This is a relatively inexpensive and super delicious festive treat or gift. These sweet thangs are warming and dangerously moreish. Add to that the fact that they only take a few minutes to get together and we have ourselves a Christmas classic! At least in the Beach House anyway. If you’re the kind of person who loves licking chocolate off things (who doesn’t!!!) then this is the one for you.
This recipe basically an assembly job, dipping crystallised ginger into dark vegan chocolate. The sweet ginger combined with the bitter chocolate is an utter sensation!
I find crystallised ginger way too sweet to eat as it is, so dipping it in chocolate is the perfect way to make it appealing to all. The process, like most festive cooking shenanigans, is loads of FUN! The ginger is also very warming we find, especially helpful up here in wild and wonderful Wales.
One part of Christmas that we love is the way that it focuses our minds on how we eat and how we can feed our loved ones. We tend to get more creative and throw ourselves into crafts, arts, baking, all sorts of activities that we maybe overlook in the year.
Pop these into little bags with fancy bows and you’ve got a gorgeous little crimbo pressie for loved ones, neighbours, work colleagues, the postie…….. With any leftover chocolate, why not pop a few nuts into the mix, or dried fruits. Walnuts are particularly satisfying as the chocolate sticks in the nobbles and bobbles of these funky nuts.
Recipe Notes
You may like to dust these treats with cocoa/ cacao or even cinnamon.
Ginger & Chocolate Treats – still a little soft to scoff
If you are short of time and still want to create some homemade magic, here we are:
The Bits
250g crystallised ginger
150g very dark chocolate (70-80% cocoa content is best)
Do It
Boil a kettle. Add boiling water to a small saucepan. Pop a glass bowl over the saucepan and gently warm the water. Break up the chocolate and pop in the bowl.
Stir and melt the chocolate until it has mostly melted. Keep stirring, the rest of the choc will melt.
Using a skewer (cocktail sticks are best) dip your ginger pieces into the just melted chocolate and place on a chopping board/ tray covered with greaseproof paper. Be sure to allow excess chocolate to drip off, shake it a little, so there is just enough to cover the ginger. Otherwise you’re left with a puddle of chocolate that sets in a funny shape (this however can look very cool!)
Leave to cool at room temperature and once the chocolate has solidified, eat one to test it. At least one……..Then bag up, pop in a sealable container, gift wrap………enjoy!!!!
Any spare chocolate? Grab some nuts/ dried fruit and coat them for extra treats.
Nutty Chocolate Delights!
Foodie Fact
Although this recipe is by no means the healthiest one we’ll post, ginger is still ginger and has some shining bonuses to make our bodies smile.
Ginger is especially good for the digestive system, both soothing and inflammatory. Ginger is also packed with anti-oxidant properties and is generally immune boosting and can help with nausea. All of this sounds like a perfect reason to incorporate more ginger into our diets (these treats being the sweetest by a mile!)
Lebanese Roasted Cauliflower with Muhammara (Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip)
There are zillion and one Xmas stylee recipes floating around at the minute, but I would like to take things is a slightly different direction here. All the way to Lebanon!!!
Here’s a little festive taste of the Southern Mediterranean, with plenty of warming spices and a really rich and luxurious dip. This Muhammara recipe is one of my all time favourite dips/ purees and it features in our cookbook. It is an ideal alternative to hummus at this time of year. I love hummus, but a change is always good!
Everyone is roasting cauliflower at the minute and I’m all for it. Roasting brings out the sweetness of the cauliflower and transforms it into something spectacular. Cauliflower is worthy of taking centre stage and in this recipe, with a few adornments, it shines. The spices and pomegranate molasses here really takes it up a few notches.
I would eat this as light lunch around the festive season, when you have maybe gone overboard the day before, and it is nice and easy to get together yet bursting with vibrant flavours.
As close as Jane got to a swim (the Med’s a bit chilly in winter), El Mojon, Spain
Jane and I are not long back from Spain, where we had a magnificent time by the beaches and mountains of Murcia. Regular Beach House readers will know that its one of our favourite spots in the world and we return their regularly. You will also notice, by the beaming sunshine, that this dish was cooked in sunny Espana. My parents own a little house out there and I’ve lived and worked over there so its just like going home really. Our Spanish lingo is improving and we seem to do a load more socialising over there than we do in Wales, something to do with the free-flowing tapas and wine no doubt.
Our local watering hole. A well (pozo) near our house. Murica, Spa
WHAT TO DO WITH POMEGRANATE MOLASSES?
I know that Pomegranate Molasses may not be top of your Christmas/shopping list this week, but it is a brilliant addition to your cupboards. It can be used to jazz up roasted roots and veggies, as it does in this recipe. It has a lovely sweet and sour flavour (think cranberries) and is high in sugar, meaning it adds to the caramelised effect we all know and love in roasted roots et al.
It can also be a wonderful sub for citrus in dressings and adds richness and depth to stews, dips (see below) and soups. Have a play with it! We also like it drizzled on bread or mixed with tahini to make a delicious spread for toast or even stir it into hot or fizzy water for a refreshing drink.
Pomegranate Molasses is something that is used so frequently in countries like Lebanon and Turkey, where Pomegranate trees are as frequent as oak trees are in Wales. It is an ideal way of preserving gluts of Pomegranates and turning them into something gorgeously versatile. It is basically pomegrantes juice cooked down, way down, until a sticky syrup is formed. You can buy it in Turkey in plastic water bottles by the side of the road. PM is tangy and not overly sweet, unless sugar has been added, check the bottle.
I will be looking at posting a few more festive fav recipes on the blog before the big day. I’ve just roasted a load of chestnuts and they need a home. Any ideas?
There are loads of our holiday snaps over on our Facebook page and I am always sharing tasty things on Twitter.
Sorting out some stunning veggies and fruit down at the Sunday market. Mazarron, Spain
Recipe Notes
When cutting the cauliflower, don’t worry too much about small pieces that break off. These can be kept and used to thicken/ flavour soups, gravies and stews. They can also be sprinkled into salads.
Baharat is a spice mix from the Middle East. You may also like to use garam masala, ras el hanout etc. Spice mixes which include warming spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg etc are perfect.
If you do not have pomegranate molasses, use a squeeze of lemon juice and sweetener of your choice; brown rice syrup, maple syrup etc. This adds that gorgeous sweet and sour finish to the roasted cauliflower.
Fennel seeds are a great addition to many dishes and worth buying. They add a little explosion of that unmistakeable aniseed/ fennel flavour. I understand that they are not a regular ingredient and can be omitted, add a few more cumin seeds if you are fennel-less.
I know Christmas is a super busy time of year, you can buy pre-roasted red peppers in most shops. They are normally jarred and stored in oil. This will save a little time with the Muhammara.
Roasted Lebanese Cauliflower with Muhammara
The Bits – For 4
Roasted Lebanese Cauliflower
1 medium sized cauliflower (cut into 2 inch florets)
2 small onions (cut into 1/8’s)
1 head of garlic (top trimmed off to expose cloves)
1 teas fennel seeds
1 teas cumin seeds
2 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 teas baharat (or other spice mix)
2 teas pomegranate molasses
1/2 teas sea salt
Muhammara (Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip) – Makes 1 small bowlful
2 red peppers
2 tbs olive oil
1 teas chilli flakes
2 slices wholemeal bread (crusts taken off, stale bread works best)
1 teas unrefined brown sugar or sweetener of choice
1/2 teas smoked paprika
125g firm tofu
1/2 teas sea salt
Garnish
1 handful fresh parsley (chopped)
Big glug extra virgin olive oil
Large pinch of bharat and smoked paprika
Do It
Preheat an oven on high, 240oC.
Start by roasting the peppers for the Muhammara. Rub oil over the peppers and place on a baking tray. Roast for 15-20 minutes, turning them once, until they are slightly blackened and soft. Place in a bowl and cover. Once cooled, cut in half and remove the seeds, peeling off the skin. It should slip off nice and easy.
In a bowl, gently toss the cauliflower, onion and garlic in the oil, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and salt. Scatter over a baking tray and place in the hot oven. Roast for 12 minutes.
Turn all veggies over using a flat spatula (including the head of garlic), there should be some nice caramelised edges forming on the cauli and onions, this is definitely what we want. Even nice, dark charred edges are great for this recipe.
Now sprinkle over the baharat spice and drizzle over the pomegranate molasses, give the tray a little shake and pop back into the hot oven for 10 more minutes roasting, until dark golden and crispy.
While all the roasting is going on, you can make your Muhammara. Place the peppers and all other ingredients in a food processor and blitz until creamy. Check the seasoning and scoop into your most attractive bowl.
Warm a nice big shallow bowl or serving platter and scoop over your cauliflower. The garlic will be nice and soft, just pop the cloves out of their skins and scatter over the dish.
The aroma of this dish is a delight. Spicy!
Serve
Sprinkle a little more Bharat over the cauliflower and finished the Muhammara with a drizzle of delicious olive oil, a sprinkle of paprika and a little freshly chopped parsley.
The Roasted Cauliflower and Muhammara will be delicious with a crisp, green salad and a bowl of olives. In Peace & Parsnips I recommend warm black olives and toasted pitta bread. Pickles of any variety will be a great addition. Now this is really starting to sound like a feast fit for the festive season!
Beach House on the road. The many deserted beaches of Murcia. Aguillas, Spain
Foodie Fact
Pomegranate certainly brightens up this time of year and I much prefer the flavour to cranberries, our festive staple for tanginess and that lovely festive touch of bright red. Pomegranate is packed with vitamins C and K and is also high in calcium and potassium. Pomegranate is also a good source of fibre and will help to keep our heart, digestive and immune system healthy. Perfect food to get us through the dark, winter days.
Hiking up in the Espuna mountains. Beautiful forests. Murcia, Spain
At this time of year, I’d quite happily live on soup.
I just have time to squeeze this post in before driving to Durham and the sparkling NEVFest (North East Vegan Fest). The first time that Jane and I have not been to a food festival this year together.
You may think that the life of a food blogger is all hanging out by the fire, sipping a cheeky Oolong whilst leafing through a mountain of cookbooks, but it ain’t. We all have busy lives these days and posts are normally squeezed in somewhere or other. Janice (over at the sparkling Nourished by Nature blog) and I were just chatting about this the other day. Blogging is a labour of love for many of us and we are just crazy about food and sharing our foodie inspiration.
This is not helped by the fact that I am a complete luddite. I still do not have a phone (hence the lack of Instagram action) and only have a bulky laptop. I’m trying. But in reality, I am a techno caveman at heart. I like paper and pens, books and postcards. The occasional stapler. I do love sharing things online though and hope you enjoy these little recipes. I’ve met such a wonderful global community via the BHK. The internet is an AMAZING place!
I’ve been cooking with loads of squashes and pumpkins (actually pumpkins are members of the squash family) at Trigonos and at home. Our local organic veg farm Tyddyn Teg has been growing a wonderful variety of squashes; spaghetti, the mighty crown prince and even little acorns. Some are even larger than my head.
Squashes are perfect winter fuel, high in energy with loads (I mean loads!) of antioxidants and beta carotene. Just what our bodies crave and thrive on come the wintery months. In darker times, eat brighter foods! Squashes also store well, but I doubt they’ll be lasting very long around these parts.
COCO!
When I say coconut cream I mean the cream in a tin of coconut milk. If your coconut milk contains emulsifiers and the like, it will not separate and therefore you cannot extract the cream.
To extract coconut cream from a tin of coco milk, simply place it in a fridge for a couple of hours, turn it over, open the tin and pour out the coco water. You are left with at least half a tin of very creamy coconut cream to play with. Try whipping it up with some lime zest and juice or just add a little sweetener to make delicious, vegan whipped cream. Use the leftover coco water in smoothies, on your morning cereal, add it to stews or even cook rice with it (one of our personal favs).
You may also like to use the hard, block variety of coconut cream. Just follow the pack instructions. Don’t worry about adding too much coconut cream to this soup, it will only make it even richer and more delicious.
Pumpkin Seeds before roasting in the oven….
ROAST YOUR OWN PUMPKIN SEEDS
I never waste my squash/ pumpkin seeds. I always pick them out and quickly roast them in the oven with a drop of oil and salt. Delicious! Just place them on a baking tray and bake them for 8 minutes on 180oC. Stir them and keep baking them for 5 minute intervals until they are dark golden and crisp. Its so easy and each type of squash seed will taste slightly different and have their own texture. Pumpkin seeds are nice and light, very crispy when roasted. Perfect as a soup-topper.
