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)

Baked Eggs with Mushrooms – And a Vegan Option!!

I’m not vegan although I love cooking vegan foods (often without even realising the dish is vegan until I am typing up the recipe) and I am always trying to think of vegan options for my recipes. One ingredient I think is very hard to substitute is an egg. In baking you can use a wide variety of alternatives but in a cooked breakfast, hmmm, nope! Especially because I have done my best to eliminate soy products from my diet.

This recipe for baked eggs is simple, healthy and delicious. As with many of my recipes there is plenty of room to play around with this and use up left over veggies you have in your fridge. Why not add some herbs, tomatoes, chilli, garlic or even some pre cooked beans!

The ramekins filled and ready for baking!

For the vegan version I decided to use avocado, this isn’t a vegetable that I eat hot/ cooked often but when baked it keeps its smooth creamy texture giving the same texture contrast as the soft cooked egg.

Avocados are quite high in fat but this is a good fat that your body, hair and skin will love you for. I find them great to have for breakfast because they fill me up for the morning and make me feel like I’ve had an indulgent meal.

Baked avocado and mushrooms

I always serve my baked eggs with a thick slice of toast to dip in the yolk and use to scoop out the veg. After cutting out wheat and gluten I avoided any kind of bread product for quite awhile because I didn’t trust what was in the gluten free versions of soft white loaves. Recently however I have fallen in love with sprouted rye bread. The brand I have tried is from Biona and they do a sprouted quinoa loaf and a sprouted rye and pumpkin seed loaf, among others. To begin with I really struggled to like it, it’s so different to sliced bread because it is thin, dense and crumbly, however served with a cooked breakfast it works perfectly. I don’t think I’d make a sandwich out of it because it is very filling…but maybe an open sandwich!

Biona organic gluten free sprouted rye and pumpkin seed bread topped with the baked avocado and mushrooms

Serves 2

Gluten and wheat free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan option.

300g mushrooms (approx 10-12 closed cup mushrooms)
Dried Italian style herbs
Large bunch of Parsley (leaves only)
Large handful of Spinach
Large handful of Rocket
Salt and pepper
2 large eggs or 1 avocado

Preheat the oven to 180c.

Slice the mushrooms. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and sauté the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and a good pinch of the dried herbs. Once the mushrooms have begun to wilt add the spinach and parsley and cook for a further 5-8 minutes until the spinach and rocket has also wilted.

Divide the mushroom mix into two ramekins or small individual pie dishes and if using an egg then make a well in the middle of the ramekin and crack the egg in.
If using avocado then peel and slice the avocado into small chunks. Mix in with the mushrooms (half an avocado per person).

Place the ramekin into the pre heated oven and bake for 10- 12 minutes until the egg is set or the avocado is starting to brown but still creamy.

 

The great thing about this recipe is that it is completely vegan right up to the point of putting the mix into the ramekins, so if your cooking breakfast for a variety of dietary requirements then there is no need for lots of pots and pans.

What do you add to your vegan breakfast instead of an egg?

Mushroom and Mixed Herb Fluffy Omelette

I finally learnt how to make an Omelette! In the past I would beat the eggs and pour them in the pan but after a few seconds I don’t know why I would just panic and scramble them. I blame the omelette  challenge on Saturday Morning Kitchen because the chefs would frantically break up the eggs in the pan and I had no idea how after that they would create an omelette! Oh well, I now realise the best thing to do for the most simple omelette in the world is to beat your eggs in a bowl, pour them into a non stick pan, swirl them around a bit so they cover the bottom of the pan, and leave to cook on a medium heat then you can fold it in half at the end if you wish.

This omelette though is a bit more special (fussy) but totally worth it. To make a super fluffy omelette I first separate the eggs into two bowls, then you whisk the egg whites untill they are stiff and then stir them back into the beaten egg yolks and cook first on a hob and then finished under a grill. You have this crazy meringue effect going on at first but the end result is just lovely! It’s much prettier than the basic technique and its more filling and I think a much nicer texture.

