English Crumpet wishes...

Valentine's English Crumpets with veggie pate and red pepper hearts

This is the Valentine's creation made by myself and the littlest niece Layla. ML came home from a shopping trip with a packet of these heart shaped English crumpets and once I got over my natural aversion to heart shaped cuteness on this enforced romantic day...(I used to work for Hallmark..lol..and that pretty much kills it for you, believe me)..I went with it and recruited Layla to help me. We opted for freshly toasted crumpets spread with a little veggie pate and then we had fun cutting out red pepper hearts. And of course there had to be a heart shaped plate to present them on!

I will not wish you all a soppy romantic wish as I know not everyone is lucky enough to have that in their life right now. So I will simply wish you all a peaceful, happy and fun weekend and hope that you are surrounded by people who love you every day. 

Thanks for stopping by and I'll be back on Monday with a new Rocket & Roses recipe. 

~Red~ 

 

Rocket & Roses Messy Blueberry Buckwheat Breakfast Pancakes (vegan & gluten-free)

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Mary J Blidge ~ Family Affair
The Rolling Stones ~ Ruby Tuesday 
Zac Brown Band ~ Free
Alanis Morrisette ~ Wake Up
Muse ~ Explorers 
Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa ~ Close To My Fire
The Union ~ Siren's Song
The Eagles ~ King Of Hollywood
KT Tunstall ~ Fade Like A Shadow
Doris Day ~Lets Walk A This Away
Buckcherry ~ Grace (Acoustic)
Mozart: Violin Concerto #3 in G
No Doubt ~ Running

Hurray! We have sunshine this morning and nothing goes better with a bright and sunny morning than a beautiful punnet of plump and delicious Atlantic Blueberries. I love regular blueberries but when it's the Atlantic season I am very happy indeed. They just seem to have a little more sweetness to them. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy them this year having taken refined  and most unrefined sugar out of my life. But I was surprised with a gift of two punnets yesterday by my pal Ann and who I am to turn those little blue berries of goodness. Back in the day I would've just rinsed them and eaten them straight from the colander. This time I decided to try out two recipe ideas I'd had scribbled down...and who am I kidding...a few may have slipped through the recipe net and into my mouth...*innocent whistles*...

The first thing I made was a dessert which I shall post on Monday when I've had time to try it. But the next recipe I made was this blueberry pancake recipe. I wanted to use my buckwheat pancake recipe as a starting point...to thin the batter I added some unsweetened almond milk and to add a little hit of extra sweetness I added a tiny amount of Stevia powder. The batter is just matter of whisking all the ingredients together and using a 1/2 cup measure I added the batter to my cast iron skillet and got flipping. However, I had forgotten how much mess bursting blueberries can make..so the pancakes ended up with a fantastic messy look and as I served mine with some fresh and cooled blueberries I had a great texture and taste contrast between those refreshing pops of flavour and the warm gooey sweetness. And it wasn't overly sweet at all which is always good for me but you could add some Maple or Agave to your batter if you need extra sweetness. Every mouthful was a delight...

For me, this recipe will always be a High Days And Holidays dish because of the sugar content but it will be one I look forward to very much. A great way to start your day for sure...

Rocket & Roses Messy Blueberry Buckwheat Breakfast Pancakes

R&R Messy Blueberry Buckwheat Breakfast Pancakes   Makes 3 x 8" thin pancakes
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen)

1/2 cup buckwheat flour 
1/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
1/2 tsp Stevia powder 
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp chia egg 
(1 tbsp chia seeds into 3 tbsp water, shake and leave for 15 minutes. Scoop out 1 tbsp of chia seed gel and store the remaining gel, covered in the fridge)
1/2 cup of blueberries, rinsed and drained well
1/2 tbsp melted coconut oil for skillet
leftover blueberries for scattering over the pancakes, if any are left  

Place the first five ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the chia egg and beat into the batter. Fold in the blueberries and leave the batter to 'sit' whilst you ready you skillet. 

Place your skillet over a medium/high heat and then brush the base with a little coconut oil. Using a 1/2 cup measure scoop the batter into the skillet and quickly move the pan around to ensure an even pancake. Leave to cook until bubbles have almost dried out and then loosen the pancake around the edges until you can shake the pancake free. Then toss the pancake over (or flip it with a spatula..I like to live dangerously..lol) and cook the other side until it is lifting around the edges. Place on a oven proof plate in between two pieces of parchment paper and keep warm in a cooling oven until you have the other two made. 