…and after. YUM!
I love adding ginger to soups and a little kaffir gives a vibrant fragrance to the rich, sweetness of the pumpkin. You can use any type of squash here and you may like to half the recipe or freeze the leftovers. I think cooking in big batches makes loads of sense. We’ve also been experimenting with pumpkin smoothies and they are a real treat. A pumpkin chai latte smoothie is a thing of beauty and I’ll hopefully get around to sharing it soon.
Enjoy and stay cosy,
LeeX
Recipe Notes
As I mentioned, experiment with different squashes, they are all wonderful and have properties of their own. Some sweet and firm, some lighter and slightly blander, others intense and wonderful roasted. There are so many varieties and this is still (just about) the time to enjoy them in season here in the UK.
You’ll need an extra big pan for this one. As I said, half the recipe for something a little more manageable.
Pumpkins are ace!
The Bits – Makes 10 large bowls
1 medium pumpkin – 1.75kg (peeled and cut into rough 1 inch chunks)
1.5 litres water/ light vegetable stock
7 kaffir lime leaves
50-60g fresh ginger (peeled and finely diced)
2 onions (finely diced)
200g coconut cream
2 teas salt
Do It
In a very large pan, add 2 teas cooking oil, warm and then add your onions and salt. Fry on medium heat for five minutes until softened and then add your pumpkin, ginger and lime leaves. Stir well and cook for another two minutes, then add the water/ stock. Bring to a boil and pop a lid on, lowering the heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the coconut cream, stirring well and simmer for another 10 minutes, adding more hot water if needed. The pumpkin should now be nice and soft.
Pick out as many lime leaves as you can. Taste the soup, checking for seasoning. Now give the soup a blend until creamy and smooth with a stick blender or in a food processor.
Serve
In warm bowls, scattered with freshly chopped chillies and some roasted pumpkin seeds. A little fresh coriander would also be a delight!
Foodie Fact
Pumpkins are a member of the gourd family, which means they are cousins to melons, watermelons, cucumbers, squashes.
Pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of anti-oxidants and minerals, they even contain a good amount of iron and of course, plenty of protein. Surprisingly China is now the worlds largest pumpkin seed producer. Who knew!
A quick and delicious breakfast for us this morning. The perfect antidote to a very grey day in Wales, some tropical flava! We managed to pick up/ save some very ripe mangoes recently and have been trying out coconut water, which seems like a bit of a craze at the minute. Mangoes and coconut, beaches and palm trees, a little escapism from the dark nights and storms of our little hillside retreat.
A lassi is something like an Indian milkshake that comes in many varieties, basically salty or sweet, but there are so many ways this yoghurt based drink can be enjoyed. Salted lassi is lovely, normally flavoured with a little ground cumin. Lassi’s are easily made vegan with the addition of non-dairy milk and vegan yoghurt, both are best used unsweetened we find. You can then control which and how much sweetener you choose to use, if any. The mango and coconut water are already sweet here and any sweetener is really only needed to give the sweet tooth a little treat.
TOP MANGOES
We’ve eaten mangoes all over the world, but have to say that the best are Indian. I don’t think any other country reveres a fruit quite like Indians with their mangoes. Maybe the French with grapes?! Italians with tomatoes?!! Brits with apples?!! Its out there for discussion. Surely having a mango tree in your garden is a sign of very good karma though! Especially in Wales!!
The sheer diversity of mangoes in India is bewildering and the season is anticipated like the festive season over here. Mangoes are now very expensive in India, especially certain highly regarded varieties like Alphonso, Badami, Chausa, Dasheri…..there are loads. Where are you favourite Mangoes from? Thailand and the Philippines are closely behind India in the mango nirvana stakes for sure. The ones we bought here were from Brazil(!)
Adding turmeric to lassi’s is an age old remedy for stomach complaints in the sub-continent and we like adding turmeric to anything, such is it’s vibrant health giving properties (not to mention the colour! WHAM!! YELLOW!!!)
We are drinking these in autumnal Wales and need no extra chilling. If you happen to be in a nice hot part of the globe (well done!) you may like to add a few ice cubes to the lassi and decrease the coconut water a little. You could also freeze your coconut water into ice cubes, this works brilliantly and adds a lovely coco twist to cold drinks.
Other lassi varieties you could try:
Strawberry, Pineapple and Mint, Avocado and Lime, Beetroot and Thyme, Chocolate and Pistachio, Apple and Chai Spiced…….
You may also like to check out the brilliant Vegan Richa’s recipe for a spicy Thandai Lassi.
Mangoes are such a treat in Wales, they don’t come our way very often. We think a lassi is the perfect home for a nice ripe mango and a breath of bright tropical air in the early dark nights and rain clouds of beautiful Wales.
Recipe Notes
If are struggling to find coconut water, go for non-dairy milk (like soya or almond) and even straight water will make a good lassi.
If you can get ground cardamom, please do. Just a sprinkle on the top transforms the lassi. Cardamom and Indian sweets got together perfectly, but remember that too much can be overpowering. Lightly sprinkle.
These lassi’s are made without turmeric, so the colour is a little lighter.
Mango and Coconut Lassi (Vegan)
The Bits – Makes two small glasses
1 mango (peeled and de-stoned)
175ml coconut water
5 tbs dairy free yoghurt
1-2 teas sweetener (we used brown rice syrup)
1/2 teas turmeric (optional)
Pinch cardamom powder
Do It
Pop all ingredients into a blender and blitz until smooth and creamy. Check the sweetness and you can even add more yoghurt for extra creaminess.
Creamy sweet fruity YUM!
Serve
Pour into your finest glassware and sprinkle over a little cardamom and chopped almonds or pistachios for a real authentic India style.
Foodie Fact
Soya is packed full of protein and coconut has amazingly healthy fats. Mangoes are very high in vitamin A and C……as far as breakfasts go, this is a smooth and tasty winner!
A quick post here, but something quite special. Have you played with aquafaba yet? It is a sensation and amazing in so many ways. This very simple vegan mayonnaise is both rich and creamy whilst purely plant based.
AQUAFABA?
Aquafaba is basically the cooking broth of chickpeas or other beans. It can be used in a whole host of amazing ways, from making vegan meringues, fudge, pavlova and macaroons to a brilliant egg substitute in baking. See The Vegan Society’s 13 Amazing things to do with aquafaba. There is also an awesome Facebook page called ‘Vegan Meringues – Hits and Misses!‘ which has thousands of people playing and talking about this bafflingly brilliant ingredient. Exciting times!
It seems we are only just getting to grips with all of the uses for this aqua faba (Greek for ‘water’ and ‘bean’). There is much experimenting going on in kitchens across the world. I know most of my non-vegan friends are really excited about the prospects of converting something so innocuous and plentiful into sensationally light and dreamy cakes and whipped creams. Even Baked Alaska is now possible, purely plant! (see the brilliant Lucy’s recipe here).
When making things like mayo, dips, hummus etc that call for quite a lot of oil, I normally opt for something a little less expensive. Extra virgin olive oil is never (and should never be) cheap and is best drizzled unadulterated onto warm bread or salad leaves. The flavours are so subtle and fragrant that they can be wasted on a dressing or hummus. My advice, find a decently priced middle of the roader with good flavour but not a hefty price tag. Rapeseed oil is a wonderful one and if you’re in the UK, its grown and made here and has the most amazing flavour and deep colour. It’s making quite a comeback. Many new modern style producers are making rapeseed oil in the same way that high quality olive oil is made. It shows! Here are two of the very best Blodyn Aur and Bennett and Dunn. Having said all of that, I wouldn’t use these oils here. Something more neutral like a sunflower oil is perfect.
There are so many ways of flavouring things mayonnaise, blend with roasted red peppers or onion, try it with any combo of herbs, add chipotle chillies or smoked paprika, lime and coriander…….go wild with it! Have fun……
Here goes our basic, everyday mayo recipe. Nice amount of vinegar, touch of sweetness and a little kick of Dijon mustard. After you give this simple recipe a try you’ll never go for shop bought mayo again.
Recipe Note
You may like to add 1 teas lemon juice and reduce the vinegar content. We don’t normally do this as it is means your mayo won’t last as long in the fridge. It does taste nice though.
Most vegan mayo lasts a good six weeks after opening, to give you some gauge of how long it will last in the fridge. Our mayo normally doesn’t make it past a few days.
The Bits – Makes roughly 200ml Mayonnaise
1 1/2 – 2 tbs apple cider/ white wine vinegar
2 tbs chickpea/ bean broth
1 teas dijon mustard
1/2 teas sea salt
1/2 teas sweetener (we use rice syrup)
125 ml neutral oil (like sunflower)
All you need to make glorious mayo
Do It
Add all of the ingredients bar the oil to a narrow cup/ jug (a measuring jug works well). With a stick blender, blitz the mixture a few times and then gradually drizzle the oil into the jug whilst the blender is running.
The amazing aquafaba makes such a creamy texture
The mayonnaise will thicken and become white and creamy. Keep blending, for a minute or two, until the thickness resembles your favourite mayonnaise.
Do not add any further vinegar to the mayonnaise at this stage, it will ruin the thick texture.
You can do this in a food processor if its easier.
Serve
You know how you like it! Although we’ve taken pictures of mayo being served like a dip, its worth remembering that this is predominately oil. Mayo is always good spread over some freshly toasted bread and made into a sandwich or Jane’s favourite, with chips (they are French Fries to our American contingent)
Vegan Mayo – How do you like it?
Foodie Fact
Sunflower oil is light and highly nutritious and can also be used to keep skin moist and hair shining. It has a good balance of mono and polyunsaturated fats (the good ones) and is also high in vitamins, especially Vitamin A and E, a potent antioxidant.
Unrefined oils, like sunflower, are best in recipes that do not require cooking. Unrefined means that the nutrients, colour and flavour are still there. Refined oils are generally more stable at high temperatures i.e. when frying or baking.
We’ve been on some lovely walks recently up near Snowdon
The lake beside Plas-y-Brenin, looking down towards Snowdon
Vegan omelettes are delicious and simple to prepare. A very tasty day-starter especially when boasting smoky chipotle, mushroom, toasted sweetcorn and a lively salsa.
The flavours of Mexico mirror Mexican culture; diverse and vibrant, fresh and intense. There are many ways to make a plant-based omelette but I like this combination of gram flour, caramelised veggies and silken tofu. Loads of flavours and textures going on.
I’m not so keen on creating dishes that exactly mimic meat/ cheese/ eggs etc, just something that everyone will be able to enjoy and appreciate the similarities in texture and flavour. This is one of those dishes that is carnivore approved!
Eating vegan food doesn’t mean giving things up, it normally means adapting dishes and is always full of creative surprises. Just like these omelettes. They are rich and delicious and of course, are packed with wonderful nutrition.
I normally like juices, fruit, porridge, muesli etc for breakfast, I don’t have a sweet tooth, but it seems to be what my body is craving first thing. There are however those exceptional days when only savoury will do. This normally follows a few glasses of moonshine down at the local tavern I find!
Pan fried mushrooms are just packed with umami-style flavour, along with the sweetcorn and the toasty, nutty flavour of the gram flour making for a flavour packed breakfast.
VIVA MEXICO!
Mexicans are brilliant at breakfast and many of the classic breakfast dishes are egg-based. Huevos Rancheros, Huevos a la Mexicana, Breakfast tacos or burritos, Gorditas (think a pasty meets a tortilla, stuffed with beans and griddled, utterly delicious)……. All easily veganized, especially as avocado is such a staple in Mexico. They are normally served with loads of chilli in some form or another, either chopped raw or a potent sauce. There is also the beauty of the ubiquitous and always freshly homemade green and red sauces (salsa verde y rojo) that can be spooned over anything to add sensational flavour. Breakfast is no exception.
Chilli is sure to get the body and mind warmed up for the day! Once a week, I like to have a spicy brekkie and in Mexico became accustomed to chewing on a whole chilli in the morning. Beats an espresso I can tell you!
Chipotle Chilli – A real taste of Mexico!
WHAT IS CHIPOTLE?
Chipotle is basically a smoked red jalapeno chilli that is now readily available around the UK and Europe. If you’re reading in the States, I’m sure you know your way around a chipotle already! Chipotle chillies can be bought in many forms either dried, in adobo (canned), as a paste (popular in the UK) or ground. You can sometimes replace chipotle with smoked paprika in recipes.
