Food: My ‘God’s Butter’

Sarah Philpott’s book ‘The Occasional Vegan’ has been a regular source of inspiration to me, containing an array of recipes from different cuisines, all vegan. So, whether you fancy a Buddha Bowl or a dirty vegan ‘pork pie’, she and the book has you covered. The recipes give a great foundation, that if you want to differ from it, verse and gospel, you can. This brings me to the greatness that is her ‘God’s Butter’ and my version of it. Such an easy and satisfying recipe for a pea, avocado and mint spread. You’ll find the original recipe on Page 47 of the book. To make my version of the recipe, you’ll need:

• 200g frozen peas or petit pois
• 1-2 ripe avocados
• Zest & juice of 1 lime
• 200g canned butter beans  (drained)
• 1/2 a red chilli, sliced finely
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• Handful of fresh mint, chopped
• 1tsp garlic infused oil
• Salt & pepper

 

Boil the peas for 2-3 minutes, then take off the heat whilst they are still bright and green, rinse under a cold tap, until cool. Place in a mixing bowl. Add in the rest of the ingredients (I’d chunk the avocado up, to make it easier to blend). Plug in a stick blender and pulse until it comes together into a green and aromatic spread. Season & you’re ready to serve.

My version is a lot smoother than the original, as I think with it being smoother it’s more versatile to be used as a base for a pasta sauce and a spread for toast. Below are just some of the ways I’ve used it.

 

Enjoy!

 

Published By Seren Books, RRP £12.99

With Pictures by Manon Houston

Food: Rude Food Recipe 4: ‘Keep the cold at bay’ soup

 

The #Beastfromtheeast has left its mark over all of northern Europe it seems and snowy Malmö is no exception. I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands with this stalwart soup that will batten down the hatches with plenty of fresh alium and flush out any lingering nasties with the heat of the chilli. The level of any of these is preferential, but here are the amounts that I used.

You will need:

• 1 pack of cooked Beetroot, and its juice
• The zest & juice of 1/2 lemon,
• 1/2 tsp chilli, (go full tsp if you’re feeling particularly under the weather!),
• 2 medium potatoes,
• 1/2 an onion,
• 1tbs Sauerkraut juice (optional, I used some, leftover from my dear friend Kathe Kaczmarzyk’s pop-up here in Malmö) ,
• 3 cloves of garlic,
• 3 rhizomes of fresh turmeric, grated,
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon,
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger,
• Salt & pepper,
• 500ml homemade veg stock
• 1tbs dried parsley,

For the orange, ginger & mustard crème:

• 2tbs dairy free crème fraîche (I used Oatly fraîche)
• 1tsp wholegrain mustard
• zest & juice of 1/4 orange
• Thumb- size piece of ginger, grated

Garnish:

Handful of fresh parsley, chopped.

 

 

The method for soups is always fairly simple, the magic here is the contents and not the process.

Chop the onion, the garlic and the onions roughly, separately chop up the beetroot into chunks and make sure you keep the juices.

Gently soften the onion and the garlic in a little oil and then add the potatoes, stir them through. Begin to add the lemon juice, the sauerkraut, the beetroot pieces, the beetroot juice and then grate in the lemon zest and the turmeric. Be careful with the fresh turmeric as it will stain anything, including your skin, so you might want to use gloves. Add the spices, the herbs and then pour over the stock, season to your taste including the chilli!

Bring the whole thing up to a robust simmer before sticking in the oven at 140 degrees celsius (fan assisted) and allow it to do its thing for at least an hour. Take the whole thing out, stir and check the seasoning. When you’re happy with it you can blast the whole thing with a stick blender or a food processor until it’s thick.

The aroma should be rich and earthy with the beetroot and the garlic, the back notes from the sauerkraut and the lemon should be sharp and punchy. The heat should be there to the taste too from the chilli. The colour should be like you’ve liquidised rubies.

For the punchy crème, simply mix all the ingredients together into a bowl and leave to thicken for 5 minutes.

Serve with a good loaf of your favourite sourdough, a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a generous dollop of the punchy fraîche.

Enjoy!