Fold the pancakes in any shape you fancy and then sprinkle with fresh cold blueberries and then sit in the sun and smile...

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Friday is a great and sunny one....

~Red~ 

NB: This recipe is my creation. I have no problem with you using or sharing it but I simply ask that you give credit where its due. As I always try to when testing recipes from Other's Kitchens. Namaste, ~R~  

 
   

Rocket & Roses Ginger & Asparagus Buckwheat Breakfast Pancake (V & GF)

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Split Enz ~ I Got You
VAST ~ Tattoo Of Her Name
Melissa Etheridge ~ This War Is Over
VAST ~ Pretty When You Cry
Half Moon Run ~ Full Circle 
The Virginmarys ~ Bang Bang Bang
Rudimental ~ Right Here
Missy Higgins ~ Sweet Arms Of A Tune 
VAST ~ Temptation
Nickelback ~ This Means War
JET ~ Cold Hard Bitch
Buckcherry ~ The Truth
INXS ~ Never Tear Us Apart 
Meredith Brooks ~ Watched You Fail

My day at the beach was lovely...however even smothered in factor 50 I am still a little red but thankfully not sore because I would've been very cross with myself. It was good to escape Helltown and sit on the beach and feel the healing vibes and all too soon our time was up and we had to pack up and head home. But I was left with a re-energised feeling and able to deal with all the changes that are happening to and around me. It was really good to just spend some time with Ann without us packing boxes and the like, although I felt a little guilty when I got home and ML had been clearly stuck in airless meeting rooms all day. I was reassured that no guilt was necessary and reminded that we are all meeting up for another beach day on Monday so everyone will be able to reap the beach healing..and there may even be some Softball action going on..lol. Can't wait. 

As my time was a little rushed yesterday morning I had to make a very quick breakfast. Gone are the days when I could hastily eat a bowl of cereal on these occasions..too many preservatives, gluten and sugars in them even the 'healthy' kind. I've perfected the art of making and cooking a single serving buckwheat pancake breakfast in under 10 minutes. Not too shabby, eh? I had a bunch of thin asparagus in the fridge and had decided in the shower that this was going to be the base of my breakfast. Odd thing to think of in the shower I know..lol. My throat was feeling a little sore (can't wait for my hospital appt on Friday) so was in great need a ginger boost and that was exactly what I gave myself. I loved the freshness of the tender-crisp asparagus and the comforting heat from the ginger and wholesome fullness of the buckwheat pancake. This is my now speedy breakfast whilst the asparagus is in season...who knew..I've finally found my asparagus love. 

Rocket & Roses Ginger & Asparagus Buckwheat Breakfast Pancake

R&R Ginger & Asparagus Buckwheat Breakfast Pancake     Serves 1
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen)

1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1 heaped 1/4 tsp gluten free baking powder
1/2 tbsp chia egg 
(Egg mix: 1 tbsp chia + 3 tbsp water. Mix. After 15 mins scoop out your 1.2 tbsp and then store the remaining egg in the fridge) 
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp cold water 

Mix the dry ingredients together and then whisk in the water until smooth. Then add the chia egg and beat in. Set to one side. 

1 tsp coconut oil
8 thin asparagus, woody end removed, tips cut off and put to the side, cut into 1" pieces
2" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and then micro grated

In a small omelette pan add the oil, ginger and stalk pieces and over a gentle heat leave to cook, stirring once to evenly coat the stalks. After 3 minutes add in the tips and stir well to combine. Add in the batter and stir well to bring the veggies evenly into the pancake and smooth over. Leave to cook until the pancake easily moves when the pan is shaken...flip over and press down into the pan. Leave to cook for a few minutes for the pancake to be sealed underneath. Serve at once...

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Wednesday is a good one...