I spent six months backpacking around Mexico, many years ago now, but I can still perfectly recall many of the meals I ate there. The diversity and flavours of Mexico blew me away. Thank goodness there are a few decent Mexican restaurants in the UK nowadays, there is much more to Mexican cuisine than a Texmex Burrito (although they can be awesome too!)
One of the delights of Mexican cooking is the chipotle and other smoky, sweet chillies. They are unique and a real delicacy. Many markets have a huge variety of smoky chillies piled up, all used in different dishes, from the salsa rojo to the feast that is a mole pobaldo. Chipotles are quite fiery, but I’d say are medium on the blow your head off scale. Less hot than a raw jalapeno that is for sure.
Chipotles are normally smoked for several days and in that time shrivel up. The flavours really intensify, so this is worth bearing in mind when cooking. A little chipotle can flavour a large pot of stew. Chipotles are quite tough and are therefore best used in slow cook dishes like soups, stews and are especially good as a surprise ingredient in chutney/ marmalades. I love a cheeky Chipotle Marmalade and will attempt to get a recipe on here one day.
Viva Mexico!
Gram flour is a wonderful ingredient. So full of flavour and totally gluten free, made from ground chickpeas. Gram flour can also be made form roasted pulses and comes in raw and roasted varieties. Roasted gram has a fuller flavour.
It is a healthy alternative to wheat flour and I’m using it to help bind together vegan baking at the moment. A couple of tbs mixed with an equal quantity of water can make a huge difference to the texture of a cake.
Gram flour has been used in Europe for many years, its maybe not so exotic as we think. Examples of this would be the pancake style dishes Socca (France) or Farinata (Italy). Both traditional and totally gram. When gram flour is cooked its strong flavour mellows, I do quite like my vegan omelettes a little soft, but some are not keen on the flavour of raw-ish gram flour. Gram flour is a top larder item for every cook.
My other favourite chilli at the moment, the mighty British Komodo Dragon Chilli. POW!
FUTURE FOODS
We can’t eat meat and dairy at current levels. The world will not sustain us. There are very clever people out there who are creating fake meat and cheese in laboratories and just recently I saw a youtube clip of a scrambled vegan egg. It certainly looked like the real deal, all soft and shiny when cooked. What it tastes like remains to be seen so I’ll stick with this omelette for now.
Most of us are waking up to the fact that our eating habits must change, for so many positive reasons; we love animals, for our own health and the health of the planet. The future of food for me is lots of fruits, legumes, veggies and nuts. However, some folk will still want a bloody hamburger or a runny egg yolk, this is now becoming a very real, plant-based alternative.
This is a lively breakfast/ brunch (in fact lunch too) sure to get your taste buds firing first thing, certainly adding a little spice and big flavours to an autumn morning. A wake up call! A fiesta in your mouth!!
*****For more regular BHK action we are now posting loads of news, recipes etc over on facebook and twitter.*****
Recipe Notes:
Corn season in the UK is coming to an end, but what better way to use your gorgeous fresh corn on the cobs. You can use tinned sweetcorn, but it just ain’t the same.
Some vegan omelettes call for the tofu to be mixed in with the flour, but I like the texture contrast of keeping it separate.
I like these just cooked, over cooking an vegan omelette will only make it dry. Which is never a good thing. A couple of minutes in a warm pan is enough and then straight under the grill and then eaten just after. Just like an egg omelette, the warmer and fresher the omelette the more delicious.
I love chilli so 1 1/2 tbs is a good amount. Use a little less if you’re not quite ready for a full chilli hit at the breakfast table.
Adding fresh coriander to the salsa and omelette is lovely. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any.
The Bits – For 2 large omelettes
Omelettes
150g gram flour (besan)
250ml water
½ teas salt
½ teas baking powder (gluten-free)
1 teas cumin seeds
250g firm silken tofu (sliced)
200g sweetcorn (2 corn on the cobs)
2 large mushrooms (like field or portobello)
1-1 1/2 tbs chipotle paste
Oil for cooking (I used rapeseed/ canola oil)
Avocado and Tomato Salsa
2 tomatoes
2 spring onions
1 avocado
2 large leaves kale (curly, black kale etc – stems removed and finely sliced)
1 lime juice
½ lime zest
½ teas salt
Unfolded you can see the lovely corn, shrooms and those tasty pieces of soft tofu.
Do It
In a bowl, mix together the gran flour, water, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
Make your salsa, this can be done in advance. Combine all the ingredients, lightly toss together and check seasoning.
Grab a large, heavy bottomed frying pan. Add 1/2 tbs oil and warm on a high heat. Once hot add the cumin seeds and corn. Stir and saute for 5 minutes, until the corn has a nice, dark golden colour. Set corn aside. Wipe pan clean.
Pop pan back on the stove. Warm another 1/2 tbs oil and add your mushrooms, saute for 2 minutes, stirring regularly, add the chipotle paste and cook through for another minute. Set aside and wipe clean pan.
Warm a grill on medium heat. You can flip the pancake in the pan, but it is quite thick and can break easily. Better to go for the grilling option.
Warm 1/3 tbs oil in your frying pan, make sure the pan base has a nice thin covering of oil. Scatter half your corn and mushrooms into the pan and spoon over half your gram flour mix. Ensure the pan base has an even covering of mix and place half your tofu evenly across the omelette. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then loosen the edges with a flat spatula. This is a good sign that the base is cooked (you can even have a quick peek!)
Place the pan under the grill (drizzle a little more oil over the omelette for added richness at this stage) and grill until the omelette is cooked through, a nice golden colour, a couple of minutes should be enough.
As soon as possible along with the salsa. You can either fold the omelette or leave it flat and sprinkle over the salsa, like a pizza. Mexican omelette pizza!? Quite a thing!!
A nice sweet and sour sauce, something like a smoky Mexican Salsa Rojo would be perfect, but not necessary.
The pizza style omelette
Down on Dinas Dinlle. Autumn has been beautiful so far in North Wales.
Foodie Fact
Gram flour is higher in protein than wheat flour and is packed with healthy unsaturated fats, iron and fibre. More reasons to go gram.
Its that time of year, when blackberries are everywhere and we need inspiration outside crumbles and cakes. Jane and I try to pick as many as possible, although sometimes its a thankless task. They are not the easiest fruits to harvest (especially wearing shorts!) Braving all those thorns is well worth it though. Blackberries are one of my favourite berries and so versatile. Vinegar may not be the most obvious way to use them but turning fruit into vinegar is wonderfully simple and the best thing about it is, they last for an age. Perfect for preserving our seasonal berry gluts. Fruit vinegar is also quite an expense in the shops so you’re saving a few pennies.
REASONS TO GO BLACKBERRY PICKING
Once you’re out there, it’s actually loads of fun!
Eating blackberries makes our brains work better and also make our skin look younger.
They are FREE!
You can use the leaves of the blackberry plant. We dry them out and use them to make tea. The most tender leaves work best.
FREE-STYLE FORAGER
Its a good idea to have some bags or punnets in your car, when you see a blackberry hot spot, you can leap out and share in the wealth. You can also arrange a family/ group of friends collective forage. This means you can prepare vinegar or blackberry jams or compotes together in big pans. This works out more cost effective and there is something very rewarding about a jar of homemade, foraged jam in the heart of winter. Full of good memories and nutritional vitality.
Blackberry vinegar can be used in salad dressing or drank with some hot water (think a hot cordial) for a vitamin boost on a cold autumn day. You may also like to try roasting beetroots with the vinegar, similar to when we use balsamic vinegar in roasting roots. The results are delicious and are all the more satisfying because you made it! For free! From the hedgerow!!
So get out there with your punnets (or buckets). Free berries for all! That’s (almost) free food!
Beach House Blackberries
The Bits – Makes roughly 300ml Vinegar
250g blackberries
125ml white wine vinegar
150g unrefined light brown sugar
Do It
Soak blackberries in vinegar for 5 day to 1 week. The longer you leave them, the more concentrated the flavour. We left ours for 10 days.
You can use a sieve to support the muslin if you choose to lightly press the blackberries.
Strain using muslin. You can either leave hanging above a vessel for 12 hours or pass through the muslin. The blackberry pulp left over should be relatively dry.
Add the vinegar and sugar to a saucepan and bring gently to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes stirring regularly. The sugar should be completely combined with the vinegar.
Leave the vinegar to cool and the store in a clean bottle with a decent cork/lid.
Bottle it up and enjoy!
Foodie Fact
Blackberries are high in vitamin C and the very dark colour of blackberries means lots of anti-oxidants. One of the highest in fruit. The high tannin content of blackberries helps with intestinal inflammation, it has a soothing effect. The high vitamin K content in blackberries is said to regulate menstruation and aids in muscle relaxation.
Windfall Apple and Oat CrumbleSo the leaves are all turning burnt gold, auburn, crimson and the morning are crisp with deep powder blue skies. I love this time of year, wandering through dried leaves, staring into fires, wrapping up, rediscovering the delights of sloe gin and big, bombastic bakes!
Desserts or otherwise, its time to wake the oven up, it tends to be underused in the summer months and dust off our oven dishes. Autumn and winter mean we need warm hugs and serious sustenance in our bowls/ plates. It’s something of a survival mechanism and certainly leads to oodles of well-being. Cosy soul food!
Nothing says autumn more than the first crumble of the year. Your body knows what’s coming, the dark and windy time when we crave large plates of stodgy happiness to warm our wintery bones. We are enjoying a beautiful September up here on Tiger Mountain, but the nights are getting a bit chilly and crumble is the perfect antidote. Easing us into this time of year in the tastiest of ways.
Crumble’s beauty lie in their simplicity and the way they gobble up our autumn fruity abundance. This recipe is beautifully basic and can be taken in so many directions with addition of other fruits (think blackberries, damsons, mulberries, dried fruits etc) or flavourings (like elderflower, orange blossom, I’ve even tried a tahini and apple crumble which was a treat). Adding chocolate to a crumble has been tried and works like a dream. This recipe is a lovely foundation to add to as you see fit.
ORCHARD DREAMS
We are setting out a little orchard in the garden. The trees are young (bar our ancient looking plum tree and windswept crab apple) and normally offer scant fruit. My Snowdonia Pear Tree, a juvenile, was unceremoniously beheaded by a storm recently. Its tough going for saplings in these parts! Our little Bardsey Apple tree however is a rugged super star, branches laden every year with tart and juicy, vivid green apples. Not such great eaters (too much of a twang) but perfect when cooked. These apples were actually all windfall, saved from the fate of an army of slugs that camp out and descend like slimy vultures on any fruit that hits the deck.
Windfall Bardsey Apples in the garden
APPLE ABUNDANCE
What to do with all those apples? If your, family members, neighbours, avid scrumpers know of an apple tree, I’m sure you’re asking yourself the same thing. Here are few little ideas for all those surplus apples:
Make a Tart Tatin (see below)
Cook into apple sauce and use on desserts and breakfast bowls. Apple sauce is also wonderful in baking, it helps to bind cakes etc together.
Spread them out somewhere, preferably on cardboard and keep them for as long as possible. Crunch and yum!
Make cider.
Discovery Apple and Apricot Tart Tatin
ALL APPLES ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL
When cooking with apples its worth tasting one first. They can be so varied and this is what I love about them. They are surely one of the finest things we grow in the UK and our traditional varieties offer up a fascinating and varied palate of flavours and textures to play with in the kitchen; some are flowery in texture and sweet, some crisp and tangy, we just need to find them the right home. I have to say that the best way to eat a good apple is to give it a little polish on our trousers or jumper (why do we do that?) and crunch into it. I like to eat the core and seeds as well.
Making this pud into a pure plant-based pleasure is a cinch, you’re really just substituting the butter in the traditional crumble with oil and some flax seeds, which offer a lovely nutty flavour and help to give the crumble a little bite and oodles of nutrition. I am also not great at using large scoops of sugar, I need gentle persuasion. You can probably make this with other sweeteners, but for once in the BHK, we’re going (almost) traditional.
Crumble is oh so simple but surprisingly many are still not great. Being too sweet or having a dry, floury crumble are two cardinal sins of crumble-hood. I like a nutty, crisp crumble. This is why crumble is always enjoyed best straight out of the oven. The longer its left, the more time for the crumble to loose its magic crunch. I like to add nuts and flax seeds to add even more flavour and bite. To avoid just a mouthful of floury sweetness, I like oats bound with a little flour. Simple pleasures are always the best!
