Sweet Potato and Black Bean Curry

Ingredients
2 Tsp oil

1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic

1Tsp ginger, grated

700g sweet potato, cubed

1.5 Tsp curry powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

400g coconut milk

200ml vegetable stock

300g cherry tomatoes

400g black beans

300g green beans

Method

Heat the oven to 200C.

Heat the oil, and par- cook the onion and sweet potato. The idea is to get a bit of colour onto the veggies.  Add the chopped garlic and ginger. Then add the coconut milk, stock, curry powder, lemon zest  and cinnamon. Transfer into an oven-proof dish and cook for 30 minutes.

Add the green beans and black beans, stir, and top with the tomatoes. Cook for another 20 minutes.

Serve with rice.

Notes

The original recipe used lemongrass instead of lemon zest, but I really don't like lemongrass. It also called for 400ml of stock, but this made the dish very, very runny.  

We are not a fan of HOT, so I cut the curry powder down from 3 Tsps to 2. Next time I make it, I'm going to try 1 and a half.

Update - eating curry on a regular basis increases ones tolerance for curry powder. We're back up to 2 tablespoons.

Mini Dauphinoise

 

Ingredients

800 g potatoes thinly sliced

4 tbsp double cream

4 tbsp grated fresh parmesan

cooking/olive oil spray

2 garlic cloves crushed/minced

Method

Pre heat oven to 200c.

Grease a 12 hole muffin tin with olive oil/cooking spray.

Add cream, parmesan, and garlic to potatoes and mix, making sure slices are well coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Divide potato mixture evenly between muffin tin holes.

Bake for 50 mins or until potato is cooked through and the tops are crisp.

Chicken and Spinach Pasta

Ingredients

500g pasta
500g cooked chicken strips
2 x 480g jars Dolmio Carbonara Pasta Bake sauce
300g frozen spinach
100g grated cheese

Method
Pre-heat oven to 200C.

Cook the pasta. Defrost the chicken strips and heat them through in a large saucepan. Add the two jars of sauce, and bring to a simmer. Crumble the frozen spinach leaves. Add the pasta and spinach to the sauce. Mix well.

Place the saucy pasta in a large glass baking dish (35x25cm). Top with grated cheese. Bake for 25-ish minutes until hot and the cheese has melted and become golden brown.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
200g (7 oz) margarine, cold

125g soft light brown sugar
100g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g plain flour (Dove Farm gluten-free)
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp sodium bicarbonate
200g dark chocolate chips
1 Tbsp non-dairy milk

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Cream the margarine, sugars and vanilla extract. Sift in the flour, baking powder and sodium bicarbonate. Mix until well combined. Add the milk, and then the chocolate chips.

Roll the dough into balls, and place on the baking tray. Leave lots of space as these cookies will spread during cooking.

Bake for around 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Leave to cool on the baking trays.

Asparagus and Basil Pasta

Ingredients

300g penne

300g asparagus

150g cherry tomatoes

40g pine nuts

4 Tsp olive oil

black pepper

50g basil, plus a few sprigs for garnish

Method

Cook the penne until al dente. Drain. 

Peel the bottom third of the asparagus and cut on the diagonal into about 2cm pieces. Rinse and halve the tomatoes. Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan until golden brown and set aside.

Heat the oil in a pan and gently sauté the asparagus pieces for about 5 minutes. Season. Add a little water. When the asparagus is tender add the tomatoes just until warm, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the drained penne, the pine nuts, and the basil. Toss to combine.

Transfer to plates and serve garnished with basil leaves.

Back to Decluttering

The time has come to get back to decluttering. I have attacked the dining room. Amongst the haul were 10 fat quarters. All were bought from Joan's, and now they are returning home.

Work in the dining room yielded  around 91 items, and I scoured the house for other items to bring the total up to 100. In a group I belong to, there's a challenge to declutter your pantry. This I did and found an empty jar waiting to be returned to the farmers market, two items way passed their use by dates, and a small bottle of oil. Nope of us were happy with the flavour of the oil, and so it was ditched.

Tofu Tacos

Ingredients

1 Tsp oil

100g extra firm tofu, drained

3 Tsp soy sauce

100ml cup passata

1/2 tsp medium curry powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 can of red kidney beans (~450g)

Method

Crumble the drained tofu into a bowl.

Mix the soy sauce, passata, curry powder, garlic powder, cumin and black pepper.

