Moroccan Table: Lablabi Soup, Marrakesh Tajine with Rocket & Roses Cous Cous Fava Beans (vegan)

Rocket & Roses Kitchen Play List:

Beth Hart ~ I'll Take Care Of You
Shakira ~ Loca
Slash/Joey Ramone ~ New York City
Soul Asylum ~ Somebody To Shove
Pearl Jam ~ The Fixer
Jack Savoretti ~ Knock Knock
The Eagles ~ Wasted Time
Creed ~ Beautiful
Skin ~ Nightsong
Hunter Valentine ~ Liar Liar
Royal Blood ~ Come On Over
Norah Jones ~ Seven Years
The Cars ~ Drive
Chopin: Prelude #15 in D Flat op 28/15 "Raindrops"

My Moroccan Table

I am finally getting my mojo back folks. Let me tell you that it is such a great relief to me. I'm not back in the kitchen every day just yet but I am creating a lot of future recipes and managing lots of 'plotting'. That being said...I did manage to throw together a small dinner party for a few friends last week. I was inspired to create a Moroccan feast and found three recipes inside the covers of World Food Cafe Vegetarian Bible Cookbook that I reviewed earlier this year.

I am a sucker for a chickpea soup and so the Lablabi Soup was a given..lol. The tajine was chosen because of its suggestion of vegetables but I had to make two changes. One of my dinner guests doesn't like dried raisins and I am not a fan of dried apricots so I had to omit them. I did add some pomegranate molasses to give that sweet fruit hit and I think it worked really well. The recipes suggested serving harissa with each dish and so I made a batch of the Tunisian Harissa. Holy hotness folks. The tip end of a teaspoon blew our heads off..so a smidge goes a very long way. So please be warned!! 

I wanted a grain dish to serve with the WFCVB recipes and I had a bag of Giant Cous Cous in my stocks. As I am 99% gluten-free now I hadn't even cracked open the bag but I was really craving a good cous cous side. I also had a tin of fava beans and decided to add them to the cous cous as it cooked. I then made a simple dressing using extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and freshly ground black pepper and whisked them until emulsified. Once the cous cous was cooked I added the dressing and replaced the lid to keep in the heat as the flavours combined. I served the tajine, cous cous and harissa with a large salad of baby leaves, cucumber (and blimey did we need those refreshing slices after the harissa!!!), yellow and orange pepper. 

Each course was an explosion of tastes and textures. The soup was creamy and comforting with an intense flavour. The tajine was full of flavour and just had that 'something' that makes a dish more special than others. It wasn't hot spicy but deeply intense with flavour. The cous cous was a comforting support to the heady delights of the tajine. I enjoyed every second of making these dishes and I know everybody enjoyed eating them too...it's good to be almost back. Now to the recipes...this weekend folks you get four of them...

NB: The Lablabi Soup, Marrakesh Tajine and Tunisian Harissa recipes are all from the World Food Cafe Vegetarian Bible Cookbook published by Frances Lincoln Limited. 

First course: Lablabi Soup

Lablabi Soup   Serves 4

8 tbsp olive oil (I used half that amount)
10 garlic cloves, finely chopped
12oz/350g chickpeas, soaked overnight and then drained
1 large red onion, diced
3 carrots, diced 
6 celery stalks, diced
1 heaped tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander 
1 tsp paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
juice of 1 lemon
handful of chopped coriander leaves to garnish
harissa to taste (recipe below)

Heat half of the oil in a saucepan/ when hot, add the garlic and saute until golden. Add the chickpeas and enough water to cover them by 1in/2.5cm. Bring to the boil, removing any foam that rises to the surface, and then reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer until the the chickpeas are soft. (Or cook the garlic in the oil and then add two drained tins of chickpeas, cover by a good 2" of water and cook for 20 minutes ~R~)

Meanwhile heat the remaining oil in a wok. When hot, add the chopped onion, carrots and celery, and saute until soft; it helps if you cover the wok and let the vegetables sweat. Towards the end of cooking, add the cumin, coriander and paprika. Stir the vegetables into the cooked chickpeas, followed by salt and black pepper to taste. Pour half the soup into a food processor and blend until smooth. Return it to unblended soup, adding more water if necessary, and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice.  Serve with coriander leaves to garnish. 

