Layered Savoury Vegan Easter Pie with a Cashew Cream Sauce filling

Nothing can beat a good pie!

To be honest the concept of this dish changed many times before it came to this delicious conclusion. I wanted to create a main course for vegetarians to have for the big Easter meal which is worthy of being called the main event and may even make those tucking into spring lamb feel jealous. It started as a layered nut roast, then it became a puff pastry tart, then a carrot pie and finally a layered Easter pie. Inside the crispy Filo pastry is first a layer of roasted carrot purée flavoured with some nice herbs, then on top is a creamy layer of leeks, asparagus and puy lentils in a soft cashew sauce.

I liked the idea of the pie looking interesting when you cut into it and that is why I played around with different coloured layers. I toyed with the idea of the carrot purée and cashew sauce being separated by a puy lentil layer, but the lentils looked so pretty scattered between white sauce so I left them mixed in.

Inside the pie there are layers of roasted carrot purée and creamy asparagus, leek and puy lentils

This was my first attempt at making cashew cream and it was so easy. I’ve often been put off making recipes including it because the concept is so different to what I am used to and i wasn’t sure exactly how it would turn out but I urge anyone sat on the fence to give it a go. I soaked my cashews for around 6 hours but overnight would be best, then I drained them and put them into a blender and added just enough water to cover them. It took a while to get it smooth and creamy but I have a very old blender. In fact I dropped my blender a few weeks back and it cracked which is a real nuisance because I use it so often! But the last remnants of a resourceful (poor) student in me kept it and taped it up, and it still managed to make perfect cashew cream! Hopefully I can buy a new one soon!

For this recipe you want the cashew cream quite thick, the consistency of hummous not pouring cream. In fact after I had added garlic this actually tasted exactly like hummous too! I had the leftovers spread on some sprouted bread with cucumber slices and it was delicious.

I personally would serve a pie each but it depends on how big the rest of the dinner is! This pie is a lot more substantial than a few slices of meat or nut roast so if you are having potatoes, parsnips, yorkshires, veg and gravy etc then half may be sufficient I served mine with steamed greens and onion gravy.

Makes 2 pies
Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as part of a bigger roast dinner

You’ll need two pie dishes measuring 5 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep. Don’t forget to soak your cashew nuts!

Vegan

6 carrots
Dried herbs
Salt n pepper
Olive oil
2 leeks
1 onion
4 asparagus spears
1 cup cashew nuts (soaked over night)
Water or vegetable stock
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup cooked puy lentils
Salt and Pepper
4 sheets Filo pastry

Heat your oven to 200c. Place your carrots whole on a baking tray and coat in a little olive oil, salt, pepper and mixed dried herbs. Roast the carrots for 20-25 minutes then blend until smooth and put to one side. Roasting the carrots brings out such a delicious flavour in them so I didn’t feel the need to add anything else to this layer!

Place your cashew nuts into a blender and pour in enough water to just cover the cashews. Blend until smooth then add 2 crushed garlic cloves, salt and pepper and blend again until creamy. Add a little extra water if you feel it is too thick, you are looking for the consistency of a light hummous. Place to one side.

In a frying pan heat a little oil. Slice your onion, leeks and asparagus and sauté on a low heat until softened. Add your cashew cream and cooked puy lentils to the pan and stir together until your greens are mixed with the sauce.

Reduce the heat of your oven to 180c. Grease your pie dishes and line with 2-3 layers of Filo pastry, brush with oil or butter between each layer. Divide your carrot purée between the two pies and press down into a bottom layer. Top with a layer of the cashew cream and lentil sauce and then scrunch up the edges of the pastry and brush with oil or butter.

Place in the oven for 25-35 minutes until the pastry is cooked and the filling is set.

Allow to cool slightly then remove from the pie dish and serve with all the usual roast dinner trimmings and plenty of gravy.

Rustic Potato and Fennel Tortilla. Simplicity at its best!

Perfect as a side dish or a veggie main course!

This is a recipe that I cooked for my mums 50th dinner party! I knew I was cooking a meat main course for my guests which I didn’t mind but I wanted something other than the side salads to be my main course, I decided on doing a tortilla because it is a perfect potato side dish to match the chicken I roasted and also it would be filling enough for me!

I’ve made plenty of tortillas over the years, usually a vessel for using up everything and anything that is in the fridge at the end of the week, but my favourite is still a simple potato, onion and garlic tortilla. I decided to add fennel for two reasons, one – it made it that extra bit special for the occasion, and two – my sister hadn’t tried fennel before and this was a perfect way to show it off!

I personally prefer cooked fennel to raw fennel due to the fact that it becomes mellow and sweet rather than sharp and aniseedy. It doesn’t over power the tortilla in anyway as long as you cook it down enough first.

