plus I can't work my way back up to liver again so soon!  Tuna seemed an easier option.

Megs' Herby Tuna Biscuits

1 tin Tuna in Sunflower Oil
450gms Allisons Wholewheat Flour with Seeds and Oats
6 tbsps EVOO
1 tsp dried Oregano
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
4 Sage leaves, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 180C.  Put all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix on a medium speed.  Your dough will look crumbly (large crumbly) but holds enough moisture to shape once you handle it.  

Crumbly tuna biscuit mixture.

I formed my dough into flattened balls again, Megs seems to like them and I was being lazy!  I got 24 1.5" balls out of the mixture.

I baked them in the oven for 25 minutes, then turned it off and opened the door by an inch or two.  I will leave them in there till the morning to harden.  For softer biscuits, take them out to cool after the 25 minutes.

Vegan/Veggie Alternative: to make a meat free version I would mix all of the other ingredients and crumble or cube tofu into the mixture at the end, mixing it in gently with a spoon.  To account for the oil in the tuna, you may also need to add another tbsp oil.  Next time we have some tofu going spare I'm going to make them.

Based on the soundtrack of endless whining from my new shadow Megs as I made the biscuits, I think these will be popular.  We'll see tomorrow morning...

19th March... they look good and Megs likes them, only slight issue is that they crumble... we need to keep the dustpan handy!

Nut Cheese Conchiglie with a Spicy Tomato Sauce

I wanted an excuse to a) make another Nut Cheese and b) do something really good with the packet of Conchiglie pasta that has been lurking in the back of the cupboard for a couple of months now... I am mighty pleased with the results.

Three Nut Cheese.

This is an adaption of my previous recipe, just a couple of tweaks to make it better!  I also made A LOT this time, some for the stuffed pasta shells recipe that I have floating round in my head and some for just plain eating and enjoying.

500gms Cashews, Macadamias and Slivered Almonds (I had 250gms of cashews and equal amounts of the other two), soaked overnight in water

120-180ml Oatley Creamer (an vegan alternative to Soya with a more neutral, less sweet taste, I love this stuff!)

8tbsp lemon juice

6 tbsp EVOO

6 tbsp mixed herbs (I combined a tbsp. each of dried Basil, Oregano and Parsley with chopped fresh Rosemary, Sage and Thyme)

2tbsp Nutritional Yeast

1tsp Agave Nectar

Good pinch Salt (1/2 tsp or so)

Black Pepper, to taste

Chopped chives to serve

Once soaked, I drained and blitzed the nuts (in batches) until finely ground.  Each batch I transferred into a large bowl and the added the rest of the ingredients, mixed well and seasoned to taste.  I added the Oatley Creamer last and slowly, building up the texture and creaminess of the cheese: at 120ml I had a bonded but dryish cheese and at 180ml it was far creamer.

As the previous recipe had mixed all the ingredients in the blender I transferred a small amount back and blitzed it again but honestly could not discern any greater smoothness in texture.  The initial grind is important to ensure fineness, if this is done thoroughly enough you don’t need to repeat it. 

When I serve or use the cheese I add chopped chives to garnish; I don’t add them before as I don’t like the change in taste if they sit in the cheese too long.

As I don’t have a big blender, this was a far quicker and easier way to make a larger amount of the cheese.  I like the taste and texture of the additional nuts and the less nectar/nutritional yeast/more (fresh) herbs combination.

In celebration of a job well done, I lathered some on toast… there may just be some left to cook with later!

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Spicy Tomato Sauce.

2 x 400ml tins chopped Tomatos

3 tbsp thyme leaves

1.5 cups frozen Peas
1tbsp Vino Cotto

1 tsp Chilli Flakes 

Season to taste

I blended all of the ingredients, except the peas, together.  Then added the peas and warmed them through.

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Nut Cheese Conchiglie with a Spicy Tomato Sauce.

500gms Conchiglie Pasta

Nut Cheese, two thirds of the amount made above

Spicy Tomato Sauce

Cook the pasta until pliable but not cooked through, strain and leave to cook.

Mix another 80-100ml of Oatley creamer into the Nut Cheese, along with 2-3 tbsps of fresh chopped Sage, Chives and Thyme.  Season well.  

Blend with a handheld blender until smooth.  Spoon the nut cheese into the pasta shells, approx. 1 tsp per shell and lay in an ovenproof dish.

Pour the sauce over the pasta.  Top with grated (vegan) cheese if desired and bake in a pre-heated 200C oven for 30 minutes.  Serve with warm garlic bread and salad.