Main course: Marrakesh Tajine

Marrakesh Tajine   Serves 4

5 tbsp olive oil
2 red onions, thinly sliced
1 level tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 heaped tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground saffron or turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 aubergine, diced or cut into 1/2" half moons
4 small potatoes, cut into quarters
1 large sweet potato, chopped into large chunks
1 red and 1 green bell pepper, deseeded and cut lengthwise into 2.5/1" strips
salt 
6 artichoke hearts (fresh or canned)
125g/4oz green beans
4 medium tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree
handful of flat-leap parsley, chopped, plus more to garnish
handful of coriander leaves, chopped, plus more to garnish
small handful of raisins 
small handful of dried apricots 
OR 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses 
85g/3oz stoned olives
harissa, to serve recipe below

Heat the oil in a large pan and, when hot, fry the onions until they start to soften. 

Add the spices, stirring to prevent sticking. Add the aubergine, potatoes, sweet potato and green and red peppers. Sprinkle with a little salt as this helps prevent the aubergine from absorbing all the oil. 

When the aubergine starts to soften, add all the remaining vegetables and the tomato puree with just enough water barely to cover the vegetables. Add the parsley, coriander, raisins, apricots, (0r molasses) and olives. Bring to the boil and simmer gently until all the vegetables are really soft and the sauce is reduced until it is thick and rich, with the oil returning on the top. 

Garnish with lots of parsley and coriander, and serve with harissa and cous cous.

Side dish: Tunisian Harissa

Tunisian Harissa   Makes 1 very heaped cup of paste

1 red pepper
1 tbsp ground caraway seeds
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2oz/60g dried red chillies, soaked in hot water
1oz/30g ground cumin
2fl oz/60ml olive oil
salt to taste

First grill the red pepper on all sides until blackened. Place in a bowl and cover with cling film for 10 minutes to make it easier to peel. Peel, deseed and dice the pepper. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Store in the fridge in and airtight container.

And be warned...extremely hot!!!

Finally my contribution to the Moroccan Table....

Side dish: Giant Cous, Cous with Fava Beans

 

Rocket & Roses Giant Cous Cous with Fava Beans    Serves 4
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen)

1 packet of giant cous cous 
OR gluten free maize cous cous
1 tin of fava beans, rinsed and drained 

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 
generous amounts of freshly ground black pepper

Cook the cous cous to the packets instructions adding the drained beans towards the end of the cooking time to heat through. 

In a small bowl whisk the dressing until it has emulsified and then drizzle over the hot cous cous and stir well. Recover with the lid to keep warm until serving. Spoon into a serving bowl...

Enjoy!! 

I know these recipes use a lot more oil than I usually advocate but it is entirely your call on how much you use. I wouldn't serve these kind of dishes on a regular basis because of the oil factor so would class them as High Days & Holiday Dishes. 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your weekend is a fantastic one folks....

~Red~ 

NB: The Lablabi Soup, Makkaresh Tajine and Tunisian Harissa recipes are not my creation. They are the hard work and creation of Chris and Carolyn Caldicott and theirs alone. I take no credit for them whatsoever but do send thanks for sharing such great recipes. The Giant Cous Cous and Fava Bean recipe is mine. I have no problem with you using the recipe or sharing it. I simply ask you give credit where its due as I always try to. Many thanks...Namaste. ~R~  
 

 
  

 

Cookbook Review: World Food Cafe Vegetarian Bible

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Paulo Nutini ~ Sunny Side Up album 

Before Christmas I was asked to review the World Food Cafe Vegetarian Bible cookbook and I was happy to oblige. I have to confess I wasn't aware of Chris and Carolyn's cafe in Convent Garden so on first look I was a little confused by the title. On my first flip through the pages I was confused as to how this could be considered a 'whole world' bible when only a few places on the world map were represented. Then a friend was visiting and having travelled most of world herself, she was very interested in the book and then she spotted that 'World Food Cafe' was the name of the cafe...moral of the story...read the back cover. lol. Then the holiday season happened and my copy got put away with other work until the new year. 