When I went to the supermarket last week they had big bunches of mixed fresh herbs for 10p, this is the sort of thing I always look out for even if you haven’t planned to buy them because herbs can enhance any meal, also they are good to freeze for future recipes. These particular ones were labelled as “Stuffing Herb Mix” but I think they all go perfectly with mushrooms! They included Sage, Thyme, Rosemary and Curly Parsley. ‘Woody’ herbs in particular like rosemary and thyme are a match made in heaven with mushrooms, they bring out the correct amount of earthiness but keep an element of sweetness there too.

You can use just one of the herbs or all four it is up to you! I used a small amount of all four since I had them to hand You could also use dried herbs mixed with fresh which would be just as delicious.

You get a lovely crispy bottom and a fluffy top!

To make one large Omelette

Vegetarian, Wheat and Gluten Free, Dairy Free

3 Eggs
Splash dairy free milk
5 Large chestnut Mushrooms (approx 1 cup sliced or a large handful!)
1 Spring Onion
1 Sprig thyme, 2-3 leaves sage, small bunch parsley, 1 sprig rosemary
Salt and Pepper
Olive oil

Slice the mushrooms and spring onions, and prepare your herbs by removing the thyme and rosemary leaves from the stalks, finely slice the sage and roughly chop the parsley (save some for garnish if you wish).

Heat some oil in a frying pan and add the mushrooms and herbs and season with some salt and pepper. Cook untill the mushrooms are golden brown and wilted but not over cooked (don’t let them shrivel). Once cooked take them out of the pan and put to one side.

Separate the eggs so that the yolks are in one bowl and the whites in another. Beat the egg yolks to break them up and mix with a dash of milk just to loosen the texture. Whisk the egg whites untill they are just stiff then pour in the egg yolk mixture and gently combine.

Reheat the frying pan with a little oil and pour in the egg mixture, gently swirl the pan to evenly distribute the mixture and cook untill the bottom is set and golden brown in colour.

Top with the mushroom mixture and the chopped spring onions and put it under a hot grill for 1-2 minutes until the top is also set and the omelette is cooked through. Fold in half and garnish with a little extra fresh parsley then eat!

Fresh and Healthy Egg Fried Quinoa

Well, Christmas is over for another year but the decorations are still up, the cupboards are still full of chocolate and were still in full on holiday mode. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) this means we haven’t quite got back to a picture of health and the occasional takeaway has been partaken of… But it’s nearly the first of January and I always need to take small early steps to wean myself off the junk and to get back on track. I’m not great at the clean slate/ cold turkey approach to the end of the holidays!

One step I have taken this week is to make my own Chinese instead of ordering in. Not only are the ingredients and cooking methods healthier when you cook your own but also you eat less because you don’t have a glossy menu tempting you to over order.

Packed full of vegetables

I used to make this with rice but I’ve been eating a lot of quinoa recently and I think it’s a worthy swap. If you are vegan then you can omit the egg and there is still plenty of protein in this dish! If you prefer then you can use rice, no biggie. I’ve used typical veggies found in the takeaway version of this dish including onion, red pepper, courgette and peas. Then I’ve built up the flavour with the classic combo of garlic, ginger and chilli…a must in any Asian dish!

Next year I will be categorising my recipes as ‘vegan, dairy free, gluten free’ etc because I realised that even though a lot of my recipes are suitable for all sorts of allergy sufferers it wasn’t obvious at first glance. Now I’m doing gluten free and veggie and mostly dairy free I find it frustrating reading through all of the ingredients first. If you see any mistakes or feel the recipe could fit into a category I’ve forgotten then please comment! I’m still learning and frantically label reading.

With or without egg, this dish beats the takeaway on flavour and health!

Serves 4

Wheat and Gluten free, Dairy free, Vegetarian, Vegan option

85g quinoa (1/2 heaped cup, 3oz)
1 courgette
1 red pepper
1 onion
Handful frozen green peas
2 garlic cloves
Thumb sized piece fresh ginger
1 red chilli
2 large eggs (leave out if vegan)
1 tblspn gluten free (tamari) soya sauce
Large bunch coriander
Oil for frying

Cook the quinoa according to the packets instructions (usually just rinse well then boil in water for approx 10-15 mins and then drain).

Prepare the veg – wash all the vegetables (the peas should already be washed if frozen). Dice the courgette, peel and dice the onion, deseed and dice the red pepper. No need to defrost the peas you can add them into the wok frozen. Deseed and finely slice the chilli, peel and dice the ginger, peel and crush the garlic.

