Sloppy Joe's Hummous Dip

A short and sweet post this Saturday after noon, perfect to bring to parties! This recipe is posted upon request from a couple of people who came to our flat-warming a while back. A bag of tortilla chips and a bowl of guacamole - and you're good to go!

I wanted to make a barbecue style hummous, I looked through my recipes and then I came across the Sloppy Joe's dish I have made previously. I skimmed through the ingredient list, did a few tweakings depending on what I had in the fridge and the cupboard, and then the Sloppy Joe's hummous was made!

Sloppy Joe's Hummous Dip
(Makes 1 big bowl)

400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped
A good squeeze ketchup
A good squeeze tomato puree
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp dried basil
A pinch of cayenne pepper
A good splash Worcestershire sauce (NB! Might not be vegetarian)
1/3 tsp liquid smoke
Salt and pepper to taste

Tortilla chips and guacamole to serve

- Simply whizz everything in a food processor or with a stick blender, and serve with tortilla chips!

Will you be partying it up tonight, or perhaps watch the World Cup? I wanted to go camping again today, but I think I'm going to put it on hold for another week or so ^ ^ City adventures and some studying awaits! I hope you have a good one!


Recipe by yours truly,

- Jules

Pecanana Foster Oatmeal

Oatmeal porridge, a boring breakfast according to some - but if you spend a minute or two extra adding a little bit of something extra, you'll soon find that this doesn't necessarily have to be a bland filler. As you might already have seen, I have made a post in ode to the mighty oat porridge and today, I'll give you another version to add to the list.

Because over at Katrina's blog I saw another recipe that had caramelised nuts and bananas featuring alongside the humble oats. I decided to make this for breakfast, and boy was I in for a treat! This luscious bowl hit the spot first thing in the morning, and I made it the morning after once more, then swapping the banana for diced apple cooked in the pan with the pecans.

The reason why I didn't cook the bananas with the pecans, is that I don't tend to like cooked banana, BUT I imagine if you fold them in right before serving (Like I should have done) that would have worked so well!

Pecanana Foster Oatmeal
(Serves 1)

For the oatmeal:
1/2 cup oats
1 cup skimmed milk
A pinch of salt

For the topping:
2 tsp butter
1 tbsp xylitol or brown sugar
Half a handful pecans (5-7)
1 small banana, sliced (Can use 3/4 apple, diced)

- Start by heating up the milk in a small casserole and add the oats along with a pinch of salt. Simmer and stir continuously for 5-10 minutes until it's the consistency you like it. Add a little more milk or water if it goes a little too dry. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

- In a small frying pan, melt the butter and sweetner. If using apple in place of banana, add this now and let it cook for a couple of minutes. Add the pecans and lightly toast for a minute or two. Turn off the heat and fold in the sliced banana.

- Top the bowl of porridge with the banana and pecans as well as aaaaall the sauce you can muster to scrape off the pan, because you don't want to waste those precious sweet drops!

I also did one version with chopped up apples and pecans, I just softened the apple in a pan for a few minutes before adding the rest of the topping ingredients, so good! I think I might just make this for breakfast tomorrow as well actually, mmmm...

What's your favourite meal to start the day off with?


Original source:
http://warmvanillasugar.com/2014/05/27/bananas-foster-oatmeal/

- Jules

Planning Ahead Can Help You Save Money!

OK, so you might find you have run out of say... flour, and you have to go to the shop. Off you go, and on your way you see so many tasty temptations, and then you compromise by only buying half of all these things, and you come back home with a shopping bag's worth. Ooops, and best of all? You forgot to buy the flour!
It's easy to end up spending a lot of extra money if you buy things as you go along, and I have found that doing a weekly shop not only saves me money, but also time and I don't have to stress about what to have for dinner, ebcause I have already the menus (somewhat set-up).

Pick a day of the week that suits you best.
- I find that Sunday mornings are good for it. With a new week ahead of me, and plenty of work, I will need to stock up like a right good hamster, preparing myself for the days to come (and a potential zombie apocalypse, you just never know...).

- Write a shopping list: Think roughly what you are wanting to have for breakfasts and lunches, and buy a handful of staple ingredients or foods that you know you always have on a regular basis (certain fruits, vegetables, yogurt, eggs, etc.). Jot down recipes or name of dishes you want to make for the coming 3-4 days, this will allow you to keep things fresh, and whatever needs frozen for future use or the end of the week, well - that's easy enough.