On first glance this book is far more than a cookbook...it's also a coffee table book. Anyone who is veggie/vegan and fond of travel will always find something to please amongst its pages. The food photography alone is an inspiration, but for me it was the photos of the travels that the Caldicotts have added to it, that capitvated me. Being a grounded travel lover at this moment in my life I felt I was able to temporarily escape into them. It's a beautifully thought out and put together cookbook and I don't say that easily. I am very hard to please when it comes to my cookbook obsession. Because of its sheer mass of recipes I struggled with how I was going to set about recipe testing. I do believe to review a cookbook you must have made a good selection of the recipes from it..otherwise what is the point? It took me maybe five weeks to shortlist the recipes I was going to test and when the decision was made it all flowed from there. 

The first recipe I tested was the Spicy Rice Flat Bread because I am a fairly new gluten free person. I must admit the recipe reads through as very simple but I found the 'getting a dough to form' stage quite frustrating. However this could simply be the fact I was still getting used to using rice flour...my mind maybe still expecting the doughiness of wheat flour. But I persisted and then had many, many flat breads covering my entire kitchen. lol. I also tried freezing some and they defrosted and heated up very well. That same day I made the Cinnamon and Coconut Milk Curry and at the suggestion of the authors the Thyme and Lemon Rice. (Photos of these recipes will follow). I enjoyed making the curry,it wasn't problematic and it was a delight as it simmered away on my stove. The rice was a great recipe and made my mouth water as the lemon and thyme combined.

My personal opinion of the above recipes is that the flat bread is better given time for the flavours to blend. I found the texture very different to what I am used to but that isn't a bad thing. A friend (and fellow vegan and willing tester) described them as more potato cake in texture and I couldn't agree more. Would I make them again? Yes, most likely I will because I feel, having had some more experience with GF flours since testing this recipe, I can make them better this time. On to the curry...I was a little dismayed at the amount of liquid with this curry. The aromatic qualities of this dish are very pleasing and I thought it was subtly beautiful in its finished form. I think because of its watery appearance I wasn't expecting a heavy overload of flavours but I was wrong. It had many layers and the spices built with each mouthful. I loved this curry. The aromatic side dish of Thyme and Lemon rice made it a sensory experience. The heady flavours of the thyme and lemon somewhat reduced over the cooking time and I felt combined with the curry, they were perfect for each other. I greatly enjoyed this combination which is good because I was eating it for days...lol. 

Having tested these three recipes I still felt that I needed to test out some more before I could write the review and so decided to ask my close circle of friends round for an afternoon and evening of recipe testing. They all happily agreed and I spent the day before making dish after dish to try on them. I decided upon seven recipes...a starter of East African Wilderness Sweet Potato Patties with East African Piri Piri and the Mozambique Piri Piri sauces. For the main course I selected the Deep-Red Rajasthani Vegetables in a Poppy Seed Sauce...I didn't want to make another curry. I served this with simple steamed brown basmati rice, wheat flatbreads and some of the Spicy Rice Flat Breads. I also made a serving of the Banana Raita as suggested by the Caldicotts. It intrigued me grealy lol. To serve the testers with a lesser sweet tooth I tested the Cucumber and Mint Raita also. And the final recipe that I served much later when we had a space to fill in our stomachs was a selection from the dessert section. I decided upon the vegan carrot cake which I converted to GF by using a standard gluten free plain flour blend.