So grab a fireplace, a large spoon and a nice crisp autumn night and enjoy this true British classic.
Recipe Notes
You can use gluten free flour and oats to side step gluten here.
The amount of sugar you will need depends on your apples. Ours are very sharp, so we went for 90g. Jane has a sweet tooth (see above) and was very pleased with the sweetness level with that amount.
Crumble is amazingly adaptable, make it well in advance or make a large batch of apple sauce and use for other purposes (see above). Crumbles also freeze brilliantly.
I don’t like going ott with cinnamon, I just like it somewhere in the background. Not a main player in a crumble. Add more if your a spicy crumbler.
Enough frivolity, lets crumble!!!!!!
The Bits
Apples
950g apples
60-100g light brown sugar (unrefined)
3 tbs water
1/2 – 1 teas cinnamon
Crumble
100g oats
20g flax seeds (ground)
75g mixed nuts (roughly chopped)
30g light brown sugar (unrefined)
70ml rapeseed/ olive oil
1 teas cinnamon
20g buckwheat/ wholemeal flour
Do It
In a saucepan, add all of the ingredients for the apples. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 20 mins with a lid on or until the apples are tender and just falling apart.
Mix all of the crumble ingredients together in a bowl. Preheat oven to 200oC.
In a baking dish (approx 10″ by 8″), spoon in the apple sauce and sprinkle over the crumble mix until there is a nice thick layer.
Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until the crumble is a dark golden colour and the apple sauce is bubbling away.
Beginning….. Middle…… End! The Prequel (?) – Windfall Apple and Oat Crumble with lashings of custard
Serve
We had ours with custard. Mainly because we don’t have any ice cream in the freezer. If we had ice cream, I am sure there would have been a long debate about which way to go. Which way do you go? The timeless question. I think it depends on how the stars are aligned (or something). PS – It must be vanilla ice cream. Of course. Anything else would be utterly ridiculous.
Beach walking off all that crumble – Dinas Dinlle, near Anglesey
Foodie Fact
Crumble is food of the Gods and makes you happy:)
Dinas Dinlle Beach Happy Autumn to you all!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dischi Volanti with Avocado and Kale Pistou, Broccoli and Slow-Roast Tomatoes
‘Dischi Volanti’ translates as ‘Flying Saucer’ and this dish is supernatural in loads of ways! A dish that is easy to prepare, with ingredients that can easily be swapped and changed. The basis is a vibrant ‘pistou’ (very similar to a pesto) made creamy and rich with avocados. I love this side of plant based cooking, always looking for creative ways of adding richness and texture to traditional dishes.
WHAT ARE SUPERFOODS?
There’s a lot of talk about superfoods at the minute in the UK. In fact, its a buzz word all around the globe. I sometimes wonder what actually constitutes a ‘superfood’? It used to be only foods with purely radiant health properties, but this seems to be getting looser nowadays.
Really all plant foods are ‘super foods’. They all contain some form of incredible nutrition (except maybe Jerusalem Artichoke, beautiful when roasted though!) The huge advantage of a plant based diet is very low cholesterol and saturated fats along with a complete lack of animal protein. All of this will result in better health. I also think we need to look at the way our ‘superfoods’ were produced or grown, how they were transported, who profited from them……. I wish things were simpler to fathom, but a superfood to me has greater implications than just our own health.
There is no wonder cure in foods, a harmonious approach to eating and nutrition is important, a balanced diet is ever the way to proceed; rich in wholefoods, variety and plenty of fresh, seasonal ingredients. We like to think that the plant-based way is a ‘super diet’. Ticks all the boxes for a healthy way of being. Food can be our medicine after all!
In the BHK we like to look close to home for our super magic wonder foods and find the sparkling health properties in what some may see as normal fruit and veggies. This dish highlights a few of these superstars; Broccoli, Rocket, Tomatoes, Kale…..to name but a small cluster of shiners.
REAL EVERYDAY WONDER FOODS
Broccoli – probably one of the healthiest and tastiest vegetables. Grows like a dream in the UK and is available for most of the year. Packed with vitamin C, calcium, protein. It really is one of the most amazing things you can eat.
Kale – a leafy green that is obvious a little en vogue at the moment, but rightly so. Its been making people shine for years and all our Holywood/ famous types are not averse to looking and feeling at their best. I guess they get some pretty good nutritional advice. Kale is high in iron, calcium, protein, vitamin C.
Rocket – is one of natures best sources of calcium. I bet you didn’t read that on a milk carton! In truth, there are many better source of calcium in the plant world that milk. Milk is just a source of calcium, certainly not the source (as I was led to believe for much of my adult life). Good to know these things!
Avocado is of course not so local, but we wrote an article about it recently highlighting our love and appreciation for all things avo – Avocado – Friend or Foe?! It’s a treat.
Pistou is like pesto without the pine nuts, I’m taking real liberties here by calling this creamy, plant-based sauce a ‘pistou’ but I think you’ll agree that it works well whatever the name. You won’t find this type of pistou in the south of France, that is for sure! I thought about using blended cauliflower to add richness and that creamy touch, but avocado is easier and sensational (and green to match the colour scheme of the dish).
You can use shop-bought sun blushed tomatoes for this one, but we have plenty of tomatoes coming from the Trigonos farm and in our organic veg box at the minute and this is one way of making them shine. The slow roasting process does take a while in the oven, so maybe you’d like to whip a cake up or some muffins while the oven is one. We made some Blackberry and Almond Flapjacks while our tomatoes were slowly drying out. Thin, tray bakes are perfect at a low temperature so are the ideal fit when drying out your gorgeous toms.
We would have used spelt pasta here, its our favourite at the moment, but we had a bag of Volanti left over from our Italy trip (seems like many lifetimes ago now) so decided to put it to very good use. Also eating ‘Flying Saucers’ makes us feel like kids again, playing with Alphabet Spaghetti and the like. Fun and games with serious flavours!
This dish will only take a short time to get together, the homemade sun blushed tomatoes do take a while in the oven, but otherwise its a matter of blending up the pesto and cooking the pasta. That’s it! It is ideal for people who are averse to green food and we know a few (naming no names……Dad). This is a plate to get everyone into the green revolution!
Recipe Notes
Try to leave your tomatoes in the oven for as long as possible after cooking has finished. Ideally leaving them to cool down with the oven. This really helps to get them dried gently.
If you are doing a load of slow-roast tomatoes, keep them in a jar covered with oil. This means they will last much longer. Even better if you flavour the oil with fresh herbs and a little garlic.
Some subs – Broccoli for runner beans, green beans, mangetout, snow peas. Kale for spinach. Rocket – Watercress. Cashews – Pine Nuts, Almonds, Hazelnuts
Slow-roasting tomatoes in the Beach House Kitchen
The Bits – For 2
6 tomatoes (cut in half)
250g Dischi Volanti pasta (or pasta of your choice)
1 medium broccoli (florets cut in half, stem thinly sliced)
2 ripe avocados
2 handfuls kale (finely sliced)
14 basil leaves
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 lime (juice)
2 tbs nutritional yeast flakes (optional – for added savoury cheesiness in the pistou)
3 handfuls rocket leaves
Garnish
1/2 red chilli (finely diced)
1 big handful cashews (toasted is nice)
Slow-roasting tomatoes at Trigonos (you can see the scale goes up a little!)
Do It
The slow roast tomatoes can be done well in advance. Start the tomatoes off a couple of hours before you want to eat. They take a while to dry well, intensifying the flavours.
Preheat the oven to 160°C / 320°F. Place them skin-side down on a lightly oiled baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Place in the oven for at least an hour, checking after 45 minutes. Now press them gently with a fork or spatula to release some of the juices. Turn them over and pop back in the oven for 20 minutes more. Turn the oven off and leave the tomatoes in there until needed.
When your tomatoes are approaching deliciousness, blitz together the avocado, kale, basil, garlic and lime juice in a food processor. Season with salt, pepper and nutritional yeast flakes if you have some. Add a splash of water, until a thick, smooth sauce consistency is formed, roughly 50ml will do it.
Cook your pasta in a large sauce pan, remembering to add salt to the boiling water. Three minutes before the pasta is ready, add the broccoli to the pan. This will result in nice crisp florets. Drain when the volanti is al dente and pop back into the warm pan. Pour over the pistou and combine gently. Stir in the tomatoes and rocket.
Serve
Serve immediately topped with a scattering of cashews and chilli, a drizzle of good olive oil for added richness and a nice green side salad with a racy dressing.
Dischi Volanti with Avocado and Kale Pistou, Broccoli and Slow-Roast Tomatoes
Foodie Fact
(I think we pretty much covered it above today.)
Snowdon yesterday looking stunning in the September sun
You may have heard that Peace and Parsnips has been voted in the ‘Best Vegan Cookbook’ category at this years Vegfest Awards. Its a wonderful accolade for us and we’re very, very chuffed. Today is the last day that you can vote and every vote counts. There are loads of amazing vegan cookbooks on the list and its a privilege just to be there.
Anyone can vote and there are load of interesting categories. Its incredible to see so many vegan/ plant based products, restaurants, chocolate, fashion…..the list goes it. It just shows how much a vegan lifestyle is growing. Happy days indeed!
I am now a regular contributor to the Barefoot Vegan Magazine, something I am very proud of. It’s a beautiful online mag, packed with interesting and enlightening articles. It is a real wealth of insight into the modern vegan lifestyle and I would urge you all to have a look, whether a full-power plant-based shiner or a curious veggie dabbler, there is something for all. You can subscribe for free here.
You know that we love nature in the BHK and I see that the state of our environment is a major issue of concern for most people. In ‘Eating for the Earth’ I explore the environmental impacts of Animal Agriculture, the worst polluting industry on the planet (well above the entire transport industry). Going vegan is the number one way to positively effect our environment. Just one meal makes a difference. Our forks are our greatest weapons in combating our negative environmental impacts and what we choose to eat has never been so important.
“Making ethical choices in what we buy, do, and watch. In a consumer-driven society our individual choices, used collectively for the good of animals and nature, can change the world faster than laws.” Mark Bekoff
There is more, Jane has also written an article for this edition of the Barefoot Vegan. How cool is that! Both of us in one shining mag!!! Jane writes about her work within the Red Tent movement and how it supports women globally. An empowering article for all women. Jane started the local Red Tent in North Wales, which has been going for two years and which regularly transforms the Beach House living room into a sea of red fabric and smiling faces.
I hope you get the chance to read the articles and we always love feedback and a chat in general. You’ll find regular BHK updates on twitter and facebook. For more information about veganism or going vegan, two amazing resources are The Vegan Society and Veganuary.
If you are in the UK, Jane and I are attending loads of food festivals and doing book signings all over the place. I’ll be at the Penarth Book Festival doing a talk about compassionate eating and Peace & Parsnips with Anthony Slaughter, Deputy Leader of the Wales Green Party. We’ll also be down at Vegfest in London on 11th October where Peace & Parsnips has been voted in the ‘Best Vegan Cookbook’ Category. You can vote here for our book, plus loads of other amazing vegan cookbooks, products, nibbles and restaurants.
Viva Veggies!!!!! Surely the tastiest way of saving the world!
Chargrilled Ruby Grapefruit, Beetroot, and Cobnut Salad with Aronia Berry Dressing
We’ve had a real foodie time of it recently and this salad reflects that. Not only have I picked up some amazing produce at Ludlow and Beaumaris Food Festivals, but I have also been inspired by the chefs I’ve met. This is a salad that is caught between summer and autumn, quite apt in September. It’s also caught somewhere between a restaurant table and home kitchen. Do not fear, all of the these ingredients are easily interchangeable and there is only a few, quick, prep steps.
This dish is a looker and is something you could serve at dinner party and it would go down a treat. Its full of bold flavours and the Aronia berry vinegar really lights things up. Like all salads, its a perfect way of expressing gorgeous produce. We have made these portions main course size, but you could easily scale things down and serve as a starter.
Some of the special bits; cobnuts (from Ludlow), organic beetroots from Tyddyn Teg Farm and Aronia Berry Vinegar
I think this is the best way to cook beetroots. Although my mind does change often. I also love charring citrus. Aine Carlin reminded me how cool charring citrus can be with this simple and delicious dessert recipe ‘Cashew Cream and Griddled Oranges’. Check it out on youtube. Aine’s new cookbook is out soon, which is very exciting news.
