Spicy Bean Burgers with Tomato Sauce (V, GF, No Added Fat)

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Sweet ~ Poppa Joe 
Freemasons ~ Uninvited (club mix)
Rita Ora ~ I Will Never Let You Down
Ali Campbell ~ Honky Tonk Woman
Tina Dico ~ Paper Thin
Todd Rundgron ~ Rock Love 
Garbage ~ Metal Heart
Gossip ~ Listen Up!
Cory Lee ~ The Naughty Song
Tanita Tikaram ~ Valentine Heart
Don Henley ~ Everyone Knows
VAST ~ Candle 
Maroon 5 ~ Tickets
Alanis Morrisette ~ You Outta Know

It's dull and dark skied here in my little part of England today so getting any kind of decent photos is impossible which means I can't post the veggie tacos recipe I have been busy cooking this morning. Instead I bring a very basic veggie burger recipe and accompanying sauce. Now if your want in a veggie burger is for it to be very simple to make and if you are not really bothered by the look of the finished results as it gets covered with a tomato sauce...then this is the recipe for you. It is also fat free apart from the naturally occurring fats in the beans used. They burgers are baked in the oven and go no where near added fats or skillets. The tomato sauce is very quick affair...cooking off some onions then added the other ingredients and allowing it to simmer whilst you make the burgers. Easy, easy, easy. Am I selling these little things to you? No? Oh dear...ok..well you get four good sized burgers from the mix...they are incredibly cheap to make as is the combined recipes..and they aren't  mouth blistering in spiciness as the only heat comes from 1/2 tsp ground coriander but there is a little hit from it. I resisted the temptation of throwing in more spices because it was my first time making this recipe. It was a recipe I found in a much used and abused cookbook in my collection...Roses Elliot's Low Fat, Low Sugar. Why I haven't tried these burgers before I have no idea but I am glad I have now. 

As said above they won't win any foodie awards for appearance and if you can get past the whiteness of them you are in for a lovely meal. I took Elliot's advice and served mine with her tomato sauce also from the same cookbook. I couldn't imagine then staying together enough to be served in a GF bun but they would go very nicely in a pita bread..if only I could find a GF, Yeast Free, Vegan recipe for some. I always have all of the ingredients in my stocks so they are a very cheap and easy staple recipe. I hope you give them a chance too...

RE's Spicy Bean Burger with Tomato Sauce (See, so white! lol)

 

Spicy Bean Burgers with Tomato Sauce   Serves 4
(Recipes from Low Fat, Low Sugar/Elliot)

1 onion, finely chopped 
1 small carrot, grated
1/2 red bell pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 tsp ground coriander 
425g/15oz can of kidney beans (I used pinto/borlotti)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-3 tbsp brown rice flour for coating

Preheat the oven to 200'C/400'F/GM 6. 

Put the onion, carrot and pepper into a non-stick pan and cook, without any additional fat or liquid, for 6-7 minutes, until they are flecked with brown, stirring often to prevent sticking. Stir in the garlic and coriander and cook for a further minute, then remove from the heat. Mash the beans and add to the vegetable mixture with some salt and freshly cracked black pepper. 

Spread the rice flour out on a flat plate or board. Divide the red bean mixture into 4 equal pieces, place on the rice flour and form into flat burgers, pressing them well and making sure they're coated all over with the rice flour. Put them on a non-stick baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, turning them over after 15 minutes, to cook both side. Serve hot or warm. 

Tomato Sauce  Serves 4

1 onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, chopped
425g/15 oz can tomatoes in juice
salt and freshly grated black pepper

Put the onion into a non-stick pan, cover and cook gently for about 7 minutes, until the onion is tender and lightly browned, stirring from time to time. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds. Add the tomatoes, chopping them up a bit in the pan with the spoon. Bring to the boil and leave to boil gently, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes, until the mixture is thick. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. 

Enjoy! 

