Showing posts with label vegan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegan. Show all posts

Thursday, January 14, 2021

Lincoln's RAMEN TOASTIE

You will need:

-Two slices of bread -One packet of ramen -A smidge of butter -A toastie maker (optional) 1. Cook the ramen according to the cooking directions on the packet. I use Koka ramen from my local bossmans and I usually boil it for two minutes. It’s just enough for my noodles to get to the density I want them. It’s good to get authentic ramen but you can also use super noodles. 2. Drain the ramen and add the seasoning, you need to get most of the water out of it. 3. Butter the slices of bread. 4. This is where the toastie maker comes in really handy. I have one with spongebob on and it’s a godsend. If you have one, just pop the bread in with ramen inbetween and close it until it’s cooked. 5. If you don’t own a toastie maker, preheat a frying pan, put the ramen inbetween the bread and cook the sandwich for two minutes on each side. Do this until it’s golden brown. 6. That’s basically it. You’ve now got the delicacy that is the ramen toastie. You can add ingredients like cheese and kimchi if you’re feeling adventurous. I like to dip mine in sauces. It works well with sriracha and korean kimchi base.

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Grow Your Own: herbs

If you have a sunny windowsill, tender herbs are really easy to grow.  You can find pretty cheap kits (posts, seeds, compost) in garden centres and places like Wilkos. o just buy the seeds, some compost and reuse containers with drainage holes.

You can also grow them from cuttings:





If you have a garden, you are lucky enough to be able to grow woodier herbs like rosemary and bay.. Beware, they get huge so you need to cut them regularly.  Rosemary needs lots of sun but bay copes well with some shade.

Mint is super easy to grow outside. There are loads of varieties and it's great to have your own mint tea. Do make sure that you grow it in a container though as it has a habit of taking over everything - mint sends of little runners that burrow down and then pop up all over the place.  It took me 2 years to tame a rogue mint plant in my garden!

If you feel like getting adventurous with your herb growing, I totally recommend Herbal Haven as a supplier - they are online as well as at various London Farmers' Markets. it's quite fun to go to see them and get advice about where to plant/how to care for herbs you've never heard of before!!


Saturday, May 20, 2017

Chump

Well, 'champ' but I've bastardised it for my own means and called it 'chump' so as not to insult the traditional dish!

Mashed potatoes are great but chump is even better and squeezes some greens in.

Boil potatoes until soft - add sweet potato if you're feeling fancy, or celeriac or Jerusalem (f)artichokes*. There must be normal potatoes too though.

5 minutes before you drain them to mash, add a couple of handfuls of shredded spring greens (or cabbage, or sprouts).

If you fancy it you can also fry some leeks and/or chopped bacon while the potatoes are cooking.

Drain the veg and add some salt, pepper, a knob of butter and a splash of milk (use dairy free if vegan). You can also add a bit of mustard or horseradish or some herbs if you want.

Mash it all up and stop in the fried bits if you made them. It's great with sausages and gravy.

If you have any leftover, put it in the fridge then fry it the next day to make bubble and squeak or mix in some tinned fish and make fish cakes.

*jerusalem artichokes are often called artichokes because they give you serious wind! But it's so worth it. Supermarkets never seem to have them but local shops sometimes do and the market too. If the wind bit worries you then try to find some winter savoury herb as that cancels the wind effect.

Spring Greens

Spring greens are about 80p for a huge bag in the supermarket and even cheaper in the market. And they rule. They are actually early (in the year) cabbages but don't really taste like cabbage and are baggier.

Here are some ideas:

  • Boil or steam and have with a knob of butter melted and lemon juice and black pepper.
  • Shred, add to potatoes for the last 5 minutes until you drain to make mashed potatoes to make it 'chump'.
  • Shred and add to a stir fry.
  • Boil or steam and drizzle with tahini sauce (a spoon of tahini, a clove of garlic minced in, the juice of a lemon and some dried mint, a bit of water added gradually as you mix it to the consistency of double cream).






Super cheap batch cooking with TVP

TVP (or textured vegetable protein) is about £2 for a big bag from Holland & Barratt. It replaces minced beef (or other meat) in cooking. £2 of minced beef will make about 2 portions. £2 of TVP makes 28!!!!