WHAT’S A COBNUT THEN?
Basically its a hazelnut. This is the perfect time of year to pick them up and when they are fresh and young, they are plump and have a light, creamy taste and a texture similar to coconut. They are lighter than a hazelnut when roasted and something that is well worth a try. Cobnuts were only introduced to the UK in the 19 th century and they are famously from Kent. In this salad they bring crunch and richness. Use them as you would use a hazelnut.
Cobnuts -de-shelled and soaked
ARONIA BERRIES
We met a lovely group of people at Beaumaris, Beri Da, who are growing Aronia berries in the next valley from us. Incredible to think that these things are happening so close and you miss them! We have tried a lot of food and nibbles over this weekend, but some really stand out. Beri Da is certainly one of them. Everything they produce is delicious and something a little different.
Beri Da is a small family ran business and you can read more about their story here. Aronia berries are like blueberries but more intense and packed with even more antioxidants and good stuff. They are native to North America but are increasingly being grown in the UK. They are thriving near Mount Snowdon and the guys have just planted even more bushes at the base of the mountain. A very scenic place for superfoods to grow!
The Aronia vinegar we bought is very intense, fruity and fragrant. A little goes a long way. We also have some chutney made with beetroot which is just too good to eat right now. We need to hide it away and dream about it for a while. Its fair to say that Aronia berries are going down well in the BHK. We are hoping to pop over and help with the next harvest, I’m not sure how many berries are going to make the basket!
These beetroots were so good looking, I love that crazy, deep purple.
I’m going to write more about the brilliant producers we met over the weekend in our next post. I’ll also let you know how our first cooking demo’s and book signings went at food festivals. We started at one of the biggest and surely one of the best, Ludlow. It was a blast!
VEGFEST 2015
If you haven’t voted in Vegfest 2015’s massive vegan poll, tututututututututttttt! There are loads of vegan products, authors, suppliers etc to be voted for. You’ll find ‘Peace & Parsnips’ in the ‘Best Vegan Cookbook’ catergory along with a host of other excellent plant based cookbooks. The Vegfest is like the vegan Oscar’s and we’ll be down there doing a cooking demo. Is going to be HUGE! Exciting stuff.
Lets get cooking……
Recipe Notes:
When frying the beetroots you can use any fruit vinegar, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry etc but all will be different. Some sweeter, some more potent. You just need to taste and adjust accordingly. For frying the beetroots you can also use balsamic vinegar and save your precious fruit vinegar for the dressing.
If you chargrill the grapefruit for too long, they will begin to fall apart. Keep it to roughly a minute each side, we’re just looking for a few nice griddle marks to add a smokiness to the citrus flavours. Its well worth the little extra hassle.
I have added avocado for a little bit of richness, but you could easily use cashew cheese or even well drained and marinated tofu.
Our Aronia berry vinegar is very potent, you may need to add more fruit vinegar to balance the dressing nicely. It should be quite tart with good acidity and a nice twist of sweetness.
The rapeseed oil we use here is good quality, single press, made like olive oil-type stuff. The flavour is sensational and we are loving Blodyn Aur or Bennett and Dunn. Both excellent and part of a new wave of quality rapeseed oil producers in the UK.
This recipe makes just enough dressing. Double the quantity if you’d like extra to be served on the table.
Nicely caramelised beetroots in Aronia berry vinegar – the smell was sensational!
The Bits – For 4
6 medium beetroots (scrubbed and trimmed)
1 small cucumber (peeled and cut in 1/2 moons)
1 ruby grapefruit (peeled and cut into 1cm slices across)
2 handfuls de-shelled cobnuts or hazelnuts (toasted)
8 big handfuls beetroot leaves or spinach/ chard leaves (finely sliced, chop the stems too and keep separate for garnish)
1 avocado (peeled and cut into small chunks)
2 radish (thinly sliced)
2 big handful basil leaves
1 tbs rapeseed oil
2 teas aronia berry vinegar or other fruit vinegar (balsamic will do)
Aronia Berry Dressing
2 teas aronia vinegar (or other fruit vinegar)
3 tbs rapeseed oil
1/2 lemon juice
Pinch salt
Do It
In a saucepan, cover the beetroots with water and add 1/2 teas salt, bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Pop lid on and cook for 45 minutes. Remove the beetroots with a slotted spoon, keep the cooking broth to drink or use as a colourful stock. Pop the beets back in the pan and pop the lid back on.
Make the dressing by whisking everything together (with a fork if you like) in a small bowl.
Grab a griddle pan and very lightly oil, place on a high heat. When hot pop the grapefruit slices on. Leave to cook for a minute, they don’t take long. Flip them over using a thin spatula and cook for a minute on the other side. Now do the same with your cucumber slices. One minute each side. Set aside.
Peel the skin off the beetroots (you may like to wear clean marigolds or other plastic gloves for this job). Using a teaspoon helps to bring the skin away from the beet. Cut the beetroots in half lengthways and then each half into four even pieces. Warm the oil in a frying pan and fry the beetroots for 10 minutes, turning them regularly. You should get some nice colour on them. Add the vinegar and toss the beetroots to cover with vinegar, this will help them caramelise nicely. Cook for 2 minutes and they’re ready to go.
On large plates, scatter the leaves and top with grapefruit, cucumber, cobnuts, beetroots, avocado, sprinkle over the sliced beetroot roots, radish and basil, drizzle liberally with dressing.
Chargrilled Ruby Grapefruit, Beetroot and Cobnut Salad with Aronia Berry Dressing
Serve
Best served when the beetroots are still warm. We had ours with some steamed whole grains (millet, green lentils and buckwheat) tossed in a little lemon juice and rapeseed oil.
Foodie Fact
Nuts are good for you. Very good for you. Little nutritional powerhouses they are. Cobnut kernels contain 17% protein by dry weight, and about 15% fibre. Cobnuts are rich in vitamin E and calcium. They also contain vitamin B1 and B6. Not bad!
Here is our perfect style of morning pick me up. Bursting with vitality and flavour. We woke up to bright sunshine today with a little autumn chill in the air. We have been blessed this summer in the Beach House, I’ve had my shorts on twice and fleece of at least a handful of times. Its been a scorcher! September is normally one of the best months for sunshine, so we’ll be out in the garden come the morn, sipping smoothies and juices for most of the month (fingers and toes crossed). Its a beautiful time of year with spectacular sunsets (we have been posting loads of sunset shots over on Twitter).
We managed to get out hands on a nice ripe melon and with some apples and mint from the garden, whipped up this interesting combo of flavours. Sure to get your taste buds zinging in the morn. We like a ginger pick me up most mornings and it creeps into many of our juices and smoothies.
Mint is running wild in our garden, we have an embarrassment of herbs leaping from all angles! At the minute we have a couple of peppermint style varieties, very intense, some ginger mint (we used a little in the smoothie) and apple mint. Apple mint is a lovely variety, with large soft leaves and mellow flavour. It grows like a hyperactive teenager so we are welcoming it regularly to dishes in the BHK.
The apples we used are known as Bardsey apples, which all came from one ‘mother’ tree on the island of Bardsey, just off the Llyn Peninsula down the road. The apples are quite sharp and tart and tangy so they go perfectly with the sweet melon and ginger. Read more about the fascinating story of the Bardsey Apple here.
Apple mint from the garden (via Janes Mum and Dad in Stafford)
GINGER IS MEDICINE!
Most spices are not just packed with flavour, they also boast amazing health giving properties. Ginger is one of the most potent examples of this. I write about this a lot in Peace & Parsnips, there is a whole section dedicated to spices, how to treat them and their health benefits. This is one of the many reasons why I love Indian, Persian, Middle Eastern etc foods, they are packed with spices that light up the palate and make our bodies shine.
A brief run through the amazing healing properties of Ginger:
Ginger has long been used in ‘alternative’ medicine to treat nausea (morning/ sea sickness), digestive complaints and cold/ flu.
The main active compound in ginger is called gingerol and it is a strong antioxidant and has power anti-inflammatory effects.
Ginger may have strong anti-diabetic properties, lowering blood sugars and heart disease risk along with many bacteria fighting properties, lowering the risk of infections.
Ground ginger has been shown to help with menstrual pain and it generally helps with digestion, especially chronic indigestion.
It is effective in treating exercise induced muscle strain, joint pain and stiffness, when used over a period of time.
There is also some evidence that ginger can reduce bad cholesterol levels, keeping our hearts healthy and that it contains substances that protect us from cancer.
Some studies suggest that ginger can improve brain function and help to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
The beautiful thing about ginger is its versatility and we pop it into a cup of hot water, with lemon, in the morning when we feel like being outrageously healthy. It is the best way to start things off in the morning.
Now thats what I call a super food!!!!
Beautiful mornings deserve beautiful smoothies:)
The Bits – For Two Big Glasses
3-4 handfuls chopped melon (honeydew, galia…nice and ripe)
3 handfuls chopped apples (tart variety)
1 kiwi (peeled and chopped)
1/2 handful chopped mint leaves (sliced)
2 tbs chopped ginger (or more depending on taste and purpose. For a serious healthy pick me up, try 3-4 tbs)
Splash of water/ non-dairy milk
Do It
Blitz all together in a blender until smooth and lovely. Add more liquid to thin to your favourite consistency. If you leave it thick, its more like a pudding!
Apple, Melon and Mint Smoothie
Foodie Fact
There are over 25 varieties of mint and it has long been used to soothe the belly.
Fragrant Wild Rice, Curly Kale and Pistachio Salad – Recipe from Peace & Parsnips
A rich, zesty and highly nutritious salad that is ideal for an early Autumn lunch. This is packed with ‘superfoods’ although I think most plant-based foods are superfoods (bar maybe the Jerusalem artichoke, which I love, but lacks much nutritional oomph). So plants are all superfoods and it seems that being a vegan, no matter what you choose for dinner, your body and mind is going to thrive on it! That is of course if you keep things natural and whole food. We are what we eat and I don’t want to feel like a processed vegan hotdog. Ever. Just doesn’t appeal! Radiant health is just one of the coolest things about being a plant muncher. The other benefits are well documented, many times on this blog. But I’m a cook, so lets talk food…..
This salad is a filling centre piece dish and can be made even more so by the addition of tofu/ tempeh or even a scattering of pulses/legumes. To be honest, that’s a little OTT. This fragrant number is already loaded with nutrition; protein, calcium, iron, vitamins, healthy fats…. For this reason, it is very satisfying and filling. I love dill, its such a distinct herb that is seldom used. In this salad it is not overpowering, but mingles in with the other strong flavours.
I love to create salads and toy with texture, colours and flavours. Salads are the perfect medium to express the freshness and vitality of seasonal produce and tomatoes, carrots, kale are bang on season up here in the wild Welsh hills. We’ve had a poor year weather wise (you may have heard me mention many times over!) but we’re hanging in there are getting some beautiful cavolo nero and curly kale and down on the Trigonos farm, we have a massive poly tunnel laden with a variety of sensational tomatoes. Some of which weigh over 1 kg! All are bursting with sweetness and fragrance. Experimentation on ways of preserving tomatoes is under way, our own sun dried tomatoes lack one very important element. So we are going to slowly dry them overnight in the oven, it will take several nights. Needless to say, this time of year is filled with jar hunting, lots of roasting and creative twists and freezers fit to burst. I’m a lucky fella to be cooking with such produce on a daily basis. Thanks to Judy and team for producing the most amazing vegetables and fruits. A cooks dream!
That’s what I call a tom!
KALE! WHATS ALL THE FUSS ABOUT?
As mentioned above, we’re in a ‘sea of green’ kale at the minute and not dreaming of complaining. As we all know, many times over, eating greens is the quickest and most effective way of becoming a super happy wonder being. It is (sort of) that easy! Kale is a star for so many incredible reasons:
Kale is high in good fats. Omega 3’s that is. Good for the heart, brain and can reduce Type 2 diabetes.
Kale contains a huge amount of vitamin A. The highest of any green leaf.
Gram for gram, kale has more calcium than milk.
By weight, kale has twice the amount of vitamin C as an orange.
Eat your greens, live the dream……………
Sea of green. Kale harvest is going very well at Trigonos
“HEY, WHAT’S HAPPENIN’?!”