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

~Red~ 

NB: This is not my recipe and therefore take no credit for it whatsoever. It is the hard work and creation of Rose Elliot and hers alone. I do send out thanks for such a great cookbook. ~R~  
 

Cavolo Kale Dal with Tomato Chutney

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Incognito ~ Always There
KORN ~ Play Me
Luke Morley ~ Quiet Life
Skin ~ Take Me Down To The River 
Buckcherry ~ Envy
Auf Der Maur ~ My Foggy Notion
Don Henley ~ Dirty Laundry
Skin ~ Look But Don't Touch
Stevie Ray Vaughan ~ Love Struck Baby
JET ~ Kings Horses
Foo Fighters ~ Enough Space
Pearl Jam ~ Just Breathe
Melissa Etheridge ~ Cherry Avenue 
Bruce Springsteen ~ Matamoros Banks

I've been busy for the last couple of weeks recipe testing for a cookbook I'm about to review. It's been very interesting and on the whole a lot of fun. This means that my regular cooking has been reduced to very simple dishes that are easy to throw together. And today's post is a perfect example...Rose Elliot's Low Fat, Low Sugar cookbook is once again the cookbook responsible. I had bought a beautiful bag of Cavolo Nero kale and wanted a recipe that would be 'all about the kale' instead of it being part of a list of ingredients.

I often forget that the label Dal doesn't mean that you will end up with a puree of spicy red lentils. It simply means a dish that has lentils in it. So I was a little surprised as I cooked this recipe but not in any unpleasant way. It's very simple work and before you know it, you have a saucepan of aromatic dal simmering away. I also chose to make Rose's Tomato Chutney and serve that as a side dish with a wholesome serving of brown rice.

The kale was perfectly cooked with still a little bite, the lentils were perfectly tender as I knew they would be using brown lentils and the potatoes which I cooked with skins intact were comforting. Combined with a little brown rice and the freshness of the tomato chutney it made for a  great evening meal and I enjoyed it very much. Once again Rose Elliot delivers a good recipe...

Cavolo Kale Dal with Tomato Chutney

Cavolo Kale Dal with Tomato Chutney    Serves 3-4
(Recipe from Low Fat, Low Sugar/Elliot)

For the Dal:

1 tbsp mustard seeds 
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander 
2 tsp ground turmeric
5 garlic cloves, sliced
850ml/30 fl oz/3 1/4 cups veggie stock
450g/1lb kale, finely chopped 
450g/1lb potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
125g/4oz/heaping 1/2 cup dry green or brown lentils
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon 
salt and freshly ground black pepper 

For the Chutney:

225g/8oz tomatoes, sliced or chopped (I took out the core from mine) 
1 small onion or 1 spring onion, finely sliced 
3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander/cilantro

To make the chutney...combine all three ingredients in a container with an airtight lid. Close it and then shake to mix. Leave it to one side or store in the fridge until ready to serve. 

To make the dal...put the mustard seeds in a large saucepan and dry fry until they begin to pop. Add the cumin, coriander and turmeric and stir over the heat until they become aromatic - be careful not to burn them! Add the stock, garlic, kale, potatoes and lentils, bring to the boil, cover and boil gently for 35 minutes, until the lentils are cooked and potatoes are tender. Add the rind and juice and season with salt and black pepper. Serve with the tomato chutney...

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Monday has been a fantastic one...

~Red~

NB: These are not my recipes and therefore I take no credit for them whatsoever. They are the hard work and creation of Rose Elliot alone. I thank her for the recipes...~R~ 
 

Brown Rice Spaghetti with Green Lentil Sauce

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Justin Timberlake ~ Sexyback 
Hootie & The Blowfish ~ Hold My Hand
Jack Johnson ~ Wasting Time
Jack Johnson ~ Tomorrow Morning 
The Jam ~ Going Underground 
Ultra Nate ~ Found A Cure
Azizz ~ Return To The Pharaoh
Nelly & Tim McGraw ~ Over And Over
Skin ~ Raised On Radio
Doris Day ~ I Remember You
Foo Fighters ~ Come Alive 
Jackson Browne ~ Your Bright Baby Blues
The Union ~ Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution 
James Morrison ~ You Give Me Something 

It has been interesting times at R&R HQ since going completely gluten free and yeast free. But luckily I am up for the challenge..well most of the time. On the whole I am quite enjoying the experimentation process and I have come up with a few new recipes of my own. However the one food I am struggling to get adjusted to is pasta. I have always been an ardent lover of wholemeal/wheat pasta. I rarely ate white pasta as I didn't enjoy the gloopy and bland taste of it. I loved the nutty and robust flavours and textures of the wholewheat variety and it was always my ultimate comfort food. Give me a steaming hot bowl of wholewheat spaghetti and rich tomatoey garlicky sauce and I was instantly happy. Oh my stomach is growling at the very thought. lol. Those were the days....