Basic recipe (for 4 portions):

TVP
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
Tinned tomatoes

extras:
carrots
celery
courgettes
kidney beans
lentils
spices
herbs


Soak 50g TVP in 150ml water for about 10 mins.

Chop and gently cook 1 onion & 2 cloves of garlic. with a bit of salt and pepper.  If you want to squeeze some veg in, now is the time to add a finely chopped carrot and 2 celery sticks. Then add the mince and a tin of chopped tomatoes.  It's that simple.

Now you can turn it into all sorts of things. To make it a bit 'meatier', add an OXO cube, a teaspoon of marmite or some dark sauce such as Worcestershire, Soy or Tamarind.

If you add a tin of red kidney beans, some chilli powder and serve it with rice, you have Chilli.

Add peas and carrots (or any other veg), cover in mashed potato and cook in the oven until golden, it's cottage pie.

Herb it up with some oregano and serve it with spaghetti and you have bolognese.

Layer your bolognese with white sauce, cheese and pasta sheets and it's suddenly a lasagna.

Cook it with diced potatoes, swedes or turnips and wrap it in pastry and it's a pasty.

You can add pretty much any spices or herbs to change the seasoning and then bulk it out with different veg or pulses and completely change the meal.

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Sweet Potato, Coconut and Chilli Soup

I had this in The Broadway Cafe in Nottingham and it blew me away.  So I've been experimenting and inventing my own version. This is the simple test one I came up with. You can easily tweak this and add onions, stock, spices etc if you fancy it. But it really doesn't need it.

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced.
1 can coconut milk
1-2 red chillies, finely chopped.
Olive oil (or coconut oil if you have some)
Water

Heat a large pan with enough oil to cover the bottom thinly. When it's hot, add the diced sweet potato. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 mins or until the pieces are slightly browned.

Turn down to a medium heat and add the chilli and coconut milk and cook until the sweet potato is soft.

Either use a stick blender or jug blender and whizz it up until smooth.  You may need to add some water to get it to 'soup consistency'. Season to taste.

Toad in the Hole

Toad in the hole is a winner as long as you get the batter right. This recipe rarely fails.

Serves 2:

1 egg
some plain flour
some milk
vegetable/sunflower oil
4 sausages (meat, veggie or vegan)
fresh rosemary (optional)

First heat the oven to 220 C.
Then make the batter. In a bowl, beat the egg, then beat in enough flour to make it into a thick batter, the consistency of thick porridge or wallpaper paste - it shouldn't be a dough but there shouldn't be liquid falling out of it. About 2-3 tablespoons should do it. Then add milk, bit by bit, until it's the consistency of double cream, or yoghurt. Add a splash of the oil and sit it in the fridge for half an hour.

While it's sitting, put a roasting dish (big enough to fit 4 sausages in but not too big) with 1-2 tablespoons of oil in, into the hot oven.

Brown the sausages in a frying pan with a tint bit of oil - they will leak their own fat you so hardly need any. Take off the heat when browned a bit.

Get you batter out of the fridge and add a bit of salt and pepper. The oil in the dish int he oven should be all shimmery due to the heat by now.  Very carefully add your sausages in there and then pour the batter over the top.  This is when to poke the rosemary sprig in there if you have one.  Whack it back in the oven and keep the door shut. Decrease the heat to about 200 C and leave it for about 30-40 minutes.  You can tell it's done when it's risen up quite high and is golden brown. As long as the oil in the roasting tray was hot enough it should be fine. The oil in the batter will quickly heat up too and cook it from the inside, stopping it from going soggy.

Good with green veg. And, of course, gravy.



Sunshine Squash Soup


This sun coloured soup cures all ills.  I'm convinced!  Super easy to make too.

1 medium onion, sliced
1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1-2 de-seeded red chillies
1 can coconut milk
Juice and zest of 2 limes

Cook the onions and cubed squash in a pan in some olive oil until the onions are translucent and the squash is almost tender, adding a splash of water if it starts to burn. 

Add the chillies, sliced and the coconut milk and cook for about another 5 mins or until the squash is soft.  

