Posts Tagged With: food

Chilli & Onion Marmalade (Beach House Basics)

Posted on May 17, 2012 by leroy watson

Buster smells cooking

I have always loved this gooey, sweet stuff. I remember years ago, I made my first batch and was pleasantly surprised at how quick and easy it was. This is the case with so many recipes, you just need to give them a go. For this reason, we have created the Beach House Basics page (see at the top of the page).

The Beach House Basics will be a page dedicated to simple, cheap and normally quick recipes that we cook regularly. With just a little time and effort, we can make so many more homemade goodies, to our own taste and not rely on mass produced, factory made fare.

The Beach House Basics page will not include the ‘Foodies Fact’ and ‘Boozie Bit’ section. It will be straight to the point, that is, great recipes.

We would love you to get involved with the Beach House Kitchen, letting us know your favourite, most simple and rewarding recipes. We’ll pop them on the ‘Basics’ page with a nice link you.

This recipe reflects my taste, hence a little chill and coriander. The basic recipe, without spices, is great on its own and I normally omit the sugar, the onions being sweet enough. Onion Marmalade is a great staple relish to have hanging around, always there to add a delicious tangy sweetness to your plate.

Sweaty Onions

The Bits

6 white onions, glug of olive oil, 1 teas chilli flakes, 1 teas coriander seeds, 1 teas black mustard seeds, 1 bay leaf, 2 tbs balsamic vinegar, 1 tbs brown sugar (depending on your sweet tooth), s + p to taste.

Do It

Slice onions finely, heat a large heavy bottomed saucepan on medium heat, add olive oil, add onions, and all other ingredients (except the vinegar), gently cook (don’t brown) stirring regularly for roughly 45 minutes. The onions will gradually brown and go sticky. Add the vinegar halfway through cooking, taste to check for balance of sweetness with sharpness. Add more balsamic or sugar if you like. The flavours will mellow when cooled. At end, take out bay leaf.

When cooled, put in a nice jam jar or tupperware, ready to be lathered on biscuits or crackers, preferably with a nice lump of potent cheddar.

If you are not planning on using the onion marmalade immediately, wash a Kilner jar or a couple of jam jars, rinse thoroughly, then dry in a warm oven. Stand them upside down on a clean tea towel.

For jam jars, fill them, then cover the marmalade with a disc of waxed paper while still hot, then seal with a dampened disc of clear plastic, secure with an elastic band and screw back on the top. Label and store in a cool, dark place for up to 2 months, then use as required.

Categories: Budget, Recipes | Tags: balsamic, basics, beach house basics, cats, chilli, cooking, food, onion marmalade, quick, recipes, relish, simple, stilton, sweet | 8 Comments

Carrot, Orange and Ginger Juice

Posted on May 16, 2012 by leroy watson

Carrot, Orange and Ginger Juice

Playing with the Magimix is becoming a great pastime. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of it. All those combos of veg and fruit, it really inspires you to get juicing.

I have been feeling great the last couple of days and I’m putting it down to our new morning juice routine. As they say, “an apple a day keeps the doctors away”. Well I could probably fit seven apples into one glass of juice. That’s putting yourself at some serious distance from that doctor!

Here was todays wonder juice. Granted not the most amazingly original, but a classic combo.

The Bits

4 carrots, 6 oranges, one cube of fresh ginger.

Do It

Juice your oranges first (using your juicer if you have the right fitting, saves plenty of time), then put your ginger in the juicer first, followed by the carrots.

Foodie Fact

This one is jam packed with Vitamin C and A.

Toast the morning, smile and drink…..

Categories: Healthy Living, Juices, Raw Food, Recipes | Tags: apple a day, breakfast, food, ginger juice, happiness, health, healthy living, healthy-living, juice, juicing, morning buzz, nutrition, raw, raw food, recipes, seven apples, vegetarian, Vitamin C | Leave a comment

May’s Coffee Challenge – Carvetii Coffee

Posted on May 16, 2012 by leroy watson

El Tablon – Carvetti Coffee

The month of May rolls on, punctuated by some very fine coffees. No more coffee for me in June, we are going totally raw (that means eating food that is not cooked above 40 odd degrees, maintaining nutrients, enzymes etc). I decided to go out with a bang and fit as much brilliant coffee into May as was feasible to body and mind, gradually reducing my sipping towards the end of the month. So this is it, the last bag of the month and I couldn’t have wished for a better example of why I love coffee. It’s a Carvetii Coffee.

Today is a radiant day up here in North Wales, the garden is getting a good dose of sun and we fancied trying a coffee packed full of sunshine. Any excuse for great coffee!

Carvetii Coffee certainly fits this bill. They are Gareth and Angharad who run a small coffee roasting company located in the beautiful Lake District, Northern England. They started off in 2006 with a small cafe in North Wales, then gradually progressed to roasting their own beans, initially on a frying pan in their kitchen! They only roast in small batches and I love the way that they post the next roast date on their website, meaning you can order super freshly roasted coffee. They are mad about coffee (in a very good way!).

Carvetii Coffee

The ‘El Tablon‘ coffee has a wonderful aroma, you can smell the honeyed sweetness of the bean when it is being ground. It is a single origin, ‘micro-lot’ coffee from El Salvador. ‘Micro-lot’ meaning very small, high quality growing. The bean used is called the pacamara. It is honey-processed, resulting in that wonderful sweetness and it is certainly very fruity. The name of this processing comes from the Spanish word for the flesh of this large variety of coffee bean, ‘miel’ (which interestingly is similar in the Welsh language, ‘mel’).

This is a very high quality cup of coffee, with a very smooth, stylish flavour. I have never tried a honey-processed coffee and I am impressed by the unique flavour produced by this technique.

I’m looking forward to more of this wonderful stuff. It is my birthday on Sunday and I can’t think of a better brew to toast my 34th year.

If you are interested in what the good folk of Carvetii Coffee are up to, have a look at there blog.

Thank you to Gareth and Angharad for your passion and excellence in all things coffee.

Categories: B.H.K Reviews | Tags: blogs, brew, cafe, carvetii, coffee, coffee roast, coffee roasting company, el salvador, food, food blogs, honey, honey-processing, keswick, lake district, north wales area, roastery, stylish, variety of coffee | 2 Comments

Why cats cannot be vegetarian?

Posted on May 16, 2012 by leroy watson

We have a very cool cat who visits us every day, his name is Buster.

Buster

He is a real character, very friendly and always making us laugh with his nutty antics. We think he is semi-wild, he hangs around our garden and occasionally brings us bits of rabbits as a gift.

We have been giving him the odd bowl of milk, maybe a half tin of tuna if he is lucky. I recently bought some cat biscuit things, but having read some info on the internet, I have come to realise that most animal food is full of some really foul ingredients. The ingredients of most pet food is doing our pets no good.

Buster is not really our pet, more a regular visitor. But I can see the dilemma many pet owners must have. What should we feed our pets?

We thought that maybe Buster could eat a vegetarian diet. After all, the oldest dog in the world was 27 years old and a vegan! Being a mini tiger, we figured it would be wise to research this (cats are very different from dogs after all), we found that it was not a good choice nutritionally for a cat.

This article explains why, taken from the ‘Essential Vegetarian‘ website:

7 reasons why your cat cannot be vegetarian?