I have always enjoyed buckwheat noodles and have found a couple of new gluten free noodles to satisfy my noodle days. But pasta...boy has it been hard work. There aren't many varieties to choose from and most have a rice/corn mix which gives you with a 'white wheat type' alternative. Which is great if that is your yen but for me it falls far short. I am currently trying out brown rice spaghetti and its been a trial..lol. The first attempt wasn't cooked anywhere close enough to be edible and I experienced crunchy spaghetti with a very bad avocado sauce..epic fail. The second attempt which was served with a Cashew/Garlic cream sauce wasn't much better but at least it was edible but made me fear that I wouldn't find my spaghetti 'happy'. Then I got a grip and tried again. I extended the cooking time drastically and allowed the pasta to sit in the cooking water whilst I plated up my steamed side veggies. Then I drained off the spaghetti and it instantly looked better than the previous attempts....lesson here is to ignore the packet instructions! The green lentil sauce wrapped itself around the spaghetti strands and it looked like a nice bowl of pasta..even if it was a little white lol. Fussy or what? I sat down to try my first taste expecting the worst if I'm honest but was quickly surprised. It wasn't my beloved wholewheat hit but it wasn't awful. A huge improvement on my previous attempts. It wasn't robust as spaghetti should be and it was more noodle like but...and its a huge but...it was really good. I think the sauce helped a lot as it was a delicious accompaniment and I have leftovers. Have I found my ultimate gluten free replacement for my wholewheat spaghetti?...No. But I am closer than I was this morning. I will keep looking for and experimenting with as many types as I can find. So I ask you this...if you are GF/Vegan, what pasta can you recommend? Drop me a comment or email me at rocketandroses@aol.com I would welcome your thoughts..

So to the sauce..it was the first time I had tried this recipe. I had seen it many times when flicking through my copy of Rose Elliots The Bean Book. I chose it because it was something a little different from other sauces I make. I loved it...from the first mouthful to the last. I am finding it hard to come up with the words to describe it other than...it's just so freaking good. lol. Eloquent, eh? But it really is. If you love lentils...you must try this sauce.

Green Lentil Sauce with GF Spaghetti

Green Lentil Sauce    Serves 4
(Recipe from The Bean Book/Elliot)

175g/6oz/scant 1 cup dried green lentils
1 onion
2 garlic cloves 
2 tbsp oil (I used 1 tsp)
125g/4oz/1 1/2 cups of mushrooms, wiped and sliced (I omitted this ingredient)
1 small green bell pepper, deseeded and chopped
2 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
1 tbsp red wine 
1 tbsp tomato paste 
1 tsp ground coriander 
pinch of chilli powder 
sea salt 
freshly ground black pepper
225g/8oz spaghetti of your choice 
15g/1/2 oz/1 tbsp vegan butter (I omitted this)

Cook your green lentils as per your package instructions. I cooked mine for 35 minutes and they were perfectly soft. Set to one side. 

Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion and crush the garlic. Saute them together in the oil for 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms and green pepper and cook for a further 5 minutes. Drain the lentils and stir into the vegetable mixture, together with the tomatoes, wine, tomato paste and seasonings. Let the mixture simmer gently whilst you cook your pasta. Drain it and put it back into the saucepan with the vegan butter and stir until the pasta is coated. (I skipped this stage ~R~) Turn the past out onto a serving dish and pour the sauce over the top of it. Serve...

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Tuesday has been a fantastic one...

~Red~ 

NB: This recipe is not mine and therefore I take no credit for it. It is the hard work and creative talent of Rose Elliot and hers alone. I thank her for a great recipe. ~R~  

Rose's Lentil and Tomato Soup

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Holland & Jones ~ Slow Down
Camille Thomas ~ Sonata for Cello and Piano in B Flat Major
Martina McBride ~ Pick Me Up On Your Way Down
Nigel Kennedy ~ Massenet: Thalis - Meditation Religieuse
Otis Redding ~ Cigarettes and Alcohol
Madonna ~ Secret Garden
AC/DC ~ Whole Lotta Rosie (Live)
Meredith Brooks ~ All For Nothing
Stevie Ray Vaughan ~ The Things (That) I Used To Do
Martina McBride ~ I Won't Close My Eyes
Surfan Stevens ~ Impossible Soul
Foo Fighters ~ Doll
Marilyn Manson ~ Disposable Teens 
Angela Gheorghiu ~ Verdi: 11 Trovatore-Act 1: Tacea La Notte Placida Di Tale Amor