Heat some vegetable oil or groundnut oil in a wok. Add all of the chopped veggies and the garlic, ginger, chilli and also finely chop the coriander stalks and add them in.

Once softened add the quinoa to the pan and stir.

Beat the eggs in a bowl and then in a separate frying pan scramble the egg until it is just cooked and then stir it into the quinoa and vegetables.

Add around a tablespoon of soya sauce, taste and decide of you need any more or not. Stir in chopped coriander leaves and serve in a big bowl in the middle of the table with your choice of stir fried tofu and extra veggies etc etc.

There we go first step into a healthy 2013!

Bubble and Squeak: The Ultimate Post Christmas Brunch (re-post)

Isn’t life funny sometimes. I feel like everything has just come full circle because today I decided to have a go at making a twist on my more traditional bubble and squeak recipe and when I clicked on my blog to find it I realised that exactly one year ago today I posted that said bubble and squeak recipe!! I decided to repost it because it really gets me in the mood for christmas and also it’s a delicious way to eat some vegetables for brunch!

Bubble and Squeak conjures up memories of my mum cooking brunch in the kitchen on boxing day whilst we happily sorted through presents received the day before. We’d be in our pyjamas with a good cheesy christmas film on in the background! We’d have piles of freshly fried bubble and squeak made with everything left over from the day before topped with eggs and washed down with fresh orange juice! This recipe tastes best when your using left over roasted veggies but my healthy take on it is also delicious!!

Serves 4:

1/2 small Savoy Cabbage
8-10 Sprouts
2 Carrots
1 Large Potato
Pinch Salt
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Power
1/2 teaspoon dried Rosemary
Olive Oil for cooking

Preheat a baking tray in the oven at 190c

Prepare the vegetables by slicing the carrot, and cabbage, chop the potato into chunks and peel the sprouts then chop in half. Place the chopped potatoes onto the hot baking tray and spray/ drizzle with olive oil, roast for around 20 minutes. Steam (or boil) the sprouts, carrots and cabbage  untill soft then mash them with the roasted potatoes, garlic and rosemary.

Let it cool down a little bit then shape into cakes and fry in some olive oil untill golden brown and hot through.

Serve with a poached egg and plenty of tomato ketchup!!

Help yourself to seconds!

Ps: As kids this was a great way to fill us up of vegetables!! We used to have everything in there – carrots, leeks, peas, potatoes, cauliflower, parsnips! Anything left over that could be mashed

Kale and Tomato Herby Fritatta: Vegetarian Breakfasts

I thought I’d focus on my two favourite breakfasts this week, eggs with kale and tomatoes and also baked beans on toast. Recently I’ve just been stirfrying the kale and serving it with scrambled eggs for minimum fuss but I prefer a fritatta because it is neater and more of a complete meal.

When it comes to breakfast I think simple is best, you’ve just woken up and you fancy a slice of toast and a cup of tea. Only problem is that’s not a very balanced start to your day and I personally prefer to start my day with a filling, nutritious meal including eggs and greens.

You may think it’s a bit extreme to eat kale for breakfast but I promise you that stirfried and seasoned, this dark green leaf is so delicious mixed with the creamy eggs. If you simply can’t do it then swap the kale for spinach, another iron rich green which is perfect at breakfast time.

So to keep this fritatta simple I kept the ingredients quite minimal, just enough to make this a bit more special than just your average egg dish but still simple non the least. You can make one large fritatta to share between two or you can make two mini ones like I have.

Serves 2

2 Large handfuls Kale
Small Bunch Parsley
Small Bunch Mint (approx 12-15 leaves)
2 Garlic Cloves
4 Spring Onions
4 Large Eggs
2 Tomatoes

Wash and chop the kale and herbs and crush the garlic cloves. Heat some oil in a frying pan and then stirfry the kale, herbs and garlic with a pinch of salt for around 2-3 minutes then add the chopped spring onions and continue to cook, stirring often, untill the kale has wilted. Around 5 more minutes.

Place thin slices of tomato into the bottom of two small round pie dishes/ tart dishes and then fill with the kale mixture.