East African Wilderness Sweet Potato Patties with Piri Piri Sauces

East African Wilderness Sweet Potato Patties            
(Recipe from World Food Cafe Vegetarian Bible/Caldicott)

10oz/300g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
10oz/300g white potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into cubes (I used white pots)
2 tsp cumin seeds
2"/5 cm piece of cinnamon
6 cloves
1/2 tsp ground turmeric 
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 small red pepper, diced 
4oz/115g sweet corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
good knob of butter (I used vegan marg)
1 small egg (I used one Chia egg...1tbsp chia seeds + 3 tbsp water..whisk and leave for 15mins)
handful of coriander, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

Place the potatoes in a saucepan of boiling water and simmer until soft. 

Meanwhile dry roast the cumin seeds, cinnamon and cloves in a small frying pan until aromatic, remove from pan and grind to a powder. Combine with the remaining spices. Heat the oil in a wok. When hit, add the onion and pepper, and fry until soft. Add the sweet corn and ginger, saute for a couple of minutes, and then stir in the spice mix; fry for 1 minute and then remove from the heat. 

Drain the potatoes, and mash, with the knob of butter, until smooth, then stir in the spice and vegetable mix, the beaten egg/chia egg. chopped coriander and salt to taste. Shape the mixture into patties and fry in a non-stick pan with a little sunflower oil until brown on both sides. 

Serve with East African Piri Piri, mixed leaves and mung bean sprouts. 

East African Piri Piri 
(Recipe From World Food Cafe Vegetarian Bible/Caldicott)

8 large red chillies, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt 
3fl oz/100ml lemon juice
4fl oz/125ml olive oil 

Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Store in the fridge in an airtight container. 

Mozambique Piri Piri  
(Recipe from World Food Cafe Vegetarian Bible/Caldicott)

1oz/30g thin green chillies
2 tsp crushed garlic 
1 shallot, diced
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp sunflower oil
3 dsp lemon juice
handful of chopped coriander leaves 
salt to taste 

Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Adaptions: I used vegan margarine (Pure Sunflower) in the place of butter. I also used a Chia Egg in place of the beaten egg. And both worked just fine. I also used an alternative cooking method. In place of the pan frying as suggested above I place my patties on a lined baking sheet in a hot oven. 20 minutes the first side then gently flipping and 10 minutes the second. They were perfectly baked at this stage. When heating them back up for the testing I covered the tray in tinfoil and then placed back into a hot oven for 15 minutes. 

Taste Testers views...a general feeling was there was a little too much cumin in the patties. The texture from the pepper and corn was a great combination with the softness of the potatoes. There was a natural sweetness from the patties which wasn't a bad thing but when eaten with the Piri Piri sauces was balanced out nicely. The general feeling was a positive one and every one enjoyed the patties and sauces. The sauces themselves left a divided opinion amongst us. The East African Piri Piri was an intensely HOT sauce which was a bit of a shock for all of us whereas the Mozambique Piri Piri was a cleaner taste and the chilli built up as you ate it. Even the previously non-chilli loving amongst the group enjoyed the sauces...with the addition of many glasses of water. So be warned...they are full of flavour but will make you go into chilli shock if too much is eaten at one serving..lol. Overall a great dish and easy to make and very enjoyable to eat as a starter. 

Deep-Red Rajasthani Vegetables in a Poppy Seed Sauce

Adaptions: None for this recipe. 

I chose this recipe because I was intrigued by the white poppy seed sauce. I also fell for the beautiful red colour of this dish. The veggies in it just happened to be some of my favourites and it all seemed to fit for me. I easily found white poppy seeds at my local Indian & Continental Store in the city.  The powerhouse of spices permeated the whole of my house whilst this was cooking. It was easy to make and the recipe was also easy to follow.

Taste Testers views...overall the views for this vegetable dish was that there was a lot of natural sweetness and surprisingly the beetroot didn't take on the flavours from the sauce. Mixed views down to personal tastes re: sweet tooth and savoury tastes. Those without a sweet tooth found it just a little too sweet even when balanced out with the rice and flatbreads. Everyone agreed that it was a visually striking dish and the poppy seed sauce was interesting. I personally loved it as did one of my friends who said "...I wouldn't change or add anything to the veggie dish, simply delicious and what I would expect in a vegetarian cafe recipe book. Such an appealing colour too!..." 