Blimey have I had a busy start to my week. Today I have been transforming my kitchen into a gluten and wheat free zone. Well except for one little cupboard of wheatie products I couldn't bare to part with and shall use up on my sister and her little ones when they visit. But as I was making that change I decided to go through my entire stock cupboards and the like. Basically I wanted to make the kitchen more 'move' friendly. So that when the time comes (and it had better be very soon..grrr..lol) I can just fill boxes and go. I have sorted, binned, scrubbed and cleaned until my hands are sore..lol. And I loved every exhausting second of it. Truly...it's been a while since I've been able to fly solo and blitz the way I like to. The iPod has been on LOUD with my Dance/Fun play list...and I was off...however now I am shattered and sat down writing up today's posting and fighting my eyelids closing..lol. But it was worth every single second.

Right then...today's recipe is a soup that has been a firm favourite at R&R HQ for years. It's easy to make, very cheap and tastes just great. I served it to the littlest one when I was looking after her last week and she had two bowlfuls..lol. She loved it so it's kiddie approved too. It's a recipe from Rose Elliot's cookbook The Bean Book. I make many of the soup recipes from this great cookbook and have a stock in my freezer for last minute meals.

Rose's Lentil & Tomato Soup

Lentil and Tomato Soup    Serves 4 
(Recipe from The Bean Book/Elliot)

1 large onion
1 celery stalk
2 tbsp oil (I used 1 tsp)
125g/4oz/heaping 1/2 cup split red lentils
1 14oz can of chopped tomatoes
900ml/1 1/2 pints/3 1/4 cups veggie stock 
sea salt 
freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Peel and finely chop the onion and slice the celery. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and saute the onion and celery for 7-10 minutes without browning them, then stir in the lentils and stir for a minute or two until they coated in the oil. Add the tomatoes and stock and bring up to the boil. Half cover and simmer gently for 25-30 minutes, by which time the lentils should be cooked. Blitz the soup until smooth and then season with the salt, pepper and lemon juice. Serve...

Enjoy!

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

~Red~ 

NB: This recipe is not mine and therefore take no credit for it whatsoever. It is the hard work and creative talent of Rose Elliot's and hers alone. I thank her for another great recipe. ~R~

Rose's Butter Bean and Leek Soup with Thyme

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Bowes & Morley ~ Powertripping 
Bruce Springsteen ~ Nebraska 
Sinatra ~ The Way You Look Tonight
QOTSA ~ Kalopsia 
Martina McBride ~ Don't Cost A Dime
Soundgarden ~ Burden In My Hand
Tina Dico ~ He Doesn't Know 
Bodyrockers ~ I Like The Way 
Glen Campbell ~ Galveston 
Jasmine Thompson ~ Wrecking Ball
Calvin Harris ~ Feel So Close 
Julia Mcinally ~ Out Of Bounds 
Artful Dodger ~ Please Don't Turn Me On 
Gretchen Wilson ~ Her Strut

Can you believe its Monday morning again...and we are half way through January already? Oddly, despite that, for me it also feels like forever since the Holidays. Ah well. The weather is deceptive right now...it's brilliantly sunny outside but bloody cold. As the day goes on I end up wearing more and more layers of clothes. lol. Or am I just getting old...hush! Do not answer that. However this temperature is nothing compared to what the folks in the States are having to endure right now...so no real complaints here. And despite the chill factor I am still tucking into my beloved salad bowls but I also appreciate my other all year rounder dish which brings me to today's recipe....

Soups! I can't get enough of homemade soups. And I have made this one many times over the years since my soup conversion. lol. Hard to believe I used to run in fear of soup. Sometimes I just get a craving for a good herby soup and this one never fails. It's from one of my favourite cookbooks Rose Elliot's Low Fat, Low Sugar. Butter Beans are one of my favourite legumes and I have even been known to eat them just on their own. lol. True story...

If you use tinned beans like I did...this soup takes 20 minutes to make. I have used dried and both are beautiful so the choice is yours. 