~Red~ 

This is an Original Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen recipe. I am more than happy for you to use and share but please give credit where it's due. Many thanks ~R~    

Rocket & Roses Spring Onion & Ginger Buckwheat Pancakes (vegan & gluten free)

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

The White Stripes ~ Elephant Album

You know what they say about buses...none for ages and then three come along all at once? Meaning no disrespect to the bus drivers out there...in fact one of my closest friends drives one, don't ya know. lol. But even he would admit that was an often very true statement. Anyway...I have picked up another lurgy! Yes..I know...the third in six weeks. But I am resilient that I will fight this one off as I have the other two. I am more susceptible than usual after hospital visits and the like so I am taking my own advice...Suck it up Buttercup!..and keeping up with my regime of chilli, garlic and ginger foods along with copious amounts of lemon & ginger tea and also the odd echinacea tea. The only whine I'm going to have is that I had to cancel the little ones coming for lunch today but better that then them spending their Easter holidays recovering from this little nasty. Ah well...at least the sun is shining whilst it's raining today...lol

Today's recipe is the results of an idea I've had floating about in my head for sometime. I wanted a breakfast in a hurry but also wanted a savoury kick. I am not one for sweet breakfasts. Cereals just have way too much sugar in them even the 'healthy' variety. My body just cannot process sugar and so I have one box in my cupboard...Brown Rice Puffs which are as described and have no additives. But they have been there for two months, unopened and today just wasn't the day to try them. I have become a little addicted to buckwheat pancakes and been testing them out many different ways. I also had some juicy fresh ginger and four med/large spring onions (green/scallion onions) that needed to be used up. And really it flowed from there. Be warned though...as they cook in the skillet..your mouth will water and you will be tempted to eat them straight from the pan. lol. I enjoyed mine for a late breakfast but they could be eaten anytime. I used a 1/4 cup to measure out the batter and from one mix I got four fluffy pancakes. The spring onion still had a little crunch which was what I was hoping for and the ginger rounded out the flavour perfectly. They were light and fluffy and had great layers of texture especially when scattered with chopped fresh radish too. I know I will be making these often. 

Rocket & Roses Spring Onion & Ginger Buckwheat Pancakes

Rocket & Roses Spring Onion & Ginger Buckwheat Pancakes   Makes 4 pancakes
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen)

Generous 2" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and micro grated 
4 med/large spring onions, trimmed, quartered lengthwise and cut into 2" pieces
1 tsp coconut oil 

1/2 cup buckwheat flour 
1/2 heaped tsp gluten free baking powder 
1 tbsp chia seed gel *see below for recipe
generous grating of cracked black pepper 
 
Place the dried batter ingredients into a small bowl with 1/2 cup of water and mix until a smooth paste is formed.  For the chia seed gel..simply add 1 tbsp chia seeds into 3 tbsp water and mix. Leave for 15 minutes until the gel forms them scoop out 1 tbsp of it into the batter paste and mix into it thoroughly. Store leftover gel in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Set batter to one side.   

In a cast iron skillet place the coconut oil, prepped spring onions and fresh ginger and allow to heat over a gentle heat. The aim is to bring out the flavours of the spring onion and ginger and not to cook them. Once they become fragrant keep them moving around the skillet for 2 minutes and then add them to the batter and stir well to make sure they are evenly distributed. Leave the skillet on the heat but taking it up to a med heat. 

Using a 1/4 cup measure scoop up some batter and place it into the skillet and smooth out the batter a little. Repeat once more and leave the pancakes to cook until browned on the bottom, flip them over and leave to brown on the second side. Remove the two pancakes from the skillet and then repeat with the remaining batter. Serve on a small plate with generous amounts of scattered radish. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Tuesday had a beautiful rainbow like mine has...

~Red~ 

Rocket & Roses Healing Vegetable Breakfast Oats (vegan & gluten free)

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Blackberry Smoke ~ The Whippoorwill (Deluxe) Album

Firstly...thank you to those of you who have emailed with messages of well wishes. It's very kind of you and I appreciate every word but please don't worry so. I'm still here and still kicking albeit a little more gently then normal this week. I had to have some tests done on Monday which I wasn't expecting and were a little painful but I'm rocking the dressings and ML is enjoying the silence. lol. 

Secondly...just wanted to clear up a couple of things that some folks have assumed about me and my blog. I am not a red head..lol..sorry if that shocks those of you that have assumed that over the years. I am a blonde but have all the temperaments that the stereotype of a being a natural red head has...firey for sure. lol. Red is my nickname for many reasons over the years but it started with my deep love of the colour blood red...and then morphed over the years. Not very exciting after all, eh? lol. And the name of my beloved blog comes from the joining of two of my favourite things....favourite salad leafy Rocket/Arugula and my passion for white roses. And had nothing to do with the fact that I am a rock chick and happen to be a fan of Guns N' Roses...that was purely a coincidence. Honestly...never even occurred to me until I received my first email about it. lol. OK...well that's that sorted out... now for today's recipe....lol