Shopping list, and a sort of keyword list of the recipes I can make, as well as the shopping receipt.

This also got my laundry washing things, hence why it was a little more pricey.

I tend to plan dinners from Sunday and through to Wednesday, and at the end of the week, I will either make do with what I have and cook up some student-tastic meals, or find recipes where I only need a few more ingredients including what I have left in the fridge, freezer and cupboards - trying as best I can to avoid all the great offers and tasty stuff in the aisles, but aaaalways at least buying one or two (or five..) things that I had no intention of getting in the first place. The amount of times I have grabbed a punnet of strawberries, yogurts, and hummous is ridiculous. Make your own hummous girl, we're trying to save money here!

Anyway, I thought I would include some pictures of my simple little process, as well as the total amounts. Now, keep in mind that this shopping also got my laundry liquid, and I didn't intend to "save" money as such, other than simply planning ahead. You can easily spend less than this if you plan a little more carefully, and get creative. There are plenty of recipes packed full of flavours that doesn't cost much to make, and the best of all? You get delicious, fresh food that you made!

What I actually made (PS. I actually did get around to making the chocolate biscottis as well, but I made them this week and not last week).

Do you do weekly shopping trips, or plan meals ahead? And do you have more tips on how to save money when it comes to food shopping and making?

Today, I have just come back from camping in Falkland, a beautiful little town in Scotland. It was amazing to get back out into the nature again. My friend and I went strawberry picking on a fruit farm before hand, and had a barbecue to celebrate Solstice/St. Hans (and the fact that we were camping), we went on a tiny pub crawl, aaaaand today we climbed one of the East Lomond Hills, the view from the top was absolutely stunning! Just waking up to the sound of birdsong, and horses neighing in the distance was something else, mmmm... I hope you have had an amazing weekend, and I wish you all the best for the new week ahead!

- Jules

Super Chewy Coffee Granola (...and Overnight Banana Oats)

It might be too hot outside over here for stews and casseroles and other hot food (except from everything barbecue of course!), buuuut that doesn't stop up from needing our leisurely mornings and tasty granola, right? And instead of warm oatmeal, how about preparing some jars of overnight oats in the fridge instead? Here comes a double-whammy, just for you! It's Friday after all, and we have better things to do than spending too much time in the kitchen. These two recipes practically makes themselves!

I found a recipe for coffee granola over at LovelyLiller's blog and figured that there was no other option but have a go at it. I made a few alterations using ingredients I had, and the result? Some super chewy, delicious granola with a little bit of caffeine for those mornings when you need a jump start to your day!

Super Chewy Coffee Granola
(Makes about 3 small jars)

NOTE Remember to add the chocolate covered beans when the granola has cooled down compleeetely! You don't want to end up with melty coffebean blobs...Look at them shine!

120g oats
20g sunflower seeds
30g cashew nuts, whole or roughly chopped
30g raisins or chopped dates
1/3 cup (60-70ml) coffee (Using 1 tbsp instant, it's got to be STRONG, like Popeye!)
2 tbsp (mild) honey, such as acacia - but any will do! (swap for syrup if you want it vegan)
2 tbsp sukrin icing sugar, sukring gold, or brown sugar
25g (chocolate covered) coffee beans

- Start by pre-heating the oven to 160°C.

- Make coffee. Then, in a mixing bow - have everything except from the chocolate covered coffee beans (if you're using regular coffee beans, they can go into the mix). Stir well to combine and if the mixture is a little too dry, add a touch more honey.

- Spread the mixture out on a baking tray and bake for about 40-50 minutes. If you prefer small clusters or crumbles, stir to break it up every 10 minutes or so. Are you a lover of big clusters? Try and turn over the granola in big pieces, and break up once the mixture is dry - making sure you get the desired amount of epic, chewy clusters!

- Leave out to dry for an hour or two, and then mix in the chocolate covered coffee beans, and place in a jar. Or take out the yogurt and top with this and a drizzle of honey or syrup for instant happiness and a caffeine boost!

And now, over to the overnight oats!