Butter Bean and Leek Soup with Thyme

Butter Bean and Leek Soup with Thyme  Serves 4
(Recipe from Low Fat, Low Sugar/Elliot)

250g/9oz/1 1/4 cups dried butter/lima beans or 2 425g/15oz cans 
2 leeks, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 tsp dried thyme 
1/2 tsp curry powder 
salt and freshly ground black pepper
juice of 1 lemon 
1-2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, to serve 

Put the beans into a large pan with enough water to cover them by about 2". Bring to the boil, boil for one minute, then remove from heat and leave to stand for one hour. 

Add the leeks, onion, garlic, thyme and curry powder. Bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then reduce and simmer gently, covered, until the beans are very tender 1-1.5 hours. Puree the soup and if it is very thick add a little water to get it to the consistency you like. Reheat gently and add salt, pepper and enough of the lemon juice to bring out the flavour. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley. 

Or....

In a soup pan sweat the leeks, garlic and onion in a little water until they start to soften. Then add the herbs and spices and cook for 2 minutes. Then add 2 1/4 pints of water and the tinned beans. Bring to the boil and reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice and then using a hand blender, blitz for 30 seconds..leaving some of the beans and leeks whole. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Monday has been a pleasant one...

~Red~ 

NB: This is not my recipe and I take no credit for it. It is the creative talent of Rose Elliot and I thank her for it. ~R~ 

Cannellini Bean, Apple and Celery Salad

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Joan Jett ~ Cherry Bomb
The Gossip ~ Standing In the Way of Control
Eddie Vedder ~ Tonight You Believe 
Melissa Etheridge ~ To Be Loved 
Sting ~ Desert Rose
Little Mix ~ Move
The Gossip ~ Yr Mangled Heart
Beth Rowley ~ Oh My Life 
The Gossip ~ Keeping You Alive 
Pearl Jam ~ Infallible
Sting ~ Mad About You
Marilyn Manson ~ Personal Jesus 
The Pretty Reckless ~ Just Tonight
The Cult ~ Fire Woman 

Detoxing is a BITCH..pain. However I am very aware it's my own fault that I am experiencing this headache and shivering right now. I relaxed my usually strict foodie habits over the last couple of months and blamed it on the whole Hey its almost the holidays...Hey it is the holidays..Hey! Well no real excuse now...damn! So I am back to my good eating habits and getting the sugar and caffeine out of my system has been hard. My body is so sensitive these days with my health issues and med regime it really kicks my ass. But I did the crime and now, believe me, I am doing the time..lol. But I own it...no excuses...I chose to do it and now I have to endure the consequences. That's life...

Now my detoxing is not some latest food fad as I don't hold with any of that. I eat healthy foods and make sure I get plenty of fluids. But my body does go into shock detox whilst it gets used to the good ways once again. I nourish my body with lots of fresh veggies, good grains, some fruits, lots of water, a couple of cups of decaf green tea, a couple of cups of peppermint & nettle tea and a freshly made drink made of dandelion root, cranberry, lemon juice and water which I sip throughout the day. But my body is so sensitive to sugar and caffeine even the smallest amount takes its toll. I also indulged in a great vegan wine over the holidays..I say indulged, I think over the festive period I consumed 2.5 bottles and 2 of those were drunk as spritzers with sparkling water. lol. But my Christmas eve cocktail was a Cranberry one which consisted of no sugar cranberry juice, no sugar ginger ale and vodka..served over a large amount of ice. Beautiful. But my body also rebels against the fizziness. Urgh! lol. So until my body has forgiven me and despite the headache and other detox pains...I will be quietly suffering. You will hear no more of it after this.

I am enjoying a lot of salads for lunch and this one was interesting indeed. I was feeling the need for freshness, great crunch and lightness for my sore tum. And this was all of those things..thankfully. You get the all important wholesome feel (well important to me..lol) from the beans, great crisp sweetness from the apples and fresh crunch from the celery. There is a little dressing from a lemon juice and oil mix but next time I won't bother with that as I rarely dress my salads. This recipe is from Rose Elliot's Low Fat, Low Sugar cookbook which is a constant inspiration. 