The meds I'm on often leave my tum sore and makes eating tricky. I gave up sugar refined and unrefined in the New Year and its really helping. I have completely kicked all of it and only have sugars that naturally occur in fresh foods...and the only fruit I have is the rare piece of citrus. It's working for me and I can now say I have lost the small sweet tooth I used to have and even have recently admitted that sweet potato and butternut squash are a little too sweet for my palate now. Who know that would happen? Sweet potatoes were one of my favourite veggies before. I can still eat them in small amounts in a dish but can't have them steamed as a side veggie anymore. Anyway...when my tum is raw I need to cook dishes that will have a soothing affect and I have been kicking the idea of a savoury breakfast porridge around for quite some time. I haven't had porridge in such a long time although I do use GF oats in cooking often. I never enjoyed loaded sweet porridge anyway...oats/water/1/2 tsp brown sugar/1 tsp cinnamon was my old recipe. Never liked it with milks or creams...yuck. lol. So today I decided to put my thoughts to the test and give a savoury oats breakfast a go...

I wanted it to be intensely savoury but wanted to use just fresh vegetables. The only seasonings used were heaps of freshly cracked black pepper and the ingredients in my preferred veggie stock (zero sodium, yeast free, gluten free) and a tsp of my lemon infused olive oil. I chose veggies that I knew I can enjoy even when my tum is sore and got chopping. Now to blow my own trumpet...this rocked. lol. The hard work came in skinning the broad beans which I admit is one of my loathed kitchen chores. But the rest is simply tossing veggies into the pot and stirring frequently. I found this breakfast intensely comforting which is what I needed badly. The fresh flavours from the veggies blended with the wholesome oats giving it a serious savoury edge and if I had to choose from here on in..it will be savoury oats over sweet for the rest of my days. I purposely cooked my veggies to still be a little crispy because I wanted the texture but it's entirely your call on how long you cook yours. You don't need to use the oil at the beginning or maybe a little coconut oil...that's the only change I would make next time so I can get a little extra healing from the potent coconut oil. (And if you haven't tried it yet...get a move on...lol. Thanks to Helen & Vas for heading me in that direction..) I sat with my bowl of porridge and slowly savoured every mouthful and found myself satisfied and disappointed both at the same time that I had finished my breakfast. And it has been incredibly gently on my tum so I am mentally doing my happy wiggle. lol. Yum! Looking forward to my breakfast tomorrow..

Rocket & Roses Healing Vegetable Breakfasts Oats (V & GF)

 
Rocket & Roses Healing Vegetable Breakfast Oats     Serves 2-4
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen)

1 tsp lemon infused olive oil or coconut oil
2 spring onions, trimmed and sliced 
1 very small garlic clove, micro-grated
1" piece of fresh ginger, micro-grated
8 green beans, trimmed, cut into 1" pieces
1 med carrot, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced
5 Brussels sprouts, trimmed, thinly sliced 
3/4 cup broccoli, cut into small florets 
2/3 cup broad beans, skins removed 
very generous amounts of freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup of GF oats 
3 cups of veggie stock 

Gently the heat the oil in a pan and add the spring onion, garlic and ginger and gently heat through. When fragrant add the green beans, carrots and sprouts and saute for 3 minutes. Add in the broad beans and generous amounts of black pepper and stir and cook for 3 minutes more. Toss the oats into the veggie mix and stir well to coat the oats in the veggies. Add in the broccoli florets and stir well whilst adding in 2 cups of the veggie stock. Bring it to a gentle boil and then reduce the heat and leave to simmer and absorb the stock, stirring occasionally to ensure no sticky moments. Then add the final cup of stock and stir constantly until its absorbed. Leave to simmer and allow the oats to finish cooking. Remove from heat and serve...

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Wednesday is a good one...

~Red~ 

  

Rocket & Roses Breakfast Burritos with Spicy Cavolo Filling (vegan & gluten free)

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Chopin: Nocturne #2 in E Flat 
Gary Moore ~ Parisienne Walkways
Temple of the Dog ~ Hunger Strike 
INXS ~ Need You Tonight
Sweet ~ Alexander Graham Bell
P!nk ~ U + Ur Hand
Guns N' Roses ~ Sweet Child O' Mine 
Buckcherry ~ Brooklyn
Dinah Shore ~ It's Easy To Remember
Thunder ~ Loser 
Texas ~ Say What You Want 
Harry Connick Jr ~ Jambalaya 
Fiona Apple ~ I Know
The Zutons ~ Valerie 

The spring sun is shining, there is smokey chipotle hued cavolo filling cooking away in the skillet and there are breakfast burritos to be had for breakfast. I am well enough to be venturing out with ML and the four legged fella for a walk straight after...what is there not to be happy about? Happy Sunday all...

