Category Archives: Vegetarian

Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian

Celtic Onion Soup

Recently, the now-turned vegan teen had a hankering for French Onion Soup. A challenge is a challenge so I set out to make it. Without a hearty beef stock and cheesy bread floating on top, this could never be an authentic alternative to French Onion Soup but it was still worth a try. It turned out, however, to be a very tasty vegan version which I served with the Hairy Bikers’ recipe for Kartoffelbrot.

As with its’ French cousin, the taste and depth comes from slow-cooking the onions untilonion they are caramelised. It takes a while but is so worth it (or so the Teen says!).

Due to its rather pale complexion, we decided to name it ‘Celtic Onion Soup!’

Serves 4

Ingredients
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1½ lb white onions, sliced thinly in rounds
4 fluid ounces, white wine
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp, dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 ½ -2 pints, good quality vegetable stock*

Method
1. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan
2. Add the onions and cook over a gentle heat for about 10 minutes or until soft
3. Add the sugar, salt and pepper and continue cooking until the onions turn a caramel colour
4. Scoop the onions to the sides of the pan and deglaze with white wine, stirring back in the onions and adding the garlic
5. Cook for a further few minutes until the garlic is the same colour as the onions
6. Add the thyme and bay leaf
7. Add the stock and simmer for a further 30-40 minutes

* I used a mix of homemade vegetable stock and commercial. I made the stock using some carrots, cabbage and a stalk of broccoli and covered this with about 1 pint of water. I added a tablespoon of dried parsley, a teaspoon of dried mixed herbs and a small bay leaf and left this to simmer while cooking the onions. I strained the vegetables and added a commercial stock cube to give the stock the depth it requires for this recipe. I added ½ pint of water also to this mix.

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Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Roasted Cauliflower Curry

Fresh cauliflower in the supermarket makes me love when vegetables are in season.  With the Teen working flat out at the moment, I promised her something tasty for dinner. With the cauliflower, I thought I’d make my usual Aloo Gobi but when I went to prepare it, I decided I wanted to do something new. So off I searched for a new recipe. As always, I came across a lot I liked but none I loved. Time to mix and match.

I love the idea of roasting vegetables instead of cooking them simply in the sauce. While this can all be cooked at the same time, I decided to cook it in stages. This was partly due to the way my day was structured and partly because I wanted the sauce to be as deepcauliflower and as rich as it could be. So I made the sauce and left it aside for a few hours and I prepped the vegetables so it could all be put together later. I also combined the vegetables with the spices rather than simply sprinkling over and left to stand while the oven was heating. This worked very well as the flavour was even throughout.

And it all worked so well. Hands up, I am not too keen on Aloo Gobi as I find the cauliflower can often be bitter but with this recipe, it tasted delicious. We ate it with homemade flatbread and it was ‘a hug in a bowl’ as the cliché goes. This will be the recipe I use going forward as a main meal or as a side dish.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
I small cauliflower
1/2 lb potatoes, peeled
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 chilli, chopped finely
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1/2 lemon, juiced
6 dried curry leaves
4 tbsp, sunflower oil
1 dessertspoon cumin seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp sugar

1. Cut potatoes into chunks and break cauliflower into small florets
2. Crush the cumin, coriander and caraway seeds together with a pestle and mortar if possible
3. Add these to the other spices and combine with half the oil
4. Coat the potatoes and cauliflower completely in this spice mix and leave to stand while the oven heats to 180c (fan)
5. Heat the other half of the oil in a pan
6. Cook the onions until soft
7. Add garlic, chilli and curry leaves and cook for another two minutes
8. Add tomatoes, lemon juice, sugar and tomato puree and cook on a low heat for 30 minutes
9. While this is cooking, heat a tray in the oven
10. Place the spiced vegetables on the tray and cook for 30-40 minutes
11. Combine with tomato mix
12. Serve with flatbread or rice

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Vegan, Vegetarian

Teen’s Favourite Daal

chilli picI used make this Daal all the time. I stopped, forgot how to and kept trying out different recipes. They were never the same as this one. It is both simple and tasty.

Then last week, a scrap of paper fell out of another cookery book. I know I tweaked the original but I have no idea where I found it nor where credit is due. So whoever came up with the basis from which this recipe grew, we thank-you!

