About this blog

I have been meaning to write up all the recipes I make regularly and get them printed in a little book,  but so far haven't got round to it. This blog is a way of getting myself organised and writing them down and was inspired by my friend's blog (http://theveganswife.blogspot.com/) . 

The recipes are from lots of different sources, recipe books, magazine, packets of ingredients and my attempts at recreating things I have eaten in restaurants, at parties or at friends' houses. Sometimes I may not give enough detail on quantities, that is because I don't always measure things out, sometimes you don't need to, you just get a feel of how much needs to go in! There are a few posts that are simply links to recipes on other websites, some I still have not got round to making yet. Although I enjoy experimenting with new recipes I do tend to make some things quite often and other things once in a blue moon....

All the recipes are vegetarian, but they also don't contain mushrooms to which my husband is allergic. I have an intolerance to yeast and I am also slightly intolerant to dairy products, so I use soya milk instead of cows milk in my cooking, and use cheese replacement products sometimes. I compensate for bread with scones, of which I have made/created lots of varieties. 

I'm afraid I have used an array of measurement units... one day I may go through and make them all metric. I discovered that British ounces and American ounces are different! I use British ones. 

Another thing worth mentioning, I feel like I have spent the last few years photographing everything I cook and every meal I eat out. It turns out I was wrong! So I have some catching up to do on the photo side and I may put up recipes with no photos sometimes until I've made the dish again and can add a photo to the post. 

When I started the blog I made a list (see below) of all the things I usually cook, I intended to get all the recipes on here as soon as possible, that was my challenge to myself! But then I forgot about the list and just started adding things as I made them whether they were on the list or not. One day I will sit down and check my progress against the list. 

I am aware that finding recipies on the blog isn't very convenient, I intend to do something about that soon. 


Although I started the blog for myself I am very pleased that lots of people have been visitng it, thank you :-) I hope that at the very least you have been inspired to adapt recipes to suit your dietary needs. If you have any comments or suggestion please get in touch.

The recipes: 

Salads, Dips & Sides

Taboulah

Beetroot, Green Beans & Rocket

Pomegranate, Mango & Avocado

Cucumber & tomato

Aubergine & yogurt

Babaganouge

Homous bi-thina

Chickpeas

Broadbeans

Breads

Potato cakes

Corn bread

Zattar bread

Waffles

Scotch pancakes

Pastries

Mince pies

Date Pastries

Ice cream

Banana ice cream

Dessert

Fake apple crumble

Scones

Sultana, raisin, dried cranberry, poppy seeds, oats, Zaatar, sesame seed, plain, cheese & mustard, cheese and marmite, cheese and pesto, cheese and chili, Treacle

Cakes

Chocolate

Lemon & poppy seed

Vanilla

Mains

Falafel

Fake Pizza

Very Full Tart

Onion Tart

Spinach Tart

Mixed Veg Lasagna

Butternut Squash, Spinach & Stilton Lasagna

Mousaka

Shepherds Pie

Stuffed Vine Leaves

Quinoa, Tofu & Broccoli

Mexican

Chili

Maqlouba

Rose Petal Shortbread

 250g flour

175g sunflower spread

75g icing sugar

5g edible dried red rose petals

Place the flour, sunflower spread, icing sugar and rose petals and rose water in a food processor and combine by gently pulsing the mixture until it starts to form a dough, do not over work it.

Roll the dough out until it is about a 1/3 of a cm thick and cut shapes out.

Bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes

While the biscuits are cooling melt some dark cooking chocolate by heating for 2 minutes in the microwave.

Decorate the biscuits with the melted chocolte and sprinkle rose petals and crushed pistachios over them.

Basil, Sundried Tomatoes & Cheese Waffles

25 g of chopped fresh basil

6 slices of sun dried tomatoes chopped 

4 oz of grated Cheddar cheese
6 oz flour

300 ml soya milk (or cow's milk)

2 eggs

Waffle maker (oiled to stop the waffles sticking)

Oil the waffle maker and turn it on to heat up before you start so that it is hot enough once you have made the batter.

Separate the eggs and whisk the whites until they form stiff peaks.

 

Mix the flour, egg yoks and milk to a smooth batter.

Mix in half the grated cheese, all of the sundried tomatoes and basil.

Pour the batter onto the preheated waffle maker and cook until crisp and brown.

Sprinkle cheese over the cooked waffle and grill until the cheese is melted.

Sprinkle some basil and chopped fresh tomoatoes on top of the cheesey waffle and serve immediatly.

Carrot and Corriander Soup

 1 kg of peeled and very finely chopped carrots

2 medium onions peeled and chopped 

1 large potato peeled chopped 

100 g washed red lentils

2 liters of boiling vegatable stock

a small bunch of fresh corrainder - chop half and keep half 

Add the chopped veg and lentils and corriander to the boiling stock and boil for 15 minutes to cook the lentils, then simmer on a low heat for 2 hours stirring occasionally.

Orange Chocolates

 

 

Melt 150 g of cooking plain cooking chocolate in a microwave oven
- it takes about 2 min

Stir in 1 tsp of sunflower spread and a tsp orange extract/oil.

Place the mixture in small paper caseses

 

Sprinkle some candied orange peel and edible glitter on top

Allow to cool

Mint Chocolates

Melt 150 g of cooking plain cooking chocolate in a microwave oven
- it takes about 2 min - be careful not to burn the chocolate

Stir in 1 tsp of sunflower spread and a tsp of peppermint oil.

Place the mixture in small paper cases & sprinkle decorative coloured sugar on top

Allow to cool