Curry roasted broccoli and chickpea pie

The closer we get to the weekend, the more inventive I become with my cooking. This is for two reasons: food supplies become depleted and whatever is left needs using up. We always seem to end up with a lonely and rather sad looking broccoli at the end of the week. For this recipe, I felt the humble chickpeas would make wonderful companions for the broccoli and all together they can be spiced up with curry, lime, garlic and chilli. This pie is very simple but packed full of flavour.

Curry roasted broccoli and chickpea pie, serves 2-3

1 400g can of chickpeas, drained

1 large broccoli, washed and separated into small florets

2 tbsp medium curry powder

good pinch of salt, pepper and chilli flakes

1 lime, halved

1 onion, peeled and cut into half rounds, separated into individual pieces

4 cloves of garlic, peeled

Good glug of olive oil

½ soy milk

¼ cup pine nuts

Pie crust:

1 ¼ cups of strong whole wheat flour

pinch of salt

⅓ sunflower spread

⅓ cup cold water

Preheat an oven to 170°C. Put the broccoli, onion pieces and whole cloves of garlic into a roasting tin. Sprinkle over 1 tbsp of curry powder, pinch of salt and pepper, juice of half of the lime and a good glug of olive oil. Mix well and put in the oven to roast for 10-15 minutes. Turn occasionally to make sure the onion and broccoli brown evenly. In the meantime make the pie crust. 

Put the flour and salt into a mixing bowl and add the sunflower spread. Mix together using your fingers until breadcrumb like.  Add the water and knead into smooth dough. Roll out on a floured surface until slightly larger than the baking pan, turning a few times during the process. Gently transfer to a greased 20cm non-stick baking pan. Set aside and return to the pie filling.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and add the chickpeas, juice of the other half of lime, a pinch of chilli flakes, 1 tbsp of curry powder and another glug of olive oil. Mix well and return to the oven for another 3-5 minutes. Remove and add the soy milk and pine nuts, and stir well. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie case and put in the oven on 190°C for 35 minutes. Cover the top with aluminum foil to prevent browning. 5 minutes before the end remove the foil to allow the top to brown a little. Serve with a simple salad.

Quince crumble

A few months ago I went to a wine tasting evening at my local vegetarian cafe. The wine was absolutely superb and I enjoyed myself very much. However, what really stayed with me was the quince liqueur. I am in love with it, but at 15 quid for a small bottle it isn't cheap so I decided to make my own (recipe on its way).

 

 Quince are notoriously hard to get hold of due to their short growing season and few suppliers. They are similar in appearance to pears and apples, however they are usually not consumed raw due to their hard texture and astringent flavour. Quince are more suitable for jam and jelly making, as well as wine, liqueur and cider making. They develop a lovely deep orange/red colour when roasted and are delicious in crumbles.  






Quince crumble, serves 4-6 
 
3 quince, peeled, cored and cut into quarters
190g granulated sugar
5 bay leaves 
Water

For the crumble topping:

300g plain flour
200g vegan sunflower margarine
140g brown sugar
70g oats


Preheat the oven to 160°C. Put the quince wedges in an ovenproof dish measuring approximately 9½" x 7½" x 3" deep. Add the sugar, bay leaves and enough cold water to just cover the quince wedges (about 3 cups). Bake the quince for 2½ hours or until they turn a lovely deep orange colour. Toss the quince occasionally to ensure an even colour. Remove from the oven, discard the bay leaves and drain excess liquid, leaving a little behind. Turn up the oven to 190°C.

  
 

To make the topping, rub the butter and flour together until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs (do not overwork). Mix in the oats and sugar. Sprinkle the crumble on the quince and bake for 20 minutes until the top is browned and the mixture is cooked. Serve warm on its own or with a scoop of vanilla soy ice cream.

 

Sweet potato, coconut and dried lime soup

I have only recently become acquainted with dried limes. They are traditionally used to flavour Middle Eastern dishes and resemble slightly charred and extremely tough ping-pong balls. However, do not be put off by their sinister demeanor as these beauties can effortlessly transform any dish. 

