Rocket & Roses Asparagus & Buckwheat Noodle Bowl (vegan & gluten-free)

Rocket & Roses Kitchen Play List:

Melissa Etheridge ~ I Really Like You
Marvin Gaye ~ Hitch Hike
Pearl Jam ~ Alive
K.D Lang ~ Crying
Seasick Steve ~ Started Out With Nothin
Chris Cornell ~ Flutter Girl
Halestorm ~ Here's To Us
Foo Fighter ~ Friend Of A Friend
Beethoven: Piano Trio #4 in B Flat 
Sara Sant'Ambrogio ~ Duet from Lakme
AC/DC ~ T.N.T (Live)
Inaya Day ~ Nasty Girl (Radio Edit)
Van Morrison ~ Brown Eyed Girl
Thunder ~ So Sad Today

Don't you love finding bargain bags of veggies when doing your shopping. I was lucky to find a ginormous bag of beautiful fresh asparagus recently. Beautiful in colour, plump and perfectly tipped...and reduced in price to hardly anything. Well..ok..they were a £ and some small change but worth every penny. Strange to think that a few years ago you wouldn't have seen me in the same room as a stick of the green yumminess that is the humble asparagus. 

I am still not back in my kitchen yet and I am still relying heavily on ML to cook my meals. But in the last couple of weeks I have managed to cook a veggie chilli and a couple of basic soups...with the help of my good pal Ann. But this was my first venture at flying solo again. Making a broth based veggie soup with some quick cooking noodles isn't hard work but it was for me. I enjoyed every bite of it and felt quite the sense of achievement. It has rather clean flavours and a good variety of textures. The noodles bring it all together and makes for one seriously tasty bowl of goodness. And those asparagus were extremely full of flavour. 

Tomorrow I am away to spend the day with Ann and we are tackling a Potato & French Bean Curry and a White Bean Soup. I just hope my energy levels can keep up...otherwise we will be having toast! 

Rocket & Roses Asparagus & Buckwheat Noodle Bowl

Rocket & Roses Asparagus & Buckwheat Noodle Bowl
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Rose Vegan Kitchen) 

1 onion, quartered and finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, micro-grated
2" piece of ginger, micro-grated
2 tsp minced red chilli, approx 2 chillies with seeds
1/2 tbsp rapeseed oil/canola oil
1 litre veggie stock
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 small squash, peeled and sliced
12 asparagus spears, stalks separated from tips, stalks cut into 1 1/2" pieces and tips placed to one side for later
3 small yellow bell peppers, trimmed and diced
18 sugar-snap peas, topped and tailed 
large handful of baby spinach leaves
handful of Enoki mushrooms, trimmed and rinsed

4oz 100% buckwheat noodles

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and then gently saute the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli until the onion has softened. Add the ground turmeric and stir well to evenly coat the onion mix. Stir in the veggie stock and then bring the stock to a boil. 

Place the slices of squash into the stock and then layer the stalks of the asparagus on top. Bring the stock back to the boil and reduce to a simmer and cook with the lid on for 8 minutes. 

Add the bell pepper, sugar-snap peas and asparagus tips to the stock. Stir well but being careful not to break up the squash slices. Cook for 5 minutes more. Add the baby spinach leaves and enoki mushrooms. Simmer for a further 4 minutes. Season with freshly cracked black pepper. 

Cook the buckwheat noodles are per the packet instructions and once cooked drain well. Cool under running cold water and leave to drain until the veggies have finished cooking. Then divide the noodles between serving bowls and top with the veggies and some of the stock. Serve hot...

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your week is being good to you...

~Red~ 

NB: This is my creation. I have no problem with you using or sharing this recipe. I simply ask that you give credit where its due and links back to this blog posting. Many thanks...~Red~  





 

Rocket & Roses Soothing Mixed Grain Pilaf (vegan)

Rocket & Roses Kitchen Play List:

Foo Fighters ~ Walking After You
The Cranberries ~ Deliah
Black Stone Cherry ~ In My Blood
David Bowie ~ Sound And Vision
Shelby Lynne ~ Track 12
Sammy Davis Jr ~ Let There Be Love
Lissie ~ Games People Play
The Fratellis ~ Creeping Up The Backstairs
Halestorm ~ Daughters Of Darkness
Joan Jett ~ Louie Louie
Live ~ Freaks
Hozier ~ Do I Wanna Know? 
Lenny Kravitz ~ If You Want It
Samantha Fish ~ Foolin' Me

A quick note to my gluten-free readers...I'm sorry but this recipe does contain barley but you can simply leave it out and you will still have a beautiful pilaf. To be honest any cooked grain mix would be delicious folks ~Red~

Last week I stayed with my best pal whilst ML was working away in Brussels. We decided given my recent ailments it was probably better that I wasn't home alone. However despite the practicalities of this decision it was also a good chance to spend some quality time with my pal. We had a lovely week but unfortunately my ailments were always around to remind me that they were still there. The medicines and treatments leave my poor tum quite sore and eating some days is easier than others. During the stay there was a day when the thought of food wasn't a pleasant one and Ann wanted to make me something for my evening meal that would be easy on my raw stomach, packed with nutrients and incredibly tasty. 