This recipe brings back happy memories of being sat around the table by the pool in Spain tucking into a feast of salads, tortilla and tapas style dishes. Spain is where I learnt how to make tortilla and its now a staple recipe in my house

Serves 6

Gluten free, Vegetarian, Dairy Free

Warning: this recipe may make you want to stick a summer dress on and brave the cold for an alfresco lunch!

4 Large Potatoes
1 Fennel Bulb
1 Large Onion
2 Garlic Cloves
1 Teaspoon Fennel Seeds
8 Eggs
Salt and Pepper
Olive oil

Wash the potatoes then slice into 2cm thick slices (leave the skin on) and boil in a large pan for 5-6 minutes until soft to touch with a fork but not so it is easy to break apart. Once cooked drain and put to one side for a moment.

Thinly slice the onion and fennel, reserve the fennel fronds for decoration or to add to a side salad. In a large frying pan drizzle a little olive oil and on a medium heat and add the onion and fennel for 5 minutes then crush in the garlic, add the fennel seeds and a splash of water. Keep stirring these ingredients until everything is softened and juicy, approx 10 mins. You don’t want it to colour too much so a little trick is to add a small splash of water if it starts to brown, this slows the cooking slightly and cools everything down, just make sure the water has evaporated at the end.

Add the slices of potato to the pan and mix everything together with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add a sprinkle of salt and a good grind of pepper and cook until the potatoes have crisped up a little bit, around 5-6 minutes.

Spread everything around the pan so that it is evenly distributed and make sure the potato slices are flat (or at least that the top is even and smooth).

Crack the eggs into a jug or bowl and beat them well, then pour the eggs over the potato and fennel mix and using your wooden spoon gently push down through gaps in the potatoes to allow the egg to get in between everything.

Turn your grill on to a medium heat.

Cook the tortilla on the hob, gently giving everything a nudge every now and then to cook it evenly, for 4- 5 minutes until you can see that most of the egg is set. Transfer the pan to under the grill and finish it off for 2-3 minutes until the egg is completely set and the top is golden grown.

Turn out onto a large plate and allow to cool then slice it into 6 pieces.

You can make this in advance and then serve it cold or you can reheat it in the grill or the oven. This is perfect served with a red pepper and ricotta sauce (recipe coming soon)

Roasted Pepper and Goats Cheese Platter with a Herb Oil

Use all different coloured peppers for a bright party dish!

It was my mums 50th birthday on Saturday and me and my sister planned a weekend of surprises for her! It was so exciting planning each treat and seeing it all come to life in a big smile on her face! Our weekend included an afternoon tea at the beautiful Luton Hoo hotel, followed by a party with good friends. Then the next day we sent her off to a holistic spa for a full massage, manicure and pedicure and then in the evening I cooked a dinner party for us all!

I am getting a bit more confident throwing dinner parties and I am starting to want to host them more frequently! I have found that by having dishes which can be made in advance and also having some dishes which can be served cold it helps you have a more relaxing evening once people arrive.

I also began planning recipes for the starter and main which included the same ingredients, for example including the same herbs running through the meal means you will only need to buy one or two varieties. This keeps the cost down and creates some uniformity throughout the menu.

This time I also decided to make a meat main course option because, although most of my dinner parties have been completely vegetarian, I felt it would be nice to cook a dish I knew everyone would enjoy, even if I couldn’t eat it!

Here was my menu (I can’t resist sharing!)

Starters
Bean and Pea bruschetta
Deli meat platter
Roasted peppers with goats cheese and herb oil (recipe below)
Tatziki

Main
Herb and Lemon Roast Chicken
Marinated Chicken Drumsticks
Potato and Fennel Frittata with rocket (recipe to come soon)
Green bean salad
Tomato and basil salad
Red pepper sauce (Recipe to come soon)
Salsa Verde

Pudding
Fresh berries including blueberries, raspberries and strawberries
Meringue Nests
Maltesers (Mums birthday tradition)
Ice cream
Cinnamon and Hazelnut cake

Dinner parties should be pretty and tasty!

I made too much food but I would rather be eating delicious leftovers for a couple of days than see my guests finish everything on the table

In the run up to her birthday I subtly asked my mum what her favourite food was to help me plan the menu (although apparently not too subtly because she subsequently guessed I was going to be cooking!). Mum’s only answer at that moment was Tatziki! I planned around that dish this instantly brought rustic, rural dishes to mind and I knew it had to include some kind of tortilla and a big platter of roasted veg. Placing lots of dishes on the table for everyone to help themselves is my favourite way to eat, I didn’t serve one thing up on people’s plates it was all in the middle with big serving spoons.