(Any Marvin Gaye fans out there?) The BHK is, of course, not just solely about food. We do other things and like to keep you abreast of what’s happening in our lives up here on Bryn Teg (Fair Hill), North Wales. We are going through renovations of the cottage and have recently built a deluxe wood shed, which could comfortably sleep a young family. We need a lot of wood over the winter! We have also been building a slate path out the front, all from local slate that we have scavenged and traded for. Its looking like something out of the Hobbit at the minute. Quite rustic, but very cool. Add to that, loads of painting, gardening, oh working for a living and wandering around the hills, our summer has been packed.
We are now starting food festival season and this weekend we have two, Ludlow (Saturday 12th) and Beaumaris (Sunday 13th). We will be doing cooking demonstrations, all recipes from Peace & Parsnips, and then book signings. We are really looking forward to kicking things off this year and will be attending a load of food festivals around Britain. Maybe see you there! (See ‘Contact and Press’, top right of the screen, for more details).
The Nantlle Valley, where we wander and work (looking great with the new heather growth, everything is going purple!)
We have been sharing a much more on Twitter and Facebook these days and this has meant a few less BHK posts. Its nice to mix things up a little! Although Instagram is a step too far at the moment (I don’t have a mobile phone!)
This recipe has also recently featured in Your Healthy Living Magazine and posting it was inspired by Janice over at the wonderful Nourished by Nature blog, celebrating plant based food and natural health magic! Thanks Janice.
This salad is great warm, just don’t let the rice cool fully and watch all those flavours come to life! You can play around with the veggie components of this salad and keep it seasonal. We are using sorrel loads at the moment, it growing in patches all over the garden and even likes to grow in the cracks in or front garden slates. I can think of worst ‘weeds’. Sorrel is delicious. ‘With your long blonde hair and your eyes of blue, the only thing I ever got from you, was …….’
Sorrel. Our favourite weed.
The Bits – For 4-6
•250g wild rice
•1 carrot, grated (if you have any carrot tops, finely chop them and add)
•5 leaves of curly kale, cut from the stems and very finely sliced
•3 tbsp raisins, soaked for two hours and roughly chopped
•½ a handful of roasted pistachios, roughly chopped
•6 radishes, trimmed and finely diced
•6 sun-blush or sun-dried tomatoes, including any oil, finely chopped
•4 spring onions, finely sliced
•½ a handful of fresh dill, chopped
•½ a handful of chives, finely sliced
•A handful of sprouted mung beans or green lentils
For the dressing
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
•3 tbsp olive oil
•Juice of 1½ limes
•Zest of ½ lime
•½ tsp sea salt
•½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the garnish: •A handful of roasted pistachios
•3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
Do It
Rinse the wild rice in cold water a number of times until the water runs clean. Place in a pan, pour in water to cover by 3cm, then bring to the boil and put a lid on the pan.
Reduce the heat to its lowest possible and cook for 45-50 minutes, until the rice is soft and all the water has evaporated. Fluff up gently with a fork and allow to cool fully. Spreading the rice out on a plate will help here.
To make the dressing, whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl.
Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss well to mix evenly. Add the dressing, spoon in the rice and combine well.
Serve
In shallow bowls, garnished with the extra nuts and herbs.
Foodie Fact
The fats in this salad (oil) and the citrus (lime) will help the body to absorb the nutrients available. They work in harmon together and carotenoids (part of the Vitamin A family) are fat-soluble and the high levels of iron in the kale are made more available by the acid in the lime. Not only are they tasty, but all these ingredients are working together to keep our bodies shiny and happy.
I love these little energetic things. The perfect way of cramming loads of nutrition and energy into the smallest possible area. These little balls are packed with protein power and full-on flavour and are highly portable! They went down a treat yesterday, I had to share them with you.
Nuts and dried fruits are nutritional power houses and contain vast amounts of good stuff; sugars and fats. The last two should of course be enjoyed in moderation and these little balls are perfectly portion controlled. Unless you make them the size of a cricket ball ( I prefer more of a squash ball size and smaller) then you’ll be getting the optimum levels of everything you need from a revitalising, healthy between meal booster.
PLAY BALL!
I have kept these very simple and natural. No added flavours, just the nuts, seeds and fruit. I like to use seeds primarily because they taste amazing, but they are also less expensive and work just as well as nuts. I used a good mixture of nuts, but you can mix and match with whatever you have handy. Nuts like walnuts, cashews and almonds blend smooth, it is more tough to get a Brazil nut to play ball! This is great when mixed with other nuts, adds a crunchy texture. The same can be said for sunflower seeds, once soaked they blend up nicely, unlike pumpkin seeds which take a little more blitzing action. If you have a high powered blender, non of this really applies, as they will take care of anything you put into them. They’d quite happily blend a bean tin I’m sure (this is an untested theory).
BENEFITS OF SOAKING YOUR NUTS
I mention nut soaking quite a lot in Peace & Parsnips, I think its important to know about and can really accentuate the flavour, texture and nutritional properties of nuts and seeds. It takes a little forward planning but is very much worth it. Nutrients are tucked away in our food and in some occasions, are missed by our bodies. They are not available to the body, so we miss out on all the goodness. This is known as the ‘bio-availability’ of nutrients and soaking nuts in water before using them opens up the nutrients to be absorbed by the body. They have known this for thousands of years in India and soaked almonds are promoted within the Ayurvedic diet for a number of health boosting reasons.
Soaking nuts in water, preferably overnight, inhibits the potentially harmful effects of enzymes inhibitors, tannins and toxins in nuts. Nature doesn’t want seeds and nuts to germinate until the right conditions are present, by soaking nuts and seeds we are creating these conditions. They literally come to life! Enzymes are essential to good health, just as important as minerals and vitamins. Soaking releases more beneficial enzymes that our bodies love. Most nuts also taste better after they have been soaked, they plump up nicely and become crisp. We normally soak to order, but you can soak in bulk. This just means that your nuts need to be dried out a little. You can do this in a dehydrator or in a low oven. The nuts can then be stored in a air tight container and used on cereals and salads.
TOP FIVE REASONS TO SOAK NUTS, SEEDS (AND LEGUMES)
1 – Increase the amount of vitamins, especially B vitamins
2 – Produce greater levels of beneficial enzymes
3 – To make digestion easier
4 – Allows easier absorption of protein
5 – To limit enzyme inhibitors, tannins and potentially harmful toxins
We soak nuts in warm water and some people add a little salt. Cover the nuts and leave them overnight, between 7 – 24 hours is best. That’s it!
REASONS TO LOVE TAHINI (AND SESAME SEEDS)
Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds and is one of our favourite ingredients. A wonderful source of vegan creaminess that creeps into dressings, sauces, stews/ curry’s or mixed with jam/ molasses/ maple syrup and lathered on toast and crackers. Tahini normally comes in light and dark varieties, dark has a much more toasted, full flavour. Its not only the delicious aspects of tahini that are attractive, nutritionally its a proper superstar, its is actually one of the best sources of calcium found in nature and also keeps your skin vibrant and muscles toned. It contains 20% protein which is higher than most nuts and is high in very good fats of the unsaturated variety. See our Foodie Fact below for more nutritional bits and pieces.
Feel free to sweeten them as you see fit (taste the mix before rolling up) but I think they are mighty fine with just the apricots. Good dried apricots will not be bright orange. Try and get some un-sulphured apricots, they are out there and well worth the effort and slightly higher expense. Hunza apricots especially (from Afghanistan) are really interesting. If you are living in an area where loads of apricots grow, you could dry your own and even use the kernels instead of nuts or seeds. Apricot kernels are delicious and becoming quite popular in the UK.
We love to play around with combinations of nuts, seeds and flavourings. The possibilities are huge and its much more satisfying and cheaper to make these at home. The main thing is having a dried fruit to bind everything together, normally soaked so that they break down nicely into a sticky paste. Then add nuts and seeds to the equation, any type that takes your fancy and flavour with things like citrus zest, cocoa/ cacao, rose water, orange blossom water, vanilla extract, pomegranate molasses, spices……etc. Energy balls are a medium for a healthy snack charged with all the nutrition we need when leading an active and healthy life.
Nice sticky mix
The Bits – For 12-15 energy balls
300g mixed nuts and seeds (soaked in water for at least 7 hours beforehand. I used cashew, walnuts, brazils and sunflower seeds)
150g dried apricots (soaked in water for at least 1 hour before hand)
4 tbs toasted sesame seeds
2-3 tbs light tahini
2-4 tbs sweetener (maple syrup, brown rice syrup etc)
Do It
Drain your nuts and place in your blender/ food processor. Blend them for a minute of so, scraping down the sides of the blender a few times. Add the drained apricots and continue to blend until a chunky paste is formed. You can keep the apricot soaking water, its lovely and sweet. The mix should be sticky, you will be able to form small balls with it between our fingers. Stir in the tahini and sweetener (if using).
Pour the sesame seeds onto a plate and spread out. With damp hands (stops the balls sticking to your fingers) take a roughly squash ball sized amount of mix (3-4 tbsp) and roll in your palms into a ball. Pop it onto the plate and roll in the sesame seeds. Apply a little pressure when doing this to make them stick. Place the finished ball onto a serving plate. Repeat until all the mix is used up.
These energy balls will firm up in the fridge and keep well in a plastic container out of the fridge. Of course, they will not be lasting that long…..!
Serve
These type of energy balls are designed to be portable and travel perfectly. They are especially good sustenance when exercising, down the gym or hiking. They are a boost anytime and sometimes I like to nibble one before a busy day in the kitchen. Intensely nutritious and easy to roll.
Chocolate and Coconut Energy Balls – a simple variation with walnuts, sunflower seeds, cacao, coconut and vanilla extract
Foodie Fact
Tahini is a great friend of the BHK. Very high in many vitamin B’s and vitamin E. It also contains lot of minerals like iron and potassium and contains chemicals that help our liver detox. Tahini is alkaline which makes it easy to digest and helps with weight loss. As mentioned above it is very high in protein and even higher in calcium. Try a scoop of tahini in the morning instead of dairy products and you are covering yourself for calcium and a healthy raft of other things.
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Have you met Cosmos yet? He’s our new garden cat. You may remember our dear Buster who has moved on…….where to we are not sure> Cosmos is a character and it’s good to have him hanging out, lying down and occasionally purring. Cats are great teachers in so many ways.
Charred Cauliflower Steaks with Coconut and Kale Puree
This really is vegan food for everyone! Charred cauliflower is something that appeals to all and not something you’d expect from the humble cauli. It’s actually a superstar veg and has been hopelessly cooked over the years, giving it a bad rep. Don’t boil it to death, breath life into it by bringing out its intense flavours and creaminess. Of course, this being the BHK, we have to talk a little about its shining health properties. Its REALLY good for you (see ‘Foodie Fact’ below).
Here’s a dish that looks great, tastes mighty fine and takes very little preparation. This is the easy kind of recipe that anyone can whip up at home and make it look like a restaurant style dish. I love it when that happens! This is also a very BBQ friendly way of cooking cauliflower. These steaks will grace any BBQ and make a tasty burger filling (or two). Charring the cauliflower ‘steaks’ (what else could we call them?!) and poaching the rest of the cauli in coconut milk highlights two of the amazing flavours hidden in a humble cauliflower. In this dish, you get the best of both worlds. Great texture and superbly creamy when poached and blended (something to do with the natural pectins).
Vegans can easily cook this for self-confessed carnivores (aka people who cannot live without meat….until they try these!!!) and want to make their way into the world of plant-based food. There is a huge shift towards plant-based foods happening and there are an infinite number of ways of making plants incredible; vegans are now making meringues and macaroons out of chickpea/ bean juice, the other night I made something like a parmesan cheese out of gram flour (its a long story……more to come in that department). Endless is the plant kingdoms culinary surprises and I feel we are only beginning to harness the tastiness of plants. Watch this space. Vegans are pulling out all the creative stops!
BLEEDING BURGERS!?
Somebody has recently made a vegan burger than bleeds. I have very contrasting feelings about that. One, a little unsettled. Two, amazing for our health, animals and the planet. Looking at it like that, the little weirdness is something I can get over. The more plants we pack into our diets, the better for all!