You can either grind them into fine powder in your coffee grinder or food processor, or you can use them whole in stews, soups and curries where they become soft and edible. If you choose to grind them, first cut them in half and remove any seeds. The powder can be used to flavour the cooking liquid for basmati rice (about 1/2 teaspoon per 1 cup of rice).

Anyhow, I thought the sweetness of the sweet potato and creaminess of the coconut would go lovely with the sour, citrusy, slightly fermented flavour of the dried limes. If you cannot find dried limes anywhere just use the juice of 1 lime. Here's the recipe for this lovely, heart-warming soup.

  

Sweet potato, coconut and dried lime soup, serves 3-4

Dash of olive oil

1 onion, peeled and chopped

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut into pieces

1 small red chilli (or a good pinch of dried chilli flakes)

1 medium sized sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 whole dried lime, stabbed several times with a sharp knife (or juice of 1 lime)

2 whole bay leaves, dried or fresh

4 tsp vegetable stock powder (I use marigold Swiss vegetable bouillon powder) dissolved in 1 litre of hot water from a kettle

100g creamed coconut, chopped into pieces

salt

pepper

fresh coriander to garnish, washed and chopped

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and gently cook the onion, garlic and chilli (if using dried chilli add this to the 1 litre of stock water).  Add the sweet potato and cook for 2 minutes whilst stirring occasionally. Add the stock along with the dried lime and bay leaves and give the soup a good stir.  Boil gently until the potato is soft. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper along with the coconut and allow it to melt in the soup. Take off the heat and blitz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor. Serve immediately with a handful of fresh, chopped coriander. Once completely cold, the soup can be kept in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for up to 2 months.

Happy January food swap

Oh January, how I love thee! Supposedly January is the most depressing month of the year due to short days, miserable weather and lack of money following Christmas overspending. It is officially the national relationship break-up month in the UK.

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.

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:

 

http://crepesofwrath.net/2011/05/27/my-favorite-guacamole/

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!!

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!

 http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Camping-Haystacks

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!

Chilli chocolate cake with tequila ganache

 Can you believe it, until about a month ago I haven't tried tequila?! Though, this might be a slight lie since I've had a margarita at least once before. But, straight tequila drank as a shot with a lick of salt and a wedge of lime really is something special. I suggest you try it if you haven't already.

Interestingly, tequila is made from the blue agave plant grown in an area surrounding the city of Tequila, in Mexico. Since going vegan several months ago, I have been using agave nectar instead of honey. I never imagined one could make 'proper nice' booze out of it. What a versatile plant! 

In the past few months I joined forces with a fellow chilli and tequila lover who also happens to love chocolate cake! We've been daydreaming about chilli chocolate cake for a while so naturally I went into the kitchen to experiment. I was having a dilemma about what kind of chilli to use. There are thousands of varieties, each with its own intensity level. The dilemma ended when I came across the Chilli Jam Man's Hot chocolate orange chilli jam and instantly knew that this was going to give the cake the kick it needed.

http://www.thechillijamman.com/hot-chocolate-orange-chilli-jam-200g.html

So, here's the recipe for my Chilli chocolate cake with chilli and tequila ganache

For the cake (adapted from http://www.mexico-insights.com/judysblog/post/Mexico-2b-Chocolate-3d-Aztec-Cake-and-Tequila-Truffles.aspx)

3 cups plain flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 level tsp bicarbonate soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups water
3/4 cup sunflower oil
1 200g jar of Chilli Jam Man's Hot chocolate orange chilli jam (you can use any other chilli jam here if you like)
1 tbsp vanilla extract

For the ganache

160g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
1 250ml carton of soy cream (I used Alpro soya single cream)
A few pinches of hot chilli powder and cayenne pepper, to taste (add as much or as little as you like)
2 tbsp tequila, any brand/colour (go easy! start with one tbsp and taste)

Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, bicarbonate soda and cinnamon in a large bowl. In another bowl mix the water, oil, chilli jam and vanilla. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix into a smooth batter and pour into a greased and lined 9 inch round cake tin (preferably one with a loose base).