Cannellini Bean, Apple and Celery Salad

Cannellini Bean, Apple and Celery Salad    Serves 2
(Recipe from Low Fat, Low Sugar/Elliot)

125g/4oz heaping 1/2 cup cannellini beans
3 tbsp oil
1 tbsp lemon juice 
sea salt 
freshly ground black pepper
1 celery heart
2 sweet apples
2 tbsp raisins, washed and drained (I omitted these due to sugar levels)

Soak, drain and cook the beans as usual, drain. Mix together the oil and juice and some sea salt and black pepper and add this to the beans, mix gently. Wash and slice the celery. Wash the apples and peel them if the skins are tough, then cut them into dice, discarding the core. Add the the celery and apples to the beans, along with the raisins. Turn the salad gently with a spoon before serving so that everything gets mixed together and coated with the dressing. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Friday has been a very good one...

~Red~

NB: This recipe is not mine and therefore take no credit for it whatsoever. It is the hard work and creation of Rose Elliot. And I thank her for it....

Ginger Rice with Japanese Vegetables

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Gregory Porter ~ Be Good album

The rain is pouring down here today and I look forward to the days after I have moved and no longer have a roof that resembles swiss cheese. I will then hopefully, unless really unlucky, be able to enjoy my beloved rain. I usually find these dark days comforting but today they are just plain frustrating..I have a lot of photography to do and can't because the light is gone. And I'm feeling a little exhausted health wise so can't have my usual kitchen time therapy. One word describes today...Urgh! lol So instead of wallowing..no really I'm not!..I have set up camp at my dining table and I'm getting caught up on work. Although I do confess I keep sneaking off to Pinterest when my mind wanders lol. It's inspirational. Honest! Anyway...

I am making an effort to keep fats and sugars low right now. I just feel better when I do this...and one of my favourite cookbooks is Rose Elliot's Low Fat, Low Sugar. The recipes are simple and very tasty. My copy is barely holding together these days from over use. lol. And although I have made almost all of the recipes within its covers...there are still a few that I haven't. Today's recipe is one of them. I've always looked at it and considered it but something always moved me on to the next page. But today was different...I have been eating a lot of spice based meals lately and was looking for something plain.

I have to say I found making this dish very relaxing. The enforced patience, for this normally very impatient person, whilst the ginger rice simmered away was very Zen. I sat at my counter and chopped and sliced the veggies and floated away on my cloud. Surely I'm not the only one? I am? Oh! OK well once the rice was cooked and I had set it to one side to 'finish' I cooked the veggies as Elliot instructed. Normally I am a steam everything kinda gal but today I decided to try this unusual style of boiling them. And it worked...really well. It's like a flash boiling...

This dish is delicate in its flavours...the ginger/garlic rice is satisfying and the veggies are tender in texture and the hint of sesame are perfect. However the lemon was a little too zingy in the odd mouthful so I would maybe add a little less next time. And as it was only me eating it I halved the recipe for two but there was still plenty. I really liked this meal and will cook it again. 

Ginger Rice with Japanese Vegetables

Ginger Rice with Japanese Vegetables   Serves 2
(Recipe from Low Fat, Low Sugar/Elliot)

175g/6oz/scant 1 cup rice 
50g/2oz/4" piece of fresh ginger, chopped or grated
2 garlic cloves, chopped
225g/8oz carrots
125g/4oz baby sweetcorn
125g4oz green beans 
125g/4oz courgettes
bunch of spring onions 
2 tbsp lemon juice 
1 tsp toasted sesame oil 
2 sachets of ajitzuke nori or chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the rice into a sieve, rinse well under cold running water then put it into a saucepan together with the garlic and ginger and 400ml/14fl oz/1 3/4 cups of water. Bring to the boil, put the lid on the saucepan, turn the heat down to low and leave to cook very gently for 45 minutes. 

When the rice is cooked, leave it to stand, still covered for a few minutes while you prepare the vegetables. Heat 1cm/1.5" of water in a large saucepan and bring the water to boil. While the water is coming to the boil, slice the carrots diagonally, halve the sweetcorn diagonally, cut the beans in half, slice the courgettes and chop the spring onions. Add the carrots to the boiling water, followed by the sweetcorn, followed by the green beans, courgettes and spring onions in layers. The idea is to put the slowest vegetables at the bottom of the pan. Being back to the boil, put the lid on the saucepan, and boil for about 4 minutes or until the vegetables are tender but still crisp...or if you like them softer, cook a little longer. Drain the vegetables in a colander, return to the pan and toss them with the lemon juice, oil, nori or parsley and some salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately with the ginger rice. 

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope that your Thursday is a splendid one...