Beat two eggs and then pour the eggs over the kale into the dishes. Use a fork to just move the kale around to allow the eggs to run down and fill the dish.

Place under a hot grill for 12-15 minutes untill the top and sides are firm, then turn it out on to a baking tray and place back under the grill untill the tomato lined bottom has browned and the egg is cooked through.

What’s your favourite breakfast? Do you like kale? I will post the recipe for my home made heinz style baked beans later in the week

Kale topped Sweet Potato and Cheese Pie: Meat Free Monday

I am a bit obsessed with kale at the moment. I’ve been having it stir fried for breakfast everyday with a grind of Himalayan salt, smoked paprika and a little garlic, flavours which just enhance the savoury taste of the kale. After making a kale pizza I can understand why people go mad for kale chips, although I have never made these, I very much enjoyed the topping of crispy seaweed like kale.

I wanted that crispiness again but this time on top of a deep filled cheesy sweet potato pie. I knew the flavours would match perfectly and I love the contrast between the soft gooey filling and the crisp kale.

You can omit the pastry since the pie dish is actually doing the job of keeping it all together but I was feeling indulgent so decided to include some pastry. I think it looks pretty

The filling is made from dairy free milk, eggs, sweet potato, onion, parsley and some garlic. I find it hard cooking savoury dishes using dairy free milk as even the unsweetened varieties have a hint of sweetness, especially rice and oat milks. I used an unsweetened hemp milk which was borderline savoury but I will definitely try it again with different milks to see what works best.

Pie Filling mixed together ready to be poured into the pie dishes

I have a confession to make – Scott decided the kale wasn’t for him so I ate both of these this weekend! One for lunch and one for dinner…on the same day!!! I’m feeling like a little pie piggy It was so nice to finally have time to get back into the kitchen however the problem with now doing all my cooking over saturday and sunday (because during the week I miss all the day light) is that I have lots of food to eat! I remember having this same issue last year so there are going to be lots of freezable meals coming up!

If you did omit the pastry however then there is nothing terribly bad in this pie, you can swap the sweet potatoes for any other potato or root veg but I did enjoy the sweetness and goodness of the lovely sweet potato. You can also play around with the herbs used depending on what you have growing in your garden or what you have left in the fridge. Keep to soft herbs though as they will be hidden in the pie filling and you don’t want anyone to choke!

I love how the kale which is submerged in the filling mixture remains a rich green colour and the top layer of kale which has been left dry turns a beautiful dark purple colour! The purple bits taste delicious and toasted but you keep the cabbage like flavour of the green parts.

Makes 2 small pies

1 tblspoon Pure Sunflower Butter
2 Onions2 Garlic Cloves
1 large Sweet Potato
2 Large Eggs
150ml milk (use unsweetened dairyfree)
50g Red Leicester Cheese – or cheddar will work fine too
1 Small Bunch Parsley
2 sheets Filo Pastry
2 Large handfuls of Kale to top the pies with
Olive Oil
Salt
Paprika

To prep the vegetables – Finely dice the onion and garlic. Peel the Sweet potato and cut it into bitesize chunks, making sure they’re all roughly the same size so they cook evenly. Chop the parsley and kale and put to one side until needed. Grate the cheese

Preheat the oven to 180c.

Place the diced sweet potato into a sauce pan and top with boiling water and cook untill the potato is soft but not over cooked (soft to touch but not falling apart). You could also steam it.

In a large saucepan melt the dairy free butter and add the onions and garlic and cook over a medium heat for approx 7-8 minutes untill softened. Drain the sweet potatoes and add to the sauce pan with a pinch of salt.

Beat the eggs then add to the milk and grated cheese and mix well. Combine the milk mixture with the onions and sweet potatoes and then add chopped parsley and give it a good stir again. Taste to check the seasoning.

Slice the filo pastry sheets in half so you have 4 pieces and line each pie dish with 2 pieces. Pour in the potato and onion mixture so that the pie is full to the brim. Carefully scrunch the edges of the pastry up to create a nice rustic border around the top of the pie dish.

Wipe down the frying pan you softened the onions in and add a little oil then add your chopped kale, a sprinkle of salt and paprika and stir untill the kale has wilted, approx 5 mins.