Its a stormy day up here on the hill, but we’ve had a few nice days of sunshine which always makes me very happy for our little veg patches. I also get to dig my shorts out. Our cauliflowers are nothing to write home about this year, slugs seem to find them irresistible and our slug issues are many and overwhelming sometimes. You know we’ve only watered the garden once this year. Once! This is surely some kind of record. Wales will not be running low on water anytime soon. Its a blessing (in a way). But maybe it could bless us more in autumn, than in the heart of summer. We’ve been harvesting blackberries (strangely early), raspberries, rocket and kale. We’ve also got a good looking crop of potatoes, beetroots, parsnips and we may even get a few peas if the wind stays down.
BEACH LOVIN’
When the sun comes out, we’re on the beach. Our local beach Dinas Dinlle (where a lot of the pictures in Peace & Parsnips were taken) is one of my all-time favourites. Backed by the Snowdonia hills and mountain rangers, it stretches for many miles, all the way from Caernarfon down to Trefor near the Llyn Peninsula. There is a large Bronze age fort halfway along the beach and at one end you have a bird anctuary and the other, a dramatic mountain range, the Rivals. I run along the beach quite often and when the tide is out, feel like the only person alive. No footprints to be seen, just me and the smooth sand stretching off into the distance, the sea birds, the occasional wave. Even though the weather is….changeable, the sea is still warm and the water seriously rejuvenating. A swim in the Irish Sea is not easily forgotten! There is something very special about our local beach, overlooking Lovers Peninsula on Anglesey and the Menai Straits. (Maybe I should start working for the Welsh Tourist Board?) Anyway…..back to the kitchen….
No complaints here – North Wales is beautiful! Dinas Dinlle Beach
The Bits – For 2
1 large cauliflower (750g)
1 white onion (finely diced)
3 teas ground cumin
2 teas turmeric
2 pinches chilli flakes
3 large stems kale (roughly 80g leaves only)
3 tbs light olive/ coconut oil
500ml coconut milk
Black pepper and sea salt
Do It
Trim your kale leaves off the woody stems. Finely slice. Cut cauliflower (as below) down the centre into two cross sections/ steaks, roughly 1 1/2 inches think. Nice and chunky. Trim the end of the stems off. Roughly chop the rest of the cauliflower. Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper.
Cut your ‘steaks’ from the centre of the cauliflower. Nice, neat, cross sections if poss. (they cook nicer that way)
Preheat oven to 180oC.
For the puree – In a large saucepan, add 1 tbs oil and warm on a medium heat, saute your onions for 2 minutes, until softened. Now add the cauliflower and 2 teas turmeric and 2 teas cumin. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk, bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Pop a lid on and leave to cook for 15 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
For the steaks – While the puree is simmering. Grab a large, heavy frying pan. On a high heat, warm 1 tbs oil. When hot, place your cauliflower steak (one at a time), face down, into the pan. There should be a good sizzle now. Press down with a spatula to get it nicely charred. Check after 1-2 minutes of frying. Once you get a nice char, flip over and do the same on the other side. You may need a drizzle more oil here. don’t be shy with it, this dish needs a bit of oil to get that nice colour.
Straight out of the pan, sprinkled with spices, ready for the oven
Now place the cauliflower steak onto a baking tray, lightly sprinkle with ground cumin, chilli flakes and a few more twists of fresh black pepper. Repeat the process with the other piece of cauliflower. Once both are cooked, place the tray in the oven and finish off cooking the cauliflower for 15-20 minutes. Check that the base of the stem is softened. You can do this by trimming off a slice of the stem and trying it.
Finish the puree, by adding the finely sliced kale leaves and stirring them in. Pop a lid back on and simmer for a few minutes. Then blend the puree well with a stick blender or add to a food processor and blitz, thin with a little water if needed. Check seasoning and keep warming.
Charred Caulifower Steak – Ready for your resident/ local carnivores approval!
Serve
On a warm plate, ladle out some sauce into the centre, spread out evenly in a circular motion with the base of the spatula and gently place a cauliflower steak in the middle.
Foodie Fact
Cauliflowers are actually really high in Vitamin C, in fact, this dish will easily supply your daily RDA for Vitamin C in one tasty plate. Cauli also contain a good amount of protein and high levels of fibre. It also offers a load of the vitamin B’s and a healthy helping of omega 3 fats. So if you’d like to keep a healthy heart, brain, give yourself a bit of a detox, cauliflower is perfect.
Catching a few precious sun rays in the herb garden aka the sun trap
A nice slice of proper, old fashioned cake here. I love baking these traditional style cakes, you can’t go wrong with them. Its so quick and easy to get together and it is also very cheap. I doubt you’ll be able to cobble a cake together for much less. This recipe is a request from one of our lovely guests at Trigonos, Debbie. It is a Trigonos classic and a variation on Ed’s (long serving chef and all around superhero) recipe that has been served to many thousands of artists, meditators, yoga students etc over the years. One of the best things about it, is its ease in preparation. Never a bad thing when working in a busy kitchen!
I was going to make Jack Monroe’s awesome looking Extra-Wholesome Banana Loaf and will be soon as I am always open to adding coconut oil to cakes. I think its the closest we vegans can get to butter in baking and certainly adds richness and a fuller texture to your favourite slab of sweet happiness. The extra-wholesome element in this cake is the buckwheat. Adding great nutrition and a depth to the flavour of the cake.
PLEASE EAT MORE CAKE:)
Afternoon tea at Trigonos is always a highlight for most of our guests. It seems that this tradition is fast disappearing, maybe Great British Bake Off is reversing the trend a little, but a nice sit down with a cup of tea is a British institution that is dwindling due to our now fast paced lifestyles. I think eating cake is essential to a balance, healthy, blissed out existence. A little sweetness brings a smile. Even if its a piece of fruit or one of the vast array of healthy cakes out there now; no sugar, gluten free etc. We’re making one today actually, something revolving around polenta, garden blackberries and gram flour. Watch this space (idea pinched from the brilliant Laura at Whole Ingredient blog!)
THE LUCKIEST CHEF ALIVE!
Trigonos is rocking at the minute with local produce. I’m the luckiest chef living to be able to cook everyday with glorious organic produce. Its all thanks to Judy and Owain who work their socks off year round to make the conditions right for these summer gluts. The team have just podded over 200lb of peas alone, the sun has been out a little recently meaning the tomatoes are finally going red and we’ve a whole poly tunnel of them to munch, roast and/ or jar up.
Lovely to see the Ruby Chard back on the Trigonos Menu
As a cook, its a busy time of year, but a wonderfully satisfying one. Our freezers are beginning to burst at the seams with blanched and fresh veggies, prepared for the more leaner months. Our guests at the retreat centre really appreciate the fact that a lot of the food they eat was grown on the land, it certainly adds to the dining experience. You can’t beat the flavour and vibrancy!
The courgettes are just taking off and that’s always interesting, overnight they can turn into something resembling a canoe crossed with a marrow. They just blow up! Sometimes these are great stuffed, as a real centre piece. Basil has also ran wild this year, meaning many pesto/ pistou’s. An abundance of basil is always a rare gift. I’ve been loving Toasted Cashew and Sun Dried Tomato Pesto, hopefully I’ll get the recipe on the BHK soon. Jane and I are also doing a few house renovations and working on plenty of Beach House/ Peace & Parsnips based projects. More news of those to follow soon.
Overall, I’m consistently amazed at how the Trigo guys eek out such abundant harvests from what is quite a damp and overcast part of the world with fairly dodgy volcanic soil. Its taken 17 years to get it to this stage. I think that is the main lesson with organic farming/ veg growing. Patience.
Gorgeous summer peas – post pod
This recipe makes roughly 24 slices. It comes directly from my Trigonos recipe book (a cluster of precious, undecipherable scrap paper) where recipes are normally fit to serve 20-30. Please feel free to scale it down a little. I’ve also made this with added tahini and sesame seeds (no walnuts) and it becomes even richer with a nice chewy texture. You may also like to add seasonal berries to the cake. Raspberries and blackberries, for example, work beautifully. As ever, use this recipe as a base and go wild! Feel ever free to experiment………… Use any oil you like, of course unrefined is much better, preferably with a neutral flavour. If you don’t have buckwheat flour, you can use all wholemeal.
IDEAS FOR REPLACING EGGS
The bananas here act as a egg replacer. Other vegan options for helping to bind things together when baking are apple sauce (cooked apples), silken tofu, mashed sweet potato/ squash, ground flax seeds……there are loads of healthy and effective plant based options.
This one’s for you Debbie!!!!!!!x
Trigonos farm – looking a bit misty yesterday. We’re having a pretty good year with produce, but much less sunshine than last year.
The Bits – 24 Slices
Do It
11 oz (310g) self raising wholemeal flour
5 oz (140g) buckwheat flour
10 oz (285g) unrefined brown sugar
1/2 pint (285ml) sunflower oil
1/2 pint (285ml) soya/ rice milk
4 ripe bananas
3 oz (85g) crushed walnuts
Do It
Oil and line a 10 inch x 14 inch (roughly) pan with baking parchment. Preheat an oven to 375oF (190oC).
Sieve the flour and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Mash your bananas in a seperate bowl with a fork, until smooth. Make a well in the flour and sugar, gradually pour in your oil and milk followed by your bananas. Stir until all is nicely combined (not too much).
Pour into the baking pan and pop in the oven for 40-45 mins. Until your trusty skewer comes out clean when pressed into the centre of the cake.
Turn out onto a wire rack (removing the baking parchment) and leave to cool for 20 minutes. Devour at will.
Serve
Big cups of tea with your neighbour or granny. Cats are also nice to have around when eating good cake.
Foodie Fact
Buckwheat is a great alternative when used as a flour or grain. Buckwheat is classed as a whole grain but is actually a fruit and is related to sorrel and rhubarb. Buckwheat is a good source of magnesium and has other properties that promote good cardiovascular health. Fibre is so important in a well balanced diet and buckwheat, being a whole wholegrain, is full of it.
I use buckwheat, both flour and grain, loads in Peace & Parsnips, things like Buckwheat Pancakes, Toasted Almond Buckwheat Crumble, Kasha with Rosemary, Apricots and Walnuts……. It’s such a nutritious and tasty thang.
Roasted Med Veg Pizza with Toasted Peanut Pesto and White Bean Puree
A super easy way to make pizza or flatbread dough and the best thing is that it sits happily in your fridge for days, waiting patiently to be used. No knead, a few stirs with a trusty wooden spoon and the flour’s gluten develops in the fridge and leaving it this way makes for a full flavoured dough.
Making pizza is always a load of fun, especially when kids are thrown into the mix. Jane’s niece and nephew were visiting this week so we had to get some pizzas in the oven! Jane and I don’t eat much white flour at all, but pizza night is our one exception. I like a whole wheat base, or other flour, but a white flour base just seems like a treat and traditional. After visiting the south of Italy last year, I don’t think Jane and I’s approach to pizza and pasta will ever be the same. We now have very regular Italian feasts and making your own pizza bases is superbly simple. We have used plain, all purpose flour here, but finer ground flours like strong/ bread flour or even ’00’ flour would be interesting. ’00’ especially makes for a pizza base with more texture, a bit more chewy.
I love the way that flavour develops in dough when left for a time, of course sourdough bread is amazing and its that patient build up to a fantastic bread that really makes it a special food, a cooking process that is riddle with magic and mystery. Yeast is just a very interesting thing! Given the right care and attention, it works wonders on our humble ground grains.
Vegan toppings are super healthy and we always try to get as many veggies on our pizza as possible. The pizza we made last night has toasted peanut pesto (very similar to the recipe in Peace & Parsnips) and white bean puree on for added richness. It also has a layer of reduced tomato passata, roasted Mediterranean vegetables and red onion. Overall, a highly OTT and delicious affair that left all around the table (vegans and non vegans) commenting how tasty pizza can be when cheese-less. I ate Marinara (just tomato sauce and the occasional, single basil leaf) in Italy for over two weeks and never got sick of it. I think I’ve always appreciated the base as much as the toppings!? We are not huge fans of vegan cheeses, other than the homemade variety. We are ever open minded however. We’d love to think that one day, some clever sort will invent a cheese that melts like a dream and is also full of healthy plant power. Otherwise, we’ll stick happily to nut and bean based cheese-like happiness.