These roasted peppers were one of the big hits of the night. As soon as it was put down in the centre of the table everyone’s eyes lit up and lips were licked with anticipation of digging in. That’s what I love about vegetarian food, it is so colourful with lots of varieties of flavour.

I made this during the day and popped it in the fridge ready to serve later on, just before serving I allowed it to reach room temperature and then scattered toasted pine nuts over the top and added another drizzle of good quality olive oil (photos taken before the pine nuts were added). The bowl of olives was an added extra because we always have olives as part of our starters, they’re perfect to nibble on whilst waiting for a meal without filling you up like bread would.

Serves 5 as part of a larger buffet spread

Wheat and Gluten free, Vegetarian, Dinner party worthy

5- 6 peppers, all different colours
Olive oil
Parsley
Mint
Basil
Small piece of soft goats cheese
Pine Nuts
Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 200c. Pour a little olive oil into your hands and give each pepper a little massage to cover them in the oil, you don’t need too much but enough to make sure the skin will char and blacken. Pop the peppers (whole) onto a baking tray and put in the oven for 25-30 minutes. They will be ready when deflated and the skin is blistered and blackened.

Place them into a plastic sandwich bag (Or into a bowl with a tight lid of clingfilm) and leave to cool then pull out the stalk, core and seeds and gently peel off the blackened skin. Putting them into a bag helps you to take the skin off without damaging the pepper too much. Slice the peppers and arrange on a plate however you like.

Finely chop your fresh herbs and put them in a small bowl with a good lug of olive oil (around a tablespoon should be enough) and mix well then pour the herb oil over the peppers.

Crumble the goats cheese on top and give it a little pinch of salt if you like and a good grind of black pepper. This can now get put to one side either in the fridge or on the table ready for your dinner later. When ready to serve heat a small frying pan with no oil and add your pine nuts. Toast them until they start to turn golden and then scatter them over the platter.

Choose a good quality goats cheese – as local as you can manage!

This recipe has been submitted to Allergy Free Wednesday over at The Healthy Alternative blog

Mediterranean Style Green Bean Salad

Classic, simple and rustic! This salad was actually inspired by this gorgeous bowl my mum gave me at Christmas. As soon as I saw it all I could see was this salad piled high with fresh ingredients, plenty of parsley and a taste of the med. Do you find different dishes inspire different recipes?

I haven’t exactly reinvented the wheel here, this is a salad which I have seen variations of many times in restaurants and in cook books but if you haven’t tried it before then you’re in for a treat. You only need a small amount of the sundried tomatoes to give a hint of saltiness as they can be quite over powering, a bit like how some people use a small amount of pancetta in a salad…think of this as a vegan alternative

I don’t usually buy pine nuts because they are quite a bit more expensive then other nuts and seeds but they are so perfect in this salad I decided to splash out. Chopped almonds or pumpkin seeds could work nicely too.

Serves 4-6 as a side dish

Vegan, vegetarian, wheat and gluten free, dairy free

300g Green beans (or a few large handfuls)
3 Salad Tomatoes
Large bunch parsley
12-15 Black olives
6 Sundried tomatoes (If they are not in oil then soak them in water for 10 mins)
Extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Handful Pinenuts

Trim the ends off the green beans then steam or boil the green beans until al dente (approx 5 minutes at a gentle boil) then put into a big serving bowl.

Roughly chop the fresh tomatoes and parsley, finely slice the olives and Sundried tomatoes and mix it all together with the green beans.

Place the pine nuts in a frying pan with no added oil and keep on a medium heat until toasted and golden. Sprinkle them on the salad and then squeeze over the lemon and finish with a good drizzle of olive oil.

Celeriac Bubble and Squeak with a Brussel Sprout, Apple and Almond Salad and Homemade Cranberry Sauce

This started off as an idea for a nice little festive dinner party starter but I think it would actually suit a party/ lunch buffet much more! The delicious bubble and squeak can be made into miniature bite sized cakes and served piled up next to bowls of the sauce and salad for people to help themselves.

On boxing day when I was younger we would always have people around to help us finish off the leftover food and my mum would make a turkey curry, cold meats, chutney and salads and bubble and squeak! This recipe kind of brings that all together and is a nice way to use up leftovers in a slightly special way. In case you haven’t heard of bubble and squeak before it is made from roasted/ boiled vegetables usually including a starchy veg like left over roasted potatoes and parsnips (or in this case celeriac) and all of the greens that are left over. Everything is mashed, seasoned and shaped into little patties then fried! Sooo good!

We would always serve it with a fried egg, meats and plenty of ketchup but I have lightened it up here with a fresh salad made from brussel sprouts, apple, parsley, lettuce and almonds. Instead of ketchup I have made a cranberry sauce, or you can use any left over sauces that you have in the fridge!