Any vegetarian or vegan who has a cat, at some stage thought about feeding it vegetarian diet. Out of all the domestic animals cats are unique. A study by the National Cancer Institute suggests that all current domestic cats in the world are descendants from a group of self-domesticated wildcats 10,000 years ago. In fact there’s still no conclusive evidence that domestic cats should be classified as a separate species.

Being a true carnivore a cat (domestic or wild) subsists on a diet consisting primarily of meat. In its natural state the cat will hunt and provide for itself at every opportunity. A wild cat eats all of its prey including hair, skin, flesh, bones and internal organs. Cats are very unlikely to give up meat voluntarily. If you intentionally feed cat vegetarian diet, it will look for meat somewhere else. Many cats will hunt and kill mice, rabbits and birds. Certainly they will consume other foods as well, especially of animal origin. However as these are not important in their diet, cats will eat them only in small quantities and not on a regular basis.

Cats lack the physiology to properly digest vegetation. It’s no coincidence that a cat eats grass to induce vomiting to get rid of the hair collected in its stomach. The cat’s digestive system cannot convert plant based nutrients in to the form that its body can utilize. That’s why cat are are called strict carnivores, as they need to take the active form of the nutrients from other animals, who do the conversion beforehand.

Here’s 7 most important nutrients that your cat is unable to get from a vegetarian diet:

Taurine is an amino acid essential for cats as unlike other mammals, cats cannot synthesize it. In the absence of taurine, a cat’s retina slowly degenerates and the cat suffers eye problems and can become irreversibly blind. This condition is called central retinal degeneration (CRD). Cow’s milk is a poor source of taurine and there is none in plant foods. The only rich source is meat.
Arachidonic acid is one of the essential fatty acids. Dogs and humans can convert linoleic acid found in vegetable fats into arachidonic acid. Cats are unable to do that, as their liver doesn’t contain delta-6-desaturase enzyme (no kidding!). Cats need arachidonic acid to be able to produce an inflammatory response so that the body can protect itself in case of disease. Arachidonic acid also helps control skin growth and is necessary for proper blood clotting, proper functioning of the reproductive and gastrointestinal systems. Animal fat is the only major source of arachidonic acid, very small amount can be found in eggs and milk. Arachidonic acid deficiency takes some time to develop but its effect on the cat is profound.
Vitamin A found in vegetables (carotenoid) cannot be converted by cats in to the active form of vitamin A (retinol). As cats do not have the necessary enzyme to do the conversion they have to hunt other animals that have done it for them (mice, rabbits). There are sufficient quantities of retinol in meat and very small amounts in eggs and milk. Liver is the richest source of preformed Vitamin A. Vitamin A deficiency in cats can cause night blindness, retarded growth, and poor-quality skin and fur.
Vitamin B12 is another vitamin that cannot be synthesized by cats. Vitamin B12 is present only in animal products.
Niacin can be synthesized from the amino acid tryptophan by many mammals but not cats. Meat is the best source of niacin. Insignificant amounts of niacin can be found in milk and eggs. Lack of niacin in cat’s diet can cause loss of appetite, loss of weight, inflamed gums, and hemorrhagic diarrhea.
Thiamin (vitamin B1) has an important role in carbohydrate metabolism. Cats are very susceptible to deficiency of this vitamin. Thiamin is rapidly destroyed by heat, that’s why only raw meat is the only good source of this nutrient. Very small amount can be obtained from eggs and dairy. Thiamin deficiency in cats can lead to anorexia, ataxia, paralysis and finally permanent brain damage.
Protein is required by cats in large amounts. Over 30% of a cat’s diet should consist of protein and this can be a problem on a vegetarian diet.

For all these reasons cats must not be fed vegetarian or vegan diet. Cats have very specific nutritional needs which you must meet if you want to keep them fit, healthy, and happy.

You might have to make some hard choices as this is a question of life and death for your cat. It might be impractical or impossible to let your cat hunt, but killing your cat by feeding it food they cannot digest is just another way to participate in animal cruelty that we’re trying to avoid in the first place.

Is your cat a vegetarian? We’d be interested to know how you go about it.

Categories: Friends of B.H.K, Nutrition, photography | Tags: animals, cat food, cats, food, health, healthy pet, healthy pet food, national cancer institute, nature, oldest dog, pet, pet food, true carnivore, vegetarian, vegetarian cat, wild cats | 3 Comments

Green Kiwi Juice

Posted on May 15, 2012 by leroy watson

The bits

Our first juice with the Magimix, quite a moment. I have never had a more pleasing kitchen gadget. The motor purs and hums, no clattering and pops like our old smoothie maker.

I looked at the fruit bowl and veg basket and decided it was a green morning. Kiwi would go very nicely with apple, the cucumber is always refreshing and the pear would add a nice sweetness.

We loaded it all into the extra big funnel and whizzed it up. The Magimix made quick work of it.

The juice was lovely, fresh and sweet, with a good kick of kiwi.

The Bits

2 apples, 1 pear, good chunk of cucumber, 2 kiwis.

Makes enough for two glasses.

Do It

Pop it all in a juicer.

Foodie Fact

Kiwis are sometimes called a Chinese Gooseberry as they are the national fruit of China. They contain more vitamin C than orange, it is also full of Vitamin K and is amazing for protecting our DNA (which is important!).

What a wonderful way to start a day. Let the juice experimenting begin!

Green Kiwi Juice

Categories: Healthy Eating, Healthy Living, Juices, Recipes | Tags: apple, breakfast, chinese gooseberry, DNA, food, health, healthy eating, healthy living, juice, juicer, juicing, kitchen gadget, kiwi, magimix, recipes, vitamin K, way to start a day | Leave a comment

The Magimix arrival

Posted on May 15, 2012 by leroy watson

Magimix Arrives

The Magimix juicer arrived yesterday. I was overcome with a ‘child at christmas’ feeling. It’s a heavy thing and as we all know, heavy means quality. A good sign.

The juicer is a ‘Le Duo XL’ and judging by the way it all slots together so well and the 12 year guarantee with the motor, it is a good piece of kit.

We had ordered it in red to go nicely with our utensils and teapot, it fits in perfectly, like its always been there. It boasts an extra large funnel, so whole pieces of fruit and veg can be juiced in one and a citrus press fitting, making OJ nice and easy.

We cannot wait to begin the juicing in the morning. The Magimix will be an essential part of our ‘Raw June‘ Challenge.

We’re getting juicy!

The Magimix Le Duo XL

Categories: Juices, Raw Food | Tags: food, health, juice, juicer, juicing, magimix, raw, raw food, raw juices | Leave a comment

The Beach House Kitchen nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award

Posted on May 14, 2012 by leroy watson

The nominations are coming in thick and fast this month! Hooray.

We are really happy to see people reading and enjoying the blog and to get a nomination for anything, makes it even more special.

Thanks to More Than Greens for the vote, it’s a relatively new blog, but already there are some very tasty recipes to be found and lovely pictures of all things vegetal. We love their moto:

There’s so much more to vegetarianism that rabbit food…

The Versatile Blogger Award is a great way of meeting other like-minded bloggers and getting folk to have a look at your pages (I believe it is known as ‘traffic’).

The rules for the Versatile Blogger are as follows:

If you are nominated, you’ve been awarded the Versatile Blogger award.

Thank the person who gave you this award
Include a link to their blog
Select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly
Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award
Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself

Fifteen blogs I’ve recently discovered:

I love all of these blogs, but unfortunately don’t have time today to write individually about each one. There is an incredible amount of talent and delicious looking food here. You’ll find these blogs nestled in our ‘links’ column on the right hand side of the screen.