~Red~

NB: This is not my recipe and therefore take no credit for it creation. That is the hard work and talent of Rose Elliot. And I thank her for it...~R~

   

Vegan Cocido (Spanish Stew)

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Texas ~ Halo
The Cranberries ~ When You're Gone
Madison Avenue ~ "78 (Album Mix)
Alison Moyet ~ La Chanson Des Vieux Amants
Bonnie Raitt ~Love Sneakin' Up On You
Dani Wilde ~ Shine
Dave Gahan ~ Miracles
Fleetwood Mac ~ Tusk
The Commitments ~ Treat Her Right
Nelly ~ Promiscuous
Europe ~ Song 12
Maroon 5 ~ Misery
Lydia Loveless ~ Bad Way To Go
Kaiser Chiefs ~ Modern Way

This week I am craving the most basic of foods. Fresh veggies both raw and cooked and fresh fruits. Cooked or prepared simply and without much spice or richness. And that is how I stumbled across this recipe in a vegetarian cookbook that I have had forever...lol. The book in question is The Bean Book by Roses Elliot.

It's a simple stew that originally would have had a large piece of meat cooked in it...but Elliot subbed out the meat for chickpeas. I slightly adapted it to fit what we had in the stocks...so will add my adaptions to the recipe below. I also skipped step one - cooking of the dried chickpeas and started at step two and used two tins of drained chickpeas.

This stew, in my opinion, was glorious in its unfussy and rustic appearance. The colours of the veggies clear to see..the almost translucent stock. And the taste...a wonderful powerhouse of good clean veggie flavours. I confess..I went back for seconds. lol. It also appealed to me because it didn't have tomatoes in it as I am trying to avoid them for a while.

The recipe also says it serves four...but it made a huge vat of stew so I will be eating it for days...good job I loved it.

Vegan Cocido (Spanish Stew)
I gave this 12/10..lol Yum!

Vegan Cocido (Spanish Stew) serves four and then some
(Recipe adapted from The Bean Book/Elliot)

350g/12oz/1 3/4 cups of dried chickpeas or 2 tins drained
veggie stock
3 white potatoes or 5 purple potatoes quartered
2 onions, sliced
2 carrots. sliced
1 turnip, cubed OR 8 brussel sprouts, halved  (I know similar, right?lol)
2 leeks, sliced
1 small cabbage, quartered or cut into eight pieces
2 cloves garlic, grated or crushed
1 tbsp paprika
1 bouquet garni ~ parsley, thyme and bayleaf
2 tbsp oil
salt ~ optional
freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Soak, drain and rinse the dried chickpeas as usual. Put them into a very large saucepan and cover them generously with veggie stock and simmer then for about one hour until almost tender.

Meanwhile prepare the veggies and add the chickpeas in the saucepan. Together with the paprika, bouquet garni, oil and a little more stock if necessary. (Or add chickpeas, veggies, paprika, oil, bouquet garni to a very large saucepan and cover with approx. 1.5 litres of veggie stock). Simmer gently for a further 30 minutes or so..or until everything is cooked.
Remove the bouquet garni and season to taste.

And enjoy! Yum!

Thanks as ever to Rose Elliot for being an inspiration to this humble amateur cook for many years.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your week has been great...

~Red~

Brunch: Red Onion & Chive Bagels and Lentil & Tomato Slather..

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Evanescence ~ Sweet Sacrifice
Melissa Etheridge ~ Break Down
Jamie Cullum ~ Everlasting Love
Bowes & Morley ~ On A Day Like Today
Alannah Myles ~ Tumbleweed
Kid Rock ~ Forever
The Eagles ~ Lying Eyes
Cher ~ Bang Bang
Lenny Kravitz ~ Just Be A Woman
Tina Dico ~ Count To 10
Joan Jett ~ Love Is Pain
Brandie Carlile ~ Cannonball
Skin ~ House of Love
Thunder ~ Everybody's Laughing

This very simple recipe was the anniversary breakfast that ML made me on Sunday. It was our sixth 'hitched' anniversary even though we have been together for 12 years.

It was comforting on that cold and crisp morning whilst we tried to decided upon what to do to celebrate our special day. It is so simple to make..the only real effort is the cooking of the red lentils the day before. I enjoyed mine with a glass of Kiwi, Apple & Lime Smoothie.