Whizz it all up either in a blender, processor or with a hand blender, adding water if it's too thick.  Finally add the zest and juice of the limes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.


This soup keeps well- I often keep a plastic cup thing of it in the freezer as an emergency cheer lunch on a gloomy day.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Sunshine Salad

This looks beautiful and is the ultimate cheery salad. 

1 pack of cooked beetroot, in natural juices, NOT vinegar
2 eggs, hardboiled (boil for 5 mins, plunge into cold water for 10 mins then peel) and quartered
About 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
The rind of half an orange, grated or finely chopped
A handful of chopped mint leaves

Dressing:
Juice of half an orange (drink the rest!)
a glug of olive oil

Chope the beetroot into chunks and add the tomatoes and orange rind. Stir it about a bit.  Add the egg quarters. Pour over the dressing and sprinkle with the mint. The eggs get pink bits on and it's rather pretty!

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Mary MacFarlane's 1st year of Uni recipe

This is what I lived on for my first year of college:

Chop half a courgette finely, and start frying in a tablespoon of olive oil. Meanwhile, chop about 4-5 mushrooms finely. When the courgettes are just starting to look cooked (slightly translucent, not yet 
brown), add the mushrooms. Then chop 4-5 medium-sized tomatoes (it's easier to chop tomatoes if you have a serrated knife), and add them when the mushrooms are starting to look cooked. Chop and add a clove of garlic and some cayenne pepper or chilli powder, then leave it all to cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the tomato juice is mostly cooked off. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, heat up a couple of tortilla wraps. When the veg mixture is cooked, spoon it into tortillas and add a spoonful of plain yoghurt and some cheddar cheese if you want. 

Is VERY NICE, takes about 20 minutes, and has pretty much all the food groups! I've also added things like kidney beans or used tinned tomatoes if I've had some that needed using up, but this is the best version because the courgettes, tomatoes and mushrooms all come out quite sweet and the combination of sweet veg, cayenne pepper and yoghurt is really lovely.

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Leftover fresh herbs?



When you've bought a big bunch of various herbs for something but perhaps not used them all and they're looking a bit sad in the fridge, you can easily whizz them up for a salsa verde or bung them in a stock, depending on what you are planning to cook or what you have just cooked. Or just preserve them for later use.

Salsa Verde

This is an ideal sauce to spoon on top of fish or have as a side for a BBQ. It will keep for a day or two in the fridge and if you have any leftover, you can use it in place of pesto for a super speedy and cheap pasta dish.

Handfuls of various fresh herbs ie coriander, parsley, mint, dill...
A splash of vinegar (cider, white wine, red wine...)
A glug of olive oil
A few anchovies (if you have them- you can use leftover anchovies to make bag a caude or stick them in other sauces etc)
A few capers (if you have them)
Salt and pepper to taste

Just whizz them all up in a food processor or mini chopper and keep tasting until you like it. It should be fresh and a little tart and salty.



Stock

Stock is easy to make and you can freeze it for later uses. It tastes so much better than those dry stock cubes and is an excellent way to use up odds  and ends to transform a soup or casserole on a rainy day when you have very little money left.

Leftover herb stalks/leaves
Veg peelings/old carrot ends, celery ends etc (any veg you have lurking about except potatoes really)
About 5-10 peppercorns
A couple of whole garlic cloves
An onion cut into wedges (no need to peel)
Any bones from recent meat OR fish heads/tails - you can keep this veggie or make it from a chicken carcass or for future fish sauces with fish heads, making it a perfect way to use every bit of your previous meal.
 You can also chuck in allspice berries, a chilli, a cinnamon stick etc; you can tweak it however you like depending on your taste and what you have in the cupboard!

Put the whole lot in a big pan and cover with water. Bring it to the boil and then turn down the heat and let it simmer for about an hour, loosely covered.

Strain it into a jug to decant into freezer bags or plastic pots to freeze when cool.  Be careful to strain it into a jug rather than down the sink by accident, as I have done so many times!

Frozen

If you buy a big bunch of herbs it's cheaper and then you can freeze what you don't use first time for future use. This only really works with tender herb such as mint, parsley, coriander, tarragon...