Heat the oil in a skillet over a medium high heat. Then add the tofu and cook for about 5 minutes. Whilst this is cooking, drain and rinse the kidney beans, then cover with water and microwave for 2 minutes. Add the kidney beans, and tomato sauce mixture to the tofu and cook for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture will become brown and fragrant.

Serve with tortillas, lettuce, tomato, vegan cheese, and mayo.

Lightly Spiced Chickpeas with Feta

Ingredients

1 can of chickpeas (about 450g) 

1tsp garlic granules 

1tsp cumin 

1/2tsp medium curry powder 

1tsp dried coriander 

3Tsp lemon juice 

3Tsp orange juice 

3 Tsp oil 

50g cranberries 

Method

Heat the chickpeas according to the instructions on the can. Whilst that is happening, mix all of the other ingredients in a bowl. Drain the chickpeas and add to the bowl. Mix well, and put in the fridge, for a few hours, preferably overnight.

Serve with a mix of basmati and wild rice, salad leaves, and small cubes of feta. 

Notes

I used vegan feta. For someone who doesn't like hot, spicy foods, it hit the mark rather nicely. For people who like HOT, you'd need to add a shed-load of chilli powder.

February 2022 Review

 

The goals were the same as last month, to lose 3kg, make or remake an item of clothing, and to try a new vegan recipe.  

Three kilos have gone.

The Dancing in Paris wrap skirt has been completed, and a crocheted shawl has been started.

The vegan recipes I've tried this month are:

• Shepherd's Pie
• Pea and Lentil Soup
• Tofu Stir Fry

and an old recipe rediscovered, Banana and Walnut Muffins.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients

300 g granulated or caster sugar
65 g cornflour
1 pinch of salt
235 ml oat milk
115 ml water
235 ml lemon juice
Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
15 g vegan butter

Method

Mix the cornflour with the water, and then into the oat milk.

Into a saucepan, place the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and turmeric powder. Stir in the cornflour-water-oat milk mix. 

Over a medium heat, cook the ingredient, whisking continually. After about 5 minutes, the lemon curd will be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and stir in the vegan butter. 

Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally. Then transfer into a sterilised glass jar. Store in the fridge.

Banana and Walnut Muffins

Ingredients
280g plain GF flour

1tsp baking powder

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

3 ripe bananas

110g sugar

90ml oat milk, or water

90ml vegetable oil

60g-80g walnuts

Method

Prepare muffins cases. Preheat oven to 190C.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and sugar. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas, and mix in the oat milk, and oil. Stir the two together until just mixed. Add the chopped walnuts, and give a final stir.

Spoon into the cases. then bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned. 

Pea and Leek Soup

Ingredients

700ml vegetable stock

2Tsp vegetable oil

1 large onion

1 large leek

2 large potatoes

500g frozen peas

2Tsp lemon jiuce

4tbsp mixed seeds

10g fresh mint

Method

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add finely diced onion and potato. Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes, then add sliced leeks.  Continue to cook until the vegetables have softened but have not become too brown.

Add the stock, cover with a lid and cook on a low to medium heat for 10 minutes

Add the frozen peas and 300mls of just boiled water and let simmer for a couple of minutes - until the peas are cooked through. Blend the mixture until smooth. Add the lemon juice and stir.

Serve the soup,  and garnish with a tablespoon of the seeds and a sprinkle of chopped mint.

Notes

The original recipe did not have onion it. I added it before even making the recipe once. After the soup was made, I added lemon juice as the soup was dull and lifeless. The addition of the lemon juice perked it up.

Dancing in Paris

At the shop we have a new fabric distributer, and we now have access to a huge range of Moda fabrics. The one that really caught my eye was from the range, "Dancing in Paris".  This will become a summer, wrap skirt for me.

Started: 4th February 2022

Finished: 17th February 2022

Fabric: Dancing in Paris

Amount: 1.75m

Two pieces (85cm by width of fabric) were cut. The fabric was stacked right side to right ride, and a seam sewn along one of the selvedges. This was pressed open. Six darts were sewn, two in the front, two in the back, and two in the wrap section. These were my hand width long, and two thumb widths wide. The side and bottom edges were hemmed, and the skirt ironed.

A strip of 5cm by width of fabric was cut. This was cut in two, to make the ties for the skirt. A tie was folded over (rs togetheer),  sewn along the cut sides, It was turned inside out, and pressed. The second tie was worked in the same manner. 