I’ve chosen only food blogs and those that I hope have not been nominated before (in no particular order):

– Allotment 2 Kitchen

– Bananas and Beans

– Fig and Fork

– Fork and Beans

– Heathy Belly Ellie

– Mother Nature Loves You

– The Hearty Herbivore

– Vegetarian Ventures

– Emmy Cooks

– Kolpona Cuisine

– The Post Punk Kitchen

– The Lab Kitchen

– The Vogue Vegetarian

– Turning Veganese

– The Raw Warung

– Celery and Cupcakes

– The Farmers Market Foodie

Seven things (not all interesting) you may not know about me:

– I haven’t always had a beard

– I play the guitarlele with gusto

– I always prefer hazelnuts (or cashews)

– I’m eating only raw food this June

– I love all things bean and bean related

– I have just completed our veg patch (watch this space for blooming info)

– I one day dream of making my own wine (proper wine with grapes that is)

The Beach House Kitchen

Thanks again to More Than Greens for the kind nomination.

Happy blogging and munching,

Lee and JaneX

@ the B.H.K.

Categories: Awards/ Recognition, Blogs, Friends of B.H.K | Tags: awards, beans, blogger, blogs, cooking, food, guitarlele, healthy eating, nomination, rabbit food, raw, raw food, vegan, vegetarian, versatile blogger award, wine, wordpress | 8 Comments

Vegetarian Shepherds Pie

Posted on May 14, 2012 by leroy watson

Joyce and Keith and some dodgy looking waiter.

This was a staple in my family when I was a young ‘un, the mince and spud variety anyway. I was inspired by many a food blogger to have a play with this classic dish, I have forgotten where exactly, but I hope you know who you are!

I can eat alot of mash, it’s so more-ish, so I have included sweet potato to mix with the normal spuds. This makes for a slightly healthier mash and has vibrant colours with the rich, smooth texture of the sweet orange ones.

I’ve named this a shepherds pie, but it only resembles it in the technique of cooking. The colours and flavours are more vibrant in the veggie variety (I think!).

The occasion was a gardening visit by Jane’s Mum and Dad, Joyce and Keith. We had a full day of house sorting, managing to fix the fire and the strimmer and much more. We needed some rich and hearty grub and this hit the spot. I know that Jane’s Mum and Dad have slightly sweeter tooth, which meant the sweet pots and sweetcorn in this recipe were ideal. I would normally tone down the cheese, it is great without dairy, but I find a good lump of cheese sates those who normally have meat as a rule.

I would always used fresh tomatoes if available, but a good tin of organic toms will suit this dish fine. They are normally sweeter and give a nice red colour to the sauce. Just replace the toms here with one tin.

Most of these ingredients came from our local farm shop Hooton’s Homegrown. Until our garden starts producing some vegetables, we are lucky to have them so close. There carrots are amazing and really made this dish.

Save all stock here and cooking juice for soup making and the stew, you can mix them together to make a great base stock for later. Vegans, you know the drill, replace the butter and cheese with something like olive oil etc, maybe some tofu cream would be nice as a topping.

The Bits

2 sweet potatoes, 3 white potatoes (scrubbed and cut into chunks, gauge quantity of pots by the number of mouths to feed), 2 cups of dried butter beans, 3 cloves garlic (chopped), zest of 1 lemon (finely chopped), 1 teas paprika, 1 big onion (chopped), 4 fat carrots (scrubbed and roughly chopped), 150g (several large handfuls) spinach, 1 can sweetcorn (fresh if you can), several good knobs of butter, glug of cooking oil (you choose which), 3 handfuls of cherry tomatoes and 250g tomato passata (one good tin toms is acceptable), 4 teaspoons of fresh thyme (or dried mixed herb), 3 nice knobs of butter, 3 decent handfuls of mature cheddar cheese, 2 cups of good veg stock, 2 bay leaves.

The sauce in motion.

Do It

Soak butter beans overnight, covered with 1 inch of water. Bring to boil, skim of the white scum and simmer gently with lid on for 45 minutes, or until tender to the bite. Drain and set aside (keeping cooking water).

Get your chopped potatoes in a pan with some cold, slightly salted water and bring to the boil. Lower heat to a gentle boil and cook for 20 mins, or until tender. Drain (saving stock) and put back into warm pan, season and mix in a handful of the cheddar cheese and a knob of butter. Mash it up in the pan (saves on washing up) until creamy and smooth. Set aside.

Whilst all that is going on, you probably have time to start the stew base of the pie. Fry off the onions until soft on medium heat with a knob of butter and a glug of oil, then add the garlic and carrots, thyme/mixed herbs and bay leaves, stir well and cook for 5 minutes. Add paprika, lemon zest, corn and beans, stir in for a few minutes, then add the toms and passata, bring to the boil and add the stock. Stir in and leave on a steady simmer for 30 mins, until cooked down and approaching stickiness. I like to stir in a tablespoon of the mash to make the sauce nice and thick. Don’t overcook the carrots, remember they’ll be cooked further in the oven.

Pre-heat an oven to 200oC.

In a large baking dish, pour out your sauce into the base, sprinkle over a good thick covering of spinach leaves to form a thick layer (remember it’s a serious wilter) then scoop the mash into the centre and using a spatula or big spoon, gently smooth out to the corners, making sure that it meets all edges. Sprinkle on top as much cheddar as you deem necessary and a dusting of mixed herbs/ thyme.

Place on a tray and into the oven on a middle shelf. Cook until a gentle bubbling appears at the edges and cheese is golden brown, should take around 20-30 minutes.

Our Veggie Shepherd’s Pie (Fortunately, our cooking is better than our photography!)

Serve

Place in the middle of your table and spoon out carefully onto plates (unlike we did! See photo). Great served with a crunchy salad, we made a simple salad of sprouting mung beans (we just has a bumper crop, see more of our sprouting antics here) with a lemon vinegar dressing.

Our sprouts

We Love It!

This is a real cheesy filler. We love the contrast of vibrant colours, the layers of red sauce, green spinach and orange mash.

Foodie Fact

Sprouts are the freshest vegetable available, we eat them as they are sprouting! Find our more on this great healthy eating website.

Categories: Organic, Recipes, Welsh produce | Tags: bake, butter bean, cooking, food, health eating, recipes, shepherds pie, vegetarian, vibrant colours | 4 Comments

Wonder Pulp – Aloe Vera Juice

Posted on May 9, 2012 by leroy watson

I’ve heard loads of people talking about the benefits of Aloe Vera Juice, in fact, I nearly had a job selling the stuff! The only problem is that I knew very little about it. This was until we were given a bottle of the wonder pulp. It is made by Pukka; organic, ethically sourced, comes in a nice glass bottle, we thought we’d give it a go.

Pukka Aloe Vera Juice

The Aloe plant originates from Northern Africa and it has been used in herbal medicine since the 16th century BC. The flavour is what you’d call an acquired taste (you can flavour it with juices etc) but you’re not drinking this for a Dom Perignon moment. This is all about getting you feeling good from the inside out. Having said that, Aloe Vera is also amazing when rubbed on the skin and has incredible healing effects for burns, scars and many skin conditions like eczema. You get used to the flavour and it does have a very soothing texture and quality.

The Aloe Plant looks alot like the Agave plant, the famous succulent (that’s a type of plant) that is used to make tequila. So technically you are drinking a distant cousin of raw tequila. That’s about as ‘rock and roll’ as the health food industry gets really! You ain’t going to look like Keith Richards drinking this stuff (which is surely a good thing).