The Raitas were a whole separate conversation...and drew gasps as I placed them on the table. "Banana Raita....are you sure??.."  lol. I couldn't agree with that question as it was exactly what I had said when I had read the suggestion by the Caldicotts. I made mine with natural soya yoghurt which led to both of the Raitas maybe being a little richer than using dairy yoghurt. Those who tried the Banana Raita were all pleasantly surprised. A couple of us found it too rich and not to our taste. But others enjoyed it with the veggie dish. One tester said she could simply sit with a spoon and eat it solo..and even as a dessert which is exactly what she did! lol. The Cucumber and Mint Raita was enjoyable also but the main conversion was all about the Banana offering. 

Would I make this meal again? The Rajasthani Veggies I will make often. I really enjoyed the white poppy sauce and I would maybe play around different veggies to counteract the sweetness that pumpkin and beetroot can bring. I very much enjoyed this dish. The Raitas are not something I'll make again but that is a purely personal opinion.  

Carrot Cake (V)   Makes one 2lb loaf 

Adaptions: I replaced the wheat flour for a Gluten Free Plain Flour blend and it worked very well.

Taste Testers views..."Best Carrot Cake Ever!.." was one of the written down opinions. A little too much cinnamon was another and a little like cookie dough but I suspect that was the difference between a wheat flour version and the GF one. Overall everyone loved this carrot cake and happily took home the leftovers in their doggie bags. It was enjoyed so much that I forgot to take the photograph for it. It looked a little burnt around the edges but when eaten it was clear it was just caramelised sugar and cinnamon. One of testers suggested serving it with custard which we all collectively agreed would be a great idea. It was a very light carrot cake and devoured by all who tried it. 

Additional photographs...

Spicy Rice Flat Breads

Not the most attractive little things but economical to make. Very much a case of how you serve them and what with. And for a spicy flatbread all felt they needed more flavour. Again, a recipe I will make again and try differing spice blends. 

Cinnamon & Coconut Milk Curry with Thyme & Lemon Rice

The first complete meal I tested and they were very enjoyable to make. Good portions and also freezes well.

Cinnamon and Coconut Milk Curry

The warmth of the cinnamon built as you ate it. The veggies were succulent and perfectly cooked. The sauce was a little liquid but still held a comforting creamy consistency. A delicate curry...

Thyme and Lemon Rice

I adore basmati rice and almost always use brown bastmati. This rice dish is very easy to make and the aroma is something else. It is a delicate flavour which compliments the Cinnamon & Coconut Curry perfectly. Both are dishes I will make again. 

Well that is the recipe testing completed and I found the whole experience a happy one...well ok maybe the first day making the flatbreads was a little stressful. lol. None of the recipes in this book are hard work to make..well not if cooking is your passion. The recipes are all clearly written and easy to follow even for the novice cook in my opinion. 

The book as a whole is extremely beautiful due to the high level of photography. The stories and notations provided by the Caldicotts are enjoyable and make you slightly envious. The information is specific and clear. If I had to find any faults with this cookbook it would be the heft of it. It's a large tome of a cookbook and not easy to handle in the kitchen but if that is the only criticism about your cookbook then you are very lucky.

I would happily buy this cookbook for loved ones and for my own personal cookbook collection. An this is your chance to purchase this cookbook at a discounted price. 

To order World Food Cafe Vegetarian Bible at the discounted price of £16.00 including p&p* (RRP: £20.00), telephone 01903 828503 or email mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk and quote the offer code APG58. 

Alternatively, send a cheque made payable to: 

Littlehampton Book Services Mail Order Department, 

Littlehampton Book Services, 

PO Box 4264, 

Worthing, West Sussex 

BN13 3RB. 

