Saturday 29 October 2016

Huevos Rancheros

Top o'the evening to you, and happy Halloween! Have you made any plans yet or attended any parties already?

Kev and I went last night to one our friends were hosting and it was great! It was just lovely to catch up with some friends and meet new people! Over the past few weeks I have been packing and moving and unpacking and it's been very hectic on top of work and college - but I got there in the end.... Phew!

But now - Food! I thought I would give you this little number below. If you want to make it vegan, why not fry up some garlicky mushrooms instead of using egg. or add some marinated, fried tofu?

Huevos Rancheros
(Serves 2)


2 corn tortillas
1 tin beans (I used butter beans)
Oil
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp mild chilli power
Salt and pepper
2 tomatoes, chopped
Three Spring onions
1/2 chilli (I only used 1/3)
2 eggs (or mushrooms, or tofu)
Fresh coriander, chopped

1 avocado. small dice/sliced
Juice of 1/2 lime

- Start by making the refried beans: Have 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan and fry the garlic on medium heat for about a minute. Add the cumin, salt, pepper, chilli, and chilli powder and fry for a further minute. Tip in the beans and heat up, before mashing with a potato masher (you can add a little bit of water if it gets too dry).

- Now tip in the tomatoes and heat through, swirl in the Spring onions towards the end. Once done, take it off the heat but keep it warm.

- Fry the eggs/mushrooms/tofu the way you like them and once that is sizzling, simply prepare the avocado and have it in a small serving bowl with the lime juice, stir gently so it's all covered in the juice.

- Fry/heat the tortillas (I blast mine on the gas stove top - it tastes fantastic! As if they're freshly made!), then plate up, top with the bean mix, the zingy avocado, eggs/mushrooms/tofu and fresh coriander - et voila! You have yourself a little feast!

Roll them up or eat them with cutlery, it might get messy - but it is sooo worth it!

- Jules


Original recipe:
Spice it Up! p. 60

Saturday 22 October 2016

Vegan Carrot Smoked "Salmon" Bagels

Hey you!

I have been moving all this week in between working - thankfully we had a holiday at college this week, so I got an extra day to just get things together.

So... my boyfriend and I decided to carry everything to the new flat.... Yes - bad choice, I have been known to have a lot of things (I mean... who doesn't? OK, I will tryyyy and minimalise in the near future... promise!) and some of the stuff I just couldn't bring along, but I'm all set, and my goldfish also seem to love my boyfriend's pad. Sorted!

Anyway, today I have decided to dig up a recipe I made a good while back... It's from the amazing blogger Maikki's page - and therefore of course: vegan!

Vegan Carrot Smoked "Salmon" Bagels
(Makes about 4 bagels)


4 bagels
Cucumber, sliced
Spring onions, finely sliced
Dill, chopped finely
Lemon for squeezing

Carrot "Salmon":
3 large carrots, peeled
LOTS of salt (about 400g)
1 tbsp neutral oil (like sunflower)
2 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp white wine vinegar

Vegan cream cheese:
100g cashew nuts
100g tofu, patted dry
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (can also use white wine vinegar as above)
1 tsp nutritional yeast (optional)
Pinch of salt

- Start by making the carrot "salmon", leave the peel on the carrot, and heat up the oven to 190C. Sprinkle half the salt in a baking dish, place the carrots on top, and drizzle over the remaining salt - yes I know this is a lot of salt - but trust me, it does work! Place in the middle of the oven and backe for 1 1/2 hour.

- Once done, cool and then peel the carrots and thinly slice them. Put them in a box with the remaining ingredients, mix well to combine and leave overnight to marinade.

- Next day! Blend aaaaall the ingredients for the cream cheese in a processor or with a heavy duty stick blender and transfer into a container until serving, store in the fridge.

- Now it is time to put it all together! Toast the bagels and then spread both sides with cream cheese, place the smoked carrot sliced on top followed by cucumber, dill and a good drizzle of lemon juice - and serve!

What is your favourite veganised food?

PS - hope you are having a fantasmic weekend! x


- Jules

Original recipe:
http://maikinmokomin.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/porkkana-kylmasavulohi-bagelit-carrot.html

Saturday 15 October 2016

The Best Panic Pizza I Ever Made

Panic... Because - I had bought ALL the ingredients minus.... yeast. But if only I knew I needn't worry about it, for once I got back home I did a quick search and BOOM! Yeast free pizza dough... And you know what? It was the shizz!

Topped with pizza sauce (or in our case pasta tomato and roast pepper sauce which was SO good!) and some delicious mushrooms and Gruyere - this here pizza was safe to say a hit, phew....

The Best Panic Pizza I Ever Made
(Serves 2)


For the dough:
2 1/2 cups (350g) plain flour
2 3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp oil
3/4 - 1 cup (170-225 ml) water

Topping:
Home made pizza sauce or ready-made tomato and red pepper sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlice cloves, finely chopped
175g mushrooms, sliced
175g Gruyere cheese, grated
Salt and pepper
Flat leaf parsley (optional... I think I left it out or used basil instead!)

- Start by making the dough! Tip the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl and mix. Make a well in the middle and pour in the oil and then the water (start with 3/4 cup ie 170ml to prevent too sticky a dough). Stir well and then get your hands in there! Knead well for a few minutes and once it has come properly together get it out on a floured surface and continue until nice and stretchy - shouldn't take long! *smiles* Cover up in clingfilm and rest.

- Pre-heat the oven to 200C.
- Now, Fry the mushrooms in the oil and with the garlic. Make sure they release the juice and they dry up a little, you don't want soggy pizza... Just. no.

- Once the mushrooms are done, it's putting-together time! Rollout the dough and place on a baking tray, top with pizza sauce, mushrooms parsley or basil (if using) cheese, salt and pepper. Place in the oven and back for about 15-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and the bread is baked through.

- Cool slightly before serving... I know it's difficult, cause those garlic mushrooms will already get your tastebuds wanting a piece of this!

Anyway, sorry for taking so long, it has been a busy few weeks with work, college and a little trip to Amsterdam! It was really lovely! We had a great time and got to see some of the sights the city has to offer.

Today, Kev and I went to Maison de Moggy - a Cat Cafe! It was really exciting, and they even had three Norwegian Forest Cats! Getting to sip on a cappuccino and eating cake in between petting cats were amaaazing!






There was also a super cute little Sphinx cat there who was crazy for cake, and the set up they had with the climbing paths and "bed stairs" were amazing! Maybe in the future we can get some wee cats ^ ^ plus a dog of course! Animals keep us sane :)

Anyway, I hope you have been well and good! Been up to much, or got anything planned for Halloween or both? Ever been to a cat cafe or a different cafĂȘ of sorts?

PS if you want to see more updates from my day-today life, travelling, study and other such things plus shenanigans - you can find me on Instagram as WolfcatNonsheeple

xox J


Original recipes by:
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/user/2692581/recipe/no-yeast-pizza-dough
1 Bunn, 100 Pizzaer