Vegetarian Foods Archive

Well, if you hadn't guessed it, I jacked in Veganuary.  I have been doing it loyally since the campaign began and have proved to myself in the past that I can maintain a vegan diet for a month and it doesn't have to be for the New Year resolution month of January, the challenge for me in the future is will it be longer?! And the reasons for doing so have to be genuine, not a gimmick to get blog hits or retweets.  So what really happened?!     Well I  I went out for a proper vegetarian experience and that's when I slipped.  When I am in control of my own cooking, I am focused - but invite me to go out for a meal, and I rarely go out for a meal especially to a exclusively Vegetarian restaurant where a vegetarian can be spoiled for choice, then anything can happen.  And it did, I was in Manchester recently with the lovely Choclette of   Tin and Thyme  ( formerly Chocolate Log Blog) and was tempted by something I saw on the menu at  1847 ...

Many of you came by last week through  Amy at  Five Welsh Castle posts, so in the same vain  I thought I would share five of my favourite Welsh leek recipes with you.  The Leek - as many of you will know is the national emblem of Wales alongside the daffodil and the roaring glorious red dragon.   This short blog post is also a nod towards St David's Day that will shortly be here and my Welsh roots. Hope some of these Welsh Leek recipes inspire you to celebrate St David's Day whether your Welsh or not.  Simple, but this  Leek and Potato Soup with Chilli aka Welsh Dragon Soup   remains one of my firm favourites.   I created these Welsh Leek, Caerphilly Cheese and Laverbread Burgers   when I lived in Scotland and my lovely nephew came up to see me, they were a super success.  You will find lots of versions of Red Dragon Pie, this Fiery Red Dragon Pie   is mine. Welsh Haggis Lasagne  -  Yes, the Welsh also ...

You will find many variations of vegetarian and v egan Shepherds Pie here, but I've never featured a Cottage Pie on my blog, not sure why as I have made them many times - perhaps its because it doesn't really look that pretty to photograph. So what is the difference between a Shepherds Pie and a Cottage Pie.  Traditionally a Shepherd Pie made with minced lamb and Cottage Pie with chunks of beef, but for vegetarians and vegans this is often substituted with minced mushrooms or a mock meat substitute.  Here is my version of a vegetarian Cottage Pie made with the addition of Welsh leeks which give it a little sweetness and topped with seaweed - Welsh Laverbread mash.  I was prompted to make a Welsh version of Cottage pie when I saw a Scottish twist on a Cottage Pie.  I am sure you will find a Irish version and with respect, we all know there is no shortage of English variations of the humble Cottage Pie. For those of you who read my blog will know that...

We took the car into the garage yesterday which scuppered the rest our plans for the day, but the car had to go in as it has a slow puncture and living in the Welsh valleys, we need a mode of transport to get us to and fro work and every where else in between and beyond.   So when I got back home, I lazed around for a while, then it dawned on me - got to eat - so I went into the kitchen and decided to make an Indo Anglo Welsh version of Shepherds Pie.  What is Welsh about this?   There are leeks in this and a number of other Welsh ingredients from Blas Y Tir  including the potatoes mashed on top.  And the cook herself, is very Welsh too.   The yellow turmeric mash flecked with red chilli flakes and coriander  was really lovely, almost reminisce of a good vegetable samosa.  The filling is made with textured vegetable protein (TVP) that mimics minced 'lamb', it was mildly spiced.   Have a knife and fork ready to tuck in, but a spoon would ...

The Welsh leeks season is coming to an end and I thought I'd make the most of it in this big bowl of Green Chile.   This was not your typical chili as the spice flavours were toned down by the sweetness from all the greens including the leeks.  Also the  green from the leeks were a bit muted, but were uplifted by the addition of soya and edamame beans and peas (from the freezer) and a final garnish of fresh chives from the garden plot.  I thought the bowl of Green Chile was going to be mellow from the sweet leeks, so I decided to make a Pineapple and Jalapeno Salsa to go with it.  This uplifted the dish with another dimension of spice and warmth. I will share the recipe for the Pineapple Jalapeno Salsa in the next couple of days.  I am sharing this Bowl of Green Chili with The VegHog  - You still have a day to share your  #EatYourGreens  recipe with the  VegHog .  I am also sharing this recipe with     hosted by Fi...