We sat together and Ann waited patiently whilst I put together a recipe in my head that would fit all three requirements. I was then ordered to rest whilst she hit the kitchen. If you knew me in real life...you would appreciate just how hard this is for me..lol. Never could do as I was told. The fact that we had a stash of cooked grains to hand made this recipe incredibly easy and quick to cook. As my note at the top of this post any cooked grains would be delicious in this meal..so leave out the barley if you are strictly gluten-free and change the others around if that's your wish. Combined with the steamed veggies it makes for a wholesome bowl of goodness, packed with flavours and textures that is indeed gentle on the tum. And the smell that came from the kitchen as it cooked had my tastebuds watering intensely...yum!

And Ann...thank you for looking after me so well. You rock lovely...*hugs* x 

Rocket & Roses Soothing Mixed Grain Pilaf (vegan)

 

Rocket & Roses Soothing Mixed Grain Pilaf       Serves 2
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen)

1/2 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, micro-grated
1 head broccoli, cut into bite size florets
1 green bell pepper, prepped, roughly chopped
15 Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
6 purple carrots, trimmed and chopped
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp paprika
3/4 pint hot veggie stock
220g cooked quinoa, brown rice and barley mix
freshly ground black pepper

In a hot skillet gently heat the olive oil and saute the garlic until fragrant, approx 3o seconds.

Add the veggies to the skillet and stir well to coat in the garlic oil. Add the ground ginger and paprika and stir to distribute. Add the stock and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and steam the veggies for 15 minutes. 

Add the cooked grains to the skillet and season well with freshly cracked black pepper. Stir well and cook for a further 5 minutes to heat the grains. Serve...

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are finding many reasons to smile folks...

~Red~

NB: This my creation and I have no problem with you using it or sharing it. I simply ask you give credit where it's due and provide links back to this post. Thanks...~Red~    

Robin's Victory Garden Soup (GF, Vegan + Lower Carb)

Rocket & Roses Kitchen Play List:

Chris Cornell ~ Higher Truth album

Hello folks...its been quite some time since my last posting. A lot of can happen in 2 months and 2 days...not that I was counting. OK..maybe I was and maybe I was going a little crazy at not being in my kitchen. And maybe I was getting a little grumpy about it. Ahem...well anyway...

My absence has been health related but that will be no news to those of you who a regular followers. I am still dealing with that and I won't bore you all with the details. But one of the outcomes of this, is the need to restrict my carb intake. So from now on my recipe postings will be vegan, mostly gluten-free...and lower or low carb. But they will be tasty, nutritious and good for me and therefore you too. I am relying heavily on other peoples cook books right now as cooking is the work of ML still. When back on my feet I am looking forward to creating my own recipes again. And so to today's recipe....

...I've purchased a few low carb veggie cook books of late. Some have been just awful but one of the most helpful has been Robin Robertson's Carb Conscious Vegetarian cook book. There is a great deal of information at the beginning of the book and then many interesting recipes. So far we haven't experienced a bad one and ML adds that they have been easy to make.

The Victory Garden Soup caught my eye because of the abundance of veggies in it. I am a soup-oholic these days and have been enjoying great beany/veggie concoctions lately. But today I was craving an old fashioned veg-fest no beans included. I wanted clean flavours not drowned out by heavy spices or tomato enriched broths. I love both of those ingredients but today I wanted...wholesome, pure flavoured, brothy goodness. Now I confess here and now..Robertson lists this as a stew but to me it turned out more soup like..hence the adjustment in the name.

The only substitution that ML had to make, was to use half of a small autumn pumpkin (think Acorn pumpkin) in place of the yellow summer squash that Robertson suggests in her recipe. ML also didn't take the suggestion of cooking off the kale ahead of time but chose to add it at the same point in the cooking process.
 
This soup is exactly as you would imagine it to be. Delicate in flavour, full of differing textures and extremely enjoyable to eat. And I am looking forward to devouring the leftovers for lunch over the next few days. I have a feeling that it will only get better with time...so tasty.  