Some technical info:

Pure Aloe Vera juice can be extracted by cutting the leaf, collecting the juice and then evaporating it. When used for drinking, the juice provides many benefits. This is due to the fact that it contains 12 vitamins (including A, B1, B6, B12, C and E), 19 amino acids and over 20 minerals, with most of these being essential to the body.

Aloe Vera Plant

In Ayurveda, the Indian health system, Aloe Vera is known as Kumari (‘The Princess’) because of its positive effect on the menstrual cycle and female reproductive system. It is also known for its ability to cleanse the liver and protect the digestive system by reducing intestinal inflammation.

With ‘Raw June’ coming to the BHK, we are stocking up on all things healthy, revitalising and nutritious, it seems like Aloe Vera juice ticks all of these boxes and then some. This bottle of Pukka Aloe Vera Juice now graces our fridge door shelf and we will soon be taking a few teaspoons a day to give us a boost, especially in the first week of the Raw diet, which we hear can be tough.

Just to clarify that we are in no way health experts and all of the medical claims above are exactly that, claims. It is difficult to prove these things conclusively.

Categories: Ayurveda, B.H.K Reviews, Detox, Healthy Living, Juices, Nutrition, Organic, Raw Food | Tags: aloe vera, aloe vera juice, eczema, ethical, food, healing, health, healthy eating, herbal, juices, keith richards, medicine, nature, organic, plants, pukka, raw, raw food, raw juices, rolling stones, superfoods, tequila, treatment, vegan, vegetarian | Leave a comment

May’s Coffee Challenge – Welsh Coffee

Posted on May 9, 2012 by leroy watson

We love Wales and feel that the local produce and suppliers just don’t get the credit they deserve. There are some amazing producers, doing amazing things with amazing ingredients! In a way, we are lucky, because many of these Welsh gourmet types are not well-known. We have them all to ourselves! One such producer are the good people at Welsh Coffee.

Welsh Coffee

Welsh Coffee are a company from South Wales, producing fair trade coffee in small batches. They pride themselves on intense coffee that is ‘roaster’ fresh and superior quality.

This month I am dedicating myself to transforming my dining area into a bijou cafe, serving the finest roasts and if I am lucky, a warm piece of Carrot and Bean Cake (see following post). This is going well, a little Parisian music in the background, some attractive flowers, a nicely cushioned chair, there is just one thing missing, other people. The atmosphere is a little subdued.

So ‘Builder Steve’ came over yesterday to look at our gable end (we are having damp issues) and I invited him to join me in the newly opened Beach House Cafe (not dissimilar to our dining area with a few bags of coffee scattered around the place) . He’s a good coffee drinker and likes it black, which to me, is always a good sign.

‘Builder Steve’ is a local legend and one of the most philanthropic folk you are likely to meet. I decided to crack open some special beans that I’ve been saving for just this kind of moment, our Welsh Coffee Aur (Gold), dragon roasted in Wales from 100% Arabica beans. I had a feeling this was going to be one hell of a brew…..

Nicaraguan and Panamanian Beans

I ground the beans up, they were dark and shimmering and formed a lovely almost black powder. The smell of fresh coffee filled the hours for hours after. The beans for the Aur (Gold in Welsh) coffee are sourced from farmers in Nicaragua and Panama, two countries that we love.

I left it to brew for 5 minutes in our trusty orange cafetiere, the smell was intoxicating. This dragon coffee is powerful stuff! It produced a coffee with a deep colour and incredible aroma. It is medium bodied with a balanced and smooth aftertaste. This is the kind of coffee that can be enjoyed at any time, anywhere, anyhow!

(A short Welsh language lesson. Coffee is Coffi in Welsh. Which is one of the only words I can easily remember. My Welsh speaking in developing slowly. I also know the word for Taxi, which is Tacsi. Poor show really. I hope to get to some classes soon. The first Welsh I actually learnt was via a band named ‘Ffa Coffi Pawb’ (translated ‘Everthing’s Coffee Bean’), this was Gruff Rhys, lead singer with the Super Furry Animals, second band.)

‘Builder Steve’ and I chatted for a while, we talked of wrestling sheep, nuclear war heads being stored in the next village and the sin of damp rendering. It was almost like a normal cafe experience. Steve agreed that it was a ‘seriously good’ cup of coffee and a definite step up from the Nescafe he normally drinks on site. I took this as a glowing reference for these lovely Welsh roasted beans.

Welsh Coffee – Aur (Gold)

Categories: B.H.K Reviews, Local food, Wales, Welsh produce | Tags: aroma, beach house, beans, cafe, coffee, coffi, dragon, fair trade coffee, fairtrade, food, gourmet types, local food, local producer, paris, roast, super furry animals, wales, welsh coffee, welsh producers | 3 Comments

Beach House Kitchen voted for a ‘Kreativ Blogger Award’

Posted on May 1, 2012 by leroy watson

This is a beautiful thing, fellow bloggers VegHotPot and Lucy’s Friendly Foods have nominated us for a Kreativ Blogger Award.

We are understandably chuffed to receive such a kind nomination from two top bloggers. I love their blogs, so it’s extra special that they like what is going on in the Beach House Kitchen.

The Kreativ Blogger Award is designed to get good bloggers together and spreading the word about each other. I think it’s a top idea.

Here are the rules:

Thank the nominating blogger and provide a link to that blog.
Spread the love by nominating seven other bloggers, including their links here.
Tell your readers seven things they may not already know about you.

Here goes……………

Seven Blogs we like (alot and in no particular order):

We have only chosen food blogs (for obvious reasons) and only ones that are relatively new. There are some amazing, established food blogs, but they seem to be doing just fine…..

I think some of these blogs may have been nominated before, but you can never get too many nominations for being Kreativ (can you?!)

1) Byzantine Flowers – Brilliant for all-rounder for all things wholesome and organic. Interesting articles all the way here, one of the sites I visit regularly.

2) Vegetarian Ventures – The photos here are nearly as beautiful as the veggie recipes. Lovely looking blog and well written articles.

3) Moel Faban Supper Club – Denise’s blog is always an interesting read, a real foodie’s blog. Our local Welsh supper club and a champion of local and seasonal produce.

4) Tofu and Flowers – Abigail gives us a real flavour of Thailand here. Great stories and pics.

5) Peas and Love – Gwen’s blog ever fails with gorgeous looking veggie and vegan bites. You will also find things ‘freegan’ bits here.

6) AlmostRawVegan – Great inspiration here for our coming Raw food month in June. A lovely looking site with brilliant smoothie recipes.

7) Emmycooks – I just love the way Emmy cooks!

Seven interesting things about Jane and I (again in no particular order):

1) We met on a small island beach in the Philippines, I was accidentally evicting Jane from her room at the time. Jane was suffering from horrific facial sun burning (known as panda bear eyes).

2) Our first meal together was a tiny plate of cold veg fried rice, cooked by a disgruntled Belgian fella wearing tight trunks with Kraftwerk blaring from a stereo.

3) Jane was initially attracted to me because I had several pots of yoghurt stashed in my rucksack (a very impressive feat in Asia)…..

4) ….I used these yoghurts to woo Jane at breakfast, atop coconut and mango porridge, cooked in a bamboo hut. The rest is culinary history………..

5) I flew all the way from Mumbai to be with Jane in the Beach House and set up the Beach House Kitchen (giving up a lucrative career in dodgy English teaching in Hanoi!!!).