Usually, I just add yogurt, water, sweetener or sorts, berries and oats, but then I saw how The Boy Can Cook incorporated banana into the mix, clever! For these jars of creamy oats, you'll simply need:

Overnight Banana (and Raisin) Oats
1 jar that can fit it all
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup milk
1 small banana, mashed
Raisins (optional)
Pinch of salt
Cinnamon (optional)

- Have the oats in a jar with a lid, topped with mashed banana, and then with the milk. Give it a right good shake, before opening and adding a small handful raisins (if using) a pinch of salt and cinnamon if you want. Cover and shake again and simply place in the fridge overnight and it will be ready and waiting for you come morning!

- Top with your favourite granola (I'd already ran out of coffee granola by the time I discovered this...) and optionally some sliced fruits or berries. Enjoy!


Original source:
http://lovelyliller.com/ferskbrygget-kaffe-granola/
http://boycancook.wordpress.com/2013/07/26/overnight-oats-banana-and-raisin/

- Jules

Mixed Mean Bean Burgers

Hello good people! It's the fourth day in a row of roasty toasty sunshine here, and it feels so good! Therefore, I have decided to continue the "barbecue" theme from yesterday's post, with some delicious vegetarian burgers!

Don't you love when friends and family suggest delicious recipes for you to try out? A little while ago, my friend sent me a link to some black bean burgers. Thankful for the thumbs up, I finally got to try my hands on these, and you know what? They were pretty darn tasty!

All I was missing was some leaves, guacamole and sala, because the flavours in these burgers calls for exactly that! Instead, I used a good bit of melted cheese, tomato sauce and basil pesto (it worked, actually!). These versatile burgers can go with most toppings of choice though, and the chilli gives them a bit of a kick!

Mixed Mean Bean Burgers
(Makes 3 patties)

I'd ran out of tomatoes - nooooo! And leaves, hence my addition of impromptu basil. This would be delicious with some barbecue sauce as well though! Under the bun, it's also a thick slice of melting mozzarella hiding - too shy to show itself!

1/2 cup panko crumbs
2tsp + 1 tbsp olive oil
400g can mixed beans or black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large egg
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 red or green chilli, deseeded and chopped
Handful cilantro or coriander
1 shallot, finely chopped
Toasted burger buns to serve, along with any of these toppings:
Cheese, pesto, ketchup, tomatoes, leaves, salsa, guacamole, soured cream, barbecue sauce, fried/fresh/crispy onions etc.

- Start by simply heating up 2 tsp oil in a large frying pan. Add the panko crumbe and toast for a couple of minutes until they start turning golden.

- In a mixing bowl, mash the beans, OR have the beans in along with all the remaining ingredients (including the panko) for the patties and use a stickblender to whizz until you have a fine, but still slightly textured mixture. You can of course keep them more rustic by just mashing together well with a masher. S'up to you! Now, the mixture might look a little gloopy, but fear not! Because we are going to make this look like the most veggie burgers you have ever seen!

- Now, heat the remaining oil in the large frying pan, and shape the burger mixture into three large patties. Fry for about 8-10 minutes all together, flipping a couple of times during this time, so they get evently golden and beautiful.

- Ready? Pop these bad boys into some tasty rolls, and douse with ALL the toppings you like!

You wouldn't think these bad boys were vegetarian! Oh, and to the right you see the little pattie I made out of the last bit of burger mixture, because a clever girl said just about a week or so ago that everything is better when it's miniature! I added a dollop of sour cream and ketchup, yum!

What's your favourite type of vegetarian burger? Got any good recipes to share?
I hope you have a great day!


Original source:
http://www.annies-eats.com/2011/06/22/black-bean-burgers/?go_print=4783

- Jules

Smokey BBQ Pizza Sauce

It's Summer in Glasgow town! I am absolutely melting, and the sun is shining - love it! And what better to post today, than a simple recipe for barbecue sauce?

The day this was made was a Friday, sociable times were needed, and when my friend wanted to hang out, - I had to think of something to make that was fast, simple, and delicious! We had had pizza last time and it worked a treat, and then I had been fancying lamb for quite some time.... I remembered the first time I had made barbecue lamb pizza, and glorious pita bread all of a sudden made part of a pita-lightbulb-epiphany-sort-of-moment, that's it!