Pile the cooked kale on top of the pies then place them both on a baking tray and put in the oven for 35-40 minutes. They are ready when the filling has firmed up, the pastry is golden and the kale topping is crispy.

Whats your favourite way to use Kale?

Some Eggcellent Ideas for Egg Alternatives

This is an interesting topic for me because whenever I think of going vegan I think “oh no but I don’t want to give up eggs” and I’m torn. I think when I turned vegetarian my intake of eggs increased significantly because I saw them as a source of protein (and the saviour susbtitute to a bacon sarnie when I have a hangover) so it would be a big adjustment to me to give them up. But the more I read and learn the more I want to cut back and find some alternatives.

Now I have no experience of cooking without eggs, especially baking etc, so I have done some research online and these are the tips, techniques and recipes I have found. I hope this will help us all understand a little bit more about eggless cooking!

What Could be used as an Egg alternative?

The Vegan Society Website explains a little bit about why vegans may not want to eat eggs and some alternatives. They suggest the following -

instead of 1 egg, you can use…
1 tbsp gram (chick pea) or soya flour and 1 tbsp water
1 tbsp arrowroot, 1 tbsp soya flour and 2 tbsp water
2 tbsp flour, 1/2 tbsp shortening, 1/2 tsp baking powder and 2 tsp water
50g tofu blended with the liquid portion of the recipe
1/2 large banana, mashed
50 ml white sauce

But for me personally looking at this list I still have no idea what recipes these alternatives would be used in, how they would be used and why! I understand an egg is used as a binder in many recipes so by adding flour with water you make a sort of paste which would be used to bind dry ingredients! I think a little further reading is needed so I went back to google and found this -

The Chef In You Website really helped me understand the science behind it a bit more and also how you may use different flavours:

-In such cases, to substitute eggs you would need an ingredient that plays the same role. Like mashed potatoes, cooked rice, bread crumbs, cooked pasta, oatmeal, grated cheese, flaxseeds, commercial egg replacement products, Tahini, nut butters, silken tofu, tomato paste, arrowroot powder etc.
-In cases of Sweet based goodies (like drop cookies), you can use fruits like Banana, applesauce, Xanthan Gum, agar agar (or non vegetarian equivalent like Gelatin), custard powder, cornstarch to perform the binding function. Keep in mind that using fruits can alter both the density and taste of the finished product.
-In case of Baked Goods, you can use flaxseed (1 tbsp ground flaxseed with 3 tbsp hot water, whisked and set aside until thick and sticky). But if it’s also acting as a leavening agent along with binding then add in additional ¼ tsp baking powder.

So basically an egg is used in cooking to bring dry ingredients together (for example in cakes) and also to create lightness and air (for example in meringue or yorkshire puds). It is easier to replace an egg in a recipe where you just need a binder as there are plenty of sticky natural ingredients out there! You need to consider the flavourings (for example don’t use a banana in a savoury dish) and how it will effect the consistency of the final dish.

What are some of these ingredients?

I  looked up “Arrowroot” and discovered that it is a plant that grows in America. The roots are washed and then mashed into a pulp, passed through a fine sieve and then dried to create a powder. Wikipedia says -

Arrowroot makes clear, shimmering fruit gels and prevents ice crystals from forming in homemade ice cream. It can also be used as a thickener for acidic foods, such as Asian sweet and sour sauce. It is extremely valuable in cooking when you wish to have a clear, thickened sauce, for example, a fruit sauce. It will not make the sauce go cloudy, like cornstarch, flour or other starchy thickening agents would. The lack of gluten in arrowroot flour makes it useful as a replacement for wheat flour in baking. Like other pure starches, however, arrowroot is almost pure carbohydrate and devoid of protein, thus it does not provide a complete substitute for wheat flour.

Xantham Gum is another one which I have heard of before but I have no idea what it is and where it comes from. Again I looked at Wikipedia for the answers and they say this - Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide, derived from the bacterial coat of Xanthomonas campestris, used as a food additive and rheology modifier, commonly used as a food thickening agent (in salad dressings, for example) and a stabilizer (in cosmetic products, for example, to prevent ingredients from separating). It is produced by the fermentation of glucose, sucrose, or lactose by the Xanthomonas campestris bacterium. After a fermentation period, the polysaccharide is precipitated from a growth medium with isopropyl alcohol, dried, and ground into a fine powder. Later, it is added to a liquid medium to form the gum.