Robin's Victory Garden Soup (GF, Vegan & LCarb)

Robin's Victory Garden Soup     Serves 4
(Recipe from Carb Conscious Vegetarian/Robertson)

1 tbsp olive oil
2 celery sticks, sliced
1 leek, white part only, well washed and roughly chopped
1 small carrot, sliced
1 large fennel bulb, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
6 oz green beans, cut into 1" pieces
1 courgette, halved and cut into 1/4" slices
1 yellow summer squash, halved and cut into 1/2" slices (or 1/2 small pumpkin, peeled, de-seeded and diced)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen shelled edamame
3 1/2 cups of filtered water
1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt (optional)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cooked chopped kale or other dark leafy green (or 4 cups fresh chopped kale)

Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the celery, leek, and carrot. Cover and cook 5 minutes to soften slightly. Add the fennel, bell pepper, green beans, courgette, squash, edamame, water, thyme, salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender and the flavours have blended, about an hour. For thicker soup, puree up to 2 cups of the soup in a blender and then add it back into the remaining soup. About ten minutes before the end of the cooking time add in the cooked or fresh kale. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope that you are happy in this moment and finding reasons to smile every day. 

~Red~ 

NB: This is not my recipe and therefore I take no credit for it whatsoever. It is the hard work and creation of Robin Robertson and hers alone. I send out thanks for being an inspiration and sharing such great recipes. Namaste ~R~



 

 

Moosewood's Quinoa & Black Bean Salad (vegan & gluten-free)

Rocket & Roses Kitchen Play List:

Foo Fighters ~ Come Alive
Little Mix ~ Move
Stevie Ray Vaughan ~ Love Struck Baby
Julie London ~ Cry Me A River
Joan Jett ~ Long Time
Blackberry Smoke ~ Too High
Selena ~ I'm Getting Used To You
Sade ~ The Sweetest Taboo
Buckcherry ~ Crazy Bitch
Sara Sant'Ambrogio ~ Prayer "From A Jewish Life" No1
Madeleine Peyroux ~ This Is Heaven To Me
Halestorm ~ Hunger Strike
Sam Cooke ~ Baby Won't Please Come Home
Maroon 5 ~ Can't Stop

I really have been absent of late dear readers. I am sorry for that and thank you for your expressions of concern but I am still here. I am waiting for the hospital to call and give me a date for an operation so its been a little tense around R & R HQ of late. Therefore no kitchen time is being had by me and its still in the hands of the lovely ML.

Today's recipe was one made about a month ago when we were trying out recipes from Moosewood's Low Fat Favourites cookbook. A marvel of a cookbook I have to say. This salad was one of the first recipes made and it was so delicious. ML only made a couple of adaptions by using rapeseed oil instead of olive oil and adding grated carrot (1 small). It was easy to make and looked bright and vibrant in the bowl. The taste was fresh and the flavours of the ingredients worked well and I almost always love a salad with lime juice in it. I love the citrus hit with the warmth of the spices added. The quinoa was succulent and the veggies crisp. All in all a splendid salad...go on..give it a try...you know you want to..  

 

Moosewood's Quinoa & Black Bean Salad (vegan & gluten-free)

Quinoa & Black Bean Salad      Serves 4
(Recipe from Moosewoods Low Fat Favourites)

1/3 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 tsp olive oil (We used rapeseed/canola)
4 tsp fresh lime juice, or more to taste
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander
2 tbsp minced spring onions
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (15oz can)
2 cups diced tomatoes
1 cup diced bell peppers (we used 1/2 green, yellow & orange)
2 tsp minced fresh green chillies
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 small carrot, grated (optional)

Rinse the quinoa well in a sieve under cool running water. In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil, add the quinoa, cover, and simmer on low heat, until all of the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. 

In a large bowl, combine the oil, lime juice, cumin, dried coriander, fresh coriander, and spring onions. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, grated carrots and chillies. Add the cooled quinoa, and salt and pepper to taste, and combine thoroughly. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with lemon or lime wedges.

Enjoy! 

Thanks for loyally stopping by and I hope to be back very soon. I hope your week is filled with happy moments that give you great reasons to smile...