6) Jane is addicted to potatoes Lee is partial to a bean. You will always find hummus in our fridge and oatcakes in our pockets. Jane also likes hunks (of mouldy cheese).

7) The population of Carmel, our village, is around 90 and has approximately three sheep to one person. These sheep terrorize us with their munching and are an enemy to all raspberry patches.

Thanks to Becky and Lisa for the nominations and happy blogging to one and all.

Lee and JaneX

Categories: Blogs, Healthy Eating, Organic, Raw Food, Vegan, Wales, Welsh produce | Tags: awards, best food blogs, blogger, blogs, competition, favourite blogs, food, food blogs, kreativ award, nomination, organic, raw, smoothie recipes, supper clubs, vegan, vegetarian, vegetarian blogs, veggie recipes, wales | 5 Comments

The B.H.K Garden Photos – Spring and Seeds

Posted on April 24, 2012 by leroy watson

We hit the patch. 4 types of potato in furrows, blue, white, red and knobbly.

April in the B.H.K. garden has seen much activity. Mainly we have chopped wood for next year, but we managed to squeeze some gardening in also.

We are following organic practices , with a little biodyamic thrown in (new moon and all). The veg patch has been turned several times, with piles of local horse manure from the adjacent field and four different types of potato have been planted. Pete at Trigonos Farm, Nantlle, kindly donated the seeding potatoes (some just sprung to life in our veg basket!). We have blue, red, white and knobbly. One day I will learn the names of them.

The front garden is full of herbs and four different types of latin american bean. We hope for great things from the latin bean patch this year.

We also expect lots of flowers, some wild strawberries and the regular marjoram infestation. The slugs are happy, but we plan on trapping them in underground cups with beer in. Slugs like beer! Get them tipsy and they seem to lose interest in plants. Probably opting for a kebab instead.

The newts have returned to the pond and the frog spawn seems to be wriggling even more. Bring on the frogs!

We have a dodgy looking gang of sheep hanging around our back wall, but we have reinforced the defenses and hope to keep them out this year. Apparently they like to walk along the walls and eat all things green. The are also very dim and noisy.

Breaking news – beetroots, green beans and leeks are rumoured to be on the way.

We are keen amateurs at best in the garden, any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Here’s hoping for zero food miles soon!

Happy plantingX

Beach House herb garden circa April '12

Our seed trays (formerly traffic cones)

Jane puts her back into the spuds

The local beige tree frog

Happy cook with the sun on my face.

Categories: 'The Good Life', Garden, Healthy Living, Local food, Organic, Wales | Tags: biodynamic, food, frogs, garden, gardening, herbs, home grown, horses, local food, manure, nature, organic, pests, photography, photos, potatoes, seeds, sheep, slugs, vegetables, wales | 4 Comments

Melon, Avocado and Mint Smoothie

Posted on April 20, 2012 by leroy watson

Delhi Melon

We had a good looking melon on the windowsill for a while, what to do……get it in a smoothie. Gwen and Dan were vising the Beach House and this went down very nicely one good breakfast time.
It’s fresh but rich, light and green. Its a mellow combo.
Makes enough for four glasses of goodness.

The Bits
1/2 honeydew style melon, 1 avocado (doesn’t matter which type, they’re all nice), 1 sweet apple, 1 stick of celery, handful of mint leaves, 1/2 peeled cucumber, 3 cups of soya milk (milk of your choice), add yoghurt for richness (not needed).

Do It
In a blender, blend.

Serve
Deserving of your finest glasses and bestest friends!

We Love It!
This is a rich and refreshing smoothie that has a lovely subtle flavour.

Foodie Fact
Avocado will not only keep you nice and fat (in a good fat way), it also has many vitamins and minerals. Lots of monosaturated fats here and vitamin K which keeps your bones solid and blood well-clotted.

FRIEND

Categories: Breakfast, Raw Food, Recipes, Smoothies, Snacks and Inbetweens, Vegan | Tags: avocado, breakfast, dairy free, food, gluten-free, melon, monosaturated fats, raw, raw smoothies, refreshing smoothie, smoothie, snacks, vegan, vegetarian, vitamins and minerals | Leave a comment

Sweet Onion Hummus

Posted on April 20, 2012 by leroy watson

Sweet onions (with a touch of celery)

This is a staple wonder paste at the B.H.K. I make hummus at least once a week and in my many experimentations with pulverized chickpeas, I can say that this is our fav.
It is nice and simple, lightly spiced and has the lovely sweetness of well-stewed onions. Not your conventional hummus and I don’t like to use loads of oil, I use the chickpea cooking juices and this makes the hummus lighter and lower in fats.

After tasting this recipe, the hummus from your local supermarket will seem salty and stodgy in comparison, and expensive!

We make a big batch that lasts us a few days.

Gigglebeans in the sun

The Bits
Approx. 3500g dried chickpeas (soaked for a day, then cooked in slightly salted water on a low heat for at least an hour until tender. You can use canned, but their texture is not quite as good), 2 onions (organic if you can, finely chopped), 1 teas cumin, 1/2 teas coriander seeds, 1 teas paprika, 1 teas turmeric, 1 teas thyme, 1 teas rosemary, 2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped), 1 cup of olive oil, 1 big tbs dark tahini, zest and juice of 1 lemon (unwaxed of course!), s + p.
Do It
Good glug of oil in a frying pan, gently fry onions for 10 mins, season, then cover and lower heat. Do not colour, gently cook. Leave for 45 mins, stirring occasionally, then take off lid and add spices and herbs, cook for 15 mins more until golden and most of the juice has gone.
Take your cooked and cooled chickpeas and place them in a blender (you can do this by hand, but you need big muscles), add onions, garlic, lemon and tahini, season with s+p. You should add around 1 to 2 cups of the chickpea cooking liquid here, use more later to make smoother.
Begin to blitz, adding a steady stream of olive oil as you go. Stop regularly, taste, adjust seasoning, add more lemon, spice, s+p etc, get it just right for you. Remember that the flavours will come together when left in the fridge for a while, getting more intense, also the texture will stiffen so make it a little runnier. A splash of water or chicpea stock is recommended to lighten your hummus. You know how you like it! I like to be able to taste the lemon and tahini over the spices.

Oatcake anyone?

Serve
On anything! Warm pitta of course, I normally finish it with another glug of olive oil and a dusting of paprika, maybe some sesame seeds if you’re feeling flash.

We regularly have it as a side with a main dish, it adds great richness and creaminess to anything it touches, especially when added to stews (normally just before serving).

Foodie Fact
The mighty Garbanzo (U.S.), Giggle bean (Germany) and Chick pea (other places) is a super legume. It is incredibly versatile, makes great flour and very good for us. What a natural beaut!
Chick peas are full of fibre, they actually lower our cholesterol and are full of antioxidants. They are colon friendly having a lot of insoluble fibre. Love your colon!

Categories: gluten-free, Healthy Eating, photography, Recipes, Sauces, Side Dish, Snacks and Inbetweens, Vegan | Tags: chickpea, chickpeas, dairy free, food, glug, gluten-free, homemade, hummus, lemon, olive oil, recipes, sweet onion, sweet onions, tahini, vegan, vegetarian | 2 Comments

Rainbow ‘Slaw and Rosehip Tea

Posted on April 18, 2012 by leroy watson

Beets and 'Rots

Today the sky is the deepest of greys, the washing nearly blew away and Jane poured a pint of water all over her computer. We both held the stricken machine in our hands, then noticed the water pouring out of the side with the plug still in the wall…the penny dropped…we placed it in-front of the fire and thanked our lucky stars for not getting frazzled.