I have done this recipe to serve only two because we weren’t actually having people around to help us eat it, however all you need to do is double/ quadruple the recipe to cover the amount of people you’ll be feeding!

To make the salad -

10 Brussel Sprouts
1 Apple
1 Lemon
Small Bunch Parsley
1 Gem Lettuce
Handful Raw Almonds

You’ll need the brussel sprouts for the bubble and squeak and the salad so it’s best to prepare those first. Slice the root end off each sprout and then peel off the gnarly tough outer leaves (this will only really be the first two leaves) and discard them. Then peel off the next two or three leaves carefully and put them to one side. The rest of the sprout is also put to one side to be used for the bubble and squeak.

Bring a pan of water to the boil and blanch the brussel sprout leaves for 30 seconds then put them straight into a large bowl of very cold water with a few slices of lemon in it. This will stop them cooking but also keep them nice and vibrant and green!

Thinly slice an apple into small matchsticks and add them to them lemon water to keep fresh. These can all be left in the water untill you are ready to serve so that the salad is fresh.

When ready, drain the sprout leaves and apple and pat dry on some kitchen towel. Mix together with some thinly sliced gem lettuce, chopped parsley and some almonds which have been sliced in half. I don’t think this needs a dressing as the lemon from the water gives everything a hint of sharpness but feel free to add a vinaigrette if you want.

To make the Bubble and Squeak -

10 Brussel Sprouts (left over from the salad)
1 Medium sized Celeriac – peeled and cut into large chunks
2 Large Garlic Cloves
8-10 sprigs of Fresh Thyme
Olive Oil

Preheat your oven to 190c, drizzle some olive oil in a large baking tray and put it in the oven for 5 minutes to heat the oil. Be really careful when you take it back out as oil goes very runny when heated, I burnt my arm really badly by accidentally tilting a baking tray full of hot oil. Anyway dangerous part over… place the chunks of celeriac into the tray and coat with the oil. Chop your garlic cloves in half (skin on) and rub the cut side all over the celeriac and then leave the garlic halves in the tray. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and place in the oven for 15 minutes.

Using the water left over from blanching your sprout leaves, bring it back to the boil and add your left over whole brussel sprouts, cook them for 2 minutes in the water and drain.

Add the thyme sprigs and brussel sprouts to the tray and put back in the oven for 15 minutes. Allow the celeriac/ sprouts to cool, squeeze the garlic out of it skin, take the thyme leaves off the stick and then mash it all together. Shape into small patties and put in the fridge for at least half an hour to firm them up.

When ready, heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the patties for about 3-4 minutes on each side untill golden brown.

To make the cranberry sauce (makes a big bowl full)

200g Cranberries
80g Unrefined Demerara Sugar
splash Water

Place all ingredients in a pan and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes untill the cranberries have broken down and the sauce reduced.

Now your ready for the christmas party!! Everyone will love these little patties of christmas flavours and it’s a great talking point if they’ve never heard of bubble and squeak before!

Canapes Two Ways: Bean Puree Bruschetta and Mixed Mushroom Polenta – Virtual Vegan Potluck!

I love canapes! I love being at an event where people are walking around with little trays of delicate little bite sized treats or at a party where canapes are more of a “finger food” buffet. I think it’s because without eating a huge meal you can taste lots of different dishes and experience different flavours. That’s why I decided to ‘bring’ two canape style dishes to the Virtual Vegan Potluck! Little bite size treats before you get stuck into the mains!

Mini Bruschetta with a basil, butterbean and pea puree, cucumber and alfalfa sprouts and a drizzle of olive oil

Mixed mushroom, garlic and rosemary mini polenta slabs

Now if you’re not familiar with the virtual vegan potluck (VVP) concept then you can find out more over at the brand new VVP Website here, but in brief it is a vegan foodie event, created by Annie from ‘An Unrefined Vegan’ and once again hosted by “Vegan Bloggers Unite“, where everyone participating posts a party dish at the same time. We all link to the person in front and behind us in the guest list so that in essence you should be able to ‘attend’ the whole party by following the links on the blog posts in one large circle! Sounds like fun right – click the links to move on when your finished!

Go back to “The Vegan Kat”

Go forward to “The Misfit Baker”

If that’s not enough vegan goodies for you then check out my last VVP post “Kohlrabi, Radish and Carrot Ceviche” and you’ll be able to follow the links for the last party too!

So what have I made… well I thought about the fact that making canapes means making lots of little dishes which can become stressful so I have done one that can be made in advance and one which prefers to be heated at the last-minute, therefore spreading out your time!