Food: Smoky chickpea and lentil stew

Here’s a dead simple recipe for a store cupboard vegan alternative to regular stew. The secret ingredient to this (and many other) recipes is time – just allowing it to simmer away and work its magic at a low temperature in the oven.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 red onion, chopped finely,

• 1-2 cloves of garlic,

• 1tbp of oil (vegetable)

• 1 tin of chickpeas,

• 1 tin of butter beans,

• 150g of red lentils,

• 200ml of water,

• 1 tin of tomatoes,

• 1tbp tomato puree,

• 1tbp sundried tomato paste,

• 1tsp dried cumin,

• 1tsp pimentón,

• 1tsp chipotle chilli powder

• ½ tsp cinnamon,

• ½ tsp chili flakes,

• 3-4 drops of liquid smoke,

• Small handful of fresh coriander,

• Small handful of fresh parsley,

 

To serve:

• Small handful of fresh coriander or parsley,

• 1 generous dollop of Oatly fraîche,

• Lots of nice, crispy fresh bread.

 

Method:

 

Chop the onion and the garlic finely and soften in a little oil in a suitably sized Dutch oven. When they’re soft add the tomato puree and allow that to suck up all the extra oil. Add in the chickpeas and the tomatoes, sundried tomato paste, stir and season with salt and black pepper. Add in the lentils and some of the water for now. Season the stew with the rest of the dry spices and give it a good stir. Let the mixture come up to simmering point and then stir in the fresh herbs and the drops of liquid smoke. The lentils should have absorbed some of the water by this point so top it up and place in a preheated oven at 140°C. Allow it to cook for at least forty minutes before checking. Take it out and give it a good stir, give it a bit more water if it’s looking dry. At this stage you’ll need to give it another half an hour at least to let the lentils truly lose their bite and become soft. Keep stirring and checking until it’s the consistency you want. The longer you leave it the better it’ll be, I promise!

When it’s done serve with the chopped herbs, a dollop of Oatly fraiche and a mountain of good bread. It’s the perfect summer stew!

Food: Cilento ciambotta

Here’s a great recipe for using up the vegetables you have left in your fridge. Plus, it’s one of those that kind of works for all seasons, whether frosty Winter or a breezy Summer evening.

You’ll need:

• 1 aubergine, cut into cubes
• 1 red onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Oil, for frying
• 1tsp tomato pureé
• 1tsp sundried tomato paste (optional)
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 courgettes / zucchini, cut into coins
• 1 red pepper, diced
• Handful of new potatoes, cut into pieces (I used purple potatoes)
• Handful of good black olives
• Splash of good red wine
• 1tbs chilli flakes
• Handful of fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1tsp dried rosemary
• 1tsp dried basil
• 1tsp dried thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• Salt & Pepper

 

Start by chopping the aubergine into pieces and place them in to a colander (over a bowl). Sprinkle salt over them and wait until it starts extracting it’s juices (this stops it becoming bitter). This should take 30 minutes or so.

While this is doing, in a Dutch Oven, fry the onions and garlic on a medium heat until they turn translucent. Then add in the tomato pureé & paste and fry until it’s cooked out. Next add in the tin of chopped tomatoes, peppers and potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes. Now is probably time to check on the aubergine.

Once the juice has been extracted from the aubergine, Rinse with some water, and add into the pot, along with the courgette, olives and herbs. Top up with some good red wine and stir. Season with salt & black pepper, not forgetting the aubergines might still be a little salty.

Place into a pre-heated oven at 140°C, for 50 minutes. In this time the wizard that is the Dutch oven/ cast-iron casserole will do it’s magic and meld everything together. After 50 minutes is up, take the lid off and check if the potatoes are done, by pricking them with a fork. They should be, as cutting them into small pieces, shortens their cooking time, however, if not, place back in the oven for a further 10-15 minutes.

Serve, with a good drink and a nice loaf of bread

Enjoy!

 

Food: Columbian potatoes

This is my take on the Colombian dish, Papas con Salsa de Aguacate (potatoes with an avocado sauce), using sweet & purple potatoes, topped with a creamy intense avocado hit. My version has a spicy tomato base to transform it from a traditional side-dish into a tasty plantbased meal.