Please quote the offer code APG58 and include your name and address details. 

*UK ONLY - Please add £2.50 if ordering from overseas.

Written by Chris & Carolyn Caldicott and published by Frances Lincoln

Please note I am not receiving a commission for any cookbooks purchased. I am just happy to pass along the offer to you. 

Now would I visit the World Food Cafe if I got the chance? Most definitely I will...when I'm next in London it will be a 'must do'. I thank the Caldicotts for a very appealing and interesting cookbook and for the opportunity to review its contents. 

Many thanks also to my team of testers...your willingness to eat whatever serve up for all is a constant delight to me and your trust means alot. Thank you for your honesty...

And to my regular readers thank you for stopping by and I hope your week has gotten off to a great start...

~Red~ 

NB: These recipes are not mine and therefore I take no credit for them. They are the hard work and creative talent of Chris & Carolyn Caldicott and theirs alone. I thank them for such great recipes...~R~


 


  




 

Cook Book Junkie: Bargains galore...

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Madeleine Peyroux ~ Don't Wait Too Long
Bonnie Raitt ~ Dimming of the Day
Halestorm ~ You & I Could Fly
Rod Stewart ~ Cheek to Cheek
Bing Crosby ~ Temptation
Don Williams ~ I Recall A Gypsy Woman
Newton Faulkner ~ People Should Smile More
Dixie Chicks ~ Favourite Year
The Pretenders ~ Kid (live)
Keith Urban ~ Once In A Lifetime
Don Williams ~ Love Me Over Again
Nelly Furtado ~ No Hay Igual
Shakira ~ Ojos Asi
Audioslave ~ Nothing Left To Say But Goodbye

Hello folks..I'm back. Thanks to Trustworthy for holding the fort yesterday and I really enjoyed his post on Smoothies. He really is an addict..lol. Much like I am for cook books. I admit it..I am Red and I am a cookbook addict. And I hope never to be in recovery. lol.

With funds being short like it is for everyone right now I have taken to looking for alternative sources to fulfil my habit. And this week I was able to add two more books to my collection.

I have wanted this book for a while now...it's vegan and
mostly GF too.

I found this little beauty on Amazon...and a brand spanking new copy would've set me back £30 rrp..but I found it for £1! With the standard £2.80 postage included that was still a freaking steal...saving me £26.20....not too shabby eh? lol. When it arrived it was in almost perfect condition except for a small mark on one corner of the spine. But it still had the dust jacket intact.

I assumed my usual position when it comes to new cookbook arrival. I made myself a cup of Roasted Barley Tea...sat down lotus style in my lounge chair...Ipod on and then read it cover to cover. Oooohing and Ahhhhing over the wonderful recipes inside...marking off the pages for the recipes I 'need' to try straight away. The recipes, with the exception of a few 'too sweet-and-savoury mixed' types, are fantastic and many are very simple. I can't wait to get started on them. And that is my challenge for myself this week...to make one recipe each day. So foodie postings are on the way folks..promise.

I was very happy with this bargain purchase...

My second bargain was a copy of a classic cookbook...which is one of the very first cookbooks put into print. However the cheesy cover of this one makes me suspect it's a reprint from the 70s lol. The lovely mustard cover gives it away..lol.

Mrs Beeton's Family Cook Book

Now, being a cookbook junkie and not having a copy of Mrs Beeton's cookbook was always a cause of irritation. I knew that I would never use 90% of the recipes in it as they are clearly not even remotely vegan. But my collection seemed to be missing something without one. And even though most of the recipes wouldn't be used...I believe that between those covers I will pick up some knowledge to use in the future. And I am always willing to learn more about cooking..and I believe she really did have something to teach all of us willing food writers.

So this rather battered copy came to me via Facebook..Yep. A woman who I used to babysit for (aged by 100 years when I read her message..Urgh..lol) when she was a little one, was offering this copy Free to a good home! She had a slightly older copy she used for her family and wanted to give this one away. So I messaged her and with a few hours it was sat on my desk. It's very musty and used and sadly the dust jacket is long gone but I don't care about that..my books are meant to be used not to be admired from afar.