First up, the Beany Bruschetta! Traditionally bruschetta is a tomato and basil topping on toasted ciabatta slices with plenty of olive oil and mediterranean flavours but I have mixed it up a bit (completely) and made it green, with the cucumber slightly resembling the usual sliced fresh tomato salsa.  This is such a simple recipe but tastes amazing, easily adaptable to your own tastes and also it looks really impressive.

For this recipe I have dug out an old favourite of mine, a bean and pea puree. It’s packed with garlic and lemon and fresh herbs and I serve it on bread, in salads, as a pie filling or even just as a dip for crudities and pittas! The bean puree can be made in advance and kept in the fridge so all you have to do is assemble it nearer the time. You can serve this as pictured above on some bruschetta toasts or you can serve it as pictured below (for a lighter, lower carb version) on a gem lettuce leaf. I bought these gorgeous red lettuces from Sainsburys as I thought the deep red leaves would contrast nicely, also the stalk of the leaf makes a nice little handle for picking it up.

Makes approx 20 mini bruschettas

Bean Puree:
1 Can Butterbeans or cannellini beans
2 garlic cloves (or 1 large)
100g Green Garden Peas
Large Bunch Basil
1/2 Lemon Juice
2 Spring Onions

5 Seeded Ciabatta rolls
1 Cucumber
Large handful sprouted seeds (your choice of type but I had alfalfa ready to go)
Good quality olive oil for drizzling

Mix the puree ingredients together in a blender untill you have a smooth consistency. Taste it and add some more garlic or lemon if desired.

Slice the ciabatta rolls in half lengthways and toast lightly, then slice each half into 2 pieces so that each ciabatta roll gives you 4 mini bruschetta bases (20 in total). Top with the puree and then some finely diced cucumber (or veggies of your choice) and some sprouted seeds such as Alfalfa. Drizzle with some good quality olive oil and place on a platter to serve.

My second canape idea is a ‘Mixed Mushroom and Rosemary Polenta Slab‘which is better served warm but you can make it in advance and then heat it up at the last minute. It tastes fine at room temperature too but I think it’s nicer warm. I’m not sure if ‘slab’ is the nicest way of describing it but it’s kind of what it is!

This idea came to me when I was clearing out my cupboard and found a big bag of polenta I’d forgotten I had and I remembered my recipe for cheesy tomato polenta slabs. At the time I had  wanted to do a more autumnal version with mushrooms and goats cheese, but for this VVP occasion I have made it vegan by forgetting the goats cheese and using strong herbs like rosemary and my current favourite ingredient – truffle oil!!
These would also go perfectly with a balsamic glaze but since I still have a big bottle of truffle oil to get through that’s what I used.

The polenta slabs would probably be more of a ‘eat off a plate with a fork’ sort of dish so maybe not the perfect canape but if you make them a bit smaller I reckon they would be the rustic dish of the day!

Makes 16 individual slabs

300g Polenta
1.6 litres Water (200ml for the mushrooms)
1 tblspn Fresh Rosemary (remove the needles/ leaves from the stalk then roughly chop)
1 tblspn Dried Thyme
Pinch Salt
10 Closed Cup Mushrooms (sliced)
50g Mixed Dried Mushrooms such as porcini
2 Garlic Cloves (crushed)
Chilli flakes
Olive Oil for frying
Truffle oil or balsamic glaze for drizzling

First place the dried mushrooms into a bowl and cover with approx 200ml of boiling water. Put to one side for around 10 minutes to allow to soak then strain the mushrooms through a sieve but keep the soaking liquid. Slice the rehydrated mushrooms.

In a frying pan, heat a little oil and then  add the fresh and rehydrated mushrooms and stiryfry for 2-3 minutes then add the garlic and continue to cook until the mushrooms have all softened and ‘wilted’. Place the mushrooms into a large lasagna dish and spread out so that they cover the bottom of the dish evenly. You will need a very large dish to make sure that once the polenta is poured on it stays quite thin or you can do it in two dishes!

Put the remaining water and the now flavourful mushroom water into a large saucepan and bring to the boil, once boiling slowly pour the polenta into the pan whilst stirring with a whisk. Cook on the hob for 4-6 minutes stirring constantly, be careful because it spits viciously. You want it to reach a thick, even and creamy consistency.

Take it off the heat and add the chopped rosemary leaves, dried thyme and as pinch of salt. Stir untill the rosemary is evenly combined then pour the polenta over the mushrooms and using a knife or back of a spoon push it down very gently over the mushrooms and smooth it on the top. Now let the polenta cool down to firm up, you can leave it in the fridge if you are not needed it for while.

When you are ready to serve then set the oven to 200c (fan oven temp)

Once the polenta has cooled and is firm to touch run a knife  around the edges to loosen it from the dish then turn the polenta slab out onto a baking tray (All the mushrooms should be set into the polenta) and put it in the oven for 10-15 minutes. The polenta won’t brown but it will keep firm yet when you cut into it it’ll be lovely and soft on the inside!