You’ll need:

• 3 Sweet potatoes, roughly chopped
• 3 purple potatoes/ potatoes roughly chopped
• 1/2 tin of peeled tomatoes
• 1tbs tomato pureé
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1tbs Pimentón
• 1tbs ground cumin
• 1tbs ground coriander
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 red chilli, chopped finely (de-seeded if want less hot!)
• Black pepper
• Oil for roasting.

For the Salsa de Aguacate:

• 1/2 a tub of Oatly fraîche
• A glug of garlic infused oil
• 1 avocado
• Handful of coriander, chopped
• Juice of 1/2 a lime
• Some red onion
• Salt & pepper

Garnish:

• Salt for garnishing (I used Saltverk Birch smoked salt)
• Handful of chopped coriander

Start by parboiling the potatoes in salted water. As they’re boiling, place a baking tray in oven on it’s hottest setting, with a layer of oil (just like you’re making roasties). Whilst they are cooking, fry off the onion & garlic in a pan. When they are sufficiently softened the potatoes should be ready to take off the boil. Drain and place into the baking tray and oil. Flip over until they begin to sizzle. Place back into the oven to start roasting and crisping up.

In a baking dish, place the now softened garlic & most of the onion with the tomatoes, spices and the chilli. I’d recommend roughly chopping up the tomatoes. Season, mix thoroughly and spread evenly across the bottom of the dish.  After around 10-15 minutes, take the potatoes out and place into the baking dish, on top of the spicy tomato base. Place back into the oven, with a lower temperature of 180°C. Cook for a further 30-40 minutes before taking out. Leave to cool slightly, before serving.

Whilst the potatoes are in the oven, you can make the indulgent bit, the avocado sauce. In a food processor, place the Oatly fraîche, avocado, coriander, garlic oil, lime juice and the rest of the fried onion. Whizz up until it forms a creamy sauce. Scoop into a bowl. Season to taste. If too thick, you can loosen it up with a bit more lime juice.

To serve, drizzle on the sauce, the chopped coriander and a sprinkle of salt flakes. I used Saltverk birch smoked salt, which matched the smoky spicy taste of the potatoes.

I’d reccomend serving this with a couple of cold cervezas. I paired it with some Columbian Cerveza Aguila.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Food: Curried pancake stack

This is what I made on Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday as an alternative to sweet British pancakes with lemon & sugar…which are amazing btw! Here’s how you can make these for dinner and have the sweet ones for dessert 😉 These are also, omitting the Oatly for  another plant milk/ yoghurt alternative, gluten free too!

You’ll need:

For the pancakes:

• 100g Gram (chickpea) flour.
• 30g Frozen spinach, thawed.
• 100ml Aquafaba.
• 2tbs Chia seeds.
• 1tsp Green barley powder.
• 1tbs of kalonji / nigella/ black fennel seeds
• 1tsp Garam marsala.
•  1tsp Chilli powder.
• 1tsp Cumin.
• Salt & pepper.
• Splash of non dairy milk (I used Oatly)

• 1 Portions worth of leftover curry, vegan in my case.

For the Raita:

• 2tbs Oatly fraîche/ soy yoghurt
• Splash of water (If using Oatly fraîche)
• Thumb size piece of cucumber.
• Handful of fresh mint.
• Sprinkle of salt

To Garnish:

• 6 Bhaji bites
• Handful of chopped coriander
• 5 lingonberry pickled onion rings, learn how to make them here

This recipe is a doddle to make, simply start by heating up your aquafaba on a low heat in a pan with the chia seeds. This should start the chia seeds coagulation process.

Whilst they begin to heat up, you can get your dry ingredients ready. Sieve the spices, green barley powder, gram flour and salt & pepper into a big mixing bowl. Once you can see the chia seeds have began to open and make a gel, take the mixture off the heat.

with a hand blender, pulse the spinach ever so slightly until it begins to break up. Combine with the aquafaba/chia mixture, then add the kalonji seeds. mix until you get a green, gloopy mixture. Now, all you have to do is simply mix with the dry mixture and add a splash of non-dairy milk accordingly until it becomes a thick batter.

Fry in an oiled pan, remembering to spread the mixture evenly. Keep an eye on the level of oil in the pan, between pancakes, you may have to add a bit more oil.

once they are all cooked, stack them on a plate for later.