Have you ever tried a pizza with a cauliflower base? Its not exactly traditional, but a delicious alternative to flour if you are gluten free or looking for something that radiates good health. We may get a recipe together soon and pop it on the BHK. In fact, we’re turning into a right pair of dough balls this week. We’re going baking mad. With loaves and cakes all over the place. I have just made a chocolate and coconut loaf that I’d love to share here soon. Chocolate toast! We’ve been lathering it with our neighbours home grown raspberry jam. We only managed a handful of raspberries this year from our juvenile bush. What a difference the length of a garden makes, Dawn’s razzers are rampant!
comment Pizza dough ready for action and a random niece (lovely Martha)
The Bits – 4 medium pizza bases
325ml water (lukewarm)
1 1/2 teas yeast
2 teas salt
1/2 tablespoon brown rice syrup (or sugar)
85ml olive oil
475g unbleached all-purpose flour
Extra flour and oil (for finishing the bases)
The dough proves and matures nicely in the fridge adding good flavour and texture
Do It
Sprinkle the yeast into the warm water, stir and set aside for a few minutes.
Add all dry ingredients to a container, mix with a wooden spoon/ spatula. Gradually pour in the water, mixing all the time. Then pour in the olive oil, mixing as you go. The dough with now be taking shape, give it a few more good stirs. Cover loosely with oiled cling film and leave to prove in a warm place for 2 hours. Then cover again with cling film, loosely, and pop the dough into the fridge. Use the next day. This dough keeps nicely for 10-12 days in a fridge, you can use it little by little. We have made double the quantity, meaning you’re sorted for pizza or flatbreads for over a week. Very convenient.
Best to bring the dough out of the fridge an hour before you need it, let it get back to room temperature. You can scoop some out with a spoon if you’re not using the full amount. Maybe you’re just looking for a couple of quick flatbreads?
On a cool, well floured surface, knock the dough back by kneading it a few times. You will need to sprinkle extra flour over here. Sticky is good and will make a pizza base with great texture. Once the dough is knocked back, cut into pieces. One decent pizza base is about the size of a apple. Wipe your surface down and lightly oil a piece of baking parchment (makes things a lot easier). Rub some oil into your hands and begin to form the dough into your desired pizza shape. Do this by stretching the dough with your finger tips and the heel of your hand. I like my pizza thin crust, meaning roughly 1/2-1cm depth. Use more oil on your hands if its sticking.
Gently lift the parchment onto a baking tray and set aside for 15 minutes before adding your toppings. You may need to stretch out the dough again at this stage, it might shrink a little. Bake in a very hot over (220oC+ fan) for roughly 8-10 minutes. You may like to swap it around 2/3 of the way through cooking depending on your oven (one side can cook quicker than the other). You know your oven! The all have their own little characteristics.
Vegan Pizza!!!!!!
Serve
This dough is highly versatile and can be rolled out into thin or thick flatbreads, depending on what you’re eating. Just remember to leave it for 10-15 minutes before putting it into the oven for the yeast to wake up and do its thing.
Foodie Fact
There is really very little good to say nutritionally about white flour in general, other than stock up on nice healthy toppings (go vegan!) and then enjoy the deliciousness. Maybe pencil in a few extra push ups or lengths of the pool (see below)….
Italian Style Cannellini Beans with Pickled Chillies and Basil Oil
Jane and I have been down at Whitstable at my sisters wedding bash. Laura and Paul were married on a beautiful beach in Cornwall, but this one was for all the family and other rabble! It was a wonderful time, a marquee in the back garden, bright sunshine all day and Jane and I cooked up a Italian feast; plenty of antipasti to start with salads, tarts, stews etc later on. We had a local band play a few tunes and then an impromptu talent contest from the semi-sozzled/ fully-sozzled revellers. Stand up comics, musicians and spoken word enthusiasts. It was a proper giggle.
A quick and easy breakfast/ brunch was in order the morning after. Something with a bit of substance. This is a nice change from your normal beans on toast! I love my beans and like to play with flavours in the morning, of course, sometimes a classic beans on toast is in order (you know the brand!) But homemade beans are so much tastier and better for us. They also only take a few minutes longer to prepare and combined with the herb oil and chillies, tickles the tastebuds nicely.
The pickled chillies are essential here, you can easily make your own or buy them in, you’ll find them easily in your local shops. I love the way Italians add cheeky chilli to things, just a tickle to get you interested. I am more of a unabashed chilli muncher and therefore eat a few whole with my brekkie. Probably not for everyone, but I learnt this trick in Mexico and it certainly cuts through the morning head mist.
After all the extravagance of wedding food, this was one of my favourite things to eat all weekend! So simple and tasty, I had to share it with you. Here we serve it with some smoked aubergine puree, which is not your normal breakfast fare, but as with all party menu’s, there were some brilliant leftovers to hoover up.
With the antipasti table
Use any greens here, spinach, kale etc…… They make all the difference for so many reasons.
I like to soak and cook dried beans. More flavour and better texture. But you can use two tins of beans if you like.
You will have a little basil oil left over, it seems wise to make a little more than needed. Cover it with cling film and it will keep well for a couple of days. The basil may discolour a little. You may like to blanch it for 30 seconds in boiling water to help to prevent this. But that seems like a lot of hassle in the morning (especially after a wedding party!)
BIG CONGRATS TO LAURA AND PAUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Laura cutting Mums massive Cloud Forest Chocolate Cake
The Bits – For 2 Healthy Appetites
480g cooked cannellini beans (2 tins or 250g dried beans – soaked overnight in plenty of cold water)
4 big handfuls of spinach/ kale leaves
2 teas dried oregano
2 teas paprika
3 tbs tomato puree
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
Sea salt and black pepper (to taste)
1-2 tbs fruity olive oil
1 handful sun dried tomatoes (roughly chopped) – Optional deliciousness
Basil Oil
1 large handful basil leaves (very finely chopped)
1 large handful parsley (very finely chopped)
2 tbs lemon juice
1 large clove garlic (crushed)
75 ml olive oil
Large pinch sea salt
Sourdough Bread (for toast)
2 ripe tomatoes (chopped)
Pickled red chillies (as you like)
Do It
For the basil oil, stir all the ingredients together. You can also pop it all into a good blender if you don’t fancy all the fine chopping. Blitz until the herbs are broken down.
In a medium saucepan, on medium low heat, warm the beans, adding all the ingredients except the spinach leaves and olive oil. Stir regularly on a low simmer for about 7 minutes, take off the heat and stir in the spinach leaves and olive oil (for optional richness). Check the seasoning and then pop a lid on and get your toast and tomatoes ready.
Italian Brunch Beans
Serve
Spoon the beans onto a plate with the toast, chillies and tomatoes. Drizzle liberally with your herb oil. Sit in the sun and dream of the Italian coastline and the aquamarine Med. If its a brunch time, a chilled glass of Prosecco is perfectly acceptable.
Foodie Fact
It has been shown that around the world, cultures who eat a good amount of beans live longer. There are of course other factors, but beans are just incredible for many reasons. Beans are very low GI, making them a brilliant way to fuel up for a day, slowly releasing energy throughout the day. Beans are of course full of fibre and certain chemicals which have a strong detoxifying effect on the body. Plus, they are absolutely packed with pure plant protein with non of the nasty additions you get with animal proteins. Beans may seems a little uninteresting to some, but they are really a magical wonder food!
Jane at sunset near The Old Neptune Pub, Whistable
Aviyal – Keralan Coconut and Vegetable Curry with Pineapple and Watermelon Salad
A simple, light summer curry with all the joys and sparkling nutrition of coconut and seasonal vegetables. This is a recipe straight outta Peace & Parsnips and was recently featured online here in Reveal Magazine. Recipes like this are a wonderful reminder for me of special times spent travelling and cooking in India. Kerala is surely one of the most beautiful corners of the planet and its food is surprisingly vegan friendly, diverse and really healthy.
This is a recipe I learnt from my friend Narendra on the patio of a wooden hut in a yoga retreat, rural Tamil Nadu. Although this is (probably) a traditional Keralan style curry, they love it in neighbouring Tamil Nadu also. I had been eating it regularly in India and was so pleased when Narendra took the time to sit down with me and finally get a recipe on paper. He taught me his families traditional recipe, from the ancient temple town of Madurai, and it was pleasing simple. Like many Indian family staples, the difference is in the freshness of the ingredients; the vegetables and the spices. Most Indian households will have what I call a ‘Sabji’ (Vegetable) man. Just like a milk man in the UK, he wanders the streets in the mornings selling his wares from a cart, shouting up to the windows of house wives what’s good , freshest and of course, on special offer! Fresh vegetables are everywhere in India and veg markets are frequent and always interesting to wander around and pick up some funky looking spice or odd looking root (maybe a mooli or two?).
The beaches of North Kerala are stunning! Kannur
Although this is a simple recipe, cooked most days in Keralan homes, it adapts well to the changing seasons in most countries. Any variety of vegetables can be used in its preparation and Aviyal lends itself perfectly to British/ European veg. In fact, Narendra’s grandmother used to call things like carrots ‘British veg’ as they we only grown and popularised in the time of the Raj, when much of Indian cooking as we know it was altered and influenced by British tastes.
The women Varnam Homestay, Wayanand, Kerala – Lunch prep in full swing
I was lucky to cook in a beautiful kitchen near Wayanad National Park, Northern Kerala with some amazing ladies. Here I learnt some proper Keralan classics and top tips that you can only learn by actually getting your hands on the pots and pans. I loved the way that they used very roasted coconut to add depth and flavour to sauces, especially when used with piles of freshly grated ginger. I also loved cooking with a wide range of local produce, all of their dishes contained only ingredients from their own land. Spices and all! They even grew their own coffee and we were inundated each day with fresh exotic fruits, many of which I’d never seen before. Mangoes grew above the hammocks in the garden, guavas, green figs, coconuts, plantains……you can imagine, it was a bit like eden/ nirvana!
Cooking at Varnam Homestay, Kerala
Aviyal is such a healthy, light dish, nothing like the rich and fiery curries of the much of North India. Coconut is king in the south, making travelling around South India a foodie paradise for vegans. Its up there with places like Thailand or parts of the Med for traditional vegan dishes. Anywhere that the vegetable or coconut thrives, you find brilliant vegan dishes. Vegan food is so creative and evolving all the time, but it is nice to find dishes on my travels that reflect a cultures heritage and history. We’ve always eaten and enjoyed vegan dishes, we just don’t necessarily give them that name (which, for whatever reason, can put some people off).
Indian spices, down at the market
The Bits – For 4 For the curry
•2-3 fresh green chillies
•2 big handfuls of freshly grated or desiccated coconut
•2tsp cumin seeds
•220ml coconut milk or unsweetened soya yogurt
•2 large carrots, scrubbed
•2 large potatoes, scrubbed
•1 large courgette
•6 fat asparagus spears
•2 green plantains, peeled
•200ml water
•1tsp ground turmeric
•1tsp of sea salt
•1 big handful of mangetout or green beans
•2tbsp coconut oil
•2tsp mustard seeds
•3tbsp curry leaves For the pineapple & watermelon salad
•A small pineapple
•One third of a small watermelon (don’t bother deseeding)
•1 large cucumber
•1 small handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
•A pinch of sea salt
•A large pinch of chaat masala mix or black salt (optional)
Do It
In a pestle and mortar or a food processor, blend together the chillies, coconut and cumin seeds (if you’re using desiccated coconut, add 2tbsp of the coconut milk to make a thick paste). This is best done in advance and can be left overnight in the fridge to develop zing.
Cut the carrots, potatoes, courgette, asparagus and plantains into 2.5cm pieces. Heat the water in a large pan and add the turmeric, salt, carrots and potatoes. Bring to a steady boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and pop a lid on the pan. Cook for 10 minutes, then add the courgettes and plantains and cook for 10 minutes more, keeping the lid on.
Add the coconut paste to the curry with the coconut milk or yogurt and stir carefully to combine. Cook uncovered for 8-10 mins on a gentle simmer. Check that the carrots and potatoes are tender, then add the asparagus and mangetout and remove the pan from the heat. Cover, set aside for a few minutes.
Jane and I in the Yoga Retreat, Tamil Nadu
Serve
Really simply, with steamed rice. Keralans love their rice! A crunchy salad is great as a side, exotic fruits work well here with Aviyal. This is how they served it in the Yoga Ashram (where the food was excellent).
Foodie Fact
Coconuts are wonderfully healthy, containing high levels of Lauric Acid which is anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacteria. They also have the highest level of electrolytes known to man, making them perfect when exercising or when dehydrated. In some parts of the world it is even used intravenously for the purpose of re-hydration. Coconut can boost our metabolism and make our skin shine.
beach house kitchen 