Put in the centre of a preheated oven (325°F/170°C) and bake for around 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Be sure to turn the cake half way. The cake will probably rise unevenly in the middle. Just cut the top off until you have a level surface. Allow to cool before removing from the cake tin and cover the top and sides with the ganache.

For the ganache, melt the chocolate using your preferred method. I just put the pieces in a microwave-proof dish and microwave for about 1 minute on high power. Beat in the soya cream, chilli, cayenne pepper and tequila. Spread over the cake.





The cake will keep moist (covered) for at least a week and the chilli flavour really develops during that time. I am about to eat my last piece. It sure is spicy. Buen provecho :)

Christmas vegan food swap

Well, it's that most wonderful time of the year: Christmas! It is fair to say, and I know I am not alone in this, that Christmas really is a special time. For me it's the perfect fusion of family, friends, love and food. However, I also believe it's a time for relaxing. Christmas ought not to be stressful. In fact, I think one should actively seek to find small moments of solitude. Try to enjoy and embrace the bustle in the kitchen and in the streets whilst doing last minute Christmas shopping rather than resenting it. I don't mind being busy so long as I am mindful.

If you are still not convinced, here's a lovely image I came across of Santa meditating. I saw it and instantly knew that this was the way forward this Christmas.

 

Anyhow, without further ado, here's what I purchased for my foodie friend.  

 Lentil chips, organic fig cake, Christmas collection herbal teas, organic crystallized ginger, dark chocolate and pretzels.

All this came from 8th day, aka my second home. 8th day is a rather lovely vegetarian shop and cafe on Oxofrd Road in Manchester. Here's a link for those living nearby http://eighth-day.co.uk/.

I so much wanted to make something special for this month's food swap, however we were right in the middle of moving house. Amongst this rather modest pile of goodies, the Cofresh chips are worth a special mention. I have not tried the lentil flavour but the hummus ones were very moreish and did not last long.

My favourite item here is the Christmas tea collection, mostly because I am a tea addict. I feel nothing warms the heart more than a luscious cup of tea. This collection of teas is perfect for the festive season with its warm holiday notes and exotic spices. It contains the following flavours:  Classic Rooibos, Sweet Chilli, Choco, Liquorice, Jamaica, Bright Mood, Heartwarming, Ginger Hibiscus, Ginger Lemon, Bedtime and Black Chai.

The only one that is missing from this collection is Masala chai - one of the few black teas I drink regularly. I do have a few bags of it in the cupboard but I always prefer to make my own. Here's the recipe I use.

Masala chai - makes one cup

1 cup water
4 fresh cardamom pods, smashed (the fresher the more fragrant)
2 thin slices fresh ginger
An inch of cinnamon stick
1 piece star anise
1 teaspoon loose black tea leaves
Sweetener and milk, to taste. I use agave nectar and omit the milk.

Put the water and the spices in a small saucepan, mix and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for a few minutes whilst enjoy the aromas. Add the black tea leaves and simmer for another minute or so depending on how strong you like your black tea. Now take off the heat and simmer for another couple of minutes. Strain into your favourite mug through a sieve, add the sweetener and milk in you wish and enjoy :)

Just thinking about masala tea puts me in a special, relaxed mood. Before I fall into a comfortable daydream, here's what I received this month.

Sea salt, rosemary and garlic kettle chips, twiglets, brandy liqueurs, spekulatius biscuits, black pepper crackers, wasabi peas, salt and pepper nut mix, salt and vinegar crisps, bag of chocs, chestnut cream and a selection of teas.

I am an avid kettle chips consumer but I have never come across this particular flavour. They did not disappoint. Last night, whilst slightly blotto, I gobbled half of the bag. Ooops. The chocs were very nice, as were the Spekulatius biscuits which I mentioned in my last post. 

The twiglets were a bit of a blast from the past. I haven't had them for about 15 years. I used to eat them all the time as a teenager. It's the marmity flavour that I really enjoy. It agrees with my taste buds which are definitely more attuned to savoury flavours.