We put on some Vashti Bunyan and started to make lunch……….

Out of this peaceful state came this wonderful combination of vibrant colours and flavours. The salad is an old friend from past summer days, the beetroot, carrot and orange is a tantalising combination and packed full of good things. Preparation could not be easier, this is a real raw food delight. The tea is fairly straightforward also!

From a potential near-death experience, to a rainbow lunch and ‘Rosehip November’ (in April). Happy days at the Beach House.

The ‘Slaw

The Bits

1 large beetroot, 1 large carrot, 1 large chunk of butternut squash (optional, just increase the carrot by one), juice of half an orange, handful of chopped coriander.

Do It

Grate all veggies, we used a hand grater, or plug-in your food processor. I appreciated the exercise actually. I peeled the beetroot and the squash. Squeeze in the OJ and throw in the greenery. Add the finely chopped pith of the orange for even more of a citrus POW! Mix up and leave at room temp for a while, let the flavours mingle a little.

Serve

We made a lunch out of it with some toasted leek oatbread (recipe soon to appear on the blog) and cucumber raita. This is a versatile ‘slaw that will brighten up any plate.

We spiced it up with a couple of pinches of Ras El- Hanout spice and a splash of olive oil. Our raw life starts in June, why not live dangerously for a while!

The Tea

Clipper Rose hip (and Hibiscus)

It’s a Clipper Tea. An organically grown infusion, fruity, with a deep colour and plenty of vitamin C. The good people of Clipper are in all of our supermarkets in the UK and always good value.

They use unbleached bags and have an awesome range. Their black tea is a winner with a splash of soya milk (and lashings of honey, B.H.K style). We have also tried the tasty Dandelion and Burdock Tea, which took us back to our childhood days, drinking the fizzy sweet version out of glass bottles in bracken, near streams.

Buy the Rose hip tea here:

http://shop.clipper-teas.com/teas/fruit/organic-rosehip-infusion

And check out the new Clipper Green Room, for offers on the range of teas and loads of top giveaways:

http://www.clippergreenroom.com/

Foodie Fact

Rose hip has been used for years for its health properties, the fruit of the Rose is especially good for the joints. The Vikings used it on long sea voyages to ward off scurvy, its packed with Vitamin C. It also contains most of the B vitamins and the mighty vitamin K, with antioxidants and rich fatty acids surely making this a real superfood.

Rosehip November/ April

Categories: B.H.K Reviews, Infusions, Low G.I. (glycemic index), Lunch, Organic, Raw Food, Recipes, Salads, Side Dish, Snacks and Inbetweens, Superfoods, Tea, Vegan | Tags: B.H.K Review, clipper, clipper teas, dairy free, food, gluten-free, good fats, health, hibiscus, high nutrients, music, organic, product review, raw, raw food, recipes, rose, rosehip, rosehip tea, salads, snacks, steamers, superfoods, vashti bunyan, vegan, vegetarian, vikings, Vitamin C, vitamin K | 1 Comment

RAW! The Beach House goes raw in June

Posted on April 11, 2012 by leroy watson

Fancy a juice?

The Beach House Kitchen is going RAW for June (maybe longer). We are really looking forward to the challenge and the obvious health benefits. Our inspiration for this was a great man named Rob, his enthusiasm for all things raw convinced us to give it a go.

I have some experience with raw food, but would love some advice/ tips/ recipes from avid raw ones. Any ideas would be brilliant.

We are planning to acquire a good juicer/ blender and are fortunate to have a few good organic producers nearby, we may look on-line to get some ingredients in. It won’t all just be juices, I plan on making cakes, raw soups, stews etc. It really is a very diverse and little known area of cooking (or non-cooking). I fully expect a surge in energy levels and a full dose of shiny energy.

All tempting food stuffs will be banished to the garage, the cravings will be tough for the first few days I’m sure. Better that the muesli and coffee is kept under lock and key.

This may sound strange to non-raw folk, but your energy levels go through the roof when you cut out cooked and carbs. We will be going down the raw vegan route, so the lack of dairy gives the system a rest also. One of the primary reasons for the surge in energy is that so much of our energy is diverted to digest the food that we are getting energy from. It’s a roundabout process. Raw food cuts out the work of digestion and leaves the energy to flow to other parts of the body, most notably the brain. You get a real buzz from the raw diet and creativity levels soar.

Here is good Rob’s raw food site, with excellent information on all things raw and juice:

http://www.squidoo.com/raw-food-today#module154034673

I know Rob is a big fan of Matthew Armstrong, so I checked out his stuff. He is certainly an active chap with bags of energy:

This clip goes some way to dispelling the theory that raw foodists suffer from a lack of energy!

We will be keeping a daily (I hope) blog on the Beach House Kitchen about all of our antics, struggles and successes. I hope you join us for the ride.

Categories: Detox, Healthy Eating, Healthy Living, Juices, Raw Food, Smoothies, Vegan | Tags: dairy free, food, health, healthy living, healthy-living, juice, juices, Low carbs, matthew armstrong, no carbs, nutrition, raw, raw food, raw juices, raw smoothies, smoothie, vegan, vegetarian, worlds healthiest diet | 3 Comments

Spiced Pear and Flax Seed Scones

Posted on April 11, 2012 by leroy watson

Indian Scones

It’s fair to say, I’m not a traditionalist. I like to keep things interesting. I reckon the ‘good old days’ can always be bettered, especially when baking.

This is another fusion/experiment from the Beach House Kitchen. Which worked quite nicely. You need to try these things, the first guy to make carrot cake probably raised a few stuffy eyebrows.

The scones is a British classic, my favourite Mum recipe was Walnut and Date, but I’ve decided to take it to India. The inspiration to have a mess with the humble scone came after a day of scone making at work, I found it all quite therapeutic. Combining the butter with the flour is a very earthy activity.

White flour, sugar and butter is not my kind of nutritional mix, so I’ve changed it to be gentler and better to the body and I think it adds flavour also. I have added ghee instead of butter, mainly because I have some delicious Pukka ghee at the minute, that graces all it touches. Ghee also has many health attributes. There are also soaked flax seeds here, that are super for our digestive system. Then the spices, conjuring up an Indian chai stall, star anise and cinnamon….. All in all, not your average scone experience.

All that's missing is a scone

Scones are super easy to make and as with most cakes, gentle handling is a must. The less hands, the lighter the cake. I made one large scone, then cut it up into slightly abstract shapes. This saves on waste dough and a bit of messing around. It also keeps the scones lighter (although with brown flour, they are heavier than their white cousins).

The weights don’t have to be exact, but do your best. This recipe will make one large scones, approx. 8 when cut up.

Because we have used ghee here, this recipe is suitable for lactose intolerant munchers also.

These are a robust scone, with lovely spiced fruit and the rich flavour of ghee.

The Bits

250g Wholemeal flour, 75g good Ghee, 2 big tbs of honey (more if you are a sweet heart), 2 teas baking powder, 3 teas flax seeds (soaked overnight in water and well-drained), 2 pears chopped into small cubes, 2 tbs of water, 1 star anise, 1/2 teas cinnamon, 1/2 teas all spice, 1 clove, 1 teas finely chopped ginger, 1 teas good vanilla extract (worth spending here!), 2 organic beaten eggs, heavy pinch of salt.