 

Ingredients
4 ounces, red lentils
4 ounces, yellow or green lentils
1½ pints, water
1 tsp, turmeric
1 tbsp, grated ginger
1 heaped tsp, garlic finely chopped
2 tbsps, sunflower oil
½ tsp, mustard seeds
1 green chilli, sliced thinly
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
2 tomatoes, sliced

Method
1. Place lentils, 1 pint of water, turmeric, ginger and garlic in a saucepan and bring to the boil
2. Reduce the heat and cook for about 20 minutes until the lentils are soft (add more water if the mixture becomes too thick)
3. Using a potato masher, gently mash the mix so that the lentils are broken up a bit but not a puree
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan
5. Add the mustard seeds and stir for about 1 minute
6. Add the sliced onion and chilli and cook until soft (5-10 minutes)
7. Add the tomato and cook until soft
8. Add this to the lentil mix
9. Serve this as a side dish or in a bowl with naan bread

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Vegan, Vegetarian

Burrito Bowl

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Heading towards the end of the week, cupboards and fridge are becoming bare and I had no interest in braving the supermarket. I had seen a recipe for a vegan burrito bowl so decided to conjure up my own version.

I served this with homemade guacamole, salsa and jalapeños. I added some chopped onions, tomatoes and shredded lettuce on the side of the bowl. All things that were in the kitchen. The verdict? Quick, cheap and very, very, tasty.

Ingredients
1 cup brown rice, cooked
1 tin, black beans
2 tbsp, sunflower oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 large clove garlic, chopped finely
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 dessertspoon, tomato puree
1/2 tsp, ground coriander
1/2 tsp, ground cumin
1/2 tsp, cumin seeds
1/2 tsp, cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp, smoked paprika
1/2 tsp, sugar
2 tbsp, lime juice
Sea salt to season

Method
1. Heat the oil in a wok
2. Fry the onion until soft
3. Add the garlic and cook for another two minutes
4. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree and lime juice
5. Add the spices and cook for a couple of minutes
6. Season with salt and add sugar
7. Add the black beans and heat through
8. Mix in the rice and heat through

Serve with
Shredded lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber
Guacamole
Salsa
Jalapeños

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Vegan, Vegetarian

Vegetarian/Vegan Shepard’s Pie

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This week, I was back in my cooking groove. Me – and not the Teen – had a craving for vegetarian Shepard’s Pie. I started looking at recipes but nothing much appealed. I then decided to cook my usual recipe and swap the meat for lentils. And it worked – brilliantly! If I hadn’t slipped into a food coma, I could have happily kept eating it. Total comfort food and, dare I say it, nicer than the traditional meat version. I think the Teen gave it the thumbs up too as the leftovers vanished!

With this recipe, there is enough for four generous dinner portions. The mash can be either traditional, made with milk and butter, or vegan, made with soya milk and olive oil.

Ingredients
8 ounces, green lentils*
1½ pint, vegetable stock
2 tbsp, olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
2-3 stalks celery, chopped into small pieces
4 ounces, mushrooms chopped into small pieces
3 fluid ounces, red wine
2 tbsp, tomato puree
1 tbsp, dried parsley
1 tsp, dried mixed herbs
1 bay leaf
½ tsp, sugar
Sea salt and black pepper

2lbs, potatoes
3 fluid ounces, milk/soya milk
Generous knob butter/2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper

*These lentils keep their shape while other varieties could turn to mush in this recipe

Method
1. Place the lentils in a saucepan, cover with a pint of cold vegetable stock
2. Bring the lentils gently to the boil and let them cook slowly for about 15 minutes
3. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan
4. Add the chopped onions and cook gently until carmelised (about 8-10 minutes)
5. Add the carrots and cook for a further 5 minutes
6. Add the celery and mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes
7. Add the red wine and cook for a further 2-3 minutes
8. Add the tomato puree, remaining half pint of stock, sugar, mixed herbs, parsley, bay leaf and season with salt and pepper
9. Strain the lentils and add to the mix
10. Heat the oven to 180 C
11. Leave the lentil mix to cook for about 30 minutes to allow the flavour to develop.
12. Boil the potatoes for about 20 minutes or until cooked
13. Strain the potatoes and return to a low heat to let any remaining water dry off
14. Add the milk and butter/ soya milk and olive oil
15. When heated, remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and mash until the potatoes until smooth
16. Remove the bay leaf and place the lentil mix in an oven dish
17. Cover with the potato mix on top and even out to the edges with a fork
18. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

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Vegan, Vegetarian

Brown Bread with Pumpkin Seeds (vegan)

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This week, I’m in a mad mood for baking. Over indulging in watching cookery competitions has its effect. Vegan Samosas, Cinammon Apple Pie and bread – lots of bread.

Since seeing The Hairy Bikers make Kartoffelbrot, I couldn’t wait to try the recipe. It was so worth the effort with the Teen asking if I could make it every week!

I now have lots of flour and a box of yeast. Too much temptation for this girl to resist! More baking to be done and this time, I set about devising a recipe for a wholemeal vegan loaf.

It turned out very well. I have to admit I missed the tang of buttermilk but the Teen said she preferred it. High praise indeed!

Compared to the amount of kneading for the Kartoffelbrot, this bread is a joy! It needs no kneading at all (my biceps heaved a massive sigh of relief)!