I created this recipe when I had a huge bag of cavolo kale to use up and some shop bought gluten free tortillas BFree...a thousand ingredients in them and sadly yeast being one of them. Not perfect for me but the closest I've come to flour tortillas since going gluten free. I was wanting to make a breakfast burrito that I could make many of at once and put most of them in the freezer for future breakfasts. I've made this recipe twice now..the first batch disappeared quickly between myself and my sister. All in the spirit of testing I'll have you know..lol. Ahem! Anyway so today I doubled the filling and when back from my walk I will be stood folding burritos for the freezer. Marvellous. I look forward to that. What a fib..rolling of burritos and spring rolls is one of my kitchen chores! Ah well..still happy! lol. 

The filling is beautiful in colour and packed with flavours and a huge hit of heat from the Padron chillies and the chipotle chilli powder. I made an avocado cream sauce to complement it and it works really well. The tortillas are an interesting product...light, kinda easy to fold and are the perfect flavour for a gluten free product, meaning they don't overpower the filling but it would be hard to do that lol. I really loved these burritos and look forward to having them again on many more sunny mornings to come. Let me know what you think.... 

Rocket & Roses Breakfast Burritos with Spicy Cavolo Filling

Rocket & Roses Breakfast Burritos with Spicy Cavolo Filling  Makes 4
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen)

4  small gluten free tortillas of your choice

Filling:
1 tbsp coconut oil (optional)
1 small red onion, halved and sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 Pardon green chillies, de-seeded and finely chopped
2 mini yellow bell peppers, sliced 
3 mini orange bell peppers, sliced 
4 mini red bell peppers, sliced 
3 fresh plum tomatoes, cored, semi-seeded and chopped
1/8th tsp chipotle chilli powder
8 cavolo kale leaves, de-stalked and chopped
1 14oz tin of borlotti beans, rinsed and drained 
Himalayan salt and freshly cracked black pepper to season

Avo Sauce:
1 large ripe avocado, de-stoned and skinned
Juice of 1 lime 
1 tbsp garlic infused oil
1/8th tsp chipotle chilli powder 
Trace amount of Himalayan salt to season

In a large skillet gently heat the coconut oil and then throw in the red onion, stirring often cook for 5 minutes until softened. Toss in the chilli, garlic, ginger and cook until the garlic and ginger becomes fragrant. Add in the bell peppers, tomatoes, beans and chilli powder and stir well. Cover and allow to cook over a low heat for 5 minutes. Add in the chopped cavolo and stir well and once again cover, cook for another 5 minutes until the cavolo has wilted.  Season with salt and pepper. Set to one side. 

Spicy Cavolo filling smoking away in the skillet ~ beautiful colours

Whilst the filling is cooking, place the avocado sauce ingredients into a blender, processor or mash together by hand. Blitz until you have a smooth, creamy sauce. Season with salt and then set to one side. 

To assemble:

Take one tortilla and lay it down in front of you. Spread some avocado sauce over the tortilla and then spoon 1/4th of the filling down the centre of the tortilla. Fold the sides over and then fold up from the bottom until completely closed and set carefully to one side. Repeat with the remaining three tortillas. 

Clean out the skillet to remove an filling bits and then place the skillet over a med/high heat. Once the skillet has heated back up, place the burritos fold side down into the pan. press down gently with a spatula and allow to cook for 4 minutes then carefully flip over and cook for a further 4 minutes until heated through. Serve...

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Sunday has been a great one...

~Red~

   

Rocket & Roses Breakfast Rice Bowl: Cumin, Lentil & Spinach

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

PCD ~ Sway
Feist ~ So Sorry
P!nk ~ Funhouse
Keith Urban ~ She's Gotta Be
Cyndi Lauper ~ My Baby Just Cares For Me
The Cranberries ~ I Will Always 
Dixie Chicks ~ Baby Hold On
Audioslave ~ Revelations
Shelby Lynne ~ Track 12
Gwen Stefani ~ Hollaback Girl 
Gina Sicilia ~ That Much Further
Dave Matthews Band ~ All Along The Watchtower (Live)
Gregory Porter ~ The Way You Want To Live 
Steve Winwood ~ I'm Ready

This morning I needed a speedy breakfast because my energy levels are a little low. So I turned to the combo that never lets me down. I started the dish off with my holy trinity of the moment...garlic, ginger and chillies. All fresh..no dried versions. I allowed then to heat through in a little coconut oil then threw in some cooked brown rice, cooked green lentils and left them to cook whilst I rinsed and chopped some organic spinach. I added some fresh lemon juice, a little cumin and the spinach and voila! Speedy breakfast....