I haven't yet had time to sit with it and look through it properly but I will soon....So two cookbooks in one week...marvellous..lol

I will be here with a foodie post tomorrow folks...so watch this space.

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

~R~

A Veggie Cook Book Classic ~ Low Fat, Low Sugar - Rose Elliot

Workroom Play List:

Thunder ~ Everybody's Laughing
Rosemary Clooney ~ Half As Much
Otis Redding ~ These Arms of Mine
Jeff Beck ~ Hi Ho Silver Lining
Heart ~ Tall, Dark Handsome Stranger
T-Rex ~ I Love to Boogie
The Rolling Stones ~ Honky Tonk Woman
INXS ~ What You Need

You know you are loved when you are cooked a beautiful dish for your evening meal..despite the fact that every ingredient in it..would make your Love very ill if they ate it too..and it used to be one of their favourite meals. Since starting on the new meds My Love has tried to take over the cooking of fresh meals for us..instead of falling back on..well..quicker methods of sustaining ones self. Grateful that I am for anything My Love manages to throw together for the both of us when I am unable to do kitchen duties...the choices are usually based on speed not health.

Goodness me, that sounds like I'm a 50's housewife..to clarify..I am not but I do happily cook for us both when I am well. I am a passionate vegan foodie..otherwise I wouldn't write a vegan based blog, eh? Just so ya know..lol

This last week has been just lovely..food wise. I have felt an increase in energy..despite feeling dreadful..does that even make sense? lol. And my inspiration and interest is starting to flow back to me. Last night's meal came from a cook book that I have had in my library for probably 10 years? And as a book it's looking very abused and battle worn. You know..one of those books, you open and silently pray that another page doesn't come away from the spine. Yeah? I think we all have those..lol. I bought Low Fat, Low Sugar by Rose Elliot because at the time I was vegetarian and I've always been interested in lowering fat and sugar. Simple really.

The very excellent little cook book Low Fat, Low Sugar by Rose Elliot

On the whole the recipes are naturally vegan but there are a few that call for the odd egg white or dairy milk. But I have made nearly all the recipes in this book over the years and all are easily veganised. Rose Elliot did write a vegan cookbook Vegan Feasts too which I also have. lol. (I think I have nearly all her cookbooks..) We make and use the soup recipes so often we practically know them by heart...which is good given the books' worn out state. Every section has wonderful recipes and they are easy to make. I think in all the years we have only disliked one recipe which was the Potato Casserole..but one isn't bad when there are so many others to make instead.

Last night My Love cooked the Red Bean Chilli from the book. Why we had never eaten before is baffling to me as we both love a good chilli. Or maybe that is it? I have so many other veggie/bean chilli recipes this one simply got overlooked? But what a shame..Sad to say I haven't got a photo to share with you but picture this...

A large green plate with a single serving of freshly cooked brown basmati rice...nestling on top a rich red tomato sauce with grated carrot, pieces of red pepper and kidney beans...and on the side some steamed broccoli and cauliflower. The savoury smell of the basmati rice blending with the rich spicy tomatoey sauce..and the green goodness of the vibrant broccoli...Did that help?? lol

My Love said it was very easy to make but made one sub..the recipe calls for 1/2 tsp of hot chilli powder but the bottle couldn't be found so 1 tsp mild chilli powder and 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes were used instead. Oh.My.Giddy.Aunts.....was it delicious and a pure delight to eat. I slowly munched my way through the plate and savoured every last mouthful..And it freezes well too! Bonus.

I love all the recent vegan cookbooks that are published and have most of them in my library but they do tend to be huge and I think that the smaller books can often get over looked. I loved this cookbook from the moment I purchased it..and still do. I couldn't recommend it more highly if you were looking for a cook book to help with reducing fat and sugar. And I feel over the next few weeks we are going to be revisiting it more..and I promise recipe and photos when I do..

