Vegetarian Foods Archive

Friday evening at last. I share with you a bowl of  Cinnamon Spice Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry.  I made it  over the weekend,.  It served us well early this week for two easy warm up meals when we came in late from work.   This Cinnamon Spice Butternut Squash and Chickpea curry  recipe is actually from Prashad: Indian Vegetarian Cooking by Kaushy Patel .  All I did different was in place of some of the chickpeas I added some butternut squash to the pot.  Prashad is one of my favourite Indian Vegetarian Cuisine cookbooks and I still have to get my own copy of their last cookbook Prashad At Home .  The copy I have been shamefully hogging has been from the library. This is a mild curry, even D commented on that, but it made for a change from spicy ones that I make often.  I do think this Cinnamon Spice butternut Squash Chickpea Curry benefits from sitting and being enjoyed a day later, rather than on the day as the spices somewhat deepen the flavour of the dish.  We a

The inspiration for this Creamy Beet Rice Pudding with Pomegranate Seeds  has two sources.   The recipe idea itself  came about after a conversation with my work colleague.  She came back from town with what was supposed to be her lunch.   She says out loud to me ' I wanted a change from beetroot salad and I wanted something warm, so I have rice pudding from.. .'.  I started thinking -  Beetroot and rice pudding.   Then under her breath she grumbled and ' you still  owe me a beetroot cake'. Well still no beetroot cake for her, but did make the Creamy Beet Rice Pudding that I was imagining and rating in my head.  I was inspired further to add the Pomegranate Seeds as I had also just watched Pan's Labyrinth in readiness for Food'n'Flix. I have my own DVD of Pan's Labyrinth from Guillermo Del Toro along The Orphanage, The Devils Backbone and Cronos.  Its a dark fantasy Gothic supernatural fairytale set against the backdrop of fascist regime in Spai

I created these Parsnip White Chocolate Blondies last week during the working week, when I came home mentally exhausted and wanted some creative outlet.  I went to the kitchen and did some baking. The idea for putting parsnips in  White Chocolate Blondies came to me a little while back, when I made Parsnip , Berry and Hazelnut Crumble , Parsnip Porridge, Sweet Parsnip Pie with Edible Flowers and Parsnip Creme Brulee , but I never had time to put it into practice.   D was impatient and wanted to eat them warm, I had to smack him with the back of a wooden spoon on the hands to say be patient to let them cool down before removing from the baking tin. Truth is, wee were both impatient.  Then came the moment we had a piece each.  I marvelled at how white it was, often cakes on baking turn that rusty gold. Then I popped it into my mouth. These homemade  Parsnip White Chocolate Blondies  were not as sickly sweet as the White Chocolate Blondies I made in the past, these were just right and

This Meat Free Fruit Curry blog post came about after conversing with my vegetarian blogger friend Johanna who blogs over at Green Gourmet Giraffe.  Johanna had recenlty made a variation of Peach and Chickpea Curry  a few years back.   It was  in making that Peach and Chickpeas Curry inspired by Peach and Chickpea Curry  a few years back.   It was  in making that Peach fruit curry that both inspired and gave me the confidence last year to make a vegan Peach and Chickpea Curry  a few years back.   It was  in making that Plum Chickpea Curry with the plums that were literally falling from the garden tree .  This blog engagement with Green Gourmet Giraffe got me thinking and swiftly decide to share 13 Vegetarian and/ or Vegan Meat Free Fruit Curry Recipes and try and inspire some of you to try some of these unusual combinations, after all if we can have vegetables in desserts, puddings and cake - then I guess, why not a savoury sweet fruit curry. Yes, I am being a little self-

This Simple Roasted Beetroot and Carrot Salad was made last weekend when neither of us wanted to leave the warmth of our home. I made do with what we already had indoors: some carrots, beetroot new potatoes and red onion. As the beetroot and carrots roasted together, the beetroot infused some of its colour into the carrots almost making it look like almost like rainbow carrots.  the red onions became soft and silky and the small potatoes, golden and crisp. I finished  this Simple Roasted Beetroot and Carrot Salad off with a little drizzle of balsamic vinegar and with a gentle crumbling of soft snow feta crumbs, inspired by the snow flakes falling from the sky outside that day. I describe this as a Simple Roasted Beetroot Carrot Salad as it is hardly a recipe and mostly done by eye-balling ingredients and and to taste.  Feel free to serve it alongside some greens, in our case it was peppery rocket.  I am sharing this Carrot and Beetroot Salad to  Soups, Salads and Sammies 

Not the most exciting bowl of Arrabbiata pasta, but its simplicity is deceptive.  This Arrabbiata Pasta has half a ghost chilli aka naga jolokia .   The first time I had Arrabiata was at an authentic Italian restaurant in Scotland.  Arrabiata means 'angry' in Italian.  I chose it because I like my spices.  It was seething hot, even I found it spicy and my tolerance of chilli is high, but I also loved the sensation of the flavour combination in my mouth.   I remember the waiters watching me.  I thought it was perhaps we were the only people there that day as it was quite empty in the restaurant for a lunch hour, but afterwards wondered if they knew the Arrabiata was ridiculously hot and watched me, either to see if I'd complain or not finish it. Of course, I did neither.  The bowl was returned to them empty.   I make Arrabbiata all the time (like vegan Puttanesca and  Aglio, Olio e Peperonicino ) as its one of my go to quick evening meals when we come in from