I enjoy breakfasts like this when I want the comfort of a hot breakfast but the speed of a convenience breakfast. However I have to confess I think I am becoming seriously addicted to fresh chillies and ginger. But that's not a bad thing, eh? 

Rocket & Roses Breakfast Rice Bowl: Cumin, Lentil & Spinach

 

Rocket & Roses Breakfast Rice Bowl: Cumin, Lentil & Spinach
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen)

Cooked brown rice
Cooked green lentils
1.5" fresh ginger, micro-grated
2 cloves garlic, micro-grated
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 tbsp coconut oil
fresh juice of 1/2 lemon   
1.5 cups of organic fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin

(No specific amounts as you should instinctively use what you need and for however many people you are cooking for..)

In a skillet gently heat the coconut oil with the garlic, chilli and ginger in it. When it becomes fragrant add the rice and stir well to make sure the garlic mix is evenly distributed. Add in the lentils, lemon juice and cumin and stir once more and leave to heat through. Toss in the spinach and stir through. Allow to heat through whilst you grab a bowl and then serve once the spinach has wilted. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Thursday has been nice....

~Red~ 

 

  
 

 

Brunch: Ricki's Egyptian Fava Bean Breakfast with Socca Chickpea Flatbread

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Otis Reading ~ That's How Strong My Love is 
Marvin Gaye ~ Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Brandi Carlile ~ Have You Ever
Savage Garden ~ Violet 
Sammy Davis Jr ~ Sam's Song 
The Virginmarys ~ Taking The Blame
Skid Row ~ Psycho Love 
Def Leppard ~ Pour Some Sugar On Me
Tim McGraw ~ My Best Friend
Lucuna Coil ~ Cold 
Micheal Kiwanuka ~ Worry Walks Beside Me
Elgar: Salut D'Amour
John Lennon ~ Jealous Guy
Dean Martin ~ Volare 

I hope you have as much sunshine around you today as I have. It's a beautiful crisp spring day and although I am still on rest I am feeling quite cheerful...the sun rays beaming in through the windows are helping. I have been enjoying watching all the spring flowers popping up everywhere we've been this past week and I've enjoyed feeling the suns warmth on my skin...when I'm not shivering lol.

ML has been helping me out in the kitchen this morning as my energy levels are low right now. But now it is feet up time and I can relax better knowing the days meals are cooked. This morning I enjoyed a Gram Flour Omelette packed with fresh chillies, ginger and veggies but the last few mornings I've been trying out a beany based breakfast. The recipe is from Ricki Heller's self titled website and for her original posting simply click this link. Her website is great and I often find myself there cruising her recipes and articles. 

Now being the bean/lentil addict fan I am. I was very surprised when I realised I hadn't actually eaten fava beans. Sure I've eaten fresh broad beans in dishes and one of my favourite hummus is a broad bean and mint variety. But dried fava beans are another thing and until finding Ricki's recipe I hadn't even thought about them. I admit I did buy a bag of dried ones but after nearly five hours of cooking they were still solid and the house had filled with their unique aroma...(nasty!..lol) and so they ended up in the bin. I did track down some tinned fava beans and stashed them to be used in this recipe. 

As I cooked this recipe I also threw together a Socca Chickpea Flatbread to go with them. I have to say making the beany dish was incredibly simple and I adapted the recipe by adding in a fresh chilli at the garlic stage. Next time I would also skin the tomato and maybe add another but tough tomato skin is a pet peeve of mine. The beany dish was unusual but not unpleasantly so...it was just very different from other beany dishes I've cooked. I liked that the fava beans have a completely different flavour and teamed with a couple of pieces of the flatbread it made for a filling breakfast. I really enjoyed it and will definitely be buying a stash of tinned fava beans for this speedy breakfast. 