Slice into 16 pieces and serve straight away on a platter

Thank you again to everyone involved in making the Virtual Vegan Potluck happen. It’s so much fun and a great way to meet other bloggers and see all the amazing food everyone has to offer! Bring on the next one x x x

Coconut, Cherry and Dark Chocolate Cake

I know it’s not the end of the month but today I made my own recipe of a cake and had to share it! I might try another of my ideas next week or I may call it a day on the cakes because I am having to visit the gym more frequently

Coconut cake with a cherry and dark chocolate layer topped with flaked almonds and brown sugar

I absolutely loved the Bakewell cake I made last week with the fruits layered in between the cake sponge mix. I decided to take this idea but put my own flavours into it, Cherries are at the end of their season and I picked up a large bag from my local market for cheap, if you can’t get cherries any more and don’t want to wait untill next summer then any berry would work just as well. Preferably a sweeter berry such as a raspberry or strawberry.

I got the idea for the brown sugar topping from a comment left by Loustar on my courgette and lemon cake and I loved it, so much nicer than a sweet icing (which this cake definitely did not need) and a bit more interesting than icing sugar. When I sprinkled the brown sugar on top it looked beautiful like glitter! This topping is completely optional but does look so rustic and pretty.

Love the beautiful cherries piled on top!

I had enjoyed the flavours of the ground almonds in the BBC Bakewell recipe and I decided that with the rich chocolate and cherries I would also need an element of the cake which would break through those flavours. I decided on desiccated coconut because it is quite earthy and would top off the chocolate beautifully (any one else love bounty bars??)

I also couldn’t help but pile flaked almonds on the top for that crunch! This topping is also optional but delicious, maybe it would also work with the coconut sprinkled on top!

The cherries and chocolate ooze out from in between the cake sponge

Makes 1 cake to serve however many you fancy!

140g Unsalted Butter
140g Caster Sugar
140g Self Raising flour
70g desiccated Coconut (not the sweetened variety)
3 Medium Sized Eggs
300g unpitted cherries
50g Dark Chocolate chips (or grated chocolate if you’re using a bar of chocolate)
Brown Sugar for decoration

NB: Pitting the cherries is a very mundane job if you don’t have a fancy little gadget that does it for you. I found halving the cherry then digging the stone out of one side was the easiest and quickest. Put a handful of whole cherries to one side to decorate the top.

Pre heat the oven to 170c (fan oven) and butter/ line a 22cm/ 9 inch diameter cake tin. Lining it is annoyingly time-consuming for someone inpatient like me but if you are wanting to take it out of the tin easily this is an important part of the process.

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar using an electric whisk (you can use a food processor if you have one but I don’t so I find that putting a clean tea towel over a bowl will help stop the mix flying everywhere. It’s insanely unhealthy but also impossible not to just dip a finger in at this point! but yes maybe don’t eat the mix quite yet!

Once the butter and sugar is light and fluffy sift in the flour and add the sugar, coconut and eggs. Mix well untill everything is combined and you have a moist cake batter.

Tip half of the cake mixture into the cake tin and spread out to form one even layer. Cover with a layer of pitted cherries and evenly sprinkle over the chocolate chips then top the whole lot with the rest of the cake mixture and gently smooth it down using a spatula or the back of a spoon (or your finger) so that the cherries are completely covered. At this point if you are using the flaked almonds then sprinkle those over.

Put on the middle shelf of your oven for 30 minutes. Check the cake is cooked but inserting a knife or poker and if it comes out clean then the cake is done. It should also be golden on top.

Leave it too cool in the tin then remove and place on a wire rack untill it is completely cooled. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pile some fresh cherries on top.

surprise colours when you slice into the cake

BBQ no. 2 – Giant Cous Cous Salad, Sundried Tomato Humous and Beetroot Burgers!

We were really excited this weekend because we have been living in a house with a garden for over a year now and we are finally having a BBQ! Last year was very hectic and we didn’t invite people over for the first few months over summer because we had lots of belongings in boxes and the house wasn’t how we’d like it when we have guests (other than family). However we love socializing and hosting parties so it’s great that we have finally got into the swing of it!

My mum left behind a small barrel BBQ which we used to cook all of the food and I also made some cold items which we put out in the kitchen to all help ourselves. For everyone else there was marinated lamb, sausages and burgers which were bought last weekend (left over from our bank holiday bbq) from a local butcher in Tamworth.

We had a meat side and a veggie side! (My sides more colourful!)