And so, I thought that I was too tired after a long week at work to make the pita bread myself (I will one day, I promise!), BUT I did want to make soooomething myself, and figured that I would go for a smokey barbecue sauce, purely because I don't usually have that on pizza. It's easily put together with mainly cupboard ingredients you probably already have. Pita pizzas were made, the Hobbit was watched, and plenty of tea was drunk (such a hardcore Friday...I know), and we even came up with some pretty good "alternative" Hobbit tracks, changing some words of 90s chart songs to make it go with the movie... Ahh, good times!

Smokey BBQ Pizza Sauce
(For 1 medium pizza or 4 pita breads)

1 tsp oil
1/4 red onion, finely chopped (use the rest when frying the meat/soy)
1 fat garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp syrup, honey or brown sugar
About 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
A good splash Worcestershire Sauce (vegan/vegetarian W-sauce can be found in some health- and wholefood shops)
1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke
1/2 tsp (yellow) mustard seeds (optional)
1 tsp (smoked) paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

- Simply start, by frying the oil in a small sauce pan. Once hot, add the garlic and onion and soften for a few minutes so the fragrances get the chance to come out fully.

- Now, stir in the remaining ingredients and let it bubble for 5-10 minutes. Season to taste, and add a bit of chilli if you want a bit of an extra kick, but I found this to be quite all right the way it was!

- Spread over pita breads, or pizzas before topping with the rest of the ingredients you want. Enjoy!

Recipe by yours truly,

- Jules

Roti Wraps with Chilli Chickpeas

After having been to a showdown cook-off on Saturday, I was feeling so inspired - I wanted to make clean, soul-food that makes you happy with every mouthful.

The showdown took place in a lovely little place in Shawlands in Glasgow called The Glad Cafe. As for the two street kitchens who were up against each other, it was one of my favourite little places in town called Babu Bombay Street Kitchen, and another pop-up street kitchen called Fire in Babylon.

We were all to try four courses, or - if sharing, you had the potential to try six dishes in total. I went with a couple of friends, and thus we decided to get all the different courses, so we knew who to vote for. I will write more about this after I have posted up this little recipe by Levi Roots - delicious Caribbean food, with a bit of heat but not so much that a dollop of chutney and yogurt couldn't level it out. It's all about balance...

Roti Wraps with Chilli Chickpeas
(Serves 4)

4 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
5cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 Sping oniong, chopped
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
2 tsp (black) mustard seeds (I used yellow)
4 tomatoes, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

To serve:
4 rotis, pita breads or wholemeal tortillas
4 tbsp Greek yogurt
4 tsp mango- or apricot chutney
1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped (optional)

- Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan, add the onion and ginger and soften for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

- In the meantime, have the remaining olive oil and chickpeas, along with a splash of water in a bowl, and whizz until you have a course paste. You can also do this in a food processor or mash. Set aside.

- Add the Spring onions to the frying pan and stir for about 2 minutes - before adding the chilli flakes and mustard seeds and cooking for another minute. Now, tip in the tomatoes, fry for about five minutes on medium low heat.

- Stir in the chickpea paste, season well with salt and pepper (about 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper), and cook for a further 5-10 minutes.

- Heat rotis/wraps/pita, and top each with the chichpea mixture, along with some Greek yogurt, chutney and chopped coriander, and enjoy!

...Now, as far as the showdown went, it kicked off with a delicious starter by Babu Bombay Street Kitchen, a rice dish served in a paper cone with a complimentary cracker and a bit of heat! Alongside it we were given a caipirinha, which I thought went well with the spicy dish.

We each got to pick two out of four main courses, two provided by each Babu Bombay Street Kitchen and Fire in Babylon. Babu rattled up the infamous Yummy Mummy's Chicken dish with rice, and a lovely vegetarian dish that packed a good bit of heat and what was served with bread for dipping (SO good!), whilst representing FIB was Brown it Down Chicken served with macaroni pie and callaloo (I need to learn how to make that stuff!), and a brilliant Butternut Squash curry with coconut milk.
Fire in Babylon provided the dessert with a gorgeous, light mango and chocolate cheese cake, with an awesome biscuit base, and a small cup of spicy chai on the side. After the voting, it turned out to be Fire in Babylon who was victorious, although I had my hopes up for Babu, but nonetheless - the event was impeccable, and I'm hoping they will do something similar in the near future!

What is your favourite street food, and have you tried to make your own spin on it?


Original source:
Spice it Up! p. 72

- Jules