The waist of the skirt was turned over, and the ties pinned in place. This was sewn down, taking care to ensure the ties were securely fastened.

Thoughts on Vegan Shepherd's Pie

I made the Shepherd's Pie the night before, but didn't assemble it. It 'rested' in the fridge overnight. This made for a very easy weekday meal - assemble and put in the oven for 40 minutes. It was also rather tasty.

Next time I make it I'll use clapshot instead of mash. That will add another layer of taste.

On the whole, very tasty, and worked well as lunches the following day.

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

1 Tsp olive oil

6 mushrooms, finely diced

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

3 cloves garlic

1 Tsp soy sauce

1 Tsp Worcestershire sauce

300ml passata

1 tsp mixed herbs, dried

250ml dried red lentils

250ml red wine

250ml vegetable stock

Topping

4 large potatoes

4 Tsp vegan butter

120ml oat milk

1 Tsp  olive oil

salt and pepper

Method

Saute the onions in the oil. Add the carrots, and mushrooms. Cook for 10 minutes. Then add the garlic. Cook for 3 minutes more, then add the lentils, red wine, stock, passata, herbs, soy sauce,  and Worcestershire sauce.

Meanwhile, make your mash potato for the topping.

Add your potatoes to a medium saucepan and cover over with water. Place the pan over medium heat & cook the potatoes for around 10-12 minutes, or until they are soft enough to mash.

When the potatoes are cooked, transfer them to a colander draining away the water. Let the potatoes dry for 2-3 minutes, then pass them through a potato ricer to mash them. Stir in the milk, vegan butter, olive oil and seasoning. Set the potato aside until you’re ready to top your pie.

When the lentils have cooked, and the liquid has reduced to a sauce, transfer it to your baking dish and top with the creamy mash. 

Bake for 25-35 minutes, at 180C, or until the mash on top has gone crispy and golden.

Serve right away.

January 2022 Review

 

My three goals for January were to lose 3kg, make or remake an item of clothing, and to try a new vegan recipe.

Losing weight was 3kg.

My new skirt is rather missing. The pattern was created, and as I was going to cut out the pieces I realised the fabric had been sun-bleached, and so wasn't suitable. The plan for this fabric is to set it aside, and use it for a straight skirt when I have lost more weight. I'll make 2 items in a month later on.

We are enjoying the Spiced Parsnip soup, the lemon and poppy seed muffins, and also the onion and walnut savory cake. The pumpkin falafels were a pile of 'meh'. One of the local shops has falafels, and they are rather nice, we've been eating them instead. 

Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredient

250g self-raising flour (Dove Farm Flour for gluten-free)

100g white sugar

20g poppy seeds

1Tsp chia seeds

3Tsp water

240ml apple juice or oat milk

90ml vegetable oil

1 lemon

icing sugar

Method

Prepare muffin tin with paper or silicon muffin cases. 

Preheat the oven to 190-200°C.

Put the chia seeds and water in a bowl, leave the seeds to swell.

Place the dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix.  Grate the rind of the lemon into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the chia seeds. Mix the contents of each bowl.

Combine the wet with the dry, mixing thoroughly, but quickly.

Divide the mixture between the 12 cases, and bake for 22 minutes.

 

Whilst the muffins are cooking, use a lemon reamer to extract the juice from the lemon. Strain the lemon juice. Slowly add icing sugar to the lemon juice, stirring as you go. This will be about 3Tsp of icing sugar. Combine it well. This is the lemon glaze.

When the muffins have cooked and are still hot, spoon a little lemon glaze over each one. Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes, and then place on a cooling rack.

The muffins freeze well, but they are best served warm. 

Onion, Spinach and Walnut Savory Cake

Ingredients

Onion marmalade

2 Tsp olive oil

4 large sweet onions, thinly sliced 

3 Tsp balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 Tsp light brown sugar

1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme

Cake

1 1/2 cups plain, gluten-free flour

1 Tsp baking powder

1 tsp  salt

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp medium curry powder

2 Tsp chia seeds

6 Tsp warm water

1/2 cup  yogurt (vegan)

5 Tsp olive oil

1 cup spinach (coarsely chopped)

1/3 cup toasted walnuts, (chopped)

Method

To make Onion Marmalade: Heat oil. Add onions, and cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar, brown sugar, and thyme, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 40 minutes, or until onions are caramelized. Cool.