Health Update

I do believe that if my energy levels keep improving like this I will be back in the kitchen soon but naturally..not gonna run before I can walk. But I have had my first check in with my Specialist and although I'm feeling dreadful..the outcome is looking positive after just 6 days on this new med combo. So I did a mini Happy Desk dance after I got the news...so only 3 more weeks of feeling yuck and then I may actually start feeling well...Hopeful..always hopeful.

Thanks for stopping by..And I hope your Thursday is a good one....

~R~

Cook Book Junkie - Vegan Deli by Joanne Stepaniak

A sample salad platter...

This cookbook has been a joy since the moment I tore open the packaging and sat down and read it through from cover to cover. I have tried out almost all of the recipes and have enjoyed all of them...except the 'chopped liver' spread. I recently celebrated my birthday and as my oven has been acting up and the weather had finally begun to feel like spring, I put together a salad table. And almost all of the recipes were from this one cookbook. Above is a sampler of some of the salads I made for the day. Everyone who came commented on how much they were loving the food and came back for 2nd's. 3rd's. 4th's,5th's...you see where I am going with this? lol. This cookbook has never let me down and is a comfort to know it's sat there on my cookbook shelf for those 'deli' days. 

If you love the 'deli' shops but are struggling with affording the ridiculous prices they now charge then invest in this cookbook and make your own. It's worth every single penny I paid for it and Joanne Stepanick is a genius. 

I will be posting salad recipes quite regularly and many will be ones I served on my birthday...Treat yourself and go and buy Vegan Deliby Joanne Stepaniak

Cook Book Junkie : Colleen Patrick-Goudreau - Color Me Vegan - Final Part

Continued from Part Two:

15/2/11 - I have tried many different versions of Butternut Soup and always been left feeling...well..blah! I love the squash cooked in many other ways but blitzed into a soup and I can take it or leave it. So, when selecting the recipes for this review, I chose this one purely out of curiosity. Could this finally be the soup that sells Butternut to me as a soup ingredient. So this morning I made the Butternut Squash, Orange and Ginger Soup. The ingredients are simple..Onion, garlic, ginger, butternut, potato,orange juice, veggie stock, seasonings. Spring onion and orange zest to garnish. I hope this is the one.

The Result:

Well, well, well...I have found it at long last! But first can I say that I have hands that are bright orange and not from a nasty fake tan but from the colours coming from the Butternut. lol. Attractive, eh? lol

 This soup was amazing. The intense orange hits you get are refreshing, the richness from the Butternut are comforting and the creaminess from the potatoes all come together to make one intense taste experience. I really loved every spoonful. I gave this a '10'.

For the final recipe for this review I wanted to select one that was considered a 'Rainbow' recipe. Indian Style Black Bean & Veggie Burrito was the one I chose. It is a little heavy on the starches compared to my usual preference but as a one off I decided it was fine. I use wholewheat tortillas but this could be made with regular white tortillas. The filling contains Red and Orange Peppers, onion, garlic, ginger, sweet potato, veggie stock, garam masala, black beans and seasonings. The recipe calls for cooked brown basmati rice and romaine lettuce to accompany the filling. It also calls for mango chutney but I shall be omitting that this time.

The Result:

Pure comfort. We both agreed these were delicious. Very heavy on the starches but as a treat every now and then we will indulge. It would be very rude not to! lol I wasn't sure if it would all work but it does.

Final Notes:
I have really enjoyed Color Me Vegan. I have enjoyed making the test recipes even the burgers. lol. I know it will be a much used and useful cookbook. The nutritional information provided, I found helpful and enjoyed the reading, but if all you want is a bunch of recipes between two pieces of cardboard...buy it anyway..you don't have to read those parts,eh? lol I hope you give it a try. I have a list of other recipes that I want to make soon. Thank you Colleen.

Happy Cooking, Red x