It certainly is getting colder, especially in the evenings and definitely time for soups and stews. Many years ago, actually it was in 2004 when I lived in Scotland, I made Denis Cotters of Cafe Paradiso fame Squash, Butter bean and Leek Stew.   I ended up making this again, only after  having paged through the cookbook Paradiso Seasons and was reminded of all those recipes I made before I began this blog.  Over the years I have adapted the  Squash, Butter Bean and Leek Stew  recipe as I did not always have butter beans or enough squash.  My version is made with Butternut Squash, Carrots, Chickpeas and Leeks. Sadly this time round I overcooked the vegetables, so this Butternut Squash, Chickpeas and Leek Stew was  bordering more on chunky soup than stew, still very very tasty. The cooking process is also very different in that Denis Cotter makes stock with the butternut squash which is blended to which the slightly softened lee...

Happy St David's Day. For St David's Day, I decided to give the Welsh cakes , Bara Brith and  Cawl  - all vegetarian and vegan versions of course -  a miss. This year, I  wanted to make something that both acknowledged and celebrates my South Asian heritage and my Welsh root and shoots - Yes, a little bit of fusion  with this home-made Welsh Laverbread, Leek and Potato Samosa .  Yes that favourite South Asian moreish snack filled with spicy goodness and then  encased in a crispy and flaky pastry. The re is not much growing in my garden at the moment, but as a Welsh woman I am proud to say there are some leeks (and some red Chard).  Therefore, the leeks in this Welsh Laverbread and Potato Samosa come from my garden.   The fresh laverbread from a Cardiff Market from E Ashton Fishmongers .   My   Welsh Laverbread, Leek and Potato Samosa s are totally vegan, but you can crumble in some Caerphilly cheese to go...

The snow flakes had been drifting past our window on and off yesterday, so it was no surprise to wake up to a blanket of snow outside.  I guess its another day to stay indoors and be lazy, thank goodness for weekends; and even more thankful for having my own shelter to call  'home' and stay warm. Yesterday, I had a proper lazy Saturday.  I mean really lazy, I watched an American film and a  National Geographic documentary called LA9 2 about the  1992 Los Angeles protests and riots .  Today, will probably be the same with some cooking in between and a little ironing in readiness for the coming working week tomorrow. Now onto food.  We finished of eating the last of this  Iranian Pearl Barley Soup known as Ash-e Jo or Ash-e-Jow  .  It looks deceptively plain, but it has so much depth and flavour mostly from the fresh herbs.  As well as barley and chickpeas which are visible, there are lots of greens in it such as spinach, dill a...

A little while back, I was lucky to stumble upon a vegetable market with reasonable priced vegetables and 2 proper bunches of herbs for £1.50.  I mixed it up with dill, coriander, parsley and mint. After making the My Legume Love Affair #11 8  hosted by Vidhya's Vegetarian Kitchen .  The challenge was initiated by   Susan  and hosted by Iranian Pearl Barley Soup known as  My Legume Love Affair #11 8  hosted by Vidhya's Vegetarian Kitchen .  The challenge was initiated by   Susan  and hosted by Ash-e Jo  or  Ash-e-Jow  . I was looking forward to making and eating this  Ghorme Sabzi - Iranian Herb Stew with Kidney Beans.  I have been intrigued by it for a long time, but never got round to making it at home until now. I know the green bobbing on the top looks like green olives, but its actually dried limes.  I showcased it My Legume Love Affair #11 8  hosted by Vidhya's Vegetarian Kitche...