Just wash, chop and put in a freezer bag.  It's a good idea to label it as all herbs look pretty much the same when frozen.

Dried

Dried herbs taste different to fresh or frozen but are really useful in cooked dishes. This is a good way not to waste anything and is cheaper than buying them already dried. Especially if you grew them yourself in the first place!

Rinse then pat dry a bunch of the same herb with the stalks on.  Tie a piece of string around the bottom of the stalks and then hang up somewhere warmish and dry until they are completely dry and crispy.  Either leave them where they dangle or store them in airtight containers to lengthen their life.



Monday, April 28, 2014

Tabbouleh

This is a classic salad that is also ideal for taking in a little box for lunch.

1 mug bulgar wheat (or cous cous if you don't have any)
A bunch of chopped parsley
A bunch of chopped mint
Half a cucumber, diced
2-3 tomatoes, diced ( squeeze out the seeds if you don't want the slushiness)
A squeeze of lemon juice
A drizzle of olive oil

Make the bulgur/cous cous according to the packet but it usually involves putting in a bowl, covering in boiling water to a cm above the grains, covering and leaving for about 5 mins or until all the water is absorbed and the grains are plump. Allow to cool.

Mix in all the other ingredients and chill. 

You can tart it up with avocado, nuts, radishes etc if you have them lurking and fancy it.


Greens & Tahini

Green vegetables are super cheap and super good for you. But they can be a bit boring if you have them as a side veg just boiled or steamed. This way makes them the main event and completely changes their taste. You can make this as an emergency lunch on its own or as a side dish for grilled meat, fish or whatever.

As much green veg as you want (broccoli, green beans, spring greens, or even mix in cauliflower)

Sauce for 1 portion (make more for more people):
1 tablespoon of tahina
1 clove of garlic, grated
1 teaspoon of dried mint
Juice of a lemon (or about a tablespoon of lemon dressing)
A drizzle of pomegranate molasses if you have some but it's not vital at all.

First put the veg on to steam or boil, being careful not to over cook.

To make the sauce, mix all the ingredients together I a small bowl with a fork.  Then set the cold tap to a drizzle and gradually add water whilst mixing.  It will get very stiff and then gradually loosen.  Keep going until you have a sauce that's a bit like yoghurt thickness.

Drain the veg and pour over the sauce. Eat your greens!

Monday, January 28, 2013

Magic Gug - basic veg

I was brought up on this stuff.  It's totally adaptable so do experiment and lob anything in that you fancy.

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 courgette (or carrot, or red pepper etc or a mixture of some, whatever you have)
1 tin tomatoes
salt and pepper
1 tsp cumin (this can be with other spices, herbs or exchanged for something else, it depends what you fancy)



Heat some oil in a big pan and add the onion.  Cook until a bit see through then add the garlic, spice and chopped veg.  Stir them about for about 5 mins and then add the tomatoes, topping up with water until the liquid just covers the veg.

Leave this to quietly bubble away for about half an hour, or until the veg is softish.

Meanwhile, cook a jacket potato, some rice, pasta or cous cous.

Have what you want at the time and keep the rest as a base for other magic gugs.  You can freeze portions or it will keep in the fridge, covered for a couple of days.

It costs about £2 to cook the whole thing and will easily feed 4 people.  or you, 4 times!

Dhal and Rice

This is super easy.  And takes very little time. My recipe may not be wildly accurate or authentic but it does the job.


1 onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
a thumb sized bit of fresh ginger, minced
2 mugfuls of red lentils
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 chilly, finely chopped (optional)

Rice


Cook the onions slowly in a bit of oil on a medium to low heat until really soft but not burnt.

Add the garlic and spices and stir well.  Add the tomatoes.

Rinse and add the lentils and cover with water so that the lentils are about an inch under the water.

Cook some rice (however you do it and depending on the type of rice)

Cook the dhal until the lentils have broken down and absorbed the water, stirring from time to time and adding more water if needed. It takes about 20 minutes. Add the chilli in near the end if you are using it.

Serve over the rice. It's really good with some yoghurt and chopped coriander if you have some.