…..erm……yeah….so moving on….. What I do know is that you can buy it from the Doves Farm website

The last ingredient I wasn’t sure about is Agar Agar and I found this fantastic website called My Real Food Life who actually have an extensive list of egg replacers so I suggest if you are looking for a more in depth view to egg substitutes then head over there! I am just dipping my toe in the water in this post. She explains that Agar Agar powder can be used like this -

Made from finely ground seaweed, sprinkle it on your wet ingredients and let soak 5- 10 min.  It is a gelatin substitute and binding agent used by vegans. It is a ‘short’ gelatin; it doesn’t rise very high and can sometimes be brittle if you use too much.  Best used for cookies, ice cream, and mini tea loaves. It works great in vegan pumpkin pie, and terrific in my vegan vanilla pudding.  Use  2-3 tsp per egg you would replace. You can find it cheapest at your local Chinese or Indian grocery store.  You can also get agar ribbons and grind them in your coffee or spice grinder to make your own powder.

I think it is so interesting how endless the posibilities of food are, I think this shows that being a vegan doesn’t mean you only eat vegetables. It just means with a bit of knowledge and planning the world gives us so many more natural ingredients to be played with and that vegans can have their cake and eat it too.

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!!

Katz Deli New York City – Egg Salad Sandwiches

This is the last of my “What we ate on honeymoon” posts, I shared my new found love of Poutine from our time in Montreal and also had a go at a healthy version of deep fried pickles from Toronto.

My Version of Poutine

My Version of Deep Fried Pickles

One of the main tourist attractions we wanted to visit, along side The Empire State Building/ Statue of Liberty etc was Katz Deli, famous for the fact it was the background setting to the timeless “I’ll have what she’s having” scene in When Harry Met Sally but also famous for it’s gigantic portion sizes. New York was relatively healthy compared to what we were expecting from America so we we’re actually kind of excited about seeing what they had to offer.

The little yellow ticket you are handed when you walk in appears to have no purpose however if you lose it whilst dining there then you have to pay a $50 fine!!

I had looked on the menu before we left so I already knew that my options as a vegetarian were extremely limited but I still wanted to go and have fun. I felt a bit embarrassed ordering the Egg Salad sandwich which was hidden at the bottom of the menu underneath the endless choices of pastrami, beef and tongue sandwiches, I felt even more embarrassed when the waiter (loudly infront of everyone) said “Whats the point of coming all this way if your not going to try our famous pastrami!” Well sir there is more to life than pastrami!!

To begin with we were given a plate of pickles and also pickled green tomatoes, I tried one it was ok although a bit tangy for my taste. Scott ordered a Brisket sandwich and I had the Egg Salad. I was expecting Egg mayo with salad however this had salad items mixed in with the egg! It was nice but I think there were about 8 eggs in my sandwich and also it tasted a little powdery and dry. I had to have a lot of drinks to get through the sandwich.

The Egg Salad Monster Sandwich

Once back in the UK I decided to make my own Egg Salad sandwich, not to the extreme of this mammoth but just a respectful nod to the deli and our time in New York. I decided to make mine an open sandwich because with the amount of filling I had infront of me I definitely needed a knife and fork! I mixed up the salad aspect of the sandwich so I have mixed some ingredients in with the egg just like the deli did, and I have layered some underneath the egg. This gives a mix of textures as well!

My Open Egg Salad Sandwich

For this Sandwich I mixed 2 roughly chopped boiled eggs with 2 sliced spring onions, 4 plum tomatoes chopped small and 1 tablespoon of Wholegrain Mustard. Then I sliced 1 ciabatta in half and on each half I layered 2 gem lettuce leaves, 2 slices of roasted red pepper and 2 slices of gherkin/ pickle. Then I piled the egg mixture on top and dug in! I really liked having pickle with the egg this is something I will eat together more often.

Egg Salad Sandwich

I really enjoyed Katz Deli and would recommend it to any hard core carnivores out there because the meat options looked really good and Scott confirmed that his first ever taste of Brisket was delicious. Also the atmosphere was great and I loved people watching and seeing what everyone had chosen to eat!