To make Cake: Preheat oven to 175C. Line loaf pan with parchment paper.

Mix the chia seeds and water in a bowl. Then measure, and chop, ingredient. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in bowl. Mix chia seeds, yogurt, and oil in separate bowl. Stir the wet mixture into the dry. 

Fold in the spinach, walnuts and 1/2 cup  of onion marmalade. Spoon into the loaf pan, and bake for 45 minutes.

Notes

This would be great for a buffet or picnic.

Christmas Under the Stairs

 

Whilst the Beloved was taking the decorations of the Christmas tree, I was busy under the stairs decluttering, organising and tidying.  This large cupboard is used to store the Christmas tree, all the decorations, the recycling boxes, cake decorating supplies, and a number of  small kitchen appliances. 
The space has been re-organised - the items used most frequently are now most easy to reach.  

The Christmas tree and decorations have been decluttered and put away too. 

A Vegan Cook

 

A new person , F, came along to Shut Up and Write. She is a friend of MJ and also DH. As well as being friendly, she is a vegan cook, and works in one of the local cafes. She has given me some tips and pointers for falafels.

F suggested using a bit of cinnamon, and some curry powder to bump up the flavour, and agree with the addition of onion and the need for more fresh herbs. She also said pumpkin and butternut squash were to soft and squishy. Grated carrot would give a better texture.

Something I am finding is vegans are incredibly supportive of others learning to cook vegan foods. They are patient and kind.

Second Day Falafels

Oh my goodness! The difference a day (and an onion) can make. 

A quarter of the falafel mixture was left in the fridge overnight, and this morning, half a grated onion was added. The falafels were shallow fried, and placed on top of my lunchtime salad, along with some garlic cream cheese (vegan).  So much better! SO MUCH!

It was still too sloppy, but there are plans in place. Next time, I'm going to use a couple of sweet potatoes. These will be roasted in their skins whilst another meal is being cooked. The spices will be bumped up, as will the parsley and garlic. A grated onion will be added too.

I'm also wondering about whether it would be worth trying to deep fry them instead of baking or shallow frying.

My plan is to experiment with the new falafel recipe on Saturday, and to leave it overnight in the fridge. This has the potential to create a really quick and easy meal if the work can be done the night before, rather than straight after I come in from work. 

Pumpkin Falafels

 

I tried a recipe for pumpkin falafels, and it achieved a rating of 'meh', but interesting also 'has potential'. 

My new blender is not a suitable bit of kit for this recipe. It wasn't able to blend everything, and there were huge chunks. Water was added to try to enable blending. It worked (sort of), and naturally made a very sloppy mixture. The potato ricer worked far, far better. 

The plan is to switch to sweet potatoes, and roast them in their skins in the oven whilst cooking another meal. I'll also increase the spices, and the parsley to see if that makes a difference.

I'm generally reckoned to be a pretty good cook, and it's weird learning to cook in a new style, and finding practise is most definitely needed.

Spiced Parsnip Soup

Ingredients

4 Tsp olive oil

2 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp ground cumin

0.5 tsp ground turmeric

2 large onions, cut into chunks

8 parsnips, diced

4 large carrots, diced

1 Tsp chopped garlic

2 litres vegetable stock

1 tsp dijon mustard

2 Tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper

Method

Heat the oven to 220C.

In a large bowl, mix together the oil, coriander, cumin, and turmeric  Add the onion, parsnips and carrots. Mix well. Spread over a heavy baking sheet, then roast for 30 mins. Add the garlic and cook for 5 more minutes.

Put the veggies, stock, mustard and lemon juice into a blender and process until smooth. This will need to be done in batches. 

Bring the soup to a simmer, and check seasoning.

January Goals

• lose 3kg
• make or remake 1 item of clothing 
• try 1 new vegan recipe

The excess me created during lockdown has gone, but there's more of me to go. 3kg a month seems like a very achievable goal.

After the year of buying no clothes, I had a very hard job finding clothing I actively liked. The result was 10 new identical (bar colour) tops, and two pairs of trousers. The linen trousers could not stand the strain, and the crotch has gone. I'm going to remake the remaining fabric into a skirt, and use a bit of the left over material to patch my navy cord skirt. 

The vegan mushroom soup was not a success, but I'm hopeful other recipes will be better.