Ingredients
2 tsp sugar
1 sachet fast acting yeast
1lb brown wholemeal flour
1 tsp salt
3 oz, pumpkin seeds
16 fluid ounces, luke warm water
1 tbsp, sunflower oil and some extra for greasing
Plain flour for dusting

Method
1. Take 5 tablespoons of the water, add the yeast and one teaspoon of sugar. Stir and leave somewhere warm for 10 minutes to activate
2. Combine the flour, remaining sugar, salt and pumpkin seeds in a bowl
3. Add the sunflower oil to the water
4. Prepare the loaf tin by greasing it with sunflower oil and then dusting with flour
5. Add the now activated yeast to the dry ingredients and also the rest of the water. Mix until totally combined (the mix will be wet and no kneading is required)
6. Place in the prepared loaf tin and cover loosely with oiled cling film
7. Put into a warm place to prove for about 30 minutes
8. Heat the oven to 200C degrees (fan oven)/220C (without fan)
9. When proved, place in the centre of the heated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes
10. Check if it is done by tapping the back for a hollow sound
11. Wrap in a clean, damp, towel and leave to cool on a wire rack

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Vegan, Vegetarian

Corn Chowder

soup

I’ve been making this chowder for over thirty years. In many flats I lived in, I often had a pot of this on the stove once a week. While it can be served immediately, I prefer to cook it the day before and let the flavour seep into the beans.

And it’s more than a soup – it’s a full meal. This recipe makes four main course servings. It also has curative properties – I often found the pot empty after flatmates arrived home after the witching hour!

I’ve made this recipe vegan but for vegetarians, I highly recommend a handful of grated cheddar on the top when serving. It is so hearty, it doesn’t need any other accompaniment.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped finely
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 head of broccoli, florets and some of stalk
1 tin butter beans, drained (or the equivalent of dried butter beans, soaked and pre-cooked)
1 bag frozen corn*
1 tablespoon, parsley (dried)
1 heaped teaspoon, mixed herbs (dried)
1½ pints good quality vegetable stock
Sea salt and ground black pepper to season

Method
1. Heat the oil
2. Fry onion until soft for about 8-10 minutes
3. Add garlic and continue cooking for 2 more minutes
4. Add in the carrots and potatoes and mix in thoroughly
5. Add stock, broccoli and butter beans, parsley and mixed herbs
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper
7. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes
8. Add corn and simmer for another 5 minutes
9. Serve

* Tinned corn doesn’t suit this recipe

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Vegan, Vegetarian

Walnut Roast

When I ate only vegetarian food, a good nut roast was always welcome. And I had exacting standards! My pal, Nóirín, was the first to introduce me to this fare and she set the bar mighty high. A brazil nut roast served with vegetarian gravy, roast potatoes and vegetables, it was the food of kings! Over the years, I have made many, many, nut roasts – sometimes at midnight with the gentle persuasion of alcohol and my former flatmate (ahem, Susan!)

I often cooked nut roasts for my mother. Unfortunately, while she found them tasty, she also found them very confusing. Instead of having them as a main course with vegetables, I often found her eating a slice with a good spread of fruit jam on top…

This is the first vegan nut roast I made. I usually use melted butter to bind it all together. I changed things around and this turned out as a very tasty alternative. I served it with some ratatouille and new potatoes steamed in their skins.

Ingredients
7 ounces Walnuts
7 ounces, wholemeal breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons, dried parsley
2 teaspoons, dried mixed herbs
5 ounces mushrooms, chopped roughly
1 medium onion, chopped roughly
3 tablespoons, olive oil
Sunflower oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. Heat the oven to 180C degrees
2. Lightly grease a loaf tin with a little sunflower oil
3. Line the body of the tin with enough parchment that it can also fold over the top of the mixture
4. Place the walnuts on a baking tray and roast for about 8 minutes
5. Place the breadcrumbs and herbs in a bowl
6. Grind the roasted walnuts in a blender until they are broken up but not powder
7. Add to the breadcrumb mix
8. Using the blender again, mince the onions and mushrooms together until it is nearly paste-like
9. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan
10. Add the onion and mushroom mix and cook gently for about 5 minutes until the juices flow out
11. Add this to the dry ingredients
12. Season well with salt and pepper and combine thoroughly
13. Turn into the loaf tin and push the mix into the tin so it is evenly distributed
14. Fold the parchment over the top and seal with some tinfoil
15. Bake for 20-25 minutes
16. Remove the tinfoil and bake for another 10 minutes
17. Cut into slices and serve hot or cold

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Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tomato, Carrot and Black-Eyed Bean Soup

A need for a last minute supper and no interest in racing to the shops to buy stuff. A good ferret around the cupboard and fridge and this is what I came up with. I blitzed this in the liquidiser but only to blend the ingredients rather than to puree the mix. This gave the soup a nice texture when the beans were added.