Do It

Preheat oven to 200oC

Heat a pan, medium heat, add a little ghee, fry your pears gently for a few minutes, then add all spices to the pan and the splash of water, stir in. Cover and cook pears on low until tender, letting the spices infuse. The cooking time will depend of the ripeness and type of pear. They should nicely soft when ready. Turn off heat and stir in your honey, it should melt and form a sticky sauce. Remove the star anise and clove. Leave to cool.

In a large bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt and drop small lumps of ghee in, coat the lumps in the flour and work in rubbing ghee between thumb and finger tips. This will take a few minutes to combine and form a breadcrumb-like texture.

Add vanilla extract to the flour, mix your flax seeds into the pears and add, then your eggs, fold into mix (gently). Using a table knife to mix is advised here. It should be soft and sticky, if it’s too dry add a touch of milk (we used soya). Form the mix into a large ball and turn out onto a floured, cool surface. Dust your hands with flour and get involved, with tenderness. Gently massage the mix into a large flat round, approx 1 inch tall. This should rise a little. Dust the top with a little flour and transfer (easiest to move with two flat spatulas) onto a grease baking tray (greased with Ghee that is).

Flax seeds after a good soaking.

(I have tried brushing on melted honey and ghee with a pinch of cinnamon at this stage, which worked a treat.)

Bake, without opening the door, for around 15 minutes, until the top is nice and golden. Remove and place on a wire rack to cool.

One big scone, a giant leap forward for all scone makers.

Serve

We had ours hot (hot is best) with Greek yoghurt, some homemade rhubarb compote and hazelnuts. Rather nice. They will compliment a nice Indian chai or like any good scone, your cuppa of choice.

Smothered in good things.

We Love It!

This is another, almost guilt free desert. It is healthier and I think tastes better for it! What you lose in lightness of the scone, you gain in a sense of well-being in the belly.

Foodie Fact

Honey is quite incredible. Especially when you think of the process involved in acquiring it from our friends, the bees. Honey is my preferred sweetener, not only due to its wonderful flavour, but there are many health benefits to honey. Caster sugar is a little limp in comparison.

Honey is full of good sugars, mainly fructose. It’s fat-free and cholesterol free. It also contains many amino acids and minerals. The higher the mineral content, the better quality honey. This can be measured through conductivity. Manuka Honey is the best (yet another reasons to go to New Zealand) with the best conductivity.

Honey also has antiseptic qualities, meaning that in many ancient civilizations, honey was used on wounds and to treat many ailments. This makes a mockery of the ‘consume by’ dates on jars bought from supermarkets. As we know, most of these dates are ridiculous and lead to a large amount of needless food wastage.

If you have a little spare cash, try to buy good quality honey. Gales and other large honey producers actually feed their bees processed sugars and burn them when they have produced! It is quite a startling image, the bee equivalent of battery farm hens.

Here are 11 interesting facts about Honey:

http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/honey-benefits.html

Categories: Baking, Cakes, Desserts, Healthy Eating, Low G.I. (glycemic index), Recipes, Snacks and Inbetweens, Treats | Tags: amino acids, baking, brown flour, digestive system, experiment, flax seed, food, gales, ghee, greek yoghurt, guilt free, healthy cake, honey, honey bees, india, indian chai, manuka honey, pear, pukka organic ghee, scones, spices, star anise, treats | Leave a comment

Omega Seed Sprinkles

Posted on February 27, 2012 by leroy watson

Or what my Dad calls ‘bird food’.

Not really a recipe, but a necessity for our kitchen and definitely a Beach House Favourite. These sprinkles will crunch up any salad, yoghurt, cereal, bread, etcetcetc there are so many uses for these wonder seeds. I normally nibble them, sparrow-like, throughout the day. They are a lot cheaper than nuts and have bags of energy, nutrients and omega oils.

Seeds are one of those things that, if eaten regularly, are best bought in bulk. The small packs you are likely to find are normally quite costly. Have a look online, you can get bulk bags of seeds, rice, pulses etc and the delivery is normally free (if it’s over a certain amount). Order for a month.

It saves so much time and resources, when you consider the driving to the shops and time wasted standing aimlessly pondering a desirability/cost = happiness equation for a packet of Moroccan spices. I do this.

I struggle with British supermarkets on many levels, but the myriad choices of everything is incredible. I go into a cold sweat as I approach the muesli section! We are such a refined consumer society. I can tell you, it’s very different in Spain! No muesli for a start.

If I ever have the distinct displeasure of visiting a hyper-market environment, I go into some sort of consumer trance. Like a zombie, occasionally grabbing a shiny product. I do like wine sections though. It’s like travelling, in bottles.

These sprinkles will work with most seeds and if you feel like nuts, stick a few in. The linseeds and flax seeds don’t add a huge amount of flavour, but are very, very good for you. They are all toasted together to give a richer flavour and add a bit of crunch.

You can blend these seeds up, add a dash of water and make a brilliant seed butter (this is a real winner).

You will need a frying pan full of seeds, just enough to cover the bottom.

The Bits

Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, linseeds and flax seeds

Do It

Heat the frying pan on a medium to low heat, add the sunflower and pumpkin seeds first (or larger seeds/nuts). Heat and toss for around ten minutes, keep them moving, don’t hurry them. Then add the flax and linseeds and heat for another couple of minutes. They may pop a little and will darken in colour. The key is not to burn them, if they are getting too hot and dark, tip them onto a large plate and spread them out to cool.

Cool fully and keep in a jar.

We Love It

They go on anything and are a great, nutritious snack on their own.

Foodie Fact

These little gems are packed with super omega oils and energy. Russia is the leading producer of sunflower seeds globally. One sunflower head contains hundreds of seeds. They are full of energy in the form of poly unsaturated fats and mono-unsaturated fats which can lower cholesterol. They have one of the highest levels of complex vitamin B group and vitamin E (a powerful antioxidant)…….These little beauties are will keep you shining. Put them on everything!!!!

Categories: Budget, gluten-free, Healthy Eating, Salads, Snacks and Inbetweens, Superfoods, Vegan | Tags: budget, dairy free, food, gluten-free, good fats, healthy living, high energy, high nutrients, larder, Low carbs, omega oils, salads, seeds, snacks, Super Foods, superfoods, vegan, vegetarian | Leave a comment

B.H.K. Review – Allegra McEvedy ‘Bought, Borrowed and Stolen’

Posted on February 16, 2012 by leroy watson

‘Some women collect shoes, Allegra collects knives.’

A cookbook full of ‘Recipes and Knives from a Travelling Chef’. Allegra’s books are always full of good writing and inspiration, but ‘Bought, Borrowed and Stolen’ inspires with not only the food, but the tools that make it and the personal journey behind each dish.

From San Francisco to Burma, this book is a true labour of love. Allegra has definitely put in the hard yards here. It’s an insight into many revealing journeys over nearly a quarter of a century and most of the planet. Ever seeking sharp edges, shiny people, proper food and other tasty mouthfuls.

I own a couple of Allegra’s books, but this is the best read. It’s as much a memoir as a gang of recipes; the memoirs of a foodie in love with the world and its diverse cultures and traditions, always lead to culinary adventures, relating directly to the plate and the belly.

Allegra has been out and about, distilling years of travel and great eating into these pages. There is a real sense of love and passion that comes through in the writing. Allegra seems to get to the heart of each country visited and as we know, the best way a people’s hearts……….are their bellies (or rib cages and I’m sure Allegra will have a knife to suit!!!!!).