Ricki's Egyptian Fava Bean Breakfast with Socca Chickpea Flatbread

Ricki's Egyptian Fava Bean Breakfast    Serves 2
(Recipe from www.rickiheller.com)  

2 tins of fava beans, rinsed well and drained 
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 large tomato, chopped 
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
pepper to taste 
1 small jalapeno, sliced (or chopped & added in when you do the garlic)
freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onion, cook for about 5 minutes, until it begins to soften. Add the garlic (and chilli) and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and just beginning to brown.  Add about half of the beans to the skillet and mash with a wooden spoon or spatula to create a bean-onion mush. Add the remaining (whole) beans, tomato, and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss in the jalapeno slices over all just before serving. 

To serve sprinkle the beans with fresh lemon juice (Using about 1/2 lemon) and drizzle with extra oil, if desired. Best served with flatbread. Makes 2 large servings. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Sunday has been a relaxing one...

~Red~ 

NB: The recipe is not my creation and so therefore take no credit for it whatsoever. It is the adapted creation of Ricki Heller adapted from Vegetarian Bible: Fresh from the Garden. I thank them all for this recipe. ~R~ 

Rocket & Roses Breakfast Rice Bowl

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Eddie Vedder ~ Once In A While
Shakira ~ The Day And The Time
Maroon 5 ~ A Little Of Your Time
Bowes & Morley ~ I'd Take The Stars Out Of The Sky
Holly Williams ~ Giving Up
The Blow ~ If
Buckcherry ~ Never Say Never
Shania Twain ~ Up! (Red)
The Dandy Warhols ~ Bohemian Like You
KT Tunstall ~ Push That Knot Away
Tina Dico ~ A New Situation
The Doors ~ Moonlight Drive
QOTSA ~ Do It Again
The Cranberries ~ Carry On

ML made it back from a working week in Sofia, Bulgaria however the luggage did not arrive until some time after..lol. Don't you hate it when that happens? At least it was returned the same day...we are aware it could've been much worse. Friday was a mess of busy as I had hospital appointments and a list of stuff I had to get done. Saturday was chaotic but for the very best of reasons as ML suggested that we all (ourselves, my sister and her little ones) clear out of the house for the day and head for the city and we enjoyed (HA!) lunch out, a little retail therapy and the little ones had a great time in one of the city's parks. Then in the evening Ann and Caz brought back the little sock stealer who had been staying with them for the week...and he was not happy to be home in fact he's still sulking. He loves..worships Ann. lol. I try not to take it personally...really I do. They were staying for dinner and so our good day continued on into the evening with a lot of laughs. It was badly needed...and Sunday was just nice as ML and I sat and enjoyed breakfast together...we decided to get the heck out of dodge and go on an adventure of our own and a lovely day was had by both. 

Today has been more hospitals and a procedure and a biopsy. Throat biopsies are not a great thing but a necessary evil, it's over now and so we wait..again. In the meantime I shall be carrying on regardless and filling my time with the usual things. And so in that spirit I shall get on with today's recipe...

...when my medications are making my tummy sore I often find eating a chore but one of the foods that I can usually take is brown rice. And I will have it at all mealtimes and it really helps. I usually have it with some form of bean or lentil and in the old days I would have it with some low sodium soy sauce sprinkled over. As I can't have soy for a the foreseeable future I've had to get creative. lol. I really wanted to make a breakfast rice that was a little more interesting than my usual rice and beans. I wanted it to have some veggies in there and some gentle spices but I also added some fresh chilli although I wouldn't add that on a bad day. 

The spice I chose was one of my favourite blends...garam masala. I enjoy the slightly perfumed scent of it and the gentle way it infuses itself into a dish. I had some organic leeks, a kohlrabi and some carrots that were awaiting a good recipe so I got chopping. I also had some leftover cooked green lentils and decided to use them as my pulse selection. I already had cooked brown rice on hand as I'd thrown a batch in my rice cooker a couple of days earlier and the minimum amount I can cook always leaves me with a good few portions leftover for future days. The results were a very good rice dish and easy to eat and enjoy on the cold winter mornings here. It wasn't heavy and sat gently in my tum and was robust enough to keep me going until I felt up to eating again.

Rocket & Roses Breakfast Rice Bowl...on a genuine Bulgarian placement!

