For me January feels fresh, new and exciting. It is the month where I start to think ahead to the lovely things to come and count my blessings for the things I already have. My only resolution is to love and give more ♥
I cannot think of a more perfect way to start the year than to give and receive wholesome, cruelty-free yummies. Here's what I bought for my foodie:
Chilli and lime dark chocolate, Wasabi flavour broad beans, Stem ginger
oat biscuits, Paluszki, Black
pepper rice crackers, Dried jasmine flowers, my runner bean and tomato
chutney, Camomile and maple tea and rose garden tea.
I made the runner bean and tomato chutney last summer in an attempt to use up our veg glut (here's the recipe from an earlier post http://possumology.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/chutney.html). Paluszki were one of my favourite snack foods from my childhood days. We used to eat them all the time. Paluszki in Polish means 'little fingers'. They are like small bread sticks or pretzels and are usually covered in salt. Very moreish indeed.
I always find Polish writing on food packets hilarious. This one has 'legendarny smak' written on it in big letters which means 'legendary taste'. This tickles me, don't ask me why. It also says 'złota jakość wypieku' on the packet which means 'golden quality of bake' (meaning they are baked to perfection). Again, don't ask me why I find this hilarious, I just do :)
Anyway, moving on... At the risk of sounding like a tea snob, I much prefer loose tea over bagged tea, hence the loose jasmine flowers. Granted it is less convenient and more messy than bagged tea, but in return it allows richer and more complex flavours. And, I like the paraphernalia associated with making tea using loose leaves. The ceremonial preparation and presentation of leaf tea can be such a spiritual experience. At least once a day I drink tea in this style, but of course when I am running late and just want a quick gulp of Sainsbury's own camomile tea I forget all the airy-fairy-ness of ceremonial tea and stick with bagged tea.
The camomile tea included in my food parcel this month is worth a mention. Before I went vegan I liked nothing better than Twinings camomile, honey and vanilla tea. I drank it all the time at work. Of course when I went vegan I stopped eating honey (I see you've raised your brows. Yes, honey is not vegan. Think of those poor bees!). Recently Twinings have brought out camomile and maple. It is lush and perfect as your bog standard work tea.
Enough about tea, here's what I got from my lovely food swap friend.
Enough about tea, here's what I got from my lovely food swap friend.
Corn chilli chips, Roasted and salted broad beans, Air-dried apple crisps, Vegan basil pesto, Bombay potato mix, Hot chocolate spoon, Dark chocolate with dragon ginger, 2 Nakd bars: caffe mocha and ginger bread.
There are multiple ways of eating corn chips asides from stuffing your face with them to satisfy late night drunken munchies. Guacamole, for instance, is the perfect partner. If you can make your own guacamole even better! Though I always think it's a nuisance making guacamole because I can rarely find avocados that are perfectly ripe. The supermarket ones tend to be too hard and who wants to wait a week for them to ripen? But, there really are few things in life that taste better than a homemade spicy guacamole. The beauty of making your own is that you can make it exactly to your taste and without cream (perfect for vegans!). Here's a nice recipe:
You can spice things up by adding a fresh whole chilli (or two), and if you want it creamier add a tablespoon of vegan garlic mayo. Here's my tried and tested recipe for vegan creamy garlic mayo:
1 1/4 cups sunflower oil
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
2 teaspoons garlic powder (or to taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Combine all ingredients except vinegar in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your taste (more salt/garlic powder). Add vinegar and blend until the mayo thickens. Put in a clean jar with a tight lid and store in the fridge. It will keep for up to a month, if it lasts that long! Instead of garlic, you could add a tablespoon of lemongrass paste with a good pinch of chilli. My favourite mayonnaise!!
1 1/4 cups sunflower oil
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
2 teaspoons garlic powder (or to taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Combine all ingredients except vinegar in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your taste (more salt/garlic powder). Add vinegar and blend until the mayo thickens. Put in a clean jar with a tight lid and store in the fridge. It will keep for up to a month, if it lasts that long! Instead of garlic, you could add a tablespoon of lemongrass paste with a good pinch of chilli. My favourite mayonnaise!!
Another great suggestion for using corn chips is making Mexican Haystacks. I was introduced to this a few years ago by our lovely American vegan friends. The bean sauce my friend makes is his speciality and it is truly amazing! I will get hold of the recipe and share it on here (with his permission of course), but for now here is a recipe I found. If you're vegan, you can use vegan grated cheese and creamy garlic mayo instead of the sour cream. I love toppings so I also go for guacamole. And, don't forget hot jalapenos. Delicious!
I am now going to snuggle up on the couch, enjoy my new hot chocolate spiked with a dash of Southern Comfort and watch the pretty snow falling. Lush....
Happy January folks!