I had a bit of batter leftover, but not enough to make another pancake. Instead of wasting it, I decided to make these bhaji bites. To the batter I added 1tbs of finely chopped spring onion, 1tsp turmeric and 1tsp paprika. mix and dollop a teaspoon worth into the pan, to which I added an inch of oil. They will slightly expand and bubble. Cook until crispy, but be vigilant as they can burn easily.

Once done, pop them onto some paper towel to drain and pop the leftover curry in a pan/ microwave to heat through.

Whilst you’re waiting for the curry to re-heat, it’s time to make the raita. Chop the mint & cucumber finely, adding to a bowl. Mix through the yoghurt/ fraîche. If you’re using the Oatly fraîche, you may need to add a splash of water to the bowl, as its quite a thick product. Season with salt & you’re done!

Time to assemble!

Layer each pancake with a big dollop of curry, then on the final layer, top with the raita & garnishes and finally crown with the bhaji bites.

It’s great paired with a light & refreshing beer. I made a shandy out of Five Points Ale & Cawston Press cucumber & mint soda and it worked perfectly!

Enjoy!

Food: Cawl empanadas

Recently, to honour Y Wladfa – the Welsh colony in the Chubut province of Argentina – I made cawl empanadas out of leftover jackfruit cawl mixture. The results were absolutely delicious and the spices go really well with the stocky richness of the cawl to create a moreish empanada filling.

You’ll need:

• A cup or so of leftover cawl (you can find a recipe for vegan Jackfruit Cawl here).
• 1 roll of ready made shortcrust pastry,
• 1 tsp cumin,
• 1 tsp ground coriander,
• ½tsp of Chipotle chilli powder (or similar, feel free to use more!),
• 1 tbsp tomato puree,
• 100ml sunflower oil,

Method:

Combine the cawl with the spices and the puree in a pan and allow the spices to infuse. Allow the water to boil away until you’ve got a dryer mixture.

Roll out the pastry and use a small bowl to shape the empanadas. Spoon out the mixture onto the disks of pastry and fold over. Crimp the edges together with a fork and place on a baking tray. One roll of pastry makes roughly eight empanadas but it will depend how much leftovers you have.

Bake in the oven for twenty minutes at 180°c or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and place on a rack. Bring the oil to frying heat in a frying pan and quickly dunk the empanadas in the oil for twenty seconds each side. The pastry should change colour quickly so be ready to get them out quick!

For an indulgent touch, serve with some vegan mayo pepped up with smoked paprika and garlic oil.

I paired mine with a bottle of Gaucho from Tomos a Lilford. A light yet full bodied South American IPA brewed with Yerba Mate in 2015 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Welsh landing in Patagonia.

¡Salud boyo!

Food: Saag Aloo soup

This is a great iron-rich soup, which is a much healthier and quicker alternative than the local takeaway!

You’ll need:

• 3-4 medium potatoes
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 20g frozen spinach
• 1 tbsp Garam Marsala
• 1 tin of tomatoes
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 litre of water
• Squeeze of lime juice
• Rapeseed oil
• Salt & pepper

 

Garnish:

• 1 tbs coconut cream
• Few coriander leaves
• Vegetable pakoras

 

Start by chopping the potatoes into chunks, parboil them in a pan of salted water. Once done, drain and set aside.

Chop and fry the onion & minced garlic in a cast iron pot on a medium heat with a little oil until they’re soft and mellow. Add a splash more oil and add the spices & black pepper, and fry until they are all cooked out and the pan turns an opulent gold. Next, add in the potatoes, and coat them in this spicy mixture. Pour over the water and stir. Add in the lime juice and spinach, and stir lightly until it starts to thaw. Place the lid on, turn the heat down onto its lowest setting and leave the mixture bubble and cook for a further 8-10 minutes.

When the soup’s done its thing, take a hand blender and blitz the whole thing into a thick, velvety spiced soup.

Serve with a drizzle of coconut cream, some coriander and some pakoras on the side.

Enjoy!

Food: Sweet potato moqueca

This recipe started as a way to use up some leftover sweet potato I had in the pantry. By now, it’s one of my weekly favourites. Its super tasty and simple to make!