Rocket & Roses Breakfast Rice Bowl      Serves 3-4
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen)

200g cooked brown rice 
200g cooked green lentils 
3 sm/med leeks, cleaned and sliced
2 med carrots, peeled and small dice 
1 med kohlrabi, peeled and med dice 
2 green chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp coconut oil
8 fl oz veggie stock 
1 1/2 tsp garam masala 
freshly ground black pepper to taste
salt to taste - optional 

Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the leeks, carrots and kohlrabi until softened. Add the chilli and cook for two more minutes. Add the garam masala and stir well to ensure even coating and then add the veggie stock and cook until the veggies are tender. Add the rice and lentils to the skillet and then stir well and cover and leave to cook through for 5 minutes or until the rice is properly heated. Then serve...

Enjoy! 

I was surprised by a few Bulgarian treats from ML....two genuine Bulgarian placements for my foodie photos, a hand carved pestle and mortar and a Good Luck Bulgarian Bracelet. 

Hand made Bulgarian Place Mats

  
You can't see just how bright the red place mat actually is in this photograph but blimey it's shocking red..lol. 

Bulgarian Hand Carved Pestle & Mortar

I have to bath this beautiful pestle and mortar in olive oil and with my oil phobia that will be tricky but it has to be done....so beautiful and tactile. I love it's curves...

Bulgarian Good Luck Bracelet

It's a Bulgarian tradition to give these little handmade Good Luck bracelets to someone you love and they are to be put on, on the 1st March and stay on until you see your first stork..or signs of Spring. As the former is a little tricky to find in good old England I'm looking for Spring...so far I've seen beautiful spring flowers...a few bunnies and a beautifully spring like sunshine...however I'm still wearing mine because I need all the good luck I can get..lol.

Thanks for stopping by and thank you for all your emails of concern. I hope your week has started with laughter and happiness...

~Red~

Brunch: Smoked Chipotle Gram Flour Omelette (vegan, gluten & soy free)

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Half Moon Run ~ Dark Eyes Album 

My weeks are suddenly much busier which is a very good thing. This means by the time Sunday rolls around..or spins around..I am ready for the easy Sunday morning experience. Although today I missed out on that as I started creating a new recipe whilst cooking my omelette and then got lost in the process. By the time I got around to sitting down with my omelette it was a little cold so then I had to mess about re-heating it. I would like to say this was an unusual thing but it really isn't because when creativity and inspiration hit you have to give in to it and everything else around you disappears. I now have a newly completed recipe sat roasting in the oven and I hope to bring the results to you this week. However, this did not stop me from enjoying every mouthful of my brunch...

I added a little Chipotle chilli powder to the batter mix and that gave it a more rounded smokey chilli taste. I also added some leftover sweetcorn which smelt delish as it cooked away in the skillet with the other veggies. This omelette was a delight to eat and really fills you up. A great way to start your Sunday...ready for the adventures of the day ahead.

I am letting ML loose in my kitchen today...(yes I am freaking out somewhat...lol) as we have our good pals Stripe and Saz coming for lunch and ML wanted to give me a break from cooking and try out some ideas that had been floating around the noggin so here I am writing my blog with my apron hung up whilst I hear kitchen noises that aren't coming from my fair hand. *gulp* No really...I am sure it will be fine. lol. To be really honest I do not want to know what is going on in there, as it isn't by any stretch of the imagination, vegan..Urgh. Things we do for love....*wink*

A delicious way to start the day....addicted!

Smoked Chipotle Gram Flour Omelette              Serves 1-2 
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Rose Vegan Kitchen)

For the batter:

1/3 cup chickpea/gram flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp chia seeds 
scant amount of Himalayan salt 
1/4 tsp chipotle chilli powder 

For the veggies: 

3 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
1/4 cup sweetcorn
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced 
1/3 large green bell pepper 
6 Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered (or green leafy of choice) 
1/2 tbsp coconut oil

In a small bowl whisk together the batter ingredients and leave to thicken. If it gets too thick whilst the veggies are cooking simply add a little extra water to the mix but no more than a couple of tbsp's and then whisk again. 

In a skillet heat the coconut oil and then add the veggies to the pan. Saute for 2 minutes then cover the skillet and leave to cook for 4 minutes. Checking once to stir and stop any sticking. 

When the veggies have softened then pour the batter over and quickly stir together then even out the veggie to ensure even cooking. Place the lid back on the skillet and leave to cook for 5 minutes. Scoot! 

After the 5 minutes loosen the edges of the omelette with a spatula and then fold over the omelette and serve...

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Sunday is a relaxed one...

~Red~