Jane gifted me this wonderful cook/travel book for crimbo. It graces our windowsill turquoise and when opened, explodes with even more vivid colours. Allegra’s food is always vibrant and challenges the stuffy ‘elite’ of British cooking. You may know who I mean?! Unlike most famous chefs, Allegra actually has a great sense of humour! You are allowed to laugh, enjoy and be natural whilst cooking. Not fickle or false. Allegra’s cooking comes from the heart, not an assembly line of egos. Hoorah!

It’s not a veg cookbook, but there are many veggie options. The meat dishes can always be played around with; an aubergine here, a pumpkin there and you’ve got worthy substitutes for a slab of beef (sort of). Allegra’s enthusiasm and talent is prevalent on each page. The travel writing paints magical pictures of markets, stalls and kitchens encountered along the way. This is an insight into a real cooks (chefs?!) pilgrimage from working on the ‘line’ to being one of Britain’s best-loved and talented foodie people (chefs?!).

Allegra gave up cooking ‘posh food for posh people’ years ago and since then has commited her time to giving great, affordable food, to the masses; via Leon Restaurants and many other charitable projects. Bagging an MBE along the way. Allegra is regularly on TV, her most recent show was ‘Economy Gastronomy’ and to cap it all off (for now), has been made only one of three ‘patrons’ for the fair trade movement. Allegra is quite a busy lady.

To add to the job list, it appears Allegra may need to build an extension to accommodate her knife drawer! I am sure it resembles some kind of ancient armoury. I wonder is she has a spear? I have one good knife, but this book has wet my appetite for more. Maybe one of those ‘Oaxacan Whackers’ to have a go at a particularly stubborn beetroot. Bring on the carnage!

The knives all seem to embody the food culture of the place. The are all fascinating in their own way, many exhibiting great craftsmanship, many purely barbaric. My personal favourites are an elegant Japanese Unagi Saki, handle-less; deadly looking, like something a Ninja would carry in there sock. The Grenadine Scrimshaw is a tasty looking pen knife, the Phoenician Phoenix is ostentatious and the Burmese Machete looks like something you’d reduce a tree to splinters with.

Difficult to say which is my favourite recipe. There are many. The Shepherd’s Salad went down well at a Veg. Hen Party I cooked for recently. The Hens liked the pomegranate. The Black Sticky Rice is a treat, the Sweet and Sour Aubergine, Rooibos Malve Pudding, the list goes on and on…………..these recipes will grace many a happy occasion in the Beach House.

I love the fact that Allegra has copied these recipes down in situ, in the moment. Scribbled in one of her many food diaries and then copied down here, straight on the page. There is no messing with the dishes or ‘dolling them up’, making the food technical and overly complex. It’s straight from the stall to the page, showing Allegra’s integrity, in honouring foods simplicity and respecting the lineage and tradition of the many cultures cuisines. How we eat says so much about who we are and the recipes here seem like a true reflection of that.

Allegra in Malawi

Allegra wears her heart on her sleeve, which makes the book a personal quest for culinary insight, as opposed to a bunch of recipes re-hashed with a tenuous theme. This is ‘real’ soul food with choppers!

I had the pleasure of working with Allegra for a short time with Leon Restaurants and I can imagine her in these far off places, being charming and impressing all with a passion for good food and good livin’. Allegra is so kind and genuine, I’m sure this has opened many a doorway. This book acts as a portal to the kitchens, history and characters of the world (and their cutlery drawers!).

“Wherever you are in the world, there’s no better way of giving people joy than by handing them a plate of food made with love … and watching them love it too.”

Cheers Allegra!

Heres Allegra’s site: http://www.allegramcevedy.com/Allegra/Biography.html

I also recommend the ‘Colour Cookbook’. It’s cheap on Amazon.

—————————————————————————————————-

I feel that cookbooks are generally overpriced and not necessary. I own three. Just think about all that amazing produce you could buy with 30 quid! I have notebooks full of recipes, all very personal and much-loved. This suit me fine.

I prefer to get my inspiration, like Allegra, through travel and eating as opposed to second-hand in a sumptuously photographed hardbacks (lets face it, you can’t eat photographs, or books for that matter). I like scribbled recipes and cooking from brilliant memories of taste and occasion. However, if you are ever going to waste money on a cookbook. This is the one!

A few of Allegras choppers

Categories: B.H.K Reviews, Recipes, Travel | Tags: allegra, book, cook, famous chefs, food, mcevedy, recipe, review, the good life, travel, vegetarian | Leave a comment

Abigail’s Apple and Pumpkin Vegan Loaf

Posted on February 6, 2012 by leroy watson

The heavyweight cake

This is cake in loaf shape.

If you’re looking for something that goes well with a cup of tea, tastes amazing and does your body some good, this fruity loaf’s for you.

I took this recipe from Abigail’s blog http://tofuandflowers.blogspot.com/ which has a lot better pictures than mine and importantly, the loaf seemed to have turned out well. Although I did change and add to the original. As you can see, my didn’t rise particularly well, I put it down to not having baking powder! Otherwise, this is a very simple cake recipe and very tasty.

This loaf really packs a punch! It’s a heavyweight and really feels like ‘food’, not just a dessert. Its packed full of fruit and nutrition, no dairy and only has a little added sweetness.

I used honey instead of agave, which I prefer.

With this amount of mixture, I made one big loaf and six small muffins, although Abigail seemed to have fed the five thousand!!!

The Bits

Dry Ingredients: 1 c. oatmeal (plus more to sprinkle on top), 1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour, 1/2 c. white flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. allspice, 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 c. chopped apple (about 1/3 of a large apple; use the rest with the wet ingredients), 1 c. chopped walnuts (or hazelnuts)
Wet Ingredients: 1 1/2 c. roasted pumpkin, 1 banana, 1 1/2 tsp. fresh grated ginger, 1 c. chopped apple (about 2/3 of a large apple, what you have left over from the wet ingredients), 1/2 c. agave (or 2 tbs honey), 3/4 c. coconut milk (half of a can), 1 1/2 tsp. almond extract, 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract.

Do It

Get your pumpkin nicely soft and coloured in a pan and set aside, then:

1. Preheat oven to 200oC. Oil and flour a large loaf tin and muffin tray.
2. In a large bowl, stir together all dry ingredients except the nuts and 1/2 c. chopped apple.
3. In a blender, blend together all wet ingredients (including the 1 c. chopped apple).
4. Mix the pumpkin into the dry ingredients. Once almost completely combined, add the chopped walnuts and apples. Mix up with a nice wooden spoon.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the loaf pan and muffin tray. Sprinkle oatmeal on top of the batter and press the oats into the batter a little.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The loaf will take longer than the muffins.
7. Remove from oven, and cover loaves (still inside their pans) tightly with foil. Allow to steam for 10 minutes. Remove foil, and turn out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely.

Serve

With a dollop of creamy yoghurt.

We Love It

This is a lovely moist spiced nibble at this time of year. Its pretty much guilt free (if you get guilty about eating food) and is almost a meal in itself.

Foodie Fact

Cinnamon, originally from Sri Lanka, is a wonder bark. It has the highest levels of anti-oxidant strength of all foods. Cinnamon is also anti-inflammatory, anti-septic, rich in minerals and is proven to be soothing. In Ayurveda, Cinnamon is used to treat diabetes, colds and indigestion.