One last final thing to add before I get back to Christmas festivities. The rose garden tea was exceptionally good. I forgot how much I like rose tea. It reminds me of sitting in an English rose garden on a lovely warm summer's day. Mmmmhhhhhh. Bliss.

Merry Christmas xx

November food swap

 Gosh, time has flown by. It seems months since my first ever disastrous vegan food swap. This time round, I was clever and bought all the food stuff rather than slogging away in the kitchen for hours. So what did I get for my foodie friend? Here's a pic:

 

Hazelnut nougat & dark chocolate bar, habas mojadas (roasted broad beans coated in spicy batter), soba wholewheat noodles with buckwheat, my homemade chutney, wasabi paste and lapsang souchong tea. 

If you have never tried lapsang souchong tea, I urge you to go and buy it now even if you think you hate tea. Lapsang souchong (meaning literally "Small plant from Lapu mountain") is a black tea originally from the Wuyi region of the Chinese province of Fujian. Lapsang is distinct from all other types of tea because lapsang leaves are traditionally smoke-dried over pinewood fires, taking on a distinctive smoky flavour (source: Wikipedia). Look, even if you don't like the taste, I swear it's good enough just to enjoy its aroma!

I hope my buddy falls in love with it. I also hope she appreciates the wasabi paste. My love for all things wasabi started in Amsterdam 3 years ago when I was introduced to wasabi coated peanuts (amazing!). I seem to have a natural affinity for Japanese and Thai food (well, actually I have an affinity for all food!). I think it's the umami flavour of Japanese cuisine that tantalises my taste buds.

I am ashamed to say that I have only recently discovered the term umami. Umami, a savoury taste, is one of the five basic tastes, together with sweet, sour, bitter and salty. A loanword from the Japanese, umami can be translated as "pleasant savoury taste". Umami taste is common to the following foods: fish, shellfish, cured meats, vegetables (e.g., mushrooms, ripe tomatoes, Chinese cabbage, spinach, celery, etc.), green tea, and fermented and aged products (e.g., cheeses, shrimp pastes, soy sauce, etc.). Humans' first encounter with umami is breast milk. It contains roughly the same amount of umami as broths (source: Wikipedia).

So there you go, I first fell in love with umami as a baby, developed the love by eating shedload of pickled gherkins and sauerkraut as a Polish kid and refined it by eating soy products and drinking green tea as an adult. And here's the best thing I learnt at a recent wine tasting, wine also has the umami taste! Well, I never. All this time I've been blaming my Polish genes for occasionally overindulging in wine, but actually drinking and enjoying wine is as natural to me as to anyone else (kind of).

Anyway, here's what I received.

Fruit gums (gelatine-free and vegan, of course), Alpro soya whipping cream, Speculoos spread, Bonne Maman Chestnut Spread, organic orange chocolate with cranberries, raspberry brownie and smoked cashew nuts.

I am very happy indeed with this lot. The attached note explained that many of the items were bought on a recent trip to Belgium. I think I love Belgium. Here are a few reasons why. First, there's the film 'In Bruges', need I say more? Second, this summer I met a couple of lovely people from Belgium. Arty types - just my kind of people. Third, I agree with the sentiments of their prime minister, Elio Di Rupo (see the image below).

Anyway, back to food. The chestnut spread will, no doubt, soon find its way into one of my cheesecakes. I've been planning some kind of a chestnut cake for a while now. No excuses now!

The speculoos spread is very intriguing. I've had vegan chocolate spread before but this one is a bit special. It's Belgian and tastes all wheaty and biscuity. Not surprising really since 60% of the ingredients is speculoos. Speculoos is a type of shortcrust biscuit, traditionally baked for consumption on or just before St Nicholas' feast in the Netherlands (December 5), Belgium (December 6), and Northern France and around Christmas in Germany (source: Wikipedia). I foresee toast with speculoos spread for breakfast (and when I get back home late at night with drunken munchies ;)).

That's all folks. Now do not waste another second. Get thee to a shop to fetch some lapsang souchong tea (somewhere in the back of my mind I hear Hamlet's: "get thee to a nunnery").