I also made my favourite Beetroot, Feta and Chickpea burgers. It was interesting following the recipe again as it has been so long since I made them that I really had to follow my own instructions, it was a good test to see how other people would find it. They turned out good so I was pleased, although I used a different curry paste this time and it was much stronger so I think a milder curry paste is always better with these.

Beetroot, Feta and Chickpea Burger

Instead of a green salad I decided to make  a fruity giant cous cous salad. I decided to try giant cous cous because I had never cooked it before and it would look more interesting. Giant Cous Cous differs from the normal variety because you actually have to boil it in water or stock for 6-8 minutes then drain it before serving. I then ran cold water through the cous cous to cool it down ready to be made into a salad but you can also serve it hot.

Cous cous salads in general are extremely easy and a great addition to a dinner party or a buffet, I usually roast some vegetables such as courgettes, peppers and red onion then dice them up and stir into the cooked cous cous with some lemon zest and oil. However this time I wanted to make it more summery so I decided to add some fruit, similar to our holiday rice salad we have in Spain. You can add any firm fruit such as peaches or nectarines and you could even add chopped dried apricots or raisins.

Giant Cous Cous is also known as Israeli Cous Cous

Serving this style of salad also means you can use up ingredients which you’ve made other recipes from, for example I had some feta cheese, red onion and chickpeas left over from the beetroot burgers so I added that to the salad. Here is a rough guide to the quantities I used for my salad:

150g Cous Cous (around 1 cup or half a pack of Merchant Gourmet Giant Cous Cous)
1 Peach or nectarine
1/4 Cucumber
1/2 Red Onion
1/4 Block Feta Cheese
1/2 cup Chickpeas (handful)
Small handful Sunflower Seeds (or pine nuts)
Small bunch Coriander
Drizzle Good Quality Olive Oil
Lemon Juice

Place the cous cous in a saucepan and pour over enough stock to cover the grains, bring to the boil and then simmer for 6-8 minutes untill soft. Drain and run through cold water to allow it to cool down. Pour it into a large serving bowl.
Chop the peach, cucumber, red onion and feta cheese and mix in with the cous cous. Add the chickpeas, sunflower seeds and coriander and stir. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice and serve.

To go with the salad and burgers I decided to make some sun dried tomato humous and serve it in buns with strips of courgette and red pepper which had been cooked on the bbq. This was delicious and I loved mixing the humous with the bbq vegetables.

Sun-dried tomato hummus

I’d never actually made hummus before but my mum makes it a lot and home made always tastes SO much nicer than the shop bought varieties. I didn’t have any tahini but I did have loads of sesame seeds left over from my tofu salad recipe so I toasted them, then blended them with a little oil. I then blended chickpeas with garlic, lemon zest, oil from the jar of tomatoes and of course some chopped up sun-dried tomatoes.

I’m not going to share this recipe quite yet mainly because it definitely needs tweaking, I found it abit garlicky and I’d like to have another go with different quantities of the tomatoes! Watch this space!

My plate of food! Just waiting for the beetroot burger to be done

What are your favourite vegetarian BBQ recipes?

Bank Holiday BBQ: Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers and Root Veg Tortilla

For this years August Bank Holiday we planned a big family bbq at Scott’s parents house. Parties with the in laws and the extended family are always so much fun, we put up a big marquee and lined it with fairy lights and bunting and at the end of the garden is a bar with working beer pulls and enough room to get a cosy crowd and a barrel of ale. Scott was behind the bar most of the night pulling pints and making sure everyone was happy and I was in charge of making sure the vegetarians (there were three of us) had some nice food to eat.

The Marquee. I love that we pulled all of the pot plants inside the marquee, it gave it a lovely garden feel and made it look so pretty!

The Pirate Bar “Captain Fork Handles”….Four Candles? Nah I said Fork Handles

Rules of the bar

We scattered tables and chairs around and filled them with party foods and jugs of pimms so that everyone was in reach of some good food and alcohol The night soon got into full swing party mode so some good substantial food was needed to soak up all that pimms and ale.

I decided for the vegetarians I would do Hugh’s River Cottage Veg Root-veg Tortilla because it is so pretty and I could make it in advance then just  put it out on the table for everyone to help themselves. This went down really well with the veggies and the carnivores and was all gone by the end of the night.

Summery tortilla made with root veg, courgette, beetroot, dill, mint and eggs

I also wanted to make something which would use the actual BBQ so that we weren’t missing out on that lovely Summers BBQ experience. I decided to make peppers stuffed with rice, feta, sundried tomatoes and herbs. I actually followed my recipe for Rice, Feta and Sundried Tomato Filo Pastry Parcels but instead of wrapping the filling in filo pastry I stuffed it into peppers and grilled them on the bbq.