A generous portion of   Creamy Chestnut Mushroom Blue Cheese L asagne . Lasagne is not the easiest to photograph, its a flat dish for a start. So the best way to sell it to you is with its flavours, but that is a little hard when one of the main ingredients is mushrooms and I am not big on mushrooms, but here goes....  This Creamy Chestnut Mushroom is smothered in Blue Cheese and fresh dill herb.   I actually made this  Creamy Chestnut Mushroom Blue Cheese L asagne early on in the year, when we had load of cheese left over from the Christmas and New Year - this Creamy Chestnut Mushroom Lasagne was made around the same time as the vegan Pickled Mushroom Strogonoff with Watercress .  Though it can be, this lasagne is not vegan, its made with blue cheese, milk and butter and a garnishing of fresh dill. I have to confess I don't often make Lasagnes at home that often.  It its one of those dinners that is Ds makes, like weekend breakfast or brunch and coffee made in the

If your a regular reader of my Welsh Vegetarian food blog, you will have seen laverbread featured many times, but for those of you who are not familiar with this Welsh delicacy, in a nutshell Laverbread or bara lawr   as it is known in some parts of Wales is simply cooked seaweed that has been pureed.  It has a pate like consistency, so perfect for spreading on toast.  Welsh Laverbread not to everyone's taste, but I recommend you trying it at least once if your ever in Wales, but saying that its not easy to get hold of, even for those of us who live in the Welsh valleys of Wales. Many independent high street shops like traditional green grocers and fishmongers no longer exist.  These were places where you can you could pick up fresh sea vegetables like samphire and laverbread are closing down in towns or have closed down due to economic downturn as people snub the High Street and flock to shopping malls stuck in some industrial estate, The places to get fresh laverbread these da

I made a Welsh Laverbread Bara Lawr and Leeks Risotto over the weekend with the fresh laverbread that I picked up from the market in the city of Cardiff.  By the time it came to eating, making and plating it up, it had got a little too dark for a photograph, so you will have to forgive me and imagine how the Welsh Laverbread Leeks Risotto looked.   Creamy white risotto with flecks of dark green from both sweet leeks and laverbread. It tasted lovely actually.  I liked how the laverbread clung onto the rice like a green edible rice paper.  I will definitely be making it again and hopefully the next time I will get a photograph for you. Please also check out my Welsh Rarebit Risotto Welsh Laverbread and Leeks Risotto Serves 2 Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 medium leeks (green and white parts), sliced an cleaned 200grams risotto rice 2 pints vegetable stock 2 - 4 tablespoons fresh laverbread Optional: 60grams - 100grams cheddar cheese or Vegan Alternative, grated

Another really easy lush green  Bara Lawr – Welsh Laverbread recipe. This time I decided to stir some bara lawr into a traditional hummus base.  I have also used  Bara Lawr – Welsh Laverbread Hummus as a sandwich spread.   Bara Lawr - Welsh Laverbread Hummus Your will need Ingredients 4-6 tablespoons fresh laverbread 1 x 400grams tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed 2 cloves of garlic Juice of a lemon Olive oil 1 teaspoon Tahini Salt and pepper to taste Method In a food processor blend all the ingredients to taste adding more of less oil if necessary. Previously shared Hummus Recipes on my blog Carrot Hummus  - July 2014 Beetroot Hummus  - February 2013 Wild Garlic Hummus  April 2011  Traditional Hummus  January 2010 

Wow, I really cannot believe its March and still the possibility of snow in this part of the world.   Well I am not looking forward to more cold weather, but I am looking forward to your submissions as its my turn to host the  Eat Your Green s challenge this month.   To participate this month, just post a vegan or vegetarian recipe that is made with green vegetables on your blog.  Then copy the link to the comment section below.   The deadline is the 30th March 2017. For more details  Follow this link on how to participate  just please remember to link back to the host page (this page) and co-host  The VegHog.    The use of the logo is optional, but appreciated. If you are tweeting your recipe, please use #EatYoursGreens #eatyourgreens and include @SeasonalShaheen @TheVegHog and we will retweet all those that we see.    If you want some Eat Your Greens inspiration, see what food bloggers from around the world shared in February , then check out my co-host  The Veg Hog for ins

Wales is still not popular for its vegetarian cuisine, its often seen as the land of Welsh lamb, cockles and mussels,  faggots  - a Welsh meatball made from offal and meat off-cuts.   But what many people do not know is St David, the Patron Saint of Wales was a vegetarian.  I speculate, but its possible that St David may actually have even been a vegan as he only ate bread, vegetables, herbs and only drank water.   The green green lush land of Wales has also given us leeks and laverbread. Laverbread or 'bara lawr' as it is known in these part of the Welsh valleys.  Laverbread is not actually a bread, its a seaweed, that is cooked down to a jet green paste famously described by the acclaimed Welsh actor Richard Burton as ' Welshman's caviar '.  Laverbread is often enjoyed with shellfish, buttered toast or as Laverbread Cakes .   The best laverbread comes from  Selwyn's  who are based on the beautiful shores of the Gower Peninsula.  So today for St David