Turned out to be very tasty indeed and nicely filling. Thumbs up from the teen who made off with the leftovers for lunch!

Ingredients
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
3 carrots, grated
2 tablespoons, Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon, dried parsley
1 heaped teaspoon, dried basil
¾ pint, vegetable stock
2 tins, chopped tomatoes
1 tin, black-eyed beans*
½ to 1 teaspoon, sugar**
Sea salt and ground black pepper to season

Method
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan
2. Add the onion, cover with the lid and allow to cook for about 5 minutes until soft
3. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes
4. Add the carrots and cook for 2 minutes
5. Add the herbs, tomatoes and stock
6. Cook for about 20 minutes
7. Add the sugar according to taste**
8. Season with salt and lots of black pepper
9. Blitz in the liquidiser until the ingredients are blended but not pureed
10. Return to the pan and add the black-eyed beans*
11. Heat through and serve

* With the amount of soup, more beans would be possible to turn this into a heartier soup or even a main meal. Next time, I will try adding a tin of borlotti beans
** I usually like tinned tomatoes cooked with sugar to season. This soup, however, was nicer with less sugar.

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Main, Vegan, Vegetarian

Vegan Samosas

Ever since The Great British Bake Off, I’ve loved the food Nadiya Hussain prepares. On one cookery programme, she made a rather massive samosa pie for a picnic. A lightbulb moment! I’ll make small Samosa Pasties for the Teen the next time she’s home.

I set about devising a pastry and a filling that were both vegan. The idea was to make enough pastry for two pie lids, divide the pastry into 6 pieces, fill them and then crimp them like Cornish Pasties. The image in my head was glorious! The reality somewhat different.

The pastry I came up with was fine. I was a little timid in my treatment of it for fear I might overwork it. With a little patience, I was able to roll it out and curl it over a rolling pin. Making it into individual pasties was, however, a self-deluding pipe (pie?) dream!

Plan B. I took out a tart plate and opted to use that instead. I prepared the pastry and put the whole thing together. I followed Nadiya’s lead of adding turmeric in the pastry. I thought this was important to give it some colour as, being vegan, I wouldn’t be able to egg wash or milk wash the finished offering. I discovered alternatives of using water or almond milk to seal the edges and of using oil or almond milk to wash the lid. I opted for water to seal and oil to wash.

The result? It was lovely and the filling was delicious. The pastry was not the easiest to work with. If I was to opt for a ‘purist’ approach, I would make it again. If I was to opt for an easier approach, and one where the pastry could be shaped into the much desired pasty, I’d go for shop bought since I discovered that Jusrol’s shortcrust, puff and filo pastries are all vegan!

What did I serve it with? A mixed salad and tomato relish. The Teen approved. She liked the filling so much, she said she’d have it as a main or side dish as well.

Ingredients
Pastry
12 ounces, plain flour
8 tablespoons, sunflower oil
4-6 tablespoons, cold water (adjust according to how dry the pastry is)
1 teaspoon, salt
1-2 teaspoons, turmeric
Flour for rolling

Filling
2 tablespoons, sunflower oil
1 teaspoon, coriander seeds
½ teaspoon, fennel seeds
½ teaspoon, fenugreek seeds
¼ teaspoon, mustard seeds
1 tablespoon, freshly grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced finely
1 green chilli, minced finely
1 small onion, minced finely
2 teaspoons, coriander powder
¾ teaspoon, turmeric
½ teaspoon, garam masala
6-7 curry leaves
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut in small cubes
3-4 fluid ounces, water
4 ounces, frozen peas
Sea salt
Sunflower oil to wash the pie lid

Method
1. To make the pastry: place all ingredients in a large bowl
2. Mix together until combined (adjust water as needed)
3. Put onto a floured board and bring it into a pastry ball
4. Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes
5. Crush the coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds and mustard seeds
6. Heat the oil, add the seeds and cook for about 1 minute to release the spices
7. Add the onion and cover with the spices
8. Put the lid on the pot and cook slowly until the onion is soft, shaking the pot ever now and again to ensure the mix doesn’t stick or the spices don’t burn
9. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for a couple more minutes
10. Add the ground coriander, turmeric, garam masala and curry leaves
11. Add the potatoes, cover with the spiced mix, add 2 fluid ounces of water and place the lid back on the pot (add more water if needed)
12. Cook for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft
13. Season with a little salt, add the peas and cook for a further 5 minutes
14. Put aside to cool
15. Back to the pastry: cut into two
16. Roll out piece for the bottom and then one for the lid
17. Fill with the samosa filling
18. Wet the edges with water and seal the edge using a fork
19. Wash the lid with oil
20. Bake at 180 C degrees for 25-30 minutes

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