The stuffed peppers prepared to be put on the BBQ

It was very easy to prepare the peppers, I used a sharp knife and cut around the stalk in a circle and then pulled the stalk to lift the lid out. This pulled most of the seeds out with it so all that was left to do was cut the seeds off from the lid and remove any pith from inside the pepper. I stuffed the peppers with the pre made rice mix and then tied them with string so that they would not fall apart when being cooked.

Just before putting them on the BBQ I soaked them in some water so that the string would not catch fire or burn. We cooked them on a separate plate rather than directly on the coals mainly to keep them separate from any meat but also so that the filling would cook thoroughly and evenly without the outside burning.

BBQ Stuffed Peppers

 

Makes 8 Peppers

1 Onion – finely diced
2 Garlic cloves – Crushed
8-10 sun-dried Tomatoes (from a jar) – Roughly chopped
100g Feta Cheese
bunch Mint
bunch Parsley
large handful Spinach – wilted
300g Cooked Brown rice
8 Peppers
Salt and Black Pepper

Fry the onion in a little spray oil for a few minutes then crush the garlic into the pan and fry for a further 2 minutes. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and herbs roughly then add them to the pan with the crumbled feta, wilted spinach and the cooked brown rice, stir to mix it all together well, season, and then take the pan off the heat and put to one side.

Using a sharp knife pierce the top of the pepper and cut out a lid around the stalk (leave about an inch of pepper around the stalk). Pull the stalk to remove the lid from the pepper and then remove any left over seeds and pith. Cut the seeds away from the lid.

Stuff the rice into the peppers and then place the lid back on to the pepper. Secure with string and run under the tap to wet the string then put in the fridge untill ready to cook.

Once the bbq has heated up place them on a cooler part of the grill and turn frequently untill the pepper is cooked and the filling is hot.

Serve straight away.

Inside the BBQ peppers – don’t eat the string!!

Spring Vegetable, Goats Cheese and White Bean Pie: Meat Free Monday

I wanted to make a special dinner for me and Scott which we could both enjoy and would feel like a treat. We’ve been really healthy recently getting ready for the summer so we definitely deserved it! I’ve been wanting to use filo pastry again for a while because there are so many different things to do with it and out of all the pastry options it is the lesser guilty option. I decided to buy a flan dish to make a big pie rather than make mini ones again (I got mine from Sainsburys for only 2.66!)

I have been really inspired recently by beans and grains and have been using them alot more in my cooking which has been really interesting and also seems to be more healthy. I’ve felt less sluggish from refined carbs and have dropped a few pounds even though I’m eating the same amount! For this pie I have made it more substantial by adding a bean and garden pea puree underneath all of the vegetables. As you can see from the photos below I first put a layer of bean and pea puree, then cooked spring vegetables and lastly some goats cheese.

I used goats cheese because it has a lower lactose level than cheese from cows milk. If you are vegan I am sure this pie would taste just as nice without any need for the cheese.I was very impressed that Scott liked it as much as he did because I really wasn’t sure it would go down well as a vegetarian date night dinner however I received lots of compliments and enthusiasm so there we have it, A husband approved vegetarian pie (Also the pie was substantial enough to serve on it’s own so there was only one dish, a chopping board, cutlery and 2 plates to wash up) Perfect!

So here is the recipe (serves 4 – we had left overs the next day and it tasted just as nice!)

For the bean and pea puree:
1 can Cannellini beans (235g drained)
90-100g Frozen peas (defrosted, cooked and cooled)
1 Lemon – Juice only
10 Mint Leaves
3 Spring Onions
1 Large Garlic Clove

Blend all of the ingredients together to make a smooth puree and season to taste. Put to one side.

For the Pie:
130g (1 cup) Shelled Broad Beans
10-12 Asparagus Spears
1 Leek
1 Onion
Bunch Mint
1 tspn Dried or Fresh Dill
100g Goats Cheese
4-5 Filo Pastry sheets

Pre heat the oven to 190c. In a sauce pan saute the leeks, onion, dill and mint in a little olive oil untill softened.

Boil or steam the asparagus and broad beans for around 5-6 minutes untill softened. Drain well.

Lightly grease your flan dish and then layer the filo pastry sheets over each other, lightly brush or spray each layer with a little oil to help stick together. I had to cut the edges off some of my sheets as they were too long, I used the edges I had sliced off by laying them in the dish to create a thick bottom layer.

Scoop the bean and pea puree into the filo pastry pie and smooth it down into a nice even layer. Add the sauteed leeks and onions in next, then layer your asparagus and broad beans on the top.

Crumble the goats cheese and sprinkle it over the top of the pie so it is evenly covered. Scrunch up the edges of the pastry to make a rustic but attractive edge (see photos).

Place the pie in the oven for 25 minutes untill hot through and the pastry has browned.

Serve hot!