You’ll need:

• 4 Medium sweet potatoes
• 2 Large red onions
• Glug of vegetable oil
• 2 Cloves of garlic
• 1tsp Chilli flakes
• 1 tbs Of palm oil
• 2 Bell peppers (I used green & red)
• 1tsp Of tomato pureé
• Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
• 2 tsp Ground coriander
• 1tsp Of dried parsley
• 1 tin Of peeled tomatoes
• 100ml Of water
• 1/2 Of coconut milk
• 1 Vegetable stock pot
• Squeeze of lime luice
• Handful of jalapeños, chopped

Coconut Rice:

• 1 Cup of rice (per person)
• 1/2 tin of coconut milk
• Water
• 1 Dried chilli pepper

Garnish:

• Handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
• Handful of fresh coriander, chopped.

 

Peel the sweet potatoes & chop into thick chunks. Boil them until soft in a pan of salted water. Once done, drain and set aside.

In a cast-iron pot, fry the onions – cut into strips & 2 cloves of garlic (minced) until soft. Add in a green & red bell pepper cut into chunks. Once everything has lost its toughness add in 2 tsp ground coriander, a sprinkle of chilli flakes, a big dollop of tomato pureé and a generous amount of fresh coriander. Add 1 tin of peeled tomatoes (taken and chopped into thick chunks on a chopping board) with its juice.

Fill up the tomato tin with water and add to the mix, getting out all the tomatoey goodness.

Then add in half a tin of coconut milk, a squeeze of lime juice, a vegetable stock pot, a few jalapeños and a tbs of palm oil – or dendê- which you can get online. Thankfully my mum had some Carotina oil – which is sustainably sourced, cold-pressed red palm fruit oil.

Finally add in the vegetables and season to taste. Cook incredibly slow for 3 hours.

Finish with loads of freshly chopped parsley and coriander.

I served mine with coconut rice, which I made by cooking the rice in seasoned water, the other half of the coconut milk and a dried chilli until fully cooked. The result is somewhat fluffy, somewhat sticky- FULL ON comfort food

I served mine with some lime Lemonaids, but a Brazilian beer such as a Brahma, would pair really nicely!

 

Bom apetite!

Food: Harissa carrot tagine

Here’s an easy recipe for a Moroccan carrot & chickpea tagine. This could not be simpler to make. Feeds 3-4.

You’ll need:

• 1 large brown onion, chopped finely
• Large glug of olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 5 medium carrots, chopped & peeled
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 tin of chickpeas, drained
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1tsp ground cumin
• 1tbs agave nectar
• 1tbs harissa paste
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 125ml water
• Handful of sultanas
• 1 (heaped) tsp sundried tomato paste
• Salt & pepper

To garnish:

• Handful of coriander, chopped

 

To start, add the oil to a shallow pan with a lid and bring to a low heat. Next, add the chopped onion and garlic and fry off until soft and translucent.Once done, you can add the carrots, agave and spices. I’d recommend you chop the carrots so that they are ‘rollcut’- which means that you chop on the diagonal and rotate as you chop, this will give the carrots more surface area to suck up the spicy sauce and give an interesting presentation.

To the pan, add in the harissa paste and sundried tomato paste and turn the heat up to medium. Cook out for roughly 1-2 minutes. Once cooked, add in the chopped tomatoes and the drained can of chickpeas. Don’t throw away the chickpea water though, as this can be used as an eggwhite substitute for so many recipes!

Next add in the lemon juice, 125ml of water and the sultanas and stir until everything has melded together. Season with plenty of salt & pepper. Next, you have to let it do its thing. So, turn the heat down on the hob to its lowest setting and put the lid on. Leave on the hob for at least 10 minutes. While it’s cooking away slowly on the hob I’d recommend putting on the oven to a low 140°C. Once up to speed, transfer from the hob to the oven. Now, you can put your feet up as it needs to be in there for at least 2, preferably 3 hours!

In the meantime the kitchen will slowly fill with a lovely North African aroma 😉

Once the time is up, take out of the oven and add in a splash more of water and stir, just to reconstitute everything. Before you will be a rich & hearty tagine. Garnish with a big sprinkle of chopped coriander and it’s ready to serve.

 

We served ours with a mountain of fluffy couscous and some sweet mint tea.

Enjoy!