~Red~ 

NB: This is not my recipe and therefore I take no credit for it whatsoever. It is the slightly adapted creation of the good folks at the Moosewood Collective. I thank them for sharing such great recipes...~R~   

Waga's Moyashi Soba - adapted (vegan & gluten-free)

Rocket & Roses Kitchen Play List:

Chris Cornell ~ Safe & Sound
The Black Keys ~ Sister
Thunder ~ Radio
Vivaldi ~ Violin Concerto in F Minor (Winter)
Shakira ~ Octavio Dia
Carole King ~ So Far Away
Joan Jett ~ Jezebel
Billie Holiday ~ Long Gone Blues
KT Tunstall ~ Saving My Face
Adam Ant ~ Goody Two Shoes
Thunder ~ The Thing I Want
Sheryl Crow ~ Wildflower
Janiva Magness ~ I Don't Want You On My Mind
Sara Sant'Ambrogio ~ Vocalise


Now this little bowl of yumminess isn't much of a looker...I give you that. But what it lacks in colour it sure makes up for in flavours. The original recipe from Wagamama's self titled cookbook calls for even less colour. As I am a fan of eating the rainbow of vegetables I struggle when I look at a dish that is...well...brown. But I took one for the team and was very happy that I did. The comfort that eating a bowl of noodle soup brings is priceless. Buckwheat soba noodles are by far my favourite noodles and so I devoured and slurped my way through them with glee. This is a messy, messy dish but isn't that all part of the fun? 

The stock is savoury and packed out with the flavours of the noodles and garlic/Braggs/sesame oil mix. I made some simple substitutions to make it suitable for my tastes and dietary requirements. I reduced the amount of veggie oil used and also the sesame oil. I swapped out using cane sugar for a scant amount of agave syrup instead. Those who are a regular readers will know that I have issues with mushrooms...so I subbed the slugs mushrooms for mange tout. My final change was using Braggs instead of soy sauce or tamari. 

For the original recipe I suggest you take a look at Waga's The Wagamama Cookbook. There are many great veggie recipes between the covers and easily  converted to vegan and gluten-free lifestyle. 

I love the Wagamamas days...and tonight I have leftovers to enjoy...

Waga's Moyashi Soba - adapted

Waga's Moyashi Soba   Serves 2
(Adapted from The Wagamama Cookbook/Arnold)

180g/6oz dried soba noodles
1 litre/1 3/4 pints low sodium veggie stock
1 tsp veggie oil 
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 large courgettes, cut on the diagonal into 5mm thick slices
2 small leeks, trimmed and finely sliced
15 mangetout, trimmed, cut into thirds
14 sugarsnap peas, trimmed and sliced
125g/4.5 oz marinated tofu pieces, finely diced
1/2 tsp agave syrup
2 tbsp Braggs liquid animos
1/2 tsp sesame oil
4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced

Cook the noodles as per packet instructions. Drain immediately and refresh under cold running water. Divide between two bowls. Bring veggie stock to a boil and ladle over the noodles. 

Meanwhile, heat a wok over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until completely hot and almost smoking and add the veggie oil. Stir fry the garlic for 5 seconds then add all the veggies and tofu, reserving a few pieces of spring onion for a garnish. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add the agave and Braggs then drizzle over the sesame oil. Divide between the bowls and top with the reserved spring onion. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your week is glowing...

~Red~

NB: This recipe is not my creation and therefore take no credit for it whatsoever. It is the adapted recipe from the folks at Wagamama's. I thank them for sharing such great recipes. ~R~  

Green Gumbo (vegan)

Rocket & Roses Kitchen Play List:

James Rhodes ~ 5 album 

It's been a while, hasn't it? I'm sorry for that and I still haven't been well enough to get in the kitchen for some much needed kitchen therapy. However this doesn't mean I haven't been enjoying some lovely vegan food. ML has been endeavouring to make recipes that spark my interest from other people's kitchens/books. And that is how I came to devour...ahem..savour this gumbo. Now it may not have great photo appeal but it is seductive from that first mouthful. 

I confess here and now that we used giant cous cous in this version. The original recipe calls for bulgar wheat or cous cous but you could make a very good gumbo with quinoa or maize cous cous so that choice is, as always, yours. I wanted to try the giant cous cous just for a change as I've been eating a lot of quinoa of late and I can tolerate small amounts of wheat so for me it was success. There was something indulgent in every plump little morsel of cous cous. 

The only sub that ML made was using yellow pepper in the place of green pepper. No reason other than we didn't have any green when it came time to make the evening meal. I quite enjoy green peppers but the yellow was a lovely pop of sunshine. I even agreed to the okra and can now happily report I enjoyed it. The gumbo is delicately flavoured and has many great textures and as suggested the tabasco sprinkled over the individual servings provided that good kinda hot kick. I really loved this meal and I look forward to enjoying it again soon.