Red Onion & Chive Bagels...Lentil & Tomato Slather

Lentil and Tomato Slather
(Recipe from The Bean Book/Elliot)

125g/4oz/heaping 1/2 cup of split red lentils
200ml/7fl oz/scant 1 cup of water
25g/1oz/2tbsp softened vegan marg
1tbsp tomato paste
a few drops of lemon juice
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Cook the lentils in the water for 20-30 minutes, until they are tender and there is no water left then leave to cool.

Mash the marg, tomato paste, lemon drops, and seasonings into a paste. Then add to the lentils and mix into a smooth paste. Serve as a bagel slather or sandwich filling.

Tomorrow I'll be back with the photos taken on our day out...thank you for stopping by and I hope your Monday is great...

~Red~

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~

Cashew Nut Loaf with Parsley Stuffing

Kitchen Play List: Thunder ~ Only You Can Make Me Cry
                                     Dizzee Rascal ~ Dirtee Disco
                                     Martina McBride ~ Some Say I'm Running
                                     Simply Red ~ Something Got Me Started
                                     Slash ft Fergie ~ Beautiful Dangerous
                                     The Beach Boys ~ Do It Again

I left the decision for our main Christmas meal up to My Love this year...and very quickly the reply came back with this loaf. I wasn't disappointed either. For those who are familiar with the British cook book author Rose Elliot you will probably have tried this loaf. Or maybe not? lol. It's from Vegetarian Christmas

I first made it about 5 years ago for the first Friends' Christmas Gathering and it went down a storm and we both loved it too. It isn't hard to make once you get started and smells so good baking in the oven. My Mum was here when I made the festive loaves for the holidays and she was practically drooling as this one baked. lol. 

The flavour is very savoury and it has a beautiful creamy texture. And looks very good when sliced and served, due to the parsley herb stuffing layer that runs through the centre. I serve it with low fat roast potatoes and parsnips, steamed carrots and sprouts and sometimes broccoli. And always have a boat of veggie gravy for those weird gravy loving folks! ;o) lol 

Now I'm not the biggest lover of white bread and rarely eat it. But this recipe does need white breadcrumbs. I have tried it with wholemeal and it loses something...so that's why this loaf is a 'High Days and Holidays' dish. I hope you give it a try and as always I would be happy to hear how you got on...

Cashew Nut Loaf with Parsley Stuffing ~ How lovely does it look, eh?

Cashew Nut Loaf with Parsley  Serves 6
(Recipe from Vegetarian Christmas/Elliot)

Herb Stuffing
1 small onion
25g/1oz/ 1/2 cup of fresh parsley
125g/4oz/2 cups white breadcrumbs
50g/2oz/4 tbsp softened vegan margarine
1/2 tsp dried marjoram and thyme
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Loaf
50g/2oz/4tbsp vegan margarine
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
225g/8oz/1 3/4 cups unroasted cashew nuts
125g/4oz white bread, crusts removed
2 large garlic cloves
200ml/7 fl oz/scant 1 cup water or vegetable stock
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
grated nutmeg
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 quantity of Herb Stuffing

Make the stuffing first...Peel and grate the onion. Chop the parsley. Place the onion and parsley in a bowl and add the softened butter, dried thyme and marjoram. Season with salt and pepper, then mix all the ingredients together well. Set to one side. 

For the loaf...Set the oven to 200'C/400'F/Gas Mark 6. Prepare a 450g1 lb loaf pan. Fully line the tin with parchment paper. 

Melt most of the remaining margarine in a medium sized pan, add the onion and saute for about 10 minutes until tender but not browned. Remove from the heat. 

Grind the cashew nuts in a processor with the bread and garlic, then add to the onion together with the water or stock, salt, pepper, grated nutmeg and lemon juice to taste. 

Put half of the cashew nut mixture into the prepared tin, top with herb stuffing, then spoon the rest of the nut mixture. Smooth over. Dot with the remaining butter...(I don't! ~R~) 

Bake for around 30 minutes until firm and lightly browned. Cover the roast with foil if it gets too brown before then. Cool for a minute or two in the tin, turn the nut roast out onto a serving dish and then carefully peel away the paper. Garnish with sprigs of parsley and/or slices of lemon. Serve. 

Our Cashew Nut Roast nestled in amongst our veggies..lol Love that green from the stuffing.

Enjoy! 
~R~