Green Gumbo ~ vegan goodness

Green Gumbo    Serves 2

1 tsp olive oil
140g/5oz okra, trimmed and sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
50g/20z bulgar wheat, giant cous cous or cooked quinoa
100g/4oz leek, halved and sliced
1/2 green pepper, chopped (we used yellow)
2 celery sticks, chopped
100g/4oz kale, tough stalks removed, shredded
large handful parsley, finely chopped
a few thyme sprigs, leaves stripped (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
500ml hot low sodium veggie stock
tabasco sauce (optional)

Heat a saucepan over a med heat and add the oil. Add the okra and saute until turning golden, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for a few seconds until fragrant, then pour in the hot veggie stock. Add the bulgar wheat or cous cous, leek, green pepper and celery, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the kale, parsley and thyme. Simmer for 5 minutes more, by which time the bulgar or cous cous should be plumped and cooked. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in vinegar. Taste the broth and season to taste. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with tabasco if desired. 

Enjoy!

Thank you to ML for keeping me supplied with beautiful foods even on the days when eating is not my chosen thing to do. Ah well...onwards and upwards folks. Thank you for stopping by and being the loyal followers that you are. You rock! Hope your days are beautiful ones...

~Red~ 

NB: This is not my recipe and therefore I take no credit for it whatsoever. I cannot give thanks where it's rightfully due as it was a recipe ripped from a magazine some time ago. But I do send out thanks to whoever the creator was. ~R~  

My Little Bucket Garden: Lush green leaves...

Rocket & Roses Garden Play List:

Beethoven Adagios

Indulge me a little please as I give you an update on my garden project. Kitchen time has been very little but hopefully that will change very soon...so in the meantime this is what I have been up to..

A little garden decor...

I just happened to have a couple of old nails in my garden wall and I found these hanging ornaments for £4. I like them very much. The yard is a little shabby right now but I have plans to brighten it up. And these ornaments are just the start...

This is the space in which I have to work...not tiny I know but just the perfect size for me

The five orange buckets along the back wall are all my courgettes and squashes. We are going to build a frame for them to grow up. They are thriving and can't wait to create some new spaghetti squash recipes. 

Flourishing bell pepper plants...orange centre

I'm hoping that I can successfully grow some bell peppers. Some are doubtful because of the typical English weather we're having. But I remain hopeful as they seem to be growing despite the lack of heat..

Beetroot buckets...the two larger buckets have Rainbow Beets & Stripey varieties

We have a very boring selection of beetroot available here. So I knew I needed to try and grow some other beautifully coloured types...very excited about these as I am a beetroot fan. 

My first strawberries!

I made a choice not to grown fruits this year as I already have an established apple tree and cherry tree on the property. However I couldn't resist this hanging strawberry plant and the first fruits are already beginning to ripen. I know I won't have enough to cook with...so they are going to be my gardening 'snack' treat...unless the birds beat me to it..

Marigold's make for good pest controls...so my french beans should be safe...

Years ago we found an old Irish sink at the bottom of the garden and we dragged it up to the yard. Now it is planted with some french beans and marigolds. The french beans will hopefully grow up to cover the wall...

Industrial shelving project...

We picked up these industrial shelving on sale and they have been fantastic. Our yard tends to be a wind tunnel so we needed something sturdy. It holds a grow bag with tumbling tomatoes and tumbling dwarf beans on the top. The other shelves are used for protecting seedlings until ready to be planted up and some of my herbs...

Two troughs of radish and some sunflower (Russian Giant) seedlings

As with beetroot we don't have a lot of choice when buying radishes. Recently we have been able to buy Mooli/Diakon as a weekly veg but rainbow coloured and anything more exciting just isn't an option. So I have two types growing and this one my Mum is eagerly awaiting to harvest. I am growing some Russian Giant sunflowers to give the yard some colour. I did have more than three pots...until my lovely nieces decided to liberate a pot each..

My herbs pt1

My first planted out herbs were fennel, parsley, lemon thyme, common thyme, oregano and chives....but that didn't quite satisfy my needs so...

...this happened. My herbs pt 2

A recently purchased washing up bowl (which turned out to be too big for our kitchen sink...) was filled and then Vietnamese coriander, dill, sage and tarragon were planted. And in my one remaining bucket I have a thriving common mint and a lemon mint. And now I also have an Apache chilli pepper plant on my kitchen windowsill..with an abundance of chilli buds.

It's been a very hospital dense time so I have been taking great comfort in my little garden. I take a moment in the afternoons when the sun is warm to sit out with a drink and soak in some much needed VitD. Happy moments can happen wherever you are if you allow them to happen...

Thanks for loyally stopping by everyday folks...I will be back with a recipe posting very soon. 

~Red~